Svetlana's Reads and Views

Name of Book: Until Angels Close My Eyes Author: Lurlene McDaniel ISBN: 0-553-57098-6 Publisher: Laurel Leaf Books Part of a Series: The Angels Trilogy Type of book: Cancer, Amish, 1990s, relationship, choices, belonging, home, family, young adult Year it was published: 1998 Summary: Be sure to read this summer's highly anticipated companion to Angels Watching Over Me and Lifted Up by Angels: Until Angels Close My Eyes When Neil, Leah's warm and loving step-father, reveals that his cancer is no longer in remission, Leah finds comfort in a visit to Amish country to see her true love, Ethan. When Ethan chooses to leave his life on the farm, he moves in with Leah and her family. But once Ethan arrives, they realize that his Amish values are quite different from those of Leah's complex "English" world. Will their love help, or hurt, Leah as she faces the complex hurdles that await her? Characters: The characters felt flat and somehow pr...

Name of Book: Lifted up by angels Author: Lurlene McDaniel ISBN: 0-553-57098-6 Publisher: Laurel Leaf fiction Part of a Series: Angels Trilogy Type of book: 1990s, Amish, community, relationship, death, angels, summer, maturity Year it was published: 1997 Summary: The companion to the Publishers Weekly bestseller Angels Watching Over Me. This inspirational novel follows the story of Leah and her friendship with the Amish family she met while hospitalized for cancer treatment. When Leah takes a summer job near their Amish community, she is happy to be near Ethan again. He is now at the age at which an Amish young man is allowed a taste of non-Amish life before committing to the adults' rules. Will Leah and Ethan's feelings for each other overcome family obligations? Characters: The characters do go through changes, at least Ethan does. Leah does too, but her change isn't as visible as Ethan's is. In this book I got to see Ethan trying to be ...

Name of Book: I'll be Seeing You Author: Lurlene McDaniel ISBN: 0-553-56718-7 Publisher: Bantam Skylark Type of book: disfigurement, true love, 1990s, blindness, hospital,  loyalties, ugly duckling, young adult Year it was published: 1996 Summary: Carley Mattea never expected to meet a boy as handsome as Kyle Westin- certainly not in the hospital. Seventeen-year-old Kyle was blinded when a chemistry experiment exploded. His doctors don't know if he'll get his vision back, and he's deeply depressed. Sixteen-year-old Carley understands how miserable it is to be in the hospital. Soon Carley and Kyle become good friends. But Carley is keeping a secret from Kyle. She knows that boys like girls who are pretty- and she is not. Scarred by a facial deformity, she has, over the years, used her sense of humor to cope. But now that she's become so close to Kyle, she's worried that once his bandages are removed- if they are removed- and he sees her, it w...

Name of Book: Angels Watching Over Me Author: Lurlene McDaniel ISBN: 0-553-57098-6 Publisher: Laurel Leaf books Part of a Series: Angels trilogy Type of book: bone cancer, miracles, Amish, angels, 1990s, hospital Year it was published: 1996 Summary: Happy Holidays! Bah humbug. "Happy" is not the way Leah Lewis-Hall would describe herself at the moment. She's spending her twelve days of Christmas in an Indianapolis hospital, while her mother is thousands of miles away on a honeymoon with husband number five. Leah went to the doctor with nothing more than a broken finger, but he ordered her to undergo some tests. Now she's stuck in the hospital, alone. Then Leah meets her hospital roommate, a young Amish girl named Rebekah, and her big family. Cynical sixteen-year-old Leah has never known people like this before. From Rebekah's handsome brother, Ethan, who can barely look Leah in the eye, to her kind older sister, Charity, the Amish fami...

Name of Book: For Better, for Worse, Forever Author: Lurlene McDaniel ISBN: 0-553-57108-7 Publisher: Laurel Leaf books Part of a Series: As long as we both shall live Type of book: death, widowhood, second chances, cancer, brain tumor, suicide, St. Croix, 1990s Year it was published: 1997 Summary: April thinks she and Mark will be together forever. But since Mark's death, she has never felt more alone. Then Brandon Benedict comes into her life. Brandon is lonely and angry- he and April have a lot in common. Their closeness helps them both heal. But April cannot tell Brandon about her illness. When April's medical problems suddenly return, she must decide what to tell Brandon. Can the strength of the love she has felt before help her now? Characters: April does change a great deal in the sequel, especially towards the end and tries to appreciate everyday. I also found it sweet that Brandon is there to help her and encourage her while he can. There are se...

Name of Book: Till Death Do us Part Author: Lurlene McDaniel ISBN: 0-553-57108-7 Publisher: Dell Laurel Leaf Part of a Series: As Long As We Both Shall Live Type of book: brain tumor, CF, racing, death, marriage, 1990s, wealth, true love, soul mates Year it was published: 1997 Summary: A change is coming. April Lancaster's fortune cookie tells her: Be prepared. But how could she be prepared for the news that she has an inoperable brain tumor? April's life will never be the same. Then she meets handsome Mark Gianni. Mark has cystic fibrosis, but he also has a passion for life...and for April. He shows April how to keep living in the face of life-threatening illness. And when he asks April to marry him, she's happier than she's ever been. Characters: I think I was more of told than shown the changes that April had gone through from being self-centered young woman to someone who truly loved Mark. April is a beautiful redhead, an only child of her pa...

Name of Book: Don't die, my love Author: Lurlene McDaniel ISBN: 0-553-56715-2 Publisher: Bantam Type of book: 1990s, cancer, young adult, true love Year it was published: 1995 Summary: "Meant for each other." That's how both Julie Ellis and Luke Muldenhower have always felt. In sixth grade Luke actually asked Julie to marry him, and she just laughed. In eighth grade they began dating. Now in high school, they are deeply in love. Luke, a talented football player, is almost certain to receive an athletic scholarship to a top college. And no matter what her parents say, wherever Luke goes, Julie intends to follow. When Luke can't shake what he thinks is a virus, Julie persuades him to see a doctor. Luke's test results are alarming, but Julie believes their love is stronger than anything. Can love survive, now and forever? Characters: The characters do not have a lot of depth to them in my opinion. They seem to be a bit on the simplisti...

Name of book: Prey Author Name: Lurlene McDaniel ISBN: 978-0-385-73453-0 Publisher: Delacourte Press Type of book: Adult, contemporary Year it was published: 2008 Summary: Ryan Piccoli is a good-looking high school freshman-smart, a class cutup, but also a loner. His father travels; his mother is out of his life. He spends his free time with friends, including his gal pal Honey, hanging out at school and getting by. Then new teacher Lori Settles walks into his history class. She's beautiful, the talk of the school, considered hot and sexy, and she takes a special interest in Ryan. One day after school, Lori Settles surprises Ryan with a request, and he's flattered and eager to help. He's attracted to her, but she's his teacher and more than twice his age. As Ryan and Lori grow closer, Ryan's friends see changes in him. He's secretive. He keeps more and more to himself. Honey can tell something is wrong. Even his busy father senses changes. Ry...