Night Road (YA Adventure/Thriller)

 Jenkins, A. (2008). Night Road. New York. Harper Collins.

I was fascinated with vampires during my teen years. Stephen King’s, Salem’s Lot, was probably my favorite book at the time. And I watched as many vampire movies as I could find. I remember some low-budget, probably foreign film, called, Count Yorga-Vampire, as being particularly gory. However, as an adult, my “appetite” for blood has diminished. I am not a fan of Twilight for myself, although I AM a fan in that it has brought so many non-readers back to reading. Night Road is a well-written book, as opposed to Twilight. The vampires don’t call themselves vampires, they are “hemovores.” Protagonist, Cole, is called to Manhattan to deal with an unruly heme, Gordon. If Cole can’t get Gordon to shape up, he’ll be eliminated. It’s a road trip story featuring three male characters. It doesn’t have the big love story of Twilight. This book may appeal more to boys than girls, but anyone who is a fan of the vampire will probably like it.

 

Living Dead Girl (YA Adventure/Thriller)

 Scott, E. (2008). Living Dead Girl. New York. Simon Pulse.

I really like dark books. The Lovely Bones is one of my favorite tales. Another is The Sweet Hereafter, where a school bus full of children drives off the road and into a water- filled gravel pit. I don’t know if it’s because of my past career as a news reporter but exploring the dark side of things doesn’t bother me at all. Taking a story that could have come straight out of the news, like Living Dead Girl, and creating a novel is clever and interesting. Living Dead Girl was fascinating and terrifying. That said, the abduction, imprisonment, and horrible mistreatment of a young girl who becomes a teen in captivity isn’t for everyone. I would not recommend this book for someone under 16 or so. It is the kind of story that can truly scare a sensitive young adult. But it is compelling and well written and, for those who like dark stories, a good read.

 

A Wish After Midnight (Historical Fiction)

 Elliott, Z. (2008). A Wish After MIdnight. Independent Publishing. Createspace.

    A Wish After Midnight is a fantasy of sorts, as it involves traveling back in time, as well as historical fiction. It’s about a 15 year old girl, Genna, who lives in a cramped apartment with her mother and three siblings. Genna, who is mixed race, finds comfort in a botannical gardens and is transported back to Brooklyn, NY, just before the Civil War.

This book deals with racism (Genna’s mother hates whites and Genna doesn’t want to think that way) in both the present and in the 1800’s. This would be a good novel for teenagers in a social studies class, where discussion could be had about the situations faced by Blacks, both then and now. It’s message is that it is possible to create something good from the situation you may be in and, also, that if you look past the exterior, you can see the good in (some) people.

 

Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War II (Historical Fiction)

  Bruchac, J. (2005). Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War II. New York. The Penguin Group.

If you like history, especially war history, this book will interest you. Code Talker is based on the Navajo Marines of World War II. At this point most people have, at least, probably heard of the movie Windtalkers. There are also several non-fiction books on the subject. During WWII, the Navajo language was used to relay radio messages so the enemy couldn’t decipher them.

In the novel Code Talker 16 year old Ned Begay lies about his age, enlists in the Marines, and becomes a Code Talker. From what I know about the subject, I believe this book is historically accurate. I also think it’s incredibly interesting. I think middle school and up  will see how men of other ethnicities played a role in our country’s history. Especially when it comes to war, most movies and novels depict our soldiers as white. I think it’s important for young adults to see that other races and ethnic groups did play a role in our nation’s wars.

 

Black Hole Sun (Sci-Fi)

 Gill, D. (2010). Black Hole Sun. New York. Greenwillow Books.

Black Hole Sun, of course, was the title of a song by Soundgarden back in the 90’s before it was a young adult book. (check it out on youtube!) I have no problem with that. One of my favorite books is She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I think taking words from a song for your title and story idea is kind of clever, as long as the songwriter doesn’t mind! 
Anyway, Black Hole Sun features Durango, a teenager charged with saving the world which, in this case, is Mars. In this dystopian society, Earthlings have flocked to Mars, miners reportedly have a treasure, and cannibals are after them and their children.
This book is entertaining and fast paced. There is plenty of violence, plenty of bad guys, and plenty of action. for readers who like science fiction and dystopian societies, I recommend Black Hole Sun for teenagers, probably 13 and up.

 

The Hunger Games (Sci-Fi)

   Collins, Suzanne. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

The Hunger Games is definitely one of the most popular books out there. Not only for teens but for many adults, as well. When this book first came into our school library, I remember our librarian telling me about it and recommending it for my avid readers. I had not, however, gotten around to reading it until this class. I really liked The Hunger Games. I am a big fan of science fiction. The plot of this book, with youngsters being forced to take part in televised games to the death reminded me of an old movie called The Running Man. It had a similar plot, although adults were the ones who were “running for their lives”, not children. I found The Hunger Games to be an easy read and hard to put down. Those who are not into science fiction or fantasy may not be so fond of it but with the popularity of reality television these days, I think most readers will be able to relate.

 

Ash (Fantasy)

 Lo, M. (2009). Ash. New York. Little, Brown and Company,

   Ash is a fairytale along the lines of Cinderella. In the beginning her mother dies. She later loses her father and becomes the servant of her cruel stepmother and two stepsisters. However, the twist to this story is not that Ash, the protagonist, meets and marries the handsome prince. Instead, she falls in love with a woman.

   The story is written in fairytale style, with an “old world” feel to it. That can have it’s problems for young adult reluctant readers, who may not be comfortable with the old style prose. But, for avid teen readers, this is a terrific re-telling of the Cinderella story. It’s well done and the “girl-girl” love story isn’t shocking at all. In fact, I don’t think most of today’s teens would even bat an eye at it.

 

The Savage (Fantasy)

Almond, D. (2008, McKean, D. Illus.). The Savage. Somerville, MA. Candlewick.

   This is a very dark story, which is right up my alley (one of my favorite books is, The Lovely Bones). When Blue has to deal with this father’s death, he’s advised to write about his feelings. What he comes up with, instead, is a story about a wild boy who lives in the woods and, sometimes, kills and eats people. His life experiences, like being bullied, become incorporated into his story. And reality becomes mixed with fantasy until Blue isn’t sure what is real and what isn’t.  When the bully is beaten one night, Blue believes what he is writing is coming true. Is it or isn’t it? It’s up to the reader to decide.

   The story is compared to a graphic novel by some because of all the pictures but it is more of an illustrated story. The pictures show the savage and his wildness. They capture the intense feelings of this story. Ultimately, it is a story about pain and emotion and how one child deals with it.

   There are some swear words and, of course, violence in The Savage. I would recommend it for readers of sixth grade and up. Very sensitive children may not want to read this book.

 

The Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl (Young Adult Realistic Fiction)

  Lyga, B. (2006). The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl. New York. Houghton Mifflin Company.

   I didn’t really realize it at the time but both of my realistic fiction books feature “outsiders” and goth teens. I didn’t do that on purpose! In fact, as a high school teacher for the last 10 years, I have seen that the whole “goth” look has pretty much disappeared in my school. Anyway, I did find this book to be, again, an interesting, quick read.

   Fan Boy is a comic book nerd in high school with one real friend. He is small and is the frequent target of bullying. He escapes into comic books and has, in fact, written one himself. His dream is to show it to a famous writer and get it published.

   Fan Boy connects with Kyra, Goth Girl, after she takes pictures of him being beaten up in gym class. She has problems of her own and the two of them find a deeper connection than he has had with any girl. Fan Boy eventually gets a chance to live out his dream but finds that things aren’t always what he had hoped.

   This book will appeal to probably most teens. It’s not as odd as “Debbie Harry”. It’s more upbeat because it shows that finding something to focus on, in this case comic books, can help you through anything and can help you set goals.

 

Debbie Harry Sings in French (Young Adult Realistic Fiction)

       Brothers, M. (2008). Debbie Harry Sings in French. New York. Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

   This book was a quick, interesting read.  I don’t think all high school students feel like outsiders but those who do will be able to relate.

   Johnny’s father is dead. His mother is having trouble coping. He starts dressing like an emo (goth) and drinking heavily. Johnny loves 80’s punk type music and falls in love with Debbie Harry. After he almost dies when someone slips him drugs, he is sent to live with his uncle in the South. Johnny discovers he has a penchant for dressing in women’s clothing. His new girlfriend, who has her own problems,  encourages it and, in fact, helps him put together a Debbie Harry outfit to try to win money in a drag show in Atlanta.  

   The story is about accepting and embracing who you are. It is an easy read that will appeal to most teenagers, even if they don’t feel like outsiders.