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Twitter-style book reviews, part 2

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I’m moving soon, so I’ve been frantically trying to read all of the books I have checked out from various libraries, books I’ve picked up at conferences, and books I’ve borrowed from friends and acquaintances. What this means is that I have started many books but not finished any of them. At present count I’m reading twelve books. Because I haven’t actually finished any, I can’t post a full-fledged review, but I decided it would be worthwhile to highlight some of the more interesting and noteworthy titles. So, without further ado, what I’m reading now in 140 characters or less.

Liar, by Justine Larbalestier

After her boyfriend is killed, pathological liar Micah says from now on, she’ll tell only the truth. Interesting psychological YA with a twist.

Escape, by Carolyn Jessop

Carolyn Jessop’s story about her life in the FLDS, her subsequent escape, and what happened afterward. Simplistic writing, compelling story.

The Secret Life of Prince Charming, by Deb Caletti

Quinn discovers her womanizing father steals more from the women in his life than their hearts. Sometimes slow YA, but has real insight.

A Kiss in Time, by Alex Flinn

Teenage boy wakes up Sleeping Beauty in modern times. Hilarity and confusion ensue. There are better retellings, but this is fluffy and fun.

The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness

A germ kills off all females and causes men’s thoughts to be broadcast. One day, Todd discovers a quiet in the Noise. Fascinating YA dystopia.

After by Amy Efaw

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One thing I love about reading is that I can step inside the mind of someone in a situation I will never know about and experience it. In some instances, this gives me an objective view, while in others, it’s clear how the author or the character wants you to feel.

Amy Efaw, in After, does an incredible job of making you swing all over the place in your feelings on a very sensitive topic.

Devon made a mistake. Rather than seek help or come to terms with it, she dissociates. She is so far removed from herself and her actions that she doesn’t give her actions a second thought. One night of fun led to this pregnancy, but nine months of hiding it and removing herself from it brought her to dispose of the child — IT — without a second thought for consequences.

After follows the days after Devon, a straight-A soccer star, disposes of her baby in the trash. It sounds horrifically gruesome, and while the story does present the gory facts, what Efaw does is build a character that readers continue to question. I can’t explain the number of times I felt sorry for Devon or believed that she might be, believe it or not, an innocent person. Unlike most books which follow a typical arc in their development, beginning with characters, then rising action, then a climax, then the falling action, then the conclusion, Efaw begins at the climax and works downward. This makes for the powerful character development and the total blast to the reader in terms of character sympathy.

What impressed me most about After was how well researched it was. Efaw leaves an author’s note at the end about her research into the dumpster baby phenomenon, as well as about her research on juvenile institutions. Clearly she knew a thing or two, too, about the medical world and about the psychology of individuals in tough situations. But what made all of this best, of course, was how lucidly and well she wrote the story. It’s not prescriptive, per say, nor is it over the top. Instead, it’s powerful and moving for the reader because of the situation and because of how Devon is both likable and hateable. Maybe more than anything, she’s relatable, whether or not readers have been in her precise situation.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone 15 or older. It’s not just about the teen pregnancy issue, either. The lessons about actions and consequences is important, and I think Efaw does a huge service in portraying a “normal” girl in such awful situations. The media and our greater world portray these incidents as things that happen in isolation or with “bad people.” Efaw highlights that these things can happen to anyone. This is entirely refreshing … and alarming/awakening.

After is not a fast read. It took me a week because it is intense. I was never repulsed, but the issue is so heavy and dealt with through such integrity that it just required a lot of time to sink in. I needed to think about Devon and about her mother, the baby, her lawyer, and the situation as a whole. My conclusions about Devon ended up being matched well, but it really took me a lot of time to figure out how I felt about her. But the book itself? Efaw earns high marks from me, and I definitely cannot wait to see what she writes next. I’m almost hoping it takes her another 5 years to put out a book because she did so expertly research this one. It’s a refreshing change from a lot of recent teen books that seem rushed, under researched, and perhaps unrealistic. This one, though? Powerful.

Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker

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One of my biggest responsibilities as a librarian is purchasing books for teens, including the fiction, graphic novels and manga, and non-fiction. I try to stick to materials reviewed in the professional journals, but sometimes I think it would be valuable to purchase a couple of things that have gotten strong reviews in the blogosphere because many of the bloggers I enjoy reading are teens themselves. Lovestruck Summer was one of those purchases I made that deviated a bit from my methods in that I’d read only a few reviews but it sounded interesting. I figured, too, I should give it a read before shelving it in order to get an idea who it would appeal to and to get an idea how to sell it.

I am SO glad I bought this one.

Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker has all the signs of a classic summer romance story: a fun cover, a character bent on having a summer love story, and lots of music. But this book is so much more than your typical summer read. Walker develops lovable and memorable characters, and her main protagonist, Quinn, goes through a major life change in the mean time that will resonate with so many readers in their teen years.

Priscilla — and please call her Quinn — just graduated high school in North Carolina but had always been fascinated with the music scene in Austin, Texas. One late night, she called her favorite record company in Austin at 3 a.m., not expecting an answer, and was pleased when someone picked up the phone. When she asked if she could intern for the summer, she got a yes. Without a second thought, her plans for spending a summer interning at Amalgam Records were set.

Quinn will spend her summer living with her cousin Penny who attends the University of Texas and is a major sorority girl. Penny lives on a fruit and candy diet, has a dog that has its own bedroom and wardrobe, and, ugh, a cowboy neighbor named Russ who will certainly drive Quinn nuts. When Quinn finds out that the manager of Amalgam Records has no recollection of her calling and being offered an internship, she thinks her summer might be much longer than she planned living with this cast of people who are so different from her. But perhaps when the other intern Jade helps her find the perfect guy to be with this summer, Sebastian — think indie music loving, aloof, and oh so cute — things will maybe be just as she planned.

Over the course of this book, though, we see Quinn being Quinn: when things don’t go her way or when Russ or Penny or Penny’s sorority sister Chrissy drive her nuts, she pops in her earbuds and drifts away from her situation with the newest obscure band that she is sooo into. That is until Quinn begins seeing people for who they really are and begins to understand that perhaps she has set up too many walls and beliefs in her life. Who knew Jade — the indie loving hipster intern — could get along with sorority girls like Penny and Chrissy? And who knew Chrissy could be a tough-as-nails derby girl? And … could it be possible that Russ, the cowboy who loves country music, could be her perfect man and not Sebastian?

Lovestruck Summer has incredible character development in it for what could otherwise have been a typical girly romance. Quinn is so easy to love and is so perfectly developed for a high school senior. Too many books written for teens develop great characters but so many of them are just unrealistic age-wise. Quinn, however, is perfect: she is stubborn, sure of who she is, and sure of who and what she is not. She’s at that stage of development where she is wholeheartedly selfish but lovably so — throughout the story you find yourself wanting to shake Quinn and tell her to look at how awesome things could be for her if she’d just take a risk and step outside her comfort zone.

Penny and Chrissy, who could have so easily become stereotypical sorority girls, are wholly developed and interesting characters themselves. What Walker is able to do in this little book is make the reader rethink her own beliefs about people in a way that makes you grow and open your eyes like Quinn. When Quinn first got to Penny’s condo, I had one of those moments of wondering how the heck she’d survive. But then as I learned more about Penny, the more I liked her and the more I wanted to know about her. And I won’t get started on how great Russ was and how much I wanted to shake Sebastian. And Jade, who was a secondary character throughout the story, was the perfect way to tie all of the pieces together and make Quinn have her revelation.

Lovestruck Summer is also great because it is such a clean read, too. There’s romance, but nothing too steamy happens — it may be hinted at but nothing happens “on screen” and younger readers may never catch on. Language is never an issue in the book, with only one real swearing incident I remember and it was used in a realistic, non-shocking situation. Again, Walker make this book so true to the characters in this age group. I loved, too, the use of music throughout the book as a way to make a few points; again, the attitudes surrounding music were so true to people of this age group.

And for purely selfish reasons, I loved the setting. I thought Walker depicts Austin in the way that Quinn believed it was. Quinn went into the situation thinking life would be oh-so-easy living in sunny, music loving, and laid back Austin, but she had the realization that no matter where you are at, people still have challenges and one of the biggest is overcoming one’s own beliefs.

I would hand Lovestruck Summer to teens 15 and up without a problem. This is the perfect summer read, but I think it’ll also be a hit in the depths of winter when a good book of escape is needed. I think the message of transformation is so subtle that it won’t hit readers over the head but might make them think about themselves a bit — and that in itself is precisely what Quinn does. I think a lot of teen girls will see themselves in Quinn, and I think others will see themselves in Jade. And it won’t hurt that Russ is dreamy, either!

My only real complaint about Walker’s book is the awful, under descriptive, and misleading book blurb on the back. I think that might be a turn off for readers because it talks about the book revolving around Austin Music Fest. It also says that Penny willingly goes by “Party Penny” (I don’t remember that happening once in the book!). The description makes Quinn sound way too young and immature, even for someone who has this sort of voice throughout the story.

I’m glad I made the purchase on this one, but I think it’ll need some hand selling because of the backside blurb. I stepped out of my comfort zone on the purchase and ultimately walked away with a good feeling, almost like Quinn.

Darkwood, by M.E. Breen

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A few posts back, Kelly mentioned that she wondered whether book bloggers just love all books that they read, because she rarely comes across a negative review. Normally, I choose to spotlight the books I think are particularly well-done and would recommend to others, but I think it’s also important to discuss books that others have liked, but that I didn’t find especially engaging. M.E. Breen’s Darkwood is one of those books.

Annie lives in Howland with her aunt and uncle, who aren’t particularly nice people. Both her parents are dead, as well as her older sister. When she overhears her aunt and uncle planning something very unpleasant for her, she decides to flee into the forest, despite the fact that she is sure to come across dark creatures called Kinderstalk who are notorious for gobbling up children.

I was initially excited about Darkwood. It garnered a starred review from Kirkus and a favorable review from Booklist. I also love the cover – the illustration of the protagonist, Annie, reminds me a little bit of the covers of Garth Nix’s Abhorsen trilogy, which I love. The book also seemed to have the dark fairy-tale feeling that permeated Nix’s excellent books. When I read the first chapter of Darkwood, my excitement grew. Annie’s horrid aunt and uncle were immediately fleshed out, and I loved the creepy sense of foreboding I got from the setting, a world where night falls immediately on the heels of day with no evening in between. Breen also set up some nice mysteries that I looked forward to solving.

Unfortunately, my excitement didn’t last. Annie’s travels into the forest are derailed by a trip to the Drop, where children are kept as slaves to mine precious ringstone, and then a trek to see the King of the land where various events occur without any apparent connection to other side plots. Even after I had finished the book, I had a hard time understanding how all the pieces fit together, or if they were meant to at all. Moreover, I felt no real connection to the characters, and Breen’s writing didn’t strike me as particularly beautiful or deep. (A good counter-example, in my opinion, is Shannon Hale, who could write about paint drying and still impress you with the beauty and depth of her words.)

Middle grade and young adult literature can and should be deep. Just because the book is written for young people does not mean it can sacrifice good characterization and eloquent writing for a fast-paced plot. In Darkwood, there’s too much going on and not enough development to make it engaging. It feels like Breen tried to force a half dozen different ideas into one novel without sufficient development of any of these ideas. Because of this, the novel feels jumpy and disjointed. Additionally, it seems that Annie was meant to be a strong, smarter-than-she-appears female protagonist, but she seems to mostly react to events that happen to her instead of choose to be proactive. When she does make a decision, it’s inexplicable. For example, Annie chooses to leave her traveling companion who has taken her on a much-needed visit to the King – why? Annie’s reasons are inscrutable, and my cynical answer is “plot development.” Annie’s leave-taking places her once again in danger, and danger seems to be Breen’s currency. The hallmark of a good adventure tale is that the adventure happens for a reason.

That being said, I can see middle-graders enjoying Darkwood due to its exciting plot. It is filled with action: chases and wolf attacks and daring escapes. It’s got a fair number of twists and some parts certainly are exhilarating. At some points Breen is able to bring back that ominous mood I felt at the beginning. Then again, I can also see readers being confused about the jumpy nature of the story and the inability to really identify with Annie, who seems to not have much personality. I think Breen’s ideas are more intriguing than a lot of what I’ve read in middle grade fantasy lately, which is why I felt so disappointed that the book fell short of its potential.

Aftershock by Kelly Easton

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This title appears on this year’s Abe Lincoln awards list, which is compiled by librarians who seek to help high school students read for enjoyment and become familiar with a variety of authors. Ultimately, high schoolers choose one book from the list as the winner. I picked up Easton’s Aftershock because I hope to get through all 22 Lincoln award nominees this year.

Aftershock follows 17-year-old Adam in his cross-country trek from Idaho to Rhode Island in the wake of a horrific car accident that has killed both of his parents. With obvious shock, he is silent through much of his travels, which include hitchhiking with a cast of colorful characters who take him through Colorado, Texas, and Washington D.C., on his way back to Rhode Island. While on the road, the story travels back and forth between what Adam is doing now and his past. He reminisces a bit about his parents, but much of his memory seems to revolve around a past romantic relationship.

Easton’s book is short and quick — about 175 pages — and while the concept sounds like it would be action packed, I found there were many lacking elements in the story. While Adam is in a state of shock, so much of what happened seemed a bit anachronistic to the setting.

Aftershock is set in the modern moment, as seen through Adam’s discussion about how the Harry Potter books sold in his parent’s bookstore are so popular and are always best sellers. As such, I found it incredibly unrealistic that Adam would never encounter a cell phone. He mentions his aunt a few times in his trip home but never reaches out for her. Likewise, I find the concept that he’d just leave his dead parents to begin walking home a little frustrating, and it’s not that he just left, but that he did it immediately with the plan in mind to go home and not to the police or any authority that would so willingly help him. Perhaps the real issue comes down to this: we never learn much about Adam before the incident, so we’re forced to believe he is able to walk away from such tragedy without a second thought. Moreover, Adam is all-too-willing to hop into a car with a stranger, even going entirely out of his way, to get home. A simple call to the police would have solved this story well before he got home.

I found the ancillary characters boring. I think there were many opportunities here for expansion and development, both for those characters and for Adam. All we ever learn about him is through his memories with a girl who he was interested in, as well as memories of his aunt and cousin. Again, I think so much of this goes back to setting the story in a modern era and then leaving out far too many details for the reader.

On more superficial levels, I had two other problems with Aftershock. First, on page 14 (and by now, keep in mind, his parents had been killed), Adam describes his mother as “the type of person who would tell anyone anything,” and then he goes on to elaborate how his mother was the sharing type. However, on page 15 (yes, the opposite page), he goes on to say that “my mom was soft spoken,” and he says it in comparison to his aunt who would tell anyone anything. So within a page, we have a contradiction about who his mom was that doesn’t fit with what we know about Adam’s reliability and with what we learn about his mom throughout his flashbacks. Indeed, his mom was not soft spoken. Had this sort of detail error been made in opposite ends of the book, I would have glossed over it, but because this was central character development time and within a one page area, I caught it and it stuck with me throughout the story.

The other detail that fits with my earlier comments about time/setting issues is this: Adam’s parents insisted on driving from Rhode Island to Seattle to attend a peace rally conference for vacation. We never learn why, but it seemed a very delicate concept to just throw into the story when so much hinges on that detail — as readers, we have to just accept that Adam never explains that decision to drive rather than fly all the way across the country. Since Adam makes a point to say that his father thought the state of Idaho was boring and useless, it seemed like the cross country drive was not necessarily a decision for the sight seeing. For me, this needed way more explanation and expansion in order for the whole story to coalesce better.

Although Aftershock left so much to be desired for me, I do think this would be a great pick for a reluctant reader. Because there aren’t a lot of details and because the story begins quickly and moves without many bumps, those who ordinarily aren’t readers would find this a good pick. More advanced readers or those who read a lot may, however, be disappointed for many of the reasons I was: there just is not enough to develop the story in as satisfying a way as it could have been. Other similar adventure stories or stories of loss are more strongly fleshed out, but Aftershock surely has appeal if not only for the reluctant readers, but also because it features a strong boy character — and as much as we think there are a lot of books with boy appeal, there is always a need for more.