Tag Archives: Relationships–Mothers

Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

6 Apr

Title: Something Like Normal

Author: Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Release Date: June 19th, 2012

Interest: 2012 Debut Author / Guy appeal

Source: E-book ARC received via NetGalley

Summary (From Goodreads): When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

I’ve read quite a few rave reviews for Trish Doller’s debut Something Like Normal, so I looked it up on NetGalley to request a copy.  As soon as I received the approval email I downloaded Something Like Normal to my Kindle and started reading.  If I hadn’t started it while visiting my grandpa in the hospital, I would have finished this in one sitting because it’s that good.  If I could get away with writing a review that says “READ IT!” I would just do that because it’s hard to form words for such a wonderful story.

Over the years I’ve learned about myself that if I can’t connect with a character then I won’t enjoy the book.  I’ve also learned that I mostly prefer first-person point of view.  Something Like Normal fits both of those preferences, plus it features a male protagonist which is something I’m always looking for.  Travis is on leave from the Marines and he’s really suffering after witnessing the death of his close friend Charlie.  He’s also dealing with coming home to a family that’s been falling apart since his deployment.  I really like that Trish Doller wrote Travis the way she did because he’s not written as a hero.  He’s written as a suffering young man who’s trying to recover and make amends.  He’s trying to become a better man, a man he can be proud of.  I can see a number of teenage guys relating to Travis, especially if they’re considering joining the Marines or another part of the armed forces.  Many of my seniors that enlist do so because they hope it will shape them into a better person; they hope it will provide some guidance in life.  Travis says he really doesn’t know why he joined, but his character made me think of past seniors I had in class that enlisted because they wanted guidance or a sense of direction in their lives.  I always appreciate a story with a hero, but there’s something about a story with a flawed character that a reader can’t help but love.  Travis’s voice is real and authentic; it’s how I imagine many teenage guys think and feel and act.

I’ve noticed that more Y.A. novels are featuring characters who have graduated from high school.  I hope to see more published like this because it’s an excellent way for upperclassman to relate to what’s in their future.  It’s also a way to keep teens reading Y.A. beyond high school.  Even though Travis is done with school and has been in situations and done and witnessed things most adults never will, he’s still dealing with family drama and common relationship insecurities/dilemmas.  I doubt Travis returned home expecting to fall for a girl, especially when his ex-girlfriend has moved on to his brother.  His life is complicated, but after running into Harper everything starts to turn around.  As I was reading Something Like Normal, I didn’t know what to expect from Harper, but I ended up loving her character.  Really, I love Travis and Harper together as a couple.  They form the kind of relationship where they work off each other.  They mesh in that perfect, awkward, kind of rough around the edges way, but those edges begin to smooth over.  Travis isn’t perfect, far from it actually, but his effort to become better is endearing.  We see these efforts in his relationship with his mother and with Harper.  Both of these women make Travis want to become a better person which is when we see the rough edges smooth over.

Trish Doller includes flashbacks and nightmares in Something Like Normal which give us an idea of the suffering and experiences Travis goes through.  I appreciate these scenes for two reasons.  My first reason is because it breaks up the family and relationship drama Travis is going through at home.  I know many readers enjoy romance and relationship issues in the books they read, but for the readers that want a little less of that, these flashbacks and nightmares will add a welcome break.  The second reason I like these scenes is because it gives us a more well-rounded idea of who Travis is and what life is like for soldiers in Afghanistan.  I can’t imagine returning home and constantly searching the floor for bombs.  Or preferring to sleep on the floor rather than my bed.  Or feeling vulnerable without my gun in my hands.  These scenes are an invaluable layer to the story.

My only issue with Something Like Normal is that I’m done reading it and I don’t have another book by Trish Doller to read next.  I feel like I haven’t expressed enough how completely fantastic this debut is.  There isn’t anything I disliked or would change.  It’s an engrossing story that I predict will be a huge hit in my classroom.  Actually, I wish it released earlier than June 19th so my current students could read it since I don’t have a physical ARC to share with them.

Flash Reviews (11)–Graphic Novel Edition

23 Jan

I’ve been wanting to read more graphic novels, but I really didn’t know where to start.  After some recommendations from trusted resources like Paul W. Hankins and John Schu, I was on my way and reading excellent graphic novels.  The idea of reviewing them is foreign to me, so I’m trying it out as flash reviews because even though I don’t feel confident reviewing them fully, I still want others to be aware of what’s out there and worth reading (in my opinion).

Stitches by David Small

Summary (From Goodreads): Finalist for the 2009 National Book Award and finalist for two 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards: the prize-winning children’s author depicts a childhood from hell in this searing yet redemptive graphic memoir.

One day David Small awoke from a supposedly harmless operation to discover that he had been transformed into a virtual mute. A vocal cord removed, his throat slashed and stitched together like a bloody boot, the fourteen-year-old boy had not been told that he had cancer and was expected to die.

In Stitches, Small, the award-winning children’s illustrator and author, re-creates this terrifying event in a life story that might have been imagined by Kafka. As the images painfully tumble out, one by one, we gain a ringside seat at a gothic family drama where David—a highly anxious yet supremely talented child—all too often became the unwitting object of his parents’ buried frustration and rage.

Believing that they were trying to do their best, David’s parents did just the reverse. Edward Small, a Detroit physician, who vented his own anger by hitting a punching bag, was convinced that he could cure his young son’s respiratory problems with heavy doses of radiation, possibly causing David’s cancer. Elizabeth, David’s mother, tyrannically stingy and excessively scolding, ran the Small household under a cone of silence where emotions, especially her own, were hidden.

Depicting this coming-of-age story with dazzling, kaleidoscopic images that turn nightmare into fairy tale, Small tells us of his journey from sickly child to cancer patient, to the troubled teen whose risky decision to run away from home at sixteen—with nothing more than the dream of becoming an artist—will resonate as the ultimate survival statement.

A silent movie masquerading as a book, Stitches renders a broken world suddenly seamless and beautiful again. Finalist for the 2009 National Book Award (Young Adult); finalist for two 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards (Best Writer/Artist: Nonfiction; Best Reality-Based Work)

Flash Review:  This is one of the first graphic novels I read.  It’s a memoir of David Small’s life, his very tragic life.  I don’t know if I would have been able to read it as a novel of prose, because it is certainly haunting.  David Small’s mother didn’t express emotion, which left Small without an outlet to express himself.  His cancer, which horribly goes ignored for far too long, leaves him without the ability to express himself well vocally.  These two circumstances would make one feel helpless, but David Small discovers art and is able to express his feelings and thoughts through this outlet.  Stitches is at times mature, but it’s an excellent example of a survival story and memoir.  The images say so much more than words can express.

Page by Paige by Laure Lee Gulledge

Summary (From Goodreads):

Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she’s having some trouble adjusting to the big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding.

Laura Lee Gulledge crafts stories and panels with images that are thought-provoking, funny, and emotionally resonant. Teens struggling to find their place can see themselves in Paige’s honest, heartfelt story.

Praise for Page by Paige
“Gulledge’s b&w illustrations are simple but well-suited to their subject matter; the work as a whole is a good-natured, optimistic portrait of a young woman evolving toward adulthood.” –Publishers Weekly

Flash Review: I’ve read some great graphic novels, but I think Page by Paige is my favorite.  Paul W. Hankins introduced me to this graphic novel when we posted the book trailer on Facebook; I wanted to read it immediately.  The images are compelling and draw the reader in to Paige’s story.  I couldn’t help but feel for Paige as she discovers herself and how to express herself.  It’s hard putting yourself out there, whether it’s to make new friends or open up a secret part of yourself.  Teens will connect with Paige and understand what she’s going through.  The images are in black and white, but they are beautiful, creative, and unforgettable.  Page by Paige is a must read!

How I Made It to Eighteen: A Mostly True Story by Tracy White

Summary (From Goodreads): How do you know if you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown?  For seventeen-year-old Stacy Black, it all begins with the smashing of a window. After putting her fist through the glass, she checks into a mental hospital.  Stacy hates it there but despite herself slowly realizes she has to face the reasons for her depression to stop from self-destructing.  Based on the author’s experiences, How I Made it to Eighteen is a frank portrait of what it’s like to struggle with self-esteem, body image issues, drug addiction, and anxiety.

Flash Review: I suppose I enjoy memoirs more than I realized, because Tracy White’s graphic novel is based on her life, hence the character’s name, Stacy Black.  She admits that much is changed for the sake of the story and her friends and family, but she suffered much like Stacy.  Too many of my students, and teens in general, deal with low self-esteem, body image issues, addictions, depression, etc.  Many times all of those issues are connected.  Tracy White’s images are very simple in design, but they are clear and convey an important message.  Stacy is suffering and doesn’t really know how to help herself.  The readers gain insight to her life through testimonials from her friends, both past and current.  This story is mature in theme.  Considering the content, I think readers who enjoy Ellen Hopkins’ novels will enjoy

Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

26 Dec

Megan Miranda Fracture

272 pp.  Walker & Company

Release Date: January 17th, 2012

Interest: 2012 Debut Author Challenge

Source: ARC received at NCTE

Summary (From Goodreads): Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she’s reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy’s motives aren’t quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

I was instantly hooked when I started reading Fracture.  The premise is refreshing and the opening is suspenseful.  I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to Delaney as she told us about her experience with death.  Watching Delaney struggle to awake from her coma was engrossing and intriguing.  These pieces really carried me into the story and kept me reading.

As I read farther into the book, I became aware of some holes in the story and areas that needed more attention.  Even some of the plot points didn’t seem necessary.  Delaney’s attraction to those that are dying is certainly interesting, and I was even more interested when she met Troy who shares the same ability.  Unfortunately, this relationship didn’t flesh out the way it needed to.  Troy often appears to be an angel of death of sorts, but it’s never fully explained.  Is he gaining something from these deaths?  Is Delaney helping him or can she help these people?  She tries to turn this around, but that part of the story isn’t explored as much as it could be.  What’s the point of Delaney’s brain working this way?  If these elements were more of a focus, Fracture would be a 4 or 5 star novel instead of a 3 star novel.

There’s an awful lot of focus on Delaney’s parents and friends that didn’t seem important.  Delaney’s mother fears that if she doesn’t keep a close eye on Delaney, she could lose her again.  This fear connects to a bad relationship Delaney’s mother had with her parents.  I suppose this could play an interesting role in the story, but it mostly felt like a distraction from the story.  Decker is Delaney’s friend, and also a boy that she’s felt a connection to for some time.  After Delaney’s accident, it becomes an angsty relationship because Decker is full of regret that he didn’t rescue her sooner.  He’s also upset that Delaney kissed their friend prior to the accident.  Again, this element of the story felt like a distraction.  I understand that it ties in with Delaney’s life and her guilt, but why is it important to the story?  She doesn’t want to tell Decker about her ability, and their relationship grows more strained with Troy’s addition to Delaney’s life, but if this is an important part of the story then it needs more attention.  These are all elements with potential to make a great novel, but they’re all elements that need fleshing out.

A number of my students have requested this title after I showed them the book trailer.  I’ll bring my ARC in after Christmas break, and I look forward to their reviews.  I often feel that after reading so many YA novels, I’ve become much more critical of them.  I don’t think this is a bad thing, but it does sometimes make it difficult to book talk a title.  I’m honest with my students, as I will be about Fracture, because it both intrigues students and prompts great discussion.

I’ve read a number of reviews like my own and many rave reviews as well.  Fracture is an entertaining read, it just left me with multiple questions without any answers.

Some positive reviews of Fracture:
My Overstuffed Bookshelf
The Reader Room

Students Want to Know: Helen Landalf

5 Dec

I’m excited to post this interview between my students and debut author Helen Landalf.  I really want to read her novel Flyaway, but I didn’t see it at NCTE so it looks like my students and I have to wait until it releases on December 19th.  I love a good contemporary novel and this one sounds like a great addition to the genre!

Summary of Flyaway (From Goodreads): Fifteen-year-old Stevie Calhoun is used to taking care of herself. But one night, her mom, who works as an exotic dancer in a downtown Seattle nightclub, never comes home.

That’s the night Stevie’s life turns upside down.

It’s the night that kicks off an extraordinary summer: the summer Stevie has to stay with her annoyingly perfect Aunt Mindy; the summer she learns to care for injured and abandoned birds; the summer she gets to know Alan, the meanest guy in high school.

But most of all, it’s the summer she finds out the truth about Mom.

FLYAWAY is the story of a teen girl’s struggle to hold on to what she’s always believed, even as her world spins out of control.

** Flyaway releases from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on December 19th, 2011 **
** Follow Helen on Twitter @helenlandalf **
** Helen’s Website **

Ariana:

  • How long did it take you to write this book?  Did it take a lot of attempts to write it?
    It took me about a year to write the first draft. Then I rewrote it completely two or three times and revised it several more times – a total of six times before I submitted it to an agent. Then my agent helped me revise it two more times. Then, once it sold to a publishing house, my editor had me revise it yet again. So it took about ten attempts over five years to get to the version that will end up on bookshelves later this month.

McKenzie:

  • Why did you become a writer?
    As a kid, I loved to read. I also loved to tell stories – I used to get all the kids in the neighborhood together and tell them ghost stories. That love of reading and telling stories stuck with me, and it just flowed naturally into my becoming a writer.

Breanna:

  • How many books do you want to write?
    That’s easy: as many as I can before I die! I’m not a fast writer, but hopefully I can get in another twenty or thirty books before I finally kick the bucket.
  • Why does Stevie take care of birds?  Is there a story or reason behind this?
    I knew I wanted to write a novel about a girl who remained loyal to her mom, in spite of the fact that her mom didn’t deserve that loyalty. I had also decided that the girl’s mom would be a drug addict. Still, I knew I needed something else to make the story complete. Then one day, as I was walking down the street, thinking about my book, I noticed a baby bird lying on the sidewalk. It had no feathers, and it looked so vulnerable and helpless. I decided right then that injured and orphaned birds would be a perfect metaphor for Stevie’s plight.

Megan:

  • How did it feel when you found out your book was going to be published?
    It was a dream come true! I laughed and cried and screamed and danced and generally acted like a crazy woman.

Heather:

  • If you were stranded on an island and could only take one book with you, what would it be?
    I think I would take a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poetry. Reading the same story over and over would get boring, but I never fail to be inspired by poems.

Kelsee:

  • Is this story personal or did you make it up?
    I made it up, but certain elements of it are based on the experiences of people I know. In some form or another, writers always end up writing about their own lives.

Flash Reviews (8)

2 Dec

Don’t Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough

Summary (From  Goodreads): Delaney Collins doesn’t believe in fairy tales. And why should she? Her mom is dead, her best friend is across the country, and she’s stuck in California with “Dr. Hank,” her famous life-coach father—a man she barely knows. Happily ever after? Yeah, right.

Then Dr. Hank tells her an outrageous secret: he’s a fairy godmother—an f.g.—and he can prove it. And by the way? The f.g. gene is hereditary. Meaning there’s a good chance that New Jersey tough girl Delaney is someone’s fairy godmother.

But what happens when a fairy godmother needs a wish of her own?

Flash Review:  Kathy McCullough has written an absolutely adorable MG/YA debut novel.  Delaney is tough on the outside, but she’s actually really sweet deep down.  Her witty sarcasm and sense of humor had me giggling and smiling the entire time I read this novel.  She and her father have a strained relationship, most of which results from Delaney not knowing that her dad is an f.g. I love that Dr. Hank is a fairy godmother, because I’m sure most of us wouldn’t expect a man to hold that title.  It increased the amount of humor in the novel while also keeping the story sweet and heartwarming.  Delaney doesn’t know about the ins and outs of being a fairy godmother, so she needs to learn to trust and rely on her dad to learn the ropes.  I definitely recommend reading Don’t Expect Magic.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Summary (From Goodreads): This is an extraordinarily moving novel about coming to terms with loss. The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming. . . .

This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.

Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final story idea of Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. Darkly mischievous and painfully funny, A Monster Calls is an extraordinarily moving novel about coming to terms with loss from two of our finest writers for young adults.

Flash Review:  A Monster Calls took my breath away.  The writing, the story, and the illustrations are stunning.  Conor is dealing with his mother’s illness and has been suffering from nightmares.  One night after the recurring nightmare, the monster shows up and wants Conor to give him the truth.  The monster helps Conor understand what truth he’s looking for through stories.  These stories are intended for Conor to come to a realization and give the monster what it’s looking for, even if Conor doesn’t understand this at the beginning.  I was completely engrossed in this novel.  My dad is a cancer survivor, so I was able to empathize with Conor.  My personal connection may be why I adore this novel so much, but I can’t imagine someone not being moved by A Monster Calls.   When I finished this novel I was speechless and bawled like a baby.

 

Thank you for the Flash Reviews idea, GreenBeanTeenQueen

Review: How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

8 Nov

Sara Zarr How to Save a Life

341 pp.  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release: October 2011

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads): Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she’s been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends–everyone who wants to support her. You can’t lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that’s exactly what it feels like she’s trying to do. And that’s decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family?

Mandy Kalinowski knows what it’s like to grow up unwanted–to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too?

Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about what it means to be a family and the many roads we can take to become one.

Prepare for gushing because this novel is beautiful and amazing.  I’ve been a fan of Sara Zarr since a family friend gave me a copy of Story of a Girl as a college graduation present.  Story of a Girl has remained my favorite up until now.  How to Save a Life is such a strong novel and very different from Zarr’s other novels.

All of Zarr’s novels are strong in story and characters, but there’s a different feel to How to Save a Life.  I finished reading it thinking, “Wow.  This is her stand out, best book yet.”  The two point of views are seamless, dynamic and natural.  I could picture Jill and Mandy perfectly, but I could also picture her mom, Dylan and Ravi with ease as well.  I finished this yesterday and I’m still thinking about Jill and Mandy; I connected with them on such an emotional level.  Mandy is naive and often socially awkward; I often felt awkward for her, especially at the beginning.  She is also understanding, compassionate, and true.  Jill is grief-stricken and sometimes harsh, but she wants to open up and be a new, friendlier Jill.  I couldn’t help but fall for these girls.  So often I was willing them to communicate with one another and with the people around them.  Watching them develop a friendship and begin to trust others was one of the best parts of the novel.  Sara Zarr really did a fantastic job writing these characters.

The story itself is beautifully layered and more than just a story about a girl giving her baby up for adoption.  This is a story about the many ways of dealing with grief.  Jill has isolated herself.  Her friends aren’t easy to get back, her relationship with her boyfriend is strained, and she doesn’t know how to connect with her mother.  The relationship between Jill and her mother, Robin, is believable.  Sometimes these relationships are exaggerated in novels, but I never felt like either of their interactions or reactions were over the top or unbelievable.  And this is a side note, but even though I’ve never met Sara Zarr, I kept picturing her as I read Robin.  Maybe that’s weird, but I did.  Mandy is of course battling the conflicting emotions involved with giving up her baby.  This conflict is made deeper because of her own need for a mother.  Mandy’s mother is absent, cold and simply not what a mother should be.  She’s still connected to her and often recites her advice, but her need for someone like Robin is obvious.  Mandy broke my heart more than once.  I love a book like How to Save a Life because I can offer it to more students considering the rich layers.  I can hand this to a student looking for a book about teen pregnancy, grief, strained relationships with mothers, losing a parent, finding ways to trust again, and I could go on.

Sara Zarr has written a phenomenal book.  I absolutely loved it, and of course that means I’m struggling to write the review.  I hope I’ve found the right words to express the awesome that is this novel.  How to Save a Life is an emotional novel that will warm your heart.

Students Want to Know: Jessica Martinez

18 Oct

Have you had an opportunity to read an advanced copy of Virtuosity?  If not, then read this interview with the debut author, Jessica Martinez, and then hurry off to your local bookstore or library and get a copy to read :) (I swear I’m not trying to be pushy.)  I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of Jessica’s book and I LOVED it.  I was hooked from the opening pages to the very end.  (Read my review here)

A couple of the girls in my YA Lit class volunteered to read Virtuosity and then come up with interview questions for Jessica.  Both girls really enjoyed this wonderful debut.

Summary of Virtuosity (From Goodreads): Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen’s whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn’t just hot…what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can’t end well, but she just can’t stay away. Nobody else understands her–and riles her up–like he does. Still, she can’t trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what’s expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall….

** Jessica’s Website (There’s even a section where you can listen to her play the violin!) **
** Follow Jessica on Twitter: @jlmarti1 **
** Other rave reviews: Pure Imagination, Chick Loves Lit **

Sara C:

  • How did you come up with the title?
    The word really just popped into my head, and I knew it was the right one immediately.  A virtuoso is a musician whose talent and skill puts them above the rest.  That’s definitely Carmen.  But also, virtue refers to high moral character.  That’s something Carmen has to grapple with and choose.
  • Why did you have Carmen kick her Inderal so early in the story?
    Carmen decides to kick the Inderal habit early in the story, but she continues to struggle with that need throughout the novel.  It was important to me not to minimize how hard it would be for her to overcome that kind of addiction.  I introduced that battle early so the reader will travel the road with her, and not just see her easily decide to stop medicating at the end.
  • In your mind, does Carmen choose to go to Julliard?
    I can’t tell you!  I want to, I really do, but I’m not letting myself.  And no, there isn’t a sequel to explain it.  I left it open for the reader to decide, not because it’s some riddle or trick, but because everybody comes to the novel with different life experiences and will learn different things from it.  Those two things together will determine Carmen’s future, so that’s going to be different for every single one of my readers.  But yeah, in my mind, I do know exactly what Carmen chooses.
  • Was it hard making Diana so harsh?
    What’s funny is that I don’t think she’s nearly as harsh as my readers do!  I actually really empathize with Diana.  I feel like she’s lost so much and she really does love Carmen.  Maybe the fact that I actually love her is one of the reasons that Diana comes across as real.  If I had set out to create an evil villain, she may have become more of a caricature than a real person.   

 Courtney:

  • Is the Guarneri competition a real thing?
    It isn’t, but there are similar career-making competitions in the violin world.  The Tchaikovsky Competition is a good example of an international one. 
  • How do you know so much about the classical music industry? Did you research it? Or just making assumptions?
    No research, no assumptions.  I kind of lived it.  I started playing the violin when I was three years old and gave most of my childhood to it.  I did high school partially by correspondence because I had a competition season.  Virtuosity isn’t autobiographical (sadly, there is no Jeremy in my violin past) but my knowledge of that world is from experience.  I know what it’s like to perform with a symphony, and botch a performance, and nearly die of stage fright.  I knew teenagers and adults who took beta blockers to perform, and knew plenty of mothers like Diana (but my own mother is lovely!).  Oh, and I had teachers much meaner and crazier than Yuri.  I’m not kidding. 
  • Do you enjoy classical music, yourself?
    I love it to death, but I listen to popular music all the time too.  Actually, there are very few music genres I don’t love.
  • What inspired you to write Virtuosity?
    I wrote Virtuosity partly because of my own experience as a child musician, and partly just because I have this need to express myself artistically that won’t go away.  Whether it’s making music, or writing books, or baking cupcakes, I feel an impulse to create almost daily.  I’ve just finished editing my second novel and am well in to my third for this very reason.  I don’t want to sit still, to stop trying to create beauty.  At times it’s gratifying, and other times it’s frustrating, but having a finished product that I’m proud of makes pushing through the difficult parts worth it.

Flash Reviews (6)

8 Oct

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles
Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks—whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a southsider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

Flash Review:  I’m a big fan of the Perfect Chemistry trilogy and the Fuentes brothers.  The stories are predictable, but the characters are engaging, the plots move quickly, and the relationships are exciting.  Luis is quite different from his brothers in the sense that he tries to avoid violence and the gang life, which was a nice change of pace from the other two books.  I would have enjoyed Chain Reaction more, however, if it would have been more of its own novel.  What I mean by that is Luis’s story was a mixture of Alex’s story and Carlos’ story.  Just like Alex, Luis and Nikki have chemistry together.  Very much like Carlos, Luis falls for a girl that’s tough around the edges and wary of him.  I felt like I was reading both Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction.  Luis was confronted with many of the same conflicts that his brothers were in their novels.  The story does become , but it’s not until later in the book.  I did enjoy reading it, it just wasn’t a 4 or 5 star novel like the other two.

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): In the world of Sheridan Wells, life is perfect when she’s decorating a cake. Unfortunately everything else is a complete mess: her mom ran off years ago, her dad is more interested in his restaurant, and the idea of a boyfriend is laughable.

But Sheridan is convinced finding her mom will solve all her problems – only her dad’s about to get a cooking show in New York, which means her dream of a perfect family will be dashed.

Using just the right amount of romance, family drama, and cute boys, The Sweetest Thing will entice fans with its perfect mixture of girl-friendly ingredients.

Flash Review: I need to say first that The Sweetest Thing had me going through all sorts of cravings.  Sheridan is an absolute perfectionist about her cakes, so her descriptions were quite detailed which made my mouth water more times than not.  Christina Mandelski has written a novel that girls who like novels by Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti will enjoy.  Sheridan is a character that a variety of readers can relate to, whether they aspire to be a baker, feel like an outsider, lack a relationship with their mother, or simply want to read a novel and empathize with a character.  While I enjoyed Mandelski’s debut, I did at times find myself irritated with Sheridan.  She is so stubborn about connecting with her mother and not cooperating with her father or friends.  It makes for a layered conflict, but it could have been resolved sooner without hurting the novel.  Still, Sheridan is a character that girls can learn from.  My girls in book club chose this as our first novel, and I’m really looking forward to discussing it with them this week.

 

Thank you for the Flash Reviews idea, GreenBeanTeenQueen :)

Flash Reviews (4)

31 Aug

I can’t believe the school year is starting again already!  I need to have these books in my classroom when the kids start, so I’m writing a few quick reviews so I don’t have the books piling up at home waiting for a review.  Post idea from GreenBeanTeenQueen :)

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): From Jessi Kirby, a debut novel about confronting the past in order to move ahead.

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I’ve thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna’s life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It’s bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean’s tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna’s mother’s death- stays buried forever.

Flash Review: I read some mixed reviews for this one, but I wanted to read it anyway, especially after my mom read it and told me how much she liked it.  The blurb from Sarah Dessen helped too.  I ended up really enjoying Moonglass.  It’s a wonderful summer read, full of beaches, lifeguards, etc.  Don’t let the beach atmosphere fool you.  Yes there’s a budding romance, but Anna is really struggling with the memory of her mother’s death.  This challenges her relationship with her father and her ability to grow as a person.  It’s an emotional read that I didn’t want to put down. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
Source: Received through Donors Choose fundraiser

Summary (From Goodreads):

Tennyson:
Don’t get me started on the Bruiser. He was voted “Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty” by the entire school. He’s the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about. So why is my sister, Brontë, dating him? One of these days she’s going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it’s not going to end well.

Brontë:
My brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way—no right to threaten him. There’s a reason why Brewster can’t have friends—why he can’t care about too many people. Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can’t be explained. I know, because they’re happening to me.

Award-winning author Neal Shusterman has crafted a chilling and unforgettable novel about the power of unconditional friendship, the complex gear workings of a family, and the sacrifices we endure for the people we love.

Flash Review: Neal Shusterman is an incredible author.  I loved Unwind and couldn’t wait to get my hands on Bruiser.  I wasn’t sure what to expect at first because I thought this would be written from Brew’s point of view, but it’s told from multiple perspectives.  I really liked that because it’s always interesting to see how the characters feel and what they’re seeing.  It also moved the story along faster.  I enjoyed Brontë, but Tennyson and Brew were my favorite perspectives to read.  Tennyson is a layered, dynamic character.  Brew is complex and empathetic.  His point of view is told in verse which really fits his character.  I can’t wait to introduce this novel to my students because I know both guys and girls will enjoy it.  I gave this 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz
Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads):

Annaleah and Brian shared something special – Annaleah is sure of it. When they were together, they didn’t need anyone else. It didn’t matter that their relationship was secret. All that mattered was what they had with each other.

And then, out of nowhere, Brian dies. And while everyone else has their role in the grieving process, Annaleah finds herself living outside of it, unacknowledged and lonely. How can you recover from a loss that no one will let you have?

Flash Review: I was immediately taken in by Annaleah’s story and her feelings for Brian and his death.  This story is a little different because Annaleah is grieving for Brian, but she’s grieving alone since no one knew about their relationship.  I can’t imagine being in her situation.  Not only is she trying to understand his death, but she has all kinds of questions about their relationship, if she can even call it that.  We follow Annaleah into a pretty deep depression, and even though this makes me feel cold to say this, it really irritated me.  She isolated herself while she was with Brian, but she’s not really alone; she has friends and family reaching out to her.  This is something that Annaleah grapples with herself, but that point in the book really dragged for me.  I thought about putting it down, but I didn’t and ended up being happy that I stuck with her.  The verse isn’t as impressive as Lisa Schroeder’s or Kimberly Marcus’s, but it’s still enjoyable and easy to read.  I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

22 Aug

Jessica Martinez Virtuosity

304 pp.  Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster )  2011  ISBN: 978-1-4424-2052-6

Interest: 2011 Debut Author

Release Date: October 18, 2011

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From the publisher’s website): Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen’s whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn’t just hot…what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can’t end well, but she just can’t stay away. Nobody else understands her–and riles her up–like he does. Still, she can’t trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what’s expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall….

I’ve read some pretty good books this summer, but Virtuosity is one of the few that I read in one sitting.  The book begins near the end of the story and it had me hooked because Carmen appears to be at a crossroads in her musical career.  From there we transition to the present and Carmen isn’t stalking, or so she says, her competition.  Paralleling these two very different, but very intriguing scenes piqued my interest and didn’t let me go.

Carmen is a phenomenal violinist who has records out and has even won a Grammy.  Now she’s preparing for a very prestigious competition, but she’s worried that Jeremy is better.  This is probably my ignorance, but I kept thinking, Carmen, you won a Grammy! You’re obviously awesome, so don’t worry about Jeremy so much.  I’m guessing if Carmen was a real person and knew I was thinking that, she’d probably scoff at my ignorance and be really annoyed with me.  The kicker is that Carmen isn’t only feeling the pressure from herself, but she’s feeling the heat from her teacher and her mother.  She’s become a jumble of nerves and is relying too heavily on her anti-anxiety drugs to calm her down so she can be a better performer.

Like I said, the anxiety and pressure Carmen’s feeling stems quite a bit from her mother.  Her mother is her manager, and Carmen doesn’t even call her mom; she’s called by her first name, Diana.  Obviously, there are some serious mother-daughter issues in this book.  They are layered and twist in an excellent element to the plot.  Diana is written so well that she was making me anxious.  I kept feeling this urge to yell at her to back off and give Carmen some room to breathe.

Another relationship that really made the story come to life is Carmen’s relationship with Jeremy.  In some ways it reminded me of Adam and Mia’s relationship from If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman.  It isn’t nearly as steamy and angsty, but I don’t think it’s meant to be.  Virtuosity focuses more on Carmen finding herself and whether she truly enjoys the violin anymore.  It’s more about her recognizing her strengths and weaknesses and the true colors of those around her.  I enjoyed their relationship because it made for an interesting twist in their rivalry and focus.

This is an early review, but Virtuosity is an awesome book that deserves some glowing, early buzz.  I hope you’ll remember to pick it up in October or pre-order it now.  Jessica Martinez is an author to watch; I’m already looking forward to her second book when her first hasn’t even officially released.

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