Identical, by Ellen Hopkins

Identical, by Ellen Hopkins. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2008. 565 pp. ISBN  9781416950059


READER'S ANNOTATION  
Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical twins who are living a nightmare.  Even though they are not the best of friends, sometimes their only consolation is each other.

GENRE
Realistic Fiction


SUMMARY 
In this free-verse novel, Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical teenage twins who live in a small central California town which appears to be Solvang from the description of it.  They live with their lawyer father in an affluent neighborhood, while their mother, a politician, spends most of her time away from home.  Their father, addicted to alcohol and drugs, regularly molests Kaeleigh.  Raeanne witnesses the attention their dad pays to Kaeleigh, and in response acts out by using drugs and having casual sex.  Eating disorders and self-mutilation round out the list of tragedies that form these girls’ experience. Both girls are slowly losing themselves, and it will take courage and determination to unearth some astonishing family truths, and hitting rock bottom before the possibility of healing presents itself.


EVALUATION
Wow, what a book.  I don't think I'll be able to visit the central California coast in the future without thinking of Kaeleigh....and strange as this may sound as she's fictional, wondering how her life turned out.  This is definitely a work that stays with the reader, a very powerful look at the dynamics of incest.  The sheer intimacy of Kaeleigh's thoughts and statements held my rapt attention, making the different shapes of certain passages and juxtaposed parallel words in side-by-side passages seem somewhat  unecessary to me.  But I realize that they add expanded meaning and work for many readers. The novel is paced almost perfectly, building up the readers' understanding of the twins' psyches little by little, making them real.  The climax and resolution, when they come, are satisfying and believable.


HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This is an extremely important novel for incest survivors, and I really think that Kaeleigh is the kind of character that could become a stand-in friend until such teens are able to reach out for help.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I had not read a book concerning incest before.

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009. 480 pp. ISBN 9780385904117


READER'S ANNOTATION
Escaping his hospital bed to travel cross country with his hypochondriac mama's boy roommate and save the world -- this is the mission presented to Cameron by his very own punk angel.

GENRE
Fantasy, Realistic Fiction

SUMMARY
Cameron is a sixteen-year-old who really is not making much of his life, and whose only real passion is listening to music.  Suddenly, he is diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jacob, or "mad cow" disease, landing him in the hospital.  A hypochondriac dwarf roommate named Gonzo then moves in, and he and Cameron -- encouraged by the angel Dulcie who has begun visiting Cameron -- embark on a road trip to find the man who purportedly has the cure for mad cow disease and also save the world from the evil wizard and fire giants who have also begun appearing to Cameron.  During this trip, which parallels Don Quixote in many ways, Cameron and Gonzo have various adventures at stops as varied as a New Orleans jazz club, the headquarters of a happiness cult, and a spring break party spot in Florida.  Along the way, they take on a third traveling partner, a living breathing lawn gnome/Norse god.  By the end of the journey, Cameron must use the strength and wisdom he has gained to face the dark forces.

EVALUATION
I absolutely love this novel.  It is completely zany fun (you have to read it just for Cameron's hysterically funny visit to the "Church of Everlasting Satisfaction and Snack-n-Bowl" alone) and at the same time conveys some earnest messages about the importance of connection with others and jumping right into life with purpose and gusto.  Cameron is a fully-fleshed, entirely believable character, as is his emotional growth by the end of the story.  As the story is picaresque, it is composed of several distinct adventures, yet all are pulled together cohesively by Cameron's ultimate quest to save the world and himself.  Make sure to get your hands on this thought-provoking read as soon as possible.  What some may find controversial is the novel's subject matter of terminal illness and some language.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This book could be very helpful to terminally ill teens, but also to any teen who is socially isolated.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
It sounded like a lot of fun and unlike anything I'd ever read before, and also won the Print Award in 2010.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by David Levithan and John Green

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan. New York : Dutton, 2010. 310 pp. ISBN 9780525421580


READER'S ANNOTATION
Two teens named Will Grayson meet by pure coicidence in downtown Chicago one night, and their lives are forever changed...

GENRE
Realistic Fiction

SUMMARY
This novel is narrated in alternating chapters by two high school students who meet by chance one night in downtown Chicago -- both are named Will Grayson.  The "Original Will Grayson" (OWG) and Tiny Cooper have been best friends since fifth grade, but OWG is starting to become slightly irritated with what he considers to be Tiny's selfishness.  Tiny, who is gay, has been through numerous romantic break-ups and OWG has always been there to help pick up the pieces.  Even though Tiny has now decided to play matchmaker for OWG, OWG at first doesn't see the generosity of this act, because he is too blinded by his fear of getting close to girls and potentially getting hurt.  Once the two Will Graysons meet, Will #2 begins dating Tiny.  Will #2, however, has not told his mother or anyone else that he's gay.  Meanwhile, OWG decides to step out of his comfort zone and give dating another chance.  As a backdrop to -- and also representative of -- all of this, Tiny is writing a musical about life and love, to be performed at the high school.

EVALUATION
This is the first novel I’ve read of either Levithan or Green, but if this novel is any indication of the general level of fun and insight of their writing, I can’t wait to read more!  I found the two Will Graysons to be very believable and representative of many teens, as we are privy to their self-doubt and conflicting emotions.  It is true that Tiny Cooper is a larger-than-life character in more than just his size, yet there really are teens with that kind of self-confidence and drive, and his character is also necessary to our understanding of OWG, the friendship between the two of them, and to keeping the plot moving in several instances. And Tiny is just too hysterically funny too resist.  Overall, this novel is highly entertaining and contains a lot of sage advice to teens, and all of us really, regarding navigating interpersonal relationships.  These lessons about friendship and love, and the complexity yet necessity of both, are interwoven into the story naturally, as characters come to realize them themselves.  I highly recommend this gem of a book to anyone.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
I think that this book would be very helpful to teens who are questioning their sexual orientation or are aware that they are gay, lesbian, or bisexual and are thinking of letting their family and friends know.  I think this book would also help teens who are experiencing depression.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I love anything involving unbelievable coincidences, and the high school musical aspect and the Tiny Cooper character both sounded really fun.

Shattering Glass, by Gail Giles

Shattering Glass, by Gail Giles. New York: Simon Pulse, 2003. 215 pp. ISBN  0689858000


READER'S ANNOTATION  
Young could understand the desire to help another student, but why was Rob so completely obsessed with making Simon popular?  Would Rob stop at nothing to accomplish this, and what would the ultimate consequence be?

GENRE
Realistic Fiction 

SUMMARY
The narrator of this novel is high school student, Young Steward, pressured by his father to excel in academics and life.  He is best friends with Coop, a great athlete, and Bob, a highly sought-after ladies' man, but Young's self-doubt makes him wonder why he himself is popular.  One day a new student named Rob, with charisma to spare, appears at school and makes their group of friends a foursome.  Witnessing how certain students bully Simon Glass, an awkward and geeky boy, he makes it his mission to make Simon popular.  In this task, however, he demands that Simon, Young, Coop, and Bob follow his orders exactly, and feels threatened when any of them takes action of their own volition.  Rob thinks nothing of altering the course of Young's romantic and academic life in order to make his plan proceed smoothly.  Along the way, the boys find out some information about Rob's past which changes their perception of him and points to why he is so obsessed with exerting control.  At a certain point, the boys find out exactly what Rob will do when he feels that he is losing control.  The consequence is dramatic and will change all of their lives.  But who is responsible?  

EVALUATION
I think that Young is fairly believable as a character.   Being raised by a demanding father, he has been conditioned to please others.  Although I was surprised that he gave up a very good relationship with his girlfriend for Rob's seemingly much more momentary whim of transforming Simon, I can also see why Young's feelings of sympathy and loyalty toward Rob -- and Young's strong need to feel needed by friends himself -- might have made him do this.  I love the format of the novel, in the way that Giles intersperses the narrative with extended comments made by several of the characters at some point in the future, after Rob's ultimate release of fury and the deed has been done.  At the end of the novel found myself wanting to know more about Young's future and his reflections on everything that had transpired. But then I think this is part of the point of the novel, i.e., when you put your trust blindly in someone else, without being sure of their ethics, you run the risk of being left with the pieces. What you do with them after that point is up to you. What some may find controversial in this novel is the violent last scene.  It is graphic, but Giles is trying to make a dramatic point.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This book could help teens who are being bullied in the way that Rob bullies Young, Coop, and Bob.  It points out the risk one takes when one gives control of one's actions to someone else.  It will hopefully encourage teens to extricate themselves from the influence of such friends, and also respect the free will of others.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
The possibility of someone like Simon making such a complete turnaround in behavior sounded very intriguing.

Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher

Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2009. 220 pp. ISBN 9780061771316


READER'S ANNOTATION  
Putting together a swim team composed of the most unlikely members, and then winning meets together and sticking it to the jocks and naysayers -- how cool would that be? 

GENRE
Realistic Fiction

SUMMARY
High school senior T.J. Jones, of mixed African-American, Japanese-American, and white ethnicity, was a prominent swimmer in his younger years.  He has avoided organized competition in recent years, however.  That is, until his beloved English teacher, Mr. Simet, approaches him for help with starting a school sports team.  T.J. decides to start a swim team, planning to use it as an example to the jocks and others who bully students in the school who don't fit the prescribed mold in some way.  In particular, he wants to use the team as a vehicle for Chris Coughlin, a developmentally delayed student who has been harrassed for wearing his late brother's letterman jacket, to earn his own jacket.  T. J. thus assembles a team of non-swimmers, each member with a different personality and personal issue.  As they train, they come to know each other and give their all to pursuing their common athletic dream.

EVALUATION
I found T.J. to be very inspiring in his convictions and follow-through.  Both adults and teens can learn much from this character.  Despite the anger that T.J. felt as a young child -- resulting from his biological mother's abuse of him -- and still deals with as a teen, T.J. does the right thing in most situations.  Although he does seem a little too perfect at moments, I think his self-awareness and approach to life are conceivable for an intelligent teen who's been through as much therapy as he has.  I would have liked to read more about his relationship with Carly, as it did seem unrealistic that two high schoolers would have such a hermonious relationship, but then Carly isn't the focus of the story.   And this is positive too; Crutcher's lack of focus on T.J.'s relationship with Carly hopefully demonstrates to teens that being in love shouldn't take over one's life, that one should remain one's own person with one's own interests and goals and friends outside of the relationship.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This book should be helpful to any teen who is being bullied or who has been told they can't do something which they desire to achieve.  It should encourage teens to believe in themselves.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
The idea of creating a swim team from non-swimmers sounded intriguing.

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak [sound recording], by Laurie Halse Anderson. Read by Mandy Siegfried. New York: Random House/Listening Library, 2004. 5 CDs (72 min. each). ISBN 1400089980


READER'S ANNOTATION
Something happened at that party last summer, and Melinda still hasn't told anybody about it.

GENRE
Realistic Fiction

SUMMARY
Ninth grader Melinda Sordino memorably narrates her own story, and we meet her on her first day of high school.  We learn that over the preceeding summer she called the police to a party that she attended, although we do not find out the reason why she made this call until the latter half of the book.  For making this call and its consequences to party-goers, her best friends have dumped her and she starts the school year completely alone.  Melinda finds herself unable to speak to anyone, neither parents nor former friends, about why she made the call.  There are a few bright spots in her life, however, the most notable one being her art class, which is taught by a caring teacher who encourages her to express herself. Throughout this incredibly tough year, Melinda manages to maintain a wonderfully dry sense of humor and wit.      

EVALUATION
I have met few literary characters as engaging as Melinda.  She is equally capable of believably expressing sarcasm and wonderment, and everything in between.  Anderson describes her emotions, from  fear to moments of joy, palpably.  Anderson's descriptions of Melinda's feelings while eating alone in the lunchroom, for example, are spot on for anyone who's ever experienced that kind of isolation.  The plot of the novel  is fairly simple, consisting of the day-to-day school and home life of Melinda; the interest of this story is in Melinda's observations and interpretations of the actions of people around her. Readers will definitely find themselves rooting for Melinda, as she goes through her cocoon phase, and then grows, slowly at first and then more bravely, gathering strength and some new information which lets her know that she is not alone in her experience, that there are others to whom she matters, and that she is indeed strong.  Because I drive a lot, I listened to the unabridged audio version of Speak, read by Mandy Siegfried. I most highly recommend it.  Siegfried strikes Melinda’s various tones so perfectly and naturally, that I think it adds another level of richness to the narrative.  The aspect of this book which could be controversial to some is its discussion of rape.  However, Melinda's rape is described much more in terms of her emotional response to it, and not in terms of the physical act itself.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
I feel that Speak can help teens who have survived sexual assault, by letting them know that they are not alone in their feelings and response. Hopefully, reading about Melinda's year of isolation will encourage survivors to speak up sooner rather than later, to a trusted adult or friend.   

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I had read rave reviews of this novel.

Good as Lily, by Derek Kirk Kim & Jesse Hamm

Good as Lily, by Derek Kirk Kim & Jesse Hamm. New York: Minx, 2007. Unpaged. ISBN 9781401213817


READER'S ANNOTATION
Being stuck with three other versions of yourself every day is quite a challenge.  How will Grace survive the embarassments they're causing her, and why are they here?

GENRE
Graphic Novel, Fantasy

SUMMARY
"What would you do if versions of yourself at [ages] 6, 29 and 70 became a part of your already awkward high school life? Grace Kwon is about to find out the hard way after she breaks a haunted pinata on her 18th birthday and her "other selves" appear. But it just may be the dark secret she's kept hidden about her younger sister, Lily, that stands between Grace and her past, present, and future." (Syndetic Solutions, Inc. summary)

EVALUATION 
Kim and Hamm do an incredible job of balancing two stories in this novel.  On one hand, the novel is about Grace's everyday life at high school, with friends and bullies, ups and downs.  But simultaneously, Grace must manage the three other versions of herself at different ages, the physical manifestations of a family issue which is gnawing at her.  Both the dialogue and the illustrations in this graphic novel are filled with humor.  The illustrations are black and white, but convey the full range of characters' emotions in an engaging way.  The only critique I have is that the illustration style on the cover is different from that inside the book.  Yet overall, this is both a thought-provoking and heart-warming graphic novel which is a superb example of all of the amazing potential of this form;  it's the kind of work which would be a great introduction to the form for anyone. Potentially controversial element: graphic novel format.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This novel could help teens who are being bullied at school or who have unresolved family issues.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I liked the illustration style and thought the premise sounded fun.