Devilish by Maureen Johnson

Johnson, Mauree. Devilish. Penguin/Razorbill, 2006. 288 pages. ISBN-10: 1595140603. ISBN-13: 978-1595140609.

Plot:

Ally is one of the few things that makes St. Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls bearable for Jane. They have been best friends for years, even though they couldn’t be more different. Jane is sarcastic, non-conformist, and outspoken. Ally is shy, spastic and obsessed with the school’s events and traditions, especially that of getting a good “little sister” at the school’s annual ceremony. At the ceremony, Ally vomits front of the school and humiliates herself, but still ends up with a little sister after a mysterious new student, Lanalee, offers to pair up with her. When Ally starts acting weird, Jane soon figures out that there is something going on with her and Lanalee. It turns out that Lanalee is a demon and Ally has sold her soul for popularity. Jane offers to take Ally’s place, hoping that she can make a deal with Lanalee that will save both of them. Her decision puts into motion a series of events that will rock their school and possibly end up with Jane losing her soul in the process.

Critical Evaluation:

Devilish’s cover and premise are misleading. Upon seeing the book, a person might think that this would be another substanceless teen chick book. If they were to pass it over because of this, they would be missing out on a quick, thrilling, and intelligent read. Johnson presents an interesting twist on legend of Faust. The emissary of the devil is in the body of a teenage girl, the ambition is that of poise and popularity, and the setting is high school. What better set up could there be for that kind of bargain? Johnson’s writing is snappy and clever. Jane is a humorous and sarcastic narrator. Setting her up as narrator rather than Ally was a smart choice.

One of the most refreshing aspects of the story is Jane’s skepticism. Many novels, young adult and otherwise, contain an unrealistic level of acceptance in their characters when presenting fantastical elements. The characters are rarely shocked or disbelieving when encountering creatures that supposedly don’t exist. When Jane is confronted with the idea that her best friend has sold her soul to the devil, she assumes that Lanalee is simply manipulating Ally. Even after several unusual things happen directly to Jane, she still refuses to believe. It’s only after she has reached the point that she can no longer deny what’s happening that she begins to reluctantly accept it. Throughout all of this, though, her devotion to Ally is admirable. Even as their relationship becomes more strained and Ally betrays her, Jane is still determined to save her. This book is a wonderful example of the powerful friendships that can develop between teenage girls and one that readers will enjoy.

Reader's Annotation:

When Jane's best friend sells her soul to the devil in exchange for popularity, Jane must figure out how to save her before it's too late.

Author Information:

Maureen Johnson was born February 16, 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though not Catholic, she attended a Catholic Prep school for girls. She enjoyed high school and made several great friends while there. She used this experience as inspiration for her book Devilish. She then attended the University of Delaware to study Writing and went on to study Theatrical Dramaturgy and Writing at Columbia University. While there she worked several jobs to pay for her schooling, including working in a Las Vegas show, as an employee of a haunted house themed restaurant, and as a fake employee of a company to increase its employee numbers. She currently lives in New York and frequently travels to the UK, including time spent in Scotland on a writing fellowship.

Her first novel was published in 2004. She has since published 6 other novels, 2 compilations, and has 2 more novels set to be published in 2011. Though most of her books are not frequently challenged, her novel The Bermudez Triangle was challenged in 2007. Johnson has been noted for her quick response to the challenge and for her criticism of the typical practices that schools use when banning books.

Genre:

Chick Lit

Curriculum Ties:

English: Modern comparison to Faust

Booktalking Ideas:

• Compare Jane and Ally.
• Talk about what made Jane believe what Lanalee really is.
• Introduce Lanalee as a character.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

13 and Older

Challenge Issues:

Selling of souls to Satan
Violence

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

I discovered this book while working on our genre project. Though I had a fairly negative view of chick lit before, this book is one that helped change my mind.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. Candlewick, 2003. 256 pages. ISBN-10: 0763619582. ISBN-13: 978-0763619589.


Plot:

Virginia has never really felt like she fits in with the rest of her perfect family. They are all dark-haired, slim, attractive, and brilliant. She is blond, plain, and terrible at French. She’s also overweight, which she and her family think is the worst difference of all. Self-conscious about her size, she hides in baggy clothes and withdraws from everyone at the school. Since her best friend moved to Washington, that means that Virginia doesn’t have any friends left in her school. She does, however, have a secret boy, Froggy. Though she and Froggy spend every Monday making out in her room, she follows her “Fat Girl Code of Conduct” and avoids him in public, thinking that he wouldn’t want to be seen with her. In order to be worthy of Froggy and her family, Virginia decides she must lose weight and begins a diet that makes her unhealthy and miserable.

When Virginia’s older brother, whom she idolizes, is suspended from school after being accused of date raping a girl, she starts to realize that maybe her family isn’t so perfect after all. She begins to branch out and start to accept her differences. Instead of trying to be perfect, she decides to try to be an individual. Though this causes some strain in her family, Virginia believes that it is worth it to become her own person.

Critical Evaluation:

Mackler manages the difficult task of writing a narrator who is insecure and unhappy with herself, but who isn’t whiny or self-pitying. Virginia is humorous, likable, and sympathetic. She’s sarcastic and self-deprecating, but she’s also vulnerable. Her journey towards accepting herself while at the same time improving herself in a healthy way is an admirable example for readers. She isn’t an unrealistic example, however. She makes many mistakes along the way, she hurts people, and she hurts herself, but she learns and she accepts her faults. By the end of the book, her life isn’t perfect, but it’s promising.

Mackler’s writing maintains a conversational style, but without stylistically delving into too many sentence fragments or grammatical errors. The result of this is a book written in the voice of a bright teenager, one that both teenagers and adults can enjoy. Mackler doesn’t shy away from sensitive material. She addresses the body image issue with honesty. Her inclusion of the date rape and her focus on how it affects Virginia’s family dynamic is a bold choice. Their reactions to the rape are defining moments for each of the characters, particularly Virginia, as it is the catalyst for changing the way she views herself and her family in relation to each other.

This is a book that offers both an entertaining storyline and good message. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who was struggling to find their place in their family, no matter the reason.

Reader's Annotation:

Virginia has never felt like she really fits in with her slim, beautiful, and talented family, so she sets out to change that. Along the way, she learns to accept herself as she is.

Author Information:

Carolyn Mackler was born July 13, 1973 in Manhattan. Her family relocated several times, but eventually settled in Brockport, New York. Many of her novels are set in the areas of New York where she lived. She was interested in writing from an early age and even started a newspaper at the age of four. She would dictate her stories to her mother, who would then write them down. She attended Vassar and earned an Art History degree. After graduating, she moved to Seattle, but soon returned to New York. She currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and son.

Much of her inspiration for her characters comes from her own experience as a teenager. In 5th grade, Mackler began to feel like a misfit and an outsider in her school. Things did eventually get better for her, but the experience stuck with her. Many of her characters are misfits looking for their place, like she was. She has published five books for young adults.

Genre:

Chick Lit

Curriculum Ties:

Psychology: Body Image and Self Acceptance

Booktalking Ideas:

• Discuss feeling different from your family
• Introduce Virginia in the style of one of her lists.
• Talk about learning to accept yourself.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 and older

Challenge Issues:

Date rape
Sexual content
Anti-family
Unsuited to age group

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

It has an important message of self-acceptance that hasn't been lost on teenagers, given the number of letters the author has received on the subject.

Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by Sue Limb

Limb, Sue. Girl, 15, Charming but Insane. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2004. 224 pages. ISBN-10: 0385732147. ISBN-13: 978-0385732147.

Plot:

Jess Jordon is a typical 15-year-old girl who believes that her life is a disaster. Her best friend, Flora, is beautiful, smart, and comes from a perfect family. Jess, by contrast, has a body she dislikes, an absent father, and the tendency to let her mind wander while in class. She also has a crush on popular boy, Brad. After Flora starts dating Brad’s best friend and the three of them start a band, Jess has a chance to get to know Brad. All he wants to do it talk about Flora. In her quest to get to know Brad, Jess looks past her other best friend, Fred. Fred is the one who has always been there for her, from stealing an embarrassing topless video of her that surfaced after a party to letting her stay with him after she and her mother had a blow out. Consumed with her obsession with Brad and her rivalry with Flora, Jess doesn’t fully appreciate Fred until it is too late. After accidentally blowing off his mother’s birthday party because of a family emergency, Jess finds that Fred is no longer speaking to her. As she attempts to fix this situation, Flora reveals to Jess that she likes Fred, which makes Jess jealous. Jess must make up with Fred, figure out her situation with Brad, and deal with Flora, all the while dealing with all the other problems that come with being 15.

Critical Evaluation:

Jess is an incredibly funny narrator. She has a wit and self-deprecating humor that is charming to all audiences, but will especially appeal to teen readers. She’s a very realistic character who has a tendency to make mistakes and end up in embarrassing situations. The reader can both cringe and sympathize when reading about her latest problem. The other characters aren’t quite as well-developed as Jess, but instead read as reflections of her views of them, rather than actual people. This serves well to further Jess’s characterization, however.

The writing is simple and in a style appropriate to the teenage narrator. It isn’t overly flowery, but the author does allow some whimsy appropriate to Jess’s overactive imagination. The plot isn’t complicated or involved but instead just focuses on average events that could easily occur in the life any teenage girl. This isn’t a book that will teach a moral or that is very thought-provoking; it is entertaining. If the reader is in the mood for a cute, light, funny read this is an excellent choice.

Reader's Annotation:

15-year-old Jess has enough to deal with between her too perfect best friend Flora, her absent father and his “horrorscopes,” giving up her room to her death-obsessed grandma, a falling out with her other best friend, Fred, and her undying love for Brad. When Flora starts dating Brad’s best friend, Jess decides now is the time to get Brad to notice her, but is he really the one for her?

Author Information:

Sue Limb was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England in 1946. She attended Cambridge to study English, Elizabethan Poetry, and get her certification in Education. Prior to becoming an author, she spent a decade working on and off as a teacher. She taught Literary Criticism at the college lever and both English and Drama at the secondary level. She also spent a year teaching in a prison. She then spent several years working in radio and television, including adapting her novel Up the Garden Path for both a BBC radio and later ITV as a sitcom. However, what is probably her most well-known work was that of her column in The Guardian written under the pen-name of Dulcie Domum. From 1990-2001, she wrote a humorous column entitled "Bad Housekeeping" about a feminist novelist’s experiences as a rural wife.

Besides writing, she lists several interests on her website including horticulture, agriculture, music, politics, painting, natural history, architecture, and travel. These interests are evident in much of her non-young adult work. She has written close to 30 books for adults and teens. Her writing has won several awards including Book Sense Picks and the School Library Journal award.

Genre:

Chick Lit

Curriculum Ties:

None

Booktalking Ideas:

• Present part of Jess's personals ad monologue.
• Present as Jess talking about her many problems and her love for Brad.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 and older

Challenge Issues:

Profanity
Sexual content
Inappropriate language

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
• If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
• Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
• Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.

Reasons for Selection:

It was one of the books I read for our chick lit presentation and I enjoyed it enough to include it here.