It's Still Okay to Like YA!

As you may recall, I began this blog saying IT'S OKAY TO LIKE YA. As teen's you may be turned off by reading. This may because you haven't been exposed to good literature, your bogged down by the "classics", or to be quite frank, too lazy to pick up a book.

My hope's after reading this blog is that you no longer feel this way about literature. I hope this blog has opened your eyes to wonderful world of YA lit. There are so so so many quality YA books out there for teen readers to enjoy.

Over the past few months, I have exposed you to a number of quality YA lit works, like Looking for Alaska, We Were Here, and a number of Sarah Dessen books, just to name a few. I hope that you have or will give these books a look.

There are so many different themes that YA lit covers, that it would be hard for someone to be totally disengaged from the whole genre. There is romance, dystopian, Gay/Lesbian, and suicide stories just to name a few.

The purpose of this blog was to show you, a teen reader, the wonders of YA Lit. And for you to see there is nothing to be ashamed about if you pick up one of these reads. I hope this blog has given you a few good titles that you want to check out. Happy Reading!

The American Dream

Over the past few months I have read a multitude of different YA titles. And most of them I have really enjoyed and some not so much. But one idea that really stuck out to me was this notion of the American Dream. According the Dictionary.com, the American Dream is the ideals of freedom, equaility, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to ever American.

I'm sure that in high school you'll hear of this term somewhere along the way. Maybe the term popped up when you are reading The Great Gatsby or Death a Salesman, or another book published in the earlier part of the twentieth century. But maybe you haven't really thought about how it still relates to novels written now, especially YA novels.

I have read three books where I feel that this theme of the American Dream was prevalent.

This first is We Were Here by Matt de la Pena. It is about an American boy of Mexican descent who was sent to a group home after committing a crime. He and two other boys run away from their group home in hopes to make it Mexico. But along the way the boys have to figure out what it is they are really running from….the group home or their problems?

The second book is The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. It is about a young Indian boy from the Spokane Indian Reservation who leaves the rez to attend and all white rural high school where he has the ability to receive a proper education. Initially, the people of the rez see him as abandoning his Indian culture. And the people at his new school think he is the weird Indian boy at first.

The final book is If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson. Is about a Black boy and a white girl who go to school in New York City where they meet and fall in love. However, they are faced of overcoming the stereotypes that go along with a bi-racial relationship. Is their love for each other enough to carry each other through this?

So you may be asking, what does this have to do with the American Dream? Well each novel portrays to life of a person or a couple who have to prove other people wrong and beat the odds, while still trying to identify with the part of them that is "American."

Miguel's, from We Were Here, American Dream is for other people to see him as a person who deserves to be recognized for not for what he did but for who he is. He did not want to only be known as some screw up who did something terrible. He was a real person who just made a mistake. He was looking for the same opportunity and equality that everybody else in this country has.

Junior, from The Absolutuely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, was also looking for the same opportunity. Where he was living on the rez was a dead end. If he stayed there for the rest of his life he would have probably turned out like most other Indians there, drunk with no money. However, he wanted something different for his life. He wanted a chance to actually become someone or something. But as he tried to achieve this he struggled with overcoming the stereotypical images of being Indian.

Ellie and Jeremiah, from If You Come Softly, have a much different situation but still they are fighting for opportunity and equality in their story. Being a part of a bi-racial relationship they are constantly looked at and judged. Even some members of their own families do not accept their relationship, just because one is white and one is black. Their American Dream would be able to live together without the prejudice that constantly surrounds them.

In each of these books the idea of the American Dream is present. Even though the stories are much different than those written in the earlier part of the twentieth century the ideals are still the same. Freedom, opportunity, and equality.

Up For A Few Laughs?

After reading a lot of heavy material over the past few weeks, I was delighted to read the upbeat and cheerful novel, My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger.

The novel follows the lives of three completely different teens, who are writing in a diary to a person of their choice. T.C. Keller is a boy who is completely obsessed with the Boston Red Sox, his relationship with his dad, and the new girl at school Ale. He is writing his journal for class to his dead mom.

Augie is T.C.'s best friend or "brother" as they like to call each other. He writes his journal to famous women of theater like Liza Minnelli, because he is absolutely obsessed with all things drama related. He also finds himself questioning his sexuality when he starts to get feelings for Andy Wexler, a boy in his class.

Ale is the new girl at school. Her parents recently moved to America from Mexico when her father resigned from being the Mexican ambassador. Her dream in life includes becoming a dancer, however her parents want her to pursue a life of politics. Ale writes her journal to Jacqueline Kennedy, well at least at first.

The story follows the lives of the three characters throughout one crucial year of high school.

I really liked the format of this story. There were a lot of different types of formats involved in this book that added to its character. There were journal entries, memos, and even text message correspondence. I liked this a lot because you saw how the different charcters interacted with each other.

As fun and funny this book was it had an underlying depth to it. It told the story of a boy trying to get over his mom's death, a teen boy trying to find his sexual identity, and a girl figuring out what is more important, pleasing her parents or herself.

This funny, light hearted, novel is a gem in the "Ya Litosphere." So check it out!!

Remember Me: We Were Here

People want to be remembered. Nobody wants to be forgotten after they are gone. They want someone to recall that they were here.

Miguel, Rondell, and Mong all want to be remembered in the novel We Were Here by Matt De La Peña. The novel is told from the perspective of Miguel, a teenage boy who was sentenced to one year in a group home for committing a crime, that he won't tell the reader. Along with his sentence in the group home, Miguel was ordered to write down his thoughts in a journal for that year. One night, a fellow kid from the group home, Mong, invites Miguel to leave the home with him and run away from Mexico. Miguel thinks that it would be easier for his family if he just disappeared. So Miguel, Mong, and another group home boy, Rondell, run away without really a true plan to get to Mexico. Along the way they are faced with many challenges, but the worst one of all is figuring out where they belong in this world.

As a teenager this is a question you may ask yourself every single day.....WHERE DO I BELONG IN THIS WORLD? All three boys, Miguel, Mong, and Rondell, grew up on the rough sides of the track. And yes, all three boys made mistakes in their life that wound them up in this predicament. But none of this means that they should be forgotten in this world. They all want to be remembered whether its by their parents, or God, or just the world in general.

I would definitely recommend checking out the book We Were Here. The voice of Miguel is truly amazing and I think that any teen could relate to what he is saying. Even though you may have not grown up on the wrong side of the tracks or are running away from home, everybody feels alone in the world sometimes. This book will offer those readers a boost of hope.

The Power of Graceling

What if you had a certain power in your life that allowed you to have an upper hand over everybody? How would you use it? To help people or to hurt people?

In the book Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Katsa had one of these special powers called a grace. She was one of the most powerful fighters in all of the the seven kingdoms. She is even able to kill someone with her own two hands. Katsa works as an enforcer in her Uncle Randa's kingdom, making sure that people obey the rules or she will punish them. However, Katsa and a group of others form the Council that willingly help those people who are most in need. Prince Tealeaf, the father of the King of Leineid, is captured Katsa and group of members of the council go and rescue him. During the rescue Katsa encounters a fellow graced fighter, Po, who dramatically changes her life and makes her questions the things she once believed. When an important secret is revealed to Katsa that threatens the security of the Seven Kingdoms, she must carefully evaluate her life, her grace, and plan her next move.

Now I know what you are thinking, fantasy novels are for the weird kid in school. You know the one who dresses up on the weekend as some fantasy character and practices sword fighting. Ya well as stupid and naive as that may sound I actually used to stay as far away from fantasy as possible. But by reading Graceling, these assumptions have changed. I would recommend that if you tend to fear fantasy to check out Graceling. You won't be disappointed. It is also more of a mild fantasy that can get you hooked on the whole genre.

Now back to the book. What I really enjoyed about this book was the powerful female protagonist, Katsa. I usually associate fantasy as novels with a male protagonist. Katsa, however, was a strong, independent person, however she did have inner struggles. One of which was the fact that she did not believe in marriage, until one unexpected man enters her life.

There is a large struggle between good vs. evil in this book. It portrays how some with exceptional powers use those powers corruptly. However, it also shows the opposite of this; how people with exceptional powers use them in a way to create a good for others. The book examines that even though one has power, is it right to use that power unjustly? So like I stated in the opening questions of this blog entry, this book makes you think how would you act if you had the potential to create great changes using your power?

Even though this book is based off of a fantasy world, there are still themes and situations to which the reader can feel apart of and relate to (if this is what you are looking for in a novel). However, the simple fact of the novel Graceling, is that it will completely capture your attention and you will not want to put it down.

Awww! Teenage Romance

Have you ever felt the way that you would do anything for one person in particular to notice you? Especially the one person who you are deeply, madly in love with.

This was the case for Frankie Landau-Banks, in The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. Frankie spent her entire Freshman year of high school living in the shadow of her older sister Zada. It doesn't help either that the high school that she attends is a snobby boarding school where everyone is concerned with how things were run there years ago. But anyways, I digress.

Suddenly, it is her Sophomore year of high school and many things have changed for Frankie. She went from being an awkward looking preteen to a beautiful young women. But best of all is that her secret crush, Matthew Livingston, has now become her boyfriend. However, when Matthew starts spending more time with the fellow members of a secret society, The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, and will not till Frankie what it is all about; she comes up with a way to sneak herself into this secret society.

I really enjoyed reading The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and I think that many teens, like you, will be able to enjoy it as well. It's a fun and pretty easy read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

It also looks at love and dating in the teenage perspective. This novel shows how sometimes you will do anything to be in a relationship with another person. Sometimes even by losing who you are to please them. Frankie so badly wants to be apart of the secret society that Matt is in that she almost loses her mind to scheme her way into it.

If you are looking for an enjoyable read, I would definitely recommend The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation

I know that when I was in middle school and high school I hated when teachers picked books that it took forever to get into. And back then I would think to myself, "Why did they chose this? Just to torture us?"


Well they choose these books for a reason. The reason is that there is something that they believe in the novel that is worthwhile for the students. Whether it is an important theme or just a good story.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation is a good book when someone gives it a chance. It is about a black boy who grows up in house full of philosophers and his mother, an African princess, in Pre-Revolutionary War Boston. Octavian has relieved a classical education from the philosophers with which he lives. But little does he know this was all a plan. The philosophers really wanted to see if Black people could learn as well as white people. When Octavian finds out about this, he questions everything in his life. This book looks at the concepts of power, enslavement, and what it really means to be free.

I'm not going to lie to you. This book was not riveting or page turning. Sometimes it was very hard to get through. But once you give it a chance it has a lot to offer and will definitely get you thinking.

I also really enjoyed the history element of this book as well. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing gives you a new and different perspective of American slavery. The way that M.T. Anderson frames the context of slavery gets you thinking on what it really means to be enslaved, both mentally and physically. For you history buffs out there I would check this one out!

My advice to you give The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing a chance. You will not regret it.

Hungry for A Good Book?

Dystopian Literature. When I heard that I was going to be reading a book classified under dystopian literature I was completely thrown off. Dystopian literature is where the vision of society is miserable and conditions are poor. Usually it takes place in the future and includes some kind of technology. I thought, this is something so totally unlike what I would pick up at a bookstore. I usually head for romance titles or just books about normal life situations. So this new genre that I had not heard a lot about completely threw me for a loop. But I guess this was a loop in the right direction.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a novel of dystopian literature about a teenage girl who is thrown into the Hunger Games to save her young sister's life and honor her family. The Hunger Games is an event led by the government where two participants from each district competes against each other. The last one living is the winner. The Hunger Games includes elements of suspense, humor, and romance to keep the reader engaged.

One element that I really liked about The Hunger Games is the satire on governmental policies. It shows how sometimes governments manipulate their power and the effects it has on the citizens who live there. I know as a teen sometimes you can feel powerless compared to mightiness of the government. This would be a good book to check out if you feel that way. It shows how sometimes you can outsmart them.

I really enjoyed reading The Hunger Games. Even though the writing is pretty basic and not so "beautiful" the story is exciting and riveting. You can really get into how the main characters are feeling. If you have a free chance check out Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games.

Dreamland

Problem Novels. Suicide. Eating Disorders. Depression. Rape. A "problem novel" is a cliche book usually where a difficult situation is discovered within the first few chapters and resolved (positively or negatively) by the conclusion of the book. Sarah Dessen's Dreamland, deals with heavy material that could possibly categorize it as a standard teenage problem novel. However, if you really examine the book, you'll see it is much more than just a typical problem novel.

I know that being a teenager is hard. There is no roadmap or instuction manual on what to do if your perfect older sister runs away or what happens when you get your first real boyfriend. It can be confusing and sometimes overwhelming. However, do not allow yourself to get sucked into a unhealthy lifestyle.

This was the case for 16 year old Caitlin in Dreamland. Once her sister ran away all of the spotlight from her family turned on her. She was suckered into joining the cheer squad by her mom and best friend and she did not want to let them down by saying no. It was not until she met Rogerson, though, that she really felt she found somewhere where she belonged, even though he was nothing like her. He smoked and sold pot and she did not. He had been in trouble with the law and she had not. But this was ok, right? He made her happy, right? He was very controlling and did not like it when she would hang out with her best friends or even talk to other people besides him. But this was okay, right? He made her happy, right? And even after he hit her the first time he apoloogized. And this made everything okay, right? He made her happy, right? Eventually, it came to the point that Caitlin could not show any part of her body becuase it was covered in bruises. When will she learn that this was not okay and he did not make her happy? When will she hit that brick wall?

Why do girls get so entranced by boys? Why do girls think that if a boy treats them badly that someday they will change because they love them? This book unconvers these questions and also can provide helpful answers for girls today in abusive relationships. No boy should be able to violate a girl like Rogerson violated Caitlin. I think this book is helpful for teen girls and boys to read. For girls, so they learn that this is not okay and to not be passive and let it happen. And for boys to learn no girl should ever be abused what so ever.

If you look at this book from just the surface, yes, you will see "typical" problem novel. But once you really look at it and examine it you will find answers to these serios questions. That could one day be helpful for you or even a friend.

Looking for Alaska

*Note this blog entry offers spoiling information about John Green's Looking for Alaska

You never really know what life has in store for you, right? In John Green's Looking for Alaska, this question is shown to be so true. In just one moment, one's whole life can be changed. Miles "Pudge" Halter is a total dork from Florida who transfers to Culver Creek a boarding school in Alabama. However, once Pudge met Chip "the Colonel" Martin, Alaska, and other crazy characters, his life surely changed from that what is was before.

Looking for Alaska made me laugh hysterically and cry my eyes out. On the exterior level, it is a book about rowdy teens who drink, smoke, and enjoy pulling outrageous pranks. But when you really delve into this story, Looking for Alaska is about so much more. This book questions the fundamentals of religion and life. It examines social power and issues of gender. This book is about a group of teens trying to find out who they are, why they are here, and what happens to them when they leave.

Pudge and Alaska develop a special relationship, that begins with one vital question. Pudge is fascinated by the last words of famous people and when Alaska finds out about this she asks Pudge what he think Simon Bolivar's last words "How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!" means. Alaska says, "That's the mystery, isn't it? Is the labyrinth living or dying? Which is he trying to escape -- the world or the end of it" (19). This one question provokes the group of teens to look at suffering in life. Pudge's suffering came from being ridiculed by fellow classmates back at school at home. Is this is labyrinth? Did he escape it by leaving Florida and going to school at Culver Creek? The Colonel's suffering came from growing up in a trailer park with his mom after his dad left them. Is this his labyrinth? Can he escape it by one day becoming wealthy and being able to take care of his mom and him? Alaska's suffering came from watching her mother die and having the regret of not calling 911 to save her. Is this her labyrinth? Did Alaska escape the labyrinth when she got in the car, one night, after drinking and died when she crashed into a police car, possibly committing suicide?

Looking for Alaska helps to answer these provocative questions that teens face on a daily basis. It allows teens to see the effects that suicide have on the people they leave behind. The book helps teen's look for the answer to the question, "What happens when we die? Where do we go?" Looking for Alaska breaks down barriers, that society has put up. It does not push any issues under the rug, yet exposes them for what they are worth. Looking for Alaska is a breathtaking novel that all teen's should have the opportunity to experience.

The Outsiders: For Yesterday and Today

"When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home" (Hinton 1). This one line, written by S.E. Hinton in 1967, began the entire genre of Young Adolescent Literature. Prior to this time YA Lit books were very simple and dealt with minuscule problems that were always solved by the conclusion of the novel. The Outsiders, however, shocked readers with its graphic and mature content, it was much different than anything anyone had ever seen. For the first time a YA book dealt with teens that came from broken homes, alcohol and drug abuse, underage smoking, and violence.

The Outsiders follows the life of a young teen from Tulsa, OK during the 1960s, Ponyboy Curtis. In Tulsa at the time there were two different gangs, formed off of the socioeconomic status of the members, the Socs and the Greasers. The Socs are from wealthier families where the Greasers are mainly from poor and broken homes. In the novel, there is constant animosity and rumbles between the two rival gangs. The Outsiders depicts the life of Ponyboy's Greaser friends, Sodapop Curtis, Ponyboy's brother who dropped out of high school, Darry Curtis, Ponyboy's oldest brother who assumed responsibility of his two younger brothers when his parents died in a car accident, Johnny, an immature sensitive teen who is Ponyboy's closest friend, Dally, a teen who has become hardened from his street life, and Two-Bit, the clown of the gang.

When Ponyboy and Johnny meet and flirt with members of the Socs' girlfriends at the drive-in one night trouble breaks out. The two boys were later approached by members of the Socs gangs and they began to beat Ponyboy up, Johnny responds by killing one of the Socs to protect his friends. The two boys ask Dally for advice about what they should do and he advises them to run away. The boys spend the week in an empty abandoned church reading Gone With Wind and poetry and discussing the meaning of life. Unlike every YA lit book written up until this point The Outsiders does not have a happy ending, rather one that makes you think about what is really important in life.

I think that all teens should read this book because it offers a lot to them. Even though the book was written in the 1960s and the context may seem out of date, many of the same themes apply. The Socs and Greasers fought each other because one group was privileged and the other group was poor. Even though this extreme may not exactly happen today there is definitely a difference between the rich and the poor students in school. The privileged teens have nice clothes and drive nice cars and in most cases are usually more popular compared to the underprivileged kids. In The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton stresses the importance of bridging the gap between the rich and the poor. Popularity should not be based off of this unimportant factor.

The Outsiders broke down barriers at the time that it was published for YA literature. However, today it's messages to teens are just as important.

The Truth about The Truth About Forever

One of my most favorite things in life is when I am reading a good book and I can barely put it down. That was the case for me with Sarah Dessen's sixth book The Truth About Forever. Sixteen year old Macy Queen had the most dreadful summer to look forward too. That is until a chaotic catering company showed up at her front door one evening. Her dad had recently died of a massive heart attack while he went for a run that Macy had skipped out on because she wanted to sleep in longer. When she finally decided to get out of bed and meet her dad along their typical route she found him lying on the side walk, dead. The guilt that she had overtaken her life. On top of that, her "perfect" boyfriend and only real friend Jason left her for the summer to attend Brain Camp, a geeky summer camp where the most important thing was how to get into the best college. Since her father's death her sister and mother had both become extremely busy, just to numb the pain that they felt. The only excitement in her life was her less than fabulous job at the local library. These circumstances left Macy feeling completely and utterly alone, until Wish Catering Company walked into her life.

Wish Catering Company was a completely disorganized company that brought food to a client's house, prepared it, and served it. It was run by Delia, a spacey pregnant woman and operated by a group of not so "perfect" teens. When Wish was hired to cater a party hosted by Macy's mom at their house, they were less than prepared. Macy even ended up helping the Wish crew with the party, which began her friendship with the group of not so typical teens. Fun-loving Monica, quiet Kristy, goofy Bert, and artistic and understanding Wes taught Macy many lessons that summer. She learned how to cut loose and have fun, how to open her heart, and most important that it was okay to not be "perfect." In fact, it is the imperfections in life that make it most worth living.

This book definitely plays with the readers heart strings and I think is a perfect teen (and even adult) read. It follows the life of real teens and their real problems. It is definitely a far cry away from the cookie cutter YA lit books of the 1950s. The Truth About Forever shows how far the genre of YA literature has come. In the wake of her father's death, Macy cut all happiness out of her life. She told herself that what is okay to shut herself out from the rest world and to spend her time living safely. However, her friends from Wish opened Macy's eyes to the joys of living and loving. In the end, Macy learned that by living life safely, she actually stopped living. The Truth About Forever provides valuable lessons that I believe all teens can learn from.

I conclusion, I just want to leave you with a quote from the book.

"It's just that...I just think that some things are meant to be broken. Imperfect. Chaotic. It's the universe's way of providing contrast, you know? There have to be a few holes in the road. It's how life is."

It Is Okay to Like YA

To all you teens out there....IT IS OKAY TO LIKE YA. It is very common for teens today to jump from reading the childhood classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. In many instances, young adults are trained from about sixth grade on to only read the so-called "classics." Shakespeare, Dickinson, Fitzgerald, Austen, Steinbeck etc. make up the collection of A.P. worthy works. Understandably, not every high school student can relate to or even comprehend "classic" literature. This becomes the time period when many middle and high school students become disengaged from reading.


If this is you, do not get discouraged. There are other worthy contemporary novels out there for you, the teenage reader. When I was in the seventh grade, I discovered the wonders of YA lit. Like many other teens the "classics" went straight over my head. If it was not for Cecily Von Ziegesar's, Zoe Dean's, Catherine Clark's, and other teen romance novels I probably would have never fallen in love with literature (even the classics). There are great authors and books out there today like Chris Crutcher and Sarah Dessen, whose books deal with real problems that real teens deal with.


I did not write this entry to bash the "classics", they are considered to be "classics" for a reason. I did however write this to open teen's eyes to the wonders of contemporary YA literature. A genre of literature that is commonly looked past and considered to be less than worthy. There should be no shame to walk into the young adult literature section at your public library or local bookstore. These books can open a teen's eyes to life and it's problems in the twenty-first century. A teen's concerns today are, obviously, much different than those of Elizabeth Bennet's in Pride and Prejudice. Contemporary YA lit deals with suicide, eating disorders, sexuality, romance, and other controversial themes. So in conclusion, contemporary young adult literature is a respectable and worthy genre for teen's to enjoy.