Top Ten Tuesday: Recogition

This weeks topic is: Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition. I had to think about this topic for a while.
1. Courtney Summers 
She has written Cracked Up to Be, Some Girls Are, Fall For Anything, and This is Not a Test. Her books are amazingly raw and intense. I have enjoyed all of her books and I can't wait to read more from her.
2. Stephanie Kuehnert
She has written Ballads of Suburbia and I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone. Her books are clever and unique. The writing is epic. A lot of the people that I know haven't read these books, when they are amazing. I am dying to read her next book.
3. Holly Cupala
She has written Tell Me a Secret and Don't Breathe a Word. Her books are raw and deal with tough issue, but not in a cliche way. It is honest, beautiful, and full of hope. They also all happen in Seattle, which makes them a bit more interesting to me.
4. Robin Benway
She has written Audrey, Wait!, The Secrets of April, May, and June, and Also Known As. Her writing is so funny, like all of her books, have made me laugh so much. I can't recommend these books enough and you should totally read them.
5.  Laura Wiess

She has written Such a Pretty Girl, Leftovers, How It Ends, Ordinary Beauty, and Me Since You. Her books are crafted very well. The plot always draws me in and I keep on wanting more. They are all emotionally gripping and keep me wanting more
6. Amanda Grace 

This is the pseudonym of Mandy Hubbard, but these books are amazing. She has written But I Love Him, In Too Deep, and The Truth about You and Me. These books are amazing and give me so many feels.
7. Lauren Strasnick

Her books are Nothing Like You, Her, Me, and You, and Then You Were Gone. I find her books to be quick and enjoyable reads. I really like the style of her writing, which is very sparse, but clever. It is an interesting concept.8. Tara Altebrando

Her books include The Pursuit of Happiness, What Happened Here, Dreamland Social Club, and The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life. She also co-wrote the forthcoming Roomies with Sara Zarr. Her books are fun, while surrounded with more complex issues. Her books should definitely have more buzz, because they are really well written and such diverse characters.

 9. Lili Wilkinson 
She has written  Pink and many other books published in Australia. Pink is an amazing book. There are realistic characters that I loved. I really want to read more from her.
10. Jennifer Jabaley
She wrote Lipstick Apology and Crush Control. One book is really raw and intense. The other was fun. I enjoyed both books and would love to see more from her. 

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

Rating:

Characters: 19/20

Plot: 19/20

Originality: 20/20

Writing: 19/20

Recommendation: 20/20

Overall: 97/100 or A

Kara hasn't been back to Oak Park, since the end of her junior year. She overdosed on heroin and nearly died. Four years later, she returns to face the music. In high school, her life changed forever. Her family was torn apart and she found a new group of friends. She partied a bit too hard and she fell in love with a gorgeous bad-boy, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park...

Amid the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own ballad of sex, drugs, punk rock, loss, death, running away, and trying to figure out who the hell you are.

Kara McNaughton reminds me so much of my older sister. She had a rough patch like Kara, and I was the only one in my family to know what what was really going on. This book had an array of characters and I love their flaws and their gifts. Kuehnert captures the many emotions of being a teen. I was wow-ed by this book. I have been around family members with addictions my whole life and I have seen the effects of drugs on people, since I was about ten. In high school, some of my closest friends were/are cutters. I have seen the pain that goes into that. I think that Kuehnert did an amazing job capturing it. The ballads also gave me the insights of the characters and what was at the very core of them. Why some of them made questionable decisions that I wouldn't consider. I was crying at the end of this book, because I felt so connected to the characters. Kuehnert is an amazing writer. Ballads of Suburbia is one of those books that you just can't put down and I recommend that you go read it right now.