first loves

Thirteen-year-old Phoebe is surprised and excited when she's asked to join the debating team. She'll get to see a lot more of Jagath, her fellow teammate and secret crush. Then Phoebe discovers that her dad doesn't like her hanging out with Jagath, prompting her to stand up for herself and her beliefs.

"It's 2002, a year after 9/11. It's an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who's tired of being stereotyped. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She's tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments--even the physical violence--she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she's built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother. But then she meets Ocean James. He's the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her--they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds--and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she's not sure she'll ever be able to let it down"--Amazon.com.

Buzzfeed staff writer Erin Chack reflects on growing up, finding a first love, and the resilience she found surviving cancer at the age of nineteen, and how she used humor to cope with these life transitions.

"The first time Elliott Youngblood spots Catherine Calhoun, he's just a boy with a camera, and he's never seen a sadder and more beautiful sight. Both Elliott and Catherine feel like outcasts, yet they find an easy friendship with each other. But when Catherine needs him most, Elliott is forced to leave town. Elliott finally returns, but he and Catherine are now different people. He's a star high school athlete, and she spends all her free timeworking at her mother's mysterious bed-and-breakfast. Catherine hasn't forgiven Elliott for abandoning her, but he's determined to win back her friendship . . . and her heart. Just when Catherine is ready to fully trust Elliott, he becomes the prime suspect in a local tragedy. Despite thetown's growing suspicions, Catherine clings to her love for Elliott. But a devastating secret that Catherine has buried could destroy whatever chance of happiness they have left"--Back cover.

The tragic story of the wealthy Jay Gatsby and his attempt to win back the love of Daisy Buchanan.

"Feisty and fearless George Warren (given name: Frances, but no one calls her that) has never let life get too serious. Now that she's about to be a senior, her plans include partying with her tight-knit group of friends and then getting the heck out of town after graduation. But instead of owning her last year of high school, a fight with her best friend puts her on the outs of their social circle"--OCLC.

The tragic story of the wealthy Jay Gatsby and his attempt to win back the love of Daisy Buchanan.

A year ago Harper made the biggest mistake of her life by destroying her relationship with her best friend and first love Declan, so now that he is home from boarding school for the summer, Harper has three months to fix the year of miscommunications, secrets, and lies or finally let go altogether.

Buzzfeed staff writer Erin Chack reflects on growing up, finding a first love, and the resilience she found surviving cancer at the age of nineteen, and how she used humor to cope with these life transitions.

Two childhood friends embark on a letter writing exchange when one of them goes off to college andan unexpected crush develops between the two of them.