STACKED

books

thinandbeautiful.com

|

Whenever I read an “issue” book, I look for a new angle. That’s really what makes it or breaks it for me, especially in the arena of eating disorders. I think that Laurie Halse Anderson has really sort of created the standard with Wintergirls here, but by no means is it the only book on the topic (nor should it be). So, despite some of the issues I’ll talk about with Liane Shaw’s thinandbeautiful.com, I think that topically, it’s quite important and it will hit home with teen readers.

Maddie, who is 17, is introduced to us through a journal she is being asked to develop while she is in treatment for anorexia (and some bulimic tendencies, too). We’re getting an intimate look at her life history, including the development of her eating disorder. While we get this, we simultaneously get Maddie’s current journal that gives us insight into how she is acclimating to the treatment center, how she copes with new people, and how she is ultimately dealing with the eating disorder.

At first, this style of getting both the past and the present at the same time is a big jarring and disorienting, but by the end of the book, this is actually a pretty unique and useful manner of understanding how Maddie’s mind works. It’s like being both within her mind and one step removed from her mind. That worked quite well.

What makes this particular title a different beast on the issue, though, is that Maddie’s addiction is fueled by her obsession with pro-ana websites. The book feels quite contemporary for this, and I think that it will resonate with many readers who themselves may be users and believers in these sites.

That said, I have to mention that while the book bills itself to be about Maddie’s use of these sites, we do not get a mention of this until nearly page 100. I think this is attributed back to the style Shaw employs in writing the story. Since we are getting a look at Maddie’s past, we must first learn about her life prior to the site obsession and since we are simultaneously getting her current journal, we know she doesn’t have access to those sites. Something had to give, and ultimately, I was a bit disappointed to have to spend nearly 1/3 of the book without getting to the “meat and potatoes.”

But, when I hit that part of the book, the story flew. I found myself actually quite relating to Maddie in terms of meeting like-minded people online. I think Shaw captured this realistically, and I found myself a bit sad at the end when Maddie gets one of the biggest shocks of her life. Again, I think the author hit on some real emotions there and real moments of space and distance mixed with closeness and a much-needed wake up call for Maddie all in those few pages.

I think this book, though the character is 17, will be a better fit for younger teen readers. It is not quite as powerful emotionally or topically as LHA’s Wintergirls, and the voice of Maddie and the people she associated with (because it’d be hard to call many of them friends) feel younger. The topic is heavy, but the language and situations are done cleanly and appropriately. At times, it did feel a bit like an adult trying to write like a teen — particularly in those first 100 pages — but it did smooth out eventually. I found myself a little disappointed in this aspect, but I think ultimately, it’ll find a good readership in the younger crowd that is a little more forgiving. Thinandbeautiful.com is not fast paced, and, again, it is quite slow at the beginning, but when we see Maddie start logging onto the web more and more, it moves much quicker.

Shaw herself struggled with an eating disorder, and the book showcases her knowledge and expertise. I was disappointed there were not resources at the end of the book for those who may need help, though there is a plug for Shaw’s website that DOES offer a number of resources. And hey, it’s pretty nice that the site address is the same as the book. This will work well for memory!

* Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this title.

Field Notes: Dark Life by Kat Falls

|

What combines adventure, science fiction, homesteading, and evil gangs all within an undersea water setting? I didn’t think it could be done, but Kat Falls has created a fantastically creepy and exciting world in her dystopian debut, Dark Life.

Ty and his family are among the first to stake a claim to land under the sea, as the above-water world has become far too crowded (not to mention expensive and lacking in resources). But it’s not that easy: the Seablight Gang, a band of powerful outlaws, wants to destroy the settlement. Because of this, the government calls for all citizens to work toward capturing the rebels, and until that happens, no one new can seek land claims. Ty, almost 18 and able to stake his own claim, is NOT happy.

Add to that Gemma, a Topsider looking for her brother who came down as a prospector, and the unsettling feeling that there is something strange about Gemma’s story, and you have a story ripe for all of your adventure, intrigue, dystopian, and science fiction fans.

Dark Falls is richly written, so much so it begs you to slow down and read each word. The world building is strung together through the vivid language. Although the sea scape and concepts here are strong, the characters were a little on the weaker side, and a number of plot holes glared for me. Perhaps it was less plot holes and more that there were a number of instances of deus ex machina I couldn’t swallow as a reader. Gemma’s prospecting brother became something too convenient for me far too deep into the story, as one example. In terms of character, I never connected enough to any to care much about their situations.

But this is a book that has appeal written all over it. Fans of The Hunger Games, The Line, or faster, more action-packed adventures will eat this title up. HG fans will find the fighting scenes a little slower, but the government conspiracy factor will appeal hugely for HG and The Line fans. The dystopian aspect is not played up too heavily, though it is certainly the thrust behind why settlers came to the sea to homestead.

I can see our middle school and high school boys that love Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series devouring this one, as well, for the pioneering aspect and the science fiction flair. For the adventure aspect, it’ll likely appeal to fans of Ben Mikaelson (of Touching Spirit Bear and more). I believe that this would be a fantastic book to listen to on audio, with the language playing such a key role in the story development. The fact this has been optioned for film, too, delights me — the entirety of the story reminded me of a film, so I cannot wait to see how that would play out.

Throwback Thursday 1: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

|

A new feature I’d like to try out here is “Throwback Thursday,” and trust me when I say it won’t happen every Thursday…but more like two Thursdays a month. This feature will highlight books from a few years ago that are new-to-me and worth reading. Equal opportunity blogging, indeed.

Gabrielle Zevin’s first splash on the teen lit scene was with Elsewhere in 2005.

After Liz Hall is killed in an accident, she finds herself on a ship heading to a place called Elsewhere. Of course, she doesn’t understand where she is yet, but she knows she is surrounded by strangers, including one of her favorite singers. Her family is notable absent. So, where’s she going and why aren’t they around?

She quickly learns she is no longer alive and instead will reside in Elsewhere for the next 15 years. Elsewhere is home of those who have died, and she knows she will be there 15 years because in Elsewhere, people age backwards, rather than forwards. When they reach age 0, they are transported back to Earth for a new shot at life.

Liz meets up with her grandmother, who will take care of her in Elsewhere, but Liz cannot find herself happy. Rather, she spends hours on the Observation Deck that allows her to look back to Earth and long for her family and friends. Through some sneakery, Liz also finds a way to go back to Earth and communicate with (i.e., scare the crap out of) those still living. After many interventions, she realizes this will not help with either her closure or the closure of her family; however, she has so many unanswered questions that living in Elsewhere feels like a prison, rather than the most wonderful place on earth.

Elsewhere was one of the first books to explore the dead-girl-in-the-afterworld trope, which has been redone a number of times, notably in the Morris-nominated Everafter by Amy Huntley. Zevin’s book has a number of issues with pacing and timing, however, that I felt weren’t present in Huntley’s book; years would pass by without much incident, as though Liz were simply okay with her situation in Elsewhere, while she’s spent significant time prior moping and bemoaning her situation. I wish this were more seamless.

As far as pacing was concerned, there were jumps that were awkward, but the book read quickly. Zevin’s style is pleasing, as I mentioned in the review for This Hole We’re In. She writes realistic dialog, and I felt that Liz was a belivable teenager. I’m under the belief teens feel this is the case, too, as my copies of this title are rarely available on shelf — for five years, this has been quite a popular book.

One of the notes I made to myself on this particular title, though, was that there were a lot of unanswered questions for me. I didn’t quite understand the bigger idea of Elsewhere, nor how Liz found herself surrounded by certain people and not others. She befriends a favorite musician from her days of being alive, but she never seems to really meet anyone else (this could go back to pacing and plot jumps, too). Likewise, did everyone go to Elsewhere? What sort of point was there in Elsewhere? People could work jobs, but the money they made was a moot point since nothing cost money in Elsewhere. To me, it was a little strange to have developed this world but left so many questions for the reader. I wish I had gotten to know Liz a little better, both in her Earthly life and in Elsewhere. Oh, and the perspective-told-from-a-dog needed either to be pushed further or left out entirely. It felt a little forced for how it was presented. It opened more questions, too, about Elsewhere’s requirements for admission. And really, how the heck would you ever FIND your loved ones if everyone could be in Elsewhere? Mind-boggling!

Is it fair to compare a book like this — a first in this style or idea — to something that felt more fully fleshed like Everafter that came a few years later? I’m not sure and I’m not sure it matters a whole lot. These are fantastic readalikes, along with The Lovely Bones. There is definite girl appeal written all over these, which begs the question when an author will approach this theme with a male character and, perhaps, a male-dominated world? I’d love to read something that shakes up the trope like that.

That said, Zevin’s work, I think, will be one of those teen classics. It has staying power, and it will appeal to your readers’ contemplating what happens after we die (and who doesn’t think about that?). Fluid writing and he intriguing concept, without doubt, make up for some of the weaknesses.

Mercury by Hope Larson

|

Generations apart, Josey and Tara have more than just DNA and a family home in common: they’re both holders of a necklace with mystical powers that causes both torment and closure for their quests.

Intrigued? That’s the premise of Hope Larson’s new graphic novel Mercury. Told in alternating voices — depicted through panels set on a white page (Tara’s modern story) and panels set on a black page (Josey’s story a few generations in the past). Although jarring at first, this set up makes sense when one has read through a few pages of both. This method makes perfect sense.

Josey’s family is poor, and when a stranger named Asa Curry stumbles upon their Nova Scotia homestead claiming to have a power of prospecting, they are intrigued. When Asa really finds gold, well, things turn from exciting to downright ugly. Let’s just say there’s some death, some deception, and at the end, Josey is left with a very strange necklace.

Flash to the present, where we have Tara, who has lost everything because her house burnt down a few months ago. Mom is torn up by it and has relocated while Tara has reentered school after a few years of homeschooling. Tara’s Aunt Janice has found a box of old jewelry from her mother and she pulls out a strange necklace that seems to have a prospecting power to it. Of course, she doesn’t know this right away but instead becomes many poor students’ personal hero in the meantime.

Larson’s graphical style is very appealing, and her storytelling has a wonderful magical realistic to it. I thoroughly enjoyed the weaving of the past with the present, along with the tool of the necklace to tie the generations together in an unexpected manner. This was a well-paced book that begged me to reread, and reread I did. Because there’s the magical element, it was worthwhile going back to pick up the threads that lead to the exciting ending.

I found both Tara and Josey to be fully fleshed characters, and I found myself caring a lot about their individual stories. I didn’t, however, find myself connecting or investing much time into any other characters, though, including Tara’s love interest or Mr. Curry — that, I think, might be problematic for many readers, as he is an integral role in the story.

Mercury is appropriate for teens through adults, as anyone in those age groups will appreciate the art and the story. Language and graphics are appropriate, and I don’t think there’s anything surprising. This might be a good book to hand to your fans of magical realism, both in graphic novels and in traditional novels. You can feel comfortable giving this to those a little skeptical about the graphic novel format, as Larson’s a reputable author and illustrator and this book does not throw in those sometimes surprisingly revealing panels. We’re all clean here!

Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards

|

I’m a picky historical fiction reader. It has to be the right place, the right historical story, and the right timing. I’m partial to American historical fiction, particularly those surrounding either disaster or the frontier. Not sure what that says about me.

When I heard about Jame Richards’s Three Rivers Rising, I was very excited: we have a disaster in 1889, which is a time period I’m pretty amenable to, too. As if the setting and period weren’t enough, this novel is done in verse, which is something else I’m a big fan of. Let me say it simply: Three Rivers Rising totally floated my boat.

Celestia is a wealthy girl who loves spending her days down by the water reading. It is here she keeps running into Peter, the hired help (and many classes below her own). Naturally, they fall madly in love, but her parents will not have it. As they prepare to disown her in order to maintain their family’s reputation and standing in society, though, her sister Estrella commits an unsavory act with a boy who wasn’t her betrothed. Guess who becomes the bad daughter now?

When her parents finish punishing Estrella by forcing her to leave and act as if leaving were by her own accord (because if they kicked her out, that would suggest she did something wrong and dishonored the family), they decide to send Celestia to Europe for a while to get herself together. Separating her from Peter will show her that he’s not worth her time. As you’d imagine, it just makes them fall more madly in love.

Meanwhile, we have 2 other characters that appear: Kate, a woman studying to be a nurse, and Maura, mother of 3 and wife of a train conductor. We watch as Kate moves through her studies and as Maura waits patiently for her husband to return.

The last character is, of course, Johnstown, Pennsylvania. There’s a nice little map in the front of the book that shows the basic layout. The town had 3 rivers — the Stony Creek to the west, the Little Conemaugh to the north, and the South Fork Creek to the east, which fed into Lake Conemaugh. So, a mountain town surrounded by water. You’d imagine what kind of fingers they kept crossed every day.

When Celestia returns home, she immediately seeks out Peter. It has been raining hard for a while, but because the townspeople had hired such a reputable man to ensure the dams would hold, no one worries too much. Of course, that’s precisely when the dams don’t hold, and the town is quickly falling under water. Without ruining how Kate and Maura fit into the story, let’s just say they play a significant role in how Celestia and Peter can be together.

Three Rivers Rising moved very quickly: the use of verse was a smart move because it didn’t bog the reader down in history, nor did it give us too much character development. As Richards points out in her author’s note, this isn’t a book about the flood; instead, the flood is the setting for the story of the townspeople. Peter and Celestia are believable, and the secondary characters of Celestia’s father and mother are spot-on in their desire to protect the family reputation. The love story is, of course, represented by the rivers, and this is done seamlessly.

Back to the verse: I thought that the way the verse was laid out on the page really helped the reader, too. Because verse is as much visual as textual, I thought that it really gave weight and gravity to many of the situations. Kate, our nurse, highlights the urgency quite well, and Maura, a hurried mother and fearful wife, depicts the emotions spot-on through the verse’s layout. Likewise, this is a novel that feels wet. As a reader, I felt I was right there reading beside the river and feeling the waters rise around me. I, like Peter, wanted to blame, blame, blame, but I realized as a reader that that wouldn’t change how things happened, either. This is talent.

Three Rivers Rising was a title I was a little apprehensive to purchase for my library, since I didn’t think the topic would be of huge appeal. However, this is one I am certainly going to add: I think historical fiction fans have a lot to sink into here, as much as I think fans of romance or novels in verse will. Oh, and did I mention how fast it read? I think I read the entire book in one sitting.

For those intrigued by the historical setting, Richards also provides a nice author’s note about her inspiration, as well as a resource guide to further reading. I think this is a title with huge crossover appeal, as many adult historical fiction readers will find a lot to love here.