ALAN’s Picks is a monthly book review column that is compiled and edited by Dr. Pam Cole of Kennesaw State University. Be sure to check the site often to see a preview of the latest titles in YA Lit.
Reviewed this month:
Efrain’s Secret by Sofia Quintero
Faithful by Janet Fox
Fat Vampire by Adam Rex
Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Neilson
Good Behavior: A Memoir by Nathan Henry
It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
The Queen’s Daughter by Susan Coventry
Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman
Nobel Genes by Rune Michaels
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood, with the Duchess of Northumberland
Sleepless by Cyn Balog
You Are Not Here by Samantha Shutz
Efrain’s Secret by Sofia Quintero
Knopf/Random House, 2010, 265 pp., $16.99
Relationships/Social Issues/Education/Urban Life
ISBN: 978-0-375-84706-6
Bronx native Efrain Rodriguez has his sights set on Harvard, but despite his high GPA, he needs to achieve a higher SAT score to stand a chance of admission. However, finding the money to pay for an SAT prep class and money to help support his family—let alone cover the expenses of attending Harvard—prove challenging. Efrain is frustrated by his perception that equally bright, but more privileged, honors students do not have to choose between achieving their college dreams and satisfying basic needs. With divided loyalties between his best friends Chingy, a fellow honors student; and Nestor, a streetwise drug dealer, Efrain starts selling drugs in Bronx’s Hunts Point to earn money to fulfill his ambitions. His secret becomes more difficult to keep as he embarks on a relationship with Candace, a recent arrival from New Orleans whose experiences during Hurricane Katrina have sharpened her political consciousness and who challenges Efrain with a different perspective on his Ivy League ambitions.
Filled with multidimensional characters and politically engaged debates on multicultural identity, Efrain’s Secret offers a searing portrait of the price of education—the social, emotional, and financial costs—in the ambitious American dreams of bright, but underprivileged youth. The novel’s almost effortless code-blending of literary prose and urban vernacular mirrors Efrain’s complicated self-concept as he struggles to disrupt any stereotypes by which others might attempt to define him and forge a unique identity that honors his heritage, his family, and his considerable intellect. Quintero has created a striking and highly relatable protagonist whose story demands to be told—and one hopes may continue in future volumes.
Reviewed by Sean Kottke, Lansing, MI
Faithful by Janet Fox
Speak/Penguin, 2010, 319 pp., $8.99
Relationships/Mystery/Yellowstone/First Wave Feminism
ISBN: 978-0-14-241413-2
As Maggie Bennet prepares for her debut into Newport’s society, she wants to wear elegant dresses, attract the attention of Edward, and win the approval of Mrs. Wolcott. Mrs. Wolcott sneers at Maggie because Maggie’s bohemian mother was last seen along the dangerous Cliff Walk, and her father has suffered a reversal of fortune. But Maggie, who yearns for a life of propriety and normality, must first travel west to Montana with her father. The Pinkertons, hired by Charlie Bennet, find a lead on her mother.
Montana and Yellowstone’s grandeur and the freedom of this sparsely settled area open up more secrets than Maggie knew were hidden. The raw elements help her connect with the spirit of her mother, and meeting young people who are not leading conventional lives helps Maggie decide that she wants “a future of [her own] design.” From the contrast of the strait-laced proper society to the hellish landscapes of Yellowstone’s geysers and from the wasp-waisted Kitty in Newport to the long-braided Kula in Montana, Janet Fox delineates the spectrum from which girls in 1904 had to choose as they forged their identities. Fox’s story gives today’s readers a broad definition of what it means to be a woman.
Fox has created a fascinating story line and beautiful scenic descriptions and characters that add to Maggie’s understanding that people are multi-dimensional. The mystery surrounding Maggie’s mother and a fresh love story keep the reader interested. The book has a sophisticated tone and theme and is action packed.
Reviewed by Lottie Waggoner, Bloomington, IN
Fat Vampire by Adam Rex
Balzar & Bray, 2010, 324 pp., $16.99
Vampires/Humor/Fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-06-192090-5
Doug Lee is an average comic book geek until an acquaintance accidentally turns him into a vampire, and he finds himself facing eternity as a fat fifteen year old. Doug haphazardly makes his way in his new identity as a creature of the night; for example, when his best friend, Jay, tries to help Doug find food (at the San Diego Zoo), the two manage to be caught on tape. A cable-access vampire hunting show features the footage, and finding Doug becomes the show’s focus. Doug is “rescued” by a band of local vampires who try to teach him how to be a better predator. The results are, at best, mixed.
Edward Cullen, Doug Lee is not. Comic book fandom/geek culture references are thick. While many fans of the Twilight series might be turned off by Doug, the book is a fun romp through the prospect of immortal teenage angst. At times both amusing and melancholy, Fat Vampire is a solid comic alternative to other vampire narratives on the market. Readers also wishing for a romantic twist (as well as a thought-provoking ending) won’t be disappointed.
Reviewed by Adrienne Kisner, Boston, MA
Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Neilson
Scholastic, 2010, 296 pp., $17.99
Fantasy/Mermaids
ISBN: 978-0-545-09734-5
Adrienne and her little sister Cecily live on Windwaithe Island. Legend claims that over one hundred years ago, a lady vanished from the shores of the island. Some say she drowned; others say she was taken into the sea by a mermaid. Adrienne has always believed the legend to be mere fiction, until the day the mermaid calls to her sister, and Adrienne is forced to rescue her. Adrienne has struggled to provide for their family since their father was killed and is now faced with a choice: the Sea Queen offers her riches beyond her imagination if she marries the Prince, or she can stay on land and continue to struggle.
This story is a fast-paced fantasy that gives readers a wonderfully unique perspective of live under the sea. Adrienne is faced with a difficult choice, but she weighs her options and chooses with her heart.
Reviewed by Jennifer Dixon, Woodstock, GA
Good Behavior: A Memoir by Nathan Henry
Bloomsbury, 2010, 262 pp., $17.99
Biography/Prisoners/Criminals/Juvenile Delinquents
ISBN: 978-1-59990-471-9
The most revealing comment one can make about this book is that it is true, and that Nathan Henry lived to tell about his life is even more amazing. Nathan Henry was no ordinary teen—and today he stands as a remarkable testament to mind over matter. Nathan was raised in a small, rural Indiana town by an abusive father, and his tragic, yet redemptive tale, is told in alternating chapters between his violent childhood and his sixteenth year when he find himself in the Paradise County Illinois Jail, locked up for armed robbery. We learn of his father’s obsession with guns; Nathan’s destructive behavior—including killing animals as a kid—and of his frequent youthful paranoid fantasies about death and dying. In jail, though, Henry spends his time reading and questioning his life’s choices, leading to an unexpected, yet life-changing early release for good behavior.
Explicit is the best word to describe this hard-hitting book that picks up where acclaimed author Jack Gantos left off. Both authors speak of a life of bad luck, self-destructive behavior and whole-hearted redemption. Most appropriate for older teens, this book’s frankness by its first time author brings a new sense of understanding of what it means to live with “demons inside one’s head.” Incarcerated youth and troubled souls will best appreciate reading how Nathan Henry’s life of crime and despair led him to a quiet place where he could feel the reawakening of his inner self. This portrait is not for the faint of heart as the language is frank, the images, raw and the honesty, vivid.
Reviewed by Jeffrey Kaplan, Orlando, FL
It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
Simon & Schuster, 2010, 278 pp., $16.99
Relationship/Summer Love/Coming of Age
ISBN: 978-1-4169-9555-5
Summer means only one thing to Belly: time at Cousins Beach with her first love, Conrad, and his brother—her best friend—Jeremiah. But this summer she has turned sixteen and dreads the start of July. Following the untimely and painful death of a family friend, Susannah, all Belly has ever known has irrevocably changed. She and Conrad have broken up; her own mother is distant in her grief over the loss of a lifelong friend, and now there is the threat of losing the summer house forever. When Conrad mysteriously disappears from college, Jeremiah risks sharing his true feelings for Belly as he asks her help to save the house.
Fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty will fall comfortably into the rhythm of Belly’s point of view as she navigates the losses in her life in this sequel. A carefully constructed back story fills in the missing pieces without too much explanation. Every few chapters, the point of view switches to Jeremiah, allowing the reader to discover Jeremiah’s true feelings for Belly and understand the risk he is taking by confronting his brother Conrad about both the house and his treatment of Belly. The ending suggests yet a third novel as the reader gets a glimpse of a future chapter on the last page that hints at a continuation of Belly’s quest to understand where her heart truly lies.
Reviewed by Laurie Thurston, Portland, OR
The Queen’s Daughter by Susan Coventry
Henry Holt, 2010, 371 pp., $16.99
England/12th Century/Historical Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8992-9
Joan is the daughter of Queen Eleanor of Aquitatine and King Henry II of England. The Queen’s Daughter follows Joan from a childhood shaped by the political aspirations and intrigues of her family, to her young adulthood where she is unhappily wed to the king of Sicily, and later more joyfully so to Raymond VI of Toulouse. The story focuses on Joan’s difficulty navigating the rocky terrain of her parents’ strained relationship and follows her growth from girl-princess to powerful queen.
The Queen’s Daughter is a good book for readers who do not necessarily enjoy historical fiction. Joan is a strong, likeable character, whose actual life provides enough drama for several novels. Joan’s tumultuous family life (including her divided loyalties among her mother, father, and brothers) is portrayed with realistic tension and candor. Though occasionally confusing with many names and settings, the story nonetheless moves quickly through the years of Joan’s life, and the action carries the historical narrative. At times bawdy, the story of Joan’s love life intertwines nicely with other characters’ plays at power. Susan Coventry offers a solid addition to historical fiction about early European history.
Reviewed by Adrienne Kisner, Boston, MA
Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman
Scholastic, 2010, 278 pp., $17.99
Family Loss/ Friendship/Social Issues/Love
ISBN: 978-0-545-15144-3
Dani, a Jewish teenage girl in Argentina, and her family face a heavy loss when a car bomber attacks the building her aunt and unborn cousin are in. The war caused Dani’s Papa to lose his clothing business, and her mother must work longer hours. The only joy in Dani’s life is her boyfriend, Roberto. Unfortunately, life has gotten so bad for Roberto’s family that they decide to emigrate from Argentina to America. Dani has also lost her best friend, Gaby, whose family immigrated to Israel. As time passes, Papa gets more depressed and withdraws from the family. Finally, after getting caught in a demonstration and getting injured trying to get home, Dani’s Mama convinces Papa to leave for America.
Living in America creates more frustration for Dani as she is not sure how to fit in, has difficulty in school, and gets teased by other teens. However, strength, hope and love guide her as she makes some good friends, loses her old boyfriend and gains a new one, and convinces her father to make an effort to become an active member of the family again.
Littman hits upon a topic that is very common in today’s America: how drastically life can change for those who relocate to a new country, especially under less than pleasant circumstances. Littman reminds readers that we never know what we have in common with others, regardless of our heritage.
Reviewed by Priscilla A. Boerger, Boca Raton, FL
Nobel Genes by Rune Michaels
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2010, 181 pp., $16.99
Relationships/Family Conflict/Geneaology
ISBN: 978-1-4169-1259-0
Believing his emotionally unstable mother’s story that he was conceived with a donation from the mythical Nobel Prize Sperm Bank, the novel’s unnamed narrator is determined to learn his biological father’s identity. He takes on odd jobs to earn enough money for a DNA test that will help him determine his lineage and suggest where his natural gifts might lie, having thus far shown only average aptitude in many of the fields for which the Nobel Prize recognizes eminence. However, after he learns that the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank is only an urban legend, his entire sense of self is shaken to the core. Will he discover the truth about who his father is before his mother’s increasingly erratic behavior leads to tragedy?
In spare, subtle prose, Rune Michaels has crafted an effective psychological mystery about family and personal identity. The novel addresses grand philosophical issues such as nature versus nurture and the power of dreams in the engaging, emotionally authentic voice of a young man struggling to establish an individual identity under extraordinary circumstances. The depiction of his mother’s mental illness and the final revelation of the narrator’s parentage may prove too disturbing for younger readers, although more mature readers will likely find the novel’s emotional depth under deceptively simple language thought-provoking and worthy of intense conversation.
Reviewed by Sean Kottke, Lansing, MI
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood, with the Duchess of Northumberland
Balzer & Bray, 2010, 278 pp., $16.99
Human-plant Relationships/Poisons/Supernatural
ISBN: 978-0-06-180236-2
Sixteen-year-old Jessamine has lived a secluded existence with her father, Thomas Luxton, ever since her mother’s death when Jessamine was four. Thomas’ intense interest in the scientific uses for plants allows little time or companionship with his daughter. Jessamine’s life consists of her chores and the care of her father. When Weed, a mysterious young man with a perplexing past, is literally deposited at their doorstep, Jessamine’s life rapidly begins to change. Weed’s unusual affinity with nature fascinates Jessamine as she starts to see possibilities for herself beyond an isolated life as her father’s daughter. Thomas Luxton, consumed by his desire to unlock the secrets of the plants in his poison garden, is transfixed by Weed’s ability to communicate with growing things. Jessamine, ever beguiled by the fruits of the forbidden garden, becomes the pivotal point to her father’s manipulation as he uses her to trick Weed into gaining information about the dangerous plants.
Told in alternating narrative and journal entries, The Poison Diaries mesmerizes the reader as Jessamine and Weed’s world is revealed. Beginning with a seemingly innocuous scene in which Jessamine is working with the berries of the Belladonna plant, Wood gradually exposes the poison within Jessamine’s life. Reminiscent of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” the story provides an interesting twist that takes the reader into the realm of fantasy and adds layers of mystery and intrigue as readers attempt to unravel the truth and separate love from ambition. This is a good read for young adults seeking a disturbingly dark tale.
Reviewed by Susan M. Landt, Green Bay, WI
Sleepless by Cyn Balog
Delacorte/Random House, 2010, 215 pp., $16.99
Fiction/Fantasy/Friendship/Romance/Death
ISBN: 978-0-385-73848-4
Cyn Balog’s Sleepless shows us that there may just be some kind of life after death. In her novel, Balog introduces the reader to the Sandmen, whose sole duty is to ensure that their charges sleep well during the night—just like the fairy tale. However, the story gets more complicated when the Sandmens’ emotions get involved. Julia, one of the novel’s main characters, is a teenager who just suffered the loss of her boyfriend, Griffin. What she does not know is that Griffin is not totally gone—he has become a Sandman.
Griffin is being trained by Eron, a male who has been a Sandman ever since he died one hundred years perviously. As soon as Griffin becomes competent at his duties, which ironically include being in charge of Julia, Eron is able to become human again, and take care of what he feels is his “unfinished business.” The constant struggle of Julia trying to accept Griffin’s death and understand who Eron actually is and the emotional jealousy between Griffin and Eron will engage readers throughout the entire novel.
This novel is a great read for young adolescents. The concepts remind us of our youth (the idea of a Sandman actually helping us sleep peacefully), but they connect us to our teenage years as well (e.g., the idea of romance, commitment, and love). Readers can appreciate Julia’s curiosity about Eron—who he is and how he seems to know her so well—and her feelings of romantic interest toward him, despite the fact that she just tragically lost her boyfriend.
Reviewed by Jane Monnat, Baldwinsville, NY
You Are Not Here by Samantha Shutz
Push/Scholastic, 2010, 304 pp., $16.99
Social Situations/Death/Emotions
ISBN: 978-0-545-16911-0
Annaleah is head over heels for Brian, a boy only a handful of her friends know and her parents do not. He is elusive and sweet, and he does not seem to have told anybody about her either. When Annaleah receives a phone call from her best friend that Brian has died of a rare condition while playing basketball, how will she cope with the loss? When only a few people know she lost her virginity to the boy who just died, how will she grieve appropriately?
This touching, poetic novel takes readers into the mind of Annaleah as she grapples with the death of Brian. Readers see her repeated trips to his grave and refusals to go out with friends. Readers see her mother and best friend try to get through and watch her spiral into depression, but readers also see hope as Annaleah pulls herself out of the depths and admits the truth about her relationship with a boy who shoved her out the back door when his father got home. It is the truth that readers celebrate as Annaleah finally allows herself to breathe.
Reviewed by Cynthia Mitchell, Satellite Beach, FL
