Young Adult

Breaking Dawn

3 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I did a pretty good job of avoiding spoilers for Breaking Dawn so I really did not know exactly what Meyer was going to do to resolve the problems with Bella (and the guys) leftover from Eclipse. I don’t think she really did resolve them but she did give Bella more strength and less wishy washyness than before. Too bad it took X to make Bella strong. (X = spoiler and while most people have already read spoilers or already read the book, I don’t want to risk it for those who haven’t.)

I wanted to throw the book about a hundred times. The patriarchy runs rampant! Geez.

And then, the Jacob storyline – how predictable. I figured the whole thing out before the first night on Esme Island. I think the only surprise for me was how the issue with the Volturi was handled – there at the end. I knew Alice was up to something but I didn’t quite know what or how.

When it all comes down to it, I liked Breaking Dawn a heck of a lot more than I liked Eclipse and I look forward to reading about errr the character named Nessie.

Oh, before I go… that racism thing? Just another reminder of why I have no respect for Alisa Valdez Rodriguez. Call out racism if it exists, I’m all for that and I’ll do it with you. But link baiting by falsely attacking someone else who has the spotlight is just wrong. (spoilers contained in the link.)

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Rosemary and Juliet

2 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, Feminism, Fiction, From the Stacks Challenge, Queer, Women, Young Adult /

I should have known what I was getting into with a book called Rosemary and Juliet but I didn’t pay enough attention. Ah well, I’m a fan of YA and I don’t mind a YA problem book from time to time, either.

Regardless of what the title might lead you to believe this book is about – it isn’t that at all. It’s a basic YA lesbian problem book with more problems than most YA straight problem books.

Two kids die and neither were our star crossed lovers. (oops I guess that’s a spoiler, sorry.)
Electric shock therapy was tossed in there for good measure.
And of course, the predictable unhappy ending because in the end teens are required to do what their parents tell them to do – even if their parents are idiots.

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The Magic Toyshop

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Fiction, From the Stacks Challenge, Women, Young Adult /

There I was, happily enjoying The Magic Toyshop when suddenly, I wasn’t. That suddenly part happened in the last three pages of the damn book. I really hate that. I think I’d rather read a bad book all the way through than read a good book only to have it disappoint me in the end.

I just don’t think that ending was necessary. I didn’t need a happy ending, but I did need SOME kind of ending. Wait, there isn’t a sequel right? Surely not… I’ve read The Bloody Chamber and it is not related to this. Is there something else I’m missing? Nah. The author just wanted to annoy me at the end. Gee thanks. By looking at the Amazon reviews, I see that I am not alone. Someone should re-write the ending, 50 pages should do it. Get busy with that, and let me know when you’ve finished. Thanks!

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Dancing with Elvis

3 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction, From the Stacks Challenge, Women, Young Adult /

We bought Dancing with Elvis ages ago, maybe years ago, at the Gainesville FOLS. (sniff, I miss the Gainesville FOLS. It’s coming again. Soon. In October. sniff. ) TW read it ages ago, maybe years ago, and I never did.

Turns out, it’s a YA book and if I had known that, I might have read it earlier. I thought it was just some fluffy southern chick lit and I am pretty anti-Elvis. (don’t hate me, oh go ahead, hate me – I don’t care.)

It’s a great YA book, only a wee bit of Elvis and an awful lot of good stuff about race and family relationships and, well, just go read it.

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John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, a Photographic Biography

2 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Non-Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

So, the last book I read in Gainesville from the very excellent Gainesville library was John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, a Photographic Biography and to tell you the truth, I didn’t quite finish it before we left town. I had two chapters to go. I might someday grab it from the shelf of a bookstore and finish the last two chapters, but probably not.

It was “OK” but I couldn’t figure out why it was even on the Printz award list. There wasn’t anything outstanding about it – it was just a kids biography of Lennon. Shrug. The photos were nice. The tidbits about Lennon’s childhood and how it all started was sort of interesting. Maybe if I was more of a Beatles fan…?

In other challenge notes, I’m reading Quatrocentro from my “from the stacks” challenge but I feel like maybe I’ve already read it. I’ll know for sure tonight, I think.

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The House of the Scorpion

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

I didn’t think I was going to enjoy The House of the Scorpion very much. We listened to it on audio and that first chapter was a little dry and the voice of the reader wasn’t very compelling. But, I got hooked and really enjoyed it.

What’s also interesting is Liz started listening to it on disk 8, in the car on the way to Lakewood on Friday and when we got in the car this morning to come home she asked if we could turn it back on. I’m sorry she missed the first 7 disks, but maybe she’ll listen to them in her room this week and catch the beginning of the story of Matt, the clone of the drug lord… it really was an interesting story.

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Crush

2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Queer, Women, Young Adult /

Crush is a tiny little YA book with very large font and it took me about a half hour to read. I have no idea what the reading level is but it’s got to be low – so maybe a low-literacy YA book? Good enough, I like that. It’s important that books like that exist.

My problems with the book are this.

Do we really want to tell teens that you can have one date with someone and bam, that’s it – you’re in love? Do we really want to tell queer questioning teens that you can figure out you’re gay THAT easily? I don’t know. It seemed pretty “fairy tale” like to me. There must be some way to meet in the middle between the fairy tale and the heavy handed teen “problem” book.

Other than that? I liked it.

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Postcards From No Man’s Land

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Queer, Young Adult /

I see why Postcards From No Man’s Land won the Printz. It started a little slow or was a little confusing, I’m not sure which, but it settled down and it was interesting. It also didn’t read like a YA book. Lots of tough topics to think about – war, infidelity, “love”, “marriage”, euthanasia, even a wee bit of polyamory tossed in. And, another look at Anne Frank. Interesting book.

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My Heartbeat

2 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Queer, Young Adult /

My Heartbeat is another YA book from the Printz Award Challenge and I picked it up on audio last week. When we started listening to it, I wasn’t impressed and pretty much quit listening after that first couple of chapters.

Yesterday, as we headed to south Florida for synchro, I turned it on again and pretty quickly got hooked. TW, not so much. She hated all of the characters accept “the Father”. I disliked the “Father” a lot and am troubled that he’s the only character that TW liked.

Anyway – I thought it was a good “gay” book. The whole “I’m not gay, I don’t know if I’m gay, but we’re a couple or maybe we aren’t a couple because that would mean we are gay” thing – awesome.

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