It's Kind of a Funny Story

by Ned Vizzini
444 pages

I saw this movie first and got into a disagreement with my mother about the fate of one of the characters. I decided to read the book to prove her wrong. Well, the movie isn't exactly like the book, so we'll never truly know who is right (me!).
Craig Gilner is a depressed 15-year old in Manhattan who decides he is going to kill himself. So, he calls the suicide hotline. They tell him that he should check into a hospital. He goes to the emergency room at 5 o'clock Sunday morning and ends up in the Adult Psychiatric ward of the hospital for a five-day stay. He soon meets and makes friends with the patients and comes out of his shell, as it were.
I found this to be a very honest and hopeful story with a very believable narrative. I could really relate with the character of Craig.

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have)

by Sarah Mlynowski, 357 p.

Somehow April convinces her parents that she can stay with her friend, Vi, and Vi's mom while her dad and step-mom move to Ohio. Except Vi's mom will be with a touring theatre group.  And there is no adult supervision.  April and Vi do some pretty crazy things, and April finds out more about herself than she ever thought she would.


At first, I really disliked this book because a) April is obnoxious and horrid and b) I'm tired of reading about mean people getting away with things.  But the further I got into the story, the more I appreciated that April truly was growing up and that she wasn't just another snot.  Thank goodness for redeeming qualities...

Carter Finally Gets It

by Brent Crawford, 300 p.

Carter is 14, loves the ladies, and a high school freshman.  He also has a wicked case of ADD, a psycho older sister, and is desperately trying to avoid the nickname Slappy (thanks to an unfortunate incident on the high dive).     On top of all that, he's trying to deal with being cool, a mortal enemy, and figuring out girls (especially Abby, the hottie on the drill team).  All of this is bound together by Carter's hilarious inner voice.

I loved this book SO much.  Thanks to a wonderful recommendation from Sarah, I listened to it on audio and would be laughing so hard during my commute I was surprised I made it to work every day.  Plus, it really fills the whole "guys read" for the teens niche.  I'm definitely thinking this is "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" for the hit-with-the-puberty-stick set.

Loved it!

Fat Cat

by Robin Brande,  330 p.

For her Research Science class, Cat is undertaking the most impressive science experiment of all - herself.  As she makes over herself others start to notice, but the attention has some very unintended consequences.

I really, really loved this book.  In fact, it was one of those rare titles that I just couldn't put down.  I will say that normally I shy away from award-nominated books (sometimes I feel like they are way overrated), but Fat Cat is awesome.

The geeks shall inherit the Earth : popularity, quirk theory, and why outsiders thrive after high school

by Alexandra Robbins.  436 p.

Robbins follows six "geeks" through the most torturous American institution: high school.  Instead of being the typical 'follow high school students to show that they're all the same, really' that many documentaries and books of late follow.  Instead, 'The Geeks' main point is that being nerdy is ok and that, in the real world, the geeks and nerds end up being the innovators and leaders people look up to (think Mark Zuckerburg, Lady Gaga, President Obama).

Robbins follows the six geeks as they deal with social pressures in and around school, but also challenges them to work to change their perception of the outside world without sacrificing who they are.  Follow the Loner, the Popular Bitch, the Band Geek, the Nerd, the New Girl, the Weird Girl and the Gamer as they struggle with the twisted hierarchy and messed up rules that govern adolescent and high school society.  To complement Robbins' investigative reporting, scientific data is woven into the narration is a witty, socially conscious manner.

This book was truly shocking.  My high school life wasn't so long ago, but reading these books made me realize just how much I don't want to remember about it.  Despite it's moving message, I still found my anxiety and stress levels increasing since I could relate so much to what the participants were going through.  Robbins' use of the cafeteria as the centerpiece for much of the anxiety in these geeks' worlds (the place where statuses are made and lives are ruined) rang true, both in personal retrospect and as current social commentary.  By maintaining this cliquish, mean-spirited society bent on stifling creativity and uniqueness, we're not helping anyone.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Thomas wakes up in an elevator unable to remember anything about him other than his name. When the elevator comes to a stop he finds himself in a new world inhabited by Gladers, a group of teen boys that, like Thomas, have no memory of where they come from. The group has strict rules and wants Thomas step in line and earn his keep instead of asking questions and breaking the rules. But even they cannot answer the most pressing questions. Who are they? Why are they there? Who is the girl that just arrived and what does she mean to the group?

I watched the trailer for this book and was immediately hooked into the raw emotional situation facing these kids. How are they going to manage this new terrifying life? For me, I didn't get that raw feeling while reading the book. The dystopian premise is a good one, I just got lost somewhere along the way. I would have loved to see more character development of Thomas and the girl that shows up right after him though I can understand that without any memory you aren't supposed to have any character development. This is the first of a trilogy and naturally, Dashner pulled me back in with the last chapter and I'll be reading number two...although a bit grudgingly.  2009, 375 pages.

How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain

So, I realized I was in a reading rut and starting picking up random green books to meet our challenge for March. One of the ARC's that came through the department caught my attention (really, who can resist Johnny Depp?) and I started reading...

David's father is a renowned psychiatrist who has just acquired a new patient, Zelda. Zelda claims to be from the planet Vahalal where there are only women. Any men that show up on the planet are immediately destroyed. Zelda is on earth to claim her one true soul mate who just happens to be Johnny Depp. David immediately falls in teenage angsty love with bikini clad Zelda despite her clear disdain for him. Is David about to become an unlikely hero of an alien race or the latest sucker to believe a crazy girl just because she's hot?

I started the book with curiosity and then just stuck around for the wild ride of teenage coming of age meets a hero's heart of gold meets old school science fiction adventure. The story completely revolves around the plot and is so outrageous sometimes you just have to laugh and go with it. The characters are enjoyable and the French setting adds a little splash of different to the teen market. Save for one of those days when you need something quirky and fun. 2011, 208 pages.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I was crying or in tears from page thirteen. Really.

Mia, seventeen, is facing a lot of choices she isn’t sure she is ready to make. A gifted cellist, she has been invited to attend the Julliard School of Music in New York.  She just isn’t sure she can leave her exuberant, rock star family back in Oregon or Adam, the boyfriend she still can’t quite believe really loves her. When all the choices evaporate in an instant Mia has only one choice left to make. Should she stay or should she go?

This is not your typical Lurlene McDaniel sappy teen dealing with death book. It is complicated and solidly emotional. Through flashbacks into different times in Mia’s life we get a surprisingly detailed character study for such a slim tome. Readers who connect with empathetic characters and are ok with a high level of intensity, will find much here to make you reflect and appreciate. There is a sequel coming out in April: Where She Went. 2009, 201 pages.

Demonglass: A Hex Hall Novel by Rachel Hawkins

I love it when I get to read a book I really want to read before it’s release date. Neener, neener! I’m such a professional…

Demonglass picks up where Hex Hall left off. Sophie has just learned that she is a demon. A demon? A creature so vile and prone to destruction that there is only one other demon in the world-her long absent father. Concern that her epic powers will cause harm to those she loves Sophie travels to London to go through the removal-the procedure that will destroy her powers but may also very well destroy her.  As she spends time getting to know her father and more about the magical community she knows little about, Sophie starts to question is her choice is the right one. Oh, and Archer-the crush/assassin from book one? Surely, she still doesn’t have any feelings for him anymore…right?

The second book in the series sets a darker tone than the first but the snark is still there and readers’ will continue to be amused at Sophie’s gangling through her new magical world and powers.  2011, 359 pages.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Imagine Nicholas Sparks has a daughter and decides to send her off to a French boarding school to expand her horizons. Tough gig, right? Anna thinks so. She would much rather spend her senior year in Atlanta with her best friend the hot coworker she just kissed.  Slowly Anna adjusts to a new life and friends in Paris including Etienne, the really cute, funny and completely attached guy she finds herself spending more and more time with.

I admit it, I didn’t want to read this book. The reviews were always so peppy and excited and when our teen librarian gushed on about it I grew even more worried. I don’t do sappy.  (sorry Sarah)  What I found when I read the book was that while the starting premise was somewhat outrageous (don’t we all want to spend a year in Paris), it didn’t rule the plot.  The story was full of Parisian culture, the power of friendship and characters that felt like you’ve known them for years. The building of the story and the relationships was authentic and much less angsty than I’m used to in a young adult novel.  The allure of being on the cusp of adulthood with the freedom of a foreign city without parents will be intoxicating for many readers.  2010, 372 pages.

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff

“I’m always putting pressure on myself, trying to prove myself, be smarter, or thinner, or cooler. When you’re fat, that just comes with the territory. You walk through the door like Babar the Elephant, you have a lot of ground to make up for it.”"

Andy has trouble fitting in-in high school, in his jeans and he sure as heck isn’t making a good impression on the girl of his dreams being the second fattest kid around.  When he finds himself unexpectedly on the football team his dreams of popularity-and the girl-seem closer than ever.

Another addition into the fat lit club for teens but what I took away from this book was the true to life emotions Andy goes through being a fat kid in an unforgiving world. He’s funny even as he’s shoveling in food because it’s the only thing that will make his brain turn off. He’s desperate for something to change and his internal struggle to make this happen is the core of the novel. The emotions run the gamut which makes the books pace and tone uneven. While this bothered me while reading, upon reflection I decided it added a realism to the story that otherwise might be missing. 2009, 311 pages.

Fat Cat by Robin Brande

“I felt naked. And ugly. And huge.”

Cat has a lot going for her.  She’s super smart, funny,  has great friends and a supportive family. What she doesn’t have is being able to think of herself as skinny and her former best friend.  When presented with an opportunity to make a huge statement at the science fair, she opts to turn herself into a guinea pig and live like a prehistoric person would…with a few modifications. No one really wants to eat rancid meat these days, now do they?

This is part of what I like to call the growing trend of  fat lit. Cat is uncomfortable in her own skin and takes this opportunity to change that and is greatly surprised by the changes in her body as well as those around her. But, as always, it is more about healing what is inside then having a perfect body.  What I didn’t like about this book is that it felt like a treatise on how to eat raw foods.  You could almost hear the PSA coming through the different characters rather flat voices-the message of fighting childhood obesity was more important than the story.   The pacing was moderate and the setting could be anywhere.  If I had to give the book a one word review? Meh.  It is on the 2011-2012 Gateway Award nominee list and no, that doesn’t surprise me in the least.  2009, 327 pages.

endgame

endgame By: Nancy Garden, 274 pp.

This YA book is sad, scary, and yet good. It is a lot like the real story of Columbine, however it is fiction.

Nancy Garden tells the story from a 14 year old boy's point of view. You really feel sorry for the "bad guy" in this story.

Gray Wilton is a troubled boy and no matter what he does, it seems he cannot get the attention of his father who just doesn't understand or sympathise for Gray.

Gray is picked on in his school by bullies; yet no one seems to bother noticing. Then his father tells him they are to move, and Gray thinks this is going to make things all better for him.

Well, not exactly... His home, school, and kids might be different, but the bullying just starts all over again; and bad turns to worse in this thrilling story of a kid who just can't figure out how to make things better, other than to bring his father's semi-automatic to school one day.