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Title: Beauty Queens
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Scholastic
Release date: May 1st 2011
Pages: 396
Genre: YA
Source: Bought
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The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.
What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I was so excited to read Beauty Queens. It sounded like such a fun, superficial-in-a-good-way contemporary. And everyone seems to love Libba Bray. But it just didn't work. I didn't hate the book or anything, but I didn't love it like I'd hoped I would.
Beauty Queens turned out to be very different from what I'd expected. I'm not even sure it's contemporary; it's somewhere between contemporary and dystopian, taking today's society's values to extremes. I was surprised by how much of this is social satire - I'd expected it to be ridiculing the whole beauty-queen thing, of course, but I thought it'd be more a part of the story. In Beauty Queens, it felt like social satire came first and story came second, and I think some parts, like the character development, suffered from that. For example, the novel is embedded as something the Corporation - the company that produces everything and pretty much rules the world Beauty Queens is set in - is giving to consumers, with comments from the Corporation and advertisements in between the chapters. The idea is fun, but it doesn't make much sense, because the story is very anti-Corporation. While the social satire and taking everything to extremes is entertaining, I wish the characters and their story would have been focused on more instead.
Then there's the craziness factor, which is a lot higher than I'd expected. I knew Beauty Queens would be weird, of course, since it's about a plane of beauty pageant contestants crashing on a deserted island. But the craziness doesn't stop there. I can't really talk about this without spoiling anything, but things get a lot - and I mean a lot - crazier after that. And not necessarily in a good way. The ideas by themselves are fun, but I thought it was just too much. It just got ridiculous, at some point, and I found some parts hard to follow because there's so much going on.
The social satire and the crazy plot twists left little room for character development. Most of the girls have something about them that makes them stand out, and I do like how many different groups of people are represented. But we never got to go deep enough to really explore their characters; there's no emotion. There are a lot of POVs, and it was kind of hard to keep track of all the girls, especially because they're sometimes referred to by the states they're representing instead of their names. Not really getting to know any of the characters means I never got fully invested in the story. And things just got worse when the "sexy pirates" showed up because I did not like the romance at all - a lot of it is insta-love and it just felt forced.
All of that said, Beauty Queens does have the entertainment factor. Parts of it are laugh-out-loud funny, and I did like seeing our society taken to the extreme like that, just because it's so ridiculous. I also liked the empowering, feminist message and the whole girl-power feel of the novel. But that got in the way of character development, and some of it was too out there for me, making Beauty Queens just an okay read for me. I will have to check out some of Libba Bray's other books, though, to see if I click with one of those.
Title: Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: June 7th 2011
Pages: 368
Genre: Contemporary YA; romance
Source: Bought
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2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.
If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I kind of have no idea how to write this review because there's only one word to describe this book: fun. It's simply a cute, entertaining read, and I loved it.
Sarah Mlynowski's fun style and our main character April work really well together. I loved April's sense of humor, and her honest voice had me laughing out loud. April is real - she thinks like a real person would, and Sarah Mlynowski's writing brought her to life. I don't even know what it is about the style - I just loved it so much. It's not like it's the most beautiful writing I've ever read; it just flows really nicely and had me immersed in the story throughout.
To add to the writing and humor, there's an awesome plot. I loved the whole idea of the two friends living together! The way they trick their parents into letting them live together without supervision is hilarious. And then there's the ridiculous stuff they do - the situations they get themselves into with their irresponsible ways are crazy without getting too unrealistic, and they are so, so fun to read about. I liked the crazy stuff a lot better than the everyday stuff because it bugged me how little April knows about taking care of herself - who's never loaded a dishwasher or been grocery shopping!? And who doesn't know electricity costs money!? But it's not like that's a huge part of the story, so I didn't mind that much.
What made this story even better are the three-dimensional characters - all of them are awesome! They each have a distinct personality and are very real - they feel like real people because Sarah Mlynowski's writing made them come to life. I loved getting to know all of them. I even liked the romance - despite the cover, romance isn't a huge part of Ten Things We Did, but what we do get to see, I loved.
But really, the fun-ness is what it all comes down to. Ten Things We Did is simply a book that I enjoyed reading. It's the kind of drama-filled contemporary that never takes itself too seriously. The laugh-out-loud funny humor and the fantastically entertaining writing style make this one of my favorite feel-good reads. and now I'm off to read everything else that Sarah Mlynowski has written!
Title: A Little Wanting Song
Author: Cath Crowley
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Release date: April 28th 2005
Pages: 272
Genre: Contemporary YA
Source: Bought
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CHARLIE DUSKIN loves music, and she knows she's good at it. But she only sings when she's alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus's Secondhand Record and CD Store. Charlie's mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she's visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and grieving family, and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She's got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she's not entirely unspectacular.
ROSE BUTLER lives next door to Charlie's grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke but can't wait to leave their small country town. And she's figured out a way: she's won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose's ticket out.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I fell in love with Cath Crowley's writing in Graffiti Moon, and it's what I loved most about A Little Wanting Song, too. Cath Crowley has a style that makes the words jump off the page, that makes everything feel... alive. Her writing is gorgeous, making me stop to marvel at the beauty and honesty of it all throughout the novel.
A Little Wanting Song is told in alternating points of view, switching between Charlie and Rose. Charlie is a character I loved with all my heart. Her voice is honest and raw; it has a very vulnerable feel to it. Charlie's character growth is tremendous, and I loved being with her on this journey. I loved what Charlie's interest in music brought to the story, especially because the chapters are interspersed with her song lyrics. I commend Cath Crowley for perfecting the balance between having the lyrics fit to Charlie's character and making them stunningly beautiful.
Rose is a very different character; Cath Crowley gave her characters very unique voices. She's more of the troublemaker-type, not exactly something I'd relate to, but I liked seeing the different sides to her, seeing the differences between how Charlie sees her and how Rose sees herself. I didn't love Rose's storyline as much as Charlie's, though - I just thought her character growth wasn't as developed.
What struck me most about A Little Wanting Song was the setting, the atmosphere Cath Crowley has created here. I always love books set in Australia - there's just something about them. The small-town setting is vivid and just really well done.
The only part I didn't like is the romance. I'm never a fan of forcing romance on a story that doesn't need it, and it felt sort of like that in A Little Wanting Song. Dave's a nice guy, but I didn't feel any real chemistry between him and Charlie; that whole storyline is underdeveloped, in my opinion.
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this book. It doesn't have the same spark as Graffiti Moon, that feeling that would make it an instant favorite, but I really liked it. It's the subtle and poignant story of two very different girls finding themselves in an unlikely friendship.
Title: Ameila Anne is Dead and Gone
Author: Kat Rosenfield
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release date: July 5th 2012
Pages: 277
Genre: Contemporary YA; mytery
Source: Bought
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On the night of Becca’s high school graduation, the discovery of an unidentified dead girl left to bleed out on the side of a dirt road sends the town—and Becca—into a tailspin. Becca has always longed to break free from her small home town, but as the violence of the outside world creeps into her backyard, she withdraws and retreats inward, paralyzed for the first time in her life. Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson’s life are intercut with Becca’s own coming-of-age summer, unfolding into the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and tense romantic relationships as the summer’s tumultuous events twist Becca closer and closer to the truth about Amelia’s murder.
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
You can be sure you're reading a great book when you like what you're reading but know you'll enjoy it even more each time you re-read it. And that's what Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone was like for me; the compelling mystery and the enthralling atmosphere kept me turning the pages this time, and the lush writing ensures that I'll go back to this novel time and time again.
The writing is what makes this book so special. Kat Rosenfield's style is gorgeous like you wouldn't believe. The keen attention to detail is simply stunning. She can spend an entire page describing one little, every-day type thing, but because of Kat Rosenfield's way with words, it doesn't get boring. The style is enchanting; you'll be hanging on her every word. I had to re-read so many paragraphs because I simply could not get over their beauty.
The small-town atmosphere is incredibly well-done. The town Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone is set in feels like a character in and by itself, and I love when that happens. The descriptions of small-town life have a dark, mysteriously thrilling and eerily realistic feel to them; I was waiting for the town to come to life, somehow, throughout the book. All of it reminded me of Nova Ren Suma's Imaginary Girls - both books are eerily atmospheric and gorgeously written.
I love how mature everything in Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone is. Becca just graduated high school, and Amelia just graduated from college. But even more than the characters' ages, something about the style is just very adult. The sex, the violence, the language and the whole story felt very explicit for YA. To be honest, I'm a little surprised this even got published as YA. Not that any of this is a bad thing - I love anything that pushes the boundaries between Young Adult and adult, and it makes me happy this got published as YA, because the market does need it. Still, I'm surprised.
But even without the maturity, there is something undoubtedly weird about Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone. The narrative took some getting used to - some of it is Becca's first-person narrative, while other parts use an omniscient narrator, transitioning seamlessly. Not to mention the way the story switches between Becca's and Amelia's. And the general weirdness about everything in this book. I loved how different and unique all of it is, but you definitely have to be in the right mood for this kind of thing, so I can see how it wouldn't work for some people.
I'm not sure what to make of the ending. While reading, I was a little disappointed, but the more I think about it, the more I understand its subtle brilliance. It's not the most shocking revelation to the mystery - the suspects are narrowed down to three pretty early on - but I love what this shows about the characters, how it stretches the boundaries, our good-and-evil way of thinking. I still think the ending should have incorporated some more of the smaller storylines, though - I kept waiting for some kind of connection between those and the main story, other than what they added to the atmosphere.
There's a quote from Ellen Hopkins on the back of the book that sums it up better than I could - she called it "lush, mysterious, utterly compelling." Those four words capture perfectly what Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone is all about. The compellingly weird mystery, the eery atmosphere, and the stunningly gorgeous writing make this a book I know I won't soon forget.
Title: The Probability of Miracles
Author: Wendy Wunder
Publisher: Razorbill
Release date: December 8th 2011
Pages: 360
Genre: Contemporary YA
Source: Bought
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Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I hate when this happens. When I read a book everyone loved and end up disappointed, feeling like the only person in the world that didn't end up falling head-over-heels in love with a book. And sadly, even though I really wanted to love it, that's what happened with The Probability of Miracles.
Objectively, I could see that a lot of aspects were very well-done. For example, sarcastic, cynic Cam is a character I could have loved; I can see how she appealed to a lot of readers. But I personally just never connected with her. Her cynicism didn't turn out to be the humorous, entertaining type I'd been hoping for; Cam is just hopeless in a very stoic way. While her personality is realistic, I just never grew to love her like I'd hoped I would.
I could also understand what a lot of people loved about the writing - there really are some beautiful gems in this book. But for the most part, those were hidden within a writing style that just didn't work for me. I'm not even sure why, but the style felt very all-over-the-place to me; it switches quickly from scene to scene, leaving me very disoriented. I often had no idea what was going on and had to check back where they were now, what was going on and when it had switched from where I thought they'd been. Whatever the reason, I felt very removed from the story, and I always had to force myself to keep reading, making The Probability of Miracles very hard for me to work my way through.
The secondary characters never really came to life for me. The cast is quite large, and it ended up being too large for me - I had trouble keeping track of who's who. Other than Perry, whom I loved, no one really stood out; none of them were memorable. Even the romance felt formularic to me; I never felt the connection between Asher and Cam.
Really, I think that's what it comes down to - The Probability of Miracles felt formularic to me. All the ingredients are there, but it didn't make me feel anything. It didn't make tear up once, and I'm usually the first to start crying at books and movies. I don't discourage you from giving it a try, since this book touched so many others, but The Probability of Miracles fell flat for me.
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