tiny pink books

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Viking Juvenile, 2009

Laurie Halse Anderson is back with another elevation of “the problem novel.” Wintergirls tackles the tumultuous inner dialogue of Lia, 18, as she deals with the death of her former best friend.  Fighting a wealth of problems from anorexia to cutting, Lia’s struggle is dark and gripping.  Although the subject matter makes for a brutal read, readers will find Lia’s story hard to put down.  Anderson’s layering of realism, delusional fantasy and biting sarcasm make this a powerful and chilling read for teens seeking dark, realistic drama with a literary tone.

Despite the dark subject matter (and treatment), I can’t say that I had trouble reading Wintergirls.  The most difficult aspect of the book was Lia’s constant negativity.  That said, I think that Anderson has captured the frustrating devastation that is anorexia.  While I can’t say that I really enjoyed reading Wintergirls, I do think that it’s a relevant and interesting book along the same lines as Speak. I’m not sure that this book will really connect to teens suffering from the same disorders that it tackles (I’m cynical, if you couldn’t tell), but I do think that it will help make others more aware and understanding of the disorders.

Recommended for fans of Speak and Crank. Readers seeking dark, realistic drama with a literary tone will enjoy Wintergirls. I doubt that I need to say it, but reader seeking fluff or action should turn elsewhere!

The Hero of Ages (Mistborn Book 3) by Brandon Sanderson
Tor Book, 2008

Finally, I got a copy of The Hero of Ages from the library!  Continuing the unstoppably good Mistborn series, The Hero of Ages begins at desperate times for Vin, Elend, and the other surviving members of Kelsier’s old crew.  A destructive, God-like force has been unleashed and is doing just about everything that it can to end the world.  Vin, Elend, Spook and the rest of the crew are doing anything that they can to stop it.  But how do you stop a God?  Sanderson delivers a satisfying conclusion in this final chapter.

I’m not going to say much other than that I have enjoyed the Mistborn series thoroughly.  As someone who is not easily a fantasy fan, I have great respect for Sanderson in making this work approachable and enjoyable, even for readers like me who are not necessarily driven to read fantasy (I thank my sister for getting me into these books!).  As a young adult librarian, I think that I will recommend this series, though it is not specifically marketed for YA, to teens who can handle the (thick) page length because I do think that the material will be just as appealing to teens and adults alike.

The Declaration by Gemma Malley
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2007

Science has found a way to cure all disease and old age and children are outlawed in The Declaration. Still, children are illegally born, captured, and deemed “surpluses.  They are either executed or taken into prison-like “surplus halls” where they are brainwashed and trained to work as servants or menial workers for all the “legal people.”  Anna, the main character of The Declaration, is just such a child.  At age 15, Anna has spent most of her life in Grange Hall, training desperately to become a “valuable asset,” a good working surplus who never questions her place as she tries to make up for her sin of existence.  One day, a mysterious boy named Peter arrives at Grange Hall.  He is the same age as Anna and, as their friendship blooms, he teaches her another perspective of the world, causing Anna to question everything she has ever known.

The setup of the world in The Declaration is quite impressive.  Malley’s world is well developed and, although she spends a little too much of the book’s pages describing it in detail, it is the most interesting element to The Declaration. While the characters and story are likable, the plot strains in parts and the cookie cutter, which can be seen coming well before it arrives, was a little hard to swallow.  Despite this, it remains a page turner, if only to confirm that the obvious loose ends are headed towards the neatly tied up ending a reader expects.

I have a soft spot in my heart for any kind of dystopian scifi and therefore enjoyed The Declaration quite a lot, despite its flaws.  It read very much like a younger and slightly less sophisticated Never Let Me Go.  I think readers who appreciate thoughtful science fiction of this vein will enjoy The Declaration.  The premise is bleak and heavy handed enough that readers seeking fluff or pure action should turn elsewhere.

Note:  I listened to the audio version of this book and enjoyed the reader’s thick English accent!

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Harcourt Children’s Books, 2006

Another end of the world as we know it book by Susan Beth Pfeffer.  In fact, Life As We Knew It is the companion novel to The Dead and the Gone (2008).  Even though I read The Dead and the Gone first and had lukewarm feelings about it, I picked up Life As We Knew It and I’m quite glad that I did.

Life As We Knew It chronicles a near future disaster in which an asteroid knocks the moon out of place, causing catastrophic tidal changes, volcanoes (which fill the sky with ash, blocking out the sun), earthquakes,  and more.  Told through the journal entries of Miranda, a smart and observant sixteen-year old who lives through the disaster with her mother and her two brothers.

Things evolve from semi-normal states to plain old disastrous for Miranda and it’s interesting (and at times heartbreaking) to see her grow into both a survivor and an adult.  A very well written character, Miranda shows moments of selfishness, weakness, bravery, and humor that make it easy to relate to her and, consequently, the fictional disaster at hand.  The survival element to the story keeps the pacing on track and makes this almost impossible to put down, especially towards the end.  As they watch Miranda and her family lose almost every element of normal life, readers are left with a thoughtful feeling of hope and appreciation for what they have.

I loved this book so much more than The Dead and the Gone.  It was grittier, the characters were better written, and it had a much more interesting treatment of the disaster itself.  I would recommend this book to young adult readers who want a sensitive treatment of global catastrophe.  Although I found this book to be very compelling to read, the journal entry format and the plot itself can be slow and deeply thoughtful.  Readers seeking action and gore should turn themselves toward The Hunger Games or The Long Walk.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, which was well read and produced.