Book Review: Pinned by Sharon Flake

Pinned by Sharon G. Flake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Autumn and Adonis are an unlikely pair, unless, of course, you ask Autumn. According to her, a girl athlete and champion wrestler couldn't be better matched for a boy with no legs, and Adonis’ perfect grades and genius brain are perfect for a girl who can’t read. Convincing Adonis of this, however, is a difficult task. When Autumn’s parents push her to improve her reading skills, Autumn learns a lot about herself and those around her.

Told in alternate voices, Pinned, is a light young adult novel about realistic events high school students encounter and overcome. Autumn and Adonis seam real although not always likable. I was a bit put off at the beginning due to the poor grammar in Autumn’s narrative, but now I think it adds to her character. Although not an earth-shattering novel, this was a great read. I was interested in the characters and the plot. I couldn't put it down.


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Book Review: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Zusak, Marcus.  The Book Thief.  New York: Knopf, 2006.
ISBN: 978-0-375-84220-7

$18.99
Grades 9 and up (School Library Journal)
Awards: 2006 - Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (South East Asia & South Pacific), Horn Book Fanfare, Kirkus Reviews Editor Choice Award,  School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, Daniel Elliott Peace Award,  Publishers Weekly Best Children Book of the Year,  Booklist Children Editors' Choice, Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book, 2007 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Michael L. Printz Honor Book, Book Sense Book of the Year, 2009 - Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Master List

                Set in Nazi Germany, Death tells the story of teenaged Liesel Meminger, all those she loves, and all those she loses.  Liesel arrives on Himmel Street an illiterate, quasi-orphan, is taken in by a German family, and quickly develops a love of reading stolen books.  While living on Himmel Street, Liesel learns the meaning of friendship and hatred, safety and danger, happiness and sadness, but mostly she learns the meaning of love and loss.

                As evidenced by the long list of awards, The Book Thief is a pretty fantastic novel.  Zusak cleverly tells the story of Nazi Germany through the perspective of those living in the midst of it.  But this book is more than just a historical look at Nazi Germany.  Throughout the book, the narrator, Death, makes many profound statements that can be used to sum up the theme of this book.  Death’s last line says it best when Death proclaims, “I am haunted by humans.”  Zusak covers such concepts as propaganda, the power of words, the strength it takes to stand up for others, and so many more.  I think high school students would enjoy reading this novel especially after they read Night (in 10^th grade at our school) or The Diary of Anne Frank (the end of 8^th grade at our school).

Book Review: Payback Time by Carl Deuker

Deuker, Carl.  Payback Time.  New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2010.
ISBN: 978-0-547-27981-7
$16.00
298p.
7^th grade and up (School Library Journal)
Booklist Top 10 Sports Books for Youth, 2011; YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults

            Not only are Daniel (Mitch) True’s dreams of being the school newspaper editor dashed before his senior year of high school, he is also given the assignment of sports reporter.  Mitch likes sports, but he does not want to spend all football season writing about his ex-friend and current football star Horst Diamond.  When he and his photographer Kimi notice a new football star waiting in the wings on the football team, he thinks he won’t have to.  In fact, he thinks he may have found the mysterious story of the year.

            I am admittedly not a football fan.  In fact, I subscribe to the sports selection from Junior Library Guild because I accept my sports-book inadequacies.  That being said, I actually liked this book.  The main character, Mitch, was a sports fan and not a sports participant.  I think that gives the book a wider appeal.  Although I skimmed over long accounts of the play-by-play sports action, I can easily see how that would appeal to teens interested in football. 

            I chose this book because it was listed on the Junior Library Guild’s sports selection page as an award winning book and I thought, “If I have to read a sports book, it better be a good one.”

Book Review: Little Brother by Corey Doctrow

Doctrow, Corey.  Little Brother.  New York: Tor Teen, 2008.
ISBN: 978-0765319852
$17.95 (e-book available for free)
10th grade and up (School Library Journal)
2009 White Pine Award, 2009 Prometheus Award, 2009 John W. Campbell Memorial Award, finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novel.

            Seventeen-year-old Marcus Yallow unexpectedly finds himself on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s list of undesirables.  This tech-savvy teen and his alternate-reality gamming crew are “detained” after being in the wrong place during a terrorist attack.  Upon his release, Marcus is appalled by the blatant civil rights violations that are seemingly everywhere after the attack.  As Marcus sets out to defend his rights as an American, he soon realizes Homeland Security does not show mercy to “traitors”.

            I really liked this book.  The tech jargon and sneaky tips made for a very interesting read.  Doctrow does a very good job of making the reader question his or her opinions on things like the loss of rights in exchange for being “safe”.  I loved 1984, but I cannot get a single student to read it because, “Ninteen Eighty-Four was, like, so long ago.”  God forbid I tell them when it was actually written.  Little Brother is an easier sell.  I read this book because it was recommended to me by one of my former students who was an avid reader, and who also was very opinionated about books.  He really liked this one, so I gave it a shot.  I’m glad I did.  I have recommended his book to many students, but mostly to tech-savvy boys.

 4/5

Book Review: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Ok, so I'm on a John Green kick.  I can't help it; he's great.

Former child prodigy Colin Singleton has been dumped by Katherines his whole life.  Nineteen times he has loved a Katherine and nineteen times he has lost a Katherine.  His most recent dumping has made him a little crazy, albeit adventurous.  When his best friend Hassan suggests a road trip to clear his head Colin agrees.  And that is how a heart-broken former child prodigy and his Muslim best friend find themselves in a tampon factory in Gut Shot, Tenn.

John Green, how do I love the?  Let me count the ways: 1.  The characters in this book are smart but real.  2.  The plot is total fantasy (meaning that would never happen fantasy not here comes a dragon fantasy) but totally believable.  3.  There is a moral/ revelation at the end of the book.  4.  The book ends.  No sequel.  This is a good thing.  I hate sequels.  5.  There is a Muslim-American character as a main (and hilarious) character and not just thrown in for the sake of multi-culturalism.  Although Paper Towns is still my favorite, An Abundance of Katherines is hands down my second favorite John Green book. 5/5

Book Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

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

Book Review - Looking for Alaska by John Green

Miles leaves behind his boring life in Florida in search of the “great perhaps” at a boarding school in Alabama.  As he begins his junior year, discovers cigarettes, alcohol, pranks, friendship, and what it’s like to be in love – all things he has never experienced before.  Miles’ falls fast for his new friend Alaska.  Just when he thinks she is falling for him too Miles learns a hard lesson, one he may never be able to forgive himself for learning.

OK, so I am completely in love with John Green…well, his books anyway. J  If I’m being completely honest, I hated the first half of this book.  Yep, really hated it.  I wanted to give up on it, but I had just finished Paper Towns, and it was super amazing.  Plus one of my favorite students (shout out to her) told me this year that this was her “favorite book ever” so I felt compelled to finish it.  I’m so glad I did. 

So here’s the thing…The first half of the book involves LOTS of student smoking, drinking, pranking, and sex talk.  Personally, I don’t really care for all that in a book – YA or adult.  That’s just me.  I will not play the we-should-not-expose-our-youth card because, frankly, I remember high school.  They are exposed people; get over it.  I just think a book about people “hanging out” is stupid and pointless.  So, the first half of the book wasn’t that impressive UNTIL I read the second half.  Then the genius called John Green made sense of the world.  He set up this safe little world in the first half of the book only to tear it down in an instant and really expose the characters’ humanity.  Although I could have done with much less smoking (because smoking really is disgusting), overall, this was an amazing book and deserves to be read by all. 4 out of 5

Book Review - Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Sam, a college drop-out and not-so-proud fast-food employee, is shocked to learn he has the power to raise the dead.  He is even more shocked to learn that a very powerful necromancer will stop at nothing to keep Sam in check. 

This fantasy novel is full of strange but interesting characters including werewolves and witches.  The characters, especially Sam, ooze humor throughout the book making it a great combination of action, humor, romance, and paranormalcy.  Be warned there is brutality (laced with humor) mostly at the expense of Sam's face.  There is also a not very graphic, but very obvious, sex scene.

Overall - a good read.  Not really my personal preference, but very funny.  I didn't like that the ending left the door wide open for a sequel - personally I hate sequels.  I think many of my students will love it.  I'd recommend it in my school for certain juniors and seniors.  It's not for everyone.  Personally, I give it 3 out of 5.

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.

Book Review - Paper Towns by John Green

This is a Young Adult novel. 

Quentin, a well-adjusted and under-the-radar senior, finds himself caught up in the minor pranks of his impossibly cool neighbor Margot the night before she disappears.  Quentin (Q) realizes Margot has left clues for him regarding her disappearance.  He feels compelled to follow the clues not knowing if they will lead to Margot alive and well or something more sinister.  While on this epic journey, Q finds out many things about Margot, his friends, and himself.

I loved this book. John Green is fantastic.  Paper Towns is so well-written, I wanted to read it again when I finished it.  It was a great mystery full of humor that was cleverly placed throughout the book.  The characters, although they were unlike any teens I have ever met, were so great that they seemed like they should be real if for no other reason than that they were just so dang cool.  Okay, so maybe I can relate to band nerds and computer geeks; is that so wrong? 5 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.

Book Review - Beastly by Alex Flinn

This is a Young Adult novel.

If you’ve ever read or watched Beauty and the Beast then you know this story. A rich and handsome boy with a terrible personality finds himself trapped in the body of a monster until someone can love him despite his appearance. He must undergo a transformation in his personality before that can happen, and he’s running out of time.

With the assistance of his blind tutor and foreign maid Kyle/Adrian must transform into a truly lovable person and then pray Lindy – his only hope – will fall in love with him. This is a well-written modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Flinn does a really good job with this book.

I think teens will understand the evil Kyle character and hate him just as much as the feel for, and maybe love, the Adrian character he becomes. Although there are few surprises in this book, it is a compelling and quick read. I give it 4 out of 5 <insert your favorite noun>s.

Book Review - Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

This is a Young Adult Novel.

This satirical novel can be described as Miss America meets Lord of the Flies. Fifty teen beauty queens experience a terrible plane crash and, after the damage is assessed, realize that only thirteen of the queens have survived. They must survive on the island using their resourcefulness until they can be rescued. Little do they know The Corporation – sponsor of the Miss Teen Dream Pageant, creator of such hit TV shows as Pirates Bodacious IV: Badder and More Bodaciouser and Patriot Daughters in which Betsy Ross and her sewing guild “give it all” for their country, and such products as Git R Done 447 personal safety handgun (currently under a voluntary recall) and Lady ‘Stache of Cream which is surprisingly useful on a deserted island - has set up camp on the island as well; and their intentions are not noble.

On the surface, this may seem like a cute teen novel about dingy beauty queens, but don’t “misunderestimate” it (this is a quote from the book). It is actually a well-crafted satire about standards for women, feminism, gender and sexuality (which, be warned, there is a lot of), greed and capitalism, terrorism, and so many other things. It was SO FUNNY! My only criticism is I’m not sure the allusions would be understood by the novel's intended audience – teens. But who knows, I might be “misunderestimating” them as well. :) I give this book 5 out of 5 whatevers (stars, points, thumbs...insert your favorite noun here)