Book review: "If I Ever Get Out of Here" by Eric Gansworth

Title:  If I Ever Get Out of Here
Author: Eric Gansworth
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2013

If I Ever Get Out of Here opens right before Lewis Blake begins seventh grade. He is used to being one of the only Indian kids in his class at school, but he is tired of the loneliness; despite his attempts to fit in, he still struggles to be noticed and accepted. Then he meets a new kid from the air force base, George, and things start to change a bit.

George is Lewis's new connection to the white world, though he knows he can't invite his new friend to his home (his mother forbids it, as they live in poverty), and that he still has to deal with all kinds of prejudices at school and in town. Set in the late 1970s in upstate New York, Lewis tells his story about life growing up on the Tuscarora Reservation, going to a mostly white school, and trying to balance out two worlds in a place where loyalties are expected on one side or another. This is a book about friendship and acceptance of self and culture, especially when faced with extremely difficult and unfair situations.

I'm guessing that because this is a book about a boy on an Indian reservation who is one of the few non-white people in his class, it's inevitable that it will get comparisons to Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. But that, I think, is selling both works short. Gansworth's novel focuses on racism, injustice, and a semi-forbidden friendship, all wrapped up together with music (mostly Wings, The Beatles, and Queen). Alexie's is not presented as historical fiction and has more humor and tragedy than Gansworth's work. If I Ever Get Out of Here is more middle-school-friendly in terms of language and content, though it is still a bit hard to read emotionally speaking.

As I was reading this, I kept thinking how important it is to see how others are treated because of heritage or class. It might not be as blatant in our country as it was 30 or 40 years ago, but it still exists and it's important to see it through the target's eyes. It's also important if the reader has been a target him- or herself to see someone else in their same situation and how they handle it.

Lewis also has to deal with a pretty brutal bully, and coupled with the way the adults treat him because he is from the reservation, the situation turns from one of physical assault to that of abject hostility from every corner, especially school teachers and administration. The amount of strength and gumption Lewis has just astounds me, to be so brave and demand justice even when it seems so utterly hopeless.

I hope If I Ever Get Out of Here is widely read, though I'm not sure younger readers will stick with it long enough to finish. I hope I'm wrong about that, because there's a lot in here, and it might just have been me having trouble getting through it because of how sad it made me. Still, I'm really glad I read it and bought it for my library. We'll see if I can get a few kids to pick it up!

Disclosure: I received an e-galley from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

 

Review: "Jake and Lily" by Jerry Spinelli

Title: Jake and Lily
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Balzer + Bray, 2012

Jake and Lily are twins. But they're not what you would call normal. They have this special thing, something they call goombla—they just know things about each other without having to be told. They can't play hide and seek because they always know where the other is hiding, the don't have to look at each other's journal entries because they already know what they say, and every year on their birthday they sleepwalk to the local train station and have the same dream, most likely because they were born on a train in the  middle of a tunnel, and wake up hand in hand.

But all this starts to change one summer vacation when Jake starts to hang around with some neighborhood boys who ride around and call themselves the Death Rays. To make matters worse, the leader of the gang is Bump Stubbins, Lily's archenemy. Soon Jake and Lily start to lose their goombla, to Lily's great distress. The problem is, Jake doesn't seem to mind that much. Over the course of the summer, the two will learn what it means to be individuals while still realizing they will always be brother and sister, inextricably linked together.

While this is not my favorite Spinelli book, it is a nice summer read about growing apart and growing up. Jake and Lily have always done everything together, to the point where Lily can only define herself through her relationship with her brother. When that is taken away from her, she isn't sure who she is anymore, forcing her to figure it out after a lot of grieving. Jake also has to grow up, as he realizes that his treatment of others isn't always as kind as he has been in the past. Overall, this is a book about identity, love, loyalty, and friendship, with the added bonus of a kind of twin ESP.

Lily and Jake narrate in alternating chapters, and it is clear where their stories begin to diverge. Lily's voice is full of sarcasm, anger, and sass. She is a tomboy all the way, and is surprised and insulted when she realizes she is being left out because she's a girl. She calls it like she sees it, and I found that really admirable. Jake, on the other hand, is straitlaced and calm. You can see how he is drawn into the mob mentality, but it takes a fairly serious and cruel incident to make him realize what he's becoming.

This is a nice summer story for older elementary readers and those in the younger middle grades, and a quick read. It may look really long at 335 pages, but a lot of the chapters are less than a page, so if any kids are deterred by that let them take a look through it so they can see for themselves.

Disclosure: I got this book from the library.

Review: "Shine" by Lauren Myracle

Title: Shine
Author: Lauren Myracle
Publisher: Abrams, 2011

Note: This title will be released May 1, 2011. That said, I've seen it for sale in stores, so who knows.

Cat hasn't spoken to her once best friend, Patrick, in years, ever since an incident that caused her to stop talking to pretty much everyone. But when Patrick, who has not made any efforts to hide his homosexuality in their small Appalachian town, is the victim of a brutal hate crime, Cat thinks she knows who did it. She also knows justice won't be served in Black Creek, and resolves to find the perpetrator at any cost. But as she digs, she's learning much more about her community and the people in it than she thought she would, in addition to having to revisit and start resolving what happened to her three years earlier.

Not for the faint of heart, Myracle gives us a true-to-life and bluntly honest look at life in rural Appalachia. Cat's town of Black Creek is a place of addiction, alcoholism, school drop-outs, and poverty. It's also a place of secrets, ones that most of the people in the small town want kept secret. The characters mostly want to sweep the unseemly parts of their lives swept under the proverbial rug, unless it's really juicy gossip they can share at church. But for those involved or affected, they usually just look the other way.

Cat has looked the other way for too long. After a sexual assault, which two members of her family witnessed and said nothing about, she has learned to block out the rest of the world. But as she tries to help a comatose Patrick, she begins to gain confidence and becomes what one character calls "fierce"—a term she is surprised to find she not only likes, but agrees with.

I loved how Myracle slowly reveals what happened in Cat's past and what is going on in Black Creek. Suspense is ever present, and once the momentum gets going, boy, does it really get going. Twists and turns are everywhere, and I was honestly surprised at how things progressed, though I did guess what happened a while before Cat did.

The foreshadowing is incredibly subtle, and I wondered at some points if it was too subtle, if certain character traits or plot points were so understated that they were underdeveloped. In the end I think they were realistic, making for a more believable story.

Myracle's writing is, as I said earlier, blunt. She does not shy away from domestic abuse, drug addiction, bullying, intolerance, or the results of a severe beating. Her vivid descriptions provide a clear setting and atmosphere for the story being told. She also writes in the vernacular, adding to the authenticity of the story.

The LGBTQ themes in the text are relevant and topical, providing readers with a look at how ugly intolerance and gay bashing can be, especially in a small town.

This is a great page-turner, full of suspense and mystery. Yet it is also a well-done portrait of a poor Appalachian town and community, burdened by deeply buried secrets and the fierce desire to keep them hidden.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this e-book from NetGalley.

Review: "The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball" by Risa Green

Title: The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball
Author: Risa Green
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 2010
Where I got it: I was sent a copy by the publisher for review.

Erin Channing leads a pretty boring life. She has the highest GPA in the tenth grade, does nothing out of the ordinary, takes no risks, and plays by the rules. That is, until she inherits a Pink Crystal Ball (think Magic 8 Ball, but clear with pink opaque liquid inside) from her recently deceased Aunt Kiki. After the initial grief of losing her aunt, Erin and her friends realize there's more to this Pink Crystal Ball than it first appears. Could it grant her wishes for real? This might be the answer to all her problems, including her boring life—but it also might come at a cost.

At first I was a little worried about the way certain concepts and practices were treated in this book. Green takes real religious practices and things that are taken very seriously by some people, and kind of mocks them a bit—it made me slightly uncomfortable. But then I took a step back and tried to enjoy the story for what it was: a light, fun comedy of errors/coming-of-age story with a dash of romance and magic.

At first I didn't really like Erin or her friends, but as time went on I definitely changed my mind. I kind of was like Erin in high school, though I did do other things besides study. They're all pretty easy to identify with, for the most part, and I ended up invested in the outcome of their story.

I enjoyed seeing how the ball made certain wishes come true, especially since they didn't always turn out quite the way Erin envisioned. Especially when she made wishes about changing things about her body. Pretty funny, that.

But despite all of the fun and silly things that happen, there are some heavier issues explored, like grief, reconciliation, serious bullying (in person and via the Internet), family problems, not to mention three-dimensionality in some supposedly stock characters. Erin's friend Lindsay is tormented by a girl in their grade, to the point she fakes sick and stays home from school; her other friend Samantha, though rich, has to live with parents who hate each other and openly talk about their feelings in front of her; Erin and her mother both have to deal with Kiki's (her mother's sister) death and the lack of closure, as she hadn't spoken to either of them in the last year of her death.

What I was perhaps most surprised about was the development of Megan, the mean girl who tortures Lindsay and has been for years. Green gives her layers that we don't expect, especially ones that Erin herself is surprised to discover. It also makes her readers wonder about the people they dislike in their own lives.

This book is a lesson in learning to look deeper than the surface, to take a few chances in life and to enjoy it while you can. And the best part is Green manages to get this point across without being corny, and still making it a fun time.

Want your own, SIGNED copy of this book? Sign up below! Sorry, this one is for U.S. residents only, since the author is sending the book herself. One entry per person, please. This contest will end Wednesday, 12/15 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Review: "The Body of Christopher Creed" by Carol Plum-Ucci

Title: The Body of Christopher Creed
Author: Carol Plum-Ucci
Publisher: Harcourt, 2000
Where I got it: The lovely library.

Torey Adams is member of a well-off, slightly rural small town where everyone seems to get along... except for Torey's classmate Christopher Creed, the local weirdo and annoyance. But when Creed goes missing and leaves a cryptic note that could point to running away, suicide or murder, old secrets and the ugly side of the community come out in the open. And when Torey tries to dig up the truth, he is one of the main targets for their hatred and fear.

This is a mystery and a thriller, but also a look at small-town life and ethics. In Torey's community, everyone wants to showcase their virtues without having to deal with their and their neighbor's imperfections and flaws. Blame is passed from person to person, and because no one wants to accept the responsibility they share in Creed's disappearance (as well as other incidents in the town from years earlier), they point their finger at anyone who might be able to serve as their scapegoat. The boons are a favorite target, the poorer and more wild group of people that live on the fringes of the town, though anyone will serve the purpose so long as the accusers are cleared.

Torey is very philosophical about his ethics and beliefs, especially in reviewing his own treatment of Creed and others in the past. He is forced to reevaluate his life and his choices in light of Creed's disappearance (and possible suicide), leading him to change his attitude and actions toward everything. His inner monologue will also spark readers to think about the way they treat others as well. Plum-Ucci highlights that a person's family life might lead them to act the way they do, and readers should get the message that they can't truly judge a person until they really know them. There is more to a person than the way they act in public.

My problems with the book lie in the language and telling of the story. Torey is a sympathetic character, but the way he and his friends speak sometimes sound off. They use slang that make me double take, which throws me off from the story. It was something that consistently bothered me throughout the book, though it wasn't something that happened on every page.

The action of the book is what keeps the story moving along, despite its philosophical and ethical undertones. Torey and his friend Ali are scrambling to find the answer before the disappearance is pinned on someone innocent, thus driving the story forward. But through all this the ending is left ambiguous, with a few hints as to what really happened.

Because of the action-centered nature of this book and because of the male narrator, this would be a good quick pick for a boy, especially if they like mysteries or thrillers. They might be turned off by the introspective parts a little, but it's a good read.

Review: "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Title: Speak
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher: Puffin, 2001
Where I got it: I bought it from Barnes & Noble.

*Starred Review*

Melinda Sordino is a freshman in high school. She is also a pariah, an outcast for reasons which are slowly revealed through the telling of her story. Her friends abandon and revile her, leaving her to fend for herself in a new school where everyone seems to hate her. She refuses to speak, except in her own head, where we as the reader's are able to see her thoughts, observations, and fears.

Speak is very powerful and frustrating at the same time. Melinda's silence is her idea of staying safe, and readers will want her to speak, to tell her story. Unfortunately, she doesn't quite realize what happened to her at that party right away and can't tell anyone what she went through, or must go through during the course of her freshman year as a social outcast. Her grades suffer, she has no social life, and yet she continues to live day after day, just trying to get through high school without having a breakdown. And what a disturbing look at high school we're given. High school was not that bad for me—it makes me wonder how many high schools out there are actually that cliquey.

Being inside Melinda's head allows us to experience her pain, embarrassment, ennui, bitterness, cynicism, and occasionally small joys. We see all of her thoughts, including the horrifying piece-by-piece reconstruction of the party that changed her life and what exactly happened. Though she tries to block it out completely, brief images flit through her head that end up giving us a more complete story. We don't find out what happened until she admits it to herself.

I also really loved how she was working through her emotions through her art projects. Though it wasn't quite the same as speaking up, art did give her a way to cry out for help and work through some of her issues; it is her emotional outlet.

Halse Anderson's language is perfect for Melinda's story. Melinda's voice is bitingly sarcastic, and often very funny despite the seriousness of her situation. Repetition and stream of consciousness are used frequently, and with very evocative and satisfying results. It gives us a clearer picture of what Melinda is going through.

Speak is a very powerful and inspiring story of an outcast in high school that must admit first to herself and then to the rest of the world that she is a victim, and then rise above it. But as many of you know, it has recently come under fire for distressing reasons. You can read my response to that here.

Double review: "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher and "By the Time You Read This I'll Be Dead" by Julie Anne Peters

I've decided to put these two books together because they deal with the same issues that is getting more and more media attention: bullying and suicide. Both allow the reader to get inside the suicidal girl's head, though in different ways. Both girls have different reasons, though they share the same roots.

Let's start with Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, published by Razorbill in 2007. (Just so we're clear, I got the audio CD version of this from my local library).



Clay is surprised when he receives a package with no return address, but he's absolutely shocked when he starts listening to the audio cassettes inside. The tapes are the suicide note of Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush, who killed herself two weeks ago. To make matters even more life shattering, Hannah has arranged for the tapes to be passed on to each person who she believes shares the blame of why she killed herself. Thirteen reasons, thirteen people. And Clay is one of them.


At first I didn't think I would like this. I was very averse to the idea of a girl blaming everyone else for her suicide and making them feel guilty after the fact, without confronting them before her death.


But as I listened to this, I saw that it's much more than that. This is a way to make readers see that they're actions affect others, often more than they realize. Even the slightest action, a little bullying here, a little rumor-spreading there, can kill a person inside a little bit at a time. Hannah described it as "the snowball effect," one thing piling up on another. It really tries to bring you into the head of someone suicidal, although I've never been there so I can't say for sure if it's accurate. There were times when it rang a little false to me, but then again who am I to say?


I really loved Clay's reactions to the tapes, too. The back-and-forth dialogue between Hannah's voice and Clay's was often heartbreaking, sometimes even a little funny. But mostly, it was haunting. This book is not one that was written to blame suicide on those around a person who commits it; it is warning to be mindful, yes, but it also doesn't let Hannah off the hook, and she doesn't let herself off the hook either. It's a serious look at teen suicide. I can't say much more without giving too much away, but it's worth the read even to just allow yourself to form your own opinion.


Another serious look at teen suicide comes to us in By the Time You Read This I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters, published by Hyperion in 2010. (I also got this from my local library.)


Instead of a book about someone who has already killed herself, this book is about someone who is desperate to end her life and has tried to multiple times. This time, Daelyn doesn't want to fail, and she has the help of Through-the-Light.com, an online suicide forum.


Daelyn has been bullied her entire life, for her size mostly, but also for various other reasons. She is determined to be successful in her next suicide attempt, and is counting down the days to her "Day of Determination" when a boy who lives near her school starts to pay attention to her. He is friendly and does not give up on her when she pays him not attention and tries to get him away from her. He keeps trying to penetrate the thick wall she's built around herself, but she doesn't have the courage or strength to allow someone to get close to her. At least, she doesn't think she does.


Reading this book was often painful. It is very hard to read about all of the horror Daelyn has endured through her life, whether it's bullying at school, by adults, or by camp counselors. Sometimes it got too unbelievable; I couldn't imagine things ever getting as bad as they got for Daelyn, but I'm sure they do for some people. Bullycide is being covered by the media a lot lately, and it is an issue that should be dealt with, especially with everyday students and children. It's easy to see that people can be bullies without even realizing it. I'm sure many of us have bullied in the past, not thinking about the target or how it affects them long term.


Daelyn is silent through most of the book, which kind of reminded me of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, but Daelyn is not silent because she refuses to speak. She is physically unable to because of a botched suicide attempt. This gives us a very intense and focused view inside Daelyn's head, as the book is narrated by her. There are moments of dark humor, but mostly Daelyn tries to suppress her memories of the abuse she's endured over the years, and how she was blamed for the way others treated her.


Again, this is a wake-up call to everyone to watch how they treat others, even if you aren't necessarily bullying them. Daelyn's parents are trying to help her, but it's clear they don't understand what is going on. Daelyn is unable to tell them why she acts the way she does, and they are quick to get frustrated and partially blame her, even if they don't mean to. This is another good young adult book about suicide and bullying, and will certainly open the way for discussion.