Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
Astrid is a high school junior who keeps everyone's secrets but has no one to keep hers. She decides to tell them to the people in the planes flying overhead. Everyday she sends them her secrets and her love hoping they can use them more than she does. Unity is a small Pennsylvania town and you know the expression, "Small towns equal small minds" well it is true in this case. Astrid's secret gets out and it almost destroys her and her family.
This is a story of strength, tolerance and acceptance. You feel Astrid's pain and you just want someone to listen. This is a beautiful story and I really liked it.
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Set in Omaha, it follows the doomed love story of Eleanor and Park. It reminded me of a modern day Romeo and Juliet if it were 1986.
Eleanor is the new kid in town. She is poor and just doesn't fit into her new school. Her home life is tragic to say the least. She lives with her step dad, Richie, who is a tyrant and abusive. Eleanor's mom just sits back and takes it. Park's life is completely the opposite of Eleanor. He has a loving and supportive family but it is not perfect. Park is half Korean in an all-white school and that comes with its own problems. From the moment they meet Eleanor and Park have a connection, even if they don't know it, the readers do.
