ALAN Online

ALAN’s Picks is a monthly book review column compiled and edited by Dr. Pam B. Cole of Kennesaw State University.  Be sure to check ALAN Online each month for a fresh look at the latest in YA Lit.

Reviewed this month:

Birth of a Warrior by Michael Ford
Bug Boy by Eric Luper
Confetti Girl by Dianna Lopez
Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell
The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb
Heartsinger by Karlijn Stoffels, translated by Laura Watkinson
Messed Up by Janet Nichols Lynch
Need by Carrie Jones
The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Sprout by Dale Peck
The White Gates by Bonnie Ramthun

Birth of a Warrior by Michael Ford
Walker & Company, 2008, 262 pp., $16.99
Ancient Greece/War/Slavery/Warriors/Sparta
ISBN: 10-0-8027-9794-6

This is a story of conflicted loyalty. The time is Ancient Greece and thirteen-year-old Lysander is training to be a soldier. When the Persians invade Sparta, though, Lysander finds his duties as a solder are divided—should he honor his Spartan heritage or the Helot slaves of Persia with whom he has lived most of his life?

A sequel to Ford’s popular adventure, The Fire of Ares, this sweeping dramatic story tells of young Lysander and his discovery of his true identity as the descendant of a Spartan warrior. Training at the Spartan Academy has been tireless and ruthless, and now Lysander finds himself being sent to the mountains with two other boys to prove that he can survive in the wilds of Ancient Greece with nothing more than his muscles and his wits.

Complications ensue, but nothing like what finally awaits Lysander when he realizes that his beloved homeland, Persia, has invaded his new home, Sparta. Torn between his Helot past and his Spartan future, Lysander soon realizes that his real enemy may be one of the other boys now living with him in the wilderness.

Ford’s fast-paced tale combines information about ancient Greek customs with a gut-wrenching story about an underdog who triumphs. Fans of recent movies Troy, Gladiator, and 300 will find this book most appealing.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kaplan, Orlando, FL

Bug Boy by Eric Luper
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009, 248 pp., $16.99
Horse Racing
ISBN: 978-0-374-31000-4

For as long as he can remember, fifteen-year-old Jack Walsh has wanted to be a jockey. Working as an exercise rider for Pelton Stables, Jack suddenly finds himself in the limelight when Pelton’s famed jockey, Showboat McGinn, is tragically injured and he is promoted to “bug boy,” or apprentice jockey. Talented and immediately successful, Jack quickly learns that with his newfound fame comes sacrifice and danger. When he is approached by a local thug to fix an upcoming race, Jack must ultimately choose between the glitz and glamour he is just beginning to taste and his own personal integrity.

Set in 1934 in Saratoga Springs, New York, at the Saratoga Race Track, Luper’s novel is as fast-paced and exciting as the races themselves. His descriptions of the races are vivid, his protagonist likeable and engaging, and the portrait Luper paints of the lives of jockeys is simultaneously sympathetic and grim. As Jack pushes his body to the limits, embarks upon his first romance, confronts his down-and-out father, and struggles to know and do what is right, readers will cheer him all the way to the finish line.

Reviewed by Emily Meixner, Ewing, NJ

Confetti Girl by Dianna Lopez
Little, Brown & Company, 2009, 199 pp., $15.99
Single Parent Families/Best Friends/Middle School
ISBN: 978-0-316-02955-1

Confetti Girl is a delightful depiction of young adolescent relationships. Centered on two best friends as they traverse the convoluted journey of middle school, the story guides readers through tales of angst, joy, and discovery. Apolonia (Lina) is coping with the death of her mother and her father’s retreat into literature; Vanessa is dealing with her parents’ divorce and her mother’s escape from reality through bitterness and an obsession with making cascarones—colorful hollowed out confetti-filled eggs. The young teens support one another through family turmoil, school difficulties, and social awkwardness. However, their friendship is strained as they wade into the murky waters of boy-girl relationships, awkwardly attempting to negotiate the concomitant tension that arises between them.

The girls’ Spanish heritage is integral to the story without becoming the main focus. Lopez weaves language, traditions, and family practices throughout from making cascarones to holding a quinceanera—a family and community celebration in honor of a girl’s 15^th birthday. Each chapter is introduced with a dichos (saying or proverb) that relates to the content. “To desire is to be able to do” and “Full belly, happy heart” are indicative of the range of wisdom provided.

Lopez tackles serious issues with humor, honesty, and understanding. She imbues her characters with practical optimistic determination. The plot flows in spontaneous sequences permeated with merriment and conviviality. Readers will be enchanted as they encounter the complexities of adolescence from the perspectives of Lina and Vanessa.

Reviewed by Susan M. Landt, DePere, WI

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell
Bloomsbury, 2008, 292 pp., $16.99
Teen Issues/Friendships/Religious Life/Camps/Disabilities
ISBN: 978-1-59990-042-1

Riley Rose is a chubby, rebellious, smart mouth who believes nothing good can come from her present situation. Having hurtled herself toward catastrophe with sex, drugs, and will friends in the two years since her mother died, Riley is forced to attend a week-long Christian camp. Riley, a self-proclaimed atheist, has no intention of participating in Bible activities, finding God, or making friends at the Spirit Ranch, known to her as “the Palace of Suckdom.” Instead, she seeks to make everyone’s life a living hell with her unruly antics and extreme behavior. She’s just “so Satan,” as one of her fellow campers calls her, that is, until she meets Dylan Luck, a popular, veteran Spirit Ranch camper who’s also recently disabled. As misfits united in their personal misfortunes and their annoyance with fellow campers, Riley and Dylan seek to make their time at Spirit Ranch much more interesting. They form a strong bond that forces them to confront their preconceived ideas about religion and other people and that also helps heal and tame them along the way.

With coarse language and scenes of teenage sexuality, Everything Beautiful is not for everyone. For readers who appreciate honest and witty coming-of-age novels, though, Howell’s book is a good choice. Told in first person, many readers can empathize with Riley and her reasons for acting out. All of Howell’s characters are endearing and their experiences at Spirit Ranch will keep readers engaged from beginning to end.

Reviewed by Stacey Barreto DiLiberto, Orlando, FL

The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb
Houghton Mifflin, 2009, 379 pp., $ 17.00
Historical Fiction/Romance
ISBN: 0618891315

In The Fetch, we meet Calder, who is a Fetch, or Death Escort, charged with accompanying people to their final resting place after life on earth. His 350+ years as a Fetch is jeopardized when he is called to the bedside of Alexis, son of Tzar Nicholas II of Russia. Though invisible to most, Calder is seen byAlexis’ older sister, Anastasia. At this point, Calder falls in love with Alexis’ mother, whom he believes is the child’s nurse maid. Alexis survives, but falls ill several years later, and Calder is again assigned to his deathbed. He remembers Alexis’ mother and vows to keep her as his companion, after he convinces Alexis to choose life and not die. So strong are his feelings that he decides to break the laws of the Fetch to satisfy his need for love and companionship. Several clever plot turns and false resolutions make this book a delight to read. Whitcomb creates a glimpse into early 20^th century Europe and United States, as the storyline follows Calder, Ana, and Alexis to the grand finale. This book weaves an understated romantic plot and actual historical accounts into one fanciful tale of the mystery that surround Alexis and Ana’s remains.

Reviewed by Susan Wegmann, Orlando, FL

Heartsinger by Karlijn Stoffels, translated by Laura Watkinson
Levine/Scholastic, 2009, 144 pp., $16.99
Folktales/Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-545-06929-8

Heartsinger is aptly named; the book, a series of folktales, centers on Mee and Mitou, two young people with rare abilities to touch the hearts of people dealing with life’s sorrows and tribulations. Mee, known as “a singer of sorrows” and Mitou, “the merrymaker” are kindred spirits from their birth: “They were born on the same day. It was the midday hour, and the bells began to ring as the two mothers bore their children…” As is common in folktales, however, they do not know of each other’s existence and only through a series of events are they united.

The trials Mee and Mitou face in their childhood shape their sensitive spirits. Heartsinger narrates many poignant stories, capturing the universal emotions experienced in grief and loss, love and betrayal, joy and reunion, suffering and healing. The book’s eleven tales chronicle the lives of seafarers and villagers in a time long ago, but their experiences are timeless.

Heartsinger is a book not to be judged by its cover; Stoffels’ powerful yet simple tales, not unlike Lois Lowry’s The Giver, Gathering Blue and Messenger, urge readers to listen to the deeper stories of human existence.

Reviewed by Mary Warner, San Jose, CA

Messed Up by Janet Nichols Lynch
Holiday House, 2009, 250 pp., $17.95
Abandoned Children/Hispanic Americans/Middle Schools
ISBN-13: 978-8234-2185-5

Repeating a grade is not something to be taken lightly, and when fifteen-year-old R. D. finds himself in the eighth grade again, he ends up in more serious trouble and hurt than he can possibly imagine—or handle. Always getting suspended, R. D. thinks the source of his trouble is that he is a Hispanic-American who is the first to be blamed—no matter what.

R.D.’s excuse is compounded by the fact that life at home is “no picnic’ and just keeps getting worse. His father is out of the picture, his mom is in prison, and he lives with his grandmother and her boyfriend, Earl, who is not well. More blows land on him when his grandmother takes off with Earl and then Earl dies. Left stranded—no grandmother, no guardians, no nothing—R. D. is determined to stay out of a group home by keeping Earl’s death a secret from his school and his neighbors.

Sad, moving, and profound, this haunting young adult novel speaks in a harsh first-person voice about the pain and loneliness associated with growing up as an adolescent who regards himself as a throwaway kid. Fierce and independent, young R. D. is a role model for all teenagers who find themselves forced to “grow old” before their time.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kaplan, Orlando, FL

Need by Carrie Jones
Bloomsbury, 2009, 306 pp., $16.99
Horror
ISBN: 978-1-59990-338-5

While Zara White is obsessed with phobias (Phobophobia, Sitophobia, Algophobia, and Nyctohylophobia, to name a few), a Pixie King who is actually her biological father is obsessed with her. Yes, that’s right, pixie. Think pixies are cute, friendly little people? Think again. The pixies around Bangor, Maine, are anything but cuddly. In fact, they are deadly. In order to fill their Need and maintain their power, pixies sometimes have to kidnap and kill teenage boys, unless the Pixie King can manage to lure Zara’s mother back into his pixie kingdom to satiate his Need. And what better pawn than Zara to achieve such a victory?

As if learning her real dad is a Pixie King isn’t bad enough, Zara is also dealing with the death of her stepfather, the reason she finds herself in Maine in the first place. Her mother thought it would do her good to get out of Charleston and be with her stepdad’s mother for a while. All of that seems a good enough plan, except that where there are pixies there are also “weres,” as in were-bears, were-wolves, were-tigers, and even were-eagles. Despite all the pixie dust and glamour and all the incredible were-power, in the end, Zara must save the day, proving once again that no one and nothing can beat the determination of a teenage girl with purpose.

Reviewed by Elaine J. O’Quinn, Boone, NC

The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
Bloomsbury, 2008, 292 pp., $16.99
Faith/Abuse/Friendship
ISBN: 1-59990-249-4

Agnes and Honey have been best friends since birth. Born into Mount Blessing, a religious commune in southwestern Connecticut, they have lived their lives according to the strict teachings of their leader, Emmanuel, totally secluded from the outside world. Now fourteen, Honey thinks only of escape. Agnes, however, has embraced Emmanuel’s teachings and constantly pushes herself to be perfect, to be as devout and pure as the saints she reveres. When Honey is severely punished for her “immoral” behavior and Agnes’s brother, Benny, receives suspect medical treatment from Emmanuel after being seriously injured, Agnes’s grandmother—fearing for their safety—removes all three children from the commune. As they journey toward a new unimaginable life, Honey is hopeful. Agnes is horrified.

Narrated by both Agnes and Honey in alternating chapters, The Patron Saint of Butterflies raises powerful questions of faith, family, and friendship. What does it mean to believe? To tell the truth? To stand up against what you know is wrong? To fight for the people you love? As both Honey and Agnes struggle to answer these questions and come to terms with their experiences both on and off the commune, readers will be touched by the depth of their friendship, their resiliency and courage, and their willingness to grow, accept, and change. A hopeful, well-written novel.

Reviewed by Emily Meixner, Ewing, NJ

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Walker & Company, 2009, 357 pp., $9.99
Coming of Age/Relationships/Sexual Themes
ISBN-10: 0-8027-9822-5

A love story reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet or Ponyboy and Cherry from The Outsiders, Perfect Chemistry tells the story of Alex Fuentes and Brittany Ellis. These teens reside at opposite ends of the social spectrum, and both have their reputations to uphold. Alex is a Latino Blood gang member, and Brittany is a popular cheerleader with a seemingly perfect life. These characters share narration responsibilities as each chapter alternates between Brittany and Alex’s point of view. This strategy reveals some of the characters’ more subtle traits that would otherwise not be evident. In Alex’s chapters, he expresses the desire to sever his gang affiliations in order to succeed in school and life. Conversely, Brittany’s chapters reveal a flawed home life as she struggles to keep her handicapped sister a secret.

As chemistry lab partners, the two appear to loathe one another. Yet, as they become acquainted, they realize that their lives are more similar than they originally anticipated. The plot turns a corner when Alex bets that he can sleep with Brittany, a decision that he lives to regret as his affection for Brittany develops in earnest.

The story ends as a glorified fairy tale, but strives to appeal to the teen mentality by addressing issues such as diversity, acceptance, stereotypes, and peer pressure. This book will interest males and females because of its unique dual narration. However, due to such mature themes as gang life, violence, sex, and drugs, this book may be best for older adolescent readers and adults. Perfect Chemistry is a well-paced book that portrays the evolution of a relationship from the perspective of both participants.

Reviewed by Joellen Maples, Rochester, NY

Sprout by Dale Peck
Bloomsbury, 2009, 279 pp., $16.99
Writing/GLBTQ/Self-Knowledge
ISBN: 978-1-59990-160-2

After the death of his mother, Sprout’s father moved him from their Long Island home to a tiny trailer in rural Kansas. Four years later, Dad is drinking his way into oblivion, hiding behind the vines he’s trained to grow up over the trailer, and making sporadic excursions to collect the root balls of fallen trees, which he displays on his land. Sixteen-year-old Sprout dyes his hair green to give his xenophobic small town classmates a focus for their distrust and to provide a certain amount of misdirection because Sprout has—as he regularly reminds us—a secret. The narrative is framed by Sprout’s preparation for and his participation in the state essay contest, but the meandering narrative details Sprout’s relationship with the eccentric English teacher who grooms him for the contest, a self-dramatizing female friend, and a sequence of two male lovers, both of them as vulnerable and tentative as Sprout, the first because his desire is (often literally) closeted, the latter—who is abused by his survivalist father—because his need for love is so great. Sprout’s narrative voice is archly self-conscious and often quite funny, and he is pointedly aware of his audience. Sprout doesn’t mention that he’s gay until page 69, commenting later that “I waited as long as I could…because once you reveal that, it seems like it’s all anyone can think about.” And whenever he alludes to sexual experiences or profanity (which he does with skillful circumspection), Sprout speculates on the chances that his book will be deemed suitable for high school libraries. A moderately challenging read, this novel is probably “too darned clever” for some readers, but the story is engrossing and descriptions of the action and the setting are full of quirky realistic details that bring these people and places to life.

Reviewed by Fern Kory, Champaign, IL

The White Gates by Bonnie Ramthun
Random House, 2009, 242 pp., $16.99
Mystery/Sports/History
ISBN: 978-0-375-84554-3

Torin Sinclair is new to the city of Snow Park, Colorado. Newly reconnected with his mother, a recently certified doctor, they have decided to take root in this small town where the slopes of Snow Park Mountain are a big draw for tourism. On their first night in their new home, Torin’s mother gets a call that one of the local teenagers, the mayor’s son, has had an accident. The boy has undergone a mysterious loss of blood and within a few days, Brian Slader is dead. The small town of Snow Park starts pointing fingers at Dr. Sinclair and her young son, and Torin becomes a marked man by the students of the local middle school. While escaping the threats and ridicule of the snowboarding team, which Brian was a member of, Torin befriends two outcasts—Raine and Drake. Raine is a fourth generation Ute, whose family has lived in Snow Park for generations. Drake is a Professional Snowboarder’s son, who has been left to find his own way in the small town. Together, the kids set out to solve the mystery of Brain Slader’s death. In doing so, they uncover many deep dark secrets about this small Colorado town.

The White Gates is visually stunning and suspenseful. Ramthun uses clear language to place her readers on the slopes of a snowboarder’s paradise while building tension in this small town mystery. The beautiful setting and crisp historical background gives lovers of mystery and sports fiction everything they want in a novel.

Reviewed by Ray Engle, Dayton, OH