I Was Here

by Gayle Forman

18-year-old Cody's world is shaken to the core when her best friend, Meg, commits suicide while away at college. Cody and Meg were so close that they grew up like sisters, so it is no wonder that Cody's grief is amplified by the fact she had no idea her best friend was suicidal. They had grown a bit distanced during their first year apart, but still, how is it that Cody saw zero of the telltale signs of depression?

When Meg's parents send Cody to pack up their daughter's dorm room, Cody finds that her best friend has kept secrets from her she never would have expected. She also uncovers something strange: deleted emails and encrypted files on Meg's computer. With the help of some new friends, she sets out to discover the truth about the seemingly suspicious circumstances surrounding Meg's suicide. 

This was an uncomfortable read for me, with a side romance that I just couldn't get behind. However, I can see how many readers will love and connect with this story. Gayle Forman tackles some heavy issues with stark realism and there's no doubt that she packs a punch here.

Antigoddess

Antigoddess

By Kendare Blake

Antigoddess is the first installment in a new series by Kendare Blake, acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood. This first in the Goddess War series. We are in a world where gods and goddesses live among us undetected. They always thought they were immortal until one day when they all start getting sick. Athena and Hermes are now on the search for the cause and a cure. They are led to a teen, Cassandra, who may be the key to a cure. This was an interesting read. I found that I learned a lot about Greek Gods while reading this. I enjoyed the idea that these interesting immortals could be wandering the earth among us. Watch this book trailer and you will be hooked. The trailer was what got me to grab this book from the shelves, once I started reading I could not put it down.

Book of the Month - July: All Our Yesterdays

By Cristin Terrill

Em is being held prisoner on a secret military base. All that keeps her going is the voice of the boy in the cell next door and a list of instructions she finds inside the drain, written in her own handwriting. It appears that she and the neighbouring prisoner have made multiple attempts to stop the creation of a time machine that will destroy the world, but every visit back in time has landed them right back to this moment: trapped and tortured in a cell by the man known as "the doctor".

Meanwhile, Marina, an insecure private school girl has fallen in love with James. Not only is James handsome, sweet and shy, but he is also an incredibly gifted science prodigy from an esteemed family. When a tragedy causes James to lose it all one night, Marina is fiercely protective and will do anything to support him in his time of need. But as the hours pass, James' behaviour becomes increasingly erratic.

The instructions on the note are clear: Em has only one thing left to do, and this is her last chance...until Em and Marina's stories intertwine in a way that leaves both of them reeling.

Time travel is a concept that has always fascinated me, and while at times there are some real brain benders trying to figure out the logistics of how everything goes down here, it is worth the ride! 

Other books like All Our Yesterdays: The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer,  The Here and the Now by Ann Brashares, Obsidian Mirror by Catherine Fisher, and Hourglass by Myra McEntyre.