L. Diane Wolfe has written a five book series of young adult books that chronicles a group of friends as they transition into adulthood. This series has some powerful messages for the youth of today. As a reader many years removed from this demographic, what I love most about these books is that they transported me back to that time in my own life.
Book I – Lori-
Lori is the first book in the Circle of Friends series. It introduces us to a group of high school students as they meet, mature and deal with what life can through at someone. The story of this book centers around Lori, a shy smart young woman determined to win a gold medal in swimming at the Olympics. Over the course of the book we see her face challenges, make new friends, struggle with existing ones and fall in love, all while never compromising her dream.
Book II – Sarah-
As the second book in the series, Sarah picks up in the middle of Lori’s timeframe. The reader gets to experience the events that overlap from another point of view, Sarah’s. Wolfe does an excellent job of repeating events without the story seeming repetitive. As we get inside Sarah’s head, we watch events unfold in a fresh new way. We understand more about the outgoing best friend we only got a glimpse of in Book I. In Sarah, we see the depth behind her personality and we get to watch her grow through her college years and her relationship with Matt.
Book III – James-
James has had a rough life, as we found out in Book I. In this book, we learn more about his brutal childhood. Not only does James have esteem issues to overcome, but he always seems to pick the wrong girl. We watch him struggle with himself, have his heart trampled then find strength in his friends and a devoted wife. But Wolfe doesn’t write sappy clichéd books, this couple will still face ongoing struggles, and we will watch then face those and not let the weight of their burdens bring them down.
Book IV – Mike-
Mike is a young man who is the picture of stability… on the outside. On the inside, he is struggling with doubts and guilt. Like so many of us in real life, Mike struggles with self-condemnation. He keeps a part of himself locked up because of his fear of rejection. Through the course of the book we will see is he is able to overcome these fears to truly let others in.
Book V – Heather-
We first met Heather in Book I and from the beginning she has been a force and for me, a favorite character. She never gives up no matter what life throws at her. Through her triumphs and struggles, she never loses who she is. It is a joy to watch her grow from Book I into the incredible woman she becomes in Book V. Her journey is not always easy, her determination never falters.
From the beginning, L. Diane Wolfe has given us realistic characters in compelling stories. The Circle of Friends Series is written in such a way as to make the reader a fly on the wall in the lives of these young adults. If you have teens in your life, these are excellent books for them to read. If you are past that stage but want something to send you back to memory lane or just want good uplifting dramas without the melodrama, then definitely pick up this series.
Books I-IV were purchased.
Heather, Book V was provided by the author.
Be sure to stop back here tomorrow for an interview with L. Diane Wolfe.
This is a very interesting series. I haven't read any YA novels before, but I have these on my wish list now. It's good to see inspiring stories like these for readers.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome, Chris! You've provided wonderful reviews/synopses! I just LOVE this post!
ReplyDeleteDiane does have a talent for intertwining the books in a way that is not repetitive, Seeing some of the scenes viewed from another character's perspective in the subsequent books was handled so well; it never felt like you were re-reading text.
I must say again that I really enjoyed this post of Diane's series. Very well done.
CC, thank you for catching the spirit of my series!
ReplyDeleteMason, that is awesome.
And thank you so much, Crystal! I worked hard to make repeat scenes seem fresh, especially since one pivotal scene is repeated in three of the books.
Wow, sounds like a very interesting series. I may have to add them to my stack of books to read. Thanks,
ReplyDeleteI will stop by tomorrow - I'm sure your interview with Diane is more interesting than mine.
ReplyDeleteThat would be awesome, Alyssa!
ReplyDeleteAnd you did fine, Alex.
Thanks for all the comments. It's a wonderful series.
ReplyDeleteAlex- I thought your interview today was great! Would have never known it was your first one.