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.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
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 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."
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."
Thursday, September 10, 2009
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.
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.
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