tiny pink books

Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty
Crown, 2009

Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie are back in this (seemingly?) final chapter of Megan McCafferty’s crossover ya/adult series.  McCafferty has ditched the standard journal format of the series in place of a present tense narrator that shifts focus between Jessica and Marcus throughout the book.  The result is a little awkward, but the charming reunion of this pair will please fans of the earlier books in the series.

One of the most interesting things about the Jessica Darling series has been the way in which McCafferty has aged the characters and the content from young adult to adult.  While Perfect Fifths is totally inappropriate the YA shelves (not just for language, but content and general tone as well), I’m impressed with the way the characters have developed over the course of the series.  Not only are Marcus and Jessica adults in Perfect Fifths, but they have been shaped and influenced by everything that has happened throughout the years.  A satisfying conclusion for most Jessica Darling fans, but newcomers to the series should start with the earlier books, which were the stronger of the series.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
HarperCollins, 2009

Chloe Saunders is a normal, albeit sheltered teenager…until the day she discovers that she can see ghosts.  Sent to a group home and deemed schizophrenic for her visions, Chloe finds herself completely removed from what was her life.  As if that weren’t enough, Lyle House, the group home Chloe is locked in, is full of mystery and other kids who seem to have strange powers along the same line as Chloe’s.  Full of unease and a little bit of creepiness, The Summoning is a decent scary book.

I think one of the best things about The Summoning is that the scariness is subtle enough for younger young adults, without being too babyish.  There’s a very occasional, PG-13 swear word, but overall the content is fairly tame for a horror book.  The writing style is very soap opera/movie-ish, but that sort of works to The Summoning’s favor, given that the main character has a thing for film directing.  All in all, this was a reasonably entertaining book.  I’d recommend it to fans of Twilight (especially the youngish ones) and readers looking for girly horror.  Not recommended for readers seeking intensely scary books, these are creepy, but just not all that frightening.  Also, the ending cannot even be described as a cliffhanger-it’s such a shameless non-ending that you will have to pick up the second book to finish not just the story, but the final conversation in the book!  This may frustrate some readers (and intigue and excite others)!

I listened to the audio version of this book…it had a pretty good reader and I recommend it for a long drive.

As if this blog weren’t enough, I’m also putting these reviews on goodreads.com because, well because it’s easy to replicate them there

I’m also considering adding more postings here about library programs and displays, so watch out for that!

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Little, Brown Young Readers, 2009

Probably deserving the award for most misleading cover of the year (and the year’s not even up!), Sweethearts is an emotional story of friendship, loss, and self identity.  Jennifer Harris grew up as the fat, ugly girl in school.  Mercilessly teased by the other kids, she only had one friend-Cameron Quick.  As elementary school children, they had a pure and close friendship that made life bearable…until one day when Cameron disappears.  Jennifer is left alone, wondering what happened to her best friend.  The taunting and the teasing takes over and she spends the rest of her childhood miserable and alone, mourning the loss of her friend.  As she grows up, she reinvents herself.  She loses weight, she changes her name to Jenna, she switches schools and she puts on an exterior of friendly normality that makes her friends.  Now, at age 17, Jenna is skinny, she has friends, and she even has a boyfriend.  When Cameron mysteriously enters her life again, her already shaky world is rocked, forcing her to confront, not just her past, but her entire self identity.

It’s hard to sum up Sweethearts because so much of the plot is pure emotional development.  Jenna is frustratingly sad…and painfully familiar to anyone who’s struggled with self esteem and self identity.  Zarr does a beautiful job in creating a voice for Jenna and the result is a powerfully emotional character.  While there’s little drama in terms of action, there are enough friends and relationships impacted by Jenna’s struggle to keep things interesting.  The ending will be a bit of a letdown for anyone expecting neatly tied up packages, but those who can handle and end with an ellipses instead of a period will walk away with satisfaction.

I’d recommend this book to young adult and adult readers seeking an emotional journey rather than an action based plot.  While there is drama involving the other characters, this book is first and foremost about self identity and a struggle to come to terms with that.  Boys will probably hate this book as will anyone expecting action, humor, or neatly tied up endings.  The real travesty of Sweethearts is that it looks, from the cover, to be either a lighter, sweeter book (romantic) or a book about body image issues.  While there is a little romance and it certainly touches on body image, neither of these is even close to the main subject of the book.

I listened to the audio version of this book.  Read by the author, it is acceptable, though I wished that they had gotten someone else to read  it (sorry Sara, you are an awesome writer, but your reading lacked energy).  Like I said though, the narration was not distracting and perfectly acceptable.

Hatchet by Gary Paulson
Bradbury Press, 1987

I know, I know, Hatchet is way old and is such a standard part of every children’s book collection.  It’s incredible that I never got around to reading it until now.  I like disaster/survival stories and I needed something that was available and on the shelf immediately for a drive home one day!  Hatchet was there and here we go.

Hatchet is an exciting story about an amazingly adaptable boy named Brian who is stranded alone in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash on a single engine plane.  With no rescue on the way, Brian must figure out how to survive with no food, no special knowledge, and only a small hatchet.  As he slowly learns how to use the environment and the hatchet to create fire, find food, hunt, fish, etc, he also struggles emotionally with his memories of home and his parent’s recent divorce.  It’s an interesting story, if a bit didactic at times.

The best thing about Hatchet for me, of course, is the development of Brian’s survival skills.  It’s exciting and, although he is a frustratingly slow to learn characters sometimes, I was quite impressed with his bravery and determination.  The emotional moments of Hatchet were the really droll parts for me.  Maybe it’s just that we’ve come a long way since 1987, but the whole tortured child over his parents split was, I don’t know, kind of silly considering the other odds he had to fight again (wolves, bears and a deranged moose!).  It’s still a good story though and I’ve noticed that we recently got in a new edition with an updated cover that doesn’t scream 1987 anymore.  I think the story will still be loved by children and tweens (especially boys) seeking adventure stories or stories about survival.

I also have to add that I listened to the audiobook…and it was probably the worst audiobook I’ve ever heard!  Terrible, overly dramatic reading and mindlessly place mood music.  It was hard to get through it, even though I enjoyed the story itself.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
Puffin, 2006

Keeping her life in absolute control, trying to be “perfect,” and never confronting the emotional devastation that she feels over the sudden death of her father, Macy acts like she is “fine, just fine,” despite the fact that nothing could be further from the truth.  With her boyfriend Jason away for the summer, Macy takes over his job at the library and plans to spend her entire summer working and studying for the SAT.  In an uncharacteristic moment of impulse, Macy starts working for Wish Catering, a local catering business full of chaos, fun, and new friends who will help her change her place in life and finally confront the emotions within her.

The Truth About Forever was a perfect piece of realistic fiction–honest and heartfelt, it drew as many laughs as it did tears.  Dessen’s writing adds depth and emotion that brings the characters to life.  Though Macy could be frustratingly nervous at times, I really felt attached to her and the other characters by the end of this book.  I’d recommend this book to teens and adults who want a portrayal of a smart girl going through some really tough emotional moments.

I listened to the audio version of this book and, though it borders on the long side at 11 discs, it was enjoyable and captivating.  Seriously…I lingered in my car in the parking lot long after reaching my destination many times through this read.

Into Thin Air by John Krakauer
Villard Books, 1997

In Into Thin Air, Jon Kaukauer combines personal memoir, painstakingly researched fact, and collected interviews to tell the harrowing true story of a disastrous Everest climb that left eight people dead.  Sent on the expedition by Outside magazine (and propelled by his own dreams of reaching the summit of the highest mountain on earth), Kaukauer describes, not only the physical and mental challenges or climbing in such an extreme altitude, but also the social challenges that took place high on the mountain, with so many teams of climbers (some of whom have very little actual climbing experience) scrambling up the mountain at the same time.  Of course, a perfect storm of weather, crowding, inexperience, and downright irresponsibility strike, turning what is already an extremely dangerous endeavor into a catastrophe.

Having never read much or shown any interest in mountain climbing (I took a rock climbing class once and it was scary enough, thank you!), I was doubtful about my potential enjoyment of this book.  It took me a little longer than usual to get into Into Thin Air, however, by the end, Kaukauer had added enough personal detail and emotion into this devastatingly nonfiction tale to turn it into, not just a page turner, but a work that stoked my curiosity and demanded further investigation.  Hours after completing the book, I found myself online, researching more about the disaster and the other climbing team member’s responses to Kaukauer’s book.

I’d recommend this book, especially to adult men and teen boys.  It’s adventurous and adrenaline inducing enough to capture attention even of reluctant readers.  It’s also challenging and layered enough that it makes a great subject for further pondering and discussion.

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2009

Anything But Typical is told from the point of view of Jason, a 12-year-old autistic boy.  As he takes us through his regular daily routine at home and school, we see the world from a uniquely written perspective.  Jason, a short story writer who participates in an online writing community, befriends a girl online and then faces the terrifying prospect of meeting her in person.

Though short on plot, Anything But Typical is a really interesting and well written book.  The beauty of the writing is that Jason’s social struggles will true to readers with very different backgrounds and experiences.  Though it belongs in the children’s section (as opposed to the YA shelves), it’s a decent read for younger teens and tweens as well.  For older teens, or anyone expecting a similar title with more plot, I’d suggest The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.