tiny pink books

The Gardner by S.A. Bodeen
Feiwel and Friends, 2010
Mason lives a small town in the Pacific Northwest with his hardworking, but troubled single mother.  The town is centered and run around a scientific research company.  Scarred at an early age from a dog attack, Mason is quiet and avoids being the center of attention, despite his linebacker size and stature.  Most of all, Mason likes helping others and being a hero.  It’s this hero complex that gets him involved in the rescue of a mysterious and beautiful girl from the nursing home where his mother works.  As Mason learns more about the girl, he discovers that the scientific lab running his town is connected to the girl, himself and his mother in strange and sinister ways.

I was a little disappointed in The Gardner and I almost feel guilty about it.  I picked up the ARC at a conference and was so excited because I absolutely loved Bodeen’s previous book, The Compound, as both a thriller and a YA book for boys.  The Gardner is definitely an interesting and original book, but I’m not sure that it has enough oomph to its plot to captivate teen readers.  The mystery plodded along and, while it did have cleverly paced action sequences throughout, the action and the conclusion just fell a bit short of gripping.  The character of Mason was appealing, although a bit predictable, but the girl character and romantic interest never really gets to develop a personality (to be fair, she is semi-comatose through much of the book-but that’s just the problem!).  As a result, the relationship between the two main characters felt forced.

Some things I did like, however, were the environmental message and the Pacific Northwest setting.  Both make The Gardner stand out.  The science fiction elements were well written and just realistic enough to be believable and just gross enough to be fun.  I’m sure there will be teens (and teen boys) who can enjoy this novel, but I don’t think it will have the same kind of appeal as The Compound.

Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee
Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009

Maybelline “Maybe” Chesnut is nothing like her former beauty pageant queen mother, Chessy, who constantly brings in a stream of new husbands.  Hiding in her baggy clothes and rainbow colored hair, Maybe doesn’t really fit in at school or at home.  After Chessy’s latest fiancé attacks Maybe, she sets off, running away to Los Angeles to find her biological father with her two best friends, Ted and Hollywood (aka Daniel).  As her friends find their places in the glitzy world of Hollywood, Maybe struggles to find her own place and discover who she really is.

This was a decent book.  It’s one of those books that was fun to read-the characters, including Maybe, are all larger than life, charming, and lovable.  Although the plot (and, to a degree, the characters) are somewhat unrealistic, the sweet charm and light heartedness of everything here will win over the non-cynical reader.  This was an okay, fluffy read for people who just want something a little bit quirky, a little bit sugary and a lot happy ending.  Reader seeking anything deep or twisty, go elsewhere!

Lockdown:  Escape From Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2009

When fourteen-year-old Alex is framed for a murder, he is sent to the Furnace, a new, state of the art prison for juvenile offenders.  The Furnace is a brutal place, built deep in the bowels of the earth, offering tortures far worse than death.  Facing violent gangs, hard labor, mutated evil monsters, and more, Alex must try to do what has never been done before–escape.

A roller coaster from the very beginning, Lockdown is definitely a page turner.  While the writing feels a bit simple and the plot and characters are a little predictable (though it’s easy to identify with them), the book remains fun and exciting from cover to cover.  It’s violent, dark, and brutal, yet never really pushes the gore or language too far for younger readers.  Complete with cliff hanger ending, this is thriller that will leave readers hanging for the next installment.

I’d recommend this book to reluctant readers (boys, mostly!) who want to move onto something a little bit darker than the Alex Rider books.  Although I can see those readers crossing over and enjoying this too, I think readers who enjoyed books like The Compound will be satisfied with Lockdown.  Definitely not for readers seeking melodrama, sophistication or lyrical language though.

Dream Factory by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
Dutton Juvenile, 2007

Ella and Luke both work as characters in Disney World.  Luke spends his days sweltering in the Florida heat in a full body chipmunk suit (a la Chip and Dale) while Ella spends her days dressed as Cinderella, marrying her Prince Charming every afternoon at three.  The two are friends among a group of other character actors, but they seem to be destined to become more than friends.  Told in alternating points of view from the two characters, this is a fun summer read with a hilarious setup.

The thing I liked about Dream Factory the most was the setup.  It’s unique and interesting to have these sarcastic, witty characters sweating their summer away in fur suits at in the Happiest Place on Earth.  The contrast between the sickeningly sweet, Disney vibe and the antics of a rowdy group of teenagers (post-high school) is too funny to put down.  However, the story does slow at parts and, although it is surprisingly heartfelt, rolls along at an uneven pace.  I think it has to do with the duel authors and voices in the book.  Despite this, I finished the book at a rapid enough pace and was satisfied by the end.  It’s not the most realistic book ever, but then again, who cares!  It’s fun, it’s cute, and I’ve never read a book like it.
Recommended to teens and tweens who enjoy romance and quirky setups.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Candlewick, 2003

Virginia Shreves has never fit in with her family.  While her parents and older siblings are tall, slender, and extraordinary in everything they do, Virginia is round, short and, well, average.  Following a self-imposed set of “fat girl rules of conduct,” Virginia sells herself short in just about everything, letting her mother force her into a diet and letting/making her not-a-boyfriend makeout buddy Froggy ignore her in school.  Things begin to fall apart when Virginia’s older brother (whom she idolized) is sent home from college and charged with date rape.  After a frightening brush with crash dieting and self mutilation, Virginia begins to stand up for herself and take control over her life.

I was surprised that I loved this book.  It’s been out for years and I’ve never gotten around to reading it until now…in part because the subject matter seemed a little tired and, well, overdone.  But, I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things.  Although the story is slow to start, I found Mackler’s character of Virginia was incredibly realistic and likable.

People have complained that there are too many issues going on in this book, but I disagree.  I think that Mackler has weaved together an angsty set of teen problems in a way that is realistic and interesting.  Sure, she glosses over Virginia’s crash dieting and self mutilation, but I actually found that somewhat realistic.  Not all teen girls who experiment with unhealthy dieting are as intensely involved as Wintergirls would have you believe.  I think that’s what I liked about the book.  Virginia is somewhat normal and very easy to relate to–she’s uncomfortable in her skin, she let’s people (including her parents) walk all over her, and she’s too quick to second guess herself.  And yes, she dabbles with some pretty unhealthy subject matter through the book because that’s what some of us do before we learn better.

Anyway, my point is book=good.  Read it and enjoy!  I was even able to pass this one off to my boyfriend (who, granted, enjoys chicklit more than I do).  Recommended to readers who enjoy chicklit or problem novels (because this is both!).  I also think that adult readers who enjoy YA chicklit ala Sloppy Firsts may also find reading pleasure within.

The Vampire Diaries:  The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith
HarperTeen, 2007 (originally published in 1991)

Originally published in 1991, Book 1, The Awakening, and Book 2, The Struggle, have been released as one, thickish paperback beginners of The Vampire Diaries, which has also been made into a television series to air this fall on the CW.  I don’t have much to say about these books other than this-they certainly contain the elements of melodramatic, sticky teenage love at first sight AND glamorous, sexy vampires that made Twilight so popular, however, they are much more poorly written.  I think these books will made a decent readalike for the younger fans of Twilight, but more sophisticated readers will probably find them as painfully cliché as I did.  Still, younger readers who enjoyed Twilight will probably enjoy these quick and disposable books.  As for me, I actually read these a month ago and promptly forgot everything about them.  I look forward to the TV show though!

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
Feiwel and Friends, 2008

Eli is the 15-year-old son of a mega rich, genius founder of a major technology company (think Bill Gates) in Seattle, Washington. His father, obsessed with the threat of nuclear war, has built an incredible underground compound where he and his family will live out a 15 year nuclear fallout. Only, when the family is rushed into the compound one night, under the threat of nuclear way, things don’t go smoothly, leaving Eli’s twin Eddie and his grandmother locked outside, presumably to die. Six years later, with not a word from the outside world, Eli has grown used to a sad and drastic life of routine in the compound. But, as the food supply grows low and Eli’s father pushes the entire family towards a horrific and immoral solution, Eli begins to question everything he has known of his father, the compound, and life as he knows it.

The premise of The Compound is terrifically cliche…and everything about the book–the characters, their motivations, the plot–really works on this level. It’s like a really good, cheesy action movie that keeps you hooked, even though years of television and movie watching have trained you to know what’s coming. The characters, especially, the father, are cartoonish caricatures in some ways…but that only adds to the fun of The Compound. Bodeen has managed to write a novel that reads in an almost cinematic way (and it would make a great movie!).

Perfect for reluctant readers and boys who enjoy things like the Anthony Horowitz novels. Oh and I listened to the audio version, which was well read.

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.

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.

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.