The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

"I used to be someone. Someone named Jenna Fox. That's what they tell me. But I am more than a name. More than they tell me. More than the facts and statistics they fill me with. More than the video clips they make me watch. More. But I'm not sure what."

Jenna has just woken up from a coma. She was in an accident and initially can't remember anything at all about her life. The problem is when she starts to remember, her memories are things that she has no business remembering...like her baptism and entire books verbatim. What exactly happened to her after her accident? She knows that her parents are keeping secrets from her and she's got questions. Questions that no one wants to answer.

This book is set in the not too distant future where people have backed themselves into a corner by meddling with the DNA of foods and people. Antibiotics are no longer effective and so virus plagues periodically devastate the population. There is a regulatory board that states no person may get more than 49% of their body altered. Meaning you can get organ transplants, get a new virtually real prosthetic hand, get neural chips - but 51% of you must actually be you.

Jenna knows that she is not the same Jenna from before the accident. But how much of her is actually different? What did her parents do to save her? How far is too far to save someone you love?

Blew. Me. Away. This book was sooooo good. It deals with morality and science in a way that is completely fresh and engaging. It deals with what makes a person who they are, what makes a person human (and there are some great contrasts with people who are more machine than people versus people who are completely human but are sociopaths - who is actually more human?). Post accident Jenna is not the same, but her fight to regain her life is completely spellbinding. The book is filled with great secondary characters too. Her grandmother Lily, the mysterious neighbor who makes art from nature, and Ethan a swoon worthy boy who has a past almost as checkered as Jenna's.

There is only one thing that bothered me. Jenna and her family move to California to sort of hide out, so why did they let Jenna enroll at school using her real name? Not so swift.

I'm positive this will be in my top 10 of 2008. I haven't read a book this good since King Dork in 2006.

Schooled by Gordon Korman

Back in November Michelle posted the Texas Lone Star Reading List. This book just came into my library, and since Korman will be at TLA next month, I thought I better know more of his work than Born to Rock.

Thirteen year old Capricorn Anderson grew up on a psychedelic hippie commune with his grandma, Rain. Once upon a time Garland Farms was a happening place, but now Cap and Rain are its only residents. No tv, no radio, no phone. They grow their own food and fix everything with duct tape. Rain homeschools Cap and does a pretty great job of it according to the state testers. One day Rain falls from a tree and Cap is arrested for driving when he tries to take her to, gasp!, the hospital. Rain is out of commission for 6 weeks and Cap is handed over to a social worker who just happened to have spent part of her youth at Garland Farms before her parents decided that they do rather like modern conveniences and money. Those 5 years scarred our Mrs. Donnelly as she knows only too well the painful awakening Cap is about to have as he leaves his utopia for hell - aka C(l)average Middle School.

Cap's arrival immediately marks him the biggest dork on campus resulting in spit balls, teasing, and other torments like being given directions to non-existent rooms. Because of his pacifist upbringing, he takes it all in stride never striking out or blowing up. Much of this is due to his naivete regarding the "world out there", but the rest is his personal Beatles-inspired philosophy that "all you need is love".

Cap is a great character. I appreciated how Korman (who tells the story through the different voices of the main characters) kept Cap true to himself while the other supporting characters changed, not only in their views of Cap, but in the way that they treat others and live their lives in general. Right on, dude. I did have trouble with the whole commune/nonviolence = 60's hippies and that Cap was seen as something from the past. It marked that sort of philosophy as sqarely hippie-dippy when it could have had a more contemporary alternative lifestyle background. Also, what Rain does at the end completely came out of the blue for me. That didn't sit well, either.

All-in-all it's a super fun book aimed at middle grade readers. Korman nails his well-earned status as a go-to humor guy and the appeal for this book should reach both boys and girls.

Bunker 10 by J. A. Henderson

"At 2000 hours on Monday, 24 December 2007, Pinewood Military Installation exploded. The blast ripped apart acres of forest and devastated the remote highland valley where the base was located. There were no survivors and no offical cause was given for the incident. Inside Pinewood were 185 male and female military personnel - a mix of scientists and soldiers. There were also 7 children. This is the story of their last day."

The seven children are actually a mix of older kids and teenagers. They are all geniuses, they all have specialties, they have all been recruited by the military. Until this fateful day, none of them have ever been down to level ten - the bunker which has the highest security. But something has gone terribly wrong. Terribly, terribly, awfully wrong.

The Good:
There were a couple of absolutely fantastic plot twists. The first plot twist just blindsided me. It came at about 100 pages into the book and just blew me away. It was genius. The second plot twist, not quite so amazing, but very good nonetheless. And no, I'm not going to spoil it for you, but trust me you won't see them coming either.

The Bad:
The writing was not terribly strong. The characters were flat and I had a hard time differentiating between them. They had no development whatsoever and were just basically mechanisms to move the plot ahead. It was like he had a great plot, but then didn't take the time to flesh out the other aspects of the story.

The Ugly:
There is a character named "Diddy Dave" that seemed to be some bizarre imitation of Ali G. I kept going seriously? Is this a joke? Alas, it wasn't (or i never caught onto it) and I kept expecting Diddy Dave to bust out with Booyakasha or whatever it is that Ali G always says while snapping his fingers together. So yah, Ali G if Ali G was a "genius" but still spoke like a total tool that would be Diddy Dave.

Not the best action adventure/science fictiony book I've ever read, but the plot twists made me want to read until the end. It would likely appeal to reluctant readers.

Horton Hears a Who movie

Okay, I know it's not YA, but I just watched this movie and it was so much fun!

I was a bit worried, seeing how the more recent Seuss remakes (Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas) weren't much fun, but I was happily surprised. Casting was perfect, especially Caroll Burnett. Although, little Katie was a bit creepy. And while it follows the book, this version is not afraid to elaborate a bit.

My favorite things about this movie were the allusions to other Seuss works throughout, the little emo son, and the anime/kung fu episode. I completely cracked up during the eighties music singalong!

If you need a laugh and love Seuss books, GO and see this movie. I am so showing it at the branch when it comes out on DVD.

Re-Gifters by Mike Carey

I heard about this GN a few months back and have really enjoyed the other Minx comics I have read, so when I saw Re-Gifters at the Central library on my last weekend shift, I snatched it up. I just love the cover-it really connects to the story and I like how Dixie is attached like a gift tag!

Dik Seuong Jen, Dixie to her friends, is a Korean American teenager who practices hapkido as a way to connect to her culture and just because it is fun. When her crush for a fellow student begins to throw off her game, she might not make it into the national tournament, which is being hosted in her South Central L. A. neighborhood this year. Especially after she spends her entry fee on a not-so-well-received gift for her crush, Adam. Through the many plot twists, Dixie discovers who her friends really are and that love can come in unexpected packages!

Heads up to all you librarians! The street competition for the tournament happens in a library. How cool is that!

Anyway, it's a great story that manages to be very multicultural without cramming it down your throat or being too sappy. Dixie is likable, but not flawless and the side characters are just as interesting as the main ones. Next Minx title on my to read list: Good as Lily.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Five sisters live in a Romanian castle in which they have discovered a secret portal to the Other Kingdom on the night of each full moon. This other kingdom is filled with fairies, creatures, and other beings who are known about amongst the humans, but rarely seen and more often feared. The five sisters enter the fairy realm and dance the night away before rushing back home shortly before dawn.

Their lives are pretty much idyllic. They are very content until a series of events begin to chip away at their happiness. First their father falls ill and must go away for treatment. Then their cousin Cezar begins to take over their business and remove freedoms and privileges that the girls are used to enjoying. And finally a mysterious dark haired stranger has stolen one sister's heart and she is no longer at all the same.

This is a mixture of several different fairy tales rolled into one retelling. The first seems to be an adaption of the Twelve Dancing Princesses (although in this tale there are only five sisters and no princes lose their heads). The second is the Frog Prince. One of the elder sisters has a pet frog whom she found in the woods. Not an ordinary frog, but one that can communicate telepathically to her (only her...).

I really wanted to be swept away by this book. Heck the cover had me half swept away already. Unfortunately, I guess, it wasn't meant to be. I found the book to be overlong and the dialog more than a bit clunky. I was able to figure out all the major plot points far before the characters did (such as the significance of the meeting the old crone in the woods as children, who the frog was, how it was going to end...etc.). And that made for some long drawn out reading.

Jellaby by Kean Soo

I dare you not to be charmed by this graphic novel. Originally published as an online comic, Hyperion Books for Children acquired Jellaby for a 2 volume set for ages 10 and up. Produced primarily with dreamy shades of purple and black, a little deep pink peeks in on Jellaby & Portia, and Jason’s shirt receives some gold and green treatment. But that is it for color.

Portia and Jason are both 10, though the story is primarily Portia’s. Jellaby is the purple (lovable) monster that Portia discovers in her back yard one night after having a very unusual dream. Jason is in Portia’s class at school and both garner the esteemed status as outsiders. Portia has never made friends at the new school (and seeing that her book report is on “Reason and Emotion: Classical and Romantic Philosophies in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia” it is any wonder), but Jason is the subject of bullying. (Jason who loves carrots –like the author- and wants to change Jellaby’s name to Fangzilla.) Together the kids try to help Jellaby find his way back home, wherever that may be. Add to this the mysterious circumstances of Portia’s father’s disappearance and the mysteries increase. I can’t wait for volume 2.


Archive of Jellaby to read online


Article from Newsarama on Kean Soo

Incredible Change-Bots by Jeffrey Brown

This small-sized graphic novel from Top Shelf caught my attention when it arrived with all my new stuff this week. Transformers are a big hit in my house these days and I quite remember their earlier popularity back in the 80s. Jeffrey Brown* gives us another version with The Incredible Change-Bots. To me they are Transformers more hilarious, more awesome alter-ego.

Change-Bots are from the planet Electronocybercircuitron, on which “their highly advanced society operates within a two-party government.” The parties: AWESOMEBOTS and FANTASTICONS. We have bots that change into trucks & cars of all kinds (normal), plus VHS tapes, a tape player, a microwave, and (my favorites!) a bowl of soup and a bag of microwave popcorn. Funny, no? Very.

After a shady election, the two groups battle, destroy their planet in the process, and wind up on Earth where they battle it out some more. That’s pretty much it. Brown’s wobbly and imperfect hand-drawn illustrations lend to the zine quality of the book. I think this is a great fun read for a teen who has a retro (and snarky) sense of humor.

*Who has certainly gained my interest. I have 2 more of his books on hold!

Tomo: I Was an Eighth-Grade Ninja

Okay, so the title got me…and then the cover, because our eighth-grade ninja is 13-year-old Hana. Yeah! Hana’s mother “was killed in an accident” and she is sent from Japan to San Francisco to live with a grandfather she’s never met. As she adjusts to American life (and the trials of pre-teen girl friendshipdom), the place she feels most at home is in her grandfather’s dojo practicing her karate*.

A second story weaves into Hana’s contemporary one. This story involves beasts who are searching for an ancient sword. They find a portal that links to Hana’s San Francisco and follow it through. Turns out Grandpa has a few secrets and Hana’s double life as a ninja begins.

This is an all ages, manga-styled comic. It will appeal to mid-elementary aged kids who don’t mind a saccharine-sweet story mixed in with some fantasy and martial arts. I was really confused at first when Hana went to church and a pastor seemed to be an important character. Turns out, this GN is produced by a Christian company. So far the religion is very low-key and could even pass over the heads of kids. The theme in volume 1 is making good choices and being a good friend. Amen to that.

*Honestly, these days I cannot think of karate w/o thinking of SpongeBob and Sandy.

Pink Slip by Rita Ciresi

My reading funk is subsiding. Part of it is the sheer necessity of having to catch up on reading for TLA, and the other part is re-reading books I love to remind me that I do like to read. So kind of out of the blue, I’m going to write about an author I love, who is *gasp!* not a YA author.

Years ago my girlfriend Sara gave me a copy of Pink Slip after the author gave a reading at the Borders store she managed. Sara is also an Italian Goddess-in-Waiting so it was a great book for her to share with me. The story is set in the 80’s, which automatically equals funny in my book. Lisa, our 25 year old heroine, quits her publishing job in NYC and moves to a picturesque suburban town where she is rather out of her element as a loud mouth, bullshit detecting, city girl. Not to mention one of the few people around who has a non-waspy name. (And one of the several points where I go, “Uh huh. Tell me about it.”) Lisa plans to use her job as an editor at a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company as fodder for her Great American Novel on Corporate America. Falling for her boss - not part of the plan. I love this book. LOVE THIS BOOK. There’s a sequel, which I’m rereading now as well. I don’t find it as sharp as Pink Slip, but it is completely satisfying in that “what happens next” kind of way.