I cannot express how much I loved Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. It was so funny and so sad and so hopeful and triumphant all at once...much like life itself. I think a large part of the YA appeal of this book lies not only in the humor but also in the sadness and fear that Junior feels. He's so honest about being scared and nervous about life and that's the way we all feel sometimes but especially so during those teen years. He overcomes these tremendous obstacles and there are always going to be obstacles for him but you know that in the end he's going to be ok, that's he tough and a survivor. Junior actually has a lot of support even though he's bullied on a regular basis. He's got the teacher who tells him he has to get off the reservation, he has his parents and his dad's best friend, Euguene. He has his basketball coach at his new school (Hooray for a good coach) and he even starts to make friends at the new school like his transulucent, semi-girlfriend Penelope. I also really loved his friendship with Rowdy and how even though Rowdy was so furious and hurt at Junior for leaving, he knows that Rowdy still loves him.
Sherman Alexie has great descriptions: Rowdy's avalanche laugh. I love that line. *sigh* I could go on and on about how great this book is. :-)
Frankie Landau-Banks is a great character. I liked her smarts and attitude. I really liked that she knew she was smart and used that to her advantage. I read a book called Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher which all about how girls suffer in their teen years and how often they dumb themselves down either to fit in or impress boys and whatnot so I really appreciated Frankie's intelligence and quick wit. YAY for smart, funny girls. Frankie is fiercly independent. She has support in her older sister, Zada, but seems to reject the support of others like her roommate, Trish.
Both Junior and Frankie put an enormous value on education. They know it's their key to open doors in life. They're both very self and socially-aware. I think they're relatable characters as well.
So, Superbad was SO funny. I have a totally inappropriate crush on Michael Cera plus I <3>Freaks and Geeks!!! I love that we watched it in class...not enough people appreciate that show.) I think that this is a glimpse into the teenage male mind. It's very funny and crude and gross but it also has a lot of heart and is very sweet. It made the anxiety of going away to college and being separated from your best friend funny. I think a lot of people feel the same way Evan and Seth did in the movie. (Total side note but I thought this movie was kind of like Swingers for the teenage guy.)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Support
Ohhh, Rachel Cohn's You Know Where to Find Me was so heartbreakingly sad. You just want to hug Miles and reassure her that life does get better...not that she'd believe you. I think it's very hard to actually hear and believe that things will better, that things won't always be so sad when you're in the very lowest of places and hating everything about yourself. Miles' pain and heartbreak is excruciating. She feels like she's been left completely alone after her cousin's suicide. Laura was like her other half...her beautiful, talented, beloved other half and when she dies Miles is left with what she thinks of as an ugly, fat, stupid, and and unlikable self. I think that part of the pain stems from loving Laura so hard and yet not knowing how sad Laura really was.
Boy Toy by Barry Lyga is definitely not something I would have picked up on my own. It was a very different story since it deals with a 12-year old boy being molested by his teacher. EEEWWWW!!!! He was 12!!!! I think that this might be part of the appeal of the book though...it's a very taboo topic and there's that "Hot for Teacher" vibe. Josh is, self-admittedly, SO screwed-up when we meet him. I just kept thinking "this poor kid" as he feels very alone in all this. He's never really talked to anyone other than his psychiatrist about it. The weight of what he's carrying (the guilt he feels because he thinks HE seduced his teacher) is crushing and it's a wonder he's surviving.
The thing that struck me about both these books was the lack of parental support. Miles is abandoned by her mother and her father for the most part has been absent in her life. Josh's parents don't seem to connect with him at all...they're there but they're not really fully present in his life. This seems to a recurring theme in the teen world today. Where have all the parents gone? Also, what is up with all these evil coaches? The football coach in Freak Show obviously did not say anything to the guys on the team after they almost killed Billy and the coach in Boy Toy is also a total jerk. I wonder where the evil, a$&^%#@ coach stereotype comes from.
Both characters though have these silently supportive best friends. Jamal is there for Miles (even when she doesn't see it) and Zik is always there for Josh. There's a lot to be said for the friend who is just there for you no matter what even when there's no conversation.
I tried to watch Family Guy (Stewie and his football shaped head kind of creep me out) and I think the appeal is in that "I can't believe he just said that. That is so wrong" humor. It has the same kind of "shock" off-color, irreverent humor that South Park does.
Boy Toy by Barry Lyga is definitely not something I would have picked up on my own. It was a very different story since it deals with a 12-year old boy being molested by his teacher. EEEWWWW!!!! He was 12!!!! I think that this might be part of the appeal of the book though...it's a very taboo topic and there's that "Hot for Teacher" vibe. Josh is, self-admittedly, SO screwed-up when we meet him. I just kept thinking "this poor kid" as he feels very alone in all this. He's never really talked to anyone other than his psychiatrist about it. The weight of what he's carrying (the guilt he feels because he thinks HE seduced his teacher) is crushing and it's a wonder he's surviving.
The thing that struck me about both these books was the lack of parental support. Miles is abandoned by her mother and her father for the most part has been absent in her life. Josh's parents don't seem to connect with him at all...they're there but they're not really fully present in his life. This seems to a recurring theme in the teen world today. Where have all the parents gone? Also, what is up with all these evil coaches? The football coach in Freak Show obviously did not say anything to the guys on the team after they almost killed Billy and the coach in Boy Toy is also a total jerk. I wonder where the evil, a$&^%#@ coach stereotype comes from.
Both characters though have these silently supportive best friends. Jamal is there for Miles (even when she doesn't see it) and Zik is always there for Josh. There's a lot to be said for the friend who is just there for you no matter what even when there's no conversation.
I tried to watch Family Guy (Stewie and his football shaped head kind of creep me out) and I think the appeal is in that "I can't believe he just said that. That is so wrong" humor. It has the same kind of "shock" off-color, irreverent humor that South Park does.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Freak Show & Positive Identities
I am still waiting for Alter Egos and Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens to come in at the library. I was able to get a copy of Freak Show by James St. James.
I loved this book and there is no other way to describe the main character, Billy Bloom, other than fierce and fabulous. Billy, a teen drag-queen, has everything stacked against him: a new school, no support from his mother and seemingly little support from his father, no support at his new school. But Billy triumphs and is so amazing because of that. He stands up for himself, he fights against the hate mongering and visciousness, and never apologizes for who he is. He's a very admirable character. He embraces who he is wholeheartedly and celebrates it.
I was cringing in the beginning of the book because I just knew something terrible was going to happen to Billy. It makes me sick the way school reacted to the coma-inducing beating that Billy's fellow students put on him. It's sickening to think that nothing would happen to these kids...there were no consequences or punishments. I don't think that a "zero tolerance for hate policy" means anything if there are no consequences for those who commit hate crimes. The school really angered me. Unfortunately, I think this happens in a lot of school. Homosexuality seems to make people so uncomfortable. It's so irritatingly stupid on their part. There are stronger words for it but I can't find them right now.
I love the message of this book. No matter what ugliness and hate others hurl your way, you can't be afraid to be who you are because we're all "freaks" in someway. "Accept the Universal Freak Show is us all." Amen to that, Billy Bloom.
Superheroes and the supernatural seem to be everywhere in mainstream popularity today. There are countless books--vampires in particular seem to be at the height of popularity--graphic novels, movies, and TV shows involving superheroes or the supernatural.
I think part of the appeal of the superhero/supernatural are the awesome powers that accompany come with "super" status. It gives a strength that most others don't have which makes the person special and unique. This is a very important part of being a teenager...finding one's own unique identity. It's a confusing time. You want to be unique and different than the mainstream crowd and yet there's still a desire not to be too different, not to stand out too much. Superheroes seem to go through the same thing. The powers they have are thrilling and set them apart from everyone else. But there's also a feeling of isolation and lonliness which seem to go hand-in-hand with being a teenager. There are a lot of times where you feel lonely and isolated from the crowd and even friends. The superhero, much a like a teen, doesn't feel like he/she fits in with everyone else.
After reading Freak Show, I wished I had know Billy Bloom in real life. We could all benefit from his self-belief and pride. Here's to accepting the universal freak show.
I loved this book and there is no other way to describe the main character, Billy Bloom, other than fierce and fabulous. Billy, a teen drag-queen, has everything stacked against him: a new school, no support from his mother and seemingly little support from his father, no support at his new school. But Billy triumphs and is so amazing because of that. He stands up for himself, he fights against the hate mongering and visciousness, and never apologizes for who he is. He's a very admirable character. He embraces who he is wholeheartedly and celebrates it.
I was cringing in the beginning of the book because I just knew something terrible was going to happen to Billy. It makes me sick the way school reacted to the coma-inducing beating that Billy's fellow students put on him. It's sickening to think that nothing would happen to these kids...there were no consequences or punishments. I don't think that a "zero tolerance for hate policy" means anything if there are no consequences for those who commit hate crimes. The school really angered me. Unfortunately, I think this happens in a lot of school. Homosexuality seems to make people so uncomfortable. It's so irritatingly stupid on their part. There are stronger words for it but I can't find them right now.
I love the message of this book. No matter what ugliness and hate others hurl your way, you can't be afraid to be who you are because we're all "freaks" in someway. "Accept the Universal Freak Show is us all." Amen to that, Billy Bloom.
Superheroes and the supernatural seem to be everywhere in mainstream popularity today. There are countless books--vampires in particular seem to be at the height of popularity--graphic novels, movies, and TV shows involving superheroes or the supernatural.
I think part of the appeal of the superhero/supernatural are the awesome powers that accompany come with "super" status. It gives a strength that most others don't have which makes the person special and unique. This is a very important part of being a teenager...finding one's own unique identity. It's a confusing time. You want to be unique and different than the mainstream crowd and yet there's still a desire not to be too different, not to stand out too much. Superheroes seem to go through the same thing. The powers they have are thrilling and set them apart from everyone else. But there's also a feeling of isolation and lonliness which seem to go hand-in-hand with being a teenager. There are a lot of times where you feel lonely and isolated from the crowd and even friends. The superhero, much a like a teen, doesn't feel like he/she fits in with everyone else.
After reading Freak Show, I wished I had know Billy Bloom in real life. We could all benefit from his self-belief and pride. Here's to accepting the universal freak show.
Audrey, Wait! & Twilight
My first blog post EVER!!
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway was a cute read even though I couldn't particularly relate to Audrey. The language (conversations, IMs, text messages) all seemed very real. I think the topic of fame is an interesting one. It seems that with all the various reality shows, social networking sites, and YouTube that almost everyone wants to be famous and that fame is something to strive for even if you have to embarrass yourself. This book shows the fun perks of being famous--backstage passes and parties--and the flipside of not being able to do anything normal like go on a first date or go to the record store.
As far as developmental assets go, Audrey seems like a very realistic and strong character. Her family was very supportive of her and wanted her to be strong and handle the events occuring in a responsible and mature manner. Audrey also seems to have high self-esteem. She also exhibits "peaceful conflict resolution."
Anyway, on to Twilight. Oh Twilight! I have mixed feelings about this book: on one hand the main character Bella seems underdeveloped in some ways...she doesn't seem to have many friends or really want to make any friends and she wants to give up EVERYTHING for ol' Edward but I think my main issue with this is the writing. I think it's rather sloppy and weak but for this class that's neither here nor there. So, on the other hand the book is highly entertaining. It is over-the-top romantic. It's the ultimate teen crush/romance. I think it captures that first intense crush where you just think the guy is SO beautiful and perfect and this is so much better than real life because he is crushing right back on her. And even though I think Bella could be a stronger female character in some ways, there are things that I really appreciated about her. The scene in biology class where she's able to identify all the samples under the microscope...I liked that she didn't play dumb for Edward. I like that she reads too. I also think that she's a relatable character for a lot of teen girls: she's shy, she feels insecure and like she doesn't quite fit in.
As for my reading habits, I read a lot of fiction and quite a few YA novels but I'm all over the place with books. Recently, I've read a lot of war memoirs. I follow a lot of recommendations too. I recently read the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz which is like a vampire version of Gossip Girl.
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway was a cute read even though I couldn't particularly relate to Audrey. The language (conversations, IMs, text messages) all seemed very real. I think the topic of fame is an interesting one. It seems that with all the various reality shows, social networking sites, and YouTube that almost everyone wants to be famous and that fame is something to strive for even if you have to embarrass yourself. This book shows the fun perks of being famous--backstage passes and parties--and the flipside of not being able to do anything normal like go on a first date or go to the record store.
As far as developmental assets go, Audrey seems like a very realistic and strong character. Her family was very supportive of her and wanted her to be strong and handle the events occuring in a responsible and mature manner. Audrey also seems to have high self-esteem. She also exhibits "peaceful conflict resolution."
Anyway, on to Twilight. Oh Twilight! I have mixed feelings about this book: on one hand the main character Bella seems underdeveloped in some ways...she doesn't seem to have many friends or really want to make any friends and she wants to give up EVERYTHING for ol' Edward but I think my main issue with this is the writing. I think it's rather sloppy and weak but for this class that's neither here nor there. So, on the other hand the book is highly entertaining. It is over-the-top romantic. It's the ultimate teen crush/romance. I think it captures that first intense crush where you just think the guy is SO beautiful and perfect and this is so much better than real life because he is crushing right back on her. And even though I think Bella could be a stronger female character in some ways, there are things that I really appreciated about her. The scene in biology class where she's able to identify all the samples under the microscope...I liked that she didn't play dumb for Edward. I like that she reads too. I also think that she's a relatable character for a lot of teen girls: she's shy, she feels insecure and like she doesn't quite fit in.
As for my reading habits, I read a lot of fiction and quite a few YA novels but I'm all over the place with books. Recently, I've read a lot of war memoirs. I follow a lot of recommendations too. I recently read the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz which is like a vampire version of Gossip Girl.
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