Young Adult

Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

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20140202-082232.jpgEverybody staring as you walk into the cafeteria. Nobody to sit with. Not-so-subtle whispers as you walk through the hallways. Names scribbled on bathroom walls. If you never experienced any of this in high school, consider yourself lucky. The teasing and bullying can be brutal.

Alice Franklin has always been somewhat lucky. Although not one of the most popular kids, she’s nonetheless always been accepted in the culture of her small town Texas high school. That begins to change after she’s rumored to have slept with two guys at a party. When one of them, Brandon who is also the star quarterback, dies in a car crash, everyone knows it’s because Alice was sending him harassing text messages. The rumor mill goes into full force and Alice is totally, completely on her own. The story is told from four points of view. Elaine is a self-professed popular, cute girl. Kelsie is Alice’s once upon a time best friend before popularity wins out over loyalty. Josh is Brandon’s best friend and was in the car when it crashed. And Kurt is a loner in his own way but somehow finds the courage to reach out to Alice. We don’t hear Alice’s voice until the very end, and what a voice it is!

This debut novel from Jennifer Mathieu is completely mind-blowing. It’s a relentless but honest look into small town and particularly high school dynamics. How do rumors get started? Why don’t people take the time to find out if a rumor is true? To what lengths will someone go to in order to protect their social standing? And what kind of inner strength does it take to survive something like this? There are many lessons to be learned about all of the above from this book. A word of caution: There are numerous scenes involving drinking and some sexual content so proceed with caution, although I think it’s completely appropriate for mature, older teens as the message within is so valuable.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: The Truth About Alice

Review: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

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20140524-182651.jpgTo reread or not to reread…that’s a question that I rarely ask myself. Although many people may disagree, I hardly ever find myself with the urge to reread a book, regardless of how good it was the first time around. Books just don’t usually hold my attention if I already know how it’s all going to end. This book is an exception to that self-imposed rule.

Ivan is a gorilla. Not just any gorilla, but instead a silverback, the most majestic of all gorillas. But instead of reigning over his tribe in the jungles of Africa, Ivan has spent the better part of his life behind a glass wall. For 27 years he’s been the star attraction at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Arcade. He spends his days watching humans, who in turn watch him. He’s formed a low opinion of most humans who he has come in contact with, but he holds the other animals around him in high regard. There’s Stella, a wise and gentle soul in an elephant’s body. There’s Bob, a stray dog who has found his way into the mall and on top of Ivan’s belly for naps. And then comes Ruby, a baby elephant brought into the mall to revive lackluster ticket sales.

The story is told completely from Ivan’s point of view, complete with some of his gorilla-created vocabulary. He’s often puzzled by humans and the things they do, but until Ruby arrives he’s never really questioned his circumstances. Then the memories begin to come along, subtle at first. The taste of a mango, the colors of the jungle, the feel of his mother’s fur, the sound of his father’s voice. Suddenly Ivan’s no longer content with his dismal yet predictable life at the Big Top Mall.

So why was this one a reread for me? One simple reason-I wanted to share the innocence, joy, and sadness of Ivan’s story with my students as a read aloud. The story brings to mind questions that young children seem to innately know the answers to. What are animals thinking? Can they feel emotions such as sadness? Do they remember? And what right do we, as humans, have to dictate how and where they live? Although the book is intended and marketed toward a younger audience, it’s such a beautiful, heart-wrenching story that it will resonate with readers and listens of all ages. The chapters are short, the language is beautiful yet simple, and the well-spaced illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to the story. Buy it for yourself, buy it for a friend, or buy it to read to a young person in your life.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: The One and Only Ivan

Review: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

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20140422-185107.jpgI was intrigued by this one from the moment I heard about it. The title, the cover, the description…all these things came together in a perfect storm of literary anticipation.

Dear Kurt Cobain…When Laurel is asked to write a letter to a dead person as part of an English assignment, she picks Kurt Cobain. He’s the closest connection she has to her dead sister, May. You see, Laurel is having a hard time moving past the sudden death of her beloved older sister. She’s moved to a new school hoping to get a fresh start. But her memories follow her everywhere. And people are still talking about “that girl who died”. So Laurel digs in and takes her writing assignment to the next level. Not only does she write to Kurt, but also Judy Garland, Janis Joplin, Amelia Earhart, Amy Winehouse, River Phoenix, and Heath Ledger among others. These aren’t just random dead people but instead those she feels some kind of connection to. Throughout the course of the story Laurel writes about starting a new school, making new friends, falling in love, coming to grips with her shattered family, and trying to move past May’s death.

I wondered several times throughout the story why Laurel didn’t just write to her sister instead of this menagerie of famous dead people. Wouldn’t it have been simpler than pouring her heart out to the voice of Mr. Ed? Of course, but then she’d have to confront a plethora of emotions about May and her death. Anger, regret, guilt…you name it and it’s there. So instead she puts her heart and soul into writing to those who can never read her words. And so her letters become a time capsule of her life after May, evidence of her life moving forward after a few stumbles. It’s her journey from being May’s adoring little sister to standing on her own and finding her way in life.

So did the book live up to my expectations? Beyond a doubt! While the characters and story itself are good enough to stand alone, the beauty is in the language of Laurel’s letters. I love stories that are written in a different style such as this one. Laurel’s inner dialogue with herself and what she wishes she could say to May plays out entirely in the form of her letters. The story flows easily from one letter to the next with no break in Laurel’s thinking. The character development is excellent and believable. This first novel from Ava Dellaira shows just how powerful and beautiful words can be if put together the right way. Five stars all the way for me!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Love Letters to the Dead

Review: How I Got Skinny, Famous, and Fell Madly in Love by Ken Baker

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20131130-204119.jpgThere is an unnatural, unhealthy obsession with being perfect in today’s world. We are constantly bombarded with images of celebrities who have been airbrushed within an inch of their lives. Young girls especially are being inundated with the message that who and what they are is never good enough. Spray tans, teeth whitening, diet pills, fiendish workouts, liposuction, eating disorders, plastic surgery…you name it and it must be done in the name of beauty.

Sixteen year old Emery has always presented herself to the world as a happy, funny, self-deprecating person despite being an extremely overweight teenager. On the inside, how, she is an emotional mess. Her life is far from perfect. Dad Jasper is an ex-NBA player now obsessed with working out and presenting the right image to the public. He is also an absent, uninvolved parent. Mom Brandi is the ultimate trophy wife determined to stay thin and young. And sister Angel is an aspiring model/reality show star who also happens to be shallow and self-absorbed. Is it any wonder Emery has issues with food and body image? She copes with these feelings by binge eating. Her boyfriend Ben, who is also overweight, professes to love her just the way she is. When her family is approached by a famous reality show producer with a tempting offer, Emery and her family can’t resist. For the promise of a million dollar payday, she agrees to subject herself to the scrutiny of the viewing public as she attempts to lose 50 pounds in 50 days. The dark side of the reality show world is revealed as she attempts to reach this goal. She also must face some hard truths about her family and especially herself if she hopes to ever be healthy both physically and emotionally.

I loved this book and read it in one day. It was that hard to put down. Emery’s sharp wit, sarcasm, and sense of humor carried the story. You can clearly tell that she’s using humor to cover up a much deeper pain. I was pulling for her from the very beginning to succeed in spite of her callous, narcissistic family. At first glance it might seem as if this book is an endorsement for the “Hollywood business” of being perfect. Emery does spend a great deal of time trying to achieve the unattainable goal of being perfect. But the story goes deeper than that. It’s a message that what we see on TV and in magazines is in fact NOT reality. Emery does want to be skinny and pretty. What young woman doesn’t? But she also struggles with doing what she knows is the right, healthy thing to do. This book is categorized as a young adult book, and I do think older, more mature teens, girls especially, would appreciate and benefit from the story. Use caution, however, with younger teens as the language is a bit harsh and sex is mentioned on more than one occasion. A humorous, fun to read story with a great message!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: How I Got Skinny, Famous, and Fell Madly in Love

Review: Children of the Knight by Michael J. Bowler

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20140330-090851.jpgPretend, if you will, that the legendary King Arthur has magically and mysteriously arrived in present-day Los Angeles. Gangs, poverty, despair, crime, children abandoned to the streets…these are all very real current problems in any major city, and Los Angeles has more than its fair share.

The story centers around fourteen-year-old Lance. A classic street child, he’s experienced every form of abuse and neglect at his young age. With the exception of his English teacher, when he does go to school, nobody sees his potential. But isn’t that true of so many of these throwaway kids? When he meets Arthur, his world changes and he becomes part of a mission. A mission to save the kids that nobody seems to care about, even their parents. A mission to clean up parts of the city that have been allowed to fall into neglect thus perpetuating an attitude of crime. A mission to change the way society treats children who, at first glance, don’t appear to have much to offer. Along the way Lance and Arthur recruit a ragtag group of youngsters who truly are representative of today’s youth.

Part Arthurian legend and part urban fantasy, this very ambitious novel by Michael Bowler addresses a very real and shameful problem. Why are so many children, and some very young ones at that, left neglected, abused, and abandoned? And even more importantly, whose responsibility is it to save these children? All too often it’s seen as “not our problem” but Mr. Bowler and I seem to be in agreement on this issue. It truly is society’s responsibility, for the children are the future.

This story resonated with me on so many levels. As a mother, I can’t imagine a parent treating their child in such a harmful manner although I’m completely aware that it happens far too often. As a teacher, it touched me deeply and reinforced my deeply seated belief that we cannot overlook any child, no matter how insignificant their contribution may seem. And as a human being, which we should all be able to relate to, it shames me that so often children are thrown away like this. Not every child is fortunate enough to be born into a loving, caring family. But does that means they’re not deserving of every opportunity to make something of themselves? It takes just one person to make a difference in the life of a child.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Children of the Knight

Review: Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

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20140302-150145.jpgGiant mutant praying mantises that just want to eat humans and have sex. Mad scientists. Horny teenage boys. Horny teenage boys confused about their sexual orientation. By this point you’re either really interested in this book or completely turned off. Luckily for me, and for you if you’re still reading this review, I am not easily deterred by less-than-traditional story lines.

It’s the end of the world as we know it. Small town Iowa will never be the same after an army of genetically modified mutant bugs is unleashed on unsuspecting citizens. These bugs are big. They’re strong. And they’re either eating or reproducing, often at the same time. Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba, his girlfriend Shanna, and best friend Robby are right in the thick of things. It’s up to them to save Ealing, Iowa along with the rest of the world. If only it were that simple. Along with saving mankind from the ravages of the mantises, Austin is coming to terms with his relationship with Shanna while at the same struggling with his feelings for Robby, who also happens to be homosexual. Throw into the mix a cast of characters including a hot cheating mom, a masturbating sales clerk, a timid and oblivious stepfather, and you’ve got the ingredients for a true gem of a story.

Besides the fact that Andrew Smith writes one heck of a story, the narrative style blew me away. Austin goes back and forth between telling his story but at the same time providing history and background info on how everything is connected in some way. Six degrees of separation with a witty, rambling sense of humor.The conversations between the teenagers read true to life, and the other characters are weird but not so strange as to be completely unbelievable. A word of warning: This is a very strange book full of sexual innuendo along with the real thing as well as lots of foul language, drinking, and drug use. Not for the the faint of heart or easily offended. But, for those of you who are adventuresome enough to give it a try, you won’t be sorry. This is one book that you won’t soon forget.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Grasshopper Jungle

Review: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

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20140222-090030.jpgGabrielle Zevin’s debut novel, Elsewhere, is one of those once-in-lifetime books that steals your soul and sticks in your head forever and ever. So the bar was set exceptionally high when I decided to add one of her more recent stories to my list of books read.

When sixteen-year-old Naomi falls down and hits her head, the resulting amnesia causes her to examine her life and who she truly wants to be. Waking up in the hospital, she soon discovers that the past four years of her life have disappeared. She has no memory of her popular star athlete boyfriend Ace. Where is her mom and why are they no longer on speaking terms? Who are these people talking to her when she returns to school? Even her house is different from the one she remembers. Of course there’s a love story twist thrown in for interest. James is the mysterious new kid in school who was there when she fell and rode with her to the hospital. And then there’s Will, her quirky best friend who is probably the best character in the book. Lots of decisions to be made by Naomi as she comes to terms with what she remembers, what she wants to forget, and what she wants to change.

So did this one measure up to my admittedly very high expectations? Yes and no. It’s really not fair or compare it to Elsewhere as they’re two completely different kinds of stories. Whereas Elsewhere is a story full of mysticism and the afterlife, Memoirs is more of a true to life, coming of age story. Still, it’s an excellent young adult book with highly likeable characters and enjoyable dialogue written by an outstanding author.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Review: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

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20140302-140802.jpgI don’t even know where to begin with this one. Counting by 7s was recommended by a friend several weeks ago, and I dutifully added it to my ever-growing but never-diminishing TBR list. Didn’t give it any more thought. Then, several days ago, I was browsing my list and it caught my eye. I went back and read some of the reviews and decided, why not? Now I’m wondering why I waited so long and why everyone isn’t praising this book from the top of every roof.

Willow Chance has always been an unusual child, but that suits her just fine. She adores her parents, and they adore her. She rarely even thinks about the fact that she’s adopted. She loves her books, her garden, and her current obsession with medical conditions. A highly gifted child, she’s never really fit in at school. The teachers just don’t understand her. When she’s accused of cheating on a test, her punishment is meeting with the school counselor. It’s at this point that her comfortable little world comes crashing down when her parents are killed in an automobile accident. What follows is Willow’s journey to find her place in a strange, unfamiliar world all the while relying on the help of strangers.

Written in the same line of thinking as Wonder and Out of My Mind, this book had me hooked from the first sentence. My heart was aching for Willow and the sorrow she had to go through. At the same time, I was filled with admiration for this little girl who persevered in spite of such insurmountable odds. The other characters in this book are no less important and just as enjoyable. I especially loved the transformation of the characters during the course of the story, all because of the impact of one very special little girl. A gruff, lackadaisical school counselor finds himself actually caring. A juvenile delinquent teenage boy begins to find his passion in things other than criminal endeavors. And a misfit group of strangers begins to band together to form a ragtag sort of family. This is the kind of story that will make you laugh at Willow’s quirky sense of humor one minute while crying with heartache for her at the next. This one needs to be at the top of the list for readers both young and old!

~Thalia

Buy it now: Counting by 7s

Review: Zane and the Hurricane by Rodman Philbrick

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20140112-094215.jpgThe cover got me. As soon as I saw this sad yet beautiful illustration I needed to know more. Described as a “gripping yet poignant novel about a boy and his dog trapped in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina”, I was immediately intrigued.

Twelve-year-old Zane has been sent to visit his newly discovered great-grandmother in New Orleans. Not a fan of the city he calls “Smellyville”, he nevertheless begins to enjoy the time spent getting to know his long-lost relative. As luck would have it, however, his visit coincides with one of the worst natural disasters in history. After the levees fail, he and his grandmother attempt to leave the city. Zane gets separated from his grandmother and is rescued by a kindly musician and his young charge. Along the way, they encounter much of the horror and lawlessness that pervaded the city during this time. As a young man of mixed race, Zane’s eyes are opened to many societal and racial issues he’s never seen in his home state of New Hampshire.

I enjoyed this book for many reasons. Realistic fiction is always a favorite of mine if it’s packed full of historical facts, and this books fits that description. Although Zane is a fictional character, much of his experiences are based on factual information gathered by the author and others. The book explores the issues of economic and racial disparities without being preachy. There’s no question that people are often treated differently because they’re poor or black. Mr. Philbrick did an excellent job of researching facts and conditions of that horrible time in America’s recent history. As a Newbery Honor author, he knows how to speak to his audience of young readers. Although this book’s intended audience is listed as 10 to 14 years, don’t let that dissuade you from reading it.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

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16068905 In my little twitter-sphere and Facebook world this book has a TON of hype behind it and in general I really hate to read books with a lot of hype. Because almost always I end up feeling just meh about the book or movie and then think well there is obviously something wrong with all of these other people because that was just not that great! So I tend to just read my own thing and it all works out just fine. But there was an insanely good price drop and I couldn’t resist buying it because that IS the way into this book lover’s kindle. Also I did read Attachments at the recommendation of Vi who has about a 98.4% track record of recs for me (and I loved it). Then I read Eleanor and Park and I loved it too. All that to say basically fine, I succumbed to the hype, I’m weak. Whatevs.

How do you not like the Internet? That’s like saying, ‘I don’t like things that are convenient. And easy. I don’t like having access to all of mankind’s recorded discoveries at my fingertips. I don’t like light. And knowledge.’

I started to read and fell in love with Cath, the main character, immediately. But it wasn’t fair because the author somehow made her exactly like me in every way but completely different at the same time. Cath and her twin sister, Wren, go to college after spending their whole lives being together. When Wren decides not to be roommates with her Cath is kind of crushed but finds solace in her hobby of writing fan fiction for the series Simon Snow. But not just any fan fiction, like really epic fan fiction that has hundreds and hundreds of followers online.

So while her college life is just not going that great – her roommate seems to hate her and has a boyfriend(ish) who is always around, Cath’s professor thinks fan fiction is plagiarism, and she can’t seem to make any friends – her fan fiction is the only thing that seems to make any sense. Like always.

“I feel sorry for you, and I’m going to be your friend.”
“I don’t want to be your friend,” Cath said as sternly as she could. “I like that we’re not friends.”
“Me, too. I’m sorry you ruined it by being so pathetic.”

There is so much going on in this book it would be so easy for it to just fall apart if something wasn’t done well but it was, just ridiculously done well! There is a beautiful family story being told here. Partly with the twins and dealing with going to college and the ramifications of being apart for the first time. Cath can’t understand what Wren is doing and can’t comprehend why she doesn’t want to be around her anymore. But at the same time she can’t see what Wren herself is going through. They’re both grappling with bigger issues of leaving their father at home alone, and dealing with their mother who left them and how they want to handle her possibly entering their lives again. Neither can understand how the other wants to deal with it.

On top of that is the coming to college story, Cath dealing with being introverted and not being able to even go to the cafeteria by herself to eat. This was part of the book that made my heart ache for her because I was having flashbacks to my freshman year in college, dealing with a hated roommate of my own. Going hand in hand with the college and coming of age story is of course the falling in love for the first time which was so awkwardly well done. Cath falling in love and acknowledging how incredibly weird yet awesome this was for her was hilarious and heart breaking to see.

“You’ve read the books?”
“I’ve seen the movies.”
Cath rolled her eyes so hard, it hurt. (Actually.) (Maybe because she was still on the edge of tears. On the edge, period.) “So you haven’t read the books.”
“I’m not really a book person.”
“That might be the most idiotic thing you’ve ever said to me”

“How do you feel when I smile at you?” he asked – and then he did smile at her, just a little.
Not like myself, Cath thought.
“Like an idiot,” she said softly. “And I never want it to stop.”

All of this being tied together of course was the fan fiction. I’ve never written fan fiction and barely read some so I’m not super familiar with that world but wow does the author just pull you right into it and make you feel like you’ve lived in it your whole life. There have been comparisons made of Simon Snow to Harry Potter and that is obviously what my mind went to as well. I loved the snippets and I loved reading pieces of what Cath wrote throughout the book.

Somehow Rainbow Rowell managed to take all of these different pieces of these huge stories together into one and make a complex book that made total sense. I’ve seen many books fall apart trying to tie just two of these themes together so I’m still not quite sure how she managed to do this but in my opinion she was very successful. Besides combining all of these into one she also made me laugh. This is an extremely quotable book and I love that.
5 Stars

~Clio

Buy it Now Fangirl