Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I picked up Twilight to see what all the hype was about. This is a novel that rarely seems to be on the shelf, even when multiple copies are owned. I thought reading it would tell me why it's so popular, but I'm left without much of an answer.

The story revolves around Bella who moved to the small town of Forks, Washington to live with her slightly estranged father. On her first day of school she spots a table of five angelically beautiful teens, only to find out that they're all related with mystery surrounding them. One teen, Edward Cullen, catches Bella's eye, but he acts rudely towards her, almost as if she's poison. A few days later, though, he's the nicest person and a friendship soon develops. The two quickly fall in love but the mystery of Edward and his siblings deepens when a family friend lets it slip to Bella that his people believes the Cullens to be vampires. Bella suddenly has an explanation for all of her questions and Edward is forced to reveal the truth about his family and the risk it poses for Bella. She, surprisingly, doesn't fear him, but when three new vampires come to town and take an interest in Bella, suddenly everyone she knows is in danger.

The novel was entertaining and held my attention, but just not enough for me to want to recommend it to everyone I know. Maybe my expectations were too high or the vampire/human love story isn't that exciting after watching the short-lived TV show Moonlight. Whatever the case, something in Twilight was missing for me. One thing that did bother me, though, was how easily Bella accepted Edward as a vampire. Not even that, but how willing she was to consider possibly spending eternity with him if she were turned into a vampire. She is just so sickeningly in love with him. Doesn't she realize that teens fall in and out of love at the snap of a finger? Their romance was just too easy for me, if love with a vampire can ever be considered easy.

Twilight, soon to be in a theater near you, was a good book. It just wasn't mind-blowing like its popularity led me to expect.
MMK

Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance

This novel, while it won't give you nightmare, might give you a few chills. The premise is that five aspiring writers enter into a contest to be published but have to survive the night in a haunted mansion in order to win. Horror writer Ian Tremblin created the contest for his fans and joins them in Daemon Hall, an infamous haunted house. Among the contestants is the narrator, Wade Reilly, who suffers from panic attacks and fears going crazy. Soon the five contestants arrive at Daemon Hall and have to recite the story that they submitted for the contest. After the last story is read, though, strange things start happening in the house, mostly the contestants disappearing and the house locking them in. Amidst this chaos, Ian Tremblin insists that the contestants continue telling stories, believing that the house will let them go once all stories are told. Pretty soon it's a real horror version of Ten Little Indians.

This is an interesting way of doing a scary story anthology. It's a series of stories within a story - the final short story of the evening being the one the characters are living. It took a while for the main story to get eerie and once it does it's not too terrible. The stories, big and small, are not the original, but, then again, no story is entirely new. The stories ranged from vampires to psychotic serial killers to mutant spiders, supernatural televisions and possessed artifacts. The first story even sets the tone for the mysterious Daemon Hall. As for the Ten Little Indians premise, it was obvious who the "survivor" would be since the story was first person and and, in Ian Tremblin's morbid version, "The last finalist, almost had it won. Poor thing went insane and then there were none" (11). I would have liked, though, a little more of the mysterious Daemon Hall. Certain mysteries were presented, such as the matron of the household, but never explained. But, then again, maybe the creepiness of the story is not knowing.

In terms of chilling you to the bone, this novel isn't the best. It does provide a few eerie moments, but not enough to give sleepless nights. I do, though, think it could make for an interesting movie. The book created some startling visual scenes but some were confusing to visualize. A movie version might step up the creep factor.
MMK

an abundance of katherines by john green

This book was recommended to me since I loved Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie. However, I didn't find it half as enjoyable.

The premise of the novel is that Colin - a prodigy of languages and anagrams - just got dumped by Katherine 19 - as in the nineteenth Katherine that he's dated. He's devastated and ends up on a road trip with his best friend Hassan. Soon they end up in a small town named Gutshot, hired by a woman named Hollis to interview everyone in town for an oral history. Hollis' daughter Lindsey is recruited to show the boys around, quickly becoming their friend. In the time that Colin isn't interviewing people, he's developing a theorem to explain why he's been dumped nineteen times by women named Katherine. Soon, with numbers and graphs, he's on his way to being considered a genius.

Overall, the novel wasn't terrible. It had a relatively average plot - boy with broken heart seeks solace in a small town where he throws himself in work only to meet a new girl and live happily ever after once he forgets his old flame. For me, though, the main character got in the way of it being an enjoyable book. Colin is a unique character, but, at the same time, he's too unique. What I enjoyed about Sleeping Freshmen was how realistic the main character was. I could relate to him. I can't relate to Colin because I've never been a prodigy nor have I ever met one. Also, for being an almost genius, he's pretty stupid to keep dating Katherines when he had yet to find success without them. Isn't the joke or definition of an idiot someone who does the same thing over and over again expecting different results? Colin just seemed stupid to me - book smart, but worldly dumb. What was interesting about this book, though, was that the author included footnotes with bits of information pertaining to items presented in the story. Some were interesting, some were funny, but after a while they felt like most footnotes - something to be overlooked. This novel also includes an appendix. The need for an appendix is to explain Colin's theory (another point I found tedious). Luckily the author's note mentioned the appendix was optional reading because I wasn't interested in the mathematical explanation. I skimmed a bit and it looked like it might be enjoyable, but I didn't feel like math when I was reading literature. To me the two don't/shouldn't mix.

This book wasn't terrible. Like I said, it had a decent plot. I think my disappointment comes from thinking that it'd be like Sleeping Freshmen - it's not. Both main characters are quirky, but one just came off as more realistic. For another review see April 07.
MMK

Sleeping freshmen never lie by David Lubar

Being a freshman (or fresh meat as I remember from my days in high school) is never easy. Usually freshmen year means a new school, new students, new teachers, and definitely new rules. Scott Hudson takes on this new journey head on, mapping out his course of success for future generations.

Scott starts out freshman year eager for the new adventure, figuring that with close friends, anything is possible. Then he meets his teachers, encounters the typical high school bully, is weighed down with homework, and learns that his mother is pregnant. In an effort to deal with these new stresses, he starts a journal for his future sibling, figuring that he could have benefited from this advice when he started school. Aside from dealing with the educational hazards, Scott finds himself in love with Julia, a girl he shared cookies with in Kindergarten. Soon he's doing everything and anything to get her attention, from running for student council, joining the newspaper, and auditioning for the school play all because that's what she was doing. In the chaos that is high school, Scott finds out what it means to be a true friend and that everyone's interpretation of a great and ideal life is different.

This book blew my mind. One of the great things about this book is how realistic it is. True it indulges in the stereotypical football player and bully, not to mention freak and geek, but that makes the story even more endearing. Scott was a very relateable character. I'm sure that everyone has had that girl/guy that they've pined after and drooled over. I found it nice to see a guy doing it rather than a girl. At the same time, many of his high school experiences are typical to life, at least from my high school days. Scott's experiences also included comedy that made this novel stand out from the average "my struggle through life/school" book. One thing that I loved about the novel is how Scott got creative in his story telling. There are moments when he incorporates what he's learning in his narrative. For example, he illustrates the different narrative points of view as the teacher teaches the subject. In another situation, he used multiple similes to describe something after he learned about similes in class. The fluid way that Lubar wrote these in was beyond creative. At first I didn't notice it, but when I caught on, I went looking for the tricks later on. On top of that, though, the book isn't just about comedy or creative writing, or even surviving. It's about finding what matters in life and loyalty and friendship. It's about making a mark in life even if you're just trying to survive it.

This is overall just a great, fun book. I don't know that it sets out to be all insightful and to have this big powerful message, but in a subtle way it did, especially since teens sometimes need to be reminded that everyone struggles in life and it's not always over big things. I don't see this being the next Of Mice and Men but, nonetheless, it's an enjoyable book that many teens, and even older people, will relate to. Sometimes it's nice to read a fluffy book with depth.
MMK

Cheater by Michael Laser

Almost everyone cheats at least once during a test they really need to pass. Now think of high-tech cheating. Cell phone with earbuds concealed under baseball hats as receivers and a pencil as a transmitter. A group of teens have been cheating one way or another their entire junior and senior high careers. Never having honestly passed a test they doubt they will pass the SAT College entrance exams, be able to go to good colleges as their parents hope. So, harass Karl, who is sure to be class valedictorian, offer to stop if he helps, add a few successful practice cheats on less important tests and everything is in place. Except, Karl doesn't want to cheat, and the cheaters are suspected already, including Karl and an evil vice-principal has established rules that will ban the students from college forever, and a school's investigative reporter is awfully nosey, and a crooked politician wants his son in on it. It seems that everyone wants something from Karl. All he wants is to finish his turtle science project in his amazing garage workshop and work up enough courage to kiss Lizette. Lizette is another brainy student and helps him puzzle his way out of the mess. Their idea is ingenious and funny. This is perfect for middle schoolers and 9th and 10th graders. Without being preachy it makes a case for honesty.
JDW 4/30/08

Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher

Clay receives a shoe box of tapes (not c/d's) in the mail. There are seven. Six are double sided, the last has only one side. In the box is also a map of locations referred to on the tapes. They are high school student Hannah's story. Hannah had committed suicide a short time earlier. On each tape she relates one more incident, by one more classmate or adult in her life that leads her to the feeling she has nothing left to live for. Clay is someone who tried to reach out to a girl who would not reach out to him and not one of the those whose very real teenager like thoughtless or even cruel deeds leads ultimately to her death. Nevertheless Clay and readers are compelled to hear the tapes and feel the emotions. So many of the things that happened to Hannah have happened to us, the readers as well. Or, perhaps we were the ones who mistreated a fellow student. Maybe this book will open some eyes and cause us to think twice before acting. Maybe, as Clay did it will cause us to reach out to someone we didn't think we had the courage to get to know.
JDW4/28/08

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

This novel takes place in the undetermined future where a person doesn't need to die in order to be an organ donor and children can be aborted from age 13-18. In this future, abortions are outlawed but a new solution exists where teens (whether unwanted or merely troublemakers) can be "unwound" and every piece of them (limbs, muscles, organs, etc) becomes an item that can be transplanted. The order to be "unwound" can be determined at any age but it won't take place until they reach 13 and once the order is signed, there's no going back. Children who are unwanted from birth can also be "storked" where the mother leaves the baby on someone's doorstep and legally becomes the home owner's property. While being unwound sounds undesirable for a teen, certain teens are led to believe it is an honor to be unwound. These teens are called "tithes."

That's just the background for the novel. The story shifts through different third person points-of-views, but it mainly focuses on Connor, Risa, and Lev. Connor was a troublemaker sent to be unwound, Risa belonged to a State Home and had more potential as body pieces than one whole, and Lev was a tithe. Their paths cross when Connor goes AWOL before he can be sent to the Harvest Camp (where teens are unwound). As he runs from the cops, he takes Lev hostage and causes a bus to crash, therefore freeing Risa from the journey to the Harvest Camp. It then becomes a desperate journey to stay alive. Along the way they meet many characters who help them survive, discover that being tithed isn't such an honor, and that receiving an unwound body part also means you receive the unwound teen.

This novel is interesting, very thought provoking even though I don't really see this coming true. It has a unique concept but one thing I question is how a person could honestly support the idea of unwinding? Even though the person is "still alive," unwinding still theoretically kills another person. How can the world support condemning one person to "death" to help the needs of other people? Sure it is better to help ten people at the loss of one, but not when the one is an unwilling and unnecessary victim. It'd be one thing if the person was already dead, but to "kill" them is a completely different idea. Also, to do it when they're already developed into a living breathing person with hopes of a future is just cruel. At the same time the novel said people stopped trying to cure because they could merely replace, which almost seems counter-productive since the diseases still exist. Those, though, are just my reactions to this future.

In terms of the actual story, there are a lot of interesting characters presented. Cy-Fi does a great job of showing the affect an unwound body part has on the recipient. The Admiral is also a great character for the compassion he shows for the "unwinds." Roland also presents a nice antagonist for Connor. The story does drag at certain points, but it is, nonetheless, interesting. As a reader I wasn't overly impressed, but it did get me thinking so I guess that's a good thing.
MM

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

The narrator of this mystery for middle schoolers is Ted who has Asperger's syndrome which is a high functioning form of autism. Ted does rather too much explaining how his brain works for the readers. That aside this is a pretty good mystery, not at all predictable in its ending.
Ted's Aunt Gloria and his cousin Salim are moving to the United States and want to visit one last time before they leave. Salim wants to go up in a huge ferris wheel called the London Eye as his last great thing to do before leaving. Ted and his sister Kat take him but a series of odd events occur, Salim goes up alone and seemingly never comes down. Police are called in, while they do their searching and interviewing, Kat and Ted do their own sleuthing. Ted with his very logical mind has made a list of possible explanation's for Salim's disappearance. Kat and Ted work their way through them, revising and eliminating and occasionally lying and sneaking which Ted finds especially difficult. While the kids and the police often find they are going over the same territory, it is Ted who makes the final correct deduction. And really it was only logical. Short and fun. JDW 4/22/08