Week 11: a Hanbook for Witches?

Title: Handbook for Hot Witches
Author: Dame Darcy
Publishing Company: Henry Holt and Company
Copyright Year: 2012
ISBN: 9780805093797
Reading Level: 9th grade and up
Themes: astrology, fortune telling, witchcraft, dance instruction, music instruction, fashion, history, socializing, friendship, dream analysis
Awards: None that I know of
Thumbs Up or Down: Thumbs up I thought it was cute!
Book Trailer: I was not able to find a book trailer for this one.
My Summary:This is a book which provides the reader with the tips and skills to be a witch. Inside the reader will find tips on fortune telling, music and dance instruction, fashion tips and even a little history. this is a quick easy to navigate handbook that offers tips on about every aspect of witch life you could imagine!
My Review: I thought this was a quick entertaining read. I don't think this book is meant to be taken to seriously and so I think the reading level being 9th and up is appropriate. I almost felt like the book was guide for the outcast girl to make her own circle of friends and socialize with them. I felt the term "witch" seemed to be used more as a term to indicate separation from the main stream and "in" crowd. With that being said there is also a lot of information on pagan rituals which may not be considered appropriate by some conservative readers. I felt like the term "witch" in this book was used to describe artistic women, as the author even describes her witch friends. I found it entertaining and a quick read that I would recommend to a friend for fun. I particularly enjoyed the section on reading palms. And no I will not read your palm as I do not feel I have exacted the art! LOL!

Week 10: Gay fiction a Different Perspective!

Title: Openly Straight
Author: Bill Konigsberg
ISBN: 9780545509893
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Copyright Year: 2013
Reading Level: 9th Grade and up
Themes: gay literature, social labeling, homophobia, teen life, high school, boarding school, gay romance, clique, coming of age
Awards: None that I know of.

Thumbs Up or Down?: Thumbs Up real high! I love the perspective!
Book Trailer: I was not able to find a book trailer for this one. Sorry!
My Summary: This a story of a boy named Rafe. He is from Colorado and is known at his school as the "gay kid". He has been out of the closet since he was in the eighth grade. Rafe soon finds himself entering into a New England boarding school where no one knows him. Tired of being the cliche "gay kid" he decides to play it straight at his new school. He finds he enjoys the company of his new straight friends and enjoys being free of the social label of being the "gay" in the group. Trouble looms when Rafe falls for one of his new straight friends. Will everything turn out alright? Well you will have to read it to find out!
My Review: I thought this book was great. Where as most gay literature deals with the characters coming out I thought this perspective was so cool. The idea of someone not liking the social stigma of being out and going undercover so to speak to escape it. I found the book entertaining, a quick read and fun. I also love the cover art I think it is clean and intriguing. I enjoyed that the main character himself was judgmental and tossing labels around but eventually realizes his folly in the end. I could have used more detail of the background characters but as we are seeing things through Rafe's eyes I guess it is all his perception. Overall I would recommend this book especially to a teen dealing with issues of being labeled and cliques.

Week 9: There is a Play by Almost the Same Name!

Title: Life is But a Dream
Author: Brian James
ISBN: 9780312610043
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends Book
Copyright Year: 2012
Themes: mental illness, insanity, friendship, family dynamics, schizophrenia
Awards: None that I am aware of.

Reading level: 7th grade and up
Thumbs Up or Down?: Thumbs up. I liked it
Book Trailer: I was unable to find a book trailer, but I found  this book review that I thought nicely summarized the book.

 

My Summary: This is a story of a girl named Sabrina who artistic, but her art is inspired but what she sees. She sees swirling colors in the sky and streaking across the clouds. She used to be treated like she was delicate and a special girl but now her sanity is in question and she is going to be institutionalized by her parents. Once she arrives at the institution she meets Alec, who seems very familiar though this is the first time they have met. He convinces her that they are not crazy but the world is. Alec tries to convince her to refuse treatments for her schizophrenia because it will kill her creativity and individuality.  Is it a dream or is she really crazy?

My Review: I originally picked up this book because there is a play by almost the same name called Life is a Dream by Pedro Calderon De La Barca. Though the initial plot is different in the end the main character is left to wonder whether he was sleeping or dreaming the events that took place. I love how this book was written from the first person perspective. It was disjointed in areas but I felt it gave you the feeling for how schizophrenia can affect the mind. It is a gripping novel with intrigue and intensity. The characters are realistic and well written. I would definately reccomend this book to read. I felt it was a quick read that you wanted to find out what happened in the end.The plot puts me in mind of the movie Shutter Island where you are left wondering at the end whether it is a dream or reality.

Week 8: My Favorite Book So Far!

 
Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz
ISBN: 9781442408920
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers
Copyright Year: 2012
Themes:Hispanic teens, friendship, poetry, discovering sexuality, growing up 
Awards: 2013 Pure Belpre Author Award, 2013 Printz Honor Book, 2013 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults,American Book Award Winner, Stonewall Book Award, Lambda Literary Foundation Award for LGBT Children’s/Young Adult (2013)
Thumbs Up or Down?: BigThumbs Up

Book Trailer:


My Summary: This is a story of two boys Ari and Dante who become friends and eventually fall in love. this book explores their feelings, hopes, dreams and ambitions. A tragic accident tests the bonds of their friendship. The book deals with their family dynamics and all the emotions involved. Through their friendship and bond they discover their love for one another and the challenges involved coming out in Hispanic culture and family. Strong conflicts are presented among family, friends and society. the book comes highly acclaimed by reviewers.


My Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt that Saenz captured the feelings and the emotions of two boys who are coming of age. I have never read any of his books before but this definately makes me want to read more of his work. Being gay myself I found the two characters to have real emotions that I experienced when I was coming out. I thought the author encapsulated the feelings and emotions that any teen feels at this point in life. I really liked the inclusion of the poetry and verses throughout the book the really added a connection to the characters in the story. I feel like, often authors talk about things that characters are reading and writing but it is not often shared with us I was glad to see some of that in this book. I would definitely recommend this book to read! It's hard to summarize or even review without giving a lot away, but the book is well written and has very well developed characters.

Week 7: Suspense and Action or Not?

Title: False Memory
Author: Dan Krokos
ISBN: 97814223149767
Publisher: Hyperion
Copyright Year: 2012
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up
Themes:Suspense, Action, Teens, Romance, Weapons, Fighting, Genetic Engineering

Awards:
Thumbs Up or Down?: Thumbs Down on account of personal taste

Book Trailer:



My Summary: This is a story of a girl named Miranda who wakes up on a park bench not remembering who she is or anything else about herself. She soon discovers that she can instill fear in people with the powers of her mind. She clears a whole mall with this power and discovers Peter, a boy who was not scared away. Peter explains that he is like her and that they are genetically engineered teens who have been created to be weapons. They know how to fight without flaw or fear. This book is an adventure and suspense story set in the future that follows the two teens as they re-discover who they really are.

My Review: I just didn't care for this book. I must admit however that I am not a huge sci-fi or fantasy fan. I thought the plot did move quickly and was suspenseful, but some of it was just to strange for me. In particular I did not care for the romance bit of this book as it sometimes involved 2, 3 or 4 people.  I will say I thought the supporting characters were pretty well written. I was able to get through the whole book but I am not sure I would recommend this book to anyone else. I think this book is just a matter of taste it didn't suit mine but I know there are patrons of mine who might enjoy this novel!

Week 6: Phsychology explored

Title: Cracked
Author: K.M. Walton
ISBN: 9781442429161
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Copyright Year: 2012
Reading Level: grade 8 and up
Themes: bullying, teens,suicide, mental illness
Awards: None that I know of

Thumbs Up or Down?: Thumbs Up

Book Trailer: 


My Summary: This book is the story of a young man named Victor who is is being bullied by another boy named Bull. Being bullied by Bull and having parents who are very hard on him drives Victor to take a bottle of pills in an attempt to commit suicide. Victor's attempt lands him in the psych ward. Much to his surprise he soon gains a roommate, unfortunately the roommate ends up being Bull. It turns out that Bull has his own set of problems. Bull has been abused by his grandfather who gets drunk and beats him. Bull decides that he has finally had enough and is driven to kill his grandfather. The two boys are put together in psych ward to work out their problems. In the end to two boys reconcile and find the love for which they were so desperate.


My Review: I thought this book was a good quick read and I enjoyed the realistic points of view of both the boys in the novel. If you are looking for a feel good novel about happy lives of teenagers this is NOT it! This novel provides a fabulous vignette into the lives teens and some of the psychological struggles they can endure. This is a great book that can send the message to a teen that they are not alone and that other teens have felt exactly as they do. The author captured the characters beautifully and portrayed them in a way we feel sympathy for both of them, even the bully. Well done K.M. Walton!

Week 5: Gay Fiction

 Title: Swimming to Chicago
Author: David-Matthew Barnes
ISBN: 9781602825727
Publisher:Bold Strokes Publisher
Copyright Year: 2010
Reading Level: 8th grade and up
Themes: grief, gay romance, coming out, gay life, friendship, parent/ child relationships, gay teens  
Awards: this book was a finalist for ALA's Rainbow Book Award

Thumbs Up or Down?: Thumbs Up! I liked it!
Book Trailer:

My Summary: This was a book which chronicled the coming out and first love a character named Alex. In the beginning Alex's mother commits suicide and so his coming out is complicated by his dealing with the loss of his mother. Dealing with his feelings, his best friend, disconnected father and a general feeling of not belonging are among some of the problems he faces in this book. Robby comes into the story and ends up being Alex's love interest. Robby is a fragile boy who was constantly beat up and picked on at his last school because he was gay. The two boys meet and fall almost instantly in love. There are a few sub-plots in the book that build up to an interesting climax. It's a bittersweet ending in this book

My Review: I really enjoyed this book the characters are really well-developed and the book is presented in a different format than most where the "chapters" are split up into vignettes for the different characters in the book. I was not surprised to find out that David-Matthew Barnes is also a playwright, being a theatre student I found his division of the book to be very monologue-esque. Though in this case with each new chapter about a character we have a lot more definition of who they are. This was a pretty quick read and I felt it flowed rather nicely. I would recommend this book to friends!