Thoughts on YA Literature: Rules (Cynthia Lord)

Another book that I enjoyed was Cynthia Lord’s Rules. In a sense, I can relate to the character, though in a different light—I grew up doing different things from what would be typical for a normal child. I didn’t have the luxury of playing with that many children, particularly because my parents liked to keep us within the house. There wasn’t that much social interaction, unless I was in school.

The novel was presented as a story about a girl with an autistic younger brother. It is a coming-to-age story with a pinch of self-discovery, a common theme within the realm of YA literature. I particularly enjoyed this novel because of its simplicity with the mind of a young girl in constant battle with trying to fit in and be a normal girl growing up with normal friends and a normal family. At the same time, she knows that such a situation cannot happen because of how her life has been laid out for her. I can relate to the main character (Catherine) because I know the feeling of wanting to be normal. I think that transition for me was difficult, as it is for the main character’s realization that being different isn’t all that bad; in fact, it gives room to enjoy the little things in life.

My favorite character is Jason. I enjoyed Jason’s character development from a troubled boy who was highly dependent on his mother in the beginning of the story to someone who wishes to do things by himself in the end. He became much more independent than he was when readers first encounter him in the beginning of the story, although he is unable to communicate through vocals and uses a wheelchair. I noticed that despite his inabilities, Jason is a very strong character that influences many lives within the novel, particularly the protagonist. It is with Jason that Catherine first encounters someone who was able to voice the question of whether or not she was ashamed of him when he discovered that she was invited to go to the school dance. I believe that this was a turning point for me because I never thought about how many other incidents there were within the novel where somebody asked her what she thought about her situation. Her family in particular just assumed that she would adjust as much as they have for their younger child.

Honestly, I was surprised when the protagonist suddenly became aware of her differences as compared to her friends and accepted it in the end. I knew that there would be an ending where Catherine would have to find some sort of middle ground between her responsibilities. I think Catherine discovered, in addition to her accepting of how her life was different from her friends’ lives, that she was the only link for her younger brother to normalcy, although she may have felt handicapped herself because of the time and effort that she has had to spend with her brother.

Thoughts on YA Literature: Found: The Missing: Book 1 (Margaret Peterson Haddix)

Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Found is by far my favorite novels out of the ones that I have read for this class so far. I am not one for science fiction, but I made an exception for Found because of its adaptable characters. Though the plotline was quite predictable in terms of what the characters were going to do next and how the story would end for that particular novel; I thoroughly enjoyed spending the time that I did reading the novel.

I love the way that the author managed to transition the novel. It was definitely very easy to follow in terms of where I was at with the events. It was as if she was able to use the exact wording for her audience to keep the story moving with enough sidetracks. You could really see yourself watching as the story unfolds within your mind as you read. I think that is a very important aspect for a novel, if you are to be successful as a writer. The plot itself was very interesting as well; it fed the reader enough information to keep the reader going and wondering what the characters were going to do next. I noticed that Haddix had something for the characters as they were constantly doing something for some sort of cause. I thought that was a sort of hidden message for her targeted readers that they should perhaps start thinking about doing the same in the near future, as a way of developing what they want to know or find out about themselves with his or her friends.

This (book) made me think of the 1980s “Back into the Future” movies with Michael J. Fox. I suppose that sort of nostalgic emotion made me appreciate Found in more ways than one. I enjoyed the movie series when I was younger. I do not believe that the series will stop there for me. I believe that sometime in the future, I will have to pick up the entire series just to see the story progress. It’s amazing what these children are putting themselves through strangely out of curiosity! I wonder what Haddix has in store for her characters; will the two adopted children find peace within their lives? Are they really going to be sent back to their original time periods, or will there be an honest to goodness loophole somewhere unbeknownst to them (and everyone else)?

Why do you suppose Jonah’s sister has to tag along with the boys? I wonder oftentimes why Haddix has the only non-adopted child follow the boys around. There just has to be some sort of relevance between her and the plotline. I have a theory that maybe she is also an adopted child as well, but that sort of gesture does not appear within the text from what I remember.

Thoughts on YA Literature: Nelson Mandela (Y-KIDS)

I have read many manga before Y-KIDS’ Nelson Mandela. I wasn’t expecting anything different until I finally managed to get a copy of one in my hands. The first thing I noticed was that the format of the book was the traditional American-style (if I may call it that) instead of the Japanese-style. But all was forgiven as I started to read the manga itself. I love the way that someone decided to implement history with 21st century literacy. I have never thought that such a thing would happen. Personally, I have experience with parents that look at any form of cartoon to be a waste of time. I would have never picked up any sort of biography if it weren’t for something like this. I enjoyed the fictional aspect to the manga, as well as the actual biographical information that is presented. I like how there are appendixes at the end of the book to further explain the life of Nelson Mandela; why he is important, etc.

A question I have is: how closely related is the manga to the actual historical events that took place with Nelson Mandela’s life? How condense is this graphic novel to the accounts that lead up to Nelson Mandela’s presidency? I wonder, although these historical biographies are meant for kids (I assume because of the author Y-KIDS), how much has been left out about Mandela and how much information these writers and publishers are spelling out for their young audiences. Is there some sort of censorship between the realities of historical figures not including Mandela? If so, is it really necessary?

Frankly, I am not a person that has ever been interested in history—so Nelson Mandela was just another name that I have heard. I began to think of other figures of history that I have missed out on. This manga may have just as well opened new doors for me to venture. I wonder if there are any other publications such as this one (aside from those listed on the syllabus and in the back of the book). I am sure that what I felt with this Y-KIDS’ production would be similar to other readers. I am quite anxious to see what the other manga by Y-KIDS are like. I also hope that there will be more productions similar to this for its audience. As of now, if I were to be teaching historical figures to young children, I would use these novels as an introductory point for them. And with that I hope that students become interested because of the way that these biographies are being presented; it is definitely one of the much enjoyable ways to learn content, and I feel that that, to some extent, we must conform to what keeps our students interested and motivated to learn.

Thoughts on YA Literature: Need (Carrie Jones)

I was excited when I first heard about this book. Quite honestly, I thought that I would enjoy reading this novel first. I was surprised when I began to read the text, thinking that it would be “awesome.” I quickly became aware that this novel was not going to be as exciting as I thought it was going to be. I did not even reach halfway through the book. I was confused when this happened; but as time permitted, I put down the book and started to read another one. I allowed myself a little break from Carrie Jones’ novel, coming back a few days later to finish the rest of the story. I noticed personally that this novel is not one that I could have read straight through without taking a break. I thought that there were too many instances where information was lacking; but perhaps it was the way that the author had wanted that to be. Personally, I sensed no real excitement even though I knew what was happening with Zara and her friends. I felt that I was thrown into a world unbeknownst to myself although the plot seemed clear for me.

I have come up with a theory: that there just has to be a prequel to this novel that would have made better sense of what was going on with the protagonist, her family and friends. I felt incomplete at the end of the book because I didn’t feel that the novel should have been “the beginning;” it felt like a sequel to another book that isn’t in print because this novel is where the series starts. I like the scheme of where the author is going with the novel. I think that Jones could have done better with introducing the Need series.

My favorite part would be Zara’s encounter of her otherness. Although I did not care much for Jones’ style in textual combat, I thought that was perhaps one of the exciting parts of the novel. I sensed a bit of symbolism between Zara and her entombment of her own identity as she and her friends drove away from the scene. I could see that she really believe or want to believe that she was an actual part of the mythical realm. Because of this belief of what the scene meant, I believe that this novel contributes much to the idea that YA literature’s primary make-up of being a coming-to-age or self-discovery plotline.

My favorite character is Issie because it really seemed that even though there were so many things happening within the story, she is generally the only character that would be considered normal, happy and pleasant. I believe that Issie is a character that Jones intentionally placed into the novel to balance out everything else that was happening between Zara, Devyn, Nick, and Betty. At the same time, as one progresses through the novel, there was never really a moment where Issie does not consider herself to be any less part of the “group;” and there is never a time where her friends block her completely from whatever situation. It proves then that Issie, to her friends, is a vital part of their team.

Perhaps another go for this book; I have not given up on it yet! And I’m sure her other novels will do the series justice. Although I did not enjoy Jones’ first novel, the book was quite an interesting read. At the moment, I wonder if Jones makes up for the openness in her sequel; perhaps that is why I felt the way I did when I finished Need. I hope that by the time I am finished with the rest of her novels that I would feel differently. I have really enjoyed the content that Jones presents within her novel.

Galley Review: The Devouring (Book 2): Soulstice (Simon Holt)

Soulstice, written by Simon Holt (Galley Book)
© 2009 by Star Farm Productions; Little, Brown and Company (New York)

If you are seeking a new science fiction novel, then perhaps Simon Holt’s Soulstice is for you. The advance reading edition that I managed to come across was published in 2009 by Star Farm Productions. This 266-page turner is exquisite in an atypical way. The story takes place presumably after Holt’s first book called The Devouring. Having not read Holt’s first novel, the concepts between the textual lines were not hard to navigate. The characters are easily adaptable; Reggie for her adventurousness and flawless bravery and Aaron, who is surprised and betrayed by his only best friend.

The Vours are back again in Soulstice and Reggie is back on the prowl to stop the demonic beings from taking over the world. She is faced with countless encounters, including a few shadowy characters with which she will have to make many decisions whether or not to trust. Armed with dignity and faith of the world at her fingertips, Reggie manages to find a door that leads to many secrets which could perhaps change everything. Equipped with flawless narratives, Holt challenges the reader’s mind by appealing to the senses. The author gives you enough to keep reading and discovering with the characters as they walk through the depths of Hell and back. Chronologically, Holt is able to clearly depict for his readers at which point on the timeline he or she is presently in. The characters have been developed so clearly that the reader will instantaneously know who is who and most importantly where.

A downside to this novel: there is very little to work with when it comes to illustrations. The only one that you will find remotely interesting is the cover design—a mixture of font used for the book’s title and author’s name. There is half of a boy’s face on the cover surrounded by what seems to be yellow smoke. The primary colors used on the cover are white, black, and yellow, which may all signify caution, evil, and some pure humanity. I believe that some form of artwork would have helped bring out the basic fact that… Vours are downright creepy.

I would recommend this book to any science fiction or horror lover. I believe that Simon Holt did a wonderful job in attaching the plot and characters to the reader’s senses. The book, again, although I have not read the prequel, was very engaging. I thought that my time spent reading this novel was worth it. I would not recommend teaching this novel to students that are below 7th grade, simply because there are some graphical content. I do not recall any vocabulary that would be considered difficult for 7th grade. The book itself was an easy flow, easy to understand. I would rate this book an eight out of ten!

Thoughts on YA Literature: Hex Hall (Hawkins) & Found (Haddix)

I am reading about a dozen or so books this semester that could be used within a classroom filled with young adults. I will probably mention a few novels here and there that I find interesting. For the first few weeks of school, I read Hex Hall, by Rachel Hawkins, and Margaret Peterson Haddix's Found.

Currently, I am reading Need, by Carrie Jones and I will be starting Cynthia Lord's Rules, hopefully by this weekend.

I am not going to talk much about these books since I believe that everybody should probably learn for themselves, what is available between the pages. Young adult literature are not hard reads; quite honestly, if you do not do a lot of reading and just want to pass the time by, I suggest picking up any of these books just to escape. I found the majority of what I have read so far to be enjoyable. Some of them are too slow for my liking, but everybody has their own choices and opinions.

If you like J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, then perhaps you should pick up Hex Hall by Carrie Jones. I found a lot of similarities between Jones's novel and Rowling's Harry Potter. I was a bit shocked at first with what the book would be like when I heard about it from my professor; but I surprisingly found it a bit comforting that I was able to find myself indulged within the text itself. Though similar, there are quite a few twists and turns that I never thought would of been possible in the HP series. Although a bit too much like HP, HH was a good distraction from what HP-hype.

Haddix's Found was breath-taking. This is perhaps my favorite novel so far out of the three that I have read or am currently reading. I'm not sure where to even begin explaining this novel; there is just a lot of things going on within this text that I would not want to further explain before I end up ruining the story itself. If you like science fiction, I would strongly recommend this short read. And if you do not like sci-fi, pick this novel up anyway. I never thought of myself as a science fiction lover and I couldn't put this down.


I am only halfway through Need. To be frank, I am not enjoying this novel. I was excited to start this piece of work by Carrie Jones, but it has been a slow build up so far. I am not sure what is wrong with it; or perhaps it is just me. Honestly, the reading has just been a tedious task for me. I do not find myself wanting to read the novel. Unfortunately, I will have to push myself through it, just so I can get on with the rest of what I have to do for this course. And if that doesn't work, I'll have to just pick up another book. If that is the case, you will hear some excerpt about Rules in the near future.