SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE!

CRAZY BEAUTIFUL (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 2009) is a contemporary re-visioning of Beauty & the Beast, told in he-said/she-said fashion, about a boy with hooks for hands and a gorgeous girl who meet on their first day at a new school.

• "Crazy Beautiful is an unexpected love story that deals with far more than just those breathless moments of first love, but delves deeper into the finer aspects of choices and consequences, second chances, and forgiveness. The emotions that Baratz-Logsted evokes in Crazy Beautiful are painful and raw, but authentic and exhilarating as well. Crazy Beautiful is a concise, entrancing, and completely consuming read, punctuated by smart humor and wonderful characterizations that especially cause Aurora and Lucius stand out. In its own unique way, Crazy Beautiful is a compelling, bittersweet, and memorable read with a love story so persuasive that it will keep you coming back again and again." - ThecompulsiveReader.blogspot.com
   "Lauren Baratz-Logsted doesn't write icky, gooey love. She writes stark, broken, gorgeous love. When you need a retreat, when you need to feel something, or when you just need a breather from your own freaky life, this is the love story you'll run to. Crazy Beautiful has two hearts, one soul. I can't wait to read it again." ~ Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of Wake
   
• “Written in spare, evocative, prose, Lauren Baratz-Logsted crafts a beautiful story of love and redemption so gorgeously rendered I was enthralled from the very first page. This book is simply breathtaking—and one you’ll want to return to again and again!”- Alyson Noël, #1 New York Times bestselling author of EVERMORE
   
• "CRAZY BEAUTIFUL is gripping, with moments of sheer brilliance." ~ Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestselling author of CRANK and IMPULSE

Angel's Choice (Simon and Schuster, December 2006)

• On the eve of her senior year in high school, Angel Hansen, on the fast track for Yale, gets drunk one night, sleeps with the wrong guy, and winds up pregnant. In the process of coming to terms with having her safe world turned inside out, Angel makes a startling decision, and everything that follows is ANGEL'S CHOICE.
  
   
• …readers will be changed by the total reading experience. ~ Kliatt
• This first-person narrative offers a vivid portrait of the dark side of fleeting hookups and teen pregnancy. It will resonate with older teens. ~ School Library Journal
• Angel is a truly identifiable character. Sometimes while I read this book, in the many times I have read it, I was struck by how many introspective passages sounded like my own thoughts and my own reasoning. She's got her weaknesses, her fears, her imperfections, all of which perfect shape an admirable heroine. All in all, this book's got it all: superb writing, characters you can relate to, authenticity, and one great main character. ~ Reviewer X
• "Angel’s Choice was surely a page turner, but it is certainly for older teens and adults... Great Book! A Must Read in my opinion!" ~ Book Divas
• "Not since Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, have I read such a compelling tale of high school social politics." ~ Mango Firefly

Secrets of My Suburban Life (Simon & Schuster, January 8, 2008)

And you thought your life had a dark side....
Everything changed for Lauren ("Ren") after Harry Potter killed her mom. No, it's not what you think—Harry Potter didn't come to life and stab her or anything. A stack of those thick books crushed her. Now Ren is stuck out in the suburbs of Connecticut, dragged out there because her father is too grief stricken to continue living in New York.
Ren tries to fit in at her new school, but the most popular girl, Farrin, keeps icing her out. Then Ren discovers that Farrin has a secret: She's been communicating online with an older man, and they are actually planning to meet! Ren can't let Farrin go through with it—she's witnessed enough tragic events as it is. So she comes up with the perfect plan to stop the perv. But then she finds out who he is...

• Baratz–Logsted has created a smart, sympathetic heroine readers will want to root for and a great, cheer-worthy ending. This is a fun, quick story. ~Romantic Times Magazine, 4 stars
• Even after revealing significant facts, author Lauren Baratz-Logsted keeps the suspense flowing in Ren’s story. Teens will enjoy the twists and turns... ~ Sally Kruger, TeensReadToo, 5 stars
• ...the tension builds nicely here, and Ren's wry, anguished, immediate voice and her story of secrets and betrayal will keep contemporary teens flipping the pages. ~ Hazel Rochman, Booklist
• I have to say, this book is an amazing piece of YA work. This book is a very unique book as well and a book I have never seen before. I believe every teen should read this book: this book will open up your eyes to the danger of internet cyber-stalkers and how to stop them. This book teaches everyone a lesson, for teens and parents. ~ BookScene, which also named SECRETS/Lauren one of the top 20 books/authors of 2007
• Baratz-Logsted created fun characters in a bubble gum world with substance. She goes deeper than the “Gossip Girl” type books for young adults, and lets her sense of humor shine to making for a unique, smart story ~ Terri, CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
• Simon & Schuster podcast of Lauren talking about SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE
• ...Ren comes across as a genuine teen with real problems...a good fit for middle school, while older teens are more likely to relate to Ren than to the 'Gossip Girl'-style heroines currently on the market. ~ Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CA for School Library Journal
• Secrets of My Suburban Life reads like a journal—and a funny one at that. It reminded me of the movie Juno, which had a different sense of humor. The book took small little things and made them comical. Baratz-Logsted’s writing was very funny and easy to read, and held me until the end. I would recommend this book to the average teenage girl looking for a break from real life. ~ Couture's Fashionable Reads
• This reviewer is recommending SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE because it was such a delightful surprise. Filled with teens that many young readers will relate to, this book is fun to read. It was a very refreshing change for this reviewer, mainly because of the main character, Ren, and for the first time, this reviewer actually enjoyed a book that was aimed at a younger audience. ~ Loves Romance & More
• Secrets of My Suburban Life is a page-turner that will suck the reader in. Baratz-Logsted's style is unique, and stashed with subtle humor...Every word will count in this heartrending, witty, and suspenseful novel. ~ Compulsive Reader
• Secrets of My Suburban Life, no doubt, is an exceptionally interesting book... Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted does a great job keeping the suspense up throughout the entire book.  I would highly recommend this read to teenagers and adults alike. ~ Cassidy, Reading is for Lovers
• This book is really interesting and unlike any other teen novel I've read before. It is quirky and has an unusual plot line. ~ Fiona, Teenreads.com
• It's a quick read but it's funny and serious all at once. Theres these weird unexpected twists and it also has a pretty good lesson in it. ~ 5 stars, Asia, Shelfari.com
• I liked this book a lot. I think that the plot line was really unique because I have never read a book about an internet sex predator. And a funny book at that! ~ Liv's Book Reviews
• It has enough drama to attract even a reluctant reader. Every high school reader will identify with the struggle to wear the right clothes and learn the code of conduct for new situations. ~ Kliatt, Debra Kilcup, NBCT Teacher-Libn., Univ. of WA, Hoodsport, WA
   

Me, In Between (Simon & Schuster, March 25, 2008)

A precociously well-breasted 12-year-old is conflicted about her assets.
 

• "When your birth certificate puts your age at twelve, your IQ lands you in eighth grade, and your bra size screams something between sixteen and all grown up, it’s easy to get confused, and Lacey’s confused indeed. Nana Anna, Lacey’s grandmother and guardian since her parents died when she was a baby, is dismissive of Lacey’s plight, referring to her trials with her bodacious bosom as luxe problememen, --the kind of problems every woman wishes she had. When Lacey gets picked up at the video arcade by a much older guy, she decides for the first time that mayube Nana Anna is right, and she needs to work this body she’s been handed. On the other hand, when her best boy friend from infancy returns to her neighborhood after being away during her growth spurt, she feels the need to hide her new features. The compact plotline and matter-of-fact narration prevent this story of quick changes and deception from going overboard into zany comedy land; instead Lacey emerges as a very real, very resourceful heroine whose heartsmarts have to play a fast catch-up game with her headsmarts. The perspective she gains, with the help of a really superior boy (let’s only hope there are real ones like him out there), keeps step with a contemporary twelve-year-old’s grasp of her situation; readers will learn along with Lacey that while size does matter, it isn’t the only thing that counts when it comes to loving and living in your body." ~ Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
   
• "This was such a cute book! From the first page I was hooked and finished it within a day... I really liked the way Ms. Baratz-Logsted wrote from Lacey's point of view. The thoughts were perfect for a 12-year-old girl. The ending was also really cute. If you're looking for a quick, cute read, then ME, IN BETWEEN is definitely a book you should check out." ~(5 stars) TeenReadsToo.com