Ninth Ward: A Poignant Scene of Survival

Lanesha, a twelve-year-old, lives in New Orleans’s Ninth Ward. She’s lived with Mama Ya-Ya, the midwife that helped deliver her, her entire life. Inquisitive and quiet, Lanesha always does her best at school, and teaches herself extra information from her encyclopedia set.  Teased at school for her freaky eyes, Lanesha makes relationships not with people, but, rather, ghosts. Born with the ability to see beyond what is present, Lanesha frequently runs into ghosts, including her mother who died minutes after her birth.

Mama Ya-Ya is Lanesha’s ultimate role model. She acts as Lanesha’s mother, grandmother, teacher, and friend. Kind and thoughtful, Mama Ya-Ya teaches Lanesha the unseen ways of the world. Claiming that everything is a symbol for something and that there is more to our world than most people see, Mama Ya-Ya encourages Lanesha to respect and take pride in life.

One day, an aging Mama Ya-Ya receives an uncertain dream after a restless night’s sleep. Often feeling premonitions about the future, Mama Ya-Ya sees something, something hazy and unpredictable that she can’t describe, looming in the future. With news that a hurricane is on the way, Lanesha stocks up on food and boards down windows and doors.

The storm, Katrina, arrives. Taking shelter in the bathtub, Lanesha and Mama Ya-Ya survive the terrible storm with their house still standing. But, as Lanesha soon realizes, the pounding rain, howling winds, and blazing lightning were only the beginning of a life-destroying storm. With the accompaniment of neighborhood friend Tashon, Lanesha must fight off the high flood levels that are consuming her house. Moving to the house’s attic, Lanesha horrifyingly realizes that the water will not stop rising. Taking action into her own hands, Lanesha must make a series of rash, terrifying decisions that no child, and even no adult, should ever have to make.

A story of life, death, loss, hope, and, most importantly, rebirth, Ninth Ward, by Jewell Parker Rhodes, is a moving tale of one girl’s survival during a time of so much hurt. Complete with rich characters, witty southern traditions, and friendship, Ninth Ward offers an outlet of hope for change, resilience, strength, and love.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars 

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STRONG Characters

STRONG, in all caps, characters are leaders that can be viewed as role models and influential people in literature. STRONG characters seek excellence, but not at the expense of others. They strive to be the best they can be, but understand their limitations. They display their generosity and teach others, but also realize when it’s their turn to follow instead of lead. They face their obstacles and succeed, or at least try, to defeat their fears and demons. STRONG characters are often liked, main characters in novels. However, any book character, much like any person, can be STRONG. Listed below are three STRONG female and male characters and what traits, skills, and values they possess.

Three STRONG Female Characters

• Evie, from Paranormalcy: Determined, thoughtful, and witty, Evie always does her job, containing paranormal creatures, in a timely manner. Assertive, but not harmful, she disarms her suspects, but always makes sure that they are properly treated and are set on the right track at the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA). A good friend to her mermaid pal, Evie demonstrates a STRONG, powerful aura of stability and gratitude.

• Lanesha, from Ninth Ward: Young and independent, Lanesha must take lead over her elderly guardian, Mama Ya-Ya, her dog, Spot, and her friends, TaShon, Max, and Ginia, as the take cover in the heart of Hurricane Katrina: the poverty-stricken Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Lanesha has the ability to see ghosts, including her deceased mother. Despite be mocked for her ability, Lanesha remains kind, curious, and STRONG during such an uncertain time.

• Liesel, from The Book Thief: Facing a new foster family during a difficult time in the world’s history, WWII, Liesel must adapt to new surroundings and new ways of living. Hiding the majority of the time due to her religion, Judaism, Liesel teaches and occupies herself while living in conditions that would cause many to give up. STRONG till the end, Liesel’s story is one to be heard.

Three STRONG Male Characters

• Marcelo, from Marcelo in the Real World: Born with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism), Marcelo is proud of his abilities. Enjoying taking care of animals and learning the Christian religion, Marcelo is not afraid to speak his mind. But when he’s forced to get a job in the mail room of his father’s law firm, Marcelo must enter a whole new world, where not everybody is kind or easy to understand. Marcelo must be STRONG to be prosperous.

• Doug, from Okay for Now: Between moving to a new house, attending a new school, and living with an abusive father, being STRONG is not easy for Doug. However, finding friends at the local library and solitude in drawing, Doug discovers how happiness and generosity can change people for the better.

• Brewster “Bruiser,” from Bruiser: An outcast, a loner. Teased, bullied. Brewster, better known to his classmates as “Bruiser,” is always silent, the bruises covering his body the only thing expressing that something’s wrong with him. When Brewster falls in love with a girl named Brontë and becomes best friends with her brother, Tennyson, he begins to feel like he is STRONG enough to reveal his dark secrets.

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John Green: Stories that Sing and Soar

“What sings and soars in this gorgeously told tale is Green’s mastery of language,” wrote Kirkus Reviews in a review of John Green’s novel Looking for Alaska. Looking for Alaska, the winner of the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature, is John Green’s first published book, but not his only award winner. Green’s books have accumulated legions of fans, stunning reviews, and armfuls of awards.

Just because Favorite Author Month, May, is over here on The Bookshelf doesn’t mean I’ve stopped recognizing great, favorite authors. John Green, an author from Indiana, writes novels about facing difficult situations of identity in a realistic manner. Having written three books and co-written two more, John Green writes deftly, blending loneliness, sorrow, humor, love, and self-realization to create stories that soar high above the bar of standard young adult literature. Choosing abnormal situations that can be matched with more realistic ones, Green brings the words on the page into the mind of the reader, planting questions and harvesting ideas. I have all five of John Green’s books, and I give them all five out five stars. I think it’s agreed that John Green is an author worthy of recognition here on The Bookshelf.

Looking for Alaska tells the story of Miles “Pudge” (ironic because he is tall and lanky). Miles, a loner who thrills himself in learning the last words of famous figures, begins attending boarding school, in search for the “Great Perhaps” (part of Rabelais’s last words). At this new boarding school, Pudge develops many new friends, some of which you would not call the best of influences. These friends include Colonel, a roommate who acts, well, like a colonel, and Alaska Young, a colorful, mysterious girl. Surprised at how deep his new friends’ thoughts are, Pudge sees the world from a different angle. Finally finding happiness and friends, Pudge thinks he’s on his way to the Great Perhaps. Until, of course, something terrible happens. Using humor and an interesting storytelling method of counting the days before and then the days after a certain event, Looking for Alaska is a great book for mature readers about decisions and the impacts they have on yourself and others.

 

Two other books by John Green, An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns, also tell eloquent tales of trials and tribulations throughout the often harsh journey known as life. While these books pull key elements from Looking for Alaska, elements that made Alaska amazing, they are their own books, all completely original and diverse. An Abundance of Katherines won a Printz Honor.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, co-written by John Green with David Levithan, and Let it Snow, co-written with Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, are both fun, engaging reads that also contribute to Green’s repertoire.

Through a YouTube channel, Vlogbrothers, John and his brother, Hank, have been making vlogs (video blogs) since 2008. Quirky and different, these videos offer facts about current events, opinions about current events, news about John’s books, and other assorted facts. With 539,164 subscribers and counting, the fans of these videos call themselves “nerfighters.” And fight they do. Through raising money for organizations across the world, supporting terminally ill nerdfighters, and creating sayings whose meanings are only known to them, nerdfighters and John and Hank Green have made a big impact on the world.

With his incredible writing, expert symbolism, and excellent storytelling, John Green is an author like no other. His next book, The Fault in Our Stars was number one on Amazon for six days after Green he announced that all preorders would be signed by him personally. The amazing thing is that that book won’t be published until early next year. I will be preordering my copy soon, so I’ll be ensured that I will receive the literary world’s next masterpiece. 

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An Obituary for Borders

                Borders                           

Borders, 40-years-old, will be laid to rest later this year. He was pronounced dead on Monday, July 18th, 2011.

Borders, the second most visited bookstore in the United States, was a fighter to the end. Introducing many new products and ideas, Borders will be missed by many, especially in areas where he was the only major chain bookstore living. Trying to stay current and innovative, Borders made many attempts at new marketing and selling programs. However, in an uncertain business, rattled by a rocky economy and the ever-expanding eBook market, Borders was unable to make it. Still trying to please his millions of customers, Borders will be offering going-out-of-business sales throughout the rest of the summer and fall of 2011.

Beginning as just a single used bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Borders climbed his way up to success, creating a place, a home, where people of all ages could visit. Always encouraging reading and writing, Borders offered events, parties, and other engaging activities for the people of his community.

Borders is survived by his fellow book stores: Barnes and Noble; Books-A-Million, who will take Borders’s place as the second most visited bookstore in the U.S.; online stores such as, Amazon and Book Depository; and local independent book sellers.

It is unknown the official date of when the memorial service will be held. It is believed that after all liquidation sales are completed, separate services may be held at the locations of Borderses across the map.

In lieu of flowers, the family of Borders has requested that readers keep reading and book lovers remain loving.

Online condolences may be expressed to Borders’s family in the comments section.

 

My sincerest hope is that we remain in the hearts of readers for years to come.

– Mike Edwards, CEO of Borders

Wish You Were Dead: Be Careful What You Blog For

The first in Todd Strasser’s cyber “thrill-ogy”, Wish You Were Dead is a chilling mystery paired with a side of adventure, intrigue, and ever-bountiful plot twists. Recommended to me by my local library, Wish You Were Dead sows questions in your mind about social class, popularity, and the effect your words have on people.

Taking place in a ritzy neighborhood, Soundview, a community that isn’t often faced with crime, Wish You Were Dead follows Madison, a rich, but well-intentioned, high schooler. Madison, who volunteers with her community’s Safe Drives, an organization that offers ride to inebriated teens departing from parties, finds herself in a big mess after one fatal accident. Madison and her Safe Drives partner, Tyler, make the mistake of dropping a girl, Lucy, off without waiting for to enter her house. All Safe Drives volunteers are required to wait until the partygoer enters their house before leaving, but it was late, Madison was tired, and Lucy was being uncooperative. Leaving Lucy, Tyler and Madison returned to their homes to sleep. But when Madison waked up in the morning, she learned that Lucy had went missing, leaving no signs as to where she escaped to. Madison, shocked and guilty, was unsure what to think. Lucy, also another rich girl, used to be Madison’s best friend.  Madison called off the friendship because of Lucy’s extreme competitiveness and the mood swings that came from her bipolar condition.

the sequel to Wish You Were Dead

At first, Lucy is declared by the cops as a “runaway.” But as Lucy’s boyfriend, Adam, also another ex-friend of Madison’s, also goes missing, the cops, the parents, and the students of Soundview begin to worry. Madison, afraid that she will be the next “popular” to go, begins a search to find the kidnapper, who, as people begin to speculate, may be a murderer. Through a series of Facebook stalker messages, slashed tires, and handwritten notes, Madison begins to make some connections to the disappearances. However, for each connection made, a double amount of questions are created.  A culmination of plot twists and exposures causes Madison to view her former friends, her teachers, her best friend, Whitney, Tyler, and herself in a different light.

After the discovery of an anonymous blog, which, in detail, lists the cruel actions made and words spewed by the popular kids at Soundview High, Madison tries to improve her attitude, generosity, and friendliness in an attempt to avoid being the next one taken by the Soundview Kidnapper.

Using 21st technology to make an edge-of-your-seat, read-it-in-one-sitting-and-never-forgot-it thriller, Wish You Were Dead expertly weaves crime, loneliness, popularity, and rejection to create one engaging and horrifyingly creative story.

A companion to Wish You Were Dead, Blood on My Hands, another thriller that incorporates the cyber aspect, is now available.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

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Mockingbird: Hope, Resilience in One Small Package

Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine, is the 2010 National Book Award recipient for young people’s literature. Sweet and emotional, Mockingbird is told by Caitlin, a ten-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.  Caitlin, an exceptional artist, lives with her family, which now only consists of her and her dad. Her older brother, Devon, used to also be a part of Caitlin’s family. However, after a tragic school shooting, Devon is gone from Caitlin’s life. Forever. 

Devon was always a source of guidance for Caitlin. He offered her assistance, encouraged her creativity, and taught her how to act properly in world that is so strange to her. But now that Devon is dead and gone, Caitlin must fend for herself in a scary, cruel world. Her dad is of little assistance; he is too busy mourning the death of his son, the mediator of their abnormal family. 

paperback edition

 

Visits with the school’s guidance counselor do not help Caitlin understand or cope with her family’s tragedy. She is often teased and stared at in school. People call her “freak,” or try to sympathize with her, or just avoid her altogether. The only thing that helps Caitlin deal with her pain is her artwork. But people even try to change that. They ask her to add color or try different techniques that don’t appeal to Caitlin. For her, art is an escape, not a skill.

It is only after Caitlin meets Michael, a first grader, that she has someone to share her feelings with. Michael’s mom was also killed in the school shooting. Caitlin’s mind, an area of imagination and confusion, is a war zone of thought. While she will never be the same again, Caitlin learns to use situations thrown at her to make wise decisions and establish relationships.

A short, but deep, novel, Mockingbird draws references from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird to create a touching story of a family of two that was once a family of three. The vivid first person narrative is an eye-opening experience of Asperger’s syndrome and how it makes difficult situations even more uneasy. Thoughtful, caring, and hopeful, Mockingbird tells a story of light after darkness. 

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

The Diary of a Young Girl: A Voice for People of All Types and Ages

“Anne Frank died so others would remember. An extraordinary journey,” wrote Steven Spieldberg in the VIP guestbook at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Holland.

“Anne Frank died…” While the Nazis were gaining control of Germany in the late 1930s/1940s, the Frank family, Jewish, was busily escaping to Holland to hide from the “Führer’s” wrath. On her thirteenth birthday, the youngest member of the Franks, Anne, received a diary. She began writing in her diary when her family was moved into hiding when the Germans began to take control of Holland. The Frank family began to hide in a secret annex behind an office building. After a few days of hiding, another family, the van Daans (the van Pels in real life – Anne changed names in her diary to protect identities) joined Anne and her family. With the much grateful help of a group of workers from the office, the Franks and the Van Daans began to live a guarded and risky life. Anne, a voice for underdogs, the disadvantaged and underappreciated people of all ages, used her diary, with her exemplary thinking and writing skills, to overcome prejudice, face adversity, and develop resilience. Anne had ways of thinking light years beyond her age and time. With words and emotion, Anne has reached millions of people everywhere. Unfortunately, even after so much fight, courage, love, and realization, Anne did not make it. It is unsure how, but Anne and her family were captured and placed in concentration camps. Anne’s father, Otto Frank, was the only one that made it out alive.

Whoever is happy will make others happy too.

­– Anne Frank

“…so others would remember.” Upon escaping, Otto Frank returned to the secret annex, hoping to find Anne and Anne’s sister, his daughter, Margot. He was deeply saddened when he discovered an empty hideout, but was in awe when Miep, one of the secret annex’s helpers, gave him Anne’s diary, one of only very few items that survived the Nazis overpower of the annex. After some hesitating, Otto released a revised version of his daughter’s beloved diary. A few years later, The Diary of a Young Girl was published in the United States. After both the New York Times and Eleanor Roosevelt gave the book stellar reviews, the book quickly became required reading in schools across the countries, teaching children about Hitler’s genocide and promoting creative and free thinking.

In 1955, an adaption of the diary was released as, The Diary of Anne Frank, a Tony award-winning Broadway play. Following the play’s monumental success, a movie adaption of the play was shown on movie screens across the country. The Diary of Anne Frank, the movie adaption won three Academy Awards and was nominated for five more, including Best Picture.

Every year, legions of admirers travel to Amsterdam, Holland to visit the Anne Frank House museum. The Anne Frank House is an exact replica of the office building and its secret annex. At the Anne Frank House, you can visit the rooms of every occupant of the annex, and you can see original documents written by Anne, including her honored diary. I cannot wait to visit the Anne Frank House one day; to see for myself what Anne’s life must have been like. However, in the meantime, I, and you, the readers of The Bookshelf, can take an online virtual tour of the entire building – the office, the annex, plus more!

Anne greatly enjoyed writing and always dreamed of being famous. Today, and forever to come, she is famous. People around the world read her story, flock to Amsterdam to live her tale, and write personal messages on a virtual tree to encourage her legend. 

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

– Anne Frank

“An extraordinary adventure.” It’s no coincidence that Anne’s story is so successful. From the early stages of a diary to a book to a play to multiple movies, Anne’s voice is always strong and determined. Anne always saw the best in people and wanted to be a good person. Despite faced with difficult circumstances, Anne wrote freely about freedom from prejudgment, desire for companionship, and the need to find herself. Anne was an extraordinary person and, as anyone who has read the book knows, a loveable, often humorous adventure. Anne Frank, her life, her story, is an extraordinary adventure.

Who would ever think that so much went on in the soul of a young girl?

– Anne Frank

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

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Great Reads for this Spring

Ahhh. Spring. The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and the sun is coming out of hibernation, glowing and spreading its warmth to Earth. What better time to enjoy nature, start fresh, or to dig into a great book? Never.

I’ve read, and heard about, so many great books lately that I feel that I must share them with you, the readers of The Bookshelf. I feel that I have compiled a list of books, new and old, fiction and true, to support you through the great season of spring. Books take you on adventures, provide you with guidance, and, well, are the greatest thing ever invented. Nothing compares to them. That’s right. Nothing. I hope you enjoy the following books as much as do and have a great spring reading and cherishing them.

Books that will make this spring the best one yet:

•       Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys: I, unfortunately, have not had the opportunity to read this book yet. However, I have not heard a single negative review of this historical novel. This book, which is already racking up tons of honors and slots on bestseller lists, explores the life of Lithuanians being forced into labor-camps during the Soviets’ rule. These camps, which are very similar to the Nazi concentration camps, prove to be foul, horrible places. But as the reader follows the journey of Lina, a sixteen-year-old    Lithuanian, it is discovered that courage and determination can conquer the odds. This harrowing novel is on the top of my to-read list, and I hope to review it once I am finished.

•          If I Stay by Gayle Forman: I read this book about a year ago, a month or so before the creation of The Bookshelf. Mia is an aspiring cellist and has hopes of making it into the prestigious Juilliard School, a preforming arts college in NYC. However, after a sudden car accident, Mia’s parents die, and she and her younger brother are taken to the hospital in critical condition. While comatose, Mia narrates the story, ultimately trying to make the decision to live or die. She is able to hear and see everything while she is in the coma and must face the difficult truth that if she were to live, her world would be completely different. This is a strong novel about life-altering decisions and willpower.

•          White Cat by Holly Black: Cassel Sharpe comes from a family of cure workers: people who are able to control the lives of others. Each curse worker is given the ability to control different things in people such as, emotions, luck, dreams, memories, physical pain, et cetera, all with the touch of a bare hand. Cassel, however, is the only one in his family that was not born a curse worker. Though Cassel is viewed as a con man or criminal like curse workers are, he still feels like one because he murdered his best friend. The reader is taken on an adventure of cons, shady pasts, lies, and unclear intentions as we the readers, and Cassel himself, attempt to discover what caused him to kill his best friend. A stellar read – review coming soon.

•           What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell: Another book that explores the art of lying and deception. Taking place after the end of World War II, Evie, an average ‘40s teen, is swept into a web of lies when her stepfather returns from war. Everything seems bright and cheery at first, but when Evie and her family go to Florida for a vacation, a whole other side is revealed to Evie of her once simple life. Many events occur that reveal shocking secrets about her once picture-perfect family. And when tragedy strikes, Evie must decide between what is right and what will ultimately save her family, whom, despite everything, she still cares for. The ending to this novel caught me by surprise as I’m sure the whole book will for you.

•          A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle: I am actually currently reading this classic book, perfect for all ages. What begins with the simple life of Meg Murry, quickly sky rockets into a time-traveling, space-defying tale of a genius four-year-old, three mysterious old ladies, and a being called IT. Originally published in 1962, this timeless classic will take you on an adventure and touch your heart.  

Well, there you have it; your ultimate list of what to read this spring – because no spring would be perfect without the presence of books!

Z for Zachariah: Alone in a Lonely World

Yesterday, I finished reading Z for Zachariah, by Robert C. O’Brien. Published in 1974, during the Cold War, this book takes place during the aftermath of a huge nuclear war that killed thousands of Americans. Told in a diary format, the narrator of this horrifying, yet inspiring, book is sixteen year old Ann Burden. Ann lives in a valley that was unaffected by the war and the tremendous amounts of radiation it gave off. All towns and cities near the valley are brown, wilted, and lifeless. The valley, however, remained intact and alive. Ann is the only person left alive in the valley and, so she thinks, the only person left alive in the whole world. Following the war, Ann’s family, who also survived the war, traveled to a nearby town, with the Kleins, the only other residents in the valley. Ann did not go with her family; she stayed home to tend to the farm. After days, weeks, of waiting, Ann’s family did not return. Ann had to face the difficult truth that when her family and friends traveled outside of the valley, they must have died from the radiation. She had to face the fact that, except for the chickens and cows on the farm, she was all alone. Even the family dog, Faro, ran away, desperately searching for the rest of his family. Ann came to realize that she was probably the only person left alive, living in the only place left alive. Her family always said that the valley had its own weather. Ann came to assume the same went for immunity to radiation, too.

The book begins about a year after the nuclear war that wiped out the country and changed Ann’s life forever. Ann has become a very independent person since she started living by herself; she works in the garden, takes care of the animals, cooks meals for herself, and is resourceful for the future. There is no electricity or gasoline, but she makes the best of things. She goes fishing, creates fires to keep warm, and visits the small store that the Kleins owned when something is needed. However, one day Ann’s routine life is turned upside down. She notices smoke rising in the distance, outside the valley where no one lives. Even stranger, this column of smoke is in a different place every day, as if someone is moving, walking towards the valley and creating a fire when needed. As if someone else is alive. Scared, Ann takes refuge in a hidden cave near her house. She hopes the mysterious person does not see the green of the valley. She has been living alone for a year, and has no idea if this person is a friend or enemy. Unfortunately for Ann, the stranger, a man, finds the valley. He arrives wearing an all green plastic suit, with a gas mask on his face, pulling a big wagon, also covered in green tarp, behind him. Still in hiding, Ann watches as the man rejoices in his new found discovery. She watches him use a Geiger counter, used to measure the amount of ionizing radiation, and how he takes off his suit when he realizes he has found an area unaffected by the war. He, having not been around life for a long time, eagerly jumps into one of two streams in the valley. However, unbeknownst to him, the one stream that he is in contains the only radiation in the valley. The radiation never spread to the rest of the valley, and, thankfully, there is a second stream for a water supply.

Ann, not being able to stand by anymore, comes out hiding and nurses the poor man while he is dreadfully ill. The man, John R. Loomis, whom Ann calls Mr. Loomis, appears to be kind and have good intentions. He tells her that he was once a scientist that specialized in radiation and creating plastics that withstand it, such as the green tarp he was wearing. Ann helps take care of him by making him meals, moving him into her house, and just being there for him. She is so excited to have another person with her, having thought everyone else was dead and that she would be forever alone. She does everything to make sure he lives, and he survives. However, Ann views Mr. Loomis differently after she overhears him talking in his sleep during a nightmare. A different side of Mr. Loomis is revealed when he becomes better, a side that makes Ann think different about having someone else live with her.

Ann realizes that Mr. Loomis is a manipulative controlling man that wants her to be his salve in this new and different world. He takes over every aspect of the valley. Ann, terrified, runs away and lives in her cave again. Mr. Loomis is determined to get her back and to make her be his servant. Even when the family dog miraculously arrives, alive, he takes him in as a weapon against Ann. Ann wishes she still lived by herself, and that Mr. Loomis never came to the valley.

This is an exhilarating book, and the fact that it is written as Ann’s diary makes it so much more personal and heart-wrenching. The reader is taken on the rollercoaster ride of emotions and problems that Ann had to face, and ultimately the results that came with them. This is a fantastic book about how different a world would be with only two people that have two very different ideas.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

Happyface: You Can't Run From Reality

While meandering through my local library, I came across a seemingly optimistic and friendly book, Happyface, by Stephen Emond. Only when I began reading the first few pages of this book, did I realize that this book is actually a deep, heart-wrenching look at what’s true and what’s fake in life.

I usually refuse to read novels with illustrations. Call it whatever you want: comic book, graphic novel, manga, picture book, I prefer my fiction in the written word. However, Happyface, which I thoroughly enjoyed, is in fact part words, part pictures. Of course, I enjoyed the words much more than the picture counterparts, but I found myself oddly attracted to the pictures that beautifully illustrate this story. Mind you, this book is not like a comic book with different panels and speech bubbles, but more like a story, a journal actually, that has both beautiful and whimsical drawings interspersed within the text (similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, for those of you who have read it). I found myself astonished at the fact that my view of graphic novels was very two dimensional and stereotypical. This book may have changed my view on graphic novels. I smell a new poll idea…

With that being said, let’s get to the story. Happyface starts off with an unnamed fourteen-year-old boy receiving a journal from his father, an aspiring author. He journals about his family life, his parents who are at odds with each other, his perfect older brother, Everett, and his only best friend, Chloe, with whom he also has a major crush. The narrator lives a quiet life, hiding in the shadow of his brother, disconnected from his parents, not talking to many people. Then one day, the boy’s parents split, and he moves to a small apartment with his mom. When I was reading this part in the book, I was baffled; the narrator went from living an okay life, to, all of a sudden, moving to a new place, leaving behind his dad, his school, Chloe, his brother. There was no reason given to the reader as to why he was moving, except for his parents’ marital troubles, especially with alcohol. I chalked this up to poor writing (which did not help my view of illustrated novels, at the time), only to realize later that something else happened, something major that the author was not ready to reveal.

The narrator begins life at his new school with a very cliche attitude: that he can recreate his life. He takes his once quiet, introverted personality and adds oomph to by doing one thing: smiling. Through many difficult situations he keeps smiling, which earns him the nickname, Happyface. He makes new friends, new enemies, and a new crush. He desperately wants Gretchen, a popular girl, to love him, but as the reader discovers, probably not for the right reasons. Happyface was traumatized by events that occurred in his past, and he feels the need to be known, wanted. He develops a false identity as an always happy person that doesn’t let anything faze him, and he quickly climbs up the social food chain.

Not only does he hurt himself in this big coup, but he also hurts the people around him. His real personality and past begin to shine through this mask he created for himself, and he is confronted by his demons.

This is a great coming-of-age novel that shows how different people respond to tragedies. Happyface runs from the truth and the pressure and guilt soon builds up, builds up so much that he almost explodes of falsity. He learns that he must face his past, the people that deceived him, and the people that he lost, in order to move on. He soon discovers that he can’t fix everything just by smiling.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Hate List: The Aftermath of a Tragedy

The recent events of the shooting in Tucson, Arizona have caused much outrage and uncertain emotions amongst the victims, the families, and every American. The truth is that we were all victims. Some of us were hurt more than others, but everyone found their lives affected by this horrendous event. Many people claim the shooter, 22-year-old Jared Loughner, was mentally unstable, and it was a mental illness that caused him to commit this crime. Others protest that, mentally unstable or not, Loughner did commit this crime willingly and should be charged appropriately. Some say this shooting could have been prevented, others disagree.

Even with knowing all this information, supplied by the TV and newspaper, I am not exactly sure what to think.
As I am sure many other Americans feel, too.

Which brings me to a book I read recently, Hate List by Jennifer Brown. This novel follows the aftermath of a school shooting that leaves six dead and countless injured. The book's protagonist, Valerie Leftman, was the girlfriend to the shooter, Nick Levil. She has to cope and deal with unwanted emotions that come from knowing that she played a part in the shooting, a part that left fellow classmates dead, including Nick after he turned the gun on himself.

Ever since they first met, Valerie and Nick always seemed to fit together. They were both outcasts, bullied and tormented by the so-called "perfects" at their school. They were both interested in death, homicide, suicide, and otherwise. And they both had strong feelings for those they hated. There were many people, concepts, and things that Nick and Val hated. The two began to create a notebook, referred to as the Hate List, of things they never wish existed. Things they wanted dead. Nick would often joke about how things would be so much better if the things and people on the List would just disappear, gone forever. Val agreed it would be nice to live a life without these things, but she would never actually consider it to happen. The Hate List was an escape for her, just a list, nothing more. Later, it was clearly obvious to Val that the List meant something more to Nick.

The book begins with the start of a new school year for Valerie, after the shooting happened the previous May. She was nervous about her first day back, but thought going back was the best thing to do. She didn't want her already fragile family to fall apart after the thought of having to move, so Valerie continues to attend the same school, the same place the shooting occurred. Upon returning, Valerie is viewed as many different things: a villain, for being a part of the crime, a hero, for stopping Nick and saving someone that was on the Hate List, and a victim, for taking a bullet in the leg.

Told from the present and the past, this book carefully examines all emotions that come from a tragedy. Valerie becomes depressed during the summer after the shooting. Her parents don't know what to do with her. Her younger brother gets caught in the mix of rage and sadness that comes after someone you love does something so out of character.

Fortunately, with help of her therapist, Dr. Hieler, and a local art teacher, Bea, Valerie begins to see the importance and meaning in life. She starts seeing the truth in people, she realizes the people who are her true friends. And lastly, she lets go of Nick. The Nick Valerie knew was not the same Nick she saw in her school Commons area that May. She happily remembers their days together, but comes to an understanding that he is gone. Valerie finally sees the world for what it really is.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars