18 January 2012 @ 04:34 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Cassius:
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings."
Julius Caesar (I, ii, 140-141)
John Green is a rock star in the world of YA lit and likely needs no introduction from me. [But, side note: I seriously cannot overstate my love of both "An Abundance of Katherines" and "Will Grayson, Will Grayson," so maybe it did need some saying!] I was at a Penguin Young Readers preview back in October 2011 when I first heard about "The Fault in Our Stars" (hereinafter, for the sake of my typing, "TFiOS"). Mentioning a new John Green title to a room full of librarians and educators created a bit of a frenzy, as you might imagine; we're talking sharks with blood in the water, only with books. Penguin placed a strict embargo on "TFiOS," which was finally released last Tuesday. Y'all, this is a book. Lev Grossman, a legit bestselling author in his own right, labeled "TFiOS" an "instant classic" in a blog post, and I agree wholeheartedly. Just go out and read it, already.
Hrm. Not sufficient, you're thinking? You need to know more? Fine, I will oblige.
At the most basic level "TFiOS" is a cancer book. But it's also not, not really. You'll just have to trust me on this, ok? It's not morbid or cloying or otherwise uplifting in an icky, artificial way. It is, rather, deeply touching, meaningful, flat-out hysterical, and just so achingly lovely that I kept going back to savor passages again and again. It is a remarkable novel for any genre or audience, let alone as a piece of teen literature.
16 year old Hazel, a pretty average teen living with her folks in Indianapolis, had thyroid cancer that spread to her lungs. Although technically in remission -- Hazel survives on an experimental drug -- her lungs were so badly damaged that she can only breathe with the aid of an oxygen tank. Hazel dropped out of high school and got her GED when she was gravely ill, although she does take some classes at the local community college. Depressed and sort of isolated, Hazel mostly watches bad television with her mom, reads (and re-reads and re-re-reads) her favorite book, "An Imperial Affliction," and attends a weekly teen cancer support group at a neighborhood church. Lanky teen Isaac, left with one functioning eyeball after contracting a rare eye cancer, is the only saving grace at these meetings, as he alone seems to share Hazel's sense of sarcasm and irony at the whole miserable experience. When Isaac brings along his gorgeous, athletic friend Gus, a survivor of a type of bone cancer that resulted in the amputation of his leg, support group suddenly becomes a lot more interesting. Gus is handsome, charming, smart, kinda nerdy / cool, sensitive ... you know, typical John Green protagonist. He's also deeply into Hazel from jump, which, flutter. Even sick girls can fall in love.
At first, Hazel tries to resist Gus' advances. He's the very picture of health (er, minus the leg), just so vibrant and athletic. Meanwhile, Hazel, weak and lugging around an oxygen tank, worries that she will be a "grenade," ultimately exploding in Gus' life, dying, and wounding him irreparably. But Gus isn't so easily deterred. He's into Hazel and knows the risks. Gus uses his old dying kid wish (think Make-A-Wish Foundation) to take Hazel to Holland to visit Peter Van Houten, author of "An Imperial Affliction." Hazel and Gus are determined to find out what happened to the characters after the novel's mid-paragraph end, and the reclusive Van Houten, they believe, holds the key. Except, nothing goes as planned, Van Houten is an embittered shrew, and, oh yeah, Hazel and Gus fall totally in love amidst the canals and tulips and just about the most spectacular meal ever created. It's pretty awesome. Or, as Hazel says, "I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once."
I hate to give away huge plot points, so can we still be friends if I give you a SPOILER ALERT? Because I'm going to do it anyway. Consider yourself warned. Here's some SPOILER SPACE, just in case you were skimming:
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And here we are. Strong, healthy Gus gets incredibly sick, incredibly quickly. He becomes, for all intents and purposes, the grenade that Hazel so feared she would be. Gus' cancer, long in remission, unknowingly returns and invades his entire body. Probably the most brilliant portions of "TFiOS" involve Gus' physical degradation. This isn't pretty soap opera dying; it's vomit, pee, confusion, messy dying, and it's not easy to witness. But it's always true, which makes Hazel and Gus' continued, doomed romance all that more authentic and beautiful. I can't think of a better, funnier, more touching scene than Gus' "pre-funeral," in which Isaac and Hazel eulogize Gus while he watches. Hazel begins by discussing infinite sets of numbers and says:
Some infinities are bigger than other infinities. A writer we used to like taught us that. There are days, many of them, when I resent the size of my unbounded set. I want more numbers than I'm likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful."
I told you, it's a lovely book. I will add that "TFiOS" can be ridiculously, wonderfully funny, as when Isaac and Hazel play voice-activated video games, trying to get the characters to do all manner of filthy things, or the teen support group meets in a church location that the kids call the Literal Heart of Jesus. It's also full of some pretty sharp social commentary about the celebrity of mourning, including Facebook postings of glorified dead kids, which are so far removed from the ugly reality that they're almost, sadly, laughable. Throw in fully developed parental figures, admirably complex secondary characters, and a gentle exploration of such larger, philosophical ideas as making an indelible mark on the universe and, somehow, being remembered, and you have a damn good novel.
I loved just about every aspect of "TFiOS" and would gladly recommend it to teen readers (and adult readers!), all genders, really from older middle school and up. There's some language here and a discreet sex scene, but if you can handle the difficulties of death, then you're good to go. "TFiOS" is such an unbelievably good novel. I can't see you being disappointed. Now will you go out and just read it already? :-p
04 January 2012 @ 05:10 pm
Friends, I don't know what it's like in your neck of the woods, but it is bitterly, horribly, freezingly cold here in North Jersey. What better time, I ask you, is there to read a funny book to warm your heart than the depths of winter? We've got a new brochure featuring laugh-out-loud books for middle and high schoolers. Check out "Hilarious Reads for Teens!". You can also find a link to the brochure on the right side of this page in the Read-Alikes list. Enjoy ... and stay warm!
21 December 2011 @ 12:59 pm
I always love when the year-end "best of" lists come out. They give me great ideas on books I may have missed and inspire me to read those books that I've been putting off for one reason or another. So, without further ado -- hot off the presses! -- I give you our "Best Teen Books of 2011" brochure. You'll also see the brochure over in the Read-Alikes list to the right of this page. Check it out! Who knows, you might find your next favorite book. Happy holidays and all my best wishes for a safe and joyous new year!
20 December 2011 @ 01:24 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
You probably already know Maggie Stiefvater from her "Mercy Falls" werewolf series, which includes "Shiver" and "Linger." She's a phenomenal writer who is able to take otherworldly topics and give them grounded, touching depth. Maggie's latest novel, "The Scorpio Races," has already accumulated an impressive list of "best of" accolades, including one from the venerable New York Times. I had an advanced copy of "The Scorpio Races" literally forever, since Book Expo last June. I thought, "It's a book about water horses that eat people. Yeah, not so much." I was, I'm not ashamed to admit, dead wrong. It's a book about people, an unforgiving land and its creatures, sacrifice, forgiveness, courage, family, and love. It is, in one word, remarkable.
What, you need more? Fine. :-p
Puck Connolly is the middle child in an orphaned family living on Thisby, a rocky, isolated island. Older brother Gabe is leaving Thisby for life on the mainland, abandoning Puck and her younger brother, the quirky, sensitive Finn. Puck and Finn decorate pottery for the local tourist shop, but without Gabe's income, they'll never be able to keep their heavily mortgaged home and its small bit of farmland. Faced with an impossible set of choices, Puck decides to enter the island's Scorpio Races, in which capaill uisce (predatory water horses that emerge from the sea each fall) are raced against each other in a vicious, life and death game with a huge payoff for the winner. The water horses are aggressive, untamed creatures drawn, alternately, by the call of the ocean and their desire to feed on blood and flesh. So what will happen to Puck when she decides to race her beloved Dove, an ordinary mare who also happens to be her best friend, against these unpredictable, deadly beasts?
Enter Sean Kendrick, a nineteen year old orphan who has won multiple Scorpio Races on the back of Corr, a wild, crimson-colored water horse with whom he has an incredible bond. Corr is owned by the wretched Benjamin Malvern, Sean's employer and owner of the largest stable on the island (and, incidentally, the mortgage holder on the Connolly family property). The quiet, steady Sean is a resourceful trainer with an intuitive understanding of -- and a deep love for -- all the water horses, but most especially Corr. When Sean rides Corr, it's as if the two are one being, connected by a strange mix of respect, love, and fear. Sean hopes that by winning this particular Scorpio Race, he will finally earn the right to purchase Corr for himself.
As the races approach, Sean begins to admire Puck's grace and courage in being (a) the only female EVER entered in the Scorpio Races, and (b) the only rider EVER to challenge the capaill uisce on an ordinary horse. The two become friends, riding together on the jagged cliffs overlooking the shoreline and sharing observations and warnings on the other riders. They also fall in love, but it's not the cheesy, melodramatic deal that such love can often be in a YA novel. Like everything else in this extraordinary book, it's quiet, subtle, and yet still heart wrenching.
I will reveal no more about the races or the ultimate outcome, other than to say that we want both Sean and Puck to win, which is an untenable position. Maggie has created two incredibly well-realized characters. Puck is rough around the edges and bit churlish at times, but she's also brave, smart, and big hearted. Sean is stoic and strong, but he shares with Puck the same boundless love for a harsh, unforgiving land, a hardscrabble way of life, and the magnificent horses (both tame and wild) who share the island. The scenes with Sean and Corr, in which we feel the potent, magnetic connection between the two, thoroughly humanize both man and beast.
The secondary characters are also impressively shaded. Gabe is weak and cowardly, but we begin to understand why this young man must leave Thisby and his siblings to survive. George Holly, a wealthy, handsome American visiting for the races, starts off as a sort of patsy and emerges as a far more generous, perceptive man. And Peg Gratton, the local butcher's wife, is a plain homemaker and a raging feminist / mystical horse goddess during the pre-race festival. Rock on.
Maggie also provides many evocative descriptions of the island, the rocky coast, the turbulent waters, and the sleek, deadly horses. The scenes of Puck racing across Thisby on Dove's back, literally throwing caution to the wind, are breathtaking. Same with the scenes involving Sean and the surging strength of Corr as he gallops forward, torn always between the lure of the sea and his own deep affection for Sean. We even get suspense and terror, as when Puck and Finn must hide from a bloodthirsty water horse in a rickety lean-to during a raging storm. The writing as a whole is often beautiful and heartrending, filled with so many lovely passages like this one, when Sean remembers the first time he saw the capaill uisce:
[They] plunged down the sand, skirmishing and bucking, shaking the sea foam out of their manes and the Atlantic from their hooves. They screamed back to the others still in the water, high wails that raised the hair on my arms. They were swift and deadly, savage and beautiful. The horses were giants, at once the ocean and the island, and that was when I loved them.
"The Scorpio Races" is, without a doubt, one of the very best books I've read this year, teen or otherwise. If you can get past the violence -- which is organic to the story and serves to make the water horses a viable threat -- then I'd say this book is fine for older middle schoolers. Also, since Puck and Sean alternately narrate the story, this novel should appeal to both boy and girl readers. "The Scorpio Races" is a thrilling, emotional, stunningly crafted book that I absolutely loved. I hope you, too, will give it a try. Happy reading!
19 December 2011 @ 03:51 pm
**REVIEW FROM A GUEST LIBRARIAN!**
Look, y'all. We have a guest reviewer, another fabulous teen librarian. Here's Katy's take on a new book from HarperTeen:
"Eve" by Anna Carey is one of the many new teen dystopian novels being published this year. It’s set in the not-so-distant future, after a plague has killed off 98% of the population. The United States is now ruled by the King of The New America, and almost all the survivors live in the newly rebuilt City of Sand, though a few Strays remain in the countryside. The plague created many orphans, who were sent to live in single-sex schools, like the one eighteen year old Eve attends.
Eve is about to graduate at the top of her class and has never met a male in her life. She’s aced courses like the Dangers of Boys and Men and can’t wait to be one of the Graduates who spend all their time studying and learning professions in order to be useful citizens when they move to the City of Sand. The Graduates are so busy, in fact, they never seem to leave their windowless compound just over the bridge.
The night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about what happens to the Graduates. Dismayed, she runs away from school in search of refuge at Califia, a camp run as a safe haven for girls who have escaped from the schools. Along the way, she joins forces with fellow runaway Arden, a sharp-tongued girl who was Eve’s archenemy at school. The King’s soldiers are in hot pursuit of Eve, and sheltered Eve realizes she won’t make it far without Arden’s instincts for survival.
Eve also finds herself dependent on Caleb, a boy who gallops in on horseback to save her life. Though Eve has spent years being taught to fear men, she finds it hard to reconcile this propaganda with the kind person she slowly begins to trust.
"Eve" is part romance, part dystopia, with the budding romance between Eve and Caleb sharing equal stage with the disturbing revelations about their society. Reading "Eve," it’s hard not to think of some of the other recent heroines in dystopia -- Katniss of "The Hunger Games" trilogy or Tris from "Divergent" -- but unlike these feisty, strong girls, Eve ... well, she’s a bit of a drip. One character tells Eve she’s got plenty of book smarts, but no street smarts, and it’s true. Eve mostly seems along for the ride, relying on the sharper wits of her companions, and making some shockingly stupid decisions. It was hard for me to root for her, and even harder to believe that the King would be so desperate to find this dull girl.
If you love detailed, realistic characters, "Eve" is not your book. The characters are largely broadly drawn stock types, though a flashback scene where Eve’s dying mother gives her up to the school is heartbreaking and poignant. Carey does keep the action rolling along, though, so if you’re looking for a quick, page-turning read, "Eve" might fit the bill. "Eve" reads like a movie script, right down to the cliffhanger ending leading up to the next two books in the planned trilogy. You can read more reviews of the book on GoodReads, and you’ll see that most people either loved or hated this book. Hopefully you’ll love it!
Eve and Caleb’s romance is totally chaste, but there’s a drinking scene and a lot of violence, so "Eve" is probably best for later middle school and up. "Eve" is out now. If you’re intrigued, check out the book trailer below or read an excerpt. Hope you enjoy!
10 November 2011 @ 04:12 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Dana Reinhardt's "The Summer I Learned to Fly" is a quiet, charming novel about the summer of 1986, a pivotal moment in Robin Drew "Birdie" Solo's life. Birdie, fresh out of school, is helping her widowed mom run her new business, the local cheese shop. Each sunny California day at the shop, Birdie makes pasta with handsome surfer Nick, chats with lovable Swoozie, and does her best to keep her treasured rat, Humboldt Fog, out of mom's sights and safely hidden in her backpack. When Birdie discovers leftover cheese is continually being removed from the alley trash, she stumbles upon Emmett Crane, a quirky teen boy with a shady past and a penchant for making paper cranes. Emmett becomes Birdie's first true friend, leading her through a summer of heartache and discovery that concludes with an unexpected adventure far from home.
I hesitate to provide more details about the plot, because part of the joy of reading "The Summer I Learned to Fly" lies in its slow, careful revelation of Emmett's secrets. So let me simply tell you why I enjoyed this book so much; then you can learn all the details when you go out and read it yourself. :-p
Though set in the mid-80s, Birdie's story has a timeless quality to it. This book is most definitely not the kind that gets bogged down in the the latest fashions or the coolest gadgets. This book is, instead, a rich, layered story about human relationships. Reinhardt beautifully depicts Birdie and Emmett's shy friendship, in which Birdie finally discovers how much of the world opens up when you have a true friend by your side. Reinhardt also provides other relationships to cherish, including Birdie and Nick's so much more than a summer crush friendship, in which Birdie gracefully accepts Nick's girlfriend, and a mother-daughter bond that is frayed, challenged, and somehow strengthened as Birdie grows up and mom tries to move past her grief.
"The Summer I Learned to Fly" is a lyrical, subtle story about real people, in which all aspects of real life -- joy, pain, sorrow, exuberance, fear, growth -- are conveyed with depth, warmth, and genuine emotion. I had read one of Reinhardt's books in the past ("How to Build a House") and wasn't nearly as bowled over as I was here. There are so many perfect, authentic touches here, such as Birdie's guilt in reading her deceased dad's journal-like "Book of Lists"; Emmett's well-crafted crane messages, full of sorrow and hope; and the love and beauty that can be poured into pasta making. Perhaps those moments are what made this is a truly incandescent read for me. Regardless of why, I can tell you I found "The Summer I Learned to Fly" to be a wonderful, heartfelt story about a final, glorious summer of childhood innocence. I highly recommend it to boys and girls in early middle school and higher.
02 November 2011 @ 12:49 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
In the interest of full disclosure, let me begin by saying that I never would've read Matthew Kirby's Nordic adventure "Icefall" were it not on the discussion list for my Book Fest Sleepers group. I don't do fantasy, which is immediately how I pegged "Icefall," based on its glowing glacier / magic hammer cover. My bad, Scholastic. My bad. "Icefall" is a rousing, action-packed tale of -- get this! -- historical fiction set in Viking times. This is not a fantasy story. At all. And before you run screaming in the opposite direction, please let me add that historical fiction is not one of my faves, either. But "Icefall" works in a genre-busting, hey, this is just a great story kind of way.
Plain middle sister Solveig, younger brother Harald, and gorgeous older sister Asa are sent by their father, the King, to a frozen fjord for the winter. The King hopes to keep his heir, Harald, and his other children hidden and safe from a rampaging foe, Gunnlaug. A trusted young soldier, Per, accompanies them on the trip, as does long-time slave Ole and household servants (and mother and son) Bera and Raudi. Before the inlet freezes completely, a warship full of berserkers -- think giant, fierce warriors in bearskins! -- arrives, sent by the King in a last gasp effort to defend his children against Gunnlaug's forces.
As winter surrounds and covers them, Solveig and her siblings adjust to their icy, isolated home. Brokenhearted Asa mostly stays in bed and steals furtive glances at Per, while young Harald bravely tries to buck up and grow into the man everyone demands he become. Solveig becomes a sort of apprentice to Alric, the skald (storyteller) who accompanied the berserkers to the fjord. Alric teaches Solveig the power of mythmaking, and observant, sensitive Solveig -- long overlooked by her father for these very traits -- displays a natural talent for weaving tales around the evening hearth fire.
When a traitor emerges in the group (the few cows are slaughtered, berserkers are poisoned and killed), the hungry, frightened occupants of this far-removed world begin to turn against each other. I loved how the claustrophobic setting and thickening suspicion heighten the suspense as the story progresses. Very well done! When Gunnlaug's marauders arrive in early spring, the survivors have been weakened by fear and illness, making them easy prey. Solveig then must use every bit of her ingenuity and skill to keep her clan together and find a means of escaping Gunnlaug's clutches.
Along the way, we learn much about ancient Norse belief systems, including death rituals, runes, ravens, and such gods as Odin and Thor, whose hammer figures prominently in the story (and on the book's cover!). We are also treated to the complex, touching relationship that develops between Solveig and Hake, the fearsome leader of the berserkers, in which love, loyalty, and sacrifice are all richly presented. And while the climactic scene is telegraphed long in advance -- again, the book cover! -- it does nothing to undermine its dramatic heft.
I was truly blown away by how much I enjoyed "Icefall." It's a perfect novel for middle grade readers (boys *and* girls) who are looking for an exciting story full of intrigue, action, and even mythology from a long-ago era. Its icy setting, amazingly dimensional characters, and well-integrated themes of courage and faith only enrich the experience. While the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, enough plot threads are resolved to provide a satisfying conclusion.
PS - I can't leave this review without mentioning author Kirby's technique of inserting snippets from one of Solveig's stories throughout the novel. When we finally realize why Solveig is reciting this particular story to her surviving clan members, her actions resonate more powerfully. It's a wonderful device to introduce portions of each character's history, and, as importantly, to fully capture the emotional bonds Solveig has forged with each of them. Brilliant.
PPS - "Icefall" is out now. READ IT!
01 November 2011 @ 02:53 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Author John Corey Whaley was recently honored by the National Book Foundation as one of its "5 Under 35" young fiction writers. Whaley's first novel, "Where Things Come Back," was placed on the list for my Sleepers discussion group at this year's Book Fest at Bank Street College. [Which, side note, but Book Fest is a great event, y'all. Get on the mailing list for next year!] I can honestly say I would not have read this literary teen novel if not for Book Fest; I can also say that, a full two weeks after finishing "Where Things Come Back," I'm still not entirely sure what to make of it.
In the simplest terms, we have parallel stories with different narrators and points of view. The main thread is narrated by Cullen Witter, the kind of sardonic teen we know well in the world of YA fiction. Cullen's sensitive, endearing younger brother Gabriel mysteriously vanishes one day, shortly after a phony naturalist lands in Lily, Arkansas and announces the reappearance of the long extinct Lazarus woodpecker. The second thread, told in the third person by an omniscient narrator, involves a young, overwhelmed missionary named Benton Sage and his college roommate, handsome, popular Cabot Searcy. After Benton commits suicide, Cabot becomes obsessed with Benton's diary, which leads him to researching fallen angels, reincarnation, the apocalypse, and the Book of Enoch.
Right, so simple, linear plot, huh? ;-) There is much to admire about "Where Things Come Back." Whaley is a wonderful writer, impressively melding two very different storylines into a cohesive unit while maintaining suspense and tension along the way. There are lovely characterizations here -- the friendship between Cullen and his loyal, unwavering best friend Lucas is breathtaking in its depth -- as well as biting commentary on media hype and social hysteria. Whaley deftly explores the wounds caused by grief, portraying both the unending desperation of pain and the stoicism of survival. Even Cullen's snarky list of possible book titles can be both wistful and incredibly funny.
Yet, despite these obvious strengths and my genuine respect for Whaley's talent, I never felt very connected to Cullen. His detached, ironic manner -- and his distance from his own emotions -- made it difficult for me to feel invested in his story. For me, Cullen only came alive during his interactions with Lucas, as Lucas' profound love for his friend humanized this otherwise aloof character. The story itself (a brother physically lost, a troubled man lost to his own obsessions) also failed to maintain its intensity, as long passages would pass in fantasy or intellectualism. Until its finale, when Cabot emerges as a deranged monster, I was impatiently waiting for *something* compelling to happen.
With its bland folk art cover and truly bizarre plot points, I can't imagine a teen willingly selecting this novel. I felt as if I had to slog through long portions of this book, leading me to believe that teen readers would surrender long before the conclusion. In my Book Fest discussion group, several people actually raised the question of whether "Where Things Come Back" is even a teen book at all and, instead, perhaps an adult novel featuring teenage characters. Maybe this was my main issue, that this otherwise worthy novel is simply aimed at the wrong audience?
If you read "Where Things Come Back," please know it is most definitely not intended for very young readers. There are casual references to drinking, drug use, and sex, and Cullen (like many teenagers) regularly uses profanity in his daily dialogue. "Where Things Come Back" is out now. Hopefully you'll enjoy it more than I did.
06 October 2011 @ 02:48 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Simone Elkeles' "Chain Reaction" wraps up her "Perfect Chemistry" trilogy with a bang. It has all the steaminess and addictive readability of the first two novels, which kept me eagerly turning the pages even when, frankly, I should've known better. Although this one, too, requires a heavy dose of suspended disbelief -- the Latino Blood are once more trying to poach a Fuentes brother for their gang, leading to mayhem and a violent showdown -- it's still a fitting end to the series.
Our youngest Fuentes brother, who is the star here, is super smart, wannabe-astronaut Luis. When the Fuentes clan (sans Carlos, who is off in the military) returns to Fairfield, Illinois, Luis finds himself in Mrs. Peterson's chemistry class along with Nikki Cruz, the Mexican-American daughter of a wealthy local doctor. Luis and Nikki had met two years earlier at Alex's wedding to Brittany (see "Perfect Chemistry," if you're confused), at which time Nikki kneed Luis on the dance floor and stole his clothes while he was skinny dipping. Yup, she liked him, y'all. But, you know, hated him, too.
Needless to say, Luis quickly finds himself infatuated with the beautiful, guarded Nikki, while Nikki tries to see Luis as just another potential gang member / liar / felon / player, like her ex Marco. We get the usual bit of will-they-or-won't -they / do-they-or-don't-they, with the usual bit of fire and attraction that can't be denied. The difference in this novel lies in the fact that Luis is the character who is more open and receptive to falling in love, while Nikki is frightened by genuine affection. You probably don't need me to tell you where all this ends up, but the ride is a good one. Along the way, we also get some brotherly bonding as well as an incredibly implausible subplot about the Latino Blood, Luis' true heritage (apparently, the LB is his birthright), and a safe deposit box that Luis can only gain access to by accepting his role in the LB.
"Chain Reaction" is first and foremost a love story, and, like the other novels in the "Perfect Chemistry" series, it works insanely well on this level. There's plenty of tension, lots of make out scenes, moments of yearning and pain, and tender declarations of love and longing. It's good stuff! And if the forces designed to keep Luis and Nikki apart for the bulk of the novel feel a bit contrived, eh, I can live with it. The romance more than makes up for the LB nonsense. Plus, author Elkeles always provides a happy ending, which I love, and even a glimpse into our lovers' futures in her epilogue. What's not to like? ;-)
"Chain Reaction" is out now, and it 's a great read for upper middle and high school girls looking for an engaging (and hot!) love story. Be sure to check out the book trailer, too, which I've attached below. Happy reading! 
30 August 2011 @ 04:09 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN’S REVIEW:
Author Sara Zarr, a National Book Award finalist in 2007 for "Story of a Girl," is back in October with her third novel, “How to Save a Life.” The nice people at LB Teens gave out advanced copies of "How to Save a Life" last May at Book Expo. At LONG last, I finally got a chance to read this beautifully written, at times heartbreakingly lovely book.
Less than a year after her father’s accidental death, Jill MacSweeney has completely shut herself down from the world -- from her still grieving but positive mother, from her patient boyfriend Dylan, from her old best friends at school. With her dyed black hair, gobs of dark eyeliner, and bulletproof attitude, Jill has effectively armored herself against the pain of living. Or so she thinks. The one place where Jill still can muster up some of her old kindness and warmth? At Margins, the local chain bookstore where she works part-time.
Jill’s life is about to change radically. Her mom, Robin, has decided to adopt the unborn baby of an Omaha teenager who contacted her on the Internet. Mandy, with her fluffy blonde hair, polyester dresses, and naïve ways, seems horribly out of place in hip Denver. Yet here she is, spending the last months of her pregnancy living with Jill and Robin. Jill, who is vehemently opposed to the open adoption Robin has arranged, either ignores Mandy or scolds her for the slightest perceived violation. Mandy, meanwhile, is a socially awkward, terribly lonely girl starving for some compassion and love. She is utterly lost. (Mandy’s letters to her former seatmate on the train west from Omaha -- a man who clearly wants nothing to do with her -- perfectly show her vulnerability and awkwardness; they are a wonderful device.)
We soon discover that Mandy is a whole lot tougher than she first appears, as we learn more about her shrill, uncaring mother and her mom’s abusive boyfriend, Kent. Kent had been raping Mandy for months before she left and is likely the baby’s father, yet Mandy still had the courage to steal his gold watch, arrange the open adoption, and leave for Denver. Once she has the baby, Mandy hopes to start a new life by pawning the watch and somehow locating Christopher, the Native American boy she met on one glorious day at the state fair.
As Mandy’s due date draws near, she increasingly doubts her decision to give her baby up. Can Robin be trusted when all other adults have failed her in the past? Would Mandy make a terrible mother, like her own mom? At the same time, Jill begins to thaw slightly from a tentative friendship with Ravi, the gentle loss inspector for Margins. But is life even worth living again when the old Jill is gone forever? I’d rather not give anything away about the conclusion, which is unexpected (and, to be honest, a bit pat). Part of the joy of this novel is discovering what path Jill, Mandy, and Robin ultimately end up walking upon together.
Mandy and Jill each narrate their stories in alternating chapters, so we get tremendous insight into their motivations, fears, and hopes. Jill knows she should follow her father’s old advice to “try a little tenderness” sometimes, but she’s too wounded and frightened to fully believe in anyone -- or herself -- again. Mandy, raised by a mom who constantly reminded her she was an unwanted burden, hopes for something better for own daughter, yet fears that surrendering her might not be the best choice. Both of these characters are so resilient and brave in their own ways that their small triumphs -- Mandy trusting Robin enough to reveal Kent’s abuse, Jill exposing her pain to Ravi and daring to live again -- are a joy to read. We want to root for these complex, flawed, yet hopeful girls. By novel's end, we feel like we've come to know them so well. How could we wish anything for them but happiness and peace?
Zarr is a wonderful, lyrical writer. She is a master at depicting small moments of raw emotion and painful revelation. Some of these scenes delight the reader, some make us squirm away, yet they are laid bare here, in all their stark authenticity: the perplexed discomfort of Mandy’s train companion; the excessive politeness of Dylan toward a fragile Jill; Jill’s reflexive anger (and profound regret) toward Mandy and Robin; Mandy’s tentative efforts to console a sobbing Jill, second guessing herself all the way; Robin’s heartfelt embrace of Mandy after learning of the abuse; Jill’s moments of unbridled hope with Ravi. These scenes are imbued with such incredible depth and feeling that they are -- sometimes in equal measure -- beautiful and wrenching to read.
“How to Save a Life” is, in the end, a joyful, expertly crafted novel exploring the concepts of family, friendship, hope, trust, grief, and love. Calling this an “issues” book about teen pregnancy or parental loss does a huge disservice to this thoughtful, touching story. It is so much more. FYI, regarding content, there is nothing graphic or gratuitous here -- no drinking or “onscreen” sex -- so I’d say students in 7th grade and higher should be fine. "How to Save a Life" will be published in October. Be sure to look for it then.
11 August 2011 @ 04:06 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Unless you've been living under the proverbial rock, you know that "Matched," author Ally Condie's dystopian thriller, was a big hit in the YA market. Not only was it a bestseller, but "Matched" was featured on several year-end Best of 2010 lists, including Publishers Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010. I quite liked it myself! At Book Expo, the good people at Penguin Books for Young Readers gave out autographed copies of the sequel to "Matched," which is titled "Crossed." Does "Crossed" avoid the second-book-in-a-trilogy curse? Surprisingly, it largely does. It's styled differently than Matched -- both Cassia and Ky narrate alternating chapters -- and set largely outside the Society, but it is still a gripping, engaging read.
I'm going to try to avoid spoilers, but I think that's a bit inevitable, no? This is one of those read it at your own risk reviews, but, just in case, here's a bit of spoiler space:
Ok? Good. :-) We first see Ky in the Outer Provinces burying a young man and reciting part of Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar." The Society has sent Ky -- and many other young male Aberrations -- off to the provinces as decoys, designed to lure the remaining resistance fighters out of the shadows. The Society will then attack and destroy the rebels, although it's actually many of the unarmed Aberrations who die at the Society's hands. It's a terrifying, bleak job with little chance of survival, but Ky and a stalwart fighter named Vick endure it better than most. One night, Ky, Vick, and an innocent newbie named Eli make a run for the Carving, a remote area replete with rock structures and deep canyons where Ky once lived as a child and where free communities are rumored to thrive.
Meanwhile, Cassia, who is still assigned to a work detail and still searching for Ky, impulsively jumps into a line of girls being flown by the Society to the Outer Provinces to serve as the initial round of female decoys. Upon arrival, Cassia learns that Ky was in the same area days earlier, so she, another girl from the work detail named Indie, and a young male decoy escape to the Carving. While Cassia hopes to find Ky -- she dreams about him; recites all their poetry; composes new lines for when they are reunited -- Indie wants only to reach the Rising, the rebel group whose stronghold was once in the Carving.
From there on out, we have two parallel stories, with Ky and his group and Cassia and hers racing through the Carving, all facing different dangers, both from the outside world, and, occasionally, from each other. I doubt I'm spoiling much by saying that Ky and Cassia ultimately meet up before leaving again on their respective journeys. I mean, you really didn't think they'd get together in book two, did you? ;-)
So enough with the plot outline. What works so well? In no particular order:
* The characters. Ky has a harder edge here, and while he's still crazy in love with Cassia, we see more clearly how his pain, fears, and doubts color everything, including his relationships. I loved Ky's complexity, how all his strength and resourcefulness often cover such incredible inner turmoil and fear. (For example, Ky struggles with accepting his decision to leave the decoy soldiers, seeing not bravery but cowardice.) To me, "Crossed" really feels like Ky's story more than Cassia's, and, let me tell you, following such a rich character is not necessarily a bad thing. Other characters also have impressive levels of depth and shading, especially the naive yet brave Eli and Indie, who is at turns jaded, hopeful, cunning, and kind. I'm still not entirely sure whether to trust her!
* The action. I had a teen read "Crossed," and her biggest response was about the action. I agree. The pacing, the looming threat from the Society -- which is largely unseen here but remains a sort of dark, amorphous presence -- and the palpable sense of fear and desperation surge the plot forward beautifully. I had to keep reading. I had to! Along these lines, the mystery surrounding the existence of the Rising and their alleged leader (known only as the Pilot) adds to the intrigue and further underscores the tension.
* Its unexpected beauty. I'm a sucker for the lyrical passages, recitation of poetry, and musings on love and longing that are as central here as they were in "Matched." The joy and hope of Cassia and Ky's romance is contrasted effectively by the desolation and death that constantly surround them in the Carving. It's interesting that a novel that can be bleak and troubling also has its moments of purity and beauty. Incidentally, I'm not entirely sure that the conflict between Ky and Cassia worked as well as it should have -- I guess I never really believed this pair wasn't destined to be together -- but that's a minor point.
"Crossed" is a compelling entry in the "Matched" series, and it reads quite well on its own as a standalone novel. With that said, I cannot wait!!! for the concluding book in this trilogy, which I assume will be published sometime in 2012. "Crossed" will be released on November 1, 2011. Read it for its heart-pounding action, complex characterization, and poignant moments of raw emotion. I think it's a great book for older middle schoolers who will find so much to adore here.
10 August 2011 @ 04:43 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Another review. Another advanced copy from the great folks at Penguin Books for Young Readers. Life is hard. :-p
"The Probability of Miracles" is a "dying teen" novel, a trend we've seen often the last few years in books like Chris Crutcher's "Deadline," Jenny Downham's "Before I Die," and even Gayle Forman's lovely "If I Stay." Before the gloom frightens you away, I have to say that although our teen protagonist here has terminal cancer, "The Probability of Miracles" is sharp, uplifting, and, dare I say it, funny in an acerbic, biting way. Yes, there are poignant moments and tears -- folks, it's *terminal* cancer -- but I found most of this book to be an absolute pleasure to read. What a nice surprise!
You know what else I liked? Our girl Cam here is half-Samoan. How rare is that to see in a YA novel? Even better, Cam is an active participant in her culture, particularly in the ancient art of hula dancing. Deep down, Cam is terrified of her future, so she uses sarcasm and emotional distance as her defenses. Despite closing herself off from her family and lone best friend, Cam opens her heart and connects to the world through music and hula dancing. It is where the real Cam shines. The scenes where she tells a friend's story through hula are evocative and beautifully done.
Interestingly, much of Cam's hula is relegated to the Polynesian luau at Disney World. Cam's now deceased father and her Italian-American mom were both Polynesian performers at Disney, where Cam now also works. When Cam's doctors advise her to end treatment -- no more children's hospitals or new drug trials -- her mom seeks help through an alternative means: the small, hidden town of Promise, Maine. Miracles are said to happen in Promise, and all Cam has left is a miracle. Or so her mom thinks. Cam herself has no more hope, no more joy in discovering the possibilities that life may still offer. Although Cam agrees to stay in Promise for the summer, she's basically just waiting to die.
Through a series of implausible events, all of which are in the spirit of this unconventional tale and family, Cam, her mom, her half-sister Perry, and her bird Tweety find themselves living in a seaside Promise house owned by the family of sweet, patient, handsome (of course!) teen Asher. Cam eventually stops cloistering herself long enough to volunteer for the local veterinarian -- cute puppy and, er, baby flamingo alert! -- and start hanging out with Asher and the preppy, beautiful people she calls the "catalog kids." When Cam finally opens herself up to Asher, she falls completely in love. There are some magical moments, as Cam does at least as much to "save" Asher as he does to help her live again. Plus, there are some magical moments in general, since Promise is a miracle place with endless sunsets, puppies who come back from the dead, and roving flocks of flamingos. Author Wendy Wunder does a commendable job of balancing the serious elements (Cam is, after all, dying); some lighthearted fun (Cam, Asher, and the catalog kids win a Make a Wish trip to -- you guessed it -- Disney World); family tension; first love; and the wonder and beauty inherent in everyday, small miracles. I found the mix here to be delightful.
"The Probability of Miracles" comes out in December 2011 (why not a summer release for this tale of one summer, Penguin?). It is an engaging story with plenty of warmth and heart that never loses its sharp edge. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I'd say this one is geared for a high school audience, based on the themes here and some teen drinking and drug use, but see what you think. For more information, check out the book's Amazon page or the Probability of Miracles site. Happy reading!
05 August 2011 @ 03:58 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Finally done with summer reading at our library. Woot!
So I read "The Future of Us," which I obtained as an ARC at Book Expo, way back in June. I'm only able to review it now because, folks, summer is a busy time at your local public library. Don't get me wrong! That's actually a good thing. But it does tend to push everything else aside for a few months. Now, onto the review ...
In the simplest terms possible, I was underwhelmed by this novel. Jay Asher wrote the phenomenal, deeply touching "Thirteen Reasons Why," while co-author Carolyn Mackler is responsible for witty, heartwarming books like "Vegan Virgin Valentine." Pairing up these two fab authors seems like a sure thing, right? Throw in a cool, time-traveling / destiny concept and this book should be an absolute joy to read. Except? It's kinda not. It's enjoyable enough and certainly not terrible. But it was also nothing special, and, believe me, I wish that wasn't true.
As I mentioned, the setup is genius. It's 1996, and Emma and Josh are next door neighbors and former BFFs. Emma is smart and athletic, but also sort of bossy and emotionally shut down, keeping her boyfriend at arms length and cutting off the vulnerable parts of herself. Josh is one of those dorky / sweet guys who tend to populate YA fiction. He's a skater with a self-deprecating sense of humor and a keen awareness of how low he sits on the high school totem pole. When Emma gets a new computer, complete with one of those AOL cd-roms that, for real, used to be everywhere, she doesn't just get an Internet connection. Through some funky mojo, Emma is able to log onto a crazy site called Facebook (!), where older versions of she and Josh post random musings about their lives. Despite their estrangement, Emma lets Josh in on the secret, and the two quickly realize that their actions in 1996 affect their future selves. Seemingly harmless events as teenagers lead to cataclysmic Facebook updates in 2011 involving spouses, occupations, and overall levels of happiness.
It's a neat concept, which should open up all sorts of clever avenues to explore the "butterfly effect." Can a chance encounter with a popular girl or a hook up with a dreamy track star really affect who you become? Can a fight with your best friend truly make you unbearably miserable 15 years down the road? These intriguing questions about fate and our role in our own destiny are raised, swept away, and never fully explored. Emma wants to change an unappealing future, regardless of the consequences, while Josh takes bold steps in the present to secure what looks like a fabulous future life. And that's all that happens in the plot. Eventually, after some mishaps, we get a pat resolution about living in the moment and letting the future evolve on its own. Eh. Even worse, I felt the internal logic here was shaky. If an action or inaction has fixed, finite consequences 15 years from now ... well, doesn't the same apply to what we do 5 or 10 years from now, too? How could the kids ever be sure that their future lives were statically, perfectly preserved by happenings in 1996? Will they never do anything again to alter their destinies? Doesn't this contradict the very foundation of the butterfly effect theory?
Aside from a lackluster execution of the core concept, I also found some of the characters to be a bit flat. Kellan and Tyson, Emma and Josh's bickering friends, seem like nothing more than comic relief. Cody, Emma's perfect jock crush, never becomes more than the arrogant, slick cheeseball he first appears to be. Even Emma, who is so controlled and closed off, doesn't really leap off the page; when she inevitably realizes her buried feelings for Josh, I felt rather blah about the whole development. So while there are some nice moments here of heart and humor, I never felt connected enough to care as much as I should have.
I'm sorry! I wanted to love this book and, despite some cute 90s references, a handful of sweet scenes, and plenty of snarky humor, I just didn't. But I didn't hate it, either. It's perfectly pleasant and readable ... and, well, forgettable. Sigh. "The Future of Us" will be released in November 2011. To see what others think, check out more info and reviews on this book at Good Reads.
PS - I hope you like "The Future of Us" much more than I did!
23 February 2011 @ 04:28 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Lauren DeStefano's upcoming "Wither," the first book in her Chemical Garden Trilogy, is (yet another) teen dystopian novel. Here, we have a future world where the United States is the lone remaining country, Manhattan is a hardscrabble city of industrial skyscrapers, and, because of wickedly disastrous genetic engineering, all women die from a virus at age 20 while men live to the ripe old age of 25. Gah! Interesting hook, right? For the most part, first time author DeStefano delivers the goods, with effective world building, evocative descriptions, some suspenseful moments, and an engaging romance.
As the book begins, 16 year old Rhine has been kidnapped by a Gatherer, who has stolen a fresh group of girls to be sold as child brides. Because the virus kills the young -- only the pre-engineered "first generation" survives to old age -- reproduction / repopulation is a preeminent concern, especially for the wealthy. With parents dying so young, there is a staggering population of orphans that can be stolen and sold as either servants or brides. Here's where the Gatherers come in; these ruthless men snatch children for profit, selling the special ones and killing those deemed unworthy. Rhine is incredibly savvy and a true survivor (she and twin brother Rowan have lived for years after their first generation parents' accidental deaths), but, nevertheless, she finds herself caught by a Gatherer. Rhine's blonde beauty and heterochromia (different colored eyes) save her life, as all but three girls herded into the Gatherer's van are executed.
Rhine's ultimate destination is the house of Linden Ashby, a fragile, vulnerable 21 year old whose current wife, 20 year old Rose, is fast succumbing to the fatal virus. Rhine, world weary 18 year old prostitute Jenna, and naive 13 year old orphan Cecily are destined to be the three brides of Linden, as orchestrated by his ruthless father Vaughn. You read that correctly. Three brides. Did I forget to mention that the wealthy dabble in polygamy? I know. Ick.
So that's the setup. Rhine is kept captive in a spectacular, isolated Florida mansion with the reserved Jenna and bubbly, buoyant Cecily. Housemaster Vaughn monitors the girls every movement, so running away -- let alone, for some time, even opening a window -- is impossible. The mansion is surrounded by long miles of orange groves, trees, and even distorted holographic images to prevent escape. Vaughn is cunning and evil, a madman scientist with a secret stash of corpses in his basement who controls every aspect of the girls' lives, from food to entertainment to clothing. In other words, cross him and die a torturous death.
Oddly enough, Rhine becomes friends with Linden's wife Rose before she dies, and she and her "sister wives" grow close as the months pass, spending each day together reading, playing music, or swimming in the pool. The rather pathetic and heartbroken Linden is generally tolerable, and when Rhine assumes privileged "first wife" status, she begins attending lavish galas and parties. But it's all still no more than a very pretty prison. Rhine bides her time, slowly building Linden's trust as a means to enable her escape. When Rhine falls for one of her attendants, kind, nurturing teen Gabriel, she decides to risk everything to regain her home, her twin, and her freedom.
The characters are well conceived and nicely developed. Rhine is brave, stalwart, and fiercely loyal, a smart girl with a heap of courage. I couldn't help but root for her. We also discover that Jenna is a keen observer and, in her own way, as rebellious as Rhine, while the young, hopeful Cecily, so easily dazzled by her new glamorous life, is perhaps stronger than she first appears. I was quickly caught up in these girls' lives, their interactions, and the strange family they create, full of companionship, love and occasional jealousy. Vaughn is a great villain, sweet on the surface with a terrifying, murderous core. I completely believed he would do anything to further his nefarious goals. Even some of the secondary characters, from a young attendant to a crotchety cook, are beautifully rounded.
My major problem? If DeStefano was trying to create tension through a romantic triangle involving Rhine, Linden, and Gabriel, she fails miserably. There are many scenes where we're supposed to see a tender, loving side of Linden, and he is repeatedly presented as an innocent pawn manipulated by his cruel father. When Linden finally takes Rhine out on the town -- after months of laying and holding her in bed at night -- he is so affectionate and attentive that Rhine must constantly remind herself that it is an illusion. But are we supposed to forget the part where Linden impregnates 13 year old Cecily and regularly has sex with Jenna, a woman for whom he has no feelings? Are we not supposed to be repelled by Linden's inherent complicity in keeping these children prisoners (and virtual sex slaves) in his house? Really? Maybe it's just me, but I could not get past viewing Linden as a lonely creep exploiting a bunch of vulnerable girls. Meanwhile, Gabriel, this amazing, thoughtful boy, is in love with Rhine, in a real, honest way. Why on earth would she choose Linden over him? As such, the many passages in the latter portion of the book detailing Rhine's growing feelings for Linden struck me as patently false. I got to a point where I wanted her to either flee with Gabriel or have Vaughn finish her off already.
There are other problems, mostly in terms of pacing, and the book would have benefitted from tighter editing. But the story here is a good one, and if you can stomach the polygamy angle and at least tolerate the artificial romantic drama, I think you'll be pleased. Rhine is a great character, a tough, crafty fighter, and author DeStefano uses lush descriptions to depict the posh mansion, sumptuous gardens, swirling snowflakes, sparkling gowns, colorful crystal candies, and, on the uglier side, the darkness and desolation of Manhattan. Her detailed, evocative descriptions alone make the book worth reading. Throw in a truly thought-provoking premise, a nasty villain, and a swoon worthy love interest, and you have the makings of an enjoyable page turner.
"Wither" comes out in late March (by the way, thank you Simon & Schuster for the e-galley; you guys rock!). This one is definitely for the high school crowd -- sex, violence, disturbing images -- and should be a good fit for fans of darker fantasy and dystopia (think Cassandra Clare and Holly Black). Let me know what you think!
PS - LOVE the bird in the gilded cage cover!
22 February 2011 @ 01:14 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
"Pink" is an Australian import, originally published Down Under in 2009 and recently released in this country by one of my favorite teen publishing houses, HarperTeen. In the interest of full disclosure, I read "Pink" primarily for two reasons:
(1) The goth girl / girly girl lip cover. Look below. It rocks!
(2) There are so few teen novels with a bisexual main character, so I was dying to see how author Lili Wilkinson portrays what still seems like a taboo subject in teen literature. (Which, FYI, it really shouldn't be taboo.)
What I found is a funny, witty, heartfelt story about a high school student who transfers to a private school to reinvent herself. Gone is black haired, loner Ava, the one with acerbic goth girlfriend Chloe and no interest in school activities; in her place, we have pink cashmere sweater Ava, she of the lustrous brown hair, impractical shoes, and a sudden interest in both the school musical and one of its handsome lead actors. Much of this story is about Ava's desire to be someone else, someone more like Alexis, the cute, perfect, popular girl who immediately befriends her. Following Alexis' lead, Ava tries out for the school musical (a gangster show called "Bang! Bang!"), with disastrous results. Wanting so much to belong to the theater crowd, even tangentially, Ava joins Screw, the unpopular stage crew composed of lovably geeky misfits like nerdy Trekker Jen, sweet schlump Jacob, gay (with an h!) performer Jules, and ginger-haired wiseguy Sam.
So that's basically the story. Ava reluctantly becomes friends with the Screw kids, while trailing after Alexis and her crowd whenever she can. She hooks up a few times with gorgeous actor Ethan, but it's all a lot of work being perfect for the popular kids, hiding Chloe, her bisexuality, and pretty much her entire life. She also sort of, maybe, kind of starts feeling something for Sam, the outcast Screw leader who challenges her at every turn.
The lessons here go down gently. We learn that many of the other characters -- Sam, Jen, Alexis, Ethan -- are also hiding their own painful secrets. But none of these revelations are done in a horribly heavy handed, after school special manner. The themes of acceptance and being true to yourself are usually conveyed in a charming, enjoyable way. Trust me, this is so not an issues book!
Instead, "Pink" is breezy and very readable, with plenty of humorous moments provided by the Screw kids. I loved the sense of camaraderie among the Screw members; these were the truest, most fully developed friendships in the book. By comparison, it was hard for me to understand why Ava twisted herself around for boring, toothy Ethan and nihilistic, one-note (that note being bitchy) Chloe. Both characters felt incredibly empty -- almost impersonal -- to me, while the Screw kids and Ava were leaping off the page with complexity. While I appreciate the efforts to show some vulnerability and soften Ethan and Chloe, for me, they just never progressed beyond cardboard stereotypes. Unlike Alexis, Sam, Jen, and many of the other characters, neither Chloe nor Ethan ever seemed real, and so I had a hard time caring about or understanding Ava's attraction to either of them.
Because of that vacuum at the center of the story, Ava's explorations of her bisexuality seem more discussed than actually explored. Yes, she considers / ponders / analyzes the issue, but it remains mostly a cerebral exercise. And, since Sam is so beautifully shaded -- he can be sweet, sullen, charming, shy, boisterous -- it is natural for us readers to favor him in any romantic triangle. We just know him better. Having said that, the romance angle largely goes nowhere. I was disappointed in how "Pink" ultimately shies away from really embracing Ava's bisexuality. The love story ends on a vague, unsatisfying note, with some cliched lines about life being messy and confusing and that no one should ever force you to choose. Yes, bisexuality is a perfectly normal orientation that should be accepted like all the others. We can shout that one from the rooftops until the rest of the world understands! But in a novel about one bisexual teenager, I need a more definitive conclusion. I was let down by the ending, plain and simple.
Don't get me wrong. I'd still recommend "Pink." It's a fun, often lighthearted romp that touches upon some universal issues of identity, acceptance, understanding, and friendship. The pages fly by and, with the exceptions discussed above, the characters have plenty of depth and the ability to convey genuine emotion. They will draw you in! The screwball antics at the "Bang! Bang!" show and the gross-out "would you rather" games played by the Screw kids provide plenty of levity and lots of laughs. "Pink" is a book that I can see being read by many high school girls, regardless of their sexual orientation, since it has wide appeal (and, again, that killer cover). I just feel the potential was here for this novel to have been so much more.
15 February 2011 @ 06:08 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Thanks as always to the brilliant folks at Penguin Books for Young Readers, who can always be relied upon for truly excellent swag. (And I read today they are joining Net Galley; yay!). I loved my advanced copy of Newbery Honor author Joan Bauer's latest middle grade novel, "Close to Famous." In fact, I read it in one sitting!
When we meet 12 year old Foster McFee, she and her mom are fleeing Memphis and mom's abusive, Elvis impersonator boyfriend. The pair end up in the small town of Culpepper, West Virginia, home to a mammoth prison, a dying downtown, and a host of eccentric residents. Foster and her mom find free lodging in an airstream trailer owned by a kind older couple. In short order, mom has a job at the local hardware store while spunky Foster has negotiated a deal with diner owner Angry Wayne (ha!) to supply a daily order of home baked goods. See, Foster is a Food Network superfan -- her idol is a fictitious ex-military food host named Sonny Kroll -- and she loves nothing more than practicing her own kitchen cooking show while perfecting her already scrumptious cupcake and muffin recipes. When Foster meets local legend Charleena Hendley, once a famous Hollywood star but now a bossy recluse, her most closely guarded secret is revealed. Seems that underneath her optimism and seemingly boundless spirit, Foster views herself as a stupid, hopeless loser. She has accepted a cruel teacher's label of being "limited." Why? Because, as only her mom knows, Foster cannot read.
If you think a story about illiteracy and cupcakes seems either tedious or manipulative, I can assure you, it's not. Foster sees baking as a way to spread love and kindness, and that warm spirit envelops the whole story. Indeed, this novel has a homey, comforting tone even when dealing with potentially gritty issues like domestic violence, poverty, and grief. There is also plenty of humor, much of it provided by the over the top Charleena and Foster's new best friend, a short, controlling filmmaker named Macon. Yes, many of these supporting characters are outsized personalities, but in the scope of the story, it works. Because Foster is so realistically portrayed -- she is very middle school, alternating between shy, engaging, funny, sullen, hopeful, impatient, etc. -- she grounds the story, allowing the bigger personalities to shine without becoming irritating.
All the lessons here about believing in yourself and your potential, persevering through hardship (one character is even named Perseverance Wilson), and opening yourself up to life's possibilities are gently delivered. They seem to spring organically from the story itself, so it never feels like the narrative is being interrupted. And for a novel directed primarily at younger readers, there are some truly lovely, nuanced scenes -- in particular, I'm thinking of Foster's "re-graduation" ceremony after learning to read and her final pretend cooking show -- that deliver quite an emotional punch.
"Close to Famous" is a charming, heartfelt story with a delightful main character, plenty of heart and humor, some easily conveyed life lessons, and enough mouth watering descriptions of food and cooking to make you hungry. I don't see how you can miss with that combination! I'm sure "Close to Famous" will be as beloved by middle schoolers as all of Joan's previous novels. "Close to Famous" is out now. My recommendation: read it. :-)
PS - I was so pleasantly surprised to see that the cover image, which is meant to depict Foster, is that of a girl with light brown skin. Foster is multiracial, so it was refreshing to see that accurately reflected on the cover. Well done.
01 February 2011 @ 01:38 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
I'm already in love with Gary D. Schmidt for writing 2007's Newbery Honor book, "The Wednesday Wars." In his forthcoming novel, "Okay for Now" -- which I scored in advance through Net Galley; huzzah! -- we follow one year in the life of Doug Swieteck, a minor character in the Vietnam era "The Wednesday Wars." "Okay for Now" is just about a perfect middle school novel. It's filled with endearing characters, heartwrenching coming of age incidents, plenty of self-deprecating humor and laughs, and such rich, honest emotion that I found myself smiling through tears several times. If this book does not receive, at the very least, another Newbery Honor, there is truly no justice in the world of children's books!
The Vietnam War is still raging in the summer of 1968 when the troubled Swieteck family moves from Long Island to the tiny upstate town of Marysville, New York. Doug's father is a drinker and a bully, his older brother (unnamed through much of the story) is a budding thug, and his beleaguered mom is doing her best to keep on a brave face, especially while oldest brother Lucas is off fighting in the war. To supplement the family's very modest earnings -- dad is hanging on to a menial job in the local lumber mill -- Doug begins a weekly Saturday morning job delivering groceries to Marysville residents. Among other residents along his route, he meets the eccentric playwright Mrs. Windermere, who has a fondness for ice cream, a yearning for the god of creativity, and a soft spot in her curmudgeonly heart for "skinny delivery boys." The passages depicting Doug's journeys with his grocery-laden wagon, particularly in the steamy summer months and frigid winter ones, are alternately hysterical and deeply touching ... and sometimes both!
Each Saturday after finishing his route, on the only day it is opened each week, Doug visits the Marysville Public Library. He is intrigued by John James Audubon's striking picture of a crashing arctic tern and its "terrified eye." Kindly librarian (woot!) Mr. Powell notices his interest and patiently, slowly teaches Doug how to draw the tern and other majestic birds from the glass-encased Audubon book. Each chapter of "Okay for Now" begins with an Audubon plate and relates a theme from the given picture to Doug's own life, his family, and his burgeoning artistic talent. If this sounds horribly boring, I swear it's not! It is a charming device, completely original, and a lovely, subtle way of depicting Doug's journey of growth and self-discovery. Along the way, we learn that cash-strapped Marysville is selling off pages from the priceless Audubon book, leading to a subplot where a determined Doug vows to make the precious book whole again.
Why should you care about a boy from the 1960s who spends his free time drawing Audubon birds? I understand your skepticism! But Doug is such a superbly crafted character that you will eagerly turn the pages to follow his story. Doug is a total middle school boy in his love of baseball (and the Yankee's Joe Pepitone!), his sense of humor, his blossoming affection for the grocer's spunky daughter, Lil, and his quiet protection of his mom and family. But Doug is also presented as a real, multidimensional kid, so he often retreats into a petulant dislike of "stupid" Marysville; he doubts his own talents and abilities; he mouths off to the gym teacher and school principal (although it's deserved in both cases!); and he abandons projects as soon as obstacles appear. In other words, he's relatable and flawed. Doug is also special, as he stubbornly, fiercely guards the kinds of secrets no 8th grade boy should have to carry. Doug is a great combination of bravery, heart, and humor, and he possesses both a rebellious nature and an optimistic spirit. I ADORED HIM!
What else works here? I loved how gently encouraging so many of the adults are toward Doug, who is in a world of pain from his father's drinking and abuse. Besides Mr. Powell and Mrs. Windermere, the lumber mill owner, grocer, and two teachers take a keen interest in Doug, while the seemingly sadistic gym teacher (later shown to be a tormented Vietnam veteran) eventually plays a pivotal role in Doug's life. So much of the story involves cultivating the hidden promise and potential in people -- not just Doug, but his wounded brother Lucas, spit upon and rejected by war protesters and small-minded neighbors; his older brother, finally revealed as Christopher, who is so much more complex than his sullen exterior and criminal reputation suggest; and even his sweet yet steely mother, who looks upon a gifted orchid like it's a treasure. Along these lines, there is also a wonderful theme about life being full of incredible possibilities -- this is the era of the moon walk, after all -- such that even a poor, uneducated kid like Doug with, frankly, a brutal home life, can imagine himself free and soaring. Rock on!
So, yeah, there's also a bit of romance, some babysitting adventures, a Broadway play, a plastic toy rocking horse named Clarence, and some truly quirky, almost screwball elements thrown in. Does all of it work? For the most part. By the time Doug's hero Joe Pepitone shows up at Jane Eyre on Broadway, I was fully prepared to suspend any and all disbelief and just go along for the sweet ride. I think you will be, too. Read "Okay for Now" for its insight into the late 1960s, its realistic characters, its many laugh out loud scenes, its incredibly heartfelt moments -- I dare you not to cry when Doug plays on the skins basketball team for the first time! -- and its lovely depictions of friendship, hope, redemption, and possibility. In the story, Doug immediately relates to the nobility of Audubon's brown pelican; for me, this wonderful, funny, uplifting novel has a beautiful nobility all its own.
PS - My one criticism: I can live with the so-so title, but the cover featuring a boy with a bag on his head? Really? Oh, Houghton Mifflin, I know you can do so much better.
24 January 2011 @ 01:45 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Thank you Net Galley and the good people at Abrams / Amulet Books for the electronic galley of Lauren Myracle's forthcoming teen novel "Shine." Author Myracle is probably most well known for her bestselling IM-speak "Internet Girls" series. In "Shine," she gives us a powerful, evocative novel of a small southern town's secrets.
As the book begins, we're in a rural North Carolina town shortly after the brutal beating of Cat's former best friend, Patrick. Patrick, a charming, easy going teen, was closing up the local gas station / quickie mart when he was pummeled with a baseball bat and left unconscious with a gas nozzle taped inside his mouth. While Patrick lies in a coma, Cat begins searching to discover what really happened. As the town's only known gay resident, Cat believes that Patrick was the victim of a hate crime; the local sheriff, however, wants to blame the attack on outsiders and make the whole mess disappear. During her investigation, Cat confronts older brother Christian's friends -- obnoxious Tommy, goodhearted Beef, and drug addled Dupree -- as well as Wally, the local meth dealer, and some of his clientele. She also befriends Jason, a local college student who knew and respected Patrick, and learns that Patrick had a secret boyfriend, who may have played a vital role in his attack.
I loved the sense of danger surrounding Cat's investigation. Myracle does a superb job of depicting a secretive, oppressive town with unspoken rules, enforced silence -- she finds a severed cow's tongue in her bed -- and a toxic subculture of drug and alcohol abuse. This strong undercurrent of violence and drugs, of a sweltering town in a hot summer just waiting to explode, informs everything Cat does. Add to this the fact that Cat has been harboring a secret pain of her own, and you get this constant, creepy tingle of foreboding ... which is exactly what you're looking for in a mystery. When a brave Cat rides her bike out to a forest-shrouded meth lab, I truly felt afraid for her. Ok, I will fess up fully: I actually had to stop reading! The town itself, with its bigots, dropouts, and lost, broken people, is so clearly presented that it almost serves as an additional character in the book.
I also really liked the layered portrayal of religion here. Cat's Aunt Tildy drags her to church, where the local ladies are mostly self-righteous and gossipy, and where Patrick's "lifestyle" is condemned. But religion is also shown as a source of comfort and strength, as when Cat recalls the Bible blessing about the Lord's face shining upon you. Indeed, this story is as much about Cat's journey toward finding her own voice and spirit again -- her personal shine, if you will -- as it is about solving the mystery surrounding Patrick. [Side note: at an Abrams' presentation I attended last November, this book was still entitled, "Speechless." "Shine" is, in my humble opinion, a much better choice.]
Similarly, the characters are developed in nuanced, believable ways. When we first meet Jason, he comes off like a rich, hateful brat, which couldn't be further from the truth. Stoic brother Christian, whom Cat has resented for his aloofness for years, becomes a friend and protector. Even the vile Tommy, who hurt Cat years before, may not be as awful as he first appears. I could give five more examples of this sort of slow unfolding of a character's true nature, which is a testament to Myracle's writing skills. Because so much of this story involves finding the truth beneath people's exteriors, this careful method of presenting folks "from the outside in" works beautifully.
I do have a complaint, though, and it's a fairly big one. I had and have the nagging sense that there is just far too much going on in this story. It's part mystery, part social commentary on abuse and addiction, part love story, part coming of age tale, part discussion of hatred toward gays and the self-loathing that may come with being different ... is that one too many parts? The story feels crammed full of varying threads and issues, not all of which fit neatly together or within the flow of the story itself. I found myself wishing for just a little less. If this book was more streamlined, the issues presented here, and the dramatic turns surrounding them, would have even more of an impact.
"Shine" comes out in May 2011, and it's clearly geared toward the high school crowd. (Abrams is recommending 14 and up, which, based on the content and language, seems appropriate to me.) This is definitely one of those books that will stick with you for awhile, and I think it's well well worth reading. Please keep a look out for "Shine" in the spring.
10 January 2011 @ 03:57 pm
At a ceremony in San Diego this morning, the American Library Association announced the finalists and winners of its annual Youth Media Awards. These awards, which are divided into different categories like picture books, middle grade literature, and non-fiction, are selected by librarians. Here are a few of the honored books and authors in the area of teen literature:
MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE:
Winner:
"Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Finalists:
"Stolen" by Lucy Christopher
"Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
"Revolver" by Marcus Sedgwick
"Nothing" by Janne Teller
SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD FOR BOOKS THAT EMBODY THE DISABILITY EXPERIENCE:
Middle School:
"After Ever After" by Jordan Sonnenblick
High School:
"Five Flavors of Dumb" by Antony John
STONEWALL CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE AWARD FOR EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN BOOKS RELATING TO THE LGBT EXPERIENCE:
Winner:
"Almost Perfect" by Brian Katcher
Finalists:
"Will Grayson, Will Grayson," by John Green and David Levithan
"Love Drugged" by James Klise
"Freaks and Revelations" by Davida Willis Hurwin
"The Boy in the Dress" by David Walliams
09 January 2011 @ 09:37 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
By now, you've probably heard about Ally Condie's debut teen novel, "Matched," which was published by a division of Penguin in late November 2010. "Matched" is currently listed at #3 on the New York Times list of bestselling chapter books for children, and it received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus. I even saw it in my local Target store!
So is all the hype deserved? Absolutely. I first learned about "Matched" last spring at a Baker & Taylor publishing preview, and the Penguin folks graciously sent along advanced copies over the summer. Being a good librarian (ha!), I passed those copies to my teen readers, meaning I only recently got a chance to read this wonderful book for myself. Three word review: I LOVED IT!
Ok, let me explain why. "Matched" is a dystopian / romance hybrid, but it's not a "Hunger Games" trilogy clone. Yes, there's a future world in which all behavior -- food intake, exercise, vocations, marriage, death -- is strictly controlled by the Society, the all-powerful government that monitors and restricts life for its constituents' own safety and security. And, yes, there's a slow-brewing rebellion against the Society's power and lies, although for now it's located in the Outer Provinces, a far away, wild land. And, okay, there's a healthy love triangle here featuring main character Cassia, her childhood friend Xander, and outsider Ky. But, truly, that's where the similarities end. For instead of a bleak tale of violence and misery, we have -- oddly enough! -- a novel of poetry, light, buoyancy, and freedom.
A quick plot rundown is in order. 17 year old Cassia is matched by the Society with Xander, a strong, sturdy, handsome, all-around great guy. Cassia is beyond thrilled to make a lifelong match with a trusted friend she already knows. Unfortunately, through an apparent glitch in the matching technology, Cassia also briefly sees a glimpse of a second match, a neighbor who had been orphaned years earlier in the Outer Provinces and brought to live with a childless couple. Ky, she learns, is an Aberration, meaning he's something less than a full citizen. He's not even a full person in the Society's eyes. Ky spends long days toiling away in a nutrition disposal facility, and, as an Aberration, he must always remain single. Ky works hard to blend innocently into any situation at work or in the gaming center, but he's an intelligent, thoughtful guy.
On a series of state-sponsored hikes -- constructive, regulated leisure time having been deemed very important by the Society -- Cassia comes to discover this side of Ky. She also learns about his background and his own secret acts of rebellion. Ky teaches Cassia to write while hidden among the trees; on subsequent hikes, he gives her an outlawed compass and slowly shares his childhood story of war and death in forbidden art and words passed on scraps of napkin. When Cassia's grandfather died at age 80, as all Society residents do, he left her a hidden scroll of Dylan Thomas poetry. The words of "Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night" thus become a shared piece of hope and freedom between Cassia and Ky, something that binds them to each other and against the Society's repression. This very striving for creativity, for words and life and richness, runs counter to everything the Society teaches. And yet it feels right, especially once they fall in love, triggering a painful series of events I promise not to spoil.
There's so much more here, including fleshed out parents with their own fears, weaknesses, and acts of bravery. Cassia's folks try for stoicism and submission to the Society, but they are as conflicted as Cassia. It's so rare to see flawed yet supportive parents in any teen novel. Woot! As mentioned, there is also a beautiful exploration of the potency of words to elevate and sustain us. The Dylan Thomas poem, in particular, is expertly woven throughout the story, often tied to images of soaring and flight. So incredibly well done. I also loved how author Condie creates a drab world full of workmanlike grays and browns and then uses touches of vibrant color (nature's hues, red newroses, the Society's three prescribed pills, satin dresses at the Matched Banquet, a tiny scrap of preserved green fabric, memories of long forbidden stained glass) as a striking contrast to the Society's forced conformity. And while all the main characters are well developed, I particularly enjoyed the nuances in Xander's character; the "third wheel" role can be limiting and subject to awful stereotypes, but Xander, in both moments of frustration and incredible heroism, consistently comes across as a thoroughly real boy.
Finally, Cassia's path toward rebellion, presented in small, measured steps -- including the slow unfolding of her love for Ky -- is pitch perfect. I believed every second of this obedient girl's journey from compliant citizen to patient rebel. Condie masterfully chips away at the Society's exterior, carefully revealing not just a strict control of history and culture but, more ominously, forced suicide, conscription, and exile. All this is presented carefully, allowing the reader to feel like she is following a trail of clues and uncovering a mystery.
So, yeah, did I mention I loved it? This is an obvious sell to Suzanne Colllins or Lois Lowry fans, as well as poetry lovers and anyone who enjoys a compelling romance. But I think the appeal of "Matched" is even broader. My sole complaint is that I cannot wait to read the next installment, "Crossed," which doesn't come out until Fall of 2011. Gah! The reviews I've read suggest a high school reading level here, but I don't understand why. Sure, the themes are troubling, even disturbing at times, but there is literally nothing offensive here in terms of language or situations. I'd say older middle school is just fine, but see what you think. "Matched" is out now. I hope you love it as much as I did!
PS - How awesome is the cover art?
04 January 2011 @ 04:26 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Pete Hautman is the author of the National Book Award winner "Godless," as well as last year's super popular (well, at least at Kinnelon Library!) "How To Steal a Car." In his latest teen novel, "Blank Confession," Hautman relates the story of high school student Shayne Black, who walks into a police station one night and confesses to murder. The story is part mystery, part character study, as we slowly discover more about secretive newcomer Shayne and his escalating tensions with drug dealing bully Jon Brande. While there's a real level of implausibility here -- which, incidentally, I came to accept! -- this is a powerful book about abuse, power, and responsibility.
The story is told in alternating chapters, with a third person narrator giving us insight into Shayne's long confession to Detective Rawls, while Shayne's lone friend, the part Haitian, suit-wearing Mikey Martin, fills us in on the back story. Seems that Jon has been dating Mikey's flighty older sister, Marie. Jon forces Mikey to hide a bag of drugs in his locker, which Mikey has to ditch in the boys' room when police sweep the school. After Jon beats up Mikey and demands a $500 replacement fee, Shayne intervenes. Mikey is his friend, and he wants to stand up for him. As importantly, Shayne has drifted through a lot of schools (he tells varying stories of who his parents are and where he came from). Bullies like Jon violate Shayne's code of ethics, and he simply cannot let them act without challenge. So, despite being outnumbered -- and facing a psychopath! -- Shayne intervenes, with disastrous personal consequences. For although Shayne has a steely toughness and some wicked martial arts moves, he's no match for Jon and his testosterone-laden buddies. Shayne's sense of responsibility for Mikey and his meth-using sister ultimately leads him to a violent encounter at Jon's party.
"Blank Confession" is written in short sentences and has a rapid pace. I can easily see it holding the attention of even the most reluctant reader. And Mikey is a great character. While Shayne can seem a bit removed with his stoicism and quiet courage, Mikey is a witty fireplug; he's fun to be around, even as his situation becomes ever more precarious and his actions more dangerous. Other characters have unexpected depth as well. We clearly see how Jon became so violent and ugly, while also discovering, in a surprising fashion, that one of his thuggish pals has more heart than expected.
My only gripe with this novel lies in the fact that it may be hard to buy Shayne as a roving crusader, a kind of lone wolf traveling from town to town, saving people. He's a teenager, for cripe's sake! Where is he staying? Who is paying for his clothes and food? How is even registering for school with no documents? As I mentioned above, I was able to put these issues aside and just enjoy this short, compelling story of honor and sacrifice. "Blank Confession" is a great book for boys, in particular, as it is chuck full of believable male characters and engrossing action sequences. I'd recommend this one for older middle school readers; there is some level of violence and drug use here, although none of it felt gratuitous to me. Give "Blank Confession" a try. I think you'll be riveted by it!
28 December 2010 @ 07:10 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Daisy Whitney's new novel "The Mockingbirds" is a great "discussion" book for teens, as it touches upon issues of date rape, consent, silence, punishment, and justice. While I found parts of this book to be a bit preachy, overall it is a compelling, thoughtful exploration of the aftermath of rape.
Alex is a junior at Themis Academy, a private boarding school, when she awakens in water polo player Carter's bed with no memory of the night before. Gradually, Alex pieces together a night of drinking, kissing, passing out, and awakening intermittently to find Carter having sex with her. Alex, who is an exceptional musician, at first keeps the rape a secret. But when Carter begins spreading rumors about her, a humiliated Alex reduces her entire life down to a few safe places. She avoids the dining hall, stays in her room, methodically plots out paths to classes, and otherwise reorders her existence to avoid any interactions with Carter. Eventually, Alex seeks help from a secret campus organization, the Mockingbirds, who investigate and police student infractions. What follows is a sort of secret trial conducted by the Mockingbirds, at which both Alex and Carter are allowed to present evidence and cross examine witnesses.
"The Mockingbirds" is pretty much Alex's story, and it works best when it delves into her fractured memory and presents her conflicting sense of guilt, shame, helplessness, and, eventually, power and hope. Alex's reactions -- from hiding out to blaming herself to ultimately reclaiming her person and her freedom -- feel completely authentic and are beautifully, unflinchingly portrayed. I especially liked how author Whitney presents the "gray" areas of Alex's behavior, as in when Alex recalls fleetingly abandoning her efforts to push Carter away on the night of the rape. That's important from a social responsibility standpoint -- girls should know that silence and a lack of fight do NOT equal consent -- as well as from a story standpoint; people's actions are never absolutely one way or another. As such, Alex becomes a fully fleshed out, emotionally resonant character.
Unfortunately, the other characters in the story, including sweet love interest Martin, crusading friend Maia, the lecherous Carter, and his evil buddy Henry, have little if any depth. The heroes are heroic, the villains are villainous, the champions champion ... well, you get the idea. I would've liked these high school kids to feel like real kids, with that magical combination of faults, flaws, and goodness that makes YA characters leap off the page. While we have that in Alex, her supporting cast is not nearly as believable.
I also thought some passages of the book read as didactic. Alex's music teacher Miss Dimata, her older sister Casey, best friend T.S., and Mockingbirds Amy and Ilana -- although providing encouragement and much-needed support -- can come off as if they're spouting public service announcement lines instead of genuine expressions of compassion. These characters provide dialogue that is important for us and for the story; still, at times, their words feel preachy and false.
Leaving these two criticisms aside, "The Mockingbirds" is an effective novel about one girl's pain and recovery. While it can be difficult to read at times, I found myself eagerly turning the pages, hoping that Alex's journey would bring her to a place of transformation and peace. If you stick with "The Mockingbirds" through some of its flimsy characterizations and occasional lapses into preachiness, I think you'll be glad. You will be rewarded with a novel that is willing to tackle the weighty issue of sexual assault and explore some intriguing views of justice.
Although it is not terribly graphic, I think this book's challenging subject matter makes it a better fit for high school readers. See what you think. "The Mockingbirds" is out now.
20 December 2010 @ 03:10 pm
After reviewing all the teen books included in the year end "best of" lists -- from sources including Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Horn Book, The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal -- I'm happy to present Kinnelon Library's Best of 2010 brochure. Copies are available at the Library, or you can access the PDF version via this link or through the "KPL Best of 2010" link over there on the right side of this page.
And don't forget about past teen favorites. Lots of great books have been published for middle and high schoolers in the last few years! "Best of" brochures from previous years are here to help you find an overlooked gem. They're available as PDFs under the blue "Read-Alikes" heading on the right side of this page.
Happy reading ... and best wishes for 2011!
17 December 2010 @ 02:37 pm
FROM A KINNELON LIBRARY TEEN REVIEWER:
I loved "Demonglass." This is not just a great sequel, but it's a great book on its own. There are so many twists and turns -- and so many unexpected events -- that I had to keep reading. This is a fantastic book. Make sure you read the first book in the series, "Hex Hall," before reading "Demonglass."
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S NOTE:
"Demonglass," which as our reviewer said is a sequel to "Hex Hall," arrives in bookstores in early March 2011. Happy reading!
17 December 2010 @ 12:29 pm
FROM A KINNELON LIBRARY TEEN REVIEWER:
I really liked "Chime." It was hard to follow and confusing at first. I'm so glad I stuck with the story, because it made a lot more sense as it went along. This book was an interesting, different type of romance. Once I got past the beginning, it was easy to read and exciting.
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S NOTE:
Chime, described by its publisher as a "wild, enchanted romance," will be released in March 2011. 
12 December 2010 @ 10:21 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
"Dash & Lily's Book of Dares" is a joint novel by Rachel Cohn and the incredibly fabulous David Levithan (you probably already know this author duo from a little something called "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"). While this book is no "Nick and Norah's" -- or, my personal favorite Levithan pairing, last year's incandescent "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" -- it certainly has a lot in its favor. And as far as smart teen romances filled with quirky characters and narrated in alternating chapters ... well, you could do worse, believe me.
It's Christmas time in New York City, and our anti-hero Dash stumbles upon a red moleskin journal in the legendary Strand bookstore. Inside the journal, Dash finds a little Strand scavenger hunt created by someone named Lily. Intrigued, Dash adds his own clues to the journal, taking the mysterious Lily out of the Strand and into local neighborhood haunts. Lily then returns the favor, sending Dash along a trail of bread crumbs that eventually includes Santa's lap (at Macy's Herald Square!), Madame Tussaud's wax museum, and the brightly lit houses of Dyker Heights; he returns the favor with a matinee movie, FAO Schwartz's Muppet factory, and a late night Klezmer show at a downtown club. Along the way, the two exchange favorite quotations, musings, and secret confessions, and they kind of-maybe-just possibly fall in love without ever having met. But what will happen when they do meet in person, away from the safe confines of the journal? I will spoil nothing, dear reader. :-p
What works here? Dash is an interesting character. Although he is cut very squarely from the John Green mold -- clever, sarcastic, introspective, music-loving, literary, too old for his years -- he has some sharper edges. Dash's combative relationship with his distant father factors into several scenes and cuts against the guarded optimism he shows by engaging in Lily's dares. Indeed, it is in Dash's relationships with his friends, especially endearingly loyal best pal Boomer and wise ex-girlfriend Sofia, that we learn more about his true nature than in any of his philosophical journal entries. Lily, on the other hand, works better as a character away from her sometimes cloyingly eccentric family, where we can see her quiet confidence, hopefulness, and individuality play out in a more authentic fashion. I loved the scene were Lily, wearing her great aunt's majorette boots, dances with abandon to the Klezmer music, not caring who is looking or judging her. Lily's increasing independence from her family and her ability to grow into herself -- and open this new person up to new friends -- makes her romantic journey all the more believable. It also makes us want to root for her at every turn ... even when she's acting like a complete knucklehead.
On a somewhat related note, I think teens will find the nearly absolute freedom of the two teens -- Dash's divorced folks are away and each mistakenly think the other is watching him; Lily's parents are on an anniversary trip to Fiji while her beloved Grandpa is proposing to his lady friend in Florida -- intoxicating. Both are free to flit about the city with few rules or restrictions, although Grandpa does eventually show up to sorta put his foot down. Snowy New York City, in all its holiday grandeur and grotesqueness, provides a wonderful backdrop to the burgeoning teen romance, adding a sense of wonder to what is, after all, an enchanting experience. The authors do such a beautiful job connecting the magic of the city to the magic of falling in love.
I adored the dares, so I was sorry to see those fade in the book's final third, when the characters meet, misunderstand each other, meet again in delightful fashion, move apart, come back together, try again, and so on. Some of this "keep the lovers apart until the end!" felt contrived to me, but I understand the need for tension and I kept eagerly turning the pages. I also thought the story got a bit bogged down in the weight of Dash and Lily's esoteric ideas about friendship, love, expectations, and connections. I'd rather experience what they're feeling -- fears, dreams, and all -- than be told about it. But it rebounded nicely with a screwball Dash and Lily second chance encounter involving a snowball fight, a wanted poster, a mammoth dog, and the NYPD. (Of course!) And, without giving anything away, the subtle, rather open-ended conclusion felt right for this offbeat, often charming love story.
If you're looking for a smart take on the traditional teen romance, "Dash & Lily's Book of Dares" is a very good choice. Although it has some flaws, the richly created main characters, as well as the humorous touches and New York City travelogue, make this one an engaging, fun, thoughtful read. There is some harsh language and some veiled sexual references here, so I'm thinking maybe 8th grade and up? Hope you like it ... and happy holidays!
PS - "Dash and Lily's ..." is being adapted into a film. Keep your eyes out for it sometime in late 2011 or 2012.
08 December 2010 @ 07:11 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
"Beautiful Creatures," released in 2009, is the first book in the "Caster Chronicles." So, yes, if you're thinking paranormal romance trilogy -- just like every teen novel out there today! -- you would, in a sense, be correct. But thankfully "Beautiful Creatures" isn't just like every other teen novel around; it has a male protagonist (woot!), a lushly detailed Southern setting, a pervading sense of family, a bevy of Civil War references, and an intriguing cast of secondary characters. To me, it reads more like a Southern gothic novel than generic teen paranormal fiction ... and that's a very good thing.
We're in the tiny town of Gatlin, South Carolina, where 16 year old Ethan Wate lives with his grieving father (mom died last year in an accident) and nanny / housekeeper / cook / surrogate mother Amma. Dad spends most of his time locked in his study, so Ethan must deal with his pain on his own, with a stern yet loving hand from Amma. Ethan is a popular basketball star with a charmingly goofy wannabe rock star best friend, Link. Gatlin's restrictiveness -- people's roots go back hundreds of years, causing some very fixed opinions and outlooks -- frustrates Ethan, who longs to get away from a place where everyone knows (and judges) everyone else.
Enter Lena Duchannes, the niece of eccentric loner Macon Ravenwood, who moves into town. Macon owns the last surviving plantation house in Gatlin -- also named Ravenwood -- but is never seen around town. Macon is a ghost, a whisper, an eternal source of gossip, the kind of spooky outsider reviled in a small town. (Heh ... clearly, Macon understands this; his dog is named Boo Radley!) Lena drives Macon's hearse, and with her curly black hair, Converse sneakers, and overloaded charm necklace, she's as different as possible from her prim Southern belle classmates.
Ethan is immediately drawn to Lena, because, among other things, he's been dreaming about her for months. Before he ever met her. When Ethan discovers that Lena has been dreaming about him, too, Ethan begins to learn just how different Lena and her family are. Turns out Lena is a Caster -- in the simplest terms, a kind of witch -- while Uncle Macon is an Incubus who feeds on hope and dreams. Members of Lena's family are claimed light or dark when they turn 16, which for Lena is mere months away. Lena's impending Claiming freaks her out -- cousin Ridley went to the dark side and is an evil siren now -- so as Ethan and Lena become closer, he spends a lot of time reassuring her that she will be claimed light. Admittedly, this becomes a wee bit tedious. But Ethan also helps Lena research other methods of avoiding her Claiming, including an old family locket that transports the two back to the Civil War, when neighboring plantation Greenbrier was burned by Union soldiers. Throw in a creepily foreboding song, the shadowy Book of Moons, Macon's erratic behavior, Amma's secret powers, Link falling under Ridley's spell, Mom's messages from beyond the grave, a shocking betrayal, and a hidden supernatural library, and you've got a textured, lively story that goes way beyond the "boy loves supernatural" trope.
Speaking of which, Ethan -- the boy! -- is our narrator here, which is so unbelievably rare in a teen novel, let alone a teen paranormal novel, that I'm still kind of shocked. In a good way! Co-authors Garcia and Stohl absolutely nail a teen guy's voice, and they perfectly portray the quiet rules of male friendship in developing Ethan and Link's relationship. They also make Ethan believably strong yet vulnerable in his burgeoning romance with Lena. I really dug how hard it was for Ethan to express his feelings for Lena, even when they were so ridiculously obvious. His hesitation and uncertainty rang true.
I loved the precise details of the Southern setting, including Amma's decadent food; the smells (rosemary and lemons figure prominently in the story); the local traditions, including a Civil War reenactment; the courtly manners; and the unique use of language. The setting grounded this magical story, adding layers to the plot and shading the characters -- many of whom have their own Southern quirks -- in believable ways. Indeed, the minor characters, including Ethan's batty great aunts and a whip smart, empathetic librarian, give the book a depth and vitality that often make the words leap off the page.
My only complaint is that I was a bit let down by the ending. After spending hundreds of pages creating three-dimensional characters, suddenly the authors have them acting like complete knuckleheads in service of the plot. (Fiercely protective Uncle Macon is easily duped, Ethan constantly does the wrong thing, powerful Lena suddenly becomes weak and cowering ... huh?) The authors' use of a Claiming "loophole" also frustrated me, as it seemed like a contrivance to justify another book in the series. Since I've just started the sequel, "Beautiful Darkness," I guess I'll find out if I'm being too harsh on this point.
I absolutely recommend "Beautiful Creatures" to fans of paranormal romances, as well as those looking for an intriguing, rich story of Southern life, family, loss, and love. This book is remarkably clean, so unless you're put off by the magical elements, I'd say older middle schoolers should be fine. And please don't be turned off by the book's considerable length. Truly, the pages fly by. Enjoy!
07 December 2010 @ 02:11 pm
Please click on the KPL LGBTQ Books link on the right side of this page to access the Kinnelon Library's all new, all updated read-alike brochure.
You can also find LGBTQ books for teens by visiting Lamda Literary, the ALA's Rainbow Project, and Lee Wind's Blog. Happy reading!
09 November 2010 @ 07:11 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
Lauren Oliver's debut novel, "Before I Fall," was a New York Times bestseller and, at the Kinnelon Library, one of the most popular books of 2010. It's never on the shelf! I can confidently predict that Oliver's follow-up, February's "Delirium," will be an even bigger hit, as she begins her dystopian trilogy in truly remarkable fashion. "Delirium" will be compared to "The Hunger Games" -- it shares an oppressive government and shocking loss of civil rights -- but there's more pure romance here than in even some of the girliest of girl books. I literally cannot wait for book #2 ... and the first installment hasn't even been officially released yet. Ugh!
Ok, so here's the rundown: We're in Portland, Maine at an unspecified point in the future. The government rules with an iron fist -- all books, music, websites, and even ideas are chosen and regulated by the state -- and infractions of the many rules are simply not tolerated. Nightly raiding parties and armed guards stoke fear and keep everyone in line. What, above all else, must be zealously guarded against? Love. That's right. Love is the ultimate danger, a disease that can render one delirious and can spread to infect an entire family. Love will drive you insane, and it is feared like the plague. When boys and girls -- who are segregated in all aspects of life -- turn 18, they are "cured" at government labs. All capacity for love, affection, and tenderness is eradicated and their safety from amor deliria nervosa is insured. If you remember "The Stepford Wives" (book or either film version), then you have a good idea of the dulled affects and complacent lives of the cured folks.
We meet high school senior Lena right before her graduation and 95 days prior to her designated cure time. Lena's mom was never properly cured of love for her dead father. Despite three procedures, mom still loved, danced, and laughed, and she committed suicide rather than face another cure attempt. Lena was thus orphaned as a young girl, branded as tainted and dangerous, and sent to live with her bland Aunt Carol. Lena is an interesting character; she longs for the safety and stability of the cure while recognizing an internal passion and creativity that bring both joy and immense discomfort. In fact, during her state evaluation, she relates that the pale gray of sunrise is her favorite color. This kind of individuality is a threat to Lena's own safety, for creativity and imagination are dangerously close to forbidden passion. Such deviations from the norm are cause for immediate imprisonment in the Crypts, the government's medieval-esque prison where independent thinkers literally rot away, chained and forgotten.
When Lena meets Alex, a seemingly cured boy with golden eyes and hair the color of autumn leaves, she discovers an entire subculture where freedom of expression, music, poetry, and, yes, love thrive. She learns that the Invalids who live beyond the borders, out in the Wilds, may have been right to resist all along. Maybe these "others" aren't mad and diseased after all. Maybe the Invalids are actually the normal ones. Lena's worldview is dangerously enlarged further when she falls in love with the lively, warm Alex. Loving Alex is a breathtaking plunge into sweeping, swooning glory, an entry into a world of color, music, light, and freedom. The expansiveness of love, how it opens the entire universe to you, contrasts beautifully with the strict, limiting, cramped nature of Lena's everyday existence, where so much is regulated and made taboo. (The stifling Portland summer, with little electricity and plenty of crushing heat and stickiness, is a wonderful metaphor for the oppressiveness of society. Rock on!)
The characters here are spot-on, especially Lena, who remains awkward, self-conscious, and fearful through much of the story. Her progression from adamantly trying to be "nothing special" to actively breaking rules and taking huge chances feels real every step of the way. We see her doubts and worries but also share the sheer exhilaration of her first glimpses of love and freedom. Likewise, Alex is stalwart and strong while still maintaining believable levels of frustration with Lena and terror at his private moments of rebellion. My favorite character, though, may be Lena's best friend Hana, a spoiled rich girl who plays with revolution like it's just another toy to alleviate boredom. Hana yearns to challenge things but also wants the perks of her life and the safety of her compliance. When her loyalty is finally tested, her actions felt entirely authentic to me.
As I mentioned, the descriptions here are captivating. Besides Portland's blazing heat, we get the crisp winds and sparkling skies of the Wilds, the revelry of music at a rave, the incandescence of love, the inhuman violence of raiders, and the rotting stink of the Crypts, all in exquisite detail. Oliver's writing as a whole is just as strong here as in "Before I Fall," as she builds a compelling future world with precise rules, a well-defined religion (hard science has eradicated faith) and complex systems of regimentation and punishment. Brava!
"Delirium" reads like a cross between "Fahrenheit 451" and "Romeo and Juliet." It delivers tons of suspense and thrills, wonderful language and characters, a finely delineated world, and the kind of enthralling, non-saccharine romance that is often missing from teen novels. (The scene where Alex woos Lena under a night sky with long forgotten poems, after which she finally allows herself to taste the sweetness of the word "love" in her own mind, is unforgettable.) "Delirium" is a fantastic read for high school students, and I'm sure this one will be spread like wildfire. "Delirium" releases in February 2011. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!
PS - Check out the Publishers Weekly article on Harper Teen's search for the perfect cover for "Delirium."
03 November 2010 @ 01:03 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
"The Sky is Everywhere" is Lennie's story of overcoming the tragic, sudden death of her older sister, college student / actress Bailey. Part sweeping love story, part grief journal, this book is peppered with Lennie's poetry, as written on everything from the soles of her shoes to discarded coffee cups. Author Jandy Nelson writes in a lyrical, poetic style, and her word choice can be captivating, as she almost paints the story as much as writes it. Whether this style works for you -- admittedly, it gave me some problems -- will largely determine how you feel about this novel.
We meet Lennie at the start of a California summer, months after her sister's death. Lennie is still heartbroken, often spending time in Bailey's closet, engulfing her fading scent. Lennie's Gram and Uncle Big try to reach out to Lennie in their own eccentric ways, but she's basically sleepwalking. The only thing that makes Lennie feel alive is kissing Bailey's boyfriend, Toby. Yes, it's wrong and shameful, and it makes her feel utterly disgusting, but making out with the devastated Toby -- who is as lost as Lennie -- is an addictive rush.
Just as school is ending, Lennie meets Joe, a fellow musician with batting eyelashes, a poetic soul, and foreign cachet (Joe lived in Paris, plays the acoustic guitar, and drinks wine; rock on!). Joe ends up joining Lennie for daily breakfasts and, er, family chats -- among other things, Uncle Big is trying to raise the dead with mini pyramids (!) -- and the whole clan quickly becomes enamored of him. For Lennie, this is first love in all its blooming, incandescent glory ... except for the part where she's still self destructing by fooling around with Toby and, yeah, the part where her own happiness feels like a betrayal of Bailey.
How all this resolves, including a subplot about Lennie’s long-missing mother, I will leave to your reading. I despise spoilers! I will instead say that the sensual quality of Nelson’s writing works splendidly in depicting Lennie’s burgeoning love for Joe, as well as in lush descriptions of velvety roses, flowing rivers, crisp breezes, and green woods. There were, however, times when I felt whole passages were overwritten -- must every paragraph include three metaphors?! -- and that the story would have benefited from being giving more room to breathe and just be.
Along these same lines, Joe is so perfect, such a paragon of beauty, charm, grace ... heck, even musical talent and worldliness! ... that I found him completely unbelievable as a real teen boy. Similarly, Gram and Uncle Big had one quirk too many for my tastes (Gram only paints with green hues; Uncle Big, married five times, takes all his lady conquests up into a tree for romance). The last straw in this regard was an actual bedroom lovingly maintained deep in the forest by some sort of hippie pied piper. Ugh. Seriously? A secret forest bedroom?
If that criticism seems harsh, I truly don’t mean it to be so. I just found these grandiose flourishes -- the overwrought language, the characters’ eccentricities -- to undermine the quiet grief and loneliness that is so carefully portrayed here. The "bigger," sweeping touches work more effectively in conveying the romance than they do the pain.
Fans of verse novels and transporting romances ("Wuthering Heights," referenced throughout the novel, is a great example) will find much to like here. Even music lovers will likely adore Lennie’s descriptions of floating along while playing the clarinet. Those of us looking for a bit more realism and grit may find portions of "The Sky is Everywhere" grating rather than uplifting. But, hey, we're all different. In the end, this book is a (mostly) lovely read with some truly stirring moments and fine poetry sprinkled throughout. Happy reading!
PS: The paperback version of "The Sky is Everywhere," with the completely reworked forest bedroom cover, should be out in March of 2011. 
26 October 2010 @ 01:26 pm
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
It took me awhile -- I listened to the audio version until the last 7 chapters of this 500+ page middle grade novel -- but I have finally finished Rick Riordan's "The Red Pyramid." Wahoo! I'm delighted to report that "The Red Pyramid," despite its impressive length, is a fun, action-packed history lesson. Fear not! The "lesson" part goes down as smoothly here as in Riordan's bestselling "Percy Jackson" series, taking us readers on an adventure-filled tour of ancient Egypt right in our modern world.
We have dual narrators, middle grade siblings Carter and Sadie Kane. Younger sister Sadie is impulsive, sassy, and very British. Carter is more thoughtful and reserved. The siblings are recording their tale, so they tend to interrupt, correct, or simply scold each other with some frequency. If you're like me, this practice will make you giggle repeatedly.
The story begins with a disaster at London's famous British Museum. We learn through some quick back story that following their mother's death, Carter traveled the world with his Egyptologist dad, Julius, while Sadie remained in England with her grandparents. At the British Museum, Julius breaks the Rosetta Stone, freeing five Egyptian gods and, unfortunately, entombing himself within a golden coffin.
From that explosive start, the book proceeds on a brisk pace, barely letting the reader catch her breath, as one action scene dives into the next. Carter and Sadie go on the run to stop the evil god Set, now freed, from building a red pyramid in Phoenix and destroying the Earth. Of course, they'd also like to rescue their dad, too. But how? Luckily, these two seemingly average children discover that they are descended from the pharaohs, giving them unique magical abilities. Even better, two gods freed at the British Museum, Horus and Isis, siblings of Set, now share inner space with the kids, allowing them to tap into some incredible power. Some of the funniest scenes in the book involve the internal debates Carter and Sadie have with their hosted gods; as you might imagine, thousand year old omnipotent beings can get a bit testy when they're controlled by children!
As they travel the county to battle Set, the kids hone their magical fighting skills, which come in handy when encountering all manner of ancient foes along the way. They also get help from a series of unlikely allies: Iskandar, an old magician with the House of Life; Khufu, a basketball-loving baboon; Bast, a feline goddess formerly known as Sadie's cat Muffin; Zia, a beautiful, dangerous young magician who makes Carter giddy; Amos, the kids' estranged uncle; and several shabti (clay figures used by pharaohs and gods to perform tasks on command) named Doughboy (!) and Philip of Macedonia. Bast, in particular, chaperones the kids the longest, and her role as mentor, fellow troublemaker, and Friskies eater is a hoot.
Riordan masterly weaves TONS of information about Egyptian history, customs, language, and religion into this rollicking, breakneck adventure story. The historical information never slows the tale down, which is a real credit to the author. After all, the kids are battling to save the world; this has to be of primary importance! Of course, Carter and Sadie are always outmatched -- who can really be a worthy foe for someone called "Face of Horrors"?! -- but they use their ingenuity and burgeoning talents to escape from one tight spot after another. Indeed, the book reads like a series of interconnected stories about fighting evil forces and facing nearly impossible challenges. I can easily envision families sitting together and reading this book aloud.
I fully expected the action, which Riordan delivers in spades. I was pleasantly surprised by the frequent touches of wry humor, which wonderfully soften some of the more frightening scenes and images. What I was completely floored by were the powerful emotional scenes, including one where Sadie delivers a love note from the sky goddess Nut to her beloved earth god husband Geb. And the ending? Without giving anything away, it's a doozy.
As for the characters, I love the kids' authenticity. They are brave, smart, strong, confused, tired, frustrated, resilient -- just about what you'd hope for from children thrown into a life and death struggle. They even feel like real siblings, loyal to each other but still able to tease and joke. Boy and girl readers should find much to like in Carter and Sadie.
I am leaving so much out -- Sadie crushes on Anubis, a jackal-headed god of the underworld! -- but I think you get the idea. Read the "Red Pyramid" for the constant whiz-bang action, the fascinating look into ancient Egypt, the funny asides, the sweet moments between Carter and Sadie ... whatever your reason for doing so, just read it. I think you'll adore it as much as I do. I'm so looking forward to the sequel! And be sure to check the Kane Chronicles site for updates and information.
22 October 2010 @ 03:48 pm
Huge thanks to the members of the 501st Legion who came in awesome Imperial costumes to our Star Wars party. You guys are great!
22 October 2010 @ 01:28 pm
The National Book Foundation recently announced the finalists for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. National Book Awards recognize literary excellence in American literature and are awarded to writers by other writers.
Past winners of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature include "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian," "True Believer," "House of the Scorpion," "Godless," and "What I Saw and How I Lied."
This year's nominees are shown below and can also be found here. The winner will be announced on November 16th.
22 October 2010 @ 11:31 am
TEEN LIBRARIAN'S REVIEW:
"I Am Number Four" is a teen sci fi / superhero / coming of age / adventure / love story. It's a quick, thrilling read with lots of action and an unexpected amount of emotion. My biggest complaint is more a global teen fiction issue than a specific criticism of this book -- why must EVERY teen novel be part of a trilogy these days? Is the standalone teen novel dead?
Eh, so with that griping out of the way, let me tell you why I had fun reading "I Am Number Four." First, I'm still a fan of the sometimes overused first-person narrative in teen fiction, especially when the voice guiding us through the story belongs to a high school guy with authentic insecurities, fears, strengths, and heart. Yes, John Smith is an alien from the planet Lorien who is developing special powers ("legacies") to fight off the bad guys who destroyed his home world, the lethal, brutally strong Mogadorians. But John is still a genuine teen boy, alien or not. He's worried about fitting in at a new school in rural Ohio (he and Henri, his Cêpan, a kind of trainer / Jedi Master, move constantly to stay ahead of the Mogadorians). John's believably frustrated that he's attracted the attention of class bully / football star Mark and believably brave in standing up to him; while John knows fighting Mark is a great way to get noticed -- hello, he's got alien super strength! -- he won't stand by quietly. And, despite all the chaos of his life, John quickly falls for his beautiful home ec partner Sarah. So while John's first day also marks the onset of one of his legacies (huzzah, glowing hands!), his sense of trepidation and anxiety is very real and, I think, very relatable for the teen audience.
There's also a ton of action here, from training scenes to chase sequences to all out battles with every creepy form of Mogadarian evil. "I Am Number Four" is being made into a movie as we speak, and I can understand why. The action scenes jump off the page in a crisp, cinematic style. On screen, they should be astounding. The book begins with the Mogadarians slaying poor Number Three. There are 9 child guardians who fled Lorien for Earth when the Mogadorians destroyed their world. These 9 have varying legacy levels, which will develop over time into wicked superpowers. The twist here is that the Mogadarians can only hunt down and kill the 9 in precise order. So when John discovers that Number Three has been killed, he and Henri hightail it to Ohio, knowing that John is next on the Mogadorian hit list. From there on out, we readers get a palpable sense of danger, of a fragile, peaceful existence that at any moment can be shattered. We also understand how badly overmatched John is, despite his otherworldly speed, strength, and healing, adding a sense of urgency and desperation to Henri's training and John's predicament.
Although no one is reading this book for its character development -- Mark has a pretty quick turnaround from menacing bully to stalwart friend -- there are several nice moments between John and the patient, kindly Henri, as well as with John's new friend, geeky alien conspiracy theorist Sam. And while the John / Sarah romance feels a bit paint-by-numbers (she's perfect in just about every way), it's pleasant enough to sustain interest and give John extra incentive to stay alive. Plus, there's a little dog named Bernie Kosar who just about steals the show at the end.
If you're not put off by violence and the sparing use of a few curse words, I'd say "I Am Number Four" is a great choice for even middle school students, both boys and girls. You'll find an exciting sci fi thrill ride with some surprisingly emotional scenes. Keep an eye out for the movie in February 2011 and for the sequel, "The Power of Six," next June. Happy reading!
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