Love, Stargirl, by Jerry Spenelli

Stargirl has moved away from Arizona to Pennsylvania. It is a lonely place. She's back to being homeschooled and misses the folks back in the desert. In her loneliness, she starts a letter to Leo that fills the entire book. In this letter she describes her new friends (talkative six-year-old Dootsie, agoraphobic Betty Lou, feisty Alvina, distant delinquent Perry, and others) and her attempts to keep her wagon full of pebbles.

The writing maintains its sweet melancholy, but as the narrator's perspective shifts from Leo to Stargirl, the appeal of the story fades. In Stargirl, there was a worshipful distance between us and Stargirl, a sense of mystery, and a sadness of the narrator realizing that he never really appreciated her. Stargirl may have been put on a pedestal, but it was a beautiful view. Switching the story to Stargirl's perspective in this second book cuts away at that mystery. Instead, Spinelli relies upon quirky outside characters to enliven the story. Stargirl loses much of her quirks as she loses her mystery. In the end, she becomes more than Opal in Because of Winn-Dixie (an excellent book to be compared with, I might note), but she isn't really Stargirl anymore. And even she knows it.

How To Ruin A Summer Vacation, by Simone Elkeles

Amy has hardly ever seen her Dad (the "sperm donor"). He shows up about once a year but otherwise ignores her. So, it's quite a surprise when he insists that she come with him to Israel for a summer. Amy does not quite know what to expect. She's heard enough about Israel but does not know much about it. And her reception there, meeting her father's family, is pretty rough. But over the summer, she grows out of her selfish American roots as she discovers new friends, new love, and an ancient heritage.

The book is well written but I found it hard to relate (or sympathize) with Amy, who is fairly self-centered and rude. And her transformation comes so easily that it seems either fake or simply wishful-thinking from the author. That made it hard to like the book.

Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale

When Dashti, a mucker from the steppes with the gift of singing the healing songs, comes to serve the Lady Saren, she does not realize the cruel fate that awaits her. Saren has been sentenced to live seven years in the tower for refusing to marry the evil Lord Khaser, and for holding out for Khan Tegus. But their days in the tower are simply the beginning of an epic that will take every skill and talent the girls have to survive.

A satisfying but predictable fantasy. Based on a Grimms brothers tale, but transplanted to a pseudo-Mongolian setting, the book has a pleasing combination of familiar and exotic elements. The biggest thing in an adventure book, of course, is whether it holds your interest. I found this one hard to put down, grudgingly setting it aside and eagerly returning to see what happened next. Even if the ending was pretty easy to figure out far in advance, sometimes that's a comfort and getting there is the fun.

Clementine, by Sara Pennypacker

Clementine is a third grader who doesn't understand why adults are always accusing her of not Paying Attention. She's paying attention, butjust maybe not to the things the adults want her to pay attention. And while she has a series of accidents (like cutting her friend Margaret's hair or coloring her own hair with indelible ink), she also has some pretty good ideas about pigeons.

A delightful wonderful little book, admittedly for a younger age group than I normally read. But when you need a break from the doom and gloom of YA, it's time to crack open this book. And while parents, babysitters, and teachers may cringe a bit through some of Clementine's adventures, this is a funny read. Highly recommended.

21 Proms, ed by David Levithan and Daniel Ehrenhaft

I figured that a collection of 21 stories about going to your Prom would get pretty repetitive really quickly. Boy was I wrong. From the sweetness of the poetic "Off Like A Prom Dress" to the weirdness of a teenage bacchanalia plotted by the Latin Club in "In Vodka Veritas," there's an amazing variety in these visions. Best of all, they are all short stories so (good or bad) they are over quickly and this gives the authors an opportunity to really shine. There are unusual points of views ("Shutter") and odd characters ("Mom called, she says you have to go to prom"). There are surprisingly touching stories ("How I Wrote to Toby") and pieces of social protest ("Primate the Prom"). In all there are 21 stories here and every one of them is different and strangely unique.

Short story collections can be a rough bunch and there are definitely weaker/stronger stories in this collection, but as a whole this is a wonderful collection of stories that loosely centers around a single topic. A strong recommendation. If nothing else, it provides a great view of the variety among contemporary YA writers.

Leap, by Jane Breskin Zalben

Krista has liked Bobby since third grade (when he gave her a box of chocolates), but she's always been closer friends with Daniel. Now that they are all older, Krista finds her friendship with Daniel inconvenient as she tries to attract Bobby's attention. When an accident handicaps Daniel, Krista finds that he needs her help and that changes everything. Many subplots ensue, including Daniel's mother abandoning her family, a science project, and a trip to the city to get a tattoo. Told from the perspective of Krista and Daniel in alternating chapters.

I really wanted to like this book (it came with strong recommendations) but there are so many problems with it. For an award-winning author, it was surprising how poorly written the work was. The dialogue is clunky, important background is excluded, and the plot veers dangerously all round. Zalben seems to understand what people do, but she has little-no interest in describing how they feel. At first, I thought she was simply more interested in her adult characters than the kids, but I grew to realize that she simply had no interest in any of them. There's a lot going on in this story, but I felt distanced and shut out by the lack of depth in the characters. A disappointment.

Unfinished Portrait of Jessica, by Richard Peck

In this YA classic, Jessica (granddaughter of the namesake of the title) hates her mother for driving her father away, and when she gets the opportunity to go to Acapulco to see him for Christmas, she jumps at the chance. But the fantasy she has weaved about her father falls flat as his true colors are revealed. Jessica comes to realize that while he may not love her, there are others that do.

Fairly predictable and sanctimonious story about a spoiled child who grows up. Written without much of an authentic voice, I can't help but wonder why this was once a popular novel, but it is an instructive read: a good example of what YA once was like, before authors really took teen voices seriously. An interesting piece of literary history and a quick read, but flat and uninspiring.

This Is What I Did, by Ann Dee Ellis

Perhaps better titled as "this is what I didn't do," this is a story about a boy named Logan who is incapable of doing anything. A modern day Oblomov, Logan spends a lot of time telling us what he would like to do but very little time doing any of it. He once witnessed a horrible crime that involved his best friend and that event has haunted him and prevented him from defending himself in the future. As a result, he is bullied by other boys and their friends. Only a similarly outcast girl who loves palindromes will take to him.

The book is clever enough, I suppose, and you may enjoy it, but I found Logan completely maddening and useless. Watching him get beat up for 150-odd pages is not my idea of a good time (or a good read). Without real character growth, I just found myself terribly frustrated and tired by this book.

Country Girl, City Girl, by Lisa Jahn-Clough

Phoebe has managed on her farm in Maine just fine, taking pictures and telling fairy tales to the animals. It's true that she's had to manage without a mother and that she does not have a lot of friends, but things have generally been fine. But when sophisticated Melita arrives from the Big Apple, that world gets turned upside down. It isn't just that Melita is pretty and wears fancy clothes, but Melita pushes Phoebe to break out of her shell. And as Phoebe does break out, she realizes that her feelings for Melita are becoming more than just friendship.

The surprise find of 2007 for me was Jahn-Clough's unconventional novel Me, Penelope so I was definitely looking forward to reading this earlier work. Country Girl, City Girl is a more predictable story, but does not disappoint. The characters are nuanced and real, the plot is hardly formula (but still satisfying), and there is a nice dramatic arc to the story. Phoebe's jealousy is hard to relate to (but jealousy is always a challenging emotion to make sympathetic to an outsider). I give Jahn-Clough very high marks for breaking free of traditional YA tropes. You will enjoy these characters and they will seem familiar, but they will not necessary fit the stereotypes.

Miss Smithers, by Susan Juby

OK, back to the reviews....

It's been a year or so since Alice, I Think left off, but in this sequel, Alice McLeod is still muddling through life in Smithers BC. Her younger brother may be the one who is all together, but Alice is sorting out how to lose her virginity to her boyfriend Goose, finding a pair of leather pants, learning how not to hold her liquor, and proving that even a freak can compete in the Miss Smithers Pageant. As before, Alice is a crazy mix of fantastic insight and crazed misconceptions, and you have to love her energy and commitment.

Clever and fun writing, you either love Alice or you hate her. Several of my friends can't buy her character and hate these books, but I admire her stamina and drive, and just enjoy her twisted view on life. Juby is a genius writer in my book and these quirky books are uniquely pleasing.

A Small Request

Not a book review, but more of a request to folks reading my BLOG: while I don't mind having comments on my posts (and in fact, I would welcome more discussion about the books I am reviewing), I do get tired of people posting that my comments are irrelevant because of my gender or my age.

I fully understand that my tastes may differ from people a generation removed and I acknowledge the differences between male and female preferences, but to suggest that I can't appreciate a book that is targetted towards a teenage female audience is not true. 95% of what I review here is targetted towards teen girls, and I have enjoyed the bulk of what I have reviewed (I've only panned 36 out of 420 books to date).

I will like some books that you may hate and you may like books that I pan here. That's fine and I openly welcome comments that contradict my reviews. But let's keep the discussion on the merits of the book and avoid personal attacks on the reviewer. Thanks!

Falcon's Prey, by Kristina Coia

I haven't had a chance to read much lately, but I did mange to get this slim novel in...

Ana is the princess of Prantarr, but when a natural disaster triggers a war between Prantarr and Delmaa, she and her brother must flee for their lives. Befriending a Delmish boy, they fight against merfolk, dragons, and other beasts in the course of the trek. The journey opens Ana's eyes to the truth of her kingdom and the challenges of the world.

I found this book through a strong recommendation and I wanted very much to be stunned by it on its own merits, but I'll offer this split review instead. If you consider that the author was only in 8th or 9th grade when she wrote the story, it is an amazing achievement -- a very creative story with a good attempt at character development and a deep message about transcending our differences. However, as a work of literature, Coia is still a developing author. The text is heavy with cliche and clunky. The story needed more fleshing out and revision. A writer's group and a good editor would be valuable allies. All of which is intended as praise, becuase any high school freshman who is ready for an adult writer's group is a serious asset. Expect great things to come!

Pieces of Georgia, by Jen Bryant

Georgia is dealing with a distant father (and a dead mother), chronic heartburn, and a friend who is experimenting with drugs. On a more positive note, she has a talent for art, which is promoted by a anonymous gift of an annual membership at the local art museum, where Georgia falls in love with the paintings of the Wyeths. Through her journal (in prose poetry), she relates all of these events in her life.

Functional and readable, this novel falls on familiar ground with few surprises. That does not mean that it is bad, but there is not much new here. The verse is not terribly poetic (more like disjointed thoughts crammed together), but it works well for being like a journal.

Angelmonster, by Veronica Bennett

A fictionalized account of the early life of Mary Shelley, the novel traces Mary's life from her acquaintance with Percy Shelley to his death (and her publication of Frankenstein). Rich in period detail, the facts of the harshness of early 19th century life will interest fans of the era.

In my professional life, I have always had a strong interest in William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft (Mary's parents), so a novel which traces their equally-famous offspring is a treat. I found this particular account to be functional and revealing, but not strongly engaging. And I wonder how much interest it will hold for a reader without a previous inclination to learn more about Mary Shelley.

The Boyfriend Rules of Good Behavior, by Catherine Bateson

Millie and her mother relocate and find love, although her mother's boyfriend ends up being a better choice (mentoring Millie in photography and helping her with a school project). But mostly, this is just a collection of random anecdotes about being a teen.

The sheer plot-less and random nature of the story left me wondering what the point was. Ideas are introduced (problems fitting in at a new school, a bully, etc.) but left undeveloped. It basically seemed as if Bateson did not know what she wanted to write. Leaving us with no story at all.

Guinever's Gift, by Nicole St. John

At the turn of the century, Lydian Wentworth, after the death of her overbearing father, receives an invitation to visit the reclusive Arthuria-obsessed artist Charles Ransome. Charles is a family friend with whom her father mysteriously parted ways years before. In a whirlwind, they become engaged and maried. But things turn dark as Charles falls into an obsession with finding the grave of Arthur. The household as a whole goes to madness, murder, and dark secrets revealed. Melodrama ensues.

Not quite sure how this classic romance/mystery ended up on my YA reading list, but it was probably a mistake (perhaps a confusion with a similarly-title YA novel coming out in 2008). I found this older novel terribly overblown and pretentious (and more than a little bit silly). Probably better thought of in retrospect than in the actual reading. Avoid.

Quaking, by Kathryn Erskine

Matt (short for Matilda) has been passed from one relative to another, never quite working out wherever she's been. The experience has made her bitter and angry, but when she comes to live with the Fox family and learns their Quaker ways, she encounters a force that she had not counted on. And as a prejudiced teacher and a bully taunt her, she uncovers the inner strength to stand up for herself and stop being a victim.

For the most part, this is straight by-the-numbers finding-your-inner-self stuff. No major surprises and the bad guys are painted depressingly two-dimensionally. However, it is rewarding and mildly educational.

I was drawn to it by the Quaker stuff (since I am one). The setting in a Quaker family provided a lot of in-joke opportunities and I got a good laugh out of Matt's description of Meeting for Worship. Mostly, I forget that most people don't know this stuff (since I started attending at the age of 9, it was all second nature to me by my teen years). I was a bit concerned that the author would misrepresent Quakerism, but it was actually a fair and decent portrayal.

Guyaholic, by Carolyn Mackler

In this sequel to Vegan Virgin Valentine, we've come a long way. V has been (barely) surviving living with her grandparents, trying to avoid attachments, and dealing with her distant mother. So, when she completely blows it with her latest best thing (Sam) she grasps for something she can do to get away. And, strangely enough, roadtripping to see her Mom in San Antonio makes some sense. Roadtrip ensues.

A rather odd short novel. It has much of the charm of her other novels, but didn't quite grab me as much. V didn't do much for me in the first novel and she has not grown on me much this time around (although if you do like her, I'm sure you'll enjoy the book). There is some decent humor and V remains a realistic character, but I couldn't get into her. Not one of Mackler's best writings (but still a decent read).

Me, Penelope, by Lisa Jahn-Clough

In some ways Lopi (short for Penelope) has it all together. She's managed to shave a year off of high school and will graduate early this year. She has a good friend Toad and a couple other important folks in her life. But her relationship with her mother is rocky (made worse by the death of her baby brother when she was only 6) and she longs for love - or at least for sex. The latter is a particular struggle for her as she attempts to sort out the meaning of "love" and what she is really looking for.

Touching and insightful, this is a stunning novel and a model of moderation. There is angst (but not too much), there is sex (but neither squeamish nor prurient). We have the expected conflict with Mom and a rapproachment at the end (but handled delicately). We even have some potential melodrama (dead brother), but it is handled gracefully. In sum, Jahn-Clough is an excellent writer, creating a heroine who sounds real and sympathetic. This is not a flashy novel, but it is a beautiful piece and one of the best I have read this year. Strongly recommended.

Between Mom and Jo, by Julie Anne Peters

Nick's family faces a series of challenges: illness, separation, isolation, and alcoholism (to name a few). What makes the family different (and yet also very much the same as any other family that has struggled) is that Nick has two mothers.

It would be tempting to see that particular twist as a gimmick (either to portray a non-traditional family as being just like a "normal" one, or to get on a soapbox), but Peters does not do gimmicks. Instead, we get a very insightful and moving story about love and family that is unique ofr its setting. She shows us that while people are certainly people, that there are dynamics to same-sex parenting that differ. In the past, I've found Peters's novels to be near misses (Luna and Define
"Normal" were strong contenders though). Here, she really scores and produces a simply outstanding work. Recommended highly.