Cover Impressions: First of all, kudos for having cover models who actually look like thThis and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes
Cover Impressions: First of all, kudos for having cover models who actually look like the characters (double kudos for having an Asian character and *GASP! an Asian Model - IT CAN BE DONE!) This is the type of cover that would definitely appeal to my jr high girls. The faded colors work really well and I enjoy the effect of the transparent title overlay.
The Gist: On the picturesque Jar Island the teenage population subsists on partying and gossip. Three unlikely friends, Lillia, Kat, and Mary secretly band together in a "Strangers on a Train" - esque plot in order to take down the people who have made their lives miserable.
Review: Oh so much potential! I was really looking forward to this book. As a teacher, I see mean kids every day and, once in a while, there is a teen so heinous and cruel that you can't help hoping that they get their comeuppance one day. I was hoping that this book would let me live out those schadenfreudian fantasies but, instead, it just left me feeling sad.
Three kids were targeted for revenge: Alex, Rennie and Reeve. While each of the kids had done horrible things, they didn't seem to be cruel enough to deserve these punishments. As such, I couldn't force myself to side with the main characters against them. One particular problem that I had was that so much time was concentrated on Alex. Of the three, he was the least deserving. He was (to me) just a nice guy who made a mistake (possibly). A good 3/4ths of the books was spent on minor pranks used to humiliate Alex. I found myself cringing at each of these because all I wanted was for Lillia to break down and actually ASK him what was going on. I think, had the revenge started with Rennie or Reeve instead, I could have gotten behind it a little more as these characters were slightly more reprehensible.
I also had an issue with the type of revenge that the girls were taking. What I was expecting: a slow progression from small pranks to bigger ones resulting in humiliation but no real harm. SPOILER ALERT - What I got: very tame pranks and then a sudden jump to DRUGGING A MINOR! WTF?! This is not cool, under any circumstances, and incredibly dangerous! This was the moment where the main characters really lost me. From this point on, I was no longer on their side.
The characters themselves represented basic stereotypes, but they were fun and I enjoyed watching the budding friendship between the three. Lillia was probably my least favorite, she was nice enough and the authors did attempt to give her a more meaningful back story, but it felt forced and, once revealed, was never mentioned again. Lillia and her friends are very materialistic and I did not enjoy how this came through in the writing. For example, during a scene at Rennie's home it is pointed out that she lives in a condo, shares a pool and that her mother bought last season's dress (Gasp!) on sale! I would love to hear other people's opinion on this but it felt to me like I was meant to feel sorry for Rennie and her mother. This really bothered me. I sympathize with characters who have rough home lives, dead or absentee parents and a meager income but I refuse to feel pity for a character simply because she has to work a part-time job in order to afford to live her friend's extravagant lifestyle.
Kat was fun and feisty and Mary - oh my heart! that poor damaged girl. I wish I had been able to spend more time getting to know them and that there had been some growth and change by the end of the book. I understand that this is a series and things need to be saved for the next book, but I would have liked to see a little softness from Kat, some personality and bravery from Mary and some backbone in Lillia - just a spark would have been fine.
I was not a fan of the switching, first person narrative. This however, may be a personal issue. Whenever I encounter this particular form of writing I end up spending the first few lines in every chapter looking for clues in order to see who is speaking and this distracts me from the plot. The writing style itself is clean, not overly descriptive, and flows well. One particular problem I had with the plot was the choice to incorporate some semblance of the supernatural. It was very subtle, but jarring and left me scratching my head as to what exactly was going on. I felt that this was completely unnecessary and took away from my enjoyment of the novel. I sincerely hope that there are big plans for this in the next novel, otherwise it should have been cut altogether. The abrupt ending of Burn for Burn did not work for me either. I don't need all the ends to be tied up in a first book, but I do prefer a little closure.
I am conflicted about whether or not I will continue this series. I guess it will depend on the synopsis of the next book.
Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 16 and Up Gender: Female Sex: Kissing, Sex mentioned - not described, Violence: Possible date-rape, Fist-fighting Inappropriate Language: Shit, Ass, Bitch, Fuck, Asshole, Slut, Prick, Pissy Substance Use/Abuse: Underage drinking, smoking, use of marijuana, drugging of drinks,...more
Cover Impressions: Love the simplicity of the black and white image with the details of This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes
Cover Impressions: Love the simplicity of the black and white image with the details of the bullseye and the ant.
The Gist: In Lucky Linderman's dreams he treks through the Vietnamese jungle in search of his long lost grandfather. In reality, he laments his parent's marriage troubles and tries to escape the bully that tortures him. When a violent episode forces his mother to open her eyes she whisks him away to his uncles where he is finally able to put his situation in perspective.
Review: Everybody Sees the Ants is not an easy read. It tells the story of Lucky Linderman, a boy who has been bullied since he was a young child. The story begins with an incident where Lucky attempts to make a school project about suicide and gets himself and several other boys in trouble. This begins the an intense period of bullying that is often violent and with a sexual undertone. The narrative moves back and forth in time from this point and from a further incident that causes Lucky's mother to immediately flee with him to her brother's home. There is also an element of magical realism that adds humor and whimsy. Lucky spends his night visiting his grandfather who was lost in Vietnam. Each night, he attempts to rescue him and, remarkably, brings back souvenirs to prove that his time spent in the jungle is more real than anyone would believe. Lucky also starts to see ants that observe his story and add hilarious commentary.
Lucky Linderman (and the ants) have a unique voice that is funny and self-deprecating. He is an inherently good boy who, even knowing that his actions will lead to further torture, he stands up for those who need it. My heart went out to him as he suffered the most heinous of acts and watched as the adults around him fail to notice or to take action. I also found myself getting very angry at the adults in this situation, particularly the apathetic teachers who turn a blind eye to what they must know is happening. The other characters are all damaged in some way, Lucky's parents and aunt and uncle all escape the problems of their marriages with their own obsessions. Pre-occupied as they are, they seem incapable of facing the true pain that Lucky is going through.
I found it particularly interesting to read Everybody Sees the Ants at a time when I had just finished Thirteen Reasons Why. It created an interesting juxtaposition between bullying against girls and bullying against boys. Thirteen Reasons Why featured rumor and name calling, while Everybody Sees the Ants featured violence and cruelty that was often difficult to read. It also a thought-provoking connection between bullying and torture. In the end, Lucky gains a sense of confidence and stands up to his bully. It all wraps up a little too cleanly for my taste and I think that resolution is slightly unrealistic. It did take down my enjoyment a notch.
Many of the other reviews have mentioned that this book wasn't quite as powerful as King's other novel Please Ignore Vera Dietz, so I am adding that to my TBR pile as well.
Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 15 and up Gender: Both Sex: Kissing, talk of Sex Violence: Bullying, Suicide Inappropriate Language: Shit, Slut, Pussy, Fuck, Fag Substance Use/Abuse: Smoking, Pill Use ...more
Cover Impressions: This cover is really pretty and reminds me of the fractal geometry prThis and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes
Cover Impressions: This cover is really pretty and reminds me of the fractal geometry projects that my students do in math class. The image is reflective of the struggle for each dancer to look identical as a company but fighting to stand out and be noticed as an individual.
The Gist: Hannah Ward is a bunhead. She spends her days and nights practicing, performing and pining to be featured as soloist. When she meets a musician named Jacob, she begins to question whether or not she is as dedicated to this life as she once believed
Review: It seems I am in the minority on this one. I have wanted to read it for a long time and was excited to have an addition to my classroom library that would appeal to my little dancers (with a plethora of sports books, it is always nice to find a different kind of "interests" book). I wanted to like this book, I really did. But, when I started putting it down in order to do other things (like laundry and the dishes) that it was simply not living up to expectations.
If you read the bio of the author you will find out that she danced with the New York City Ballet as part of the corps de ballet. She retired in 2009 and is now studying English at Columbia University. SPOILER ALERT: Hannah dances with the Manhattan Ballet Company as part of the corps de ballet and quits to study Creative Writing at New York University. Sound familiar? There is nothing wrong with writing an autobiography but please, call it an autobiography.
This story reads much the same way as the stories my students tell when they are in trouble. They tell a version that is close to the truth, but one that paints them in the best light possible. Hannah's motivations do not seem sincere and I am skeptical that Sophie she truly left the company because she wanted to expand her horizons (rather than because her friend was promoted and she was angry and jealous).
As a character, she is unlikeable and indecisive. It takes the entire book for her to act on a decision that she had clearly already made shortly after meeting Jacob. She is not particularly kind, or funny, or smart. Even her struggle with her weight doesn't feel genuine and we only see the consequences of extreme dieting in minor characters which doesn't provide any emotional pay-off. The relationship with Jacob is boring at best and her flirtation with Matt does not teach her anything and seemed completely unnecessary.
Bunheads did keep my interest enough for me to finish but, ultimately, was a disappointment. I was hoping for a backstage pass into the world of ballet, one that showed the dedication and determination of the dancers and the lengths to which they are willing to go in order to secure their success. What I got instead was a watered down version of life within a Company and the story of a girl who spends 11 years working toward a dream only to give it up for a boyfriend.
Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 16 and up Gender: Female Sex: Kissing, Possible sex - not described at all Violence: None Inappropriate Language: Nutfucker, Sluttier, Fuck Buddy Substance Abuse: Underage drinking ...more
Cover Impressions: I love the mysterious nature of the image here and the incorporation This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes
Cover Impressions: I love the mysterious nature of the image here and the incorporation of the title.
The Gist: August Pullman was born with a facial deformity that invites stares and begs questions whenever he goes out in public. Having been home-schooled for most of his life, Auggie is about to embark on his first year of middle school. Wonder chronicles his year as a fifth grader as he tries to show is classmates that he is just an average kid, despite his appearance
Review: Wonder is honest and thought provoking. For a book that follows a fifth grader, albeit a very unique fifth grader, it has a remarkable level of depth. It presents emotional moments, but in a way that is palatable for a general audience. Perhaps my main criticism is that it did not go quite far enough. I was waiting for the heart wrenching moment that would cement Wonder in my mind, but it never happened. It was a sweet novel, with some sad moments and some insight into the world of a child that is just trying to fit it - but I don't really feel that I will remember this book in a year's time.
The novel was written in sections, each one from the perspective of a different character. I enjoyed this, particularly when the sections over-lapped and was able to see the same actions through a different point of view. The one caveat, was the section from Justin, Via's boyfriend. There was a distinct lack of punctuation that I found frustrating (is the boy allergic to capital letters?) and distracting. It left me wondering why his section was given this treatment when the chapters from the fifth grader's POVs were perfectly written?
To be honest, even despite these few flaws, Wonder was well on its way to a 5 star rating until I hit the ending. In the last 1/4 of the novel, an incident occurs in which August's bullies come to his aid. From this point on, everyone loves him (in a very patronizing, pat on the head kind of way). Even his main tormenter is suddenly made unpopular and eventually changes schools. It all seemed a little too sunshiney for me.
No tears here, but I do admit it was a sweet, touching book that may convince the reader to take a look at how they can show kindness every day, and what a difference that kindness can make.
Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 12 and up Gender: Both Sex: None Violence: Kid Fighting: Shoving, Punching Inappropriate Language: None Substance Use/Abuse: Smoking
Notable Quotables:
When discussing whether or not they should be dating: "'Yeah, I agree,' said August. 'Which is kind of a shame, you know, what with all those babes who keep throwing themselves at me and stuff?'"
"Shall we make a new rule of life ... always to try to be a little kinder than necessary?"...more
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