#HubChallenge: Maggot Moon

I'm starting off my Hub Reading Challenge! If you want to follow my progress, I'm compiling all of the entries over here and if you want to read more about the Challenge, you can do so over at The Hub.

Title: Maggot Moon
Author: Sally Gardner
Award/List: Printz Honor

This is going to sound weird, but I really wanted to read this book and get it out of the way.  I hate the word maggot.  So much.  It's bizarre.  Growing up, it was very difficult to watch Cadet Kelly when it aired (all of the time) on Disney.

Sadly, I read this as an ebook and for some reason it did not contain the illustrations that accompany the story.  I actually didn't even realize there were illustrations until I looked at the ALA description of the book.  I did enjoy the story without them, but now I'm worried that I missed a lot of insight and story. But, I did jump into this book blindly and was pleasantly surprised.

The story as I read it: Standish and his grandfather live in the lowest of the sectors of a totalitarian Motherland, just barely getting by. Oppression surrounds Standish at home, school and the playground. After being subjected to extreme violence on an almost daily basis, Standish and his grandfather take action to shine a light of truth on the Motherland's projection of reality. Soon everyone will know what's beyond the wall.

It's a story about friendship, trust, and rebellion.  Definitely worth picking up.  It was a fast read, but then again, I read it without the pictures which I'm really sad about! Has anyone read it with the pictures? AKA how it's supposed to be read? Should I stumble into a bookstore and flip through a book?

Review: Bumped

Before I get into my feelings on Megan McCafferty's dystopia Bumped, I'm working at the library right now and the teens here just taught me a neat trick. If you smash your phone's touchscreen, something many people are prone to do, you can put tape over the crack and the touchscreen will still function.  As someone who fears breaking touchscreens, this is fantastic information.

Moving along.

Bumped. A dystopia where teen pregnancy is a blessing, even encouraged by the adult population.  Why? Because due to a virus, practically no one over the age of 18 can procreate. As soon as a teen girl becomes fertile, she is to get pregnant ASAP and hand over the baby to the highest bidder. Teens are even hired as "pros" and essentially pimped out for their highly esteemed genetic qualities. Within this universe, there lies a religious community who is against this way of life, preferring their infants to be born into families. Identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth, each living in a different area.  When they meet, the entire "bumping" system is set to come crashing down around them.

If I didn't already know this before, I certainly know it now. I am officially tired of the dystopia trend.  Having thoroughly enjoyed McCafferty's Jessica Darling series, I assumed that I would enjoy her dystopia.  I was wrong.

There's a chance that my overexposure to dystopias is what caused me to dislike this novel so much, especially because there are positives to consider.  For instance, the reader is immediately thrown into the universe. There's no long explanation of how the nation got to this point (as evident in dystopias like The Hunger Games and Divergent - where it's even more out of place as their first person narration should deem the background unnecessary).  Instead, the Bumped reader dives right into the strange lingo and new concepts and must fill in the blanks as they progress through the story.

Unfortunately, the plot not only tends to run in place to fill up pages, but also relies on cliche characterizations of religious people to forward the action. It was a struggle for me to get through the entire novel and I think I may just read a summary of the sequel (because even when I dislike a series book, I still need to know what happens).

If you're interested in a dystopia that focuses on reproductive rights, I would suggest that you instead try Neal Shusterman's Unwind or Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.

Review: A Mango-Shaped Space

A Mango-Shaped Space, by Wendy Mass, is a title that I have consistently recommended to students but, as of December 2013, had never read myself.  I knew that it was realistic fiction about a girl who saw letters and numbers in color (synesthesia), that the novel made many people cry, and that there was a cat named Mango (three guesses as to why everyone cries; hint: my theory about books with dogs on the cover).

After recommending it so many times and consistently getting positive feedback from the readers, I decided it was time to actually read it myself. I loved it.

At the start of the novel, Mia reflects on a traumatizing third grade experience when she tried to explain the proper colors for each number to her math class.  Ridiculed by her teacher and classmates when they did not follow along, Mia was forced to keep her visions a secret. But when she starts algebra, the combination of numbers and letters makes her secret too much to bear. Mia learns that her condition has a name, synesthesia, and dives into a world of information.  Mia must balance her new appreciation of her colorful life with her classwork, friends, family, and her cat Mango, whom she believes contains a piece of her grandfather's soul, a man who had always understood her in more ways than she could have known. 

I really welcome stories that offer new perspectives.  You can never really see what another person sees, especially in Mia's case. What I enjoyed most about this novel was the emphasis on trust.  Mia experiences so much disbelief from others: her teachers, classmates, parents, even her best friend, that it's heartwarming to see her remain so trusting as she works to educate both herself and others about her condition. It's also important for the child and young adult readers to experience the distrust and teasing that Mia encounters in her quest for the truth.

I think the only aspect of the novel that bothered me was the fact that she never got caught for falsely going to acupuncture to heighten her synesthesia. If you've read it, did that bother you?

Reconstructing Amelia

I love a good mystery. When the pieces all fall into place, it is such a satisfying reading experience (I'm looking at you Casual Vacancy).

Well-written mysteries have pieces that fit like a puzzle. But you know when you're putting together a 500 piece puzzle and you convince yourself that two pieces absolutely go together, so you hammer them down like there's no tomorrow? Sometimes that's what Reconstructing Amelia feels like.

Let me back up.  Reconstructing Amelia follows Kate, a single mother/attorney, as she copes after her daughter Amelia's alleged suicide.  Unwilling to believe that her daughter killed herself, Kate sorts through her daughter's electronic life and enters a terrifying world of bullying, hazing, secret clubs, and possible school cover-ups.  The perspective alternates between past and present day Kate, past Amelia, and collections of texts, Facebook statuses, and e-mails.

For the most part, I really enjoyed the book. It takes on a hot button issue (cyberbullying), incorporates other prevalent young adult issues (LGBT, popularity, identity) and presents a thoughtful critique of our online world(s). The teen voices are not forced and the blame for their actions isn't placed entirely on their shoulders. However, in what appears to be an attempt to create a lot of "gasp" worthy moments, some of the revelations read as if they're too hammered into place to fit.

But all in all, it's a satisfying read. If you're okay with overlooking a more farfetched conclusion and enjoy mysteries, I would pick up this book, preferably before the Nicole Kidman movie version premieres. Due to the subject matter, teens may find this an interesting reads, provided they're mature enough to handle the heavy amount of profanity, sexual scenes, and talk of cutting.

Openly Straight

Rafe is an openly gay teenager in Boulder, CO, a place where his sexuality is rarely looked down upon. His friends and family are more than supportive; his hippie parents even threw him a surprise coming out party.  But Rafe is tired of always being labeled as "the gay guy." There's more to him beyond his sexuality. So Rafe heads out to a brand new, all boys boarding school and willingly puts himself back in the closet so his other traits can shine through.  What follows is an interesting exploration of how Rafe can or cannot be true to himself when he omits a major aspect of his life and how this omission impacts not only his actions, but his peers' as well. 

In Openly Straight, Bill Konigsberg puts an interesting twist on the LGBT young adult novel. Many times the struggle is coming out or finding acceptance as a gay teen, but here the struggle (in Rafe's original assessment) is finding acceptance as a regular guy. Konigsberg explores labels outside of "gay" and how pigeonholing people into these roles almost never reflects accurate assessments of their lives.  Eventually Rafe comes to meaningful realizations about how he perceives himself as a result of his experiment.

I would recommend this book to any teen who shows interest in LGBT literature, particularly because it is a refreshing plot.  The focus on other teen issues is also prevalent and would appeal to teens looking for books that deal with bullying, depression, exploration of sexuality, and/or school hierarchies.  Sometimes books about LGBT issues can be (rightly) overly emotional. This book succeeds in discussing difficult topics with humor. It's a very, very funny book with a lot of heart.

P.S. I knew I loved this book when on page 12, a boy is described as wearing a shirt that says "I Want to Go To There." Later, my love was reaffirmed when a character states that he's upset because he didn't get tickets to the New Kids on the Block reunion tour.  

Before I Fall

Samantha Kingston dies in a car crash...then she wakes up in the morning and relives her last day on earth. It happens again and again without reason. Even changing her behavior and patterns doesn't prevent her from reliving "Cupid Day," the Friday before Valentine's Day where students send roses to one another as a sign of popularity (think "Four for you Glen Coco, you go Glen Coco!"). Reliving Cupid Day shines a new light on Samantha's outlook on her friends, her less than affectionate boyfriend, her family, and the outcasts she looks down on. She's quite literally forced to face herself and make changes before she can move on, whether or not it's in life or death.

Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall is pretty popular with the teens at my school.  I can see why. The cover is attractive, and it has an interesting premise, good lessons, and high school drama from varying angles that any tween/teen can connect with.  Originally I felt that it wasn't the best written book - as the day repeats, characters seemingly change motivations - but when I realized this was happening as a reflection of Samantha's maturing, I had a lot more respect for the work. It still feels clumsy here and there, but for teens looking for a realistic plot about self discovery and life lessons, it's a respectable choice.

And yes, it is a less funny Groundhog's Day in YA novel form.

Because I mentioned it above: 

In Wonder Show, Hannah Barnaby tells the tale of a young girl's search for family.  Portia grows up in a world full of laughter and stories with her family of gypsies, but one by one they leave until she has only her aunt.  Her aunt, unable to handle Portia's active imagination, sends her to a boarding home for wayward girls. Desperate to reunite with her father, Portia escapes the evil Mister of the home.  She hides with a traveling sideshow, hoping all the while that she will see her father's face in the crowd.  There, while outcast as a "normal" amongst the "freaks," Portia finds the true meaning of family and what it means to leave one behind.

The freaks at the sideshow are inspired by real attractions found in the Barnum & Bailey circus and sideshows during the depression era.  The description of the family element that they share reminded me of the "peculiars" in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.  That got me thinking of bouncing these two books off of each other in a book club and exploring their similar themes.

Wonder Show has a few references to some nude Siamese twin dancing, but because it's not incredibly explicit and Portia's reaction to it is important to her growth, I'd say that this novel would be great for middle school readers and up. 

Ten

Gretchen McNeil's Ten is a modern YA retelling of the Agatha Christie classic And Then There Were None.  Megan and nine other teens are invited to an unchaperoned party on an island, leaving them to believe they're about to have the time of their lives.  But when they discover a DVD that declares vengeance on the party guests it all changes.  Over the course of three days, the bodies start piling up, each death indicated with a red slash on the wall.  Megan must work as fast as possible to not only figure out who is behind the murders, but more importantly, escape the island alive.

I'll be honest, when I first realized that Ten was a retelling, I wasn't expecting it to be that great. It was especially groan-worthy when Megan "pulled out a copy of the Facebook invite," because it seemed like a halfhearted attempt to inject teen culture into the Christie story.  But once the mystery took off and characters were fleshed out, it became a gripping thriller.  The ending also involves a new twist that I did not see coming, so kudos to McNeil. 

I think teens who aren't familiar with the Christie thriller will enjoy it the most, but those who have had exposure to the classic will appreciate the new ending.  The book trailer for Ten is the DVD played in the novel.  It's actually pretty great and playing this would be a simple way to book talk this novel. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is Greg's, a high school senior, account of his time spent with Rachel, a girl recently diagnosed with leukemia.  But no, it's not that kind of Nicholas Sparks novel. There's no wedding to live out a dying girl's last wish, no life-changing lessons learned, no dramatic court scene to get her the treatment she needs.  Greg tells the reader of this right off the bat.  Alternating between lists, scripts, and prose, Greg explains how he was forced by his Mom to befriend the dying girl, how he is a failure at cheering up the soon-to-die, and how he realized he was the worst filmmaker of all time.

This novel is for the older teen with the twisted sense of humor - aka my favorite patron. This novel is all kinds of dark. It also contains a LOT of crude language, some violence, discussion of death, and various references to drug use, including one hilarious scene where Greg, who doesn't do drugs, is accidentally high and is afraid that the silence in the room is "possible racist silence."

The sheer ridiculousness, but also insightfulness (I made up a word) of the accidental high scene caused me to erupt into laughter while on an un-airconditioned subway stuffed full of miserable people trudging to their jobs who were unappreciative of my glee. 

Anyway, this novel is darkly hilarious, a little depressing here and there (the words "dying girl" are in the title, after all), and a great reminder of how we need to take a break from putting ourselves first all the time.  It's Jesse Andrews' debut novel and I'm excited to see what he does next. 

Monstrous Beauty

I tackled this audiobook during my sister's high school graduation ceremony.  When 863 kids are graduating, you know you're in for a long night. Always be prepared - audiobooks are great for the stealth factor.  When I began listening, the mythology initially confused me and I thought that my preparedness was going to kick me in the butt. But then I was immediately sucked in and I fell in love with this fantasy novel.

Hester's family is cursed, each mother dying immediately after giving birth to their first child.  As a result, she has sworn not to fall victim to this curse, shunning love and the pain it ultimately causes.  Where I thought that this would turn into a boy trying to convince her otherwise (which still kind of technically happens), instead of becoming a cliché fluttery mess, Hester decides to take action and research (at the library!! YAY!!!***) what could have cursed her family all those generations ago. Alongside her research, Monstrous Beauty brings the reader back and forth between the 19th century and present day to learn what ties Hester to legends of the sea. 

The novel is a great mix of fantasy, romance, and suspense.  Also, while the reader knows more than Hester at various points of the novel, there are still surprises at the novel's climax, which is fantastic.  On Shelfari (my digital bookshelf of choice), I saw this novel tagged as a retelling. I'm unfamiliar with mermaid mythology, so I can't speak to that, but if it is, then this novel definitely peaked my interest in wanting to learn more about the mythology of sea creatures.

***Sidenote: then she steals from the library, which I can't condone.  DON'T DO THAT!

The White Bicycle

I just found out that this Printz Honor book is actually the third in the Wild Orchard series. So right off the bat, I can tell you that you don't need prior knowledge of the first two in order to fall in love with this novel.

19-year-old Taylor has Asperger's Syndrome, and is traveling to France with her mother in order to work as a "personal care assistant" to boost her resume in her continued attempts at achieving total responsibility.  While making decisions and learning about the world around her, Taylor grapples with her mother's constant life interference and inability to let her be a woman. The ultimate reveal of  betrayal is both heartbreaking and uplifting as Taylor keeps on keeping on toward her personal goals.  I'm definitely going back and reading the other novels in the series when I get a chance.

I've encountered many young adults who love the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as well as Marcelo in the Real World, both of which focus on a main character with Asperger's.  In the past, they have asked me for more books with similar plots and themes, and I'm definitely adding The White Bicycle to my mental list.  Brenna paints a realistic depiction of Taylor's thoughts and confused emotions throughout her experiences.  I believe teens will relate to Taylor's conflicts with family and life; the way she describes her understanding of events and emotions are peculiar yet insightful and even without the perspective of a person living with Asperger's, they apply to the angst and emotional rollercoasters that can be a teenager's life.

The Running Dream

If you have someone looking for a happy ending book about someone going above and beyond overcoming adversity, The Running Dream, by Wendelin Van Draanen, is what you need to reach for.
 

Jessica wakes up in the hospital after a severe car accident.  Her leg has been amputated.  Her days of track team and running seem over. She struggles with adjusting to her new life: simple tasks are difficult, she's behind in school, track is no more, insurance woes plague her family; she just can't seem to put one foot in front of the other (don't groan, the book is chock full of puns like this!).  But slowly and surely Jessica adapts to the changes in her life and takes on new challenges as she learns what is truly important in this world.

My only major issue with the book is something that only happens in a brief section: Oscar Pistorious named as a role model for Jessica.  While other famous disabled runners are also mentioned, he comes first and, with 2 missing legs, understandably has a bigger impact on Jessica.  However, due to recent events, people have shifted on their feelings about him and that recent history pulls at the reader quite a bit when his name comes into play.  Obviously, this happened after the book's release, but it's akin to reading a story about someone being inspired by OJ Simpson.  So much yikes.

Also, the constant stream of successes for Jessica as she works toward her happy ending might bother some readers for being unrealistic.  The way she soars through recovery sometimes makes it seem like her bigger challenge is her crush on a boy, not her missing leg.  But it didn't bother me, because I liked feeling uplifted by the character's successes, particularly her new friendship with a fellow classmate with cerebral palsy.

I'm not a runner, but being from Boston, this book really resonated with me.  The cynic in me could say that this novel is overly optimistic at times, especially with how fast Jessica makes her recoveries and easily (as easy as it can be with one leg) overcomes every obstacle she faces, but the stories of hope that keep coming from the Boston Marathon bombing victims erase my cynicism and make me appreciate the hopefulness of the story.

I think The Running Dream could work in so many displays: sports, marathons, health, quick picks, etc.  It is a fast, interesting read that incorporates overcoming adversity with typical teenage obstacles that young adult readers will appreciate reading, with or without an interest in track.  

The Name of the Star/The Madness Underneath

I recently reread Maureen Johnson's (follow her on Twitter if you haven't already) The Name of the Star to prepare myself for the sequel, The Madness Underneath.  While I still love NotS, I had mixed feelings about MU.

NofS is a paranormal mystery.  Someone in London is recreating the murders of Jack the Ripper.  Rory, a new American boarding school student with the new ability to see and interact with ghosts, is pulled into a ghost police task force in order to aid the investigation - all the while dealing with school, friends, boys, and the ever-increasing "Ripper Mania" that engulfs the area as the people await more murders.  It's a thrilling adventure, often funny, and a great commentary on the celebrity status of monstrous people.

I loved it as much as I did the first time I read it.

However, the sequel didn't live up to its predecessor.  Too much of the novel is spent rehashing the events of the first, with a great focus on Rory's discomfort about her abilities and fear for what will happen to her now. While that focus is to be expected as she went through a terrible ordeal, too much of the novel is spent dissecting her thoughts and not enough focus on the current paranormal adventure. There are people inexplicably dying and not enough explaining.  It frustrated me.

The ending did pick up, however, and there will be a third installment to the series.  I hope that the third book is more like the first.  I've recommended NotS to many students and they've all come back saying that they loved it.  I just hope they appreciate the sequel as well and will stick around for the next book.

This is Not a Test

This is Not a Test, by Courtney Summers, is a zombie apocalypse novel.  I'm not really into the whole walking dead frenzy that everyone seems to be in these days, but I decided to give the novel a try so I could have one under my belt in case any teen ever came looking for a new one.

Like all zombie stories, survival is key in this novel.  Zombies have overtaken the town and six teenagers remain, having taken shelter in their high school.  They board the doors, listen for help messages on the radio,  and try not to go crazy while playing the waiting game. But tensions are too high because not only are they in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, but they also have hormones. Crazy teen hormones.  Seriously, sometimes the teens' emotions change about 3 times in one page.

But they all have reasons for their emotional outbursts, or lack thereof. Sloane, the narrator, is a victim of severe domestic abuse and abandonment, and these experiences weigh her down in the group's survival efforts. Grace and Trace witnessed their parents get overcome by zombies and Chris, another teen survivor, is to blame for their downfall.  The novel moves from whether or not they can survive the physical demons to whether or not they can defeat their inner demons (how very Buffy - I mean really, they're trapped inside a high school and fighting demons).

The novel was...okay.  I think teens would really enjoy it.  There's action, lots of swearing, a little sex, drinking and survival of the fittest.  But the amount of blame in this book really weighed the book down for me and while relevant, started to become redundant around the 6th time Trace lashed out at Chris for leading his parents to their deaths.

This is Not a Test may or may not become a TV movie, but it probably depends on how we as a nation feel about zombies after World War Z comes out.

Sparks: The Epic, Completely True, (Almost) Holy Quest of Debbie

Sparks is an LGBT themed book that I read immediately after The Miseducation of Cameron Post in order to see how they compared.  While they both touch upon religion and its connection to sexuality and life, Sparks is definitely more comedic and light-hearted in its approach.

Debbie is in love with her best friend, Lisa.  Enough in love that she frequently attends Christian Youth Group sessions where they constantly harp on the dangers of homosexuality, just to spend more time with her.  It doesn't stop there. Debbie never swears, attempts to block out all improper thoughts, and only watches good old-fashioned family TV (i.e. Full House - this book is so full of Full House references that it is a 90s nostalgia fanatic's dream), because that's how wholesome Lisa lives her life.  But Debbie's lesbian secret is discovered  and her life spirals out of control as she attempts to tell Lisa before someone else can. During her journey, she relies on her new friends Tim and Emma and their invented religion, Bluedaism, to help build an identity separate from Lisa's.

I would say that Sparks is like a middle school LGBT version of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.  It's a novel about self-discovery, love, and friendship, and it all takes place in one night.  It's definitely entertaining in its approach, but I think tweens would appreciate it more for its approach to identity through Bluedaism (especially the bits about being Blueish and patting Bluedha) than the LGBT factor.  While S.J. Adams' novel focuses on gay acceptance and redefining what is "normal", the focus is more on accepting your personal identity.  Not only does Debbie need to construct her own self, but Emma struggles to accept her weight, Tim struggles to reveal his true sexuality (straight) and characters are frequently forced into roles they don't fit.  There is religious commentary sprinkled throughout.  It's definitely not an attack on religion, but a discussion on how religion should compliment who you are, not force you to hide your identity.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Within my incredible soft spot for YA literature, I have an even softer spot for LGBT YA fiction.  The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Danforth's Morris Award winning debut novel, is now in my top LGBT reads.

It's the 90s (yes, that is also a huge factor in why I love this novel) and Cameron lives in the middle of nowhere Montana.  She realizes she has different feelings towards girls at a young age, but her discovery coincides with the tragic death of her parents.  She doesn't know what to make of her feelings until years later when she meets another lesbian on her swim team.  Lindsey takes on the task of getting Cameron up to speed on lesbian speak and activities (music, movies, pride festivities) even when she moves back home after their summer together.  Cameron continues to live in secret until she is betrayed by a friend and forced to attend a curing camp by her conservative born-again Christian aunt.  Cameron continues to struggle at the camp, both with her feelings about her sexuality and also her guilt over her parents' deaths. 

I'm generalizing here, but a good chunk of LGBT fiction that I've encountered primarily focuses on either a character's confusion over whether or not s/he is gay or the reaction of others to a character's intentional or unintentional outing.  Cameron Post features both of these concepts, but also focuses on the internal struggle Cameron faces as she tries to grapple with the idea that maybe her family and church are right; what she's feeling may in fact be wrong.  Also, while the curing camp that Cameron is forced to attend is obviously supposed to be viewed as an antagonizing force, because the workers are shown to struggle when faced with adversity, Cameron's experience there isn't so black and white. I like that Danforth's realistically explores how a teen facing such a program feels when they want to please their family despite being angry with them.

Some of the scenes are pretty sexual, and there's drug and alcohol use littered throughout, so I'd definitely limit recommending this title to older teens or mature readers.  

Dodger

In my effort to read more "boy books" (I cringe every time I use that phrase and I know I should stop and that my continual use of the phrase just furthers others' belief that such a thing exists and this is a run on sentence and I absolutely ADORE what Maureen Johnson did with cover flipping) I selected Terry Pratchett's Dodger from the Hub Reading Challenge List because male author + male title character = boy book for a lot of people. 

Dodger is a "tosher" (sewer scavenger) who saves a young lady, Simplicity, he sees being abused by two men.  Dodger is tasked with finding out all he can about Simplicity, ultimately learning that she is the secret wife of a prince and this status is blocking a planned political marriage.  It becomes clear that whoever is behind the attack won't stop until Simplicity is killed.  From that point on Dodger is determined to catch the villain. Throughout his quest, he unintentionally becomes a hero, and undergoes the process of evolving from tosher to gentleman in appearance while still maintaining his tosher street smarts and experience.

Pratcher mixes humor, adventure and historical fiction to create an entertaining, intelligent story.  When I first began reading the novel, I was immediately struck by how Dickens-like it was.  The fictional names alone scream out Dickens: Dodger, Simplicity, Mrs. Sharples (sometimes pronounced Sharp Balls), etc. Then Charles Dickens was revealed as a character (he's first introduced simply as "Charlie").  Thennnnn I learn that Dodger is actually based on the Artful Dodger, a character from Dickens' Oliver Twist, which I didn't know because I haven't read that book yet.  So yeah, that's why the book seems very Dickens.

Being historical fiction, the book also features a great number of "real" characters: Henry Mayhew, Angela Burdett-Coutts, Benjamin Disraeli, Robert Peel, and John Tenniel.  Even Sweeney Todd of urban legend/literary/musical fame makes a notable appearance.

Overall, even if the reader does not understand the historical and literary connections, the novel is a great read...for boys AND girls.

Drama

Drama, by Raina Telgemeier, is a graphic novel that follows Callie, a techie in her middle school drama club. Because drama club is the center of Callie's life, the club and her personal life frequently collide.  As such, the drama referenced in the title applies to both the drama club and the teenage drama Callie experiences in her daily routine: unrequited crushes, panic attacks over text messaging, potential gay-bashing bullies, etc.

The angst is very peppy.  If anything, Callie reminds me a bit of a young, stressed out Liz Lemon:

This approach effectively blends the campiness that surrounds all drama clubs with the personal angst; it would be incredibly jarring if the two didn't mesh. It doesn't beat the reader over the head with the drama, but still maintains its relatability.  It's great for middle schoolers looking for a graphic novel that is bright and funny with an emotional core.  However, for a teen looking for a more gripping, less peppy graphic novel, they'd be better off with selections similar to Anya's Ghost.

Also, the depiction of the drama club is spot on.  Tweens/teens who participates in theater will appreciate how well Telgemeier captures the spirit.

Gone Girl

It's hard to describe Gone Girl without revealing a major spoiler, however, that spoiler was part of a book blurb I read prior to reading this novel so I'm going to say it anyway.  I'll block it out so you can look at it at your own discretion : SHE ISN'T DEAD, SHE RAN AWAY AND STAGED EVERYTHING.

There.

Gone Girl is the story of a husband, Nick, and wife, Amy, who would seemingly be on the fast track to divorce city if Amy hadn't suddenly gone missing.  Soon it is widely suspected that Amy was murdered at the hands of Nick.  Readers follow the story through alternating chapters of Nick's narration and Amy's diary entries (and later narration), two voices clashing against one another to tell their tales of courtship and marriage and defend their past choices.

I'll be honest. For about a fourth of the book I completely despised it.  I kept thinking that the novel was only reaffirming my love for children's and young adult novels (as you know, that's all I typically read these days), because this novel is just dripping with passive aggressive attacks and pathological blame for parents, family, wives, friends, EVERYONE. No one took responsibility for actions.  It also has a healthy helping of the typical "there's no hope for future happiness now that I'm almost a middle-aged adult" tone that plagues adult fiction (in my opinion).  I hated it.  But my friend Bridget had insisted I drop everything and read this novel (which I didn't do, sorry Bridget!), and Lord knows she has read every YA book I've insisted she read (thanks Bridget!), so I kept on going.

I'M SO GLAD I DID.

Because then the twist happens and makes it totally worth it.  You find out that maybe Nick isn't the most deplorable character of the novel (he's still terrible - an incredibly misogynistic and passive aggressive man) and it turns into quite a thrill to see who will come out on top as the most psychopathic and who will get knocked down in the process.  Post-twist, the passive aggressiveness and blaming still exist in large quantities, but become much more palatable as they play a larger role in the plot.

I will admit that some of the language got tiresome, but that's a personal taste reflective of my preference for children's and YA lit (although they can get colorful with the language too). Was it all necessary to the plot? Mostly, so I'll let it slide.

All in all, extraordinarily developed characters and unreliable narration make Gone Girl a lot more than your standard thriller novel.  If you haven't already read it, do what Bridget advised me to earlier: drop everything and read it now.

Code Name Verity

The other day I was thinking of how I would describe this novel.  That led to me dreaming about doing a review of this sung to the tune of "Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj: This one is for the girls with the history fix/turn pages and see truth and lies mix.  Unfortunately (read fortunately) that's all I can remember. What's odd is that I didn't even like this novel that much, so I'm not sure why I'm dreaming up reviews.

A pilot (Maddie) and a spy (Queenie), best friends during WWII, crash during a mission and the spy is captured by Nazis. Tortured as a prisoner of war, she agrees to betray the British war effort.  The novel is her confession (and often apology to her side) about what she knows.

I can see why Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity receives a great deal of praise (a 2012 Printz Honor book for starters), but it didn't grab me the way I had hoped.  Without spoiling the novel, there is a twist to events, but it comes far too late in the game.  As the Queenie entries progress, they start to feel repetitive. Does it make sense after the fact? Yes, but for me it tended to drag on enough that I was openly stating "come onnnnn" to the novel as I was reading.

But it is adventurous, clearly researched historical fiction with an element of girl power, so it definitely has an audience out there amongst young adults.