Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks, by Lauren Myracle

In this riff on sibling bonds, Myracle gives us the typical girl-chases-the-wrong-boy story. It's formulaic and we all know that she'll end up with the right boy at the end, but there's a lot more going on. Really, this is the story of Carly and her younger sister Anna, having their ups and down, but coming through for each other in the end.

As a story, there are lots of problems, among which are a meandering narrative and way too many subplots and threads. The book, in sum, is way too busy. Ironically, like so many other stories that race around, this one really doesn't say much in the end (friends come and go, but sisters are forever?). It's a sweet story and if you are just in the mood to read a book about two nice girls who look out for each other, this isn't a bad read, but there's not much here.

But, at least unlike Jodi Picoult, we can skip the lawsuit bit. :)

It's Not You, It's Me, by Kerry Cohen Hoffmann

The title of this book is just about the only line that Henry does not use on Zoe when he unceremoniously dumps her. The novel then traces, in cringe-inducing day-by-day detail the process that Zoe goes through to get over him. It's a story that is probably familiar to almost all of us (although some of Hoffman's target audience may not yet have had the pleasure) but it's still an important story.

This spare and short novel (170 or so large-print pages) holds no special surprises. Instead, it has modest ambitions and focuses on delivering on them. Hoffman has previously established a reputation for honest and frank autobiography and this wise tome has the tone of an earnest woman-to-girl chat. Yet, moving beyond the voyeuristic quality of the story, there are more universal themes addressed here about self-respect and picking-oneself-up, so almost anyone can enjoy the story. For those who believe that books can teach and entertain, this is decent ammunition.

Willow, by Julia Hoban

Seven months ago, driving the family car in stormy weather, Willow lost control of the vehicle. The accident killed her parents. Now, she lives with her older brother, his wife, and their infant daughter, and she tries to cope with her feelings of guilt and responsibility for the deaths of her parents. Mostly, she cuts herself, which she realizes is wrong but which gives her a release that helps her deal with her fears. Enter a guy named Guy who takes an interest in her and, when he realizes what she is doing to herself, tries to help her recover. But recovery is a longer road than either of the teens initially realize.

A surprisingly effective and original story on a topic which had pretty much seemed overdone. Cutting is not a pretty thing and Hoban avoids easy solutions, so this ought to be a difficult book to read, but instead it is quite moving and inspiring. The love story that develops between Willow and Guy is authentic and organic, full of emotional complexity with great respect for the feelings they are experiencing (a scene where Guy witnesses Willow cutting herself is particularly dramatic). I wanted some sort of real adult intervention or a happier ending, but Hoban is wise to avoid these easy outs. Instead, we learn that self-mutiliation is something that can be practiced consciously even by a wise and self-aware young woman. Striking! This book should become the new classic on the subject.

The Chosen One, by Carol Lynch Williams

Thirteen year-old Kyra lives in an isolated polygamist compound with her mothers and siblings. She's accepted for most of her life that everything around her (the isolation, patriarchy, authoritarian leaders, etc.) are natural, but she still has an independent streak that leads her to sneak out and read books and carry on a clandestine relationship with a boy her age in the compound. When it is announced that she must marry her uncle (who is 50 years older than her), she rebels. In rebellion, she discovers the ugly side of her community and her faith.

A suspenseful and fast-paced novel that pulls out most of the usual stereotypesabout cults and isolated sects (no major originality here!) and obviously inspired by real-life events of a year ago. Kyra makes a symapthetic and intelligent heroine, but I never got a sense for why she stayed around as long as she did (the answers are fairly obvious - family and faith - but nothing is really drawn out in this story). This made her motivations a bit muddled and I found myself mostly tracking the story and waiting for the great escape that I was sure would come. The result is that the book is decent entertainment but won't really get you inside of anyone's head. for a better example of a similar story, see The Patron Saint of Butterflies.

Love (and other uses for duct tape), by Carrie Jones

Belle and Em are in their last months of High School. Living in small town Maine, there might not seem to be a lot to do, but there is certainly a lot going on in Belle's mind. For example, there's the unfinished business of a dead father, a mother who mangles the words to songs on purpose, a boyfriend who is afraid to push Belle into having sex (even though she wants to be pushed), and - to top it all - Em has found out she is pregnant. Lacking any traditional sense of narrative, Jones's novel explores friendship, identity, love, and (yes) duct tape.

There is an amazing depth to the characters in this book. Jones is obviously an expert in this department and has spared no effort in bringing as much into the story as she can. It comes, though, at the sacrifice of the story. Rather than be a story teller, Jones prefers creating an extended character study. These ones are interesting enough to make it almost work (and it might work for you), but I'm a traditionalist and I wanted something to happen that I could sink my teeth into.

As a side note: I was disappointed that Jones never developed the Mom's boyfriend's interest in 3-D photography. Such a unique opportunity!

Purge, by Sarah Darer Littman

When Janie ends up in a psychiatric hospital because of bulimia, she has a lot of time to reflect on what drove her to purging. Going through denial and grief, she eventually ends up in acceptance, but not before learning a lot about herself and her fellow sufferers.

The plot on this one is fairly predictable and follows a slew of other girl-in-mental-institution books. Littman brings in a few original elements (boys with eating disorders -- who knew?) and the characters are distinct and engaging enough. The dialog sounds good. Littman avoids preaching. This is all very good, but the story is so formulaic and concluded so smoothly that I didn't see the pooint of the exercise. We've had a fair share of these books already and this doesn't break new ground. So, if you've never read a book about bulimia, this is not a bad one to start with, but there are lots of fish in the sea.

If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

When Mia is tossed into a ditch from her parent's car during an accident, she initially thinks that she has miraculously survived without a scratch, but as she wanders around, she realizes that somehow she has left her comatose body and is now a passive observer of events. And the events are horrendous: both of her parents have died, her little brother is in unknown condition, and her her own body is badly mangled. So, while her physical body lies in a Portland ICU, Mia finds herself replaying her life and trying to decide if it is worth staying alive.

This is familiar enough territory and the author is good enough the acknowledge the usual suspects like Ghost, but also a bit different. For one thing, Mia is less concerned with the present than she is with the past. That makes for awkward storytelling as we are naturally far more interested in whether she will live or die than her out-of-order flashbacks over her life. And it does not help that the flashbacks themselves sometimes fail to contribute to the story in an obvious fashion. I found it hard to connect with Mia and parts of the story dragged for me. So, in the end, it never quite worked: being not as poignant as Forman intended nor enlightening or inspiring.

Alis, by Naomi Rich

At the age of 14, Alis is informed by her parents that she must marry the 40 year-old minister of their church. Determined to avoid this fate, she finds an excuse to travel to a nearby village to delay the nuptial and to put herself in a better position to run away. But the new village is far more dangerous and Alis's trouble quickly multiply until she is forced to flee for her life to the strange and hostile City, where she hopes to find a new life. The dangers continue to appear and by the end of the story, Alis's life is in danger.

While evocative of Shaker, Puritan, and Amish cultures, Rich has created a evocative world of faith and suspicion that is at once both familiar and different from our own. The customs are beautifully laid out and the story unfolds in a believable and compelling fashion. Yet Rich is wise to never quite specify that this is a real historical past, because it allows her greater freedom to develop events in her own way and leave the reader always a bit off-balance. Also, Alis's fierce self-determination would have seemed anachronistic in an "real" setting. So, while the story reminded me of The Shakeress and even a bit of The Return of Martin Guerre, Rich was free to take her heroine in far more interesting directions than either of those stories. The result is a hybrid of fantasy and historical fiction that is rewarding.

Anything But Typical, by Nora Raleigh Baskin

This unusual book attempts to put us inside the mind of a 12 year-old autistic boy named Jason Blake. The story is predictably sad as Jason recounts his struggles to be understood in the "neurotypical" world of mainstream society. Amidst the teasing of his peers and their rejection of his differences, Jason's joy is writing and he shows great talent in written language skills. And while is does well enough in school, he shines brightest on an online writer's group, where he meets a girl named Rebecca with whom he shares his stories. It's a wonderful relationship for Jason and helps him build confidence, until Jason's parents innocently reward him by offering to take him to a writers' convention (where, as it happens, Rebecca will also be). Now, Jason is terrified of how Rebecca will react when she sees what he is really like in the flesh.

For its target audience (10-14 year olds), it is a bit hard to see how this book will appeal. Autism is a tricky condition to understand for adults and young readers (unless they are familiar with autism) will find this a challenging story to follow. Still, this is something to be commended in stories like this that at least attempt to make such a character accessible. Baskin certainly does this, never glorifying Jason's struggles or flaws. Rather, we get a nicely nuanced story which allows the reader to both sympathize with Jason and with the people he deals with. There are no good guys or bad guys here, but simply people being themselves for better or worse. And the story wraps without recourse to either any feel good or tragic endings.

Something, Maybe, by Elizabeth Scott

Hannah has a Mom who spends the evening doing live chat with (paying) customers on the internet. And her estranged Dad is the star of a celebrity reality show which mostly features him cavorting with young bimbos not much older than his daughter. With that much notoriety, Hannah does her best to keep a low profile at school. But she would still like to get noticed by sensitive socially-conscious Josh while avoiding the wisecracks of annoying Finn -- both of whom work with her at a call center for BurgerTown. So when she finds herself thinking about Finn more than Josh, she'll be the last one to realize why.

Like meatloaf, this is a story that is as comforting as it is predictable. But like a good rom com, it has a great sense of humor, good pacing, and a sweet heart. Things will work out in the end when girl finds boy and parents live up to (or exceed) expectations. I had several good laugh out loud moments so I can definitely attest that it is funny. There are even some deep truths buried in the book for those who seek substance. But most of all, you will simply enjoy it -- and that's what a good summer read is all about.

The funny thing is that I haven't been all that taken by Scott's previous books. Neither Bloom or Perfect You did that much for me (although they were admittedly good mind candy) and Living Dead Girl creeped me out too much. I think, at last, the author has found a perfect balance or wit, romance, and serious observation. A winner!

Everything Beautiful in the World, by Lisa Levchuk

With Edna's mother in the hospital fighting cancer, she gets excused from pretty much everything she doesn't want to do (going to class, visiting her sick mother, etc.) and is indulged by her father (who gives her a sports car). And when her art teacher (for whom she's always had a crush) starts to flirt with her, she thinks things are pretty good. The relationship, however, leaves her more unsettled and the lack of boundaries (or attention from responsible adults) makes things worse.

A strange story with a poorly developed ending. Levchuk is probably producing an autobiographical confessional here (the story is placed in the early 1980s), but aside from confronting her childhood traumas, it is not clear what purpose the story serves. Edna's behavior appears largely random. Her impulses, while natural enough for her age, are exaggerated and irrational. This suggests some form of mental illness, but left unexplained, they basically confuse the reader. For me, this made the story disjointed to the point of being plain annoying. I'd suggest giving it a miss.

For those who do read the book, I have a question: why did Levchuk choose "Roxanne" as the book's theme song rather than the far more obvious "Don't Stand So Close To Me"?

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore

Katsa is a graceling -- a person endowed with a particular skill that makes them stand out from others. Katsa's skill gives her the ability to defeat just about anyone she comes in conflict with. It's a skill that has made her very useful to King Randa, her uncle. But she has tired of being sent out to do randa's dirty work and longs for a higher calling. When she gets involved in saving the grandfather of a prince in another kingdom, she and the prince (named Po) forge a strong friendship based on their mutually compatible graces (Po is also an expert at combat) and their strong feelings for each other. However, the struggle they now undertake will stretch their talents and their loyalty to the outer limits.

Placed in a mythical land of seven kingdoms, this fantasy novel is surprisingly down-to-earth. On its face, it is a well-paced and exciting action tale with a satisfying conclusion. But Cashore has much higher ambitions for the work. Katsa and Po's struggle with both their graces and with their feelings for each other, are wonderfully familiar to anyone who has/is struggling with adolescence and much of the story works as a parable. The strong female characters are also a joy and show that Cashore (while she is happy to celebrate womanhood) feels no qualms about making her women and girls tough as nails when they need to be. The overall result is a surprisingly fast read and great summer escapism, but with substance and relevance not often found in fantasy books. Hooray!

Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen

On the spur of the moment, Auden decides to flee her demanding overachieving mother and spend her last Summer before college at the beach, with her father, stepmother, and their new baby. However, all is not peace and tranquility there either as her Dad (a paragon of passive-aggressive self-centeredness) is fleeing fatherhood and avoiding Auden as well. Auden copes with all of this as she usually does -- through avoidance (sense a theme to the dysfunction in this family?) and nocturnal exploration of the town. Along the way, she meets Eli, a loner with a past and a bike shop. Through their budding friendship, Auden learns to confront her bad habits, accept the faults of her parents, and conquer her fear of failure. She also learns how to ride a bike.

The arrival of a new Sarah Dessen novel is a Major Event and it took some will power to not devour this book the moment it came out (or, for that matter, to not offer abnormal sacrifices to the publicists at Viking to get an ARC). Dessen is, without a doubt, one of the very best YA writers alive and most of her books get my highest ratings. This one, unfortunately, is not one of them.

Sarah's had a baby recently. You'd know that if you read her BLOG, but you'd also know that simply by reading this book. The character of Thisbe (Auden's infant half-sister) plays a major role in the book. The reason is obvious: Dessen's own life is centered now around her own child so it is natural enough to want to share all of that with her readers. Fine and fair, but it makes for an odd focus in a YA story. And the frequency of the child-raising observations (how many times does Dessen remind us what Thisbe smells like? How many child raising tips somehow find their way into the novel?) suggests a high degree of distraction. Dessen would obviously prefer to be writing a story about the joys of motherhood. Also fine. But that is not the world of an 18-year girl and Auden (the book's alleged center) is frequently lost in the shuffle.

But moving on....the book is plagued with problems. Auden's relationship with Eli is strangely without spark, supporting characters lack either the draw or the humor of her previous novels, and the plot meanders around. The story itself is recycled, basically Auden and Eli are Annabel and Owen from Just Listen (but with a far less interesting dynamic). The ol' closed-suppressed- girl-learns-to-open-up-through-the-mysterious (but patient and kind)-boy plot is a winner and makes for lots of aw-shucks reading, but it is not original. Dessen can do a lot better.

All that said, Dessen on a bad day is pretty spectacular compared to the other writers out there. I may think Dreamland and Someone Like You are much better books, but none of that should detract from the fact that Dessen writes well, has a great ear for teens (Mid-Atlantic and Southern ones at least!), and creates some of the most beautiful literature out there.

Finally, for anyone who read the book: was anyone else bothered by the cover? Auden makes a big point of explaining how she is not a pink-wearing girly-girl, yet the young woman on the cover is decked out in a dress that Auden would not be caught dead in. What's with that?!

Ten Things I Hate About Me, by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Jamie is a normal 10th grader in a suburb of Sidney. But she's actually Jamilah, an Arab-Australian. Jamie dies her hair blonde and wears blue contact lenses to hide her true ethnic identity and avoid the brutal racist teasing of her peers. But she has a hard time denying that she's happiest when she's at home and can just be herself, even if she has an overprotective father and a dorky older brother.

The age of the protagonist suggests that this book is being targetted at the YA demographic but the rather pedantic portrayal of racism seems to indicate a middle-reader audience. Or perhaps racism is much more obvious in Australia? Or perhaps Abdel-Fattah simply does not expect her readers to be able to handle subtle? In any case, the whole thing seems a bit artificially constructed and manipulative. It's nice to have a story that explores Arab identity, but it could have been a lot more sophisticated.

1001 Cranes, by Naomi Hirahara

Twelve year-old Angie spends the Summer in Los Angeles with her grandparents, as her parents go through a separation. During her stay, she learns more about her Japanese heritage, helps her grandparents with their florist business, learns to fold 1001 origami cranes, gives comfort to an ailing neighbor, falls in love, and spends a lot of time observing adults not acting their best. An appendix even offers instruction to the curious about how to fold paper cranes.

The culture lessons come on a bit too fast and thick for me and I enjoyed this book best when it was just telling a story, rather than trying to introduce the reader to Japanese-American culture. Angie makes for an interesting and sympathetic heroine. She makes enough mistakes to believable and has flaws that a reader can relate to, yet her heart is in the right place. That's a strong sell for a book intended for middle readers. I also appreciated the ambiguous ending that didn't attempt to tie up all fo her struggles.

Absolutely Maybe, by Lisa Yee

Maybelline (or "Maybe" as her friends call her) has plenty of trouble relating to her beauty pageant mother, but the final straw happens when her Mom's boyfriend tries to rape her. Tossed out of the house by her suspicious mother, Maybe runs away to California with her two friends Ted (a flamboyant Thai-American) and Daniel (aka "Hollywood"). Hollywood is heading to LA anyway to pursue his dream of making award-winning documentary film and Tim quickly lands a job taking care of an aging movie actress. Maybe wants to find her biological father, who she believes is living somewhere in Southern California now. Along the way, she has to find herself as well.

The publisher claims this book is intended for 9-12 year olds. I don't buy that. Maybe 9th-12th graders, but the themes of this story (rape, homosexuality, abandonment, etc.) are pretty dark, no matter how comedic the story overall is. And that is my overall problem with this book. It has some very funny parts, but it mostly glances over the issues and ignores the ramifications of the actions it portrays. Other reviewers have accused the book of being unrealistic, but that doesn't quite capture the problem. At points, the book is quite realistic, but it's just as if Yee doesn't really want us to take the issues seriously (and if so, why bring them up?).

The story moves along at a good clip, but I found the characters a bit annoying and grating. Maybe and her friends (Ted and Hollywood) are extremely self-centered. Its supposed to add to the comedy, but mostly it fell flat for me -- I just wanted them to shut up. Jess, the girl who runs her own taco truck, is the most interesting character but mostly seemed borrowed from America Ferrera's character in Real Women Have Curves.

11 Birthdays, by Wendy Mass

It's been a year since Amanda stopped speaking to Leo. The two of them have shared a birthday (and birthday parties) since they were born, but at last year's party, Leo humiliated Amanda. This year, they are having separate parties and Amanda's day is horrible. But the worst part is that the day is never-ending. She wakes up the next morning to discover that the day is repeating itself. Every painful moment is happening all over again! And it will keep on repeating until Amanda (and Leo) can figure out how to make it stop.

Now, Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies, so one has to have a soft spot for this particular niche genre. And since the target audience of this book probably hasn't (and won't) see Bill Murray doing this shtick, it's worth reading. But, even if the storyline isn't very original (and yes, the ending is pretty much the same as the movie), Mass does lovely work with these sort of supernatural stories (Jeremy Fink is a lovely example). She does great characters too and understands the tween mind well. Finally, the book passes the entertainment requirement: I started this while I was waiting in the dentist's office and completely forgot where I was and what I was doing. Later on, I found it irresistible and managed to finish it on the same day I started it. I recommend it for fun reading!

Twelve Long Months, by Brian Malloy

As the title suggests, this book tracks a year in the life of Molly Swain as she graduates from high school in rural Minnesota and starts her first year of college at Columbia University in NYC. Through this time, she has the companionship of Mark (her senior-year lab partner and then co-Minnesotan in NYC) who she has a crush on from the beginning. She also has two girls on her hall that she goes out drinking with a lot, and a boyfriend of sorts. Much girl-meets-boy, girl-loses-boy occurs, with the occasional dash of boy-meets-boy to keep things interesting.

In sum, this book contains interesting people who don't do very much that could be considered interesting. The purpose of the book is probably to teach us that friendship is forever, but it takes so long to get there that it really cannot be the reason to read all 300+ pages of this book. I wouldn't exactly call the book boring (because the characters are interesting and you'll want to find out what happens to them), but I wanted there to be a story in all this - in other words, something valuable that happens over those twelve long months!

Chalice, by Robin McKinley

Seven years of corrupt leadership in their demesne has left the people of the Willowlands with a broken land and without a ruler. Both their Master and his Chalice have perished. Without either a heir for the Master or an apprentice for the Chalice, the choice for a new leader is awkward. The late Master's brother, returned from the priesthood of the flame, is a poor match but at least continues the bloodline. Mirasol, a common woodswoman, is far more at home tending her bees, but when the divinations dictate that she is to be the new Chalice, she has no choice but to accept. With no knowledge of the craft of being a Chalice and the ways of uniting a land and its people behind their new Master, Mirasol feels particularly hopeless. But when outside forces threaten the demesne, she and the new Master must unite to save their people.

A richly drawn fantasy novel, with strong environmentalist undertones. McKinley's delight in building suspense through gravely-intoned (and mildly pompous) narration grated on me quite a bit (although I recognize that others might feel that it simply builds suspense better). That aside, I enjoyed the growth of the characters and have a special place in my heart for the heroics of the bees.

Same Difference, by Siobhan Vivian

When Emily gets the opportunity to attend a Summer program at the Philadelphia College of Fine Art, she goes from excitement to terror as the reality of attending classes in the city (only 30 miles -- but an entire culture -- away from her life in suburban Jersey) and being in classes with students who are seemingly much more talented than she is. She is quickly captivated by a rogue outsider named Fiona who has a flare for unorthodox guerrilla art, and Emily finds herself emulating her new heroine. But as she tried to be more and more like Fiona, she also is drawn away from who she was (and especially from her hometown friend Meg). In the end, Emily feels that she has to choose between the two worlds.

A comfortably predictable storyline, but combined with characters who are interesting enough to care about and follow. This is a stronger book than Vivian's previous A Little Friendly Advice, so if you liked that one, you're bound to like this one. I enjoyed the artsy environment and detailed tour of the Philly arts scene. Vivian is at her strongest though when she just lets her characters interact, so I generally preferred the parts of the book where we weren't traveling about or doing things. Overall, there's not a lot of surprise here, but it's a competent and enjoyable read.

The one thing that really bothered me about this book was the cover. For a reason I find hard to explain, I can't picture the girl on the cover as being Emily (or Fiona). She just doesn't look the part (at best, maybe like Claire - Emily's younger sister). I admit that it's a totally irrational conclusion though!