The Unbroken Hearts Club

February 1, 2019

Gr 8 Up-This continuing series follows teenagers dealing with transitions. Logan is a photographer reeling from the recent death of her mother in The Unbroken Hearts Club. When she and her best friend Cole begin attending bereavement meetings hosted by her father, she is forced to confront her loss, as well as her possible feelings for Cole. Aspiring criminologist Zack's best friend goes missing in Thicker Than Water-and all signs point to Zack's father being involved, all while his parents' marriage falls apart. In The Bodyguard, Ryan, known as "Replay," is a star football player who dreams of becoming a filmmaker. To raise the money to apply to film school, he begins working as a bodyguard to Markus, an Estonian exchange student with dark secrets tied to online gambling. Readers will be enticed by the edgy themes and compelling stories of adolescents following their dreams. VERDICT Written at a third and fourth grade reading level, these novels are distinguished by multidimensional characters and briskly paced plots.

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December 15, 2018
A short novel about the restorative capacity of love and friendship in overcoming grief.Logan Imogen Flanagan and her father are both reeling from the loss of Logan's mother, who died nearly a year ago after a lengthy battle with Huntington's disease. Logan, like her mother, uses photography as a lens through which to view the world. Cole, Logan's hot, blond best friend, is interested in more than friendship, but Logan's struggle with depression from the loss of her mother at first keeps her from returning his interest. When Logan's father's grief support group starts meeting in the family home, the lonely father and daughter begin to branch out and find comfort for their heartache. Logan's father finds companionship in Kelsey, a marketing executive who lost her husband to lymphoma. Logan's fears that she may have inherited Huntington's disease create a barrier that leads to anxiety over her future and prevents her from entertaining a relationship with Cole. The characters have some complexity even if the storyline is conventional, and the writing tackles serious topics with sincerity. Some readers may grapple with the premise of romantic love as a salve for grief, however many may appreciate the happy ending. Characters are assumed white.An appealing choice for reluctant readers who enjoy romance and realistic fiction. (Fiction. 12-18)

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