Could not get into

Peter Moore's Blind Sighted was good, but more for a high school sensibility. Not language or anything, just more mature concerns.

Sara Ryan's The Rules for Hearts was the same, but with saltier language.

Robert Newton's Runner was one of those indefinably odd historical novels-- 1919 Australia. I think children would get this confused with Carl Deuker's Runner (which is an awesome book) and would be disappointed.

Considering that my list for purchasing books for next year uses about 90% of my budget, I need to find more books this summer that I don't like than that I do!