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Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? Louise Rennison. 2009. [October 2009]. HarperCollins. 320 pages.
Sunday, September 18th 9:00 a.m. Why? oh why oh why? 9:02 a.m. Why me? 9:03 a.m. And I'll just say this. Why?
This is the tenth and final book in the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison. And it all comes down to this, of course, will she or won't she?! Will she or won't she what you ask??? Well, if you've read the books you can probably guess that the full question is will she or won't she end up with Dave the Laugh.
Georgia has had her fair share of boyfriends. And currently she's heartsick over Masimo. Heartsick because Masimo, being the jealous type, got angry when Georgia danced with Dave the Laugh. A crazy little dance, right? It didn't mean much, right? After all, if a little dance made him this jealous, just imagine if he knew about the kiss the two shared, a kiss that Georgia dare not mention to a soul.
Can her relationship with Masimo be mended? Does she really want it to? If she does love Masimo--really, really love him--why is she always thinking about Dave the Laugh?
Of course, this book isn't just about Georgia's indecisiveness when it comes to her love life. Georgia's friends enter into it, of course. This time they're all going crazy because of Romeo and Juliet. Their all-girl school is putting on a performance of this Shakespeare tragedy that is bound to bring great laughs.
The Stolen Crown. Susan Higginbotham. 2010. [March 2010] SourceBooks. 400 pages.
You might think that the last night of a condemned traitor would be a rather solitary affair, but you would think wrong, for the last couple of hours have been bustling with people coming and going.
I know historical fiction isn't loved by everyone, isn't appreciated by everyone. I know that not every reader finds history fun. But. For the right reader, it can be very satisfying, very compelling. I really enjoyed Susan Higginbotham's The Stolen Crown. I found it to be rich in detail, yet compelling. There is a story to be told--a very dramatic one--and Higginbotham tells it well.
The Stolen Crown is the story of Harry Stafford (duke of Buckingham) and his wife Katherine Woodville (sister to Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV). It's narrated by both Kate and Harry. It spans several decades, (1460s-1480s); these are turbulent decades in England's history. (Perhaps you haven't heard of this couple, but maybe you've heard of Richard III?!)
After having read The Tudor Rose last year, I was curious to learn more about this time period in British history. There is some overlap--when it comes to characters--and having some familiarity helped me keep everything straight in this one--but they are two very different stories.
If you're interested in history, royalty, and politics, then this one may be for you!
Yours is not the first positive review I have seen of this book, and I really want to read it. I'm not that familiar with characters of the Tudor period outside Henry VIII and his many wives.
Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney. 2009. Chronicle Books. 366 pages.
"Register four is now open with no waiting," a ceiling voice booms, interrupting the Stevie Wonder tune playing over the intercom.
Wow. It's a bit surprising how wow-worthy this one is. If you're looking for something compelling, something almost impossible to put down, then you should pick this one up and give it a try. It's so well-written, so intense, so good.
Is it a little too dramatic? Well, you'll have to be the judge of that. It worked for me. And here's why it worked for me. I cared. About the characters. About the unfolding family drama. Blue Plate Special is the story of three women, three generations. Madeline (1977), Desiree (1993) and Ariel (2009). Three women who could learn a lot from each other. If they are willing to listen, to understand, to forgive. Not that forgiveness comes easy. Not that compassion does either. But each story was compelling. Each in its own way. How could I choose which narrator worked best for me? Each voice was so unique. (Especially Desiree's narrative which was written in verse.)
Relationships. Between mothers and daughters. Between boyfriends and girlfriends. Between friends. Life is complex. Relationships are complex. And sometimes you can't know what's going on behind the scenes, behind closed doors.
There were so many things done right in Blue Plate Special. It's a coming-of-age novel that authentically represents some of the harder issues of living life in an unfair world. A world where parents make mistakes too. It's a heartbreaking novel. One that could be a bit too much for some readers perhaps. But while tragic definitely comes to mind when describing this one, so does the word unforgettable.
I was waiting to see what you thought of this one. I had no idea what it was about, but Jo Knowles, who I really respect, loved it, so I picked it up. Pretty soon I was engrossed in these three lives, not knowing if or how or even whether they intertwined. SOOO good.
Kaleidoscope Eyes. Jen Bryant. 2009. Random House. 264 pages.
If I've known this one was a verse novel, I would have read it much sooner! I'd been looking for a good verse novel for quite a while now.
What is Kaleidoscope Eyes about? Well, the year is 1968, and our heroine, Lyza, is going through some struggling times. Her mom's gone. Her grandpa's dead. Her older sister is acting even stranger than usual. She has a hippie for a boyfriend. 'Hairy' Harry. Her father's almost always gone, always busy doing something. And it just seems like everything is coming apart. Not just with Lyza and her family, but with the world, the country, in general. But Lyza has several things going for her. She has two of the best friends a girl could have: Malcolm and Carolann. True, these friends are very different from one another. (Tall, shy, black guy and a small, hyperactive white girl.) But together these three have a great time together. Together these three are family.
One day--after reluctantly being called into service--Lyza finds something remarkable, something special, something just for her eyes. You see, her grandfather has died. And the three of them (her dad, her sister, herself) have to sort through his house, his belongings. Lyza assigns herself the attic, and what she discovers--a letter with three maps--changes her life forever. Her grandfather has given her one last gift, one last adventure, and that means everything to her.
Soon this adventure is shared between the three friends (though not with her family). This adventure will make the summer of 1968 unforgettable!
Here's a sample of one of the poems:
"Kaleidoscope Eyes"
Some nights, before I go to sleep, I look through the lens of the one Mom gave me
for my tenth birthday, just to see how, when I turn the tube slowly around, every fractured pattern that bends and splits
into a million little pieces always come back together, to make a picture more beautiful than the one before. (9)
Candor. By Pam Bachorz. 2009. [September 2009]. Egmont USA. 256 pages.
Ca-chunk, ca-chunk, ca-chunk. The sound drifts through my bedroom window. Pokes through my homework haze. It's not loud, but it's impossible to ignore. Because it doesn't belong here.
Oscar Banks is only pretending to be perfect. But he may be the only one pretending. You see, in the town of Candor, you are what you hear. And there are non-stop messages (hidden in the music) telling everyone how to behave. Parents with troubled teens pay a lot of money to "transform" their kids into perfect ones. It takes a week or two at most, and then independence and free thinking are things of the past.
Oscar's not following in his father's footsteps. He's only pretending his father (and his inventions) are the best thing ever. He is using "the messages" to accomplish what he wants. He runs a rescue operation. For the right price, he can get you out of town. It's not easy. It's a risk. But if you've got the money and the goods (contraband items), then he might just make you a deal.
Enter Nia. She could just be the love of his life. But with her Oscar faces the most dangerous challenge of all. Love.
I definitely recommend this one. I thought the premise was interesting, and it was nicely carried out. It was hard to put this one down. Some of the characters annoyed me--I must admit Sherman got on my nerves--but for the most part, I really enjoyed this one!
Once Was Lost. By Sara Zarr. 2009. [October 2009]. Little, Brown. 224 pages.
The whole world is wilting. Shriveling. Giving up. Dying. Maybe not the whole world. Somewhere, I guess, it's not ninety-one degrees at four in the morning. I would like to be in that place. I would like to be somewhere, anywhere, that life feels possible and not smothered under a layer of heat and hopelessness.
Sam (not short for Samantha, but Samara) is a preacher's kid. And this summer is her worst yet. Her mom's in court-ordered rehab. Her dad is her dad. He's so caught up in being "Pastor Charlie" that he has forgotten that his family should come first. When he's not ignoring her, he's not listening to her. (Could this be one reason why her mom turned to alcohol?!) Sam's family is falling apart. It's more than her mom's drinking and her dad's absence. There are financial worries as well. Sam might have to switch schools. She just feels so alone, so depressed, so angry. This is a summer when doubts and questions and fears arise.
When Jody Shaw, a church kid, only thirteen, disappears, then Sam just sees it as one more thing gone wrong, one more reason to doubt God. As a community comes together for thirteen anxious days, she becomes closer to Jody's older brother, Nick. Both teens are struggling. For better or worse, this crisis is changing her as a person. Can she find her way? Can she find a way to believe in miracles again?
I loved this book so much that I chose it for our teacher book club for the month of February. I think it's got some really interesting things to talk about.
For Keeps. Natasha Friend. 2010. [April 2010] Penguin. 272 pages.
It's the last Friday night in August, and instead of dancing on a table at Melanie Jaffin's party with the rest of the soon-to-be junior class, I am crouched behind a tower of Meow Mix in the pet-food aisle of Shop-Co, watching my mother hyperventilate.
Josie Gardner has never met her dad, Paul Tucci. Both sets of parents were against this match. When Josie's mom, Kate, got pregnant her junior year of high school, her love, Paul, moved away to Arizona. Never to return. Now facing her own junior year of high school, Josie has quite a lot to contemplate. You see, the Tuccis are back. Paul's parents. Back in town. And they're part of the reason Josie's mom is losing it. She loses it whenever she bumps into someone from her high school days. Should Josie want to know her grandparents? Should she reach out to them and let them know that she exists? And does that mean that her father, Paul, could show up at some point? What would she do if he did? Would she be willing to let him into her life? Would she be able to listen to his side of the story?
What did I appreciate about this one? Quite a lot! I thought the characterization was wonderful. Everyone was fully developed. Not just Josie. Not just Josie's love interest, Matt. Not just Josie's best friend, Liv. But everybody. Her mom. Her mom's new love interest, Jonathan. Her best friend's two dads, Dodd and Pops. Her boss, Bob. Everybody who matters to Josie, everyone whom she interacts with on a daily basis is fleshed out for the readers. Of course, some are more fully fleshed than others. Is Jonathan as important as Liv? Of course not! But he's there nonetheless, and sturdier than mere cardboard.
I liked the complications. Life isn't simple, it's complex, and it shows in For Keeps. The complications felt real. Not for show. Not for drama. But authentic problems a young person might face. That doesn't mean that this is an "issue" novel. It doesn't feel heavy-handed like you're supposed to be learning something big-and-important.
I appreciated the way relationships are explored in this one. Josie's complicated relationship with her mom. How it varies through the course of the novel. Her mom isn't automatically the enemy. She isn't someone to automatically rebel against, disobey, yell at. Yet, there relationship isn't perfect either. They are friends, yes, especially in the beginning, but as complications arise, they have to work on their relationship to maintain that closeness. And her relationship with her best friend? So well done. Again, it's not perfect. It's something that takes a bit of work, a bit of give and take. But it is something that just felt real, felt right. It didn't feel forced. It felt believable that Liv and Josie were best friends. That Liv existed as more than a plot device, more than a stereotype.
I wasn't aware that Friend had another novel out. I have read two of her novels and really enjoyed them (I still need to read Lush).
It's interesting that the cover is so different from her other covers -- I think it will appeal to my students. I find Friend's books perfect for those students who want to read teen problem books but who are not quite ready for the really hard-hitting books that are available.
This one does sound good for my students who like realistic fiction. I will have to check into the others by her too. I know we have Lush but not the other ones.
I like the cover of this one much more than the covers of the others. I think this one will be easier to sell to readers.
Evans, Richard Paul. 2009. The Christmas List. Simon & Schuster. 368 pages.
James Kier looked back and forth between the newspaper headline and the photograph of himself, not sure if he should laugh or call his attorney. It was the same photograph the Tribune had used a couple of years earlier when they featured him on the front page of the business section....While the photograph was the same, the headline could not have been more different. Not many people get to read their own obituary.
James Kier comes close to beating old Ebenezer Scrooge when it comes to crankiness. Well, not crankiness exactly. But for his cynical, cold-hearted, what's-in-it-for-me approach to life. His business practices don't just border on unethical and immoral, they're just downright mean and heartless. He doesn't care who he hurts in his life--it could be his childhood best friend, his elderly neighbor, or his own wife and son. The truth is if ever a man was in need of a wake-up call, it was James Kier. And you can count on Richard Paul Evans to deliver that and more in The Christmas List.
How do you want to be remembered? What do you want your legacy to be? Kier always thought he didn't care. That it just didn't matter how people felt about him. People's feelings just didn't rank very high with him. He didn't care how many enemies he made. Not if it made him richer, more successful. But when Kier reads his own obituary--well, more precisely reads the comments his online obituary brings, he realizes just how much he does care. It stings, really stings, to see how very many people are rejoicing in his death, how many are happy to talk bad about him. What he realizes--in those moments--is that truth is being spoken. The person they're describing, that is him. That is how he lived, that is how he treated people.
So what can he do about it? Can he change who he is? Can he change his legacy before it's too late? With an oh-so-helpful secretary, Kier has a plan for "fixing" his image, his legacy. But can it be done all by Christmas day?
I really enjoyed this one. It had an interesting premise. I didn't know at first how well it would work for me. But I must admit that even though this one is definitely message-driven and a bit melodramatic, well, it worked all the same. Expect it to be oh-so-bittersweet.
Venuti, Kristin. 2009. Leaving the Bellweathers. Egmont. 242 pages.
It is nighttime in the village of Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay.
If ever a book surprised me--completely surprised me--it was this one. Looking at the title, the cover, even the first sentence, nothing whispered the promise of how much fun this book would be, how funny and how right this book would be. Will every reader love this one? Will every reader fall for the quirky humor? Well, it would be nearly impossible for any one book to be beloved by every reader. But oh-how-I-wish this one would find a large fan base! Because I think it's just the right blend of what makes a book work.
What is it about? It's about a disgruntled but oh-so-loyal (but not that loyal) butler who is counting down the days until he leaves his job. For two hundred years, his family has served the Bellweathers. But not anymore. When the two hundred years of pledged service are up, he is so out of there! And to make money for his new start, this butler--Tristan Benway--has decided to write a tell-all book about the Bellweathers. He's got a story to tell, and oh what a story that is! Each member of the family--especially all the Bellweather children--get a chance in the spotlight. And it is a real contest (at times) to see just which one is the wildest, craziest, out-there of the bunch.
I definitely recommend this one. It is funny and unusual. And there is just something about it that works.
He chose the Lacey family at first because of the sailboats.
This was completely an impulsive read. There was no urgency in getting to it. It's not a new book. (Though I believe it is soon to be reprinted soon in paperback by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. January 2010, according to B&N.) But the moment I picked it up, the moment I read the first page, I just had to keep reading this one. It was so very readable, so very compelling. Which--just so you know--was so unexpected, because this is not a book in my comfort zone, this genre is not one I usually read. At all. And yet for some reason, it grabbed my attention from the start.
Long story short, I was surprised by this one. And I definitely recommend it! It is the 2001 winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Mystery.
What is it about? It's about a son who hates his father. With good reason. Cameron, our narrator, is a young boy--fourteen, I think--who has been through so much. His father, a man he calls Pop, is a serial killer and child abuser. But there is light, there is hope. Now that his father is dead--killed in a police raid--Cameron sees his chance. He wants a new life, a real life. By claiming to be someone he's not, by pretending to be one of the victims, Neil Lacey. But will this plan work? Or will his past catch up with him?
Suma, Nova Ren. 2009. Dani Noir. Simon & Schuster. 272 pages.
A slow fade-in on my life...
Dani is a young teen (13) struggling with her parents' divorce. To escape from reality, she chooses to go to the movies. A lot. There's a movie house close by that shows only old films, classics, black-and-white films. Dani enjoys watching Rita Hayworth. She's the best. The absolute best. At least according to Dani. When we first meet Dani, she's trying to avoid going to stay at her dad's house for the weekend. Her dad is newly engaged. (Though Dani doesn't know that until after she gets there.) And Dani doesn't know how to deal. With her would-be stepmother and stepsister. She'd rather lose herself in a good noir film. Where there are mysteries to solve. And where you can never quite be sure if a person is good or bad.
In addition to her angsty home life, Dani gets caught up in the love life of her babysitter. She begins to worry that her babysitter's boyfriend is cheating. (Just like her dad cheated on her mom.) This situation mirrors her own--in a way--she doesn't know if she should tell, or hint, or let it go since it isn't any of "her" business anyway.
During all this mess, Dani herself is being courted. Though she's truly the last to know! Life and love sure can be complicated at times. But a good movie always helps.
Scott, Elizabeth. 2010. The Unwritten Rule. Simon & Schuster. 210 pages. (April 2010, tentatively)
I liked him first, but it doesn't matter. I still like him. That doesn't matter either. Or at least, it's not supposed to.
Sarah has liked Ryan for years. (Since he asked her to a dance back in eighth grade.) But when her friend, Brianna, makes a (successful) move on the new-and-improved Ryan at an end-of-summer party, Sarah feels guilty for wishing things were oh-so-different. Everything is complicated because Brianna is always insisting that Sarah come along when the she and Ryan hang out and when they "study" together. The three do get along together surprisingly well. But. Sarah can't help wishing that she was with Ryan.
Does she have reason to hope? How does Ryan see her? Does he see her like that? Would it matter if he did? Would she still choose to play by the rules if she knew that he cared for her too?
There are a million rules for being a girl. There are a million things you have to do to get through each day. High school has things that can trip you up, ruin you, people smile and say one thing and mean another, and you have to know all the rules, you have to know what you can and can't do. And one of them is this: You don't kiss your best friend's boyfriend. You don't do it once. You certainly don't do it twice. (116)
I enjoyed this one. The friendship between Sarah and Brianna is complicated. Good, bad, ugly, it's all there. And it's nice to see a book explore how some friendships can turn toxic somewhere along the way. But that's not to say Brianna can be summed up in a simple little word like toxic. She plays both victim and bully. Both Brianna and Sarah are human, flawed. And I love that. I love it when a book takes the time to develop characters and relationships. Scott's characters are always unique and quirky and have interesting (or sometimes not so interesting) lives. (Sarah's thing is for designing sneakers.)
The quotes are from the ARC, so they are subject to change before the book is published in the spring of 2010. (The ARC was provided by the publisher.)
The Plot: Samara "Sam" Taylor is not having a good summer.
Everything seems broken or run down, as the heat builds. Her mother's secret drinking is not so secret anymore, thanks to a DUI and court-mandated residential rehab. Her father is more dedicated to his work as a pastor than to being a father. Money problems may mean that Sam doesn't go back to private school. The backyard garden is a pile of dirt; even the air conditioner and fans aren't working properly.
And then thirteen year old Jody Shaw, from her father's congregation, who Sam kinda knows from her Church youth group, disappears.
Sam is having doubts; a crisis of faith. Thinking things, wondering things, that she cannot say aloud because she's a pastor's kid. Everyone thinks they know who she really is; who her family really is; and thinks they have a right to say what she should think, do, believe.
The Good: Zarr delivers both an intensely personal, internal story of faith and belief; and a suspenseful mystery involving a missing teen.
Sam has good reason to question her faith. Her family is falling apart; faith, belief, love have not helped her mother. They don't help her father be a better father. They don't help Jody Shaw's family. Once Was Lost is about more than questioning, though; it's an exploration, with Sam remembering her earlier child-like faith and now looking at others, wondering, how to believe again. What does she want? Is it the faith of her childhood? Zarr handles Sam's spiritual dilemma with respect -- respect for Sam, of course; but also respect for religion, and faith.
The disintegration of Sam's family has brought her to her spiritual crisis. Her mother, Laura Taylor, is an alcoholic. I want to cry from happiness as I read the kind, nuanced portrayal of Sam's mother. It's easy to make an alcoholic parent the bad guy; we've all read tons of books where drinking = abuse = evil. But the reality is more complex than that. For this reason alone, it's on my list of favorite books read in 2009.
As Sam's father responds to some need of his congregation, Sam thinks, "sober, tipsy, drunk, whatever, [my mother is] the one who's been here, and she's the one who really knows me." The perfect illustration of how little Sam's father sees what is going on in his own household? He has no idea just how lost Sam is feeling. Just like Sam's mother isn't "teh evil" because she drinks, neither is Sam's father "teh evil." Neither of these parents are portrayed as bad, terrible, no-good people; rather they are real people, not perfect, with flaws, people who try and do the best they can.
As Sam looks back at the last three years, at what her family is now as compared to then, she wishes "there was a way to put your finger on the map of life and trace backwards, to figure out exactly when things had changed so much: when we started getting the dregs of Dad, if that was before or after the drinking getting bad. ... Still, it doesn't explain how on
4 Comments on Once Was Lost, last added: 12/3/2009
I really enjoyed your website! Your book reviews are wonderful reading. Have you heard of Danny the Dragon? It’s worth a review: http://DannyTheDragon.com Please let me know if you are interested in reviewing this nominee for Best Children’s Book of 2009! [email protected] Thank you, Rosie
I couldn't agree more about the portrayal of Sam's mother - Zarr did an astonishingly good job on that. (And everything else!) I think she's one of my favourite ever flawed-but-trying parents.
Shannon, I've added your blog to my bloglines & look forward to getting to know you rblog better.
Lady S., Zarr is good at that, and it's not easy. I know how adults, esp parents, are portrayed in YA lit gets commented on a lot. I love how Zarr continually delivers well rounded parents (as you say, flawed but trying) but the teen and the teen's story always remains front and center.
Khan, Rukhsana. 2009. Wanting Mor. Groundwood Books. 190 pages.
I thought she was sleeping.
Jameela is a young Afghan girl with a world of sorrow. After losing her mother (the Mor in the title), her father decides to sell what he can, pack what he can, and head back to Kabul. He is her only family, and so while she doesn't want to leave the only home she's known, her place is with him. Even if she doesn't like her father's choices and the company he keeps.
Jameela treasures up every memory she has of her mother. Mor always told Jameela that "if you can't be beautiful, you should at least be good." And Jameela feels those words must be true. If she can just be good enough, work hard enough, the people around her should start to appreciate her, respect her, and maybe just maybe come to care for her. She knows she isn't beautiful. She was born with a cleft lip. But surely she is more than that. She is more than her imperfect face. Can anyone look beyond and see what strength, what devotion lies beneath?
This was an emotional read for me. Jameela was such a strong (yet vulnerable) heroine. I loved her resilience and respected her devotion to her faith. This book is set in 2001 in Afghanistan.
Hemingway, Edith M. 2009. Road to Tater Hill. Random House. 213 pages.
For months I had wished and wished the baby would be a girl, a little sister. Maybe I shouldn't have wished so hard. A boy might have lived.
The year is 1963. The summer of 1963. And Annie's got some growing up to do. Fortunately, she won't be all on her own. This will be a time of growth and healing for all.
This one had me at hello. From the very first paragraph, I was drawn into Annie's story. Annie is eleven and carrying a heavy burden of grief and worry. Her father is in the military--and he's overseas. Her mother just had her baby prematurely. Mary Kate. Her sister's name was Mary Kate. But she lived only a day. These two (mother and daughter) are staying with her grandparents. Will grief bring this family together or tear it apart?
Annie often goes off on her own. And on one of her trips, she finds a rock baby. A baby just the right size, right weight. She wraps it in the precious yellow blanket--the blanket she made for her new sister--and holds it. But that's not all she finds in her explorations. She also discovers an older woman living in a mess of a house--more of a shack than a proper house. A woman, Eliza McGee, with issues of her own. Alone, both seem a bit hopeless. As these two come together, healing begins. It's a great story of inter-generational friendship. A really great story.
If you're looking for a family-friendly, coming-of-age novel (that happens to be historical) then I really recommend this one. I loved so many things about it. I loved the fact that both Annie and Eliza love to read. That both draw power from words. From stories. I loved the use of poetry and literature in the book. (How absorbed Annie becomes in A Wrinkle in Time.)
LaFleur, Suzanne. 2009. Love, Aubrey. Random House. 262 pages.
It was fun at first, playing house. I made all my own meals. Crackers and cheese, three times a day. I watched whatever I wanted on TV, all day. It'd been a good three days: crackers and cheese for breakfast, TV; crackers and cheese for lunch, TV; crackers and cheese for dinner, TV, bed. Nothing to think about but TV and cheese. A perfect world. Then I ran out of cheese.
I loved Love, Aubrey. It was such a wonderful book. Bittersweet in a way. But even in it's sadness, it was oh-so-right. (Always authentic.) I loved Aubrey. And I think you will too. Who is she? What is her story?
In a way, I think it's best for you to meet her yourself. To meet Aubrey on her own terms. Her story is revealed slowly throughout the book. And it is in the telling of her story, that the story has its power, its emotional depth.
That being said, I've got to say something to show you how wonderful this one is. When we first meet Aubrey, she's all alone. She's not playing house. And there's nothing funny about her situation. What happened to her mom? her dad? her sister? And who is Jilly? Is she really all on her own? It would seem like it. Her and her beta fish, Sammy, living all on their own. Trying to escape the notice of their neighbors, the church ladies, the authorities in town. Why is she so scared? She's watched TV. She knows that if she's discovered to be on her own, she'll be put into foster care.
But Aubrey won't be alone for long. A concerned grandmother shows up, and Aubrey--scared as she may be of change, as untrusting as she may be--is soon under her care. Can Aubrey's heart be healed, be mended? Can she learn to love again, to trust again?
At night, the door to other worlds opened wide. Emily waited as darkness fell, so ecstatic she shivered and wrapped her arms tight about her chest.
Emily is the Emily. Emily Bronte. And Emily's Ghost is a novelization of her life. A life lived for the most part with her family: Patrick, her father, a curate; Branwell, her brother; and her two sisters Anne and Charlotte.
This is not a novel about Emily's writing. Within its pages, we don't see many glimpses of Emily and her sisters hard at work...writing. This, instead, is a novel about the complex relationships between the three sisters. Relationships made more difficult, in a way, when all three fall for the same man: their father's assistant, William Weightman.
It's a romance in the sense that Emily does fall madly in love with William. And he with her. But for various reasons--neither here nor there--this was not to be. Emily felt 'the call' to much. Wanting the freedom to write. Wanting the freedom to wander. She knew that a life tied to a man--even a man she loved--would only tie her down. If she were to marry, she would have responsibilities. She'd be expected to behave: to be a prim and proper little wife. To conform to all of societies little codes and rules. To marry him would only invite scandal into his life. She knew that society would always see her as strange and dark and different.
I don't know how much (if any) of this is true. It would be nice in a way to have a way of knowing. Of knowing how much is based on truth, on fact, and how much is pure fabrication. Did Emily and William really have a relationship? Were they really in love? Was Charlotte and Emily really that much at odds with each other? Was there more hatred and bitterness than love and tenderness? Was Charlotte really that manipulative and mean?
For fans of any of the Bronte sisters, this is an interesting read. And a fast-paced one. Though it didn't make me particularly want to go read any of their books--like the Syrie James Bronte novelization did--still, it was a nice read. Lots of drama.
I read Giardina's "Saints and Villains," and this summer I read Charlotte Bronte's "Villette" as part of an on-line book club. Giardina takes some liberties with Bonhoeffer's life in "Saints," but I enjoy her work.
I am a Bronte fan! I must read this book. Maybe I'll shop for this book to read on my vacation and add it to my suitcase I'm taking of all the other books I need to read. LOL.
While we waited for the news to arrive, we played dice.
No doubt you've heard of Cleopatra and her tragic love affair with Marc Antony. But have you ever given much thought to Cleopatra's children? Did you ever even think of Cleopatra as being a mother? I know I hadn't.
This one begins with the death of Marc Antony and Cleopatra, but the story is far from over. And most of it takes place in the heart of the Roman empire--in Rome itself. It stars Cleopatra's twins, Selene and Alexander. (But the narrator of this one is Selene.) The two are taken by Octavian (aka Augustus, emperor) and brought to Rome where they'll be paraded around a bit. (He's returned victorious and what better way to show off than by parading around Antony's and Cleopatra's children around as slaves.)
But the two live with Octavia. (She's the sister to Octavian; and the former wife of Marc Antony.) But surprisingly, she's not bitter. True, she lost her husband to Cleopatra, but she's happy to welcome his children into her home and into her protection. The book follows what happens to them as they grow up, as they adapt to living life the Roman way (relatively free considering they're 'captives', but they're not truly free. They don't have the freedom to return to Egypt, to Alexandria. They know they are pawns for the Emperor, and that's all they'll ever be.)
Life with royalty--or near royalty--is complex. There are so many things going on--social and political and economic. The story has many players, characters, Marcellus, Julia, Juba (II), Livia, Agrippa, etc. (You might have heard of a few of these characters.) It REALLY helped that I'd read I, Claudius and was such a big fan.
Did I like it? Yes. Definitely. Did I love it as much as The Heretic Queen or Nefertiti? Not really. I found Ancient Egypt a bit more fascinating (to me) than Ancient Rome. But what both books offer is great escape. The details in all three are amazingly crafted. You really get a sense of the time period and the culture.
I'd recommend this one to those that love history and historical fiction. An interest of politics is a plus--though not absolutely essential. It doesn't have as much of a focus on romance as her two previous novels.
Great review! This really sounds like my kind of thing. I love Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt, in all historical fiction (or history), it's my favorite period. I have the first two books from the author but haven't read them yet. I don't know what I'm waiting for!
The Plot: Meet Terra Cooper. She could be such a pretty girl... Tall, but not too tall. Ballerina's legs. Platinum blonde (natural). So pretty...
If it weren't for the port wine birthmark on her cheek.
She is flawed. The best she can do is hide behind heavy makeup; medical treatments have not worked.
She wants to escape... Escape the small town where everyone knows what her face really looks like. Escape her controlling father and doormat mother. Escape herself.
Escape is in slow steps, at first. Her artwork. Hoping to go to college far away. A secret trip to Seattle for one more attempt to treat her birthmark. CRASH. And a fender bender in a parking lot, that leads to meeting Jacob. An Asian Goth. And things start changing, faster and faster. North of beautiful is a place that isn't beautiful, but has it's own beauty.
The Good: Where to start? I read this a year ago, and so many details have stuck with me. Terra's artwork. Her horrible father. Her weak mother.
Her mother.... Headley does a terrific job portraying a woman who has been a bit beaten down by life, not very confident, hiding from life, who just needs a hand reached out to her to pull herself out of her hopelessness. That helping hand comes, surprisingly, from the family whose car Terra hits.
This unexpected friendship between the families -- between the mothers and between Terra and Jacob -- lead to one of the best things about this book. A trip to China. Terra's escape is made real, as the two families travel to Jacob's birthplace. After reading this book, I so so so wanted to travel to China; but the details, the description, make me feel like I have been there.
The father. I hated him. Hated him all the more for understanding him; a man who has been disappointed with life, who cannot control some things so instead tries to control his wife, his daughter, his sons. And -- as is usual the case -- control is done by being a mean, nasty, S.O.B.
The various metaphors going on in this book worked really well to add additional layers to the book. The father is a mapmaker -- talk about the ultimate illusion of creating and controlling a world! Thinking something is yours because you drew the lines, mapped it out. Geocaching also figures in this book; and it's a way for Terra to actually take something positive from her father (mapping places, finding things) yet make it uniquely her own. Discovering herself, while discovering hidden things.
Is this about a birthmark? About learning how to geocache? About a wounded mother healing and growing? A young artist? A romance? A trip to China? Coffee? It's all of these; but ultimately, it's classic young adult: coming of age, as Terra matures into a strong, beautiful young woman.
I'm quite excited to get to this book in my TBR pile. It sounded so wonderful just from reading the jacket. The fact that you found it interesting only adds validity to the thought that I'd enjoy it.
Obviously this book "stayed" with you since you read it a year ago!! I finished it a few weeks ago and feel much the same.
I felt the length of the book allowed Headley the chance to really explore her topic; true beauty, the beauty of travel, how to learn to stick up for yourself, self discovery, etc. This was a journey and the fact that the author wasn't afraid to let the journey come full circle was refreshing.
In many ways this was an emotional read. I cringed when her father was present on the pages and I prayed for more backbone for her mother...this resonated for me. Terra almost fell victim to the same and I became her personal cheerleader.
Kudos for a beautifully crafted book and to you for a thought-provoking review! Thanks!
Caletti, Deb. 2009. The Secret Life of Prince Charming. Simon & Schuster. 322 pages.
When it came to love, my mother's big advice was that there were WARNING SIGNS.
I haven't always appreciated each and every Deb Caletti novel. Some I've loved, some I've only liked, and one I've disliked quite a bit. But what Caletti does--and quite well--is write beautifully and authentically. She has a way with words, a way with phrasing things just right so that the reader can relate. She's good at capturing the little things, the small details, that make up ordinary life. The Secret Life of Prince Charming is the story of a girl. It's not an ordinary, traditional romance. If anything it is more of an un-romance. Here we have all the gritty little details of the unhappily ever afters.
Quinn, our heroine, has heard all these stories about men all her life. How they can disappoint you, hurt you, break you, scar you, anger and frustrate you as well. Her mother. Her grandmother. Her aunt. Just to name a very few. Quinn has taken these words of warning seriously. Opting to go for the obviously-safe choices when it comes to love than the more dangerous (albeit more temptingly fun and passionate) choices. But even being safe when it comes to her love life--the ever-boring Daniel--doesn't keep her safe. Boring doesn't mean safe; nice doesn't always mean good. Does Daniel breaking up with her hurt her? Yes and no. Her pride more than anything, since her relationship lacked spark and life. He was there, but that was about it.
But the more significant relationship--though a bit off screen--is the relationship between Quinn and her father. Though her parents have been divorced a long time, though her mother never loses an opportunity to complain about her ex, Quinn feels the need to have him in her life. She wants to have a good relationship with him, even if it means allowing for his mistakes and ignoring the stupid things her father does.
But some things can't be ignored. When she discovers that her father has 'stolen' sentimental (and sometimes quite valuable) items from many (if not all) of his former lovers, then Quinn along with her two sisters (one older, one younger) set out on a quest, a road trip, to return all these items to their rightful owners. Along the way, she'll speak with each ex and learn more about her father; she's trying to piece together why her father is the way he is. Trying to make sense of who he is from what he has done.
If you're looking for a young adult book that is strictly romance, then this one may disappoint. If however you're looking for a complex story showcasing humanity--for better or worse--then this one should satisfy. It's about dynamic family relationships--Quinn's relationship with her mother, her father, her younger sister, Sprout, her older half-sister, Frances. It's a coming-of-age story as well.
Andrews, V.C. 1979. Flowers in the Attic. 389 pages.
It is so appropriate to color hope yellow, like the sun we seldom saw.
I don't know what to say about this one. I really don't. I'll start with why I picked it up...it's all Leila's fault. It's her review, believe it or not, that made me pick this one up. Warning: if you read her review, there will be no surprises left. Is that a good thing? a bad thing? That's something you'll have to decide. You should also know that it is the best *bad review* of a book ever. So be prepared to laugh.
Did I like it? I'm embarrassed to say I read it all in one sitting. I can't say that I enjoyed it though. There were too many things about it that annoyed me. The use of italics. The descriptions. The dialogue. The characterization. The creepiness of it all.
What is it about? For those that don't know, it is about four children--Chris, Cathy, Cory, and Carrie--who spend three to four years (at least) locked up in a bedroom together (but at least they have access to the attic, right?) while their mother tries to ingratiate herself back into her daddy's good graces. Why is her father so disgruntled? Because his daughter became involved with--ran off and married in fact--his half-brother (which would be her half-uncle). So while they may all live in the same mansion, the children are being "hidden" from their grandfather. They're not hidden from their grandmother, however, a woman that makes the wicked witch of the west look like nanny material.
Why did I choose this cover? After all, there were plenty I could have chosen to highlight...well, it is so ridiculously bad...so very odd and creepy. But it is not the cover from the copy I read. I read the newish sun-dazzled one that shows Chris and Cathy ogling each other.
Considering your taste in books, yeah, this was an odd selection! I read this book when I was fourteen years old. Fourteen! Totally inappropriate. Yes, the whole incest thing is creepy. The things that go through some people's minds...
L. Diane Wolfe “Spunk On A Stick” www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com www.spunkonastick.net www.thecircleoffriends.net
I'll forgive you for your slip in your impeccable good taste. Your review made me laugh. (And I could see how Leila's could drive you to read the book...)
Aww the horrible dialogue, descriptions, etc. are what make it so fun! FitA is practically Shakespeare compared to most of her other books (although most of them were written by a ghostwriter). I don't recommend any of the sequels (they're not even fun/bad), but you should check out the prequel, Garden of Shadows, which is pretty ridiculous.
I am surprised that this one was labeled young adult. I would have never put it in that category. It is much to graphic for that. Sometimes I wonder about people that do the labeling.
I'm surprised an avid reader such as yourself is just reading this book that I call classic trash. LOL I got in trouble for reading it in school when it first came out. I was in 6th grade and someone's mom called the school to say I had it with my books coming home from school and what were they thinking to have students reading this...blah, blah, blah! My mom let me read anything. I eventually read the entire Chris and Cathy saga, up through where they "marry" and have their own family. I found the writing style annoying also, especially the dialogue.
Maybe I am the odd one out, but I loved "Flowers in the Attic". The reason her books were so original was because they were so twisted. I think it really showed how messed up they became - due to the neglect and abuse from their Grandmother.
The whole series is pretty great, and explains a lot. (Though if the incest creeps you out - it only gets worse in the following Dollanganger series). I believe any of the V.C. Andrew novels after the Dawn & Heaven series were written by a Ghost Writer and have tamed down a LOT.
I can see why the newer ones are written for young adults - but yes, I never would have given this to my young adult and said "hey read this!" Even though it was the first "adult" novel my mother gave me to read when I was in eighth grade.
I've loved this book since I was 13 or so when my aunt got me into V.C. Andrews books by giving me Dawn. I can't say that it's a piece of brilliant literature but I think it's what could be labeled as "good trash".
I've never seen that cover before and it's quite strange! Great review!
Did they make a movie out of this? I remember reading Missing Girl where there's five sisters and some stalker guy is watching them the whole book deciding which one he wants to steal. It was a good writing but it really freaked me out even if it didn't show anything horribly inappropriate. If this is really graphic then I probably wouldn't like it and their is a whole series on it?
Haha! I read the five of these books a few years ago and couldn't put them down. They're so bad but so good. I guess you could call them my guilty pleasure books.
Im not sure what's wrong with you guys, or more likely what's wrong with me, but this is my ALL-TIME FAVOURITE BOOK!!! I began the series last year (I would have been 14 or 15 at the time) and have gradually read all of the Dollanger series. I fell in love with the quirkiness and originality of the story. Yes, I know some parts are a bit gross, but they weren't too bad and besides that's what made it interesting to read. The situation the children are placed in, is one that many struggle to relate to, but I think I have understood why the children acted the way they did. (Im talking about in all aspects of the story, not just the incest) Sometimes the characters would annoy me, but dont they in all books? I mean what's the fun in having a perfect character, with no faults that you can sit there and scrutinise and point out what they should have done and what you would have done, or at least what you think you would have done. The movie was a disappointment however. I recommend all of you to read it! It will be a book that you will never forget, it will scar you forever, but trust me it will be totally worth it! As Edward Cullen says to Bella in Twilight: 'You are a drug to me.' That is all I can say about the best series of all-time! :)
CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS! I GOT IT DIRECTLY FROM HER WEBSITE! CHECK IT OUT FOR EVEN MORE PROOF! "Flowers in the Attic WAS based on a true story. Virginia was a young lady when my dad made arrangements to take Virginia to the University of Virginia hospital for treatment. While she was there, she developed a crush on her young doctor. He and his siblings had been locked away in the attic for over 6 years to preserve the family wealth. Obviously she cut the time back [in her novel] to be more believable. That area of the country has a lot of very wealthy people. I do not know who they were." IF YOU LOOK IN THE FRONT COVER OF YOUR BOOK, YOULL ALSO NOTICE IT SAYS BASED ON TRUE EVENTS...
My mother and I both spent a lot of time in hospitals. Unlike her, I survived.
Kyra Sellers, the 'Goth Girl' whom we met in Barry Lyga's first novel, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, is the narrator of this angst-driven YA novel. It's been six months (give or take a week or two) since she was committed to a mental ward. But, she's out now. And she's ready--so they say--to return to school, to return to her 'normal' life, her friends. But is she?
When she realizes that her Fanboy has changed, she becomes bitter and upset. She sees him with friends, sees that he is liked by the popular people. That his work, Schemata, the graphic-novel-in-the-making that he only ever shared with her, is being published in the school paper. And he's not the only one of her former friends that is frustrating her. One of her close friends, Jecca, is confusing her like no one else, making her question her sexuality.
Kyra has issues. Dozens and dozens of issues. And to help her sort everything out, to help her keep it all together, she's been writing letters. Letters to Neil. Can you guess which Neil? Of course, she hasn't sent any of them. She's not planning on sending any of them. But writing him makes her feel better, she feels if anyone could understand her, it would be him.
While I think many readers could appreciate this one, I think an appreciation for the Sandman series would help take it from good to great.
Montgomery, L.M. 1926. The Blue Castle. 218 pages.
If it had not rained on a certain May morning Valancy Stirling's whole life would have been entirely different. She would have gone, with the rest of her clan, to Aunt Wellington's engagement picnic and Dr. Trent would have gone to Montreal. But it did rain and you shall hear what happened because of it.
With The Blue Castle I had one of those wonderful this-book-was-written-just-for-me moments. Have you had one of those? Have you had one lately? It is the story of Valancy Stirling and what happens when she receives some surprising news...
Who is Valancy? She's an old maid, an unhappy woman afraid of living.
Deerwood and the Stirlings had long since relegated Valancy to hopeless old maidenhood. But Valancy herself had never quite relinquished a certain pitiful, shamed, little hope that Romance would come her way yet--never, until this wet, horrible morning, when she wakened to the fact that she was twenty-nine and unsought by any man. Ay, there lay the sting. Valancy did not mind so much being an old maid. After all, she thought, being an old maid couldn't possibly be as dreadful as being married to an Uncle Wellington or an Uncle Benjamin, or even an Uncle Herbert. What hurt her was that she had never had a chance to be anything but an old maid. No man had ever desired her. (1)
When Valancy decides to secretly go to the doctor regarding her chest pains and heart palpitations, she receives--by letter--the news that she is dying. Instead of this news crippling her, she almost sighs a breath of relief.
Valancy did not sleep that night. She lay awake all through the long dark hours--thinking--thinking. She made a discovery that surprised her; she, who had been afraid of almost everything in life, was not afraid of death. It did not seem in the least terrible to her. And she need not now be afraid of anything else. Why had she been afraid of things? Because of life. Afraid of Uncle Benjamin because of the menace of poverty in old age. But now she would never be old--neglected--tolerated. Afraid of being an old maid all her life. But now she would not be an old maid very long. Afraid of offending her mother and her clan because she had to live with and among them and couldn't leave peaceably if she didn't give in to them. But now she hadn't. Valancy felt a curious freedom. But she was still horribly afraid of one thing--the whole jamfry of them would make when she told them. (37-38)
So she decides not to tell them. And she decides to change the way she's living. Decides that the last months of her life should--for once--be lived according to what she wants. She wants her chance to be happy.
"I've never had one wholly happy hour in my life--not one," she thought. "I've just been a colourless nonentity. I remember reading somewhere once that there is an hour in which a woman might be happy all her life if she could but find it. I've never found my hour--never, never. And I never will now. If I could only have had that hour I'd be willing to die." (39)
One of the first things she does--besides beginning to live for herself--is to get out from under her family. She becomes housekeeper/nurse for "Roaring" Abel and Cissy, a 'disgraced' and now dying woman. While there she meets a strange man, Barney Snaith, whom her family does not approve of. But he is charming--to her--and she loves him. When Cissy dies, and Valancy finds herself out of a job and a place to live, she does the unthinkable: she proposes marriage to Barney.
"I thought I'd run down and ask if there was anything I could do for you," said Barney.
Valancy took it with a canter.
"Yes, there is something you can do for me," she said, evenly and distinctly. "Will you marry me?"
For a moment Barney was silent. There was no particular expression on his face. Then he gave an odd laugh.
"Come, now! I knew luck was just waiting around the corner for me. All the signs have been pointing that way today."
"Wait." Valancy lifted her hand. "I'm in earnest--but I want to get my breath after that question. Of course, with my bringing up, I realize perfectly well that this is one of the things 'a lady should not do.'"
"But why--why?"
"For two reasons." Valancy was still a little breathless, but she looked Barney straight in the eyes while all the dead Stirlings revolved rapidly in their graves and the living ones did nothing because they did not know that Valancy was at that moment proposing lawful marriage to the notorious Barney Snaith. "The first reason is, I--I"--Valancy tried to say "I love you" but could not. She had to take refuge in a pretended flippancy. "I'm crazy about you. the second is--this."
She handed him Dr. Trent's letter.
Barney opened it with the air of a man thankful to find some safe, sane thing to do. As he read it his face changed. He understood--perhaps more than Valancy wanted him to.
"Are you sure nothing can be done for you?"
Valancy did not misunderstand the question.
"Yes. You know Dr. Trent's reputation in regard to heart disease. I haven't long to live--perhaps only a few months--a few weeks. I want to live them. I can't go back to Deerwood--you know what my life was like there. And"--she managed it this time--"I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That's all." (127, 128)
Will he say yes? Will she finally get her one happy hour? Will her last months be happy ones? What does life have in store for Valancy? Read and see for yourself in The Blue Castle.
The Blue Castle is all about wish-fulfillment. It's a romantic story full of heart. Highly recommended.
I've had this one on my shelf for ages, but haven't yet gotten around to reading it. It sounds wonderful though, so I will have to move it up on the pile. Thanks for the great review!
Garsee, Jeannine. 2009. Say the Word. Bloomsbury. 368 pages.
When the phone slashes a machete through my brain at six fifteen a.m. it can mean only one of two things: Dad somehow found out I was sucking face with Devon Connolly last night. Or somebody's dead.
The heroine of Say the Word is people-pleaser Shawna Gallagher. And no, her father isn't omniscient. The phone call is not good news. Her mother, her lesbian mother, the woman Shawna has been trained to hate, has had a stroke. She's dying. Remember that song in South Pacific, the one about where you have to be taught to hate? Well, Shawna's life has been like that. Her mom left her and her father when she was only six or seven. Left them for another woman. Left to have another family, a family with two little boys. Part of the anger is legitimate. I think it's only natural that that pain of being abandoned would translate into anger and bitterness. But for Shawna, the anger has been turned to hating her mother for being a lesbian. Her father, all her family really, has raised her to hate homosexuality. The words they speak, the words Shawna herself speaks are of that hate and anger. These words are ugly. These words are powerfully ugly.
Shawna has issues. Issues with her father. A man who is at times neglectful and ever-absent, and at other times controlling and manipulative. Issues with her mother. Her mother, when she visited her through the years, was equally neglectful. Out of touch with her daughter. Uncaring. She never tried to bridge the gap. It was always work, work, work. (Much like her father is all work, work, work.) Now, as a teen (16? 17?), she hasn't seen her mother in three or four years. And their last meeting, their last conversation was pure ugly. But she's dying. And she has to come to terms with that. The mother who has been so ignorable in life, becomes impossible to ignore in death. Did her mother's leaving have to do with her father? Or was she really so head-over-heels-in-love with another woman? Why didn't she try harder to have a relationship with her? What can Shawna learn about her mother from the other family? Can this other family help heal the pain? Can they help provide closure? Can she come to love and understand her mother...at last?
If the characters weren't so human, if they weren't so complexly drawn and brought to life, then this novel might be too issue-driven. A novel about all the shades of prejudice and discrimination. A novel about the inadequacies and injustices of life.
How her mother's life partner and her family are cut out of everything. No legal right to make decisions about her mother's treatment. No legal right to make the funeral arrangements. How her ex-husband, whom she hated, ruled and bullied and gloried in this horrible situation. Took advantage. True, some of this--most of this--could have been prevented if Shawna's mother had drawn up a a will and other legal papers. But she didn't foresee her own death--it was too unexpected, it was too sudden. And now it's too late.
What's right? What's wrong? Shawna has a sinking feeling that her father is wrong. Not just a little wrong, but unforgivably, undeniably wrong. Shawna sees how ugly her father can be, how horribly selfish and controlling he is. And seeing his ugliness makes her reflect on her own life.
Say the Word is about Shawna's coming of age. Her growing up and growing wise. In a way, to borrow from the Grinch, it is about Shawna's heart growing three sizes.
This looks really good. I've seen the book around but never really paid much attention to what it's about until now. I'll definitely be checking it out soon!
What age group do you think this book would be suited for? Do you think it would be too much for a fourteen year old? It sounds like an interesting book, but I would want to make sure before I passed it on to my daughter.
It depends on the fourteen year old, but I would think most could handle it. There is an intimate scene or two in the book, which depending on how 'clean' you like your books might be an issue. But I think the book is tasteful and appropriate for most readers.
I have a secret. And everyone knows it. But no one talks about it, at least not out in the open. That makes it a very modern secret, like knowing your favorite celebrity has some weird eccentricity or other, or professional athletes do it for the money, or politicians don't actually have your best interests at heart.
Meet Sprout. The green-haired wonder of a boy who doesn't have it all figured out. He's got some things figured out: he knows he's gay; he knows his father is an alcoholic. But he doesn't have his life all figured out. (Does anybody? If they say they do, are they are lying?) Since his mom died, Sprout's life has been, well, weird. It starts with a sudden move across the country.
"My dad and I moved here four years ago, when I was twelve. Long Island to Kansas. Fifteen hundred miles, most of it on I-70. We drove it in twenty-three hours, pausing only for food--McDonald's, Cracker Barrel, more McDonald's--and gas. There was no reason we didn't stop. It's not like there was anything waiting for us in Kansas. It was more like we were trying to get away--or he was trying to get away, and I was his hostage. I'm not even sure Kansas was our destination, or if it's just where my dad ran out of steam. Maybe it's just where he realized he couldn't run away from his memories."
Sprout is an eccentric teen, no doubt. And it's more than just his green hair. One teacher, Mrs. Miller, notices his genius, his gift for writing, his gift with words. She sees in him a chance to win big. The essay-writing contest. He just needs some polishing, something that she's more than willing to do day after summer day. And since Sprout isn't that popular a kid, he's got the time to spare. Will a summer spent in private with the teacher change a boy's life forever? Maybe, maybe not.
The narrative is practically perfect. Wit. Humor. Heart. This book has everything that I needed and wanted. Loved the writing of this one.
There were a lot of lies in our life, and if I end up telling a few, it's only because I'm repeating what I heard (13)
Mrs. Miller's detentions were famous: thousand-word essays on the history of the wheat; dramatic monologues on the Homestead Act of 1846; or just copying the complete definition of the verb to be from the dictionary--by hand, in crayon, using a different color for each letter. (16)
Sometimes my dad liked to drive. Sometimes my dad liked to take me with him when he drove. Sometimes I didn't manage to sneak into the forest before he found me. This must've been one of those times. So... (22)
I have to admit, though, in the two weeks since Mrs. Miller had put the idea in my head, it had grown on me. The truth is, I do enjoy playing around with words (if you're still reading, you might've noticed that). And I was also beginning to think maybe I had something to say. Like, you know: I'm a creep, I'm a loser, I smell like Teen Spirit but I'm beautiful no matter what they say, and I'm bringing sexy back, yeah! Does that make me crazy? Probably. But now it seemed Mrs. M. was telling me I couldn't write what I wanted. That I had to discuss a topic someone else picked out. This was starting to sound less like an extracurricular activity, more like, well, school. (45)
Should Sprout be allowed to write what he wants? To have the freedom to be himself? The freedom to just be. It's a charming novel about a boy's coming of age...and his first real relationship. This relationship is tastefully portrayed--much more tasteful than what I was expecting. (After reading The Screwed Up Life of Charlie the Second, that is). The emotions are there, but we're not privy to every single detail about Sprout's intimate life. The relationship just is, it doesn't feel like it's there for shock value or anything.
Also, I feel sad because if I ever write a book you're going to be like, "Renay, I cannot read this hot mess!" and I will reply, "But why, look, it's about an AWESOME ROMANCE!" and you will say, "How many times do you mention the main character thinking about hot action with his totally steamy boyfriend?" and I will go, "Um." and you will nod sagely.
It's totally possible to nod sagely over the internet.
hahah I love Renay's comment. But yeah, I don't think it's bad for books to be more specific about things, like Charlie (which I loved) b/c it's just realistic...but it's also good to have books like this one, which I totally want to read as well.
I love the quote you posted where he combined a bunch of songs. Very cool. :)
I don't think it's *bad* either. I'm not assigning labels of 'good' 'bad' 'right' 'wrong' 'appropriate' 'inappropriate' I hope I didn't come across as a cranky pants. :) It's just refreshing every once in a while to leave private things a bit offscreen.
Even though I said the book wasn't as graphic as it could have been. There are scenes that let you know up front what's going on in private:
When we woke up we did it again. It had been early when we left and it wasn't very late now, and we didn't rush. There are any number of reasons why I'm not going to tell you what we did exactly, let alone describe it. I will tell you that there were a lot of giggles and a couple of ... (233) I'm not going to reprint what the 'couple of's were :)
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This sounds like a great series for young adults.
(Becky, I wish I were more like you. Reading more books, instead of blogs about them!)