The Prom

I'm on a roll with the prom books. I kind of love this whole one-night-story theme.

Au Revoir Crazy European Chick is not high literature but it is an intensely fun read. Perry's family gets a Lithuanian exchange student. His mom forces him to take her to the prom and she turns out to be an international assassin. Naturally. :)

The story that unfolds is a wild ride of violence through New York City (while wearing prom gear) -- kind of like Nick & Norah with guns.

There are a lot of holes in the story line, but if you can suspend your disbelief, it's a fun story. There are some interesting twists and you end up sympathizing with the gun-wielding European chick, but I wish there were more consequences in general.

This will make an adrenaline-rich movie.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Anti-Prom. I was pleasantly surprised. This is one of those Breakfast Club type stories with the princess, the wallflower and the scary chick all represented.

The way they're thrown together is a little thin, but once it gets started it's a good story of high school pain and bonding. A different take on the the whole, "we all suffer" theme.

Man Eating Horses & Chocolate

Let's start with dessert, shall we? I read this book because I love Gabrielle Zevin. Elsewhere is one of my all time favorite books. I had no idea what to expect when I read it and was pleasantly surprised.

The premise of this book is brilliant. Set in the near future, all the luxuries of the world are in short supply -- water, paper and phone calls are all rationed. In addition, chocolate and coffee have been banned (much like prohibition). This is the perfect setting for today's caffeine-addicted teens (and teen librarians). :)

Set in this slightly off-putting world, is a story of a mob family that deals in black-market goods. It's the story of a teenage girl who has to find her place in the world and in her family. She makes incredibly difficult choices for and sometimes, in spite of, the people she loves.

I found this novel incredibly powerful. There's nothing typical about this coming of age story. And by the end, you'll feel the pain of her difficult decisions. (The end is fabulous and heart-wrenching).

So maybe man-eating horses aren't the best topic for Thanksgiving, but you'll have to get over it.

I just finished this book and was a blubbering mess by the end. I had some trouble getting into it at first. I'm not very good at keeping track of characters and this story is set in a complicated world of horses, a tight-knit nosy community and family tragedy.

Once I got into it, though, the story blew me away. I'm usually disappointed when authors insert a love story into a science fiction/fantasy, but this one was so much more than that. It's about survival, family, brutality and pushing the limits of what these teens will do for love.

This story will especially appeal to teens who have known the love and loyalty of a horse. It's very touching.

Without Tess

Marcella Pixley is an amazing author. I will recommend Freak to kids for years to come.

Her new book, Without Tess, did not disappoint. Wow.

The entire book reads with a whimsical, almost dreamlike, childhood quality and the poetry sprinkled between the chapters cut right to the bone.

Lizzie is struggling with the death of her sister, Tess. She blames herself for her sister's death... but it's so much more than that. Tess struggled with mental illness masked by fantastical play and a magical connection with her devoted sister. How could her immortal, magical sister perish and leave her behind? It's all too much to take.

The story is told in short chapters going back and forth between memories of the past, therapy sessions and poetry from both girls.

I was pleased to see not only the frailty and flaws, but also the power and strength of the adults in Lizzie's life. This is a quick and satisfying read and will leave you with tears in your eyes.

in Honor of Banned Books Week

It's been a busy month...

I got my very first written book complaint a few weeks ago. A former middle school teacher left a post-it on this book saying that it was inappropriate and should be removed.

So I read it and it was fabulous!

It's about a Muslim family who is torn apart by bullying, hate and Homeland Security. The characters are strong and complex and very empathetic. It's a compelling mystery and a chilling story of false accusations and assumptions in our society.

Now, this book may not be appropriate for middle school students, but it's an excellent choice for high school students and would be a fabulous book for discussion.

Cover issues

Found this article; thought of Alissa.

I don't know that I have much to add to the conversation, besides agreement that, yes, it's creepy to look at a display of books and see only torsos, or feet. Lately, when we do get a face, there's a good chance that it's the same face on a different book. Book covers are supposed to be dynamic marketing tools, pulling potential readers in with an interesting image that will set that book apart from all the others.

(The reused-images things isn't limited to teen books, nor to covers of faces. But you knew that.)

So how do you get a teen interested in a book that looks just like all the other books? How do you convince someone that Sarah Dessen's books aren't as fluffy as the covers suggest? Or that House Of Stairs is still a creepy read and holds up well, even though the only in-print version hasn't had a cover re-design since 1991? It's easy when it's a teen who trusts your judgement--one you've recommended books to before--but when it's a teen who hasn't been in before, or hasn't spoken to you before, it can be hard to overcome the decisions of the publisher's art department.

And this isn't even getting into proper representation--the great Whitewashing debates, or the unwillingness to show overweight or unattractive girls, even on books about ugly and/or fat girls. That's a whole other issue that's been covered elsewhere.

So maybe this is more of a link round-up than any commentary on trends, or on the original article. But the fact that I can do such a link round-up--without much effort, even--says we have a number of problems that need solving.

some decent audio book selections

Let's start with my least favorite, shall we?

I didn't expect much from this story but it was such a mess of pop culture madness that I could barely finish it. I didn't find the narrator particularly engaging but the story read like a bad screenplay.

Maybe they'll make another mediocre movie out of it.





This one was awesome. I didn't know what to expect but what unfolded was a creepy ghost story. The audio book really emphasized the creep factor.

It reminded me of an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- ever see the one with the haunted frat house?

What would you do if people kept disappearing from your school? What if you realized that the people who disappeared all used the same desk. And now that desk has messages carved in it...

Add to it the fact that Cryer's Cross is in the middle of nowhere. And the new guy in town doesn't speak. Good stuff.

This was the funniest thing I've listened to in a LONG time. Not since Catch the Fly have I laughed this hard.

The book starts off with a bang. Seth gets dumped in the middle of Applebees. Of course, while he's being dumped he notices that his father is with a strange woman. Eeek.

He tries to work through all of this in a "secret" podcast. Of course, it quickly becomes the hottest download at school. Whoops.

Seth is hilarious and his friends are an awesome collection of characters.

A must listen!

I expected this one to be another flimsy dystopian romance, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Cassia lives in a world perfectly crafted for everyone. The society has matched her with her best friend and they are slated to be married. Everything is planned for her... but one day there is a glitch. Could she be matched with an aberration instead of her best friend? Why are her food portions getting smaller? And what exactly is she being trained to do at work? Will Cassia trade her safe, perfect world for the possibility of freedom?

It all comes together beautifully in a creepy, futuristic way reminiscent of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series.

The author has clearly created a very complete and detailed world. I can't wait for the sequel.

Revolution? Not so much.

Ok, so the cover of the hardcover wasn't thrilling, but the paperback is ridiculous! Is she going to eat the key? Is she smelling it? Is she using it as some kind of medium? Maybe they're trying to embody that wackadoodle time travel part of the book... personally I'm trying to forget that section so that I can love the rest.

Ok, rant over.