Chime by Franny Billingsley

I will admit that I read the novel Chime less because it was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature than because it was part of this year's controversy surrounding the award. And though I'm sad that its author Franny Billingsley was dragged through an ugly mess that should never have happened, I'm so glad the turmoil put the book on my radar.
This inventive tale about self-perception and memory defies classification, or more accurately, meshes the best elements of many genres seamlessly. It is a coming-of-age story told in first-person by 17-year old Briony Larkin, a self-described witch who believes herself unloveable and controls her awful powers with a combination of strict self-control and self-loathing. It is part historical fiction and magical realism, set in a rural swamp village in England at the height of the Industrial Revolution, where uneducated fishermen, rich businessmen and even the clergy (Briony's father) believe in the Old Ones--the mythical creatures like witches,  pixies, and monsters that control the elements of nature. It is a novel of mystery and suspense as Briony reveals her troubling story: daughter of a distant and oblivious father, twin of a sister whose childlike mentality leaves Briony in the role of constant caretaker, griever of her beloved step-mother whose suspicious death is believed to have been a poisoning. When wild-hearted Eldric arrives in town with his "boy-man" charm and uncomfortable questions, Briony begins to thaw against her will. She finds herself acting like a normal girl when in his company, though always returning to her senses when she remembers how it was her uncontrolled power that caused her sister to fall from a swing and her terrible magic that crippled her step-mother before her death. Briony must ever remind herself she can never have the love story.

While the novel is dense with dialogue and less plot-driven, I was completely riveted by the conflict of Briony vs. Briony and the slowly unraveling mystery of her power and her step-mother's murder. But the true tension comes from the expert use of dramatic irony as I found myself wanting to scream at Briony to realize what was happening at the end...so I suppose the novel is bit horror as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommend it highly, especially to those who enjoyed The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. And do yourself a favor and get this one as an audiobook because actor Susan Duerden is fantastic in this production by Listening Library.

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have

Andrew Zansky is a big guy. At fifteen years old, he weighs 306.4 pounds. And unfortunately, this is all anybody seems to see in Andrew. Nobody cares that he is funny and smart, and nobody notices that he is a good writer or that he is devasted by his dad's decision to leave his mom. That's what it is to be big in this society. Every moment of every day, Andrew thinks about his weight--whether his jeans will fit in the morning when he gets dressed, whether he will fit between the desk and the chair, whether he can go to his locker without being body checked into his locker by a bully. His pain, his humilitation, his worry--they're all visceral and they make the reader cringe for him.

Enter O. Douglas--that constant of every high school, "the popular quarterback." When O. Douglas takes notice of Andrew and rescues him from a beating, Andrew's life takes a dramatic turn. Without consciously meaning to, Andrew finds himself trying out for the football team--maybe to get in shape, maybe to get popular, maybe to get the girl of his dreams. Even Andrew isn't sure. What he is sure of is that something in his life has to change...the question is will Andrew be able to live with the consequences of change?

I loved the self-deprecating, witty protagonist of this book and found his emotions and situation realistic and touching. A couple of unexpected twists keep the "teenage makeover" plot fresh, and there are laugh-out-loud funny moments sprinkled throughout. This was author Allen Zadoff's first novel, and, based on its quality, this reader can't wait to read is next one out in May.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

As a librarian, I am regularly asked "What is your favorite book." I never have an answer for this. I have many "favorites" depending on my mood and what I need from a book at the moment. However, I will admit to a soft spot for the fantasy genre. I know, I know...it's not for everyone, but the thing is, there's a reason why so many books with cult followings are fantasy. Fantasy like the Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, The Wheel of Time, and Harry Potter have all the hallmarks of good storytelling--well-developed characters whose lives and fates you care about, suspense, drama, and compelling themes. But on top of the storytelling the writers of good fantasy have the almost other-worldly ability to invent entire worlds that are simultaneously foreign to us and yet recognizable. They develop entire mythologies and histories for the peoples in their books and often new languages, new environments and new cultures. We fantasy fans are so loyal to these invented worlds because we find them so wondrous and believable that we want them to be real.

So yes, generally, fantasy is my "go-to" genre, but I'm picky about what I label "really good fantasy." In the past couple years, I've added Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Fire to this list, along with Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series and Elizabeth Knox's awesome Dreamhunter Duet. I am happy to say I've recently added another--Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.

Incarceron is a prison, created as an experimental closed system to rehabilitate and relocate troublemakers away from the "mainland." The book begins several generations after the invention of Incarceron, when the experiment appears to be going horribly wrong. In the opening scenes we meet Finn, a young man surviving in a gang through ruthlessness and street smarts. Finn can't remember his childhood, but he believes he is from the outside--something those around him dismiss as impossible. Through a chance of fate, Finn comes across an enemy who may be able to get him some answers.

Later, we meet Claudia, daughter of the prison warden, and, in some ways, a prisoner herself. She lives in an artificial world where everyone must stay "authentic" to a medieval time period where loyalty to one's lord and king is all. She has been groomed to marry the prince since childhood but knows she is being manipulated. When she breaks into her father's office looking for proof, she finds a key that connects her to Finn. Can Claudia find the door to the prison before her wedding day and without the queen or her father discovering her? Can Finn trust Claudia with his life and the lives of his companions? Ahh...these are just two of the many deliciously suspenseful questions that get answered by novel's end. This book is just full of imaginative detail and wonderful plot twists that will have you holding your breath as you race to end. And kudos to Catherine Fisher for a bang-up finish with an exciting question left to be answered in the next book in the series (I hate this latest trend of first books having a weak or unresolved ending to ensure the need for a sequel). The sequel, Sapphique will be out in stores December 28. I know I'll be there!


To watch the book trailer for Incarceron, check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMRFsTwwj_U

What I Saw and How I Lied

"When Alice fell down the rabbit hole, she fell slow. She had time to notice things on her way down--Oh, there's a teacup! There's a table! So things seemed normal to her while she was falling. Then she bumped down and rolled into Wonderland, and all hell broke loose."

I love this quote from the opening chapter of What I Saw and How I Lied, not only for its imagery but also for the way it tries to prepare you for the story to come. The narrator, 15 year-old Evie Spooner, is looking back, trying to figure out how her life unraveled in just a few short months. She goes back to the beginning, the day it all started, on a warm day in Queens just after World War II has ended. Joe, the step-father she adores, has returned from the fighting to open appliance stores for a country ready to buy "not only what we needed but what we wanted." Evie and her gorgeous mother are trying to make home life the picture of perfection for him, with roast beef and mashed potato dinners and everything neat and tidy, though it is a strain living under Joe's mother's roof.

Joe comes home from work that day with a wild idea to pack up and drive down to Florida for a vacation...that night. He convinces Evie and her mom with his slick sales skills, and in a few days they find themselves in a half-empty Palm Beach resort during the off-season. There Evie meets Peter, a dashing soldier who makes Evie feel like a woman, her mother light-hearted, and Joe strangely moody. As Evie plots to spend more time with Peter, her mother and step-father's relationship grows tense, and Joe becomes increasingly erratic. Soon events spin into a downward spiral of passion, blackmail, and secrets, and Evie finds the adults in her life are not what they seem. Evie must choose her own path and make a decision that will control all their destinies.

Author Judy Blundell won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature for this suspense-filled, noirish, dramatic novel. Those who love attention to detail will revel in the vivid depictions of post-war America, from the fashion (Revlon's Fatal Apple lipstick and nail polish and full-skirted evening gowns) to the dialogue ("Don't be in such a hurry to grow up, baby...it's not all polka dots and moonbeams, you know.") Those who love crime dramas and Bogey and Bacall movies will delight in the stylish mystery and suspense. And for those who appreciate album covers as much as albums, check out the cover, which I thought stunning (and an accurate depiction of the story, something becoming more rare in the book world). I loved this book, which brings me to two years in a row where I thought the National Book Award winner was better than the Printz Award winner.

Tender Morsels

I seem to be reading thematically of late because the book for this post, like the last one, deals with dark, emotionally disturbing subject matter. However, unlike Living Dead Girl with its chilling realism, Tender Morsels uses fantasy and fairy tale to explore issues like abuse and violence.This Printz Award Honor winner by Australian writer Margo Lanagan is a compelling revamping of the fairy tale "Snow White and Rose Red." The novel begins with a short scene narrated by a vulgar and earthy dwarf in a setting that resembles the Dark Ages of Europe. This is a prologue of sorts and the story line quickly shifts to the story of the mother of Snow White and Rose Red...a dreadful story as Lanagan reveals with great subtlety and drawn out suspense.

Just when you can't take any more of the cruelty the girls' mother endures, the tone lightens and she and her daughters find peace and loveliness in a magical "other" world. Snow White and Rose Red grow up, and of course, begin to explore the forbidden, the world which their mother would do anything to protect them from. At this point, the sense of inevitability pervading the novel had me by the throat...that delicious sense you get in a horror movie that something bad is about to happen. But I definitely didn't foresee the twists and turns the story would take as it spun out and in this way the novel proved its maturity...it is literary and complex and worth the effort. It reminded me a little of reading Toni Morrison or Louise Erdrich.

Though this is based on a fairy tale, the story telling is original and innovative, using fantasy to explore how violence and ugliness exist along side innocence and love. Fairy tale or no, this is a most human story.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

From the always funny E. Lockhart comes her latest novel The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. The title character is one of those smart, sassy heroines you often find in YA novels, who are identifiable, and sort of remind you of a cooler version of yourself. Frankie, at age 14, was a gangly, kinda geeky-but-not-a-social-outcast girl attending the private boarding school her father went to. Frankie at 15 is about to return to her private boarding school with a newly developed body and a self-possession that means she knows what she wants and she's going to go after it. Within no time she's landed a hot senior boyfriend and is hanging with the coolest group of kids in the school. But deep-down, Frankie worries that Matthew only likes her when she's not taking the lead or being the center of attention, and she knows he's keeping a big secret from her. When she can't get him to share his secret all-male society, she decides she will teach these boys a lesson they won't soon forget. Of course, in the process, she begins to lose track of herself, and things don't wind up quite like she'd imagined.

Disreputable is an interesting look at one girl's desire to be one of the boys without losing her femininity or self-respect. While the plot is less dark and traumatic than John Green's Looking for Alaska, the common setting of a private boarding school make for a few interesting parallels. Whether you find yourself rooting for Frankie or not, you'll enjoy the game.

Dreamquake-Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet

While the book Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox is not a perfect book, it did get me so wrapped up in its world that I was dying to find out what happens in Book Two--Dreamquake. Lucky for me it is already out (the benefit of starting a series of books that is already published) and even better than Book One. Dreamquake picks up with the final scene of Dreamhunter and tells it from an alternative perspective, which both catches up the reader and gives a new angle to the scene. From there the plot picks up speed with Laura and her Sandman on the run for forcing her nightmare on the Dream Opera Crowd, the Dream Regulatory Body building a secret, dangerous project in the Place, and, not to be overshadowed, Rose's debut into society. Laura and Sandy's relationship blossoms, though her continued and deepening reliance on her Sandman causes tension with those around her. The pace is fast, the drama high, and once the pieces of the puzzle came together I was left astounded by the author's imagination and storytelling abilities. Full of suspense, romance, and questions, this installment brings the duet to highly satisfying close.

Repossessed

Each year the American Library Association gives out the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature and awards "Honor" status (like an honorable mention) to 3 or 4 other finalists for the award. I often feel conflicted about the books that get chosen and 2008's selections are no exception. One of the honor books is Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins. It is the story of a demon (that's right, demon, as in hell) who realizes after centuries on the job tormenting sinners in hell that the Creator isn't going to notice if he slips away for a vacation. The demon, who is called many things, among which Kiriel is his favorite, jumps into the body of a slacker teenaged boy who is seconds away from dying in an accident. As Kiriel sees it, "the fact that he missed the last two seconds of his life didn't really matter; I could see exactly what was going to happen."

Kiriel sets out to experience all he can of life before he is caught and sent back. He revels in the details, the taste of ketchup, the feel of writing with a pencil, the sound of traffic. He wants to test all the 7 deadly sins to find out what the big deal is, and in the space of a couple days realizes why humans get so worked up with jealousy, lust, wrath and the rest.

The book is funny, poignant, and ultimately life-affirming as the demon makes your realize all you take for granted in your own life. So why do I feel conflicted about the book being honored by the Printz committee? Well I agree the book is very good, and asks a lot of interesting questions, but I'm not sure I agree it was one of the top 5 best YA books of the year. Still, I'm glad the book is getting recognition, because it is a fun read and one that will make you count your blessings.

Story of a Girl

Sara Zarr's debut novel is an emotional and realistic book about a girl whose life is not what she planned. In the novel's opening lines, Deanna, the narrator, tells us: "I was thirteen when my dad caught me with Tommy Webber in the back of Tommy's Buick, parked next to the old Chart House down in Montara at eleven o'clock on a Tuesday night. Tommy was seventeen and the supposed friend of my brother, Darren."

Deanna is now sixteen and regretting the choices she has made. Her father hasn't really spoken to her since that night, and Tommy has ruined her reputation by telling his friends what they did. At school her only protection from the slurs and inuendo are her best friends Jason and Lee, who are now dating because she set them up. This development has left her feeling jealous and even more isolated. Her consolation is her older brother, who still lives at home with his girlfriend and their baby April. When she is with them, Deanna feels needed and loved and she formulates a plan to earn money so they can all move out of their parents' depressing, loveless home. Toward this end, she finds a job, but what she doesn't count on is getting a job where she'll have to see Tommy every day.

Going into this book, I expected it to be sort of a sappy, after-school special kind of story. But I am happy to report this novel is nothing of the sort; it is honest and moving and a compelling look at the effects of physical and emotional abuse on a young girl.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

On a recent road trip to Chicago, I read Sherman Alexie's National Book Award-winning The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian. As my husband can attest, I laughed out loud throughout the book, frequently turning off his book-on-CD to make him listen to particularly funny passages. But this is not the stupid-funny, throw away-funny that rules in our modern culture. Like Alexie's previous books for adults (e.g. Flight, Reservation Blues), this young adult novel's humor is part healing mechanism, part coping mechanism, and part means of looking at the world. The first-person narrator, Arnold Spirit, Jr., is a member of the Welpinit tribe on the Spokane Indian reservation. "Junior" is an outcast with loads of medical issues due to being born hydrocephalic. His scrawny body and love of reading and drawing comics make him "a natural for the black eye of the month club." But in some ways, he is like most of classmates--poor, hungry, a child of alcoholic parents with no chance of escaping this fate if he stays on the reservation. Unlike his friends and parents and most all of the tribe, Junior has hope and ambition and commitment. And with these traits he decides to transfer to the off-rez high school 22 miles away. Doing so makes him the enemy of his best friend and a traitor to his tribe. Doing so means he must be the lone Indian in a school full of affluent white kids. His courage, his faith and his hopes are tested over and over by heartbreaking tragedies. And though some of the book's message is bittersweet, there is a sweet, pure joy in Junior's strength of character and his victories. This is a great book.

An Abundance of Katherines

If you'd told me 5 years ago that I'd be reading a YA book that included graphs, footnotes, mathematical equations, and anagrams galore, AND that I'd LOVE it, I'd have understandably said...well that's crazy talk. Nonetheless, here I am, telling you I love An Abundance of Katherines by John Greene, of Brotherhood 2.0 and Nerdfighter fame.

If you like your characters funny and smart, you're gonna love this cast of misfit characters. Colin Singleton is a former childhood prodigy already washed up at the age of 17, who has been dumped by 19 girls named Katherine. His math genius buddy Hassan (who refuses to go to college--he'd rather watch Judge Judy) takes Colin on a roadtrip to get over his latest dumping. They find their way to Gutshot, Tennessee where the (not-Katherine) Lindsay helps Colin sort out his life...and he hers. The book asks all sorts of interesting questions about life, love, and what really matters...and lets you laugh along the way.