Kill the Balloons: Williamsburg in the Singles

Morrone, A.J. (2014). Kill the Balloons: Williamsburg in the Singles. Self-Published

Adult / Fiction / Realistic

I gave this book 4 out of 5 Stars.

In Kill the Balloons, the 2000s are under way, and it's a typical Saturday for a group of twenty-somethings, living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. These hipster friends share a common set of ambitions: getting high, getting drunk, and hooking-up, and while each has an occasional thought of a better life, none can be bothered to do anything about it, opting instead for the comfort of here and now. With a playlist of musical references and photos of places around Brooklyn, author Anthony Joseph Morrone paints an often dreary, aching picture of a generation with a markedly bleary identity.

Morrone provides a cast of eight or so primary characters, introducing the unique traits of each in order to create a distinct impression on readers. Morrone's strength is in his use of figurative language -- often extensive -- to provide vivid snapshots of his characters and their surroundings. For example, in describing the setting of a dismal Brooklyn neighborhood, Morrone writes:

A plastic garbage can rolled around in the wind, banging itself back and forth on the curb like a confused inmate, arms strapped behind her back in the corner of a padded room, rocking herself against the wall in an attempt to make sense of her surroundings.

Where the book suffers is in the lack of editing -- which bothered this reader but may not be an issue for others -- but more so in the narrow audience. A reader unfamiliar with Brooklyn will not appreciate the insider references; a reader unfamiliar with the music of "the singles," will not understand the soundtrack to these characters' lives; and a reader who was not a twenty-something during that decade will not understand the lack of ambition and choices made by the characters.  Quite honestly, I found very little to like in any of the characters and found the book terribly depressing.

Kill the Balloons is not a book where I could ever find a connection to or understand the characters; however, their dialogues are realistic and memorable. Anthony Joseph Morrone shows promise as a skilled writer, and I will not soon forget being along for this Saturday in Brooklyn where the cry of  “kill the balloons” hides many different stories. 

This book was reviewed for Readers' Favorite, which provided me an eBook copy in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give.  

PERSONAL NOTE: Yes, the book needs editing, and yes, the book is full of sex and profanity and excessive drinking and drug use and aimless young adults who need to grow the hell up and do something productive -- all things I don't enjoy reading about. This book was not for me, and I didn't like it, but that doesn't mean it's a bad book. If you read it, I'd love to know your thoughts.

Kill the Balloons is on FACEBOOK (lots more Brooklyn pics) and you can follow the author on TWITTER.

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone

Griffin, A. (2014). The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone. Soho Teen.

YA / Mystery / Realistic Fiction

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Realistic fiction non-fiction. Can a book be categorized that way? With this book, yes. I had to keep reminding myself that Addison Stone was not a real person, despite the interviews and photo documentary of her short, colorful, brilliant, tragic life. This was such a unique approach that I am sure will be mimicked across YA. As the author defines The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone, "It is a novel posing as a memoir," and in it are photographs and selfies of Addison and even some of Addison's sketches and art work, all which make Addison a very real person.

Griffin manages to weave an intricate story with a cast of thousands, it seems, that absolutely works. The answer everyone wants to know is how Addison died. (That she dies is not a spoiler). It is clear Addison is the real deal, talent-wise, and it is also clear that she suffered from mental illness. As such, the presence of the spirit of a long dead artist must be part of Addison's psychosis -- or is it?

Readers will have to decide for themselves how Addison died, and it is worth the time spent information gathering. I recommend it for ages 16 and up. There are lots of situations of minors in adult situations, sex (not detailed), drug use, underage drinking, and profanity. All of it was fitting, as Addison was leading a life she was too young to live.

Thank you to Soho Press and Edelweiss for providing me a free ARC in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give. 

Watch the book trailer:

THE UNFINISHED LIFE OF ADDISON STONE by Adele Griffin Book Trailer from Victoria Bata on Vimeo.

or click here
 

Click here to go to Addison's Tumblr

(remember, she's NOT A REAL PERSON!)

Click here to read "The Story Behind Adele Griffin’s Hybrid Novel, ‘The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone’," an article by Elizabeth Burns

 

I was super excited to meet Adele Griffin (who is nice as can be) at the Texas Library Association Conference 2015, and she signed a copy of the book for me. Sweet!

 

Brooklyn Burning

Brezenoff, S. (2011). Brooklyn Burning. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Lab.

YA Realistic Fiction / Contemporary Fiction / Urban

QuickNEasy, 195 pages, ages 14+

I gave this 4 out of  5 stars on Goodreads.

I started reading this book for two reasons: 1) I am on a trek to find books appealing to kids who don't think they like to read, and 2) this book was under 200 pages and available at the library!

Going into a book cold-turkey is always interesting.  I hadn't read the book jacket or any reviews of Brooklyn Burning and assumed by the cover that the book was about a pyromaniac. (By the way, I like the cover and am so glad that it's not a back view of a teenaged girl wearing a formal gown and her hair blowing ever so subtly in the wind.  Thank you Steve Brezenoff. Never mind that the girl cover wouldn't fit in any way, shape, or form with the contents of the book.) So, not knowing what I was in for, I was initially frustrated because I couldn't tell if the main character, Kid, was male or female.  Enter character Scout, who also is not identified as male or female, and I started to get it. Ding! The author was being INTENTIONALLY VAGUE in stamping a gender label on these characters. Brilliant! People are just people with talents and skills and beliefs and feelings.

The book's main character is Kid, who writes some chapters directly to Scout, so that the readers almost feel like they are getting a peek into a journal or love letter.  Other chapters are written as general narratives, mostly filling in what the readers don't know about Kid's year prior to meeting Scout. Those back chapters made my heart ache for all the injustices poor Kid experienced, and they made me angry. Had Kid's parents been accepting and loving and acted like parents, Kid's life wouldn't have been so hard.  On the other hand, as a result of being rejected by Kid's father, Kid found love not once but twice and acceptance in places and ways that never would have been possible if Kid's parents had just loved Kid.  

The characters that showed love and acceptance towards Kid were really what made this story push forward.  With the presence of Fish, Jonny, and Konny, the readers didn't have to waste energy worrying about things that didn't matter -- Kid was going to be okay.  Imperfect as they are, these characters feel so real and familiar -- like you'd find them in any inner city neighborhood, looking out for their own. 

There are questions that aren't answered (namely, the genders of two major characters), but it's okay to be left wondering about some things.  And again, that intentional vagueness reminds us that sometimes there aren't clear answers for the questions in life. 

On the Clean-O-Meter rating. . . this is tough. There's an Fbomb fairly early on, but then I don't recall there being so much as a damn after that. There is significant underage drinking (mostly without any consequences, effects beyond the characters being identified as drunk), and drug references of shooting-up and junkies.  There is also a character who is a bisexual prostitute, but we are spared any details, and another character who is a minor and very sexually active with multiple partners, though we are also spared details.  Several of the characters are lesbian or gay or bisexual or questioning or not caring. Again, no details other than putting two and two together that character A - who is either male or female - is attracted to both males and females. There are several homeless teenagers, but they all seem to have food, money, shelter, safety.  There isn't any violence and nothing in the story is graphic.  I'm going to say a 7 out of 10.

Circle Nine

Heltzel, A. (2011). Circle nine. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
YA Mystery / Contemporary /Psychological Thriller

QuickNEasy*, 260 pages, ages15+

I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

It is hard for me to say this is a good story, as it's really pretty disturbing what the mind will allow when it is traumatized.  The brain will allow and accept alternate truths and delusions so that it doesn't have to deal with reality and repress anything disturbing. 

But it is a good story, intelligently written with good characterization where it was important. I pretty much read it straight through because the pieces of the puzzle were enticing me to want to see the whole, completed picture.  There were enough hints that I knew the complete picture was going to be ugly, but I had to know.  I desperately needed an explanation.

Our main character, seventeen-year-old Abby, lives in utter bliss.  She doesn't remember anything except Sam, and Sam is everything to her and she everything to him.  Their life seems like a fairy tale, but there is blurring at the edges to signal something's terribly off.  Abby's reality is richly descriptive, and like Abby, the reader wants to believe in the decadent life Abby is living.

Abby's complete and utter dependence on Sam is frustrating, and Sam's complete and utter control over Abby even more so; but there is so much below the surface and neither is truly completely in control or completely controlled. Again, running beneath the surface was this NEED for me to find out why Abby was so passive and easily manipulated. . . I kept on reading.

Recently, the books I've been reading haven't had satisfactory resolutions at the end, but that is not the case for Circle Nine.  Though we don't have all the answers, and we don't know exactly what happens around the bend, the direction the story leads makes sense.  There is some hope for Abby, even after the dire and depressing life she's lived.

I could definitely see this being made into a movie. . . 

So, the Clean-O-Meter is tough on this one.  There is abuse -- serious, ongoing psychological and sexual abuse.  The sex isn't graphic or detailed, but it's there and the context makes it sickening.  There is some mild vulgar language -- though a day later, I can't remember specifically which ones, indicating they were apropos for the situations.  There are references to underage drinking and drug use, and drug addiction is a major component of the story though not blatantly so.  So, maybe a 6.5 because it's done so well.

*I initially read this because due to the length, I thought it might appeal to reader who has little patience for lengthy stories; however, this isn't written at a low-level. The vocabulary is better than I'd expected, and there are plenty of literary references that the average reader may not know. Having said that, I don't think the vocab or references are show-stoppers to those who don't understand them, and they definitely enrich the story.

Burnout

Vrettos, A.M. (2011.) Burnout. NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books.
YA / Mystery

QuickNEasy, 193 pages, ages 12-17

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Told in alternating viewpoints "Today" and "Remembering," we get the picture of our main character, Nan, who's been through rehab and sworn off drinking, only to find herself in a place she doesn't remember, in clothes she doesn't remember wearing, having blackouts and nausea as the realization that she's fallen off the wagon washes over her.

Nan is a very well-written, realistic character. She struggles with her body image and yearns for friendship and acceptance.  In steps Seemy, who initially is the answer to Nan's prayers but eventually becomes a negative influence through her self-centered and destructive behavior.  Nan is smart enough to be able to recognize the emptiness of the friendship, but she has nothing else.

I was not satisfied with the lack of information about Seemy -- there were a lot of unanswered questions by the end, and how things played out seemed a little unrealistic.  Nan's actions didn't make sense given the circumstances, but I did like that Nan found her inner strength -- that needed to happen.

The writer did a very good job of conveying blackouts, which was a pretty powerful reminder that whatever Nan had done was still in her system and could cause permanent damage. It made it scarier that even though she seemed to be distanced from the danger, it was really right inside her still.

On the Clean-O-Meter rating, it's probably an 8 out of 10.  The subject matter of alcohol, drug use, and addiction is handled without a lot of details.  There is some minor swearing, and though it's clear Seemy is sexually active, there aren't details. Really, that sums up everything that could be controversial -- it's in there, but it's just mentioned and not spelled-out in any way, making this pretty safe reading.

Desert Angel

What makes the hunted turn hunter?

Price, C. (2011). Desert angel. NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.
YA Lit / Thriller / Realistic Fiction

QuickNEasy, 233 pages, ages 12-17

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

An interesting but improbable storyline kept me reading, but the climax was disappointing and everything resolved a bit to quickly and tidily. 

 The main character, Angel, is fourteen and alone but stalked, and she gets help from all kinds of unlikely sources, but she doesn't seem destined to get the real help she needs, which is psychological since she clearly has regular suicidal thoughts and mood extremes. I found it hard to believe the people who were helping her continued to do so when the cost was so high to their own families and lives.

The narration bothered me, jumping from Angel narrating in first-person to an omniscient point-of-view, one paragraph to the next; however, that was an efficient way for the reader to see all the things going on around the corner, that Angel didn't know about and that moved the story along.  Those omniscient narrations gave us information that then seemed to dissolve -- like parts of the story were missing and those extra pieces of information went unexplained. 

Having said all that, it is an easy book to read and is compelling enough that I wanted to find out more.  Seems like a couple more rounds of revision (I did find some type-os as well) could have taken this book a peg or two higher.

On the Clean-O-Meter, I'd give this a 7 out of 10.  It's violent, and the violence includes references to domestic violence and sexual violence. There is reference to multiple incidents of sexual abuse of a minor, but no actual sex scenes or discussions. The book is NOT sexy. I was surprised when late in the book, the first swear word showed-up (g*damn); it actually seemed weird.  Additionally, there are references to drug use and drug selling, and fairly clear descriptions of how to load a gun and use it.

Beneath a Meth Moon

Woodson, J. (2012). Beneath a meth moon. NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

YA Lit / Realistic Fiction /Contemporary Fiction (12-17)

182 pgs. Quick ‘n’ Easy.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, but I’d give it a 4 ½ if I could.

The story is about addiction, but at its roots is a story about a teenager trying to recover from the aftermath of Katrina.  Laurel, the main character, is so broken and vulnerable as a result of the devastation to her life and family, and Woodson’s writing really brings out the heartache, the regrets, and the uncertaintly that Lauren feels.  The writing is outstanding in format and word choice. It’s real – it’s so realistic that I felt the cold, the shivers, the highs. . . 

There is a small LGBT byline in the story, but it's more of a statement than a secondary story; however, the small amount of time devoted to it makes an impression.  

I generally don’t discuss specifics or synopses of stories, but I want to point out one thing that bothered me about the book.

*****SPOILER ALERT **********SPOILER ALERT **********SPOILER ALERT *****

There was just one part of the book that didn’t ring true to me, and it was in the initial scene where Laurel tries meth.  I can believe that a girl that age, in that state, and with a cute boy would try a drug, but it really didn’t fit with the character that she’d have no hesitation.  I could set that aside, though.  But that she immediately was calling it “the moon” and waxing (no pun intended) poetic about it just seemed awkward. There were absolutely no indications that she’d had exposure to meth/the moon before, so that rang a littl false, and it bothered me throughout the book how she talked about “the moon.”  Maybe I missed something that made that work. . .

***** END SPOILER ALERT ****** END SPOILER ALERT ****** END SPOILER ALERT *****

On my Clean-O-Meter, the book is squeaky clean, so it gets a 10.  There are not any swear words, there is no sex, sexual references, or sexual innuendo. (kissing, but not details) Of course, the subject matter is teen drug use, but it’s handled tactfully and certainly isn’t as gritty and ugly as real drug use can be.  Having said that, I suppose that the topic itself could offend some readers.

A great, short interview with the author, Jacqueline Woodson, about her mindset in writing this book and 

a short book trailer can be found by CLICKING HERE.  Scroll down on B&N's page to see them.

Also, there apparently is an audio CD coming out in February 2013 titled Beneath a Meth Moon: An Elegy.  I can't tell if it's a sequel or if it's voiced differently from the book, like a true elegy. Here's the blurb from Goodreads:

laurel would do anything to turn back time ? to tell her mother and grandmother not to stay home near the beach with a hurricane coming to say no when her boyfriend, T-Boom, the co-captain of the basketball team, offers her that first hit of moon ? the drug that makes her feel bigger than all she's lost to have been there for her little brother and her best friend, Kaylee, when they needed her, instead of chasing the moon But she can?t. All she can do is move forward now. And only she can decide whether to face the pain and joy that is a part of living, or follow the moon to numbness and probably death. Only she can decide to choose to be there for her family and friends ? or give them another thing to grieve. Kaylee says, ?Write an elegy to the past . . . and move on.? She says it's all about moving on . . .