Category: Realistic Fiction
Looking for Alaska by John Green
(Cover picture courtesy of Compulsive Overreader.)
BEFORE. Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the “Great Perhaps” (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sex, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.
AFTER. Nothing is ever the same.
To be honest, I was expecting some sappy, cliché-filled teen romance with plenty of drinking, smoking and sex. Because writers think all teen relationships involve those three things. Or maybe I’m just naive and the writers are correct.
Either way, Looking for Alaska was most definitely not what I predicted. In the middle of the book it went in an entirely different direction that threw me off completely. Looking back on things, I think John Green was hinting at what would happen earlier, but at the time the huge plot twist was a surprise to say the least. After that, I could ignore the smoking and drinking and teenage drama and focus on the message John Green was trying to get across all along.
But the thing is that the message isn’t blatantly obvious. You have to think about things and come up with your own conclusion. That’s something you don’t see very often in YA fiction and it’s nice to have a bit of an ambiguous ending. Everything is not hunky-dory and happy-go-lucky; Looking for Alaska is sort of a melancholy book with a melancholy ending. Sure, it’s not the sad YA ending I’ve been yearning for, but it’s nice not to have a completely happy ending.
I think that the characters in this book, whether they’re Alaska, Pudge or the Colonel, will speak to teens. They’re flawed, imperfect and do incredibly stupid things that everyone, not just teens, do. John Green also doesn’t try to write down to his readers; he actually believes in their intelligence. That’s why his teenagers are real people, not just the stereotypes you’ll see in every movie/TV show about high school every made.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Starlet’s Web by Carla J. Hanna
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
A-list actress, 17-year-old Liana Marie Michael struggles to find herself when Hollywood’s obsession with youth and power threatens to destroy her future.
Liana is dating Hollywood’s hottest heartthrob while filming her seventh motion picture with sexy co-star Byron. Surrounded by a culture of casual sex and adult responsibilities, Lia feels lost and confused. With her film soon to wrap, her acting contracts up for renewal, her high school graduation looming and growing tension between her and smart, religious jock, Manuel, life feels overwhelming. Will Lia find the courage to share her love for Manuel, a guy unimpressed with Hollywood? In the eternal quest for youth, what life-shattering secrets has Lia’s mom been keeping from her? Can Manuel accept Lia’s role in Hollywood’s web of lies?
STARLET’S WEB is not only a love story. With fast-paced narrative that reflects Hollywood’s hyper-drive lifestyle, Ms. Hanna transports the reader into an actor’s daily life and demonstrates how difficult it is for young adults to break free from a path created by someone else – even when it is a successful one.
[Full disclosure: Carla J. Hanna’s agent contacted me and gave me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]
This is not the sort of book I’d normally read, but I’m glad I did, even if it was a little rough around the edges. What I mean by that is Starlet’s Web had great characters, a decent plot and a good message, but fell flat when it came to dialogue and having a believable ending.
Marie is a child actress who got her start at age 14 and is now 17 going on 18. And although it looks like she has everything she could ever want, Marie is far from happy. She’s in love with her best friend and thoroughly disgusted with the Hollywood lifestyle that promotes drinking, drugs and sex, even to minors. In addition to her hectic filming and publicity schedule, she also attends high school, which just adds to the stress. Some people might criticize Carla Hanna for making Marie drop dead gorgeous and being fully aware of it, but that’s not the most important part of her characterization. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say that Marie, quite understandably, is not ‘whole’ in the beginning because of what she has gone through in Hollywood.
For a book with ‘spiritual elements’, Starlet’s Web never really degenerated into Preachy Mode. Marie’s journey of self-actualization and recovery feels real and the conclusions she comes to make sense in the context of the story. The only thing I really had a problem with was that this self-actualization was realized in the form of long speeches to other characters. I don’t know about you, but most people aren’t Greek orators and don’t give page long speeches without using a single contraction or any slang at all. There were times the dialogue was painful, but considering the rest of the story is very good, I suppose I can forgive Carla Hanna for that.
Near the end there’s a huge plot twist that actually explains a lot of Marie’s problems throughout the novel. It’s terrifying and definitely adds a lot of drama, but you’ll enjoy it if you’re the sort of person that likes generally happy endings. I felt that things were wrapped up a little too well considering the relatively dark tone of the novel, but that’s more of a personal preference than anything. Overall, Starlet’s Web was a great book that had me cheering for Marie the whole way.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Heartland by Lauren Brooke
(Cover picture courtesy of Books, Mud and Compost. And Horses.)
Oh no she didn’t…yeah I did.
I’m taking a great risk as a guest reviewer to introduce a series from the younger
side of YA, but the tweens have to start somewhere right? The Heartland novel
series, penned by British author, Lauren Brooke, was inspired by her childhood
experiences on a horse ranch in the hills of Virginia.
The 25 novels revolve around the main character, Amy Fleming, and her family,
who treat frightened and abused horses, using holistic and unconventional
methods. Conflicts are resolved when the Flemings reach out to both the horses
and their owners who carry their fair share of emotional baggage.
Although older YA readers might consider this book too juvenile in content and
style, younger readers ages 9-14 will enjoy the sweet simplicity of country life and the innocent, though blossoming, relationship depicted between Amy and her friend, Ty. This book also rings true for homeschool families who cherish books depicting conservative values in an agrarian setting.
Surprisingly, there must be something of a hunger for this genre since the
Heartland books have been made into a Canadian Television series. Heartland
the TV series, appeared on the CBC network in 2007 and is currently in its sixth
season, drawing over 1 million viewers each week. The show has recently been
syndicated for viewing in the United States.
So, as Rumpelstilskin would affirm, sometimes simple straw can indeed be spun
into gold.
Read for Fun,
Lynne Thompson
Author of the Wag the Mouth series
Wagthemouth.com
Slapshots: The Stars from Mars by Gordon Korman
(Cover picture courtesy of Gordon Korman’s website.)
School sportswriter “Chipmunk” Adelman knows he’s got a scoop when he finds out that his hometown will play in the Waterloo Slapshot league. The Marsers have never had their own team, but with an ex-NHL player for a coach, they’re headed for stardom. But the Stars are in for a big surprise when they hit the ice and suddenly realize they stink! They’ve got a defenseman who only skates backwards, a star player who wants to be on another team, and a coach who calls everything a whatchamacallit. If they don’t get their game in gear soon, they’ll be booted from the league. This new series by veteran writer Gordon Korman will have kids cheering for the Marsers as they scramble to improve their game and stay in the league!
Gordon Korman’s sense of humour is literally a laugh-out-loud one. That’s a phrase that’s lost a lot of meaning since the invention of texting, but it really is true. There are times when you will quite literally laugh out loud at some of the antics the characters get up to, especially Chipmunk. Even though these books are for 10-13 year olds, I still re-read them every year and still laugh out loud in some parts. Now that is the mark of a good book!
Given that The Stars from Mars sort of has a cliché premise, the characters are surprisingly well fleshed out. Well, the kids are. Alexia, Chipmunk and Trent are all three dimensional and very sympathetic. Boom Boom Bolitsky, the coach, is mostly their for comic relief and he serves his purpose very well. You may not understand all of what he says, but Gordon Korman sets things up so you can at least get the gist of things and why it’s so funny.
The Stars from Mars is definitely a good light-hearted, fast read. At only 145 pages, it’s a quick read, but more importantly, it’s very enjoyable. This is the kind of book you should read if you’re feeling miserable one day. I guarantee it will cheer you up.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
*Only available as a used book.
Deadville by Ron Koertge
Image Courtesy Of Goodreads
Synopsis: Ryan Glazier simply exists; he maintains a solid C-Average and smokes with his best friend Andy. Ryan was not always like this. He used to be an athletic teenager who enjoyed playing soccer. Things took a downward spiral when his younger sister Molly passed away two years ago. Now Charlotte Silano; a senior at school, not to mention one of the hottest girls lies in a coma after falling off her horse. Ryan is drawn to Charlotte for some reason and visits her in the hospital almost every day. Why does Ryan visit Charlotte and talk to her? Will it help her to regain consciousness? What’s in it for Ryan? Is he going to start coming out of his emotional detachment?
Cover Gushing Worthiness: I admit that it was the cover that drew me towards the book. There isn’t a lot going on in it. However the image of the hat and earphones makes sense as the story progresses. The cover reminded me of the Things Not Seen cover by Andrew Clements. That is another book that I would recommend as well!
Review: I haven’t read a lot of books that deal with life threatening illness and after reading A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness I wanted to read more. Cue discovery of Deadville. Now as I read Deadville I didn’t compare it to A Monster Calls, but I was reminded of it.
I like the premise of this story because it focuses on a sibling’s perspective. How family members deal with grief is a very personal experience and there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to go about it. I enjoyed how Koertge explored the experience of grief among Ryan and his parents. He really looked at how life changes when a loved one experiences a life threatening illness and how the surviving members deal with a loss of a loved one. The setting of the school did remind me a lot of Conor’s experience in A Monster Calls because both characters experience isolation.
The subplots such as Ryan’s developing relationship with his classmate Betty and the young boy Thad at the hospital were clever additions because it gave the reader an opportunity to see Ryan’s character come out of his emotional detachment.
Although the premise of the book was good, I had some problems with the characters. My main issue was with Ryan. Unlike Conor from A Monster Calls I didn’t connect with Ryan emotionally. He just existed and I found it hard to believe him because I had no connection with him. Ryan’s sister Molly was also somewhat of a shell. Her character had much more potential and I wish she was more developed. And the resulting problem for me was that I didn’t quite believe the relationship between Ryan and Molly. I wish there were flashbacks of the two of them where we’d get a chance to hear Molly’s voice, not Ryan’s reflection of her.
Another relationship I had a problem was with Betty and Ryan’s. Personally I thought it came out of nowhere and I didn’t believe it either. I promise this review isn’t completely negative!!
The friendship between Ryan and Andy which was one of the more important ones also ended quite abruptly. I felt like there was no closure between the two of them and Andy sort of faded away as the story progressed. But it also may have shown Ryan’s character development.
The most important relationship in the book is between Ryan and Charlotte. It is a one-sided friendship, but it is one that offers Ryan redemption and ultimately that is what he is looking for.
If I had so many problems with the characters, you’re probably asking why I even bothered to finish this boo. It’s definitely a valid question and the only answer that I have is that the book just gripped me. Sometimes you do come across books that have a hold on you even though you have problems with it. I just wanted to find out what happens in the end.
Overall despite my issues with the characters, Deadville was an enjoyable read. The premise of the book was and the writing was good, good to the point where I finished it in a night. If you’re looking for a young adult/teenage book that deals with Cancer and it’s life changing affects this is a book you may want to consider reading.
My Rating: 3/5
Would I recommend it? Yes.