Tag Archives: Young Adult

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

American Literature June 30, 2008 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A spirited young woman takes on the all-male secret society at her boarding school, and not just because her boyfriend’s one of the leaders. Review: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks reminded me a lot of Rushmore, and that’s a good thing. It’s quirky and offbeat, combining intelligence and heart within a clever, original plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Frankie’s sabotage of the Secret Order of the Basset Hound stems from her sense that her boyfriend is underestimating her. In one sense, she’s just…

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

American Literature, Russian Literature May 15, 2008 Superfast Reader 14 Comments

Synopsis: A boy marked for termination and organ harvesting escapes into a world where he has no legal right to live. Review: I heard about Unwind from the Queens Library, in an email newsletter talking up good new young adult books. I’m so glad that I did, because it’s a dystopian thrill ride in the same vein as Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies trilogy, only with the same intellectual depth and emotional heart that you find in Lois Lowry’s The Giver. Here’s the deal with unwinding. Anyone…

Beauty by Robin McKinley

American Literature April 12, 2008 Superfast Reader 8 Comments

Synopsis: A retelling of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. Review: I suppose it’s because of all the babysitting I’ve done, but I just couldn’t shake the image of Belle in her big yellow dress as I read Robin McKinley’s Beauty. But setting that aside, I would have loved this when I was 12. It’s swoony and romantic, featuring a narrator who’s my kind of girl. It hews very closely to the classic tale, while adding some imaginative elements such as the whispering…

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

American Literature March 21, 2008 Superfast Reader 8 Comments

Synopsis: Deanna’s lived under a dark cloud ever since her dad caught her having sex when she was just 13, and her dreams of getting out just might expire under the weight of his disapproval. Review: I’m a latecomer getting to Sara Zarr’s National Book Award Finalist novel Story of a Girl, though it’s been on my radar for quite some time. I’m so glad I finally carved out some time to read it. I’ve often criticized young adult literature for piling on the woe,…

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

American Literature March 13, 2008 Superfast Reader 9 Comments

Synopsis: The concluding adventures of Gemma Doyle, proper Victorian debutante and keeper of the magic of a mystical world called the realms, which is threatened by intruders from the ominous Winterlands. Review: The Sweet Far Thing ends the trilogy that began with A Great and Terrible Beauty, followed by Rebel Angels. Gemma Doyle and her friends are boarding school girls in Victorian England. They should be focusing on their upcoming debuts, but instead their attentions are captured by a war brewing in the realms, the…

Another Literary Meme

On Reading March 4, 2008 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Found via Rhigirl— 1. When/how did you become an avid reader? I’ve loved to read as long as I can remember, ever since I was a little girl. I was totally the bookworm nerd that never wanted to do anything else. 2. What is your favorite genre for adult/young adult books? For YA, I am always a sucker for a good coming-of-age story. For adult books, well, obviously I am a huge fan of epic fantasy, but I also like a good crime novel. And…

Visibility by Sarah Neufeld

American Literature February 26, 2008 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: When introverted teen Natalie discovers that she has inherited her mother’s gift for invisibility, she’s caught between her desire to use her powers for good and her fears that her mother will find out. Review: Visibility was written when Sarah Neufeld was only 19, and it’s an impressive debut. She’s crafted a fresh take on the superhero origin story, thanks to her nuanced portrayal of Natalie, who is both brave and insecure and therefore utterly relatable. Natalie’s mother Jadyn is the only known invisible…

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

On Reading October 15, 2007 Superfast Reader 7 Comments

Synopsis: When Clay receives a box of cassette tapes recorded by a girl who recently committed suicide, he wonders why he was chosen as one of her thirteen reasons. Review: Compelling premise ultimately founders on muddled execution. Asher throws in at least four separate social problems as part of Hannah’s reasons for her suicide, and the construction ends up feeling far too contrived. This has the odd effect of making the story seem small, as though all of the suffering endured by the various characters…

Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles

American Literature October 8, 2007 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: Leah Greene is dead, and her ex-best friend Laine thinks it’s her fault because she hated Leah so much for what they did in the closet. Review: Lessons from a Dead Girl is definitely the kind of YA that I gravitated to when I was a teen: suggestive premise and hints of illicit activity, all masked in an object lesson about something or other. This is a fair-to-middling entrant in the subgenre. The writing is good with strong characters, but it never really soars…

The Arm of the Starfish by Madeleine L’Engle

American Literature September 16, 2007 Superfast Reader 10 Comments

Synopsis: A summer job turns into a game of strategy with potentially deadly consequences for a young aspiring scientist hoping to learn more about the implications of the regenerative powers of starfish. Review: Of course I had to read a L’Engle as soon as humanly possible, and I wanted to read one I hadn’t read before. I was unaware that The Arm of the Starfish featured some of the characters from the Wrinkle in Time books, most notably, Polyhymnia O’Keefe from An Acceptable Time. I…

reading is my superpower

i read all the books