Lisa Williams Kline

Gracie Rawley is the quiet one in the family between her more demanding older sister, Jen, and younger brother, Alex. She buys a faded blue journal at a yard sale and soon discovers everything she writes in it comes true. For someone who always “flew under the radar,” what should she do with her new found power? When she shares the news with her best friend and secret crush, Dylan, he suggests she write about world peace or better yet that he gets to kiss his crush, Lindsay Jacobs after school the next day. Gracie soon discovers that her best intentions go terribly wrong because of her writing. After her brother forgets to study for a science test, she writes that he got an A on his test. The next day he was caught cheating and got a detention. More mishaps occur such as her dad getting his dream job in Atlanta, four hours away and Gracie struggles with the power of her own writing. Kline’s prose is descriptive, engaging, and laugh out funny at times. The premise of the book will capture fans of fantasy novels but some of the allusions to Grace Slick, Jefferson Airplane, and the song White Rabbit will probably go over their heads of the audience for this book.… (more)

One Week of You follows the story of Lizzie, who is a freshman in high school. Lizzie feels incredibly guilty that she lets her parents down because she’s been boy crazy over, Andy Masters, the most popular guy in school. As a result, it’s caused a strain on her friendships and family on top of forgetting important events/to-do’s. She’s kind-hearted and smart, but on the downside she’s very irresponsible.

The novel is a coming of age story because Lizzie is going through a transition in her life. She starts to realize who her true friends are and comes to a realization that she’s been judging others unfairly. She also sees that she’s been so obsessed with Andy, that she’s neglected many important people and things in her life and it’s leading her astray.

The novel portrays the ups and downs of high school deals with bullying, school, friendship, crushes and staying true to yourself in the middle of everything. Lizzy is super irresponsible about a lot of thing, but being pushed into a crossroads to tell the truth as the pranks at school keep escalating makes her become more responsible. I appreciate that she took initiative to do right thing after messing up.

Though this novel is cliché at some points and is sometimes predictable, but it has a lot of important messages about growing up and doing the right thing.… (more)