Liz’s Review of Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Before I Die by Jenny Downham is a story about Tessa, a 16-year-old girl with only months left before she is killed by her cancer.  It is about a list Tessa made of things she wanted to do before she died.  The problem for Tessa, is that she has only a short period of time and her list involves as much time as she has.  Also, her list is kind of crazy (involving saying “Yes” to everything for a day, and committing a crime --shoplifting)  At first, when Tessa makes the list, she is eager to do it, but then, after her world gets torn apart, between her best friend hating her, the neighbor she fell in love with saying, “If anything happened between us, it would be like, what’s the point?” meaning, if they fell in love or hated each other or never met, why would that matter because she’s dying.  Tessa finds out she is even shorter on time than she thought, and that she is definitely going to die.  No miracle can save her now.  The problem takes a new turn when Tessa goes on vacation with her best friend Zoey, and find out that she is PREGNANT!  Tessa decides to cross off one of the things on her list so she can have the baby named after her.  Will she fall in love with the neighbor again??  Will she live to finish her list?? Review by Liz C.

Liz’s Review of Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Maximum Ride by James Patterson is a story about Max, a young girl, who is genetically modified to have wings (they’re 98% human, 2% bird).  It is about Max trying to keep her family, or “Flock” together. The problem for Max is that scientists, like the ones who created Max & her flock, want to get rid of them, because they have “Souls,” or ethics.  The scientists want to create a world where only the strong and genetically altered live.  At first, when Max lives with their creator she believes she is “Normal,” but she soon discovers the harsh reality of betrayal.  Then, Max moves with her flock, and then, Max's old childhood friend, Ari, now an Eraser (70% human, 30% wolf) leader, tracks them down, kidnaps Angel, and transports her back to the School to live like a lab rat again. The problem takes a new turn when Max and her flock find out that they didn’t spend their whole life at the lab, they have parents!!  They want to learn about their pasts and their destinies. They spend the rest of the series looking for their past.  Max finds out who Ari really is, and she find out who her FATHER is!!  The brother, and 2nd oldest, Fang,  starts to fight with Max. Max learns that even the “Bad guys” have families, feelings, and ethics.  Review by Liz C.

Review of Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

I listened to this book on CD, and the beautiful Irish accent of the reader, Sile Bermingham, had me mesmerized from the very start. This book is written by the author of another of my favorite books, The London Eye Mystery. I don’t know a lot about the political struggle between Northern Ireland and Ireland, but I know a bit more after reading Bog Child. As usual, I appreciate history more when it’s related in a personal story. Fergus is out with his Uncle Tally, having crossed over the border into Ireland to illegally harvest turf, when he discovers a body in the bog. He insists on contacting the authorities, and when archaeologists come to extricate the body, they realize that it’s been there for a long, long time. Fergus feels a strange affinity for the dead girl, even dreaming about her and how she came to end up in the bog. He is also struggling with his own feelings about the struggle for independence. His brother is in prison, and has gone on hunger strike, like Bobby Sands, to protest Ireland’s refusal to label him as a political prisoner. Fergus also is approached by a friend of his brother’s, and coerced into carrying packages across the border on his daily runs. As if this isn’t enough, he finds himself falling for the daughter of the head archaeologist. The writing in this book is beautiful, and Fergus is a great genuine character. The book is funny and sad, my favorite combination. Review by Stacy Church

This month’s book now in! Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

This month’s book, a wonderful story of a boy growing up on the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, is now available for pickup in the Young Adult Dept.  Review to follow.

75 belongings

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I’ve been mulling over Larry’s claim to only have 75 belongings.  I think he was cheating, because he didn’t have to count any of the things that belonged to his parents, but which he used to make his life comfortable on a daily basis.  I know, I know, he did go live in that hole in the ground, but that was only temporary.  Now here are the things that I would have trouble doing without.  I would add books, but instead I’ll have a library card, which will give me access to endless numbers of books, magazines, etc.  Theoretically,  I could use the computers there, too, but I’d really rather have my own. 

Stacy’s Review of The Gospel According to Larry

I first read this book right after it came out in 2001 (wow, that was 8 years ago!) and absolutely loved it.  I eagerly awaited the publication of the sequels and devoured them as well.  I chose the book for this month’s selection at the urging of some teens who love it, and I was so happy to find that on rereading, I enjoyed it just as much as the first time.  Of course the set-up of having the author pretend that the book they’re publishing is someone else’s manuscript given to them for safekeeping has been used before, but it does work for Tashjian, and is pretty much necessary for the way she wraps up the story.  The main character, Larry, is funny, and for me it’s totally believable that a dorky high-school kid would set up a web site where he could publish his own personal rants about society.  It’s also believable that people would stumble on the web site and take it to heart, particularly when the subject is anti-consumerism.  And poor Larry, all he really wants to do is move from friends with his best friend, Beth, to something else.  Some parts of the story are not so believable (would any teen, even a dork, sit at the make-up counter in a department store to talk to his dead mother?), but are entertaining enough to overlook the believability factor.  And really, an underground room that he dug himself?  Didn’t anyone ever tell him about the dangers of a cave-in? I love the photos of Larry’s possessions that he posts on his website to see if the clues can lead anyone to guess his identity.

This month’s book: The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian

Available now in the Young Adult Dept. I’ll post the review soon!