Fiction Friday (134)

 

 

My continuing examination of YA books continues with this novel that was released earlier this year. I read as a choice for a Teen Book Club selection after seeing how well-reviewed it was. It was certainly different than most of what I choose to read, and though I didn't love it, I did enjoy it.

The Project by Courtney Summers

(Wednesday Books, 2021)

Lo is lost. At 19, she is alone in the world and angry at the circumstances that have brought her to where she is. After her parents died in a car accident, in which she was severely injured, Lo's sister Bea is drawn into a community known as The Unity Project. The Project calls on members to abandon their lives before in order to live the path of God. For Bea, that means leaving her sister.

The hole left in Lo's life manifests in anger and suspicion of The Project. Working for a respected journalist, Lo wants nothing more than to expose The Project as a fraud. After a curious incident in which a member leaps in front of train before her eyes, Lo is more driven than ever to bring down The Project. However, in order to do that, she has to get closer to it than she ever wished to, and potentially falling under the spell The Project's leader Lev tends to have over his followers. She soon discovers that the seeking answers uncovers more mysteries than truth.

This one took me a little while to get into, but by the last half, it was thoroughly compelling. Though labeled YA, I'm not sure I would call this book YA. With the exception of the main character being 19, there is really nothing that links this book to that label. I'm not even sure the themes would be of particular interest to teens, though certainly appeal to a slightly older audience.

Fiction Friday (132)

 

 

I had meant to take a break from reading YA fiction, but recently the library I work out weeded the Teen collection and I went through the DISCARDs and grabbed a few that looked interesting. I started to read this one, mostly because the cover appealed to me, and because it was named after an Iron and Wine album. It turned out to be a very satisfying read.

Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller

(Tin House Books, 2015)

The world of adults and the world of children are often lived in separate realities that overlap somewhere in the middle like circles on a venn diagram, leaving members of each without a full understanding of how the other half lives. This is very much 8yo Peggy's situation, living on an estate in North London in the mid-70s with her eccentric parents. Her mother is a famous German pianist; her younger father a survivalist dreamer. Both seem to exist outside Peggy's internal world except when their world intrudes into hers.

Peggy's father emerges quickly as an unstable personality, and after a fallout with his wife, begins to fully embrace a split with reality, sweeping his daughter along with her. When the two of them leave their home and hike off into the secluded mountains of Bavaria, Peggy has no idea she will be spending the next nine years of her life alone in a cabin with her father. Terrified of crossing the river, and walled in by mountains, there is nowhere to go. Even if there was, her father has told her that beyond their little section of forest, the rest of the world has vanished.

This is one of those novels the joins the reader to the main character. The reader is the character's only true friend and confidant. As a result, we get to know Punzel, nee Peggy and she becomes someone we care about. She is a very strong character, yet we lament her losses that she cannot fully comprehend. And as her father's mental grasp on begins to falter, we begin to fear for her safety. 

We are never completely fearful for her however, because the novel alternates between her time in the woods and her time home, which is very effective in creating a sense of mystery and providing clues to keep the reader engaged. There are a few open ended questions at the end, deliberately so, that are meant to engage younger readers to consider options. However adult readers are fairly convinced of what happened.

Fiction Friday (130)

 

The creation of a Teen book club at my library has propelled me into my deepest exploration of YA literature in a couple of years. For the next selection, I chose a contemporary fiction, and one of the more celebrated books of last year. Written in verse, this was a very compelling novel and one I'm glad I read.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

(Haper, 2020)

Camino and Yahaira are sisters. One lives in NYC and the other lives in the Dominican Republic. They are both seventeen and both unaware that the other exists until tragedy strikes at the heart of both of their lives, killing the father they shared.

Though we often like to believe we can take secrets to our grave, life rarely works out that way, and secrets tend to be revealed once a person dies. Papi's secrets are of the later variety. In New York, Yahaira has known of his father's other wife for almost a year, but never said anything. After her father dies in a plane crash, she discovers that everyone else already knew the secret...and that there was more to it. As she grapples with a need to meet the sister she never knew, Camino struggles with how she is going to survive without the finical support her father provided. 

Told in verse from alternating perspectives, this is a novel of family betrayal, healing, and ultimately forgiveness. The language is careful and striking at times, bringing both girls to life as it shares their hopes and dreams and anxieties. One thing that I found interesting and telling was there there are no redeemable male characters in this novel. As a male reader, it was eye opening to see that this is a reality for many women and girls. It was also uplifting to see how the female characters in the story come together to support each other without the need of a male character.

Fiction Friday (128)

 

I've continued my exploration into new YA fiction and picked up this recent debut from the library. This was not the type of book I typically gravitate towards, but I've been trying to expand my horizons. It helps that I'm a sucker for alien invasions.

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

(Inkyard Press, 2020)

Set in the near future, Earth has been conquered by an alien race of beings who look human and run on electricity. Janelle and her family are among the surviving humans, imprisoned in their NYC apartment complex that has been turned into a type of re-education center. But as the aliens prepare a vaccine designed to turn the humans into a shell to be occupied by alien tourists, time is running out. Determined not to loose the stories that make us human, Janelle runs a forbidden library despite the penalty of death if she is caught.

What Janelle doesn't know is that not of the aliens are as cold and unfeeling as they pretend to be, until she meets one named Morris. Brought together by a love of music and stories, the unlikely pair set out on an adventure that might just save humanity.

Told in alternating chapters, this enjoyable debut explores the power of emotions to overcome difficulty and how love can bloom even in the most unusual of circumstances. There were moments when I felt the love story was dragged out a little bit, and moments when I felt it tried too hard to connect the contemporary fiction elements with the sci-fi elements, but overall, I found it quite entertaining and compelling.

Fiction Friday (126)

 

After tackling a literary behemoth like Tropic of Cancer, I jumped into a recently published YA fantasy. I'm starting a teen book at my library and decided to choose something new and interesting to start it off. I've also been working on a bit of a fantasy book and figured this would be good research.

Havenfall by Sara Holland

(Bloomsbury, 2020)

Maddie Morrow feels uncomfortable in the world. No matter where she is, she is tortured by the memory of the monster that broke into her house and murdered her older brother. She feels the whispers about her mother who is on death row for the crime she didn't commit. The only place she feels at peace is at the Havenfall Inn, a mysterious mountain resort that has been under the control of her family for generations.

Havenfall is not only a quiet Inn where Maddie spends her summers, it also a place where many worlds intercept in the tunnels hidden in the mountains below. It a place where people from three of those worlds meet every summer; delegates who meet under guidance of Maddie's uncle, the Innkeeper. It's a role that Maddie hopes to inherit one day...however, that day comes all too soon when a series of shocking events propel the teenager into the biggest challenge of her life.

In the nicely crafted fantasy, bestselling author Sara Holland creates a rich world of magic, intrigue, and shifting alliances. At times, it telegraphs plot twists a little too much (I had most of it figured out pretty early on), but still manages to hold a few surprises even for careful readers. The "real world" issues it explores, those of love, betrayal, and not fitting in, do fall a little flat which is always an issue when YA fantasy attempts to be contemporary fiction at the same time. All in all, I found this a fun read.

Fiction Friday (106)

I've been working on creating annotated bibliographies of sorts on imaginary worlds and their extensions...places like Wonderland and Oz and Star Wars. It was by pure coincidence that I started reading this YA book at this time, but it sure helped motivate me to work on my project. I'm going to be switching away from YA for a bit, but this was a nice place to leave off.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
(Katherine Tegen Books, 2016)

Jamie Watson has always romanticized his family's story and their history with the Holmses. He spent his childhood daydreaming about solving mysteries with Charlotte Holmes (Sherlock's brilliant great-great-whatever granddaughter). But when he's sent from his home in London to the same Connecticut private boarding school that she attends, the prospect of actually meeting her is a bit unnerving, and quite uncomfortable. Then a murder happens, pulling the two of them together to solve the mystery, just as it always did in the stories he loved.

This Watson and Holmes duo is honestly one of the most fun pair of YA characters that I've encountered in a long time. They were flawed characters, but not broken, and the touching way in which they end up making each other stronger, better people is fantastically written.  And a great mystery to boot!

A clever and extremely well-crafted extension of the Sherlock legacy.

Fiction Friday (104)

As you may already know if you follow my posts, I've currently been reading a selection of YA books for a regional Battle of the Books contest that pits teens from area libraries against each other in a trivia challenge. I've read three of the books and have two left. This one was the third and has been my favorite so far. It's basically realistic fiction, with one overarching twist that drives the plot.

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
(Quill Tree, 2017)

If you get a call from Death-Cast just after midnight, you are assured of one thing...you are going to die at some time during the next day. That is the premise that sets this wonderful narrative that is more about life than it is about death.

Mateo and Rufus are two teenage boys living in NYC. When they get the calls from Death-Cast, they are strangers. Through a series of events, they end up spending the remainder of their lives together, discovering who they truly are and becoming who they've always wished to be.

Fiction Friday (103)

I hope in these times of staying at home you are all having plenty of time to read. That has not been the case for me. I've been working from home, and taking care of my daughter, I've actually had a lot less free time than I did before I was staying home...which is also why there have not been any posts on here for a few weeks. But I'm back, and here is one book a I read.

Timekeeper by Tara Sim
(Sky Pony Press, 2016)

In this re-imagined, steampunk version of Victorian England, time is something that can be broken, but luckily it can also be fixed. Time is regulated by the various clock towers around the world, and these towers are maintained by a union of mechanics who are trained to feel the threads of time and make sure the machines are working properly.

Danny is one of the youngest mechanics, but youth hasn't spared him from tragedy. It seems as though time is working against him. His father, also a mechanic, has been stuck for three years in a town where time has STOPPED. And to make things worse, it seems there is someone out there trying to destroy more towers and freeze more towns in time. And if all of that wasn't stressful enough, Danny is also falling in love.

This is one of those books that has an interesting premise, some very cool ideas, but for me they never came together in a complete way. The characters felt very flat to me, and any scene that was meant to be emotional just didn't ring true. Having the main character simply repeat his feelings over and over and over again isn't a compelling tool for effectively conveying emotion. 

Fiction Friday (100)

One of the fun things about working at a library is the random book encounter. This comes from checking things in, glancing at the return carts, or skimming the shelves. Last week I came across this little gem in just such a fashion. I was curious about the small trim size, removed it from the shelf, and recognized the wonderful artwork on the cover. This translated French novel is a Mommy Dearest for the contemporary teen and a kindred spirit to my own books written during the same time.

Like a Thorn by Clara Vidal
(Delacorte, 2008)

Mélie has always believed she has two mothers; rosy mother and dark mother. One kind, one cruel. Since she was a little girl, she has been certain of this duality though no one else seems to see it. She believes it is up to her to ward of Dark mother and begins develop rituals to ward off her mother's harshness, rituals that grow more complicated and all consuming.

The brevity of this book is where it finds its power. It is an intense read, a painful read, a read that makes you feel for the main character, makes you want to be the one who is there for her when no one else is. To be honest, Mélie reminds me a lot of characters I've created in my books. She could be soul mates with Elizabeth (from Tomorrow, Maybe and Thief), with Lacie (from Perfect World), with Sabrina (from Life is But a Dream). 

Mélie was written with the same kind of intensity, and therefore, I'm not surprised to see reader reviews similar to those of my books. Basically, some people are turned off by characters like this. I'm not one of those readers. This is a book that really struck me and will stay with me. And if you are fans of any of those books of mine that I mentioned, I highly recommend reading this.

Stealing Trinkets...

I first heard about this Netflix original series over the summer through a YA book blog service that I belong to through work. Based on a YA novel, I thought it would definitely be worth a look. After all, Netflix has positioned itself as one of the leaders in translating kid and teen lit into quality television.

The story follows Elodie as she moves to Portland from New Mexico after her mother tragically died in a car crash, a car driven by Elodie. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, and in YA it rarely is, Elodie also has a bit of a shoplifting problem. 

It turns, there are two other girls in her new school with a similar problem, two girls who Elodie would probably never be friends with if they hadn't found comfort in this shared problem.

The show starts off pretty slow, and pretty catty. It feels a little too formulaic in the beginning, but once the story brings these three characters together, it really begins to click. The story of their friendship is stronger than the story of their problems, which is the way it should be. 

A solid show that got better over time. A second season is already in the works.

Fiction Friday (95)

I know that I said previously that I was going to stay away from YA for a bit, but I'd been reading so much about this book that when my library got it, I decided to read it. I love the idea of this book, I love the fact that a book like this was published and so well received. What I did not love unfortunately, was this book. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite for me. However, I do believe the intended audience will like it.

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
(Make Me a World, 2019)

Pet is a story of angels and monsters. 

Pet is the story of hidden danger and danger that goes unnoticed because people have stopped looking and stopped believing that danger exists. It's a story about what happens in a utopian society that believes there are no such things as monsters anymore.

In the safe world of Lucille (name of the place, not a character), Jam (a young girl) has been wrapped in this sense of safety her entire life. It has allowed her to exist peacefully despite traits that in our world would cause immense struggle. However, Jam is curious about angels and monsters. Perhaps because she is curious, Jam discovers that the safety she exists in might not be as perfect as she has been told.

This is a story that tends to reduce everything to allegory. It serves as a warning to readers not to forget the struggles of the past, the evils of the past, and to be ever vigilant to prevent the worst of history from repeating itself. The trade-off with allegory however is that it simplifies the very intense and important issues it is addressing. I felt as though this were the case in Pet. For me personally, I found it lacking the kind of intensity, lyricism, and imagery that I typically crave. However, for the intended audience (for this book, I'd say a mature 11 and up), I think the allegory is effective, making this a very beneficial book for young readers.

Fiction Friday (93)

So, I've finished my YA blitz, something I should try to do at least once a year. I had my conference last week where I discussed the last six books that I've reviewed here. I don't often have the opportunity to talk with others about books that I've read in real time, so it was very refreshing to do so. (Guess I should join a book club). Anyway, it was good to talk about these books and get the perspective of others. It was interesting that my favorite of the six book I read seemed to be everybody else's least favorite, but that's kind of the story of my life, which is just fine with me.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
(Hyperion, 2012)

Caught in Nazi occupied France without your documentation is less than idea if you're a spy for the Allies. The book opens with Julie (code name: verity), a prisoner of the Gestapo. Rather than face endless torture and certain death, she chooses to write a narrative of everything she knows. 

In her narrative, written on any scrap of paper they can find to give her, she tells the story of her friendship with Maddie, the pilot who flew her to France in the cover of night and reveals secrets of the Allie operations. Other prisoners consider her a traitor, but is she? What is the truth behind what she reveals to the Nazis? 

In the second part of the book, we get Maddie's version of events and through it, discover Julie's incredible courage. 

The most fascinating part of this book is the way truth is examined, and how the reader is always gullible to the perspective of the narrator. This is a concept I've played with before in companion books and it was done very well here. The one thing that truly bothered me was Julie's voice and the premise that the Gestapo would tolerate her ramblings for as long as they did. I also had no idea how old the characters were supposed to be. As a YA novel, you'd expect them to be teenagers, but that was simply not possible. So that confused me a little bit and for a long time prevented me from engaging with the text. But all of that was more a mater of taste than a criticism of the book. Though not my favorite, I can see why people really enjoy it.

Fiction Friday (92)

With five out of six required YA reads out of the way, get set for a long pause to come before I read another YA novel. There's still one more to go, so it's not coming yet, but I do believe I will invest in another genre next, even though I have enjoyed all of the five books so far. But I am starting to remember some of the things I grew to not like about a lot of YA fiction, mainly their lack of literary writing and tendency to veer toward popular fiction. That I'm seeing this in books that are widely acclaimed tells me something about the vast glut of publishing for the age group. But, I'm ranting and what I really want to do is rave (a little bit) about the latest book I read. Enjoy.

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
(S&S, 2015)

Simon Spier is a junior in High School, and if that alone weren't horrible enough, he is also being blackmailed by a classmate. The deal is simple, Simon is to help this kid with the girl he likes, in exchange, this kid won't reveal to the world that he learned through snooping that Simon is gay. Seems totally fair, right?

Needless to say, Simon half-hardheartedly goes along, mostly to protect the boy he's been emailing with. Things cruise along pretty okay for Simon, until that other kid breaks the deal and Simon suddenly finds his place in the world up-ended.

Despite the premise, this is a delightful read. The friendships between the characters are truly heartwarming. Simon is a joy to listen to in all his quirks and flaws and strengths. And on the surface, it's just a very fun book. The whole "falling in love over email" was beautifully done.

Digging deeper is where I found myself a little unsure of the book as a whole. As I mentioned, the characters are a delight to be around, and perhaps they are little too delightful. There is nearly no tension between characters in the book, and when it does arise, it's a little too easily overcome (with the exception of the blackmailer, which I thought was handled expertly). And while there is some amount of push back from others towards Simon's outing, everything was a bit too "in a perfect world" kind of thing going on. And while I know the world is far more accepting that it used to be, I still think this was a bit on the unrealistic side. There was also something about Bram's character that felt a lot less real once we knew him than he did when he was just as voice.

Fiction Friday (91)

The YA blitz continues on with the fourth book in my required reading. This one falls under the theme of social media in teen romance, though social media plays a very limited role in this book. The focus is less on any form of social media interaction, but old school letters and notes, which essentially serve the same purpose. Social media is just modern form of communicating through the written word, but with photographs. Either way, it was a fun read.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
(S&S, 2014)

There are moments when every teenager feels his or her life has been completely undone by an embarrassment that is totally unrecoverable in scope. For Lara Jean, this happens when several old love letters she wrote to boys she's had crushes on are mysteriously mailed to them. 

The very concept is brilliant, one that anyone could relate to. We all keep our crushes secret, and even if we are long over them, having them revealed can be mortifying...especially if one of them happens to be a close friend, who is also your sister's boyfriend, and who you happen to still be in love with. 

A twist of fate provides Lara Jean with a way to save face when dreamy Peter offers to pretend to be her boyfriend, in a relationship of mutual benefit. What was supposed to be a charade, leads to unexpected consequences and self-discovery in this page-turning read.

The strength of this book is the dialogue. Jenny Han has a great ear for writing dialogue that feels very real and be both touching and hilarious.

Fiction Friday (90)

Well, now I'm half way through my required YA reading and each book keeps getting better. I can only hope the next three books I need to read are as enjoyable as the first three. This review is of the second book in the "Who Can You Trust" theme and it was a great one. I love discovering books that I probably would never have picked up on my own.

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
(MacMillan, 2015)

Faith's world has always been a rather limited one. The adolescent daughter of a Reverend in Victorian England, the world does not contain many open doors for her. But all of that changes when her family moves to a small island in the English Channel under the pretense of her father, a respected natural scientist, joining a fossil expedition.

On the journey to the island, Faith discovers the first of many secrets that will soon be revealed to her. Desperate to know the truth, to not be shut out from the world simply because she's a girl, Faith resorts to stealth and prying. It isn't long before she finds herself in the middle of events far more complicated than she could've imagined.

This is a very well written piece of literature. On the surface, it's a murder mystery involving religious and scientific intrigue. Under the surface, it's a compelling story about a young girl who refuses to accept the place of women in her society, and a revelation that there were many women working very hard within those rigid rules to circumvent them. In many ways, it's a feminist text, turning ancient religious stories condemning female curiosity (Pandora's box, Eve and the Tree of Knowledge) while turning them on their head.

Absolutely engrossing and clever.

Fiction Friday (89)

The YA binge continues as I'm now two thirds done my required reading for the October conference that I'm attending. This book belonged in the grouping about trust and is a book that has been hugely successful the past few years. Very much a page-turner that I breezed through.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
(Delacorte Press, 2017)

Everyone has secrets, but are their secrets worth killing for? When Simon, the self-proclaimed King of Gossip at Bayview High School is murdered, everyone in the room with him becomes a suspect.

As Simon was on the verge of posting their deepest hidden secrets, all four kids have motive: Bronwyn, the brain; Nate, the drug dealer; Addy, the homecoming queen; and Cooper, the All-American baseball star. At first, all are unlikely suspects, but as their secrets are slowly and carefully revealed to both the reader and the other characters, each becomes more suspicious.

It's no wonder this exceptionally well-crafted mystery has been so popular since it was published. It's also no wonder that it's currently in development for a TV series on Netflix. It's a gripping, page-turning story that is fairly irresistible. All of the characters are compelling, show growth, and feel very real. To make it all better, there's a surprise twist at the end, the kind of surprise twist that is believable (mostly).

* Spoiler Alert: Stop reading below if you haven't read the book and are planning to do so:

So, I liked the ending, but I have to say, I'm not sure I'm convinced Jake would be able to fake his relationship with Addy while he and Simon planned this. I mean, he must have known for weeks. AND, if he was able to fake it, he never would have then been able to express the level of anger when he supposedly found out from Addy. And then to keep all of this going for so long...I mean, sure, it's possible someone could be so possessive, but if that's Jake, I just think there needed to be more shown than simply asking her to change her clothes for a party.

Fiction Friday (88)

As I mentioned in my last Fiction Friday, I'm taking part in an all day conference this October related entirely to YA books. As a result, I have six books to read before that conference and am finally getting started on that. Here are my thoughts on the first one, a book that after the first 50 pages, I was sure I was going to hate, but ended up really enjoying.

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
(S&S 2018)

Alternating between two main characters, this novel is essentially a story about how two people can fall in love. It is as much about the way they fall in love as it is about being in love. 

Penny is an Asian American girl starting her freshman year at University of Texas when she meets her new roommate's "uncle", twenty-one year old Sam who is an Austin native from a time before Austin was hipster central. The two quickly become secret texting buddies, sharing deeply personal thoughts, opinions, and feelings that neither is really adept at sharing in real life. Over the course of Penny's first semester, this friendship evolves into a romantic relationship.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this book is the way it develops a relationship through a series of text conversations. When there is so much focus on the negative aspects of texting and social media, and basically any form of "virtual" relationships, this book shows the other side. It examines that core power of these type of relationships, that it can be far easier to be honest in the virtual world, which can be a bad thing, but can also be a beautiful thing. 

I found this book to be a little bit of a slow starter, and admit to not really liking either character all that much in the beginning. However, as they got to know each other, the reader gets to know them better and discovers there are real reasons for some of their unlikable characteristics. Very entertaining, and a nice change of pace from all the negative conversations about this aspect of the world we live in.

Fiction Friday (62)

Well, one good thing about taking a graduate course that requires the reading of two novels per week is that I'm back into the reading groove and have been encountering YA books that I never would have picked up or come across if I hadn't been forced by way of assignments to chose them. This week we did Fantasy and instead of the usual fare, I picked up this book which was fascinating and about JuJu magic, something I knew little about but am certainly intrigued by. This book is packed with imagination, something you all know that I admire. Enjoy.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
(Viking, 2011)



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Sunny is a bit of an outsider in her Igbo community in Nigeria. As she states in the beginning of the novel, she confuses people. She was born in America, then her parents returned to Nigeria. So she is American and Igbo. But neither of those qualities are what truly make her an outsider, being an albino is mostly to blame for that. In Igbo communities, albinos are thought of as people who are half ghost, having one part of themselves existing in the spirit world.

Sunny never believed that superstition, at least not until she sees a vision of the end of the world in the flame of a candle. With the help of her mysterious new friends, Orlu, Chichi and Sasha, she begins to learn the secrets hidden within her community, and in her own past. Perhaps the superstitions are more than simple folklore? Perhaps Sunny really does have a connection to the spirit world? But will her connection, and the juju magic that she learns really be enough to put an end to the Black Hat killer's murder spree or prevent the end of the world from actually happening?

This was a unique kind of fantasy novel, one that was so full of effortless imagination. Nothing felt forced or over-explained. There were moments where I wished it would have gone into more explanation, but I also enjoyed how it left a lot for the reader  to imagine. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Fiction Friday (61)

I continue to make my way through a pile of YA novels for my current graduate course and am back to share my thoughts on the latest one. This week, I had to read a selection in the "street fiction" genre, which I must say, I find the name of the genre to be slightly racist as it's all about black urban teens. But not all black teens are "street" and not all "street" teens are black, so it kind of bothers me and I can't help but feel there is a marginalization going on here. That said, I enjoyed the book that I read. Told in alternating letters written between a boyfriend in jail and his girlfriend on the outside. There were rare moments in the text where I felt the voices were a little off, but not enough to turn me off. Enjoy.

Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon
(St. Martin's Griffen, 2005)

Antonio and Natasha are madly in love and plan to spend the rest of their lives together. But when Antonio is sent “upstate” for the murder of his dad, all their hopes and dreams for the future fall into jeopardy. No longer able to spend their days hanging out together in Harlem or even see each other face-to-face, they write each other letters to stay close. But can their love survive if they are separated from each other?

Told in alternating letters, this novel set in the early '90s details the strain that circumstances take on young love. Young love is hard enough to keep alive under the best of circumstances, but when you add an obstacle like a 10year felony sentence, it is nearly impossible for the two lovers not to grow apart. Antonio has his own demons to face as he comes to realize the harsh reality of his circumstances, meanwhile Natasha slowly realizes that she can't put her life on hold. And though it's clear that these two are growing apart, you never stop rooting from to pull through.

While this is a compelling love story on the surface, under the surface there is much to think about and consider. The backdrop of this love story is the toll heavy incarceration of black males has on the communities and families in their lives, the racially unbalanced legal system in our country, and the struggle facing those who try to raise themselves up from poverty and hardship. Written in an honest, straightforward style that pulls no punches, this is a compelling novel about teen life in a specific place and specific time that can be universally impactful.

Fiction Friday (60)

So this past week, I read a book that had been on my "To-Read" shelves forever. I always avoided this book because I don't usually like to read realistic YA fiction in fear that it will influence things I'm working on. But given that I had to read one for class, I figured it was high time I read this and I could kick myself for not reading it sooner because I absolutely loved it. What a wonderful book! Enjoy.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
(Penguin, 1999)

Silence suffocates Melinda as she begins her Freshman year at Merryweather High. Isolated by her friends and despised by upperclassmen for breaking up an end-of-summer party, Melinda begins what are supposed to be the best years of her of life as a complete outcast. Part of her believes that things could be different if people only knew the horrible secret of that night at the party when she called the police, but a louder part of her fears that nobody will believe her...so she remains silent. As the school year progresses, Melinda's problems grow. Her grades suffer, her family life becomes more a struggle, and she worries that her secret will eventually drive her to madness. But just like the seeds she studies in Biology and the trees she attempts to create in Art class, growth is inevitable and Melinda finds her voice when she needs it most.

On the surface, Speak is the story of a victim. Melinda is the victim of a horrific crime and a victim of social banishment, but she is more than just a victim. She is an intelligent, compassionate, and courageous young woman that the reader gets to meet thanks to the confessional tone of the writing. Her outsider perspective allows her to identify the absurdity of high school, which she relates in many hysterical observations. The character refuses to be defined by what has happened to her, and likewise the book refuses to be defined as a novel about rape.

Ultimately satisfying and poignant! One of those rare novels that brought to me to tears.