The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Bibliography:

Williams, Carol Lynch. The Chosen One. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2009.

Summary:

This is a nail biting, heartbreaking story of a 13 year old girl named Kyra. She is growing up in a polygamist community or compound. She lives with her father, three mothers and nineteen brothers and sisters with two more on the way. She loves her family and is trying to live their way of life. She feels like she is evil because she sneaks out at night to meet with Joshua the boy she dreams of spending the rest of her life with. Kyra has another secret that she loves to read books in her Russian Olive tree that her community has banned because they are words of Satan. She sneaks away to the Ironton County Mobile Library on wheels where she meets Patrick who gives her books to read. Prophet Childs comes to their home one evening to announce that he has had a vision and Kyra must marry her sixty year old mean uncle. Kyra begs her family to not make her do this, but everyone is convinced that the Prophet is holy and his word must be obeyed. He also has a God squad that beats Joshua and Kyra when they find out they want to marry. Kyra finally gets the courage to tell Patrick and he trys to help her escape, but they are caught and it appears the God squad has murdered Patrick. Kyra finally gathers the courage to escape on her own using the bookmobile and dialing 911 for police help. She is in a safe house at the end and the reader hopes she can stay there.

Critical Analysis:

This book is unique because Kyra is born into the problem. Her family practices polygamy and it is the only way of life she knows. The problem emerges when she is thirteen years old and she is chosen to marry her sixty year old, mean uncle. This story does give the reader insight into life on a polygamist compound. The setting definitely enhances the story because the character Kyra is watched and feels trapped in her setting. The compound is in the desert and there is a chain link fence to keep the families in and others out. When she ventures out for the day with her mothers to buy material everyone in the "real" world just stares at them. They do not fit in. The plot becomes so strong and interesting. Joshua and Patrick try to help her and we are left to wonder if the God Squad has killed them both. Nothing is predictable.The reader is kept on the edge of their seat and cannot stop turning pages to see how the story ends. Kyra is a believable character that comes alive in the book. The reader knows exactly how she feels and what she is thinking. The theme is worthwhile. The reader is left to think about what this type of life is really like and you have an understanding why the women do not try to leave their lifestyle. Carol Lynch Williams easily carries you along Kyra's journey. The reader is left with insight in this society. This novel would appeal to many different groups of readers.



Strengths and Weaknesses:
This book has a strong problem that will keep you riveted until the end. The words flow easily to understand how Kyra feels and what she is thinking. A young adult reader would have a great discussion about this book.


Reviews:

Gregory Maguire states "The Chosen One makes the heart race, the teeth grind, and the brow bead up in sweat."

Meg Cabot states "A powerful and heartbreaking novel of love and hope. One girl's poignant journey as she struggles to find herself and, ultimately, the Truth."

David Ebershoff says this story is"powerful and unforgettable...will break you heart."

An Na says this is "truly thought-provoking, heartfelt, and just a plain old good read."

Sara Zarr states "unsettling and courageous...beautiful, compassionate, and full of hope."

Michael Cart a past president of the Young Adult Library Services Association says "it is an important book."

Kyra's life  revealing that moment in childhood when you recognize your thoughts as your own and discover forces in the world that your parents cannot — or will not — protect you from." --The New York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice)
"Intensely gripping and grippingly intense"- Kirkus Reviews

“…this is a heart pounder, and readers will be held, especially as the danger escalates. Williams’ portrayals of the family are sharp, but what’s most interesting about this book is how the yearnings and fears of a character so far from what most YAs know will still seem familiar and close.” --Booklist

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

Bibliography:

Zarr, Sara. Story of a Girl. New York: Hachette Book Group USA, 2007.

Summary:

Deanna Lambert was 13 years old when her father caught her having sex in the backseat of Tommy's car in the old Chart House parking lot. The story of what happened spreads through the small town of Pacifica. Three years later and everyone still whispers about her and she is known as the school slut. She cannot shake her bad reputation. Her father still has a difficult time looking at Deanna and talking to her. She has a good relationship with her older brother who is raising a child with his girlfriend Stacy in the basement of their house. Deanna gets a job at a pizza shop in town to raise money in hopes she can move out of her house with her brother and his family. She discovers that Tommy is working at that pizza shop too. His presence still bothers her and it leads up to a confrontation at the end of the book which brings closure to their relationship. She has only two close friends Jason and Lee that she can talk to. She is jealous of Lee and almost destroys their friendship. Deanna learns to get past her one huge mistake and continue with her life.

Critical Analysis:

This story is a problem novel of a young girl who makes a big mistake at 13 years. old. The plot is realistic. It is very believable that a young girl may have been caught by her father in the backseat of her boyfriend's car. The setting is a small town which helps make the plot even more believable. Rumors spread quickly in a small town. Deanna feels she can never get away from everyone talking about her. The author Sara Zarr allows the character of Deanna to become real through what she says and thinks. The reader feels bad for the way she is made fun of and the names she is called. The scene in the mall where the boy reaches between her legs in line at a fast food restaurant because he wanted self serve shows how cruel other students can be towards Deanna. The reader can almost feel how terrible Deanna feels at this point. The story flows smoothly and the reader is left to think about how Deanna learns to go on with her life. She had to learn to deal with her problem of having sex at a very young age and how it has changed her.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

One of the strengths of this book is the plot is very believable. It is about an issue young teens will deal with. The character Deanna lets us know how she thinks and feels so we understand her problem.

Reviews:

E. Lockhart states that it "throws a sharp right hook at the assumptions people make about girls who have sex early."

Chris Crutcher states "this is a hell of a good book."

Lael Littke states "I literally stood up and cheered.... A rare and wonderful book."
Cynthis Leitich Smith states "A heartfelt, realistic novel about being defined by one moment, one choice, and then having to reinvent who you are... An evocative, thoughtful read from a debut author to watch."

Mary Pearson states "Masterfully explores the many layers and degrees of forgiveness. Theses are people you will recognize and never forget."

Keith Dixon states "Tender and sad, critical yet redemptive...A complex, rawly affecting portrait of a young woman unfairly harried by a past indiscretion."

John Green states " Sara Zarr's first novel tells an engrossing story with exquisitely drawn characters. Story of a Girl is the rarest mix: It's both impossible to put down and the kind of book that stays with you long after you've finished reading it."

Andrew Auseon states " Anyone who has ever made a mistake that they regretted will find themselves at home in these pages. Story of a Girl may be fiction, but it overflows with hard truths."

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Bibliography:

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Penguin Group, 1999. ISBN 0-14-240732-1.

Summary:

The story begins on the first day of high school for Melinda Sordino. She does not have any friends and does not seem to fit in at all. The reader finds out at the end of summer Melinda attended a party with her friends and has too much to drink. She is raped by a senior Andy Evans at the party. She calls the police, but then becomes to frightened to tell the police what happened and runs home. No one knows the real reason she called the police and everyone hates her for breaking up a "great" party. Melinda used to be a happy girl with friends and now she becomes depressed and withdrawn trying to live with her secret. She cannot tell anyone what happened that night and hardly even speaks. Her grades go down in school. The only person who recognizes she has something to say is her Art teacher. Art is the only class she still has an "A". At the end of the book Melinda is cornered by her attacker for the second time, but this time she has the courage to scream and speak out about what he did.

Critical Analysis:

Speak is written in first person narration. Melinda Sordino is telling you her story as a teenager would tell it. She has a very sarcastic tone and wit. All readers will empathize with the main character is going through. Melinda is very believable. The book is divided into four marking periods and you watch Melinda's grades drop during the year. Everything except Art. The marking periods are broken into journal entries. The theme of alienation resonates throughout the book. The reader feels so bad for her because she has no one to sit with or talk to. He favorite place at school is a closet under a stairwell she has created as a home for herself. Melinda stops speaking to everyone. A quote at the beginning of the book sums her feelings up best. "It is easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you hear on tv about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say" (p.9). Melinda's feeling of fear is clear when her attacker Andy Evans is around. She refers to him as It or The Beast. Laurie Anderson's voice is strong when she writes what someone says as a script. Their words come after their name and a colon. It is powerful when she writer Me: and the space after her name is blank. The use of flashbacks are used throughout the plot. I found the tree she was trying to create very interesting in the story. The main character Melinda goes through a dynamic change in character by the end of the book. Melinda finds her strength towards the end of the book to spreak, similar to a tree finds its strength to endure all of the seasons from very cold to very hot temperatures and still stand strong. It is no wonder this book was a Printz honor book in 2000.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

One of the strengths of this book is the reader becomes very empathetic toward Melinda and it is difficult to put down. There does not seem to be a good place to stop reading. You want to know more and help her. I think this is a great book to open up dialog with a teenager that is suffering from depression.

Reviews:

The Horn Book states this is "an uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last."

Publishers Weekly states this is "a stunning first novel... Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and hold readers' empathy...Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired."

Michael L. Printz Honor Book
National Book Award Finalist
Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
SCBWI Golden Kite Award
New York Times Best Seller
Publishers Weekly Best Seller
ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Quick Pick
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Booklist TOp Ten First Novel of 1999
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Horn Book Fanfare Title

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Bibliography:

Gailman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-0-
06-053094-5

Summary:

The main character Nobody Owens, known as Bod is a human boy. The story begins when Bod's entire family is murdered by a man named Jack. Nobody escapes this brutal attack by crawling to a graveyard at the top of the hill for safety. Bod is protected by the family of spirits in this graveyard. Bod is safe as long as he remains inside the graveyard gates. He has a guardian and mentor named Silas who goes between the living and the dead to bring him food and clothes. Bod grows from a toddler through adolescence by learning from the many spirits in the graveyard. They become his friends and teachers. The spirits teach him a lot about history and also how to fade. He makes a friend with a witch named Liza in the Potter's field, and also a human friend who visits the graveyard named Scarlett. He ventures out of the graveyard into the human world to attend school and encounters bullies. Every time he leaves the graveyard he is in danger of being killed by Jack. The story ends when it is safe for Bod to leave the graveyard to see the world and enter the world of the living.

Critical Analysis:

This book is a recent John Newbery Medal winner in 2009. This is a fantasy novel dealing with the supernatural. This story will appeal to boys and girls who would like to read a ghost story. The plot is fast paced and the opening scene is quick and sets the theme of self vs. another. The villain is a person named Jack. Bod's archetype is an orphaned protagonist who gets himself in trouble, but learns from his mistakes. The setting of this story is very important. Even though the story is told in a graveyard there is a strong theme of community and family. The protagonist learns the meaning of friendship from humans and spirits. The book is full of very rich vocabulary. The book is recommended for children ten and up, but a ten year old may need support with the vocabulary. The book is not all dark. It is filled with humor and wit. The author's style uses humor and suspense as the tone of this book. There are a few black and white illustrations by Dave McKean that do add to the story.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

The story is filled with supernatural and terrifying at times. A good story develops and you do not want to put the book down. Gaiman is a great visual writer. You picture a child in a dark, cold graveyard, but he is happy with many friends.

Reviews:

Diana Wynne Jones states that "this is the best book Neil Gaiman has ever written. He has managed to combine fascinating, friendly, frightening and fearsome in one fantasy. He pulled it off magnificently. It is perfect for Halloween and any other time of the year."

The Horn book states it is "lucid, evocative prose and dark fairy-tale motifs imbue the story with a dreamlike quality."

ALA Booklist states "this is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through and entertaining cast of ghostly characters."

Toronto Star states "there are a great many books out there about spooks, vampires, and ghouls. But Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book is the one to pick- a tale of hauntings and huntings that's full of kindness and wit, humor and horror. Read aloud, it should make a young audience sit up and take notice."

Holly Black states that this book is "endlessly inventive, masterfully told, and, like Bod himself, too clever to fit into only one place. This is a book for everyone. You will love it to death."

San Francisco Chronicle states that "Bod's coming-of-age has its moments of wonder, terror, and tenderness, and Gaiman hits exactly the right notes every time."

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Bibliography:

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Speak, 2003. ISBN 0-14-038572-X.

Summary:

The narrator of this book is fourteen year old Ponyboy. He lives with his two older brothers Darry and Sodapop. They have been allowed to live on their own since their parents died as long as they do not get into any trouble. The story begins when Ponyboy is walking home from the movies alone. This is something he should not do since he lives on the East side of town, which is a very dangerous neighborhood for him. He is proud to call himself, his brothers and friends Greasers. While walking home he is jumped by a gang called the Socs which is a gang of rich kids. They are attempting to give him a haircut when his brothers and friends save him and chase the Socs off. Later in the book Ponyboy meets the Socs again. This time they try to drown him in a fountain at the park when he is with his friend Johnny who has been beaten by his father numerous times at home and has also been beaten by the Socs once before. Johnny stabs one of the Socs named Bob and he dies. The boys run to their friend Dallas who gives them money and tells them to jump a train to hide in an abandoned church until he can get there. Dallas arrives days later and takes them out to eat. On their way back to the church they see it is in flames. School children are trapped inside and Johnny and Ponyboy never hesitate to go inside the burning church and rescue the children. They are injured on the way out and Johnny is seriously injured with a broken back from a beam falling on him. After Johnny dies, Dallas runs away and robs a store. He is shot dead by the police while robbing the store. Ponyboy has to go to court but is allowed to remain living with his brothers.

Critical Analysis:

This book falls under the title of Awards and Classics. This story is told in first person by Ponyboy Curtis. Ponyboy is orphan archetype. Teenagers can identify with Ponyboy and the need to belong. The reader gets to experience what life in a gang would be like through Ponyboy's eyes. The Greasers become a family to one another. Loyalty holds this gang together in this book. Teenagers are familiar with conflict in their own families or conflict between groups at school. The setting is very important to the story. The rough neighborhood makes the story between two gangs believable. The characters in this story have conflict in their families. Johnny comes from an abused home and no one seems to care about Dallas. The conflict between groups is solved by fighting. Ponyboy goes through a dynamic character change by the end of the book. At the end of the book Ponyboy is asked to write an English paper that is an essay from the heart. This is where the theme of the book shines through. Self vs. society.  Ponyboy tells his story about his brothers and friends in hope that it will help others. He realizes that fighting has been senseless. Johnny tells Ponyboy while he is dying to "stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold" (p.148). It was Johnny's hope that Ponyboy would stay innocent and end all of this fighting against the Socs. The author writes with clear style and that is why this book remains a classic today.



Strengths and Weaknesses:

One strength was the tone of this book was written with tension. When the blue mustang appears the reader has a feeling of apprehension knowing there will be trouble. The tone keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.



Reviews:

Hornbook states "we meet powerful characters in a book with a powerful message."

My daughter Kristin read this book when she was 13 and her quote is " S.E. Hinton was so realistic in showing me what life was like in a gang."