Vibes

I might not be a teen anymore, but at 27 I still adore Young Adult fiction. It's bubbly, vibrant, hilarious and often little sad but reflective in a good way. Maybe it's easier reading it when you're not a kid yourself anymore, but it sure is still fun. This story has a little twist, our main heroine, Kristi Carmichael has a talent; she picks up vibes or rather thoughts of anyone she encounters and it all started when her dad left her and her mom to travel to Africa, absorbed in his medicine and perhaps guilt of leaving. She moves through her high school like a ghost ship, indifferent of what people think about her, strong and solid, she has her own style, her own friends and parent issues, the usual teen problems that we all have or had. One would think that reading thoughts and minds would be some sort of a leverage to get ahead in life, but for Kristi, who has pretty poor self body image and issues with her separated parents, dealing with thoughts of ever boy and girl at her school is anything but easy, in fact it seems to distract her form what is really happening. When she gets paired up for an assignment with her secret crush, one that she keeps berating herself for even considering liking something changes , for better of for worse, Kristi starts to really listen for the first time and see the truth rather than hear empty thoughts that perhaps aren't even real. The boy who in his mind is calling her sick might be just what she has been looking for, and the surprise that awaits her is the real kick. Fun and feisty, this was a very quick read and I am really looking forward to more of this author, I had a few laugh attacks as I read this witty book and it made me long for more books like this. - Kasia S.

Vibes is the store of high school pain, pressure, family love and hate, and everything in-between. Kriti, our hard on herself teen, can read minds and finds she's isolated and living her life through crazy clothing and opera. During a class project, she is paired with Gusty, a boy that she has had a crush on since childhood. She has always read his mind and only heard one word, sick. During their pairing she learns to open up, trust other people and finally deal with her workaholic mother and absent father. This story is a fast fun read that holds something for everyone. The characters are fantastically flawed and entertaining.

You will either fall into one of two camps when you read this book: You will be captivated by Kristi Carmichael, who is no Gossip Girl clone but as unique as the clothes she makes out of old umbrellas and discarded fabric, or you will dismiss her as just another self-absorbed angsty wannabe psychic teen heroine who reminds you uncomfortably of your own high school dramas. But you can't ignore her. Amy Kathleen Ryan's voice is strong, biting and "defiant," as not-so-dumb hunk Gusty Peterson dubs Kristi (he also calls her "beautiful"). Kristi's trek through high school and life is complicated by a workaholic mom with issues of her own, absent dad, anorexic rival, hostile freshman cafeteria cook, snarky ex-best friend and lovesick, twisted new guy friend as well as touchy-feely educators in an alternative high school straight out of Nancy Pelosi's wildest dreams. She uses her psychic gifts to defend herself from the dramas and cattiness of high school, but Kristi's own feelings are a complete mystery. Part of the pelasure in reading this novel, even as an adult, comes from Ryan's distinctive voice. I also liked that Kristi, although full of typical teenage preoccupations, is a strong, confident protagonist and seems to relish being different rather than obsessing about fitting in. The portrayal of her changing relationships with people around her rings true.

Kristi is having a tough time in high school. Her dad has deserted the family, her mom is a workaholic,and Kristi can read minds--and everyone seems to have bad thoughts about her. The principal thinks she's a trouble maker, her friend Jacob is obsessing over her ginormous boobs, her ex-best friend hates her, and the boy she has a crush on thinks she's "sick." When I first read the jacket blurb of this book, I was expecting some paranormal book about physic teens but this is a story of a teen trying to cope with hard circumstances--she makes some bad choices but she does learn something in the end. Kristi's voice pulled me right in and I read this book in one sitting. I loved hearing about Kristi's wardrobe, her crazy progressive school and her descriptions of the other characters, and her choices of opera to listen to. I also liked that there wasn't any sexual content in the book. The only negative I found was her idealization about smoking.

This book is extremely captivating, engaging, and great for all ages. I am past my teen stages and yet I still enjoyed the book immensely. Kristi is a self-proclaimed psychic who thinks that because she knows what everyone thinks, that she knows everything about everyone. She starts out extremely angry and progresses throughout the book. I thought that Amy Kathleen Ryan developed Kristi beautifully. As the book progresses, the reader really get a glimpse of who Kristi is and discover new things about her just as she is discovering them herself. It is an amazing journey that she takes the reader on and kept me turning the pages to see what happens next. One thing I want to point out is that I was quite happy about how the mind reading was written. While most books may just put words into the thoughts, there are parts of the book where she doesn't actually hear the thoughts, but instead feel thoughts. I thought that this was the most realistic way of writing about mind reading because when we feel something, when did we think clearly in words, "I feel so happy" or "This is making me mad." I know it doesn't work that way with me. I felt it was portrayed very well and there was just enough of the mind reading in it. I do not want to give too much away about this book but it is a great read for teenagers who are also struggling to find themselves. For parents who might be concerned about language, there are quite a few of the B word in the book but mostly only for the beginning and only one incidence of the S word. Overall, it was a pretty innocent book for younger readers. There is nothing sexual and nothing really inappropriate.