STACKED

books

Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers

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Let me make an admission: I’ve never read a Walter Dean Myers book. So, I took a stab and read outside my comfort level on this one.

Reese is living in Promises — a juvenile detention facility — for committing the crime of stealing prescription pads from doctors and aided in the acquisition of drug deals. Since he’s been a good inmate, he’s given the opportunity to take a part-time job at Evergreen, which is a home for the elderly. The job is a privilege and gives him both freedom from his place in jail, and it is meant to teach him responsibility, obedience, and respect for himself and others. It is here he meets Mr. Hooft, an elderly gentleman who has a tremendous impact on Reese’s beliefs about who he is and who he can become.

Of course, it’s not that simple. About half way through the story, there is a big bomb dropped upon Reese, who has been getting himself in trouble trying to defend some of his buddies. When this arises, it is Reese who must decide what is important to him and how he can get himself out of Promises into a fulfilling life for himself and Icy — the sister he adores.

Lockdown was exceptionally well written, and the character development kept me wanting more. Although this won’t rank as one of my favorite reads, primarily because it focused on a topic I’m unfamiliar with and don’t typically seek out, this is a book that has definite appeal to many audiences.

One of the real challenges I had was with the secondary characters: I could not distinguish among the various juvenile inmates nor the adults in Reese’s life. I found that Reese himself was very well developed, and his sister Icy had a unique and memorable voice. Likewise, Mr. Hooft kept me coming back as a reader, as I felt the story he told Reese about his time in and immediately after the Vietnam War drew great parallels to Reese’s own challenges with keeping on the right side of the law.

Myers writes to impart a lesson, but I felt throughout the entirety of Lockdown that I was not bring preached at. I’m not the real audience for this title, but even the target group will not feel they’re being told how to be or act. Instead, the lessons are weaved well enough into action and actual story telling that they feel part of the plot rather than the entire plot itself.

If you’re looking for a book for a boy who lives on the fringes, has found himself in trouble before, or seems generally lost, this is an excellent choice. Likewise, this is a book that will appeal to both boys and girls and would make a perfect discussion title. Myers has certainly carved himself a niche in the young adult world, and he will have staying power.

Lockdown will be published February 2.

AudioSynced: A Tale of Two Audio books

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In trying to catch up on many wonderful books I haven’t had time to read yet, I’ve been listening to audiobooks more frequently — although I’m not new to them, I’ve been making an effort to really listen to them in order to better hone my sense of what makes an audiobook great and what, well, doesn’t. As you may recall, I’ve covered the basics of audiobooks.

Last week, I finished two very different audiobooks, and they were certainly a study in contrasts. Sarah Dessen’s Along for the Ride was named an Amazing Audiobook for Teens this year from the American Library Association, and it was an enjoyable, though lengthy, audio to sink into for a while. Rachel Botchan narrates the entire book, but she does shift her voice for a few of the main characters — a semi-voiced performance. As the ALA committee mentions, the entire book feels like Auden, the main character, is sitting you down in a coffee shop and sharing with you the details of the summer before she went to college. It is very easy to sit back and listen, and since it’s a classic Dessen-esque book, there’s not too much that happens that requires paying too much attention to details, as they are easily drawn, developed, and enveloping. I found myself drifting into and out of paying attention to the story, but I had no problems falling back into the narrative. Botchan is very even in her performance, and I didn’t have any issues with her narration changing, her tone shifting, nor did I find myself hearing any vocal slips (breathing, swallowing, or other unfortunate sounds).

Unfortunately for this audio, I was quite disappointed in the editing. Many times throughout the story, I found it quite obvious where recording sessions were cut, spliced together, or otherwise pieced together to develop a cohesive audiobook. Although I’m not very seasoned in editing techniques, for me it was obvious when sound qualities would change, moving from an even sound to suddenly becoming quieter or louder. I felt the production could have been strengthened a bit, especially with such a good narrator and compelling story.

My other qualm with the audio of this title was that I never quite felt Botchan’s voice really matched Auden. Botchan sounded older and wiser than Auden, and while Auden always acted and felt older than 17, if the story were meant to sound like a reflection of a summer, given the growth and changes Auden has over that summer, I wouldn’t have wanted such a wise, intellectual, and almost snooty voice for the narration. I wish she could have sounded a bit younger or a bit less bookish — perhaps a bit more like Esther did (where Botchan did a fantastic job with a very memorable voice and character). On the plus side, her depiction of a Carolina accent was spot on without being over done or under done; rather, it was recognizable enough to better set the scene.

Contrasting Along for the Ride with the second title I listened to this week, and it’s clear that audiobooks really fall on a spectrum of listening experiences. My coworker suggested I listen to Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. She hadn’t listened to it, but read it, so she couldn’t speak to the quality of listening to it, but with a strong story line, I felt this would be a good bet.

I didn’t check the reader prior to popping in the first disc, but when I heard a very familiar voice, I was suddenly VERY excited to listen. Joel Johnston is the reader on Sonnenblick’s well-known middle grade novel; if the name’s not familiar to you immediately, he is also the reader on Gary Schmidt’s The Wednesday Wars and Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why. His voice is the quintessential young teen boy — perfectly wavering on the border of childhood and full-blown adolescence, with just enough innocence and experience to be utterly believable and charming.

Like Along for the Ride, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is semi-voiced, so just a few of the main characters have distinct voices throughout. Fortunately, this title features relatively few characters, and instead, the focus is on Steven and Jeffrey, a pair of brothers who will be experiencing a very challenging disease – one on the experiencing as victim side and one on the experiencing as brother side. It is a short audiobook at four discs at about an hour each, but the span of the story fits perfectly within those four hours.

With any book on audio, something that is essential is pacing. As I mentioned before, Botchan is very even in her performance of Dessen’s title, and it works there. Johnstone, however, has a way of pacing in his audio titles that allows him silent space. At critical moments, and even at moments where it is clear that a character would be pausing or thinking or needing a little breathing space, Johnstone gives those silences in his performance. In doing so, I never once felt myself drift away from the story; instead, he builds in space for the listener to step back for a moment or two and, well, “space out.”

Likewise, there are absolutely no quality or production issues in this book. If you’re a little unsure about these issues in audiobooks, think about it this way: if it feels like the reader never once stepped away from recording, then it was well produced. If during listening it becomes clear it was recorded over more than one session, then the editing could have been tightened. In Sonnenblick’s title, I felt like Johnstone was so in love with the story he was sharing that he never once stepped away.

One pet peeve of both of these titles is something that I have not experienced once during my current listening of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline: CD breaks. In both Dessen’s title and Sonnenblick’s title, there is never an indication when the disc ends; instead, the reader must pay close enough attention to know they’re listening to the same material again or have a good disc player that tells them their track has gone back to the start. Because I only listen to audiobooks in the car, this is frustrating, as then I am often not prepared with the next disc immediately. Productions like Coraline, on the other hand, incorporate music at the beginning and termination of a disc, making is very easy to know when it’s time to switch.

Next week, I plan on venturing into the world of non-fiction on audio. I haven’t tried that land yet, and I suspect that the narrator is going to be the absolute key on making the book work on audio. There are some fictional titles that have really terrible readers (I’m looking at Susan Beth Pfeffer’s The Dead and the Gone, where the narrator is way too old and way too flat voiced and emotionless) but the story is compelling enough to make you keep listening.

Have you listened to any of these titles? Any thoughts?
Have you listened to any others on audio that you either absolutely loved or hated? I’m building a nice sized “to listen” list, so I’d love your suggestions.

Leaving Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham

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Sometimes you read a book that you just can’t get into but yet, when you’ve finished it, you crave more. Leaving Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham did exactly that for me.

Ludelphia Bennett lives on a sharecropping farm in Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The time is 1932, but this isn’t a story focused wholly on the Great Depression; instead, this is a story of Ludelphia trying to help her mother overcome an illness. Because Gee’s Bend is African American and because this is a time of challenges and because this is a story set in the South before Civil Rights, you can bet there’s not a doctor in town.

When Mama has a coughing fit so hard she goes into labor with Rose, Ludelphia decides to head to the next biggest town — Camden — which is across the river by ferry. But things go terribly, terribly wrong and the wife of the farm where Ludelphia’s family sharecrops is not happy. She’s so unhappy, she seeks her revenge.

Will Ludelphia be able to find a doctor for her mother? Will little Rose survive? Will the family lose everything they have?

Interwoven into the story line is the story of quilting. Mama loved to quilt and taught Ludelphia the same. This act and the symbolism behind it cement the story of Gee’s Bend and the story of family and struggle.

For me, the story’s pace was a bit uneven: at the beginning, I felt the story moved too slowly, but the end of the story moved far too quickly for me. I loved the setting and wish I could have gotten more flavor for Gee’s Bend; this is precisely one of the reasons I liked this book — I’m very compelled to go learn more about the area. Thanks to the author, I’ve got a list of resources in the back to whet my appetite for it, too. I found the subplot involving the Red Cross, which we come to find out at the end is a big thrust of the story, comes very late into the novel and isn’t quite developed enough. I think this could have been pushed further throughout to make it stronger and more powerful.

I’m not a big historical fiction fan, but the setting and time period for this one were engaging and unique. Although the story is set in the age of the Depression, developing a plot around an African American family was memorable and one that’s very underplayed in the grand world of fiction (not just teen fiction – I mean all of it).

Ludelphia’s voice felt like that of a 10-year-olds, and I felt that for the most part, her age and her actions were spot on. I thought some of the resolutions were too tidy to be accomplished by a character her age, but the fact this is a story set in a time where children were expected to be adults early on makes it believable.

Leaving Gee’s Bend sets itself apart from the growing field of middle grade novels. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say this might be a title you hear about come next year when awards are around. Although not as intricately detailed as Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, I kind of felt like I was reading a similar story. These books arouse a sense of comfort with them, perhaps one triggered by the fondness of historic places or stories (Latham’s author’s note mentions this and how a quilting exhibit in New York spurred her to write the book).

Although I thought the quilting metaphor was done well, I wanted more. I think it could have been pushed a bit further and emphasized a little more to really pack a punch at the end.

While it’s not one of my personal favorites, this is a book with merits. I think it might be a tough sell to kids because it’s a historical fiction, but this is one that would work wonderfully in a classroom unit on the 1930s, culturalism or regionalism in America, or even art/crafts. Because there’s enough adventure and not too much stress on emotions and feelings, boys might enjoy this one, as well. For kids who love historical fiction, this is a home run. I appreciated that the book was much shorter than others of this ilk, which may itself make it one kids would be more open to trying.

On the very superficial level, I LOVE the cover. We have a person of color who, while faceless, captures the essence of the story perfectly. This one’s memorable.

Needless to say, you can bet I’m going to track down some of these other titles about Gee’s Bend. What a neat story to share that will raise awareness and interest in a place so many know so little about.

* I got an advanced copy of this from the publisher. They don’t expect a good review, and I sure hope you’ve figured out by now that I’m not afraid to be honest. But a good book review will give you both the good and the bad. I’m still not sold on writing these disclaimers, and I’m not afraid to tell you that.

What I’m Reading, Twitter Style.

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I’ve been busy – between moving and reading for Cybils, my personal reading has been a little everywhere (and a little spare). But here’s what I’m reading or have recently read, Twitter-style!


Wish / Alexandra Bullen: Disappointing fairy tale w/ predictable plot, uninteresting characters, & off-putting writing style. Cannot believe there’s a sequel coming.

Leaving Gee’s Bend / Irene Latham: Historical fiction set during 1930s w/o being about the Depression. Engaging & one that will be considered a “best” in 2010. Low teen appeal.

The Happiness Project / Gretchen Ruben: Eager for perspective on happiness. Think this year-in-my-life may be valuable guide, rich w/insight w/o preachiness. Husband loved it.

Along for the Ride / Sarah Dessen: Audio book has some voice & volume inconsistencies, but the story is engaging enough, though predictable & same as rest of Dessen’s oeuvre.

Searching for Whitopia / Rich Benjamin: Unscientific but interesting non-fiction about what quality makes a community feel “safe” and “special.” Black author on whiteness = unique.

Travels with Charley / John Steinbeck: Professing the love of one’s country w/ trip through it. Highly entertaining, beautiful descriptions. I underlined many passages for memory.

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

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Suzanne Young was kind enough to send me an early copy of The Naughty List and let me say: I was not disappointed!

The Naughty List follows a group of junior-year cheerleaders — dubbed the Society of Smitten Kittens (SOS) — who go undercover to bust the cheating mates of their classmates. This underground operation has Tessa as their leader, who herself has been in a solid, unwavering relationship with Aiden for two years. Their goal as the SOS is not to ruin relationships but instead to help the person being cheated on get out sooner, rather than later. They have a code of ethics, including upholding themselves as model citizens at all times; Tessa is, for example, adamant about not swearing and makes up her own ways to vent frustration (this is really, really funny) and she is always working on correcting others when they do.

While Tessa and Aiden have the ideal relationship — one which we as readers see as healthy — she hasn’t been totally honest with him. In fact, she’s managed to keep the SOS a secret for their entire relationship.

When Christian and his sister Chloe move to town after their parents split up, things begin to change a bit. Christian is a merciless flirt with Tessa, who doesn’t like the attention. And Chloe is rude, nasty, and mean to everyone. Everyone, that is, except Aiden, with whom she is paired with in their chemistry class. Will Tessa have the SOS called on her or will someone be calling on her behalf to investigate Aiden?

Suzanne Young’s book is the first in a series, and I think this is the first time in a long time I can say I’d go out and read the next ones without doubt. I loved Tessa’s attitude, humor, and her relationship with Aiden. I thought it was spot-on appropriate for her age and that teens would definitely relate to her.

Moreover, the twists and turns this book took surprised me. I thought there were a lot of things that would happen (if you don’t like spoilers, skip this): I thought Tessa’s sickness was going to be an unexpected pregnancy and I thought that her relationship with Christian was going somewhere else entirely. There is a mega twist with that plot that I really liked because it was not what I thought.

And of course, there is a lesson learned here, but it’s not a moral lesson. Instead, it’s a moment of realizing that not all people ARE cheaters and that some things are, in fact, accidents or mistakes of judgement or perception. It’s also nice to see not only respectable cheerleaders in a book, but cheerleaders who are smart and who are really trying to be rolemodels for their classmates.

If I were to criticize the book, I think what stands out to me is that Tessa’s quirk of using other terms for swearing may have been a bit over done. But perhaps this was intentional, to give us a good idea of who Tessa is (a bit over dramatic at times). I didn’t quite get enough of what made Aiden so attractive or wonderful, since all I learned of him was through Tessa. The beauty of there being more than one book in this series, though, is that maybe we’ll know more about him soon. Oh, and Tessa’s parents sounded interesting — they’re musicians — so I hope there’s more of them to come, too. Perhaps what really got me, though, was how the heck Tessa kept this a secret for two years from Aiden. I got she was sly, but it seems like so much could happen in two years to break the secret. I wanted more back story to that or I wanted their relationship to not have been so solid and strong, to make that aspect (a big one, I might add) more believable.

This is a title I know has a lot of readalikes, but I’m drawing a blank right now. I think this might work with Sarah Dessen or Elizabeth Scott titles, and though I haven’t her books yet, I think the SOS aspect will appeal to fans of Ally Carter.

The Naughty List comes out February 4, 2010. But if you keep your eyes peeled, you might be able to score my ARC before that. Oh, did I mention my ARC is signed, too?