Saffy's Angel

I have read lots of good reviews of Hilary McKay's books about the Casson family and this is the first in the series. Saffy's real name is Saffron and while she is named after a color like the rest of her siblings (Cadmium, Indigo, and Rose) it turns out that they are actually her cousins. After Saffy's mother dies, her grandfather becomes catatonic and when he passes away, leaves Saffy an angel in his will. Though her father (a rather absent father) shrugs off Saffy's inheritance, she is determined to find it.

The Casson family is great. The relationship between the four siblings and the odd quirks each one has are very endearing. There is that bit of British in the story which lends it something a little extra in my opinion. I would read more about them I think.

Love, Stargirl

I really liked Stargirl and this sequel was really fun too. The book is written as a letter from Stargirl to Leo...her ex-boyfriend from Arizona who she still loves but is mad at too. It is important to have read Stargirl first...the book isn't really standalone I don't think. But it was fun to see inside Stargirl's mind. She really is a unique character with the dramas and traumas of teenage years in her brain but with a real sense of caring about people too. It was a quick and easy read - fun.

Tell Me if the Lovers Are Losers

In general, I love Cynthia Voigt. On Fortune's Wheel and Elkse are two of my favorite books and I remember reading Dicey's Song and the Homecoming when I was younger. I wasn't super impressed with this one though. It is the story of three girls who are beginning college - Ann, Niki, and Hildy. The three are roommates and all have quite different backgrounds and personalities. The one thing (besides their room) that throws them together is playing volleyball. There was an interesting ethical situation in concerning plagerism but I just didn't fall in love with any of the charcacters. Ann was kind of a wus, Niki was a brat, and Hildy was better but I couldn't get a good feel for her. Anyway, I picked up for the "V" author on my A-Z challenge but I wouldn't pick it up again.

Speak (YA Challenge 2009 #11 of 12)

Wow. I can see now why this book by Laurie Halse Anderson won awards. This was a one day read for me and I am sitting here trying to sort it out. Melinda is a high school freshman and is already an outcast at her school. She called the cops during a party right before school started and lots of people got in trouble. People throw food at her, call her names, ignore her, bump into her, and all the while Melinda stays silent. As the school year progresses Melinda falls into deeper and deeper depression as she tells her story...as the bits of horror she has stored up within herself are revealed.

Reading this story hurt. I hurt for Melinda as she hurts herself. This book was written nearly twenty years ago and its frank tackling of the issues of rape and depression and the cruelty of high school is something that is sadly but incredibly necessary today. Speak has been repeatedly challenged in both public and school libraries though it is one of the least graphic books discussing these topics that I've read. It is an important book. There is an interesting interview with Anderson at the end where she says "Censoring books that deal with difficult adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the oppositve. It leaves kids in darkness and makes them vulnerable." I liked Speak because it was a good story. A real story that was well told.

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet (Orbis Terrarum 2009 #2 of 10)

Jeeta has two older sisters which means she has to survive their husband hunts before its her turn, and she's in no hurry to have her parents arrange her marriage. Jeeta's mother tells her that her skin is too dark to make it easy to find her a man. Koyal dark (the koyal is a dark feathered bird) is no good.

Mubai, India is the setting of Kashmira Sheth's story about family and love and courage. It's about tradition and coming of age and making your own way. It read very quickly and I was dissapointed when it ended because I wanted to know more of Jeeta's story. The use of Hindi phrases was interesting but I couldn't always pull out of context what they meant. There is a glossary at the end but I hate breaking up my reading so I didn't look at it until the end. I would read another book by this author.

Freefall (Jewish Literature Challenge #2 of 4)

I read a review of Anna Levine's YA novel about an Israeli girl and knew I had to give it a try. Aggie, who lives in Jerusalem, will soon be drafted into the Israeli Army (all Israeli citizens serve their country for two or three years after high school). While she isn't sure exactly what she wants to do, she's pretty sure she doesn't want to push paper in an office for two years. She also isn't exactly sure that she isn't attracted to her best friend's older brother Noah who is already in the middle of his military service. Though her parents completely oppose it, Aggie decides she wants to try out to be part of an elite squad and is determined to prove herself.

I liked Aggie. She seemed like a good girl with a reasonably frustrating home life. She was tough and yet had enough indecision in her to make her be a real teenager. I loved the descriptions of Israel and the information about the Israeli Army was interesting. Also the romance was fantastic.

North of Beautiful (YA Romance 2009 #1 of 6)

Terra Cooper. A tall blonde with a great body and a port-wine stain that covers her right cheek. She hides it as best she can with makeup but it's hard for people not to notice. Unfortunately one of the people who continues to notice is her father - a verbally abusive and hateful person who I had an almost physical reaction to when I was reading his cutting remarks to his daughter and wife. Terra's boyfriend Erik is a good guy who cares about Terra but doesn't seem to really know her. Enter Jacob, an adopted boy from China who dresses like a goth and sees right through Terra's skin.

Oh did I LOVE this book. There is fabulous chemistry between Jacob and Terra. Terra is such a complex and interesting girl. There are some really fantastic cartographic themes and references in Justina Chen Headley's novel, a different approach that seemed to fit Terra just right. It is an exploration of beauty and confidence and the limits we put on ourselves. Did I mention that I loved it?

Stargirl

Leo Borlock is a regular sort of guy. He hangs out with regular kids at a regular school (Mica High). Everything is just normal until Stargirl comes. She plays the ukulele, wears crazy clothes, sings happy birthday to people in the cafeteria and she totally snagged Leo's heart. Unfortunately he's having a hard time reconciling his feelings for her with his need to be accepted and popular and Stargirl cares about him enough to try to be ordinary. But the thing is, she really isn't ordinary.

I really liked Stargirl. And I liked Leo too. He is a good kid who is trying to figure himself out and having a tough time doing it. Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl is a spot on look at high school kids and what makes them tick. I am looking forward reading Love, Stargirl.

The Possibilities of Sainthood

Someone give Donna Freitas a prize for writing such a fabulous chick fluff book. Seriously, this was such a fun YA. Enough emotion to not be flat but without a surfeit of seriuos drama, fantastic romance, lovely protagonist. Just good times.

Antonia Lucia Labella (can you tell she's Italian?) wants to be a saint - an official Catholic Saint. She believes that "Saints are simply the height of Cathlic sophistication." She has all kinds of great ideas as for which saint she could be: Patron Saint of Figs and Fig Trees, Patron Saint of People Who Make Pasta, and her favorite, Patron Saint of The First Kiss and Kissing. This last one is because Antonia hasn't had one yet. Antonia has a prayer to a saint for just about every occasion. They bring her comfort and a way to focus on what she needs and ask for help. And she needs help a lot. She's trying to get through Catholic High School, attract the attention of Andy Rotellini, and get rid of the attention of Michael McGinnis...who she has to admit is rather attractive. She has a demanding mother (who she loves and can't stand in equal measure) and her father passed away years ago. She also has evil cousins and a school with an irritating dress code. But Antonia will figure out a way, with or without sainthood.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Frankie is sixteen now and no longer that semi-nerdy girl at a prestigious boarding school. She's smart and has recently acquired quite the figure as well as a senior boyfriend. But her boyfriend and his pals don't seem to realize how smart she is - smart enough to figure out their secrets and competely mess with their heads.

E. Lockhart's story about Frankie and her life as a criminal mastermind is hilarious. She loves being popular and having a good-looking boyfriend but she isn't willing to be left out just because she is a girl. The Disreputable History was fast, fun read. I would love to read more about Frankie.

The Off Season

It seems to be a time of sequels for me. Catherine Gilbert's Dairy Queen sets the stage for The Off Season. D. J. Schwenk, is the first girl ever to play on the Red Bend football team. It's her junior year, she has patched up things with her best friend, and she and Brian-the-rival-quarterback are definitely into each other. So of course everything must go wrong. Just as in her previous story, D. J. is not a "typical" teenager, but the emotions and embarrassments and insecurities of those years are spot on.

D. J. is growing up. She is trying to figure out her loving but dysfunctional family and really having to take a lot of responsibility when thing after thing goes wrong. Her life is not easy. But the hard things she's had to do in the past have prepared her for the really hard thing that were to come. It is a lovely contrast to her boyfriend Brian who has had a rather easy life and who, in my opinion, just isn't good enough for D. J. I actually hope there is a third book about D. J. I would definitely read it.

The Patron Saint of Butterflies (YA Challenge 2009 #9 of 12)

This was a one-day read for me. It's not a short book or a fluffy book by any stretch...the story was just so compelling and sad that I just have to see how it turned out. Cecilia Galante's first young adult novel alternates between the views of Agnes and Honey, two teenage girls living in a commune in Connecticut called Mount Blessing. Under their leader, Emmanuel, the people of Mount Blessing live their lives according to stringent rules, the disobedience of which produces harsh physical consequences inflicted by Emmanuel. Honey is disillusioned, scared, and wants out of Mount Blessing. Agnes wants to be a perfect believer and truly believes what Emmanuel has told her about being a Christian and what God expects of her.

The Patron Saint of Butterflies reminded me in an odd way of The Witch of Blackbird Pond - both of these books made me reel from what some people believe it means to be Christian. The way they treat each other is so repugnant to me. In both of these books, God is a vengeful taskmaster who is waiting to punish those who sin and people take it upon themselves to judge others by what they believe God would think about their behavior.

I truly could not stop reading this book, it was a 1A.M. finisher for me. Highly recommended.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

Contrary to what the cover suggests, Ginny is a quiet, shy sort of seventeen year old. When her Aunt Peg dies, she leaves Ginny 13 envelopes with specific instructions which, if she follows, will take her to Europe to discover herself and learn more about her aunt. As she travels from London to Rome to Paris and other foreign cities, she meets Keith who sparks her interest and in a way joins her on her journey.

This was a quick read, a sort of medium fluff if that makes sense. Very teenager-y but dealing with death and family and insecurity which are big topics, but it's not too heavy. Throw a little romance into the mystery of Aunt Peg and it's not a bad read.

Alive and Well in Prauge, New York

Matisse Osgood is not particularly thrilled about moving from downtown New York City to Prauge, New York. In fact, she's pretty bitter about it. Matisse's father, a well-known sculptor has Parkinson's Disease and its progressing much more rapidly than they thought it would. Matisse does not want anyone at her new school to know about her dad's illness and that, combined with a pretty snotty attitude towards everyone at her new school except Violet (who seems to be a sort of loner) keeps Matisse on the outside of her new school and home. She even consistently shoots down Hal, an aspiring organic farmer/Buddhist who is just trying to be her friend. Matisse's family is falling apart and she shuts out everyone who tries to help her. She must figure out a way to adapt to her new home and family situation or risk permanently alienating everyone who tries to care about her.

Matisse is not an atypical teenager...but she is so prickly it was hard for me to like her. Obviously she was dealing with her dad's Parkinson's disease as well as having to make a move she was seriously opposed to, but she was so rude to her family and people at school who were trying to be her friends that she was not in anyway a sympathetic protagonist. There is some fun romance towards the end of the story and it was well told, but it's hard for me to love a book in which the main character is so bratty. Not that she didn't have some redeeming qualities, they were just hard to see.

However, this would be a great book for teens dealing with the illness of a parent - I think the author Daphne Grab, really captured what I can imagine would be the emotions of someone watching their parent deteriorate in such a sad and horrible way.

Criss Cross (Young Adult Challenge 2009 #6 of 12)

"The trouble with being too careful about your wishes, though, was that you could end up with a wish so shapeless that it could come true and you wouldn't even know it, or it wouldn't matter." So thinks Debbie as she is wishing that something good would happen. Something good...to her...soon. And thus begins Lynn Rae Perkin's Newbery Award winning novel about the interconnectedness of lives, opportunities grasped, and chances missed.

The story weaves in and out through the lives of Debbie and Hector and to a lesser extent Phil, Lenny, and Patty. All of them good, young teenage kids trying to figure themselves out. Debbie likes Dan the jock who is dating Meadow who Hector has developed a crush on. Hector is learning how to play the guitar but isn't able to get much past the chorus of the songs he's trying to write himself. Debbie befriends and old German lady and helps her remain independant for a little longer. Criss Cross is a realistic, optimistic look at the lives of teenagers and reminds all of us that things usually sort of work out in the end.

Born Confused

I have to admit, I was disappointed by this book. I actually listened to it on CD. Mostly. After 8 of the 12 CDs I actually started skipping tracks, and then I actually skipped an entire CD. And the truth was, I hadn't really missed anything.

Tanuja Desai Hidier's novel began great. Dimple Lala, an Indian teenager living in New Jersey, is just about to turn 17 and has always been in the shadow of her beautiful, skinny blond best friend Gwyn. Not that Dimple usually seems to mind. She worships Gwyn and sees all of her wonderful characteristics. But then of course, boys get involved. Dimple's parents try to set her up with a "suitable Indian boy," Karsh, and in an act of teen rebellion against her parents, she tells Gwyn she would never date him. So when Gwyn meets him and thinks Dimple doesn't like him, she turns on her charm. When Dimple starts to see Karsh in a new light, it throws off her relationship with Gwyn and all sorts of drama ensues.

Here is my problem with this story. Dimple was not wholly real for me. She has some spot on reactions and emotions and mistakes and realizations. But she would go off on these crazy full-of-imagry tangents that were so not like a seventeen year old that I just couldn't believe her. She was a little too insightful...her search for identity seemed a little too focused. I related to Dimple so much during some scenes that I thought, "wow, the author could have taken her thoughts right out of my teenage brain." And other times I thought Dimple sounded like a 35 year old psychologist. I liked her, but I didn't believe her. She did have a love of photography which was fun to read about. I skipped most of the disks 10 and 11 of 12 but like how the story ended. Predictable but a good ending. Maybe it would have been better to read than listen to.

Whirligig (YA Challenge #1 of 12)

I didn't realize until I finished this book that the author, Paul Fleischman, also wrote Seedfolk which I just barely read. Similar in its short, multi-narrator form, Whirligig is the story of Brent Bishop, a teenager who attempts suicide and instead kills a teenage girl, Lea.. As a sort of penance requested of the Lea's mother, Brent travels to the four corners of the United States to build whirligigs, wind toys that made Lea happy as a child. This story describes in lovely prose the interconnectedness of people, about how the choices we make have a ripple effect, for good or bad, on others.

Monster (Book Awards Challenge #3 of 10)

Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. In this first person narrative by Walter Dean Myers, Steve describes his stint in prison and also his trial. His prison time in described diary style and his trial is written as a screenplay, written by Steve. It is how he is able to detatch himself enough from the trial to stay sane...he is terrified and only 16 years old. Steve's story is an alarming and heartbreaking look into inner city life - gangs, drugs, violence, crime. It provides a human face for circumstances that many people see only in an abstract way. It is not really a commentary on the criminal justice system although it certainly plays a factor and provides insight into prejudices that are inherant in the system. Steve must wait to see if the jury of his peers will determine he is innocent - the way he sees himself, or if they believe the state prosecutor an decide that he is, in fact, a monster.

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging

Georgia Nicholson is 14, has a psychotic cat named Angus, a little sister, and is the writer of a diary that had me literally laughing out loud. For starters, I think British slang is hysterical. The word "prat" immediately comes to mind along with its friends "tosser" and "swot." Oh yes. Anyway, Georgia and her friend Jas are trying to figure out the boys in their life, their out of touch parents, and school. Typical high school stuff but seriously hilarious when told by Georgia. At the end is a Georgia-written glossary of terms.

"Stroppy - Stroppy is a very useful expression and is in a state in between having a nervy b (nervous breakdown) and a tantrum. For instance you would get stroppy or "throw a strop" if your mum would not let you borrow her Chanel handbag for no reason other than she says you wouild lose it. You would not quite have a nervy b because it is after all just a handbag. However you are perfectly entitled to get stroppy if you can't have something you want."

That's just a bit of the fun that's in this book by Louise Rennison.

Looking for Alaska

Miles can't stand life in Florida. While not having any friends may have influenced his decision to attend Cluver Creek Boarding School in Alabama, what Miles truly wants is to seek "a Great Perhaps." What he finds is Alaska, a crazy, funny, moody, beautiful girl who throws him completely for a loop. Caught in the middle of rivalries, classes, and rules, Miles tries to find his place at Culver Creek and with his roommate the Colonel, his friend Takumi, and Alaska he thinks he has. But Alaska may be more than Miles bargained for.

John Green gives his main characters funny quirks - Miles' is the ability to recall people's last words. It's not Miles only quirk but it's a good one. Another quirk is the division of the book - there are no chapters. The book begins "one hundred thirty-six days before" and ends with "one hundred thirty-six days after." What Miles hears at day 0 he will never forget.