WEEK 7 Reading Across Media and Formats: "Smile" by Raina Telgemeier

Telgemeier, Raina. GRAPHIX, 2010.
Pages [232p.] [$9.95] ISBN [0545132053]

From Goodreads: "From the artist of BSC Graphix comes this humorous coming-of-age true story about the dental drama that ensues after a trip-and-fall mishap.

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly."

Raina Telgemeier is the author of a number of BSC GRAPHIX graphic novels including, but not limited to, SMILE, DRAMA, KRISTY'S GREAT IDEA, and AGNES QUILL: AN ANTHOLOGY OF MYSTERY. SMILE is a standalone, based upon Telgemeier's childhood. As Telgemeier writes, "It's all true. I was in sixth grade when I fell and knocked out my teeth, and I have been dealing with the consequences ever since. I had braces, a lot of surgery, and a lot of awkward smiles as a result. The comic SMILE was born out of a need to get the whole experience down on paper, since I spent so much time telling people about it" (Source). Smile was a 2010 New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2010, a 2011 ALA Notable Children's Book, a 2011 YALSA Top 10 Great Graphic Novels for Teens pick, and a Children's Choice Book Award Finalist (Source).

Admittedly I had never thought that I would read a graphic novel, however, after having finished this I am kicking myself for having waited so long to do so. I believe that, while quite humorous, the content of the story is one in which many readers can relate to (I personally can having experienced a similar situation to Raina when I was also in grade six). I wish that I had had this novel at that time to reassure me that I was not alone during such a difficult and awkward time in my life.

I believe that this novel will appeal to readers of all ages with all that it has to offer- enchanting and appealing illustrations, the narrative which flows easily, relateable characters and situations, humor, and so forth.

WEEK 6 ORCA Soundings: "Hannah's Touch" by Laura Langston

Langston, Laura. Orca Book Publishers, 2009.
Pages [132p.] [$9.95] ISBN [978-1-55469-149-4]

From Goodreads: "When sixteen-year-old Hannah gets stung, she rises out of her body, where she's greeted by her dead boyfriend, Logan, and a loving but unseen presence. She wants to stay with them. They say no. She must go back. There's something she must do.

But Hannah can't figure out what it is. Nor can she make sense of the weird things happening around her. Since the sting, she seems to have the ability to heal. Hannah doesn't know what to think. And then she faces another challenge: Logan has a purpose in mind for her new gift. And it's a purpose Hannah can't bear to face."

Laura Langston is a Canadian author who has written a number of books for ORCA Soundings, including, but not limited to, LAST RIDE, EXIT POINT, and HANNAH'S TOUCH. Though all of her ORCA Soundings books are standalones they do share the commonality of that many of them touch upon the theme of death. 

My largest complaint about this book is also it's biggest strength- personally I found the book to be far too short for me to make any real connection to it, I didn't feel like the emotions were as ferreted out as they needed to be, that the characters were as developed as they could have been, etc. However, I do see how the length of the book would be beneficial to hesitant readers. In finishing this book many hesitant readers would most likely feel a sense of accomplishment (not unlike I do after finishing a 500 page book), encouraging them to pick up more books to try their hand at. 

That being said, I do think that the paranormal element of this novel (the ability to heal) is quite interesting, without being over the top/ unrealistic. Therefore I think that those who are hesitant about reading books of this nature (ie. paranormal/ sci-fi-ish) wouldn't have any difficulties with this (as Beth Revis writes of her book ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, "This sci-fi book is for those teenagers who don't like sci-fi"). Also, I think that the storyline of death, acceptance, and life beyond will appeal to many readers, especially fans of contemporary (after finishing it I couldn't help but be reminded of many of Lurlene McDaniel's books from the late 1990s and early 2000s). 

WEEK 5 Recent Award Winners: "Half Brother" by Kenneth Oppel

Oppel, Kenneth. Brilliance Corporation, September 1st 2010.

Pages [375p.] [$19.99] ISBN [1441871497]

From Goodreads: "For thirteen years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home Zan ? an eight-day-old chimpanzee. Ben's father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family to pursue his latest research project: a high-profile experiment to determine whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills. Ben's parents tell him to treat Zan like a little brother. Ben reluctantly agrees. At least now he's not the only one his father's going to scrutinize. It isn't long before Ben is Zan's favorite, and Ben starts to see Zan as more than just an experiment. His father disagrees. Soon Ben is forced to make a critical choice between what he is told to believe and what he knows to be true ? between obeying his father or protecting his brother from an unimaginable fate. Half Brother isn't just a story about a boy and a chimp. It's about the way families are made, the way humanity is judged, the way easy choices become hard ones, and how you can't always do right by the people and animals you love. In the hands of master storyteller Kenneth Oppel, it's a novel you won't soon forget."

Kenneth Oppel is a highly celebrated Canadian children's and young adult author- his most famous series include his The Silverwing Saga series (Silverwing, Sunwing, Firewing, and Darkwing) and his Airborn series (Airborn, Skybreaker, and Starclimber). Half Brother is his a standalone written in 2010 featuring Ben Tomlin and his science-experiment-turned-little-brother Zan, the chimp.

While I cannot confirm as to whether or not the period in which this book is set in, the 1970's, is effectively reproduced, being quite unfamiliar with the decade, I can confirm that the narrative is overall quite interesting (in fact, this subject matter holds a very special place in my heart as during my undergrad, a B.A. in bioarchaeological anthropology, I specialized in primatology and had quite seriously considered attending graduate school for it- though for lemurs rather than chimpanzees). 

I wouldn't necessarily say that treatment of the narrative is imaginative, I think that if anything it is extremely true to real life- the situations, the emotions, the dialogue, and whatnot. Therefore, while at times it was extremely engaging, at others it did border on being dull (during those dull moments I couldn't help but groan at the length of it- I think that shaving 100 pages off of it would only strengthen it). I do not believe that the theme is artificially imposed upon the plot, I think that it and the moral/ commentary are extremely natural- seamlessly being interwoven into one another. 

I think that telling this book in first person was the best choice as it really allowed the reader to develop an understanding and connection with Ben that they might not otherwise have been able to had it been told in third person. I think that both the mood is sustained and that the narrative flows easily- the deeper into the story you read the more you fall for Zan and the more you care about his future, not unlike if he was your own half-brother, human or primate. 

Curiously, my library system's copy of this book was shelved in the juvenile section, while the London Public Library system has it shelved in the young adult section. I personally feel that it is best shelved in the juvenile section as I found that it read like a middle grade book (Ben, the main character, is 13 years old). I think that those in their middle grade years/ lower end of the YA spectrum (13-14 years old) will get more enjoyment from it more than those in the higher end of the YA spectrum (18-24 years old). 

That being said, I do believe that this book does have a wide appeal- that male readers and female readers will like it equally. Additionally, I appreciate the fact that it is fairly educational without feeling so. 

Overall I did enjoy it, however I will not be rereading it (strange for me, as I almost reread every book multiple times). 

WEEK 3 YA Firsts: "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton

Hinton, S.E. Speak, 1967. 

Pages [180p.] [$8.99.] ISBN [014038572X]

From Goodreads: "According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser."

Admittedly going into this book I was somewhat determined not to like it- for one reason, it's completely out of my comfort zone (that being YA pararnormal and dystopian/ post-apocalyptic), for another, I had to read it for school (I cannot recall having ever finished a novel for school in its entirely, especially during high school). However, all that effort to not like it was to was to no avail- when all is said and done, I really enjoyed this book and it's safe to say that it completely exceeded my expectations (that's not to say, however, that I believe that it's the "best" and "most popular young adult novel of all time" as the cover boasts).

After finishing this book the two elements which stick out to me most are the emotions and the relationships. In reading YA over the years I have grown so accustomed to the male characters being "bad boys"- cocky arrogant, and charming to the nth degree, however, despite all of that they have nothing on these boys. I've come to realize that those "bad boys" are fooling themselves, their "badness" (and all of the emotions surrounding it) is such a facade and superficial. These boys, from Soda, with a larger-than-life personality and who brings a smile to everyone's face, not unlike the beverage he derives his name from does, to Darry, stuck in a "between" state, due to putting his brothers before himself, to Dally, who isn't near as jaded as he lets himself come off of as, to Johnny, who, out of his death, inspires new life, to Ponyboy, a young man truly trying to find where he fits in the crazy world that he was born into, experience real and raw emotions- while they certainly have swagger, they aren't afraid to cry whenever need be (it was refreshing and I think that authors of the twenty-first century could certainly learn a thing or two from this author of the mid-twentieth-century). As for the relationship element, I can't remember the last time I read of such a strong family unit, despite many of these boys not being related by blood. These boys could always count on one another, even during those times when they may not deserve it.

I can understand how this book is a first in a number of ways, the first book written by Hinton, but also the firsts for many of the characters- the first time that Ponyboy truly understood how much he meant to his older brother Darry, the first time that the boys saw a different side of Dally, the first time that Johnny was able to not only stand up for himself, but for those around him, the first time that the Socs and the Greasers realized that they weren't all that different from one another, and the first time that the Greasers were able to become more.

Week 2 Teens, Reading and Libraries: YA Book Review

The above is the Entertainment Weekly's review of DIVERGENT by author Veronica Roth (Brissey, 2011).

As a fan of Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT I must admit that I was initially quite taken aback by this review, one reason being that it tells you little more about the book, that it is essentially a rehash of its its synopsis: 

"In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her"). (Source)

Additionally, I was taken aback as the reviewer gives the novel a B+, what could perhaps be considered an "average" rating, yet they only give two reasons as to why- that it's "... flimsier and less nuanced..." than THE HUNGER GAMES. As both a reader and a book reviewer myself I want more substance in a review. I find "flimsier" and "nuanced" to be both hollow words- how is it more flimsy than THE HUNGER GAMES? In the characters? In the world-building? In the overall writing? How is it more nuanced? Is Tris a mirror image of Katniss (she isn't, by the way, Katniss has always been bad-ass where Tris slowly develops into a physically and emotionally strong character)? Or in the world-building (I would personally consider THE HUNGER GAMES to be more so a post-apocalyptic novel, while DIVERGENT to be more so a dystopian  .Therefore it makes it difficult to compare the two, THE HUNGER GAMES takes place in a ravaged Panem, while DIVGERGENT takes place in a futuristic Chicago). 

Also, over the last year or so I have come to dislike the comparison of  any book to THE HUNGER GAMES (or TWILIGHT) as I have found that, time and time again, books which have no relevance or similarity to the two are compared to them, making the comparisons meaningless (for instance, Kiera Cass's recent debut, THE SELECTION, was marketed as "THE HUNGER GAMES meets the Bachelor"- yet the only similarity between the two books was that THE SELECTION was also a post-apocalyptic novel). Neither THE HUNGER GAMES, nor TWILIGHT, were unique and therefore I do not believe that they are books that we consider to be "exemplary YA".

I would have loved to have seen this book reviewed as how CANADIAN REVIEW OF MATERIALS suggests, with an eye to such detail as: "Is the book part of a series? Is the mood sustained? Does the narrative flow easily? Will it have a wide or limited appeal?) (1996)- not unlike that by Wendy Darling or Tatiana. 

That being said, I do appreciate how Entertainment Weekly generally followed VOYA'S Review Guidelines (albeit in a different order): "Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title. Publisher, publication date." However, I do think that it would have been useful had they also included information such as the book's price, page number, and ISBN.

Overall, I give Entertainment Weekly's review of DIVERGENT a C-.

Sources

Brissey, Breia. 2011. Divergent. Retrieved from http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20609141_20484977,00.html. 

Canadian Review of Materials. 1996. Considerations for Your Review. Retrieved from http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/reviewers/considerations.html.

VOYA. 2012. Review Guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.voya.com/reviewers/review-guidelines/.