The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred

After seeing another review on this book I wanted to read it...Hope it's as good as the review I read said it is! :)

The Sweet Gum Tree By Katherine AllredSweet tea, corn bread, and soup beans everyday fare for eight-year-old Alix French, the precocious darling of a respected southern family. But nothing was ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson, a boy from the wrong side of town. Armed with only a tin of bee balm and steely determination, Alix treats the raw evidence of a recent beating that mars his back, an act that changes both of their lives forever.Through childhood disasters and teenage woes they cling together as friendship turns to love. The future looks rosy until the fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick's abusive father, is shot to death in his filthy trailer.Suddenly, Nick is gone leaving Alix alone, confused and pregnant. For the next fifteen years she wrestles with the pain of Nick's abandonment, a bad marriage, her family and friends. But finally, she's starting to get her life back together. Her divorce is almost final, her business is booming, and she's content if not happyf{until the day she looks up and sees Nick standing across the counter. He's back Kand he's not alone.Once again Alix is plunged into turmoil and pain as Nick tries to win her love, something she resists with all her strength. Only one thing might break the protective wall she's built around her emotions the truth about Frank Anderson's death. But when that truth comes out and those walls crumble, neither Alix nor Nick is prepared for the emotional explosion that could destroy as well as heal.

My review - this book started out kind of slow for me and didn't actually grab my attention until around page 90 or so. I kept thinking this has to start going somewhere but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. It was an amazing story after I got sucked into it. I loved Alix and Nick. I honestly cried about Katie though. And after reading that part I had to constantly start checking on my 7 month old. And I didn't even guess about Daniel until it was about to come out. Last, I loved the ending of this book, it's rare that I actually like an ending but to love one is a stretch. I'm glad I read the review of Brandie and splurged my $1.49 on it for my Nook. I'm glad that I read this and will probably look into more books by this author.

Fallout (Crank #3) by Ellen Hopkins

Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow’s five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years. Told in three voices and punctuated by news articles chronicling the family’s story, Fallout is the stunning finale to the phenomenally bestselling trilogy that began with Crank and Glass, and a testament to the harsh reality that addiction is never just one person’s problem.

My Review - This was my favorite book out of all the Crank Series. I knew the outcome was going to be what it was but I didn't know how the three were going to get to that point or what would happen when they did get to that point but it was good. I am so glad I finally read this series. I do plan on trying to read the rest of Hopkins books. She's an amazing author!

Glass (Crank #2) by Ellen Hopkins

Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it's all the same: a monster. And once it's got hold of you, this monster will never let you go. Kristina thinks she can control it. Now with a baby to care for, she's determined to be the one deciding when and how much, the one calling the shots. But the monster is too strong, and before she knows it, Kristina is back in its grips. She needs the monster to keep going, to face the pressures of day-to-day life. She needs it to feel alive. Once again the monster takes over Kristina's life and she will do anything for it, including giving up the one person who gives her the unconditional love she craves -- her baby. The sequel to Crank, this is the continuing story of Kristina and her descent back to hell. Told in verse, it's a harrowing and disturbing look at addiction and the damage that it inflicts.

My Review - This picks up 3 months after Crank ended. While this book was good it also started slow for me. But once it picked up I couldn't put it down. At times I felt sorry for Kristina but then at times I wanted to beat her. I couldn't imagine leaving my baby and not caring for her. But I guess drugs will do that to a person. This book will open your eyes to drugs and addiction. Very well written, I hope to eventually read all of Hopkins books. On to the next in the series though now.......