Friday, December 28, 2012

Salvage the Bones

WARNING dog lovers! Set in an impoverished Mississippi bayou where dogs bred to fight are better fed than children, Salvage the Bones portrays 1 family & their Pit Bulls up until, then during Katrina.  I don't do spoilers, but suffice it to say several plot lines are delicately woven into this gripping, poignant, & very real story. Stick with it through the grit, & you may be stunned at the poetic writing & mesmerizing events.  I was drawn into a world I know nothing about & came away stunned. 2011 National Book Award winner.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught

  Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught explores the world of, as our main character Jason (aka. Freak) puts it, alphabets.  Jason is SCZI - schizophrenic, his best buddy Drip is ADHD, and Sunshine, Jason's favorite person in the world is SM - selectively mute.  When Sunshine mysteriously vanishes one day after school, Jason must fight through the voices in his head, try to separate which memories are true and which are a product of his mind, and convince the adults that what he says shouldn't be discounted just because of his alphabet.
  Vaught writes with a clarity that seamlessly connects the voices in Jason's head and everything that is going on outside of Jason.  She highlights the difficulties faced by kids like Jason.  Bullying from other students, suspicion from adults, and some level of fear from loved ones.  While parts of this book were difficult to read, I'm glad I got a look inside the mind of someone like Jason.  I feel like I have been enlightened.  Freaks Like Us was an entertaining read - and so very much more.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Sons of the 613 by Michael Rubens

  I intially chose this book because I find that I have limited choices in young adult literature that showcases a teen boy perspective.  I wanted to make sure that there were books like this in the library in case a guy ever decided to check something out, and I decided to read it because I was curious about what I would find.  I got an unexpected surprise.  Michael Rubens is a fluent author and was, for a long while, a producer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
  Sons of the 613 is about Issac as he begins his journey to manhood, literally.  At the beginning of the book Issac is prepping for his Bar Mitzvah.  Later, his parents drop a bomb on him - they're leaving him at home alone for two weeks with his older brother Josh.  Issac freaks.  He and Josh aren't tight.  Josh is a mystery, an angry mystery at that, but as Issac tells us, he's also a "Super Jew".  So, at least Issac will get the help he needs with his studies before his big day, but Josh has other plans on how to turn Issac into a man.  And so the journey begins.
  Sons of the 613 is clever and entertaining.  Even though I started reading this book as part of my job I was quickly pleased that I did.  By the end I was in tears, but hey, most teenaged boys probably wouldn't have that same reaction (and if they did, they'd never admit it).  Highly recommended read, but I should note that there is quite a bit of offensive language.