Mini-Reviews for YA Titles.

In the last few months of 2012, I was flying through some YA titles like it was my job. Since I normally don't review YA, I always feel awkward posting big posts devoted to those titles. I also get a bit a apprehensive about writing about books by people who are still alive and kicking (perhaps due to the hilarious comments on my post about Christopher Paolini's Inheritance cycle-the comment in all caps slays me. I died when I first read it).

Anyway, the best way to touch on some of the YA titles I read is to do some mini-reviews (mainly just my thoughts on each book) so that I can remember what I read, and see if you shared my thoughts. :)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

I enjoy John Green, but hadn't gotten around to buying and reading this title. After talking to a few students about Green, they told me I needed to go read this one, so I bought it. I wasn't sure what to expect being that it is a compilation novel between two writers (and I haven't read anything else by Levithan), but I definitely wasn't expecting what I got.

In many ways I was surprised by the novel. It seemed a lot more...aggressive than the other work I've read by Green, but the characters were pretty true to what I'm used to. As for the story, it was hopeful, sad, and funny all at once. Tiny Cooper is one of those characters that sticks with you because of the insane amount of eccentric, but he was still real because I knew a kid just like him in high school. :) I also like both Will Graysons to varying amounts. In all, it was a fun and fast read, but not one of my favorites for the year.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

This was one of those books that I saw everywhere on the blogs a couple years ago, and I marked it down as a title to read at some point in the future. I managed to read it in one long sitting one weekend night after I impulsively downloaded it to Homer (my Nook).

I've read Oliver's Delirium and Pandemonium (and I'll read the third book this year, even though book 2 ended with a cheap ending), so I was familiar with her writing style. I was really curious about her ability to tackle a contemporary style.

I was not prepared for how much I enjoyed the novel. Working with teenagers...I see all too often how their poor decisions change the way others view them. That's one of those things about being a teen-struggling through the perceptions of those around you and living with the consequences of your actions. I particularly liked how Oliver tackled that issue by having the main character relive her last day alive over and over again until she learned...and I also think she was successful in transforming that main character from someone I despised to someone I cared about. And, if I recall, Oliver got me to stay up past 2 to finish the book, so that's something. :)

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Matt and I went up to his parents' log house for a few days after Christmas, so I went to the bookstore the morning we left to spend my gift cards. This happened to be in the used section, and it was a complete impulse buy. I figured it would be a fast read while we were on vacation, and I was completely right.

The only author in the collection I was familiar with was John Green, but Maureen Johnson is an author I've been wanting to read (I follow her on twitter and she is hilarious). Of the three mini-stories in the collection, I actually enjoyed Johnson's the most. That was also a disappointment since hers came first.

Anyway, the premise of the collection is fun-the characters weave in and out of the three stories and actions done by one have an impact on the others. They were cleverly woven together, but I wasn't in awe of the final product. Johnson's story was by far my favorite. It was funny and spot on, and while there were some things I was questioning in the plot, I liked the characters and story the best.

Green's story was funny. The best scene in the entire book is with his three main characters as they attempt to drive their car up a snowy and icy hill. I had to read it out loud to Matt. However, I started to get bored as the story went on...it just felt too familiar to me. I figured out during the course of the story that Green always manages to write about a trio of characters...and I even stopped reading to google it on my phone. Looks like I'm not the only one to come to that conclusion!

Lastly, Myracle's story just grated on my nerves. I felt no sympathy for the main character and wanted to smack her upside the head for most of her story. I also felt the pacing was off and imbalanced.

In all, it was a good diversion, but I'm glad I only paid a couple dollars for the collection.

The Heroes of Olympus (The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, and The Mark of Athena) by Rick Riordan

I read the Percy Jackson series a couple years ago and enjoyed them, so I've been collecting these (and the Kane Chronicles which I have yet to read) for the last couple of years.

I have to say that I enjoyed these a LOT more than the Percy Jackson books. Not only are the characters more mature, I think Riordan's writing is better. However, I still have some issues with some of the pacing and the same plot techniques used in the books. Granted, I know these are usually labeled MG and that kind of formula works for that age group, but as an adult reader, I wanted to say enough already! I say that in jest because I really did enjoy the stories!

I think Riordan is very skilled at what he does. He manages to weave the mythology into the books so seamlessly that it makes me smile (as someone who is teaching mythology). I enjoyed the fact that he brought in the Roman version of the gods and that the problems and characters are more complex. I can't really say more than that without giving away big plot points!

These were definitely some of my favorite fun reads from the year, but I'm a bit bummed that the fourth book won't be out until the fall. I can't wait to see how it ends. :)

If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman

A student was reading If I Stay for her book project, and since it was one of those books I had written down at some point, I figured I should read it.

I was not at all prepared for the emotional depth of these two books. I knew the premise (Mia and her family are in a massive car accident. Her parents and younger brother die in the accident, but she is in a coma and must decide to either stay or leave to be with her family), but I was not prepared for how sniffly and choked up I became as I read. The story was heartbreaking and as Mia reflected on her life and the decision she had to make, I was pulling for her, but in which direction, I can't say. I also felt for her boyfriend as he struggled to see her and speak with her. The second novel takes place a couple years later and is from her boyfriend's point of view. In it, he struggles with what happened and the result of "where she went."

Both novels were incredibly moving and touching. And, I can't believe I'm saying this, I think I actually preferred Where She Went over If I Stay. It also grabbed me and made me weep like I haven't in some time. I think it is a true testament to Forman's writing ability to pull out that kind of emotion in a reader! I know she has a new book coming out this month, and I will be definitely reading it.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Donnelly won me over a few years ago (I think right before I started blogging) with her book called A Northern Light. The writing was incredibly beautiful and intricate for a YA novel, and it was an instant favorite. So, I've been meaning to read this one since it came out, so it was another purchase in my day after Christmas book shopping spree (I do wish I had purchased it earlier, since I'm really not a fan of the cover-big faces don't appeal to me-but that's petty).

I was not disappointed. In fact, Revolution was one of my favorite books of the year, and a great way to end 2012 (I finished at 9pm on the 31st). The story is about two girls-Andi and Alex-who live 200 years apart from one another, but that have a lot in common. Andi's story (the modern character) was one that grabbed me instantly. She was a perfect "angry teen" protagonist, but with good reason. I also enjoyed her connection to classical music and the emotion she felt whenever she played (I feel the same way when I play). I also loved the historical elements of the novel and the diary from Alex. I think it was a new and different way to have that realization for Andi without the influence of a therapist or close friend (or boy. Because teenage boys are all kinds of sensitive, don't you know). And while the novel definitely went there near the end, it was well-done and interesting. I also have some ideas about whether Andi really went there (I don't think she did, but I can't say more without plot spoilers). But, by the end, I was in love and I am ready to go buy all of Donnelly's adult titles because I need more of her beautiful way with words. She is a must-buy for me and an author I need to recommend to my students.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” 

I wasn't sure if I was going to write about this book because I don't write that much about YA. And, I am sure that some of you are scratching your heads a bit to see me posting about a new release in the midst of Shakespeare Reading Month.

But the simple fact is: I really love Young Adult Fiction. It wasn't always that way. When I was a high schooler, there wasn't a lot to pick from in the YA section. There was a lot of fluff and only a few books of substance. That has gone through a significant change. I rediscovered YA in college, and in particular, when I took a YA literature course. That course taught me a lot about literature (maybe even more than my serious classes), but the one thing that sticks out was my professor telling us,

"Young Adult fiction is slowly becoming the most important literature coming out today. It is the only division of literature that allows for and welcomes significant change. All of the exciting literature is coming from there."

And I have to agree. While I can certainly name popular "adult" books, I can think of far more young adult books to hit the scene with more power and gusto. Twilight. Harry Potter. The Hunger Games. Percy Jackson. And the list goes on.

John Green is one of the YA authors that I have the most respect for because his books uphold a very high standard. All of his novels are realistic, passionate, and well-written. When I open one of his books, I know that I will find a lot to love. Unfortunately, I couldn't buy this when it came out, and I was a bit heartbroken I was going to have to wait to read it.

My mother saw my sad facebook status the day the book came out and went to purchase the book for me (thanks mom!). I brought it down to Florida with me, and I started it at 11pm one night. I ended up going to bed just before 2:30 that morning, after reading the book straight through.

Green has not disappointed me and has confirmed what I have come to strongly believe-that Young Adult fiction is important and should be valued higher than it is. When a writer can create something this powerful and wonderful, the naysayers of YA fiction need to check themselves.

For those who don't know, The Fault in Our Stars is about Hazel, a 16-year-old teenager battling terminal cancer. She is currently okay, thanks to a miracle drug that is giving her more time. She isn't in school, but instead finished high school at home and takes community college courses. She has to lug an oxygen tank around with her wherever she goes, and wheezes without it. There is a scene where a young girl asks about the tubes in her nose, and Hazel has to explain it. I cannot imagine that kind of existence.  Life has dealt her a crappy hand, but she seems to be surviving, pushing through, and accepting the way things are.

She meets Augustus Waters at a group session for teens with cancer. The two immediately become fast friends and where Hazel has clear evidence of her disease, it seems as if Augustus is fine.

But remember, this is a book about kids with cancer, and Green points out clearly in the beginning that both teens are really living on borrowed time.

Now, I read a lot of Lurlene McDaniel books as a young pre-teen. Those books were full of kids battling cancer, falling in love, and struggling with parents. And while I drank them all up with longing and the idea that love could conquer everything, like cancer, they did not have the impact that Green's novel had. Perhaps I was so deeply moved by Green's novel because of the family members in my life who have fought cancer since my bout with the tragic love stories in McDaniel's books. I lost my paternal grandfather immediately after my high school graduation because of a battle with cancer. I lost my paternal grandmother a few years ago the Monday before Thanksgiving to a battle with cancer. I was holding her hand when she passed away. Matt's mother battled breast cancer last year and is in remission, and his step-dad is currently undergoing chemo treatments for lymphoma.

Let me tell you, cancer is not beautiful or lovely. It is rough and frustrating and nothing like those Lurlene McDaniel books I read when I was younger. Cancer isn't fair. It attacks not only the person with the disease, but those around them. I remember driving my grandmother to treatments and listening to her talk in the car about how she hated it. How much she hated that she knew she had limited time left. She could do nothing about it and neither could I.

But Green tackles that head on. He doesn't gloss over cancer-no, that is part of his main focus. Hazel mentions at one point in the book that she is a grenade-ready to explode at any point to hurt those around her. She cannot control when or where. It is that kind of statement that makes Green's novel so powerful. He doesn't dumb down the pain or the impact of what the disease does. I commend him for that.

The biggest thing I found to love in the novel was Augustus' obsession with leaving a legacy. I think we all feel this a bit, and maybe more so when you know you are living on borrowed time. I found that I could relate to Augustus. He felt that as a teen, he had so much left to live and would be leaving nothing behind. I could understand that feeling, and I think it is a feeling that rings true for so many of us. We want to be remembered not just by those we intimately knew, but by everyone. I know that when I lost my grandparents I felt a bit of anger that so many people didn't know how wonderful they were. I wanted to scream it out, but couldn't.

Augustus only wants to be known for something other than being a kid with cancer. That is what drives him, what frustrates him, and what he discusses with Hazel-that the cancer cannot define who they are. They must strive to battle the cancer and live a life for themselves-one not ruled by treatments, drugs, and scary results. The must live for an infinite amount of time and build something for themselves and their families.

“Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.”

When I finished reading the novel, I was alone in the very dark hours of early morning. I read the last portion of the novel with a lump in my throat and tears burning in my eyes because it is that type of book. It was real and powerful and everything I expected from Green and more. The teenagers felt like teenagers. Of course they were far cleverer than I ever was at that age, but I knew people like them. I could relate to their very real struggles, and of course, the love they felt for one another.

It was a beautiful, beautiful book. It made me think long and hard about the purpose of life, my own legacy, and how much I love reading beautiful books with meaning.

This is one you shouldn't miss.

Thursday Treat #13: Looking for Alaska by John Green

This was one of those novels I picked up on a whim when it was on a bargain rack. It looked interesting and I liked the title. I figured it was worth a shot and if I liked it, the author had another novel out that also looked interesting.

Miles decides to go away to boarding school where he is taken in by the Colonel and learns the ways of living away from home. He also meets the mysterious and beautiful Alaska. As Miles learns to adapt to life away from home, and his new friends, things begin to spiral out of control to one event that will forever alter his life.

It sounded like a cheesy YA novel. It sounded like it was full of sex, drugs and drinking (it is). It sounded like it wasn't really worth anything.

And that is where I was wrong. I was expecting this to be a fluffy novel, one full of funny pranks (which is has), some romance (it has), and a happily ever after for everyone involved (almost).

It ended up being one of the most moving YA novels I have ever read. Green developed his characters so profoundly, I felt like I had lived my high school years right along with them. They were funny, loving, and the people I would want to surround myself with. And when the "After" actually comes, it kicks you right in the stomach.

And, through it all, Green maintains a sense of youth. The characters pulls pranks on their teachers and each other, they cause mayhem and mischief, they complain about school, and they fall in love. They embody teenagers and deal with the issues that almost all teens today deal with.

One other thing I love about this novel is the quirk that Green gives to Miles. Miles likes to memorize the famous last words of people and recite them. Instead of making Miles seem like a weird kid for finding that fascinating, Green makes him normal, giving him something he is passionate about. Now that I have read more of Green's work, this seems to be something he does for all his main characters. And rather than detract from the story, it makes the characters more memorable.

This is one of those books I suggest over and over again to students. It is a showcase of teenage lives, but gives them a big glimpse of the real world and what is actually out there waiting for them.