Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: The Truth Commission by Susan Juby

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

The Truth Commission by Susan JubyThe Truth Commission
by Susan Juby
Viking/Penguin Group

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Normandy Pale and her two best friends Dusk and Neil embark on a mission to strip away the insulation around fellow students and teachers’ lives and expose the truth. Rumors abound in their small school of the arts, and the three self-appointed members of the Truth Commission want to get to the bottom of each one. At first, the mission seems pure and helpful, but consequences grow with each truth exposed. Then one confronted student suggests Normandy examine her own life for hidden truths. Normandy reluctantly begins a quest for truth that could tear her fragile family apart, and will force each Truth Commissioner to reevaluate whether uncovering the truth is always worth its price.

In the beginning of the story, some elements felt too immature for the ages of the characters. For instance, they “smoke” candy cigarettes, which seemed far too juvenile for high school juniors. In the end, it seemed to work because the characters (Dusk, Neil and Normandy) are all so off-beat and unusual themselves. The power of the story comes through its careful exploration of exposing truth and its outcomes.

As Normandy narrates via “nonfiction narrative,” the truth exploration becomes much more complicated. She wonders whether she and her friends have a right to demand truth from anyone else, and if there are truths best left unspoken. Overall, a complex story with a fascinating cast of characters. Fans of Sarah Mlynowski’s Don’t Even Think About It will enjoy Juby’s novel.

Language Content
Strong profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Normandy and her friends confront a girl whose sister was rumored to bare her body on a web cam. There’s a discussion about how modesty is essentially a bad thing and no one should be judged for what they wear (or don’t wear.) The conversation sparks a school-wide parade in which students undress down to undergarments and label themselves using some derogatory terms. Students are pretty charged up about it, but later the girl who started the parade appears troubled and admits that her sister may not have been the innocent victim that she presented her to be. The bullying that happened around the time of the web cam incident may have had more to do with the fact that the sister was engaging in some risky behavior involving “the wrong crowd” and another girl’s boyfriend. There’s not a lot of judgement passed on these situations, in particular whether the parade was helpful or misguided. Normandy does appear to have very mixed feelings.

Brief discussion about a girl who appears to have two boyfriends. (Vague speculation about threesomes, but no details.) Brief kissing. Brief reference to a girl who was raped. No details.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Normandy sees artwork depicting a man being pushed from a cliff.

Drug Content
The Truth Commission confronts a boy with a reputation for drug use. Normandy finds an assortment of prescription drugs in an empty apartment. No scenes depicting drug use.

Review: Where You End by Anna Pellicioli

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

Where You End
Anna Pellicioli
Flux

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For some, grief is a quiet void carefully tiptoed around. For Miriam, it is a raging storm that wakes her in the night, chews through her ability to reason. The hungry, empty space inside her where Elliot used to be. Seeing him with another girl sends her over the edge. Almost before she realizes what she’s done, a priceless statue lies on the ground at her feet. Panicked, Miriam flees the scene. There’s just one problem: a girl as mixed up as she is. One who saw what Miriam did. One who wants something in exchange for her silence.

Miriam’s emotional journey is the real force behind the story. Her life spins hopelessly out of control following her breakup with Elliot. She withdraws, experiences depression, makes poor decisions, lies to her parents – all things largely outside her normal character. We watch her struggle to recover, to find her way through those dark moments. To find her courage. The journey is both empowering and refreshingly honest.

In a culture that desperately wants to believe that sex—particularly teen sex—doesn’t matter and is all about living large and having fun, Pellicioli dares to deliver a story with a very different message. Miriam has given herself, heart and body, to a boy and the unthinkable happened: they broke up. He’s moved on to another girl. She’s devastated, possibly pregnant. Pellicioli excels at relating the unbalanced heartbreak that drives Miriam to destroy something that would otherwise be precious to her.

There are lots of books about sexually active teens. There are not a lot of books that tackle the heartbreak that can come along with those decisions as boldly and powerfully as Where You End.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Miriam had been having sex with her now ex-boyfriend Elliot. She gives some details about frequency, location, and the emotional highs she felt when she was with him. The experiences themselves aren’t much described. She later engages in heavy kissing with another boy and removes her shirt (the scene is a bit confusing… I wasn’t sure what was happening beyond kissing until afterward when she clarified having taken off her shirt.) What’s perhaps most interesting about the sexual content is not the experiences themselves but the emotional roller coaster Miriam experiences in her feelings about Elliot after the break-up.

Spiritual Content
Miriam’s family is Jewish. She shares memories of going to school to learn Hebrew. Her family keeps the Sabbath, and the celebration is deeply important to her family. Miriam throws a fit at the start of one Sabbath meal, which really hurts her mother’s feelings.

Paloma’s mother used to take her to a church to hear the organ practices. She later retreats there for solitude.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
Brief mentions of Elliot being intoxicated at a party.

Review: Twintuition: Double Vision by Tia and Tamera Mowry

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,

Twintuition: Double Vision
by Tia & Tamera Mowry
Harper/HarperCollins

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Caitlyn and Cassie may look exactly the same, but inside they’re as different as two people can be. On this they agree: the tiny town of Aura, Texas is the last place they want to live. Caitlyn, ever the optimist, tries to make the best of the move. Cassie hatches plot after plot to convince Mom to return to San Antonio. Strange visions begin clouding the twins’ sight. To Cassie, this could turn into an opportunity to get in with the cool kids. Caitlyn, however, is convinced they should use their gift to help others. The last person they expected turns out to need their help most of all.

Twins themselves, the authors know a lot about issues faced by identical siblings. Cassie and Caitlyn have two distinct personalities and two very different ideas on how to solve problems. Both struggle to craft unique identities to avoid being mistaken for one another in a way that any reader with siblings can easily understand. Told with a mixture of sass and poise, this story touches on the difficulties of finding new friends in a small town. It reminds readers that ultimately, power should be used for the good of others, and that even moms need a little help sometimes.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Cassie and Caitlyn begin having visions foretelling future events. They research ESP for more information, but uncover little that is helpful, other than a reference to another case similar to theirs.

Violence
A boy is injured during a football game.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

Graffiti Moon
by Cath Crowley
Knopf Books for Young Readers

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On the last night of her senior year, Lucy and her best friend set out on an adventure. The girls plan to track down Shadow and Poet, a secretive duo who pepper the city with brilliant graffiti and gut-wrenching poetry. Ed, Lucy’s sort-of-ex-boyfriend, wishes she’d see past her prejudices and assumptions. Her obsession with Shadow is sure to lead to disappointment, but it’s like a train wreck from which he can’t look away. As the night progresses, Lucy draws nearer to uncovering the identity of the elusive Shadow, but the closer she gets, the less he seems like the hero she’s built him up to be. Maybe what she’s really wanted has been right in front of her all the time.

Three points-of-view relay the story of a chaotic night: Lucy, Ed, and Poet. Each has a unique voice and identity and bring an essential piece of the story to the stage. Lucy and Ed’s backstory definitely adds emotional depth. Her fondness for classic stories adds a nice flair, since there are definitely some parallels between her story and that of the famed Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. Lucy is learning to do some glass blowing. This unusual hobby and the graffiti art add some fresh descriptions and a glimpse into a world of art not often explored within young adult fiction. Lucy and Ed are strong in their own ways. Each brings to the story some biases about the other, which the conflicts in the story begin to unravel. Too often in YA the hero and heroine are not well-matched. Crowley, however, has this one all figured out. Ed and Lucy will have readers rooting for them from beginning to end.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Lucy talks about wanting to have sex with boys, but it’s clear she has high standards of behavior (she breaks a guy’s nose for grabbing her rear on their first date.) She appears to have very limited experience with boys, though her friends try to convince her she’s being a prude. She stands her ground in the face of their pressure.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Lucy broke a guy’s nose while they were on a date. (She elbowed him in the face.) She uses the same move on a thug who tries to hurt her and Ed later. The thug first threatens to pierce Lucy’s nipple, but instead pierces Ed’s ear as a threat.

Drug Content
Lucy, Ed and their friends go to a party. The friends drink alcohol, but Lucy and Ed don’t stay long.

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship: Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Because You’ll Never Meet Me
Leah Thomas
Bloomsbury USA Children’s

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Unusual circumstances lead two remarkably different boys to become pen pals. They’ll never meet, as Ollie is severely allergic to electricity and Moritz relies on his pacemaker to keep his weak heart pumping. Ollie lives in an isolated cabin deep in the woods, longing for people and things he can never have. Moritz lives in a crowded city and longs for nothing more than solitude. As they compose autobiographical letters to one another, each discovers that what he needs most is a true friend.

Don’t be fooled by the mild-mannered premise. This book explodes with sci-fi-esque drama as the boys explore the secret genetic experiments which connect them. Bring your willing-suspension-of-disbelief and be prepared for the reward of a wild ride. What tops the story, though, are its central characters. Thomas has created a distinct voice for each boy. As the letters progress, each boy grows. They challenge one another. They wrestle with the obstacles and losses that life throws at them. They draw us in and move our hearts.

I read somewhere recently that one of the benefits of reading for children (indeed for us all) is that it inspires us to have empathy for those different from ourselves. Thomas succeeds in this venture. Through her words, we share in and sympathize with Ollie’s desperate optimism and Moritz’s fragile first rays of hope. We find ourselves reminded about the power of honesty between friends, about the vital truth that we are all valuable, all human. It’s a powerful, ultimately inspiring story.

Language Content
Profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing – boy/girl and once boy/boy.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Moritz and another boy suffer at the hands of a bully. Descriptions are short but disturbing. The bully ends up severely injured later.

Drug Content
None.

Soundclip from Audiobook (available at Audible.com)

A Brilliant Novel In Poetry: Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Poetry, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Locomotion
Jacqueline Woodson
Speak, Penguin Group

Lonnie Collins Motion learns to pour out memories and feelings in a poetry journal. He writes about the night his parents died. About his little sister, Lili. About his foster mom. About the teacher he admires who doesn’t understand what his life is really like. His story unfolds, poem by poem, packed with emotion and insight.

One of the most powerful things about a novel-in-poetry is the power of each line. The narrative has been distilled down to just a few words, yet it’s enough to paint a complete picture of what Lonnie sees and experiences. There are simply not enough stories like this one, both in its approach to storytelling and in the story itself. Lonnie is easy to love – his desire to protect and stay in touch with his younger sister is moving, and it’s easy to sense his longing for young men he can look up to. This would make a great addition to classroom study or a great independent read for late elementary-aged children. I highly recommend it.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Lonnie’s little sister asks him if he has “found God yet?” He responds, saying he wasn’t looking for Him. But for her sake, so her foster family will like him more and allow him more time with her, he begins going to some church events and trying to read the Bible.

Violence
Lonnie’s parents were killed in a fire long before his story begins. He remembers their deaths, but no gory details are related.

Drug Content
None.