Another empowering read...

Piecing Me Together

By: Renee Watson

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: 272

Published: 2017

Read:  January

3.5 out of 5

Jade is one of the few black students in a privileged high school which she attends on scholarship. She has few friends and desperately seeks to travel abroad with the school. She knows it is her only way out of her poor neighborhood. Instead she gets selected to be in a “woman-to-woman” group where she is paired with a mentor. Although this may be a great opportunity, her mentor isn’t as stable herself as she should be. Only with Jade’s determination and learning alongside her mentor makes this a powerful book. They both teach each other a lot about the outside world. Watson’s focus is on teaching the reader’s that you create your own future and that empowerment and standing up for oneself is as important as the opportunities one may receive.

An Empowering Book

Moxie

By: Jennifer Mathieu

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: 330

Published: 2017

Read:  January

4 out of 5

It isn’t often that you come across a book with such a strong female character. Viv is fed up with her school and especially the principal. Fed up with the sexist dress codes, sexual harassment, and a football team that can do no wrong and has the best of everything- equipment, uniforms, etc. So one night instead of going to the football game (which the entire town literally shuts down for), she single-handedly creates the Moxie zine. Moxie unites all the girls in the school to fight back. It takes off like rapid fire and soon the Moxie group is formed. This book is fun and entertaining while providing a great lesson in feminism. I feel this book will empower many teen readers. It is definitely a feel good book and will inspire all. Moxie Girls Fight Back!!!

Not the book for me...

Your Lie in April

By: Naoshi Arakawa

Genre: YA Manga

Pages: 224

Published: 2015

Read:  January

2 out of 5

This is the first manga I have read, so I will be the first to admit that I am probably not the best judge for this book (no good comparison). I felt the book jumped around and added too many unnecessary parts and YES, I read it from right to left. The story did pull me in immediately with the tragic death of Kosei’s parents and the resulting monotone view of his life. However, it seemed to jump around too much – in the café buying food to playing with a cat to school being let out for no reason to riding their bikes away in the distance. I just couldn’t follow the side stories and didn’t understand why some aspects were even included (ex: not being able to buy food in their school uniform, WHAT?!?). It may be because I am an adult and a YA librarian, but I did appreciate the notes on Beethoven, Mozart, and music in general. I hope the teens do as well. 

Real or Imaginary. That is the question

Calvin

By: Martine Leavitt

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: 181

Published: 2015

Read:  January

3 out of 5

Imaginary or Real? That is a tough question for a kid with schizophrenia. I believe it would even be tougher to write from the point-of-view of a person that has the disease. The main character, Calvin, tries to blame Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, for the fact that Hobbes, an imaginary tiger, talks to him. See, he was born on the day that Watterson released his very last comic of Calvin and Hobbes. AND then his parents named him Calvin! Throughout the book, Calvin is writing a letter to Mr. Watterson about his hike across Lake Erie to meet him. Along the travels, Calvin with Hobbes and school friend, Susie, the reader needs to decipher who is real and who generated by Calvin’s mind. Leavitt writes a story that leaves you guessing, but isn’t very personal. Maybe schizo individuals aren’t very personal? I felt this was just an okay story and do recommend for anyone who enjoys realistic, yet fictional stories about schizophrenia. However, there are many other YA novels on mental illnesses that are better and more character driven.

A boring adventure...

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares

By: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pages: 260

Published: 2010

Audiobook: 6 hours and 40 mins

Read:  January

2.5 out of 5

This book sucked me in right away (4 stars). I love scavenger hunts AND books, so this was right up my alley. It was fast-paced and fun.  Dash find a little red moleskin notebook in a book store and that starts a trail of clues around town. However, once the two teenagers meet in person the book takes a turn for the worst. No longer interesting the book loses its enthusiasm and roller coaster of adventure. If the premise of an exciting mystical hunt around a town is what draws you to this book, Skip it. I would recommend this only to Cohn fans. Levithan has written much better books – pick up Will Grayson, Will Grayson instead.