msjamgochian'sinfinitebooklist

You. Are. Indestructible. Don't miss this entertaining, action-packed, adventure-fantasy-superhero-romance set in a private high school in the Pacific Northwest. Perfect for fans of Cherub, Blood Ties, and Darren Shan, who are looking for something a bit deeper. Check out the extras-packed website. Grade 7+

A riveting story of abuse and the redemptive power of kindness by the author of Breakfast With Buddha. Marjorie Richards, completely isolated from society by her parents until the age of nine (when social services forced them to allow her to attend school), lives in a rustic cabin in the woods, suffering physical and psychological abuse at her mentally ill parents' grim and sadistic hands. Followers of a twisted cult, they force seventeen-year-old Marjorie to find work to support them and their monthly alcohol-fueled escapes in their dirty pick-up. This isn't a light tale of abuse; one scene involves facing : a paper bag is placed over Marjorie's head and an entire congregation takes turns hitting, pummeling, and poking her, not lightly, in the face. The light at the end of the incredibly dark tunnel is lit when she is offered a job rebuilding a cathedral in town alongside a talented builder, a victim of abuse himself. As Marjorie develops her own set of skills, her self-e

Unforgettable seventeen-year-old Luke has grown up in an essentially matriarchial society surrounded by an eclectic bunch of women, including his bohemian New Age mother, his New England puritan grandmother, and his two charming and lovely half sisters. In the midst of all this kind chaos, Luke manages to create his own belief system that revolves around his passion for brain science. According to Luke, "without evidence, you just have hope, which is nice, but not reliable." It is the end of his junior year and he is drowning in college applications when his unbeknownst-to-him-father writes him a letter inviting him to spend the summer with him in Los Angeles. Did I mention his father turns out to be a fairly well-known television star? Luke accepts his offer, and the pair get to know each other, set against the backdrop of Hollywood life. Secrets are revealed, innocence is lost, and when Luke returns to his mother in New England, he quickly realizes that that "we don&#