Review: My Best Friend, Maybe

My Best Friend, Maybe
By Caela Carter
Expected publication June 3, 2014 by Bloomsbury Childrens

Colette tries hard to be perfect, but, honestly, perfect is lonely. In fact, she's been lonely for years, since a falling-out with her best friend Sadie. So, when Sadie asks Colette to go to Greece with her, saying she needs her, how can Coley say no?

Bloomsbury is one of my favorite publisher booths to visit at conferences. The staff is always friendly and knowledgeable about their titles, eager to let me know what they're most excited about and what they think has the biggest potential. This was one the titles they handed to me at the ALA Midwinter conference. With its pub date rapidly approaching, I finally picked it up.

I'm always pleased to see new titles dealing with sexuality, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. From the beginning, I had a hard time relating to Coley. She comes from a very conservative, religious household and she is struggling with trying to be a perfect child under that roof. This was not my own teen experience, though I did struggle with a perfect child complex (though for very different reasons). I'm not trying to suggest that one's personal experience must mirror a character's in order for one to relate to that character. However, there was something about Coley (and, really, all the characters) that felt both disingenuous and simplistic. Throughout my reading of  this book, I had a hard time believing any of the characters and it's hard for me to explain exactly why. It's not that I didn't think there are real teens dealing with the same issues and feeling the same feelings. I think it has more to do with the second word I used to describe them: simplistic. To me, all the characters and, thus, the novel as a whole, lacked the complexity I've come to expect from solidly written YA lit. Everything felt very surface level, even the moments when Coley is struggling to understand her hidden feelings about the plot developments.

My other big issue with this book was the pacing. The blurb gives a clear indication that there is going to be something about sexuality in this book, which, unfortunately, usually only means a character coming out. So, that's what I was expecting. I was probably two-thirds of the way through this book before the issue of sexuality was explored in that way. To be fair to the book, though, there is quite a bit of discussion of heterosexual sexuality, particularly as it relates to one's religious beliefs. Coley is indeed struggling with her sexuality throughout this book, though perhaps not in the way I expected. Additionally, the reason for Coley and Sadie's estrangement is not revealed until extremely late in the book, mostly leading to me being frustrated with the slow reveal of information here. Finally, I felt the ending was too pat and unrealistic. Overall, this book and I just didn't work.

Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.

Review: Say What You Will

Say What You Will
By Cammie McGovern
Expected publication June 3, 2014 by HarperTeen

Amy has cerebral palsy - she walks with a walker, talks through a computer, and needs an aide to help her with tasks like using the bathroom and carrying her books between classes. Her senior year, she decides to hire other students as aides - mostly because of something Matthew said to her. Amy practically begs Matthew to sign up - he is one of the only people she thinks has ever been really honest with her. But Matthew has issues of his own. Will they get in the way of their blossoming friendship?

This book was getting a ton of push from the publisher at ALA Midwinter and I was happy to be handed a copy. I'm always interested in contemporary YA and this sounded like it had a really interesting premise. I suppose I should also note that this book is being marketed as John Green meets Rainbow Rowell (which, nearly every contemporary YA romance is these days) and I think that does this book a huge disservice because, really, it doesn't have much in common with those authors. I have to stop before I get on my soapbox but, if you're getting tired of that marketing plan, you should probably look past it and give this book a shot.

I really, really liked this book. The characters - oh my gosh, I just love them. Amy and Matthew - they feel real and lovely and heartbreaking and complicated and I loved getting to know them. The relationship that develops between them felt genuine and difficult and hopeful. Though this book is told in the third-person, it alternates between Amy and Matthew's point of view. I think it works really well here. I didn't feel any less connected to the characters because of the third-person narration and I loved getting to know each of them equally well. These two characters work really well together; in fact, they seem to be best with each other. Secondary characters seem only to complicate things for them, which, surprisingly, felt very realistic.

One of the things I really liked about this book is that it's about characters with disabilities but it's not exclusively about their disabilities. This is, to me, precisely what the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign is all about. Most frequently, books that feature characters with disabilities focus on the disability - how the character copes with it, how others perceive that character because of it, etc. This book is not like that because, at its heart, this book is a love story. This book shows that people with disabilities are more than just their disabilities, that they have myriad stories to tell and these stories may include their disabilities and they may not. This book shows that teens with disabilities can fall in love and have sex and make bad decisions, just like teens without disabilities. This book just tells a beautiful love story - and I love it for that.

Though it's not really a difficult task to accomplish, this book did indeed get me right in the feels. Any teen looking for an emotionally engaging book experience should definitely give this book a try. I completely loved the ending of this book as well, though I'll fully admit that I rolled my eyes at first (when the big plot twist first appears). I'll definitely be recommending this to teens all summer long.

Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.

Release Day Review: We Are the Goldens

We Are the Goldens
By Dana Reinhardt
Expected publication May 27, 2014 by Wendy Lamb Books

Nell and Layla are so close in are that when they were younger, Nell didn't think of herself as a person separate from her sister. But, they've grown older and further apart. And now,  Nell knows a secret about Layla, one that could change their lives if she tells. So...will she?

It's kind of amazing to me that this is the first book by Reinhardt that I've read - she's been on my radar for a while but I just haven't gotten around to her. When I spotted the galley of this available on Edelweiss, I downloaded it, thinking I'd get to it if I found the time. Well, on a recent weekend of binge reading, I did.

I feel pretty ambivalent about this book and I feel a little bad about that, though I couldn't tell you why. Obviously not every book is for every reader and I think this will have its readers; I just don't appear to be one of them. That's not to say I didn't like the book. As I said, I feel pretty ambivalent about it, but I did finish it in one afternoon, so there must be something there. What I think this book has going for it is the perspective. Choosing to tell the story from Nell's perspective and as a letter to Layla gives the whole story a greater sense of urgency and immediacy than it would have had otherwise. Additionally, the relationship between the sisters leads to an interesting take on the story. I appreciated that, while the story with Layla is clearly the bigger of the two, Nell also had things of her own to figure out throughout the novel's course. She wasn't simply an observer to Layla's actions; she was living her own life. It's also interesting to think about how Nell's choices and missteps may have impacted her reactions to Layla's secret - I think teens will appreciate the nuance of this.

However, for me, the secret wasn't much of a secret. It was obvious very early on what direction the story was going in and, while I was still interested to see how it would play out, I couldn't help thinking "this story has been told better in other books." Maybe that's why I feel badly about my ambivalence - it seems kind of harsh when I put it that way. Frankly, though, it's true. Other than its unique perspective, I'm not sure this book has much going for it that hasn't been done better in other books that deal with the same topic.

Unfortunately, I was mostly underwhelmed with this book. It does have an interesting voice to it, one that I think will drive readers to pick it up. Hopefully they will be more pleased with the results than I was. Thanks to the publisher for a digital advance reader's copy, provided via Edelweiss.

Review: Guy in Real Life

Guy in Real Life
By Steve Brezenoff
Expected publication May 27, 2014 by Balzer + Bray

When they collide on the street at 2:30 a.m., Lesh and Svetlana don't know each other. But they will. Little do they know what's in store for them after their fateful meeting, but they're about to find out.
I downloaded this galley because I like finding new contemporary YA. Sure, fantasy may be the majority of what I read, but I like a good contemporary story, too. Then, some bloggers whose opinions I trust started heaping praise on this title, so I became even more excited to read it.

What I love most about this is the dual narrative structure. I really liked seeing the story develop through both Lesh and Svetlana's eyes (I just have to take a moment and roll my eyes at their names - I'm sorry), though, interestingly, I feel we get to know Lesh much more deeply than Svetlana. Part of that may be due to Lesh's greater willingness to open up - I think it's fair to say that Svetlana is pretty closed off to letting other people in and it seems to translate to the reader as well. Additionally, I think there are more chapters from Lesh's point of view, if we include the chapters of the characters he creates. The book is called GUY in real life, so I imagine it's intentional that this feels more like Lesh's story than Svetlana's. Regardless, I think all the characters in this book felt very authentic and I particularly enjoyed the development of the relationship between Lesh and Svetlana - it felt very much like my own high school days, full of awkwardness and worry.

Here's where I struggle a bit with this book: I loved the premise and I loved the incorporation of gaming and roleplaying into the story. I think it's great that this stuff is becoming more forefront in pop culture (and not just as a scapegoat or humor device). I loved the complexity of Lesh creating a "toon" based on Svetlana and what that might mean for him - why does he like roleplaying as a girl so much more than as a hypermasculine warrior? I love how the whole story feels tense with anticipation for the moment when Lesh's Svvetlana avatar becomes known and impacts his relationship with the real Svetlana. This is all really great stuff - stuff I think teens will easily relate to as well as be able to think and talk about in a meaningful way. But, for me personally, the chapters that take place in Lesh's RPG were tedious and boring. I've never played an RPG - tabletop or online - so I can't exactly speak to authenticity, but they certainly read as very believable to me. Unfortunately, I just didn't like them. There is a reason I've never played an RPG and these chapters highlighted it for me - I was bored reading them. Obviously, your mileage may vary, and they are, of course, invaluable to the plot of the story; I just didn't like reading them.

What I didn't expect is the ending. I would have liked a bit more closure with the story. Yes, it's nice to imagine for myself what might happen next for these characters, but I had a lot of questions when I got to the last sentence that I wish would have been answered.

Ultimately, I think this book will definitely appeal to contemporary YA fans. Thanks to the publisher for a digital advance reader's copy, provided via Edelweiss.

Program: American Girl Club

For our December installment of American Girl Club, we chose to focus on Rebecca. She is the only Jewish character so far, and her story takes place in 1914. We scheduled the program to coincide with Hanukkah, to add an extra layer to our presentation.

As usual with these programs, we began with a presentation about Rebecca and the times she lived in. We talked about World War I, silent movies, vaudeville, and immigration (particularly that of Russian Jews). We taught them about Hanukkah, and what a mitzvah is.

For our craft, we had the girls make dreidels, folded out of cardstock and with a pencil acting as the point to spin upon. After everyone had made their dreidels, we split into groups, passed out gelt and played! The girls loved it! They wanted to keep playing over and over again!

While we played dreidel, we showed the girls a couple of silent movie clips and they were fascinated. I love introducing them to things they hadn't thought of before. Seeing their reactions to the entertainment of the time is quite interesting.

As usual, I prepared a snack for them and this time, I made challah. It was my first ever time making challah from scratch and I was a little intimidated, but the girls raved about it. As a side note, I also made the best ever french toast casserole with the leftovers, so I think the challah was definitely a success.

The girls had a great time learning about Rebecca, and I love seeing what their favorite part of the program is (though, it's usually the food!).

Picture Book Saturday

Bella's Rules

By Elissa Haden Guest, illustrated by Abigail Halpin

Published 2013 by Dial

Bella likes to follow rules - but only the ones she makes herself. However, when a spirited puppy enters her life with its own set of rules, Bella begins to learn the value of the rules of others. I think this is a book that will really appeal to kids - how many of them wish they could make their own rules? I'm not sure if the youngest listeners will get the message at the end of the story, but it's a fun book either way. The illustrations are quite nice as well.

 

Zoe's Room (No Sisters Allowed)

By Bethanie Deeney Murguia

Published 2013 by Arthur A. Levine Books

I really enjoyed Zoe Gets Ready, the first book starring the spunky Zoe. Zoe likes her room the way it is - it's full of places where she has wild adventures. When her parents tell her that her little sister will be moving into her room with her, Zoe is very upset. Her little sister is going to ruin everything - or is she? This is a great book for capturing the relationship between siblings and I think a lot of kids will be able to relate to this. A very cute story.

 

Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom

By John Rocco

Published 2013 by Disney-Hyperion

I loved Rocco's Blackout so I was excited to see a new title from him this year, though, admittedly, I found the title a bit odd. This is kind of a strange book, about a boy who believes his crazy hair gives him wild superpowers, but it's also silly and fun and kids will definitely like that about it. As expected Super Hair-o and his posse of friends discover that they don't need their crazy hair to do super deeds. The illustrations are perfect for this story - over the top and retro style. I'm even more fascinated by Rocco than I was before I read this one.

Review: A Creature of Moonlight

A Creature of Moonlight
By Rebecca Hahn
Published 2014 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Sometimes, a girl runs to the woods, never to be seen again. Now, the woods seem to be moving closer and closer to the castle. Can it somehow be Marni's fault? The king believes so, and he will do everything in his power to save his kingdom, no matter what sacrifice that might require.

I downloaded this galley because, hello, dragons! Quite honestly, the cover is lovely and the comparison to Seraphina caught my eye. Unfortunately, I found this book to be quite a let-down.

Much is made in the blurb of this being the story of a mysterious half-dragon girl and how her dragon father might be coming to claim her, causing all sorts of strange happenings in the woods. She is also the princess and must decide if she should fight for the kingdom that is rightfully hers. That is the story I was geared up to read.

I don't think Marni's story is actually that story. Yes, it has all those pieces - Marni is indeed the princess and, if she wanted, she could make a claim to the throne that her uncle inhabits. But she never really wants to, so this doesn't feel nearly as pressing as the blurb led me to believe. And yes, she is, in fact, half dragon, but whether or not her dragon father actually wants to claim her doesn't become clear until further in the book. I felt like the blurb attempted to create an air of mystery and suspense that the book just completely lacked. Nothing about the story's development felt urgent and I never really questioned what the ultimate outcome would be.

What I can give the book is its writing - but with a caveat. This book is indeed beautifully written - it's clear that Hahn has an enormous skill set at her disposal to craft this lyrical story. The caveat is this: I found it boring. Unlike other books that I find achingly beautifully written (see: everything by Laini Taylor and The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater), I felt like, in this case, that beautiful prose was a distraction from a rather boring story. I don't think we ever got to know Marni in a real way and the promise of dragons was, in my opinion, completely false (he barely reads as a dragon once we finally meet him).

Ultimately, this book just did not work for me. Judging by the other reviews I've seen, I appear to be in the minority on this one, so take that as you will. Thanks to the publisher for a digital advance reader's copy, provided via Edelweiss.