Retta has dreams of making it big as a country music star in Nashville. After graduating from high school, she heads to the city to pursue a music career. Although she knew it would be difficult, Retta didn’t realize how hard it would be to break into the business, and when family drama calls her home, she begins to wonder if she should just give up her dream altogether.

Supplee begins each chapter of her book with a brief bio of a real country singer. I enjoyed Retta’s story, which was sweet without being nauseating, and had enough surprises in it to keep it from becoming too predictable. A quality addition to the “follow your dreams” genre.

Janie is a 17 year old girl with all the normal high school problems, plus one unique addition–when Janie sleeps, she can enter other people’s dreams.  With the help of her new friend Cabel, Janie learns how to use her unique “gift” to help others.

An interesting young adult novel.  There’s quite a bit of language, teen sex and drug use–it’s definitely a book for older teens.

And a plug for my alma mater…Lisa McMann is a 1990 graduate of Calvin College.

http://www.calvin.edu/news/2008-09/lisa-mcmann/