Brother/Sister by Sean Olin

Happy Halloween, Readers!  I thought I would post a creep-tastic book I read over the summer.  Enjoy and save some fun-size Snickers for me!

From the flap:

Will and Asheley - Brother and Sister - reveal the story of how and why their lives spun violently out of control.  In the restless summer nights of an affluent California suburb, lines are blurred between love and fear, right and wrong, truth and lies, defense...and murder.

From me:
This book is super creepy, like Christopher Walken creepy.  That, however, did not stop me from devouring it.  It was seriously one of the weirdest books I've ever read (and I majored in English!) and it gave me the chills many, many times.  Again - I could not put it down.

The story is told by Will and Asheley through what seem to be interviews with the police.  You are presented with each sibling's perspective of the events that took place, namely the murders (yes, plural) and how they worked to cover them up.  Throughout the story, Will is shown to be unstable, maybe bi-polar, and definitely the "bad guy," while Asheley is shown to be the innocent bystander in Will's rage.  There are no parents - Mom's in rehab and step-dad/boyfriend comes to check on them once in a while (he can be creepy, too).  I feel like I can't say too much more about the plot because I really don't want to ruin it.  If you start the story (which all of you should), hang on until the end...especially the very last page.  I may have to re-read just because of the last line in the novel.

Sean Olin has done a wonderful job at weaving a story of lies and deceit.  The characters feel real - as though they are explaining their stories to you, personally.  That realistic feeling is probably what makes my skin crawl, but also what keeps me reading.  Fantastic book, can't wait to read everything Olin has written.

The Education of Hailey Kendrick by Eileen Cook

From the flap:

Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what’s expected of her.  She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules.  But one night Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way… and with a very unexpected partner in crime.  Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them.

Suddenly Hailey’s perfect life, and her reputation, are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her.  Her teachers don’t trust her.  Her boyfriend won’t even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she’s been dumped.

They say that honesty is the best policy – but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost.  Or are they?

From me:

I really enjoyed this book.  I probably wouldn’t have picked it up off of the shelf, had I not had a small selection of books to preview for our Media Center.  From the cover ( I know, I know…shouldn’t judge), it seemed like it was just going to be a sweet “girly” book.  And it was that, but it was definitely more.  I thought that it gave the reader a glimpse into Hailey’s very affluent world – a world in which she is still unhappy.  Hailey has to make tough choices about friends, family, and her own rebellion against the rules.  She also has to deal with the consequences, something that definitely is not easy for her.  These consequences, however, are what introduce her to Drew and to a whole new perspective on what is important in life. 

I thought that the relationship between Hailey and Drew was interesting and sweetly awkward.  I loved that he taught her all about how the rest of us live (gasp! Wal-Mart!).  And I loved that his “status” was fairly unexpected.  If you are looking for a fun book, I highly recommend The Education of Hailey Kendrick.