Two 16 year olds who happen to share the same name cross paths in an unlikely place one Chicago night. Will #1 publicly defends his very large, very gay best friend and is somewhat shunned by other students. Will #2 pushes away others and seeks refuge in an Internet romance with a boy he's never met. Their lives and relationships quickly intertwine in this very honest novel about friendship, love, and musicals (well, just one musical).
Honestly, this book was not my favorite. I didn't really get into the plot. I didn't like Will #2's character. There were some funny parts, but as a whole, I don't think there were enough funny parts to make up for the emo-ness (is that a word) of Will #2. Now, that could be because I liked John Green's other books so much that this one was overshadowed. I thought the book was great for it's intended audience, and I would recommend it to certain students. It just wasn't really for me. 3/5
Showing posts with label 3/5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3/5. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Book Review - Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar
This is a Young Adult novel.
To complete a not-so-epic first day of High School, Scott's parents tell him they are expecting a baby. Scott decides to give his little brother a heads-up about the issues of high school by writing a guide book to assist his brother as he tackles things like loosing friend, confronting bullies, and most importantly talking to girls.
Sleeping Freshman Never Lie is the type of book parents want their kids to read. It has very little cursing, positive adult role models, a be-yourself message, and a smart protagonist who loves books and learning. And, I suspect, it is the type of book a lot of young teens would like because of it's humor and honestly. High School is tough for Scott - not the school work, but the social aspect, and he doesn't mince words about it. For that I give it one more <insert your favorite noun> than I would based on my personal opinion and I will be ordering it for our library. So, it gets a 3 out of 5.
To complete a not-so-epic first day of High School, Scott's parents tell him they are expecting a baby. Scott decides to give his little brother a heads-up about the issues of high school by writing a guide book to assist his brother as he tackles things like loosing friend, confronting bullies, and most importantly talking to girls.
Sleeping Freshman Never Lie is the type of book parents want their kids to read. It has very little cursing, positive adult role models, a be-yourself message, and a smart protagonist who loves books and learning. And, I suspect, it is the type of book a lot of young teens would like because of it's humor and honestly. High School is tough for Scott - not the school work, but the social aspect, and he doesn't mince words about it. For that I give it one more <insert your favorite noun> than I would based on my personal opinion and I will be ordering it for our library. So, it gets a 3 out of 5.
Book Review - The Help by Kathryn Sockett
This is an adult novel.
Set in the 1960s, Sockett weaves a tale of the entangled lives of Jackson, Mississippi's black maids and the white ladies whom they serve. She creates the characters of Aibileen - the main character - a maid who has a talent for raising white children and for writing, Minny - Aibileen's best friend - a maid who has a talent for telling it like it is, and Skeeter, a white aspiring writer who is trying hard to make it in the business. Their lives come together when they try something revolutionary at a time in history when it was dangerous to fight for Civil Rights.
Sockett does a good job developing the characters of both Aibileen and Skeeter, but it’s Minny that the reader wants more of. Her story and that of her boss Miss Celia is the most interesting and yet it fell flat at the end. Additionally, Sockett does not do a very good job establishing Aibileen as her main character. It felt a lot like what it was – a white lady who grew up with a black maid trying to write from the maid’s perspective. For me, it just didn’t feel authentic so it didn’t work. Overall, the idea is original and it’s written about an interesting topic in an interesting time period. I’d say it’s a 3 out of 5.
Set in the 1960s, Sockett weaves a tale of the entangled lives of Jackson, Mississippi's black maids and the white ladies whom they serve. She creates the characters of Aibileen - the main character - a maid who has a talent for raising white children and for writing, Minny - Aibileen's best friend - a maid who has a talent for telling it like it is, and Skeeter, a white aspiring writer who is trying hard to make it in the business. Their lives come together when they try something revolutionary at a time in history when it was dangerous to fight for Civil Rights.
Sockett does a good job developing the characters of both Aibileen and Skeeter, but it’s Minny that the reader wants more of. Her story and that of her boss Miss Celia is the most interesting and yet it fell flat at the end. Additionally, Sockett does not do a very good job establishing Aibileen as her main character. It felt a lot like what it was – a white lady who grew up with a black maid trying to write from the maid’s perspective. For me, it just didn’t feel authentic so it didn’t work. Overall, the idea is original and it’s written about an interesting topic in an interesting time period. I’d say it’s a 3 out of 5.
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