Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

December Defies Definition 

One of my favorite things about YA lit: its flexibility and willingness to think outside the box. This month I'm focusing on titles that are written in a non-traditional way. One plays with typography and space. One crosses out text to show thought, but not speech. One is written entirely in verse style. Technology continues to provide us with new ways of telling stories, and these are just a few. What is your favorite? 

Everything is different without you. It's been a year, your birthday again...I'm not thinking of you again. I'm not. Walking to school, and I find an envelope just sitting there in the woods. Inside was a picture...of the same woods. Where was it from? Who left it here? I want to show it to you.

The next day, there's another picture. This time it surprised me. It was of me. I never let anyone take my picture. Except you. I showed it to Jack. He said it was freaky. Freaky. Another after school, nailed to a telephone pole. A picture of a bridge. So I went there, and I found another one. A picture of someone taking a picture. Someone else was there that day...

In my locker, another picture: this time of you. Not shoved between the cracks, but taped up; someone broke in to put this here. But I had never seen this picture. "I have never seen this photo before. I have never seen this photo before," (Levithan pg. 52, 2011). How? I knew you better than anyone. Me and Jack. But he doesn't know either. Weren't you the one who said, "He'll never know me like you do," (pg. 61)?

The next photograph showed up in Jack's locker. A picture of a grave. Your first kiss with Jack. Are you punishing us? It had to be someone who knew you, someone with whom you shared a connection...but who? And why don't I know? And why?

More pictures appear holding images of you and someone else. "Sparrow" it says on the back. I'm starting to lose it, I've been losing it ever since you disappeared. Jack doesn't want to talk about it, he wants to 'move on' and he accuses me of being the one who is doing this. He just wants to turn it off, all the hurt and pain and forget you...but I can't.

Evan and Jack tried to be everything for Ariel. Evan was her undyingly loyal best friend, and Jack was her boyfriend. The three of them...until Ariel started getting sucked under by mental illness. Can Evan and Jack discover who is playing this sick game on them? Will they ever forgive themselves for their choices?

Written as a series of pictures and words, this novel is a new take on incorporating mixed media. The photographs are powerful, and the style Levithan choses to express emotion and inner voice are too. Highly recommended, a great story for high schoolers about doing the right thing and forgiving yourself.

"5B
I knew you were at the center of it.
This should not have surprised me, since you had always been at the center of things. Nobody would have put you anywhere else. Especially me.
Even now, you refused to be pixelated, forgotten, silenced, erased. Not that I wanted to erase you. The opposite. I wanted the opposite," (Levithan pg. 42, 2011).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green
The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Exposed by Kimberly Marcus
Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan

Levithan, David, & Farmer, Jonathan. (2011). Every You, Every Me. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

The Geography of Girlhood by Kirsten Smith

Penny is just a girl. Fourteen, no mom, no boyfriend, two pretty good friends...and dread for the fall: the start of high school. Her one best friend is going a little wacko. Her other best friend is starting to push for popular. She's just stuck in between.

The Jenny's run the school. She should know, since Jenny Arnold has threatened to end her life for flirting with her boyfriend. Penny didn't mean to, but who would turn down attention from a hottie like that? It was strictly hands off.

Besides, Randall Faber has a crush on her. Elaine encourages this match, almost more for the normalcy than mutual attraction. Your first kiss has to be someone, right? It feels too controlled, he even picks out her lip gloss flavor.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

There are advantages to having a dad who buys you guilt gifts...like getting a new computer when your dad has his first baby with his new wife! It's 1996, and Emma decides it could definitely be worse. When her next-door neighbor, and childhood best friend, Josh brings by a new AOL disk with a free trial on it, she can't wait to get started! Something weird happens when she signs on though, a site she's never heard of pops up: Facebook. There's a picture of a woman whose name is Emma Jones...and she looks alarmingly like an older version of herself. Whoa, they have the same birthday too.

Weirded out, Emma enlists Josh's help. He's on it too, and he's married to Sydney? One of the hottest girls in school? Wait a minute, what kind of sick joke is this? It isn't until they look through some of the pictures posted as "The Good Old Days," and find a picture that hasn't even been developed yet (they rush to the one hour photo to confirm), that they start to accept the truth: this Facebook thing is a portal 15 years into their future!

Emma starts to notice that little things change, and she decides to experiment. She's going to change her future. She's going to make it better. This guy she's married to now seems like a real jerk. She's not sure what an iPad is, but she's pretty sure her husband shouldn't be using her money to buy one! Goodbye, Mr. Jones; hello, Mr. Right...or so she thinks.

Josh on the other hand can't believe his future good fortune! He wants nothing to do with any actions that could negatively influence his happy union with Sydney. Not to mention, ever since last summer when he kissed Emma, things have been weird. This latest adventure bringing them together doesn't change the fact that things can never be the same between them.

When Emma starts acting recklessly, pushing boundaries that a friend shouldn't push, Josh isn't sure what to do. He's trying to move on, and build a future with Sydney. Why is Emma pulling her old tricks? Is she really so selfish? Josh is having his own doubts: could perfect, future wife Sydney be not as perfect as everyone thinks? Now, future Emma is threatening to cancel her Facebook account!

This paired narrative is told in alternating chapters, Asher writes Josh, Mackler writes Emma. Relive the spot on 90s references, along with this sci-fi tinged coming of age story. I related to so much of this story, having been a sophomore in high school in 1996. Some of the references will be lost on this generation, which makes this a great crossover title for adults.

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski

Asher, Jay and Mackler, Carolyn. (2011). The Future of Us. New York: Razorbill.

My Name is Mina (and I Love the Night.) by David Almond

Mina loves the night. She loves birds and moonlight. She loves black cats named Whisper and weird creatures, like herself. She's writing a journal with all her thoughts and whims. Sometimes she leaves pages blank, just to leave them. Sometimes she reiterates, to let us know something is important. Sometimes she fills the whole page with words that she likes. If she wants, she can write a story in 3rd person. The mind is a place of wonder! It is!

There was a time when she couldn't be so free with her words. When she used to go to St. Bede's, her teacher Mrs. Scullery told her to plan everything she would write. Mrs. Scullery didn't understand why Mina's story did not follow her original plan, or Mina's explanation of "I don't want it to," (Almond pg. 15, 2011). Mina likes being nonsensical!

So she doesn't go to St. Bede's anymore. Schools are cages. She is homeschooled, and Mina and her mom do wonderful things. They eat bananas and make clay models and read encyclopedias and learn about archaeopteryx and talk about Heaven. That's where Mina's dad lives. Once, Mina thought she would go down to the Underworld to steal him back from Pluto and Persephone...but she got scared by Cerebrus, so she decided to go back home.

"Perfection is BORING! Perfection is EMPTY! Perfection is NOTHINGNESS!" (pg. 31). Speaking of imperfection: Mr. Myers' house is far from perfect. Since he died, they have put the house on the market. Mina and her mother are hoping for people who are Interesting! Mina's mom thinks it will be someone who wants a fixer-upper.

Did you know that most dust is made up of tiny fragments of human skin? "EXTRAORDINARY ACTIVITY: Stare at Dust that Dances in the Light" (pg. 73).

Two things happened that led to being homeschooled: SATS Day, and Corinthian Avenue Pupil Referral Unit. Those stories have to be told in 3rd person. The good news is that Mina created some very lovely words like claminosity! and blippistrakor! She also made some friends at Corinthian, but I'll let her tell you the rest.

This prequel to the Prinz Honor award-winning Skellig, is delightful in its whimsical look at early adolescence. Every girl should have a journal filled with just as much fun and honesty, and the publishers did a lovely job with typography. Highly recommended for middle school, and anyone who needs more joy in their everyday. Mina doesn't fit in, but she shows us that it's ok to be different.

"I look into the night. I see owls and bats

that fly and flicker across the moon.

Somewhere out there, Whisper the cat

is slipping through the shadows.

I close my eyes and it's like those creatures are moving inside me,

almost like I'm a kind of weird creature myself,

a girl whose name is Mina

but more than just a girl whose name is Mina," (pg. 10).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
Skellig by David Almond
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous-Life by Rachel Renee Russell (Dork Diaries, Book 1)
How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford 

Almond, David. (2011). My Name is Mina (and I love the night. Anything seems possible at night when the rest of the world has gone to sleep). New York: Delacorte Press.

The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu (Chronus Chronicles, Book 1)

November is Messing With Mythology

This month's titles deal with mythology. What does that mean, you may ask? Mythology relates to the study of myths as they relate to a culture. Frequently this means gods, goddesses, creation stories...and the like. It's a rising trend in YA lit, and I am a fan. Several of these take traditional mythology and turn it on its head. All promise to entertain.

Charlotte doesn't quite know what to think about this latest news. Her cousin (who lives in London) is moving to the States. While she had hoped to use his prime location as a jumping point to pursue her dream of living in France as a photographer, that was also her only aspiration involving said cousin. Plus, since she found Mew (Bartholomew, Mew for short), her new kitten, very little upsets her. Of course, the fact that her best friend seems to have contracted a mysterious illness is upsetting, now that she thinks about it.

Zee (Zachary, Zee for short)'s story starts a bit earlier. He planned to spend the summer in Exeter with Grandmother Winter, just like every year, and he would play on the club football team (that's soccer, for you Yanks), and maybe - just maybe - get to see Samantha sometimes. Everything started out okay; when he arrived, Grandmother had been baking up a storm! He even sees his crush Samantha, and makes plans to hang out. That's when disaster strikes: Grandmother Winter is dead. With her dying breath, she whispers "Metos." Zee is left with a hole where she used to be. Of course, he's supposed to meet up with Samantha not long after. He goes to tell her he can't make it, but she's come down with a mysterious illness...just like almost every other kid in Exeter - except him. Zee is starting to get weirded out.

When they go back to London, Zee starts to think maybe it was all in his head. That is, until all his friends in London start succumbing to the same mysterious illness. When he tries to tell his parents that he feels like it may be following him...they ship him off to a therapist, and then to the States. *sigh*

When he arrives, Charlotte and Zee have a very crazy conversation, in which he outlines how he feels somewhat responsible for the weird illness. More pieces start to fall into place when they are chased by creepy tall faceless men in tuxedos. They are rescued by none other than Mr. Metos, Charlotte's substitute English teacher, who has most recently been teaching Greek mythology (a subject she knows rather well). It isn't until he tells them the real story that they begin to put the pieces together. Philonecron is a disgruntled demigod: born in the Underworld, and desperate for power. After his last play for the throne, Hades banished him (did I mention that the Greek Underworld is a real thing? Well, it is...), but now he's hatched another crazy plan. This one involves Zee and Charlotte. This one involves stealing the shadows of the children of the world, enchanting them with a drop of Zee's blood, and using them to overthrow Hades, King of the Underworld.

Whew. Sounds complicated. Good thing Mr. Metos is going to take care of it...except then they get a note saying that he's captured, and everything is up to the two of them! A bird guides them to some weird corridor in the Mall, and they make their way down. Only at the point of no return do they realize that Mr. Metos didn't summon them after all, Philonecron did! Can they find a way to stop him before the Underworld is in chaos? Can they save the shadows of the children whom they've been stolen from? Can they stop the power-hungry demigod before it's too late?

Well written, and told in a slightly non-sequential way, this is a story that keeps you interested. It holds some of the draw of Riordan, and some of the whimsy of Rowling. I enjoyed the wordplay, and the inner dialog. I may even read the others in this series!

"The man-like men were extremely tall, extremely think, and extremely pale. They were wearing old-fashioned tuxedos, and their skin looked like dirty plaster. One of the man-like men was holding the boy, the other was reaching into the boy's chest, which was giving way like jelly. The boy was screaming. Zee stood, absolutely unable to move, while the second man-like man started pulling something long and black and flimsy from the boy's chest. And then the boy stopped screaming and seemed to collapse on the spot. The second man-like man took the bladck thing and folded it up like fabric, while the first picked up a shiny black physician's bag and held it open with an accomodating nod. The second smiled graciously and carefully tucked the black thing away, while the first tapped the boy on the forehead three times. The second took the bag, latched it, and gave his partner a satisfied nod, and they both brushed off their hands," (Ursu pg. 159, 2006).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:

Siren Song by Anne Ursu (Chronus Chronicles, Book 2)

Iris, Messenger by Sarah Deming

Mister Monday by Garth Nix (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1)

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (Underland Chronicles, Book 1)

Ursu, Anna. (2006). The Shadow Thieves. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

The best part of Alice's day is watching "Skateboard Guy" cruise past her window, every day at 9:30 am. The rest of the day is devoted to hiding out, keeping her mother's secret, taking care of herself and her mother's business, and pretending that everything is ok. No one can know that Belinda Amorous, "Queen of Romance," suffers from bipolar disorder. No one can know that she's been practically comatose for the past three months. No one can know that Alice dropped out of boarding school to come home and take care of all the business that her mother isn't capable of handling...because then everything would fall apart.

At 16, Alice has been doing this for most of her life: taking responsibility for her mother's illness. She has been answering emails, and fielding phone calls. Today, she's standing in for her mother at a book signing (which she forged beforehand), and assuring everyone that Belinda is overseas, researching her next book. If her fans knew the truth...but Alice doesn't have time to think about that. While there, something weird happens. An alarming cute guy in a black hoodie (Errol) comes up to her, and insists that she write his book. Not sure what to do after he shoves a smelly envelope of notes at her, she gets stuck holding it. Great, all she needs is some weirdo trying to get his book published.

At home, there's a new problem: the publishing company is threatening to reclaim the $100,000 advance unless they receive a new book. In addition to not having $100 grand, Alice needs the royalty checks to pay the bills. In-patient care is far from reasonably priced...especially for a facility that offers massages and manicures. The hospital is threatening to kick her mother out if she can't pay by the due date. Mom's not exactly up to writing the next Hunger of the Heart.

Maybe she can kill two birds with one stone...write Errol's story and submit it to Heartstrings Publishing! Did I mention that Errol thinks he's Cupid, the real Cupid, and his story is about his love affair with Psyche? He insists that the true story needs to be told. She doesn't believe him until he flings something at her, and she can't stop thinking about him. Find Errol are the only two words that seem to fit inside her head. When she does find him, he's moved into her building, and forces her to drink Craig's Clam Juice...which he alleges is the only thing that can cure the love-sickness his arrows inspire. Yeah, you read that right: he is saying he shot Alice with an arrow of love. She must admit, it doesn't really make sense that one minute she can't stop thinking about Tony (cute skateboarding guy), and the next she's crazy for Errol...whom she thinks is creepy and crazy. Could there be any truth to his story?

"I wanted, more than anything, to be near Errol. Yes, that demanding, handsome guy in the black hoodie who believed he was Cupid and who had thrown something at me. That guy.
When I reached out, I wanted to find him standing there. When I listened, I wanted to hear his voice. When I inhaled, I wanted to inhale his scent. I didn't ask myself why I felt that way, didn't wonder why my thoughts had moved from Tony - who was clearly obsession-worthy - to Errol, who was clearly...weird," (Selfors pg. 98, 2011).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors
Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman
Temping Fate by Esther Friesner

Selfors, Suzanne. ((2011). Mad Love. New York: Walker.

Temping Fate by Esther Friesner

Ilana is reaching the last of the last chances to land a summer job. If she can't, her parents have "promised to figure something out"...which pretty much translates into something horrible (like band camp *shudder*). This last interview is actually a shot in the dark. She found a business card for D.R. Temps in her sister's room.

All the other prospective employers have been turned off by That Attitude Thing, or maybe her "ORC: the other green meat" shirt. She's determined to behave herself this time. The only thing that really has her worried is the small skull she drew on her cheek that won't come off...shouldn't have used permanent ink I guess? The temp agency is...not what she expected. First she has to jimmy her way in the door, then the crazy woman in charge berates her for everything about her appearance but the tiny cheek skull! Maybe this job won't be so bad after all? That's when Mrs. Atatosk starts in with the "We love your sister" bit, just like everyone else. How can she possibly live up to perfect Dyllin expectations? Just when Ilana is about to say forget it, she is handed an envelope containing $500. In advance. For a job she hasn't even tried to do.

Friday morning arrives, and so does she, at Tabby Fabricant Textiles. Let's just say it isn't what she was expecting: what with the proprietors actually being the Fates and all. You know, the women in charge of your life line? The ones who make (Clotho), measure (Lachesis), and cut (Atropos) the span of your life?!?!?! This cannot be happening. There cannot be a temp agency for the gods, can there? The weekly temp meeting that afternoon convinces her that she isn't losing it, and actually calms her down a bit. It turns out Dyllin actually did this for years, and (outside of being a complete psychotic Bridezilla lately) doesn't seem worse for wear. She could get used to this...

The summer is progressing nicely: she's made friends with Arachne, as well as with some of the other temps. While there have been a few bumps in the road (manipulating life threads can be very entertaining), overall she's having a great time. With the end of summer - and Dyllin's wedding - approaching, it seems she might survive after all! It's not like one of the other temps will steal power from a god to try and wreck the wedding...that wouldn't happen...nah...

Light-hearted and funny, this is a great quick read. Friesner weaves in mythology effortlessly. Recommended for middle school and up.

"'Like it?' The spider lounged in the empty tray, idly paging through a small booklet with the title So, You're Going to Control the Destiny of the World. "Aren't you glad you stopped whining about 'Ooh, I wouldn't, I couldn't, I shouldn't, what if the Fates found out?' and just tried it? See? Nothing bad happened. In fact, I'd say you are definitely having a major educational experience here.'
'This is just...awesome.' Ilana wasn't really listening to the spider anymore. She was too fascinated by the wonders passing before her eyes to remind Arachne that she'd been the one who'd been so upset at the thought of a newbie temp being given spindle-sitting duty," (Friesner pg. 104, 2006).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner
The Wee Free Men by Terry Prachett
Pandora Gets Jealous by Carolyn Hennesy

Friesner, Esther. (2006). Temping fate. New York: Dutton Children's Books.