Courtney Bowers

Courtney Bowers writes a monthly book review The Bookshelf, A Teen Review. Courtney is a senior at Heritage High School in Blount County. Join Courtney in the book discussion under comments.

• The Bookself, A Teen Review: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Published 8/9/2010 at 11:18 a.m. 0 comments

  If you’ve taken a high school English course, I’m sure you’ve all groaned after one glance at the summer reading list. The dread of actually cracking open the covers has been hanging over your head since June. But June passed, ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: The Hanging Woods by Scott Loring Sanders Published 7/12/2010 at 10:24 a.m. 0 comments

  Growing up in a southern town in the mid-seventies, 14-year-old Walter and his two mischievous best friends, Jimmy and Mothball, spend most of their time sneaking out at night and playing down by the river. They are particularly interested in ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: Write naked by Peter Gould Published 6/21/2010 at 12:12 p.m. 0 comments

  Sixteen-year-old Victor is not a typical teenage boy. Instead of spending his time playing video games or causing trouble with friends, he prefers to live life “under the radar,” hoping to remain unnoticed by the rest of the world. While ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides Published 6/14/2010 at 6:00 a.m. 0 comments

  It all began with one sister. Cecilia Lisbon, the youngest and certainly oddest of the five Lisbon girls, attempted suicide in her family’s bathroom. Until that one act, the Lisbons had been viewed as the most beautiful girls in the ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: Under the Same Sky by Brett Smuckler Published 5/10/2010 at 2:13 p.m. 0 comments

  “Under the Same Sky” is the story of two friends whose love is overpowered by their opposite goals in life. Olivia meets Emmett when she is in kindergarten, and they spend all of their childhood years together, playing in the ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Published 4/12/2010 at 10:15 a.m. 0 comments

  It is Charlie’s freshman year of high school, and he doesn’t quite know where he belongs. He has never fit in with any of the kids his own age because he is so shy and timid. However, Charlie has a ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: The Loser’s Guide to Life and Love by A.E. Cannon Published 3/8/2010 at 10:43 a.m. 0 comments

  Ed McIff is your typical teenage dork, a guy who never knows what to say to girls and wears a tuxedo and bow tie to his job at Reel Life Movies. According to Ed, no one of the opposite sex ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: Ordinary Ghosts by Eireann Corrigan Published 2/8/2010 at 10:14 a.m. 0 comments

  Emil has always lived in the shadows of others. His older brother, Ethan, was the popular guy at Caramoor, the private prep school they attend. No matter what Ethan did, he always made it look effortless, and Emil feels that ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman Published 1/11/2010 at 1:00 p.m. 0 comments

  “The Golden Compass,” the first novel in Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” series, introduces readers to another world that is quite similar to ours. The difference is that people in this world have external souls that take on an animal ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review - Lily Dale: Discovering Published 12/28/2009 at 2:36 p.m. 0 comments

  In the final installment of the Lily Dale series, Calla Delaney finally discovers the whole truth about who she is and the secrets her family has kept hidden for so long. In the previous novels, Calla has explored her spiritual ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review - Lily Dale: Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub Published 12/14/2009 at 10:29 a.m. 0 comments

  In the first novel of Staub’s new mystical series, “Lily Dale: Awakening,” readers are introduced to seventeen-year-old Calla Delaney. After her mother dies in a mysterious accident, Calla is inconsolable. She decides to escape the misery by visiting her grandmother ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: Haunted Sister by Lael Littke Published 12/7/2009 at 11:24 a.m. 0 comments

  Ever since Janine was little, she was known as the good girl. Her twin sister, Lenore, was the wild and mischievous one. That was the only difference between the two girls, and the fact that Janine had a mole on ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan Published 11/9/2009 at 12:55 p.m. 0 comments

  By now, most teenagers have seen the movie “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” and have fallen in love with the New York City adventure that takes place all within one unforgettable night. The novel, penned in 2006, is even more ...

• The Bookshelf, A Teen Review: Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan Published 10/26/2009 at 2:17 p.m. 0 comments

  Kristi is definitely not a normal girl. She has her own style, which includes digging through the garbage to create outfits. She has her own opinions, which tend to be laced with sarcasm and attitude. She also has an unusual ...

• The Book Shelf, A Teen Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Published 10/12/2009 at 10:46 a.m. 0 comments

  When Clay Jensen received a package one fateful afternoon, he never dared to consider what it may contain. Soft-spoken and polite, Clay is a nice guy. Everyone likes him, because he never bothers anyone. So the last thing he expected ...

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