Read any good books lately?
I have ... and I'd love to tell you about them. I'm not a reviewer; just a book enthusiast who likes to spread the word about great reads and wonderful authors!
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Teenager Daelyn Rice: the mute girl with the neck brace. The freak. The "new" kid at school more times than she can recall, as her parents move her from place to place, hoping the next school will be better. But as the victim of repeated, vicious bullying because of her weight, she's decided the only way to make things better is to make things end. So after several botched suicide attempts, Daelyn decides to finally do it right, and logs herself into an on-line suicide countdown. She's got 23 days before she walks "into the light," so to speak ... but there's a problem. Santana, this goofy guy who latches onto her and simply won't stop talking to her. What is his deal?
This compulsively readable book is hard; I cried for Daelyn and her parents. The bullying scenes are almost too brutal to be believed, and you find yourself wondering why Daelyn is the object of such repeated cruelty. Still, I felt the author did an outstanding job of getting into Daelyn's head and giving us a window into what a teen in this situation might think and feel. I won't give the ending away except to say it's ultimately a picture of strength and triumph. I do worry with some "problem" books that they might actually act as a trigger for troubled kids, but in this case I think this is a great book not only for kids who are struggling with bullying and suicidal thoughts, but also for kids who could learn how others in that situation might feel.
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| "By The Time You Read This I'll Be Dead" by Julie Anne Peters |
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| "Ten Things I Hate About Me" by Randa Abdel-Fattah. |
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| Although the basic themes of this book are pretty standard young adult fare ... figuring out "who-you-are," dealing with strict parents, making true friends ... Ten Things I Hate About Me gives it a fresh twist because the protagonist is a Lebanese Muslim teen living in Australia. Jamie at school, but Jamillah at home, this sophmore wears blue contact lenses and dyes her hair blond in order to "pass" as a non-ethnic Aussie. Keeping her identity a secret from her school friends is no easy feat, and the tension builds as she concocts lie after lie in order to fool her fellow students, her family, and to a large extent, herself. Author Randa Abdel-Fattah gives us a realistic and entertaining peek into the heart of a modern Muslim girl trying to find her place in a diverse society. Her other award-winning books include Does My Head Look Big in This? and Where the Streets Had a Name. Important teen reads in our post-9-11 world!
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I tore through Shiver. I couldn't put it down, and my 16-year old daughter became equally obsessed when I handed it to her. It's a girl-meets-boy-who-is-a-werewolf paranormal romance, with all the terrific plot twists and imaginative turns we've come to expect from this genre. And as an added bonus, it's gorgeously written. I found myself stopping to reread lines and just ... smile. The plot centers on 17-year old Grace, who, as a child, was bitten by wolves in her backyard. She survived the attack, and since then has been watching and mentally communing with a yellow-eyed wolf who lives in the woods behind her house. Turns out he's only a wolf in the winter: when the temps heat up, he's a very cute guy named Sam. As you can imagine, this shape-shifting thing presents some problems if Sam and Grace are ever to connect. Luckily, Maggie Stiefvater has written a sequel, Linger, which I can't wait to read. This book is probably most appropriate for mature YA readers; not a middle grade book.
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| "Shiver" by Maggie Stiefvater |
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| "Knights of the Hill Country" by Tim Tharp |
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I've been on the lookout for authentic teenage male narrators and my editor, Nancy Hinkel, sent me Knights of the Hill Country. I don't enjoy or understand football and I cringe at bad grammar ... so the fact that I fell in LOVE with the narrator of this story, who is a high school linebacker from Oklahoma, tells you something. It's about high school senior Hampton Green, who is in complete control of the game on the field, but has more than the usual share of challenges off the field. His dad left him, his mom has a new boyfriend every week, he doesn't think he's smart, and he doesn't have much success with girls. Above all, he has a close friendship with a teammate whose choices and behavior have lately been more than a little troubling to Hamp. This is a compelling, realistic story about a teenager who must decide what sort of man he wants to be, even if his choices cost him popularity and a friendship he has treasured most of his life. FYI, my 16-year-old football-loathing daughter tore through this book and loved it, too!
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This book is so many things and takes on so much I hardly know where to begin .... so I'll cut to the chase. It's a laugh a line, satire approaching the brilliance of Gulliver's Travels, a wild romp of a picaresque coming-of-age novel of self-discovery with an authentic teen boy narrator. This book deserves all the praise and awards it's received; I loved it. It's about 16-year old Cam, who has contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, commonly known as Mad Cow. He's a goner, but before he dies he takes off on one of the wildest road trips you've ever experienced, with travelling companions that include a hypochondriac dwarf and a talking yard gnome. (The scenes with the yard gnome may be the funniest I've ever read.) This book is brilliant and irreverant and absolutely pitch-perfect. Bravo, Libba Bray!
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| "Going Bovine" by Libba Bray |
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| "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins |
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I lost an entire day reading this book because I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN! It's the second in The Hunger Games trilogy (see below) and it doesn't disappoint. Katniss Everdeen is back, as lethal and loyal as ever, and in this installment she and her fellow District 12 victor, Peeta, must endure the Capitol's Victory Tour following their triumph in the arena. Things are not as they seem, however, and while Katniss seems to miss all the clues, we readers can tell that something big is about to happen. Suzanne Collins has created a YA page-turner that implies some big questions. What's more important, freedom, or survival? These books are pretty violent, so young readers beware!
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Set in Maine, Season of Ice fascinated me because it provided a glimpse into a world I know nothing about: ice racing. Yes, during the winter here people actually race heavy vehicles on the frozen lakes! Since my particular fear factor is getting stuck in a car which has crashed into a body of water, this sport is beyond my comprehension ... yet the protagonist of the story, teen Genesis Sommer, is a skilled, avid ice racer. The plot revolves around one particular winter when her father goes missing on a lake, and the lake freezes over before anyone recovers his body, leading to questions of whether he is indeed dead. It's a story of loss and grief and reconciliation. Another reason this novel interested me is because my stories always begin with voice: a particular narrator emerges and I see the way in. Author Diane Les Becquets says her books begin with place, and the setting of Season of Ice emerges as a character in its own right. Read this book for it's outstanding descriptions of places in Maine far from the usual tourist track; you won't be sorry.
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| "Season of Ice" by Diane Les Becquets |
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| "Fat Cat" by Robin Brande will be available October 2009 |
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| Every time I read a Robin Brande novel I think, "Gosh, I wish that author were my friend!" Anyone who creates such witty, wise and creative stories has got to be fun! In Fat Cat, high school student Cat is a smart, funny, overweight girl who doesn't eat properly and doesn't exercise. When she turns herself into the subject of a seven-month science experiment (she adopts the life and eating style of prehistoric hominins, ie. no junk food, no technology ... you get the picture) the pounds start dropping off ... and the guys start buzzing around! Lest this sounds like some frivolous girl-gets-skinny-then-gets-her-man book, let me say that Fat Cat is anything but! Brande gives us a likeable, believable girl who learns a lot about herself, friendship, healthy choices and healthy relationships. This book is full of positive, life-affirming teens who make us want to stand up and cheer, and as she did in her first novel, Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature, Brande's story is thought provoking and intelligent but never preachy.
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This first-person narrative from the point-of-view of an anorexic teen is the most accurate fictional depiction of an eating disorder I have read. A young woman I know who is in recovery from anorexia says about Wintergirls - "She nailed it." Gorgeously written in a style that reminds me of Halse Anderson's award winning novel, Speak, Wintergirls lacks the humor which made the raw pain of Speak bearable. Still, this is a necessary read for anyone who wants to understand the loneliness, fear and irrational mindset of someone suffering from this mental illness.
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| "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson |
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| "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson |
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| Author Laurie Halse Anderson never ceases to amaze me ... her YA novel, Chains, is set in revolutionary-war era New York City, and follows the story of a 13-year old slave girl struggling to survive and achieve freedom for herself and her sister. This wonderfully researched, compelling story provides an unblinking look at the brutal realities of life not only for slaves but for soldiers and citizens living in a war zone. Questions surrounding freedom and rights ... not only for black slaves, but for women, for indentured servants, for members of the working class ... are brought to life through Anderson's well-wrought characters. Each chapter begins with primary source excerpts from letters and journals of the era. Junior high kids will turn the pages quickly and learn a lot of history, too.
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| "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins |
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| I learned a new word recently ... dystopia. Imagine the opposite of utopia, and you've pretty much summed up the meaning of the "dys" version as well as the world of The Hunger Games and Shift. These are two books I consistently recommend to my friends seeking novels which appeal to boys as well as girls.
In The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins gives us a futuristic, violent riff on the television show "Survivor," but with an added twist: the contestants are teens and they play to the death. This is an intense exploration of issues surrounding violence, humanity, individuality ... plus it's a compelling read. First book of a planned trilogy and I can't wait for the next!
Shift imagines my beloved Maine (!) in a world where church and state are one, government is Big Brother, and huge tracts of land still smolder from radioactive fallout. Enter 15-year old Adrian Havoc (author Charlotte Agell comes up with the best names for her characters!) who has a chance to save the world, save himself ... and possibly save a penguin, too.
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| "Shift" by Charlotte Agell |
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I recently heard author Ellen Wittlinger speak at a conference, and she so inspired me not only to be the best YA author I possibly can, but to take risks in my writing. Ellen's characters struggle mightly with issues of identify, and as a writer she boldly explores their worlds. In Hard Love, teenager John, still recovering from his parent's divorce, meets Marisol, another teen who has recently come out as a lesbian, through their shared interest in "zines," these home-made magazines into which young writers bare their souls and share their creativity. This is a sensitive exploration of love and friendship and forgiveness; unblinking but not graphic. Probably best suited for mature YA readers. Written ten years ago (where have I BEEN?), it has a newly released sequel called Love and Lies.
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| "Hard Love" by Ellen Wittlinger |
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| "How to Build a House" by Dana Reinhardt |
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I love metaphors, and the central metaphor at work in this novel -- rebuilding a house/rebuilding relationships -- grabbed me from the start. 17-year old Harper, reeling from her father's divorce from her stepmother and subsequent separation from her stepsister and little brother, journeys to Tennesee where she'll spend a summer with other teens helping a family rebuild their house, which was lost in a tornado. After a hot summer of hard work, Harper learns to trust again, repair broken relationships, and rebuild her own damaged heart. There's a romantic story-within-the-story here, as well as a cast of wonderful characters. The publisher bills this as a 12-and-up book, but I'd say it's more appropriate for 14-and-up.
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