Crazy (Mental Illness)

Book Title: Crazy by Han Nolan

Topic:  Mental Illness, Friendship

Thoughts: Jason's mother has died, his father has a mental illness, and Jason has four voices talking in his head: Crazy Glue--"the kid who Krazy Glued the fingers of his left hand together"; Sexy Lady, who tells Jason he is hot all the time (what teenage guy doesn't want this?); Aunt Bee from the Andy Griffith Show; and Fat Bald Guy (FBG) with a mustache "who sits in the back of the theater writing movie reviews" (2).

Nolan writes the novel like a play with these four voices in Jason's head talking to him and providing advice.  Even without looking to see who was talking, the voices have definite personalities that I had no problems remembering who is whom.

I like several lines Jason gives his teachers on why he writes the way he does, but I know I would not be happy if one of my own students used those lines on me.  Jason does this to be invisible, but he ends up having to go to a therapy session during lunch where he meets other students with problems: parents' divorce, parent dieing, or a parent's drug addiction.

I like the judge's statement to Jason about his role in life:  
"Going to school, studying, learning new material, advancing—this is your job. . . . And when things are falling apart in your life, that does not give you permission to let it all go to hell. . . . If you have disaster in one part of your life, you make extra sure the rest of it is working.  Otherwise you have to work twice as hard later to make up for the total mess you’ve put your life in.  Your father’s condition is, for the most part, out of your control.  Your schoolwork isn’t” (321). 

My mother sort of said the same thing when she was diagnosed with cancer, and I worried about her instead of my school work.  She told me I had to focus on my schoolwork, but Nolan said it in a more poetic way. You can replace "Your father's condition" with anything in your life that bothers you, and this quote is still relevant to you as a student.  At least Jason does take the judge's advice, but I fear, in the real world this advice goes in one ear and out the other.  How many of my students do let their schoolwork go and then have to work twice as hard to make up for it.  Why do you want to have to take two English classes or two math classes at the same time because you do not like the class?

When my brother failed his first semester of English in high school, he told me he didn't like the class.  I told him that was really smart because now he has to take the class he hates all over again.  Why not pass it the first time and get out of there?  From then on he made sure he did and turned in all his work to pass with at least a "D-."  I'm on my soap box: The more you put into your education, the more choices you will have later.


What personality will you give your "imaginary audience" aka voices in your head?  I think we are all a little "crazy" but that doesn't mean we are insane.

Blink & Caution (Runaways)

Book Title: Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones

Topic:  Runaways, Friendship, Crime

Thoughts: If the novel takes place in Toronto, why does the cover have a forest of trees with bullet holes?  This intrigued me and the reason becomes clear later in the novel.  Each chapter switches between the points of view of two runaways: sixteen-year-old Blink and seventeen-year-old Caution (not their real names).  I am still trying to figure out why when Blink narrates, he refers to himself as "you."  Is it because of his lack of self-esteem?  Is it because his conscious is telling his side of the story?  Is it because he wants whoever reads his story to put himself or herself in his shoes or situation?

Driving through Columbia today, my daughter saw a homeless person and made the comment that she would hate to be homeless.  She wondered how a person would find food.  I began telling her how Blink would go to four star hotels, walk down floors, and take food off the room service trays left outside the rooms.  Of course, that grossed her out, but I told her when you are starving, you will eat almost anything. 

While Blink has run away because of his abusive stepfather, Caution has run away because of her guilt over her older brother's death.  We meet Blink as he steals food off room service trays.  We meet Caution trying to get money from one scum bag drug dealer who owes her scum bag drug dealer boyfriend money.  It took me awhile to understand why Caution would be willing to live with and sleep with a thirty-year-old drug dealer who abuses her and cheats on her with another women in the apartment building.  Through bits and pieces Caution does eventually tell us why she stayed with him so long.

When Caution steals Blink's money at a train station, her guilt bothers her enough to give it back to him when on the train, and they end up working together risking their lives to solve a mystery for another girl.  While I enjoyed reading to see if they would survive, I enjoyed the complexities of Blink & Caution's friendship more.

Fallen (Angels)

Book Title: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Topic:  Love, Angels

Thoughts: The first chapter begins with Daniel sketching Luce with a packed trunk ready to leave her. When they kiss she disappears into ashes.  The next chapter begins with Luce at a juvenile detention facility because of another "fire incident."  Once she sees Daniel, she immediately has an attraction to him, but he avoids her (do I see a reference to Edward and Bella?).  This novel does not have vampires but angels.  Even though Daniel tries to avoid Luce, they are pulled together until the climax of the novel.

The climax did not have me wanting to continue reading to see if Luce would survive because as soon as Kate mentions that Luce notices a stain glass window above her when she is tied down, I knew someone, probably Daniel, would crash through to "save the day."

Because I have visited a military academy that has been converted into a YMCA, I can picture the surroundings based on this background knowledge that I have but others may struggle with a visual picture. 


I thought Luce would have a cursed soul with Daniel trying to save her but as you read the ending, you find out that isn't really the entire story.


While this novel hasn't completely fallen to the bottom of my recommendation list, I do not plan to read the next book in the series.

Vicious Deep (Quest, Growing Up, Mermaids)

Book Title: Vicious Deep by Zoraida Córdova

Topic:  Quest, Growing Up, Mermaids

Thoughts: Tristian Hart is a typical teenager who not only loves to swim but loves his best friend Layla, who does not love him back.  While on lifeguard duty on Coney Island, he tries to save a girl from drowning but disappears for three days.  Tristian has no recollection of what happened during those three days, and because he is the only one to survive from the storm, he becomes a local celebrity.


For those who like the Percy Jackson series, this series also has a quest trying to save the kingdom with Tristian competing to become Sea King.  Instead of finding the stolen lightening bolt, Tristian has to find three pieces of the trident.

Tristian does not hold anything back in his mind expressing how he feels about those around him, but he is not completely truthful with his own actions.  What is the complete story with him and all the girls attracted to him?

I am curious to find out what the deal is with Kurt, Tristian's body guard.  Kurt is able to hold all his emotions in check so I don't know how he feels about Tristian.  Tristian does let us know how he feels about everyone around him.  Because I don't know what Layla is thinking, I haven't decided if I want her and Tristian to end up together or not.

I want to know why Kurt acts standoffish and why Layla acts like she likes Tristian but then acts like she hates him.

As Tristian sets out on his next adventure, how will the vicious deep try to conquer him?

The Future of Us (Internet, Friendship)

Book Title: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Topic:  Internet, Friendship, Love

Thoughts: Each chapter is either from Emma or Josh's point of view.  After Emma receives a computer from her father and Josh gives her an AOL CD to log on to the Internet, Emma sees fifteen years into her future with her FACEBOOK account.  She doesn't fully understand the small snippets she sees in her life through the little blurbs, but she knows she does not like what she sees.  Josh, on the other hand, likes who he sees in his future. 

Emma and Josh were close friends until six months ago with he thought she wanted to be more than just friends.  Both of them wish they could take that event back, but they can't.  While they struggle with their own feelings toward each other and their feelings toward others they want to be with, they also have to struggle with accepting what they do today will affect the future in some way.

If you had the chance to see your future and change what you do today to change your future, would you?  I know we have all made comments that we wish we would have made different choices, but how obsessed would we be if we had instant updates on the outcome of our choices.  Would we become obsessed with every little detail and never be happy with what we see, or would be decide to enjoy life today?  If I had not chosen the college I chose, I would not have met my husband and have the wonderful children that I do have.
 
While this is not a comedy like Groundhog Day or a thriller like The Butterfly Effect, it does make us think about how the smallest events we do every day affect not only our future but the future of those around us.   What will your future hold for others with our relationships to others and technology?

The Art of Racing in the Rain (Dogs, Car Racing)

Book Title: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Topic:  Dogs, Race car drivers

Thoughts: One of my co-workers who is a dog lover recommended this book to me after I told her about A Dog's Purpose.  The picture of the dog on the front cover is enough to make you want to read this novel.

Like A Dog's Purpose, this book is also told from a dog's point of view.  Enzo is more human in this novel and believes when he has accomplished everything on earth he is supposed to that he will be reincarnated as a human with opposable thumbs.  He admits to watching too much TV and shares with us his favorite movies and movie stars.  He is not above acting like a dog when he does not like a person, and I cheered for him as he does the dirty deeds. 

While this novel is not as gut-wrenching as A Dog's Purpose, I did like the dog's perspective on human nature and how he sees they way humans live.

Because Enzo's owner Denny wants to be a professional race car driver, we learn what it takes for a person to be a successful professional driver.  Denny has to decide a couple of times whether he wants to sacrifice his family for his career.  The choices he has made has made all the difference to him.   

Although Denny is a successful race car driver who feels comfortable driving faster in the rain, and I clench the steering wheel and tense my shoulders, I hope at times we can try to be like Enzo and enjoy the drizzle that touches our faces and eyelashes as we watch the scenery around us.

The Iron King (Fairies)

Book Title: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Topic:  Fairies, Friendship, Love triangle

Thoughts: I thought this was interesting to have characters from Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream in it.  For my students who have read Romeo and Juliet, Queen Mab is even in here.  I like Kagawa's figurative language that helps give me a visual description of the fairyland scenery. 

The novel begins with Meghan remembering how her father disappeared when when she was six years old.

Meghan Chase's six-year old brother has been kidnapped and switched with a changeling, and she has to decide whether to go with her best friend Robbie (Puck) to Nevernever to bring him back.  Meghan travels through different kingdoms and is transported to different parts of the United States in her quest to find her brother. 

I kept thinking that the Iron King is her missing father, but that prediction did not come true.  Meghan's relationship with Ash reminds me of Marr's Wicked Lovely, with the summer and winter kings and queens having the love-hate relationship. 

We have another three-way love triangle.  I can tell that Puck loves Meghan, but she has no clue.  Hey, I have been in the same situation as a teenager, in which one of my male friends wanted to be more than a friend, but I loved someone else.  How do you let a guy down easy so that you can still be friends?  Neither Meghan nor I are very effective at it.

Like you, R.S., I am looking forward to reading the second novel.  Tell your mother to loosen the iron shackles and buy the second book so that you can finish the series!