I know, it's sad. I totally did not read this when it came out.
Luckily, Chbosky made a movie version of this story! Which kicked my ass into gear to I know, it's sad. I totally did not read this when it came out.
Luckily, Chbosky made a movie version of this story! Which kicked my ass into gear to read the classic of YA fiction.
It seems silly to tell you what happens at this point - basically, there's this kid who's starting high school, and he meets this group of seniors who are basically an orphan band of outsiders. He writes a mysterious stranger about his struggles over his first year of high school. And there are definitely some triggering parts.
But there is so much truth and wisdom and realness here.
I made a point of reading it before watching the movie, but then made a point of picturing the actors from the movie as the characters when I read it, and that strategy worked really well towards my liking both versions. Of course, it helps that the author did the screenwriting and directed the thing.
Honestly, the "big line" of the book ("You Accept the Love You Think You Deserve") didn't really land for me when I read it. In the intervening month, it really really has.
Amazing. Especially when you think about WHEN this came out....more
This thing has a serious hook. It begins with a food fight, and ends with the grossest scene I've ever read (and this coming from a lady who reads mosThis thing has a serious hook. It begins with a food fight, and ends with the grossest scene I've ever read (and this coming from a lady who reads mostly books for 3-8th grade - lets just say bodily functions going crazy in a school assembly). In between those lovely bookends are a group of kids who live in the walls and crevices of their school, making weapons out of office supplies.
Yeah, there's definitely some appropriation going on, I see that. And the writing isn't that polished (granted, I read an ARC). But this book is a mischievous kid's fever dream. And when I'm trying to hook reluctant readers, pushing that envelope often helps.
My booktalk is a paraphrase of the scene where the kid is stalked in the school library with creepy whispers, and spears and darts made out of common school-place objects. I don't feel like I really hit my groove on delivery until my last day, and yet the booktalk still really did hook the kids. And the print on the edges of the book is really awesome. And the front cover says "You can bet your assignments" - this guy knows his audience.
Picked an ARC of this up at ALA-Midwinter 2013....more
This was my first Balliett read, and less of a traditional mystery than I expected. Sum's story is heartbreaking, and very real.
Memorable for its setThis was my first Balliett read, and less of a traditional mystery than I expected. Sum's story is heartbreaking, and very real.
Memorable for its setting (a tiny apartment in Chicago, and then an inner city shelter), the father's job working as a paraprofessional in a library, and the relationships between the members of Sum's family....more
Yep, this definitely deserves all the raves you've heard. The relationships with the parents in this story are so so real. The twists and turns are noYep, this definitely deserves all the raves you've heard. The relationships with the parents in this story are so so real. The twists and turns are not as predictable as you think. The soul is authentic.
I actually miss these characters (quite a while after I read it).
I listened to it (obv), and Lin-Manuel Miranda does a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life.
I kinda wish I had something more unique to say about it, but I just keep coming back to "yep, it's awesome."...more
I was aware of this franchise well before I read one of the books. Kids in my library were reading them voraciously, at least for a season. And I stilI was aware of this franchise well before I read one of the books. Kids in my library were reading them voraciously, at least for a season. And I still get asked for them regularly. And yeah, I definitely had a bias against them in my head - a copycat of the DOAWK phenom - popular with the kids, but generally eye-rolley.
This is a collection of 3-row full-color Sunday strips. They don't have a steady narrative or anything - they're just slices of Big Nate's life.
Happily, I was surprised at the poignancy of some of these anecdotes. The one that compelled me to grab a sticky note and mark it was page 96, where Big Nate handles Mother's Day in a single dad household.
This reminds me of Jimmy Gownley's stuff, as far as the depiction of single-parent households goes. I also like the drawing-as-empowerment elements. Good things. So, yeah, I'm fairly won-over....more
I read a lot of books about and for teenagers. I particularly read a lot of comic books about and for teenagers. And I get that there's a nost::shrug::
I read a lot of books about and for teenagers. I particularly read a lot of comic books about and for teenagers. And I get that there's a nostalgia factor with this title. I, myself, read A LOT of Archie comics growing up. Not so many Li'l Jinx comics, but I'm not unfamiliar with this universe or aesthetic.
If it didn't have that hook - being a an update of a classic - I might downright dislike it. The story is fairly average for a high school drama. The cast is transparent in its strategic diversity, and the girl (our title character) is a bit forced in her empowerment.
I have nothing bad to say about the illustrations. This is printed in bright, fresh color and the images serve the story well. I mean, the Veronica stand-in ("Gigi - frenemy, glam queen") couldn't possibly be in high school, but whatev.
This might be fine if there weren't more, better realistic teen high school comics. When you look at this next to The Plain Janes or Drama, or even Friends with Boys, this distinctly pales in comparison....more
Presents a composite character who fictionally pulled off the most innovative hacking of his age. Walks us through early phone-system hacking methodolPresents a composite character who fictionally pulled off the most innovative hacking of his age. Walks us through early phone-system hacking methodologies, as well as early Bulletin Board System legends.
Which is all very interesting, but to me, what stands out about this book is the HOW, more than the WHAT.
The Outside: The cover is fully saturated color, mimicking an old-fashioned computer on the front and a computer manual on the spine. I'm sure if I was more versed in computers, I'd tell you the exact make/model and manual. The Inside: Piskor presents this story in short (like, one page, front and back), black and white, snippets, varying the perspective and presentation a lot. Most pages have six, regularly sized, panels. There are sections from the perspectives of: - childhood classmates - a fairly omniscient narrator - a radio dj on his show (who happens to be a friend of the main character) - his grandmother - television news - random people on the street
What comes through is a curious, intelligent person who's fairly unaligned, morally. From the very beginning, Piskor foreshadows how far this story is going to go, so there is a sense of suspense as we see the character's early years. Through his story, we are forced to reflect upon what we think about stretching the boundaries of technology, "victimless" crimes, online culture, the nature of fugitives, prison politics, and more. Piskor's style is accessible, but not necessarily sympathetic to the characters. The main character (and ONLY the main character, if memory serves) has Little Orphan Annie eyes, which adds a shade of everyman-ness to the way the reader perceives him.
This is a book which surprised me. It is far more than one expects. Highly recommended to anyone even vaguely interested. ...more
Awesome hook that follows through with awesome. Definitely booktalking this to middle schoolers in January. It felt very real. The story alternates chAwesome hook that follows through with awesome. Definitely booktalking this to middle schoolers in January. It felt very real. The story alternates chapters from the perspective of the captive and the captor (who are both teens) and outlines their need to rely each other but not depend on each other. You feel for both of these kids - it's not "just" about the blind girl.
Based on a true headline from the near (to me) city of Portland, OR, which makes it that much more hooky for my kids. It kept twisting in ways I wasn't anticipating and even when I was expecting something, Henry put me off and made me doubt for a good long time before revealing the truths.
Love.
Edit to add: I've booktalked 12ish titles to up to five local middle schools for 11 years. Out of all of those books, this is one of my all time favorite booktalks. I just revived it to take out to local high schools in 2019, and although it's showing its age a bit (shopping at a mall is a little different these days), the ripped-from-the-headlines elements grab every single audience....more
I read the first half-or-so of this book out loud, and the way Lamar talks is uVoice. Voice, voice, voice.
Lamar's voice jumps out of the page at you.
I read the first half-or-so of this book out loud, and the way Lamar talks is unforgettable. Hilarious, gregarious, and goofy.
It's surprising when the plot gets a little thicker. There's some seriously familial issues which need to get worked out, some broken and ill-found friendships, some romance. The book deals with some real stuff. It almost gets heavy in parts.
It's a book about finding your place in the world, about relative value of siblings, about getting a new perspective on people you've known for years.
And it's a book that stays with you. I started reading this out loud in April, switched to reading it to myself in May, and didn't finish it until June or so, and I still remember it well enough to write this review in July....more
Read this in grad school in the middle of a project on clique lit. Really well written slim volume about misplaced romance, with lots of bee referenceRead this in grad school in the middle of a project on clique lit. Really well written slim volume about misplaced romance, with lots of bee references. ;)...more
Wow, this is British. You can completely hear Anna's voice jump off the page at you as she describes her world.
My primary complaint here is that the cWow, this is British. You can completely hear Anna's voice jump off the page at you as she describes her world.
My primary complaint here is that the cover makes it look like a wacky illustranovella comedy. And while there are definitely funny parts, and the voice is generally light, this is pretty much completely about grieving. And dealing with death. The violence comes out of the blue and pulls no punches.
And the mystery is (view spoiler)[never truly resolved (hide spoiler)]. The investigation is crazy adorable, and all the characters are very well-rounded. There are many illustrations and it's a very attractive package and an engaging story.
First of all, I think the cover on this is absolutely yummy. Rich teal with colored images of the girl and her philosopher.
The story isn't bad either.First of all, I think the cover on this is absolutely yummy. Rich teal with colored images of the girl and her philosopher.
The story isn't bad either. Fairly standard coming-of-age, girl in a private school, crush on the wrong guy, Indian-American, friend-break-up, cast in a play, teenage story. Personally, I didn't feel the influence of the existentialism much at all, except as a gimmick. But it's an engaging enough story.
The illustration style is the most unique thing about this. Black and white, and not at all panel-driven. The illustrations bleed to the edges and across spreads, or look like doodles alongside paragraphs of text. There are sections told in panels with speech bubbles, but they're more the exception than the rule. These conventions fit with the "Comic Diary" framing, but I did miss the lush coloring of the cover in the body of the book.
I'd booktalk this to high school, because of a plot point involving a staged rape scene. And the philosophical content, even though I didn't feel it dominated.
Ok, I don't know if this is a spoiler, so I'm putting things behind curtains... I think this book is about (view spoiler)[stealing (hide spoiler)].
It Ok, I don't know if this is a spoiler, so I'm putting things behind curtains... I think this book is about (view spoiler)[stealing (hide spoiler)].
It tells the stories of two teenage boys - one of Japanese descent living in WWII California, one of apparently Caucasian descent living in an anonymous suburb. (view spoiler)[Both boys find themselves in circumstances which motivate them to steal. Their parallel stories strongly contrast the justifications we all use for what we do in life, and eventually their stories come together. (hide spoiler)]
One of the boys ends up in an internment camp in rural California, the other falls in with a rough crowd in his suburb. The internment story is all in browns, and is wordless. We see what life was like in those camps. The suburban story is rendered in blues and mostly depicts kids getting into trouble in construction zones and gas stations.
It is a reflective story - perhaps too reflective for a teen audience. I found myself wondering how the two stories were connected, (view spoiler)[and appreciated that my curiosity paid off (hide spoiler)]. This might get picked up by a kid who was already interested in the internment camps, but there's not a major hook for the modern-day story, and the wordlessness in the internment section might be perceived as a lack of hard information.
And although I appreciate it more now that I'm reflecting on it to write this review, overall I found it literally forgettable. I read it less than a week ago, and when I saw it in my inbox (waiting to be reviewed), I thought that I still needed to read it. Which is never a particularly positive sign. ...more
This isn't a thriller by any means, but I enjoyed it for what it was. Weeks totally lead me through the story - I was fooled at Fun cute cozy mystery.
This isn't a thriller by any means, but I enjoyed it for what it was. Weeks totally lead me through the story - I was fooled at the appropriate times, and surprised by the ending. It wasn't a pageturner by any means, but for a soothing, light mystery, this is great.
The zoo politics kind of bugged me, and I didn't feel like the big reveal was as revealing as it could have been. But it Light, fluffy, fun. Whatever.
The zoo politics kind of bugged me, and I didn't feel like the big reveal was as revealing as it could have been. But it was fun. Kind of farcealicious, but mostly realistic. I dug how close the kid was to his parents and that they didn't totally disappear as in most books targeting children (view spoiler)[(though the deux ex machina was a bit over the top there) (hide spoiler)].
My loyal readership will notice that I did not completely fall over myself when it comes to this book. But that is ok. This was mostly a good speciman....more
For some reason, when I heard about this book prior to reading it, it never clicked in my head that the narrator is British. Liam is from Waterloo, whFor some reason, when I heard about this book prior to reading it, it never clicked in my head that the narrator is British. Liam is from Waterloo, where they have a dialect not unlike the Beatles, so it was funny (especially at first) to hear this story narrated in a voice that sounded like John Lennon. I did get used to it, though.
Liam is tall for his age. At 13, he's constantly mistaken for an adult, which has many unintended consequences, and leads to some crazy mishaps. Through a series of events, he ends up being the only adult on the first known recreational trip to space.
To me, this ended up feeling like a backend way of getting to tell a story to kids from the perspective of an adult. There are a few moments when Liam forgets to act "dadly," but for the most part, he ends up being a more effective adult than most real adults are.
But it was a fun story. It's a meandering story, which felt like it could end several times during the last disc or so. The characters are heightened and stereotyped, and not entirely real. While most of it is humorous, there are poignant sections. The somewhat episodic feeling makes it a good talking book. I'm sure I missed segments, but the story as a whole still made sense....more
--I wish Detorie'd emphasized the Genius part of the title a bit more. The term "Fun, light, realistic, boy fare.
Some random, disconnected thoughts...
--I wish Detorie'd emphasized the Genius part of the title a bit more. The term "Accidental Genius" is defined in the first page or so, and then it's sort of referred back to, but don't expect a lot of plot from the title.
--I liked the use of sequential art, though sometimes it wasn't all that sequential, and some of the illustrations didn't necessarily add anything to the text. But they don't detract, and they do make the page seem a little more accessible, so maybe that's purpose enough.
--I wanted the sister to be redeemed at some point. She's flatout annoying all the way up to the end. Of course, since the whole thing is setup as a journal by the kid, it makes sense that the sister would stay villainized. Using an unreliable narrator in books like this (semi-light, sort of silly) is a delicate thing. How heightened do you make it?
--The story started out really strong (it even made me laugh out loud a few times), and became more and more predictable towards the end.
--I enjoyed the semi-rural/semi-suburban setting, and there were some nice parental moments (though the characters weren't entirely consistent).
Ripped-from-the-headlines, high action, high suspense, multiple perspectives, short chapters, girl appeal, boy apThere are not enough books like this.
Ripped-from-the-headlines, high action, high suspense, multiple perspectives, short chapters, girl appeal, boy appeal, internet safety tips, world awareness... I could go on and on.
Abdi is technically from Somalia. But he's never lived there. His mother moved to the Netherlands before he was born, and he's lived in England for several years. He's 14.
"Khadija" loves Somalia. She lived there until recently, when her father paid for her to illegally emigrate to England, where she lives with Abdi's family as their "sister."
Freya's mom is a fashion designer. Freya fends for herself most of the time, living the urban London life. She spends a lot of time with her dad, a photographer who used to cover ravaged African countries.
One day, Freya's mom gets a new idea for her next fashion line. She's inspired by Freya's dad's work in Somalia, and one day, on the street, she discovers the perfect model.
What follows is a fast-paced kidnapping tale. It's kind of obvious to the reader who the villain is, but, as my friend Jackie says, "That's the difference between mystery and suspense -- you know what's going to happen in suspense." It's heart-breaking how long the villain has the upper hand. And how long they stay hidden from their victims. There are also a few twists that I wasn't fully expecting.
I think it's interesting that Cross chooses to include fragments of the experience of the kidnappee after many of the chapters, instead of giving the character entire chapters to themselves.
Yeah, I loved it. Wish the cover was a little more boy-friendly. Wish the paperback cover had come out in amerika (the hardback follows a good formula, but doesn't go far enough). But yeah, dibs on this for booktalking....more
I'm impressed by the fine line walked by this book. On the one hand, it's an expose of Disneyworld - we meet annoying bosses, see behind the curtain iI'm impressed by the fine line walked by this book. On the one hand, it's an expose of Disneyworld - we meet annoying bosses, see behind the curtain in a lot of ways, and for goodness sake, the premise is that the character workers go on strike and a bunch of random teens have to take their places temporarily. On the other hand, the bubble never completely pops. Yes, one character is made fun of because of his devotion to the Kool-Aid. But at the end of the book, (view spoiler)[ he's given the keys to the Kingdom. (hide spoiler)]
The whole thing seems to be about following your dreams, even if they're to live your life unscripted. Which, if you think about it in one way, still says that you can ultimately Find your Dreams with Disney. The authors never explain the details of the strike, and I can't quite decide if I appreciate the grayness with which they write this book, or if I wish they'd brought some propaganda about the evilness of the Disney Corporation to the story. I think the answer is both.
Cover Note: The cover is a strong design (to my eye), but the perspective switches between male and female narrators, and though the plot is pretty dang focused on the romantic storyline, the setting is so strong, it could possibly be marketed to boys without SUCH a pink cover. Also, pink and Disney don't necessarily go together for me. After all, Minnie's dress is red.
Content Note: Light cussing, and inference of sex in the future. Making out. Never crossed the line into 9th-up for me....more
It's too easy to give too much away about this book. So, when I talk about this book with teenagers, I focus on the basketball. How important basketbaIt's too easy to give too much away about this book. So, when I talk about this book with teenagers, I focus on the basketball. How important basketball is to Finley. His workout regime. And his conundrum when Russell shows up.
But there are lots of things I don't want to give away. For instance, the fact that (view spoiler)[both of the books I've read by Quick have this moment where the bottom drops out. In a way that wrecks you. Also, the fact that I liked this book much more when I had a question in my mind about whether Russell really was from space. I like that ambiguity. And was bummed when it was taken away. (hide spoiler)]
Less spoilery things to talk about: It has a strong sense of place. I found it refreshing to read about a white person being the minority. That said, I'm writing this review long enough after when I actually read the book that I wonder if I would find it problematic now, in 2019. Like so many things from 8+ years ago. It also felt like a new take on how important some romantic relationships are in the lives of high schoolers in them. In a real, pretty mature way....more
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