Book Review: Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Title: Tricks
Author: Ellen Hopkins
# of Pages: 627
Published: 2009
Rating: 5/5
From the Publisher:

"When all choice is taken from you, life becomes a game of survival."

Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching...for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don't expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words "I love you" are said for all the wrong reasons.

Five moving stories remain separate at first, then interweave to tell a larger, powerful story -- a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. A story about kids figuring out what sex and love are all about, at all costs, while asking themselves, "Can I ever feel okay about myself?"

Review:
From the moment I opened Tricks' pages, I was hooked. The story focuses on five teenagers: Eden, a preacher's daughter; Seth, a farm-boy dealing with the death of his mother and the discovery of his homosexuality; Whitney, who has always been second-best; Ginger, whose 'working mom' betrays her time and again, and finally, Cody, who does anything to make ends meet.

When I first began to read, I was a little worried that having five characters, five different stories, might be confusing. It turns out there was no need to worry; Hopkins distinguishes every character and story perfectly. She brings life and history to each trouble teenager, splattering their pain onto each page.

I don't want to give too much away because when I began the novel, I had no idea where it would end up and it had a great impact. I would have lost this impact had I know what was coming for each character. Tricks made me cry, and had me sick to my stomach; the stories were raw, painful and honest. What's scarier though, is that these stories are someone's reality.

Book Review: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Title: Go Ask Alice
Author: Anonymous
# of Pages: 212
Published: 1971
Rating: 2/5

Summary:

From Wikipedia:
Go Ask Alice is a controversial 1971 book about the life of a troubled teenage girl. The book purports to be the actual diary of an anonymous teenage girl who died of a drug overdose in the late 1960s and is therefore presented as a testimony against drug use. Alice is not the protagonist's name; the actual diarist's name is never given in the book.

From Chapters.ca:
She doesn't want to get hooked on drugs. Every time after she uses, she feels guilty and low and vows to stay away. But she just can't resist the way the drugs make her feel - beautiful and popular and connected to the world around her. And since nobody understands how alone and miserable she is without the drugs, how can they possibly understand how much she needs them? We may not know her name, but we can imagine how she feels as her diary records a descent into drug-induced madness.

Review:

This review may contain some spoilers.
I had high expectations of this novel after hearing many good reviews and hearing that many high schools had read this book in their literature courses. Sadly, I was disappointed. I expected a detailed account of her drug use, her addiction, and the terrible consequences such as living on the street, starving, prostitution, rape, etc. I expected something that would really reach out to me, and make me feel emotionally involved with the speaker.

But no. Personally, I found the speaker way too immature to connect with. She would move back and forth incredibly often from loving drugs and saying they made her feel alive and that parents just couldn't understand to hating drugs and feeling extremely guilty. There was enough description about the way drugs affected her, but very little time spent on the consequences. In one entry, she states that she and her friend were raped and then she simply moves on. I didn't find it very believable for a 15 year-old girl to "move on" so quickly from being physically violated. It did not feel like I was reading a real diary, but in fact a novel pieced together in the form of a "diary". Certainly she spoke of personal matters, but her emotions felt fake - I couldn't connect with her at all.

Go Ask Alice has been published under the pretense that it was an actual diary of a 15 year-old girl who fell into the cruel world of drugs. However, Beatrice Sparks, the editor, claimed that Go Ask Alice had been based on the diary of one of her patients, but that she had added various fictional incidents based on her experiences working with other troubled teens. She said the real girl had not died of a drug overdose, but in a way that could have been either an accident or suicide. She also stated that she could not produce the original diary, because she had destroyed part of it after transcribing it and the rest was locked away in the publisher's vault. (Wikipedia - Go Ask Alice)

Personally, this sounds like a lie. After reading Go Ask Alice, I don't believe at all that this was diary of a teenage girl. I believe this was a novel intended to try and scare teenagers to stay away from drugs. Although an admirable cause, stating that this novel was a work of non-fiction when it isn't, takes away its best quality: its impact on young readers. If a reader felt they were reading the real, original diary of a addicted teenager, they may feel a much stronger connection and the story may have a much stronger impact.

Overall, I give Go Ask Alice a 2/5 for its false pretenses, its lack of description and its unconvincing account of a teenage drug addict.

(* cross posted from the collective blog Collision

Book Review: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Title: The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
# of Pages: 325
Published: April 20, 2004
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

This 2002 debut novel by Alice Sebold tells the story of a teenage girl who, after being murdered, watches from heaven as her family and friends go on with their lives, while she herself comes to terms with her own death.

I first heard of this novel at the beginning of the year when I stumble upon a review online. I was intrigued by the idea of a murdered girl as the narrator, and I finally picked up the novel a week ago. Once I began reading, I couldn't stop. When the novel begins, we understand how her killer tricked her and how her murder unfolded.

Susie narrates her family's reaction to her disappearance and later, the news of her murder. The characters Sebold created are amazing but not unbelievable. The father who drowns in Susie's death; too focused on his loss to work or be a proper father and husband. The mother, numb and empty, who wants to escape haunted memories. The sister, who deals with being 'the sister of the dead girl' and the baby brother who can't understand why his oldest sister isn't home.

From the moment Susie's murder is announced, I wanted to know if her murderer would be caught, if her family would become closer or fall apart from the tragic loss, and if Susie would pass from the 'in-between' to a final place of rest. This novel kept me reading till the wee hours of the morning, wondering just how Sebold would end the story.

I don't want to spoil anything for potential future readers (and there's a lot I could spoil), so I'll end by saying that although this novel wasn't perfect and I had hoped certain things would turn out differently, it was well-written and had my full attention from the first page.


(* cross posted from the collective blog Collision)

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
# of Pages: 224
Published: 1999
Genre: Teen
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful nover that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Review:

I'd seen this simple cover many times at Chapters and one day, I finally decided to give it a shot. I'm really glad I did because this book is really great. Although it follows the daily trials of a teenage boy in high school, it's far from ordinary. Charlie sees life differently from others - he's wiser than his years and provides insights about human emotions and interactions that really hit home. As well, the underlying emotional trauma Charlie has repressed explodes at the end of the novel, shocking and frightening all at once.

This novel has a great collection of quotes that may be able to explain the book better than I can. Here are a few of my favourites:

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

"Because things change. And friends leave. And life doesn’t stop for anybody."

"Do you always think this much, Charlie?" "Is that bad?" "Not necessarily. It's just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life." "Is that bad?" "Yes."

And probably it's most famous quote:

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

(* cross posted from the collective blog Collision)

Book Review: Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Title: Impulse
Author: Ellen Hopkins
# of Pages: 688
Published: May 2008
Genre: Teen
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act -- 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.

In one instant each of these young people decided enough was enough. They grabbed the blade, the bottle, the gun -- and tried to end it all. Now they have a second chance, and just maybe, with each others help, they can find their way to a better life -- but only if they're strong and can fight the demons that brought them here in the first place.

Review:

I had heard of Ellen Hopkins' novels, and I was intrigued that her novels were written in verse. One of my roommates bought me this novel as a Christmas gift, and I was excited to give Hopkins a chance. At first, I found it difficult to read a novel written entirely in verse. However, after reading a few poems in, I understood that the story was clear. I had expected the story to be difficult to understand because it was written in verse but I was surprised to find dialogue and action clearly written.

I was very intrigued with the idea of three teenagers in a rehabilitation center, and so the story really appealed to me. The story slowly reveals the reasons behind the suicide attempts of Vanessa, Tony and Conner; problems with drugs, cutting and abuse. Once I began, I could barely stop reading; I was so eager to read and find out just what happened to each of them.

The stories of hardship did not disappoint; although the ending did surprise me. I don't want to ruin anything, but I did not expect such an ending and I was taken aback.

I would definitely recommend this novel and encourage people to try and look past the interesting style of writing and find the great story within.

(* cross posted from the collective blog Collision)

Book Review: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Title: Along for the Ride
Author: Sarah Dessen
# of Pages: 384
Published: June 16, 2009
Genre: Teen
Rating: 3/5

Summary:

It has been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parentsa divorceaor since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life sheas been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

Review:

When I hear Sarah Dessen had a new book coming out, I was excited. I'd read the majority of her other novels,and I always enjoyed her work. This novel was no different; the story was heartwarming and I felt for Auden, Eli and Heidi (Auden's step-mother). Auden and Eli's late night quests reminded me of my nocturnal habits and I couldn't help but agree with Auden's realization that "the night changed things, widening out the scope. What we said to each other, the things we did, they all took on a bigger meaning in the dark. Like time was sped up and slowed down, all at once,".

Although this novel appealed to my fantasies of late-night adventures and spending a summer in a small town or village, I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed with Dessen. Her novels are all similar and I had hoped that she would depart a little more from her norm and explore her talents further. Even so, I would recommend this novel to any Dessen fan or anyone who enjoys a good teen novel.

(* cross posted from the collective blog Collision)

Book Review: The Kite Runner

Title: The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini
# of Pages: 401
Published:
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5/5

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption. And it is also about the power of fathers over sons -- their love, their sacrifices, their lies...

After having this novel for approximately a year and letting it gather dust on my bookself, I finally decided to read it. I really should have read it sooner because this book is phenomenal.

This emotional story is told from the point of view of the protagonist, Amir, as he recounts his childhood and the horrible event that scarred him and his life afterward. Set in Kabul, beginning prior to the Russian invasion and the Taliban regime, Afghanistan's violent history acts as a backdrop to this powerful story.

The Kite Runner surprised me several times, and had me completely immersed within the first couple pages. This novel is not for the faint-hearted; some of the events are chilling. It's shocking to realize that many of the events in this novel really did happen or do happen. This book really touched me, and I'll admit I did cry quite a few times. I don't want to give much away because this novel really did surprise me, and it would have much less impact if the storyline was completely revealed. I'm very happy to have an Afghan novelist writing in English to give a native perspective on a country that's so present in political life.

This novel is well-written and the style was easy to read and follow. Hosseini added a lot of Farsi words (with English translation) that really connected the story with it's strong culture. I greatly enjoyed this novel, and I would recommend it to anyone. I award Khaled Hosseini's spectacular debut novel, The Kite Runner, a 5/5 for a compelling and touching story.