Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Since You’ve Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne

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

Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer PayneSince You’ve Been Gone
Mary Jennifer Payne
Dundurn
Published February 17, 2015

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Edie has to be ready to run at any time. Even though it’s been years, he still chases them. She and her mom move again and again, trying to stay ahead of him, but somehow he always finds them. The most recent move takes them to London, where her mom grew up. It’s a foreign place to Edie, who struggles to grasp the slang and hide within the shelter of a clique of girls.

When her mother disappears, Edie has two choices: find Mom herself or trust the police, who may send her straight into the waiting arms of the man from which she’s been hiding. With the help of an unlikely ally, Edie charges into the unfamiliar streets of London, searching for clues about her mother’s disappearance.

The spectrum of characters in this story is broad and dynamic. Each one reads like there’s been a lot of thought put into development, and like he or she marches off scene to continue with an imagined life. Jermaine was definitely my favorite character. I liked the play of his bad-boy reputation against the kindness of his true character.

The plot is pretty simple, and Payne avoids some of the potential pitfalls of a young sleuth narrator. Edie’s decisions and experience seem pretty plausible for a teen would-be detective. It’s a pretty quick read. Though some plot elements are a bit predictable (like who’s after them and why they are running from him) there were other unexpected moments (which I won’t spoil) that added interest to the tale.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate profanity and crude language used with mild frequency.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing. Edie discusses her lack of experience with boys and tells an interested boy that she will not have sex with him. She worries about her reputation when he offers to let her stay with his family for a few days while she figures things out.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Brief descriptions of domestic violence and an accident which claimed the lives of several children.

Drug Content
Brief reference to someone smoking marijuana in the street in London.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Both of Me by Jonathan Friesen

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Both of Me
Jonathan Friesen
Zonderkidz Books
Published December 23, 2014

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On the run from a past she can’t bear to face, Clara retraces her the journey outlined in her father’s journal. Then a captivating, broken boy derails her. He sketches things he shouldn’t know. Images from memories she wants to forget. And she can’t let him out of her sight until she understands how he knows these things.

But following Elias means a trip into fantasy. The boy has two parts – the gentle Elias who soothes Clara’s fears and the rough, unpredictable one who lives in an imaginary world called Salem and a great evil to the east. As Clara falls ever deeper in love with Elias, she vows to follow his quest to the end, hoping it will unite the two versions of him.

I’m a huge fan of Friesen’s writing. Jerk, California pretty much blew me away, and I really enjoyed Aquifer as well.

This story, unlike the others, is written from a female point-of-view. Friesen does a great job bringing Clara to life – she’s spunky and fierce and knows how to manipulate people, but there’s a softer side of her, too, and Elias brings that out in her. There was one moment in which I was a little disappointed by Clara’s response. Something huge happens and she sort of calmly responds. I was waiting for the realization of the greatness of the loss she’s experienced, and I felt like that didn’t really come.

I really enjoyed the way that he brings Elias and Clara’s stories together. It wasn’t what I expected – it was far better. Much like Friesen’s debut, Jerk, California, the journey Clara and Elias take is spiced with interesting characters and events. This author has a great eye for character and for taking small moments and making them really memorable by delivering them via those unexpected bystanders to the story.

Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing. It’s clear Clara is a sexually experienced girl (no details offered), and she offers herself to Elias, but he puts on the brakes pretty quickly.

Spiritual Content
Clara has a lot of bitterness toward God. In a moment in which she feels she’s lost everything, she begins praying. Instead of the usual suffocating feeling of guilt about her past, a peace envelops her. She begins to pray with more confidence.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Forgive Me Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

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

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
Matthew Quick
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Published August 13, 2013

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About Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Today is Leonard Peacock’s birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather’s P-38 pistol.

But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey Bogart-obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate, Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school’s class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours tick by and the moment of truth approaches.

In this riveting look at a day in the life of a disturbed teenage boy, acclaimed author Matthew Quick unflinchingly examines the impossible choices that must be made—and the light in us all that never goes out.

My Review

As Leonard delivers the presents, it’s clear there are people who care for him and who suspect that Leonard has chartered a short, one-way ticket to self-destruction. They plead with and encourage him to have hope, to think of his future.

While the story by its nature is pretty grim, Leonard manages to relate events with some wry humor and an appreciation for the ridiculous. Though it’s clear his family life is awful and his school life a torment, an impossible thread of hope remains deep inside him. He wants to believe that a better future exists, and we see that hope at war with the depression and fury within. That’s the real beauty of this story.

One thing that sets this novel apart from others featuring a teen shooter is the letters from the future featured at intervals during the story. I loved that the letter-writers related this dystopian, post-apocalyptic world and that despite the whole world falling to pieces, Leonard had found the people who loved and understood him.

It’s always tragic to see a teen give up on life – and everyone always wants to tell the kid, hey, think of your future! Here, in this novel, instead of some well-meaning adage, Quick paints this fascinating picture of the future Leonard could have. I loved that unique touch.

This is a heavy story and very grim in moments. I think despite those things, this novel carries an important message and was bravely written.

Content Notes

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme word choice, moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
A young man alludes to an abusive relationship in which he was raped. His descriptions are vague but powerful. It’s his mentor later who, upon hearing about it, labels the incident as rape. A teenaged boy is caught masturbating. It’s brief, but explicit.

In letters from the future, Leonard’s wife briefly relates that they have an amazing intimate life. She hopes that having this to look forward to will help him fight through his depression and turn away from his intentions of murder and suicide.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Brief references to rape (see above.) A teenaged boy plans to shoot another boy and then kill himself.

Drug Content
Leonard references his father’s drug problem and events from his childhood. He remembers his dad being high and how that disappointed him.

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Review: Wonder by R J Palacio

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Wonder
R J Palacio
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published February 14, 2012

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Fifth grade student August Pullman faces his first day at school. After being homeschooled for his entire previous education, his parents have decided it’s time for him to be around other kids his age. He’s prepared academically. He’s even met a couple of students already who’ve been very kind. But no one has prepared the rest of the school for August and his unusual appearance. When some students turn cruel, Auggie and his few friends band together, determined to outlast the hazing.

The story is first narrated first by Auggie and then others in his life, each of whom battle a deep insecurity, often less visible than Auggie’s. The changes in point-of-view at first seem like it might distract from the depth and poignancy of Auggie’s story. Instead, each adds richness and harmonious layers and broadens the view and understanding of a remarkable boy and his equally remarkable family and friends.

When an author can include an entire commencement speech and make even that jaw-droppingly wow-worthy, the rest of the book can only be more incredible. And with Palacio’s novel, this is most definitely so. Each character is so lovingly crafted. Even Auggie’s parents (let’s face it, a lot of kids’ books have half-created, silly parents) were phenomenal. I adored his entire family.

Each time the story changed to a different point-of-view, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to like the new narrator as much as the previous one, and each time I was proved wrong. There were so many great moments, from the building of friendship between Auggie and his classmates to his sister’s struggles with her own friends. Ack! And the moment Auggie’s dad tells him what really happened to the mask? I was a blubbering mess. So moving.

Not since reading The Book Thief for the first time has a story so fully reached out and latched onto my heart and soul. This is an amazing story, one all young readers and their parents should read.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Boys pick on another boy younger than they are and a fist-fight ensues. It ends quickly.

Drug Content
None.

 

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Review: A Different Me by Deborah Blumenthal

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

A Different Me
Deborah Blumenthal
Albert Whitman & Company
Published October 14, 2014

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Allie has only one wish for her birthday this year. She wants surgery to fix everything wrong with her. Specifically, to correct the huge problem in the middle of her face: her nose.

Through an online forum, she meets two girls also waiting for nose jobs. Together they form a sisterhood, sharing insecurities, secret hopes and dreams, and crossing off the days until their procedures.

Then a mentoring project challenges Allie to look past her initial perceptions of people. She learns that there’s more to a person than the way they look, how they dress. And she’s forced to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about herself – and everything she thought would make her happy.

Blumenthal explores the world of insecurities swirling through high school hallways, exposing them with surgical precision. Each character is presented in layers, complexities deepening as Allie gets to know him or her. She’s moved by compassion for the hurts and fears others face, and through them begins to face her own. In a world that prizes the perfect exterior, A Different Me is a breath of fresh air, a trumpeting voice bringing us back to the core truth that beauty is borne of kindness, compassion and sincerity. It’s a great story and a lesson we all need to hold dear.

Profanity or Crude Language Content
Moderate profanity, mild frequency.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Zac and Mia by A J Betts

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

Zac and Mia
A J Betts
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group
Published July 24, 2013

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Trapped in the ICU at a hospital near Perth, Australia, Zac is desperate for any distraction. Anything that will get his mum to leave him alone for a little bit. Anything new to ponder. When the newest patient on the adult cancer ward turns out to be a surly but gorgeous girl, Zac attempts to reach out to her. Mia is all fire and fury, but Zac doesn’t give up. He remembers those early days of denial and anger. All he can do is tell her it’ll get better and hope he’s right.

The bond between the two seems dissolved when Zac is discharged, but still he can’t help thinking of her, hoping she made it through her recovery. Mia emerges in his life once more, still the angry, frightened girl. Zac’s desperate attempt to reach her changes his own life.

While a contemporary novel about two teens battling cancer probably sounds eerily similar to another popular story, Zac and Mia bears some surprises. Far from the supportive, team-oriented family one expects to surround a cancer-diagnosed protagonist, Mia’s single mom is as angry and resentful as she is. Zac’s own loving family comes with a few fabulous quirks, not least of which is the ownership of a popular olive farm and petting zoo.

I liked the off-beat nature of the narrative. Betts ignores stereotypes of kids-with-cancer stories and plows new ground. This is a story which delves deep into what it means to be a true friend to someone experiencing cancer treatment and the life-altering outcomes. It’s packed with warmth and heart, a great choice for readers who enjoyed The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E Smith.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity, moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
References to sexual behavior, but no details.

Spiritual Content
Characters briefly discuss what happens after death. Zac is a pretty staunch atheist, but Mia believes there must be something more, that our souls continue after death, perhaps in heaven.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
Brief references to teen drinking – though since the story is set in Australia, it’s legal to drink alcohol at age 18.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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