By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead / Julie Anne Peters

TITLE: By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead
AUTHOR: Julie Anne Peters
OWNED BY CCLS? Yes.

High school student Daelyn has been bullied her entire life; for being fat, for being there; really just because she's an easy target. Due to her various past traumatic experiences, Daelyn has attempted suicide multiple times. She is fed up with the bullying and is determined to end it once and for all. After "Through the Light.com," which is a forum for those who want to end their lives, Daelyn makes a "Date of Determination" and begins counting down the days. Will Daelyn go through with her final suicide attempt and end her life? Or will Daelyn begin to feel less depressed, become less of a target and learn to trust others again and live?   

M's Verdict: Going into this book and having liked all of the other Julie Anne Peters books that I had previously read, I was a bit surprised at how much more intense and dark this novel was. I kept tensing up for the very depressing and terrible ending that seemed to be inevitable! I couldn't stop reading! By the time I was done reading, I can truthfully say that I was mentally and physically exhausted. This story is not for the faint of heart and it's definitely not a fun or light read. This story, although rather depressing is quite relevant to today's generation of teenagers and does provide some uplifting moments and great resources at the end of the book. This is definitely a great book for discussions on bullying and bullycide and if anyone reads the book and wants to talk about it, I'd love to be a part of the conversation.

Define Normal / Julie Anne Peters

Title: Define Normal
Author: Julie Anne Peters
Author Website
Owned by CCLS? Yes.

The ultimate tale of "appearances can be deceiving," so "don't judge a book by its cover."

Antonia and Jazz, who appear to be complete opposites, are paired up by the school counselor Dr. Dileo as peer counselors. Antonia is an A student who dresses, well, like an A student. Her style is nondescript and simple. On the other hand, Jazz is a rebel rouser. She has piercings, tattoos, wears leather jackets, black lipstick and her hair changes color like the weather. Jazz is the epitome of punk rock and Antonia is more of a, well, nerd. Antonia seems like she's the stable one of the group and even thinks she's there just to try and help the mess that is Jazz, but perhaps two people who appear to be so different can not only help each other, but may also have similar problems.

M's Verdict: I love Julie Anne Peters! If you've never read any of her books, you don't know what you're missing! I highly recommend starting with Luna or Between Mom and Jo.

Who can't relate to being judged based solely on your appearance? What you look like is one of the first things someone notices the first time you meet, that's why people dress up for interviews; to make a good impression. Even though the setting is a middle school, as I read, I definitely pictured that the characters were in high school. It's a story for all ages and at 196 pages, this is the perfect quick read.

Although I loved the believable characters, the great plot, and the drama, there was one thing that just didn't gel. As Antonia and Jazz go through the peer counseling process and begin to learn a few things abut one another, the reader quickly learns that Antonia's mother is suffering from debilitating depression. The depression is so bad that Antonia is essentially running the house and caring for herself and her two younger brothers. Without spoiling the ending, let me just say that I feel that the way that Antonia's story wraps up is just a bit too tidy for me. I'll leave you with this, read it and see what you think...