Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Elkeles, Simone. Perfect Chemistry. Walker Books for Young Readers, 2008. 368 pages. ISBN-10: 0802798233. ISBN-13: 978-0802798237.

Plot:

On the surface, Brittany and Alex couldn’t be more different. She is a popular cheerleader, from perfect family on the rich side of town, and part of the school’s golden couple. He is a member of the Latino Blood gang, poor, and dangerous. When the two are paired up as lab partners, they are both unhappy with the situation. To prove himself, Alex makes a bet with his friends that he can get Brittany to have sex with him by Thanksgiving. As the two get to know each other, they start to see that their perceptions were very wrong. Brittany’s family is actually pretty dysfunctional and her perfect exterior is her defense to hide that. Alex is actually a smart boy who longs to go to college, but is trapped in the gang in order to help his family. As they discover more about each other, they begin to fall in love. Their friends and family aren’t ready to accept them as a couple, however. As Brittany’s family situation spins out of control and Alex is forced to go deeper into the gang life, they’re not sure if their love will survive.

Critical Evaluation:

Perfect Chemistry is a pretty predictable novel. The storyline isn’t especially original. The good girl and the bad boy who hate each other but slowly fall in love has been done many times over. The characters are stereotypical, both on the surface and underneath. She’s the “perfect” girl with the difficult home life. He’s the bad boy who wants to escape his circumstances and better himself. They’re also very frustrating at the start of the novel. The ending of the story isn’t especially shocking or original. Despite all this, Perfect Chemistry is a sweet and engaging read. Presenting it in alternating viewpoints allows the reader insight into each of the characters, especially since they hide so much from each other and the world around them. After the initial frustration, the characters become endearing as they fall in love, almost as if their love is what redeems them both. It’s impossible to not cheer them on as they take on a world that isn’t ready to accept them for who they are and certainly isn’t ready to accept them being together. They encounter what should be extremely dangerous and almost impossible challenges, but the ending is tied up neatly. Rather than being annoying in its lack of realism, the ending is satisfying. This is a touching and romantic read; realism isn’t necessary.

Reader's Annotation:

Brittany and Alex come from vastly different backgrounds, but fall in love after being paired as chemistry lab partners.

Author Information:

Simone Elkeles was born and raised near Chicago, where many of her books take place. She attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where she received a degree in Psychology in 1992. She then went on to attend Loyola University-Chicago to study Industrial Relations. Following graduation, she worked creating diversity programs for a manufacturing company.

Her first book was published in 2006. She writes solely for young adults because she enjoys writing about the excitement of teenage love and romance. She tries her best to make sure her characters and situations are realistic, including actually spending time in a juvenile detention center to research her Leaving Paradise series.

Genre:

Romance

Curriculum Ties:

English: A modern comparison to Romeo and Juliet.

Booktalking Ideas:

• Discuss the idea of stereotypes and first impressions.
• Talk about being trapped by your situations and deciding to break free.
• Discuss the similarities between Brittany's life and Alex's life.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

15 and older

Challenge Issues:

Profanity
Sexual content
Violence
Gang activity
Drug and alcohol use

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 was first attracted to this book because of the alternating narrator style in which is is written. It's a sweet twist on the Romeo and Juliet plot-line, but written for modern audiences.

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Yancey, Rick. The Mostrumologist. Simon and Schuster, 2009. 448 pages. ISBN-10: 1416984488. ISBN-13: 978-1416984481.

Plot:

After his parents death, 12-year-old Will Henry was taken in my his father’s employer, Dr. Warthrop. Dr. Warthrop is a monstrumologist - someone who studies and hunts monsters - and Will Henry becomes his assistant. He has seen many things that he never believe he would, but when Erasmus Gray, a local man, arrives in the middle of the night with a gruesome discovery, Will Henry’s life becomes considerably more dangerous. The man has discovered a dead Anthropophagus, a terrifying monster that survives by eating humans. Dr. Warthrop is shocked, because it is a creature that is only seen in Africa. Dr. Warthrop believes there can’t be many more live ones around, but when he, Will, and Erasmus are attacked, resulting in Erasmus’s death, they discover that there is a massive pack of them living under the cemetery. Through he already suspects the cause of their appearance in America, Dr. Warthrop sets out to discover exactly where they came from and how to destroy them. Before he can do so, they viciously attack and slaughter a family, leaving behind only one boy. Dr. Warthrop is then forced to involve the local police and a notorious monster hunter to kill the monsters before they can attack anyone else. In the process, Will Henry’s life in endangered, leaving him to wonder whether the creatures were the only monsters or if men can be monsters, too.

Critical Evaluation:

Monstrumologist is beautifully written, well-plotted, and full of interesting characters and fascinating situations. It is also far too long. It isn’t even the length itself that is so daunting, but rather the density of that length. Unfortunately, this means that only the most intrepid of readers will be exposed to this otherwise wonderful novel. If they do finish the book, though, they will have experienced a many-layered story with an excellent ending.

The novel would certainly fall under the umbrella of gothic horror with its eccentric characters, dark situations, and metaphorical monsters challenging the actual monsters. It is gruesome; there were scenes, such as that with the maggots, where I had to skim in order to finish them. The violence and macabre descriptions aren’t gratuitous, but instead serve to further the plot. The story wouldn’t be complete without them.

Rick Yancey is a very talented writer. His prose is reminiscent of more classic novels, but not so much that it won’t still appeal to modern readers. He successfully conveys the voice of an elderly man recounting the story of his youth to a new generation. Choosing to frame his story in this manner lends it a feeling of “truth.“ It also allows him the ability of omniscience in certain situations, which creates a suspenseful atmosphere appropriate to the horror of the subject matter. Though the middle of his book is sometimes difficult to wade through, it is worth it for both the beautiful writing and the ending.

Reader's Annotation:

After being orphaned by a fire, Will Henry is taken in by his father's former employer, Dr. Pellinore Warthrop. Dr. Warthrop has an unusual and dangerous profession and he expects Will Henry to help.

Author Information:

Rick Yancey was born in Florida and has spent most of his life there. He attended Roosevelt University in Chicago and majored in English. After graduating, he returned to Florida where he was a part time teacher and worked in theater. He then took a job as a field officer for the Internal Revenue Service, where he worked for 10 years. He had always wanted to be a writer, however, so he decided to pursue that dream with working for the IRS.

His first book was published in 2004. It’s a memoir of his years working for the IRS and has been named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the 5 best books on taxes ever written. He followed this by a novel for adults before moving on to writing for young adults. He has written 2 series for young adults and another series for adults.

Genre:

Horror

Curriculum Ties:

English: Plot Development, Writing Style, Character Development

Booktalking Ideas:

• Explain what monstrumology is.
• Discuss whether or not the creatures were the only "monsters" in the book
• Discuss Will Henry's and Dr. Warthrop's relationship

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 and older

Challenge Issues:

Violence
Graphic and nauseating content

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 the 2010 winner of the Michael L. Printz Honor Award.

The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 Volume 1) by Joss Whedon

Whedon, Joss. The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 Volume 1). Illustrated by Georges Jeanty. Dark Horse Comics, 2007. 136 pages. ISBN-10: 1593078226. ISBN-13: 978-1593078225

Plot:

It’s been a year since Buffy and her friends destroyed the Hellmouth while taking on The First and its army of uber-vamps. There have been many changes, but one thing always remains the same: they devote their time to fight the demons that attack the human world. The army of slayers has been mobilized in different areas of the world, while Buffy and her friends are primarily stationed in the Scottish moors. There are even two more Buffies now, decoys who have taken on her identity to fool their enemies. Their troubles are just beginning, however. Dawn has become a giant after a spell was cast on her by her former lover. Willow has been gone for weeks. Worst of all, Buffy is being targeted by a new government agency that's being helped by an old enemy. The agency traps Buffy in a dream state and the Scooby Gang must once again band together to defeat this new evil.

Critical Evaluation:

For die-hard fans of the series, this is a decent follow-up. Jeanty’s illustrations complement Whedon’s storyline perfectly. With the storyline picking up a year after the series finale, many changes are able to be made, but doing that does make it rather confusing at times. The retroactive explanations of what has happened during the previous year don’t work as well in graphic novel form as they might have in a television show or book that allowed for more exposition. It does, however, allow for the story to pick up right in the middle of the action, including introducing the type of “big bad” that was the staple of the original series.

Possibly the most satisfying part of the graphic novel is how true to self the characters have remained. Part of Whedon’s talent as always lain in his ability to create likable, realistic characters who are allowed to grow and change without losing any of their original appeal. He continues this trend with the new format. The dialogue is snappy and clever. The characters are well-rounded despite the limited space to develop them. Those who were fans of the series will probably enjoy the graphic novel, but newcomers might be a little lost.

Reader's Annotation:

A year after fighting The First and destroying Sunnydale in the process, Buffy, the Scooby Gang, and the army of slayers have expanded their operations across several countries with new villains to defeat.

Author Information:

Joss Whedon was born June 23, 1964 in New York. Both his father and grandfather were television writers, which is the path Whedon would also follow. He attended Riverdale Country School where his mother taught. He then spent two years at Winchester College in England before graduating from Wesleyan University in 1987. He moved to Los Angeles and worked as a script doctor before writing his own television shows and movies.

His most well-known television series is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show is based on the movie of the same name, though the two have little in common. After his original movie script was altered drastically, Whedon was able to use the series to fulfill his original vision. It spawned a spin-off show, as well as several comic book series. He has written and directed several television shows and movies and is the creator of 5 television series. He often casts the same actors in many of his projects.

Genre:

Fantasy

Curriculum Ties:

None

Booktalking Ideas:

• Tell where each of the main characters are at the beginning of the graphic novel
• Discuss the differences between the graphic novel and the television series
• Talk about how the world changed with the creation of the Slayer army

Reading Level/Interest Age:

15 and older

Challenge Issues:

Witchcraft/Magic/The Occult
Violence
Sexual content
Demonic characters

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:

This is the follow up to the popular television series. I loved the television series and have been wanting to read the comic for awhile.

Nightwood by Patricia Windsor

Windsor, Patricia. Nightwood. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2006. 256 pages. ISBN-10: 0385903316. ISBN-13: 978-0385903318.

Plot:

Rather than go on the class trip to Washington, D.C., Casey, Gena, and Maryann decide to skip and spend a week in a cabin on the lake. They think it will be a harmless week of parent-free fun; Casey hopes to meet her boyfriend who will be there fishing. After they arrive at the lake, weird things start happening. A cabin full of mutilated animals is found, prompting the local sheriff’s son to investigate a string of similar incidences across the south. A local boy goes missing and another out-of-towner is attacked.

The girls are oblivious to what is happening until the day they decide to visit Casey’s boyfriend and his friends. They arrive only to discover that one of his friends is missing. While searching for him, they stumble upon the mangled body of the missing local boy instead. The girls decide to go back to their cabin and leave the boys to deal with the police, but while on the way back a storm begins, causing Gena to fall out of the boat. The other two girls decide to go back to the cabin and wait the storm out before looking for her. Unfortunately, someone else finds her before they can. The deranged killer has a plan and he will deal with anyone who gets in his way, including the girls.

Critical Evaluation:

This book is written with alternating narrators, which allows the reader to have information the characters do not. This lends a feeling of suspense and dread, as the reader is able to connect events that are occurring in multiple places. Windsor’s descriptions of the mutilation and violence are sparse, leaving most of it up to the reader’s imagination. The setting is appropriately remote and the perfect combination of idyllic and sinister. This all comes together to create a creepy atmosphere perfect for the events.

The story actually has substance, too. The smaller plots involving the relationship between the sheriff and his son or those of the girls’ home lives flesh out what would otherwise be a stereotypical teen slasher. Including the point of view of the killer in a way that can almost make him sympathetic at times is an interesting and effective choice. Any time the reader begins to feel sorry for the killer, the feeling of horror intensifies once we are reminded of what he has done. Unfortunately, the book does suffer from the fatal flaw of many in the genre: an unsatisfying ending. Windsor attempts to add a twist, but does so in a way that is confusing rather than shocking. Aside from that mistake, however, the book is a scary and entertaining read.

Reader's Annotation:

Six teenagers head to the lake for a relaxing week only to be terrorized by a dangerous killer.

Author Information:

Patricia Windsor was born in New York on September 21, 1938 and died July 1, 2010. She began writing as a child and submitted several of her pieces to Seventeen magazine. After receiving 35 rejection notices from them by the time she graduated from high school, she decided that writing was not the career for her. Instead, she studied dance at Bennington College and Westchester Community College. After graduation, however, she began work as an editor and copywriter working for both Mademoiselle magazine and Harper and Row.

Her first novel was published in 1973. She has since written 16 more novels, the last being Nightwood published in 2006. Her books tend to have elements of mystery, the supernatural and horror. She has received several awards including the Edgar Allan Poe Award.

Genre:

Horror

Curriculum Ties:

None

Booktalking Ideas:

• Discuss the points of view of each of the characters as the story unfolds.
• Compare the three girls' personalities.
• Read the first short chapter as a teaser about the killer.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

15 and older

Challenge Issues:

Violence
Profanity
Alcohol and drug use

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:

Many teens really enjoy horror as a genre. This book contains all the traditional elements of the teen slasher genre, but with a moral complication.

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press, 2008. 384 pages. ISBN-10: 0439023483. ISBN-13: 978-0439023481.

Plot:

In the future, North America has become a country known as Panem, consisting of a capitol and 12 surrounding districts. Years before, the districts launched a rebellion against The Capitol, but they were defeated. As punishment, each year the districts must send one boy and one girl to fight to the death on television. These tributes, as they’re called, are drawn at random in a ceremony known as The Reaping. When sixteen-year-old Katniss’s younger sister is chosen to be a tribute, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She, the male tribute Peeta, and their alcoholic mentor Haymitch are sent to The Capitol to participate in the Hunger Games. While there, Katniss and Peeta are encouraged to play up to the crowd in hopes that it will give them an advantage. Katniss soon learns that this includes pretending to have a doomed relationship with Peeta. She and Peeta are thrown together in the arena to play out their love affair, but Katniss knows that only one of them can survive. What she doesn’t know is that Haymitch, Peeta and The Capitol all have a plan for her.

Critical Evaluation:

In The Hunger Games, Collins has written a book that can appeal not only to teenage audiences but adults, as well. The plot is complex and the characters are universally appealing. Though the writing style is often conversational, it only serves to personalize the story. It is a compelling narrative and one which the reader will be unable to put down. The fast pace and exciting description of the actual Hunger Games are juxtaposed nicely with the sweeter moments between Katniss and the other characters. Katniss is an engaging narrator and the reader is immediately on her side. The Capitol serves well as a terrifying and anger inducing villain.

Equal to the entertaining plot and characters are the ethical aspects of the story. This is most certainly a book that will make the reader think and question the situation. One of the most important questions the book raises is that of whether or not it is right to do what is necessary for survival. Collins doesn’t provide the readers with the answers, but instead allows them to decide for themselves. This book would excellent for both pleasure reading and using in a classroom. However, because there is quite a lot of violence, it would be wise for a parent or teacher to consider the age and temperament of a teen before recommending it.

Reader's Annotation:

In Panem, where teenagers are forced to fight to the death on television to pay for the rebellion, Katniss must survive after volunteering to take her younger sister's place.

Author Information:

Growing up, Suzanne Collins’s father was in the Air Force, so she moved all around the country. She has said that doing so made her aware of what it felt like to be a stranger somewhere, much like the main character in The Underland Chronicles. She attended New York University and received an M.F.A in dramatic writing. She spent 16 years living in New York, but now resides in Connecticut with her husband and children.

Before becoming an author, she worked as a writer for children’s television. She’s written for shows on Nickleodeon and Kids’ WB as well as several specials. After working in television for 12 years, she published her first novel for young adults, Gregor the Overlander, the first of The Underland Chronicles series. Since then she has published 8 more novels. Her books have won numerous awards and topped the New York Times Bestseller list. She was named one of Time magazine's most influential people of 2010.

Genre:

Science Fiction

Curriculum Ties:

Government: Totalitarian Government, Fascism
Mythology: Comparison to Theseus
English: Plot Development, Symbolism, Character Development

Booktalking Ideas:

• Compare her relationships with Gale and Peeta.
• Talk about Katniss's decision to take her sister's place.
• Discuss where the idea of The Hunger Games originated and why.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14 and older

Challenge Issues:

Violence
Anti-government

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:

This was a required reading for the class. It is a book that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. It's also one of my favorites.