Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

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Challenger Deep by Neal ShustermanChallenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
HarperCollins

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Caden Bosch is caught between two worlds. In one, he is an ordinary teen who works on illustrations for a video game he and his friends develop. In the other, he is a passenger on a pirate ship en route to Challenger Deep, the lowest point of the Marianas Trench.

As his hold on reality slips, his friends and family begin to notice that something is wrong, but they are powerless to help him. Sometimes even Caden knows the impossibility of things he believes. But in the next moment, he may be powerless to doubt them.

Shusterman doesn’t disappoint in this complex, heartbreaking story of a boy with mental health issues. The scenes in which Caden interacts with the crew of the pirate ship morph into something entirely different, allowing readers to become engrossed in Caden’s departure from reality while still following a somewhat linear story. It’s brilliantly done.

As a reader, I kept so hoping there would be this magical moment in which Caden’s meds suddenly took effect and he suddenly emerged from the fog happy and whole. I can only imagine that the friends and family of anyone suffering from schizophrenia feel that pull, which just added to the story’s brilliance.

While there’ no quick-fix for Caden in this story, what Shusterman does provide is a profound sense of hope. Many things remain unknown. We end the story with the feeling that we are still very much at the beginning of Caden’s journey. We don’t know how things will go, but we are not without hope.

One criticism I hear about books dealing with mental health issues is that often the therapist is too goofy or has all the answers or just feels absolutely unreal. I think this book struck a good balance between making the therapist a presence in the story without his character overtaking or distracting. Caden’s therapist had his oddities, but they were a bit understated and didn’t seem weird for the sake of weird, if that makes sense. Over all I thought it was a great book, definitely a good read for anyone with friends or family members facing mental illness.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Caden befriends a girl who crawls into his bed one night. They remain fully clothed. Caden’s medication reduces or eliminates sex drive, so it’s a pretty innocent situation.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
A man on the street grabs Robie, but she escapes. A violent storm causes her plane to crash. She and an injured man survive on a life raft. The crash doesn’t have a whole lot of scary details. It’s straightforward but pretty brief.

Drug Content
References to a drunk driving accident that killed a teenage girl.

Review: Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Escape from Sudan
Amanda DiCianni
CreateSpace Independent Platform
Published April 24, 2014

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When soldiers attack his village, fifteen year-old Elijah Bwoko and his best friend become separated from family members. They receive word that Elijah’s sisters have been taken as slaves to a village several days’ journey away. In order to reach the girls, the boys must sneak past the soldiers who enslaved them and find a way to set them free. Then the group will have to escape across the border of Uganda. If they can get to the refugee camp there, they can apply for passage to America for freedom and safety.

In straightforward prose, DiCianni relates the story of a young boy in a war torn nation. Elijah is easy to relate to through descriptions of his love for soccer, his friendship with Thomas, and his love for his missing sisters. Though it addresses a heavy topic, the story doesn’t go into a lot of graphic detail in scenes depicting soldiers and child slavery. The content is mild enough for older elementary readers. It’s a relatively short novel at 122 pages, and would make a great resource for the classroom as part of a world cultures or current events study.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
As Christians, Elijah and Thomas pray when scary or dangerous situations arise. Earlier in the story, Elijah reminds his friend that the trouble in Sudan began when Muslims from the north of the country tried to take valuable resources from the south and force the people to denounce Christianity.

Violence
Soldiers destroy a village and capture children to be used for slave labor. The boys run, so they don’t really witness this firsthand. They see the destruction left behind, though.  A village boy is missing a leg from an incident with a land mine. Gunfire alerts the boys that soldiers approach. Some scary situations, but few descriptions of violence.

Drug Content
None.

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

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Review: Last Year’s Mistake by Gina Ciocca

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

Last Year’s Mistake by Gina Ciocca
Simon Pulse

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Kelsey and David were best friends the summer before freshman year. Then a misunderstanding turned the whole school against her, including David. A family move gave her a chance to start over in a new town at a new school, but just when Kelsey thinks she has rebuilt the perfect life, David sets her whole world spinning by transferring to her school. Committed to maintaining a casual peace, Kelsey keeps him at arms’ length… until she can’t. The fierce chemistry between them reemerges, and she finds herself faced with a terrible dilemma: the boy she’s dating isn’t the boy she loves. But is it too late to tell David the truth?

This story is packed to the roof with teen melodrama. She wants him, she doesn’t want him. No, she wants him. But does he want her? Maybe he does, but no, he can’t! He mustn’t! Wait, she mustn’t! If you’re looking for an oozy gooey romance, this definitely fits the bill. While some of the plot twists could be considered a bit farfetched, it’s easier to believe they’d play in the high school arena. Many of the characters outside Kelsey and David were a bit two-dimensional. David’s sense of honor and integrity is refreshing. Their family histories also add a bit of depth to him and Kelsey.

Language Content
Extreme profanity, moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Kelsey has been having sex with her boyfriend. While there aren’t scenes in which the dirty deed is described, she references her feelings about it and they make plans to have sex while her house is empty. She hears rumors about David with other girls and when he starts dating and being pretty cozy with one of her friends, she assumes he’s having sex with her, too.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
One boy attacks another and beats him up. Few details.

Drug Content
Kelsey’s friends do quite a bit of drinking alcohol at parties.

Review: The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos

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

The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos
Egmont USA

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A bullying incident leaves Harry scarred and terrified of lightning storms. When a popular boy suggests that he and Harry form a band, Harry jumps at the idea. But as Harry gets to know Johnny better, he realizes that their friendship isn’t the salvation he once thought. As long as Harry is willing to play the role Johnny carves out for him, everything will be fine. When the band’s success takes them all by surprise, Harry’s world opens wider than ever before, and for the first time, he finds he might not need Johnny to bridge the gap between him and everyone else. Stepping into his own spotlight changes his relationships in ways beyond what he imagined.

The story begins as a 250 word essay on a college application that Harry is writing. It quickly goes way beyond the required word count as Harry explains what’s led him to apply for college. I like the way the college essay frames the story. It struck me as vaguely reminiscent of the way S. E. Hinton uses a similar approach in The Outsiders, in which the protagonist writes his story as an English assignment for school. (True story: I once finished reading The Outsiders, which closes with Ponyboy repeating the opening lines of the story as the beginning of his English homework. I then flipped the book over and read it again trying to imagine him crafting it as his school paper. I know. I didn’t get out much.)

From the get-go, Scar Boys is a gritty, brutally honest tale about a boy whose life was irrevocably changed when neighborhood bullies tied him to a tree and left him. The tree was struck by lightning, leaving Harry with terrible scars that even challenge his own father’s love for him. So it gets a bit dark. But at his core, Harry is a pretty sweet guy who wants what we all want: love, friendship, adventure. I liked that the story isn’t strictly about him recovering from his childhood trauma, but that Vlahos takes us so much further into the murky depths of a complicated friendship. What price is Harry willing to pay to continue his friendship with Johnny? I like that Johnny isn’t the selfless charmer that we initially believe him to be. I loved where Vlahos took Johnny and Harry’s relationship – the breaking and redemption the boys both face.

I think I had some really ridiculous expectations going into the story because of the hype I’d seen. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it, and I thought it was pretty great. I think I had expected an earth-shattering, life-altering experience, and it wasn’t that for me. While I think it was really well done, it won’t live on in my top favorites, and I’m a little (perhaps foolishly) disappointed because I kind of expected it to. Over all, though, there were a lot of great moments and great lessons about courage, friendship and love. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading Vlahos’ next, Scar Girl.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Harry gives a very brief description when he (accidentally) witnesses his best friend having sex with a girl. Harry mentions masturbation.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Bullies tie Harry to a tree and leave him during a storm. He is left with horrendous scars when lightning strikes the tree. Since then, he’s had a lot of trouble with bullies picking on him, but nothing so extreme as that first incident.

Drug Content
Teen drinking and references to smoking pot.

Review: Summer by Summer by Heather Burch

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

Summer by Summer by Heather Burch
Blink YA/Zondervan

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After tragedy turns Summer’s life upside down, a summer in Belize caring for a charming young boy seems like the perfect escape. Then she meets her charge’s older brother, Bray. His smooth talk and good looks only remind her of everything she wanted to leave behind.

Bray doesn’t get Summer. He doesn’t understand why she hides herself beneath miles of ugly flower print dresses and avoids fun like it will bite. He resents her assumptions about him, even if some of them may be true.

When a boat tour and a terrible storm leave the two stranded on an uninhabited island, they have only each other to lean on for survival. Summer must learn to trust Bray and depend on his strength. As they grow closer, Bray must decide the kind of man he wants to be. When hope for rescue fades, the island give up a dangerous secret. Summer and Bray risk their lives to find a way home.

This book is every bit a romantic fantasy. A handsome guy and a heart-wounded girl trapped alone on an island. Let the romantic tension begin! While Summer and Bray keep boundaries on the physical part of their relationship, the struggle is pretty plain, especially for Bray. Despite the romance being decidedly in the forefront, some unexpected twists in the plot keep the pages turning.

The emotional journeys of the characters are a bit juvenile, which is probably okay since it’s YA… still, I wanted more depth from the characters. Sometimes it seemed as if I was getting the prettied up version of things rather than a deeper, realistic expression. I tend to enjoy grittier stories, so it could just be that personal preference rather than any flaw in the story. Either way it’s a great, light, summer read. Perfect for the beach, reading poolside or curled up next to a sunny window.

Language Content
No profanity.

Sexual Content
Bray has a history of hooking up with girls at parties, but he doesn’t mention details other than not being a virgin. Things between him and Summer get pretty steamy. There’s a lot of tension between them, but they commit to waiting until they are married to have sex.

Spiritual Content
Summer wrestles with some major doubts about her faith since the death of her best friend. Bray doesn’t seem to have a spiritual background but they do discuss what she believes and how important it is to her.

Violence
A man is shot, and it appears a woman may be held against her will.

Drug Content
Bray and his friends drink alcohol at a party. The legal drinking age in Belize is 18. Summer reflects on how drinking alcohol destroyed the life of someone she loved.

Poetry and Friendship: Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

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

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
Disney-Hyperion

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She might look just like another one of the popular girls, but Samantha has a secret not even her best friends can know: she suffers from OCD. She needs weekly visits to a psychiatrist and prescription meds to keep her anxieties at bay.

As her friendships with the top girls becomes more and more toxic, Samantha desperately wants an outlet. Her search leads her to Caroline, a carefree, fashion-less girl whose frankness and kindness may be just the right rescue. She introduces Sam to Poet’s Corner, a place where students gather to share poems about anything from chicken nuggets to the loss of a parent.

Through the healing experience of writing and sharing her own work, Samantha discovers a whole different side of friendship and love. But just when she feels she’s finally making real progress in leaving her OCD behind, new symptoms emerge that could destroy the new connections she’s made. She has to face the devastating possibility that she could be getting worse, not better.

While I loved that her love interest had his own baggage and even had that past connection with her and her friends, I wasn’t totally sold on the relationship. (Moral soap boxes aside…) The scene in which they have sex was sweet in that it’s obvious he cares so much for her, but it felt like, “and here’s the obligatory scene in which the teen couple has sex because that’s what teen couples do.” It didn’t feel necessary. It kind of struck a nerve with me that really doesn’t have anything to do with the story itself.

I think my favorite thing about this book is Samantha’s journey trying to “fix” herself and her OCD. She wants so badly to leave her anxiety behind and be a carefree, “normal” girl. There’s no quick-fix for her in this story. Poetry doesn’t magically cure her. What it does do, though, is allow her opportunities to better understand herself and the world around her. It provides an opportunity for her to see her current friendships in a different light, and to see friendship itself in a different light. She has a chance to evaluate what kinds of relationships she’d like to have and what qualities make a real friend. Those are such powerful moments in the story. She’s also challenged by the openness and acceptance in the Poet’s Corner group. She’s been hiding her own struggles, and they become a barrier to having real friendships.

The poetry was a great addition to the story, too. Some were funny and clever while others were deeply moving. They added balance and depth to a lot of the more minor characters as well as allowing a larger window into Sam, too.

I felt like all those relationship issues were so relevant and well-described. It was impossible not to root for Sam and to want her to ditch the nasty girls and have those friends who valued her the way she deserved. I wish the boyfriend stuff had been handled differently, but I really enjoyed the other elements of the story.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Sam briefly relates that she’s still a virgin. Her friends have had experience with boys, but no real details are given. She engages in a long, steamy kissing session in a swimming pool alone with a boy. Later, she has sex with her boyfriend. It’s a fairly long scene that focuses more on the togetherness and kissing than the actual sex. Though it’s not described in a graphic way, we know what’s going on, so it’s pretty intense.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
References to teen drinking. Samantha takes medication for anxiety and OCD. She stops taking her sleep aid and has to have words with her therapist about it. I like that her meds or the fact that she’s taking them isn’t really villainized here. It’s not like she discovers a passion for poetry and that somehow cures her, and she has to find balance and face that there’s no easy fix for her. It reads like reality to me.