If You're Looking For . . .

Okay, I admit it. I've fallen behind, terribly behind, in updating. With the start of high school, particularly The Commonwealth Governor's, a half-day magnet school, the last two weeks have been rather hectic for me. I've decided to include multiple review/recommendations (Informal reviews. There are ellipses aplenty. Many parentheses are present. This is example A, for those out there keeping track.) in one post, in hopes that you will (pretty please) forgive me for my tardiness!

If you're looking for a scary story that also incorporates hippies, private schools, and those terrible all-of-a-sudden, why-are-you-doing-this-mrs-author-lady-you-must-finish-the-book-with-a-happy-ending endings . . . read Bliss by Lauren Myracle. Once a hippie, Bliss Inthemorningdew (Yes, that's her name. Yes, it screams "World Peace!" and "Alternative Fuels!") has recently moved in with her grandmother, who is strictly against all things hippie. Bliss is living with her grandmother because her parents have moved up north to Canada in attempt to enter total hippie-dom, or something of that nature. Bliss must attend a rather prestigious school because her grandmother is heck-bent on "restoring Bliss's virtues and ways of living". However, trouble seeps in when Bliss hears voices on the first day of school . . . voices that she can only she can hear. Voices of a dead girl. Complete with mean girls, blood rituals, toilet floats, and quotes from The Andy Griffith Show, Bliss is a story to replenish your fear factor.

If you're looking for a book about human-animal relationships that also defines brotherhood, humane treatment of animals, and doing what is best even when it's hard . . . read Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel. Taking place in 1973 before many animal protection rights were established, Half Brother is about Ben Tomlin who was an only child . . . until his parents brought home a chimp. Zan, an ultra-wild, uber- friendly chimpanzee is brought into the Tomlin household as an experiment. Ben's father, a behavioral scientist, has been granted money to run a research project to determine whether chimps are capable of language and hand communication. Ben, at once first reluctant, eventually becomes a friend, a teacher, and, most importantly, an older brother to Zan. However, when questions of if Zan is actually learning to communicate or is just memorizing the hand gestures arise, Ben must question Zan's role in the family. A heart-wrenching, coming-of-age story, Half Brother shines light on the natural bond between brothers.
 

If you're looking for a book about popularity, media, misbehaving celebs, and our technology obsessed world . . . read Famous by Todd Strasser. Only fourteen-years-old, Jamie Gordon is already part of the paparazzi, receiving loads of attention on gossip and fangirl sites. When she's invited to spend a week with pop sensation Willow Twine, Jaime knows this is an opportunity that will either make or break her career. But when some scandalous photos of Willow make their way on to Jamie's camera, photos that she didn't even take, Jaime holds the pop star's future in the palm of her hand. Everyone wants to get their grubby, greedy paws on the provocative shots, but there's only one person who can hold the title of the photographer. A suspenseful look into the difference between photography and stalking and living your life with a camera as opposed to living your life looking through a camera, Famous supplies original characters in an original setting.

If you're looking for a book about teen characters who act just like teen characters and have real problems that real teens are often faced with and also create for really, really, really (really) FANTASTIC stories that consist of spectacular prose . . . read anything by John Green (specifically Looking for Alaska, but all his books are stellar) and anything by Laurie Halse Anderson (specifically Wintergirls and Speak, but, much like with Green, all her books are MEANT TO BE READ). Excellent story-telling, wonderfully-drawn characters, and meaningful messages are what make these books award-winning, accolade-garnished, waterproof up to fifty meters, shock resistant masterpieces of literature. OK, I was kidding about the sportswatch-esque (?) details, but what can I say? I really like this particular set of novels.

And, lastly,

If you're looking for two of the absolute best books ever published . . . read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King. I've already written a review for The Book Thief, so you can read that for details on a historical novel that takes place during the Holocaust and is narrated by Death (However, it's a super old review, so don't make fun of any spelling or grammatical or lifestyle errors. Please). As for Ms. Vera, she has been the best book I have read so far this year, and I expect her to stay at that number one position too, so I would like to publish my review of her on the first day of the new year. (Or maybe the last day of 2011, since it's going to be numero uno this year, not next.) However, I will tell you that it is an AMAZING book about pizza deliveries, flow charts (the good kind), and losing a friend who was kindasortamaybe an enemy/love towards the end. (For the record, I never use gigantic font sizes, so you have to infer that is book is very good. And when I say "good", I mean "one of the best books ever written".)  It, along with The Book Thief, also won the Printz Honor, making them two of the best books in young adult literature.
 
So there you have it! Read, read, read! It's the beginning of the school year and you are now well-equipped with a list of books to take you through the first semester. I hope that I will be updating regularly this month, but I cannot make any promises. Just hang with me, internet community!

Till next time,
Jacob Hopkins
 
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