Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Yesterday, I found out that my professor for this upcoming fall semester changed the reading list for my young adult reading class. I was a bit miffed because I'd made decent progress on the old list. Never fear though, because I've already read twelve of the twenty-five books on the new list. This book makes thirteen.
I like Myers. I have read a handful of his books, and they are relatable-usually to boys and people of color, but reading them has opened my eyes to the plight of others not like myself. He's not afraid to tackle topics like crime and war.
This book chronicles the trial of Steven Harmon. He is on trial for a murder committed during a robbery. He is on trial with another young man. When you read this, or at least when I read this, your first thought is that this is a kid who made a terrible mistake. I mean, his defense attorney doesn't seem to believe him, so that should tell you something. As you progress through the book, and learn more about the circumstances, your opinion changes. I won't tell you how it changes, just know it does.
My biggest complaint with this book is the format. Most of it is written as a screenplay, and, while it makes for a shorter read in this case, I find it harder to stay focused than when I read regular prose. And really, this was such a little thing. This was a good book, and it's one I think I ordered for my classroom this year.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Summer Reading #9
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
This is the sequel of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and I was excited about it because I liked the first book so much. That excitement waned as I started reading. I didn't think this was terribly special.
Lara Jean and Peter start dating for real, but Peter still seems to be hung up on Genevieve. There's a "sex tape" scandal involving Lara Jean and Peter too, and Lara Jean is convinced Genevieve is behind it. Peter refuses to believe it. One day Lara Jean gets a letter in the mail, and it is from John, the one boy who didn't respond when her letters were mailed in the first book. They have unresolved feelings for each other. Will Lara Jean stay with Peter, or will she go with John?
Seriously, this was too high school. I teach high school, so it seems I live this mess everyday; I don't need it in the books I read too. I like relationships to be a little more complex than what was here. Not a bad book, just not what I was hoping for either.
This is the sequel of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and I was excited about it because I liked the first book so much. That excitement waned as I started reading. I didn't think this was terribly special.
Lara Jean and Peter start dating for real, but Peter still seems to be hung up on Genevieve. There's a "sex tape" scandal involving Lara Jean and Peter too, and Lara Jean is convinced Genevieve is behind it. Peter refuses to believe it. One day Lara Jean gets a letter in the mail, and it is from John, the one boy who didn't respond when her letters were mailed in the first book. They have unresolved feelings for each other. Will Lara Jean stay with Peter, or will she go with John?
Seriously, this was too high school. I teach high school, so it seems I live this mess everyday; I don't need it in the books I read too. I like relationships to be a little more complex than what was here. Not a bad book, just not what I was hoping for either.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Summer Reading #8
A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall
I am prone to selecting books because I like the cover. I was drawn to this cover, but what made me choose this book was this paragraph from the back: "But something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at the local Starbucks watch their relationship like a t.v. series. The bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically sits them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes Lea and Gabe were meant to be together." Actually, it was that last sentence that made me buy this book. I figured if I was going to get to read from a squirrel's perspective, it was going to be interesting.
Basically, Lea and Gabe go to the same college, and are in the same creative writing class. They are attracted to one another, and EVERYONE knows except themselves. The story of their relationship, or lack thereof, is told from fourteen different perspectives. Baristas, professors, waitresses, bus drivers, classmates, various friends, a bench (yes, a bench), and a squirrel all weigh in to tell this story. It WAS different, and I LOVED it!
The bench cracked me up talking about perfect butts, and the squirrel's sections were the most fun to read. This was a sweet book, and I highly recommend it.
I am prone to selecting books because I like the cover. I was drawn to this cover, but what made me choose this book was this paragraph from the back: "But something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at the local Starbucks watch their relationship like a t.v. series. The bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically sits them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes Lea and Gabe were meant to be together." Actually, it was that last sentence that made me buy this book. I figured if I was going to get to read from a squirrel's perspective, it was going to be interesting.
Basically, Lea and Gabe go to the same college, and are in the same creative writing class. They are attracted to one another, and EVERYONE knows except themselves. The story of their relationship, or lack thereof, is told from fourteen different perspectives. Baristas, professors, waitresses, bus drivers, classmates, various friends, a bench (yes, a bench), and a squirrel all weigh in to tell this story. It WAS different, and I LOVED it!
The bench cracked me up talking about perfect butts, and the squirrel's sections were the most fun to read. This was a sweet book, and I highly recommend it.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Summer Reading #7
The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger
I didn't know this book existed until the movie came out a few months ago. It looked cute, and my daughter wanted to see it, so I said we had to read it first. She read it a couple of months ago, and now that I've finished it, we can catch it on Amazon Instant Video.
I read a ton of young adult literature, and this was a bit racier than what I am used to. In fact, as I was reading this, I was a bit concerned that I let my daughter read it before I did. While it wasn't graphic in any way, I was a bit concerned about all the sex that was going on in this book.
Bianca has two gorgeous friends, Casey and Jessica, who she accompanies to the local teen hangout fairly frequently. One night while there, Wesley, the "man whore" starts talking to Bianca. According to his logic, talking to her, the DUFF, would score him a date with her hot friends. Instead, Bianca ends up using him as an escape for some of the hard things in her life right now.
There's some typical high school drama, some sex, and lessons to be learned. Overall, it was a cute book, and I am looking forward to seeing how the movie compares.
I didn't know this book existed until the movie came out a few months ago. It looked cute, and my daughter wanted to see it, so I said we had to read it first. She read it a couple of months ago, and now that I've finished it, we can catch it on Amazon Instant Video.
I read a ton of young adult literature, and this was a bit racier than what I am used to. In fact, as I was reading this, I was a bit concerned that I let my daughter read it before I did. While it wasn't graphic in any way, I was a bit concerned about all the sex that was going on in this book.
Bianca has two gorgeous friends, Casey and Jessica, who she accompanies to the local teen hangout fairly frequently. One night while there, Wesley, the "man whore" starts talking to Bianca. According to his logic, talking to her, the DUFF, would score him a date with her hot friends. Instead, Bianca ends up using him as an escape for some of the hard things in her life right now.
There's some typical high school drama, some sex, and lessons to be learned. Overall, it was a cute book, and I am looking forward to seeing how the movie compares.
Summer Reading #6
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
I loved this book! I was iffy about it based on some of the reviews I read, but after reading, I determined they were idiots.
This book follows Esther Greenwood, and her downward spiral. I don't know that I would label her depressed, just apathetic. Then again, I am not a psychiatrist. Anyway, Esther is indifferent about everything, or so it seems, but then something happens, and she loses her sense of self. Once that happens, she decides to kill herself. After one particularly intense failure, Esther ends up in a mental institution or two, and receives shock treatments.
While she is in the mental institution, there are many similarities to Susanna Kaysen's Girl, Interrupted, both the book and the movie. Now I am not saying that the things Kaysen portrays in her book didn't happen, but it's a little to convenient for me that they are so similar to Plath's work. Particularly since Kaysen would have had access to this book prior to her own experiences.
Anyway, I can't recommend this book enough. Particularly if, like me, you are drawn to stories about broken people.
I loved this book! I was iffy about it based on some of the reviews I read, but after reading, I determined they were idiots.
This book follows Esther Greenwood, and her downward spiral. I don't know that I would label her depressed, just apathetic. Then again, I am not a psychiatrist. Anyway, Esther is indifferent about everything, or so it seems, but then something happens, and she loses her sense of self. Once that happens, she decides to kill herself. After one particularly intense failure, Esther ends up in a mental institution or two, and receives shock treatments.
While she is in the mental institution, there are many similarities to Susanna Kaysen's Girl, Interrupted, both the book and the movie. Now I am not saying that the things Kaysen portrays in her book didn't happen, but it's a little to convenient for me that they are so similar to Plath's work. Particularly since Kaysen would have had access to this book prior to her own experiences.
Anyway, I can't recommend this book enough. Particularly if, like me, you are drawn to stories about broken people.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Summer Reading #5
The Cellar by Natasha Preston
This one was recommended to me by a student. Truth be told, I probably never would have read this one, but it was an ok read.
Summer is a sixteen year old girl in England. At the beginning of the book, she is looking for a friend who was having a fight with her boyfriend. A dude comes up to her, calls her Lily, and kidnaps her. Seriously, this happened in less than ten pages.
Psycopath/Colin/Clover takes Summer back to his place, and takes her to his immaculate cellar, where three other girls are living. They are Rose, Poppy, and Violet. Clover refers to the girls as his Flowers, and comes to have breakfast and dinner with them. They have no contact with the outside world, and Clover "falls in love" with them, which is just a nice way to say he rapes them.
All these girls had lives on the outside, but Clover kidnapped them so he could have a family. If they made him mad, he was not above killing them. Speaking of killing, he brings prostitutes home and kills them in front of the girls. He blames all prostitutes because his father slept with one when he was a child, and it scarred Clover for life.
Summer has a boyfriend, and there are chapters in his perspective detailing his months long search for her. Everyone should be so lucky to have someone love them like Lewis loves Summer. We also see Clover's point of view in chapters devoted to his perspective. What a freak.
Not sure I will read other offerings by this author, as this was only ok.
This one was recommended to me by a student. Truth be told, I probably never would have read this one, but it was an ok read.
Summer is a sixteen year old girl in England. At the beginning of the book, she is looking for a friend who was having a fight with her boyfriend. A dude comes up to her, calls her Lily, and kidnaps her. Seriously, this happened in less than ten pages.
Psycopath/Colin/Clover takes Summer back to his place, and takes her to his immaculate cellar, where three other girls are living. They are Rose, Poppy, and Violet. Clover refers to the girls as his Flowers, and comes to have breakfast and dinner with them. They have no contact with the outside world, and Clover "falls in love" with them, which is just a nice way to say he rapes them.
All these girls had lives on the outside, but Clover kidnapped them so he could have a family. If they made him mad, he was not above killing them. Speaking of killing, he brings prostitutes home and kills them in front of the girls. He blames all prostitutes because his father slept with one when he was a child, and it scarred Clover for life.
Summer has a boyfriend, and there are chapters in his perspective detailing his months long search for her. Everyone should be so lucky to have someone love them like Lewis loves Summer. We also see Clover's point of view in chapters devoted to his perspective. What a freak.
Not sure I will read other offerings by this author, as this was only ok.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Summer Reading #4
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
I loved this book! I picked it up from the "Soon to be/Already are movies" table at my bookstore. I didn't know much about it, and I thought "Why not?" On the cover, it says that it is compared to The Fault in Our Stars, but honestly, the only similarity I can see is that both books have a girl with cancer in them. Seriously, that is where the similarity ends.
This book is funny. Greg, the narrator, is a bit crude, but it's funny. It's even funnier when you add Earl to the mix. The things they say...... holy cow.
In a nutshell, Greg is a senior in high school. A girl he knew from Hebrew school has been diagnosed with leukemia, and Greg's mother talks him into spending time with her. He tries to cheer her up, and sometimes it works. Greg and Earl make movies, bad movies. As it turns out, the dying girl, Rachel, loves their movies.
The book is mostly about Greg's misadventures, but there are some sad, sweet moments too. I highly recommend this one.
I loved this book! I picked it up from the "Soon to be/Already are movies" table at my bookstore. I didn't know much about it, and I thought "Why not?" On the cover, it says that it is compared to The Fault in Our Stars, but honestly, the only similarity I can see is that both books have a girl with cancer in them. Seriously, that is where the similarity ends.
This book is funny. Greg, the narrator, is a bit crude, but it's funny. It's even funnier when you add Earl to the mix. The things they say...... holy cow.
In a nutshell, Greg is a senior in high school. A girl he knew from Hebrew school has been diagnosed with leukemia, and Greg's mother talks him into spending time with her. He tries to cheer her up, and sometimes it works. Greg and Earl make movies, bad movies. As it turns out, the dying girl, Rachel, loves their movies.
The book is mostly about Greg's misadventures, but there are some sad, sweet moments too. I highly recommend this one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)