The Giver

Lowry, Lois (1993). The Giver. Bantam Double Day Dell Books.
Young adult, middle grade.  Dystopian
Newbery Medal Winner

I gave this 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.



I really wish I had read this when it first came out, as Lowry clearly planted a seed for many of the future generations of dystopian writers. She painted a very detailed picture of a world in which science and technology have developed to a point the government can create sameness for all its citizens. To swipe a line from Willy Wonka, happiness and harmony are what it's all about. Only a very limited few know what the rest of them are missing, but that's really all it takes for a yearning to start, and when there's yearning, there's change. Think Aldous Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD, minus the sex.

In all the harmony, the characters and this world are deeply disturbing, and the story poses many points to ponder about what makes us human -- free will, choice, guilt, sexuality, and morality to name a few qualities -- and what we are if those aspects are removed.

THE GIVER has an outstanding plot, intentionally written characters (we are only supposed to form specific feelings for those we do), and wonderful, rich writing. It has very minimal violence, no language issues, and no sexual situations -- only a reference to a teenaged boy's stirrings and no elaboration on that.

So why the 4.5 and not the 5.0? The ending. The ending just didn't do it for me and was a little disappointing, whether future companion novels were coming or not. I will probably continue to read the other three books, but I'm not sure they will mend the ending to the first. Want to see my signed copy? Click here.

UPDATE: Movie coming out in 2014! Watch the Movie Trailer HERE!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Sáenz, B.A. (2012). Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe. 
     NY: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers.

AWARDS: Stonewall Book Award (2013), Printz Honor (2013), YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (Top Ten) (2013, Pura Belpre Author Award (2013).

QuickNEasy, 359 pages, ages 14-17

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads

So. . .  the reason I read this book was because I was asked to do so by a local librarian who wanted to know if it belonged in the collection or not.  My short answer is YES, YES, YES! READ THIS BOOK!

"Maybe we just lived between hurting and healing."   Wow. . . so much said in so few words.

This story and writing flow like honey out of a jar -- slowly, deliciously worth the wait.  The writing was absolutely beautiful, and though it flies in the face of logic that the narrator, a fifteen-year-old boy, would be so poetic in his narration, it works perfectly.  Ari is insightful, introspective, and angry, and it takes the full spectrum of the two years spanned in the story for Ari to figure out why he feels how he feels and recognize his feelings and reactions, which were sometimes misguided and at other times spot-on.

The strange thing about this book is that though Ari narrates it, I feel like I better know his best friend, Dante.  Both Ari and Dante are recognizable characters, as are both boys' parents.  In reading, I felt like these were people I'd met at work or church or down the street.  It was refreshing that though these families weren't perfect (find one that is) and slightly dysfunctional (again, whose isn't), these parents were THERE for their boys. They care, they love, they do the best they can and they are working to be better parents. There were times that my heart ached; it was painful to hear Ari's thoughts and his descriptions of what he was observing.  I just wanted to shake him and say "TALK to your dad! He is ready!"  And likewise, "Come on, Mom! Just tell him what he needs to hear!"

This book is about the often painful process of finding one's identity and finding acceptance of it -- both internally and from others.  The short chapters and lots of white space on pages made it very readable, which is why I labeled it a QuickNEasy book despite the number of pages.  So much to learn and think about including the value of family, friendship, trust, and love -- and the destructiveness of anger and silence.

The CLEAN-O-METER rating is a 7 out of 10.  There is some violence: a character gets severely attacked for being gay, but only the bodily injuries, not the attack is not described. There is a quick but bloody fistfight that results in a broken nose, and there are references to murders from fistfights. There is no sex, but there is some kissing between opposite sexes and same sexes. There is mention of masturbation, but no details.  There is discussion of sexual orientation and sexual identity with gay, lesbian, and questioning characters. As far as vulgar language, there is a bit of it, including the all powerful Fbomb, but sometimes it's used intentionally because Ari wants to see how his mom will react to it. One humorous use is in the word ba***rd, as it's in a William Carlos Williams poem that the boys like because they can say a swear word if it's in a poem.  There is underage drinking and purposeful drinking to get drunk, and also one incident of smoking pot and another of a person encouraging Ari to shoot-up heroine (he declines). 

Side Note:  I was fortunate enough to attend the Texas Library Association's 2012 Conference in Houston last year. Mr. Sáenz was on a panel of TAYSHA's authors, and though I had never read any of his works, I was impressed by the tips he gave for encouraging students to write.  He also talked about how life experience influences his works.  Now I see it in action, as he is a professor at UT El Paso, and this book's setting is El Paso and two boys' Mexican-American experiences there.  COOL!

Num8ers (Numbers)

Ward, R. (2010). Numbers. NY: Scholastic
YA Fiction / Urban-Fantasy

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2010)
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

First, as a warning, there is quite a bit of language in this book.  If you are easily offended by the F-bomb, then stay away.  I'm no fan of obscene language, but at least it seemed appropriate for the London street kid dialogue.  They threw it around, much like others would say "shut up." It was really pretty innocuous, if one can say that about the F-bomb. There was also unprotected sexual situations with some description involved, which could be a showstopper.

So the story -- I loved this story.  I gave it 4 of 5 stars in part because of the language, but also because there were a few things that needed explaining and a few things that seemed improbable.  The characters were fantastic and complex, and I liked that for a pleasant change of pace, this wasn't the gorgeous teen girl falling for the hot bad boy. The two main characters, Jem and Spider, noticed the unusual about each other and went beyond the surface to see each other. Refreshing.

Numbers hits on a lot of modern issues - stereotyping, discrimination, drugs, poverty, bullying, to name a few; it makes you think.  I was fairly surprised several times and especially with the ending - didn't see that one coming though I probably should have had an inkling. And though this is a trilogy, really, this could be a stand-alone book, just as Jem's story. I am ALWAYS a fan of the stand-alone book.

I will probably read book 2, The Chaos, but only because I have an ARC of book 3, Infinity.  Hopefully, I will be glad I invested the time. 

Here's the book trailer Scholastic posted.  It makes it seem more sci-fi than I thought the book really was, but enjoy!

Insurgent

Roth, V. (2012). Insurgent. NY: Katherine Tegen Books.
YA Fiction / Dystopian
ALA Best Fiction for Young Adult Readers,

I was able to snag this Advance Release Copy at the TLA Conference in April, and YES, I got it signed and below is a picture of me with the author, Veronica Roth, signing my book. YESSSSSS again!  As I waited in line to be one of the first to get this yet-to-be-published sequel to the most awesome Divergent, I wondered what it must be like to be Ms. Roth. At the tender age of 23, she's set for life and can look out amongst the middle-aged people like me, who jockeyed for a place in line, and think, "Dang, I hope I never have to sink to that level."

So the book. . .  you know I'm not really into spoilers, but man, could I spoil this one for everyone.  I will say that divergence (what it is to be Divergent) is more fully explored and explained, and that makes for some interesting twists and turns in the story.  Tris is really dealing with the implications and emotional destruction of what she did in the first book, and at times I got impatient with that. Deal with it! Talk to someone! Work through it already!  I really thought the book started off a bit slow, but it may have just been my impatience at getting the story rolling so I could find out where it was all going.  I dunno.  It was worth wading through the slowness to get to the meat of the story. Talk about conspiracies and confusion and the shaking up of everything that had been accepted as truth in their society. Good is not necessarily good, bad might be good, evil may not be in the form it seems. And trust is not easily given or received.

******WARNING: JUST A LITTLE SPOILER ABOUT TRIS & FOUR******
I was happy that this didn't turn into a cheesy romance between Tris and Four, and truly I was surprised that their relationship was survived in spite of the hardships and the psychological scars they both have.  At times, they both displayed very real teenager-ish behavior, which can be the kiss of death. But they continued to be drawn back together and were really pretty patient with each other, considering how messed-up they each are.  I was very glad that the romance aspect was not the focus and did not take away from the story.

****YOU MAY NOW SAFELY RETURN TO THE NON-SPOILER PART OF THE SHOW****
For the careful reader, there are plenty of hints and a bit of foreshadowing about where the book ends.  I was not totally surprised by the ending -- maybe a bit by the specifics of it -- but I thought it was great because Roth hasn't boxed herself in.  There are many directions she could go with it.


And here's a cool little trailer about it. . .

A Monster Calls

Ness, P. (2011). A Monster Calls. Somerville, Mass: Candlewick Press.
YA Fiction / Paranormal
Awards: Galaxy British Book Awards for Children's Book of the Year (2011), Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for Young Adult Literature (2011), Red House Children's Book Award (2012), ALA Teens' Top Ten Nominee (2012), Carnegie Medal, Kate Greenaway Medal

WOW. Did I say WOW already?  Two times is not enough. I didn't really know what I was getting into when I decided to read this (on my iPad, by the way. I am becoming so techy).  I knew it had won lots of awards and had many recommendations, but that was about it.

This story was very powerful and so well written that I pretty much read it in one sitting.  I was absolutely drawn-in to thirteen-year-old Conor's life; he is dealing with divorce, dying, bullying, isolation, fear, anxiety, and so much more, but he deals with it.  He is a reminder of what kids can deal with when they have to, and how strong and also fragile they are when they are so burdened.  I am not a bit embarrassed to say that I had myself a good cry at the end. I cried for loss and for love and for letting go and who knows what else. Heart-breaking, but definitely worth the tears to read a book so well-done.

At times, this book reminded me of another favorite, the graphic novel, The Savage, where a boy has to deal with many of the same issues.  Ness apparently wrote the book for another author, Siobhan Dowd, who created the premise but then died at a young age before being able to pen the story.  Ness did an amazing job, and accompanying the text are some awesome, dark and creepy illustrations by Jim Kay that are the icing on this very inventive story.


Here is the trailer released by Candlewick Press -- enjoy, and read this book!

Between Shades of Gray

Sepetys, R. (2011). Between Shades of Gray. NY: Philomel.
YA / Historical Fiction
 UPDATE: I created a thirty-second trailer for this book for day 20 of the Holiday Break Reading Challenge. Check it out!

This book is amazing and tells about a period in history that was unfamiliar to me - Stalin, and his Reign of Terror.  Before I even discuss my thoughts, I encourage anyone to view this trailer/book talk by the author.  It's eleven minutes, but it's well worth the time. (you can also go to the Official Book Website for more information)

   

I was absolutely swallowed-up in this very real story and couldn't put it down.  The style of incorporating flashbacks of her good, normal life as fifteen-year-old Lina is dragged through the atrocities of Stalin's army was a powerful tool to remind readers of the contrast, cruelty, and unfairness to the Lithuanians (Estonians, Latvians, and Finns). My heart ached for these people, and I had to remind myself that the story wasn't really fiction.  Humans had to endure this treatment in the not so distant past.  Even after they were released, those few who survived the injustices weren't able to live freely in their homes or have their lives back.  As recently as the '90s, they still lived in fear.

This is such a powerful story and every bit as important as knowing the story of Anne Frank and Hitler's attempts at genocide.  Stalin was an equal monster.

The Scorpio Races

Stiefvater, M. (2011) The Scorpio Races. NY: Scholastic, Inc.
YA Fiction / Fantasy
Printz Honor Book

I knew absolutely nothing about this book when it came-up as the next SHSU Library Science Book Club read. Having recently purchased an iPad, I also made this my very first electronic book purchase.  As a side note, I found reading and e-book to be just fine, and the perks of being able to hilite text, search for words, bookmark, etc. were icing on the cake.  I'm not going to give up on real paper books - in part because I can't swallow paying $15.00 without having something to put on my real bookshelf - because I love holding a book and being able to whip it out and read it, when I have a six minute block of time waiting for pasta to cook or three minutes while I brush my teeth. Firing up the iPad for that isn't any good.

So, the book. . . I really liked this and gave it 4 out of 5 stars in Goodreads.  The setting was an interesting phenomenon; I really felt like it had to be set in the past - the American, Mr. Holly, seemed old-timey to me - but I think it was that life on the island stood still and perhaps those who visited for the races fell into that same lull. There were intrusions from the outside world with the cars and one character who decided to market her wares by creating a catalog to mail to the mainland. 

After a slowish start, I found it a real page turner, but I wasn't happy with the ending. It was abrupt and though I think this is a stand alone, it seemed to leave it wide open for a sequel. . . Stiefvater swears there is no chance of a sequel but I'm not convinced. I would have liked a little epilogue or something.

The descriptions were excellent and made it easy for me to fall right into the story. I felt like a fly on the wall. Those are some scary horses - picture the color-changing horses in Oz prancing along and then viciously grabbing and scarfing down a Munchkin - and now I'm interested more in the tales from which the author drew her inspiration. 

I would not have picked this up on my own, but I'm very glad I read it.  It has adventure, romance (though not CHEESY romance), strong female and male main characters, and of course the mystery/fantasy element.

Here's the book trailer with music and animation created by the author, Maggie Stiefvater.

Coraline

Gaiman, N. and McKean, D. (illus.). (2002). Coraline. NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

YA Lit / Sci-Fi? Horror? Fantasy? Adventure?

Awards: Bram Stoker Award for Works for Young Readers (2002), Hugo Award for Best Novella (2003), Nebula Award for Best Novella (2003), Locus Award for Best Young Adult Novel (2003), World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novella (2003) World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novella (2003), Child Magazine Best Book of the Year

 Since I absolutely adored Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, I snagged this from Half Price Books and didn't put it down until I was done.  I didn't see the movie, so I was unfamiliar with the storyline.  This is a fascinating, creative, and creepy story that is very easy to visualize, but even moreso with the aid of Dave McKean's illustrations.  Coraline is a brave and precocious little girl, and I don't think her parents are worthy of her!  I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and highly recommend it for young and old.

Mercury

Larson, H. (2010). Mercury. NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
YA Fiction / Graphic novel-comic / historical fiction, but with some fantasy
Eisner Award Winner; Junior Library Guild Selection

I didn't intend to read this.  A freshman at my school checked it out at the end of the day, and it was turned-in first thing the next morning.  I opened it up to see what was either so dull or so fascinating that it could have such a quick turn around, and I was surprised to see it was an illustrated novel.

I flipped through and saw that there were two storylines; one in the present and one in the past.  I was drawn in quickly, and couldn't put the book down! Though some of the drawings were confusing (especially since one storyline involved two teens who greatly resembled one another), it was definitely an entertaining, well-drawn, and quick read.  I enjoyed it and liked how the ending left you with just a few thoughts to ponder.

Punkzilla

Rapp, A. (2009). Punkzilla. Somerville, Mass: Candlewick Press.
YA Fiction / Realistic Fiction ? I hope not!
Michael L. Printz Honor Book

Wow.  I am not sure if I should let this one sink in a while before writing about it.  This book is a bleak and raw story, written in letter/journal entry format, about a fourteen-year-old boy who becomes a "street teen" after running away from military school and trying to get to his dying brother.  I hate to think of this as realistic fiction because I hate to acknowledge that kids are living this way.

As a warning, the book has everything that would make it a guaranteed challenge: vulgar language and situations, sex, pedophiles, drug use, alcohol use, gay and transgender characters, bigotry, racism, crime without remorse, violence  . . .  I'm sure I've forgotten some offensive item!  But the story is real, and the main character, Jamie (a.k.a. Punkzilla) is real.

At times, it did seem as if the author was intentionally shocking for the sake of being shocking and those scenes didn't really move the story along.  Jamie's intelligent and likeable, despite his deeply flawed and disturbed character, but I went back and forth between feeling sympathetic and angry with him. There was a shard of hope at the end, though my feeling is that Jamie maybe can't really be helped and probably won't change his ways.

Worth reading? Eh. Jury is still out.  Appealing to teens? Absolutely.