This is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees
The story begins with a scene that leads immediately into a flashback explaining how the teenager Jamie ends up possessing an urn of his brother's ashes. I found that a bit confusing, but quickly found my bearings in the following scenes set in England revolving around three characters, brothers Jamie and Rob, and Caro, the girl in which they are both involved. Sister Martha warns Jamie against dating Caro, though she doesn't elaborate on why. And sure, Jamie's heard warnings about her before. Still, he can't help but fall head over heels. He's obsessed, and their troubled romance is about all he can think about. He seems to overlook, or just plain ignore, the inconvenient parts, like her disappearing for periods of time with no explanation, the scars on her wrists, and her radical talk about fighting violence with violence. She appears to like him back, and that's enough for Jamie. Oh, young, naive, love. Older brother Rob is a war veteran back from Afganistan with an injured leg and, it appears, suffering from post traumatic syndrome. Jamie is taken aback to learn that his brother also knows Caro, though he isn't aware of their true relationship. Rob and Jamie have always had a tumultuous relationship, and Caro isn't helping alter that. Still, he is willing to overlook it, for the time-being. Caro manages to juggle the two brothers, using each for her own agenda. She appears cold and calculating, but there is also a sense of sympathy for her sad and non-existent family life. There is also sympathy for Rob's circumstances, but Jamie is the one the reader is going to be rooting for. The characters are well-developed and each narrates part of the story, but it is easy to lose track of who is currently telling the story if you aren't paying close attention. Listening to it as an audio, especially, with no indicators as to who is speaking other than the narrator's voice, it can take a moment to realize who is doing the telling. The ending is very suspenseful when the reader is finally let in on the plan Caro and Rob have cooked up during their secretive time together, and Jamie's role in that. Recommended for readers ages 16 and up due to mature themes such as drugs, sex, and language, and those interested in politics. The topic of school shootings plays a large part at the end so this could upset some readers. This is also suitable for adults who might be interested in the motivations behind the actions young adults take, as this book does a very good job in voicing those. I especially enjoyed listening to the audio version and Steve West's narration. Each character possessed a distinct and convincing voice and he made it easy to get lost in the story.
The story begins with a scene that leads immediately into a flashback explaining how the teenager Jamie ends up possessing an urn of his brother's ashes. I found that a bit confusing, but quickly found my bearings in the following scenes set in England revolving around three characters, brothers Jamie and Rob, and Caro, the girl in which they are both involved. Sister Martha warns Jamie against dating Caro, though she doesn't elaborate on why. And sure, Jamie's heard warnings about her before. Still, he can't help but fall head over heels. He's obsessed, and their troubled romance is about all he can think about. He seems to overlook, or just plain ignore, the inconvenient parts, like her disappearing for periods of time with no explanation, the scars on her wrists, and her radical talk about fighting violence with violence. She appears to like him back, and that's enough for Jamie. Oh, young, naive, love. Older brother Rob is a war veteran back from Afganistan with an injured leg and, it appears, suffering from post traumatic syndrome. Jamie is taken aback to learn that his brother also knows Caro, though he isn't aware of their true relationship. Rob and Jamie have always had a tumultuous relationship, and Caro isn't helping alter that. Still, he is willing to overlook it, for the time-being. Caro manages to juggle the two brothers, using each for her own agenda. She appears cold and calculating, but there is also a sense of sympathy for her sad and non-existent family life. There is also sympathy for Rob's circumstances, but Jamie is the one the reader is going to be rooting for. The characters are well-developed and each narrates part of the story, but it is easy to lose track of who is currently telling the story if you aren't paying close attention. Listening to it as an audio, especially, with no indicators as to who is speaking other than the narrator's voice, it can take a moment to realize who is doing the telling. The ending is very suspenseful when the reader is finally let in on the plan Caro and Rob have cooked up during their secretive time together, and Jamie's role in that. Recommended for readers ages 16 and up due to mature themes such as drugs, sex, and language, and those interested in politics. The topic of school shootings plays a large part at the end so this could upset some readers. This is also suitable for adults who might be interested in the motivations behind the actions young adults take, as this book does a very good job in voicing those. I especially enjoyed listening to the audio version and Steve West's narration. Each character possessed a distinct and convincing voice and he made it easy to get lost in the story.
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
From the author of "Silver Linings Playbook" comes this emotional story, told in 1st person by Leonard Peacock, an A.P. high school senior who is planning a murder/suicide using a WWII Nazi trophy of his grandfather's, a P-38, on his 18th birthday. From a wealthy family, he lives alone in Philadelphia while his fashion designer mother is preoccupied in NYC running her successful fashion design business and co-habitating with her French boyfriend, Jean Luke. Leonard befriends his next door neighbor, an elderly man who shares his obsession of Humphrey Bogart movies with the isolated and distraught teen. They develop a special bond in which they communicate using lines from the movies they watch nightly. During days when not watching movies, or attending classes, Leonard follows depressed-looking adults off the train as they go to work, looking for any signs of a possible happy future after graduation. It hasn't provided him much to be optomistic about. Planning revenge against his former best friend for past unforgivable offences, Leonard makes preparations for his scheme by presenting gifts to those individuals who have affected him in some way. For his mother, Linda, Leonard hacks off his long locks and leaves them in a pink-wrapped ball in the refrigerator for her to discover, should she return home. Though he receives mixed reactions from Baback, the violin virtuoso and Lauren, the girl who hands out Christian pamphlets at the train station, the gesture sets off an alarm for his Holocaust teacher Herr Silverman, who provides his private phone number and promises to reveal why his never rolls up his sleeves if Leonard will call before following through with any rash actions. He already recognizes the boy's anguish and has him writing letters to himself from the future. These hopeful and loving letters from his future wife and daughter in a dystopian future are an interesting counterpoint to the current bleakness of Leonard's internal dialogue. This 2014 Audie finalist is narrated by Noah Galvin, whose voice reminded me of a young Cory Feldman. His performance was spot on as the troubled teenager and I loved listening to the way he voiced the dialogue of the varied characters. Highly recommended for teens in grades 9 and up who enjoy contemporary fiction.
From the author of "Silver Linings Playbook" comes this emotional story, told in 1st person by Leonard Peacock, an A.P. high school senior who is planning a murder/suicide using a WWII Nazi trophy of his grandfather's, a P-38, on his 18th birthday. From a wealthy family, he lives alone in Philadelphia while his fashion designer mother is preoccupied in NYC running her successful fashion design business and co-habitating with her French boyfriend, Jean Luke. Leonard befriends his next door neighbor, an elderly man who shares his obsession of Humphrey Bogart movies with the isolated and distraught teen. They develop a special bond in which they communicate using lines from the movies they watch nightly. During days when not watching movies, or attending classes, Leonard follows depressed-looking adults off the train as they go to work, looking for any signs of a possible happy future after graduation. It hasn't provided him much to be optomistic about. Planning revenge against his former best friend for past unforgivable offences, Leonard makes preparations for his scheme by presenting gifts to those individuals who have affected him in some way. For his mother, Linda, Leonard hacks off his long locks and leaves them in a pink-wrapped ball in the refrigerator for her to discover, should she return home. Though he receives mixed reactions from Baback, the violin virtuoso and Lauren, the girl who hands out Christian pamphlets at the train station, the gesture sets off an alarm for his Holocaust teacher Herr Silverman, who provides his private phone number and promises to reveal why his never rolls up his sleeves if Leonard will call before following through with any rash actions. He already recognizes the boy's anguish and has him writing letters to himself from the future. These hopeful and loving letters from his future wife and daughter in a dystopian future are an interesting counterpoint to the current bleakness of Leonard's internal dialogue. This 2014 Audie finalist is narrated by Noah Galvin, whose voice reminded me of a young Cory Feldman. His performance was spot on as the troubled teenager and I loved listening to the way he voiced the dialogue of the varied characters. Highly recommended for teens in grades 9 and up who enjoy contemporary fiction.
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
This is in the same vein as the author's novel "Code Name Verity" where woman who are serving during WWII are featured. The story is separated into three parts. The first is Rose story as a pilot who transports planes for the boys fighting the war in England. Since she is female, she is unable to fight herself, and this angers her. While returning to England from France (something she was only able to do due to her high ranking uncle) she encounters a flying bomb and decides to nudge it off its course after hearing other pilots saying it can be done. Unfortunately she loses her heading and ends up in Germany where two German planes force her to land. She is sent to a concentration camp where the second part takes over. And the third is her time after she is free again, and how she copes with her experience and the trials for atrocities against humanity. Additional story is relayed through the writings in her journal, along with poems she has written before she is captured and after she is free. This gripping story narrated by Sasha Pick is addicting to listen to. The accents of the Polish, Russian, and French prisoners, as well as the American and British characters are all convincing and I was glad that she actually sang the songs mentioned. I have a small criticism about the pronunciations of some words spoken by Rose (an American) with a British accent (garage, fuselage, berries, etc.). Also, the tiny Polish girl with the high voice who sounded at times like a shrieking Miss Piggy, not only grated on my nerves because it hurt to listen to her, but she was also hard to understand. Still, she and all the other characters are memorable. There are many strong female characters. I highly recommend older teens and adults interested in WWII giving this a listen. An author's note is provided at the end.
This is in the same vein as the author's novel "Code Name Verity" where woman who are serving during WWII are featured. The story is separated into three parts. The first is Rose story as a pilot who transports planes for the boys fighting the war in England. Since she is female, she is unable to fight herself, and this angers her. While returning to England from France (something she was only able to do due to her high ranking uncle) she encounters a flying bomb and decides to nudge it off its course after hearing other pilots saying it can be done. Unfortunately she loses her heading and ends up in Germany where two German planes force her to land. She is sent to a concentration camp where the second part takes over. And the third is her time after she is free again, and how she copes with her experience and the trials for atrocities against humanity. Additional story is relayed through the writings in her journal, along with poems she has written before she is captured and after she is free. This gripping story narrated by Sasha Pick is addicting to listen to. The accents of the Polish, Russian, and French prisoners, as well as the American and British characters are all convincing and I was glad that she actually sang the songs mentioned. I have a small criticism about the pronunciations of some words spoken by Rose (an American) with a British accent (garage, fuselage, berries, etc.). Also, the tiny Polish girl with the high voice who sounded at times like a shrieking Miss Piggy, not only grated on my nerves because it hurt to listen to her, but she was also hard to understand. Still, she and all the other characters are memorable. There are many strong female characters. I highly recommend older teens and adults interested in WWII giving this a listen. An author's note is provided at the end.
Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal
Narrated from the point of view of the ghost of Jacob Grimm (of the Grimm brothers), who is searching for the thing he has left undone on Earth. He settles in the United States watching over the only person who seems to hear him, 15-year-old Jeremy Johnson-Johnson, who lives in the "Two Book Bookstore" his grandfather opened after writing a 2-volume set of his memoirs. Not surprisingly, the store is struggling and Jeremy's depressed father is behind on their mortgage with no plan for keeping the bank from repossessing it in 60 days. Jeremy's friend Ginger suggests he try to win money on the show "Uncommon Knowledge" for his supposed knowledge of fairy tales. But it's the ghosts' knowledge he occasionally spurts out, not his own. Jacob Grimm has a mission too. He must protect Jeremy from the Finder of Occasions. Is this Ginger? She does tend to keep the boy from his studies, which is his only way out of this town of complex characters that shun him for being weird, and for the simple prank he and Ginger pulled by placing pop rocks in the baker's cereal. But the baker forgives them and alone offers to give them work to help pay the debt. Everyone loves the cheerful baker with his daily greetings of "Is it not a good day to be alive?" When the town sees green smoke coming from his chimney, they know another batch of his specialty Prince Cakes is ready. And no one is as concerned about the numerous missing children as the baker is. There are gruesome things happening in the town of Never Better and time is running out before three more children go missing forever. With similarities to 'Hanzel and Gretel' in which the witch cooks children in her oven and feeds them in a tart to their father, this story will captivate readers and listeners ages 12 and up who enjoy the darker side of fairy tales.This story is full of twists and turns that keep the story moving and the reader guessing until the very end. There is a satisfying conclusion and all lose ends are wrapped up tidily. A very innocent attraction between Ginger and Jeremy is included.
Narrated from the point of view of the ghost of Jacob Grimm (of the Grimm brothers), who is searching for the thing he has left undone on Earth. He settles in the United States watching over the only person who seems to hear him, 15-year-old Jeremy Johnson-Johnson, who lives in the "Two Book Bookstore" his grandfather opened after writing a 2-volume set of his memoirs. Not surprisingly, the store is struggling and Jeremy's depressed father is behind on their mortgage with no plan for keeping the bank from repossessing it in 60 days. Jeremy's friend Ginger suggests he try to win money on the show "Uncommon Knowledge" for his supposed knowledge of fairy tales. But it's the ghosts' knowledge he occasionally spurts out, not his own. Jacob Grimm has a mission too. He must protect Jeremy from the Finder of Occasions. Is this Ginger? She does tend to keep the boy from his studies, which is his only way out of this town of complex characters that shun him for being weird, and for the simple prank he and Ginger pulled by placing pop rocks in the baker's cereal. But the baker forgives them and alone offers to give them work to help pay the debt. Everyone loves the cheerful baker with his daily greetings of "Is it not a good day to be alive?" When the town sees green smoke coming from his chimney, they know another batch of his specialty Prince Cakes is ready. And no one is as concerned about the numerous missing children as the baker is. There are gruesome things happening in the town of Never Better and time is running out before three more children go missing forever. With similarities to 'Hanzel and Gretel' in which the witch cooks children in her oven and feeds them in a tart to their father, this story will captivate readers and listeners ages 12 and up who enjoy the darker side of fairy tales.This story is full of twists and turns that keep the story moving and the reader guessing until the very end. There is a satisfying conclusion and all lose ends are wrapped up tidily. A very innocent attraction between Ginger and Jeremy is included.
Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle
In this debut novel about Nate Foster, the 13-year-old sneaks off from his town just outside Pittsburgh, PA to New York City, after hearing from best friend Libby that auditions are being held for “E.T. The Musical.” They’ve worked out a plan for him to catch a bus there and back in a day so that his parents won’t return from their much needed romantic getaway to find him gone. There is nothing about New York City that Nate doesn’t love, and he feels for once like he fits in. Not like back home where a shrine has practically been built for his athlete brother, and where he is bullied at school. As the clock is ticking, his Aunt Heidi, who incidentally lives in NYC, locates him (thanks to BFF Libby again) at the try-outs and attempts to get him back on a bus heading home before she becomes anymore estranged from Nate’s mother than she already is. What they don’t factor in is that Nate actually gets a call back, and he’s racing off the bus again, knowing that he has just lost the only opportunity to make it home in time without getting caught. But he can’t pass it up. Acting is all he loves. He and Libby have studied and practiced for every acting possibility it seems (she makes him memorize an excuse for traveling on the bus alone which becomes his monologue during auditions, saving the day again), and even have an inside joke using the names of Broadway musical flops as substitutions for swear words. Inevitably, his cover is blown which necessitates the sisters to confront their long-standing family feud. The book is pretty funny while confronting these heavier issues, not to mention skirting around the issue of whether or not Nate is gay. The homosexual theme runs throughout the book and several characters are gay.
I listened to this on audiobook, a 2014Odyssey Honor Award winner, where the author narrates. He’s awesome. This is recommended and maybe even highly recommended for teens 13 and up. It might sneak into the middle grades too, if moms aren’t too hung up on the gay thing (they shouldn’t be, but you know…) As Nate so perfectly states,
My sexuality, by the way, is off-topic and unrelated. I am undecided. I am a freshman at the College of Sexuality and I have undecided my major, and frankly don’t want to declare anything other than “Hey jerks, I’m thirteen, leave me alone. Macaroni and cheese is still my favorite food—how would I know who I want to hook up with?”
I was glad to hear that there is a sequel to this book called, “Five, Six, Seven, Nate!” Readers who enjoy Broadway musicals, humorous stories, or New York City will enjoy reading about Nate.
In this debut novel about Nate Foster, the 13-year-old sneaks off from his town just outside Pittsburgh, PA to New York City, after hearing from best friend Libby that auditions are being held for “E.T. The Musical.” They’ve worked out a plan for him to catch a bus there and back in a day so that his parents won’t return from their much needed romantic getaway to find him gone. There is nothing about New York City that Nate doesn’t love, and he feels for once like he fits in. Not like back home where a shrine has practically been built for his athlete brother, and where he is bullied at school. As the clock is ticking, his Aunt Heidi, who incidentally lives in NYC, locates him (thanks to BFF Libby again) at the try-outs and attempts to get him back on a bus heading home before she becomes anymore estranged from Nate’s mother than she already is. What they don’t factor in is that Nate actually gets a call back, and he’s racing off the bus again, knowing that he has just lost the only opportunity to make it home in time without getting caught. But he can’t pass it up. Acting is all he loves. He and Libby have studied and practiced for every acting possibility it seems (she makes him memorize an excuse for traveling on the bus alone which becomes his monologue during auditions, saving the day again), and even have an inside joke using the names of Broadway musical flops as substitutions for swear words. Inevitably, his cover is blown which necessitates the sisters to confront their long-standing family feud. The book is pretty funny while confronting these heavier issues, not to mention skirting around the issue of whether or not Nate is gay. The homosexual theme runs throughout the book and several characters are gay.
I listened to this on audiobook, a 2014Odyssey Honor Award winner, where the author narrates. He’s awesome. This is recommended and maybe even highly recommended for teens 13 and up. It might sneak into the middle grades too, if moms aren’t too hung up on the gay thing (they shouldn’t be, but you know…) As Nate so perfectly states,
My sexuality, by the way, is off-topic and unrelated. I am undecided. I am a freshman at the College of Sexuality and I have undecided my major, and frankly don’t want to declare anything other than “Hey jerks, I’m thirteen, leave me alone. Macaroni and cheese is still my favorite food—how would I know who I want to hook up with?”
I was glad to hear that there is a sequel to this book called, “Five, Six, Seven, Nate!” Readers who enjoy Broadway musicals, humorous stories, or New York City will enjoy reading about Nate.
Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
This book follows a story set in 1872 of Ezra, a local naturalist. He spends his days drawing in a journal the things he sees. And he sees a mermaid. She has watched him for a long time but will not approach him because of a man she accidentally killed years previous. The mermaids have a reputation for killing men. Well, they do have very sharp teeth. But the two eventually do talk and Syrenka decides to give up her immortality to become a woman and marry Ezra.
Meanwhile, in present day, Hester avoids all relationships with boys because of a strange DNA defect that has led to the deaths of every woman in her family after having her first child. She has a male best friend, Peter, whom she has known since childhood, and he cautions Hester against shutting herself off from the advances of other boys, but she is determined to remain single. She works as an interpreter at Plimoth Plantation where the locals re-enact life as it was in the seventeenth century, and so she doesn’t usually join her friends for parties on the beach. However, the time she does, she ends up down in a cave that is only accessible during low tide. She’s heard of the cave, of course, just never felt the need to explore there. She finds what she expects to find, kids smoking. It’s probably where they come to have sex too. A boy tries to pick her up, even though he knows she has a frosty personality. But when she finally gets rid of him, she hears a strange voice deeper in the cave who seems absolutely surprised that she can hear him. Hester feels an instant connection to him, though she can’t figure out why. While researching her family’s history in Plymouth, she gains access to an old journal at the library, and discovers pages of drawings of mermaids. She is intrigued by the local superstitions and mythologies and wants to learn more. Slowly she learns that she is able to see the ghosts connected to her family’s “curse”, and what she must do to break it.
The audio for this book won and Odyssey Honor Award and Kathryn Kellgren is an excellent narrator. Her ultra-proper dialect, mixed with the deep voice and pattern of speech, personally bothers me at times when I listen to her, but I cannot argue that she gives a great performance. Reading the book might not have this problem, but I, at times, had a hard time following the time periods in the audio. I enjoyed the story taking place in 1872 much more than the present day story, maybe it was more romantic. Hester’s story was flawed, thinking she couldn’t have a relationship because she would die if she had a child. Can’t she find a way not to have a child? Is contraception not an option? Also, she lies and steals suddenly, after being a loyal friend to Peter her entire life. She treats him terribly, and that doesn’t ring true to me. Nevertheless, I would recommend this to more mature teens due to the partying and swearing, who enjoy historical, romance, ghost, mystery, books. The interview at the end of the audio with Kathryn Kellgren and the author was an excellent addition.
This book follows a story set in 1872 of Ezra, a local naturalist. He spends his days drawing in a journal the things he sees. And he sees a mermaid. She has watched him for a long time but will not approach him because of a man she accidentally killed years previous. The mermaids have a reputation for killing men. Well, they do have very sharp teeth. But the two eventually do talk and Syrenka decides to give up her immortality to become a woman and marry Ezra.
Meanwhile, in present day, Hester avoids all relationships with boys because of a strange DNA defect that has led to the deaths of every woman in her family after having her first child. She has a male best friend, Peter, whom she has known since childhood, and he cautions Hester against shutting herself off from the advances of other boys, but she is determined to remain single. She works as an interpreter at Plimoth Plantation where the locals re-enact life as it was in the seventeenth century, and so she doesn’t usually join her friends for parties on the beach. However, the time she does, she ends up down in a cave that is only accessible during low tide. She’s heard of the cave, of course, just never felt the need to explore there. She finds what she expects to find, kids smoking. It’s probably where they come to have sex too. A boy tries to pick her up, even though he knows she has a frosty personality. But when she finally gets rid of him, she hears a strange voice deeper in the cave who seems absolutely surprised that she can hear him. Hester feels an instant connection to him, though she can’t figure out why. While researching her family’s history in Plymouth, she gains access to an old journal at the library, and discovers pages of drawings of mermaids. She is intrigued by the local superstitions and mythologies and wants to learn more. Slowly she learns that she is able to see the ghosts connected to her family’s “curse”, and what she must do to break it.
The audio for this book won and Odyssey Honor Award and Kathryn Kellgren is an excellent narrator. Her ultra-proper dialect, mixed with the deep voice and pattern of speech, personally bothers me at times when I listen to her, but I cannot argue that she gives a great performance. Reading the book might not have this problem, but I, at times, had a hard time following the time periods in the audio. I enjoyed the story taking place in 1872 much more than the present day story, maybe it was more romantic. Hester’s story was flawed, thinking she couldn’t have a relationship because she would die if she had a child. Can’t she find a way not to have a child? Is contraception not an option? Also, she lies and steals suddenly, after being a loyal friend to Peter her entire life. She treats him terribly, and that doesn’t ring true to me. Nevertheless, I would recommend this to more mature teens due to the partying and swearing, who enjoy historical, romance, ghost, mystery, books. The interview at the end of the audio with Kathryn Kellgren and the author was an excellent addition.
The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
High school senior Sutter Keely is the life of the party. Never thinking about the future, he lives in the spectacular now. He works at a men's shirt store and never leaves home without a whiskey and 7Up. His girlfriend breaks up with him. She enjoys the good times with him, but wished he had another gear. Enter Aimee, the nerdy girl who finds Sutter on her front lawn early one morning after a horrendous evening at his sister's house, followed by a night of drinking. Aimee is not the sort of girl Sutter would ever date, but he befriends her in an attempt to turn her into a social butterfly - a project just until his girlfriend gets tired of that new brainiac boyfriend of hers. But he discovers that he really likes Aimee and spends more and more time with her, which works out well since his best friend Ricky is all but ignoring him as he starts dating for the first time and makes plans for life after graduation. Sutter helps Aimee break away from her mother's demands and guilt trips, but he also brings her into a life of excessive drinking. Can the two find a way to move successfully to a life after high school? This was a National Book Award Finalist and a new movie. I listened to this on CD and the narrator does a good job portraying Sutter, giving him an accent that sounds like Matthew Mcconaughey, if that sounds appealing to you. Aimee's voice was not as flattering. There is drinking, sex, bad behavior, and drunk driving in this story, so I would recommend it for older teen readers and adults. [Spoiler Alert] I did not like the ending of this book at all. Aimee follows her dream of moving away to live with her sister and going to college in another state, a move that Sutter takes full responsibility for. But he's got to attend summer school and has no intention of joining her as he has promised. She will soon be brokenhearted and he will remain the happy-go-lucky Sutterman who never thinks about consequences. There is no hope for Sutter that the reader can see. He loses his job, all his friends are moving on to bright futures, he's learned the truth about his deadbeat father, he's disappointed his mother and sister, and he's sent the one person he truly loves away to follow her dream, and he's left drinking in a bar. He hasn't changed at all, except perhaps in his own mind. I had such high hopes for him, but in the end, he disappointed me as well. It's a tragic ending that might be better suited for an adult novel than a teen novel. It might be realistic, but I wished for a shred of positive light for Sutter and there was none.
High school senior Sutter Keely is the life of the party. Never thinking about the future, he lives in the spectacular now. He works at a men's shirt store and never leaves home without a whiskey and 7Up. His girlfriend breaks up with him. She enjoys the good times with him, but wished he had another gear. Enter Aimee, the nerdy girl who finds Sutter on her front lawn early one morning after a horrendous evening at his sister's house, followed by a night of drinking. Aimee is not the sort of girl Sutter would ever date, but he befriends her in an attempt to turn her into a social butterfly - a project just until his girlfriend gets tired of that new brainiac boyfriend of hers. But he discovers that he really likes Aimee and spends more and more time with her, which works out well since his best friend Ricky is all but ignoring him as he starts dating for the first time and makes plans for life after graduation. Sutter helps Aimee break away from her mother's demands and guilt trips, but he also brings her into a life of excessive drinking. Can the two find a way to move successfully to a life after high school? This was a National Book Award Finalist and a new movie. I listened to this on CD and the narrator does a good job portraying Sutter, giving him an accent that sounds like Matthew Mcconaughey, if that sounds appealing to you. Aimee's voice was not as flattering. There is drinking, sex, bad behavior, and drunk driving in this story, so I would recommend it for older teen readers and adults. [Spoiler Alert] I did not like the ending of this book at all. Aimee follows her dream of moving away to live with her sister and going to college in another state, a move that Sutter takes full responsibility for. But he's got to attend summer school and has no intention of joining her as he has promised. She will soon be brokenhearted and he will remain the happy-go-lucky Sutterman who never thinks about consequences. There is no hope for Sutter that the reader can see. He loses his job, all his friends are moving on to bright futures, he's learned the truth about his deadbeat father, he's disappointed his mother and sister, and he's sent the one person he truly loves away to follow her dream, and he's left drinking in a bar. He hasn't changed at all, except perhaps in his own mind. I had such high hopes for him, but in the end, he disappointed me as well. It's a tragic ending that might be better suited for an adult novel than a teen novel. It might be realistic, but I wished for a shred of positive light for Sutter and there was none.
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
This audiobook, narrated by Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Molhotra, is a recipient of the 2014 Odyssey Honor Award. It is an exceptionally sweet love story of two 16-year-old teens falling in love for the first time. Park is a nerdy, but cute Vietnamese-American who loves comic books and alternative music. Eleanor is the new girl with the mysterious background. They meet on the bus when "Big Red", so named for her red hair and larger, curvy body, tries to find a seat. "Weird Asian Boy" is the only one willing, though reluctantly, to scoot over and make space for her. The story is told from both Park's and Eleanor's points-of-view, which is how the reader learns about Eleanor's troubled life with an abusive step-father. The two never speak to each other, but Park realizes that Eleanor is also reading his comic books as he reads them on their ride to school. He eventually starts to let her take them home to finish the really good ones like "Watchman". He also lets her listen to the cassette tapes of his favorite music. She is appreciative and particularly careful not to damage anything so that he won't stop letting her borrow them. She knew she'd never have access to them otherwise. Little by little they begin a dialogue together, and find out that they have a lot in common. Eventually, Park takes her hand on the bus and sparks fly for both Park and Eleanor. Their relationship deepens to the point of Eleanor sneaking over to Park's house on a daily basis. Park's family embraces her and know the troubled family she comes from, but Eleanor's family knows nothing of Park. Her step-father already makes disgusting accusations about her behavior and more. Their love is tested when Eleanor must suddenly escape her house and move to another state for the safety of her uncle's house. Can they survive this separation? This tender, yet heartbreaking story will immediately suck in readers who enjoy love stories full of innocence, first kisses, and the electricity of touching your love for the first time . Appropriate for readers in grades 9 and up. The audiobook is excellent. I miss Eleanor and Park.
This audiobook, narrated by Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Molhotra, is a recipient of the 2014 Odyssey Honor Award. It is an exceptionally sweet love story of two 16-year-old teens falling in love for the first time. Park is a nerdy, but cute Vietnamese-American who loves comic books and alternative music. Eleanor is the new girl with the mysterious background. They meet on the bus when "Big Red", so named for her red hair and larger, curvy body, tries to find a seat. "Weird Asian Boy" is the only one willing, though reluctantly, to scoot over and make space for her. The story is told from both Park's and Eleanor's points-of-view, which is how the reader learns about Eleanor's troubled life with an abusive step-father. The two never speak to each other, but Park realizes that Eleanor is also reading his comic books as he reads them on their ride to school. He eventually starts to let her take them home to finish the really good ones like "Watchman". He also lets her listen to the cassette tapes of his favorite music. She is appreciative and particularly careful not to damage anything so that he won't stop letting her borrow them. She knew she'd never have access to them otherwise. Little by little they begin a dialogue together, and find out that they have a lot in common. Eventually, Park takes her hand on the bus and sparks fly for both Park and Eleanor. Their relationship deepens to the point of Eleanor sneaking over to Park's house on a daily basis. Park's family embraces her and know the troubled family she comes from, but Eleanor's family knows nothing of Park. Her step-father already makes disgusting accusations about her behavior and more. Their love is tested when Eleanor must suddenly escape her house and move to another state for the safety of her uncle's house. Can they survive this separation? This tender, yet heartbreaking story will immediately suck in readers who enjoy love stories full of innocence, first kisses, and the electricity of touching your love for the first time . Appropriate for readers in grades 9 and up. The audiobook is excellent. I miss Eleanor and Park.
Scowler by Daniel Kraus
This audiobook, narrated by Kirby Heyborne was named the 2014 Odyssey Winner. Each chapter begins with the minutes remaining until impact. We know it literally means the impact of a meteor, but we also know that Ry's abusive father will return at this moment. Marvin was locked away 9 years ago after horrific emotional and physical abuse to his family. Ry dealt with responsibilities no young child should have to deal with, mainly with the help of three dolls, Mr. Furrington, Jesus Christ, and Scowler. Each has a specific personality and Ry depended on them for strength. After a slow recovery, (the passage of time is shown with flashbacks), the family plans to leave their dying farm in Iowa and start fresh in town. But the meteor strikes and their troubles start again, and Ry resurrects his three old friends. But will they be enough to get Ry through this time? Scowler seems especially bloodthirsty and capable of ruining Ry as well as his father. It was so unpredictable that I truly did not know how this would end until I heard the final words. This is an extremely suspenseful and horrific story. One scene at the beginning is particularly grotesque, and others follow. This is recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy horror and suspense. The audio version is excellent. Kirby Heyborne successfully differentiates the multiple characters and creates exceptional mood for the book. Just don't listen to it alone in a farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere.
This audiobook, narrated by Kirby Heyborne was named the 2014 Odyssey Winner. Each chapter begins with the minutes remaining until impact. We know it literally means the impact of a meteor, but we also know that Ry's abusive father will return at this moment. Marvin was locked away 9 years ago after horrific emotional and physical abuse to his family. Ry dealt with responsibilities no young child should have to deal with, mainly with the help of three dolls, Mr. Furrington, Jesus Christ, and Scowler. Each has a specific personality and Ry depended on them for strength. After a slow recovery, (the passage of time is shown with flashbacks), the family plans to leave their dying farm in Iowa and start fresh in town. But the meteor strikes and their troubles start again, and Ry resurrects his three old friends. But will they be enough to get Ry through this time? Scowler seems especially bloodthirsty and capable of ruining Ry as well as his father. It was so unpredictable that I truly did not know how this would end until I heard the final words. This is an extremely suspenseful and horrific story. One scene at the beginning is particularly grotesque, and others follow. This is recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy horror and suspense. The audio version is excellent. Kirby Heyborne successfully differentiates the multiple characters and creates exceptional mood for the book. Just don't listen to it alone in a farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere.
MidwinterBlood by Marcus Sedgwick
I have been a fan of Marcus Sedgwick since reading his "Book of Dead Days" while on a flight to Hawaii. I remember getting quickly sucked into the story and not wanting it to end. This title, just named the 2014 Printz Award winner, is no different. The Printz is awarded to the book from the previous year that exhibits literary excellence in young adult literature. This set of stories begins in the near future on a remote island called Blessed located in the far north. Eric Seven has traveled there to do some research. Rumors say that no one ages, and there are no children. He is greeted warmly and feels an instant connection with a woman named Merle. But things go horribly wrong. In the following six stories, slowly receding back through history, the reader realizes that Eric and Merle continually appear in this same remote place and interact in some way, while the history of the island and of themselves unfolds...back to an archaeological dig that uncovers the bones of a man and a child, to an WWII airman shot down over the island, to a painter of the island's legend, to a ghost story of a young woman whose lover is killed, to an exiled Viking returned to claim his children, to the sacrifice of a king to save his people. Each story corresponds with a particular moon that defines the timing of the story. A clever approach, I found myself referring back to the previous stories after discovering each new connection. This would be of interest to those readers who enjoy fantasy and historical fiction and horror, possibly an appeal for those who enjoy the thought of reincarnation as well. There is suggestion of violence left to the reader's imagination, and suspense invades each story. It dark and suitable for teens grades 8 and up.
I have been a fan of Marcus Sedgwick since reading his "Book of Dead Days" while on a flight to Hawaii. I remember getting quickly sucked into the story and not wanting it to end. This title, just named the 2014 Printz Award winner, is no different. The Printz is awarded to the book from the previous year that exhibits literary excellence in young adult literature. This set of stories begins in the near future on a remote island called Blessed located in the far north. Eric Seven has traveled there to do some research. Rumors say that no one ages, and there are no children. He is greeted warmly and feels an instant connection with a woman named Merle. But things go horribly wrong. In the following six stories, slowly receding back through history, the reader realizes that Eric and Merle continually appear in this same remote place and interact in some way, while the history of the island and of themselves unfolds...back to an archaeological dig that uncovers the bones of a man and a child, to an WWII airman shot down over the island, to a painter of the island's legend, to a ghost story of a young woman whose lover is killed, to an exiled Viking returned to claim his children, to the sacrifice of a king to save his people. Each story corresponds with a particular moon that defines the timing of the story. A clever approach, I found myself referring back to the previous stories after discovering each new connection. This would be of interest to those readers who enjoy fantasy and historical fiction and horror, possibly an appeal for those who enjoy the thought of reincarnation as well. There is suggestion of violence left to the reader's imagination, and suspense invades each story. It dark and suitable for teens grades 8 and up.