Jungle Rumble

O’Neill, Heather.  Lullabies for Little Criminals.  New York, HaperCollins, 2006.

Warning:Heather O’Neill’s novel is not for the faint of heart! This is a raw and grimy account of a girl, ironically named Baby, who grows up motherless with an uneducated, immature addict father, and an uncanny ability to survive even the most desperate of circumstances. Set in Montreal’s red-light district, readers delve into the underbelly of both a city and its culture through the eyes of twelve-year old Baby. 

O’Neill’s writing is beautifully sad and heartbreakingly honest making Baby’s character wiser, but not jaded beyond her  years.  One of my favorite descriptive passages:

 “My breath in the cold air was bleach that accidentally spilled on a black t-shirt”. 

Baby and her equally neglected and abused friends long for adulthood, anything must be better than this is their attitude. They look up to the only adult “role models” they have; lifelong druggies and sucessful thieves. Baby says,

“I don’t know why I was upset about not being an adult. It was right around the corner. Becoming a child again is what is impossible. That’s what you have a legitimate reason to be upset over.”

Ultimately, Baby’s story is compelling, and that’s what kept me reading, despite her miserable circumstances. Her appreciation for little kindnesses and glimpses into “normalcy” provide an insight into a world that few authors are able to describe without sounding like a Lifetime movie.  But maybe that is because O’Neill based the book on her own childhood.

Other inspirational (and tragic) coming of age books:

Walls, Jannette.  The Glass Castle.  New York, Scribner, 2005.

Walls’ childhood was filled will heartbreak, despair, poverty and chaos.  She was raised with her brother and sister by a loving, alcoholic dreamer father and neglectful, mentally unstable mother.  The family often moved from one state to another and from  pitiful house to slum apartment. 

For me two scenes from the book standout.  In the first, Walls burns herself at the age of three while attempting to make herself dinner.  When reading the passage you can feel the spunk and sadness of her three year old self.  

The other scene was heartbreaking because I could imagine how horrible it would have been for myself to experience.  Walls, now an adult living in NYC, sees a homeless woman sifting through trash looking for food or other valuables.  The woman she realizes is her mother. 

All in all, Walls was able to rise above the chaos of her childhood to become a journalist and writer who has a very low-key, happy home life.

Pelzer, David.  A Child Called “It”.  Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, 1995.

This book is an account of one of California’s worst child abuse cases in that state’s history.  Pelzer was raised (and I use the term very loosely) by an alcoholic, mentally disturbed mother.  Pelzer wasn’t loved.  He was clothed in rags, forced to eat scraps the dog did not and endured unspeakable brutality.  The fact he survived his childhood, found love with a foster family and lives a “normal” life is nothing short of a miracle.

After A Child Called It, Pelzer went on to write about his foster family in Lost Boy and becoming an adult in A Man Named Dave.  These books continue his inspirational journey.

Choose a novel from the FICTION section in the HHS Library Media Center. Read it in its entirety and then write a BOOK BLURB which includes your name, the book’s title, author, and date of publication at the top of your post, and a thorough, analytical review. Don’t spoil the ending for future readers, but do share specific elements of plot, character, setting, and theme in your discussion. This is not simply a thumbs up or down, it is your opportunity to share what you especially appreciated (or not) about your novel.

Next, read the book blurbs of others and post at least one response. Keep track of your own posting and be sure to respond to those who comment.

To post your book blurb or to comment on another’s post, simply click the COMMENTS link at the top of a post, write the book blurb, fill out the few must-have fields like your name and email and click SUBMIT COMMENT to publish.

This assignment is due no later than Wed., April 30th!

Cohn, Rachel and David Levithan. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, Tris, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. Norah answers him by putting her hand behind his neck and pulling him down for a kiss.

And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure (aka first date) taking in some of the sights and sounds of Manhattan. From burlesque shows to queercore punk shows to all-night borscht eateries to the Marriot Marquis ice machine room, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is a wild and sweet roller coaster ride of falling in love. The constant references to music, movies and pop culture add a kick to the dialouge between the characters. Think High Fidelty for the high school crowd.

Bonus Track: Nick and Norah’s Inifinte Playlist is in movie production now. Michael Cera (of Superbad fame) plays Nick and Kate Dennings plays Norah. It is scheduled for release in Fall 2008.

Doyle, Larry. I Love You, Beth Cooper. New York, NY: Ecco, 2007.

Denis Cooverman didn’t want to give a typical graduation speech, cherishing memories and embracing challenges and crap. So, instead, he stood up in front of his 512 class-mates and their 3,000 relatives and said some-thing really important:

“I love you, Beth Cooper.”

It would have been such a sweet, romantic moment. Except that:

Beth, the head cheerleader, has only the vaguest idea who Denis is. Having an even vaguer idea are Beth’s side-kicks, Cammy (the pretty girl who pretends to be dumb) and Treece (the full-figured, gangsta girl wannabe).

And Denis, the captain of the debate team, is so far out of her league he is barely even the same species. Egging Denis on is his only friend, Rich, who endlessly quotes lines from movies even going as far as to cite the movie title, director’s name and year.

And then there’s Kevin, Beth’s remarkably large boyfriend, in town on furlough from the United States Army and his posse who could double as robots with muscle.

Complications ensue.

Denis comes of age overnight in this zany comedy about high school and that one person you always thought would be perfect for you…if you just could spend an evening with her.

In the same vein are:
King Dork by Frank Portman

In Portman’s dazzling debut novel, frustrated song-writer and high school student Tom Henderson finds his dead father’s copy of The Catcher in the Rye, and his life changes forever. Part social satire, part mystery, with a healthy dose of rock music (and angst), King Dork is must-read for anyone who didn’t quite fit in or has dreams of rock n’ roll stardom.

And my personal favorite:
How I Paid for College: Sex, Theft, Friendship and Musical Theater by Marc Acito

All kinds of interesting scenarios arise when Ed Zanni, a high-school drama club star from suburban New Jersey, is denied tuition to Julliard by his well-to-do father and wicked step mother. Fortunately his close friends, Paula (ample of body, unlucky in love), Kelly (Ed’s cheerleader girlfriend), Doug (his football player love interest), Natie (a nerd with a gift for white-collar crime) and Ziba, (a regal, Middle Eastern beauty), are very willing to engage in fraud, forgery, and blackmail to help him pay for drama school. Ah, high school.

Hopkins, Ellen. Impulse. New York, NY: Maragret K. McElderry Books, 2007.

Vizzini, Ned. It’s Kind of a Funny Story. New York, NY: Miramax Books, 2006.

The holiday season is supposed to be fun, warm and joyful. SO leave it to me to pick up two melancholy books. Both had come on recommendations from students that they were “the best” books. The first one I read was Hopkins’ Impulse, a story of three teens whose lives have intertwined after meeting in a mental hospital for those who attempt suicide. Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade. Tony, after suffering a painful childhood, can only find peace through pills. And Conner, outwardly, has the perfect life. But dig a little deeper and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life, himself. I love Hopkins’s poem-like writing (as mentioned in the Burned review below). She so effortlessly presents each characters traumas, successes, loves and spirit. Having rooted for Vanessa, Tony and Connor to all have happy endings, I was saddened by the tragic ending…and you will be too.

The pressures of being a teen catches up to Craig Gilner in Vizzini’s first novel, It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Craig succumbs to academic and social pressures at an elite high school and enters a psychiatric hospital after attempting suicide. The New York Times called this book “insightful and utterly authentic…an important book”. I wholeheartedly agree. A great companion to Catcher in the Rye (Craig could be a modern day Holden and an excellent example of how our society’s handling of depression has changed) or One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (the author wrote this book days after spending time in a mental hospital and the characters are vivid, real and kooky). Unlike Impulse’s ending, It’s Kind of a Funny Story leaves you confident that Craig will find his way in life.

Over the decades many books have been made into movies or TV shows. Some are good, some are just plain horrible and some are completely different than the book. The Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar have always been fun and decadent guilty pleasures. The new CW TV show is no different. I tried hard to stay away; loving Blair and Serena on the written page and boycotting the network that cancelled my beloved Gilmore Girls, but alas Wednesday rolls around and the television finds its way to channel 11.

The television doesn’t differ too much from the books which is a good thing. It brings to life a lifestyle very few ever experience. The characters are true to the book and close to how I imagined them in my mind. So if you are a fan of the show, you get can a jump start on the story lines and read the books. And if you are a fan of the books, you can lose yourself every Wednesday night into the lives of Serena and Blair as they navigate love, betrayal and high school on the Upper East Side.

If I Did it: Confessions of the Killer. Bueaford Books, 2007.

When I first heard about this book last year, I immediately wanted to read it. I can remember the day the verdict was announced. I was in college and working as a bank teller. When the news reported that the verdict was in and would be announced, we dragged a small black and white TV behind the teller line to watch as we waited on customers. The bank was dead from 15-min before the verdict till 15-min after the verdict was read. It was like the whole world stopped to listen.

If I Did It starts out with a foreword by the Goldman family justifying their decision to publish it and the long road to getting the rights. Then, there is a note from the ghost writer, Pablo F. Fenjves, on why he accepted the assignment and his opinion of O.J.’s guilt. Finally, you get to O.J.’s words. Approximately the first 100 pages is dedicated to describing O.J. and Nicole’s first date, marriage, and home life BEFORE you get to “the chapter”. His description of the murders and the events afterward are devoid of emotion or as Barbara Walter’s said “chilling”. The original police transcript of his interrogation after the murders is bizarre and full of inconsistencies. No wonder he was the only suspect.

Never have I thought he didn’t commit the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Reading If I Did It only solidified my belief in his guilt. You will have to read it to decide for yourself.

I’m pleased that the Goldman Family benefits from the sales and O.J. won’t see a dime. Hopefully, this book puts them at peace.

Hosseini, Khaled. Kite Runner. New York, Riverside, 2003.

Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. New York, Riverside, 2003.

Rarely do you read novels that transport you to another time, another world and complete envelope you into its pages. Hosseini’s writing has that ability.

I will admit that I had been avoiding reading Kite Runner for years. Everyone raved about the book, but I was hesitant. Too often people sing the praises of a book and I read it expecting great things, but am quickly disappointed. So when the novel should up on the school’s summer reading list, I knew my evasion had come to an end. Some had warned me that the story was slow to take off, but I found the opposite to be true. From the first lines, I was drawn in.

The story unfolds from Amir’s point of view and is of his childhood in Afghanistan. As an adult, he is haunted by his betrayal of Hassan, the son of his father’s servant and a childhood friend. Amir returns to Kabul as an adult after he learns Hassan has been killed, in an attempt to redeem himself by rescuing Hassan’s son. Long after finishing the book, I find myself thinking of it. As Amir was haunted by his sin, I am haunted by his story.

Hosseini’s follow-up to the Kite Runner is A Thousand Splendid Suns. It is easy to describe it as the female version of Kite Runner. To do so is unfair, since to stands alone and on its own merit. The two women, Miriam and Lalia, are of two different generations thrown together by cruel fate and crushing tragedy. Being the first and second wives of a shoemaker, they forge a friendship that withers the storm of their marriage. Set against the backdrop of war torn Afghanistan, this story highlights the war that rages within us and the little victories that make life worth living.

After reading the last page, I had this sudden urge to scoop up my daughter and hug her. I felt so blessed to live when and where I do. We often take for granted how easy our lives are compared to other women (and men) around the globe.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
. New York, Scholastic, 2007.

Finally, after two years of waiting, much speculation and frenzy anticipation, the seventh and final Harry Potter book was released on July 21. I like so many others could not wait for the book release and was one of those rabid fans at Borders Books at midnight. Borders handling of the midnight crowd was extremely disappointing (I ended up getting my book at a 24-hour ShopRite), but J.K. Rowling did not.

Without giving away too much plot, the book has many revelations relating to characters’ pasts especially Dumbledore and finally puts to rest the Snape Friend or Foe controversy. Sometimes the plot was a little to convenient as odds and ends were wrapped up too neatly, but most people want resolution and that is what Rowling delivers.

I will admit that I read the final pages first. I know, I know, I am one of “those” people. The epilouge seems to be equally divided between those who love it and those who think it unnecessary. I LOVED it, but I am afraid that it leaves open the possibility for a Hogwarts: The Next Generation series. Only time will tell.

Picoult, Jodi.  Nineteen Minutes.  Atria Books, 2007.

Once again Picoult has her finger on the pulse of America and writes a “could have been ripped from the headlines” novel. Nineteen Minutes, like most of Picoult’s writing, is set in a small town in New Hampshire ironically (not sure if irony was intended) named Sterling. It is the story of 17-year-old high student Peter Houghton who has endured years of bullying and harassment at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the abuse. On March 6, 2007, Peter is sent over the edge after a particularly embarrassing incident of bullying that leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling’s residents.

In true Picoult style, the story’s narrative is from the major characters point of views. The reader always ends up feeling like they have gotten the whole picture having seen it from many angles. Overall, it is a chilling and heartbreaking tale of one boy’s revenge. For those who loved Picoult’s The Pact, you won’t be let down.