Review – Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

April 6, 2012 | Tasha

Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

Peter has always loved baseball and excelled at it. About to start high school, he looks forward to being a pitching star and playing alongside his best friend AJ. But when he ignores the pain in his arm and continues to pitch, disaster happens and he is told he can no longer pitch, ever. Peter’s mother talks him into taking a photography class in school, inspired by his grandfather who is a well-known photographer in their community and whom Peter loves to spend time with. Peter reluctantly agrees, but the class is too easy and he is moved to an advanced photography class along with another freshman, a beguiling girl, Angelika. As their relationship starts thanks to photography, Peter notices that his grandfather is starting to forget things. Peter keeps the truth about his grandfather from his parents, just as he doesn’t tell the whole truth about his arm to his best friend. How long can he balance the lies he’s been spinning before they all fall?

Sonnenblick has created a book that is smart and charming. He effortlessly blends the worlds of sports and photography, plus a dash of strong romance too. Peter is a great character: a jock who is bright, funny and endearingly unsure. A great sense of humor runs through the book as well, making the book a fast read despite the heavier issues at its heart. The book grapples mightily with truth telling and relationships. Readers get to see just enough of the grandfather before he starts to lose his memory to understand just how strong the relationship between the two of them is. Though there are many issues at hand in the book, they are all balanced on strong storytelling and vivid characters.

With its blend of topics this book should appeal to many readers, get it in the hands of teens who enjoy John Green and are looking for more smart, funny books. Appropriate for ages 14-16.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic Press.

Review: Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers

April 5, 2012April 5, 2012 | Tasha

Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers

When Karl’s girlfriend Fiorella asks him to write down his feelings about their relationship and answer a list of questions, he turns for help to a famous writer who lives in their town. Karl is dyslexic which makes writing very difficult for him, as was the author who suffered as a child from minor dyslexia. The author agrees to help Karl as much out of loneliness as a willingness to help. He is drawn to Karl, who is similar in many ways, bright and eager. He insists that Karl meet with him and give his own answers to the questions which the writer will in turn polish into something worthy of Fiorella’s attention. As the two spend time together, their relationship deepens slowly into a true friendship. When Fiorella finds out about the truth of the letters, it impacts the relationship not only of her and Karl but also of Karl and the author.

Chambers has created an amazing book here. I found it nearly impossible to summarize because so much of the book is the growing connection between the two male characters. It happens slowly and believably during fishing, quiet moments of driving, and conversation. It is a look at how we choose connections in our lives and how they impact the life we lead. While the book may be a quiet one, it also is daring in its own way, revealing the inner world of a young adult, written with truth and honesty.

The two men both face previous losses that have colored the way they face the world. Karl lost his beloved father at a young age, and still struggles with his connection to his father and with disconnecting from that loss. The author has recently lost his wife. The two of them both struggled with depression and grief, sinking lower into a dangerous place with thoughts of suicide.

Chambers also weaves in the role of art in our lives, the power of that to connect us to the world and the drive to create and be imaginative. With Karl, who is a plumber, this connection to art is not an obvious one. It takes time, just like their budding friendship, for the reader to come to understand Karl more deeply.

I wish I could easily capture this book in paragraphs, since I feel like I have danced around the edges and not captured its heart here. Let me say that this is a book that is powerful, quiet and filled with revelations about life. It is honest, beautifully written and deep. It is a book where you miss the characters for days after finishing it, because you too have befriended them. Appropriate for ages 16-18.

Reviewed from ARC received from Amulet Books.

Review: Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony

March 2, 2012March 2, 2012 | Tasha

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony, illustrated by Rodrigo Corral

Told only in photographs, this book is the story of Glory, a piano prodigy. After her mother dies, Glory’s music continues to soar, leading her to play sold out programs at places like Carnegie Hall. Her father is a large force behind her success, driving her forward with his high expectations for her future in music. Then Glory meets Frank, a neighbor, and falls in love. As her connection with Frank grows and she immerses herself in his art, things begin to change. Soon the young prodigy becomes obsessed with the song “Chopsticks” and is unable to play anything else. Now it is up to the reader to piece together the truth of Glory’s life as the frightening picture comes together into something entirely different than it first appeared.

I was unable to put down this book and devoured it in a single sitting. The intriguing use of full-page photographs alone and then the wild twists of the story make it compulsively readable. Anthony’s story reads like a movie, in pictures. The building tension of the story, the budding romance, and then the truth that hits like a cold wave of ice water, all combine to form a riveting read.

The photographs work to add to the story. They use intriguing angles, photos of documents, different amounts of light and dark, different focus amounts, and play with a combination of home photographs and professional feel. You never know what you will see on the next page.

I immediately thought of reluctant readers, especially those interested in art or music as a perfect audience for this book. It will appeal to many teen readers. There is one caution for librarians to be aware of and that is that there are some female nudes in the book. This moves it from being a book for younger teens into one for a slightly older audience, so I’d say the book is appropriate for ages 16-18.

Reviewed from copy received from Razorbill.

Review: Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright

February 28, 2012February 28, 2012 | Tasha

Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright (Link to InfoSoup record)

Sixteen-year-old Carlos has always wanted to be a makeup artist to the stars, so when his friend suggests that he start out at a makeup counter in Macy’s as a first step, he immediately takes action. The makeup business may seem glamorous on the outside, but as Carlos discovers it filled with jealousy too. When Carlos gets on the bad side of his new boss, he has to try to figure out how to make things right again. Unfortunately, that probably does not include taking a star up on doing her makeup on her TV show. Carlos has other problems too, including a close friend who won’t talk to him after some expensive boots are ruined, his sister getting beat up by her boyfriend, and his own crush on a classmate. This book explores the world of a gay teen who has a dream, is not afraid to fight for it, and steps beyond any stereotypes and into a place all his own.

Wright has written a dazzling character in Carlos, a boy who is not afraid of big dreams, drama and fabulous clothes. Carlos at times can be very self-centered and focused on himself rather than others, but this aspect of him is honestly written and true of any teen who is looking to succeed at their wildest dreams. Carlos could at first be read as a gay stereotypical character, but as the book continues readers see past the gay makeup artist and into the heart of a real person.

The writing here is straight-forward and reads with great ease. The story has enough tension to keep it moving, deals with deeper subject matter than makeup and great clothes, and looks into the world of a boy who is out and proud. Those around him in his family are supportive, but others are less so, something we see in modern society today. Again, the book is real and honest about acceptance but also points to the importance of being true to oneself.

The winner of the 2012 Stonewall Book Award, this is a book that opens minds, invites in dreams, and is absolutely as fabulous as a pair of Stella McCartney boots. Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

Review: The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George

February 23, 2012February 23, 2012 | Tasha

The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George

Released March 15, 2012.

Jesse wears fishing boots every day. She cuts her hair short and rough with a Swiss Army knife. She spends her time writing manifestos for her National Organization to Liberate All Weirdos and then papering the high school with them. Emily is one of the popular girls and vice president of the student council. She wears her hair in a ponytail, likes sweaters with buttons, and has a boyfriend. So what in the world could Jesse and Emily have in common? Just that they like to make out in the bathroom of the library once a week. Jesse yearns to have a more open relationship with Emily, but Emily is very comfortable in the closet and in denial. When Jesse gets in trouble at school, she meets Esther, a girl who is also a weirdo and has a lot in common with Jesse. The two of them start working against a corporation trying to come into their community and school. Unfortunately, Emily is helping that corporation sponsor the school dance. Both girls have to decide what is most important to them: principles or love.

George has written a courageous book here. The characters are deeply felt, beautifully rendered and gorgeously human. Jesse is a strong lesbian character who also makes mistakes and is caught in a situation where she has to keep someone else’s secret. The tension that creates tests her relationship with her parents, her best friend, and herself. Emily is a study in contradictions that she speaks aloud, lives and breathes. She is a complicated character, awash in a mix of confidence in public and self-doubt in private. Esther is a surprising character, added after the reader thinks the book is going to focus on two girls only. She and Jesse have much in common, including mothers who had breast cancer. That piece of information notches neatly into the two girls’ characters, offering further depth.

Intriguingly, George has chosen to write Emily and Esther’s sections of the book in first person. Jesse is seen in third person, something that is distancing. I found the switch from one tense to another disconcerting at times, and wished that I could have known Jesse from inside as well as the other girls.

The world that George has created is populated with unique characters, adults and teens alike. It is a celebration of people who are different, living lives that are complicated, filled with emotion, and grounded in principles. I saw people I knew, people like myself, and people I wanted to meet and befriend.

Perhaps what I loved most about this book is its sensibilities. The characters are who they are, struggling with issues larger than themselves, but not deterred at all. It is a book that encourages teens to take action, change their communities, and speak up for what they believe in. Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from ARC received from Viking Books.

Review: Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey

February 13, 2012February 13, 2012 | Tasha

Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey

After the death of the king, the royal treasure was stolen and has not been recovered. Tess lives in a small village and has troubles of her own, including an abusive stepfather and the recent death of her infant brother. When the witch hunter comes to town, Tess is accused of being a witch. Tess is able to see the future in fire sometimes and loves going into the wilds of Dragonswood even though it is forbidden. When she is tortured, she breaks and gives up the names of her best friends as also going into Dragonswood with her. Sent to trial, Tess escapes with the aid of a dragon and flees her home along with her two friends. The three of them must survive in the wilds, disguised as lepers and never revealing their identities. But when one of their husbands is tortured too , the situation changes and they must risk their own safety to save him. As the story continues, more of the magic of Dragonswood is revealed along with who took the royal treasure. This is one amazing read, filled with fey and dragons.

Carey writes with the confidence of a long-time storyteller. Here, she weaves 12th century England and its witch-hunting into a story filled with ancient magic. The setting of Wilde Island and Dragonswood is particularly effective, itself filled with creatures of magic and the dangers as well. The story’s pacing is well done too, gripping and fast-paced in the beginning, it slows a bit in the middle to allow the story to develop, and then picks up the speed again in the end as all of the pieces fit together at last.

The characterization is also particularly well done. Tess lacks self-confidence from her years of abuse and seems unlikely to become the heroine of the story. When she breaks under torture, it is written particularly well, and shows the violence of torture and the coldness and calculating nature of it as a tool. The other characters are also well-rendered, with secondary characters returning later in the story and becoming more fully developed.

This book sparkles with magic, dragons and fey, but also is striking because of its human characters living in fear and darkness. Beautiful writing and a remarkable setting lift this fantasy on dragon wings. Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books.

VOYA’s Perfect Tens 2011

February 10, 2012February 5, 2012 | Tasha

Out of over 1100 reviews of books for teens in 2011, VOYA reviewers only awarded 24 books perfect tens. That means they scored a perfect 5 in both quality and popularity. A rare thing indeed! The fascinating thing is that these are very different books than those seen on recent award lists.

Here are the 24 perfect ten books for teens:

Ashes by Ilsa Bick

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

City of Ice by Laurence Yep

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Death Sentence: Escape from Furnace 3 by Alexander Gordon Smith

Everneath by Ashton Brodi

Fear: A Gone Novel by Michael Grant

He’s So Not Worth It by Kieran Scott

Hidden by Helen Frost

Legend by Marie Lu

The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma

Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace

Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

Rivals in the Tudor Court by D. L. Bogdan

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

The Shadowing: Hunted by Adam Slater

Troublemaker, Book1 and Book 2 by Janet Evanovich and Alex Evanovich

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Wildwood by Colin Meloy

Review: There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

February 3, 2012February 3, 2012 | Tasha

There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

God may not be exactly who you’d expect him to be. He’s actually a slovenly, lazy, disinterested teenager named Bob, who’d much rather lust after hot girls than pay attention to any prayers made in his name. Bob lives in an apartment with Mr. B, who has been his personal assistant for millennia. Every time Bob gets interested in a new girl, the entire weather system goes haywire. This time the girl is Lucy, who works at a zoo and lives a simple life until Bob gets involved. The question is which will last longer: Bob’s attention span or Earth! This irreverent and very funny novel for teens comes from one of the top YA authors and is pure joy to read.

Rosoff’s writing is buoyant here. The entire premise carries humor, but she infuses it further with wry insights, clever devices, and unexpected twists. It’s a wild sort of book that the reader simply has to go along with. This is controlled chaos, reined in solely by the quality of the writing and the strength of the story.

The characters of the book are a motley group. Readers will immediately be drawn to the luminous Lucy but at the same time, they will see themselves in God as well. Bob is a God with a raw creativity, undisciplined natural skills, and very short attention span. While he may read at first like a regular teen, Rosoff manages to mix that universal experience with one that is specific to God.

There is a magic here, a miracle, that takes a book that could have been heresy and lifts it to heavenly humor. Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from ARC received from G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults

February 1, 2012January 27, 2012 | Tasha

Given out by YALSA, the Best Fiction for Young Adults includes the best fiction for ages 12-18. Books included on the list must be both high quality literature and appealing to teens. There are 113 books on the full list and also a top ten: