Everybody Sees the Ants

Everybody Sees the Ants
Author: A.S. King
Genre: Social Issues, Violence
Pages: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown Books

This is honestly a life-changing book. It's a story of sadness, despair, weakness, strength, triumph, and family.

Everybody Sees the Ants  is a story of Lucky Linderman, a sophomore in high school. He's got a POW MIA grandfather, a squid mother, a turtle father, and a relentless bully. After a particularly bad experience, his mother packs him up and flies across the country to visit his wack-o aunt and uncle.

 The book powerfully and honestly deals with grief, weakness, dysfunctional families, bullying, sexual maturity, parental abuse, infidelity, and coping. It sounds like quite the downer, but I promise it's not. The characters and plot certainly bring the reader into Lucky's head and create a black moment, but the story is Lucky's journey from weakness to strength. It's full of hope and triumph and healing, and it's got a great ending.

The book rings true in many ways, on every page.

“The world is full of assholes. What are you doing to make sure you're not one of them?”  

“She's like a kindness ninja. Sneaking around in order to help people.”   

“I bring my hand to my face and pull away tiny pieces of the jagged scab. My face reflects in the rounded airplane window, and I see it is now a tiny Massachusetts, with Cape Cod curling toward my ear. In only a few more days it will be gone. I feel the fresh, smooth parts and marvel at how soft they are. New skin amazes me. New skin is a miracle. It is proof that we can heal.”  (Ok, that one's more than a line. But it was really good!)

Everybody Sees the Ants  is in no way a light read, but it's a good one. It's a book to read and ponder.

Word of Caution: The F word is used liberally. There's one detailed scene of sexual assault. Scenes of bullying. Read it before you give it as a gift.

Slammed

Slammed
By Colleen Hoover
Genre: Romance, Death
Pages: 352
Publisher: Atria Books

So I've bashed several books here, and I was starting to lose faith the the YA genre. But then I read Slammed. Wow.

Slammed is the story of Layken, an 18 yr old high school senior with a mom and a brother. After her father dies, the family moves from Texas to Michigan. There she meets Will Cooper, and her world gets slammed.

I honestly haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it a week ago. Colleen Hoover does a wonderful job of showing the process of grief and the ability we have to feel joy even in the midst of pain. Layken is delightfully authentic; she displays the capacity for great maturity and great immaturity typical of 18 yr olds.

Hoover allows the reader to cry and laugh along with Layken, showing her in vulnerable, relatable situations.

"When I wake up it's midnight. I lie there a moment, hoping I'll come to the conclusion that this was all a bad dream, but the clarity never comes. When I pull back the covers, my hair clip falls from my hands and lands on the floor. this small piece of plastic, so old it's probably covered in lead-ridden paint. I think about how I felt the day my father gave it to me, and how all the sadness and fears were eliminated as soon as he put it in my hair. I lean forward and retrieve it from the floor, pressing down in the center so that it snaps open. I move a section of my bangs to the opposite side and secure it in place. I wait for the magic to take effect, but sure enough, everything still hurts. I pull the clip from my hair and throw it across the room and climb back into bed."

Besides the beautiful story of a family coping with grief, I loved Layken's relationship with Will. They have struggles and challenges because they're both flawed characters. Their relationship shows the fluidity between love and friendship, the conflict between loving two things at once, and hope for a brighter future.

It's just a beautifully written, thought-provoking book. The plot moves quickly with some unexpected turns but still allows some resting places to stop and absorb the emotion-laden characters.

A few bonuses I enjoyed were the slam poetry sprinkled throughout and the Avett Brothers quotes at the beginning of every chapter. I've included a video of each if you're unfamiliar.

Before I Fall

Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Romance, Death, Time-Travel
Pages: 470
Publisher: HarperCollins

 Before I Fall follows Samantha Kingston's last day -- Well, her last day seven different ways. I've never been a huge fan of dying books, but this one painted it a little differently.

Samantha Kingston is killed in a car accident after a party. Before she completely leaves this world, she relives her last day seven times. Each time she makes different choices and learns a little more about the people she's leaving behind.

I enjoyed Oliver's ability to show people as the complex beings they are. Initially, the book starts with a very typical day of a popular high school girl. I was honestly really annoyed and didn't enjoy reliving the stereotypes of high school. But as the book progresses, it shows each character a little more complexly. Because the focus was on imagining people complexly, the book avoided becoming too didactic. Even though it does carry some heavy morals (Like, I don't know, don't drink and drive, don't have sex, don't put up with a crappy boyfriend, spend time with your family, be nice to people, to name just a few) it's not weighed down by them. The morals happen as a result of the storytelling, not the other way round.

Good read. Thought-provoking. Good characters.

Follow Lauren Oliver on Twitter @OliverBooks.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing

Written by M. T. Anderson

Published by Candlewick in 2008

384 pages.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Violence, Journey.

Summery: This is the story of a young male slave in pre-revolution America. He is raised in a scientific household, not knowing as a child that he is as much of an experiment as the strange chemicals. He is treated as brilliant at first, being taught latin and greek, science and mathematics. But then times change and he is, after all, a slave.

Response: Honestly, this book could make me hate historical fiction. The first part was freaky weird, but by the middle......it was still freaky weird. I skimmed a lot of it because it was gross and parts of the plot dragged. I don't think I would recommend it.

Word of Caution: Violence, slaves are treated as slaves, some language, graphic description of nasty things, and sexual references.

Wintergirls

Wintergirls

Written by Laurie Halse Anderson

Published by Speak in 2009

288 pages.

Genre: Social Issues

Summery: Lia's best friend dies and comes back to haunt her. Lia finds out that she died from bulimia, which adds to her own problems with anorexia. Lia struggles to lose weight, hoping that it will hold the answer to her problems. Finally Lia has to decide what world she really belongs in.

Response: Wow. This is a sad book. It's very, very well written. I felt like I was in Lia's head. I couldn't put it down, even though it's painful to go through everything with Lia. I learned a lot about eating disorders that I didn't realize before. A great book.

Word of Caution: Cutting, eating disorders, graphic scenes. A little language, but the biggest thing is really the seriousness of the topic and the graphic scenes.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games

Written by Suzanne Collins

Published by Scholastic Press in 2008

384 pages.

Genre: Violence, Dystopia, Suspense.

Summery: North America is now a nation of 12 districts ruled by The Capital. Once, the districts rebelled against the dictatorship of the Capital. Every year since, the Hunger Games have happened to remind the districts who is in control. The names of two children between the ages of 12 and 18 are drawn from each district, one boy and one girl. Both will enter the Games. Out of 24 kids, only one will survive.

Response: I thought I wouldn't like it, but I loved it. It may be a new favorite. I thought it would be morbid and gross, but it was very clean and the author presented it very well. There was practically no swearing or sexual references. The plot was gripping, and the characters were round and well developed.

Word of Caution: It's very intense, and there's a lot of killing.

Foreign Exchange

Foreign Exchange

Written by Mel Glenn

Published by HarperTeen in 1999

144 pages.

Genre: Multicultural, Mystery/Suspense, Social Issues

Summery: For one weekend, students from a big-city highschool are staying with host families in a small, rural town. While staying there, one of the local girls (the prettiest, most popular) is murdered. Through the brilliant poems, we find out who killed her and how the people from both sides deal with the event.

Response: Loved it. So brilliantly written. I think that the poetry works better than regular prose would. It examines prejudices, stereotypes, rivalry, ethics, and family.

Word of Caution: Murder, obviously. Sex. Some language.

Split Image

Split Image

Written by Mel Glenn

Published by HarperTeen in 2002

160 pages.

Genre: Multicultural, Social Issues, Family

Summery: Laura Li's family moved to the US from China. Her father is always gone on business, and her mother never lets her have any fun. She has to stay home and take care of her handicapped older brother. She is the most beautiful girl at her highschool; all the boys love her. She is a model student, and an excellent student librarian. No one can see the pain that she's hiding. A fascinating and haunting story told in free verse.

Response: I loved this book. The poems are clear and descriptive. The story is gripping and unpredictable. I recommend it very highly.

Word of Caution: Suicide.

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.

Written by Louise Rennison

Published by HarperTeen in 2001

272 pages.

Genre: Humor, Social Issues

Summery: The diary of 14 year old Georgia Nicolsen. It contains tales of her 3 year old sister who leaves wet diapers in Georgia's bedroom, her cat Angus who is part Scottish wildcat and eats dogs, eyebrow disasters, an oh-so-hot guy she calls The Sex God, and yes- snogging. It's a refreshingly British novel with a delightful narrator.

Response: Absolutely hilarious. It had a little too much Jr High drama for me (but I have an insanely low tolerence for drama). It was well done; the book worked well as a diary.

Word of Caution: Snogging. Sexual references. British swearing.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Written by Jeff Kinney

Published by Amulet in 2007

224 pages.

Genre: Social Issues, Humor, Graphic Novel

Summery: Greg is a wimpy kid. He's stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons. His older brother and younger brother are equally unapproachable. And on top of everything, his mother is making him keep a diary.

Response: Laughed out loud at every. single. page. Excellent cartoons to supplement the quirky, true to life writing.

Word of Caution: The laughter this book induces may give you a hernia. Hmm, I guess I could mention the bullying too. Except even the bullying is funny. (Oops. I shouldn't say that. Beating up wimpy kids is not supposed to be funny.)

Minerva Clark Gets a Clue

Minerva Clark Gets a Clue
Written by Karen Karbo
Published by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books in 2005
224 pages.

Genre: Humor, Family, Social Issues

Summery: Minerva Clark is tall. Really tall. She pretty much dwarfs everyone in her 7th grade class. And she has thick, crazy, curly hair. Like most 7th grade girls, she's painfully self-conscious. Add her height and hair to the normal quota of self-consciousness, and she's off the charts. But then her older brother does a science experiment on her, and BANG - personality transplant!! She's not shy or self-conscious. At all. Ever. That day turns out to be weird in other ways too, like when her favorite cousin gets arrested for a broken taillight. Minerva becomes a crime fighting detective with the help of her best friend and pet ferret.

Response: Loved it. It's funny and cute and real. It was a bit of a mystery, but refreshingly unpredictable. Or maybe I'm just naive. Which is possible. But really, it made me giggle and groan and occasionally smack my forehead. I like her relationship with her older brothers- they don't fight, and they have inside jokes. I recommend it.

Word of Caution: Um...... I think it might drop a couple of swear words. And there's one time that a kid smokes. The parents are gone all the time, so the kids eat on the couch (If you're a neat freak- get over it).

"The Taking of Room 114"

The Taking of Room 114
Written by Mel Glenn
Published by Dutton Juvenile in 1997
192 pages.

Genre: Poetry, Suspense

Summery: A crazy high school teacher takes his students hostage. It's remarkably gripping, considering that the entire book is a series of poems. There are five poems for each of the students telling of their lives as Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, and finally on the day of the event. The poems do an incredible job of getting inside the heads of teens. Very spot on. The poetry is fun and easy to read.
Response: Oh my. So good. Funny and real, with excellent characters. This book shows that we use too many words when we write. He can create detailed characters with 5 relatively short poems. His writing is fascinating. The storyline is faint but compelling. I read it in less than an hour. This was one of my favorite books I've read so far.

Word of Caution: Mild language. (We're in the teens' heads, remember?) Teen pregnancy. Poetry Haters beware -you might like this book.

"The Only Alien On The Planet"

The Only Alien On The Planet

Written by Kristen Randle

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky in 2009

240 pages

Genre: Social Issues, Friendship

Summery: Ginny and her family move right before her senior year of highschool. When she starts at her new school, she notices Smitty on the first day. Although this already sounds incredibly cliche, she tries to find out more about him. He's known as the Alien because he never speaks or has any kind of social interaction. Ginny and her new friend, Caulder, try to make friends with the Alien. Eventually, many secrets come out and Ginny and Caulder become key parts of Smitty's psychological healing.

Response: I don't know what to say. This is a very influential novel. I couldn't put it down. It has a lot of psycho stuff in it that makes me want to be a psychology major just so I understand it. I do absolutely recommend it, but it definately needs to be read more than once. Preferably with a psychologist handy to answer questions.

Word of Caution: Abuse. Language. May spin your head.

"Love Is a Missing Person"

Love Is a Missing Person
Written by M. E. Kerr
Published by Trophy PR in 1990
141 pages

Genre: Family, Social Issues, Multicultural

Summery: Suzy Slade is 15, and she's not the favorite child. Her parents are divorced, and her father chose her sister, Chicago. Of course he did. Who wouldn't pick beautiful, charming Chicago? But Suzy's life takes some twists and turns when Chicago shows up and wants to trade parents. And then it takes some more twists when her father remarries. And then it takes some more twists when there's a robbery in town. The ending......well, I'll let you read it.

Response: This was one of those books. The kind that makes you think on the last page. Except you're thinking, "Now what was that all about?" The book is very short, but there's a lot to it. I just don't know what it is yet. I'm going to read it a few more times.

Word of Caution: Some bad language.

"Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress"

"Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress"
Written by Maria Padian
Published by Knopf Books For Young Readers in 2009
288 pages

Genre: Friends/Social Issues, Sports

Summery: Brett McCarthy is the star of the soccer team, an honor student, and has a BFF. Then she plays a prank. Bam! Her world flips. Brett McCarthy is redefined as a twice-suspended-social-outcast-nerd. She even gets kicked off her beloved soccer team. And on top of all this, something is wrong with her grandmother. But Brett comes out on top in the end, thanks to her true friends and a giant potato bazooka.

Response: Oh my heavens. If Brett was real, we'd be BFF's. Seriously. I loved this story. It's real and funny and full of marvelous new words. I can't count the times this book made me laugh. It reminded me of my own Junior High friend problems, except Brett's are way worse than mine were. I liked the themes of friendship, change, responsibility, and family. The only thing I didn't like: it said that Maine potatoes are better than Idaho's. False!!

Word of Caution: May bring back memories of Jr High. Contains a few mild swear words.

"The Adoration of Jenna Fox"

"The Adoration of Jenna Fox"

Written by Mary E. Pearson

Published by Walker Books Ltd in 2010

272 pages

Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance, Ethics

Summery: Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma in a strange new home with a strangely unfamiliar body. She knows she was involved in an accident, but she can't remember anything about it. She can't remember much of anything period. Her father lives in another city and comes to visit. Her mother behaves oddly and is extremely protective of Jenna. Her grandmother hates her, in Jenna's opinion. Jenna goes through a fascinating journey of discovery of who she is and what the world thinks and does. The novel takes place in a futuristic world where cloning and genetic modification are commonly used.

Response: I liked it. The work examines the ethics of the medical world, the possibilities of science, the dangers of science, the political world, the education system, the value of life, weighing the odds, the value of friends, the power struggle between parents and teens, and the beauty and frailty of the human mind. Read this book if you liked "Fahrenheit 451". Read it if you didn't like "Fahrenheit 451".

Word of Caution: You might begin to look more closely at the health care system.

"Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac" - Gabrielle Zevin

"Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac"

Written by Gabrielle Zevin

Published in 2009 by Square Fish

304 pages

Genre: Friends/Social Issues, Romance

Summery:

Naomi is a junior in high school. She is on the yearbook staff with her best friend, Will. One day she loses a coin toss and ends up falling down the steps of the school. She suffers severe memory loss of everything since 6th grade. She doesn't understand her boyfriend, her best friend, her parents' divorce, or the new kid at school. She struggles trying to find out who she is. Which version of her is the true Naomi? The novel explores social pressures, teen romance, family, gay relationships, and identity.

Response: Not a bad book. Pretty well-written, although the whole amnesia thing had some gaps (no pun intended). It was interesting enough that I read it all in one sitting. The characters behave realistically and are well rounded. It's not a book I would buy to read again, but I think it was worth my time.

Word of Caution: Teenage drinking, sex, homosexuality