My Life in…

I read Shakespeare Bats Cleanup when it first came out, so I didn’t really remember much other than I enjoyed it. I felt the same way about this one. Many verse novels read like prose with line breaks, but Koertge’s background as a poet leads him to write poems that seem simple on the surface but really use the form well. Kevin’s experiments with different types of poetry leads to a more varied novel, even if not all of his poems are equally successful. Kevin’s relationship with his father was a bit more interesting than his relationship with the two girls and I enjoyed the poems that focused on that the most. Overall a strong read for a sensitive teen reader.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Candlewick

This book is more of a return to the first book which seemed to be more about Janie and what she was going to. Fade was more about trying to solve the case of the teachers and the drug and alcohol induced underage orgy. Gone lacks the intensity of Fade, but Janie’s personal journey is interesting especially as we’ve gotten to know her and Cabel so well. The stakes are still high, but more personal. The story is still written in the fast paced, spare style that will attract reluctant readers although they will have to read the first two books in the series to enjoy this one.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Simon and Schuster at their librarians’ preview.

will grayson (who writes halfway in verse and doesn’t use capital letters) is neither a wallflower or overshadowed by his best friend, but he has an online boyfriend Isaac whom he’d really like to meet, an annoying friend Maura who likes him but doesn’t seem to get the hint that he’s not interested, and a case of depression that makes life hard.

When Will Grayson is kicked out of a concert for having a fake ID that has the wrong age, and will grayson tries to meet up with Isaac with less than successful results, their lives intersect in a very interesting way.

While I will admit that initially I was much more interested in Will Grayson than his lowercase counterpart, the story did win me over. Tiny is an incredible character and I liked how well drawn his friendship with Will Grayson was (close but flawed on both sides). This is another solid effort by John Green and David Levithan.

Reviewed from (shiny!) ARC provided by Penguin at ALA Midwinter

I thought it was interesting that this was the second book I’ve read this month that had a technology rehab setup, though in Tangled, the concept is mocked and in the end, not very essential to the story. For Very, it’s not the disconnection from technology that is as important as her counseling sessions with Keisha that help her get to the root of some of her problems. I liked these parts of the book best. At first it seemed like Very was just yet another one of Rachel Cohn’s impossibly hip narrators, but without the liability of a Cyd Charisse or a Nick or Norah. But once Very begins to open up, her vulnerability shows and you can see more of the character and less of the hip references and technological gadgetry. Very won me over in the end. I wonder if teen readers will be turned off by the idea that technology can be bad for you, but hope that they’ll get to the heart of the message that it’s not about the technology, but what the technology is allowing you to hide.

Is it a little embarrassing to admit that while I was intrigued by the premise of the book when I read about it in one of the review journals, what pushed me over the edge of reading it was that Malia Obama read it? I hope she liked this as much as I did. This book had lovely characterizations of the sisters and their fathers. Jiro, in particular, really won me over as the guy who didn’t really intend to have a child but ends up being rather effective in this role. The Mr. Bronson character did bother me, not only because he was such a jerk, but because it was never really clear what their mother would have seen in him in the first place. He has raised other kids, but why hasn’t it occurred to him until recently that Maddie is his responsibility? He is fighting for custody, but it’s unclear what prompted this. I would agree with him that their mother isn’t the best role model, but at the same time, he clearly isn’t doing that great of a job either. Other than that, this book is just nice writing and a warm family story.

Based on the jacket copy, I was surprised at how little of the story actually takes place at the resort; most of the action takes place in the months after the trip. The characters themselves are unevenly interesting. I was most drawn in by Owen’s story but I bet there are plenty of teen readers who would sympathize with any of the other characters. The success of this novel is the accurate portrayal of aspects of teen life: how divorce affects siblings, how teen romance can get very complicated, especially when there is a death involved, how teens can connect on the internet in a very different way than in person, how depression can manifest itself in someone who on the surface looks very perfect, how friendships can have a lot more meaning than sex.

I think the Earth, My Butt and Other Big, Round Things is still my favorite Carolyn Mackler book, but I loved this one as well. I think the cover makes light of the book a bit though, and wonder if teens who enjoyed books Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles would pick this one up.

I’ve been recommending this book to my teens for years because for a long time, it was one of the only contemporary African-American teen books that dealt with things like dating, relationships, family issues, and school, instead of racism, poverty, slavery, gangs and drugs. (I’m pleased that’s starting to change). I especially like that both characters are from middle class to wealthy families, which is the reality for many of the teens in my town. I know my teens love this one, and Played, Davidson’s second book.

The problem is that with all of the things this book has going for it, it’s just not a very good book. While Jason and Kyra’s relationship is fantastic and well-described, the rest of the narrative falls completely flat. It seems like there are a lot of rookie mistakes like too many faceless named secondary characters that serve no purpose, needless point-of-view shifts and lots of exposition in the narration. As the story progresses, the writing does get better, as the focus is mostly on the relationship which is the most successful part of the book. This is frustrating because it’s clear that Davidson has a lot of talent in crafting characters and with some more editing this would have been a fantastic book.

Cullen recreates the killings and provides a background from the killers’ journals and other notes, plus interviews, police reports, and many other sources. This book illuminated for me just how much of what I thought about this event was completely wrong. I had no idea that they intended to blow up the entire school. Cullen downplays the bullying angle and in fact, portrays the killers as partipants in bullying rather than victims, but I suspect that played a role for them earlier in their lives, considering both were described as shy and awkward growing up. The writing in this book is compelling and I found myself drawn in to the point that I had trouble putting it down, despite how disturbing it was. I’ve read some criticisms of the book and I don’t think any one account is going to have the whole truth in it, but I’d encourage you to read this to find out more about this tragedy.

The book bears a resemblance to Honey, Baby, Sweetheart or The Secret Life of Prince Charming in the fact that the writing is often lovely, but what it lacks is a compelling narrator. Cassie is a nice girl and it is devastating to see the affect that Dino’s volatility has on her, but the book is so focused on Dino that it seems more like it is his story. Even in her romantic relationship Cassie seems to be more of an observer than a participant so it is hard to get behind her. I’ll certainly read more of Caletti’s books but this one just wasn’t my favorite.