Lush, by Natasha Friend

Lush, by Natasha Friend. New York: Scholastic, 2006. 178 pp. ISBN 9780439853460

READER'S ANNOTATION  

GENRE
Realistic Fiction


SUMMARY
Inspired by the personal stories of two close friends who grew up in households with alcoholic parents, and affected by alcoholism in her own extended family, Natasha Friend decided to write about the experience of a young teen with an alcoholic father.  Her fictional protagonist is Sam, a thirteen year-old girl.  Sam's alcoholic father's unpredictability and a shocking act of violence to toward Sam’s preschool-age brother lead to Sam's acute need to seek assistance with coping with the situation.  Yet she finds it impossible to share her frustration with anyone, not even her closest friends.  She thus initiates an anonymous correspondence with another teen, accomplished by exchanging notes inside one of the books at their local library. Meanwhile, Sam also experiences various common aspects of teen life, including navigating a rift between herself and her former best friend, her self-consciousness about her quickly developing body, and a very brief romantic relationship.

EVALUATION
Sam is a very likeable protagonist who does not approach her dilemma melodramatically, but with believable frustration and also a sense of humor and a tad bit of sarcasm.  She is also real, and like her father, does not always make the best decisions herself.  And I really enjoyed the letters she writes to her anonymous friend.  They are poignant, but I also found myself laughing out loud at her humorous observations in several instances.  The novel's ending does not tie up everything with a cute little bow, but it is realistic and hopeful, and we know that Sam has taken positive steps in one of the areas she can control, namely sharing her family secret with friends old and new and allowing them to be a support system for her.  What some may find controversial about this novel is that Sam’s first experience drinking alcohol leads to her near sexual assault by several boys. This incident is pivotal to Sam’s development and to Friend’s message, however, because it helps Sam and readers internalize more personally the potential destructive outcomes of drinking.
 

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
Lush lets teens living in alcoholic households know that they are not alone, and suggests possible coping strategies.  At the end of the book, Friend includes a list of resources for such teens, including hotlines,Web sites, and books.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I wanted to learn more about the experience of growing up with an alcoholic parent.

Eighth Grade Bites, by Heather Brewer

Eighth Grade Bites, by Heather Brewer. New York: Speak, 2008. 182 pp. ISBN 9780142411872


READER'S ANNOTATION
Middle school is challenging enough when you've got to make sure to eat blood each day at lunch without the other kids knowing.  Throw in a teacher's disappearance and the arrival of a frankly creepy substitute, and you're in for one interesting year...

GENRE
Horror


SUMMARY
Vlad's an eighth grader who deals with the usual bullies, friend issues, and romantic crushes of middle school, but also is quite unique: he is half vampire. Vlad's late father had earlier broken the vampire code when he revealed his vampire status to his love and married and had a child with her. The couple subsequently fled to the town of Bathory, but soon died in a mysterious fire. Now, odd things are beginning to happen in Vlad's life, including a teacher disappearing and an odd substitute teacher with an interest in supernatural beings taking his place. When it begins to appear that the substitute may know something about Vlad's secret, Vlad decides he must try to learn something about his past and take action. (This book is the first of the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series.)

EVALUATION
This is an engaging story which works for several different reasons.  On one hand, it's just a great school story about a young teen, Vlad, who feels like somewhat of a nobody on campus and is picked on, and longs for a girl whom he believes likes his best friend. Vlad's got a wry sense of humor about things and is often reflective about life and himself.  But the novel is also paced very well, and a wonderful suspense builds about what may have happened to Vlad's former English teacher and the mystery concerning the motivations of the substitute teacher with his odd/intriguing demeanor and assignments. Some nice twists at the conclusion and Brewer's overall handling of how a teen vampire would live amongst non-vampire peers, deal with the need to consume blood, etc., is creative.  The goriness in some of the scenes may be a controversial aspect to some, but it is much lighter than that in horror fiction in general.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
I think this is a great book to recommend to any teen, but especially those who appear to be on the outside of the social scene, are being bullied, or just have unique qualities which may make them feel different from others.  The novel has a main character to draw strength from and is a great page-turner at the same time.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
One of my fellow library assistants who has good taste in books had read it and really enjoyed it. 

The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier

The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier. New York: Knopf, 1997. 272 pp. ISBN 0394828054


READER'S ANNOTATION
With a vague yet developing conviction that even he does not yet fully understand himself, Jerry Renault has decided that he will not sell chocolates in the school fund-raiser.  Archie Costello, however, is determined to make Jerry cave...

GENRE
Realistic Fiction

SUMMARY
(This verson is a reissue of the 1974 novel, with added author introduction.)  Jerry Renault, whose mother has just passed away, and whose father is somewhat distant due to having to work late hours, is starting his freshman year at the all boys' Trinity Catholic School. The school holds a chocolate sale fundraiser each year, and sinister acting Headmaster Brother Leon has just doubled the price of each box as well as the quota that each boy must sell. Meanwhile, Archie Costello, leader of the school's secret society, The Vigils, chooses Jerry for one of the assignments that this group often forces members of the student body to perform. Jerry is tasked to refuse to sell chocolates for ten days. Once the ten days are up, however, Jerry -- for reasons even he doesn't fully understand at first -- chooses to continue to refuse to sell the chocolates. As a result, the incensed Brother Leon forces Archie to make sure that The Vigils ensure the chocolate sale's success. The ensuing campaign of harassment and violence against Jerry tests his resolve and his very spirit, leaving it uncertain until the last moment how Jerry will ultimately respond.  The sequel to this novel is Beyond the Chocolate War.

EVALUATION
What makes this novel an amazing piece of writing to me is the completely honest way in which Cormier describes characters' innermost thoughts -- especially their incomplete understandings of their own motives. Examples of this are Jerry's delayed understanding of why he was taking a stand about the chocolate sale and lack of complete self-awareness even in malicious characters like Archie (e.g., "Archie was always puzzled about whatever there was inside of him that enjoyed these performances -- toying with kids..." p. 31).  With its very character-driven plot, the story is riveting, as we are kept guessing about how far each character will go to make their stand or further their own agenda.  One potential controversial aspect of this novel is the violence committed by some characters, yet this violence is integral to the story as it graphically shows what happens when bullying is left unchecked.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This book could help any teen who is being bullied, by making them realize that they are not alone in being mistreated.  It should further help them to realize what may be the consequences of not seeking adult or other assistance against bullies, and what the ultimate emotional cost of unchecked bullying can be.  Teens who suspect that a friend may be being bullied -- by noting changes in the friend's behavior -- will hopefully be inspired to intervene.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
A Girl Scout as a child, I had always hated having to sell those overpriced cookies!  So the idea of a novel about a boy refusing to sell chocolates on behalf of his school -- albeit in a much more serious context -- really intrigued me.

Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden

Annie on My Mind, by Nancy Garden. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1982. 233 pp. ISBN 0374303665


READER'S ANNOTATION
Who knew that true love could be so wonderful?  Who knew that others would be so bothered by Liza and Annie's relationship?

GENRE
Realistic fiction

SUMMARY
Seventeen-year-olds Liza Winthrop and Annie Kenyon meet by chance at New York's Metropolitan Art Museum in New York, where Liza is working on an assignment and Annie is browsing. They are immediately drawn to each other, and their friendship begins to grow quickly. Liza loves architecture, lives in an affluent neighborhood and attends an elite private school where she is the student body president.  Annie is a gifted singer and attends a public high school complete with police on site and lives in a poor/working class neighborhood.  As their relationship deepens, and the girls realize that their attraction is romantic, they proceed with some hesitation at first.  It is mainly Liza who is initally unsure, and needs time to discover herself, before the two develop a full-fledged relationship.  A house-sitting job that they take on results in them being forced to confront family, friends' and school reaction to their relationship.  The ultimate question is how their reaction to this confrontation will affect their relationship.  

EVALUATION
Perhaps my favorite aspect of this novel is the reflective nature of Liza, which we see in her relationship with Annie, but also in her school life.  She is not one to take decisions lightly, especially about her personal life.  This allows the reader time to think through their feelings about the novel's theme along with her.  I also think this novel is very true-to-life in its depiction of the emotions of any love affair, especially between young people.  Liza and Annie's interaction and hestitations are very believable.   This book also has a power beyond the theme of sexual orientation, and that is to encourage all teens to be true to themselves in general, and prepares them for the fact that there are some who will try to set up roadblocks to their free self-expression. Hopefully this novel will give them that courage to persevere.  Some may find this book's focus on a lesbian relationship controversial.  However, I feel that these are the people who most need to read this book, as it so realistically depicts the experience of true and young love, helping heterosexual readers to understand that lesbian/gay relationships are no different from straight relationships apart from the gender of the partners.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This novel will help teens who are questioning their sexual orientation, or are struggling with coming out to their peers, family, and society. 

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I have always wanted to read this classic of teen literature.