The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
This was another one that is on the nominee list for the 2017 TAYSHAS list, and judging by what I have read so far, the theme of this year's list is rape. This is the third book that has dealt with this subject, and of the three, this one wasn't as well done.
During Christmas break of her freshman year of high school, Eden is raped in her own bed by her brother's best friend. He threatens to kill her if she tells anyone, so she doesn't tell anyone. This eats away at the person Eden was. She starts smoking, smarting off to her parents, drinking, and sleeping with random guys. None of these things are terribly surprising, given the circumstances. The problem is that there are too many holes.
This book encompasses Eden's entire high school time frame. There are times when leaving one school year for another where things happen, things that seem important, but there's no explanation why. Also, the school year won't even be over before we are subjected to the next school year, and the reader never knows what happens during the summers. Case in point: between her junior and senior years, something happens between Eden and her parents to the point that she starts referring to them by their first names. What happened? No idea.
And that's the problem I have: too many gaps. Also, the book doesn't have any heart until the end. The very beginning and very end, Eden seems real, but all those pages in between, not so much. I almost feel as if the author doesn't really know what she's writing about because there was no feeling, and there was this disconnect.
I know this is a sensitive topic, but it can be written about in a way that makes you feel something for the people it happened to. I have read several books on this topic, and this book just didn't measure up.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Monday, June 27, 2016
Summer Reading #11
What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler
This is loosely based on one of the many rape cases that have come to light in recent years. You know the ones I am talking about: the ones where the girl is too drunk to give consent, and the boys, usually athletes of some kind, take turns raping her. This is something that is showing up way too much these days, though I am sure social media has a lot to do with that.
In this case, it all started at a party. Kate, our protagonist, was there. She got wasted, and a guy friend of hers took her home, then he came back to the party to get his truck. The guy, Ben, is a basketball player, and has been Kate's friend for most of their lives.
At this party, another girl gets wasted to the point that she loses consciousness. Four boys from the varsity basketball team take turns raping her. Everybody at the party sees it happen. This was a Saturday. The following Tuesday, these four guys are arrested at school, and the media stays camped out at the high school. The victim, hasn't come back to school. Once word gets out, there's a lot of victim shaming. You know what I mean: people saying she was asking for what happened to her because of what she was wearing, bringing actions from her past up to justify what was done to her.
Turns out, there's a video. As far as anyone at school knows, the video no longer exists, but a group who helps in situations like this has found the video and threatens to release it if the rapists don't change their plea to guilty. Kate sees the video, and reports it to the school counselor. The site where she saw the video no longer exists, but the counselor reports the information to the principal, who fires her. God forbid justice should prevail when the state basketball championship is on the line!
Kate ends up taking what she knows to the police, and ends up a pariah. I hate that that's what happens to people who do the right thing.
So much about this book bothered me-the rape, the victim shaming, the treatment of Kate when she comes forward. The thing is, I still want kids to read this. How else can we get it through to them that all of these things are unacceptable?
This is loosely based on one of the many rape cases that have come to light in recent years. You know the ones I am talking about: the ones where the girl is too drunk to give consent, and the boys, usually athletes of some kind, take turns raping her. This is something that is showing up way too much these days, though I am sure social media has a lot to do with that.
In this case, it all started at a party. Kate, our protagonist, was there. She got wasted, and a guy friend of hers took her home, then he came back to the party to get his truck. The guy, Ben, is a basketball player, and has been Kate's friend for most of their lives.
At this party, another girl gets wasted to the point that she loses consciousness. Four boys from the varsity basketball team take turns raping her. Everybody at the party sees it happen. This was a Saturday. The following Tuesday, these four guys are arrested at school, and the media stays camped out at the high school. The victim, hasn't come back to school. Once word gets out, there's a lot of victim shaming. You know what I mean: people saying she was asking for what happened to her because of what she was wearing, bringing actions from her past up to justify what was done to her.
Turns out, there's a video. As far as anyone at school knows, the video no longer exists, but a group who helps in situations like this has found the video and threatens to release it if the rapists don't change their plea to guilty. Kate sees the video, and reports it to the school counselor. The site where she saw the video no longer exists, but the counselor reports the information to the principal, who fires her. God forbid justice should prevail when the state basketball championship is on the line!
Kate ends up taking what she knows to the police, and ends up a pariah. I hate that that's what happens to people who do the right thing.
So much about this book bothered me-the rape, the victim shaming, the treatment of Kate when she comes forward. The thing is, I still want kids to read this. How else can we get it through to them that all of these things are unacceptable?
Friday, June 24, 2016
Summer Reading #10
Homeroom Diaries by James Patterson
James Patterson is one of my favorite authors. This was the first book of his that I have read in more than a year because it appears that I got burnt out on his work. However, I love that he has branched out, and is now writing some young adult stuff. I guess, technically, he has been doing that for a while, if you consider the Maximum Ride books, and I do, but this was so different even than his other YA titles.
This is a lovely combination of prose (diary entries that don't read like typical diary entries), and a graphic novel. The graphic parts are more supplemental, and not 100% necessary to understand the story that is being told, which, for those of us who aren't huge graphic novel fans, is a good thing.
Told from the point of view of Margaret aka Maggie aka Cuckoo aka Kooks, who is a high school student-a junior, probably. Maggie's mother took off, so, after a ten day stint in a mental facility, she has to stay with a foster parent, her next door neighbor, Mrs. Morris. Maggie has a great group of friends, who refer to themselves as the Freakshow. All the Freakshow wants to do is unite the groups at school so high school doesn't suck, but one of the Haters does everything he can to ruin everything.
Reading this, I would like to believe this is what life is like for high schoolers. In some ways, sure, it is, but for the most part, this is too clean. I mean, yes, a girl attempts suicide and that awful Hater boy more or less assaults Maggie, but this is not real life. I know this because I teach high school and I have a teenager. There's a lot more going on. Not only that, the language doesn't match up to what I hear everyday from typical teens. None of this should sway you from reading this book, but if you are looking for something real about high schoolers, this isn't it.
James Patterson is one of my favorite authors. This was the first book of his that I have read in more than a year because it appears that I got burnt out on his work. However, I love that he has branched out, and is now writing some young adult stuff. I guess, technically, he has been doing that for a while, if you consider the Maximum Ride books, and I do, but this was so different even than his other YA titles.
This is a lovely combination of prose (diary entries that don't read like typical diary entries), and a graphic novel. The graphic parts are more supplemental, and not 100% necessary to understand the story that is being told, which, for those of us who aren't huge graphic novel fans, is a good thing.
Told from the point of view of Margaret aka Maggie aka Cuckoo aka Kooks, who is a high school student-a junior, probably. Maggie's mother took off, so, after a ten day stint in a mental facility, she has to stay with a foster parent, her next door neighbor, Mrs. Morris. Maggie has a great group of friends, who refer to themselves as the Freakshow. All the Freakshow wants to do is unite the groups at school so high school doesn't suck, but one of the Haters does everything he can to ruin everything.
Reading this, I would like to believe this is what life is like for high schoolers. In some ways, sure, it is, but for the most part, this is too clean. I mean, yes, a girl attempts suicide and that awful Hater boy more or less assaults Maggie, but this is not real life. I know this because I teach high school and I have a teenager. There's a lot more going on. Not only that, the language doesn't match up to what I hear everyday from typical teens. None of this should sway you from reading this book, but if you are looking for something real about high schoolers, this isn't it.
Summer Reading #9
Library of Lost Souls by Ransom Riggs
The third, and I hope final, book in the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children series, this one was all right. Better than the second book, but not as good as the first.
Assuming I remember correctly, this one picks up where the second book leaves off. Jacob and Emma, with the peculiar dog, Addison, have just lost track of their peculiar friends and are searching for their ymbrine, Miss Peregrine. Jacob has discovered that he can communicate with hollows, just like his grandfather could, and this is something that will be of some use later in the book.
They, with the help of a new friend, Sharon, make their way to Devil's Acres, where they believe all of their friends have been taken by Caul. While there, they meet Caul's brother, Bentham, and discover that they are both brothers to Miss Peregrine. Caul is set on destroying the peculiar way of life so that he can become all powerful, and it is up to Jacob and Emma to see that he doesn't do that. Then there are some unexpected, questionable allegiances.
All in all, this one wasn't too bad. It took nearly half of the book for it to get good, but once hitting that point, I wanted to know what happened.
This series, the first book in particular, opened my eyes to a new approach to writing: using old pictures to tell the story. Since I read this one, I have read others of a similar premise, and it has been nothing but a good experience.
The third, and I hope final, book in the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children series, this one was all right. Better than the second book, but not as good as the first.
Assuming I remember correctly, this one picks up where the second book leaves off. Jacob and Emma, with the peculiar dog, Addison, have just lost track of their peculiar friends and are searching for their ymbrine, Miss Peregrine. Jacob has discovered that he can communicate with hollows, just like his grandfather could, and this is something that will be of some use later in the book.
They, with the help of a new friend, Sharon, make their way to Devil's Acres, where they believe all of their friends have been taken by Caul. While there, they meet Caul's brother, Bentham, and discover that they are both brothers to Miss Peregrine. Caul is set on destroying the peculiar way of life so that he can become all powerful, and it is up to Jacob and Emma to see that he doesn't do that. Then there are some unexpected, questionable allegiances.
All in all, this one wasn't too bad. It took nearly half of the book for it to get good, but once hitting that point, I wanted to know what happened.
This series, the first book in particular, opened my eyes to a new approach to writing: using old pictures to tell the story. Since I read this one, I have read others of a similar premise, and it has been nothing but a good experience.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Summer Reading #8
Since She Went Away by David Bell
This book was released yesterday, and I already finished. One thing I love about David Bell's books is that they are suspenseful without being gory. This was definitely a whole lot of suspense.
Jenna's best friend, Celia, went missing one night. Jenna feels immense guilt because she'd invited Celia out, and then ran late. In her mind, if she had been there, Celia might still be safe. No one knows if Celia is alive or dead, and all that they were able to find when she went missing was one of her earrings, a family heirloom, that she never took off.
Jenna has a fifteen year old son named Jared who is involved with a girl named Tabitha. Tabitha's dad is incredibly strict, and Tabitha is supposed to come straight home after school. As it turns out, Tabitha's dad is a killer, and kidnapped Tabitha, whose real name is Natalie.
Reading this book, it seems like Jenna and Jared are always involved with the police. Between the disappearance of Celia to the situation with Natalie, the police always seem to be at their house. This is actually a good thing because the police take Jenna and Jared seriously, which comes in handy more times than you would think.
I don't want to go into too much about this book because it is suspenseful. I don't want to take that away from anyone who may want to read this. Trust me though, this is worth the read, and the ending is a bit of a surprise. While you're at it, read all of David Bell's books; you won't regret it.
This book was released yesterday, and I already finished. One thing I love about David Bell's books is that they are suspenseful without being gory. This was definitely a whole lot of suspense.
Jenna's best friend, Celia, went missing one night. Jenna feels immense guilt because she'd invited Celia out, and then ran late. In her mind, if she had been there, Celia might still be safe. No one knows if Celia is alive or dead, and all that they were able to find when she went missing was one of her earrings, a family heirloom, that she never took off.
Jenna has a fifteen year old son named Jared who is involved with a girl named Tabitha. Tabitha's dad is incredibly strict, and Tabitha is supposed to come straight home after school. As it turns out, Tabitha's dad is a killer, and kidnapped Tabitha, whose real name is Natalie.
Reading this book, it seems like Jenna and Jared are always involved with the police. Between the disappearance of Celia to the situation with Natalie, the police always seem to be at their house. This is actually a good thing because the police take Jenna and Jared seriously, which comes in handy more times than you would think.
I don't want to go into too much about this book because it is suspenseful. I don't want to take that away from anyone who may want to read this. Trust me though, this is worth the read, and the ending is a bit of a surprise. While you're at it, read all of David Bell's books; you won't regret it.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Summer Reading #7
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
I read this for the first time in the spring of 2009. I was in my methods class, observing, and a student had this on her desk. I was intrigued by the cover, as usual, so I put it on hold at the public library. I finished it the same day I picked it up. My children ended up getting me a copy for Mother's Day the same year.
Fast forward seven years. I have read this at least a handful of times, and now have a second copy, signed by the author. This was my first foray in to modern, young adult literature, and it has stuck with me since the very first time I read it. It's also a book I encourage my students to read, not because I want them to follow in Hannah's footsteps, but because I want them to see how their actions affect everyone around them. That is a powerful message.
One of the best things about this book is that it is told from two perspectives: Hannah, the girl who kills herself, and Clay, the boy who wanted to know her better. That is a trend these days-telling stories from more than one perspective. Unlike most, where the speakers take turns by chapters, Hannah and Clay take turns sometimes line by line. It was brilliantly done, and I have not seen a multiple perspective book done so well.
The story itself is simple: Hannah Baker kills herself, and leaves audiotapes detailing her reasons for doing so, hence thirteen reasons why. The story starts out with Clay mailing a box of audiotapes, then goes into flashback to when he received the tapes himself.
Clay came home the day before to a package addressed to him. There was no return address, so Clay had no idea who sent the package. He is intrigued, so he opens it to find seven audiotapes, numbered per side, 1-13. He locates a tape deck, and puts in the first tape. He is horrified when he hears Hannah's voice, the girl he had a crush on, a crush he didn't act on because she had a reputation and he didn't know how her reputation would affect him. She explains the tapes, and that if a person receives the tapes, then they are one of her reasons. Again, Clay is horrified, as, to his knowledge, he never did anything to Hannah.
Prior to receiving the tapes, Clay received a map of the town in his locker. There were locations marked with red stars that correspond to locations mentioned on the tapes. Clay decides he doesn't want to chance his mother hearing what is on the tapes, so he makes an excuse to go to a friend's house to borrow his walkman. For the rest of the night, Clay listens to these tapes and goes to the locations to try to get into Hannah's mindset.
While he understands Hannah is ultimately responsible for the action she took, he now understands what led her there. This makes it hard for him to face his classmates, especially the ones who have already received the tapes and those who will receive the tapes.
Like I said, this is a book I read again and again because it just stays with you. It really makes you realize how your actions affect others and are tangled up in their actions and lives too. Brilliant book, and one I highly recommend to everyone.
I read this for the first time in the spring of 2009. I was in my methods class, observing, and a student had this on her desk. I was intrigued by the cover, as usual, so I put it on hold at the public library. I finished it the same day I picked it up. My children ended up getting me a copy for Mother's Day the same year.
Fast forward seven years. I have read this at least a handful of times, and now have a second copy, signed by the author. This was my first foray in to modern, young adult literature, and it has stuck with me since the very first time I read it. It's also a book I encourage my students to read, not because I want them to follow in Hannah's footsteps, but because I want them to see how their actions affect everyone around them. That is a powerful message.
One of the best things about this book is that it is told from two perspectives: Hannah, the girl who kills herself, and Clay, the boy who wanted to know her better. That is a trend these days-telling stories from more than one perspective. Unlike most, where the speakers take turns by chapters, Hannah and Clay take turns sometimes line by line. It was brilliantly done, and I have not seen a multiple perspective book done so well.
The story itself is simple: Hannah Baker kills herself, and leaves audiotapes detailing her reasons for doing so, hence thirteen reasons why. The story starts out with Clay mailing a box of audiotapes, then goes into flashback to when he received the tapes himself.
Clay came home the day before to a package addressed to him. There was no return address, so Clay had no idea who sent the package. He is intrigued, so he opens it to find seven audiotapes, numbered per side, 1-13. He locates a tape deck, and puts in the first tape. He is horrified when he hears Hannah's voice, the girl he had a crush on, a crush he didn't act on because she had a reputation and he didn't know how her reputation would affect him. She explains the tapes, and that if a person receives the tapes, then they are one of her reasons. Again, Clay is horrified, as, to his knowledge, he never did anything to Hannah.
Prior to receiving the tapes, Clay received a map of the town in his locker. There were locations marked with red stars that correspond to locations mentioned on the tapes. Clay decides he doesn't want to chance his mother hearing what is on the tapes, so he makes an excuse to go to a friend's house to borrow his walkman. For the rest of the night, Clay listens to these tapes and goes to the locations to try to get into Hannah's mindset.
While he understands Hannah is ultimately responsible for the action she took, he now understands what led her there. This makes it hard for him to face his classmates, especially the ones who have already received the tapes and those who will receive the tapes.
Like I said, this is a book I read again and again because it just stays with you. It really makes you realize how your actions affect others and are tangled up in their actions and lives too. Brilliant book, and one I highly recommend to everyone.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Summer Reading #6
Hello Goodbye and Everything in Between by Jennifer Smith
I keep seeing this book on the shelf at the bookstore, but wasn't really drawn to it until I saw that it was on the consideration list for next year's TAYSHAS books. Then, Amazon had it for ninety-nine cents or something, so I knew I needed to give it a whirl.
First, this is an incredibly quick read. I read the prologue and one chapter before I went to be last night, and finished a little while ago. Half the book I read in the car today, and I napped, so I didn't devote tons to getting this read.
In a nutshell, Aidan and Clare are going to college on opposite sides of the country. It's their last night in town together, and Clare has a list of stops they need to make. These stops are all places that were important in their relationship: where they first kissed, where he said "I love you," you get the idea. Clare wants to do this as a way to say goodbye. She is of the opinion that they can't, no, shouldn't stay together in college; that there's no way it can work. Aidan doesn't feel that way, and plans to use this time together to show her she's wrong.
What's cute about this is that each chapter is about what happens at each location they visit. You would think this would make for a choppy read, but it doesn't. Everything flows. I found myself siding with each of them. I was pleased, overall, with the book.
I keep seeing this book on the shelf at the bookstore, but wasn't really drawn to it until I saw that it was on the consideration list for next year's TAYSHAS books. Then, Amazon had it for ninety-nine cents or something, so I knew I needed to give it a whirl.
First, this is an incredibly quick read. I read the prologue and one chapter before I went to be last night, and finished a little while ago. Half the book I read in the car today, and I napped, so I didn't devote tons to getting this read.
In a nutshell, Aidan and Clare are going to college on opposite sides of the country. It's their last night in town together, and Clare has a list of stops they need to make. These stops are all places that were important in their relationship: where they first kissed, where he said "I love you," you get the idea. Clare wants to do this as a way to say goodbye. She is of the opinion that they can't, no, shouldn't stay together in college; that there's no way it can work. Aidan doesn't feel that way, and plans to use this time together to show her she's wrong.
What's cute about this is that each chapter is about what happens at each location they visit. You would think this would make for a choppy read, but it doesn't. Everything flows. I found myself siding with each of them. I was pleased, overall, with the book.
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