Bleed - Laurie Faria Stolarz - 2006

Title: Bleed

Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz

Year: 2006

Date Read: 1-26-2011

Overall: * * (2/5)

GoodReads Blurb: Over the course of a single summer day, ten teenagers in Salem, Massachusetts, will discover important truths about themselves and each other.

There is Nicole, whose decision to betray her best friend will shock everyone, most of all herself; Kelly, who meets the convicted felon she has been writing to for years; Maria, whose definition of a true friend is someone who will cut her. Then there is Sadie, a chubby eleven-year-old whose mother forces her to wear a “please don’t feed me” sign stapled to her shirt; while Joy, a fifteen-year-old waitress hoping for true intimacy narrowly escapes a very dark fate. Derik discovers that his usual good looks and charm won’t help him hold onto the girl he wants, while nineteen-year-old drifter, Mearl, is desperately looking for a place to call home. Sean is torn between his loyalty to his girlfriend and the possibility of finding something more with her friend, while Ginger’s single-minded pursuit to bring down her nemesis only proves that they may be more alike than she thought.

Seamlessly woven together, this incredibly powerful and compelling collection of stories chronicles the very real trials of today’s teen experience.

Plot: * * (...Was there one?)

Characters: * * (Undeveloped)

Style: * *

My Review: I really was not a fan of this book. I felt like there might be more than one chapter from each person's perspective. Instead, it was a bunch of short stories, that sort of intertwined, but didn't really. They weren't long enough to have any message or conclusion. Really, each of the character's was just a tidbit crazy, and they all kind of needed a reality check. I think if this book had a little more depth and a little more of a plot line and an end point, it could have been really interesting. I was curious about how each character would end up. Instead, their stories are just left off in the middle. I'm assuming Stolarz wanted to leave her readers with questions, but I really didn't gain a connection to any character with the exception of 11 year old Sadie. I would not recommend this book to others. I will stick with the Touch series though, because those books have good strong characters and plot lines.

To Buy: Amazon

Currently Reading:

For School: Forever by Judy Blume, Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

Other: XVI by Julia Karr

Book Read in 2011: 9

Deadly Little Games - Laurie Faria Stolarz - 2010

Title: Deadly Little Games

Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz

Year: 2010

Date Read: 1/10/2011

Overall: * * * (3/5)

GoodReads blurb: Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: They both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to sense things through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control and hurting people. Camelia's gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn't yet comprehend.

Before either teen has a chance to fully grasp these abilities, an unresolved family tragedy resurfaces in Camelia's life, irrevocably changing everything she cares about...

Plot: * * * *

Characters: * * * *

Stlye (writing style): * * *

My Review: This is the third book in the Touch series by Stolarz. I have to say, there are many points throughout this series where I just get really mad about the whole idea of psychometry, but I love the drama and intensity of all the creepy weird situations that I stick with it. This might be mostly due to Camelia's friends Kimmie and Wes, who I wish were real people who's conversations I could actually listen to. They are really funny! Camelia and Ben are just sort "alright." Boring people made interesting by this strange thing they can do. Adam is actually more interesting to me than Ben is, but I guess we aren't supposed to feel that way.

I love trying to figure out who the crazy person is in all of these books. Though the therapy sessions and crossword puzzles throughout the book were a bit strange. It would be nice if there would stop being this back & forth bit with Ben and Camelia, their relationship drama isn't a necessary part of the story in my opinion, because there is enough drama with everything else that happens.

I like Stolarz's writing style for the most part, though at times Camelia sounds a bit too grown up and uses not-so-teenage language. Not that I'm a teenager anymore, but sometimes it sounds forced or fake, because let's face it, teenagers don't always use perfect grammar and all their SAT words.

Part of my 3 star rating for this book is due to how much I loved the first one and haven't felt the same about the 2nd and 3rd books in this series.

To Buy: Amazon

Currently Reading: Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

Also, big thanks to Peaceful Reader for linking to my blog in her Along for the Ride post, here.