My Life in…

My only minor quibble with this book is that some of the conversations (particularly between Andy and the coach) are completely inauthentic as they use the dialogue to provide exposition in a clunky awkward way. All of the other chapters work tremendously well. There’s a ton of honest emotion and you really care for the characters even though they have made some big mistakes. The ending isn’t totally surprising though it may be for a younger teen reader. The varied writing styles made for a quick fast paced reads, and I now know exactly why this is one of the most popular books on my summer reading list.

I love Jerry Spinelli, but reading this out of order makes this feel a little like Stargirl lite. I know a lot of people will disagree with me and say that this is better than Stargirl, but it lacks a bit of the sparkle that makes Stargirl so delightful to me. I think part of the problem is that Stargirl is a teenager who chooses to be quirkly, but Maniac is a kid and it’s harder to overlook the impossibility of this story. The families that took Maniac in would be considered kidnappers rather than heroes in reality, and while this was a cute story when I was able to suspend my disbelief, it didn’t quite work for me. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had picked it up as an actual child.

I read and enjoyed all of Lara Zeises’s books but for some reason, I left this one on my To Be Read shelf for a couple of years. I think that I never really bothered to read the summary because for some reason I thought this book had a supernatural element. And it totally doesn’t. In fact, the reality of this book is so honest that sometimes it’s hard to read. I thought Bridget’s reaction to the death was all the right amounts of sad, angry, conflicted, and confused, given how deep yet unsettled their relationship was at the time. The grief that Bridget goes through is palpable, and while that is the background for the book, Zeises deftly weaves in lots of other storylines and character issues that make the story feel very rich. I particularly enjoyed Bridget’s difficult relationship with Benji’s family, in addition to her kind stepfather and challenging mother. Every time the book feels like it’s getting stuck in a particular plot point (will she ever get out of her apartment? will she and Jasper ever talk about their issues?), Zeises moves us on to the next thing. I remember loving Contents Under Pressure like crazy but I think this one is my new favorite.

The only other Nancy Werlin book I have read is Impossible, which doesn’t really have anything in common with Rules of Survival except for depth of character. I was torn whether to read this or Double Helix for this project but picked this one just because I couldn’t get the paperback cover out of my head (of course, my library owns the hardcover so I didn’t get to enjoy it while reading). I will definitely put Double Helix back on my list of books to read.

After reading Shattering Glass I was thinking a lot about Cormier and his style of writing so I picked up this one. I think the book I actually intended to read was Tenderness and that I got the wrong one, but it doesn’t really matter because this book was very strong. The fact that we can see both sides of the interrogation as its happening is probably not the best writing strategy but it is no less effective as the reader doubts both Jason and the investigator throughout the scene. I didn’t really see the book ending the way it did, even though I had somewhat written off the book 30 pages too early as being cliche in spite of the strong writing and tone. It’s no Chocolate War but it’s clear Cormier is no one hit wonder (though I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that) and I will gladly put the rest of his books on my reading list.

As with any short story collection, the stories are uneven in quality, although even the weaker stories are much better than ones I’ve read in other books. I particularly enjoyed “So I Ain’t No Good Girl,” “Girl, Didn’t I Say I Don’t Write Letters,” “I Like White Boys,” and “I Know a Stupid boy When I See One.” Flake definitely gets inside the heads of teen girls. This is one of the few short story books that fly off the shelves at my library due to the subject matter and gorgeous cover.

This is another fun read, and I definitely understand why these books fly off the shelves. Even reading this several years after it’s release and knowing that there are several sequels, the suspense still worked and I was very worried for Alex throughout the book. The premise is a bit absurd if you think too hard about it, but it is handled very well. This is definitely a gateway book for tween boys.

Wow. I’ve read all of Giles’s other books and for some reason, I never got back to this one. It reads a lot like the Chocolate War, with that same ominous feel. The ending was crazy, well-forshadowed, and as awful as it was, a bit of a relief as we found out exactly what roles the characters played in the gruesome tragedy.

This is a fun, lighthearted book. Most of Joan Bauer’s books are incredible but they are so quiet and lovely that they are hard to booktalk and get into teens hands. This one would be an easy sell. It’s got the humor, the bubbly teen character and all the trappings of teen romance. One of the things I liked best was how Bauer intentionally broke a major writing rule to convey character; in AJ’s dramatic word, everyone yelled or spat or smirked or chirped instead of the far less interesting “said.”

I don’t like basketball. At all. If you like basketball, you need to read this book. De la Peña’s descriptions of the game and writing in general are absolutely gorgeous. I just got bogged down in the basketball which kept me from enjoying this book as much as I should have. I will definitely make a point to read de la Peña’s other books.