Kill All Enemies, Melvin Burgess
“This tells the story of three teens with troubled backgrounds, one the daughter of an alcoholic, one who has an abusive stepdad, and one who is at odds with his middle-class upbringing. Here’s a review from the Guardian.” (teen blog!)
It’s a bit dark and gloomy but has really excellent inner monologues and the story is told very well from a variety of kids’ perspectives.
~ Nancy
I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan
“Seventeen-year-old Sam’s and 10-year-old Riddle’s lives have never been normal. Because of their abusive father’s bad habit – stealing – they are always on the run. Sam stumbles into church wearing his cleanest dirty clothes on the day that Emily Bell sings ‘I’ll Be There’ by the Jackson Five. He can’t help but feel that she is singing directly to him, and the two make a connection that later will change both of their lives. Because of many coincidences, the two eventually meet again and the relationship blossoms, but not without some hindrances. Sam’s father commits a series of crimes, and he forces the boys to hit the road with him again. The brothers end up escaping their father’s grip and get separated, and readers will flip pages frantically to find out if they are reunited with one another and with Emily’s family. Sloan illustrates how we are all connected in big and small, positive and negative ways. Any reader who has ever questioned whether even the smallest gesture of kindness can make a difference will appreciate this book.” (School Library Journal)
Also excellent:
Island’s end by Padma Venkatraman
In the sea there are crocodiles by Fabio Goda
Annexed by Sharon Dogar
This is a fictionised account of Anne Frank’s diary told from the perspective of 16 year old Peter Van Pels, whose family shares a home in hiding with the Franks. Peter struggles endlessly through the loss of his sweetheart, friends and his freedom until finally finding an unlikely soulmate and potential girlfriend in Anne Frank, a happy ending that you hope is possible but is never to be. In reading this story, you learn of Peter and Anne’s hopes and dreams they have for the future and grieve for the possibilties they and all other Jews were robbed of. Have tissues on hand when reading.
~ Katie
Also really good:
Daughter of smoke & bone by Laini Taylor
This is a fantastic story about the eternal fight between seraphim and chimaera and the hope of change. Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorway, scorched there by winged strangers. In a dark and dusty shop in Prague, a sorcerer’s supply of teeth grows dangerously low and he sends his messenger through one of the marked doors to the other side of the world to collect more. There Karou meets and fights with a beautiful winged seraph before returning with the teeth she was sent to collect. Although she manages to escape, she cannot stop thinking about the angel and neither can he forget her! Karou = hope.
~ Raewyn
2011 is nearly over, so we thought we’d ask some library staff what their favourite books of the year were. Here are the first reviews of an interesting, ecclectic bunch!
Naked, Kevin Brooks
London 1976, during the height of IRA bombings and the emergence of the punk scene, teenagers Lili and Curtis are living their dream by playing in their punk band called ‘Naked’.
William Bonney, a Belfast boy joins the band as guitarist and Lili is immediately drawn to him. She finds herself caught up in his Irish past which inevitably follows him to London. This is a characteristically gripping novel from Kevin Brooks.
Out of Shadows, Jason Wallace
This is the story of Robert Jacklin a thirteen year old boy who arrives from England to Zimbabwe at the end of the civil war – Robert Mugabe has just taken over as president. Robert is sent to a very traditional boy’s boarding school where bullying is rife and he quickly learns that instead of remaining friends with one of the school’s few black students it is in his interests to be loyal to the white elite. Over his five years at the school he turns into a thug’s accessory and chooses to ignore his own morals.
The story turns into a fast paced thriller as Robert’s mentor becomes more and more focused on achieving what he think is right.
Author, Jason Wallace grew up in post revolutionary Zimbabwe so the portrayal of the boarding school and political climate is very real. While in many ways it left me feeling shocked it was a very powerful novel.
~ Julie
We like getting reviews: if you’re interested in telling us what you think of something you’ve read, or listened to, or watched, here’s what to do. Here’s a collection of readers’ thoughts over the last wee while:
Down the Rabbit Hole, by Peter Abrahams
Down the Rabbit Hole is the tale of 13-year-old Ingrid Levin-Hill, an ordinary girl with a love of soccer, acting and Sherlock Holmes. She lives in desolate Echo Falls, where mystery is never far away. Ingrid begins investigating the death of a resident in Echo Falls, while trying to land the lead role in a local production of Alice and Wonderland. One thing leads to another, as Ingrid finds herself caught in a web of lies and secrets. She finds life in Echo Falls to become curiouser and curiouser; will she ever escape?
~ Review by E S
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
This book is amazing … It is a sad story but I think it’s great for all readers. I’m 12 and the books do look big but you read them so fast. It’s got some bits that made me cry and other that stopped my heart from beating I loved this book and you will too.
~ Anonymous!
The first book of the awesome Hunger Games triology, Katniss Everdeen steps up for her sister to the cold-hearted, merciless Hunger Games. It is truly a game of kill or be killed. Allies will be made, broken hearts, and a killer awaits… one who none can overthrow, in its own game of cat and mouse.
~ Review by Cameron
Derek Landy’s next Skulduggery Pleasant book Death Bringer!
It’s wonderful. But I’m not going to say too much in case you are still in the reserve queue for it. And I can see two copies on the Karori reserve shelf from where I’m standing right now, so a couple of people here will be picking up copies very soon…
My favorite part (okay, there are a few, but this is the one that I’m thinking of right now that I can write down without giving too much away) is when Skulduggery calls Caelan (that vampire that’s following Valkyrie around if you’ve forgotten the name) a “self-pitying Paranormal Romance reject” Oh yeah, guess what book that’s referring to!
There’s a lot going on with everyone, and their evil alter-egos so I didn’t realise until the end that I think a few of the main characters (Tanith for example) were missing in action. So I don’t know what they’ve been up to – I guess we’ll find out next year…
For anyone who hasn’t read Skulduggery Pleasant yet please start here ASAP.
There is also a semi-short story coming that takes place a couple of months after Death Bringer called “The End Of The World” which will be available next year. About 90 pages long, so longer than the other Skulduggery short stories. So much good. Derek Landy’s blog is here.
Manstealing for Fat Girls, Michelle Embree
A great book for older teens, characters are not your usual beautiful mall rats but interesting people with quirks, family issues and are just trying to get their rubbish together.
~ Andrée
(Set in St Louis (in the US) in the 1980s; the goodreads.com description says this is an “off-kilter” novel, which we like.)
This is also favourably reviewed by Lucy Longstockings!
Based in the 1980’s and published in 2006, Manstealing for Fat Girls came to our library this year and the odd title and pretty cover intrigued me. Warning though: this book is RAW. This messed up account of Angie aka ‘Lezzylard’ is not your typical tale of high school romance with football jackets and promise rings. Angie’s crowd are the outcasts, the dealers, the kids who wag school and get wasted on whatever. I highly recommend this, and, although the setting might be different and the music and the slang are way 80’s, the angst of being a teenager, frustrated and bored, is timeless.
~ Lucy
Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel
Slightly epic fantasy ghost comic with nicely gruesome humour and characters you like – to be released as a film soon…
~ Monty
Geektastic : stories from the Nerd Herd
What happens when a Klingon wakes up in the morning next to a Jedi!? I mean they are the enemy – Star Trek versus Star Wars! “Once you’re a Jedi, you’re a Jedi all the way” is the first short story scenario in this anthology of funny stories of geeks.
~ Raewyn
The Piper’s Son, Melina Marchetta
<3
I recommended this book to (I think) absolutely everyone I know. Sorry to the people I nagged (except my sister, who I shall continue nagging until she reads it), but it is a wonderful book and I now recommend it virtually, again.
It’s about Tom (who you might know about if you’ve read Saving Francesca), and his aunt Georgie, and how important family can be, and how devastating it is when your incredibly tight-knit family cracks under pressure, and how not forgiving people can tie you up in knots, as well as the person you’re steadfastly not forgiving. It’s also got some very funny moments (in case that all sounds a bit hard).
Read it!
~ Grimm
Two trilogy-completing dystopian epics from Pippa – an interesting combo.
I can’t decide between Mockingjay (last in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins) and Monsters of Men (last in the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness). Both are very exciting, action
packed books (and very violent, so maybe not suitable for under teenage years) that deal with issues of power and corruption in very different societies from our own (futuristic settings, but not sci fi really). Both have strong female and male teen characters who have to make terrifying decisions in order to survive. Fantastic!
~ Pippa
We’ve asked library staff for some reviews, here’s one of a great book written by New Zealand author Sherryl Jordan.
This year, I really enjoyed The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan. It’s the tale of Marnie, married at 16 to a wealthy landowner and beginning a new life in the seaside town of Torcurra. Set in Medieval Europe, it richly invokes the living conditions and atmosphere of the times. Jordan writes in a beautiful style, and all of her books are hard to put down. Highly recommended!
~ Rowan
City of Bones, Cassandra Clare
The Mortal Instruments series is a very good series and not to long as many series are. Yes it does have some lovey dovey things in it, and let me tell you I don’t really go for this sort of thing but the tension that’s wrapped into this book will wake you up. Clary and Jace (the main characters) are very likely characters and the story line is amazing. At the start it seems like a normal teenage life when suddenly you are hurled into a world you’ve never known before, never even contemplated! A very good series. 5 stars
~ Miria of Wadestown
Thanks to everyone that voted for their favourite albums of 2009, this is what we ended up with:
5. Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
4. Paramore – Brand New Eyes
Basically wonderful. Took me awhile to get into. But the musical talent has improved and they are now more then just a catchy CD. (Although it is VERY catchy) Hayley’s voice as intense as ever. The addition of Taylor was awesome with better guitar and drum beats. Looking forward to the concert.
– Jess
3. Rihanna – Rated R
1. Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster
It was a very close run thing between the Glee kids and Lady Gaga, but in the end The Fame Monster came out on top. Go to our bebo page to hear tracks from the top five. Thanks again to the voters, in particular Jess for her review, and congratulations to Lady Gaga for topping a list as prestigious as this one. See you next year!
Star Trek: the movie
Having grown up with the original series on TV but not really a Trekkie, I wondered if I would like this new movie. The answer is a resounding Yes! It is great. Lots of action, romance, aliens and the never to be forgotten 3rd man on the mission who never comes back (what was his name again?).
~ Raewyn
The Reformed Vampire Support Group, by Catherine Jinks
“Zadia Bloodstone stood over her victim. Tall, lithe, beautiful and ready to kill! A magnificent vampire, fighting evil in the world. And my creation, my alter ego if you will. Hi, my name is Nina and I am nothing like the Zadia I write about in my books, except that I too am a vampire. A sick looking, skinny being, who got infected back in 1973 after drinking too much at a party and wandering off on my own to puke, only to be found by Casimir, an ancient European vampire. I still live with my mum and the only time I get to go out is every Tuesday night when Father Ramon picks me up and takes me to a meeting of the Reformed Vampire Support Group. We live on guinea pig blood, take supplements and totally zonk out between dawn and dusk every day – not the glamorous life you thought huh! But one of our group is missing, so maybe I will have to use some of my Zadia-side afterall, find the answer and save the rest of us from foul play!” If you like vampires, badies and werewolves this is a fun read with a twist.
~ Raewyn
Ghost Medicine, by Andrew Smith
The first sentence of Ghost Medicine reads I can see myself lying in the dirt, on my back, on a warm, starry night, with my feet up on those rocks, ringing a swirling and noisy fire, listening, laughing, seeing the sparks that corkscrew, spinning above me into the black like dying stars, fading, disappearing, becoming something else; my hat back on my head so I can just see my friends from the corners of my eyes, which says a lot about the book (so I don’t have to, but might anyway).
This is quite different from a lot of other Young Adult literature: the writing is intense, poetic, slooow, at times brutal, and nearly always completely excellent. The story is simple; an idyllic summer (hard work on the farm, horse riding, nights outside by the fire, good friends, rather a lot of tobacco chewing) turns tumultuous and dangerous after a series of encounters with the local bully boy (who is unfortunately also the sherif’s son). The characters are a well drawn, the detail is great (especially the horsey stuff), and their predicaments are believable. Read this book if you like things slow and chilled out, but don’t if you don’t.
I also liked:
Front and Center, Catherine Gilbert Murdock & Perfect Fifths, Megan McCafferty – because they were DJ and Jessica Darling’s last hurrahs.
Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater – because it was so darn sweet.
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins – because it was much better than I thought it was going to be, and I really want to read the last in the series now.
Fragile Eternity, Melissa Marr – although I actually thought Ink Exchange was better (but that was last year). You can read the prologue for Radiant Shadows (another bad title!) here.
Solace of the Road, Siobhan Dowd – a classic road trip story, where Holly/Solace starts out in search of one thing and finds something else entirely better. I think this is the last of Siobhan Dowd’s books to be published, which is sad.
What They Always Tell Us, Martin Wilson – a well-written, down-beat story of two brothers working through very different stuff.
Fire, Kristin Cashore – this was good, although I didn’t think it deserved its rave reviews. Nice to see Leck a bit more (the prologue is creepy!), but I thought that someone who could control people’s minds should have been a bit more dangerous.
The Bride’s Farewell, Meg Rosoff – because while it’s no How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff is still a brilliant writer of stories about girls who know how to look after themselves in harsh circumstances.
And that makes 10, so that’s like my Top 10 Books of 2009.
~ Grimm
From Somalia With Love by Na’ima B Roberts.
This is a lovely story about a young Somalian refugee girl who lives in East London with her Mum and brothers and extended family. It is about her adapting to the Western lifestyle and trying to keep her Muslim identity. Things change for them all when her father is found and is coming to London to be with them. There is conflict between the two cultures. It is a story about being a teenager with two different cultures and trying to find out who you are. It is also about growing up. A good story for the cultural story part of NCEA writing logs.
~ Brigid
Stephanie, being busy buying books (lucky for some!), has offered up these two thought-provoking titles as her favourites of the year (plot summaries included from the catalogue):
Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson
Eighteen-year-old Lia comes to terms with her best friend’s death from anorexia as she struggles with the same disorder.
Hate List, by Jennifer Brown
Sixteen-year-old Valerie, whose boyfriend Nick committed a school shooting at the end of their junior year, struggles to cope with integrating herself back into high school life, unsure herself whether she was a hero or a villain.
It’s nearly the end of the year and in the blogosphere that can only mean it’s nearly time for year end lists, favourite books, movies, Kanye West outbursts, pretty much everything will be ordered from one to ten.
I’ll be counting down the top ten YA CDs of the year in a week or two and I’d love to have some contributions from you all. Send in a review of your album of the year, or even just a list of your favourites, results will be tabulated and a list produced. When the post goes up the best reviews will be included so you can print it out, stick it on the fridge and say “Me, I’m famous. I contributed to a stupidly pseudonymed blogger’s slightly meaningless year end list. What did you do this year, huh?” and all your friends will say “Damn ______ is totes for the win and they also have really awesome taste in music.” So get to it!
The cut off date for submissions will be Monday the 28th of December at midnight.
