Review: "Something Like Normal" by Trish Doller

Title: Something Like Normal
Author: Trish Doller
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2012

Trish Doller brings us into the mind of a young Marine who comes home on leave after being on tour in Afghanistan. But it's no happy homecoming for Travis. The 19-year-old has nightmares every night, sees his dead best friend everywhere, and can't connect with his old friends as he was once able to do. To make matters worse, his parents are having marital issues, and he gets along even worse with his father and brother than he did before. But there is a bit of hope when he reconnects with Harper, that is, after she punches him in the eye for ruining her life. The two begin a tentative friendship, which turns into something a bit more. But their relationship will have to go up against Travis's troubled mind.

I really enjoyed Trish Doller's debut. It seemed very genuine to me, and it was clear she did her research—that much is confirmed in her acknowledgements. I'm so glad it was told from Travis's perspective, as I don't think I've ever read a contemporary novel told from the perspective of someone who had been at war, especially a war that is continuing right now.

It's clear from the beginning that Travis is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt. His best friend, Charlie, lost his life while they were on tour, and he was there to see it happen. He feels incredibly guilty that Charlie was the one to die and not him, and he struggles with that every day of his life. The language is raw and very real, as are the experiences the teens in this novel have.

A note about the characters. Not everyone is likable at once. Travis's buddies are rough around the edges, as is Travis himself, but I appreciated that. I really liked the relationship he had with his mother, which develops from one where Travis has trouble expressing his feelings to one where he is able to stick up for his mom and help her out in whatever way he is able to. His dad was pretty much just a jerk, and I kept waiting for Travis to put him in his place. His brother too.

The main relationship in here is between Travis and Harper. Initially, Harper hates Travis because of an exaggerated story that took on a life of its own when they were freshmen in high school that pretty much destroyed her reputation. But somehow they get past that, and slowly they become closer. Harper is able to calm Travis in a way no one else can; she manages to ground him and keep him steadier than he is able to keep himself alone. And Doller doesn't wrap everything up in a nice bow, either. Travis is still dealing with his demons at the novel's end, and he and Harper are still working on their relationship, which of course becomes long distance since he is not finished with his tour of duty. We don't know where they end up, but the last lines are filled with hope and promise of having a life that isn't perfect, but is bearable and as normal as they can hope.

This is a really important book for teens to read, especially those who know someone who is fighting overseas. It might help them to understand a little bit better what soldiers go through and what they deal with when they come home.

Disclosure: I got this book from the library.

Top Eleven (sort of) Readalikes for "A Wrinkle in Time"

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week we take a look at Top Ten Readalikes for whatever book you choose. My very favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, so I figured I'd give that a shot.

1. Below the Root by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. This series is out of print, but it is probably available from your local library. A fabulous fantasy series set in a different world, with sinister secrets just, well, below the root.

2, 3, and 4. The rest of the Time Quartet. Cheating a bit here, but they are three separate books, after all. I promise not to pick any more L'Engle books though. :) They are A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters. Each of these books deals with the Murray family, continuing their story and adventures in time and space.

5. The Giver by Lois Lowry. I don't know if I associate these books because they were my favorites growing up or what, but for some reason I feel like if you liked A Wrinkle in Time you'll like this one. And its sequels, Gathering Blue and Messenger, of course. I hear there is also a fourth one coming out, which I'm very excited about.

6. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. Of course I have to have this one on the list. Stead uses A Wrinkle in Time as something of a muse, having her main character Miranda read the book over and over and borrowing the time travel theme.

7. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. Not exactly the same idea and the writing style is a bit different, more quirky and whimsical, but it has great charm and a fascinating world. Of course, if you've read any Discworld novels, you know what I'm talking about.

8, 9, 10 (and 11). The Dark Is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper. Yes, a bit more cheating, but again, four separate books! Another fantasy series with plenty of old charm akin to the L'Engle books, staring with Over Sea, Under Stone and continuing with the book the series is named after. There are four books in all, and the borrow heavily from Welsh mythology. Very fun, with a rich setting and great world building.

There you are! If you have any more to add to this list, please feel free to mention them in the comments. If I haven't read them, I'll be sure to seek them out!

Also, if you're interested, I made this short video celebrating the 50th anniversary of A Wrinkle in Time. 

Review: "Songs for a Teenage Nomad" by Kim Culbertson

Title: Songs for a Teenage Nomad
Author: Kim Culbertson
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 2007

Calle (pronounced Callie) and her mom have bounced from town to town each time her mother's relationships fall apart. She's been the new girl many times, and she doesn't see why Andreas Bay will be any different. But it is different—right away the drama kids accept her into their group of friends, and she begins an unlikely friendship (and maybe more) with popular football player Sam. She begins to really enjoy life in this small town by the sea. Unfortunately, her mother's relationship with her new husband starts to go south, as usual, so Calle is not sure how long it will last. Once again she faces the prospect of leaving, until she uncovers something that might point out a new reason why she and her mother always seem to be running.

I stumbled across this book through the database Novelist when it suggested this as a read-alike for another series I loved. It was nothing like that other series, but nonetheless I found it to be a great read. If you are a music fan, it's worth picking this one up. Each chapter is titled after a song, followed by a snippet of Calle's memory connected to the song. Music is what gets Calle through her constant moves and constant loneliness. She was also easy to relate to, with a voice so genuine you'll think of your own high school experience.

The plot certainly kept me reading, as well as my investment in the characters. Because we're hearing the story from Calle's perspective, we don't know the long history of the people in Andreas Bay. It all gradually comes out, both things in which Calle is alone in her ignorance and family secrets that only she and those involved know about. The secrets really strengthen the bonds between her and those she shares them with, though it takes a while for the trust to build.

In the meantime, we get all the teenage emotions with none of the over-dramatics. Calle is quiet and dignified in her struggles at school and in her family. She wants to learn more about her father, who she was told left her and her mom when she was a baby, but her mother won't even let her bring him up. She has wondered for years about him, and when new things come to light she isn't sure what to do or whether or not she can trust her mother anymore. In addition to all this, she is navigating uncharted territory with Sam, who is sending such mixed signals that it's almost like he's two different people. It's all for a reason of course, though it doesn't condone his behavior, and ultimately the confusion and pain make Calle a stronger person.

All in all, this is a great read with a real, genuine narrator and a compelling story. Plus, music!

Disclosure: I got this book from the library.

Review: "The Other Side of the Island" by Allegra Goodman

Title: The Other Side of the Island
Author: Allegra Goodman
Publisher: Razorbill, 2008

Honor, born in the eighteenth year of Enclosure, has just moved to Island 365 after living with her parents in the Northern Islands for most of her life. Now that they are under the watchful eye of Earth Mother and her Watchers, they cannot act as freely as they did when they were on their own, before they were found and brought to their new home. They can't sing out loud, they must follow the rules, they must stay away from the ocean, and they cannot own any books at home. They must not be Unpredictable. But the problem for Honor is her family is Unpredictable, and they are very different. Her parents have another child and refuse to give him back to the government, they sneak out at night and don't come back until morning. Honor and her friend Helix find out that bad things happen to people who don't fit. They disappear, and they never come back.

In a literary landscape full of dystopian literature, it's nice to come across a book with a more original premise that doesn't have a fated love story or love triangle. It's a disconcerting vision of the future that makes one uneasy, a world where climate change has destroyed much of the earth, leaving only islands dotted here and there across the oceans. Little details here and there show how much people are aware of nature and the earth, or seem to be aware of it, such as wearing sun hats and applying sunscreen. However, in this world, weather is supposedly controlled by Earth Mother, and Enclosure, which basically means a big dome encloses each island completely. The sky is covered by an overlay with a picture of a perfect sky or a moon with seven stars, depending on time of day.

Earth Mother is something like the Big Brother of George Orwell's 1984, always in control and watching, but never actually seen in the course of the book. More immediate villains are those who uphold Earth Mother's reign, such as Miss Blessing at Honor's school. The way they treat people is chilling, be they adult or child, man or woman. And the orderlies, people whose brains have basically been rewired to do exactly as they are instructed, do all the hard work around the island, all the landscaping, cleaning, cooking, transporting, etc. They sort of reminded me of the Avoxes in the Hunger Games trilogy, unable to speak and basically slaves to those in power.

One of the most important things Earth Mother does to take power from the citizens is taking away their memories, mostly those from their childhood, but more if you are particularly unruly. Think about losing all memories of who your parents are, how you grew up, learning only what you are told in school and not being allowed to question it, or even have the ability to question it if you can't remember otherwise. That was the scariest thing about this future to me.

I was not a big fan of the writing style. Sentences were short and simple for the most part. I didn't really like the terseness, but it didn't really take much away from the book as a whole. My biggest problem was the ending, which seemed to stop too soon, with an author's note that said she did it that way to leave it up to the reader's imagination what the outcome is. I know not all books end in neat little bows, and I don't like it when they do, but stopping mid-action makes me feel like it's something of a cop-out.

All in all, a fresh take on dystopian future that is worth reading in the sea of dystopias out there right now. It's a good read for middle grade readers and strong older elementary readers, and should appeal to boys as well as girls.

Disclosure: I got this book from the library.

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: "Chime" by Franny Billingsley

Title: Chime
Author: Franny Billingsley
Publisher: Listening Library, 2011 (print available from Dial Press)
Narrator: Susan Duerden

Briony Larkin is a witch. She has abilities that no one else does, abilities that she must keep secret or risk death by hanging in her small English village, circa 1900. Her stepmother was the one who figured it out, and ever since her death Briony has lived with this knowledge, and the knowledge that she is responsible for her twin sister's mental deficiencies, alone. She must always hate herself or risk the lives of those she cares about the most. This is until Eldric comes, opening her eyes to new adventures and bringing her back to the swamp she loves but must avoid—a swamp filled with Old Ones, elemental beings filled with magic and power. Can Briony learn to control her powers, or will she bring about her doom and the doom of her family and community?

This is not a book for the faint of heart. No light read, this novel is extremely complex, coupled with an unreliable narrator and steeped in folklore. It's beautifully written, and the atmosphere and world Billingsley creates is mysterious and gothic, darkly romantic and dangerous. It's a novel to digest slowly, one you need to take the time to make sure you understand where you and the characters stand.

I loved this novel, one that I would categorize as slipstream. It is historical fiction, yet is infused with elements of the fantastic. Old Ones abound, bringing their ancient magic and enchantment into Briony's community. It's folklore come true.

I loved waiting to see what happened between Eldric and Briony. The book starts with a prologue that makes you think one thing will happen, yet as the story develops I couldn't help wondering if it would end the way I was led to think it would. Throughout the novel we get hints that everything is not as it seems, and Billingsley does a masterful job at slowly revealing the truth.

Susan Duerden was the perfect casting choice as the narrator. She has distinct voices for every character, and those of you who regularly read my reviews might know that that is very important to me. Her accents, the refined British and the cockney, are spot on. I highly recommend the audio version of this book; it's exceptionally well done.

This is a great choice for strong readers, or older readers. The complexity of the narrative might not make it a good choice for someone who struggles with reading or who can't quite follow plot as easily as others. It's a challenge, but one that I believe is well worth it if you are willing to spend the time and effort.

Disclosure: I got this audiobook from the library.

Slipstreams: A Genre I Just Heard Of

Hi everyone! Yes, I'm back. If you were wondering what happened to me, I got married a month ago (actually, today is our one-month anniversary... huh, how 'bout that??) and went to Hawaii for two weeks for our honeymoon. It was absolutely incredible; the wedding went nearly perfectly, except for some gown mishaps, and Hawaii was probably the best vacation I have ever been on and will go on in a very long time.

But that is not what I wanted to talk about today. Today, I wanted to share something bookish with you all, something I was taught this past weekend at the Children's Literature Association's annual conference. This year the conference was held at Simmons College, my now alma mater (I graduated last month from the library science program). I was lucky enough to be chosen as a volunteer, and as a result I was able to attend the conference for free. The theme was "Literary Slipstreams," and as I attended the panels I got a more clear idea of just what a slipstream is.

Slipstream is apparently a genre that was named in the 1980s by author Bruce Sterling, referring to works that are somewhere between the genres science fiction and fantasy and mainstream fiction. Many of you will be familiar with the term magical realism, which will most likely bring Gabriel Garcia Marquez to mind. Slipstream and magical realism can be one and the same, from my understanding; basically, if you think something is realistic fiction and then all of a sudden find something fantastical happening, you are probably reading a slipstream novel.

I am really glad to know about this genre now; there are a lot of books that I've read that don't quite fit in one genre or the other. I will review a book later on this week that I think fits into this genre, though others might disagree—I'd be interested to hear what you all think.