THE LIBRARIAN SOUL

Last weekend, I read Nick and Norah Playlist and I was not thrilled by it. The story starts when Nick who only recently broken up with his girlfriend asks Norah to be his “pretend” girlfriend for five minutes. They share a kiss in front of his ex-girlfriend and so begin their one night adventure in New York City. Because I heard so many good reviews, I was expecting more. The story was too contrived…too many chance meetings. Although I did not enjoy it, I am sure others will. 

Publisher’s Summary: At the age of fifteen, Sam Jones’s girlfriend gets pregnant and Sam’s life of skateboarding and daydreaming about Tony Hawk changes drastically.  So far, this book is great.  Sam, the progantist is quite lovable…I’ll let you know more soon. 

The story begins with seventeen-year-old Frank Marder lying in a bed, undergoing a physical exam at a rehabilitation center after a car accident. This accident has left him paralyzed from the neck down. He cannot do anything by himself and it is his fault. While drunk driving he killed two people, including his girlfriend. Now, he has to live with the repercussions of that tragic night. What is most impressive about Aronson’s writing is the way she shows Frank’s personality and frustrations as he learns how to cope with his disability and the people around him. Head case focuses on an important topic without being overly preachy. If you like this book then you will like Susan Vaught’s Trigger and Terry Trueman’s Stuck in Neutral.

Rucker Park Setup by Paul VolponiBest friends, Mackey and J.R. love playing basketball and their goal is to play in the NBA but first they have to get into a good college. They play for a local basketball team at Rucker Park, a famous basketball court in Harlem, NYC. While playing in an important basketball game, J.R. is murdered and Mackey seen it all but refuses to tell anyone about what happened on that fateful day on the court. Generally, I am not into sports fiction however, I really enjoyed this one. The play-by-play made me feel like I was actually there during the basketball games. Although some violence is included, it is not descriptive or graphic and should be appropriate for students in grades 8 and above.  If you like this, then you will Walter Dean Myer’s Slam.

Shooter is a tragic and compelling story about a shooting at a suburban high school that occurs because of bullying. The perpetrator’s best friend, Cameron, an affluent African-American teen, tells the story. As the story begins, Cameron is center in the police investigation but as the story progresses, the shocking truth is revealed through a variety of documents: first-person accounts, police reports, doctor notes, and a handwritten diary. This story challenges its readers to think about how they handle and react to difficult situations. Because of its subject matter and structure, Shooter will definitely find an audience among reluctant readers and mental health professionals. Because this book contains some elements of violence, self-afflicted and towards animals, this book is most suitable for mature readers. If you like this book, then check out Todd Strasser’s Give a boy a gun and Frances Prose’s After.

 Today, I finally finished reading Hail Caesar by Thu Huong Ha.  Here’s the premise: Seventeen year old, Ceasar doesn’t ever have trouble getting women.  He’s a chick-magnet.  Then one day, he meets Eva (pronounced Ava).  She doesn’t want him.  They develop a  sort-of friendship and he falls hard for her.  She’s interested in someone else. The question is: Will she give him a chance?  Well, you will have to read this book because I am not offering you anything more.  Did I like this book? Did I not?  I don’t know even after ignoring all of the profanity and reference to sex.  Is this book a reflection of today’s generation?  I hope not.  I believe Ms. Ha was fifteen when she began writing this book so it might have been a reflection of her youth.  Although I was disgusted with the attitude of the protaganist, I still found myself rooting for him in the end. 

I am planning my trips for this year.  Here’s the plan:

•  St. Louis (My cuz and I are going together.  We’re going to have a good time.)
• Montserrat, Guadeloupe and Antigua (I can’t wait.  I’m doing this solo.  No one to bother or harrass me.  I’ll be island-hopping in the summer.)  If you don’t KNOW any of these islands, then you need to do some research!
• Quebec (With the fam.  in the spring)
• Perhaps, Toronto in August with my cuz for Carnival.  Everyone must experience Carnival.

Oh yeah, can you believe what’s going on with Obama and Clinton??? Vicious. Yikkees!! I love poli-tricks! Peace.

I had every intention of quickly finishing this book, but have not. I had others things to accomplish so I will try to complete it by this weekend and post my review asap.  Peace!

It has been a while but here’s my review of Trigger by Susan Vaught:

       Trigger is a powerful and emotional story about a brain-damaged teenager.  Seventeen-year-old Jersey Hatch sustained life-threatening injuries from a gunshot wound.  He’s scarred all over, blind in one eye, and walks with a limp.  He cannot recover the nearly two years of lost memories.  At first, he cannot accept that he shot himself. You see, before the injuries, Jersey had it all: money, girls, a car, and popularity.  And then he shot himself.  Now, he wants to know why he did it. Jersey’s parents try to provide support, but they are worried about his mental stability and their marriage. When he returns to school, no one wants to befriend him, not even his ex-best friend.   His peers are verbally and physically abusing him.  Everyone seems to be angry with him because of the ‘incident’.  Life as he knows it is being torn apart and he doesn’t know what to do or who to turn to.  This story offers a new voice to the topic of teen suicide.  The author also provides a great resource page for readers seeking more information.  Appropriate for mature high school students.