rgz Newsflash: Wedding Bells

Running around Facebook, I discovered one of our first readergirlz ever has just married! ALEX! Best wishes from your fans and friends here as we remember the days when you were still in high school, and we regularly chatted. Thanks for your work on the rgz Street Team!

Happy marriage to you! May your home be filled with books, books, books! xox

Rgz Street Team: Alex reviews Naomi and Ely's No-Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

The rgz Street Team is a group of teens who bring YA reviews to our blog, led by Postergirl Miss Erin. Find out more.

Today, Alex reviews Naomi and Ely's No-Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (did you guys know this book is slated to be a movie starring Hayden Panettiere?!):

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List is about a friendship that reaches a breaking point, a girl who likes a guy who likes guys, and college life. Ely and Naomi are best friends who have a “No Kiss List” which is made of up of who they cannot kiss in order to preserve their friendship. When Ely kisses Naomi’s boyfriend, Naomi is furious, not because Ely kissed her boyfriend but because she finally realized that Ely would rather kiss everyone else, but not her. In the end, Naomi finally understands that “gay” is not a choice and that Ely will always love her but as a sister.

This book was AMAZING! I love how it showed more than one side of each story. In life, there is always more than one point of view and it was fascinating to see one event from multiple points of view. It switched from character to character and slowly informed the reader of each character's past and their interests. It revolves around a BFF breakup and reading both Ely's and Naomi's point-of-view made it intense. It really makes one wonder what is going through the minds of others around when they are talking. Perhaps they are feeling the same about an event, perhaps not. One of my favorite lines in the book was said by Gabriel, the nighttime doorman. "Is he brown or yellow, or white, or what?" It appeals to me because I constantly have people asking me "What ARE you?" It also shows rather than states Gabriel's ethnicity and appearance. Books that make you visualize characters and scenes without outright describing them intrigue me.

Rgz Street Team: Alex reviews The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

The rgz Street Team is a group of teens who bring YA reviews to our blog, led by Postergirl Miss Erin. Find out more.

Today, Alex reviews our March pick, The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson:

*slight spoiler alert if you haven't read the book*

Love is blind.

Everyone, at one point on their life, has heard this phrase. Our love can make us overlook faults and even make us overlook times when our love makes others suffer. In The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Jenna’s parents keep Jenna alive even though she is well past the point where she can be treated. Jenna’s parents use their money to basically build a body for Jenna and “upload” her brain into it. When Jenna finally wakes up, she doesn’t know who she is or who her parents are. Jenna was destined to die because of her extensive injuries but her parents could not let her go and they gave her a new body and a new life. They covered their actions with lies, and as with most lies, the truth could not be hidden forever. The truth about who and what Jenna was came out. To know the truth and try to make peace with it is much harder than it sounds.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox also covers the hot topic of technology and ethics. Just because we have the technology to do something does not make it ethical, and what feels good is not always ethical. As humans, we need to learn to draw boundaries between technology and our humanity. --Alex

PS-Postergirl Miss Erin recently reviewed another of Mary's books, A Room on Lorelei Street. Check out her review here.

rgz Street Team

In case you missed our January newsletter, you might be asking, "What is the rgz Street Team?" So, let me tell you!

Postergirl Miss Erin is leading a group of teens for rgz: Traci, Alex, Stephanie (Silence), Sarah, and Vanessa. These are amazing young women who read enthusiastically and participate in our group forum. They each will be bringing YA book reviews to our blogs.

Watch these rgz as they REVIEW, RALLY, and RAVE!

Thanks to each one, Miss Erin for leading, and diva Melissa who will be posting their reviews.