Return to Paradise

I just flew through this sequel to Leaving Paradise and I couldn't put it down! I'm not going to say too much about it because it will spoil the first book, but I will say that watching Caleb and Maggie get through the barriers that they found themselves in was amazing.

I really love Simone Elkeles books (Ruined series and Perfect Chemistry series) because she writes about topics that can be related to life: gangs, jail, drunk driving, war. Most of these topics are not brought up in young adult literature, so reading about the situations that arise with these topics and how the teens involved get past the problems is really eye opening.

Another thing I love about Simone's books is that they are all set in Illinois :) Since I'm from IL, it makes it even more amazing and I recognize a lot of the landmarks that are mentioned throughout the novels.

But, seriously? Read her books. The topics are real life and show a teenager what could happen if they joined a gang, if they drove drunk, if they start dating a person who decides to enlist in the military. These topics are provided in a love story, which makes it a fun read, but teens are learning about hard situations at the same time.