2 reviews by Melanie

Cut by Patricia McCormick
Reviewed by Melanie


I've read this book before. A troubled teenager is admitted to a mental hospital, where he/she starts to feel a sense of belonging among her fellow patients, thus giving the support our character needs to finally come to terms with their problems. I've read this book before, only under different titles. This plot has been recycled in YA fiction—but there is a reason why this storyline is popular: It's good. Even after reading two other books with plots almost parallel to Cut, I was still flipping pages, still wanting to see what happened to our heroine; before and after her admission to the mental hospital. Cut's a relatively short book, but no light reading. Just like the title, this book is intense. Even though I felt a certain sense of Deja Vu while reading, I enjoyed Cut and would suggest it to other readers.

Variant by Robison Wells
Reviewed by Melanie


It was Sunday afternoon. My family was watching the Superbowl downstairs. I was in my room, fighting to the death with a paintball gun. My sister ran upstairs, burst though my door and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you screaming?" I held up Variant and said, "I've found a new favorite book."

Do you have a survival kit handy? How about a paint ball gun? You're going to need it. In Variant, the action is fierce and the stakes are high. Escaping Maxfield Academy is all Benson Fisher has on his mind. There are no adults in this school; students split up in gangs in order to survive. Benson just wants to get out, but there's no easy way to escape, and when he learns the school's real secret, escape seems like a distant dream.

I loved it! I read most of it in one sitting. Not only was the setting (who doesn't love a corrupt boarding school?) compelling, but the characters were equally as interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially someone who, like me, is a sucker for a good plot twist. And trust me, this one's good.