teenagers | Jathan & Heather

Mean Girls Pursue ‘Corliss’ in V.C. Andrews’ New Novella [REVIEW]

June 8, 2017 by Jathan Fink Leave a comment

Smarter than everyone else, a teenage girl becomes a victim of vicious bullying in V.C. Andrews’ Corliss. (Photo by Rikard Elofsson, Flickr)

Mean girls always despise people who are smarter or prettier than they are. So it is no surprise when they gang up to pick on the beautiful math genius in their midst and make her life unbearable in V.C. Andrews’ latest novella, Corliss, the first book in the Girls of Spindrift series (the prequel to Bittersweet Dreams). Read more of this post

Filed under Books Tagged with Bittersweet Dreams, bullying, Corliss, drug abuse, dysfunctional families, high school, peer pressure, suspense, teenagers, The Girls of Spindrift, V.C. Andrews

‘Allie and Bea’ Make Us Believe in the Power of Friendship [REVIEW]

May 14, 2017 by Jathan Fink 2 Comments

An unlikely duo, Allie and Bea are destined to become as unforgettable as Thelma and Louise.
(Photo courtesy Lake Union Publishing)

A senior citizen down on her luck. A teenage girl with nowhere else to turn. Two people at opposite ends of life find themselves in the worst situations possible. But out of their dismay, an unlikely friendship is born. Meet Allie and Bea, the two remarkable heroines of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s triumphant new novel. Read more of this post

Filed under Books Tagged with California, Catherine Ryan Hyde, foster care, friends, friendship, group homes, homelessness, IRS scams, Pacific Coast, scams, teenagers, Widow

Neal Shusterman’s ‘Challenger Deep’ Takes an Inside Look at Mental Illness [REVIEW]

October 24, 2016 by Heather Fink 1 Comment

A brilliant young man undertakes the journey of a lifetime while battling mental illness in Neal Shusterman’s Challenger Deep. (Photo by Canon in 2D, Flickr)

Do you find it hard to understand friends, family, colleagues and others who suffer from a mental illness? Then you’ll want to read author Neal Shusterman’s powerful novel, Challenger Deep, which takes us on a life-affirming journey into the human psyche. Read more of this post

Filed under Books Tagged with bi-polar, Challenger Deep, depression, Marianas Trench, mental illness, Neal Shusterman, schizophrenia, teen fiction, teenagers

V.C. Andrews’ ‘Bittersweet Dreams’ Is A Delicious Read [REVIEW]

December 15, 2015 by Jathan Fink 3 Comments

In V.C. Andrews’ BITTERSWEET DREAMS, a gifted prodigy must learn to deal with adult issues.
(Photo by Stephen Brace, Flickr)

V.C. Andrews’ latest novel, Bittersweet Dreams, takes a long hard look at the importance of beauty, intellect and maturity in what is one of the author’s smartest novels to date. Read more of this post

Filed under Books Tagged with beauty, Bittersweet Dreams, education, family, intellect, intelligence, maturity, Mayfair Cummings, prodigy, statutory rape, teachers, teenagers, V.C. Andrews