blackbox by Julie Schumacher

The title refers both to the sense that someone suffering from depression is in a black box and also to the boxed warnings on anti-depression drugs. Elena's world changes dramatically when her sister is hospitalized with severe depression. Her parents believe in keeping it a secret. this is a secret that everyone already knows and places Elena in a hard spot. Dora asks Elena to rescue her from her situation which Elena believes means both the depression and the hospital.
The sadness, shame, helplessness sense of responsibility are heavy burdens for Elena to bear. Although Dora is older, Elena has always been the steady one who watched out for her sister. Jimmy, an odd kid who has failed at least one grade reaches out to Elena, befriended her, tried to help her while keeping his own secrets. The climax of the story Elena and Jimmy searching Dora's room after Dora returns home and find a stash of drugs Dora has hidden and discover that Dora is skipping most of her classes. After, Dora tries to commit suicide and Jimmy tells his whole story and Dora perhaps gets the real help she needs. Elena perhaps can begin to set aside concerns for Dora and live her own life but nothing is for certain in this heartbreaking story which is as it should be.
JDW 10/8/08

Lush by Natasha Friend

Friend has two other books Perfect and Bounce that teen girls have discovered for themselves and pass around among friends. Books that teens recommend to each other are the best of the best even if those giving awards don't think so. Finally, I've gotten around to finding out what the attraction to Friend's books is. They're problem novels. This one is about being a teen with an alcoholic parent. But, that's not the attraction to these books, at least I don't think so.

In this book eighth grader Sam is one of a group of four close friends. They do sleep-overs and whisper about unmentionable topics. Sam is a fairly ordinary kid as most kids are. She says 8Th grade boys are jerks (they are) and misses friendships with boys before they became jerks. She locks herself in the bathroom and assesses her looks. She tries a little make-up. She makes herself weird popcorn treats for comfort food. She experiences her first kiss and her first teen party. She makes mistakes, some really bad and apologizes and matures a little. Her father drinks and is in denial at least until four-year-old Luke is hurt by a flying bottle. Sam worries about her parents and Luke and seeks help via letters left in a library book. Who replies and the friendship that develops is really cool. Sam's feelings toward her father and the resolution of this book are very natural. The story has a very real feel to it. Sam is every teen girl, brave, vulnerable, imperfect, very likable. It was a relief for me not to be reading about blond cheerleaders, name brand "everything", mean girls, cliques, current popular teen fare. Yeah I see why kids like Friend. Yes I recommend her books.
JDW 10/8/08

Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Last year I read another book by Laurie Faria Stolarz known as Project 17 (October 2007) and felt she did an excellent job with a continued level of suspense. Blue is for Nightmare, which is the beginning of an older series, is another example of how Stolarz creates an enjoyable mystery.

Stacey, a practicing witch, is a junior at a boarding school with an overall normal life besides terrifying nightmares that cause her to wet the bed. What's worse than the bed wetting, however, is the fact that she keeps having dreams about someone trying to hurt/kill her roommate/best friend Drea. After dream spells fail to provide further insight and a card reading confirms the immenent danger/death of Drea, Stacey fights to save her friend, especially since Stacey had been unable to save another friend years ago. Things become complicated by the fact that Drea keeps getting creepy phone calls from a man and then a package of white lillies (the flower for death) shows up with a threatening message. When another student encounters similar situations, Stacey knows this is no game and the stakes are exteremly high. Will she save her friend in time? Or will she have to live with another failure?

Although I'm not a big wiccan fan, this was an extremely enjoyable novel. Stacey only does spells when absolutely necessary and it added to the novel because the magic wasn't crammed down your throat. There were no bubbling cauldrons or apparitions from the beyond. It was very basic and I liked that. In reality, you could probably take away all of the magic (do premonitions really count as magic?) and still have a great novel. The suspense worked throughout, never being overdone or underdeveloped. Once again Stolarz created the perfect balance. I wouldn't say that the killer was obvious but if you really put the extra thought in it and consider the main suspects, it doesn't come as too big of a surprise. But, then again, even the story says after the fact that, "No one seemed suprised it was *** stalking Drea" (277). Does that detract from the story? Not at all! If you go along for the ride, it's definitely worth the trip.

Blue is for Nightmares is a book worth reading if you like mysteries, suspense, and a little supernatural activity. Even if you're not a big fan of witches and spells, this novel is enjoyable. I know that I look forward to reading the other three books in the series.
MMK

Up High in Trees by kiara brinkman

The unthinkable has happened to Sebby and his family. We learn exactly what through Sebby's letters to his trusted teacher. As Sebby struggles to feel secure once more in his dramatically changed world, his father spirals downward into depression. This easy to read story is heartbreaking yet hopeful. Its a great read for anyone who feels compassion for others and for those who have themselves suffered unthinkable tragedy.
JDW 10/4/08

Boy Heaven by Laura Kasischke

This book, while vague in its synopsis and recommended with such comments as "...an eerie sense of apprehension that the pages keep turning" (SJL) and "...a genuine shock of an ending" (Joyce Carol Oates), turned out to be extremely disappointing. In my opinion, there was very little, if any, suspense.

Kristy and her two friends sneak out from their cheerleading camp and decide to take a trip to a nearby lake that claims to be the deepest in the state. When they stop for gas, they eye a pair of boys gawking at them and Kristy, in her kind nature, smiles at them. Next thing they know, the boys are spotted following them to the lake. After changing their minds and going back to camp, the girls decide to flash the boys as they drive past them. Her one friend (a red-headed Kristi) suddenly stops eating and proclaims that she's seen the guys staring at her and talking through the screen of the cabin. Her other friend (Desiree) claims to have also seen the boys and that they watched her have sex in the woods before left her a threatening note on her cot. Kristy, though, doesn't believe any of this. After sneaking out with Desiree and her boyfriend, they stumble upon the truth about the boys, which is not what you'd expect.

This book had a lot of potential, but fell through on its delivery. The author, a poet, writes too poetically. For me there presence of similes and metaphors became overpowering and overly annoying. To be honest, the description drove me crazy! It really detracted from the story and I found myself skimming a lot of the novel (something I rarely, if EVER do!) The author also included a lot of back information about the narrator as she remembers trips with her parents or some boy's obsession with her or a chapter about the narrator's evaluations of cops and self defense. Those parts had no relevance to the story. They just dragged it out. The suspense was very sporadic and unimpressive. All of the threatening parts happened to people other than the narrator. If it's from her point of view, she should have been the one seeing the boys in the woods, not someone else. If she doesn't believe the other people, how is she going to be scared? If we're supposed to feel threatened as the readers, we're going to pick up on the emotions of the narrator and if she's not scared, how are we supposed to be terrified? That disconnect weakened the affect of the novel. I kept holding out that the "shock of an ending" would redeem the novel, but it did little for me.

This novel was a huge letdown. It wasn't scary and the description slowed everything down. For a novel that had a lot of potential, it was just so disappointing to read it.
MMK

Defect by Will Weaver

"In other words, his defect was a gift," she adds (37). Can a birth defect ever be considered a gift? This novel addresses the struggle of one teen and his acceptance of his extreme defect.

David has a hard time being accepted due to his strange smell and facial abnormalities that cause people to stare. Those faults aren't his real defect, though. David has wings. Under his arms he has extra skin that fans out into wings. After a trick he plays on some bullies where he leads them to believe he jumped off a cliff (in reality he flew off it, but they didn't see), David gets sent to an alternative school where kids who don't fit in go. This, while a hassle at first, turns out to be a good thing when he befriends a girl named Cheetah who suffers seizures. After being spotted soaring the night by two teens soaring, David feels his life fall into chaos. His secret is discovered and he faces the tough decision of whether or not to undergo an "Extreme Makeover" and become normal. In deciding, David meets a young boy who's dying last wish is to see proof of god. Could David, the "injured angel," be the answer? Could his defect actually be a gift?

This novel does a goes a decent job exploring the challenge many people face of accepting themselves. David sees his wings, at times, as a hindrance to his success in the world. He has trouble making friends and fitting in. Come the end, when he's given an easy way out, he's forced to evaluate his place in the world. Did God make him that way on purpose and, if so, what is it? There are slight religious undertones but it is very subtle. One thing teeny tiny detail that I noticed and felt slightly bothered by (because I'm overly curious and looked it up) is that the author called his defect Icthyosis vulgaris, which, when Googled, comes up as : Ichthyosis vulgaris with an extra "h." This disease is basically dry, scaly skin, not wings or extra skin. This just struck me as off because, in my opinion, it made the book lose a bit of credibility. Teens are curious and I'm sure someone else is going to look it up to see a real picture of someone with wings and be horribly disappointed.

This book was a good read. While David has an extreme case of accepting yourself, the undertones of his story are ones that many people can relate to.
MMK

Appetite for Detention by Sloane Tanen

When you think about young adult books, picture books don't often spring to mind. Appetite for Detention, though, is one hilarious picture book that teens will relate to.

Told through photographs of pipe cleaner chicks, this book details the experiences of eight birds trying to fit into high school. There's Helen, who deals with fitting in due to her weight. Then there's Joey struggling with homosexuality and his crush on Tobey who's dating Caitlin, the pink but stuck up bombshell. Marissa, Caitlin's friend, just wants to be poplar and can't stand the fact that Caitlin has all the success. Besides these five birds, there's also Annalise who dreams only of Harvard, Edgar who just wants to survive, and Andrew who wants people to show up for his Bar Mitzvah. Overall, it's just another day in high school for these little birds.

This book is hilarious. The pictures alone are enough for a good laugh. Obviously a quick read, this book should be viewed because if these little fluffy creatures can survive the scary world of high school, so can the rest of us.
MMK

Triskellion - Will Peterson

Triskellion, an ancient celtic symbol of 3 intersecting circles connected by another circle, is also the place where Rachel and Adam's mother is from. They are sent there after their parents divorce to stay with their grandmother. Upon their arrival they notice how strange the people are and the whispers behind their backs. Rachel also is having dreams of two people, a guy and a girl, from a long time ago, and the girl looks a lot like her. Only one man Jacob Honeyman, the local bee keeper, talks to them and tells them about the history of the town. He also talks about the gold Triskellion which is supposed to be hidden in 3 pieces in the town. Rachel and Adam along with Gabriel, the kid who can dissappear at a moments notice, start looking around for the pieces. Adam finds one piece beneth a yew tree in the forest, another piece is in the church, and the third piece is in a tomb which is unearthed by the telvision show Treasure Hunters. What will happen when all three pieces are put together? Whats the connection between the people found in the tomb and Rachels dreams? Why does Gabriel keep dissappearing, is there more to him than meets the eye?

T.B. 9/16/08