Book Reviews 15-20
A. Bibliography:
Smith, A. (2014). Grasshopper Jungle. New York, NY: Dutton. ISBN: 9780142425008.
B. Summary:
Austin Szerba, a teenager struggling with his sexual identity, takes us on an adventure of the end of the world that could only happen in your wildest dreams. This apocalyptic sci-fi story takes place in a very small town in Iowa, with not much to do or get excited about. After a night of getting beaten up by bullies in a deserted part of town called Grasshopper Jungle, Austin and his gay best friend Robby stumble into the trap door of a store owned by his girlfriend Shann's family. They find a jar with glowing liquid labeled, "Contained Plague Strain 412E" in the store office. The bullies from earlier find the jar and accidentally drop it. They are instantly infected and become huge, bloodthirsty and sexually aroused praying mantises. Austin, Robby and Shann seek shelter in an underground compound named Eden Project. Here, they find the truth and origination of the idea behind the praying mantises. Andrew Smith uses the hungry and horny monsters as a comparison to everyday human beings because "eating and sex" are their daily problems.
C. Strengths of the Book:
Grasshopper Jungle won the 2015 Printz Honor Book and 2014 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Fiction. Smith definitely gets points for witty, creative storytelling in this absurd plot. The main themes of this apocalyptic scifi novel are teenage sexuality, history and sexual orientation. We learn the ancestral connections between Austin's experiences and the plague that takes over his town. Smith is able to capture the essence of today's teenage boy and their thoughts.
D. Educational Connections:
I had a hard time thinking of educational connections with this novel. The only appropriate one I would say would be family ancestry and the connections on how the past affects our present.
E. My Personal Connections:
I found this book to be a jumble of Walking Dead + sex + Breakfast Club. Teenagers trying to discover who they are, their sexuality in an 'end of the world' setting.
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St. James, J.. (2007). Freak Show. New York, NY: Dutton. ISBN: 9780142412312.
B. Summary:
Freak Show by James St. James tells the story of 17 year old Billy Bloom, drag queen. He's grown up in a very liberal town in Connecticut where his lifestyle was not looked down upon. His mom has grown tired of his flamboyant antics and decides it's time for dad to have his turn in parenting. Billy moves to Florida for his senior year of high school, where society is not as approving as his hometown. Eisenhower high school, fictional, yet oh so real, is very conservative and Billy becomes a target after just his first day there. Billy suffers through extensive verbal and physical abuse, so much that he ends up in a hospital in a coma. He uses that traumatic experience to fuel his mission to take a stand for outcasts.
C. Strengths of the Book:
The development of character is a strength of this book. St. James does a wonderful job developing our protagonist: Billy Bloom, one of the most real, likeable, honest and courageous characters ever presented in a novel. I could not put this book down because of the conversational narrative and friend-like quality of Billy. Readers of all backgrounds will get immersed in Billy's inspiring, depressing and real journey through bullying and staying true to who he is. There are many themes that we as human beings can take away from Freak Show: acceptance of others, supporting our children, standing up for what's right, and celebration of who you are.
D. Educational Connections:
This is an excellent book to bring awareness to bullying in the LGBT community.
E. My Personal Connections:
What I loved about this book was that it wasn't really a story of a teen discovering who they are, as are many YA novels. Billy knows exactly who he is, and now he wants others to accept him and others for who they are. The movie adapted from the book is next on my list!
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Wein, E .(2012). Code Name Verity. New York, NY: Hyperion. ISBN: 9781423152880.
B. Summary:
Code Name Verity tells a story of a friendship between two British women during World War II. Verity is a spy that has been captured by the Nazis and Maddie is a pilot, who has just crashed the plane they were flying in. Upon her capture, the interrogators force Verity to write a confession that tells of the British involvement or she will be executed. Verity writes about the mistreatment in the prison, She gives a confession filled with lies but weaves in the story of how she met her best friend Maddie. While being held prisoner, she is led to believe that Maddie died in the plane crash. The big surprise is that Maddie survived and is on the hunt for Julie. With the support of the people of the Damask, Maddie finds her but is unsuccessful at freeing her. Maddie kills Julie in order to spare her any torture at the prison. With the help of one of the female prison guards, Maddie gets her confession letter and completes Julie's mission to blow up the prison and free the prisoners.
C. Strengths of the Book:
Code Name Verity was a recipient of the 2013 Printz Honor Award for Young Adult Writing and Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult novel. Code Name Verity's major themes are friendship, survival and war. The novel stays true to historical facts of World War II and Nazi practices. This novel is told from two points of view, Verity and Maddie. This kept the story fresh and revived my interest. There is also a prequel to the book that fans of Code Name Verity would enjoy. The sequel, The Pearl Thief, tells of Julie's life one year before World War II began.
D. Educational Connections:
Code Name Verity is a novel that would tie very well with 5th grade Social Studies curriculum over World War II.
E. My Personal Connections:
This was one of the harder reads for me this semester as I struggle to connect with war stories and historical fiction. The saving grace for me was that the novel focused highly on the friendship between Verity and Maddie and featured different points of view. I'm a sucker for stories with varying viewpoints, such as Wonder and Lily and Dunkin because it keeps the reader engaged and adds depth to the story.
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B. Summary:
Jazz has a lot going for him: good looking, friends, beautiful girlfriend. There's just one thing in the way of his happiness: his dad is a serial killer who is serving life in prison. Actually, make that two things: the dead body that he's just stumbled upon. Growing up, Jazz's Dear Old Dad tried to mold his son into a killer so one day, Jazz could continue where his dad left off. When the dead body shows up in his town, Jazz plans to use his in-depth knowledge of his dad's murder style to his advantage-to help him solve this mystery. Jazz is determined that there is a copycat serial killer. He follows his own path, while avoiding his biggest fear: becoming his dad. With the support of his friends, Jazz tries to bury his past along this journey.
C. Strengths of the Book:
I Hunt Killers is a psychological suspense thriller of a book! It features many themes that I hadn't explored yet this semester, such as nature vs. nurture. Jazz has been raised by his serial killer dad who has tried to teach him his ways, yet is able to overcome that dark past. He constantly feels self-doubt and fear that he will turn into his dad. Lyga provides us with dynamic characters and it is Jazz's relationship with each of them that carries the story forward. His patience with his beyond cranky grandmother shows his caring side. The positive words from his best friend and girlfriend begin to shape his view of himself as an individual instead of the son of Dear Old Dad. Overall, I Hunt Killers is a suspenseful page-turner that keeps you on your toes.
D. Educational Connections:
I Hunt Killers is book one of a series of three. This is a great novel to discuss the idea of not letting your past and family experiences hold you down. It is about bettering one's life. Another great discussion to have with students is the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will lift you up and point you in the right direction. Fans of I Hunt Killers would enjoy Scowler by Daniel Kraus, as it also is a psychological thriller about a teenage boy's relationship with his dangerous father.
E. My Personal Connections:
Wow, Dexter, one of my favorite serial killer shows, was all I could think about as I read this book. The similarities between the two are eerily uncanny. Both books feature a dad and son relationship, Dexter focuses on the need to control and channel murderous urges, while I Hunt Killers features a dad who is trying to shape his son into a monster. I was also reminded of the highly disturbing movie Chained, starring Vincent D'onofrio, in which he tries to shape a kidnapped boy into the monster that he has always been. Dear Old Dad was very similar to Vincent D'onofrio's character. I highly enjoyed this book, as it combines my two favorite categories: young adult fiction and murder mysteries.
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B. Summary:
Scowler falls into the subgenre of psychological horror. Not horror as in vampires or demons, but horror as in real life people monsters who torture their family. Kraus takes us on a wild and terrifying ride through one family's turbulent situation with a dangerous father. The book starts off in the early stages of the abuse. This sets the stage for all of the events in the book. We learn of the violent past and how it affects the family members. The reader discovers the intense extent of Marvin Burke's abuse, to the point where he almost murders his 11 year old son, Ry. Fast forward years later, and his dad is in jail. The family has healed in their own way, but there isn't a happy ending now that Marvin is incarcerated. A meteor strike opens the jail where dad was at and it brings with it a bunch of problems: dad escaping, phones out of order, release of dangerous gases that clouds everyone's judgement. Marvin makes his way to his family and we experience the showdown between father and now-adult son, Ry.
C. Strengths of the Book:
Scowler is not for the faint of the heart. This haunting psychological horror requires many breaks in reading to process the immense terror of Marvin Burke. The fact that it is told from a teenage boy's perspective is why it's considered young adult fiction. Otherwise, I would have thought this book was intended for adults, rated R, due to the violent content. There are many depressing, yet real themes in this book such as domestic violence, revenge and murder. Scowler brings awareness to the reality of domestic violence and shows what abusive people are capable of. Despite the depressing and terrifying events, a true star shines from this novel. Ry displays strength as he protects his family.
D. Educational Connections:
There's a strong connection to Lyga's I Hunt Killers in that both Jazz and Ry fight to overcome the dark realities of their dangerous fathers. Readers can compare and contrast the similarities and differences that Jazz and Ry experience in both of these novels.
E. My Personal Connections:
This was another one of my personal favorites this semester. I have usually read horrors in the sense of vampires, but I've been exposed to several psychological thrillers this semester related to everyday people, usually a family member. I have discovered so many great authors that I don't know which book to start next this summer!
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A. Bibliography:
Crutcher, C. (2007). Deadline. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN: 9780060850913.
Crutcher, C. (2007). Deadline. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN: 9780060850913.
B. Summary:
Chris Crutcher gives us a sad, yet inspiring story in Deadline. It is about an 18 year old teen, Ben, who lives in a very small town where everyone has known him since his birth. At the beginning of his senior year of high school, Ben learns that he only has one year to live due to a blood disease. He decides then that he will forgo treatment and keep this secret to himself to spare the pain of his friends and family. Ben comes up with a plan to enjoy his final year by setting three big dreams for himself: switch from cross-country track to becoming a football star, getting the girl of his dreams and challenging his teachers. Ben accomplishes all three and leaves a lasting impact on his community after his death.
C. Strengths of the Book:
Deadline grabs the reader from the first few pages. We learn very early about Ben's terminal illness, so the reader is already invested in this young man's life. Crutcher's real life experience as a family therapist brought great perspective to this story. Deadline inspires readers to enjoy life and leave a positive impact on the world, no matter what cards you're dealt in life. Teen readers can connect to Ben's attitude toward school and life. The main theme of this novel is living your life to the fullest and not taking anything for granted. Crutcher also touches on religion as Ben is visited by Jesus "Hey-soos" in his dreams during difficult times.
D. Educational Connections:
When reading this book, I instantly thought back to a man that I'd seen on Oprah. Randy Pausch was dying of pancreatic cancer and he found out he only had months to live. He decided to use his last months to inspire greatness in others by giving his "Last Lecture" speech on a variety of valuable life lessons, such as achieving childhood dreams, giving sincere apologies and working hard. This is a video that I've shown my fourth grade students to inspire greatness, success and values. Teachers everywhere should show this video to their students. https://youtu.be/ncoSRKoU6GQ
E. My Personal Connections:
This book touched my core. They say that the more you read fiction, the more feeling and empathy you develop toward people. Deadline brought great perspective about the true meaning of life and the importance of friends, family and positivity.
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