I was busy today!!

Well, I've finally discovered a YA book that I like. Speak woke up something inside of me. It was heart wrenching and soul shattering. It was deep and disturbing. It was the story of a girl who was afraid to speak out and to face something that no one should ever have to face.  It was beautifully written and I am better for having read it. I don't think I'm doing it justice. If you have the stomach to handle extremely sensitive issues then you should read this. Go now.

Thankfully, I have a kind friend who lent me a copy of God Went to Beauty School by Cynthia Rylant because I was still on the hold list from weeks ago. I am having a difficult time forming an opinion about this (write that down because that's a first!). The book is written in verse and focuses on God as if he's a mortal man doing normal things such as opening up a nail salon. I'm torn between thinking that it's quite cleverly written and thinking that it's blasphemous. The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking about how my best friend's father would view it and I really don't think he'd appreciate some of the humor. I don't know. Maybe you should give it a read and let me know what you think (I've asked that friend to read it and let me know her opinion).

Next on the list for Thursday's class is The First Part Last by Angela Johnson. Based on the part of the back cover that isn't covered by a barcode, the book is about teenage pregnancy. My friend from class mentioned that she thoroughly enjoyed this book so I'm interested to see where the story leads. Teenage pregnancy isn't a topic that I've read much about so my mind is wide open and ready to receive.

What a jam packed day of literature!!

I'm afraid for teenage girls everywhere

Someone just told me that "Pretty Little Liars is officially the teenage girl Bible."  I think I just felt the earth move beneath my feet...and not in a cool way.  This book disgusted me on an elemental level.  These girls are portrayed completely unrealistically and their attitudes about themselves and life in general are so disturbing that I am literally afraid for teenage girls everywhere.  The plot centers around four girls who share a dark secret.  This much I mentioned in the last post.  What I didn't know then is that these four girls (who are very difficult to keep separate) wouldn't make one decent person if they were all melded together.  There are no morals.  There is, however, teenage drinking, drugs, sex with teachers, shoplifting, entirely too much focus on brand name clothing, and an unhealthy focus on body image (which apparently equals self worth).  The message that this book sends to young ladies is abhorrent.  I am pretty much seething in anger right now. Ugh.

I have to move on quickly so I can get this bad taste out of my mouth.  The next book is Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and it looks like it might just be the best way of accomplishing that goal.  The book's protagonist is Melinda Sordino, a high school student who stands up and speaks out (ah I see what you did there) when she calls the cops about a party (that must have been some rager).  The book sounds a lot like the premise of The Chocolate War in that it's the individual vs the community (in this case a high school).  I'm holding out some optimism that the message of this book is a bit more positive about resisting conformity and following your heart.  I'll report back here to let you know my thoughts.

Huh?

I must admit that I'm somewhat confused over the hoopla surrounding The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. It was very violent and frightening to look into the hearts and minds of these adolescents who seemed to work without a conscience (and the adults were sometimes worse).  The main character, Jerry Renault, stood for independence and going against the grain but the message at the end seemed to be that going against the tide only results in misery.  In fact, the entire tone of the book seemed to be that if you don't do what you're told, misfortune will certainly befall you.  Perhaps a secondary message is that the world is cruel and unfair and bad things happen.  However, I read books to get away from the sad realities of life (and I don't think the world is all that bad anyway).  This isn't to say that I don't enjoy "darker" books but there's usually some ray of light at the end.  I will say that it was very well-written (excepting some typos which may have been the fault of the printer) and a page-turner.  If you're prepared for an agonizing tale of woe and despair, this book will not disappoint.

I have no idea what to expect from the next title on the list: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard.  From what I've gathered from the back of the book (and the commercials for the tv show), this book focuses on four girls who have a very dark secret.  There's cattiness, lewd behavior, mystery, and probably lingerie.  The copy that I'm reading from looks like someone washed it, ran over it with their car, and then bent every single page.  I'm taking this to mean that it's a popular book so maybe it will really knock my socks off.  I'll let you know just as soon as I'm done!

The race is on!

Just in the nick of time for class tomorrow, I've finished up The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A true story of adventure, heroism & treachery by Steve Sheinkin.  I love a good nonfiction especially on a person or topic of which I am almost wholly unfamiliar.  I went into this book with only a vague recollection of Arnold being a traitor.  When I mentioned the name to a history major his response was, "That traitor!  Wasn't he hanged?"  I think this is everyone's first thoughts on hearing this most infamous name but what I discovered through reading this book is that there was so much more to Benedict Arnold.  He created America's first naval fleet, he was an extremely brave soldier, and General Washington respected him as a friend and compatriot.  Also, he wasn't hanged.  If I've intrigued you even marginally about the life of a well-known yet almost completely unknown iconic figure from American history, check out this book.  My only caution to you is that at times the prose is slightly over-blown which I think mostly comes from the author's excitement over the book's subject.

Now that I have the syllabus for my course (this is the end!) I now know that I must scurry quickly to stay ahead.  The next book I'm tackling is The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.  I have heard of this book for many years and I know that it is very popular among both teenagers and teachers.  The only thing that I know about this book is that a seemingly innocuous act by a boy causes such an hullabaloo among members of his school that war is declared.  My dear friend (and fellow avid reader), Krystle, told me that this book affords a glimpse inside the minds of boys.  I'm at once intrigued and absolutely terrified but I will sally forth!

I hope you're all taking advantage of the hot weather to sit somewhere cool and read to your heart's content!!

Crikey, that's a lot of cricket!

Well, as you might have guessed by the new post, I've finished up Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.  I suppose if I'd have looked at the author's biography, I could have guessed at the backdrop of this story.  However, I never like to look too much ahead and therefore I was completely at a loss until page 74 when it was explicitly stated that the story was unfolding in Australia.  That explains all of the cricket talk.  I mean there was a lot of talk about cricket. The game not the insect, of course.  I wouldn't have minded except that it was always discussed in great detail and in terms I had no way of being able to follow which I found detracted from the real meat of the story.  I have to say that while I didn't necessarily dislike the book, it is most definitely not going to top my list of favorites.  There were many twists and turns to the story which were quite thrilling but instead of thrumming up the anticipation of the main event (I don't want to give it all away), the author kept focusing on other things...like cricket.  So all in all it wasn't exactly my cup of tea.

The next book to be conquered is The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A true story of adventure, heroism & treachery by Steve Sheinkin.  This book has been awarded the YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction seal.  Also, the edges of the pages have been made to look ragged and therefore ancient (I have a weakness for old books and this has already endeared me I'm afraid).  I'm pretty excited because over the last months I've come to love nonfiction books and I don't know much about Benedict Arnold other than that he's a traitor.  I'm hoping this might delve a little deeper (oh look I'm branching out into humor now).  The back cover has quotes from several different men, included George Washington, which range from lauds to censure on his character.  I can't wait to get started on it!!

I'm on a roll!!

I've finished Monster by Walter Dean Myers and despite my initial misgivings about formatting I really enjoyed it!  Once you get used to the way the text is delivered, the book moves on at a remarkable clip.  The story is told from the point of view of Steve Harmon, the young man on trial for felony murder.  He decides to treat the entire incident as if it's a movie and so it goes from script to diary like entries.  I found it gripping, well-written, and I couldn't wait to keep turning the pages to find out what happened next.  I highly recommend for those who enjoy a quick criminal novel along the likes of John Grisham (as this focuses on the trial aspect quite heavily at times).

The next on the list is Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.  From what I read on the dust jacket, the book is about a young boy named Charlie who learns a terrible secret from his friend, Jasper Jones, that threatens to change everything in his life and in the lives of the town in which he lives.  From a cursory glance, it appears to be a spine-tingling mystery (of which I'm a huge fan) so I'm quite excited to get started on it.  If all goes well, I'll hopefully be finished with it quickly so I can give all of you a review. :-)

In the mean time, keep on reading!!

I just finished up The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and I quite liked it.  I was rather surprised by how racy it got at certain points considering that it's young adult fiction (Note: I've actually been informed it's an adult work that was seen as a crossover for young adults.).  Of course, I am not naive enough to believe that young adults read things which are all sunshine and kittens but it's always a shock (I remember VC Andrews as a child and I swear that stuff scarred me) to the system.  However, the majority of the book was full of mystery, magic (although the characters sneered at this particular word choice), romance, and drama.  The only things that made it somewhat confusing were the jumps in time and narrative voice.  If that's cool with you, then I think this might be a good match for you.

The next book from the reading list is Monster by Walter Dean Myers and it focuses on a young black man who is in prison.  I've flipped through the pages and I'm not crazy about the style that the book uses to tell its story.  It's a mixture of diary entries and script.  I confess I am dubious about it but I am forging forth nonetheless.  I have to light a fire under myself as class begins next week and I'm only done with the first book! :o/

Wish me luck, readers!!