Uglies ~ Scott Westerfeld

Title: Uglies
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 448 pages
Copyright: 2005

School Library Journal Review:
Gr 6 Up-Tally Youngblood lives in a futuristic society that acculturates its citizens to believe that they are ugly until age 16 when they'll undergo an operation that will change them into pleasure-seeking "pretties." Anticipating this happy transformation, Tally meets Shay, another female ugly, who shares her enjoyment of hoverboarding and risky pranks. But Shay also disdains the false values and programmed conformity of the society and urges Tally to defect with her to the Smoke, a distant settlement of simple-living conscientious objectors. Tally declines, yet when Shay is found missing by the authorities, Tally is coerced by the cruel Dr. Cable to find her and her compatriots-or remain forever "ugly." Tally's adventuresome spirit helps her locate Shay and the Smoke. It also attracts the eye of David, the aptly named youthful rebel leader to whose attentions Tally warms. However, she knows she is living a lie, for she is a spy who wears an eye-activated locator pendant that threatens to blow the rebels' cover. Ethical concerns will provide a good source of discussion as honesty, justice, and free will are all oppressed in this well-conceived dystopia. Characterization, which flirts so openly with the importance of teen self-concept, is strong, and although lengthy, the novel is highly readable with a convincing plot that incorporates futuristic technologies and a disturbing commentary on our current public policies. Fortunately, the cliff-hanger ending promises a sequel.-Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.


Review:
Tally is an Ugly. She is almost 16 and will soon have the operation that will turn her into a Pretty. It is many hundreds of years in the future and the world now operates like this: from the time you are born until the time you turn twelve, you are a Littlie, and live at home with your parents. At 12, you go to school with other Uglies until you turn 16. Then you have the "operation." Your face is reconstructed, your skin sanded down, and your bones reset to be of uniform height. Everyone becomes pretty. Everyone is about the same height, and has the same skin color. There is very little conflict. 

Tally wants more than anything to be Pretty. Her best friend Peris turned 2 months ago, and she is one of the last in her age group. But then she meets Shay. Shay has the same birthday as Tally, and the get into all sorts of mischief before their birthdays, including visiting the ruins of the "Rusties". Shay tells Tally about The Smoke, a secret place where Uglies sometimes run away so they don't have to be Pretty. Tally can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to be Pretty. But when Shay disappears right before their birthday, she leaves behind directions for Tally to follow. When Tally gets hauled in for questioning about the disappearance of her friend, she doesn't tell them anything. But the authorities find the directions and give Tally an ultimatum: lead them to the Smoke, or stay Ugly forever.

This futuristic story was engrossing and teens will be entranced, and I can guarantee that the cliffhanger ending will leave them gasping for the sequel. 


Reading Level: Intermediate
Suggested Audience: Readers 13 and up

Can't Get There From Here ~ Todd Strasser

Title: Can't Get There From Here 
Author: Todd Strasser
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers  
Copyright: 2004


VOYA Review:
This novel about runaway teens on the streets of New York, a group ignored by society, does not hold anything back. As the loosely knit band struggles to survive, a girl with the street name "Maybe" narrates the cruel realities of hunger, drug abuse, HIV, prostitution, and death. Displaying distinct personalities but dependent on one another for food, shelter, and money, each teen has fled intolerable abuse at home, evoking sympathy from readers. Throughout the book, scenes of begging, abuse, despair, and oddly, the freedom of life on the streets will grab readers and not let go. Maybe refuses help from adult authority but is drawn to the kindness of a public librarian, perhaps because they both have a splotchy skin disorder called vitiligo. News articles of anonymous teens found dead (readers are aware of the circumstances behind each death) expound the book's powerful message. Each runaway vehemently guards his or her identity, but tough postures are slowly peeled away, revealing the hurt of the child. Many adult characters are depicted as either overly helpful or extremely brutal. Librarian Anthony in particular rushes too fast to protect the teens, offering food and use of his office without logically reporting the situation to professionals. That aside, the book is gritty and harsh, and urban teens will love it, being drawn into the story from early on when a cop warns members of the tribe, "You don't have a chance." VOYA Codes 4Q 4P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, Simon & Schuster, 208p., Ages 12 to 18


Review: 
This story is about homeless teenagers who are left with no choice but to wander the streets of New York City running into violent criminals, drugs, and abuse. Their stories are different and their reasons for being out in the streets are varied, but they create their own family and protect each other from the harsh reality they face each day. 


When it comes to books about heart-wrenching subjects such as drug abuse, poverty, homelessness, and mental illness, I pften worry that in the quest to be shocking, that it may be too easy for readers to discount the realities presented by the stories. Strasser's Can't Get There from Here tells the story of a gang of young street kids doing what they can to survive in New York City. They each have their own story of families that couldn't take care of them, didn't want them, or otherwise mistreated them. Their home lives are so terrible, that digging through garbage cans for food and risking sexual and physical assault looking for a place to sleep, is safer than going back to their parents. This short book is filled with so much tragic sadness, it's hard to believe that there are children out there actually living these lives. And that's my only problem with this book - that when one bad thing after another happens, it becomes too easy to say, "well, it's just fiction." But, to the extent this novel opens the eyes of young adults and shows them that there are people their own age living out there on the streets, and more importantly, that there are organizations that hopefully can actually help, I think it's definitely a good thing.

Maggot says that living on the streets is the only way to maintain your freedom. Country Club is the first of the group to leave. He dies of liver failure at 22. OG has a constant, hacking cough, but refuses to seek medical attention. He adopts an abandoned dog (Pest) after Country Club's death. 2Moro is beautiful and HIV-positive. Prostitution helps her survive, but for how long? Jewel is a male prostitute who dresses up as a woman and goes clubbing with 2Moro. Rainbow, Maybe's closest friend, does drugs to keep herself numb. Tears is only 12 and is the newest member of the group.

This is a very powerful and realistic glimpse into street life. Very highly recommended for mature readers who will be able to take away as much as they can from this astounding book. 

Reading Level: Intermediate
Suggested Audience: Recommended for readers ages 16 and up

The Maze Runner ~ James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press, 374 pages
Copyright: 2009

VOYA Review:
Thomas wakes up in a box with no memory of who he is or where he comes from beyond his name. When the doors open, he is tossed into the disorienting world of the glade, a place built by the mysterious Creators with unknown intentions, where survival and escape are the goal and no one can remember how they got there. Surrounding the glade is the maze, into which runners race everyday searching for an exit, and where horrible creatures called grievers roam to hunt the boys. As he learns the ropes of life in the glade, Thomas finds himself drawn toward the maze and being a runner, while he tries to remember anything he can about his past, certain that the answers are locked away in his head. When a girl arrives in the glade, everything changes and a desperate end game begins for everyone. Dashner creates a dangerously captivating world filled with riveting action and suspense, leaving the reader anxious for more. Thrilling twists and turns make this superb plot even better as it moves at a steady but enticing pace. The various clues hidden in the maze and glade will pique readers' curiosity as they search alongside the characters for the answers to the many questions of the glade. The dynamic characters Dashner creates round off this incredible story, making it as bright as the trilogy it has begun. Reviewer: Susan Hampe


Review: 
Thomas is brought up to the Glade in an elevator with only his name and no memory at all. He finds himself with a group of boys like himself. They all have no memory of an outside world. All they know is that there is a maze and they will try to find a way out -but every night the doors to the maze are shut tight. The day after Thomas arrives, a girl, the first ever in the Glade, arrives with a note that she is the last. Thomas is determined to figure out what is happening in the Glade and unlock the secrets that are buried. 


This fantasy/sci-fi novel is the start to a thrilling new trilogy. If you are a fan of dystopian science fiction, then this title needs to be added to your must-read pile. Dashner has a brilliant start to the book; the Gladers use different slang, which takes some time to get used to. I'm warning you - there are lots of cliffhangers and heart-stopping adventure, and you'll want to stay up late turning pages to find out what happens next.


Reading Level: Intermediate
Suggested Audience: Recommended for readers ages 16 and up

Geography Club ~ Brent Hartinger

Title: Geography Club
Author: Brent Hartinger
Publisher: HarperTempest, 240 pages
Copyright: 2003


School Library Journal Review: 
"Russel Middlebrook is a sophomore at Goodkind High School. He has a secret crush on a baseball jock, Kevin Land, and soon discovers that Kevin is also gay. The boys become friendly outside of school and set up the "Geography Club" with three other gay students, one of whom is Russel's closest friend, Min. The club members relish the opportunity to discuss their lives and to relate to one another openly and honestly. Eventually, however, intense peer pressure and insecurity take their toll. [....] Hartinger has written a compelling look at the high school scene and the serious consequences of being "different." The plot never falters. Dialogue flows smoothly and is always completely believable, and the occasional use of profanity adds to the realism of the story. Characterization is excellent, with all of the teens emerging as likable but flawed individuals caught in a situation that few young adults could handle with maturity. This author has something to say here, and his message is potent and effective in its delivery. Many teens, both gay and straight, should find this novel intriguing."

Review:
Russel Middlebrook is pretty sure that he's gay. After all, he's not attracted to girls, and he spends every day after gym class studiously avoiding the other half-naked guys in the locker room. He's never had an actual experience with another guy, though, so maybe the attraction he feels toward them is something he'll outgrow--or maybe not.

While surfing the Internet one night, he finds chat rooms for different towns and cities, where you can talk to other people who are also gay. And amazingly enough, there's a boy he meets with the name GayTeen-- who not only lives in his town, but also attends his high school. Another gay boy, in his very own school? There's no way that could be true-- especially when he finds out that the kid with the handle GayTeen is none other than Kevin Land, star of the baseball team, one of the most popular guys in school.

As Kevin and Russel get to know one another, outside of school and hidden away from prying eyes, they realize that there's no way for them to be together inside school walls. The same is true for Russel's friends Min and Terese, who although they claim to just be really close friends, are actually in love. So along with a few others, including Gunnar, who is straight, and Brian Bund, the loser of Goodkind High School, the boys form The Geography Club. After all, no one else is going to want to join such a boring club--especially if they knew it was just a front for a gay/ lesbian school group.

As events at school heat up, with Brian eventually being outed as gay even though he's not, Russel, Kevin, and their friends will have to learn what's most important in life. And that sometimes, no matter how much you might wish for things to be out in the open, you're just not ready.

Geography Club is a great, quick read about the ups and downs of daily high school life, and the struggle to find ones identity. Recommended for reluctant readers and readers who enjoy humor, gay fiction, and quick reads. 


Reading Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Suggested Audience: Recommended for readers ages 14 and up

The City of Ember ~ Jeanne DuPrau

Title: The City of Ember
Author: Jeanne DuPrau
Publisher: Random House, 288 pages
Copyright: 2003


VOYA Review:
When the builders of Ember planned the underground city, they provided a storehouse of goods for the residents' survival and a power plant to supply light to the town. Now, generations later, the supplies are dangerously low, and the lights are beginning to flicker. Ember is a socialist society, where even jobs are randomly assigned to residents. Nobody knows what lies without the walls, and everyone is too frightened to find out. Although directions on how to exit the city were entrusted to the first mayor of Ember, they were misplaced until Lina, an orphan and descendant of that mayor, finds a torn and mangled paper. Lina enlists fellow twelve-year-old Doon to aid in putting together the pieces. They are surprised to discover the missing instructions. After the teens are falsely accused of illegal activities and hunted by the police, they decide to elude capture by following the directions and leaving Ember. It will not take readers long to discover that Ember is a city-size bomb shelter and that a whole other world exists outside its walls. While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description. DuPrau uses the puzzle, suspenseful action, and lots of evil characters to entice readers into the story. They will find the teen characters believable and gutsy. Part mystery, part adventure story, this novel provides science fiction for those who do not like science fiction. The end of the book hints at a possible sequel. PLB


Review:
The city of Ember is in trouble, but the complacent citizens seem to ignore the food shortages and frequent blackouts. The Builders, when they created the city some 241 years ago, made provisions for its citizens in the form of a note called "The Instructions." Unfortunately, "The Instructions" were not handed down through the generations as they were supposed to be, and suddenly 12-year old Lina, a city Messenger, has discovered them. After trying to tell her friends and even the Mayor about the discovery of the partially destroyed Instructions, Lina turns to a one-time school friend, Doon, a worker in the underground Pipeworks, whom she believes will understand their importance. But what can two children do with such important information, and who would even believe them?


The City of Ember is a spectacular novel which tells the unique story of two unintentional heroes who fight the status quo in order to bring hope to their city. The descriptions of the world of Ember are fascinating, leaving the reader to appreciate the incredible imagination of Jeanne DuPrau. The deaths of Lina's parents and grandmother create a sense of sympathy for her that causes readers to, all the more, wish for her triumph. It is the curiosity of Lina and Doon that drive this narrative, and it is the nice balance between primary and secondary characters that keeps the reader on his/her toes. While we expect a happy ending, it's not until the final pages of the novel that we understand what has happened and why. 


Highly recommended for fans of fantasy, adventure, and even suspense/mystery. 

Reading Level: Intermediate 
Suggested Audience: Recommended for mature readers, ages 15 and up

Annie on My Mind ~ Nancy Garden

Title: Annie on My Mind
Author: Nancy Garden
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 272 pages
Copyright: 1982


School Library Journal Review:

Gr 9 Up

Published more than 25 years ago, Nancy Garden's moving and poignant love story (Farrar, 1982) still rings true today. Liza and Annie, both 17 and attending different high schools, meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and fall in love. Narrator Rebecca Lowman touchingly brings their story to life as they discover each other and the harsh and confusing realities that surround them. The teens face uncertain feelings and questions about their emotional and physical relationship. Told in the third person and through letters Liza is trying to write to Annie after they both are at college, Lowman does a fine job portraying the girls' emotions as well as the stark reactions that the other characters have toward them when their relationship is discovered. With quietly distinct voices and subtle pacing that matches perfectly the unfolding of the young romance, this audiobook will stand the test of time. Listeners will be swept up by and find themselves fully immersed in the story. Margaret Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award winner Nancy Garden is featured in an interview at the end of the book. A must-have for all GLBTQ collections.-Stephanie A. Squicciarini, Fairport Public Library, NY

Review: 
Annie on My Mind is is a gentle love story told by Nancy Garden. Liza and Annie are two 17-year-old New Yorkers who meet, become friends, and slowly realize that their feelings are stronger than those reserved for friendship. They are confused, curious, tentative and intense with each other. They have no road map to guide their emotions and behavior, no understanding friends or adults to reassure them or to celebrate their relationship. Their love for each other feels so natural and good that neither is ashamed of the relationship, but they still keep it a secret from everyone in their lives.



While many young adult novels feature characters that are smart, socially savvy, blasé about sex and drugs, Liza and Annie are almost implausibly innocent and naïve. When the two girls initially meet by chance in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Annie is unselfconsciously singing to a painting in the American Wing. Soon after, they sword fight as imaginary knights in the Arms and Armor room. 

The real point of this book is the relationship between Liza and Annie, how they dance around each other for months before the first tentative kiss, how they both fear and long for more than kissing and holding hands, how they learn to trust each other, and finally, how they learn to trust their love in the face of narrow-minded schoolmates, teachers and family.


Recommended. 



Reading Level: Intermediate
Notes about Audience: Recommended for readers ages 15 and up

After ~ Amy Efaw

Title: After
Author: Amy Efaw
Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 350 pages
Copyright: 2009


School Library Journal:
Grade 8 Up—Through flashbacks, listeners learn that 15-year-old Devon has been a good student and an outstanding soccer player, and her life is all about control and not messing up. But as the story (Viking, 2009) by Amy Efaw opens, Devon is found by the police lying on her family sofa, bloody after giving birth to a baby which was found in the dumpster by a passerby. The story moves through Devon's arrest, her confusion about what is happening to her, and the preliminary court proceedings to determine whether she will be tried as an adult for attempted murder or in juvenile court. Rebecca Soler does a fine job of varying her voice to reflect Devon's various states of consciousness and conscience. Most prominent is the flatness of Devon's voice as she responds to the demands and interactions of those around her, such as her lawyer, who loses patience at Devon's resistance to assist in her defense. Soler also captures the teen's softness as Devon recollects the romantic encounter that led to her pregnancy and then quickly switches to a harsher tone as Devon reflects that she doesn't want to be like her own irresponsible mother. This is an emotional, compelling listen, as the details of the birth are told in great detail and Devon often seems like an observer rather than a participant.—Edith Ching, Washington Latin Public Charter School, DC 


Review:
Devon Davenport had a lot of good things going for her. In school, she was a straight A student and a gifted soccer player. Growing up with a mom that was rarely there for her, she became self-reliant and responsible for her own well-being. It comes as a big surprise when Devon finds herself being admitted into the Tacoma Juvenile Detention Center. 


One dreary morning, Devon's neighbor finds a newborn baby thrown in a garbage bag and tossed in the trash. The police become involved and canvass Devon's neighborhood for clues and eventually interview Devon about the baby in the trash can. After a sudden and unexpected discovery in Devon's apartment, Devon is arrested for attempted murder, assigned an attorney, Dom, and entered into a Juvenile Corrections Center where she must learn how to interact and live with a population of juvenile criminals. 


The rest of the book is an exploration of how this could happen to a girl such as Devon.  Efaw takes her readers on an emotional journey as Devon is arrested and incarcerated in a juvenile facility. Constantly thinking that the nightmare is going to end and she'll go home, Devon has difficulty accepting what she has done. Efaw peels back the layers of Devon's story as Devon's lawyer fights and works with her to save her from being tried as an adult. 

Reading Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Suggested Audience: Recommended for readers ages 15/16 and up

Stuck in Neutral ~ Terry Trueman

Title: Stuck in Neutral
Author: Terry Trueman
Publisher: HarperCollins, 128 pages 
Copyright: 2001


School Library Journal Review:
Gr 5-9-Shawn McDaniel has cerebral palsy. With no control of physical functions, he appears to the outside world, including his family, to be hopelessly retarded-a "vegetable." Because he narrates the story, readers know that he is, in fact, a near genius, completely aware of his surroundings, and able to remember everything he has ever heard. He has a rich inner life, full of humor and insight, and is capable of the most normal feelings of a 14-year-old boy. Most of his day is spent in a wheelchair where he is attended to by his mother and older siblings. His father, an author and celebrity on the talk-show circuit, left the family because of Shawn and his problems, but maintains a relationship with him. Shawn suspects that his father, in order to end his perceived pain and suffering, is considering killing him. With this intriguing premise, Trueman presents readers with thought-provoking issues. The character of Shawn, compassionately drawn, will challenge them to look beyond people's surfaces. His struggle to be known, and ultimately loved, is vividly captured, and the issue of euthanasia is handled boldly but sensitively. In the final scene, Shawn, alone with his father, waits vulnerably as the man struggles with his options. Readers must draw their own conclusions as his father's dilemma is left unresolved. This story is bound to spark much lively discussion.-Tim Rausch, Crescent View Middle School, Sandy, UT


Review: 
Stuck in Neutral is the story of Shawn, a boy who has cerebral palsy, who slowly begins to piece together that his father is thinking about ending his suffering by killing him. 

Shawn has absolutely no means of communication and is incapable of expressing how he really feels to his family. His family is oblivious to the fact that Shawn has the ability to understand the world around him and the strength within himself to carry on despite his disability. With an IQ estimated at 1.2 (equivalent to a mental age of 3-4 months), Shawn has been called a "vegetable" or "retard". But, what nobody knows is that inside himself, Shawn is a genius. Shawn remembers everything he has ever heard or seen since he was 3 or 4 years old. He learned to read because his older sister, Cindy, used to play teacher with him as the student. He feels trapped in his own body and the times when he feels the happiest is when his body undergoes a seizure.


The current topic of Sydney's (Shawn's father) writing is the story of Earl Detraux, a man who murdered his two year old son. Earl killed his boy, Colin, because he believed that his son would only live a life in misery and suffering. And, now Shawn, fears that he may suffer the same fate as Colin. The truth is, Shawn isn't miserable or in pain and he doesn't want to die. 


An excellent realistic novel that will have readers turning its pages quickly to discover what happens to Shawn. 


Reading Level: Intermediate
Notes about Audience: Recommended for readers ages 14 and up

The First Part Last ~ Angela Johnson

Title: The First Part Last 
Author: Angela Johnson
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 144 pages
Copyright: 2003


School Library Journal Review:
Gr 7 Up-Angela Johnson's Printz Award-winning novel (S & S, 2003) is perfectly suited to the audiobook medium, and Khalipa Oldjohn narrates this first person tale with poignant authenticity of tone and pacing. At 16, Bobby struggles to be a father to his newborn daughter while keeping up with school, maintaining his boyhood friendships, and trying to live up to his parents' expectations. Told in alternating passages of "Now" and "Then," the back-story that has brought Bobby to this point falls steadily but deliberately into place, with the revelation of why Bobby is a single father arriving only near the very end. In spite of its brevity, the story is complex and satisfying. Bobby is both boy and man, responsible and overwhelmed, near panic and able to plan an intelligent and loving future for Feather, the daughter he adores and nurtures. In audio format, this story can readily be shared in just a class period or two and will grab listeners immediately, making it an ideal subject for class discussion. It will also be instantly popular for leisure reading outside of school.-Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.


Review:
The First Part Last offers a glimpse inside the world of a young father, who is hurled into manhood with the birth of his daughter, Feather, and the tragedy that befalls his girlfriend and the mother of his daughter, Nia. Bobby is an adolescent boy whose girlfriend has a baby and has to quickly learn how to grow up and be a dad. He struggles to balance out time with his daughter, Feather, and his friends, and school. From the minute Feather arrives everything changes. Soon, he isn't able to hang out with K-Boy and J.L and his grades began to slip. Bobby is no longer a boy, but a man ready to face the world. No expert at the task of raising a child, at first he is confused, restless, and fearful, but he gradually grows into his new role as a father. 


Readers will see Bobby struggle with the wonders, excitement, responsibility, and the fear of being a father. The narrative switches back and forth between the present and the past as Bobby shares his experience raising his daughter and gives glimpses into his life before Feather arrives in the world. When Bobby runs out to play basketball with his friends, momentarily forgetting that he has a child to care for, we are reminded he is still a child himself, still a young man, and not entirely grown up. At the same time, we see Bobby learning to give up many of his old pastimes, including being a kid himself, in order to raise his daughter. Both sides of Bobby – Bobby the father and Bobby the teen – form who he is and who he becomes in the novel. 


The book handles the pregnancy, as well as Bobby's relationships with his girlfriend, baby and parents in a way that is both touching and totally unvarnished. The obvious absence of Feather's mother throughout most of the book creates a point of tension that is resolved in the book's heartbreaking, but beautiful conclusion. Older readers will appreciate this book for its honest treatment of teen pregnancy, the complex portrayal of the characters, as well as the unique style of the narrative. 


Honest and emotionally gripping, The First Part Last is a novel that I suggest for all readers, especially young parents who may sometimes feel as if their world is dramatically altered by having children at such a young age. It is also a great book for reluctant readers and hi/lo readers because of its short length and lower reading level. The audiobook is also very well done and highly recommended. 

Reading Level: Beginner
Notes about Audience: Recommended for readers ages 13 and up 

Burned ~ Ellen Hopkins

Title: Burned
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Publisher: McElderry, 544 pages
Copyright: 2007


School Library Journal Review:
Grade 9 Up–Once again the author of Crank (S & S, 2004) has masterfully used verse to re-create the yearnings and emotions of a teenage girl trapped in tragic circumstances. Poems in varied formats captivate readers as they describe a teen's immobilizing fear of her abusive father, disgust with a church hierarchy that looks the other way, hope that new relationships can counteract despair, joy in the awakening of romance, and sorrow when demons ultimately prevail. Pattyn Von Stratten is the eldest of eight sisters in a stern Mormon household where women are relegated to servitude and silence. She has a glimpse of normal teenage life when Derek takes an interest in her, but her father stalks them in the desert and frightens him away. Unable to stifle her rage, Pattyn acts out as never before and is suspended from school. Sent to live with an aunt on a remote Nevada ranch, she meets Ethan and discovers forever love. Woven into the story of a teen's struggle to find her destiny is the story of her aunt's barrenness following government mismanagement of atomic testing and protests over nuclear waste disposal. Readers will become immersed in Pattyn's innermost thoughts as long-held secrets are revealed, her father's beatings take a toll on her mother and sister, and Pattyn surrenders to Ethan's love with predictable and disturbing consequences. Writing for mature teens, Hopkins creates compelling characters in horrific situations.–Kathy Lehman, Thomas Dale High School Library, Chester, VA 


Review: 
Burned is the story of Pattyn, a teenage girl who lives in a primarily Mormon community in Nevada. Her family adheres to a strict version of Mormonism in which the men are dominant and the women subservient. Pattyn is one of six female siblings, each named after a male military figure. Her dad is constantly battling demons and Pattyn, her mom, and her siblings live in fear of his rage and abusive behavior. 

Pattyn begins to struggle with her own identity her junior year of high school. She knows what is going on at home is wrong, but when she tries to reach out for help, she finds the religious community defends her father. 

After she is caught fooling around with a boy, Pattyn's dad sends her away to live with her aunt for a summer. Pattyn’s aunt Jeanette was also raised in a strict, overbearing Mormon household and knows all too well the deadly lengths her brother will go to keep undesirable males away from good Mormon women. Aunt Jeanette has long since abandoned the church and lives on a ranch in Nevada, a wild and liberating environment that Pattyn comes to love and thrive in.

While at the ranch, Pattyn meets Ethan, a college student who is home for the summer to help is dad. 

Perhaps the most tragic element of this story is its ultimate betrayal of its own ideals. Pattyn's aunt spends so much of this book teaching her that there are options for women beyond marriage and motherhood. But, ultimately, Pattyn finds her self-worth and purpose in a man. The love story is touching, if not somewhat rushed, but also a bit hard to take--in a matter of weeks, she can't live without him and finds self-worth when she regards herself through his eyes. 

Burned, just like any other Ellen Hopkins book, is about a girls struggle through her teenage years and will appeal to many readers. 

Reading Level: Intermediate
Notes about Audience: Recommended for readers ages 15 and up. 

Cut ~ Patricia McCormick

Title: Cut
Author: Patricia McCormick
Publisher: Front Street.,168 pages
Copyright: 2000


VOYA Review:
This extraordinary novel explores the psychological phenomenon of self-mutilation known as cutting. Written in first person, the book recounts the story of thirteen-year-old Callie, who has been placed in a residential treatment center. Although many patients have eating disorders, others, such as Callie, repeatedly cut their skin with sharp objects, creating physical scars, scabs, and sores that mirror the mental ones. The story unfolds through Callie's therapy sessions, her interactions with other residents, and her mental monologues. Mute by choice, Callie's silence is her sanity. Her younger brother Sam's severe asthma has altered the family dynamics and taken over their lives. Callie's coping mechanism is cutting. Although the road to recovery for any such patient is long and extensive, this book gives the reader just a glimpse into the psyche of one teenager who cuts. Realistic, sensitive, and heartfelt, this book explores the power of the human spirit as it struggles through mental illness. The well-developed characters, including the motherly, rock-solid secondary character of Ruby, one of the attendants, also reflect the author's strength as a writer. This brilliant novel is even more perceptive than Shelley Stoehr's Crosses (Delacorte, 1991/VOYA October 1991) and James Bennett's I Can Hear the Mourning Dove (Houghton Mifflin, 1990/VOYA October 1990). VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2000, Front Street, 168p. Ages 12 to 15. Reviewer: Mary Ann Capan VOYA, February 2001 (Vol. 23, No.6)


Review: 
For a debut novel, Cut is an astounding problem novel about a teen's attempt to deal with blame by cutting herself. McCormick offers a glimpse inside the mind of a 15-year-old girl who cuts herself to relieve the burden of blame and insecurity at its worst.  For Callie, life just became too complicated. The solution lay right in front of her. One tiny cut. A bubble of red. And yes, pain. The sweet escape. Callie would seem like a normal 15 year old girl but she has one problem. She doesn’t know how to express how she feels in words so she turns to cutting herself. Her mother  sends her to Sea Pines Hospital to get help on her issues. In group therapy, she meets Becca, Tara, Debbie, Sydney and Tiffany.  She never speaks or shares her story until a new girl, Amanda, joins their group. 

Before Amanda enters the picture, Callie goes to group share time, hooks her sleeves over her thumbs, and hides behind her hair. She sees her counselor twice a day and counts the stripes on the wallpaper. But, Callie doesn't share. With anyone. Not even when her mother and little brother visit. 


Cutting is a very real issue for teens. Many, like Callie, don't even know themselves why they do it. Cut is an honest look at how cutting can consume a young person. If you know someone who cuts, share this book with them. Let them know they can find help. They can stop. Cut is not only about cutting; it's also about girls who are anorexic, bulimic, and who compulsively eat. This is a good novel for teens who struggle with similar disorders or who simply want to sympathize with teens that do. 

Reading Level: Beginner to intermediate
Notes about Audience: For mature readers, ages 14 and up. 

The Hunger Games ~ Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games (part of three part trilogy)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., 384 pages
Copyright: 2010


VOYA Review:
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen cannot believe it when her younger sister Prim is chosen as the female tribute from their district at the Reaping. In this futuristic society, each district is required to send two tributes to the Games in the Capitol where they must fight to the death while the whole country watches on live television. To protect her sister, Katniss volunteers to take her place, knowing that she will probably never again return home. Twenty-four young people are dropped off in a remote area and must fight for survival against the harsh conditions and each other. Only one is allowed to live. Katniss and Peeta, the other tribute from District 12, form an uneasy alliance that blossoms into romance amid the brutality and deprivation of the Hunger Games. Katniss and Peeta try to rebel against the Gamemakers but discover that they must play the game to its end. Collins moves up a level from the Gregor the Overlander books in this gripping story that is the first of a new trilogy. Themes of government control, "big brother," and personal independence are explored amidst a thrilling adventure that will appeal to science fiction, survival, and adventure readers. The suspense of this powerful novel will keep the reader glued to the page long after bedtime. Reviewer: Deborah L. Dubois


Review: 
You mean, you can't just live and let live and survive? You need to be pretty AND strong AND brave AND clever? This is a gut-wrenchingly adventure packed novel, where the heroine, Katniss Evergreen, volunteers to be in the Hunger Games in order to save her sister from certain death and ultimately to help provide for her family who is on the brinks of starvation. 


Imagine a place where the vast majority of resources are reserved for the use of a privileged group. A place where those who labor to create or harvest those resources - the miners who extract the coal, the field laborers who harvest the food, the factory workers who build the computers - live in abject poverty, unable to benefit from what they produce. Imagine that past rebellion against this state of affairs has been crushed by those privileged few, with their superior weapons, and military might. Imagine that these are a people who enjoy watching horrifically dehumanizing games, televised into their comfortable homes. It terrifies me to realize that it actually sounds like the world that we live in. Finally, imagine that this is a society in which children - always so vulnerable to the adults around them - are brutalized, given weapons and set loose in a hostile world - forced to fight and to kill, in order to stay alive. 


The new world, where Katniss and her family lives, is called Panem, with the center, the Capitol, ruling 12 districts that each supply their different products: electronics, coal, agricultural goods, etc. In the not so distant past,  there had been a civil war, a rebellion by the districts ending in vigorous and complete squashing of District 12. As a reminder of the sin of rebellion, every year the Capitol chooses 2 children from each district, between the ages of 12 and 18, to fight in the Hunger Games. They fight to the death, until there is one child left standing. The whole event is televised. When Katniss's 12 year old sister, Prim, is chosen, Katniss volunteers to take her place in the games. Katniss is whisked away to Capitol City where she is to prepare for the games. This include, interviews, training scores, and hopefully appealing to and attaining sponsors who will provide her with supplies that she will need to survive. That's where pretty counts when it comes to survival. She is pampered, styled, interviewed, and eventually dropped off in the middle of a wilderness arena where she competes to live. 


This is about as dark a dystopia as most of those created.It is essentially about kids killing kids in a reality television show that everyone in the country is forced to watch. Parents are forced to watch their child being brutally attacked with a spear. Siblings are forced to watch their brother or sister starve to death.

I was intensely involved in Collins's work, yet I couldn't help to be dumbfounded by the plot of the story. Collins' story isn't just a powerful, thought-provoking allegory, after all, but an intensely exciting adventure story. It is also a fatalistic view of the world a hundred or so years from now, or a thousand, or a million. The idea of teens killing each other for the entertainment of the ruling classes is repulsive yet captivating -- you can't help turning the pages faster to see who will survive. Katniss is a compelling heroine -- resourceful, righteous, and genuinely conflicted about the moral implications of some of the difficult decisions she has to make in order to survive. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. 

Reading Level: Intermediate

Recommended audience: For older teens, ages 16/17 and up. 

Yossel: April 19, 1943 ~ Joe Kubert

Title: Yossel: April 19, 1943
Author: Joe Kubert
Publisher: ibooks, inc., 120 pages
Copyright: 2003


School Library Journal Review:
Adult/High School–Kubert combined war and comics to great effect in the "Sgt. Rock" series (DC Comics); in this work, the combination is taken in a very different direction. The author/illustrator's family immigrated to the U.S. from Poland before the Nazi invasion, but he has always been troubled by questions of "what if?" His answer is this book, a speculation on what might have happened had he found himself trapped as a teenager in the Warsaw ghetto. Kubert's alter ego is Yossel, a boy torn from his family but sustained by a compulsion to draw. The comic-book heroes of his sketches appeal to the Nazis, and the soldiers keep him on as a kind of pet. This position is of exceptional use in gathering and passing on information to the Resistance movement to which he belongs. As the uprising escalates, his art continues to provide him solace, even until his final tragic moments. Created to appear as illustrations from Yossel's sketchbook, the pages feature rough yet evocative pencil sketches rendered in Kubert's trademark dramatic style. The black-on-gray drawings make the plight of the people and the devastated, decaying hell of Warsaw in 1943 profoundly tangible. While the straightforward prose does not always have the same impact as the images, the work as a whole is a fascinating and provocative reminder of the lingering psychological effects of war.–Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Libraries, Ontario, Canada 

Review: 
Yossel is a Jewish boy living in Nazi-occupied Poland. At the start of the story, the Final Solution and the concentration camps are just a rumor.  However, when a camp escapee makes his way to the ghetto and reveals the horrors, Yossel loses his innocence. Then, he meets an old teacher of his who has escaped from a death camp. Yossel draws his story and it is very powerful. The novel is presented like a sketchbook "diary" and feels immediate and alive. Readers see everything from the horrors of ghetto life to the desperation of the concentration camps themselves. The narrative itself ends with a fierce climax during the Jewish revolt in the Warsaw ghetto on April 19, 1943. Kubert delves effectively into the psychology of the victim and oppressor and presents a solid historical overview of events. Yossel survives by drawing comics for and entertaining the German guards. His family is sent to Auschwitz, while he takes part in the Warsaw Uprising. A highly personal look at man at his worst. 


A disturbing experiment in memoir and a personal tale of a young artist's existence in the Warsaw ghetto in 1941 and how events conspired for the Jewish prisoners to rebel against their captors. Joe Kubert came to America in 1926. This graphic novel version of his life imagines what the fate of his family would have been if they had stayed in Poland and fallen to Nazi persecution. 


This is, by far, one of the best representations of the horrors of WWII that I've ever seen. 


Favorite Quote: "I ran blindly into the darkness, away from the awful sight that was etched behind my eyes. I knew the guards would think that the boy caught in the electrical wires was the only attempting to escape, but, they would check. They would take a count of the camp, barracks by barracks, subtracting those who had died that night in their bunks. Only then would they discover my flight."


Reading Level: Intermediate to advanced
Notes about Audience: Highly recommended for mature readers, ages 16 and up. 

Pride of Baghdad ~ Brian K. Vaughan

Title: Pride of Baghdad (Inspired by a true story)
Author: Brian K. Vaughan
Illustrated by Niko Henrichon
Publisher: DC Comics, 136 pages
Copyright: 2006


School Library Journal Review:
Gr 9 Up
A heartbreaking look at what it's like to live in a war zone. Inspired by true events, this story tells of four lions that escape from the Baghdad Zoo during a bombing raid in 2003 and encounter other animals that offer unique perspectives, such as a tortoise that survived World War I. They begin to question the nature of freedom. Can it be achieved without being earned? What is its price? What do the lions owe the zookeepers who took care of them at the cost of keeping them in captivity? Where should they go? What should they eat? The four lions soon realize that a desert city is nothing like the grassy savannas of their memories. Their experiences mirror those of the Iraqi citizens displaced by the conflict. The book succeeds as a graphic novel and as an account of the current crisis. Henrichon's full palette emphasizes browns and grays that evoke the sands of the country, while his long brushstrokes and careful attention to detail reflect the precise and minimalist dialogue that Vaughan uses. An allegorical tale with compelling and believable characters, Baghdad makes it clear that without self-determination, there can be no freedom


Review: 
This novel starts off like a cross between the childrens' movies "Madagascar" and "The Lion King". I can imagine it turning off teens because of its seemingly childish portrayal of war. At first, that is..


The story is about a pride of lions who, during the bombing of Baghdad in 2003, escape from the Baghdad Zoo. In their attempts to understand the unfolding, catastrophic situation around them, they cross paths with an American patrol unit that shoots and kills them. The lions symbolize the Iraqi people, the common men, not the soldiers, and the Americans symbolize, well, the American troops. 


This is a  portrayal of war without sides, without the good guy or bad guy images, or even the innocent bystanders. It is depicted within a state of constant "regime change" and "chaos" in which cooperation is a necessity, but nobody can ever be trusted. There is arrogant pride and a whole lot of graphic violence without any purpose, but the struggle for survival and the dream of safety, food to eat, and the beauty of the setting sun. In other words, just like real life, and completely unlike most of the stories we tell about war.


The fact that animals represent humans in this novel is a little daunting and awkward, and the fact that animals get blown up instead of people, is nonetheless still jarring. Wartime scenarios like rape, explosive bombs, and slaughter take place just as they would in other war novels, so beware young readers. The dialogue between the animals should have been made less simplistic; the book cover, animal talk, and animal characters calls to young readers, even though the content is clearly for mature teens. 

Reading Level: Beginner
Notes about Audience: Recommended for ages 15 and up. 

The Eternal Smile ~ Gene Luen Yang + Derek Kirk Kim

Title: The Eternal Smile
Author: Gene Luen Yang + Derek Kirk Kim
Publisher: First Second, 170 pages
Copyright: 2009


School Library Journal Review: 

Gr 9 Up

Yang and Kim are expert storytellers and work well together here to present three tales with fablelike takeaways. "Duncan" seems to be a hero story set in a lush medieval Europe, with the titular character embarking on an iconic quest to win the hand of the fair lady-except for odd visual details that crop up, such as the frumpy and definitely modern woman holding her bespectacled head in her hands and the apparently magic Snappy Cola bottle. The turn from fantasy to Duncan's reality is made smoothly and doesn't ask readers to appreciate its cleverness so much as to recognize how fantasy can, indeed, aid real healing. The volume's title story starts off as a riff on capitalism and religious gullibility involving talking frogs and then makes a hairpin turn with the revelation that a broadcast tycoon has blended America's tastes for Saturday morning cartoons and reality shows. In "Urgent Request," a contemporary cubicle inhabitant allows herself to fall for the fraudulent Nigerian royalty email plea for cash, but thereby gains the strength she needs to confront her abusive boss. Artwork in each of the stories is stylistically different and wholly appropriate to the theme of the specific tale. Smart teens will enjoy this thoroughly and will push it into friends'-and hopefully even adults'-hands for discussions around topics ranging from political insights to how narrative creates personal identity.-Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia

Review: 
The Eternal Smile is a collection of three graphic novels focusing on the nature of reality and fantasy. Gene Luen Yanga brings us three stories about fantasy, reality, and the way we think and dream about both. 
The first story, "Duncan's Kingdom", features a classic story of a brave knight determined to win the hand of the queen by slaying a metaphorical creature. The second story, "The Eternal Smile", tells the story of Gran'Pa Greenbax, a money-hungry businessman who attempts to cash in on a religious scheme centered on a mysterious smile in the sky. The third story, "Urgent Request", brings readers into a romance which begins when Janet receives an urgent email from Prince Henry of Nigeria. He needs her help in securing his family fortune.


These stories may appear to be fluffy and aimed at younger readers, but each deals with heavy issues (abuse, self-confidence, greed, and faith).   Strange, beautiful tales about being an outsider and being true to yourself, these stories will resonate with teens. The artwork is very different in each story, setting them distinctly apart from one another. From the epic fantasy art in the first to vintage comic book in the second, and ending with modern style in the final story. At the same time, the stories all work together as a collection. They have similar story arcs as well as that overarching theme of identity. Overall, these are uplifting stories about how we reconcile our fantasies with our real lives.

Highly recommended. This book belongs in all teen graphic novel collections because it shows teens how great graphic novels can be. And if you are an adult like me who enjoys them, make sure you get your hands on this one.

Reading Level: Intermediate (mature themes)
Notes about Audience: Recommended for ages 13 and up.