Long Way Down gets 5 Stars {poetry, newbery, printz, award book, contemporary lit}

Reluctant readers is a term to describe those that don't enjoy reading. Reluctant readers often have reasons for not enjoying reading.  Maybe they have only read for assignments and never found anything that interest them.  Maybe they struggle to read for one reason or another, or they struggle with comprehending what they are reading.  Once upon a time I was a reluctant reader.  I struggled understanding what I read b/c of a learning disability.

Obviously, I'm not a reluctant reader any longer, and I most definitely feel it is never too late to become a reader.  A way to help those reluctant readers become readers is to find books that are fast reads, that grab the readers attention, and keep them turning the page.  Graphic novels and books written in free verse are usually great choices for reluctant readers.  

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is a young adult novel written in free verse poetry.  Now, don't let the word poetry scare you.  Free verse poetry is basically short thoughts that take out a bunch of the filler words not needed to understand the characters or story.  It's tough to write a great book in free verse, but Reynolds did it well.  Hence, the reason Long Way Down won Newbery and Printz Honor awards.  The two most prestigious awards for an author, Jason Reynolds came in as a runner-up.  Amazing!  That's something that rarely happens.  

Another thing that doesn't happen everyday, but far more often than earning a Newbery and a Printz, is getting 5 out of 5 stars from me in a book review.  Though, I guess it's not super surprising since it's quite the award winning book.  #sogood

Long Way Down is a fantastic book.  The story is interesting b/c the entire story takes place in an elevator.  The story is enlightening into the life of an inner city teen.  The story has depth with great character development and discussions of expectations and revenge.  The story is a fast read many readers and reluctant readers alike will enjoy.  This story would be a great book for high school teachers to use, read, and discuss in the classroom.    

Happy Young Adult Powerful Fast Free Verse Reading!

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Rating: 5/5 stars
Best For: 13-18 years old, 8th to 12th grade. 
Clean Read: Violence.  
Worth a Check Out: Yes. Readers who like The Crossover will like this one.
Buy It or Not: Yes. Definitely a purchase for a library collection, English Teacher, and those looking for a great book.
Read Aloud: Yes. This fast read would make a great classroom read aloud for a high school or 8th grade classroom.    
Lesson Ideas: Inner city, poetry, family relationships, revenge, expectations, obligations. 

Did you read this well deserved Newbery and Printz Honor book?   What did you think? 


A few quotes I loved from Long Way Down b/c they made me laugh, I could relate to them, or there was depth to it. 

"People always love more when they are dead." 

"Laughed so hard I farted." 🤣

"Head lock that felt like a hug." Oh siblings and their special way of showing love. 

"You coming?"  Read the book to get the depth of this last question. 


Did you have a favorite quote?

  

Asking For It gets 3 Stars {ya lit, contemporary fiction, printz honor}

*** Trigger Warning: Abuse/Rape ***

I have read and reviewed more than a few books on rape.  I didn't have the thought to include that above warning until I saw someone on Goodreads do that.  Personally knowing more than a few people who have been raped I understand they can have triggers.  I just wanted to be sure my book review doesn't make things more difficult for them, but helps them.  

Asking For It by Louise O'Neill is about rape, sex, rape culture, slut-shaming, and bullying.  This book has sex, drugs, underage drinking, and language; it is definitely not a clean book.  The subject most definitely is tough, but there is value in it b/c it is so realistic.  I hope by the realism this book portrays that others can learn from this book.  

However, I only gave this Printz Honor Book, Asking for It, 3 out of 5 stars.  I feel this award winning book is good for the tough subject and something that is very real.  I would dare say that the majority of society knows someone that was raped.  What happened to Emma happens too much; once is too much.  Though, if we all see this tough subject in our lives, then the real value of this book is if there's something more.  I felt this book missed out on really teaching and inspiring.  

I did not like Emma, buy I did feel bad for her.  Though, to be honest I didn't like any characters.  There really wasn't one likable character.  Though, I felt like that with Luckiest Girl Alive.  After reading this book I had the thought that Emma is going to turn into Ani from that book. 

The slut-shaming and bullying that went on, especially over social media reminded me of 13 Reasons Why.   The rape and how it changed Emma to be withdrawn and pull back from everyone reminded me a lot of Speak. 

The entire time reading this book, in one setting, I was in pain for the choices Emma made, the horrible things that were done to her, her pulling out of pressing charges, and her family not supporting her.  It was a tough read b/c I felt it could've helped more than just causing people to talk such taboo subjects like rape, consent, bullying, slut-shaming, and more.  The one benefit is that this story is fictional; I only hope that boys and girls alike read this and decide to learn from all of the character's choices and make their life better

Overall, this is a tough, and not clean, young adult/teen/high school read.  This book would be valuable to discuss bullying, slut-shaming, self-esteem, underage drinking, drug use, and more not so pleasant subjects, but one that need to discussed in homes or classrooms.

Happy Teen Printz Honor Book Reading!


Asking for It by Louise O'Neill
Rating: 3/5 stars
Best For: 14 yrs and up, 9th grade and up
Worth a Check Out: Yes.
Buy It or Not: Not.
Read Aloud: It's real and intense dealing with rape, but I think Speak may be better suited for emphasizing the growth.
Lesson Ideas: Rape, Consent, Bullying, Slut-Shaming

March Book Three gets 5 Stars {non-fiction, graphic novel, printz award}

This book has it all.  One President of the United States dies, another gives powerful speeches and help make big changes in the country.  With it being Black History Month as well as President's Day I felt this book was an absolute must to share with you today!   

Police arrests, murders, determination, perseverance, equal rights, voting, the Freedom March, and so many more shocking events occurred during the civil rights movement.  I absolutely loved March Book Three, and I completely understand why it won the Printz Award, Coretta Scott King Award, and 4 other major awards.

March Book Three by John Lewis is well deserving of these awards, and honestly one of the best books I've read.  This book, is the third and final book in the March series telling the complete civil rights movement from John Lewis' experience.  

I give March Book Three 5 out of 5 Stars.  The pictures are fantastic, the story line is great, the pace is quick, the words are powerful, and the events are inspiring.  I learned so much while reading not only this book, but the entire series.  It is a must read for sure, and I am so glad I have it in my personal library.

At the very beginning it took me a second to remember what SNCC stood for b/c book three didn't overlap with the second book.  There is so much I really liked about this book.  I loved that the writing had the perfect balance of facts to teach and dialogue to keep the story going.  

I really enjoyed John Lewis' view on JFK's death and the fear he had with Johnson becoming the President.  I think his feelings are relatable to how many feel any time a new President begins his presidency. I was shocked of the events as well as the aftermath from the Freedom Summer, and I was inspired by Fannie Lou Hamer's speech as well as President Johnson's speech.  I was in awe of the fight, dedication, and perseverance Lewis and many other's had to complete their march from Selma to Montgomery.  I was shocked the FBI was wiretapping the Freedom Democratic Party and MLK.   To be honest, I learned so much reading this book and series.  

I absolutely think every one high school aged and up should read this book and series.  It is powerful and inspiring.  I loved that Lewis connected the first and last book with the reason for writing these books.  Lewis is brilliant, funny, and I'm so glad he wrote this book.     

In regards to the series as a whole, I would have to give the entire March series 5 stars.  It's all well done, connects so well to one another, very informative as well as entertaining. and all around great.  I personally love that Lewis wanted to make this a graphic novel.  I think it reaches a wider audience and the pictures provide the reader with a valuable and necessary connection to the story and the events.  

My reviews of March Book One and March Book Two can be found at the links provided.  You definitely need to read this non-fiction series in order, and you most definitely need to give this series a read.  It's fantastic!   

Amazon has the following book review from School Library Journal: 

"In the final installment in the trilogy, Congressman Lewis concludes his firsthand account of the civil rights era. Simultaneously epic and intimate, this dynamic work spotlights pivotal moments (the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL; the Freedom Summer murders; the 1964 Democratic National Convention; and the Selma to Montgomery marches) through the lens of one who was there from the beginning. Lewis's willingness to speak from the heart about moments of doubt and anguish imbues the book with emotional depth. Complex material is tackled but never oversimplified—many pages are positively crammed with text—and, as in previous volumes, discussion of tensions among the various factions of the movement adds nuance and should spark conversation among readers. Through images of steely-eyed police, motion lines, and the use of stark black backgrounds for particularly painful moments, Powell underscores Lewis's statement that he and his cohorts "were in the middle of a war." These vivid black-and-white visuals soar, conveying expressions of hope, scorn, and devastation and making storied figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Fannie Lou Hamer feel three-dimensional and familiar. VERDICT This essential addition to graphic novel shelves, history curricula, and memoir collections will resonate with teens and adults alike."

This series is superb, and though I wouldn't have anticipated it winning the Printz Award (the best book for young adults) this year, I am so glad it did.  It is well deserving.  

Have you read the March trilogy yet?  What did you think? 

Happy Powerful Inspiring and Such a Valuable Historical Graphic Novel Reading! 



I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my review and honest opinion.  All of my thoughts, opinions, and words are my own.

The Sun is Also a Star gets 4 Stars {ya lit, printz honor, contemporary literature}

"What a difference a day makes." That alone is the perfect sentence to describe Nicola Yoon's new book, The Sun is Also a Star.  

A day can determine if you meet someone, go to college, be deported, enjoy a good book, or a myriad of other events.  A day really can make such a difference for good or for bad; the key is what we do with that day.  

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon won a Printz Honor Award this year; basically she got 2nd place for one of the best books for young adults/teen that were published in 2016.  

This is the second Yoon book I've read, and her second book.  Everything Everything  was published almost two years ago, and I just found out a movie based on the book, that shares the title, is going to be out this year.  I love Book Based Movies; I guess that is probably why I wrote my thesis on it.

I really enjoyed Everything Everything, and I should probably write an official review of it since I read it over a year ago.  I thought the story line was creative, the character development was well done, and I really found myself cheering for Maddy.  If you liked The Fault in Our Stars you should definitely read Everything Everything. 

Sorry about that book review interruption.  Let me get back to the Printz Honor winner at hand.  I give The Sun is Also a Star 4 out of 5 stars.  I liked it, I really did.  I felt the diversity and the immigration/deportation issue to be poignant and relevant.  I felt the story line was fun, romantic, creative, pushed complex issues, and all around great.  I really think it deserved the honor award, and b/c of the complex issues it presented I see why it was awarded a Printz Honor.  

With all of that said, I only gave it 4 stars b/c it was just good; it wasn't great in my mind.  I actually enjoyed Yoon's first book a tad more.  I enjoyed the reason for the title, The Sun is Also a Star, and how that was explained.  It was deeper, and perfect for an English paper analysis.

In the book, I thought the survey was cute.  I liked that it was a romance, but completely realistic.  I liked that the characters followed their dreams.  I liked the ending and that it wasn't your perfect unrealistic ending.  I liked the complexity of the relationships with the families situations and viewpoints as well as the interracial dealings.  I liked Daniel as a character and I liked Natasha as a character.  I thought Yoon did a great job writing this story, and I'm glad I read it.  

I would definitely recommend this book to boys or girls in high school, but probably only if they were readers.  I don't think this is a book for a reluctant reader.  I don't remember anything being highly inappropriate.  There wasn't any sex, but there was reference to it if I remember correctly.  There was some language, but I would say it was a pretty clean read.  

The Sun is Also a Star is a great story.  It wasn't amazing in my mind, and it didn't have the wow factor.  However, it was really great, and the realistic love story of sorts made it perfect for this week.  I just had to share it with you.  

Go check this one out, or give it a listen.  It's a good audiobook as well.  

Amazon has the following book review from School Library Journal: 

"It is Natasha's last day in New York City, where she has lived for 10 years. Her family, living as undocumented immigrants in a small Brooklyn apartment, are being deported to Jamaica after her father's arrest for drunk driving. Natasha is scouring the city for a chance to stay in the United States legally. She wants the normal teen existence of her peers. Meanwhile, poetic Daniel is on his way to an interview as part of his application process to Yale. He is under great pressure to get in because his parents (who emigrated from South Korea) are adamant that he become a doctor. Events slowly conspire to bring the two leads together. When Daniel and Natasha finally meet, he falls in love immediately and convinces her to join him for the day. They tell their stories in alternating chapters. Additional voices are integrated into the book as characters interact with them. Both relatable and profound, the bittersweet ending conveys a sense of hopefulness that will resonate with teens. VERDICT This wistful love story will be adored by fans of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park and by those who enjoyed the unique narrative structure of A.S. King's Please Ignore Vera Dietz."

Is young adult realistic fiction/contemporary fiction your cup of tea? It's my favorite genre so I gravitate to these types of books. 

Did you read The Sun is Also a Star? If so, do you think it was Printz Honor worthy?  As always, I love to hear your thoughts.  

Happy Diverse Complex Contemporary Fiction Award Winning reading!

  

The Ghosts of Heaven gets 1 Star {Printz} {YA Lit}

I'm not going to lie to y'all.  If you follow me on Litsy (a book focused social network) @alohamoraopenabook then you know I bailed on this book.  What is disheartening to me is I actually really like Marcus Sedgwick as an author.  I've read a handful of his other books, and even though they are quirky the storyline is fantastic and so unique.  

In 2011, Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick earned a Printz Honor Award, a runner-up book for the best Young Adult (YA) book published the previous year. This book was my first time reading a Sedgwick novel, and though it wasn't one I would normally have picked up I thought it was fantastic.  I thought the storyline was unique and interesting, and the pace was great.

In 2014, Midwinterblood  by Marcus Sedgwick earned the Printz Medal; basically earned the award for the best YA literature book for books published the previous calendar year.  Midwinterblood was again very well written with a fascinating storyline. This story is part love, part mystery, part folk tale, part horror, and it is all completely dark and intriguing. It really is an odd book with an oddly fascinating story. 

When I picked up The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick from the library b/c it earned yet again another Printz Honor book I was pretty excited.  I had thoroughly enjoyed his previous two books, and I had high expectations for this book.  Plus, I was a big fan of the cover; I thought it was stunning.  

I really gave The Ghosts of Heaven a good go.  I was expecting a quirky and amazing storyline, but no matter how many pages and sections (the sections are different stories that are all wound together) I read I just couldn't get into it.  The story is definitely weird, but in my opinion this is one of Sedgwick's books that is not worth the check-out.

I give this book 1 out of 5 stars.  The writing is good, but the story is slow.  There was violence, but it was in context. No language or sex to worry about in this YA award winning book.   

Did you read The Ghosts of Heaven? What did you think? 

Amazon had the following book description to give you some background of the story to see if it intrigues you.  You may like it even if I didn't. 

"Timeless, beautiful, and haunting, spirals connect the four episodes of The Ghosts of Heaven, the mesmerizing new novel from Printz Award winner Marcus Sedgwick. They are there in prehistory, when a girl picks up a charred stick and makes the first written signs; there tens of centuries later, hiding in the treacherous waters of Golden Beck that take Anna, who people call a witch; there in the halls of a Long Island hospital at the beginning of the 20th century, where a mad poet watches the oceans and knows the horrors it hides; and there in the far future, as an astronaut faces his destiny on the first spaceship sent from earth to colonize another world. Each of the characters in these mysterious linked stories embarks on a journey of discovery and survival; carried forward through the spiral of time, none will return to the same place."

This year, the Printz Award and Honor books were no different than many other years.  i enjoyed some and was disappointed in others.  Bone Gap was great, but this one was no bueno for me.  

Happy Reading!  What are you reading this summer? 

If you are still looking for a good summer read check out these 10 great books. 

Bone Gap gets 4.5 Stars {YA Lit} {Printz Medal Winner}

Sorry for my absence this past week.  It's Christmas in May at my house aka my oldest two kids have birthday's two days apart.  They turned 5 and 4 this year, and we had a week of preschool cupcakes, birthday cakes, extended family birthday cupcakes, decorating, and so much more going on.  It was an exhausting and fun filled week, and I've overdosed on cake, frosting, and cupcake baking for a little while.  I'm ready for a break from the cakes; my husband has requested cheesecakes. ;) 

I will share some of my birthday baking fun with y'all soon (tho if you follow me on Instagram @alohamoraopenabook you've already seen some), but this week I'm WAY behind on my book reviews.  Plus, I have some summer reading book lists I want to get out to you.  I'm thinking this week may be a week of books. Yay! 

I recently finished Bone Gap by Laura Ruby; it won the 2016 Printz Medal.  Basically, this book won an award, and will receive a gold sticker on it's cover, for the best teen young adult (YA) literature novel or book for the year. 

Bone Gap earned 4.5 out of 5 stars in my book review.  This magic realism, a funky genre that is basically magic but realistic fiction as well, book is really a fantastic book that surprised me in many ways.  I will first start by saying that this great read did not earn all 5 stars b/c it lacked the wow factor.  I didn't leave the book with a 'Wow' wanting to share it with everyone.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.  

I felt Laura Ruby created a well written book with a complex unpredictable storyline.  I may not have been wowed by this book, but I did think the character development was good.  I did find myself really feeling for the characters, especially Rosza.  I felt so sad and frustrated for her.  I also learned something and found the face blindness to be very interesting.

Bone Gap is all around interesting and well deserving of the Printz.  There is some language, but it is in context and I personally would consider this book mostly clean.  I'd feel comfortable letting my 9th or up high school student read this book.  

While reading this  book I got the feeling that Bone Gap is similar to Paper Towns by John Greene, but to be honest I think the searching for a girl and the unknown mystery is the only reason for the similarities.  Both Greene and Ruby write complex stories, but their writing styles are different.  I guess that one aspect is what makes this a great read aloud.   

Amazon had the following book review from School Library Journal: 

"It is a rare book that sits comfortably on the shelf with the works of Twain, McCullers, Conroy, Stephen King, and D'Aulaires' Greek Myths-rarer still that a novel combines elements of these authors together. Bone Gap does just this, to superb effect. We start with a boy named Finn and his brother, Sean. Sean is the classic hero: strong, silent, great at everything he does. Finn is a pretty boy whose otherworldly goofiness has earned him the nicknames Spaceman, Sidetrack, and Moonface. Along comes Rosza, a beautiful and damaged young woman, fleeing from some unknown evil. When she disappears, only Finn witnesses her abduction and he is unable to describe her captor. He is also unsure whether she left by force or choice. The author defies readers' expectations at every turn. In this world, the evidence of one's senses counts for little; appearances, even less. Heroism isn't born of muscle, competence, and desire, but of the ability to look beyond the surface and embrace otherworldliness and kindred spirits. Sex happens, but almost incidentally. Evil happens, embodied in a timeless, nameless horror that survives on the mere idea of beauty. A powerful novel." 

I'd suggest this book for any 9th grade and up reader.  It's not really for the reluctant reader, but it won't push the reluctant reader away.  


Happy fantastic Printz Medal Winner magic realism book reading!

The Best Printz (YA Award Books) Books

Last week I shared my favorite aka The Best Newbery Books.  Newbery is an award given every year (always near the end of January or early February) to the best children's/juvenile literature book.  It has been around for the last 93 years.  This year it will be announced on February 2nd, and I'm excited.  

I read the Newbery books every year.  I feel it's part of my job as a librarian, but I also thoroughly enjoy it as well.  

There is another award that is given that same day, and it is the Printz Book Award given to the best (for it's literary merit) YA (Young Adult/Teen) book published the previous year.  The book can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and even a collection of short stories.  Though, I'm not sure I've ever seen a collection win.

The Printz Award has only been around since 2000; so it is a relatively new award.  However, books geared and written for the teens/young adults is relatively new as well.  For years it was children/juvenile books and adult books only.    

I do love YA books like many of you.  Though, I also struggle with the content in some YA books.  I love a good story, but I'm not a fan of violence or sex just to throw it in there to attract readers.  I personally think there needs to be a reason/need for it.  In YA and adult literature there seems to be some authors that throw content such as violence, sex, or drugs just to attract readers.  I don't enjoy that, but I do enjoy a well written book even if it does have some violence, or whatnot.

I have compiled a list of the 8 Best Printz Award Books.  These books are not all squeaky clean reads, but they are all fabulously written books that if they do involve some intense content it is for a legitimate purpose.

Are you a YA literature fan?  Which of these 8 books have you read? 

The 8 Best Printz (YA) Award Books

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick 

A Honor book in 2011

This tense psychological drama is a well written interesting read for both boys and girls 9th grade and up. 

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey 

A Honor book in 2010

This tense and incredibly descriptive horror book is a clean read, just gruesome.  Boys and girls alike will enjoy this book, though boys will probably love it.  

Best for 7th grade and up. 

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart 

A Honor book in 2009

This boarding school fiction is all about girl power.  Girls will love everything about this book and will want to read it over and over again. 

Best for 7th grade and up. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

A Honor book in 2007

This World War II book (not your typical WWII book) is well written and will touch your heart.  This thought provoking read was recently adapted into a movie.  I love the different point of view Zusak writes from in this book; it is very original and unique. 

Best for 7th grade and up. 

  

Looking for Alaska by John Green 

The Printz Medal winner in 2006

There is quite a bit of language, sex, and drugs in this story, but it is a well written story (very John Green, who is the author of The Fault in Our Stars, like) that I thoroughly enjoyed.  

Best for 9th grade and up. 

how i live now by Meg Rosoff 

The Printz Medal winner in 2005

This medal winner is a well written fascinating novel that is almost like a dystopian.  The narrator is a girl, but boys and girls alike will enjoy this read.  

Best for 7th grade and up. 

Monster by Walter Dean Myers 

The Printz Medal winner in 2000.

This medal book is a definite thinker/though provoking book; with the main character in jail boys will especially love this book.  This would be a great book for reluctant readers.  

Best for 7th grade and up. 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson 

A Honor book in 2000

This thought provoking fiction novel about how a girl is affected from being raped.  The main characters reaction and growth show great character development and allow you as the reader to really feel for her. There are no details of the rape, and it is quite a clean read even with the subject matter. This would be a great class read; girls will gravitate to it, but boys could enjoy it almost as much if you can get them to pick it up. 

Best for 7th grade and up.  

Happy Printz Award Books reading! 

 Which of these Printz Award books are your favorite? 

Please Ignore Vera Dietz gets 2.5 Stars

My friend Sarah did a brief review of Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King way back in 2011 when it was a Printz Honor book.  You can read her review here.   

I had read the beginning of this book way back then, but I don't remember ever finishing it.  I decided to pick it up again when I was recently at the library b/c I couldn't remember anything about it.

Apparently there was a reason I never finished it.    

I give Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King only 2.5 out of 5 stars. I personally thought the development of the story was slow and Vera, the main character, just didn't grow or do much for the first two-thirds of the book.  She actually annoyed me far too often.

Overall, the story was okay, but it was not stellar.  At times I enjoyed the different perspectives/narratives from "The Dead Kid" and her father.  I

I was also intrigued to find out what happened to Charlie, and I thought there was a few good aspects and lessons given by her father.

As far as content was concerned this book wasn't dirty just to be dirty, but it was far from being clean.  There was a lot of language, underage drinking, drug use, and sex.  Since the content was mature and the story was less than spectacular I don't think I would recommend this book to high school students or anyone really.  However, those boys and girls that like edgy books about some real life situations may enjoy this story.    

To be honest, I did say there were a few good things I liked.  Near the beginning of the book the reader gets Vera's father's perspective.  He stated that he didn't have a dad, and so he had no one to look for as an example.  Therefore, he was winging it.  I think a lot of people find themselves in that same situation. 

I do appreciate this wise and valid statement Vera's father later makes. "I'm giving her a chance to evade her destiny.  The trick is remembering that change is as easy as you make it.  The trick is remembering that you are the boss of you."   

I think that statement has a lot of value. 

All in all, I didn't find Please Ignore Vera Dietz to be that fabulous of a novel.  However, looking at some of the ratings on Goodreads and Amazon there are plenty of people that enjoyed it.  Maybe I'm the odd man out.    

Amazon had the following book review: 

"Vera Dietz and her troubled neighbor, Charlie, were best friends since childhood until they started to fall for one another junior year and everything broke apart. Evil Jenny Flick decides that she wants Charlie and that Vera is in the way. When Jenny offers Charlie oral sex and he refuses, she broadcasts his secret about his father's domestic abuse to the whole school and blames Vera. In “retaliation,” Charlie reveals the fact that Vera's mother was a stripper before she deserted the family and then starts a perilous relationship with Jenny. In chapters that alternate scenes in the present with “history,” plus various points of view, Vera's story begins at Charlie's funeral where she hides the truth about Jenny's part in his death. It seesaws through her full-time job delivering pizzas while maintaining “A” grades, her upsetting relationship with Charlie, her conflicts with Jenny as well as her father, her romance with a 23-year-old coworker, and other complications. This oddly compelling page-turner is unfortunately rather flawed. When circumstances call for Vera to end her heavy drinking, she surprisingly just stops. Charlie's ghostly presence manifests itself through hard-to-imagine replications. The perspectives of Vera's father, dead Charlie, and the pagoda atop the town (yes, the pagoda speaks) minimally click. Vera's father's “flow charts” about dealing with life circumstances seem out of place. Yet, Vera is a strong character whom readers will root for throughout her ups and downs. Ultimately, this will be read by teens who like edgy contemporary books dealing with untimely teen death, such as Brooke Taylor's Undone (Walker, 2008) or Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why (Razorbill, 2007)."

Did anyone else read Please Ignore Vera Dietz.  What did you think?  Am I completely irrational with my review?  

Monster gets 4 Stars

Monster by Walter Dean Myers, a 2000 Printz award winner, is a book I read in two days.  I love when that happens. This summer is off to a great start.  It's fun to fly through a book.  

The large handwriting type of print and the format, the main character is telling the story through a movie script, really helps with the fast read.  I also think the storyline keeps you engaged; you will find yourself wanting to know if Steve Harmon really did participate in the robbery and/or the murder.

The basic storyline is Steve is living in a detention center in New York City while he is on trial for a murder at a drugstore in his Harlem neighborhood.  Steve writes about the trial in movie script format.  At points in the story you get flashbacks to that day of the murder as well as his time with his family.  By the end of the novel, you hear the jury's verdict of Steve, but you still get to decide for yourself on what you think Steve really did.  

I gave Monster 4 out of 5 stars.  I felt it rightly won the Printz award for it's subject matter, unique format, and character development.  It was a great book.  However, the storyline seemed a little weak at points.  I realize Myers wanted it to be vague so you as a reader had to make a decision and to really keep you involved and vested in the story, but points of the story were so weak I found myself re-reading to really see if I read it wrong or if there was just a large gap in the story.  

On the positive side, I felt the character development was fabulous. As the reader I found myself really feeling for Steve, understanding his thoughts and emotions, and really seeing and experiencing his growth as a character.  I also felt the format was fun, and I was still able to really feel for Steve through his personal narrative.  However, with this movie script format I found myself skimming the unimportant facts (parts about what the shot was doing or the setting). 

I also felt the storyline of life in Harlem for a teenage boy was interesting.  Though, the subject matter of life in jail and Harlem does make for it being a bit raw at times.  It's not a dirty book (there is no language or sexual scenes) but it does mention some of the things that do happen in jail like violence, sexual violence, and language.  However, none of the violence is really described into detail, it just mentions that it goes on.  

Who is this book for?  It think 8th grade and up boys, and especially reluctant readers will enjoy this book.  At 277 pages it is a long enough book for any school assignment, but it is a fast read with a great topic for boys.  Girls will read it, but I don't think girls will find the topic nearly as interesting.  Though, a teacher could use this as a class read, and have a lot of really good discussions from the book. 

Amazon had the following book review: 

"Monster" is what the prosecutor called 16-year-old Steve Harmon for his supposed role in the fatal shooting of a convenience-store owner. But was Steve really the lookout who gave the "all clear" to the murderer, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? In this innovative novel by Walter Dean Myers, the reader becomes both juror and witness during the trial of Steve's life. To calm his nerves as he sits in the courtroom, aspiring filmmaker Steve chronicles the proceedings in movie script format. Interspersed throughout his screenplay are journal writings that provide insight into Steve's life before the murder and his feelings about being held in prison during the trial. "They take away your shoelaces and your belt so you can't kill yourself no matter how bad it is. I guess making you live is part of the punishment."

Myers, known for the inner-city classic Motown and Didi (first published in 1984), proves with Monster that he has kept up with both the struggles and the lingo of today's teens. Steve is an adolescent caught up in the violent circumstances of an adult world--a situation most teens can relate to on some level. Readers will no doubt be attracted to the novel's handwriting-style typeface, emphasis on dialogue, and fast-paced courtroom action. By weaving together Steve's journal entries and his script, Myers has given the first-person voice a new twist and added yet another worthy volume to his already admirable body of work." 

Happy reading!