I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It, by Adam Selzer

I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It, by Adam Selzer. New York: Delacorte Press, 2010. 177 pp. ISBN 9780385904971


READER'S ANNOTATION
To Alley, Doug is the cutest guy, with impeccable taste in music: hers.  So what if he's a little -- well, a lot -- pale?

GENRE
Horror, Humor

SUMMARY
Alley Rhodes is a high school senior who lives in a small Iowa town in what has been termed the "post-human era".  It is so called because humans, zombies, and vampires live together, without harming each other for the most part.  The era began when the vampires came out of the shadows to successfully spearhead a legal action on behalf of the zombies, whom the Megamart chain had brought back from the dead to use as slave labor.  Against this satirical backdrop is an engaging story about Alley's meeting of and dating Doug, a guy from a neighboring town who sings with a local band and shares Alley's taste in music.  But she shortly realizes that he is not quite human.  However, he is her first real love, and their relationship really transforms for the better the way that she treats others.  She also grapples with the question of whether a teen like herself should make permanent life-altering decisions in order to be with the person she loves. 

EVALUATION
This is an easy and fun read which will get teens thinking about social issues and interpersonal ones as well.  The plot is fairly simple but the story is well-paced; Alley's experiences day-to-day at school and dating milestones such as having Doug meet her parents, going to prom, etc. are balanced with her sorting through her feelings about the relationship. The story is quite funny at times, and Alley is a likeable character with whom I think teens will identify.  The other characters are not as developed.
What may make this novel controversial to some are a couple mentions of teenage drinking and teens dying in order to become vampires or zombies.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
I think this novel could help teens involved in romantic relationships to keep their perspective and not let the relationship radically change their post-high school plans.  It could also help teens to develop more compassion for physically challenged or ill classmates.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
The phrasing of the title and the idea of dating a zombie made me laugh.

Tantalize, by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Tantalize, by Cynthia Leitich Smith.  Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2007.  310 pp. ISBN 9780763627911


READER'S ANNOTATION
One month before the grand re-opening of Quincie's family's restaurant, their beloved chef has been murdered, possibly by a werewolf.  Or is the new vampire theme of the restaurant attracting real bloodsuckers?

GENRE
Horror, Humor

SUMMARY
After her parents' death, first-person narrator Quincie Morris was left in her Uncle Davidson's care.  Now at age 17, she will help her uncle manage the family Italian restaurant, which they've decided will now have a vampire theme.  When their beloved Chef Vaggio is murdered one month before the grand reopening, they are left scrambling to find a replacement, and Quincie to cling to the hope that her half-human/half-werewolf best friend and love interest, Kieren, was not involved in the killing.  A new chef named Henry Johnson is hired, who is quite talented but also a bit off-putting.  Also problematic for Quincie is the fact that the time has come for Kieren to join a wolf pack and leave Austin.  Then murders begin piling up and Uncle Davidson starts acting very strangely...  Smith continues the stories of these characters in two later novels.

EVALUATION
Of all the monster books I've read this semester, Tantalize has probably been the most fun, and I like Quincie's sense of humor and sarcasm. I think the fact that she, as a teen, is helping to run a restaurant should give teens an enjoyable taste of independence.  And at the same time give an idea of the huge sacrifices that one makes in other areas of life, such as friendship and school, when one takes on such a responsibility. In addition, there is relevant social commentary in this novel, one example being the fact that werepeople have fewer rights than humans and suffer discrimination. One of my favorite aspects of Tantalize is that we don't find out until the end whether Kieren truly reciprocates Quincie's romantic feelings.  And I also love the ambiguity of the ending as far as what Quincie's future holds. What some may find controversial is Quincie's drinking, but her drinking is included to illustrate how alcohol impairs one's judgement.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This book could help teens who find themselves with more responsibility than they can handle, or whose parents/guardians are absent.  It could also help teens who feel they may have a drinking problem.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I liked the idea of vampires, werepeople, and humans together in one city, and the restaurant aspect sounded fun.

Ultimate Spider-Man,Vol. 2: Learning Curve, by Brian Michael Bendis

Ultimate Spider-Man,Vol. 2:  Learning Curve, by Brian Michael Bendis. New York: Marvel Comics, 2004. Unpaged. ISBN 0785108203


READER'S ANNOTATION
It's hard balancing school and work...especially when you're fighting crime at the same time.

GENRE
Graphic Novel/Comic Book

SUMMARY
"Following the murder of his uncle, the assault on his high school, and the confusing signals from Mary Jane Watson, Peter [Parker] finds himself on the brink of manhood: getting a job at a New York City newspaper, the Daily Bugle, to help support his family and taking on other extracurricular activities...like bringing down organized crime head honcho Wilson Fisk, otherwise known as the Kingpin!" (summary on back cover)

EVALUATION 
This is an update to the original Spiderman series, telling Peter's story from the beginning, but in the present day.  The illustrations are in full color, which seems rare in teen graphic novels (based on the limited number that I've read) and is quite striking.  Characters' emotions are clearly expressed in these depictions, although some are a bit static, and Mary Jane in particular looks older than the high school student she is meant to be.  The story is of course action-packed, but there are comedic moments inserted here and there, such as Peter's interaction with a school psychologist.  Overall, a fun, light read.  Poterntial controversial element: violence.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
Teens who have a large amount of responsibility may identify with Peter Parker.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
I had never read a Spiderman comic/graphic novel before.

Burnout, by Rebecca Donner & Inaki Miranda

Burnout, by Rebecca Donner & Inaki Miranda. New York: Minx, 2008. 147 pp. ISBN 9781401215378


READER'S ANNOTATION
Danni's life up to this point has not been easy.  Her dad's left, and now she and her mom are on the road looking for a place to live.  Hopefully things will be better in this new town...

GENRE
Graphic Novel

SUMMARY
"When Danni and her mom move in with her mom's alcoholic boyfriend, Danni develops a fierce crush on Haskell, her soon-to-be stepbrother, who's a hardcore environmentalist. Desperate and confused, Danni wrestles with what she's willing to sacrifice as she confronts first love, family secrets and the politics of ecoterrorism set against the lush backdrop of the Pacific Northwest." (barnesandnoble.com synopsis)

EVALUATION 
Protagonist Danni shows growth in character in this novel, yet it is somewhat depressing that by the end of the story, she doesn't seem to be using any new coping skills to deal with emotional trauma.  (However, though, she has just lost a boyfriend, and not too long after her father abandoned her and her mother.)  Perhaps, given what she's gone through, her reaction is realistic, but it's sad that she doesn't even seem to have a tiny bit of hope.  Potential controversial element: brief "almost" sexual intimacy between Danni and Haskell.

HOW THIS BOOK HELPS
This book could help teens with one or more absent parents, or who are living in alcoholic households.

WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT
Judging by the drawing on the cover, it looked liked the protagonist had been through a lot and might have an interesting story to tell.

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.

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.