“I didn't used to overthink my choices quite so much. Then someone made what I've always been told is a very important choice for me, and now I tend to overthink everything else.”
I have read quite a few YA "issue" books in my day, but I always reach for them. I find many to be diverse and substantial, and when a new title comes out, I'm always interested.
Exit, Pursued by a Bear caught my attention a couple of times and for various reasons. First, the title is a reference to Shakespeare, which had me sold immediately...before I even knew what the book would be about. I put it on my Goodreads list and promptly forgot about it.
Then, a teacher asked for books to recommend to teens in her alternative high school (as part of a FB group I'm in), and this title was brought up multiple times. It got placed quickly on my Amazon wishlist, and Adam sent it to me as part of a recent book swap. It was then that I learned the book was about a rape and the events that happened afterwards as the main character, Hermione, comes to terms with what to do.
As much as you can say you enjoyed a book about rape, I enjoyed this book. Where Speak was raw and isolating, Exit, Pursued by a Bear gave warmth and comfort. Things are not easy for Hermione by any means, but the support of her family and friends as she copes with the rape (which she doesn't remember-she was drugged), a pregnancy, an abortion (not a spoiler-it happens early), and the investigation to find her rapist.
It's well done.
I actually think its harder to find a book for teens where parents are as present as they are in this title. They give support to their daughter as she needs it. She has strong friends who lift her up and guide her. She has a therapist who works to help her gain her memories back. The scene surrounding her time spent in the abortion clinic is powerful and moving and made me set the book aside for a moment...
“I've never met any of these women before, and I will never see any of them after today. I don't know their names and they don't know mine. I've been on teams and in clubs my whole life, surrounded by people who are united by a common purpose, and I have never felt anything like this. Maybe it's the gas, but until this moment, I have never felt such a kinship with a person who was not actually family. I love every person in this room, and I'm pretty sure that if they asked, I'd do anything for them.
Anything, except have a baby.”
Do I think the book is perfect? No, far from it. I have some qualms with the writing style and at times I felt things were a little too "neat." But the premise, the characters, and the way the author constructed a different take on such a severe issue for a YA audience was refreshing and worth reading. The main character Hermione and her friend Polly made me smile with their support and love for one another. It's a title I definitely think students will be drawn to, especially my students who like "issue" titles.
“If you think I'm going to apologize for being drugged and raped, you have another thing coming.”
“A book isn’t rigorous if students aren’t reading it.”
Every year we have to make professional learning goals as a part of our evaluation process. And while those goals are usually things that need to be measured, I spoke at length with my administration during my initial observation meeting about self-improvement professional development ideas (PD). One of those ideas was simply to read more professional books to incorporate new strategies and techniques into my teaching practice.
And while this was not my first PD reading this school year, it is a favorite and something I felt strongly enough about to write a blog post. I don't normally include PD books, readings, etc on my blog, but why not? I'm sure there are teachers who might stumble across these posts, and I know that I have friends and readers who might be willing to share their own experiences, either as a student, a parent, or a fellow teacher.
Book Love first crossed my radar this past fall at a district PD event. After our district launched a Battle of the Books competition between the 4 high schools, the ELA teacher leaders (I am one of two for my building) decided that we needed to have a PD about independent reading and the importance of choice reading for students. It's not something that is widespread across our district but needs to be. I have tried to include choice reading time into my classes since I started teaching, but it's difficult when there is not a culture of reading in your building. Students fight against it, not seeing it as important. I've caught more kids plagiarizing book projects and reports than anything else.
Book Love addresses a lot of those issues and gives strategies on how to incorporate meaningful reading into the lives of teenagers. It's difficult to show students the importance of reading, especially when the only reading they may do in a high school English classroom is old, stuffy texts. I have long been a proponent of reading whatever I want, whenever I want, which is why I love YA and don't hide it. But I also read non-fiction, biographies, classics, etc. However, there is a disconnect between my passion for reading and getting that passion instilled in my students.
I was born a reader. I never fought reading and would willingly read my required amount of time in elementary school (and over). ELA homework and reading assignments were the only homework that was always done (Math....not so much). It has sometimes been a struggle for me to get that same passion across to my students. And while I have pulled in independent reading projects and time in class, I haven't really utilized it effectively.
Kittle talks at length about creating a culture for reading in your classroom-from giving time for students to read, book talks, looking at language, and cultivating an extensive classroom library. She starts each lesson with ten minutes of reading time in her classroom. She uses that time to conference with students about their reading, making it through every student in her class in about 2-3 weeks. She checks on their stamina depending on difficulty of books students are reading (this is talked about at length in her book-essentially how fast you can read depending on difficulty. For instance, I can fly through a 500+ page YA novel in an afternoon. A classic? A couple weeks). She also talks with students about creating book lists of books to investigate, challenges to read 20 books a semester (she considers a book to be about 250 pages, which makes it more doable for students), and having students share their reading.
I ended her book wanting to be a student in her class. She really stresses the importance of students being able to read as much as possible for college to keep up with that reading, but also to choose things that not only interest them, but challenge them at the same time. Her book is littered with book titles (many of which I wrote down as TBRs) and ideas for getting students to read.
Since I took over our remedial 11th grade course this year, I have been trying to include more and more independent reading. For many of those students, reading has been a barrier to their ELA education. They are with me to not only become better readers, but to improve their writing. The two are closely linked together. And while I have included independent reading time, I'm finding ways to improve it. First semester included one day a week of reading time (which was honestly too much time for these kids to stay focused). Starting second semester, we changed it to ten minutes a day. We've seen more kids read consistently...and actually finishing books (I say "We" since I co-teach the class with a special education teacher). We've also included book talks into our lessons since the beginning of the year.
But I love Kittle's ideas, and I'm hoping we can implement more of that culture in our classes next year. My co-teacher is currently reading the book so we can be on the same page next year. I'm working on pulling together a classroom library. My current stash of books is quite pathetic, but I recently took in a bunch of books from home (that I could bear to part with) and have plans to hit up some used book stores, our library's book sales, and garage sales to fill the shelves I have. I've also asked for a grant to get more bookshelves and books for next school year.
There is something about reading and trying to ignite that love in my students that is driving me. Kittle's book just knocked that passion into place and gave me some direction. I have no doubt I'll be referring to it and her ideas as I continue to build that reading culture in my classroom.
“Teenagers want to read - if we let them.”
“I don’t know why I’ve always been like this, why the smallest things make me ache inside. There’s a poem I read once, titled “The World Is Too Much with Us,” and I guess that is the best way to describe the feeling—the world is too much with me.”
In college, I took a lot of courses in Mexican history, Chicano literature, and everything in between to earn a specialization with my history degree. I have always been fascinated by the differences between the United States and Mexico-from how we were settled by Europeans, to the genocides of indigenous peoples, to independence and beyond, it just fascinates me.
This is a book that I would have loved to read in one of those classes because it fits in so well. But what I loved most about it is that while the main character, Julia, talks often about her Mexican family, heritage, and customs, the book never pushes it to an extreme level. Julia and her family are Mexican in a way that oozes through their conversations, their beliefs and their way of life in the United States. It was refreshing and I loved it.
The book focuses on Julia and her parents after the death of Julia's older sister, Olga. Olga was everything that Julia isn't-focused on staying home with her parents to attend community college, focused on remaining a good, Mexican daughter. Julia, on the other hand, has dreams. She wants to leave town to go to college. She doesn't want to stay home and learn to make tortillas and other Mexican dishes. She smokes, she swears, she gets into trouble at school, she wants to wear clothes that her mother hates, she dates a white boy in secret.
With Olga's death, Julia is left feeling like she cannot live up to her parents' expectations. The world begins to crash in on her as she struggles between the expectations of her parents and her own happiness. It's written in a way that while you feel for Julia's angst and the somewhat oppressive nature of her parents, you also see their point of view-they now only have one daughter, and she seems determined to leave them after everything they've gone through.
It packs quite a punch.
And I loved it.
Some of what stuck out to me, as mentioned above, is the easy way Sanchez weaves in pieces of Mexican culture and heritage into her writing. It never feels like she is trying to educate the reader about what it means to be Mexican, but you come away with far more knowledge than you had before. From descriptions of altars and cooking to religion and La Llorana, the book is full of vibrancy in relation to who Julia and her family are and where they came from. There's also talk about immigration and crossing the border, as both of Julia's parents are undocumented. The book even takes us to Mexico with Julia when she visits her relatives and the descriptions of Mexico and living conditions south of the U.S. border only amplified the cultural struggle Julia feels throughout the book.
“Be careful. Please. The border…The fucking border.” I feel a wildness spreading through me. “It’s nothing but a giant wound, a big gash between the two countries. Why does it have to be like that? I don’t understand. It’s just some random, stupid line. How can anyone tell people where they can and can’t go?”
While this is definitely a book about grief-we see how Julia and both of her parents "deal" with the loss of Olga, it is definitely a book about generational and cultural differences. It's moving and inspiring and everything I hoped it would be. There are some incredibly emotional parts to the book, especially when the book shifts tone in the last half. The book also contains a bit of a mystery, as Julia investigates just who her sister was and if she was really as perfect as she pretended to be.
It was amazing and I loved it. I happened to bring it to school one day to read during reading time in my junior level classes, and a few kids seemed interested after I told them a bit about the story. It's a definitely a book I'm going to have our media specialist pick up for the library.
“How do we tie our shoes, brush our hair, drink coffee, wash the dishes, and go to sleep, pretending everything is fine? How do we laugh and feel happiness despite the buried things growing inside? How can we do that day after day?”
“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.”
Caraval by Stephanie Garber is another title included in my district's "Battle of the Books" competition being held between the high schools. It's the 4th book I've read out of the 6 selected, and I can see why it was chosen. The very "Fantasy" feel of the title is in pretty good contrast to the two realistic fiction choices, the mysteries, and the science-fiction title. It also features a female protagonist, which keeps the balance a bit between the 6 titles (students ans staff got to nominate titles, then a committee selected the final titles. They tried to get a good mix, which I think they did. Not bad for our first year doing this).
The book was compared a bit to The Night Circus, and while I get where that comparison is coming from....no. I was late to reading The Night Circus, and like many others, I fell in love with the world building and depth of the story. Caraval, in short, lacks that element.
Essentially, the Caraval in the novel is an event held yearly by a mysterious character, Legend. Each year he invites people from around the world to participate in the game, which is full of magic and deception. Scarlett and her sister, Tella, live with their abusive father and have written to Legend for years in hopes they could participate. It is only in the weeks before Scarlett is set to be married to a man she has never met that Legend responds with tickets. Recruiting the help of a sailor, Julian, the sisters set off the mystical island where Caraval takes place.
And that is where the story lost me. The idea of the story (the plot) is intriguing and could be so interesting, much like that of The Night Circus. But there is no world building. None. The world sounds wonderful, but it's never developed. Things are mentioned and then ignored and I'm left wondering why I'm supposed to care.
The writing is also...so very heavy. There are metaphors and similes and flowery imagery on every page and while I can like that kind of writing, it has to make sense. There is so much telling and not enough showing. Scarlett feels in colors, and would compare talking to some to a color. The phrasing was awkward and off-putting. When I would start to fall into the story, I'd be yanked right back out because some awkward comparison would ruin it for me, like, "He tasted like midnight and wind." I have no idea what that means. What is that?
Now, I say all this while also telling you that I kept reading because I did want to know what happened. The plot had a number of twists and turns that made it pretty compelling, enough so that I could ignore the awkward language. However, there were some things that were never fully explained and some plot holes that were never filled in. I also felt like the characters needed a bit more humanity to them...at some points...I just didn't care what happened to them.
Wow, this is sounding much more negative than I intended. There is a sequel and while it's not a book I would buy for myself, if it ends up in our media center, I might check it out. How's that for a review?
After reading this, I did speak to our media specialist, and she felt much the same way. Apparently the kids are eating it up, and all the other copies (besides the one I had checked out) were in the hands of kids. None of my kids have picked it up (they're inhaling the John Green title and Winger by Andrew Smith-which I nominated and pushed for), but if they do, I'll be curious to see how they feel about it.
Has anyone else read this? Thoughts?
“Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or performance. It's the closest you'll ever find yourself magic in this world.”
“You told me once that we shall be judged by our intentions, not by our accomplishments. I thought it a grand remark. But we must intend to accomplish - not sit intending on a chair.”
I'm not sure how long this "review" is going to be for a few reasons. 1. While I just finished this book last weekend, the details are already fuzzy, which should give you the indication that 2. I didn't love this one because 3. It seemed unpolished and not quite there, at least in comparison to the one other novel I've read by Forster, A Room with a View. Granted, I read that one fairly early in my blogging career, so details are fuzzy, but I do remember wanting to keep reading and flying through the book because I loved it.
It's not that Where Angels Fear to Tread is poorly written...I just didn't get into the story and it took me too long to finish for how slim of a novel it is. There were aspects I liked (it has some funny moments), but is just seemed...overly dramatic and drawn out.
The book opens with Lilia Herriton, a widow, goes off to Italy some some vacation time at the bidding of her in-laws. Back in Uppity Edwardian England, the in-laws were disapproving of Lilia's choices and felt that she needed some time away. They kept her daughter while she traveled with a companion in town. Imagine their horror and dismay when they receive word that Lilia has met an Italian and is considering marrying him.
To try and prevent scandal from descending on their family, Lilia's brother in law, Philip rushes to Italy to bring her home and stop all the foolishness. Well, it's too late-Lilia is married to the Italian and has brought disgrace on her in-laws. Philip returns home in despair and Lilia begins her life with her new husband. She quickly becomes pregnant, then realizes her mistake. Gino is not who he said he was, her life is lonely, and she doesn't actually love him. He becomes verbally and emotionally abusive and shortly after giving birth, she dies.
The Herritons believe they need to rescue Lilia's son and so Philip, his sister Harriet, and a friend, Miss Abbott go back to Italy in hopes of retrieving the baby. And it all falls apart.
Overall, the story is intriguing. I mean, it sounds interesting, right? Perhaps it was my mental state as I was reading, but I just could not get into caring about any of the characters. Philip is pretty pompous and opinionated (don't even get me started on his mother), Harriet is one of those hysterical women who is just a stereotype, and Miss Abbott, well, she's just kind of there.
I know Forster was making some kind of commentary about the snobbish nature of the English towards other countries, and that came through pretty clearly as he depicted Gino and the small Italian town most of the novel took place in. As the reader...I just didn't care. I didn't find any of the characters to be relatable...or likeable, and that really prevented me from wanting to pick the book up after setting it down.
I will give props to Forster for the beauty of his language. He writes some beautiful passages. But that wasn't enough for me. I'm just too picky. This was his first novel, and I'm glad I have a positive experience with one of his works under my belt so I'm not too discouraged. The only other Forster on my shelf is A Passage to India, but it'll be some time before I give that a go.
However, this did mark book 3 on my TBR Challenge list for 2018. I'm kind of rocking that challenge! I'm going to take a little break from my challenge list, but I'll be back in March!
“All a child's life depends on the ideal it has of its parents. Destroy that and everything goes - morals, behavior, everything. Absolute trust in someone else is the essence of education.”
“So trying to come to America from the wrong country is a crime?”
American Street is a book that sat on my Amazon wishlist for months-since its publication. There was something about the description that drew me to it (plus the gorgeous cover), and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I finally bit the bullet and purchased it in early January and got to it during the #24in48 Readathon last weekend.
It was not what I expected.
Do you ever build up a book in your mind and have these expectations, only to have the book be about something completely different? That was American Street for me. And I say all that while also saying that this was a good piece of YA fiction. It just wasn't what I expected. And there were a few things that irked me.
The description talks about the main character, Fabiola Toussaint, immigrating to the United States from Haiti with her mother. Her mother is detained and Fabiola goes on alone to live with her aunt and three female cousins in the city of Detroit.
This is where I detached from the book and had to be brought back because the book detoured into something else entirely. Based on the synopsis and description, I thought I was going to read more about Fabiola's struggle with immigration and assimilating into the culture of Detroit. I thought I was going to see more focus on the struggle to reunite with her mother and get her to Detroit. And while there were references to both those things, the book was more closely tied to how Fabiola's view of America changed and her desire to become a part of it more wholly.
I was fine with where the story ended up going-it just wasn't what I had anticipated. The story follows Fabiola as she enters an American high school (a private Catholic school in Detroit) and she learns just who her cousins and aunt are. There's a lot of references to gang violence, drug dealing, and the shady bits of Detroit (side note: there are good places in Detroit-the city is often painted negatively in the media, but there are nice places and the city is bouncing back from what it was). Fabiola's cousins, Chantal, Primadonna, and Princess are a hoot and while I didn't like some of the choices the author made in connection to their relationships, I did enjoy their characters and how they tried to bring Fabiola into their culture.
That being said...the hardest thing for me to reconcile with in the novel was the amount of abuse and shaming that went on between the female characters. They often slut-shamed each other and other female characters to the point that it made me angry on more than one occasion. I work in a high school, so I get it and I see it happen daily, but I hate it anyway. I also hated the normalization of a very abusive relationship.
Fabiola's cousin Primadonna (Donna) is in a long-term relationship with Dray, who not only physically abuses her, but also abuses her mentally. He's a control freak about what she wears, etc. The other characters make fun of Donna for it, but then make statements like "that's just how they are together", or "that's how they love."
*sigh* I hate the normalization of abuse because teenage girls equate that to a real relationship. And it made me sad because I think there was so much opportunity in that relationship to say something. But then again, it's Zoboi's story to tell.
Negatives aside, I enjoyed the slight elements of...mysticism? Magical realism? Not sure what word to use, but there was a great deal of some kind of element that allowed things to happen. It wasn't over the top, but there enough so it was noticeable by the reader. I also enjoyed that while Fabiola was the main narrator, the author allowed the main secondary characters a chance to have their own voices heard just enough so that felt more real, more developed. It was an interesting stylistic choice, but one that I appreciated.
And, obviously, I liked the references to Detroit (I live 30 minutes north of the city in a suburb, but I've always loved the city). The references to specific Detroit locales made the book that much better for me as I could situate myself a little more clearly in Fabiola's story.
Overall, a good piece of contemporary YA fiction-just not what I thought it would be.
“Don't give me no 'but you're beautiful on the inside' bullshit."
"No, you are beautiful on the outside," I say.
"Don't give me that bullshit either. I'm beautiful when I say I'm beautiful. Let me own that shit," she says. Her eyes have not left the computer screen this whole time, but I know she's paying attention to everything I say.
"Okay, then you are ugly."
"Thanks for being honest."
"Seriously. That's what we say in Haiti. 'Nou led, men nou la.' We are ugly, but we are here."
"We are ugly, but we are here," she says, almost whispering. "I hear that.”
“She's a princess and you're a jock," he says. He thrusts his chin toward Bronwyn, then at Nate. "And you're a brain. And you're a criminal. You're all walking teen-movie stereotypes.”
One of Us is Lying is probably not a book I would have picked up on my own. Mainly because it's a mystery and mysteries are not my jam. But, it was a title selected for the first ever "Battle of the Books" Competition taking place in my district between the high schools. I told myself I would read all the books on the battle list (6 in total), and this was my first pick (I've already read Winger by Andrew Smith-which I nominated and pushed for-and Turtles All the Way Down by John Green). I was hoping that by reading the books, I could help motivate some kids into participating (we do NOT have a big reading culture in my building).
Now, while this wasn't a book that I would normally pick up, I enjoyed it. A lot. It was the second book I read during the #24in48 Readathon last weekend, and I flew through it in just a couple hours, staying up pretty late because I couldn't put it down.
The book is pitched as being an edgier, more modern version of The Breakfast Club, but that comparison fell flat for me after the first couple chapters. Because while the novel opens in detention with 5 students gathered from different walks of life, the comparisons end there.
The 5 students in detention definitely come from different groups in school. There's Bronwyn, the super smart girl from a wealthy family; Addy, the beautiful girl with the hottest boyfriend in school who everyone things is a bit dumb; Cooper, the star baseball player; Nate, the stereotypical bad boy who sells drugs; and Simon, the founder of a gossip app that reveals the "truth" of what happens at school.
Then, Simon dies by ingesting concentrated peanut oil, and the 4 other students are all suspects.
It's entertaining. And fast-moving. As the book dives deeper into the lives of the 4 students under investigation, we, as readers, learn that each of them does have something to hide that Simon knew-thus, they could all be responsible. But as the media frenzy heightens and new evidence comes out, the 4 of them have to decide if they can rely on each other and determine who is lying and killed Simon.
It's a fascinating read. Of course there were parts that I didn't love (some of Addy's story-line developed a bit too quickly and some minor characters who turned major characters needed a little more page time), but overall, it was an engrossing book, and one that I know students would love. I also loved that I didn't guess the twist (I guessed wrong, but I was close)!
In all, a very fast paced read that's perfectly wonderful and suspenseful. I have a feeling our kids are going to love it! (And I do think McManus is one of the authors who agreed to skype in during the Battle in May).
“I stand and hold out my hand. She gives me a skeptical look, but takes it and lets me pull her to her feet. I put my other hand in the air. 'Bronwyn Rojas, I solemnly swear not to murder you today or at any point in the future. Deal?'
'You're ridiculous,' she mutters, going even redder.
'It concerns me you're avoiding a promise not to murder me.”
“But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.”
Well, damn. Why did it take me so long to read this? WHY? People have been telling me for years that East of Eden was their favorite by Steinbeck and that it ranks up there as one of the best of the best. And all that hype and pushing made me just ignore it sitting on my shelf, while I read all of its other brothers. But while The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl and Of Mice and Men all have their glory and beautiful language and messages and themes, they aren't East...) of Eden.
Maybe that's exaggerated because I love all those other Steinbecks as well (maybe not The Pearl), but there is something about East of Eden that I think will sit with me for a long time.
In short, it's a novel about family and how families function. It's also a story about hope, goodness, and perseverance. It's also about a woman who I can't make my mind up about-was she just a crazy lady? Was she an early feminist, trying to push away from the role others were trying to force her into? Or was she something else entirely? I think I'll be mulling that one over for weeks.
But really, the novel is about the Trask family-Adam and Charles, the sun of Cyrus Trask. It's also about Adam's two sons, Caleb and Aron. It's also about the Hamilton family-wise old Samuel being my favorite. The story evolves over time, spanning from Adam and Charles' childhood in the East, to Adam moving west with his bride Cathy (see crazy lady from above), to the lives of Cal and Aron as they grow up and learn to be men. It's filled with secrets and devastation. There were moments when I gasped and kept flipping pages, resulting in some very rough mornings. But it left me with a sense of hope.
I think one of the things I really took away was Timshel, the word highlighted in the passage above. A lot of the novel mirrors the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, and a couple of the characters-Sam and Adam-discuss that story. Was Cain destined to be evil? Was it his choice?
It's an interesting discussion, and the events of the novel explore the idea of what it means to be good, what it means to bad. It contrasts truly good characters, like Lee, against those who are evil-like Cathy. It gets you thinking about what it means to be good, and what it means to be evil. Do we have to fight to be good? Are some of us born with evil in our hearts? It makes you wonder.
The language, as expected from Steinbeck, is flowing and rich. As a majority of the story takes place in the Salinas Valley, a place Steinbeck knew well and wrote about often, it flies off the page in lush detail, drawing you in. I've come to love Steinbeck's depictions of nature and American life, and he is at his best in East of Eden.
I can't believe I waited this long to read it.
“I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particularly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is indestructible.”
I loved this novel and I feel as though my words don't do it justice. But I'm going to cherish it as a favorite and join all those "pushers" to get more people to read it.
“And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.”
*This was the second book from my 2018 TBR Challenge that I read! 2 books down in the first month-go me!
“You're the one who doesn't understand, I've been standing on the edge with you for years.”
I went on an Anderson binge at the very beginning of this year. In about a month, I read Speak, Catalyst, Twisted, Chains, and Fever 1793. Basically, I read almost every Anderson book in our media center (with the exception of Forge, which has been checked out by a student every time I try to grab it). I'm pretty sure that I've read a majority of Anderson's teen works (I mean, I read Wintergirls last year...so yep). And I consider myself to be a huge fan of her writing. I think Speak is a fabulous novel that all high schools students should read, and when I taught it last school year to my struggling readers class, they loved it (side note about that class-I miss teaching it. But if it were up to me, I would teach everything). We also included Catalyst and Wintergirls as choices in our big book battle project last school year (which we are doing again this school year with some new titles).
So, I have no idea why I jumped over The Impossible Knife of Memory. Perhaps I can blame it on the fact that at the time, I wasn't buying any books and was reading a great deal of young adult fiction readily available in our media center, and we don't have a copy of this one (no worries, I requested it). In any case, it jumped out at me as a suggestion on Amazon when I was ordering for a book swap, so I purchased it on a whim. It's Anderson. I knew it would be good.
And I was definitely right. However, I don't think this is Anderson's strongest work, but I still loved it.
Hayley Kincain and her father have been on the road for the last few years. This has allowed them to constantly travel, but when Hayley's father decides to return to his mother's house and enroll Hayley in a regular school, things get bad. Hayley's dad, Andy, is a veteran, and since returning from Iraq, he has yet to deal with what he saw and did while on tour. And while Hayley does all she can for her father, he has to confront his demons.
What I really liked about this book was the focus on the relationship between father and daughter, given Andy's bad mental state. Personally, I have no connection to a veteran with PTSD. I know some about the disorder and what it does, but I've never been impacted by it. Seeing Andy struggle through Hayley's eyes gave me a lot of perspective into the disorder and what can trigger it. As someone who teaches about PTSD in both of my subject areas, I found to this to be very helpful, even if coming from a work of fiction.
I find, very often, that when I teach about PTSD in relation to Vietnam (it's a focus in our American lit curriculum), I have a hard time connecting that information to my students. Now, at least, I have more to share (and I am more inspired to seek out other works that discuss it in more detail).
Anyway, the relationship between Hayley and her father is complex, and while she does all she can, she can't fix his demons for him. I think that in and of itself is an important concept for teenagers. I can't tell you how many times I've seen kids try to battle each other's demons. Heck, I do it myself. So that lesson and message was one I found a lot of value in.
I also quite enjoyed the scene where Hayley's father comes to school as part of a Veteran's Day event and speaks to a few of the kids. We do a similar event (it's actually this week), so looking at the build-up and struggle of veterans to speak about their experiences...well, it was a fresh perspective on what it's like. It also gave me even more respect for the men and women coming into our building, and everything that they have sacrificed.
All that being said...there were parts I didn't like. I think the romance was cheesy and distracting from the core message of the book. I also found Hayley to be a bit contradictory in her words and manner, and wished, at many points, that she would just DO something.
I also, quite frankly, felt the ending and climactic scene were a bit of a let down...almost a cop out. I think I expect a little more from Anderson, and well, I just didn't get it at the end.
Overall, definitely a book I will be recommending to the right student, and a great addition to Anderson's canon.
“Killing people is easier than it should be.” Dad put on his beret. “Staying alive is harder.”
*Finishing this marked another book read for #15in31. I was on a roll!
“I was trying so hard to find the single pivotal moment that set my life on its path. The moment that answered the question, 'How did I get here?'
But it's never just one moment. It's a series of them. And your life can branch out from each one in a thousand different ways. Maybe there's a version of your life for all the choices you make and all the choices you don't.”
I was excited to read Everything, Everything ever since reading a short synopsis with it's debut. There is something that sucks me in like a good YA novel with an interesting premise.
In Yoon's debut, Madeline has a rare disease where she is not allowed out of her home. Any germ or allergen can make her sick, so her mother has arranged for around the clock care, homeschool tutors, and regular check-ups to make sure Madeline is healthy.
But things all change when a new family moves in next door, and Madeline spots Olly (Oliver) outside. The 2 begin communicating, at first with notes on their windows, but then through e-mail before Madeline's nurse arranges for them to meet in person.
The novel carries on from there, with a love story between the two.
So, what did I love about this novel? Besides it's interesting premise, it very much reminded me of young love. When you're young and in love, you take risks you might not otherwise. You might stay out later, say things that might get you hurt, or take a chance on a kiss that you shouldn't. That's the beauty of young love. And I think Yoon captured that turmoil and risk well, and portrayed it in a way that felt honest and true.
Because of Madeline's illness, and her confinement, she is slightly more immature than your average 18 year old, so her responses and insights rang true with me. And it reminded me of my own feelings of young love-that giddy rush and surge of butterflies.
However, I also think Yoon tackled some heavy topics well. Olly's home life is rough, with an abusive and drunk father. And while that storyline could have swung into cheesy land, I think Yoon navigated it well and responsibly (in a way that made sense and didn't trivialize what was actually happening).
I also think Yoon brought up interesting points about risk and fear...and how sometimes, you have to fight fear to take a risk. Sometimes it is worth it. It gave me a little nudge to take a leap of faith now and then.
“Everything's a risk. Not doing anything is a risk. It's up to you.”
I think that's an important point for teens, and well, for me as an adult. It's okay to take chances and reach out for things you think are outside of your grasp. I need to do that more.
My one complaint with the novel had to do with the "twist." I think, as any avid reader, I've become quite attuned to "twists" and when they're coming, and that was true for this novel as well. However, I don't think the twist detracted too much from the story, and while I think a compelling ending could have been written without it, I still enjoyed the novel as a whole.
So if you're looking for a well-written contemporary teen romance, I suggest you give this one a chance. It was just what I needed on readathon day.
“It's a hard concept to hold on to--the idea that there was a time before us. A time before time.
In the beginning there was nothing. And then there was everything.”
*Everything, Everything was the 6th book I finished for #15in31! Hooray!
“You have to give yourself credit, not too much because that would be bragging.”
Truthfully, I've never read anything by Frank McCourt, even though I own his books and have heard marvelous things. He was always one of those authors I just ignored...for no good reason, but because I was never drawn to their work.
So I forced myself to pick one of his works as a choice for #15in31. I thought Teacher Man would be the perfect choice, as I always seem to hit a wall every October (I think most teachers do-it's a long month).
Unfortunately, I struggled getting into this one. And if it wasn't for the readathon and the promise of other books on the horizon, I would have had a horrible reading month. But I persevered and finished it, while I enjoyed the end much more than the beginning, it was not my favorite book.
Perhaps it's just McCourt's style of writing, but I almost found him flippant about his role and responsibilities. His writing, in places, lacked the depth and detail I enjoy in memoirs about teaching. For me, well, teaching is a serious job. And it's also a job that is pretty lonely. Think about it...a teacher spends all day in the company of people that are not their equal. At least, that's how many feel. It's your responsibility to teach children content they don't know. You have to be professional. There are rules. Paperwork. And sometimes you just want to talk to another adult.
I'm serious, teaching, while rewarding, is incredibly lonely.
And in teaching memoirs, I really look for the depth and analysis that usually comes with it. And while McCourt did dive in later in his book, I missed it. But I think that was a clash of styles. I just found his writing a tad too dry for my taste.
The other piece that was frustrating for me, and that is more of a frustration with the system than with McCourt, it the manner of class content. I'm sure things have changed drastically in the last 20-30 years of public education, but teachers, at least in my area, have very little say in their class content. There are certain books I have to teach. There are topics, etc that I have to get across because my kids will be tested on it. And while I loved McCourt's combination of creative writing and food...I know that would never fly in this day and age. So maybe I'm just bitter. ;)
However, I did enjoy some of McCourt's more touching stories about single students. There were quite a few that I was rooting for, so I was glad to hear about their lives after the classroom. I think that many teacher worry about those kids. And some do manage to make it. :)
I also enjoyed McCourt's astute observations about education, like this gem,
"This is the situation in the public schools of America: The farther you travel from the classroom the greater your financial and professional rewards.”
Yep. We all know this. Again, perhaps I am bitter (after only a few years in a classroom officially), but public education is very much under attack in the United States, so it almost makes me feel better to know I'm not alone. And that others see it.
Anyway, it was a fun read after I got through the first 75 pages or so. And while I did enjoy some of the snippets, I found it to be a dry read overall. And I'm not too excited about getting to Angela's Ashes. We shall see.
*Finishing Teacher Man marks the 5th book read for my #15in31 challenge! Huzzah!
