Author: Judy Blume
Year: 1977
Genre: Novel/Romance
Reading Level: Young Adult
Plot Summary: Katherine meets Michael at a New Year's Eve party and the sparks start to fly. Basically they start dating and then they have sex and have sex a whole lot more and plan to be together forever (hence the title). Unfortunately then Kath goes to a tennis camp for the summer and realizes maybe she doesn't want to be with Michael forever. The end.
Red Flags: Lots of detailed sex. Strong language. People smoking "grass." Teen drinking. Oh did I mention all the sex?
My Rating: B-. I'm having a hard time rating this book. Judy Blume is known for her frank depictions of teenage life, but this was not my teenage life at all. So in that way, it doesn't appeal to me and I don't relate to it at all. Other people may feel differently. As for the writing, I think it was all right, but not her best. And I have to wonder: at what point is detail *too* much detail?
Showing posts with label novels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label novels. Show all posts
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Ophelia
Author: Lisa Klein
Year: 2006
Genre: Novel
Reading Level: Young Adult
Plot Summary: This retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet focuses on Ophelia and her doomed romance with Hamlet. The story traces Ophelia's rambunctious childhood to her education and development at court and finally intersects with the events of Hamlet. Readers expecting the story to end with Ophelia's suicide will be surprised. Told from her own perspective, Ophelia offers a fresh take on a very familiar tale.
Red Flags: Character deaths, political intrigues, some men of a forceful persuasion
My Rating: B+. This is a good book. Klein is a good writer and her characters are fleshed out and interesting. I only have a few problems with this book. First, in an effort to make Ophelia a strong female character, Klein kind of turned her into a cliche. She's bookish! She's educated! She speaks her mind! Also, the romance element was not as strong as I expected. Besides a few scenes together there wasn't much interaction with Hamlet and Ophelia. Also, she spends half of the book thinking he never loved her, but hello, he totally did. Second, the last third of the book--SPOILER!--takes place at a French convent and it just seemed rather irrelevant. Or maybe that was just me. Third, I forget. Anyway, I liked it. It just got long and a little boring towards the end.
Year: 2006
Genre: Novel
Reading Level: Young Adult
Plot Summary: This retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet focuses on Ophelia and her doomed romance with Hamlet. The story traces Ophelia's rambunctious childhood to her education and development at court and finally intersects with the events of Hamlet. Readers expecting the story to end with Ophelia's suicide will be surprised. Told from her own perspective, Ophelia offers a fresh take on a very familiar tale.
Red Flags: Character deaths, political intrigues, some men of a forceful persuasion
My Rating: B+. This is a good book. Klein is a good writer and her characters are fleshed out and interesting. I only have a few problems with this book. First, in an effort to make Ophelia a strong female character, Klein kind of turned her into a cliche. She's bookish! She's educated! She speaks her mind! Also, the romance element was not as strong as I expected. Besides a few scenes together there wasn't much interaction with Hamlet and Ophelia. Also, she spends half of the book thinking he never loved her, but hello, he totally did. Second, the last third of the book--SPOILER!--takes place at a French convent and it just seemed rather irrelevant. Or maybe that was just me. Third, I forget. Anyway, I liked it. It just got long and a little boring towards the end.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The Outsiders
Author: S.E. Hinton
Year: 1967
Genre: novel/realistic fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Plot Summary: Fourteen-year-old Ponyboy Curtis lives with his older brothers after their parents' deaths, the youngest member of the gang they've formed with their closest friends. Though their lives are rough and tumble, Ponyboy and his friend Johnny try to defy their hoodlum stereotype. After a violent encounter with a rival gang, however, Ponyboy and Johnny struggle to adjust to the drama and tragedy that follows.
Red Flags: teen drinking and smoking, some violence, character deaths
Movie Version: The Outsiders
My Rating: A-. I didn't love it, but I think it was a good book. It's just not really my genre or a time period that interests me. Besides that, though, the writing was solid and the characters rang true. The story was a little slow moving, but not to the point of frustration.
Year: 1967
Genre: novel/realistic fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Plot Summary: Fourteen-year-old Ponyboy Curtis lives with his older brothers after their parents' deaths, the youngest member of the gang they've formed with their closest friends. Though their lives are rough and tumble, Ponyboy and his friend Johnny try to defy their hoodlum stereotype. After a violent encounter with a rival gang, however, Ponyboy and Johnny struggle to adjust to the drama and tragedy that follows.
Red Flags: teen drinking and smoking, some violence, character deaths
Movie Version: The Outsiders
My Rating: A-. I didn't love it, but I think it was a good book. It's just not really my genre or a time period that interests me. Besides that, though, the writing was solid and the characters rang true. The story was a little slow moving, but not to the point of frustration.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Author: Ann Brashares
Year: 2001
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel
Series: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Plot Summary: Four best friends, Lena, Bridget, Tibby and Carmen, are 15 and facing their first summer apart. The day before they separate they realize a pair of thrift-store jeans magically fit all of them perfectly. They go their separate ways to face their own trials over the summer, some with more success than others. Through it all, however, the Pants are shared and sent from one friend to another until they come together again.
Red Flags: Some mild language and mild sexual situations
Movie Version: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
My Rating: A. Good grief, this book sucked me like a Twilight book (sadly, no brain-breaking Jacobs involved). Maybe I liked it better because I had Gossip Girl to contrast it with, but I really, really liked this book. The girls had real personalities and read like actual people that could exist in real life. The adventures weren't too overblown or overdramatic, and the writing was good! Now, quick, give me the next one!
Year: 2001
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel
Series: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Plot Summary: Four best friends, Lena, Bridget, Tibby and Carmen, are 15 and facing their first summer apart. The day before they separate they realize a pair of thrift-store jeans magically fit all of them perfectly. They go their separate ways to face their own trials over the summer, some with more success than others. Through it all, however, the Pants are shared and sent from one friend to another until they come together again.
Red Flags: Some mild language and mild sexual situations
Movie Version: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
My Rating: A. Good grief, this book sucked me like a Twilight book (sadly, no brain-breaking Jacobs involved). Maybe I liked it better because I had Gossip Girl to contrast it with, but I really, really liked this book. The girls had real personalities and read like actual people that could exist in real life. The adventures weren't too overblown or overdramatic, and the writing was good! Now, quick, give me the next one!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Gossip Girl
Author: Cecily Von Ziegesar
Year: 2002
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel
Series: Gossip Girl
Plot Summary: Serena van der Woodsen used to be the queen of Constance Billard School until she left for a year of boarding school. She comes back to find that her former best friend, Blair Waldorf, has gotten used to having the spotlight. Nasty rumors start spreading about Serena's time away and she soon finds herself an outcast and looking for new friends. Much teen drama ensues.
Red Flags: Um, a lot. Of every kind. It seems like you'd at least have to be voting age to read this book. But to be more specific, there is plentiful strong language, teenage drinking, drug use and and sex a'plenty. There's also some bulemia on the side.
My Rating: D
Um, this book is a pile of crap. (Sorry, Mom) No, seriously, I can't believe teenage girls are reading this. I can see college girls enjoying it for the ridiculousness of it, but for really reading it and wanting to get into that world? That's kind of unbelievable.
Year: 2002
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel
Series: Gossip Girl
Plot Summary: Serena van der Woodsen used to be the queen of Constance Billard School until she left for a year of boarding school. She comes back to find that her former best friend, Blair Waldorf, has gotten used to having the spotlight. Nasty rumors start spreading about Serena's time away and she soon finds herself an outcast and looking for new friends. Much teen drama ensues.
Red Flags: Um, a lot. Of every kind. It seems like you'd at least have to be voting age to read this book. But to be more specific, there is plentiful strong language, teenage drinking, drug use and and sex a'plenty. There's also some bulemia on the side.
My Rating: D
Um, this book is a pile of crap. (Sorry, Mom) No, seriously, I can't believe teenage girls are reading this. I can see college girls enjoying it for the ridiculousness of it, but for really reading it and wanting to get into that world? That's kind of unbelievable.
Jinx
Author: Meg Cabot
Year: 2007
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel/Fantasy
Plot Summary: Hoping to escape her perpetual bad luck, Jean Honeychurch (aka Jinx) moves from a small town in Iowa to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle in New York City. There she finds that her formerly friendly cousin, Tory, has turned into a surly teenager with a lot of attitude and a belief that she's a witch. When Jinx seems to be getting everything Tory wants, Tory does her best to make Jinx's life miserable, including bringing her past back to haunt her.
Red Flags: Some strong language, teenage partying, witchcraft
My Rating: B-
I expected this book to just be the standard teen drama novel, and then was really surprised when the witchcraft angle came in. It was kind of weird how it was presented, like witchcraft is a beautiful thing and all about being in harmony with nature. Not that I don't like nature or being harmony with it, but it was just kind of strange. The writing was all right, nothing spectacular, and the characters were all pretty standard. Also, Jinx was unbelievably dense when it came to her boy situation.
Year: 2007
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel/Fantasy
Plot Summary: Hoping to escape her perpetual bad luck, Jean Honeychurch (aka Jinx) moves from a small town in Iowa to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle in New York City. There she finds that her formerly friendly cousin, Tory, has turned into a surly teenager with a lot of attitude and a belief that she's a witch. When Jinx seems to be getting everything Tory wants, Tory does her best to make Jinx's life miserable, including bringing her past back to haunt her.
Red Flags: Some strong language, teenage partying, witchcraft
My Rating: B-
I expected this book to just be the standard teen drama novel, and then was really surprised when the witchcraft angle came in. It was kind of weird how it was presented, like witchcraft is a beautiful thing and all about being in harmony with nature. Not that I don't like nature or being harmony with it, but it was just kind of strange. The writing was all right, nothing spectacular, and the characters were all pretty standard. Also, Jinx was unbelievably dense when it came to her boy situation.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
An Abundance of Katherines
Author: John Green
Year: 2006
Age Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel
Plot Summary: Colin Singleton is a "washed-up child prodigy" who has just been dumped by a Katherine for the nineteenth time. In an effort to distract him, Colin's best friend, Hassan, instigates a roadtrip adventure. It's not long before the two find themselves in Gutshot, Tennessee, looking for the grave of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and making friends with the locals. Colin and Hassan take up residence in a pink mansion and experience all the drama and teenage antics Gutshot have to offer, while Colin tries to explain his dumping-by-Katherines history with mathematics.
Red Flags: Language, some sexual content, some math talk
My Rating: B+
I'm lukewarm about a lot of this book. The story and setting is fun enough, and some of the characters are interesting. I guess I just don't relate to it much because this was nothing like my teenage experience, and the book seems like it's supposed to reflect the average teenager. Anyway. I did really like Colin by the end of it though, and the whole resolution of the story was pretty satisfying, if predictable.
Year: 2006
Age Level: Young Adult
Genre: Novel
Plot Summary: Colin Singleton is a "washed-up child prodigy" who has just been dumped by a Katherine for the nineteenth time. In an effort to distract him, Colin's best friend, Hassan, instigates a roadtrip adventure. It's not long before the two find themselves in Gutshot, Tennessee, looking for the grave of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and making friends with the locals. Colin and Hassan take up residence in a pink mansion and experience all the drama and teenage antics Gutshot have to offer, while Colin tries to explain his dumping-by-Katherines history with mathematics.
Red Flags: Language, some sexual content, some math talk
My Rating: B+
I'm lukewarm about a lot of this book. The story and setting is fun enough, and some of the characters are interesting. I guess I just don't relate to it much because this was nothing like my teenage experience, and the book seems like it's supposed to reflect the average teenager. Anyway. I did really like Colin by the end of it though, and the whole resolution of the story was pretty satisfying, if predictable.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Because of Winn-Dixie
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Year: 2000
Age Level: Intermediate
Genre: Novel
Plot Summary: India Opal Buloni is ten years old when she moves with her preacher father to Naomi, Florida. Struggling to find friends and interact with her father, she chances to meet a large, smelly dog in the grocery store. The two form an instant bond, and she adopts the dog after naming him Winn-Dixie. Together with Winn-Dixie, India Opal Buloni finds true friends, comes to terms with her mother's absence and finally reconnects with her father.
Award/s: Newbery winner
Movie version/s: Because of Winn-Dixie
My rating: A
I liked this book more than I expected to. I liked that the kids acted like kids, but it still had a serious edge and genuine emotions. It was a little bit cozy but still realistic. DiCamillo has a really nice writing style.
Year: 2000
Age Level: Intermediate
Genre: Novel
Plot Summary: India Opal Buloni is ten years old when she moves with her preacher father to Naomi, Florida. Struggling to find friends and interact with her father, she chances to meet a large, smelly dog in the grocery store. The two form an instant bond, and she adopts the dog after naming him Winn-Dixie. Together with Winn-Dixie, India Opal Buloni finds true friends, comes to terms with her mother's absence and finally reconnects with her father.
Award/s: Newbery winner
Movie version/s: Because of Winn-Dixie
My rating: A
I liked this book more than I expected to. I liked that the kids acted like kids, but it still had a serious edge and genuine emotions. It was a little bit cozy but still realistic. DiCamillo has a really nice writing style.
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