Novel Choices

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B (Teresa Toten)

Adam Spencer Ross is the quirky and charming teenaged protagonist of this modern Canadian novel.  Adam is nearly 15, and struggles mightily with the things most teenagers his age encounter—family drama, girl drama, and school drama.  In the midst of trying to survive the trials of high school, however, Adam is also battling his OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) as well as the baffling mystery of who is sending threatening letters to his mother.  Despite the chaos in Adam’s life, he finds humour, friendship, and love in his OCD support group.  This is a page-turning novel that will leave you thinking about these characters long after you close the book.

The Fault in Our Stars (John Green)

Hazel Grace Lancaster is a 17-year-old girl you won’t soon forget.  Her offbeat humour and quick one-liners will leave you laughing even though you know Hazel might not have long to live.  You see, Hazel has cancer.  And while her struggle is heartbreaking, Hazel refuses to allow her sad fate to define her.   The book opens as Hazel is reluctantly attending a support group for cancer patients.  Just when Hazel fears the oppressive sadness of the situation might overcome her, a boy named Augustus Waters catches her eye, and their lives will never . . . ever . . . be the same.  (As a sidenote, if you have seen the movie and didn’t love it, don’t let it discourage you from reading the book.  It’s much better!)

The Impossible Knife of Memory (Laurie Halse Anderson)

For the first time in a very long time, eighteen-year-old Hayley Kincaid has a shot at a normal life.  After being on the road with her father, Andy (a war vet suffering from PTSD), for years, never staying too long in one place, they are finally back in Hayley’s hometown.  Despite her painful memories, her difficult past, and the lurking threat that their difficult past might come back to haunt them, Hayley believes she just might have a chance at happiness. . . especially after she meets Finn, the hot guy who is obviously into her.   Life is never simple, though, and Hayley soon learns that her sarcastic wit and hard exterior may not be enough to keep herself safe from “the impossible knife of memory.”

Bleachers (John Grisham)

The protagonist of this story, Neely Crenshaw, was probably the best quarterback ever to play for the Messina Spartans. Now, 15 years have passed and Neely returns home when he learns the revered and loathed Coach Eddie Rake is dying, a man whose influence holds a lasting impact on both the players and the community. Through the use of flashbacks, the boys recall and replay the glory days and their often tumultuous relationship with their coach.  Neely must deal with his need to forgive both himself and his coach, as the feelings of love and hate for Coach Rake fight for supremacy within him.

Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)

Have you ever had that one person in your life who cared enough to listen to you, mentor you, help you find your way?  Perhaps for you it was a coach or a parent, maybe even a brother, a sister, or a friend.  For Mitch Albom, the person was Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor.  Mitch hasn’t seen Morrie in almost 20 years, but when he learns his beloved professor is dying, Mitch commits to visiting Morrie every Tuesday, just as he did those many years ago.  Even after all these years, Morrie still has a great deal to teach Mitch . . . and anyone else who will listen.  This moving true story will remind you of the power we have to impact one another’s lives.