Book Backlog: YA Fiction Edition

I have quite the book backlog after missing a couple weeks of updating, partially because I was prepping for NE Regional Yoga Competition (more to come on that…), seeing David Sedaris, going to Disney World (for the first time!  Weee!), and partially I was busy and/or lazy (you know what I mean, right?) the rest of the week.  I decided the best way to address them was to divide them into YA and Adult Fiction, and write slightly shorter reviews – with gifs, because no one likes long winded reviews.

Book Backlog:  YA Fiction Edition

Darius and Twig, by Walter Dean Myers:  This is a realistic look at two boys trying to make something of themselves and get out of Harlem.  Darius, our protagonist, is thoughtful, observant and a talented writer.  Twig is a star runner.  The two of them clash with family expectations and letdowns, classmates who don’t want anyone to succeed, and a system that often seems to have the cards stacked against them.  Their friendship is a perfect fit and admirable: when Twig gets down Darius gets him though and Twig helps Darius even when he’s skeptical about what Darius wants.
I didn’t really get into this one until about halfway through, but that might be me (something about Walter Dean Myers’ writing style always seems to do that to me).  The writing was clear and accessible and the characters were well drawn.  Even some of the typical “thug” characters were given a little more depth, allowing their motives to be understood.  It was a realistic portrayal of boys living in Harlem and the things that they see.  The few “F bombs” were appropriate to the story and, like others have commented, probably not that shocking to readers of this genre or readers who live in similar settings.
Overall Assessment:

The Program, by Suzanne Young:
Teenage suicide is considered an epidemic and The Program was instituted to help save teenagers.  When a teen is flagged or reported they are sent to The Program and when they come out they basically remember nothing from their old lives.  Sloan and James are trying hard to stay out of the program but they can only fight for so long, when The Program is always watching and Sloan’s parents are terrified of losing another child.  Part love story, part fighting the system, The Program is a really taught, well told story.  The characters are well developed  and the story is really engaging.  However, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the implausibilities, gaping holes in the explanation of this society and some of the practicalities that weren’t explained to my satisfaction and I found that very frustrating.  Maybe some of this will be answered in the sequel, which I still might read because The Program was pretty absorbing, but I still can’t fully get behind it.  Still, this is a popular title that has a lot of appeal.

Overall Assessment: I think Ron would be as confused as I was….

Will I Read the Sequel?  Eh, if I don’t have anything else to read and I needed something immediate that I could easily read on say, a plane ride, when I really don’t have anything else.

Somebody Up There Hates You, by Hollis Seamon: Richie has been through chemo, radiation, the whole 9 yards and now is in hospice where he and Sylvie are the only teenagers.  Life has been hard on Richie and Sylvie and together they try to live it up as best you can when your body is breaking down.  Richie is honest and likable, and I couldn’t help cheer him on when he’s sneaking out and trying to have some semblance of a teenage life.  Both Richie and Sylvie want to get in those key moments in life before time is out.  It was heartbreaking, hopeful, funny and realistic.  There is some sex (with super awkward results), and other content so probably best as high school.These types of books usually don’t appeal to everyone, but there is certainly a niche that enjoy the downer topics (myself included!).. It will certainly appeal to, and remind readers of The Fault In Our Stars, which was written better, but I didn’t feel as emotionally manipulated at the end as I did with TFIOS.  The writing and pacing were well done, but again not exceptional.  Overall though,it was a good one.
Overall Assessment: 

Orleans, by Sherri Smith: New Orleans and the Gulf region were battered by hurricanes causing bringing increasing amounts of damage and illness to the area, resulting in the secession and cutting off of the Gulf states.  The main reason being the outbreak of Delta Fever – a highly contagious and deadly disease.  The states are literally cut off by a wall that divides them from the rest of the states.  Life in the Gulf has become unrecognizable – people live in tribes according to blood type and must avoid blood hunters and other perils.  Fey is just trying to survive when she meets Daniel, a scientist who sneaked over the wall in the hopes of finally curing Delta Fever.
An interesting premise for a novel, especially with Katrina and now Sandy still so prevalent in our minds.  The characters were well drawn and interesting.  Some plot elements were a little weird, but worked, for the most part, in this setting.  There were a few bumps when things dragged, but overall not bad at all.  I think there is appeal for a lot of readers.
Overall Assessment:

Will I Read the Sequel? Probably not.  I just don’t care enough about the crazy Delta.

This is What Happy Looks Like, by Jennifer Smith: This was a super cute book, and I’m surprised at how much I liked it because I normally don’t do super cute.  Superstar Graham accidentally emails small town Maine girl, Ellie, and the two form a connection.  When Graham manages to get his movie filmed in Ellie’s town they finally get an opportunity to meet.  But dating a superstar isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and Ellie has secrets of her own that make dating in the spotlight difficult.Again, really cute story, with good characters (and a beagle*  named Bagel!) and writing.  There was a bit of cliche in there and a bit of predictability, but not enough to detract from the book.  Fans of Statistical Probability and Sarah Dessen will certainly enjoy this.

*I just decided that whenever the word beagle appears in a posting, we’ll take a beagle pause and look at a picture of one of my beagles.  Beagle pause!

Overall Assessment:

If You Could Be Mine, by Sara Farizan:  Iran is a tough place to be a woman, for extra difficulty, add being a lesbian.  Sahar has been in love with her best friend Nasrin for years.  The girls steal away whatever moments they can, until the day it is announced that Nasrin’s marriage has been arranged to a well-to-do doctor.  Sahar discovers that while the government considers homosexuality is as a crime, it views transsexuals as a mistake nature made and will assist in paying for reassignment surgery.  Sahar becomes convinced that this might be the only way she and Nasrin can be together, the biggest problems being that Sahar is not transsexual and she is unsure if Nasrin will accept her as a man.
This was a fascinating book about a problem, that unfortunately, has no good solution.  It was eye opening with respect to the Iranian government’s view of transsexuals.  The treatment of women, gays and lesbians, while expected, is still hard and frustrating to read about.  The main characters were fairly well developed and the plot moved along nicely.  However, there were some characters, scenes and plot developments that I would have liked to see flushed out a bit more, because it occasionally felt a bit hurried.  That said, this is still a quality and moving book, that sheds light on issues and areas of the world that teens, and the rest of us, need to pay more attention to.
Overall Assessment:

The Fear Factor

I’ve never considered myself an overly fearful person.  I don’t ever think about physically getting hurt, in accidents, sick, being attacked or anything like that.  I have a healthy respect for all of these things, and do not  and seek out trouble by not washing my hands or driving with my eyes closed, but fears about a lot of everyday things don’t cross my mind.  Now, this is mainly in a physical sense, social fears are a whole other basket full of nerves.  However, in that last month or so, I have been noticing a small fear voice creeping in, during two activities: yoga and bike riding.

As a kid I rode my bike a lot.  I didn’t even wear a helmet or knee pads or any other kind of protection kids are supposed to wear these days (in all fairness, I only remember a couple of kids ever wearing any of those things, and quite frankly, they looked dorky).  I would fearlessly ride my bike at crazy speeds throughout neighborhoods, down main the sidewalks of main roads, attempt to ride no handed, ride on the handlebars, etc.  Around high school I stopped riding my bike and it wasn’t until recently I started riding again.  My town isn’t overly bike friendly, but doable, with wide shoulders on the road or, when things get tight, a sidewalk to hop onto.  I have two placed I ride my bike to – the gym or work.  But now, when I ride down the road, I don’t have the same free and euphoric feelings I had as a child, rather, I’m constantly nervous.  I envision flying over my handlebars, getting hit by a car, running over something and falling.  I’m actually considering getting a helmet (which will have an unflattering effect on my hair!).  To some, okay, most, folks who ride their bikes to work, my route probably seems fairly tame and quiet.  It’s really only the intersections and the stretch with very little shoulder that scare me, but still, it’s scary!

I’ve been training for the regional yoga competition, so I’ve been trying to amp things up.   I started really working full camel, which I’d been attempting to get into for a while.  I’d even been told by a friend watching an early attempt that I was basically there, I just had to do it.  But I was holding myself back, scared I wasn’t going to be able to get out and scared I wasn’t ready.  I was, and often still am, unable to trust my body.  After learning a few more techniques and really working at it, one day I finally got it – twice!  I did it once, and then decided to set up my phone to take a picture, just in case I never got in again.  Maybe I jinxed myself, but I haven’t gotten it again.  Fear of not getting it again, combined with bending all the way back start to lock me up.  For a while I would go back, come up, start again, and cycle through that a couple of times before actually getting back, but when I actually do get back I can’t quite get my heels.  As I’ve continually practiced it, going back has smoothed, but, alas, no heels.

I suppose the fear is part of what keeps me trying and riding again.  Having something fearful, but attainable to conquer is a thrilling challenge.  But I’d like to think it also has a higher purpose, to keep you aware and in your body and mind.  When I’m on a nice stretch of my ride I’m really enjoying myself.  It’s about 20 minutes where it’s just me.  I don’t put on headphones, because that seems like trouble.  Occasionally play music on my phone that sits in the basket, but I don’t lose myself the way I do with a run, or even the way I do listening to a book in the car.   I’m still aware of every sound and bump and movement that I make.  I can tell you where there were deep water puddles I had to go around and that troublesome, bumpy stretch by the baseball fields finally got some attention.  My fear keeps my mind in the moment, and as someone who tries to do 5 things while thinking about 9 more, it’s 20 minutes of focus and relaxing an overactive brain.

Fear is also playing a similar role in the yoga room.  It keeps me aware of what I’m doing, and it makes me careful.  It helps generate a healthy respect for yoga, which is important.  As I’ve told students, the yoga is a tool to help your body, and with any tool, it must be used appropriately and with care.  I could hurt myself if I’m not careful, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t attempt it, mindfully.  And so I do, and the more I try, the more I understand my body and the posture.  Fear also keeps the ego in check.  It keeps me from getting cocky and flinging my body and arms around.  It helps tell you what your body may or may not be ready for.  I’m pushing myself, and the fear is a reminder to be careful.

Fear is a reminder, it keeps you present and it keeps you aware.  But most important, it serves as a challenger.  It can scare you into not playing, or it can keep you playing and keep you fresh.

Villains and Magic Abound

Night School, by C.J. Daugherty: Allie’s brother is gone, making her parents distant and remote.  What else is there to do except get yourself arrested a couple of times until your parents ship you off to some weird private school no one has heard of?  At Cimmeria Academy there are secrets abound, the most intriguing being the super-duper secret Night School.  Then attacks start taking place all around Allie and no one seems willing to tell her the truth of anything, including why she is there.  Now, add in a cute French boy and a cocky, moody Carter and you have yourself a novel.
Overall the book was fun, but not entirely what I expected.  Daugherty took her time with setting the scene and background, so the  book didn’t really take off until about halfway through.  But once it took off, it was action packed, with good surprises, and a breadcrumb trail to lead into the second novel (a series, of course!).  There were some clichés and contrived scenes that were blatant set-ups, and the writing was okay.  What Daughtery lacks in those areas, she makes up for, by creating  and building an overall intriguing mystery.
Will I Read the Sequel?  We’ll see.  The pull of the breadcrumbs isn’t that strong.  I needed a little more action and bit more of a reveal to be enticed to learn more.
Overall Assessment:

Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo:  So, I’m about a year late to this bandwagon, so please indulge, a moment…ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod this was so good!  Seriously, I hate when I’m this late to a good book party!  Alina was raised in an orphan home with her BFF Mal, who is conveniently hot and she naturally lusts over.  They are now serving time in the army, she as a cartographer and Mal as a tracker.  When their unit attempts to cross the Shadow Fold, a realm of darkness full of monsters, Alina discovers that she is actually Grisha.  The Grisha are an elite group who serve Ravka through their magical powers.  Alina’s powers are exactly what Ravka and The Darkling, the head of the Grisha, need to defeat the darkness.
Bardugo’s tale is imaginative and well told.  Her characters are complex and multifaceted.  For a brief period after Alina arrives at the castle, the story slows as she struggles to understand her powers.  However, it serves as nice respite between the breakneck chase of her arrival and her discoveries at the castle.  Lots of action, mystery and suspense and, of course, romance.  I listened to this one, and the audio was spot on, with the accents and pronunciations lending to the Russian/Eastern European feel of the novel.
Will I Read the Sequel? Yes, yes, yes!  The only reason I haven’t yet is that I’m giving it a little time to come out on audio….
Overall Assessment:
                                                       

MaddAddam, by Margaret Atwood: The conclusion to MaddAddam trilogy is just as imaginative, intense, funny and dark as the first two.  Atwood picks up where the first two left off, with Toby, Jimmy and the Crakers all going back to the safe house full of MaddAddamites, and former God’s Gardeners.  Here, they work on getting Jimmy back to health and helping Amanda get over the Painballer attack.  With Jimmy ill, Toby becomes the Crakers new storyteller, and the stories she tells focus on Zeb’s history and how his tale intertwines with Crake’s and other characters throughout the trilogy.   All the while the house is on edge, fearing attack by the Pigoons or the Painballers.
The dystopian world Atwood has created is funny, skewed and scary.  The vibrancy of the characters and the complexity of the tale, seamlessly weave together to form a thoroughly engrossing tale of what happens when society and science take a mad turn.  The conclusion, while not fully satisfying for me, fits the story.  Atwood ends by giving the readers not what they want, but rather, what the book needs, so I can’t argue it.  It’s a novel where you become so wrapped up in the characters, that no matter what ending, you still go through the stages of grief and denial.
Overall Assessment: Fitting end to a great series.  Farewell my friends!

I Wear the black Hat, by Chuck Klosterman:  Many will know Klosterman from his 2003 essay collection Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, a book that tackles the intricacies of Saved by the Bell, the Celtics/Lakers rivalries and Billy Joel, among other topics.  Since then he’s written other collections as well as a few novels.  I Wear the Black Hat is a return to nonfiction, this time exploring the concepts of villains, why we hate them, why we love them or why we cheer for fictional versions  but still loathe the real life versions (i.e. drug dealers).  He paints thorough backgrounds and dissects the public perception and reaction of people (or characters) like OJ Simpson, Walter White and Bill Clinton.
Like Klausterman’s previous work, Black Hat is thoughtful, perceptive, logical and,most important, rational.  I found myself agreeing with a lot of his conclusions.  My favorite chapter dissected the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal and how the key players were perceived both then and now, of course I was only 7 or 8 at the time, so my understanding is really only one way; examining the scandal through the villain lens was interesting.    There were a few times where the detail and analysis became a bit much for me and I skimmed a bit (usually only over football things), but overall a very thoughtful and interesting read.  Plus its clocked in at 199 pages, so it is still fairly concise and succinct.
Overall Assessment: A round of applause from my current favorite villain.

I’m still a bit behind now on my reading goal – eep! – at 112.  According to Goodreads I should be at 114, but I’m not too worried.