Alive and Well in Prague, New York

and Kissing the Bee

I've read two novels over the holidays which, though having pretty different plots, still have enough similarities that I thought I'd just review them together. Both have teenage girls as the main character, and both have other people in their lives which seem to control thier circumstances. In Alive and Well..., Matisse Osgood (named for the famous painter), is the daughter of artistic parents and she grew up in New York City. When her dad's Parkinson's Disease progresses to the point that he can no longer function as he always has, Matisse's parents decide to move to a small town in upstate New York. Matisse is angry and convinced that she can never find anything good about living in a rural town. At the same time, she's dealing with the loss of her beloved father, who has withdrawn into his own world of self-pity. She gradually makes friends and is proven wrong about small town life.

In Kissing the Bee, a darker novel than Alive and Well in Prague, New York, Dana is part of threesome including her best friend Avra and Avra's boyfriend Emil. Dana just happens to be crazy about Emil herself, but would never do anything to hurt Avra, so she just keeps her feelings to herself. It seemed obvious to me that Dana and Avra are polar opposites. Dana is thoughtful, selfless. level-headed, and goal-oriented. Avra is a self-centered, abusive, druggie who thinks about nothing but escaping her family and her life. This story is told in context with Dana's science project about honey bee communities, and Avra is definitely the queen bee of her world. Dana finally reaches her limit with Avra and ends the friendship, not a moment too soon, in my opinion. Even then, Avra doesn't betray even a second of sorrow or regret, ever thinking only of herself.

Both stories end on happy notes with satisfying resolutions to those controlling

factors in the lives of their main characters, Matisse and Dana. Quick reads

with appealing characters.

--reviewed by Mrs. Sams

Looking for salvation at the Dairy Queen

by Susan Gregg Gilmore

Now this is my kind of book. Narrated by Catharine Grace, this is a sweet story of a Georgia preacher and his two motherless daughters, in a small town filled with two-named people (Martha Ann, Lena Mae, Emma Sue, Gloria Jean, Ida Belle...) who have just enough meanness and weaknesses mixed in with their goodness to make the story realistic. Catharine Grace has never wanted anything more than getting out of her one-horse town the minute she turned 18, and that's exactly what she did. When she got her own room in Miss Mabie and Flora's house, and a job at the Davison's department store in Atlanta, she felt she was on her way to getting everything she ever wanted. It was harder on her Daddy and her sister than Catharine Grace that she couldn't come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. But when the telegram came on Jan. 3 saying that her Daddy had died, she knew she had broken his heart and been the cause of his death.

When Catharine Grace got home for the funeral , she came face to face with enough shocking situations, that she wasn't sure she could ever have loving thoughts of her Daddy again, but after a good talk with Eddie Franklin at the Dairy Queen, she realizes that nobody is perfect in this life, and it seems like she just had to get away from home for awhile to realize there was nowhere else she'd rather be. Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen is a great get-away-from-it-all novel with a funny and touching message.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

things that are

by Andrew Clements

The third in the "invisible" series, this installment focuses on the creepy, invisible character William, introduced in Things Hoped For. Alicia, who is blind, is struggling to keep her head straight about her friend Bobby, for whom she has developed more than friendship feelings. Bobby is returning in a couple of days from New York City where he has been doing auditions for music scholarships. While working at the library, Alicia is approached by William who tells her that Bobby is being followed by two men and could be in trouble. Alicia figures out pretty easily that William is invisible and naked, and she doesn't trust him at all. But she's afraid for Bobby, so she can't disregard what William says altogether. When she reaches home, FBI agents come to the door, and suddenly William's story becomes more plausible. Everyone in both Bobby and Alicia's families knows that the whole invisibility thing must be kept from the government, or their lives will never be their own again. When William comes to Alicia's back door freezing, and she lets him in, it becomes obvious to both her and Bobby, that they must do something for him, regardless of the FBI. This is a satisfying continuation of the story begun in Things Not Seen, as Alicia realizes that she can only live as honestly as she can in the here and now, because that's all that's real.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

Princess Ben

by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

This third novel by Murdock is a departure from her first two modern day works for young adults. Princess Ben is more of a fairy tale complete with magic mirrors, a flying broom, and somewhat wicked queen. Ben, short for Benevolent, is a princess of a imaginary mountainous kingdom. Since her father is brother to the king, and her mother dislikes the confinement of life at court, Ben has been allowed to grow up with a great deal of freedom--she plays with village children, she wears what she wants, runs where she will, and most of all, eats as much as she wants. Consequently, Ben is rather pudgy. Ben's carefree life comes to a crashing halt when the king and both her parents are murdered while on a short ceremonial journey. The queen takes Ben in hand, forces her to live in the palace, wear beautiful but uncomfortable clothes, take dancing lessons, and eat very little. She is being prepared to become the ruler of her small country and the bride of the prince of a stronger neighboring kingdom. When Ben rebels, the queen moves her into a tower room connected to the queen's own chambers. She is locked in at night and watched every minute of the day. But Ben soon discovers that her cold tower room connects to a magic room. There she learns a number of helpful spells which get her into more trouble than she bargained for. But, this is a fairy tale, and eventually, Ben lives happily ever after! This is a fun read with witty allusions to a number of familiar fairy tales.

Reviewed by Mrs. Sams

Thirteen Reasons Why

I had a student come into the library the other day looking for depressing books. He said he could get into the characters more easily when the story was depressing. That being the case, he shouldn't have too much trouble finding a book to read, because at least half of all young adult novels are depressing, imho. I just finished a really good and depressing novel--Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Hannah Baker makes 13 audio tapes for thirteen classmates who contributed to her decision to commit suicide. After her death, her tapes start circulating among the people for whom she blames her misery. We readers get to listen to her narration with Clay, the one student she doesn't blame for anything. It doesn't really matter, because after listening to the tapes, Clay blames himself for his insensitivity, and especially, for his fear of talking to Hannah and of trying to help her. There's nothing Clay can do to change the situation, because Hannah is already dead by the time he listens to her tapes. But he realizes he can change himself.

This is definitely a depressing book, and an insightful look into the heart and mind of a suicidal teen. But I did find myself getting angry at Hannah sometimes as the story progressed, because she made some bad choices which contributed to her misery. She couldn't legitimately blame all her problems on other people. However, it was obvious that Hannah, and perhaps most teens who think about killing themselves, lose the ability to see themselves and their situation for what it really is, and so they can't find the hope to hang on. Thirteen Reasons Why is a sad and gripping tale of high school at its worst, and a girl who grew too tired to wait for better times.

Reviewed by Dail Sams

The Patron Saint of Butterflies

by Cecilia Galante

Honey and Agnes have lived their whole lives in a religious commune in Connecticut. Their leader Emmanuel is revered by all and feared by most. The two girls have been called to the "Regulation Room" on several occasions, most recently because Honey was caught kissing a boy, and Agnes was considered an accomplice. Both girls come out with red welts all over their backs and legs. All the adults in the commune just look the other way when these situations arise. Agnes always blames herself and believes Emmanuel knows what's best for the "Believers." Honey just gets angrier and more determined to escape the commune. When Agnes's grandmother arrives for an unexpected visit, and learns about the Regulation Room, she decides it's time to take the children away from the commune. However, when Agnes's little brother Benny is severely injured by a heavy, carved wooden door closing on his hand, Nana Pete realizes that time has run out. Emmanual has done a butchered job of sewing Benny's fingers back on, then declaring it a miracle, but it is obvious Benny will die if he doesn't get competent medical attention immediately. Against Agnes's better judgment, she, Honey and Benny leave the commune with Nana Pete to seek medical attention for Benny. This is the first time any of the children have ever been away from the commune, and they are faced with an unimagined new life. Each new experience is a fun adventure for Honey; each one an evil temptation for Agnes. Both are faced with difficult decisions and come to unexpected conclusions. The Patron Saint of Butterflies is a timely coming of age story. Reviewed by Dail Sams

Since school started, it's been tough to find time to read and add to this blog. However, I recently finished Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks. I had this book on a future order, but decided I ought to read it first. It is a typically tense and suspenseful Brooks novel, so I have no doubt it would appeal to a lot of guys. However, the story is a little raw for me--I'm choosing not to add it to the high school collection. The story, which centers around the reunion at a carnival of some high school friends who had drifted apart, has too much of too many things. The tone of the novel is very dark and melancholy. When one of their old classmates turns up dead after the carnival, and another one missing, doubt, suspicion, and mistrust consumes Pete, the main character of the book. Since the missing classmate is Pete's best friend, his investigation into the murder parallels the police investigation. Although the murder is solved by the end of the book, Brooks leaves many unanswered questions, which could frustrate some readers. In spite of the negative aspects of this book, Black Rabbit Summer is not without redeeming qualities. Even with his faults, I had to like Pete for his loyalty to his friend Raymond, who was quite a strange character. And I really liked that Pete's parents were good people and that Pete obviously loved and respected them, even if he didn't always obey them. But bottom line, there are plenty of good, suspenseful mystery stories out there without all the language and questionable activities. Black Rabbit Summer is on next year's Tayshas list, so there are lots of librarians out there who like this book. It has received excellent reviews. But I think I'll let any student who wants to read this book find it at the public library.
--Reviewed by D. Sams

the dead & the gone

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life for Alex Morales, a New York City Puerto Rican teenager, changed forever without a second of warning. An asteroid collides with the moon, moving it closer to the earth. As a result, the moon's gravitational pull adversely affects the tides, causing worldwide flooding of low-lying areas. It also causes an increase in volcanic activity, so that the air becomes filled with ash, blocking out the sun's rays. Within months, New York City is constantly freezing, breathing is difficult, and nothing will grow. Alex's father was in Puerto Rico for his mother's funeral when the asteroid hit, and his mother was called in to the hospital to work. Neither one ever comes home, and 17-year-old Alex is left to care for his two younger sisters alone with food more and more difficult to come by. Alex is forced to take extreme actions just to survive. This is an unrelentingly bleak look at one possible future on an earth with severe climate changes. I wanted to quit reading, on every page because it was so depressing, but I just couldn't. This book is filled with small kindnesses and unselfish acts on the part of several characters, in spite of their need to survive, and I just had to know what happens to everyone. The Dead and the Gone is a companion book to Life as We Knew It, the same story told from the viewpoint of a small-town teenaged girl. Both books are thought-provoking reads with characters worth caring about, and very timely themes in light of the current global climate change debate.

--Reviewed by Mrs. Sams

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick

Do you remember those picture books from your elementary days that had the great pictures? Books like Make Way for Ducklings by Robert Mccloskey, Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, and The Polar Express by Christ Van Allsburg? All of these were Caldecott Award winners and written for young elementary students. The Caldecott award is a prestigious award given annually to children's book illustrators. This year, for the first time in recent memory, the Caldecott went to the writer of a book written for older students. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a thick book (533 pages) with dozens of lovely and intricate black and white pencil drawings. It's part picture book, part graphic novel, part motion picture. I loved this book for its artwork as much as anything, but it also has an interesting and creative storyline loosely based on the life of one of the earliest French moviemakers. I would recommend this book to anyone--it's not only a good read, but it's also a visual feast. Most students could read this book in a couple of hours, but you just have to take a little time to enjoy the art.

--Reviewed by Mrs. Sams

NOTES FROM THE MIDNIGHT DRIVER

by Jordan Sonnenblick

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," is Alex's lame excuse for drinking a lot of vodka, then stealing his mom's car with the intention of driving to his dad's house and confronting him with his multiple sins. However, he never made it to his dad's, instead crashing into a neighbor's front lawn, giving himself a concussion in the process. The lady judge was not amused, and sentenced him to 100 hours of community service time, to be served in a nursing home. At the Egbert P. Johnson Memorial Home for the Aged, Alex was assigned to the very cranky Soloman Lewis. It was no picnic at first, but when Alex started playing jazz guitar for Sol, a connection was made that both Alex and Sol benefitted from. With the help of two musical geniuses from Alex's jazz band, he put together a jazz concert for all the residents of the nursing home. A surprise performance by Sol on Alex's guitar guaranteed the success of the concert, and after the initial shock had worn off, bound Alex to Sol even more closely than before. This is a great story about the value of service, and the surprising people who can teach wonderful lessons if only they are allowed to. A funny and touching read. Notes from a Midnight Driver is on this year's Tayshas Reading list. --reviewed by Mrs. Sams

UNWIND

By Neal Shusterman

A terrifying, futuristic cautionary tale, Unwind gripped me from page one and wouldn't let go till the end. Connor, Risa, and Lev are all scheduled for unwinding in this creepy world where it's OK for parents to donate their teenagers to society for body parts, just as long as every bit of them is transplanted into another person. Connor learns his fate, and begins running, finding Risa and Lev along the way. They all three end up in the "Graveyard," a semi-safe place in Arizona run by a retired Navy Admiral who opposes the unwinding policy. But unfortunately, the Admiral can't control all 400 unwinds and the few adults who know about his camp, and chaos breaks loose. In the midst of a mob rebellion, the Admiral has a heart attack, and Connor and Risa risk everything to take him to the hospital. They are betrayed by Roland, a fellow unwind, and all are sent to a "harvest camp." I couldn't ruin the ending here, but I've got to say that there are very recognizable events happening at the harvest camp--grim reminders of the Jewish Holocaust and current suicide bombers. Though the plot of this book may seem unrealistic, there's just enough reality in it to be downright scary, with allusions to a number of controversial issues. This is an engrossing and thought-provoking read.

---reviewed by Dail Sams

Brothers, Boyfriends & Other Criminal Minds

by April Lurie

April Lundquist, or Ape, Monkey, and Chimp, as her older brother Matt calls her, lives with her family in a quiet Brooklyn neighborhood. Within two blocks of her house there live several members of two Mafia families. For the most part April doesn't worry too much about "Soft Sal" who lives across the street, or "Gorgeous Vinny" who lives on the corner of Twelfth, but when she discovers that Matt has a huge crush on Bettina, the daughter of the head of one Mafia family, she really starts worrying. They are playing the parts of Romeo and Juliet in a local theater production, which allows them to see each other much too often for April's comfort. To complicate matters, she is receiving attention from three guys all of a sudden, only one of which she really cares about--Dominick the long-haired slightly dangerous-looking musician--and her parents are putting pressure on her to "get involved" in extra-curricular activites. Matt swears April to secrecy about Bettina, but when he comes home late after the last performance of Romeo and Juliet, beaten pretty badly, April knows she has to go to her parents. This book is all about not judging a book by its cover, and about what it means to be loyal. April is an appealing character, and is based on the real life of the author. Brothers, Boyfriends... is on this year's Texas Lone Star reading list.

---reviewed by Mrs. Sams

breaking dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer proves again what a great storyteller she is in her fourth and final installment of the Twilight series. I really can't tell you much about this book without giving all the good stuff away, but I can say than none of her fans should be disappointed. In case there was any doubt, Edward and Bella are married within the first 50 pages of this 750 page book, but many of the remaining pages were filled with the unexpected. I can say that Meyer did a terrific job of tying up all the loose ends in very satisfying ways. The best love story ever! Multiple copies available in the library!

EPIC

by Conor Kostick

For a thousand years or more, the video game Epic has been an important part of society. At first it was just used for recreation, but gradually the game became central to the world's culture and began to determine the wealth, possessions, and social standing of every person on the planet. Beyond the game, the Central Allocations committee, made up of the richest and most successful players, controls allocation of all resourses. Unfortunately most of the world's people are living in poverty and are required to perform hard physical labor. In their spare time most people have to connect to Epic, to try to gain just enough to survive, while the privileged few control everything. Erik and his friends decide to play the game in a more dangerous and aggressive manner in an attempt to win a fortune and power. When the team succeeds in killing a dragon for the first time in a hundred years, and gains unbelievable wealth, the CA gets worried and begins scheming to get rid of these creative and smart kids threatening to upset the balance of power. With both sides gathering forces, the world is on the brink of a virtual war of epic proportions. Epic is a title on this year's Texas Lone Star list.

---reviewed by Dail Sams

Deadline

by Chris Crutcher

Chris Crutcher has done it again! Deadline has absolutely everything a great read should have--a heart wrenching, thought provoking plot, lots of humor, a quirky turn of phrase, a sweet if unlikely love story, an incredible football season, characters you can really care about, and an ending that had me trying to swallow a lump in my throat the size of Texas and blinking back tears for the last 30 pages of the book. Ben Wolf finds out after a sports physical that he has a terminal blood disease, and that he has about a year to live. This book is all about how Ben decides to live his life for that year. I think that every student at Lorena High School should read this book. A small warning: language is an issue, but it was appropriate and realistic. Yet another Texas Tayshas book for this year.

--reviewed by D. Sams

Wait for me

by An Na

Mina is living a lie in so many areas of her life. Her mother expects her to get accepted to Harvard, but her grades aren't even close, and she's been spending time with her new boyfriend Ysrael while her mother thinks she's studying for the SAT. Mina finds it easy to lie because she doesn't want to disappoint her mother, but also because her mother is a difficult, bitter, and pushy person. Her own life has been a big disappointment, and she doesn't want more of the same for Mina. Mina has a chance to run away with Ysrael, but finally decides she can't desert her hearing-impaired younger sister, Suna, who gets little of her mother's love or attention. Waiting is the theme running throughout the story--Mina waiting to leave home and live her own life, her mother waiting to reap the rewards of her sacrifices, Suna just waiting to be noticed. This novel received starred reviews in several review journals, and it is a well-written work, but there was something about it that just didn't reach me. I call this a "gray" novel. The action is flat, no highs and no lows. There was very little character development, and the tone throughout was melancholy. I don't remember even a tiny bit of comic relief. However, I have no doubt that this is a book that would be just what some teens need to read, and it does end on a small note of hope. Some of you should give it a shot. Another Tayshas book for 2008-2009.

----reviewed by Mrs. Sams

INCANTATION

by Alice Hoffman

Set during the Spanish Inquisition, this dark and mysterious novel tells the story of man's cruelty to man. Narrated by Estrella deMadrigal, a young girl who has no idea that she belongs to a Jewish family who was forced to convert to Christianity one hundred years before, Incantation is the story of escalating violence and mob rule. Friends betray friends, and no one is safe. As soldiers come for Jewish families, and burn books in the Plaza, fear falls on Estrella's family and church members. She reads the newest edict in the center of her village, ordering everyone to turn in people suspected of being Jews, based on a list of ways a hidden Jew could be distinguished. From that point on, her life unravels before her eyes, and she is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. A short and quick read, Incantation is one more evidence of Alice Hoffman's skillful storytelling. It is on the 2008-2009 Tayshas list.

---reviewed by Dail Sams

CURES for HEARTBREAK

by Margo Rabb

Mia Pearlman narrates this melancholy story about surviving after the death of a beloved mother, and the serious heart attack of her father. Mia's mother was diagnosed with melanoma and died 12 days later, giving Mia, her older sister Alex, and her father little time to prepare for their loss. In the months that follow, Mia's life seems to pass in a gray fog. Her dad spends most of his time on the couch watching TV. Mia fails two classes and has to attend summer school, while her sister prepares to go off to college. Once Alex is gone, Mia and her dad gradually become closer and support each other by trying to eat healthier. Mia seems to deal with her grief and fear by reading all the time--books about orphans and romance novels-- and by fantasizing about boys and sex.

Things begin to change when her father starts dating Sylvia, a vivacious cancer surviver. Her father is happier, and within months has proposed marriage. Mia wants her dad to be happy, but doesn't much like Sylvia. After sending out wedding invitations, they hear from a woman and her son Sasha whom they had met in the hospital. Sasha had cancer, but was in remission. Mia thought he was going to die, but instead, he got well and went traveling to Europe and Nepal. That was a hopeful thing for Mia, who had had enough of death and sickness in her young life. One perfect day of talking and hiking with Sasha gives Mia even more hope that she will be able to live a normal, happy life. When Sylvia suddenly dies before the wedding, Mia is guilt-stricken because she had had a huge and ugly fight with her the night before. Her father assures Mia that it's not her fault, she is comforted by Sasha, and small glimmers of hope slowly touch her life again.

This was a hard book for me to get through. It was a little too heavy for me, and the language put me off. The last part of the book which includes Mia and Sasha's sweet relationship, made it worth the read. This story includes an afterword in which the author tells her own story about her parents' deaths, and that the writing of this books was a significant part of her own passage through grief. Many of the chapters of this book were published previously as short stories in various magazines. Cures for Heartbreak is on this year's Tayshas list.

----reviewed by Dail Sams

PEAK

by Roland Smith

What a great book about conquering the tallest place on earth, and so much more! I was unenthusiastic about reading this book, but I loved it from the first page. "Peak" not only refers to the summit of Mt. Everest, but also is the name of the hero of the story. After getting in trouble with the law for climbing a skyscraper in New York City, 14-year-old Peak Marcello, is let off the hook when his biological father shows up to take custody of him with plans to take Peak out of the country altogether. The judge is happy about this solution, because Peak's stunt had become a media circus and his Honor wanted the whole thing to go away. Josh Wood, Peak's father, is arguably the best climber in the world. He had written authoritative books on the subject, and he was currently leading a group of climbers to the top of Everest. Josh was secretly making plans to take Peak up the mountain because if Peak made it to the top, he would be the youngest person ever to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, thereby giving Josh's climbing company tons of great PR and millions in advertising endorsements.

By the time he reaches Tibet, Peak has been befriended by Sun-jo, a Nepalese boy his own age, and the grandson of a respected Sherpa, the local men who act as guides and carry gear up the mountain for those who make the attempt. What follows is an intense story of conquering Mt Everest, dealing with bitter cold and lack of oxygen, avoiding Chinese officers who are trying to find Sun-jo, conquering fear and utter physical exhaustion, and finally learning in the end that selflessness is more rewarding than making it to the highest point in the world. Peak is on this year's Texas Lone Star reading list.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

Nineteen Minutes

by Jodi Picoult

This gripping and incredibly sad book is the story of one bullied high school boy and how events beyond his control ruin his life and the lives of many of his classmates. The title refers to the time it took Peter Houghton to enter his high school and shoot twenty-nine students, ten of whom died. One student who was not shot was Josie Cormier, Peter's one and only friend in early childhood and the daughter of the woman judge presiding over the case. Picoult, the author of The Pact, My Sister's Keeper, and of a number of other best-selling works, has created a story told from multiple viewpoints, so that by the end of the book, the reader feels sorrier for everyone else involved than for the victims of Peter's shooting spree. Though Nineteen Minutes is not a tale completely bereft of hope, it does brilliantly illustrate what destruction cruelty and revenge can bring about in people's lives. This book is on the 2008-2009 Tayshas reading list.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

I'd Tell You I Love You, But then I'd Have to Kill You
by Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan, a.k.a Chameleon, attends The Gallagher Academy, a top-secret, exclusive boarding school for girls in training to be spies. She speaks fourteen languages and takes courses like "Covert Operations" and "Culture and Assimilation." Cammie is called Chameleon because she is really good at looking normal and blending in, an essential skill for spies. She never dreams she will get the chance during her sophomore year to become the ultimate normal girl. During a covert operation into the small town of Roseville, where Gallagher is located and where everyone believes Gallagher is a snooty, spoiled rich girls school, she is approached by the best looking guy she has ever seen. So begins months of sneaking out for "research" and "undercover operations" with Josh, aided and abetted by her roommates who are totally ignorant about normal guys, except the newest roommate, Macey, who really is a spoiled rich girl. Cammie not only has to keep her true identity a secret from Josh, but she also has to avoid getting caught by all the Gallagher teachers, including her mother, Gallagher's headmistress. Not the most realistic story in the world, but lots of fun, nevertheless. I'd Tell You I Love You... is on this year's Texas Lone Star reading list. Expect to see more in this Gallagher Girls series.
---reviewed by D. Sams

Odd Hours

by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas is one of the most unusual and endearing characters in modern literature. (My opinion only, but a number of critics agree with me.) The Barnes & Noble website will tell you that he is one of just a few characters in all literature who can be recognized by his first name alone. Odd has supernatural gifts that continually draw him into adventures, usually involving truly evil people and a significant amount of violence. And shining through all the darkness is Odd Thomas, fighting, sometimes almost completely by himself, against that wickedness. Odd Hours is Koontz's fourth installment of the Odd Thomas saga. In this story, Odd finds himself traveling with the ghost of Frank Sinatra and his spirit dog, Boo, to a small California coastal town. There, Odd gets a job cooking for an elderly former actor. He's not there long before he has a terrifying dream in which a young, pregnant woman figures prominently amid a burning, armageddon-like scene. Odd has no idea what the dream means, but he knows he has to look for the woman. The moment he locates her, his troubles with the evil men of the town begin, and he finds himself in the middle of a plot to incinerate four large U.S. cities with nuclear weapons. Suffice it to say that Odd has his hands full for the rest of the book. Koontz has succeeded again in creating a tense, and frightening story of good against evil, featuring an original character, marked by gentleness and grace.

--reviewed by D. Sams

BEING
by Kevin Brooks

This book had grabbed me and was dragging me along by page 2. I had to keep reading. The main character, Robert Smith, discovers during a routine digestive tract checkup that his body is filled with alien stuff. He doesn't have any of the normal organs, but plastic boxes, shining filaments, metal bones, and white and black liquids. He wakes up before he's supposed to, and hears scary men in black suits discussing the contents of his abdominal cavity. He realizes they mean him no good, and proceeds to take over the situation so that he can escape. After being on the move for a couple of days, he makes his way to a girl's apartment whom he had met a year earlier. This girl, Eddi, has the computer equipment and knowledge to create a new identity for Robert, and she realizes she will have to leave her own life behind and go with him, because Robert's pursuers will never stop looking for him, and they will eventually find her. Within another couple of days, Eddi has arranged for them to leave the country for Spain. There they live a carefree life for months, and the plot slows down considerably. Within pages of the end of the book, the men in black suits track them down, shatter their idyllic life, and I realized there just wasn't time to tie up all the loose ends, of which there were many. I certainly hope Kevin Brooks is planning a sequel, or he will be leaving a lot of frustrated readers! However, unfinished plot notwithstanding, this is a great sci-fi thriller and a good story about learning to trust. Being is on the 2008-2009 Tayshas list.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

Not Like You

by Deborah Davis

I have to say that it took me until the last page to like this book. Another title on this year's Tayshas list, Not Like You has many of the things I really dislike in a book--a depressing plot, dysfunctional and angry characters, and too many "mature" references. But I just couldn't help cheering for Kayla, the main character, on the last page, when it became obvious that she would not allow life to defeat her.

Kayla lives with her single, alcoholic mom, Marilyn. For the fifth time in two years, Marilyn is moving them to a new place, because she just can't make things work where she is. Her solution for trouble is to leave. After a year in foster care a few years back, Kayla is willing to do whatever it takes to help her mom out, including helping with groceries and rent from her own earnings, even though she is only 15. For a change, this move is toward someone, instead of just away from trouble. Marilyn has found her own mother from whom she has been estranged for many years. But when they arrive in her home town, they find that Marilyn's mom has just recently died. They stay anyway, and Kayla finds herself making some friends and putting down roots. She meets a guy much too old for her, but he treats her well, and Kayla is smitten. Meanwhile, Marilyn's attempt at a fresh start doesn't go as planned, and she starts drinking again. This makes Kayla furious, and she finally decides that it's OK to live for herself instead of constantly propping up her mother. She steals some money from friends and takes off for Denver, where her boyfriend is living with his band. Some hard knocks move Kayla in the right direction, when she realizes she's done what she swore she would never do--she's become like her mother at her worst.

--reviewed by D. Sams

Check out the new Tayshas list for 2008-2009. Most of these titles are available for checkout at the LHS library. Go to:

http://www.txla.org/groups/yart/Tay0809.pdf

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

This really strangely named book, was the 2007 National Book Award winner for Young Adults, and is on this year's Tayshas list. It is truly the saddest funny book I've ever read. Junior Spirit was born and raised on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State. He knows all about being poor and powerless. The reservation schools are no good, so Junior makes the decision to go to school at an excellent rural white school 23 miles away. His parents agree to help him, but there are many days he has to hitchhike or walk most of the way. His best friend Rowdy won't forgive him for leaving the "rez" and most of his people think he is a traitor. But Junior is determined to make something of his life, and to escape the cycle of poverty. This book is peppered with Junior's cartoons, most really funny, and stories of life on the reservation, alternately funny and heartrending. At his new school, he manages to make friends with a brainy geek, who helps him study, and gets a girlfriend named Penelope. But it's his basketball playing ability that really wins him the respect he craves.

Be prepared to learn something about Native Americans by reading this book, and be prepared to be touched by a character who has to work like crazy just to get what most American kids take for granted. Although this is a great guy book, it is one that everyone should read.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

lock and key

by Sarah Dessen

Ruby is used to her mother being irresponsible. She's used to having her mother come home drunk, often with another man. She's used to having to help her with her job. She's used to getting no emotional support from her. But it surprises her when her mother just doesn't come home at all one night. After two weeks, Ruby realizes her mother isn't coming back. If she can just hold on for a few months until she turns 18, she will be home free. But it gets harder and harder. She can't pay the rent and the water is turned off. Finally, the landlord gets suspicious, and calls in social services, and the game is up. She is sent to live with her older sister Cora, who left home ten years ago to go to college and never came back. Her sister is married to a wealthy man, a good man, and Ruby's life changes overnight. But she has locked away her heart, and finds it difficult to open herself up to love. It takes the patience of her sister and the friendship of Nate, the guy across the alley, to unlock her heart for the first time in a long time.

Dessen hits the nail on the head with her new novel about teens who learn how to survive when the adults in their lives fail them.

--reviewed by Dail Sams

Twisted

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Tyler Miller is walking on the edge. He manages to maintain his balance by escaping into a video game for hours at a time, and by hanging with his best friend, Yoda. Tyler is doing penance for his Foul Deed of last spring, a major act of vandalism on the school building, by working tons of community service hours with the school's maintenance crew and a local landscaping company. His mother is a nice but unhappy lady. His sister is about to enter high school and is itching to break lose. His dad is an autocratic workaholic there's no pleasing. Tyler has been a scrawny, bullied victim for as long as he can remember. But, after a summer of physical labor, he's bulked up and shot up to 6'3". The impossible has happened. The school's hottest girl, and incidentally, his dad's boss's daughter, is showing interest in him. But what starts out to be the best thing that has ever happened to him in his life, ends up pushing Tyler off the edge into a dark place. Tyler is a character most guys could identify with and most girls could sympathize with. A great read.

The newest book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, is due out on August 2.
Go to Barnes & Noble website for a video of Stephenie Meyer speaking on Twilight and the writing process.

http://media.barnesandnoble.com/index.jsp?fr_chl=eeef1c48b137ca6f7002930b78484d1eab3a0a7d Click on "new shows and interviews" and scroll down to Stephenie Meyer.

The third volume of Paolini's Inheritance trilogy, Brisingr, is scheduled for release on September 10.

Multiple copies will be available in the LHS library.

Stephenie Meyer's New Book Captivates!

With the publishing of The Host, Stephenie Meyer proves she is more than a one story author. It's hard to imagine more captivating characters than Bella and Edward, but the world Meyer creates in The Host is every bit as fascinating, and even more original than the vampire/werewolf world of Twilight. By the use of an alien invasion of Earth, Meyer examines what it means to be human, both the good and the dark sides, and causes her reader to sympathize equally with human and alien.

Melanie Stryder is one of the last humans left on earth, as far as she knows, who is not inhabited by an alien. Then she finds Jared, another "uninhabited" human and falls in love. When Melanie is finally captured and taken over by the alien, Wanderer, she refuses to fade away as most humans do, leading to a strange and complicated relationship with a being who has control of her body. The dynamics become even more difficult, when the two endanger their body to find Jared and the group of humans hiding in the Arizona desert. Though the focus of the plot is definitely on the characters and relationships, this is interesting science fiction as well. Meyer ties up plot complications pretty well in this novel, but there's plenty of room for a sequel, if she wants to further develop her new world.

--reviewed by Dail Sams