Sunday, July 24, 2011
Bad Girls Don’t Die: From Bad to Cursed by Katie Alender
Evil teenagers. Isn’t that redundant? Oh, just kidding.
Anyway, Bad Girls Don’t Die: From Bad to Cursed is full of evil teenagers. A sequel to Bad Girls Don’t Die, a book I absolutely loved, the story brings back pink-haired Alexis Warren, and her formerly possessed sister Kasey who has just been sprung from a mental institution.
Kasey’s reappearance has Alexis on edge (she did try to kill the entire family) and threatens to derail what had been shaping up to be an excellent school year. Her sister is sullen, at best, resenting the suspicious way Alexis looks at her, and she is understandably reluctant to go back to school. If kids will make fun over you over lame things like a haircut or an outfit, Kasey knows, a year in a mental institution is sure to be excellent mocking material.
Surprisingly, however, Kasey is welcomed by a group of girls including a new student, one of Alexis‘ old friends, and even Kasey’s former BFF, a girl whose arm she broke in the first book. Together, the girls meet regularly at one another’s homes and form a club that focuses on self-improvement. So everything is OK, right?
We’re all too smart to believe that. Alexis investigates further - using both her intelligence and a Ouija board - and realizes that these little models of perfection are messing with things better left alone. Afraid that her sister will end up trotting down the same supernatural path that almost got them all killed in the first book, Alexis begins attending the meetings herself. And that’s when everything in her life starts going incredibly...right - and that is so wrong.
Will Alexis have the strength to look beyond all of the amazing new gifts she has received in order to fight a force that seems stronger than all of them? I guess you’ll just have to read it for yourself.
LAME FACTOR: Although this book was not as awesomely scary as the first, it was sufficiently creepy to make it an excellent read. I definitely give it a 0 for lameness.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: Finally, someone who realizes that a YA book can actually survive on an interesting plot and excellent writing instead of sex, drugs, and assorted misdeeds. Unless your parents‘ have a problem with the supernatural, they’ll be fine.
BRAIN POWER: The writing here is very good but entirely understandable. Now that the, “this is too hard” excuse is out of the way, go read it.
Anyway, Bad Girls Don’t Die: From Bad to Cursed is full of evil teenagers. A sequel to Bad Girls Don’t Die, a book I absolutely loved, the story brings back pink-haired Alexis Warren, and her formerly possessed sister Kasey who has just been sprung from a mental institution.
Kasey’s reappearance has Alexis on edge (she did try to kill the entire family) and threatens to derail what had been shaping up to be an excellent school year. Her sister is sullen, at best, resenting the suspicious way Alexis looks at her, and she is understandably reluctant to go back to school. If kids will make fun over you over lame things like a haircut or an outfit, Kasey knows, a year in a mental institution is sure to be excellent mocking material.
Surprisingly, however, Kasey is welcomed by a group of girls including a new student, one of Alexis‘ old friends, and even Kasey’s former BFF, a girl whose arm she broke in the first book. Together, the girls meet regularly at one another’s homes and form a club that focuses on self-improvement. So everything is OK, right?
We’re all too smart to believe that. Alexis investigates further - using both her intelligence and a Ouija board - and realizes that these little models of perfection are messing with things better left alone. Afraid that her sister will end up trotting down the same supernatural path that almost got them all killed in the first book, Alexis begins attending the meetings herself. And that’s when everything in her life starts going incredibly...right - and that is so wrong.
Will Alexis have the strength to look beyond all of the amazing new gifts she has received in order to fight a force that seems stronger than all of them? I guess you’ll just have to read it for yourself.
LAME FACTOR: Although this book was not as awesomely scary as the first, it was sufficiently creepy to make it an excellent read. I definitely give it a 0 for lameness.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: Finally, someone who realizes that a YA book can actually survive on an interesting plot and excellent writing instead of sex, drugs, and assorted misdeeds. Unless your parents‘ have a problem with the supernatural, they’ll be fine.
BRAIN POWER: The writing here is very good but entirely understandable. Now that the, “this is too hard” excuse is out of the way, go read it.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
Let me just say that repeated use of the word “poop” when referring to something/someone other than a dog or a baby is a pretty good indication that I’m probably not going to love a book. Throw in a some more bodily function terminology and I’m going to have a hard time keeping the eye rolling to a minimum.
Potty language aside, Into the Wild Nerd Yonder wasn’t bad. OK, so that’s not exactly high praise, but it’s the best I can do. I was really looking forward to reading this book because I thought it was about a teenager’s enthusiastic embracing of her inner nerd. Instead, the book appears to be more about a girl’s horror at discovering that she is, in fact, a nerd. Listen, Sister, your hobby is making a different skirt for each day of the school year and listening to audio books. Your favorite subject is not gym, but pre-calculus. Hello Nerd.
Jessie Sloan and her lifelong best friends are undergoing a change. Char and Bizza, typical teenagers, are obsessed with being cool. This year finds them deciding to go punk - which is ironic since the last thing a real punk would be interested in would be “trying” to be anything. Bizza is so interested in being accepted into the new scene, and by one guy in particular, that she will do anything - and I mean anything. Ewww.
Ironically, doing her own thing is probably makes Jessie more of a punk than her two head-shaved friends. She thinks a lot about being cool as well, but she also thinks a lot about her skirt-making/audio book hobbies, too. And when Bizza tries to “impress” Jessie’s beloved crush, Van, Jess realizes she needs a new group of friends. Enter the Dungeon and Dragons crew.
Increasingly, Jessie finds herself drawn into a new circle, one in which being true to yourself, even when that means Dungeons and Dragons and cosplay, is more important that being cool. Her new friends are happy to see her, welcoming, and interesting. There’s even a new guy on whom Jessie turns her attention.
So what’s the problem? Well, as much as Jessie sees the good side of her new friends and the bad side of her former friends, she is very reluctant to become one of “them.” She continually asks herself if hanging around with nerds means she is a nerd. Uh..so what? And yes, Jessie, you are a nerd; get over it.
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder could have been a great lesson for kids struggling to find themselves - you know, be true to who you are and all that. Instead of realizing that being cool means being who you are and being happy with it, the book seems to suggest that sometimes you just need to accept that you’re not cool. I don’t think I like that.
LAME FACTOR: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder was a little disappointing. I’ll have to give it a 2.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: Oh yes, they might. Among other things (and there are quite a few of them), Bizza’s recreational activities with Van are downright disgusting - although not described in graphic detail.
BRAIN POWER: In terms of the other YA books I’ve read, the writing here isn’t overly complex. If you are looking for a relatively easy summer read, give it a try.
Potty language aside, Into the Wild Nerd Yonder wasn’t bad. OK, so that’s not exactly high praise, but it’s the best I can do. I was really looking forward to reading this book because I thought it was about a teenager’s enthusiastic embracing of her inner nerd. Instead, the book appears to be more about a girl’s horror at discovering that she is, in fact, a nerd. Listen, Sister, your hobby is making a different skirt for each day of the school year and listening to audio books. Your favorite subject is not gym, but pre-calculus. Hello Nerd.
Jessie Sloan and her lifelong best friends are undergoing a change. Char and Bizza, typical teenagers, are obsessed with being cool. This year finds them deciding to go punk - which is ironic since the last thing a real punk would be interested in would be “trying” to be anything. Bizza is so interested in being accepted into the new scene, and by one guy in particular, that she will do anything - and I mean anything. Ewww.
Ironically, doing her own thing is probably makes Jessie more of a punk than her two head-shaved friends. She thinks a lot about being cool as well, but she also thinks a lot about her skirt-making/audio book hobbies, too. And when Bizza tries to “impress” Jessie’s beloved crush, Van, Jess realizes she needs a new group of friends. Enter the Dungeon and Dragons crew.
Increasingly, Jessie finds herself drawn into a new circle, one in which being true to yourself, even when that means Dungeons and Dragons and cosplay, is more important that being cool. Her new friends are happy to see her, welcoming, and interesting. There’s even a new guy on whom Jessie turns her attention.
So what’s the problem? Well, as much as Jessie sees the good side of her new friends and the bad side of her former friends, she is very reluctant to become one of “them.” She continually asks herself if hanging around with nerds means she is a nerd. Uh..so what? And yes, Jessie, you are a nerd; get over it.
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder could have been a great lesson for kids struggling to find themselves - you know, be true to who you are and all that. Instead of realizing that being cool means being who you are and being happy with it, the book seems to suggest that sometimes you just need to accept that you’re not cool. I don’t think I like that.
LAME FACTOR: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder was a little disappointing. I’ll have to give it a 2.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: Oh yes, they might. Among other things (and there are quite a few of them), Bizza’s recreational activities with Van are downright disgusting - although not described in graphic detail.
BRAIN POWER: In terms of the other YA books I’ve read, the writing here isn’t overly complex. If you are looking for a relatively easy summer read, give it a try.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sleepless by Thomas Fahy
“Emma Montgomery is having trouble sleeping. Every time she falls asleep, she sees horrible, gruesome things in her dreams - and when she wakes up, she isn’t where she was when she fell asleep.”
Sleepless by Thomas Fahy was a really fun book. It’s a YA horror book, a genre I hadn’t tried before. This made it especially interesting because the things that happened were totally unexpected and scary and sometimes even a little gross. I was always guessing at what would happen next. Awesome.
One of the two main characters, Emma, is having some sleepwalking problems - as are a few of her classmates at the fictional St. Opportuna High, located in the not-so-fictional Sea Cliff, New York. The trouble is, the sleepwalking usually coincides with the murders of Emma’s friends, particularly those friends with whom Emma traveled to New Orleans to help with hurricane Katrina clean-up. That little trip didn’t go so well, either. New Orleans, you say? As in voodoo? Oohhh. Spooky.
So who - or what - is behind these murders? Is it Jake, the pot-smoking second main character? How about Dr. Beecher, the group’s mentor who traveled with them to New Orleans and who has now formed a sort of secret society for students in his home? My money would be on Ms. Dupre, Emma’s tarot card reading and generally creepy next-door neighbor. But then, I could be wrong...maybe you should read it and find out for yourself.
Oh, and by the way, Children, that means I’ve finished summer reading book number two. How are you coming along?
LAME FACTOR: Sleepless was really entertaining and always kept me guessing. A definite 0 for lameness.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: I freaked a little bit myself. Jake and the drugs? Not cool - and not necessary either. Yes, we know teenagers smoke pot; we don’t have to make them the heros of our stories, do we?
BRAIN POWER: Sleepless was well-written and had an excellent vocabulary. It might make your head hurt - but you’ll get over it.
Sleepless by Thomas Fahy was a really fun book. It’s a YA horror book, a genre I hadn’t tried before. This made it especially interesting because the things that happened were totally unexpected and scary and sometimes even a little gross. I was always guessing at what would happen next. Awesome.
One of the two main characters, Emma, is having some sleepwalking problems - as are a few of her classmates at the fictional St. Opportuna High, located in the not-so-fictional Sea Cliff, New York. The trouble is, the sleepwalking usually coincides with the murders of Emma’s friends, particularly those friends with whom Emma traveled to New Orleans to help with hurricane Katrina clean-up. That little trip didn’t go so well, either. New Orleans, you say? As in voodoo? Oohhh. Spooky.
So who - or what - is behind these murders? Is it Jake, the pot-smoking second main character? How about Dr. Beecher, the group’s mentor who traveled with them to New Orleans and who has now formed a sort of secret society for students in his home? My money would be on Ms. Dupre, Emma’s tarot card reading and generally creepy next-door neighbor. But then, I could be wrong...maybe you should read it and find out for yourself.
Oh, and by the way, Children, that means I’ve finished summer reading book number two. How are you coming along?
LAME FACTOR: Sleepless was really entertaining and always kept me guessing. A definite 0 for lameness.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: I freaked a little bit myself. Jake and the drugs? Not cool - and not necessary either. Yes, we know teenagers smoke pot; we don’t have to make them the heros of our stories, do we?
BRAIN POWER: Sleepless was well-written and had an excellent vocabulary. It might make your head hurt - but you’ll get over it.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Summer Reading Contest and 1000 Celebration!
This morning, my husband told me about a blog that a man began recently. The writer said that overnight he received thousands of hits. Nice. It has taken me one full year to reach one thousand (as of right now I’m at 999).
I’ve decided, then, that I really need to celebrate the painstaking process that has brought me to 1000 and I want reward you, the readers who helped me get here.
So how about a summer reading contest? No, not that thing you sign up for at the library; instead, I’d like you to write to me describing the best YA book you’ve ever read, a book that you want to recommend for summer reading. Be sure to name the title and author, to give a brief description, and to explain why you recommend it. Remember not to give away too much info and ruin the book for everyone else. The person writing the most persuasive recommendation wins!
Winners will receive his/her choice of any one of the books I’ve written about since beginning the blog.
You may send submissions as comments to the blog. The contest ends on July 22, 2011.
Yeah 1000! Yeah readers!
I’ve decided, then, that I really need to celebrate the painstaking process that has brought me to 1000 and I want reward you, the readers who helped me get here.
So how about a summer reading contest? No, not that thing you sign up for at the library; instead, I’d like you to write to me describing the best YA book you’ve ever read, a book that you want to recommend for summer reading. Be sure to name the title and author, to give a brief description, and to explain why you recommend it. Remember not to give away too much info and ruin the book for everyone else. The person writing the most persuasive recommendation wins!
Winners will receive his/her choice of any one of the books I’ve written about since beginning the blog.
You may send submissions as comments to the blog. The contest ends on July 22, 2011.
Yeah 1000! Yeah readers!
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
So how’s the summer going so far? I’m covered in mosquito bites, cuts, bruises, and a sunburn - in spite of many layers of SPF 70. What’s up with that, anyway? All in all, though, it’s been a pretty good week.
This week I have already managed something that you might find astonishing: I finished a summer reading book. Yes children; for those of you who have not even thought about reading, time is a-wastin’. Get to it. Why not start with The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl?
My experience with students is that even the ones who say they hate reading, are happy to read a graphic novel. Enter “Fanboy,” so-named because he is a tremendous fan of graphic novels and all things comic book. He is so much in love with the genre, in fact, that he is constantly at work creating his own graphic novel, Schemata.
I’m glad Fanboy has a hobby because he doesn’t have a life. “I’m a computer geek, a comic book geek, a study geek,” he says of himself. High school is, as it is for many people, Fanboy’s version of hell. The jocks and assorted popular kids seem to love tormenting him and he expects a kick, a punch, or an all out beating at every turn. His pregnant mother has an incredibly weird paranoia about allowing him to have friends over, so, even if he did find someone to hang out with, it wouldn’t be easy. Fanboy’s step-dad, Tony, speaks in monosyllables between beers. Even his one and only friend, Cal, a closet nerd member of the lacrosse team, often lets him down in favor of the jocks. Sounds pretty crappy, huh? Or is it? Do you think maybe it could be that Fanboy exaggerates everything? Do you think maybe if he stopped assuming everyone was against him, he might find out they’re not? It’s something to think about.
Enter Goth Girl, the title’s other hero. I have to be honest: even I’m more interested in Goth kids than comic book nerds - although I am quite proud to be nerdy. I mean, I may dress like a Lands End catalog, but I can appreciate the Goth look without actually attempting it. Goth Girl, Kyra, is, in my opinion, the really interesting character of the book. She’s pretty much crazy, running over anyone who gets in her way, and her entry into Fanboy’s life is the beginning of great things for him.
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl is a great summer read; that is, it is definitely not lame. Fanboy got on my nerves sometimes and Goth Girl needs about five years’ worth of detention, but I cried at the end and that’s a good thing.
LAME FACTOR: In spite of Fanboy’s often irritating whining about the misery that is his life, I give it a 0 for lameness.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: Uh, this time, they actually might. Have you ever taken a look at comic book heroines? Their disproportionate proportions will give you insight into what many comic book boys (OK, boys in general) are thinking about. The book isn’t too graphic, but might be over-the-top for sensitive parents.
BRAIN POWER: The book is well-written with an excellent vocabulary. I think I even looked up a word. That’s what you do with words you don’t know, children, you look them up.
This week I have already managed something that you might find astonishing: I finished a summer reading book. Yes children; for those of you who have not even thought about reading, time is a-wastin’. Get to it. Why not start with The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl?
My experience with students is that even the ones who say they hate reading, are happy to read a graphic novel. Enter “Fanboy,” so-named because he is a tremendous fan of graphic novels and all things comic book. He is so much in love with the genre, in fact, that he is constantly at work creating his own graphic novel, Schemata.
I’m glad Fanboy has a hobby because he doesn’t have a life. “I’m a computer geek, a comic book geek, a study geek,” he says of himself. High school is, as it is for many people, Fanboy’s version of hell. The jocks and assorted popular kids seem to love tormenting him and he expects a kick, a punch, or an all out beating at every turn. His pregnant mother has an incredibly weird paranoia about allowing him to have friends over, so, even if he did find someone to hang out with, it wouldn’t be easy. Fanboy’s step-dad, Tony, speaks in monosyllables between beers. Even his one and only friend, Cal, a closet nerd member of the lacrosse team, often lets him down in favor of the jocks. Sounds pretty crappy, huh? Or is it? Do you think maybe it could be that Fanboy exaggerates everything? Do you think maybe if he stopped assuming everyone was against him, he might find out they’re not? It’s something to think about.
Enter Goth Girl, the title’s other hero. I have to be honest: even I’m more interested in Goth kids than comic book nerds - although I am quite proud to be nerdy. I mean, I may dress like a Lands End catalog, but I can appreciate the Goth look without actually attempting it. Goth Girl, Kyra, is, in my opinion, the really interesting character of the book. She’s pretty much crazy, running over anyone who gets in her way, and her entry into Fanboy’s life is the beginning of great things for him.
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl is a great summer read; that is, it is definitely not lame. Fanboy got on my nerves sometimes and Goth Girl needs about five years’ worth of detention, but I cried at the end and that’s a good thing.
LAME FACTOR: In spite of Fanboy’s often irritating whining about the misery that is his life, I give it a 0 for lameness.
YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: Uh, this time, they actually might. Have you ever taken a look at comic book heroines? Their disproportionate proportions will give you insight into what many comic book boys (OK, boys in general) are thinking about. The book isn’t too graphic, but might be over-the-top for sensitive parents.
BRAIN POWER: The book is well-written with an excellent vocabulary. I think I even looked up a word. That’s what you do with words you don’t know, children, you look them up.
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