The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Haddon, Mark.  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.  New York: Vintage Books, 2004.  Kindle edition.  ISBN: 9781400032716.  US $11.99.  226pgs.

Annotation:

       Christopher Boone is a 15 year old autistic boy who loves math, science, and puzzles. He doesn’t engage well with strangers but when his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, is killed he decides to track down the culprit. Along the way he brings to light secrets that change his life forever. Recommended for those 15+ who are looking for well written characters with social/ learning disabilities.


Cover from Goodreads.com

Book Talk:

            Imagine doing something so far outside your comfort zone that you barely even want to think about it.  For 15 year old Christopher that’s talking to strangers but when his neighbor’s dog is killed he decides to face his fear and track down the murderer.  But his life contains more mysteries than just The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Book Review:

            There is some debate about whether this book accurately and fairly represents people who are autistic or who have Asperger’s Disease.  I am not an expert on the subject so cannot talk to the validity of Christopher’s character in that regards.  I did think that Haddon did a remarkable job of getting into the head of an extremely socially awkward and self involved teenage boy.  While Haddon did a great job developing his character’s the mystery aspect of this book was less than inspired.  The case was solved in the first half of the book leaving the rest of the book to deal with Christopher’s character while he runs away from home.

            If you’re looking for a mystery to read I would advise skipping this book but for anyone searching for well written characters outside of the “normal” social culture this is a great choice.  There is a little bit of offensive language in this book making this book more appropriate for high school age teens.

 

Awards and Honors-

         2004- Alex Award
         2004- Boeke Prize

Interested in learning more about this book or author?  Check these out:

Author website: http://www.markhaddon.com/

Author Interviews:
        April, 2004 article by Haddon in "The Guardian" about writing The Curious Incident 

        June 15, 2005 NPR podcast interview with Haddon:

Aya

Abouet, M. & Clement Oubreie.  Aya.  Trans. Helge Dascher. Montreal: Drawn & Quarterly, 2007.  Hardback.  ISBN:  9782070573110. US $19.95.  96 pgs.

Annotation:

       Aya is a beautifully drawn graphic novel that chronicles the life of 19 year old Aya as she grows up on the Ivory Coast in the 1970s. Aya, a dedicated student with ambitions of being a doctor, seems to be the voice of reason among her two best friends who always seem to get into trouble. Recommended for anyone 16+ due to sexual situations, drinking, and teen pregnancy.

Book Talk:

The Ivory Coast during the 1970’s was prosperous and beautiful.  For Aya, a 19 year old Ivorian girl, this was a time when her dreams of becoming a doctor seemed within reach (pgs 1-3).  Her best friends, Adouja and Bintou, however don’t have the same ambitions and always seem to be getting into bad situations (pg 15).  They sneak out at night to go dancing and fight over boys leaving Aya to be the voice of reason (pg 85).  Can Aya realize her dreams and keep out of trouble?

Book Review:

 Aya is the first installment in the Aya series by Abouet and Oubrerie.  As the first in the series it does a wonderful job of drawing readers into the life of Aya, her friends, family, and Yop City but the ending leaves very much to be desired.  It isn’t much of an ending per se as it is a cliff hanger meant to entice readers into getting the next installment.  For anyone interested in reading Aya I would suggest getting the next two installments of the series as well- Aya of Yop City and Aya: The Secrets Come Out.



           Although Aya is suppose to detail the life of Aya as she reaches adulthood on the Ivory Coast she very rarely seems to make an appearance in the book at all. Despite this, Aya offers a beautifully drawn glimpse into the culture of the Ivory Coast of Africa as well as the seemingly universal dramas of teenage girls. 

Awards and Honors:

            2006- Best First Album at the Angouleme International Comics Festival

Interested in learning more about this book, author, or illustrator?  Check these out:

Author/Ilustrator Sites:

       Author/Illustrator Page through "Drawn and Quarterly"

       Oubrerie Blog (in French)

Author Interviews:

        Jan 31, 2010 The Brown Bookshelf interview with Abouet

        

        Wild River Review interview with Abouet

Upstate

Buckhanon, Kalisha.  Upstate.  New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2005.  Paperback.  ISBN:978-0-312-33269-3.  US $11.95.  247pgs.

Annotation:

       When Antonio is sent to prison for murdering his father the only way he has to communicate with his girlfriend is through letters. Upstate, told in letter form, follows the couple as they each grow up separately but fighting to stay together.  Recommended for ages 16+ due to sexual situations and language.


Cover from Goodreads.com

Booktalk:

       “Baby, the first thing I need to know from you is do you believe I killed my father? I need to know if you believe what everybody is saying about me because I need to know if you got my back.” (pg1)

       Seventeen year old Antonio and sixteen year old Natasha are in love.  It seems like nothing can tear them apart until Antonio is convicted of stabbing his father to death.  He’s sentenced to ten years in jail, ten years where they’ll barely see each other.  So they write letters, lots of letters, trying to keep each other in their lives.  But are letters enough to keep their relationship going when Antonio is Upstate?

Book Review:

       Told complete in letters between Antonio and his girlfriend Natasha this is a beautiful, sad story of two teens growing up and apart due to bad circumstances.  Buckhanon does a wonderful job of showing the growth of each teen not just in age but also in their character development.  Parts of the story do seem too obvious but are easily forgivable since the book is more about the characters than the plotline.

       Both Antonio and Natasha have a strong voice making this book appealing to both guys and girls who are looking for books about relationships, growing up, or life in prison. Language and graphic references to sexual situations make this book more appropriate for older teens and adults.

Awards and honors:

2006- ALA Alex Award

         Audio Publishers Association Award in Literary Fiction

         nominated for the Hurston/Wright Foundation's Debut Fiction Award

         one of YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults

Want to find out more about this book or author?  Check these out:

Author website: http://kalishab.blogspot.com/

                  Follow the author on Twitter

Author interview:
        Interview in Mosaic magazine Fall 2008

Listen to an excerpt from the book:

Two-Way Street

Barnholdt, Lauren.  Two-Way Street.  New York: Simon Pulse, 2007.  Paperback.  ISBN: 978-1-4169-1318-4.  US $8.99.  288 pgs.

Annotation: 

       Recently broken-up teens, Courtney and Jordan, take a three day road trip to Boston. Along the way they learn a lot about themselves, each other, and that there are two sides to every breakup.  Recommended for teens 15+ due to some sexual situations and alcohol use.

cover from Goodreads.com

Book Talk:

       High school sweethearts Courtney and Jordan broke up two weeks before they were suppose to drive up to Boston together to start college.  Courtney was shocked and devastated when Jordan broke up with her and that he already has a new girlfriend.  Jordan has secrets that Courtney can’t find out about.  But the two teens reluctantly decide to still drive up to Boston together.  Along the way they learn a lot about themselves, each other, and that relationships are a Two-Way Street.

 

Book Review:

            Two-Way Street alternates chapters between the viewpoints of main characters Courtney and Jordan which lets the reader gain insight into both perspectives.  However, neither character is very likeable or believable.  Courtney is whiney, selfish, and neurotic where as Jordan is a spoiled player who spends most of his time running away from his problems. This wouldn’t be a problem if either of the characters really spent anytime growing over the course of the book but any development they go through is very minimal.  Both characters react to situations (which are unlikely to happen) in unrealistic or totally over the top ways.  All in all the book reads like a bad teen drama with unrealistic plotlines and devices.  To top it off the book refers to television shows, such as Laguna Beach and The O.C., as well as the social site MySpace which date the book tremendously.  If you’re looking for a book about relationships or break-ups look elsewhere.

Awards and Honors:

2008- NYPL "Books for the Teen Age"

2009- YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

Interested in learning more about this book or author?  Check these out:

Author Website: http://laurenbarnholdt.com/

Other reviews of this book:

       Teen Ink
      Chicklish


Here's a booktrailer by AVillagomez13 on YouTube:

The Silver Kiss

Klause, Annette Curtis.  The Silver Kiss.  New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 1990.  Paperback.  ISBN: 978-0-440-21346-8.  US $6.99.

Annotation:

       Sixteen year old Zoe feels alone and angry because her mother is dying, her father seems to have withdrawn from her, and her best friend is moving. Then she meets Simon who seems to understand what she's going through. Only he's a vampire and someone in town in is murdering women.  Recommended for ages 14+.


Cover from Goodreads.com

Book Talk:

~Girl meets boy (vampire)
~Zoe
~Lonely, angry, grieving
~Her mother is dying of cancer.
~Simon
~Also lonely and angry
~Searching for his mother's murderer.
~Each soothes something in the other
~But Zoe is human, Simon is undead
~And someone in town is killing women.

Book Review:

            Although this book was written over twenty years ago it has held up well to the test of time due to the richness of Klause’s characters.  Zoe is a typical 16 year old girl who is forced by circumstances to be more responsible than she should have to be.  She’s torn, however, between trying to not cause her parents worry and the overwhelming feelings of loneliness and anger caused by her mother’s disease.  Simon also shows great depth of emotion while trying to reconcile the remains of his humanity with surviving as a vampire.  If Klause falls short anywhere in her character development it’s with her villains who seem to be motivated only by self interest and show no remorse.  This is a small short coming since the book really only uses the villains as minor plot devices to further expand the other characters’ growth.  Overall, I would highly recommend The Silver Kiss to anyone looking for a classic teen vampire novel or who is feeling lonely or angry due to family illness or death.

Awards and Honors:

       1999, 2009-YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

       1994 - Selected by the American Library Association as one of the 100 "Best of the Best"
       1993 - The South Carolina Young Adult Book Award
       1993 - The California Young Reader Medal
       1993 - The Maryland Black-eyed Susan Award
       1993 - The Sequoyah Young Adult Award, Oklahoma
       1991 - American Library Association Best Books For Reluctant Readers
       1991 - American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults
       1990 - Best Book of the Year Honor Book, Michigan Library Association
       1990 - Booklist Best Books, and Editor's Choice
       1990 - School Library Journal Best Books

Interested in knowing more about this author or book?  Check these out:

Author Blog: http://humanoddity.blogspot.com/

Author Interviews:

       Dec. 2001 Interview by Cynthia Leitich Smith

      June 2008 Interview on Reviewer X blog

Try a preview of The Silver Kiss on Scribd.

The Replacement

Yovanoff, Brenna.  The Replacement. New York: Razorbill/Penguin Publishing, 2010.  Kindle Edition.  ISBN-978-1-59-514381-5.  US $8.99.

Annotation:

      Something horrible happens in the town of Gentry every 7 years, children are stolen and replaced by something not quite human.  Mackie Doyle is one of those kids and so far he has managed to keep his head down but then another child is taken and he has to decide if he can go on pretending to be normal.  Recommended for ages 14+ due to some violence and language.


Cover from Goodreads.com

Book Talk:

In the town of Gentry there are two worlds, the normal one and the one that exists below.  No one talks about it or even acknowledges it but everyone knows it’s there because every seven years a child is replaced by something other, something that looks and acts like the child but just isn’t.  Mackie Doyle is one of those kids.  He’s managed to live in this world by keeping his head down and pretending to be normal.  Until one day another child disappears, a child he knows, the sister of a classmate who is done pretending that Mackie is human.  Mackie’s worlds are colliding and he has to decide if he belongs in Gentry or if he’s just The Replacement.

 

Book Review:

Most of this book was spent with Mackie coming to turns with his “otherness”.  The author did a great job of exploring Mackie’s emotions, motivations, and growth so I was a little disappointed when Yovanoff started rushing the ending.  The plot seemed to go from Mackie choosing who he wanted to be to him taking charge and solving problems in the blink of an eye.  Yes, the actions Mackie chooses after his decision fit with the ideal version of his new character but it seemed Mackie performed them without even hesitating when he had never been a self-sacrificing character before.  This is just a small detail in an otherwise excellent story about being different, accepting those differences, and deciding who you really are.  It would be especially enjoyable to teens 14+ who like horror/fantasy novels.

“The Replacement was very spooky and unique, and I really liked it. Mackie was a great main character, and the writing was lovely.”  ~Carolyn E., 16.

Awards and Honors:
            2011- one of YALSA’s picks for Best Fiction for Young Adults list

2010- starred review in The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

2010- starred review in Booklist

Interested in knowing more about the author or this book?  Check these out:

Author Website:  http://brennayovanoff.com/

Friend Brenna Yovanoff   

      or


  Follow the author on Twitter 



Author Interviews:

           Sept.23, 2010 YA Highway blog

Nov.24, 2010 ReadingTeen.net

Music is important to Mackie, it’s one of the ways he escapes feeling different from everyone.  So here’s a playlist of songs from the book:

The Frenzy

Block, Francesca Lia. The Frenzy. New York: Harper Teen, 2010. Hardback. ISBN: 978-0-06-192666-2. US $16.99.

Annotation:

       Liv changed when she was thirteen and is now different from everyone she knows. Except for her boyfriend and best friend she feels alone and afraid. Until one day she finds a family living in the nearby woods who seem remarkably like her.  Recommended for ages 13+.

Cover from Amazon.com

Book Talk:

“At some point in everyone’s life they ask the question, ‘Who am I?’

Four years ago when I turned thirteen I asked the question ‘What am I?’

I had changed.
But I didn’t know how or why, or what I had become.” (pg 1)

       Something happened when Liv was thirteen.  She changed.  She can now smell people’s emotions and hear clearer than ever before.  And she has to fight the rage that urges her to tear into others with her teeth and nails.  Except for her secret boyfriend and her closeted best friend Liv feels alone, isolated, and unsafe.  In fact the only place she feels secure is the woods by her house, the woods where she’s not suppose to go, the woods where four men have been murdered.  The woods that are now home to seven brothers with beautiful, scary eyes and their angry, wolf-like mother. Liv knows they have the answers to what she’s become but will she like what she finds out?

 Book Review:

      The Frenzy feels curiously flat for a book that attempts to explore the emotional highs and lows of a character that is so different from everyone else in her life.  At first I attributed it to Block having Liv’s character being on medication but even once Liv is off the medication she does not react in ways you would expect a character to act.  For instance, Liv’s best friend commits suicide and she is devastated for one chapter but after that the best friend and her feelings regarding his death are barely mentioned.

      Despite this drawback I think The Frenzy would be enjoyed by teenagers 13+ who likes paranormal fantasies or who has ever felt isolated or different.  I also think that this book would be at home in both school and public libraries.

Awards and honors:

      2010- Booklist starred review

Interested in finding out more about this book or author?  Check these out:

Author website: http://www.francescaliablock.com/

                       Friend the author on facebook

                                              or
               Follow Block on Twitter


Author Interviews:
Feb. 12, 2011 Interview with the YA Book Reads blog


Watch Block read from The Frenzy