Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

 I pulled my paperback copy of this book of my shelf on impulse one day, and I'm very glad I did. 'Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes' is a compelling read, which examines a large birth of issues including bullying, obesity, disabilities, child abuse, abortion, and religion. This all sounds very 'disease-of-the-week,' but the 'problem novel' aspect of the novel is levied by genuine audacity and an unforgettable cast  of characters.

   Eric, called 'Moby' (as in the whale) for his considerable girth, is an obese seventeen-year-old boy living in a single-parent family. His oldest friend, Sarah Byrnes was horribly disfigured under suspicious circumstances when she was three. For seventeen years she has stood strong, but now she sits, wounded and silent, in a psychiatric ward.

   Eric is running out of time. He has to save Sarah Byrnes from insanity... or something worse. Because someone wants to silence Eric. And in this situation, there isn't a wide berth for error. Subplots involve   proselytization by Eric's Christian conservative classmate, a classroom discussion group dissecting relevant social issues, and a troubled and dimwitted boy from Eric's past.

   It might be hard to warm up to the characters at first. Eric is a unrepentant smartass who constantly describes his obesity and profuse perspiration at length, while Sarah Byrnes sometimes seems rougher (and meaner) than she needs to be. Likewise Steve Ellerby, Eric's other friend, seems to be someone who would pick any fight with a Christian. But slowly your views change- Eric is a devoted friend, Sarah is incredibly brave, and Ellerby is a thinker  who refuses to accept someone else's reality that doesn't make sense to him  as his own. Even crazy-religious and hypocritical Mark Brittain shows a human side.

   This in't the best written book ever- it contains a lot of cliched language. But the plot and the characters are engrossing. The story is exciting while also being interesting and not insulting the reader's intelligence. "Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes" was actually banned/challenged at several points by the school systems, and a Wisconsin parents actually called it 'pornography' at one point, which is pure ridiculousness. It is actually a pretty mature book, but nothing that older teens can't handle in my opinion.

   This is a lot darker than the last YA book I read (the Trans-friendly "Parrotfish,") but then this arguably goes deeper into teen issues (not just GLBTQ issues.) I can't say I liked this one better, but then, they do different things well. For compelling characters and a steady mix of drama and action, look no further than "...Sarah Byrnes." I think you could get a tech-head  or jock boy who is committed to sports or glued to his video game system to read this book because it is so involving. I think it should be on every high school library shelf .

The book's intriguing dedication.

'Parrotfish' by Ellen Wittlinger

Intro- So, this is my first book review, and any comments or feedback would be much appreciated. I have always had a deep appreciation for GLBTQ (for the out-of-the-know, that's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and/or questioning) books and cinema. I believe there really can't be enough of this resource for the GLBTQ community, especially youths who aren't yet sure where or how they fit in. I hope that Christians and gays can unite someday and throw away the silly prejudices one has about the other. It's only then that we can make our way towards a better GLBTQ future.

The book- "Parrotfish" is a funny and tender light read that nonetheless has content that will provide serious discussion. It asks the question, between the lines of straight and gay, male and female, how does what the youth hem or herself wants fit in? Why is gender such a big deal? Grady Katz-McNair is by all accounts a very ordinary boy, except he's not.

     You see, Grady is Angela, a biological female, and vice versa. Angela/Grady is a smart, funny, and razor-sharp transgendered teenager. 'His' family is shocked when he comes out as Trans, and why shouldn't they be? It's a big change. But Grady doesn't think so. This is who he's always been, only now he has gone the whole nine yards- cutting his hair, binding his breasts, and swapping 'Angela' for a more masculine name.

   Grady requests acceptance- and reactions at home and school run the gamut, from horrified and horrifying to accepting to somewhere in between. Grady finds unlikely allies in Sebastian Shipley, the High School geek, and Kita, a fierce beauty and Grady's first love interest, while growing further and further away from his old friend Eve, who has starting hanging out with some very nasty girls.

   An interesting technique that is used in this book is the ironic, imagined conversations Grady comes up with. In these talks, people say what they really think, and everything is out in the open. Many writers would write over-the-top, unbelievable dialogue just to be funny, but author Ellen Wittlinger finds away around this and also, in doing so, adds humor and credibility to Grady's character.

   I wasn't sure about some of the side characters. Sebastian seemed like a little too much of a super-nerd who always runs to Grady's defense, is blisteringly intelligent, and doesn't care what anybody thinks. Kita was a little aggressive. A good example of her aggression is when she goes ballistic because there was a drag comedy routine at high school and believes that Grady's rights are being infringed upon. I mean, burlesque acts involving cross-dressers have been going on for years, and so what? They're just for fun.

  My dad did a Miss Emergency Pageant in full drag, but not to be offensive to transsexuals. You can do it in a way that is offensive and homophobic. But that's not the only option. So, I think Kita overreacted. And she and Sebastian are somewhat one-dimensional. But they don't ruin a very entertaining book.

"Parrotfish" is a LIGHT read, emphasis on light, so don't expect literary gold. But you can still learn from it. Grady is a hilarious and lovable character. He's extremely intelligent and sarcastic, which just makes him more lovable. But he just wants to be himself yet still receive his family's approval. I also loved the character of Miss Unger. She doesn't turn out to be how I first thought she would at all.

   This book is thematically similar to "Luna" by Julie Anne Peters, and has a blurb by Peters on the back. "Luna" is a little more literary, but I like them both in their own way. "Parrotfish" is a lot of fun yet sensitive to its subject matter. I also think it would make a great movie if the they cast it right.

    None of the A-list young Hollywood starlets would pass as a boy like Grady does, so I think they'd have to cast an unknown, and also pick someone who actually looks about sixteen (okay, I think I have a pet peeve with alternately hulking and buxom thirty-year-old actors playing fifteen- and sixteen-year-olds.) I'd recommend this book to the open-minded and those who remember being a teenager.
                                                                Rating-
                                                                   8.0/10

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk

Will Halpin is smart, articulate and hearing impaired -- he's also a heavy guy who doesn't quite fit in -- either in deaf culture or in the hearing world. Because his profound hearing loss was relatively late in onset, his language skills are quite high, and he doesn't feel a complete connection to deaf culture. On the other hand, he isn't quite accepted in the hearing world either.

Will has decided to leave the deaf school where he's always been educated and attend a mainstream high school, despite the inadequate accommodations offered there. This proves to be a struggle, but he is quickly befriended by Devon Smiley, another smart, nerdy outsider. Amid enduring insanity on the school bus, having casserole thrown at him by a bully, and being ignored by the prettiest girl in school, Will becomes intrigued by a local mystery, the legendary ghost of a man trapped and crushed in a coal mine.

Then a tragedy strikes, and Will and Devon find themselves trying to unravel a mystery. They're on the trail of a killer who may be linked to a political scandal surrounding a local citizen or might simply be a fellow student.

My daughter and fellow blogger, MovieBuff25, recommended this young adult novel to me, and I pretty much read it in one sitting. It offered virtually everything I like in YA novels, a smart, quirky protagonist with a distinctive voice, genuine adolescent struggles, humor, and a strong, well-told story. The murder mystery was icing on the cake. I really connected with the protagonist and was sorry when the book ended. The fact that this novel touched on the plight of men who spent their lives working in the coal mines also enriched the story.

I highly recommend this for readers age 13 and up.

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Rating: 4.5

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

As soon as Remy started high school -- pretty and blond and, well, a girl with a reputation -- teachers and guidance counselors had her pegged as average, a student who would never achieve much. She worked hard to prove them wrong, and now she's graduated and won acceptance to Stanford. She's also busy planning her mother's fifth wedding, to a car salesman, and working in a beauty salon. She can't wait to hop on that plane to California!

Meanwhile Remy has her three best friends, Lissa, Jess and Chloe, and she's just broken up with Jerk Jonathan, the latest in a string of temporary boyfriends. She is a girl who has no difficulty attracting guys. She's sexually active, but she never falls in love. Having been abandoned at conception by her father, and having watched her mother navigate four failed marriages, Remy doesn't believe in love. She never lets herself lose control in relationships, just as she always keeps control over her compulsively tidy, organized life. She has become an expert in enjoying the euphoria of a new relationship, then breaking it off before the glow fades and the couple has to recognize each others' imperfections, accept one another as multi-dimensional human beings, and commit to the hard work of building a relationship.

Then she meets Dexter, an aspiring musician who is impulsive, forgetful, and messy. Dating him is breaking all of Remy's carefully ordered rules. But what does it matter? It will end in August, when she leaves for Stanford, if not sooner. It's not as if he's going to be a long term boyfriend, right?

On one level, this is a light summer romance, with plenty of wry humor and some laugh-out-loud moments. It is also a story about taking a leap of faith -- having the courage to take a risk and allow oneself to fall in love.

It took me a while to warm up to Remy, who has a sharp edge and doesn't tend to accept others' weaknesses. However, I was drawn into her character, with its paradoxical mix of disciplined control and promiscuity, of sharp assertiveness and vulnerability. It felt real to me, and I found myself caring about her and rooting for her.

This is an enjoyable novel with fun dialogue and an interesting central character which explores the struggle between wanting love and intimacy and being terrified of it. Does it require more courage, and offer a richer, more wonderful life, when you're willing to risk loving someone without conditions and come to terms with each others' imperfections? At times, I felt this message was laid on with a very heavy hand. However, I realize that novels for young adults tend to present themes in a much less subtle way than other novels do. I admired this author for exploring these questions, which are a crucial and difficult part of coming of age.

I also liked the fact that she wasn't afraid to be honest about teenage sexuality and substance abuse. These adolescent characters aren't saints; they're real kids, easing into maturity and trying to make better choices.

I recommend this to mature teens and adults as a good read and a springboard to discussions about divorce as well as love, intimacy, sexuality, trust, and the decisions we make in adolescence.

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Rating: 3.5

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Since the day Macy Queen watched her father die, she has worked hard to keep her life in control, to be "fine," not to be an object of pity. While her older sister Caroline wept openly, Macy and her mom kept their grief frozen. Soon after that, in English class, Macy connected with Jason -- academically gifted, serious, and completely in control. With Jason as her boyfriend, achieving top grades, and living a well-ordered life, she is "perfect," and this is the glue that holds her and Mom's little family together.

Now Jason is leaving to spend the summer at "Brain Camp," and Macy is facing a summer alone, filling Jason's role at the library reference desk. When she meets Delia, the very pregnant and somewhat disorganized proprietor of Wish Catering, it creates a crack in her well-ordered world. Soon she is working with Delia and her quirky crew: Kristy, a beautiful young woman whose face is marked by scars from a childhood accident -- she dresses outrageously, because if people are going to be staring, she might as well give them something to look at. It also includes Kristy's sister Monica, who speaks in monosyllables, Bert, who has made a hobby of studying the coming apocalypse, and Wes, a gorgeous artist with a criminal history who makes unique, beautiful sculptures from the rubbish other people cast aside.

Macy's friendship with Wes, who has coped with the death of his mother, deepens. He seems unaware of his good looks, and he likes flaws -- "they make things more interesting." With her new friends, and with the spark heating up between her and Wes, Macy's life becomes vivid and three-dimensional. But to risk love -- and to risk living her life on her own terms -- is excruciatingly difficult. It will also upset the delicate balance in her mom's life and in their relationship.
This is a beautifully written, introspective novel, with warm, colorful, quirky, characters and an intelligent teen protagonist. It asks thought provoking questions. What does it mean to try to be "perfect?" Does it take more strength to be a rock, someone who can be relied upon to manage her life smoothly in the face of crushing grief, or to deal head-on with the messiness and unpredictability of grieving -- and of living?

It took me a while to get fully engaged in this book, but when I did, I was hooked. This character-driven novel worked for me once I'd had time to get fully acquainted with all the characters. While this is not my favorite of Dessen's popular YA novels -- that honor belongs to Someone Like You -- it was a compelling and memorable story with an intensely satisfying ending.

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Rating: 3.5

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Because of the all the buzz on the interwebs about this book, which seems to be the holy grail of young adult lit, I was afraid I would be disappointed. How could it live up to the hype? However after having read the novel with my husband and older kids, I understand how it earned its fame. It is unique, even in the dystopian literature genre. It is courageous, horrifying -- on a raw visceral level -- and extremely difficult to put down.

The heroine is Katniss Everdeen, a teenage girl whose survival, along with the survival of her mother and beloved 12-year-old sister Prim, has always depended on her courage, her wits, and occasionally on sheer luck or the kindness of strangers.

She lives in the Seam, the most impoverished part of District 12, the poorest district in the nation of Panem. Her home lies in the Appalachian region of what was once the United States of America. The Seam is a community of coal miners. Their existence is largely defined by this grueling, dangerous work and by the scarcity of food and other necessities. Since Katniss's father was killed in a mining accident, she has helped her family survive through foraging and illegal hunting, which is strictly banned by Panem's repressive government. She hunts, traps, and gathers food with her best friend Gale Hawthorne. She has also been saved by the occasional kindness of others, like Peeta Mellark, the baker's son, who once made sure she had bread for her family.

The story opens on the day of The Hunger Games, a yearly event foisted upon all the districts by Panem's capitol. It's glamorous and brutal, an event that struck me as Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" meets Survivor.

In case I was not, in fact, the very last person on the planet to read The Hunger Games, I won't reveal any more about the plot. I will share a few thoughts.

Warning: This section is spoilerish:

At moments, I was strongly reminded of The Lord of the Flies, a book I was forced to read and analyze in English class and have always disliked. However, The Hunger Games has an integral message about human nature that seems much different from the one in The Lord of the Flies. This novel doesn't deny that when human experience is stripped down to the raw struggle for survival, it is brutal. However, this brutality isn't the whole picture. Even stronger is the desire not to lose the core of one's self, one's essential humanity.

This is articulated by one of the main characters, Peeta Mellark, in Chapter 10:

"I don't know how to say it exactly. Only ... I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?" he asks ... "I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster I'm not." (p. 141)

Even as they're pushed to commit heinous atrocities, killing each other in order to survive, characters find ways to act on compassion, loyalty and love. This is an essential truth we see every day in the world. People are compelled to fight in wars, and we witness barbaric acts of terrorism. As we watch soul-crushing moments of violence and cruelty, we also see the best side of humanity -- acts of courage, kindness and loyalty. Even as we reeled from the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, we saw volunteer rescue workers rushing into the fray and ordinary people risking their lives to rescue strangers. These two sides of human experience -- violence and kindness -- good and evil -- are seamlessly intertwined. I think this is an important message for our children to hear, to help them avoid hopelessness or cynicism.

End of the spoilerish bit

I highly recommend this novel, as a powerful way to inspire thought and discussion, to mature teens and adults. It effectively accomplishes what compelling dystopian fiction does -- it takes us into a well-crafted world that is both wildly surreal and disturbingly familiar. Parents and teachers should know that this book is brutal and disturbing; you'll probably want to preview it before recommending it to kids.

If you have read this book, I would love to hear your thoughts in detail. All I ask is that if your comment contains spoilers, please include a "Spoiler Warning" at the beginning.

Link to MovieBuff25's review of the movie adaptation:  The Hunger Games

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Rating: 4.5

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

The Boy In the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Nine-year-old Bruno enjoys his life in 1940's Berlin with his school and his three Best Friends for Life, despite the fact that his father is always busy with work and his bossy 12-year-old sister, Gretel, is A Hopeless Case. However, after a visit from The Fury, with his tiny mustache and blond girlfriend Eva, his life changes. Bruno's father has received an important work assignment far from Berlin. Bruno comes home from school to find the family's maid, Maria, packing everything in his wardrobe, even the things he'd hidden at the back that belonged to him and were nobody else's business.

The family's new home at Out With is swarming with soldiers, who call Bruno's father Commandant, and new servants who seem angry and frightened. Then there are the people who live behind the fence, surprisingly thin, identically dressed in striped pajamas. Bruno's father doesn't talk much about those people; he simply tells him that they're not really human.

Lonely for his friends, Bruno meets Schmuel, one of the children behind the fence. The boys share a birthday and even look a bit alike. They have both recently been displaced from their homes. Day after day, they sit on opposite sides of a barbed wire fence, talking and sharing snippets of their lives, without Bruno ever grasping what life is like on the other side.

John Boyne has written a short, deceptively simple story in which Bruno's extreme innocence and naivety is deliberately contrasted with the extreme cruelty and evil that we know is the backdrop for the story. Written in a simple, somewhat formal style, this novel is stripped down to bare bones. When an atrocity occurs, all the details are omitted; in a sense, this makes them even more disturbing.
Boyne ends the story with the ironic lines: "Of course all this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age."

In his afterward, he takes us back to the image of the two boys sitting on opposite sides of the fence, a picture that came to him and compelled him to write this story. "Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope you never have to encounter one."

This story has been described as a parable. We see Bruno, sitting at the fence day after day, clearly glimpsing Schmuel's humanity, but not really understanding what's on the other side. He is surrounded by adults who know what's happening on the other side but deny the humanity of the people there.
This does seem like a particularly apt metaphor for our world, doesn't it? In a world plagued with wars, and with the overarching evil of genocide still alive and well, I identify with the child outside the fence, kind-hearted but shockingly oblivious to what's in front of him. As I got pulled into this simple story, I realized how powerful that image is, and I found myself looking at my reflection. It prodded me to ask the question: "How can I live in this world comfortably, not really looking at what's right in front of me?"

I recommend this thought-provoking book to all readers. And while I don't think it was written for children, it might be a good choice for middle grade or pre-teen readers who are ready for an introduction to The Holocaust. I'd preview it first, because while it leaves out all the gruesome details, it provokes disturbing questions. You might try pairing it with The Diary of Anne Frank or Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. For mature teens who are ready for gruesome details, you might couple it with The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. If there are excellent young adult novels about the Bosnian conflict, the Rwandan genocide, and similar topics, these might also be a good fit.

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Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

The Hate List by Jennifer Brown

When I was in high school, I read Stephen King's Rage, which took readers into the mind of a boy who went over the edge and shot some of his classmates. I found it a horrible yet fascinating premise -- safely in the realm of fiction.* Since then, this unthinkable act has become a reality at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and at least 50 other schools in the U.S. and in other parts of the world. It's not surprising that novels about school shootings are emerging, as we collectively try to make sense of this.

Jennifer Brown's The Hate List takes on the courageous task of peeking into the mind of a school shooter and especially of delving into the experiences of survivors. The protagonist, Valerie Leftman, had never fit in at her high school. However she had a small group of friends, and through them, she found her first love. Her boyfriend, Nick, shared her frustration with the cliques and bullying at school. Together, they filled a notebook with "the hate list." It was a list of what they hated, including bullies in their school, classmates they associated with the crowd that ostracized them, things like "Algebra" (you can't add letters to numbers) and pretentious newscasters.

This gave Valerie and Nick a safe way to vent their anger and express their rather dark, edgy sense of humor. However, Valerie began to see clues that Nick's mind was darker and more troubled than she had suspected. Then the unthinkable happened, and Nick brought a gun to school. While Valerie struggled to stop him, he opened fire, targeting people on their hate list.

After the shooting, in which Valerie herself was injured, she was suspected as an accomplice. Although charges were dropped, she is still under the shadow of guilt, even in the eyes of her own parents. Now, after spending the summer as a recluse, Valerie has to find the courage to return to school and face her grieving fellow students. Will they be able to forgive her? Will she be able to forgive herself?

The story alternates fluidly between the present, the time when she and Nick were together, and the actual day of the shooting. In the present, Valerie returns to the quotidian of high school life, struggling to cope with classmates' anger and her alienation from her former friends. She is also dealing with her parents' disappointment and distrust and the continuing disintegration of their marriage.

Jennifer Brown did a beautiful job of taking us inside Valerie's mind, and this, for me, was what made the book so difficult to put down. It played on my emotions, provoking anger, sadness, and hope, and I found myself wholeheartedly rooting for Valerie.

The author also created a cast of secondary characters, with mixed results. For example, I really liked Mr. Hieler, her therapist, and found him believable. However Valerie's eccentric art teacher seemed wafer-thin, which disappointed me, because I thought she had the potential to be a strong, interesting character. I never really got a sense of who Valerie's classmates were, and I would have liked to have known them better. However, I got to know Nick, the killer, as a multi-dimensional person. I never felt I really understood what prompted him to commit murder and suicide, but I think that is part of the story. No one -- even Valerie, who loved him -- could get inside his mind. He committed acts which simply defy explanation.

Despite some flaws, this was an unforgettable book for me, one that was thought provoking and wedged itself into my heart. The author deftly explored the themes of grief, forgiveness, and coming of age, and she showed Valerie grow, deepen in her capacity for empathy and acceptance, and gain freedom from the past. Jennifer Brown is definitely an author to watch!

*I read that since school shootings have become a reality, Stephen King has pulled this book out of print.

Thanks to the author and to Reggie at The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really) for this book, which I won in a random drawing.

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Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

Fifteen-year-old Colie Sparks's life has been defined, in many ways, by not fitting in. After years of moving from one place to another with her struggling single mom, she finally settles down, but she doesn't find peace. Middle school is torture. Fifty pounds overweight, she is ridiculed for being fat. After she loses the weight, she is branded as a "slut" and is relentlessly harassed by popular girls in her school. Vulnerable and uncomfortable in her own skin, she gets a dye job and a lip piercing that don't really suit her and tries to shield herself as best she can.

Colie's mom, once obese, now a born again health guru, is off to Europe to promote her exercise program. Colie is sent to stay with her eccentric aunt Mira on the North Carolina Coast. Overweight and oddly dressed, Mira is the butt of many jokes among the locals. Although Mira seems oblivious to this, Colie finds it excruciating.

Colie takes a job at the Last Chance Bar and Grill and befriends the waitresses, Isabel and Morgan, who have an edgy and volatile relationship but are devoted friends, and gentle, eccentric Norman, a short order cook and gifted artist. Gradually her new friends, along with Aunt Mira, help her gain confidence and self esteem.

This is a lighter novel than Someone Like You, but still rich with human experience. Sarah Dessen's knack for creating unique, quirky, down-to-earth characters really shines here. I saw shades of one my most beloved authors, Anne Tyler, in her odd, richly developed cast of characters. However, for some reason, I didn't find the characters in Keeping the Moon quite as compelling as those in Someone Like You, and I didn't find this novel as difficult to put down.

Nevertheless, I recommend it, and it is a book I would have dearly loved to have had on my shelf when I was a young teen. Colie is easy to relate to and quickly won my affection, and I readily connected to Aunt Mira. This is a story both teens and adults will enjoy.


Rating: 3

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Wild Roses by Deb Caletti

Cassie Morgan, the smart, funny and edgy 17-year-old narrator of Wild Roses, is adapting to her parents' divorce. She's also coping with the fact that he father is still madly in love with her mother and is obsessed with digging up dirt on Mom's new husband. But that's not the worst of her problems. She also has to coexist with Dino, the self-centered, mean-spirited and emotionally unstable composer and violinist who is her stepfather.

My stepfather was both crazy and a genius ... Supposedly there's an actual, researched link between extreme creativity and mental illness, and I believe it because I've seen it with my own eyes. Sure, you have the artists and writers and musicians like my mom, say, who are talented and calm and get things done without much fuss ... But then there are the Van Goghs and Hemingways and Mozarts, those who feel a hunger so deep, so far down, that greatness lies there too, nestled somewhere within it. Those who get their inner voice and direction from the cool, mysterious insides of the moon, and not from the earth like the rest of us. In other words, brilliant nuts.

As Dino prepares for the concert that will mark his comeback to the music scene, an event eagerly awaited by his admirers, he turns a corner. He becomes more hostile and increasingly paranoid. Cassie learns that he was on psychiatric medication and stopped taking it while preparing for the concert because it dulled his ability to compose music. As Dino increasingly loses his grip on reality and slips out of control, Cassie and her mother struggle to keep a grip on the situation and hide the truth about him. This is the beginning of an erratic, terrifying journey, and as Cassie will soon learn, Dino is hiding secrets of his own.

In the midst of this maelstrom, Dino takes on a violin student, seventeen-year-old Ian Walters; he is gifted, handsome and gentle. From the moment he rides up on his bicycle, "his violin case sticking out from a compartment on the side, and his long black coat flying out behind him," Cassie feels a passionate attraction. But dating Dino's student provokes conflict with her stepfather, causing tension in both families. How could this possibly work?

From the first paragraph, I was pulled in by Deb Caletti's beautiful writing and by Cassie's voice, which was intelligent, hilariously funny and heartbreakingly honest. The author painted each scene so vividly that much of the novel felt wholly really. And the frightening story unfolding among Cassie, Ian, Dino, and Cassie's mom was quite compelling; I found it this novel difficult to put down.

I especially loved Cassie's character. I connected with her immediately, loving her brains, honesty and snarky wit. And as I sank deeper into the story, I also saw her compassionate side. It broke my heart when she decided not to move out of her mother's house, to protect herself from Dino, because she cared too much about Mom to let her think she'd failed her daughter. Cassie's fluctuating reactions, sometimes angry and edgy and sometimes open-hearted and wise beyond her years, made her a fully developed, believable character. And I saw her grow and mature during the story, which gave the novel depth and richness.

The weakest point, for me, was the development of secondary characters. There were many interesting characters in the mix, including Cassie's best friend Zebe, who is also edgy and funny, Siang Chibo, a budding musician and passionate admirer of Dino, who becomes Cassie's friend, and Cassie's father, who is unable to break his emotional bonds to her mother. I never felt I fully knew these characters, and I wanted to. At some points, this dulled the clarity of the story for me a bit. I was especially disappointed in Ian's brother Bunny and his friend Chuck. At first glance, they were unique, interesting and fun characters, but throughout the story, I found them one dimensional and predictable.

Overall, this is an outstanding Young Adults' Novel, passionate, funny, and unafraid to tell the truth about serious issues. It also gives readers a narrow glimpse of mental illness, one that is unsentimental but not without compassion. I admire this author's wit, honesty, and above all, her ability to create an unforgettable seventeen-year-old character. I look forward to reading more of her work.

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Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Fifteen-year-old Halley is having a dreadful week at summer camp when she receives a late night call from her beautiful, confident best friend, Scarlett. "Halley ... can you come home?" A tragedy has shaken Scarlett's world, and neither of their lives will ever be the same.

Halley's life is changing in other ways too. She is drifting away from her mother, a developmental transition that neither of them is quite ready for. Her beloved grandmother is aging and becoming quite ill. And Halley finds herself swept up by the joy and anguish of her first love.

Sarah Dessen creates colorful, interesting, and sometimes delightfully quirky characters. She also seems to be exquisitely skilled at painting human emotions and the complexity of normal life transitions -- as well as those crises that are unexpected. I really liked the way she portrayed the subtle ebb and flow of Halley's relationship with her mom as she struggles to establish her independence and the tenderness of best friendship between adolescent girls. I was also moved as I watched Halley at her sick grandmother's bedside, seeing her mother's tough exterior slip, revealing raw vulnerability. Sarah Dessen also writes some gorgeous prose:

When we went back inside I only spoke with Grandma Halley for a few minutes. At first, when she opened her eyes and saw me there was no flicker of recognition, no instant understanding that I was who I was, and that scared me. As if I had already changed into another girl, another Halley, features and voice and manners all shifting to make me unrecognizable.

"It's Halley, Mother," my own mother said softly from the other side of the bed, looking across at me encouragingly, since she couldn't squeeze my shoulder and pass this off as better than it was.

And then I saw it, flooding across my grandmother's antique, careful features: she found me in the strange face looking down at her. "Halley," she said, almost scolding, as if I was an old friend playing a trick on her. "How are you sweetheart?" (p. 190)

This is an unforgettable coming of age story, at times sad and often funny. We watch Halley, who has always seen herself as shy and vulnerable, become her best friend's greatest source of support during a crisis which would challenge most adults to their limits. We see her find romance for the first time and follow her relationship with the attractive and charming, but unreliable, Macon. We also see her pull away from her intense, assertive mother, who has always provided direction to her life, begin shaping her own identity, and finally reconcile with her mom.

I highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy rich, engaging coming of age stories and articulate character-driven books, especially to teens.

You can read a sample chapter, on the author's website, here. Read another review at: Fluttering Butterflies.



Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

D.J. Schwenk is not your typical sixteen-year-old. For one thing, she is six feet tall. She is also the only girl on the Red Bend High School football team, and probably the first girl linebacker in Northern Wisconsin. While she's doesn't see herself as "book smart," she is an exceptionally gifted athlete and helps run her family's struggling dairy farm.

As The Off Season opens, D.J. is reconnecting with her best friend Amber and Amber's girlfriend and first love, Dale. She is also savoring her first romance with Brian, the sweet, handsome linebacker for a rival high school's football team. In contrast with the Schwenks, who tend to be silent about their hopes, fears, and affections, Brian and his family talk freely about their feelings. D.J. admires his courage and revels in his ability to talk openly.

D.J.'s one hope of getting out of Red Bend is to earn a basketball scholarship and go to college. However a football injury jeopardizes that. She is also absorbing additional responsibilities due to her mom's back injury. Then an unexpected tragedy strikes the family which might permanently put an end to D.J.'s plans for her own life.

I loved this book just as much as I loved Dairy Queen. It stood out for the authenticity of D.J.'s voice -- I really believed I was hearing the words and thoughts of a sixteen-year-old girl, not bookishly clever but capable and, at times, remarkably wise. The most powerful part of the story, however, was D.J. herself. This character is both ordinary and exceptionally strong and courageous. I think this element -- the extraordinary compassion and bravery of ordinary people, in difficult circumstances -- is what makes it great fiction. I recommend this novel to pre-teens, teens and adult lovers of realistic novels.


Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

This whole enormous deal wouldn't have happened, none of it, if Dad hadn't messed up his hip moving the manure spreader.

This opens 15-year-old D.J. Schwenk's story. Her father is recuperating from an injury, her two older brothers have left home, and her mom is holding down two jobs at a local school. The responsibility for running the family's dairy farm has fallen on D.J.'s capable but overburdened shoulders. Because of this, she flunked tenth grade English. To further complicate things, her younger brother Curtis has virtually stopped talking. His elective muteness mirrors the way the whole family relates to one another. Their emotions, including anger, pride, and love, are held tightly in check, and most things go unsaid. However one thing that does connect D.J., her difficult father, and her brothers is a love of football.

Brian Nelson, who plays on a rival high school's football team, shows up at the farm. His coach has sent him to help D.J. with the milking, bailing, and other never-ending tasks.

Because us Schwenks aren't rich, and we're not that smart, and except for Bill, and Mom when she was thin back before she got married, we're nothing to look at. But one thing we can do is work. You want to learn how to work hard? Just look at us. We're about the very best place for a snotty, rich, sit-on-your-butt kid like Brian to go.

D.J. teaches Brian how to work on the farm and helps him train for the upcoming season. However, when he accuses her of being a "cow," someone who simply does everything she's told, it cuts her deeply. To prove to herself that he's wrong, she does something completely unexpected.

As a writing teacher, I read the work of young teens all the time, and this novel, told as D.J. writes down her experiences, feels more real than the narrator's voice in any other young adult novel I have ever read. Not only did the language strike me as incredibly authentic, but the story drew me in and made me feel I was in D.J.'s skin. I have never farmed or played football, but I felt the sweat and itchiness and she baled hay and the tension and exhilaration of running across the field with a football. I became a part of her feelings and experiences. I also fell in love with D.J. herself. She is thoroughly genuine, down to earth, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny.

Read another review at Lost in a Book and another at Bookshelves of Doom.

Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Saint Iggy by K.L. Going

So I got kicked out of school today, which is not so great but also not entirely unexpected, and I went back to Public Housing where I live to tell my parents all about it but my mom went visiting someone or other and probably isn’t coming back and my dad is stoned off his ass on the couch like he always is, so somehow I’m not getting the vibe that he’d really, you know, care, so I think – here’s what I’m going to do: first I’ve got to make a plan. And this is part of the plan – making a plan – so really I’m doing good already.

If my dad were awake part of the plan would be telling him about the trouble at school so he would know it was not entirely my fault. This is how it happened:

Me: (coming in late to Spanish class because I followed a hot new girl)
Can I sit here?

Mrs. Brando: (confused) I think you have the wrong classroom.

Me: (correctly) No, I’m in this class.

Mrs. Brando: (really patronizing) Son, it is December and I have not seen you in this class even once before, so I don’t know what classroom you are looking for. Are you new here too?

Me: (being real patient) Nooo, I am in this class and if you’d just check your list from the beginning of the year you’d see that. (under my breath really freaking quietly) Bitch.

Mrs. Brando: (flipping out) Are you threatening me? Do you have a weapon? Are you on drugs? Someone get the principal. Call security. Help! Help! Help!

These opening lines immediately pulled me into the story, and they told me three things. One, this protagonist, like far too many children, is growing up without the protection of stable, caring parents. Second, we have an unreliable narrator. He reminds me of every troubled teen-aged counseling client I ever talked to who, according to his own account, was arrested or suspended from school with minimal provocation. Third, we have a main character who is edgy, funny and endearing.

Iggy Corso's meth-abusing mother has gone "visiting," and hasn't been seen in a month. His father is usually passed out drunk on the couch. So when Iggy goes home to the housing projects after being expelled from school, there is no adult to talk to except for Dad's vicious drug dealer.

Despite the environment he lives in, Iggy does not use alcohol and other drugs, but his path through life has been slippery. Born addicted to crack, he has attention and learning difficulties. He has been in and out of foster care, due to his parents' addiction. He has also failed several grades and has been in chronic trouble at school. Nevertheless, he is determined to turn his life around. He comes up with an agenda that includes:

1. Make a plan
2. get out of the Projects
3. do something with my life
4. change everyone's mind about me
5. get back into school

What will it take to change everyone's mind about him? What if he does something heroic?

With no place to go, he seeks out his only friend Montell, a law school dropout who's seeking spiritual enlightenment through illicit drugs. He looks to "Mo" for help and guidance. However he inadvertently leads him to the drug dealer who helped destroy his parents' and his lives. Then he finds himself in Montell's family home, with Mo's mother, a wealthy, kind-hearted lady who's hiding problems of her own.

There are many compelling moments in Iggy's journey, which takes him from the projects, through the streets of New York, into drug houses where he searches for his mom, in the heart of a wealthy neighborhood, into the apartment of a young immigrant mother, and inside a church. He is a memorable character, paradoxically limited in understanding and impulsive yet wise and compassionate.

This is the first book I have read by K.L. Going, and I will probably look for more books by this author. She did a convincing job of speaking in the voice of a teenage boy, and she has a good ear for dialogue. She wrote about grim reality, in a way that seemed mostly authentic, yet she also captured glimmers of transcendent spiritual moments, and she managed to seamlessly blend edgy humor, hope, and tragedy. I recommend this novel to mature teens and adults.


Rating: 3

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Vidalia in Paris by Sasha Watson

Vidalia is going to Paris for six weeks. The young artist has been accepted to a prestigious program for gifted American students, and she will be staying with a French family for part of the summer. It offers her a chance to take a break from her needy mother, study art with an expert teacher, and spend time with a "real" family.

After she arrives in France, Vidalia struggles with a challenging art course with a gifted and demanding teacher. She is also attracted to two very different men and falls in love for the first time. And her life quickly becomes more complicated than she'd bargained for.

I enjoyed this book, which is well crafted and offers interesting characters. I particularly liked Vidalia's character. Her emotions, as she faces new challenges and falls in love for the first time, are well drawn. I could feel the rush of emotion that comes with first love and being intimate for the first time. I also felt the experience of being independent for the first time. Another thing that shines is the author's eye for detail and skillful use of imagery, as well as her knowledge of art. I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid glimpses of Paris and forays into the art world.

While I enjoyed this novel, it was not one of my favorites among the young adult novels I've reviewed. It was suspenseful, with various plot twists, yet the circumstances Vidalia found herself in strained credibility for me. I found myself wishing the writer had relied on the strength of her main character, the beautiful setting, and her compelling story of experiencing freedom, new adventures, and coming of age, instead of taking us through conspiracies and jagged plot twists.

Nevertheless, I recommend Vidalia in Paris, especially for young readers, and I will look for more books by this author.

Rating: 3

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

The Year the Gypsies Came by Linzi Glass

The Year the Gypsies Came is narrated by young Emily, who lives in Johannesburg with her emotionally unstable parents and her beautiful, loving older sister Sarah. The family's black servants offer her nurturing and stability. This includes Buza, their Zulu watchman, who nourishes her with love, wisdom, and traditional Zulu stories. In many ways, Buza is the heart of this novel, and his tales weave together the threads of the story and give it more color and richness.

Emily's parents often bring strangers into their home; this seems to be part of the glue that holds their marriage together. They invite an itinerant Australian family to camp out in their property. The family includes Jock, whose charm disguises his cruelty, Jock's wife, and his two sons. This sets a series of events in motion which will permanently change their lives.

Most of the characters in this story were well drawn, and Emily's coming of age experiences, her deep loneliness, and her passionate affection for her loved ones seem real to me. The author draws on her own experience growing up in South Africa during the era of apartheid along with her knowledge of Zulu folklore and culture. This makes this coming of age story unique and especially interesting. She also did a terrific job of letting me see and feel the landscape of Johannesburg.

I highly recommend this book for its compelling characters, the glimpse it offers into contemporary history and into another country and culture, and for the richness of the stories.

Rating: 3

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe

Kyle, the 15-year-old protagonist of Freeze Frame, has always been a passionate movie buff. He understands the nuances of myriad movies, directors, and genres. In a way, this provides him with an alternate world to slip into when his life becomes unbearable.

His best friend Jason was killed, and Kyle was found holding the gun. He tries to remember what happened that day, but he has repressed the critical moment. Was it a terrible accident? Or did he kill his friend in cold blood?

He tries to reclaim these memories, but they keep slipping from his grasp. He tries writing the scene, exactly as it happened, in his journal. He writes it as a screenplay in the style of various directors, including Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino. But he still can't break through his mental block.

Meanwhile he is facing probation, the demands of high school, and bullies as well as the anger of Jason's family. He also made a promise to look after Jason's little brother, Chase. This promise helps him hang on when guilt and despair have him cornered and suicide seems like the only answer.

The best part of this book, for me, was Kyle's character. His passions, his quirks, and his thoughts and emotions were clearly drawn. I got a strong sense of his loyalty, his conscience, and his compassion. This elevated the story from being just another "issue" novel. And the connection I felt with the characters, especially Kyle, kept me eagerly turning pages, anxious to learn what Kyle would discover about himself and the day that Jason died. This is a novel that will be hard for me to forget.

Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Freefall by Anna Levine

At an age where American teens are graduating from high school and deciding what they want to do with the next few years of their lives, Israeli youths are preparing to be drafted into military service. Eighteen-year-old Aggie is getting ready for this leap. Though she has other alternatives, the petite, unusually intelligent young woman decides to train for combat.

Putting aside her friends and her first kiss with her crush, she goes to boot camp. While hauling sandbags in the scorching desert and performing other grueling tests of stamina, she discovers a new kind of friendship with the other young women in her troop. And when war breaks out on the Lebanese border, she faces bigger tests of loyalty, perseverance and courage.

I was thoroughly absorbed in this book. Every piece of this story -- from the arid desert and boot camp food to life in a bomb shelter under a war zone -- felt real. Having once been a teenager, I related to Aggie's quotidian struggles to sort out relationships with guys and make decisions about her future. However, I also got to experience a kind of life I've never had to face. I could feel what it was like to trudge through the desert and the gut-wrenching fear of traveling across a war-torn country.

While it deals with the reality of war, this is an uplifting book. I recommend it for both teens and adults, particularly those who, like me, relish the opportunity to open a door to another part of the world.

Rating: 3

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Schooled by Gordan Korman

When I saw that this novel was about a homeschooled boy making the transition to public middle school, after living a sheltered life, I couldn't resist picking it up. We all know my weakness for books about homeschoolers. However, I had a feeling I was going to be put off by the way home educators are portrayed. And I was.

Capricorn Anderson is that apocryphal homeschooler everyone seems to be worried about -- unsocialized and so sheltered he can't cope in the real world. Yes, seriously. He has been raised by his over-the-top retro-hippie grandma at Garland, which was once a thriving sixties commune. Now it's just the two of them. His grandmother, Rain, is the only person he knows, and he has rarely had contact with other people.

When Cap's grandmother is injured, he has to temporarily live with a social worker, who happens to have been raised on Rain's commune herself. He also has to attend public middle school -- a place where the harsh caste system and relentless bullying seem just as over-the-top as Rain's flower-child mentality. There is nothing subtle in this book. Or maybe I've just been away from middle school too long.

When Cap arrives at Claverage ("C Average") Middle School, with long hair and sandals made from corn husks, having never seen a locker or a PA system, he becomes the prime target for the "cool" kids, who are cruel bullies. However, his tormenters find he's not what they expected.

Despite my negative reaction to the story's premise, and although I did not feel the characters were developed in depth, I found myself enjoying it. Told from the perspective of a variety of characters, including Cap himself, it offers a glimpse at middle school life, which one character calls, "a cheesy, pre-packaged rehearsal for being alive," that is satirical and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny.

One of my favorite parts was the main character's description of riding the school bus, which -- having ridden my share of school buses and put my own kids on a few -- struck me as dead-on:

"If I'd ever questioned why Rain and her friends gave up on city life in San Francisco and founded Garland back in 1967, five minutes on that bus explained it. The dark underbelly of the human animal was turned loose on the vehicle. It was crowded, noisy, dirty, rowdy, and uncomfortable. People fought, shrieked, threw things at one another, and tormented the hapless driver. It was an insane asylum on wheels."

I recommend this as a fun read, especially for pre-teens and teenagers. And because of his sense of humor, I will probably look for more books by this author.

For a more detailed review -- from a different perspective -- see this post at Bloggin' 'bout Books

Rating: 3

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

The Homeschool Liberation League by Lucy Frank

Dear Mr. Westenberg, I am hereby withdrawing from Martin Van Buren Middle School. As you must know, I was not happy -- totally miserable -- I am finding school stupefying. Don't blame my mom and dad for not answering those letters you sent home. I wanted them to hear the truth from my own lips. You should also know, Mr. Westenberg, that I learned more in a month at Wilderness Discovery Camp than I learned in seven years at school.

Thirteen-year-old Kaitlyn, aka Katya, Antonucci drafts this letter in the woods on the way home from school. It is the first day of eighth grade. She'd reported for her first day of school, as she'd done every year, surrounded by friends. However, after spending a summer at Wilderness Discovery Camp, pursuing her passions, she just can't do it. She gets off the bus, walks through the door, turns around and goes home.

Katya is full of plans for homeschooling. She wants to prepare meals from foraged plants, learn about medicinal herbs, and eradicate invasive plant species. She plans to do real scientific research. First, she faces the hurdle of convincing her parents to allow her to homeschool. Not being college educated, and having no formal teaching experience, they doubt their ability to mentor Katya in her learning.

When her parents do agree to pull her out of school, Katya finds that their vision of home education differs vastly from hers. Katya wants to unschool -- pursue her own passions and see where they lead. Her parents insist on a carefully scripted eighth grade curriculum -- complete with a Daily Instructional Matrix. And to earn the time her mother will spend teaching her, she must help in her mom's beauty salon throughout the day.

Katya struggles to walk the line between keeping her parents on board with learning at home and following her own dreams. Meanwhile, she gains some new friends, including Eddie Horton, an elderly man who shares her passion for nature and ecology, Milo, a gifted violinist who has homeschooled all his life and loathes it, and Francesca, a popular junior high student who is tired of "playing the game," doing what peers and teachers expect of her. Along the way, she delves deeper into her interests and discovers her first love.

This novel avoids the ubiquitous stereotypes about homeschooling and offers a celebration of the variety of learning options kids can explore. The author took the time to actually research homeschooling and get a glimpse of the diversity of home educating families. In this novel, it is clear that one size doesn't fit all, and finding the best way to live and learn is a difficult journey in itself.

Lucy Frank also created a gifted, feisty, likeable young woman, trying to understand her unique mission in life, and an adeptly woven story. One of the most believable facets of the novel, for me was Katya's slippery journey to maturity. At times, she was remarkably mature and self-aware, with the presence of mind to advocate intelligently for her educational freedom. At other moments, she was reacting in rage or acting out due to boredom. It was easy for me to suspend disbelief and see her as a living, breathing adolescent girl.

I was also impressed with the author's eye for detail in describing Katya's forays into nature. I could see and feel the fertile, muddy pond, the woods, the scratchy thorns, and the abundance of plant life Katya explores.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I recommend it to all fiction lovers, especially pre-teen and teenage girls.

You'll find another review at Homeschooling Research Notes and one at Killin' Time Reading.

Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me