For our December meeting we decided to share books in an informal booktalk format rather than have an assigned reading.
Books discusses and shared at our December meeting were:
Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick (Leah): Alex is not adjusting well to some things in his life. One night after getting drunk he takes his mom's car and heads over to his dad's girlfriend's house. If it wasn't bad enough that his dad has a new girlfriend, it also happens to be Alex's 3rd grade teacher! On his way, he crashes into the neighbors lawn and ends up throwing up on the policeman who comes to the scene. From there he gets sentenced to community service helping out at an old folks home working with one of it's grumpiest residences. Whether it's the 3rd grade teacher or the throwing up on the police officer, this book talk has Leah's kids grabbing for this book at the end of her presentations.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (Heather):When it is announced in Miri's village that the next princess is to come from their village every young girl is to attend the princess academy Miri is less than interested, but attend she does. As things happen that put the girls into peril and isolation Miri must figure out if she really wants to be princess of the academy or stay with her other love interest. This is a Newbery honor book/Maude Heart Lovelace nominee.
Vampire Archives: The Most Complete Volume of Vampire Tales Ever Published (Jenn B): This is not a YA book but could have ya interest for those interested in vampires. Over 80 stories from authors famous and non for their vampire stories. Several stories are actually Pre-Dracula. There are also a number of poems. Contains a bibliography – over 100 pages of reference. Perfect for reference and/or vampire fans.
John Dies at the End by David Wong (not YA): According to Publisher's Weekly review "...adroitly spoofs the horror genre while simultaneously offering up a genuinely horrifying story. The terror is rooted in a substance known as soy sauce, a paranormal psychoactive that opens video store clerk Wong's—and his penis-obsessed friend John's—minds to higher levels of consciousness. Or is it just hell seeping into the unnamed Midwestern town where Wong and the others live? Meat monsters, wig-wearing scorpion aberrations and wingless white flies that burrow into human skin threaten to kill Wong and his crew before infesting the rest of the world. A multidimensional plot unfolds as the unlikely heroes drink lots of beer and battle the paradoxes of time and space, as well as the clichés of first-person-shooter video games and fantasy gore films."
Bright Sided by Barbara Ehrenreich (Kim/not necessarily ya): Dark side of the positive thinking movement. If you’re not so positive about positive thinking this is for you. Breaks it down into parts, including how it got started.
Your Own, Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill (Jenn T.): A unique and appropriate way of presenting a haunting biography of Sylvia Plath, this book is done all in poetry. Each poem is beautifully crafted to reveal a piece of Sylvia's life. Each poem notes whose viewpoint it is being told such as Sylvia's mother, father, psychiatrist, etc. After each poem is usually a prose note giving a bit more detail about the situation, person or event. The poems are as haunting as Sylvia's own and capture the darkness in a way simply writing the story may not.
Other horror suggestions for teens:
Peeps by Scott Westerfield
Thirsty by MT Andersen
Holly Black’s books are supposed to be pretty creepy: Tithe is suppose to be very unnerving
Vivian Van de Velde
Katie Maxwell horror with humor
Soulless by Christopher Golden
Joseph Burach Skeleton Man
Face in the Frost – building intensity
Next book for January: Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Climbing the Stairs/Living Dead Girl RECAPS
We discussed two very different books with very different reactions!
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman took us to India during World War II and India's struggle for independence. Here a young girl from a progressive family has her life upended when a tragedy strikes her father a hollow shell. The family most go live with the father's very traditional family structure where the men basically live upstairs and the women downstairs. Vidya braves the wraith of her Aunt, who is the lead woman of the house, and seeks solace in the library, an upper room that is usually forbidden, and a young man who may be her salvation or her down fall. This is an interesting view of the WWII Era and from yet another view point that is often not heard. The background is set against political issues between the peaceful protests that end in British brutality and those who enter into the military to help the British fight in the World War. There is also the family culture clashes. The Aunt who clings to the older traditions and perhaps is bitter because of them. The Grandfather who adheres to much of the old traditions but respects his granddaughter enough to allow her some modern ways. While we discussed this book briefly, it was a consensus that the book is well written and very interesting both in plot, character development and time period.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott is a completely different story about a girls abduction and torture - physically, sexually, and mentally. This book while very short, is so intense that you may feel you've read 1000 pages when you are done. Some of us couldn't even finish the book, others had to put it down several times and then continue later. This book compelling and graphic. The group discussed this as a high school book for sure - not meant for younger middle school aged kids. For teens it could almost be used as a "Trust your insticts 101" book. If it seems weird, it probably is. The story is well written in prose and near poetry at times. Short vinettes reflect the pain the agony and the second guessing of the tortured girl. Parents of any young daughter will cringe and find it horrifying - there are images you just don't want in your head a parent and this book definitely hits on many of them. The overwhelming urge never to let your child out of your site ever again is quite strong. One thing is very clear with this book. No matter what happens after someone is abducted it is never good and perhaps being killed swiftly is the best hope than living through the hell that can happen. It is a book with intense imagery, excellent writing and a very disturbing plot. Teens who like dark, edgy stories will be drawn to this book and, hey, if it makes them a little more self-aware then perhaps that's the best part of the book.
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman took us to India during World War II and India's struggle for independence. Here a young girl from a progressive family has her life upended when a tragedy strikes her father a hollow shell. The family most go live with the father's very traditional family structure where the men basically live upstairs and the women downstairs. Vidya braves the wraith of her Aunt, who is the lead woman of the house, and seeks solace in the library, an upper room that is usually forbidden, and a young man who may be her salvation or her down fall. This is an interesting view of the WWII Era and from yet another view point that is often not heard. The background is set against political issues between the peaceful protests that end in British brutality and those who enter into the military to help the British fight in the World War. There is also the family culture clashes. The Aunt who clings to the older traditions and perhaps is bitter because of them. The Grandfather who adheres to much of the old traditions but respects his granddaughter enough to allow her some modern ways. While we discussed this book briefly, it was a consensus that the book is well written and very interesting both in plot, character development and time period.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott is a completely different story about a girls abduction and torture - physically, sexually, and mentally. This book while very short, is so intense that you may feel you've read 1000 pages when you are done. Some of us couldn't even finish the book, others had to put it down several times and then continue later. This book compelling and graphic. The group discussed this as a high school book for sure - not meant for younger middle school aged kids. For teens it could almost be used as a "Trust your insticts 101" book. If it seems weird, it probably is. The story is well written in prose and near poetry at times. Short vinettes reflect the pain the agony and the second guessing of the tortured girl. Parents of any young daughter will cringe and find it horrifying - there are images you just don't want in your head a parent and this book definitely hits on many of them. The overwhelming urge never to let your child out of your site ever again is quite strong. One thing is very clear with this book. No matter what happens after someone is abducted it is never good and perhaps being killed swiftly is the best hope than living through the hell that can happen. It is a book with intense imagery, excellent writing and a very disturbing plot. Teens who like dark, edgy stories will be drawn to this book and, hey, if it makes them a little more self-aware then perhaps that's the best part of the book.
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