WEEK 13 Dystopias: "Life As We Knew It" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Harcourt Children's Books, 2006.
Pages [337 p.] [$10.99] ISBN [0152058265]

From Goodreads: "Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world."

At the time that I read this book I was also reading another book of a similar nature, Megan Crewe 's THE WAY WE FALL, and therefore I cannot help but compare the two. Both books were written in a similar format- that of a journal/ diary. While one of my largest complaints in THE WAY WE FALL was that I was unable to relate to much of the book as I found the writing to be quite flat and one-dimensional, that was anything but the case for this. If I had to describe this book in a few words it would be "a roller coaster of emotions"- I cannot even put to words all of the different emotions that I felt while reading it, one minute I was smiling, the next, I was sobbing.

Aside from the emotional-strength of this book, I think that its other biggest strength is its realism. While reading it I kept wondering to myself how my family and me would fare if something of this nature occurred. I don't think that it would be all that far-fetched for future generations to have to experience something of this nature (for instance, look at the flu endemics that much of our world faced this past winter).

All in all, I think that this is one of the best books of this nature that I had read in a far while- nature taking back the reigns of control, pushing mankind into the beginnings of an apocalyptic society- and, as such, I would highly recommend it to young adult patrons. That being said, on a personal note, I do not intend to continue on with this series (something that is almost unheard of for me), as I don't want my love of this book to be potentially altered/tarnished by any sequels (especially knowing that Miranda and her family are not a the forefront of the next book in the series, but a character named Alex).

WEEK 9: "Anna and the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins Booktalk

Booktalking YA

I randomly stumbled across this Youtube (Booktalk with XTINEMAY) channel tonight and I couldn't help but be reminded of the booktalks that we have discussed in class (and the ones that we, ourselves, are making)- not professional in the slightest, but fun nonetheless (plus it gets the targeted audience, young adults, actually discussing why they enjoy the books that they do- or don't).

Here is just one sampling of her booktalks (and no, I didn't choose this one to further encourage y'all to read DIVERGENT, I picked it because it is one of her most popular):

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).