The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
One of the signs of a great book, in my humble opinion, is that the book stays with you when you turn to that last page. While I was skeptical of how good the Hunger Games could be, after all, with all that hype it would just disappoint, I found myself riveted from the early pages. And while I finished the book a couple of days ago, I'm still thinking about the characters and the plot and wondering what happens next.

What used to be North America is now the country of Panem. A country that is led by the Capital city, which controls 12 outlying cities. Years before, there had been a rebellion, and the capital had quashed the rebellion, but to punish the people the Hunger Games were instituted.

2 children, a boy and a girl, between the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen each year. They are put into an arena and must fight to the death. There can only be one victor. The one who is the last to live.

When Katniss's 12-year-old sister is chosen, she offers to go in her place. It's up to her to survive. But can she keep her humanity while fighting to the death?

The characterization was so rich. The plot so deep, that it was hard not to think and wonder on the characters. Does she keep her humanity? Can she? Will she try to overthrow the government?

I know there's a lot of hype for this title, but it's hype that is well deserved.

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Jumped

Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
Told in 3 POVs - this is the story of one girl getting jumped in her high school for the most innocuous offense. When Trina cuts through Dominique and her friends early in the morning, Domnique, already infuriated by the fact that she was benched from her basketball team decides to jump Trina at 2:45 p.m. when school ends. Leticia witnesses the episode - and though excitedly tells her friend - does not warn Trina or go to the authorities to try and prevent it.

The action moves very slowly - taking us through the girls' day in school. The final jump scene is just pages from the end and the scene itself is a bit muddled and incoherent. It took away from the horror of such a scene.

In addition, the 10 page follow-up to the jumping leaves readers quite blah, because in the end - no one (except maybe Trina, the victim) has grown. Dominique has no remorse. Leticia is still spoiled and reveling in the action, but never wondering if it's wrong.

This is a book that has so much potential and fell very short. One thing Williams-Garcia did manage was to truly capture the voices of urban teenagers.


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WinterGirls

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
4 students borrowed this book before I had the opportunity to take this one home. They all came back with similar feelings: This was too sad. Some loved it because it was so sad and intense and others couldn't finish it. So I knew what I was in for, but - wow! - what an intense read. I haven't had that in ages.



The story is about Lia, an 18-year-old girl battling Anorexia-Nervosa. Her best friend Cassie just died. Cassie was Bulimic, not anorexic and their friendship had been on the brink for months. Lia is haunted by Cassie as she struggles with her illness.



This still doesn't top Anderson's first novel, Speak. But it's a close second. I'm sure come award time this title will be making waves.






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The Eternal Smile

The Eternal Smile: Three Stories by Gene Luen Yang

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Not everything is what it seems. Compelling. Wonderful artwork. Worthwhile book to read more than once.


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Audrey, Wait!

Audrey, Wait!
By Robin Benway
Razorbill (a division of the Penguin Group USA)
ISBN 978-1-59514-191-0 $16.99 320 p.
April 2008
Ages 14 and up

It’s been a really long time since I’ve updated this blog! At one point, I promised myself, that I’d post about a book a month. The dumb thing is, I’ve been reading a lot more than that, but haven’t had the time to sit and write about what I’m reading.

But Audrey, Wait! put me in the mood to blog again. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I picked this up after hearing about it on a YA literature discussion group. The reviews were unclear as to age appropriateness, and I knew that before purchasing this title for my library’s (middle school) collection, I would have to read it for myself. I’m glad I did.

Here’s the scoop: Audrey Cuttler is an ordinary 16-year-old girl who’s obsessed with music. Her first boyfriend, Evan, is part of a band, but when she realizes that he cares more about himself, his band, and music she decides to break it off.

Using the pain of the break-up Evan writes a song titled, Audrey, Wait. The song is an immediate hit, and because some music exec. is at the concert, Evan’s band the Do Gooders are signed on. The song goes from college radio, to national radio, to national TV. And Audrey, the subject of the song is in middle of all of it.

Audrey can do without the notoriety. But she is in the center of it all. She’s getting calls from reporters, offers to star in a reality TV shows, and offers to endorse lip gloss products. Not to mention she’s being stalked by the paparazzi. But all Audrey wants is to get to know James, the guy who works with her in the Scooper Dooper, an ice cream shop. Will the madness ever end for Audrey? When and how will her 15 minutes of fame end?

This book is a really fast-paced and engaging read. Audrey is a well-drawn character as is her best friend Victoria. She has loving parents (which seems like a real change in YA literature, or at least the literature I’ve been reading lately.) The madness of Audrey’s life is palpable and it’s hard not to go along for the ride.

Music lovers especially will adore this title, because it’s riddled with tidbits about the music world, and captures the throbbing, pounding pulse of the music world.

As for my concerns on age-appropriateness… there’s definitely a lot of swearing and mentions of casual teenage sex. Yet it’s so seamless within the story that it doesn’t feel offensive in the least. (This comes from someone who does not swear!)

So some libraries will put this for high school age only. Some parents will choose to tell their children to wait and read this title. But for those who want and can read this book – it’s a fun ride.

Life Sucks
By Abel, Jessica
Soria, Gabe
Pleece, Warren

First Second©2008 186pp.

ISBN 978-1-59643-107-2

Sometimes, after finishing a book, we put the book down and think, ok, now what? That was sort of the feeling I had when I finished Life Sucks. Dave is a reluctant vampire. He was turned against his will by an opportunistic Lord Radu, who needs cheap (meaning free) labor to make a greater profit. Dave is forced to work the graveyard shift (the deadliest) at Radu’s corner bodega, as he is now a vampire slave to Lord Radu (since he was turned by him). Dave hates his life, or rather unlife. Since he refuses to suck on people for blood, he is left weak, unlike the other vampires around. Dave has his eyes on a Goth girl but is up against a much stronger vampire to win her affection. Will Dave succumb and start sucking on humans so he can win Rosa’s heart?

The artwork is strangely dull and uninteresting, considering the bold colors. And while the plot should have grabbed me, I think that the unsympathetic characters just sucked the life out of this story. The last two lines (of this review) make it sound like this book is terrible and it’s not. I did keep turning the pages. I wondered how Dave would turn outt and if he’d get the girl. I also think that with the popularity of vampire novels/stories (Vampire Kisses by Schreiber and Twilight by Meyers), this should be an easy sell to teens. I’m just wondering if they’ll be left as I was when finished reading this book…. “so what?”

While not terribly graphic or violent, this book is suited best for teens and high school libraries.

Savvy

Savvy
By Law, Ingrid
Dial (An imprint of the Penguin Group) ©May 2008 352pp.
978-0-8037-3306-0

Mibs’ family is not like other families. On their 13^th birthdays members of the Beaumont family receive their savvy (a sort of magical talent) that potentially wreaks havoc on their life. Her older brother Rocket can create electricity, but be weary of his anger or frustration because he’s caused blackouts of an entire city. Fish can start a storm or a hurricane. The hurricane he caused on his 13^th birthday forced the Beaumont family to move to the middle of nowhere between Kansas and Nebraska so that he’d be safe to storm and not create too much chaos.

On the eve of her 13^th birthday, Mibs’ father- who has no savvy- is in a 10-car-pile-up on the highway and is lying in the hospital in a coma. Rocket and Mibs’ mother go to the hospital, but the rest of the Beaumont children and their grandfather are left behind in the care of the minister and his wife.

When the minister’s well-meaning wife hears that it’s Mib’s birthday, she decides to throw a birthday party, not realizing that for a Beaumont at age 13 this could spell disaster.

Mibs is eagerly waiting to find out what her savvy is, and in the wake of her father’s accident is hoping that it will help wake him from unconsciousness. Instead, havoc begins when Mibs notices a tattoo on Bobbi, the minister’s rebellious 16-year-old daughter. It talks to Mibs and seems to tell her what Bobbi is really thinking. That’s when Mibs faints. When she wakes up, voices are screaming at her, and all she can think to do is run. She sneaks on a bus hoping it will take her to the hospital. Bobbi and Walter, the minister’s son who is crushing on Mibs, follow as do Fish and Mibs youngest brother.

But the bus goes the wrong way and it leads the five teens on the adventure of their lives.

My attention was capture from the first page as Law’s lyrical prose sang off the pages. Colorful characters with colorful language, humor, adventure, all rolled up into a rollicking fun read. This book is full of boisterous energy and will surely be a hit with young readers (grades 4-7). A touch of fantasy, lots of realism, and many well-rounded characters.

The book is published by Dial in conjunction with Walden Media. I imagine it will eventually be optioned into a movie and the potential for a fun family film lies within this book.

Cross posted to http://booksblogger.livejournal.com