GoddessLibrarian

The sweet, terrible, glorious year, I truly completely lost it--Lisa Shanahan

2008-04-10T20:29:00.003-04:00

Title: the sweet, terrible, glorious year I truly, completely lost it
Author: Lisa Shanahan
Pages: 297 p
Publisher: delacorte press
ISBN: 9780385735162

Gemma Stone (HAHA. Get it? Gem Stone. GEMSTONE) has always been a calm shy girl who throws up when she speaks in public. The same year that her sister gets engaged and plans a crazy wedding, Gemma discovers that she can keep the bile down if she's speaking in character--in a play on stage. She also discovers that the school delinquent is a gifted actor and a true friend.

I gobbled this book up. It was fun. It's Australian so some of the slang is odd--but in a good way. It's a fun quick read and I'd recommend it. And I now have my new favorite phrase in the world: chucking a birkett*.

* "IN MY FAMILY, when anyone rides the wave of their emotions, we say they're chucking a birkett. When the emotion drives out all common sense, we say they're chucking a big one. The telltale signs are: flaming cheeks, shortness of breath, bulging eyes, and a prolonged illogical outburst."
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Sweethearts--Sara Zarr

2008-03-22T16:10:00.003-04:00

Title: Sweethearts
Author: Sara Zarr
Pages: 217 p
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
ISBN: 0316014559

I was lucky enough to get this title as an ARC. I read it in ONE DAY.

Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick are both outcasts in their elementary school and naturally bond with one another. They are best friends and understand each other like no one else does. And then one day Cameron disappears. Devastated and heartbroken Jennifer morphs into Jenna--a popular, friendly, pretty girl who is the exact opposite of Jennifer--and moves to a new school leaving her past behind. Until the day Cameron Quick reappears in her life.

This is a wonderful poignant story about friendship, love and loss. There are some deep issues in this book--the story of emotional abuse that Cameron endures at the hands of his sadistic cruel father is the most important one. There are mentions of sex but nothing is ever fully described. I would recommend it for junior high and up.

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Beige--Cecil Castellucci

2008-03-22T15:59:00.003-04:00

Title: Beige
Author: Cecil Castelluci
Pages: 307
Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763630669

Katy lives in Canada with her mom and has had very little contact with her American rock star father until her mom needs to go on an archeology dig without her. The only person who can take care of Katy for those 2 weeks turns out to be the Dad she never knew. Two weeks turn into the whole summer as her mom gets more and more interested in the dig and Katy feels more and more left behind until she snaps and realizes she has a lot more in common with her musical father than she thought.

There's a lot in this book and that summary doesn't even do it justice--father/daughter issues; mother/daughter issues; friendship; self-esteem; drugs. There are loads of issues but it doesn't feel overwhelming or preachy. Although the issues are serious, it's a fun read. Katy is a likeable character even when she's not being so likeable. Katy's Dad, "the Rat", tries so hard to be a good dad and make up for lost time. He's funny and charming and a really good guy but it takes Katy the whole summer to figure it out. Beige is a quick read and well-worth it!

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Dramarama--E. Lockhart

2008-03-05T20:32:00.003-05:00

Title: Dramarama
Author: E. Lockhart
Pages: 311 p.
Publisher: Hyperion
ISBN: 9780786838158

Sarah is somewhat of an outcast at school until she auditions for a summer program at a musical theater school and decides to reinvent herself as Sadye. She meets Demi, a black gay boy, at the audition and they instantly become best friends. They both get in the program and look forward to having a wonderful summer making it "big." But when Demi is more successful and talented than Sadye turns out to be, their friendship is put to the test.

I have no experience with musical theater and I'm not a big fan of musicals and Broadway and all that jazz and I LOVED this book. Even though Sadye does whine a bit at times, I still liked her character and I wanted her to succeed. I liked her unorthodox friendship with Demi and how Lockhart was not afraid to talk about both the racial and homosexual issues between them. It was a nice satisfying read and well worth having had to stay up late to finish reading it when I have to get up in the wee hours of the morning to take care of children.

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Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List--Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

2008-02-06T18:52:00.000-05:00

Title: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List
Author: Cohn, Rachel and David Levithan
Pages: 230 p.
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
ISBN:978-0-375-84440-9

The authors of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist are at it again with Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List. Clearly, they like long titles, but I guess when you have two authors they each need to get the same number of words...

Straight girl Naomi and gay boy Ely are best friends. As close as siblings, if not closer, they have been together their entire lives through the good and bad times. Naomi's Dad had an affair with one of Ely's moms and they kept their friendship strong even through that. In order to remove any potential for conflict they created a No Kiss List--a list of people that neither one could kiss. It works well until Ely breaks the rules and kisses Naomi's boyfriend.

The kiss is just the catalyst that Naomi needs to reexamine her relationship--with Ely, not with Bruce the Second (her boyfriend). She finally admits that she has always wanted more with Ely than he could give her and that she needs to have an identity outside of him. The friendship is forever changed.

Cohen and Levithan have already proven that they can write well together. This book is further proof. Naomi and Ely are both interesting, complex people that I wanted to read more about. I'm not sure how this one was written; the point of view changed with each chapter but there were more than just the two main characters. I'm not sure who wrote which section and that's the mark of a great writing partnership. I look forward to their next collaboration!

As with Playlist, there are f-bombs and adult situations. Naomi and Ely are both in college and there's plenty of dorm-room shenanigans. I would keep this one for the high school teens.

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Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy--Ally Carter

2008-01-23T20:02:00.000-05:00

Sequel to I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, this one is not *quite* as fun, but it's still entertaining and definitely leaves you wanting to read more stories. There's romance, spy-stuff, and loads of references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There was one sentence with both Buffy AND Veronica Mars and my head almost exploded! Lots of girl power. Good book.

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The Dead and the Gone--Susan Beth Pfeffer

2008-01-23T19:50:00.001-05:00

This is a companion story to Life as We Knew It. It takes place in NYC, harder hit because of being on the coast, but better off in some ways because it's a city and not as remote as the country towns of Pennsylvania. Pfeffer manages to create another compelling story instead of just retelling the same events happening to different people. It's not necessary to read LAWKI, because it's not a sequel at all, but it makes it more interesting. I would recommend it to fans of LAWKI as well as people looking for a good "the world is ending" book.

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I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You--Ally Carter

2008-01-23T19:46:00.000-05:00

Loved this book! This was just the right amount of fluff with substance that I needed. It's "romance" but there's enough adventure and other stuff in there to keep me interested. It takes place at an all-girls spy school. How cool is that? You can find a summary on Amazon. I don't have the time to write it out for you. I would definitely recommend it! Great read.

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Eclipse--Stephenie Meyer

2008-01-23T19:42:00.000-05:00

I read this a while ago and just forgot to blog about it, because well, I forget things now. And have very little time. It's amazing how much time 2 children can eat up.

I can't even give a proper summary or review. Criminy. I liked it, not as much as Twilight. I don't like how it's turned into a straight-up romance instead of the vampire story I liked. I don't really like Jacob.... and Bella has become a bit of a twit. I just wanted to slap her.

I guess it sounds like I didn't like it... but I did enjoy reading it. I swear.

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Long time

2007-09-22T13:48:00.001-04:00

FYI: I had my baby one day after my last post (good thing I got Lady Friday done!) and haven't been able to read a thing since. Well, I did read the last Harry Potter but nobody needs me to blog about that. I'm back at work, albeit very part-time and no longer as a YA Librarian, but I hope to get some reading and blogging done. Eventually.

Lady Friday (Keys to the Kingdom)--Garth Nix

2007-05-14T12:11:00.000-04:00

Title: Lady Friday
Author: Garth Nix
Pages: 304 p.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 9780439700887

I did not want to read this book. This might be surprising to those of you who have read my ~~love letters~~ reviews of the rest of the series (Mister Monday; Grim Tuesday; Drowned Wednesday; Sir Thursday ). Of course I *wanted* to read the book. I just didn't want to read it now--I thought I would read it while in labor and it would get me through it because I love this series so much. And then I started thinking what if I start it and then labor is really quick and I don't finish it and you know I'm not going to have the time once baby #2 is born. And that would be horrible! So I had to read it right away.

I'm going to spare you the summary of the series. Partly because you should just read the former reviews and partly because I'm not in the mood for intelligent coherent sentences.

In Lady Friday, the fifth book of the series, Arthur must find the 5th key and the 5th part of the will. Lady Friday has given him, the Piper and Superior Saturday the chance to find the 5th key by abdicating her control. Of course Arthur smells a rat and doesn't trust her "abdication." He decides to look for the will first and use the will to help him locate the key. Along the way he meets up with his old friends Suzy Turquoise Blue and Fred Initial Numbers Gold.

Once again Arthur's story is alternated with Leaf's. After defeating the spirit-eater from Sir Thursday she is hospitalized on Earth. Unfortunately for her the hospital is run by "Dr. Friday." Leaf is kidnapped by Dr. Lady Friday and transferred to one of the second realms. She learns of Lady Friday's unusual addiction and tries to battle her and get in touch with Arthur.

Fans of the series will not be disappointed in this latest installment. We know by now that of course Arthur will find the will and the key. He is the rightful heir. But will he use the keys? Will he sacrifice his humanity to save his Denizen friends? How far will he go to do the right thing?

In my last review (of Sir Thursday) I mentioned the previous trustees as having characteristics of the 7 deadly sins. Mister Monday--Sloth; Grim Tuesday--Avarice; Drowned Wednesday--Gluttony. I think those are the only ones that are really clear-cut. I'm not sure where Sir Thursday fits in. We've got Lust, Wrath, Envy and Pride left. Sir Thursday could fit Wrath--he did command an army. Lady Friday could fit Lust if you expand the definition to more than just sexual lust. She could also fit Envy--she was jealous of humans and their ability to sleep and dream and be mortal. I'm curious to see if I'm the only one who can see the connection... anyone else out there have any ideas?

Edited 5/14 3:3o pm: Ha! So I'm not reading too much into it! According to wikipedia (which we all know is the source of all knowledge), Lady Friday is afflicted with Lust. Ha ha! And yes, Sir Thursday is wrath. I didn't read any of this before I wrote my reviews. So of course now I'm wondering if the entire world is so much smarter than me. Sigh.
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2007-04-20T12:11:00.000-04:00

Title: The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs
Author: Jack Gantos
Pages: 185 p.
Publisher: FSG
ISBN: 0374336903

Disturbing. Freaky. Yet riveting. I know there's been a lot of mixed reviews of this book--some people love it, some people hate it. I suspect the people who hate it just can't get over the freakiness of it.

Ivy is 7 years old when she stumbles across the taxidermied-body of her neighbor's mother. Although she screams and is freaked out, she is also strangely fascinated by her neighbor's (71 year old twins Dolph and Ab) activities. She realizes that she too loves her mother as much as the twins' loved theirs and embarks on an apprenticeship with them learning all there is to know about taxidermy.

I finished Love Curse in a day. It's not a very long book and it's pretty hard to put down once you start reading. It's just so... odd. Much like the twins themselves. Half of the story takes place when Ivy is 7 and just learning the secrets of the twins and the other half happens when she is 16 and learns the secrets of her own history. The story is gripping and interesting and definitely leaves the reader with something to think about. Is it possible to love your mother *too* much?

Teens who like mind-blowing books and books that make one think "What the hell??" will be drawn to this one.

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New Moon--Stephenie Meyer

2007-04-20T11:28:00.000-04:00

Title: New Moon
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Pages: 563 p.
Publisher: Little Brown & Co.
ISBN: 9780316160193

I was a little hesitant to read this because I had heard that it was not as good as Twilight and I loved Twilight... but I wasn't disappointed. Sure, it wasn't as good as Twilight, mostly because Edward's role in the book is largely reduced. But it was still good and the ending made it all worth it.

Those of you who have read Twilight will remember the star-crossed lovers, vampire Edward and human Bella. They overcome great odds and danger to be together. Unfortunately Edward and his vampire family cannot truly change their nature and it's a risk every time klutzy Bella spends time with them. She manages to slice her finger open at her birthday party and that starts a chain of events resulting in the Cullen family moving away to protect her. Of course being a typical teenage girl Bella doesn't see them leaving as a means to protect her, but rather as an indication that they never really loved her, and she feels especially rejected by Edward. After many months of numbness she discovers that she can hear his voice in her head if she does stupid reckless dangerous things. She starts on a path of danger, accompanied by her friend Jacob Black, who is harboring secrets of his own as well as a crush on her.

Most of the story centers on Bella and Jacob's deepening friendship while she struggles to remember Edward while not actively remembering him. Once Jacob starts behaving strangely it's easy to guess what his dark secret is and to predict an eventual confrontation between him and his natural enemy Edward. Jacob is not a replacement for Edward--for either the reader or for Bella. It's not until Edward re-enters Bella's life that the story really picks up.

There were quite a few typos in the book but most readers will probably skip right over them anxiously reading quickly to get back to Edward. The ending is as happy as it can be for these two perfectly (mis)matched lovers, leaving plenty of room for another sequel, hopefully after Bella graduates and Carlisle fulfills his promise. Fans of Twilight will eat this one up too.

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Story of a Girl--Sara Zarr

2007-04-13T09:48:00.000-04:00

Title: Story of a Girl
Author: Sara Zarr
Pages: 192 p.
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
ISBN: 9780316014533

Deanna was only 13 when her father caught her in the backseat of a car with a 17 year old boy doing things that no father should ever have to see. Three years later they both still carry around the pain of that incident. Deanna's been wrongly labeled a slut at school and deals with daily torment by her gossip-mongering peers. Her father can barely look at her, let alone speak to her in anything other than commands or accusations. She dreams of the day when she has enough money to move out with her brother and his girlfriend and their new baby.

This could be called the Story of Many Girls. Aside from actually being caught in the act by your father, lots of young vulnerable girls have similar first time situations--ones filled with regret that they never truly get over. This novel is so realistic it's almost painful. Interspersed throughout the book is Deanna's own writing, her own Story of a Girl, a girl desperately trying to forget her past. It's not until she learns how to forgive can she truly forget--a lesson everyone in the family needs to learn.

This is definitely a girl book, but might appeal to thoughtful boys. Although sex makes up a large part of the storyline the act itself is never described. The story is more about the emotional aftermath--Deanna's shameful regret, her brother Darren's unplanned pregnancy, her parents dysfunctional reaction to both. I would steer this book towards high schoolers, not because of the sex but because they may have more of an understanding of mistakes and regret. I finished this in just a couple of days because I couldn't put it down.

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Reading: ?
On My Nightstand: More books

Life As We Knew It--Susan Beth Pfeffer

2007-04-10T14:27:00.000-04:00

Title: Life As We Knew It
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Pages: 337 p.
Publisher: Harcourt Inc.
ISBN: 0152058265

This was probably not the best time for me to read this book, but I knew there was a request list for it and I felt guilty so I got it done.

Miranda and her family are happily anticipating an meteor hitting the moon. The worst it can do is make another crater right? They have cookies and go outside to watch the show with the rest of their neighbors. But something goes horribly wrong...

The meteor. Suddenly the moon was closer to Earth than it should have been. It's easy to forget how important the moon is--but with it being out of whack the tides were also out of whack, causing huge tsunamis, tornadoes, volcanoes, earthquakes and all sorts of natural disasters. Floods wiped out whole states and countries, killed millions of people and left others with no food, oil, or electricity.

Miranda is one of the lucky ones since her mom freaked out at the beginning and used all her money to stock the house with boxed and canned food. But their food and their luck can't last forever.

Written in journal format, Miranda's story is gripping and heart-breaking. She is a likeable sympathetic character who sacrifices everything to help her family. There was one point that kept bugging me--they had food but no electricity so how were they cooking? It was finally explained that the stove was natural gas and didn't rely on electricity so they were fine cooking. Until the gas ran out. Although it was eventually explained this bugged me because I automatically think of not being able to cook when the electricity is off. Other than that very very minor point, this is a good solid read and highly recommended.

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Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist--Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

2007-03-03T12:04:00.000-05:00

Title: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Author: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Pages: 183 p.
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
ISBN: 0375835318

I read this book in one day. For some of you that might not be a big accomplishment. Considering the fact that I am a full time working mom and if you look at the frequency, or lack thereof, with which I manage to post here, I think you too will agree that this is indeed a big deal for me. I was helped by the fact that I was stuck in a doctor's waiting room and it was a relatively slow night at the ref desk. And that I just *couldn't* put it down.

The story opens with Nick performing with his queercore band and Norah in the audience. Nick sees his ex-girlfriend Tris, panics, and asks complete stranger Norah to be his girlfriend for the next five minutes. Norah knows Tris and for a variety of reasons agrees to Nick's strange request. Five minutes turns into something much much longer.

The story is told from both points of view in alternating chapters. Rachel Cohn wrote the Norah parts and David Levithan wrote the Nick parts. Collaborative novels are always hit and miss with me. Particularly ones that are written this way where one author takes one character; I find that a lot of the time when the one author has to write dialogue for the other character it doesn't sound quite right. Cohn & Levithan managed to avoid this problem. If it hadn't been for the title page I wouldn't have known that two authors wrote this. There were no inconsistencies, nothing sounded false, nothing sounded like it was just thrown together. It's actually quite amazing that both voices were as riveting and compelling as they were.

I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I was a little upset that I didn't know anything about the queercore punk/metal scene but now I do(thanks wikipedia). There's lots of language in this book--the f bomb makes a regular appearance--as well as sexual situations and it totally suits the characters and the story. Nothing is gratuitous. This is not a middle school novel. It's a wonderfully written, well-told love story for high school teens.

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An Abundance of Katherines--John Green

2007-03-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

Title: An Abundance of Katherines
Author: John Green
Pages: 227 p.
Publisher: Dutton Books
ISBN: 0525476881

John Green's follow up to his award winning first novel Looking for Alaska is just as entertaining and well-written, although not as heartbreaking. Colin Singleton has made a habit out of only dating (and getting dumped by) girls named Katherine. When Katherine 19 breaks up with him he and his best friend Hassan embark on a road trip to nowhere to break Colin's depression. Colin, who happens to be a child prodigy hoping to one day be a genius, decides to find a formula based on his history with Katherines that would predict the outcome of all romantic relationships. The two get sidetracked in a small town in Tennessee and Colin discovers much more than a formula.

Although Colin is a bit whiny and tends to drive people (Katherines) away with his constant need of approval and his low self-esteem, he is at heart a likable character. The friendship between him and Hassan is realistically portrayed and entertaining. Hassan is the comedic relief who slaps some sense into Colin. In Tennessee they meet up with Lindsey who also brings Colin back to reality.

Green includes footnotes throughout the story, especially when Hassan tells Colin that some piece of knowledge he is about to impart is not interesting, allowing readers to judge for themselves. As a geek, I found the footnotes very interesting. There's also an appendix explaining the math used in the formula. I haven't gotten around to reading that yet but I intend to.

While this is by no means a fluffy feel good novel, it is not as emotionally heartbreaking or significant as Alaska. It is a bit lighter, with funnier moments, and a less intense plot. It is definitely an enjoyable read and highly recommended. I think it would suit high schoolers more since they tend to have more of a romantic life-history and the angst that goes along with graduating from high school and not knowing what's going on in your life.

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Among the Hidden--Margaret Peterson Haddix

2007-02-05T14:20:00.000-05:00

Title: Among the Hidden
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Pages: 153 p.
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks (Follettbound)
ISBN: 0329239317

I don't know why I never picked this series up before, but somehow I missed it. My middle school boys recommended it for our Feb. book group and I agreed. I'm glad I did.

Luke is a 12 year old boy who has never been seen in public. He is a third child or a "shadow child"; illegal because of the authoritarian government's population law, he must live his life in hiding. He has always followed the rules carefully and taken his hiding very seriously until one day he sees the face of a child in a house window--a house with a family that already had 2 kids. He becomes obsessed with this face and dares to leave his house and break in to his neighbor's house searching for it. He is rewarded with a young adolescent girl, Jen, who is also a third child but one without fear. She "hides" but she's set up mirrors so she can still look outside and no one can see her. She sets up a secret chat room so she can talk to other shadow children. She is determined that one day she and Luke and all the other thirds will be free. When Jen disappears after attending a rally for shadow children rights, Luke's safety is compromised and he must make a serious decision--to stay in hiding the rest of his life or to accept help from the last place he thought it would come.

This is just the first in a series and readers will definitely want to continue and see what happens to Luke. Although Luke is stuck in his house for most of the story there is enough action and suspense to keep readers entertained. I was outraged at the idea of the government interfering in people's reproductive choices, but some governments already do. Among the Hidden does a good job of raising serious questions about government abuse while remaining a really good story.

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Reading: Nothing yet
On My Nightstand:

Girl, Going on 17, Pants on Fire--Sue Limb

2007-01-30T14:09:00.000-05:00

Title: Girl, Going on 17, Pants on Fire
Author: Sue Limb
Pages: 233 p
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 038573218x

This is the 3rd book in this series and just as funny as the first two. Jess Jordan really knows how to get herself in trouble--after spending the summer worrying about her boyfriend cheating on her because of some miscommunication, she lets yet another miscommunication break them up the day before school is to begin. From there her school year just gets worse and worse.

Jess is a funny likeable character. Girls who liked the Louise Rennison books will be attracted to all of Jess's mishaps and her Britishisms but will like Jess even more because she's not as mean-spirited as Georgia Nicholson is. Jess is just a confused teenage girl with delicate self esteem who would like the world to revolve around her but knows it doesn't. I heartily recommend this entire series to middle and high school girls alike. Boys probably won't be as interested.

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Reading: Among the Hidden--Margaret Peterson Haddix
On My Nightstand:

Cruise Control--Terry Trueman

2007-01-18T18:04:00.000-05:00

Title: Cruise Control
Author: Terry Trueman
Pages: 149 p.
Publisher: HarperTempest
ISBN: 0066239605

I read Stuck in Neutral many years ago, but just re-read it for my middle school book group. I remember the book having a big impact on me the first time I read it, but reading it while being pregnant was even more of an emotional experience. I continued on with Cruise Control hoping I would get some sort of closure. Cruise Control is set in the same time period at Stuck in Neutral but it's told from older brother Paul's point of view. Some of the events from SIN are mirrored in CC and it gives a more complete picture of the McDaniel family home life. Paul is a loving brother, even if he can't express it, and his difficulties of being a sibling to a "vegetable" are realistically portrayed. This is NOT a sequel. It's not necessary to have read SIN first, but the experience of reading CC is so much more complete and meaningful when you have read SIN.

I was hoping for closure--for some clue as to what the father was going to do with Shawn (the developmentally disabled "vegetable") but Trueman doesn't give it up. Once again the ending can be interpreted in more than one way. People who are more positive are given a glimmer of hope that maybe Shawn and Paul's Dad will be interrupted and rethink his plan (to end his child's suffering). Those who aren't quite so positive can see it the opposite way--that Paul will be too late.

CC is not quite as strong as SIN but that's just because it's told from a different point of view. I shouldn't say it's not as strong. It's not as painfully moving as SIN was, but it's still a great book.

(side note--I finally got approved for the new blogger, so now I have labels! woo-hoo!)
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Reading: Nothing yet
On My Nightstand: Saline Spray and tissues

The Boy Book--E. Lockhart

2006-11-28T12:30:00.000-05:00

Title: The Boy Book
Author: E. Lockhart
Pages: 193 p.
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 0385732082

Ruby Oliver, star of The Boyfriend List, is back for more adventures in this funny sequel. Although she's not having panic attacks anymore Ruby is still seeing her shrink, Dr. Z. Things are looking slightly better for her--she's developed a friendship with a couple of people and her old friend Nora is talking to her again. But just when she thinks she's got her life somewhat back together her ex-best friend and boyfriend-stealer Kim comes back early from her trip to Japan and Ruby's panic attacks start up again.

If you liked The Boyfriend List, you'll like this one too. It's not entirely necessary to have read it though. Lockhart gives enough background info to let you know what happened in the first book without beating you over the head with it. Ruby is a funny flawed character and teen girls will definitely relate to her and her multiple problems with multiple boys. Junior High and High School girls (grades 8+) will especially like it.

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Reading: Nothing :-(
On My Nightstand:

Zoo--Graham Marks

2006-10-28T11:26:00.000-04:00

Title: Zoo
Author: Graham Marks
Pages: 266 p.
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 1582349916

I don't usually go for the spy/action/boy books and I probably would not have read this if it hadn't been for one of my middle school boys choosing it for our book group. But once I started reading I couldn't stop. This is an intelligent, quick-paced, action-packed book that boys are sure to love. Although it's probably geared more for high school (the main character is 17), there's nothing preventing middle schoolers from reading it. There is a little lovey-dovey stuff, but nothing more than kissing, and it definitely takes a back seat to the action.

17 year old Cameron Stewart has always lived a privileged life. His mother has never been very affectionate and treats him more like an investment than her flesh and blood, but he's had a happy childhood. His father is not a millionaire, but pretty well-off and able to provide whatever Cam needs. Life is great until he gets kidnapped, manages to escape, but discovers that he can't trust anyone and must survive on his own until he can figure out what's going on.

I enjoyed this book and was able to finish it in just a couple of days (hey, I have a toddler). I'm looking forward to the middle school book group next month. I think the boys are going to really respond to it.

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Reading:
On My Nightstand: New Moon--Stephenie Meyer

Looking for Normal--Betty Monthei

2006-10-28T11:14:00.000-04:00

Title: Looking for Normal
Author: Betty Monthei
Pages: 185 p.
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060725052

"Daddy killed Mama today, just like he told her he would."

With that haunting first line, Looking for Normal, tells the story of young Annie and her younger brother Ted after their father goes crazy and kills their mother and then himself. This is *not* an easy read. After dealing with the trauma of losing both of their parents, the kids have to deal with an abusive grandmother and a distant grandfather too much in denial to help them.

This was a very good book and made my middle school boys cry. We had a great discussion about the book itself, as well as whether or not they had ever discussed with their parents who would take them in the event of a tragedy. Although it's a difficult book to read and didn't lend itself to a "fun" discussion, it's an important book in today's violent world and would be good for a discussion group.

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On My Nightstand:

Nailed--Patrick Jones

2006-10-28T11:02:00.000-04:00

Title: Nailed
Author: Patrick Jones
Pages: 216 p.
Publisher: Walker
ISBN: 0802780776

I read this a while ago for the teen book group and just haven't had a chance to get a review up. Consequently the details are a little fuzzy. The core plot of the book is Brett's abuse at school by the rich jocks who think he's a freak. The subplot, but more important aspect of the story, is Brett's relationship with his father, who also thinks he's a freak and doesn't understand him at all. By the end of the story the abuse has reached its climax and is the catalyst for Brett and his father to find some common ground.

This book prompted a really good discussion, something that doesn't happen often in our teen book group, about high school and cliques and stereotypes. At our local high school the cliques aren't so clearly drawn--the cool kids aren't necessarily the jocks. And everybody makes fun of everybody. They all seem to bully each other. The girls didn't like the book as much as librarians have, but it certainly sparked a really good discussion.

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Reading:
On My Nightstand:

King Dork--Frank Portman

2006-10-05T10:56:00.000-04:00

Title: King Dork
Author: Frank Portman
Pages: 344 p.
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 0385732910

I've read a lot about this book and most people seem to think that you have to either *love* it or *hate* it. I disagree. I didn't think it was the funniest thing I've ever read or the most interesting book in the world. I definitely had some problems with it. But it was entertaining and I enjoyed most of it.

Tom Henderson, aka Chi-Mo and King Dork and a bunch of other derogatory nicknames, is an introspective, witty, high school boy. He is tormented by bullies, both students and teachers, and has very few friends. His relationship with his best friend, Sam Hellerman, is based on the fact that their last names are in alphabetical order and thus they sat near each other in school. He and Sam are in a "band"--although all they have are band names (which change constantly) album names and song titles. They don't have actual instruments or rehearsals for much of the book. The band names are hilarious.

Most of the plot revolves around Tom finding his dead father's copy of Catcher in the Rye. From there he is embroiled in a mystery surrounding his father's death, a secret code and a funeral card. Somehow this mystery also ties in to Tom's current bullying teachers and miserable existance in high school.

I enjoyed most of the book. I thought Tom was funny. The conclusion was wrapped up too nicely--seemingly unrelated events fit together--but then Tom questions the conclusion and wonders if maybe there is none at all. It seemed to be a bit of a cop-out.

The major problem most people seem to have with the book is its portrayal of girls. While I do believe the girl social structure (with the Queen Bitch at top) is true, I do think the cavalier attitude the girls had toward oral sex was over the top. Granted, many people (especially young people) do not think of oral sex as sex, but these girls were just unbelievable with their willingness to perform this service.

Overall I was entertained and would recommend this book, but I would caution teens to seriously think about the girls' attitude toward oral sex.

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