http://www.goodreads.com/review/list_rss/129682 en-US Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:00:29 -0800 60 http://www.goodreads.com/ 200 41 http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_logo.gif 14977158 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:00:29 -0800
author: Ruth White
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2007
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 02/12/08
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review:
This was probably my least favorite of the books I read for our mock Newbery discussion at the Chicago Public Library. The story of the town of Way Deep, whose citizens can't even spurn a bank robber, is sweet to the point of eating sugar, even if it is a tall tale. I liked some of the quirky citizens, but not enough to truly care for them, and the mystical elements White introduces toward the end seem a little half-baked.
]]> 14976809 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:59:55 -0800
author: Gary D. Schmidt
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 02/09/08
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review:
This was my favorite of the mock Newbery titles we discussed for the Chicago Public Library. Holling Hoodhood is doomed to stay after school with just his teacher, Mrs. Baker--whom he is convinced hates him. However, Mrs. Baker assigning the lone student Shakespeare evolves--from Holling acting out stabbing and swearing scenes, to acting in a play, to thoughtfully noticing how some of the plays mirror his life. Ultimately, this was a funny, intelligent, and thought-provoking story.
]]> 14976511 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:50:58 -0800
author: Libba Bray
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2006
rating: 5
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date added: 02/09/08
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review:
It may just be my frame of mind, but I thought this sequel was twice as good as the first book. I think it has something to do with the fact that there are a lot of twists and turns I was surprised by, and also something to do with the fact that it seems more magical as it takes place around Christmas. The characters are explored a little more deeply as Ann gets a glimpse of the good life through staying with Felicity, Felicity reveals a dark secret, and Gemma learns more about the history of the Order. The realms reveal interesting new surprises, like the water nymphs and the gorgon, and new tests are overcome. It's all still compulsively readable, too.
]]> 14976198 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:46:41 -0800
This is a top-notch fantasy about four girls who found they could escape their repressive Victorian era and culture, and become what they wanted to without restraint. However, it is also perfectly balanced---it clearly shows what happens when power creates more hunger and instability. And it's really entertaining.]]>
author: Libba Bray
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 02/09/08
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review:
It is so easy to write a fantasy like this---bout a teen who escapes into a magical world instead of facing a life full of repression and disappointment. It is to Libba Bray's great credit that she doesnt make this fantasy world easy; it is full of monsters and dark secrets, and intersects with reality in terrifying ways.

This is a top-notch fantasy about four girls who found they could escape their repressive Victorian era and culture, and become what they wanted to without restraint. However, it is also perfectly balanced---it clearly shows what happens when power creates more hunger and instability. And it's really entertaining.
]]> 14976035 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:39:56 -0800
author: Brian Selznick
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 02/09/08
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review:
What is there not to love about this book? It's a beautiful silent movie about a young orphan who keeps the clocks running in a train station in Paris, who attempts to restore an automaton to life in the hope of receiving a secret message from his father, and who instead ends up cavorting around with a young girl who is the estranged relative of Georges Melies. And the best part is, it's all just as awesome as it sounds.
]]> 14975968 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:36:07 -0800
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2007
rating: 3
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date added: 02/09/08
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review:
I think this series gets progressively better as it goes along, and this one was my favorite yet because Bella finally admitted to herself that she was in love with Jacob. It also brought the tension between Edward and Jacob to a head in a really interesting way.
]]> 14975916 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:34:51 -0800
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2006
rating: 3
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date added: 02/09/08
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review:
I liked this book better than "Twilight" because it introduces the relationship between Bella and Jacob, my favorite relationship in the series. Bella doesn't obsess over Jacob, even though he's sweet, fun, and a werewolf. Werewolves get no love.
]]> 14975429 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:33:27 -0800
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2005
rating: 3
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date added: 02/09/08
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review:
I guess I liked it, or at least formed an addiction to it, because I blew through the trilogy over the course of a week or two. Still, I felt unprepared for just how much silly melodrama there is in these books. There's the classic horror-romance dilemma of "I love you so much, Bella, so much that I should leave you, because I'm a monster and will hurt you someday" with Bella's response, "No you're not a monster, I love you, make me a monster too." There's only so many times you can hear about how amber a person's eyes are, or how muscular and perfect they are, before you start getting sick of it. I found a complete lack of chemistry between Edward and Bella; being cold and mysterious isn't necessarily interesting, and neithe ris being clumsy to the point of death. Yet, there's still something relentlessly alluring and charming about this novel. I think it's the whole obvious fantasy and escapism of it.
]]> 14974935 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:21:20 -0800
author: Markus Zusak
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 02/09/08
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review:
Zusak's terse, poetic style really works for this story of an ordinary cabdriver who suddenly becomes a hero when he begins receiving cryptic messages on playing cards in the mail. I sympathized with Ed Kennedy for his feelings of perfect morality, and I found each mission he completed---from giving Christmas lights to a family unable to afford them to giving a runner confidence to saving an abused wife---more magical than the last. Maybe a little sappy at times, but still a really entertaining read.
]]> 14974548 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:15:42 -0800
author: Juliet Marillier
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 02/09/08
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review:
I really loved the atmosphere this book created. When four sisters discover a portal into another world through their bedroom wall, the lure of a dancing glade filled with dwarves, fairies, and other mystical creatures is shadowed with danger by the Night People--mysterious vampires who suddenly appear one night. Then one of them, Tatiana, falls in love with one of these creatures, changing everything. Though the language and descriptions are fanciful, I felt this book could have used some editing (though I'd be hard-pressed to say where). There were also a few loose ends---like how everyone was frightened by the holes they discovered in Tatiana'a neck, and then all the sudden it was OK because they accepted Sorrow the vampire. Still, in the end, this was an enchanting fantasy.
]]> 14974281 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:09:25 -0800
author: Laurie Halse Anderson
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2003
rating: 3
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date added: 02/09/08
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review:
Nowhere near as powerful as "Speak," but Laurie Halse Anderson is still a master of capturing the minds of disaffected suburban teens. In this instance it is particularly noteworthy that she contrasts the life of the somewhat privileged Kate, heartbroken that she didn't get into MIT, with the life of Teri Litch, a poor misfit whose house has just burned down. Kate's shifting of priorities is inspiring.
]]> 14974138 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:04:39 -0800
author: Annette Curtis Klause
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1992
rating: 2
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date added: 02/09/08
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review:
Ehhh....this was a little clumsy, and definitely read like a first novel, but it is apparently a classic of the teen vampire genre. I liked some of the dramatic language and scenes, and especially Simon and Zoe's first kiss, but it never really lead anywhere. Also, I got totally bored when Simon started telling his origin story...it went on forever.
]]> 14789880 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:26:51 -0800
author: Christopher Paul Curtis
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 02/06/08
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review:
Christopher Paul Curtis manages to bring his unique blend of humor and observation of human tragedy to the story of 111-year-old Elijah, who lives in the settlement of newly freed slaves at Buxton. Like some of his other books, Curtis wisely invites the reader into the text with warmth and humor before introducing some of the more heartbreaking elements of slavery. The result is making the political personal as it is seen through the eyes of a sensitive child.
]]> 14789647 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:16:43 -0800
author: Nancy Werlin
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 02/06/08
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review:
I was absolutely captivated by this depressing, but still thrilling, story of three children and how they escaped psychological abuse. The narrative sucks the reader in through its strong use of the second voice; we begin thankfully knowing all three children turn out OK, and at some point a stranger mercifully intervened in their fear-stricken lives. Werlin's unveiling of how this comes to be is as perfectly paced as any psychological thriller, but far more gut-wrenching for its realistic elements.
]]> 14789533 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:14:01 -0800
author: Benjamin Alire Saenz
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2006
rating: 2
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date added: 02/06/08
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review:
I have to admit to being a little bored by this story, which one of my classmates accurately described as similar to the Book of Job. I felt sorry for Sammy with all of the deaths surrounding him, but I usually did not feel emotionally involved in his story and felt the pace was glacial.
]]> 14789276 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:11:37 -0800
author: René Saldaña, Jr.
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 02/06/08
shelves:
review:
These short, bittersweet stories pack a punch. They are glimpses into the lives of poor Hispanic students, and most of them refuse to end happily. Instead, they demonstrate the various choices that can be made in desperate situations, and the results of those choices. Several of the characters feel remorse and desperation, and those emotions transfer seamlessly and powerfully from the page.
]]> 14788875 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:06:35 -0800
author: Margo Lanagan
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2006
rating: 3
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date added: 02/06/08
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review:
A bizarre, somewhat abstract collection of stories on the darker side. This short story collection is ripe with experimentation, and while in some cases it works better than others. "Singing My Sister Down," about mourning a family member who is sinking into the tar pits is genuinely moving and disturbing; "Red Nose Day," about two assassins who kill clowns, is a little more uneven in tone. Still, the language is always beautiful and captivating, even when I didn't quite understand what was going on, and the stories are all utterly unique and refreshing.
]]> 14788427 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:00:11 -0800
author: Diana Wynne Jones
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2003
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 02/06/08
shelves:
review:
I did not care much for this fantasy spoof, roughly based on Diana Wynne Jones's Tough Guide to Fantasyland. Fortunately, it is not indicative of her style--I've since read books of hers I've enjoyed tremendously. This one meandered without seeming to go anywhere; I didn't find the funny bits as funny as I think I was meant to; and I didn't care about any of the characters (and couldn't keep them straight). Hardcore fantasy readers may recognize more to love in this parody, which involves a tour of a fantasy world heavily orchestrated by diabolical forces. This tour forces Derk and his family to pull together all their resources, sometimes in creative and interesting ways.
]]> 14788178 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:53:31 -0800
author: Gary Soto
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.61
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at: 11/07
date added: 02/06/08
shelves:
review:
I really felt for the narrator of this book, who, despite continual attempts to rise above poverty and do the right thing, kept slipping back into various states of despair. At times I felt like Soto should have given Eddie a break, but his poetic skills truly brought the plight of this poor Hispanic teenager to life, and certainly demonstrated in a realistic manner how difficult it often is to rise above bleak circumstances. Soto doesn't shirk from the tough stuff as he describes gang violence, cockroaches, thievery, and other misfortunes on the poor side of Fresno.
]]> 14787676 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:49:19 -0800
author: John Marsden
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 02/06/08
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review:
What would it be like if you were off on a camping trip, and when you returned someone had invaded and taken over your home? In this novel, John Marsden paints a realistic portrait of teenagers trying to deal with war happening overnight. They do what they must to survive, comfort each other, and deal with their new lives trying to discover what has happened since an unspecified enemy has moved in. It makes for an interesting emotional drama; even if the situation seems farfetched, the reactions are certainly very human.
]]> 14787276 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:42:35 -0800
author: Julius Lester
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 11/07
date added: 02/06/08
shelves:
review:
This novel in dialogue, based on the largest slave auction in history, is equal parts heartbreaking and engrossing. I appreciated how Lester painted the event from multiple perspectives: that of slaveowners, slaves trying to escape, and slaves who think that slavery is the best thing that ever happened for African-Americans. The interludes flashing forward to participants years later were also illuminating. This would be a great historical fiction pick for readers; it brings a personal narrative to events that could otherwise seem dry, and infuses them with passion and life.
]]> 14786702 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:38:14 -0800
author: Anthony Horowitz
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 11/07
date added: 02/06/08
shelves:
review:
The first in the Alex Rider series offers nonstop adventure and excitement as the titular character discovers his family's history in espionage as well as the secrets Sayle Enterprises is planning on unveiling in its Stormbreaker computer model. The James Bond tribute/satire is in full effect, with a cast of crazy characters, Alex's exaggerated abilities and high-tech gadgets, and death-defying situations. A fun escapist read.
]]> 14786176 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:29:19 -0800
author: Ally Kennen
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 11/07
date added: 02/06/08
shelves:
review:
This bleak but gripping story paints teenager Stephen as an ultimate hard-luck case; he's been shuffled around foster families and has a criminal record and an alcoholic father who lives in the woods. His current foster sister delights in making him look terrible, he works in the meat-packing industry, and...he's trying to kill his secret monstrous crocodile. All these elements brew together to create a somewhat gruesome but still compelling metaphorical story, sort of like a train wreck you can't look away from.
]]> 13105716 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:10:34 -0800
author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
I think this book is so underrated! Clement-Moore may borrow a little too much from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" at times with her spunky and smart heroine who can effortlessly wisecrack while she fights evil. Still, caffeine-addicted Maggie Quinn is an immensely likable protagonist who the reader will root for (especially if the reader happens to be a nerdy, brainy girl with an aversion to the prom). The book drips with sarcastic wit, the characters are well-developed, and while the mystery does get convoluted, the sheer force of Maggie's energy drives the story forward.
]]> 13104418 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:07:30 -0800
author: Cynthia Leitich Smith
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.30
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 11/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
This story about a teenage girl opening a vampire-themed restaurant in Texas with her uncle is problematic in a few ways, but its enjoyment factor often outweighs these problems. Nothing really materializes in the main character's relationship with a werewolf; creatures are introduced without any foreshadowing or rules that their fantasy world follows; and the central mystery about the main vampire chef was too easily figured out to be suspenseful (at least to me). Still, Smith kept the pace moving, the details about the restaurant were delightful, and master chef Bradley's seduction is fun to watch even if simple. Not as strong as her Native American stories, this was still an entertaining read.
]]> 13104045 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:52:55 -0800
author: Michael Simmons
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 11/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
I found this book entertaining, through never quite interesting or suspenseful. Evan as a main character was a little too smart-alecky for me, though I could see how his dialog would appeal to teenage boys. The fact that the central mystery was solved without any real cleverness or motivation on the part of the characters irked me somewhat, and I didn't really care very much for any of them. I found the book most entertaining in the missteps these teens made while cracking the case and the luxury they lived in, and I imagine many readers would feel the same way.
]]> 13103328 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:46:30 -0800
author: Robie H. Harris
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
The liberal bias shone through a little too clearly at some points, but this text still offers a straightforward, honest, and reassuring look at sexual education that is not available through many other sources. Illustrations are simultaenously too cartoony and too revealing at turns. In the end, however, the book is funny and forthright, and will be appreciated by young readers beginning to form the questions asked within.
]]> 13102856 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:42:24 -0800
author: Marilyn Nelson
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
While I appreciated the often stunning poetry of this volume, something about it was "off." The art is far too juvenile for the text offered by this title, treating the hanging of Emmett Till and racism with complex poetry ripe with literary allusions and classical style. In the end, I think it will lose some of its appeal to both kids and teens, despite the need for material dealing with this subject matter.
]]> 13101690 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:39:38 -0800
author: Marjane Satrapi
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
Satrapi accomplishes what so few successfully can---she makes the personal political with this story of growing up under the Islamic revolution. Marji's typical adolescent independence and stubborness reflect her parents' resistance to the new regime in Iran, and her rebelliousness becomes dangerous when bombings and torture are introduced into the story, as both fantasy and reality. Somehow Satrapi is able to accurately portray all the bleaker details without lapsing into either sentimentality or exploitation.
]]> 13101512 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:31:12 -0800
Whereas other writers may have taken an overly didactic approach, Winick’s handling of this important material is accessible and conversational, and never condescending, while still educating teens about the important topic of sexual health and protection. Teens are typically attracted to the marriage of text and art that graphic novels provide, which appeals across a wide range of readers and learners, and they will be drawn to the fine example of friendship between Judd and Pedro, which provides several amusing and touching memorable moments.
]]>
author: Judd Winick
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
In a graphic novel format, cartoonist Judd Winick uses his skills to tell an emotional story: that of the blossoming friendship between him and his Real World cast member Pedro Zamora, a homosexual who was diagnosed with AIDS at the age of 14. Winick’s story is emotional but still realistic, as the author is forced to confront his fear and stereotypes about AIDS, and eventually ends up carrying on Pedro’s legacy of educating the public about the effects of the disease. Judd shows the difficult periods of Pedro’s decline in health and eventual death without shying away from sensitive material, but also shows the hope that Pedro’s example gave to so many Americans and how their relationship enlightened and changed Winick (among other things, Pedro’s dynamic personality helped bring Judd together with his future wife).

Whereas other writers may have taken an overly didactic approach, Winick’s handling of this important material is accessible and conversational, and never condescending, while still educating teens about the important topic of sexual health and protection. Teens are typically attracted to the marriage of text and art that graphic novels provide, which appeals across a wide range of readers and learners, and they will be drawn to the fine example of friendship between Judd and Pedro, which provides several amusing and touching memorable moments.

]]> 13098292 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:29:41 -0800
author: Jack Gantos
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 10/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
A disturbing biography about children's author Jack Gantos' time spent in jail that doesn't obscure any graphic details. The most surprising aspect of this book is that it doesn't read as correctional literature, but merely an honest portrait of how easily one's life can go astray when control is lost, how disastrous the consequences can be, and how literature can sustain us through even the most dire events.
]]> 13097910 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:58:29 -0800
author: Markus Zusak
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 10/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
Cameron Wolfe is used to his older brother Ruben getting all the girls---he's attractive and built, and can actually talk to them. Cameron is used to shyly hiding in the shadows until, in a bizarre twist, one of Ruben's ex-girlfriends is drawn to Cameron. Now Cameron must deal with a rift in the most important relationship in his life---the one he has with his brother---as well as turning all his fantasies of having a girl into a reality, with all the difficulties that may bring. The characters are well-drawn and the narrative emotionally compelling, although something was lacking a little in the male-female relationships portrayed here for me.
]]> 13097437 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:54:27 -0800
author: Francesca Lia Block
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 10/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
In the multitude of teen novels centering on angst and depression, the chronicle of Weetzie Bat's surreal adventures through L.A., with its visual, poetic language, is a welcome gift to young adult literature. Block manages to write about darker issues like AIDS and heroin, weaving some reality into her seamless fairytale while still maintaining an air-tight atmosphere revolving around Weetzie's love for everything in life---her friends, her food, her love, and especially L.A.
]]> 13096517 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:48:29 -0800
The narrative has the same hyperreal quality of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" in the fact that all this takes place over one night in New York: Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes, Nick and Norah fall in love, Nivk and Norah end up seeing a surprise show by their favorite band, Norah runs into and makes amends with some old friends, Nick and Norah almost make love in the hallway of a hotel, etc., etc. Fun and appealing, though sprinkled so thick with scenester slang and the "f-word" you couldn't cut through it with a knife.]]>
author: Rachel Cohn
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 10/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
This book made me feel so very uncool...if only I could have stayed out all night with a random stranger, gone to nightclubs, and still have had my parents happy to hear from me in the morning when I was a teenager! Some of the dialogue was extremely funny, and the situation is one of those magical connections that you always hope will happen, so those are often entrancing.

The narrative has the same hyperreal quality of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" in the fact that all this takes place over one night in New York: Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes, Nick and Norah fall in love, Nivk and Norah end up seeing a surprise show by their favorite band, Norah runs into and makes amends with some old friends, Nick and Norah almost make love in the hallway of a hotel, etc., etc. Fun and appealing, though sprinkled so thick with scenester slang and the "f-word" you couldn't cut through it with a knife.
]]> 13095956 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:36:45 -0800
I'm on the fence about whether or not I recommend this book, because while the humor and characterizations are so strong, there is a lot of morally questionable activity involved. However, for mature readers, I think it would be a relief to know that other teens (and sometimes adults) are just as horny, curious, and confused as they are, and that's perfectly natural.
]]>
author: Melvin Burgess
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.24
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 10/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
A funny, irreverent, and refreshingly honest look at the perverse minds of teenage boys. Fortunately, these three British teenagers do also have some warmth as they examine issues of sexuality and girls of interest, although it is often buried under several layers of filth.

I'm on the fence about whether or not I recommend this book, because while the humor and characterizations are so strong, there is a lot of morally questionable activity involved. However, for mature readers, I think it would be a relief to know that other teens (and sometimes adults) are just as horny, curious, and confused as they are, and that's perfectly natural.

]]> 13095263 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:27:29 -0800 The notion that pretties not only lose the features but also the thoughts and actions that make them unique will resonate with teenage girls in the target age level, who are constantly bombarded with the contrary message in our image-obsessed society. The operation can also be read as a powerful metaphor for growing up, in which case the novel presents an attractive alternative to automatic molding by parents, teachers, and society at large.
]]>
author: Scott Westerfeld
name: Sharon
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 10/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
With the approach of her sixteenth birthday, heroine Tally Youngblood is eager for the operation performed on all adolescents her age to turn them from the titular “uglies” into “pretties.” In Scott Westerfeld’s futuristic dystopia, the operation not only endows candidates with the facial features and physique preferred by evolutionary biology, it also guarantees them a lifetime of parties. Tally’s plans are changed when she meets Shay, a friend who reveals a world unknown to her: The Smoke, a secret camp of refugees from society who have decided to live without the operation. Although their rough life of manual labor, asymmetrical faces, and eating animals seems brutal to Tally at first, it soon expands her world enough that she feels she can no longer live in the narrow, confined reality of New Pretty Town with her newfound knowledge.
The notion that pretties not only lose the features but also the thoughts and actions that make them unique will resonate with teenage girls in the target age level, who are constantly bombarded with the contrary message in our image-obsessed society. The operation can also be read as a powerful metaphor for growing up, in which case the novel presents an attractive alternative to automatic molding by parents, teachers, and society at large.

]]> 13094667 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:20:57 -0800
author: Alan M. Gratz
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 10/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
I'm not usually into either A) baseball or B) samurai, but my attention was captivated by this dense, thought-provoking novel. Samurai Shortstop sets its major theme, the clash of modern Western values with tradition Japan in the 1890s, with the ritual suicide of Toyo's uncle, one of a dying breed of samurai. Throughout the book, Toyo becomes aware of these values in his elite boarding school, and especially through the baseball games that he believes perfectly encompass many of the traditional samurai concepts of working in harmony. An unusual work of historical fiction that likely will be devoured by those who discover its charms.
]]> 13094295 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:14:29 -0800
author: Sherri L. Smith
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.17
book published: 2006
rating: 2
read at: 10/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
So-so story, although a little more sad than most, about an orphan who goes to find the next living relative after her grandmother passes away. The fact that this turns out to be her delinquent aunt who has fled the scene is interesting, as is her automatic bonding with her aunt's neighbors. However, what is unlikely and somewhat sappy is that in the course of a few weeks, the protaganist decided she wants to be legally adopted by these neighbors and stay in New Orleans forever with the new friends she has made. That being said, I can see how this story of healing and setting down new roots would be appealing and therapeutic for some readers.
]]> 13093722 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:09:35 -0800
author: Walter Dean Myers
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 10/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
This dramatic courtroom case revolves around sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon, accused of playing lookout during a Harlem convenience store robbery and murder. The narrative is written as a screenplay, which keeps the tension high and the action freely flowing. As Steve's story is told from multiple perspectives, no clear truths emerge. The story and format deftly illustrate feelings that could influence such a case, such as personal loyalty and prejudice, as well as the cold, hard reality of jail.
]]> 13093436 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:03:31 -0800
author: Ron Koertge
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 10/07
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
Ben, a movie nerd with cerebral palsy, and Colleen, a druggie, have little in common---or so it seems. They both have an open honesty and sense of humor and exploration that draws them toward each other. This unlikely duo exchanges dialogue that rings with wit while getting to know each other and making a movie. Koertge is blessed with the gift of creating realistic fiction dealing with issues like drug abuse and disabilities while still balancing it with tender warmth and humanity.
]]> 13093168 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:59:38 -0800
author: Terry Trueman
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 01/21/08
shelves:
review:
A dark, riveting look at the world of Shaun McDaniel, a teenager afflicted with cerebral palsy who understands much more about the world than those surrounding him give him credit for. As more comes to light for Shaun, he begins to suspect that his father wants to murder him---a dramatic twist that allows Shaun a platform for exploring the reasons he wants to live. Written in often simple, but still evocative text, this raises some interesting moral issues.
]]> 6867423 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:03:36 -0700
author: Paul Zindel
name: Sharon
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1970
rating: 4
read at: