‘Last Chance’ by Sarah Dessen

She is the girl who didn’t fit in and has to spend a summer in a town in the middle of nowhere with a weird aunty she has only met once. Struggling with body image Colie is thrown into the deep end of growing up with a distant, famous mother. Can she make her life her own?

The story is set in the town of Colby, a small town where everyone knows everyone and at the centre is the Last Chance Diner.

Nicole, or Colie as everyone knows her, is a 14-year-old fitness fanatic because her mum is the famous Kiki Sparks, aerobics extraordinaire. Colie has to spend the summer in Colby with her Aunt Mira, an eclectic card writer who lives by herself with her cat Norman. Mira also lives with a renter called Norman, an artist with dad problems. While in Colby, Colie befriends the waitresses of the Last Chance, Isabel and Morgan. Isabel is an opinionated free spirit and Morgan is engaged to baseball player Mark and always does everything right.

The story starts by Colie taking the train to Colby and saying goodbye to her mum at the train station. During the summer Colie gets a job at the Last Chance and experiences things she never had in regard to growing up, meeting guys and becoming comfortable in her own skin. She helps her friends go through some very rough times bringing them closer together and creating a summer they will never forget.

I liked this book because it has a relatable story line to many girls that would read the book in becoming self aware, making friends and dealing with bullies. It expresses that when you are feeling down you should talk to someone who is close to you because they may have had to deal with the same problem before and together you can get through it.

I would recommend this book to girls from the age of 10 as many at this age will be coming into contact with the struggles described in the book at this age.

Charlotte TH, Year 9

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This story is about an attitude-filled teenage girl named Colie, whose mum becomes famous after releasing a fitness programme. She and Colie lose a lot of weight from what they call the ‘fat years’ where they travelled from place to place trying to survive with little money. Colie is not excited when she finds out she has to move to a new town for the summer and stay with her strange Aunt, whilst her mum is having fun on her world tour. Colie makes friends for the first time in her life and transforms as a person, with some complicated romance and mean girls along the way.

I liked this book as it was interesting and got you hooked to find out what exciting things Colie will do next. I would recommend this book to teenage girls around the age of about 13-16.

Claire year 9

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June 23

‘Starfish sisters’ by J.C.Burke

“I liked the pain, it got the bad thoughts away.”

Do you like true, heart-filled, drama stories? Well, this is the book for you because it is full of drama and heart-filled moments and there is a lot in this book that happens in real life.

Starfish Sisters is a book by J.C.Burke based on four girls: Georgie (15), Kia (15), Micki (12) and Ace (17) who are at a surf camp and are struggling to get along with each other. Their dreams are to be the greatest surfer ever and get into the the surf boot camp. Georgie is a really good surfer who is trying to decide if she wants to be a surfer or a soccer player because she is starting to think that surfing is getting way too competitive. Kia is best friends with Georgie but she is starting to feel like she is a misfit to everyone, including Georgie and decides to self harm and struggles to stop herself. Micki is the youngest at the camp and is the first to find Kia self-harming. She lost her mom when she was little and doesn’t want anyone to know how her death happened.

I really liked this book because it is based on things that happen in real life. Kia goes through a really tough time with self-harming because she thinks that no one wants to believe in her and give her credit for anything. It is also a book about friendship because although not everyone is going to be friends, you need to find a way to get along because otherwise it just makes things even more difficult. I also like this book because it is very heartwarming and brings a lot of emotion.

Charlotte F, Year 8

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“How could she have done that? She knew nothing about me and my life. I hated her. Perhaps now I hated her more than she hated me.”

Do you like books filled with drama, complications and you can relate to? Then this book is the one for you. It will keep you up past your bedtime just to finish the next chapter or two.

There are four main characters: Micki, Ace, Kia and Georgie. Micki is 12, turning 13 at the camp. She’s the youngest at the surf camp. She is shy and has many family troubles but still manages to focus on her surfing. Ace is 17. She is sponsored by one of the major surf stores in Australia, Ocean Pearl. She enters the camp in a relationship with Tim Parker, a world famous surfer. Kia is 15 and struggles with her self esteem. She wants to impress her dad and doesn’t want to be compared to her best friend, Georgie, or family friend Micki. Georgie is 15 and her best friend is Kia. Together they created a surf wear brand, Bikinia. They go to the camp hoping to make some sales. Georgie isn’t very confident but always sees the best in people. She’s not sure if she still wants to continue her surfing career. But she still goes to the surf camp anyway.

The book starts with all four girls on their own journey each with different reasons to enter the surf camp. Every girl at this camp is fighting for one of the four spots to go to the next level. It’s going to be tough, as each girl has been specifically picked to go to this camp. With fierce competition it’s not going to be easy. Will friendships last, or will they go down in flames? Not everyone is going to be good enough to make it to the next level.

I could relate to this book on many ways, and levels, which just made it so much more enjoyable. Even though this book was published in 2007 it is still very relatable, even more so today than it would’ve been eight years ago. This book falls under three genres: true, edgy and heart-filled, which are three genres that make a fantastic teenage girl book.

Olivia H. Year 8.

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“How could she have done that? She knew nothing about me and my life. I hated her. Perhaps now I hated her more than she hated me.”

Are books with friendship, a story you can relate to and filled with drama your kind of books? Then this is the book for you.

In Starfish are four main characters: Micki, Ace, Kia and Georgie. Micki is 12 and the youngest at surf camp. She is shy and not very wealthy, she has many family troubles but manages to focus on her surfing career. Ace is 17 years old. She is sponsored by one of the major surf stores in Australia, Ocean Pearl. She enters the camp in a relationship with the world’s most famous surfer, Tim Parker. Kia is 15 and struggles with her self esteem. She wants to impress her dad and doesn’t want to be compared to her best friend, Georgie. Georgie is 15 and her best friend is Kia. Together they created a surf wear brand. Georgie isn’t very confident but always sees the best in people. She is not sure if she wants to continue her surfing career.

The book starts as all the characters enter their dream surf camp very nervously. They get introduced to their roommates not having a clue that they would soon become best friends. It was time to have their first surf. Most of the girls were the most nervous they have ever been besides Ace. Ace has always known that she was the best surfer but participating in this camp may test her skills. Georgie has always struggled with her confidence so coming to the camp was a hard decision for her to make but knowing that only the best surfers in Australia get invited, gave her faith. Kia and Micki are having some troubles becoming friends but throughout the book they have a breakthrough.

Starfish Sisters is a great novel that is very easy to relate to for teenage girls. It has a fantastic storyline that has many complications to overcome which also creates drama. They were all thrown in together, and not being friends yet, there was jealousy, lies, secrets and insecurity to deal with. They then realise that they need to stick together as their friendship bring out the best in all of them.

Olivia L., Year 8

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“For the first time, three people knew who I was. The real me. And the best bit about it was that they still wanted to be my friend.” This is the reality for Kia, Georgie, Micki and Ace who are thrown together for a whirlwind of a summer and a once in a lifetime experience.

Four girls are chosen to take part in the Australian Elite Young Surfers’ Camp and by chance are put into the same bungalow, the Starfish Bungalow. Ace, also known as Courtney McFarlane, is the star of the camp and is always the centre of attention, after all her boyfriend is the one and only famous surfer Tim Parker. Carefree and confident, she never worries about putting in any effort. Although she’s Ace’s biggest fan, Kia lacks in all these traits. She never feels good enough for her dad and can’t stop comparing herself to others. Self-doubt is something that is also common with her best friend, Georgie. Georgie struggles to cope with the piling amounts of pressure and can’t seem to grasp the enthusiasm she once had. Whenever faced with competition she fails to reach her full potential. Micki is the youngest but far from the least mature. She’s been exposed to more than you’d think for her age, and hides many secrets about her past. Winning a place at the camp gives her chance to finally get away from her terrible home life and to be able to focus on surfing.

Throughout the book, the girls have to compete with eight others for just four spots on the junior training team. Expecting a summer of competition and hard work, they end up learning more about themselves and each other than they ever could’ve imagined. Discovering that there is more to each other than they thought, the girls leave with a bond of sisterhood and lifelong lessons.

I really enjoyed the book, ‘Starfish Sisters’ because it shows four girls coming together and putting aside their differences to help one another. There are many unexpected twists and turns in the plot that make it hard to put down. J.C. Burke does a great job of showing there are more layers to people than what meets the eye. The story also moves along at a great pace and never fails to catch your attention.

I recommend this book to teenage girls who love heart-filled stories that are slightly edgy and packed with adventure. This book addresses serious issues with youth today and sheds light on normally unspoken topics. It truly is a captivating book and I rate it four out of five stars.

Charli B, Year 8

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November 19

‘Butterflies’ by Susanne Gervay

“Hairy ripples cover her. Her bald head snarls with threatening teeth like a hyena. It’s the beast. Too terrible. The beast.”

‘Butterflies’ by Susanne Gervay is a book about a seventeen year old, Katherine, who lives in Sydney Australia. She was severely burnt as a child, pushed into a pit of burning chemicals. She is still suffering with the scarring and her flaws.

This book is an insight into the lives of burn victims. It tells us how they suffer growing up and the trouble they go through to try to make themselves like other people.

Katherine has troubles at school with everyone and mainly the boys. She feels like everyone laughs at her because of her burns. She has liked this one boy for a really long time but he is really rude to her. She then realises that there are more people out there who accept her for who she is. She feels as though she needs so many more operations to become ‘normal’. Throughout the story she learns to live with her appearance with help from her friends, family and doctors.

I would recommend this book to teenagers who enjoy a bit of romance but mainly a heart warming true story. This is because people who read this will receive a very strong message that can relate to teenagers. Teenagers can learn that some people have it worse than themselves and to be more confident because of this. This is a good read and I would rate it a 3 star, mainly because the story line is very confusing. After a while it becomes easier to understand. Although, I did very much enjoy this story because I learned a very important lesson, acceptance, I learned to accept people for who they are. Overall this is an average book with a great message.

Emily, Year 9

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Meet Katherine. “They engulfed her small arms and she fell into the pyre of garden refuse and chemical flames”.

Katherine is a young, brave and heroic schoolgirl who just wants to be like everyone else. She has more to her than everyone thinks. Katherine was seriously burnt at three years of age and is going through some tough times at home in Sydney, Australia. Katherine, who is now 18, feels like she is being judged wherever she goes and being held back from doing what she loves because of her burns. Katherine has to ask herself a few questions on the way. ‘Do I want to go to the school dance?’ ‘Is there a dress that will cover my burns?’ ‘Will everyone judge me?’ All Katherine wanted was for her scars to disappear, the boys at her school to be nice to her and to wear whatever she wants without being embarrassed and self-conscious about her appearance. One of the many issues Katherine faces is her father wanting to build up his relationship with Katherine, her sister and her mother again after abandoning them. The main characters of this book are the brave schoolgirl Katherine, her loving sister Rachel, her very busy mother and her supportive best friend Jessie.

‘Butterflies’ is a compelling story that always keeps you on the edge of your seat. This book is filled with funny, exciting and wonderful moments as well as captivating, inspirational and emotion filled moments.

I like this book because it is very inspirational and there was a lot of expressive language, which made it easy to read at most parts and kept you on the edge of your seat. Every time you turn the page there is another drama or decision that Katherine has to make. I recommend ‘Butterflies’ to young teenage girls or anyone who loves a captivating and inspirational story. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars, as it is a very good read.

Madeline L. Year 9

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May 31

‘Second Star to the Right’ by Deborah Hautzig

Meet Leslie Hiller. Leslie is fit 14-year-old girl, who has supportive friends and family, but despite her health and loving environment, Leslie is still convinced that her life would be absolutely perfect if she was thin. She says, ‘I want to be a skeleton- but I also want to be attractive. I want to die- but I also want to live’.

Soon, Leslie started her weight loss journey, trying to lose a few kilograms and going on a strict diet. This only gets her parents worried. Leslie maintains her routine for a little bit, but becomes too busy to eat. The next time Leslie got on the scales she has dropped down to scary numbers. Her family and friends begin to notice Leslie's thin and under weight figure. Leslie takes no notice in her appearance and keeps losing weight… It is not long before Leslie is in a critical condition in hospital.

This novel is engaging and grabbing. It portrays emotion in the most beautiful way. I would recommend this book to teenagers and young adults from the age of 13 to 18 because the age level of most of the characters is between these ages. This book would definitely suit you if you like reading books that tug on your heartstrings. So if you want to find out if Leslie can regain her lost weight before losing herself completely, then this is the book for you!

Victoria, Year 8

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Would you go to extreme, fatal lengths just to be ‘perfect’?

“I want to be a skeleton, but I also want to be attractive. I want to die, but I also want to live.”

Leslie is a normal 14-year-old girl who is still a little unsure of herself. She has a little brother, a loving mum and dad, and a very caring best friend. One day Leslie has this urging desire to be ‘skinny’. “If I were thin, my life would be perfect”, she thinks. Through the novel Leslie battles a severe case of anorexia. Leslie’s life dramatically changes for the worse, she is very underweight and her friends and teachers start to really be concerned about her. Convincing herself she’s fine Leslie still doesn't eat much and tries to lose weight but her body just can’t handle it.

She goes through battles with a voice in her head telling her to keep losing weight while everyone else is telling her to gain it. Will Leslie save herself or let the voice take over her before it’s too late?

This is a compelling novel for girls between the ages of 12 and 18 looking for an intriguing story of fear, heart and mind, real life complications, and adventure. It is a great read and will give you a new perspective of life and what you can do to make it worth living.

Sophie, Year 8

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May 30

‘The Secret Life of Maeve Lee Kwong’ by Kirsty Murray

Meet Maeve Lee Kwong, your average 13 year old girl who loves performing and her two best friends, Steph and Bianca. If you’re looking for a girly, feel-good, page-turning book this novel is perfect for you. Go on a journey with Maeve, who lives a normal life in suburban Sydney with her mother, stepfather and little brother until a terrible accident turns her life upside down. Things will never be the same again.

On a quest to find somewhere to belong, the strength of Maeve, her friends and remaining family members make for an inspiring novel with an intriguing and mysterious feel. Kirsty Murray captures the essence of grief and confusion felt by a 13 year old girl who loses a parent, is ripped from her family and friends and thrown into a whole new environment.

After being adopted by her distant Chinese grandparents, Maeve is moved to the Gold Coast by her grandparents and secretly pins all her hopes on her Irish father, who she has never met before. Trying to cling to the things that remind her of how life used to be with her parents, Maeve now struggles to live with her grandparents. They love each other, but fail to understand one another. When given the chance to board at her old high school in Sydney, things finally seem to improve for Maeve. Supported by her friends and music teacher, McCabe, Maeve is encouraged to go looking for her dad and is very surprised at what she finds.

This is a beautifully written novel with likeable characters and strong emphasis on grief, culture and belonging which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. This novel was a page-turner, with twists and turns to keep you up all night reading. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys performing or is just looking for a believable, feminine book that’s different from anything you’ve ever read before. It’s definitely no secret that the Kirsty Murray novel, ‘The Secret life of Maeve Lee Kwong’ is a wonderful book, so head to your local library and check it out today!

Millie J., Year 8

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Maeve Lee Kwong is a 13 year old Sydney girl who loves to dance. She has a little brother called Ned and a mum called Sue. She is a normal 13 year old girl living a perfectly normal life, when suddenly something terrible happens and her whole world is torn apart. Maeve’s step-father is devastated and all they have is each other, until Maeve and her little brother are split apart and forced to move away from each other.

Maeve lives with her strict Chinese grandparents. She is fighting to hold onto the things she loves most: dancing and her best friends. Maeve secretly tracks down her Irish farther, who doesn’t even know she exists. She is worlds away from her father, yet she has to find a way to get to him. From Sydney to Surfers, from Hong Kong to Ireland, she searches for ways to get there to find a place where she belongs.

Maeve is just an ordinary girl who is caught in the wrong moment of time. So if you love to read thrilling, and mysterious books, then ‘The Secret Life Of Maeve Lee Kwong’ is the book for you.

Charli, Year 8

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May 30

‘Last Chance’ by Sarah Dessen

“…and closed my eyes as the train slipped away…”(Chapter 1, pg 3)

Let me introduce you to Colie and her painful life. Colie is a teenage girl who has faced a lot in life. She’s never in one place long enough to make friends or to feel comfortable, until her unexpected trip to the North Carolina coast.

Colie is heading to her Aunt Mira’s in North Carolina for the summer holidays, but “when she finds a job waitressing at the Last Chance Café, she also finds acceptance, new friends and the beginnings of romance”.

The story begins at the train station while Colie waits for her train to her Aunt Mira’s place. Her mum and guards are with her, waving her goodbye as the train slips away. Colie’s mum is an instructor at Lady Fitness where she teaches people different exercises, in an enthusiastic manner. Colie and her mum had hard times earlier in life. They call it their ‘Fat Years.’ The two of them worked their way up to the top again, so that they could get out of their ‘Fat Years.’ Now Colie’s mum, Katherine, is known as Kiki Sparks all around the world. When Colie arrives in North Carolina, her whole life flips over to a different chapter.

I think everyone has a time in their life when they feel as if the world has turned against them. What interests me most is what we do about it. These days there are a lot of teenagers that have issues with self-esteem and confidence. Colie’s life story really inspires me to keep going in my own life and to not give up. This is why I enjoyed the book.

I would recommend this book to mainly females who are aged about 13~15 years, who favour romantic and emotional stories. I would rate the book ‘Last Chance’ 3 out 5 stars only because I don’t really connect with this kind of genre. Otherwise it was great! ~ By Sarah W., Year 8.

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In my opinion the novel ‘Last Chance’ wasn’t very enjoyable. The scene, settings and characters were great, whereas the storyline was the big let down. There were no real big problems that Colie (the main character) faced. I believe that girls between the age of 10 and 16 may enjoy this book.

This book was mostly about self-esteem, friendship and romance. When Colie was young she was teased a lot because she was overweight and had piercings in her lip. Even when Colie lost weight she was still bullied. She was sent to go stay with her aunt Mira because her mum was is an international fitness trainer. She makes real friends at her new work, The Last Chance Café. Aunt Mira is a little strange according to everyone living on the North Carolina coast. Later in the novel she tries to make new friends and Colie also starts to get into some relationships. I personally liked the fact that Aunt Mira is really out there, what she wears and also her bubbly personality. I also very much enjoyed that Norman was really quite weird and paints the weirdest things; he also collects heaps of junk.

Again this book was a bit of a let down but only because of the story line, but this is my opinion. Some people may think differently. I would rate this book 3/5 only because of the storyline and I don’t really like this type of genre. Otherwise it was great.

Emily, Year 8

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Colie was what you would call a normal sort of person, travelling around not staying anywhere too long, pigging out on junk food and being bullied at school. One day Colie’s mum ran into the back of someone’s car. Who would have known that that kind of accident would change her and her mother’s life forever? If you love heart and mind and a little bit of crazy, this is the book for you!!

Things aren’t exactly what you would call ‘a normal teenage life’ for Colie, especially when her mum becomes a fitness star in the course of a couple years and is even being shipped away to France for your summer holidays.

Now Colie has to spend her time at a new place with someone she doesn’t know and with her mother’s warning that her aunt Mira can sometimes be a little eccentric.

I really enjoyed this book because it has a little bit of crazy, a little bit of romance and everything in-between. Will Colie be able to survive the summer with a crazy hippy who tries to get her to open and reveal her secrets to him, and with a crazy aunt that doesn’t fit in with her so called ‘perfect’ town? This story had a lot of intense scenes with Colie doubting herself and giving up.

I recommend this book to anyone who thoroughly enjoys romance and the hard decisions of life. If you enjoy friendship this is also the book to read. This book would be written for the ages 12 through to 15. Colie collects an amazing group of friends along the way, starting from her friends at the diner, to her friends she finds from the local bonfire. I would rate this book 6 out of 10 stars for its great storyline, and its amazing characters. ‘Last Chance’ is a truly amazing book.

Serenity, Year 8

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October 25

‘The Secret Life of Maeve Lee Kwong’ by Kirsty Murray

Maeve Lee Kwong is a 13 year-old girl who loves dancing, her friends and above all her family. When her mother, Sue, dies suddenly in a car crash Maeve’s whole world is torn apart. Maeve and her little brother Ned are devastated; all they have left is each other. So when Maeve is sent away from Ned she feels her world slowly falling apart. Will things ever be the way they used to be? Will Maeve ever be with Ned again? If you enjoy a sad gripping story you will love ‘The Secret Life of Maeve Lee Kwong.’ Alley, Year 9

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October 20

‘All I Ever Wanted’ by Vikki Wakefield

Imagine if your family was involved in drug dealing. Jemima’s family is a risky one and she doesn’t exactly fit in. Her Mother is always lying on the couch and having private meetings. Jemima’s two brothers have ended up in jail for selling and buying drugs. “Mim” does not want to end up like her fellow family members so therefore she has set herself rules to live by. Rule No 1: Do not end up like mum. Her mum has asked Jemima to collect a package What is in the package? Jemima has been told not to open the package… but with her experience with a guy from school named Jordan, will she turn this all around ? She may not be able to return home with her mum’s unknown package. Is Jordan who she always thought he was and is his sister, Kate, as shy as she appears at school? Jemima will soon find not everything is what is seems and the main question is what is inside the package? This book got better as it went on and it all made perfect sense in the end. Tyla, Year 9

The book All I ever wanted is a book like no other. Written by Vikki Wakefield, All I Ever Wanted is all about following your dreams and never giving up on them. Jemima (better know as Mim) has rules that are always getting the better of her, but as she is growing older and nearing her 17^th birthday, she experiences a range of events that will change the way she thinks about ordinary things. Mim is just like any other girl. She has dreams, friends and family. The only problem is that Mim’s brothers are in jail for drug dealing and her mother is always too busy to even notice her existence. Her one and only friendship is falling apart and Mim realises that not everyone is what they seem. In this story you learn not to judge books by their covers and to live life to the fullest. For me, the book started off quite slow but ended with a bang. Join Mim (and all the people she met along the way) in a fascinating story about how much you can learn from a few broken rules. By Hayley, Year 9

The book ‘All I ever wanted’ is a story about a girl called Mim who is trying to find herself. Mim has created 10 rules that she lives her life by and they guide her to do the right things, specifically so she doesn’t turn out like her mother. The story begins when a boy called Jordan steals a package from her, that her mother requested for her to pick up one afternoon. She doesn’t know exactly what is in the package, but she assumes that it contains something valuable. So when it gets stolen from her, she is determined to retrieve it before her mother finds out she lost it. Mim encounters many obstacles in trying to get back the package and meets new people as well. She makes new friends like Kate and Melinda and discovers new things about people she thought she knew. This book is about a girl who is finding who she is, and being true to herself. It wasn’t the best book, and there were many opportunities for it to be improved. I’d recommend this book for teenage girls. Chiara, Year 9

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June 14

‘Last Chance’ by Sarah Dessen

The story ‘Last Chance’ is about a girl named Nicole who goes to her auntie’s place for the summer while her mother goes around the world promoting her fitness DVD and products to help people live a healthier lifestyle and look healthier. Nicole gets a job at a diner called ‘Last Chance’ and she expectantly has a ‘summer love’. Maybe later in life Nicole and her ‘summer love guy’ fall in love forever. I really liked this book. I rate this book 9/10 if you like romantic/love books.
Crystal, Year 8

Dear readers, this book tells a great story. When everything falls down for Colie she realises a lot more about herself and others. The story is set on the North Carolina coast, where Colie is staying with her Aunty Mira and she meets some pretty interesting people along the way.
Colie is offered a job as a waitress at the Last Chance Cafe and meets two girls, Morgan and Isabel, who have very different opinions from each other. Norman is a young teenage boy who likes to collect second hand items and turn them into art. He especially likes collecting sunglasses. Mira, Colie’s Aunty, likes to collect second hand things as well. She likes to write cards, is very “out there” and doesn’t care about what every one else thinks.
The story is based on a young girl and her mother who have no money and nowhere to live. Colie’s mother Kiki Sparks got work at a gym and became a fitness guru. In the story she is traveling around the world helping women get fitter and healthier. Meanwhile, Colie is staying with her Aunty Mira, finds new friends and gets a job as a waitress at the Last Chance. Colie and her new friends Morgan and Isabel give her a new look and take her out to see the fireworks. It is here she meets a boy who seems very interested in her but it turns out that he is her worst enemy’s cousin.
The rest is to be revealed when you read the book! I like this book a lot because there is a great moral that is shared in the story. The reader learns that you can learn from your mistakes and change things. I like the characters in the book because they are all very different people and end up being friends.
I would recommend this book for 11-16 year olds.
Tia, Year 8

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