YA Book Impressions

Sometimes I like to get a bunch of YA books from the library with the noble intention of reading them and reviewing them for my blog and the not so noble intention of checking out a bunch of books I can read in a day or two, but I don't have the time or the inclination to do a full review. So here are three YA books I read recently and my brief impressions of them! 



True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet by Lola Douglas
A quick, predictable read about a former child star who goes into hiding an disguises herself as a "normal" teenager after almost dying from an overdose. The journal-entry style of narration was annoying from the beginning because the narrator is annoying, judgmental, and shallow.  I wanted to know more about her healing process and see her get real help for the issues that are uncovered (rape, neglect, etc.) than about what shoes she wore or which actors she used to party with. I also think that this book will not age well, as it's pop-culture references to will be completely out of tune with modern teens in only a few short years. It's saving grace  is the character's growth through the course of the story, which, though predictable, seems sincere. I probably won't bother reading the sequel.

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
I'm a big fan of several of Anderson's other books, but I felt that this one fell a short of her usual.  The main character is too frantic and her single self-inflicted problem isn't even the focus of the story. Instead, the drama and action all revolves around her horrible, unlikeable neighbor's tragedies and how they impact the main character. I felt like Anderson was pulling the punch by giving the story through the main character rather than the tragic neighbor, shielding the reader from having to deal with the awful realities of life too closely. Well written, but not up to the standard I was expecting from this author.

Livvie Owen Lived Here by  Sarah Dooley
I almost couldn't finish this one. From the first-person narration from an autistic girl to the frequent mention of her dead orange cat (I have two orange cats, thanks!) it was too much. I couldn't help but feel like the narration was from a slightly-older  Junie B. Jones rather than a truly autistic girl. I've worked in a variety of special education classrooms and I've known several autistic people and children closely. I applaud the author for taking on such a difficult topic, but it wasn't dealt with in a way that I could relate to. I managed to finish it, but I wasn't glad that I did.

YA Book Review: I'll Get There. It Better be Worth the Trip.

YA Book Review: I'll Get There. It Better be Worth the Trip.
By John Donovan

The story follows Davy, a 13 year old boy who was raised by his grandmother, beginning immediately after her death. My first impression was that it is a very literary, teachable, and relevant to modern teens despite being written over 40 years ago.

The focus of the book is relationships, and how Davy relates to the people in his life--his irresponsible mother, his busy father, his best friend, and most importantly his dog Fred. I knew that Fred was going to die from the moment I realized how important he was to Davy, but I still cried like a baby when it happened.  (And I'm very strictly a cat person.) Davy moves to New York and is thrust into a new school, a new city, and a new way of life. Those themes on their own are resonant and realistically portrayed, but what made this book famous was the fact that it was the first YA book to deal with teen homosexuality.


I haven't read a lot of YA fiction that deals with homosexuality, so I can't rate it against what else is out there, but I was impressed with how natural but non-explicit the relationship was, and how profoundly it affected the main character. His guilt, his confusion, and his friend's reaction to what happened between them are all very poignant.

I enjoyed this book immensely, and I don't think that this book should be only for homosexual teens--there is so much more to it than just a coming-out story, just like there is so much more to a person than his or her sexual orientation. Davy is a complicated character whose hardships a confusion over a first relationship are easy to identify with. The writing is beautiful, and the lessons are worth learning. This has the makings of a classic.

Nanowrimo Update

I hit 8K words last night, which is only a few K behind what I'm supposed to be at right now. I'm surprised at my own ability--I decided to go with the "Sub Fail Files" pseudo-memoir about my two years as a substitute teacher.

I was worried that I wouldn't have anything to write about, but I'm finding that it's not too difficult to stretch my subbing stories into 1500 words each. So I just need about 30 or so stories and I'll make it to 50 K! I know I have at least that many...I subbed in over 50 schools in a two and a half year period. I'm not worrying too hard about getting all my facts and details perfectly. I figure the more I skew the actuals of where I was and who I saw, the better the privacy of the schools and kids will be protected. I changed the names in every case just to be safe.

It helps that I allow myself to comment and reflect on the stories as well. I'm a very opinionated person, and I saw some of the best and worst of the public school system in my city. A lot of it isn't politically correct (I'm writing about my experiences in Special Education right now, which is almost impossible to be politically correct about!) but this nano I'm not worried about making something viable. I have enough on my plate editing my Farion novel and gestating my son. I'm also doing some freelance work.

I was also surprised how easily the details come back to me. One memory reminds me of another, which leads to another and another. I've told these stories to my family and friends often enough that they are still somewhat comforting to put them on the page. I love making new friends because they are a whole new audience to tell stories to, so if I treat my nano like a new friend, I think I can get through it.

So despite a rough start, the prognosis for finishing 50K is good. I just have to stay on top of my daily word count and I'll have nothing to worry about!