Review: Love Is The Higher Law

From Barnes and Noble:

The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on
September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her
younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from
Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if
he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to
school as everything happens around him.

Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this
catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become
wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new
friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the
people close by.

Love Is the Higher Law is a moving story about the events that took place
on 9/11. The story is told by three teenagers, two high school juniors
and a college sophmore. The story begins on the morning of 9/11 and
follows the characters throughout the year after the attacks. Each of the
characters is in a different place when the attack occur and each deals
with the events differently. However, as the story continues the reader
is able to see how the characters change and grow during the year. Their
relationships change dramatically and they realize that love truely is the
higher law (a lyric from a U2 song) and that only by letting other people
in can we begin to heal and grow. This is an incredibly genuine and
moving story about a tragic event which shaped each of our lives in
different ways. The story focuses on NYC and the Twin Towers, however,
the other tragic events of that day are not overlooked. This book
reminded me very much of Elie Weisel's Night (which you should also pick
up if you have not yet read it) in the way that I was able to connect with
the characters and identify with a major historical even. We will never
forget the events that took place on that historic day, unfortunatly as
time passes, the message of hope, love, and patriotism that abounded after
these events occured has been dramatically reduced in recent years.
Luckily, David Levithan reminds us over and over again that love truely is the
higher law. This is easily one of the best books that I have read this
year-and I have read a *lot* of books. Parents should be aware however,
that there is some adult language and mature content in this book.
Therefore, I would not recomment it for younger teens unless the parent
looks into it first.

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

From Barnes and Noble: Kaeleigh and Raeanne are 16-year-old identical twins, the daughters of a district court judge father and politician mother running for Congress. Everything on the surface of their lives seems Norman Rockwell perfect, but underneath run deep and damaging secrets.

Kaeleigh is the good girl-her father's perfect flower, something she has tried so hard to be since she was nine and he started sexually abusing her. She cuts herself and vomits after every binge, desperate to feel something normal. Raeanne uses painkillers, drugs, alcohol, and sex to numb the pain of not being Daddy's favorite. Both girls must figure out how to become whole, but how can they when their world has been torn to shreds?

Ellen Hopkins is such a beautiful writer that it makes me green with envy. I was immediately drawn into this book and it was extremely hard for me to put it down until I had finished. Kaeleigh and Raeanne were wonderful characters and they were easy to relate to. Even though I have never experienced any of the trials that these girls did, in many ways it felt like I was right there with them. It is an amazing gift for an author to be able to draw you into the story in a way that makes you feel like you are a vital part of the plot. There were many twists and turns throughout the story, and some pretty huge shocking turn of events. At one point there is such a huge REALLY BIG THING that was so unexpected I re-read the page three times, blinked my eyes, and immediately went to my twitter account to say "Ellen Hopkins just BLEW MY MIND!!!" This was a wonderful book that was exciting and heart-breaking all at once. There were times that I wanted to cry for Kaeleigh and Raeanne and other times that my heart smiled along with their triumphs. I have said before that I think everyone should read at least one of Ellen Hopkins' books because of her unique writing style, I will say now that I believe if you only ever pick up one of her books, it should be Identical.

Review: Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

From Barnes and Noble: A year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying than in attending biology class. Now, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman named Morgan, biology has become, literally, Cal's life.
Cal was infected by a parasite that has a truly horrifying effect on its host. Cal himself is a carrier, unchanged by the parasite, but he's infected the girlfriends he's had since Morgan. All three have turned into the ravening ghouls Cal calls Peeps. The rest of us know them as vampires. It's Cal's job to hunt them down before they can create more of their kind. . . .

First of all I have to say that I really adore Scott Westerfeld. All of his books are a little bit dark and twisty and involve plots where the main characters find out that the "good guys" aren't always good. However, this is one thing that makes his books remarkable. Peeps is a new take on vampirism. Instead of people running around biting other people, vampirism is a disease that is spread through saliva and other bodily fluids. The parasite that cause vampirism causes the people who are infected to hate everything they once loved and to go a little crazy. Cal is lucky enough to only be a carrier. He works for an agency that tracks down people who are "parasite positive" aka Peeps. As far as heroes go, Cal is decent. The reader doesn't really get to know him, the story and his search for every girl he has come in contact with since his infection is where the story focuses. One unique element in this book was that every other chapter is devoted to a different parasite. As you read these chapters about real life parasites that humans come in contact with every day and how they manifest and mutate, your skin will crawl. However, these chapters really do add to the story. The parasite chapters help you understand the parasite that turns humans into vampires. I really enjoyed Peeps. The ending is a little strange, but that is because there is a sequel. Many questions are left unanswered that are hopefully dealt with in The Last Days. I would recommend Peeps to anyone who enjoyed Twilight, Anne Rice, or any other vampire book. Scott Westerfeld has an incredible ability to weave a story. I have enjoyed everything of his that I have read, but Peeps is my favorite so far.

Review: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Cassie and Lia were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her stepmother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way-thin, thinner, thinnest-maybe she'll disappear altogether.

I recently realized that (most) every time I finish a book I think "this is the best book I've ever read!" However, this can't be true of every book I read. Regardless, I think that this is one of the best books that I have read this year. Laurie Halse Anderson has such an incredible ability to write gut-wrenching stories about characters who are broken. Lia is so sad, and your heart breaks for her more page by page. Her family is messed up, her best friends dumped her and then died, and she is starving herself to death. There is a beautiful relationship between Lia and her stepsister Emma. Emma is the person that make Lia want to be whole and healthy, but her journey is not easy. The story follows Lia as she goes through the weeks after Cassie's death.

There are many things that I love about this story. There are entire lines of crossed out thoughts. I think that it is a beautiful way to see the difference between what Lia thinks/feels and what she is supposed to think/feel. This is a common theme with most people, you have thoughts or feelings that are vastly different from what you actually express. However, Lia does this to the extreme. Another aspect that I thought was especially eye-opening was the fact that every bit of food Lia eats has the calorie count beside it in parenthesis. For example “half a slice of bread (38) + quarter tablespoon butter (25) = 63.” This helps emphasize Lia’s downward spiral.

This really was a wonderful book. Laurie Halse Anderson has an ability to suck you into the story and want to fix the broken and bruised characters in her book. You don’t feel pity for the characters though, at least I didn’t. Instead I felt a deep sorrow that anyone would ever deal with the things that Lia deals with in the book. I would recommend this book for any teen. The story will appeal to any age group and even though the main character is a female, I think that many males would benefit from reading this book as well as females. Bottom-line? This is a book about an especially sensitive topic (eating disorders) that doesn’t glorify them or make the character seem like someone who is completely unrealistic. I could relate to Lia, and so can most people. A fantastic story by an award winning author, and it was so much more than I expected.

Review: Love Is Hell

So, I said last night that I really like short story collection. Today I plan on giving you a rundown of the latest short story collection that I read. Love Is Hell is a collection of five stories written by Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin, and Laurie Faria Stolarz. Before I read this I had only read books by Melissa Marr and Scott Westerfeld, so it was nice to read some new authors.

Sleeping with the Spirit by Laurie Faria Stolarz is a story about a girl who moves into a haunted house. The boy who haunts the house needs her help solving her murder. This was a pretty good story, even if it was a little strange. The whole girl meets ghost and falls in love concept is strange for me. It also becomes predictable. The story was well written, and the main character is really likable, but it wasn't one of my favorites.

Stupid Perfect World by Scott Westerfeld is a story of two kids who live in a world where there is no sickness, coldness, discomfort, nothing bad at all really. However, for a class project they have to pick one of the discomforts of the past and live with it for two weeks. Keiran chooses to sleep and Maria chooses to suspend her hormonal imbalancers. The story follows the pair as they go through the two weeks of their project. I really enjoy Scott Westerfeld. A lot. I really think that he has such a gift for creating these crazy alternate realities that are so much like our own worlds. Everything I have read by him completely sucks me in! This short story was no different. My only complaint? I wish it were a novel (or even a series) because I would love to know more about what happens between Keiran and Maria.

Thinner Than Water by Justine Larbalestier is a story about a girl who is desperate to escape from her family. She meets a guy who she loves and they are happy until her family ruins it. Jeannie must find a way to survive while her family continuously tries to crush her spirit. I loved this story. I have never read anything by Justine Larbalestier before, but this story made me want to hunt up everything she has ever written. It was a wonderful story about love, loving yourself, and not ever giving up. It was beautiful.

Fan Fictions by Gabrielle Zevin is a story about Paige, a loner nerd girl who spends most of her time in the library. One day she meets a dreamboat who sees her and sweeps her off her feet. I didn't really like this story. It was really strange, and didn't make a lot of sense to me. The ending was really abrupt and I thought it left a lot of plot points unaddressed. I don't necessarily need every little thing tied up with a pretty bow, but I hate not knowing something big. Maybe it's just me though.

Love Struck by Melissa Marr is a story about a girl and a selchie who fall in love. This was another really good story. Fairies, elves, and other fey creatures are really popular right now, and I think that Melissa Marr did a great job with this story. Legend says that if you take a selchies pelt that he/she is bound to you until he/she finds the pelt again. Melissa Marr really puts a new spin on this legend and also manages to show that if you really love someone that you don't have to change who you are.

I thought that this was a really good collection. There was only one story that I really didn't like and that was only because it seems like it was a few chapters from a book more than a story. I would definitely recommend this to any teen who is looking for a quick read.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

So, last summer I was online and I saw that my celeb crush Michael Cera was going to be in a new movie. I was extremely excited because ever since I saw Juno I have been completely obsessed with him. Yes, he is dorky and awkward, but I love him anyway. His new movie was called Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I thought that the name sounded familiar so I did a little research and found out that it was based on a YA book. So I ordered the book and read it. I absolutely fell in love with Nick, Norah, their friends, and their adventure. You all should know by now that I love books where the characters discover themselves and where the journey isn't about where you end up, but rather it is about how you get to your destination. This book fulfilled those needs perfectly. It was beautifully written and I loved reading about the night from both Nick and Norah's perspective, it really made the story itself more realistic. Needless to say I was extremely nervous about watching the movie. Generally film makers have no respect for the book-or at least it doesn't seem that way when you see a beloved novel ripped to shreds by cruddy actors and horrible filming. However, when the DVD was released I ordered it for the library and watched it. Actually, I watched the movie three times in two weeks. I loved it. It was so beautifully done. Yes, key points were changed and things were left out of the movie, but the message was there. The characters were the same characters that I loved in the book. Kat Dennings and Michael Cera were a fantastic Norah and Nick. I am so glad that the director didn't cast actors who were ridiculously beautiful, but instead found people who seemed REAL!!! It is heartbreaking to read a book, relate to the characters because they could be you and your friends, and then see the movie where everyone looks like someone from The Hills or Top Model. I was so impressed by this movie that I will be purchasing the DVD when I get paid next week-and for those of you who know me,you realize what a big deal that is! =) So my advice to you is read the book, watch the movie, repeat as necessary.

Review: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:

Debate Club

Her father's "Bunny Rabbit"

A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:

A knockout figure.

A sharp tongue.

A chip on her shoulder.

And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 16:

Possibly a criminal mastermind.

This is the story of how she got that way.

This is my question: Is YA lit just better now than when I was a teen? Or is it just that I can appreciate it more? The answer: A little of both. E. Lockhart rocked my reading world! I love strong female characters, and Frankie is certainly a strong female character. The story follows her as she questions the fairness of an all male club, and takes over as their leader-without any of them knowing it's her. It also shows how everything can fall apart when you are living a lie. Frankie's trouble starts at the very beginning of the book when she is questioning her mother's decision not to allow her to walk into town, even though her younger male cousin had been given permission earlier during their vacation. Her family sees her as "Bunny Rabbit"- one of the cutest animals out there (besides a puppy sized elephant of course.) None of them seem to take her seriously, and she really isn't happy with it. The story follows her to boarding school as she starts a new school year. It shows how her class about secret societies and her own desire to prove she is as good as the boys eventually leads her to create the best stunts that her school's secret society has ever seen. The only problem is no one knows she is the person behind them and no one really understands that they are more than just pranks. The reader can see her frustration build, can watch her relationship develop, and basically see her come to understand that love isn't always enough. We also get to see her life crumble because of her actions. However, Frankie realizes that "it is better to be alone...than to be with someone who can't see who you are." Frankie is invisible at the beginning of the book, and by the end she is invisible again. Her invisibility is the saddest thing of all; however, I don't think it will last. All in all-I love a girl who will grow up to change the world!

Review: The Vampire Kisses Series

Seriously what is the deal with two-post-Tuesdays? I just finished the third book in The Vampire Kisses series by Ellen Schreiber and wanted to post a blog about the series while it was fresh in my mind. Basically this is a YA series about a goth girl (Raven) who lives in a dull town and is obsessed with vampires. She and her best friend (Becky) are both social outcasts but for different reasons. One day a dark and twisty goth guy moves into the "haunted" house in town. Girl meets boy, girl and boy fall in love, boy turns out to be a vampire. In the second book the boy's (Alexander) moral enemy (Jagger) shows up and tries to turn Raven into a vampire. In the third book Jagger's twin (Luna) shows up and tries to turn Raven's mortal enemy (Trevor) into a vampire. Yes, I know that is a lot of vampire-making attempts. However, these books were pretty good. If you like Twilight you will like these books. They are short and the story moves quickly. The series should be read in order so that the reader isn't confused, and the writer doesn't spend a lot of time going over what has happened in the previous books. She does remind the reader of big events that happened in the past books, which is nice if you didn't read them one after the other like I did this weekend. The story is good though. The plot tends to be a little predictable, but overall it's a good series. If you are into vampires, the goth scene, being on the outside of society, blood feuds, or dark and twisty teen angst then this series is for you.

Now for my own personal statement to vampire obsessed girls and the authors who write for them. SERIOUSLY??? You meet a guy, on your first date you realize that your true love is a vampire, and you go out with him again. That in and of itself is insane. Trust me any normal person, social outcast or not, would run screaming in the other direction. She would move to Central America and never come home. But not our heroines, they go on a second date, and ask the vampire to turn her into a vampire too! WHAT?!?!?! You have known a guy for like two weeks and you want to turn into a vampire for him? SERIOUSLY??? I know that teenagers fall in love at the drop of a hat, but eternity with a guy that you have known for less than a month?That makes no sense to me. Maybe I am jaded by recent events in my own life, and my horrible dating history, but there is no way that on date two I am throwing in the mortal towel. What do you even know about the vampire dreamboat that is makes it worth leaving everything in your life behind? The answer...nothing, except that he has to drink blood to survive and that he is "the most beautiful person I have ever seen." Whatever happened to the adage that beauty is only skin deep? Don't get me wrong, I love Twilight, I told everyone I know to read it. I like the Vampire Kisses series, and I like all the other vamp series/books that are out right now. I guess I just wish that one of the heroines of these "girl+vampire=love" books would wake up one morning and say "Hey...I love the sun, and my family, and my best friend, and my dog...maybe I shouldn't turn into a vampire." Unfortunately that doesn't happen, or rather if the heroine does take a moment to question her decision it is because boy/vamp/dreamboat refuses to "take away her humanity," and the girl always says "...eh who cares if I am ostracized from society for the rest of my life and that I am going to have an overwhelming desire to suck my little brother's blood...it is totally worth it!" On the other hand-it is entertaining to shake your head in disbelief at the insanity of these girls. Also, I am really loving the "vegetarian vamps" who never eat human blood. It is a really funny alternative and it does allow for the vampires to live in small towns without attracting (too much) attention.

Banned Books: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

UPDATE: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian won the 2009 Odyssy Award for best audiobook produced for youth available in English in the United States!!! Congratulations to Sherman Alexie for another well deserved award!

Disclaimer: This post is about a book that was recently banned in Oregon State. I will be making quotes from the article, and some people may find the language offensive. However, the language is only used to illustrate a point.

Last February I purchased the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie for our collection. It was a National Book Award winner, it was on several "Best Books for Teen Boys to Read" lists, and it received incredible praise. It has been a decently successful book here. We don't have many teen males who check out books, but it has been circulated. It has been on my to-read list since it came in, but it wasn't on the top of my list. Then in December I read this article, and the book shot to the top of my list.

In Crook County Oregon a parent picked up the book and wasn't thrilled with what he read. He proceeded to "copy a few pages" and go to the school board. The school board read those pages and decided to ban the book because "The protagonist in Alexie’s book discusses masturbation." I get that. I really do understand why a parent would be upset by that. However, in 230 pages the word is used five times. That isn't a lot. Arnold talks about how he loves lines and squares in geometry more than he loves his alone time with pictures of curvy girls. This isn't a celebration of this behavior. No, instead it is a fourteen year old boy struggling with his decision to leave his family, his home, and his life behind because he wants a good education. Not even a good education, just a decent education, one where he isn't condemned to use the same school books that were used by his parents more than thirty years earlier. This is the book that the Crook County School Board chose to remove from their shelves? A book that celebrates a love a learning and the struggle that every person faces between making people happy and finding a life worth living? A book about a young boy who is trying to find a better life than the one he is destined for? I think that it is incredibly small minded. Don't get me wrong. I think that every parent has a right to stop their child from reading any book that they think is inappropriate. There are many wonderful books that I love, but that I wouldn't want a middle school child to read. However, I think that it is horrible for any group to decide that something is wrong for everyone. Seriously, there are so many "classics" that deal with sex, drugs, alcohol, and harsh language that are required reading. Why is it okay for Holden Caulfield to use the profanity that he does and not be banned. Why can The Outsiders be filled with gang violence and not be banned. Today's banned and challenged books are tomorrows classics. It would be wise to realize that now.

I read this book in about twelve hours. It was great. It was a moving story about a boy who doesn't fit in anywhere, who has to fight for a place, and still feels like an outsider. He is an outsider. He deals with loss on a regular basis, some huge ones and some very small ones. It is a story about growing up and dealing with all of the things that you have to deal with when you grow up. Growing up stinks. Being an adult isn't fun. Neither is being a teenager who lives on the fringes, who doesn't quite fit in anywhere. Sherman Alexie captures this concept and illustrates it in a beautiful way. Arnold is funny and bright and sad. While reading, my heart broke and I laughed out loud as he grew up within the story. It was a beautiful Young Adult book that I think is a worthwhile read for any older teen. No, it isn't something you should pick up for your fifth grader, but I'm sure your sophomore could relate in many ways.

Movie Day and other Randomness

Quick reminder...On Friday we are playing Christmas movies for people of all ages at the Wythe County Public Library. School closes early and I know that everyone wants to celebrate Christmas break. So...tell your younger siblings and relatives, tell your parents, and tell your friends. Unlike some other events that are happening in town on Friday and Saturday this is totally FREE!!! We even provide snacks and drinks. Due to the restrictions in our movie license we can't put the movie titles down here, but here is a schedule with some really obvious hints:

1:00-2:00~ A movie about some misfits, an elf who wants to be a dentist, and a foggy Christmas Eve
2:00-2:30~ Bring your Peanuts along to hunt for the perfect Christmas Tree
2:30-4:00~ Join us and Ralphie for a classic (and remember to tell Santa you want a BB gun)
4:00-5:30~ Come see Jessica Biel before she ever knew JT and see JTT (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) before he dropped off the Hollywood radar.

If you guys can't figure out what these movies are you can always come see Ally and me at the library. We are ALWAYS here and we love seeing you guys (not that we are desperate for your company or anything)


Blog posts may be sporadic through the beginning of the year with the holidays and the library being closed several days. But we will be back in January with some excitement (we hope). Hopefully some local teens will be doing book reviews and we will have some more programs going on as well. We are kicking off our volunteer program in January as well. Don't forget about us if you need community service hours or padding for your college applications. There is a large variety of things to do here and it is indoors out of the bad weather. Also, kids are FUN!!!! So come in and fill out a volunteer application and get started today!