TWO GREAT YA novels-THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX and HOW I LIVE NOW

I've been on a chapter book mission, reading tons of chapter books, and I always read picture books. But last week I stumbled upon two great Young Adult novels via the recommendation of a friend. I loved them both, so I just had to tell you about them.

The first one I read and LOVED is THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX by Mary Pearson. Jenna Fox wakes up from a year long coma of sorts to learn that she nearly died in an accident that took her two best friends. She remembers nothing at first and completely depends on her parents for information, and over time, it seems that her parents are using her injury and amnesia to their advantage, sharing a more 'rosy' picture of her past than is the actual truth in attempt to make her into the girl they want her to be rather than the actual Jenna Fox. This book is a stunning page turner that will give you a whole new perspective on medical advances and parental control. I couldn't put it down.

The second one I read and loved is HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff. This beautifully crafted novel is set in the English countryside in the (frighteningly possible) not-so-distant-future. Our protagonist is an anorexic NYC teenager sent by an evil stepmother and distracted father to go live with cousins in England just before the big war breaks out. Oddly, she falls in love with her younger cousin and when they are separated during the war, it is even odder that I was totally pulling for them to reunite. At any rate, it's a sweet love story paired with a horrid war story which we all know makes for a good read.

I'm anxiously awaiting MOCKINGBIRD by Kathryn Erskine to arrive in the mail. I've complained about how I couldn't get it on my Kindle for some unknown reason, so I broke down and ordered the real thing. I'm hoping it comes today. It's the only nominee I haven't read at least part of (I couldn't get through one of them, not because it wasn't brilliant, but because it was weighed down with technicalities--I may try it again). As of right now, my recommendation for the winner is DARK WATER but they might choose the super technical one because, well, you know. Even if it's tough to read, sometimes you've got to reward the person who pulled out all the stops, right?

It's my second day of NaNo and I'm moving right along. Hope all you NaNo readers are progressing, as well. Have a GREAT day and pick up a good book today!