Young Adult – Page 60 – My Good Reads

‘What We Saw’ – Aaron Hartzler

Heavily inspired by the Steubenville case of 2012, this novel packs a serious punch. Stacey Stallard is known throughout her school as a ‘loser’. She comes from the wrong side of town and many look down on her. The night she goes to a party and gets so drunk she can’t remember anything is the night so many lives in this small town change forever.

Unlike other books that deal with similar topics, our narrative is told from the viewpoint of another female student rather than the victim. Katie used to be friends with Stacey, she drank with her on the night of the party but then a close friend took her home and she was unaware of what happened later.

As we quickly learn, Stacey has accused a number of the stars of the basketball team of raping her. Sides are quickly taken, and the small town falls into line behind the boys who are regarded widely as heroes. For Katie, this crime is not so easy to ignore.

There is video evidence circulating of the crime that many say didn’t happen, or that Stacey brought on herself through her behaviour. When Katie herself sees the clip, she realises a tough decision has to be made. Does she turn the other way (like so many of her peers) or does she speak out?

There’s no doubt that Katie will do the morally right thing. What I thought was interesting was that this novel focuses on exploring the rationale of all the others who actually witnessed this and did nothing.

Alongside this painful narrative, we have the emotionally upsetting story that focuses on Katie and her best friend, Ben. Friends since they were five, they have always been close. Ben is one of the good guys, and he and Katie – in the aftermath of this party – end up starting a relationship. Unfortunately, Ben has his own problems and these definitely affect his decisions. Suddenly, nobody is quite what they seem.

As I felt when I read Louise O’Neill’s ‘Asking for It’, this made me angry. Angry that we live in a world where this can happen. Angry that we have become so selfish that many of us will turn the other cheek when we see something awful happening. Angry, above all, that there are still people who think stories such as this are the fault of the victim. While this is unpleasant reading, I think it’s the kind of book that every teenager and their parents should have to read.

‘Game (Jasper Dent 2)’ – Barry Lyga

This, for me, was better than book one in the series. I liked the fact that we stick with Jazz and see how he copes with being the son of an infamous serial killer, but I think focusing on those close to him allowed more of an insight into Jazz’s psyche. At times, Connie and Howie do some stuff that I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind would consider, but they help us gain a more rounded impression of Jasper.

In this thrilling novel, we find out about a serial killer causing chaos on the streets of New York. I know it’s highly unlikely – but it’s possible to overlook this stretching of the truth – but Jazz gets asked by the FBI for his opinions on what has been taking place. What follows is pure heart-in-mouth territory. Not necessarily credible, but when you’re so keen to find out that crucial detail you can overlook quite a lot!

As we journey deeper into the mind of Billy Dent, there’s a dreadful sense of worlds colliding. We watch a dangerous game play out in front of us, and as Jasper and his friends get further drawn into it there is a horrible sense of the inevitable about what we are reading. The twists and turns in this kept me enthralled, and there are hints that the final part in the trilogy will get close to the bone.

The main thing that I found hard to take with this novel was the final revelation about Jazz’s family, and the uncertainty about the situations that our three young protagonists find themselves in at the close of the novel. If I’d been reading this as it was published, and had to wait for the final part, I think there would have been much teeth gnashing and wailing.

‘You Know Me Well’ – David Levithan and Nina LeCour

First things first, books that I have read by David Levithan have transported me to a different place. The characters are intriguing, and I cannot wait to find out their fate. To this book I didn’t quite have the same response.

On the night Mark and Kate finally talk, in a bar in the city as they celebrate Pride, they are both running away from something. They talk, and just click. Nothing romantic here, but these two help each other to get through their last week of high school as they’re trying to come to terms with how things are changing.

There were some lovely moments in here, but there also seemed to be some moments that I felt overly complicated the essence of the novel. At times it felt a little like a fairy story and the events seem very unlikely. However, the friendship between Kate and Mark is endearing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘Carry On’ – Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On – The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story – but far, far more monsters.

When I read ‘Fangirl’ I found the intrusion of the Simon Snow characters irritating at times, but I loved the characters and was curious to see what ‘Carry On’ would be like. The fact that Rowell has published this would suggest that the characters also got under her skin, and she was curious to see what their story would be like.

I felt the start was a little slow in setting up what became a really engaging story. It was great fun to see these wonderful characters a little more developed. I felt the way Rowell described their relationships was engaging. Top of the list for pure entertainment though has to be the Baz and Simon relationship – brilliant.

Rowell’s story bears very obvious similarities initially with Harry Potter, and there seem to be more than one or two nods to other culturally well-known relationships/stories. However, that doesn’t stop the novel being engaging and entertaining in its own right. The actual plot concerning the Mage and Simon’s role in all this was a brave move. For me, it highlighted the idea of Simon being a pawn in someone else’s game all the way through (or am I reading too much into this?)

‘Vanishing Girls’ – Lauren Oliver

Nick and Dara have always been inseparable, but the love triangle with best friend Parker has caused problems. I liked the fact that Oliver gave us an insight into how their relationships were affected by this, without going on and on about it.

The narrative is split between the views of Nick and Dara. This gives us a rather slow, but well described, account of how each girl is feeling at key moments. We are told how the girls are feeling in the aftermath of a terrible accident that scars Dara.

When a young local girl, Madeline Snow, is reported missing, people are shocked. When Dara goes missing on her birthday Nick is convinced the two incidents are linked. At this point Nick starts to investigate what might have happened to Dara.

A little slow to start, this quickly became compelling reading. The force of Oliver’s prose made me desperate to see where this was going and exactly where this mystery would take us. Watching Nick and Dara flounder as they try to reconnect was heart-breaking.

Then the weird bit happened. I totally did not see it coming until just before it was revealed (the idea had occurred initially but it seemed to make no sense so I disregarded it). Suddenly everything got turned on its head and the last part of the book became an exercise in tying up loose ends. Up until the twist I was convinced this was going to be a book I’d be raving about and desperately pressing on anyone who might be interested. Right now I can’t work out if the end was pure genius or bonkers, but it threw me so much!

‘All The Rage’ – Courtney Summers

Romy Grey is used to people giving her funny looks and ostracising her. In part, it’s because her father was renowned for his drunken behaviour but it’s also because she accused the sheriff’s son of rape.

Since her claims were discredited because she had been drinking, wore a short skirt and fancied him (sensing a pattern here!), Romy has got used to spending time alone. Her friends have cut her off, and she is taunted mercilessly as nobody is prepared to believe the town’s golden boy might not be quite so golden as they want him to be.

Romy is a prickly character – perhaps understandably – and I always had the feeling that those close to her were simply waiting for an explosion. It’s almost as if they are waiting for her to accept what happened to her so they can start the process of supporting her.

After the school’s annual lakeside party, where it’s a ritual for students to drink illegally, Romy is found on a road some miles from town, her clothes torn and the words ‘Rape Me’ written on her stomach. She shuts down and hides from what she thinks has happened. Then she learns that a girl who used to be a close friend has also gone missing.

I was already angry at the attitudes shown by so many of the characters in this novel. What follows made me even more angry.

This was a powerful story that explored some of the issues around rape. The jumping time frame did make it hard to follow at times, but the end gave some hint that there might be some form of happy ending for Romy. I didn’t find this quite as powerful as ‘Asking For It’ by Louise O’Neill, but it’s certainly a valuable story.

‘I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent 1)’ – Barry Lyga

Jasper is seventeen years old, and son of one of America’s most infamous serial killers. From an early age Jasper remembers Dear Old Dad instructing him in how to kill, how to manipulate those around you and how to cover your tracks. Even though his father is in prison, Jasper is surrounded by reminders of him. When a body is found, Jasper is convinced there is another serial killer on the loose. What bothers him more is the fact that he might be more like his dad than he thinks.

This novel explores the ideas of nature vs nurture and fate vs free will in a compelling way. At times I found Jasper a bit irritating, but who knows how such an upbringing would affect someone. My only other gripe was that some of the activities that Jasper gets involved in would, in reality, get him arrested. Sheriff Tanner – as the cop who finally captured Jasper’s dad – has something of a soft spot for this young man, but I wasn’t completely convinced that he would have been given quite so much leeway.

Those minor gripes aside, from the time the first body is found and Jasper is convinced another killer has come to town I was desperate to find out what was going on. It’s compelling reading, and focuses more on the psychology of a killer than the gory details (thankfully).

The scene where Jasper visits his dad in prison will probably give me nightmares. It reminded me of the scene in Silence of the Lambs where Clarisse goes to talk to Hannibal Lecter. I don’t think I’m exaggerating to say this was genius, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy (which I’ve heard good things about).

‘Confess’ – Colleen Hoover

I’ve not read anything by Colleen Hoover before, and the moment I saw this categorised as ‘romance’ I was twitchy. It is not my go-to genre, and I admit to being reluctant to read this. However, the information given about the plot was enough to convince me to try it, and I’m so glad I did.

The Prologue, where we learn about Auburn’s relationship with Adam, was something of a punch to the gut. It was intense, and I can only imagine that such an ending to the first serious relationship you have would impact enormously on your daily life in the future. To then focus on Auburn five years on, trying to keep herself going, meant I couldn’t help but root for her.

The first meeting between Owen and Auburn was – call me cynical – a bit much. It reminded me why I do not normally read romance novels, but I have to say that I liked the relationship that developed quite naturally between them.

Throughout, I was intrigued by the hints dropped about Owen’s link to Auburn. I had all manner of theories – none of which were remotely accurate.

As we get to know more about Auburn’s life, and those characters mixed up in it, I was desperate for things to work out. Seeing Owen persevere even when it seemed pointless was heart-warming.

I can’t say too much about the ending as it’s probably best to discover it as you read, but I was hooked from just over halfway and couldn’t wait to see what happened. The final confession made me teary, but this was a great experience.

‘Fangirl’ – Rainbow Rowell

Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they’re off to university and Wren’s decided she doesn’t want to be one half of a pair any more – she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It’s not so easy for Cath. She’s horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she’s experienced in real life.

Now Cath has to decide whether she’s ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she’s realizing that there’s more to learn about love than she ever thought possible.

If I’d read this as a teenager, I think I’d have fallen a little in love.

We meet Cath and Wren as they head off to university. For Wren it’s an opportunity to grow and become her own person; for Cath it’s a living nightmare. Scared by pretty much everything, Cath spends most of her first weeks hiding in her room eating protein bars because she hasn’t worked out where the canteen is!

Cath is taken under the wing of her surly room-mate, Reagan, and her close friend, Levi. Though she takes refuge in her writing of fan-fiction, the pair force Cath to take her first steps towards independence. In the wrong hands Cath would have been a pitiful character, but as we slowly work out some of the things that have helped make Cath what she is we come to understand her a little more.

Throughout the novel we have excerpts from Cath’s favourite series and her own writing. I have to say that these were my least favourite parts of the novel by the end. They were serving the purpose of helping to illustrate some of Cath’s thoughts and ideas, but I was far more interested in what was happening to the main characters.

A beautifully told story, that I will certainly recommend to my students.

‘The Paladin Prophecy 1’ – Mark Frost

Will West has spent his life trying not to stand out. His parents have drummed it into him that he should live by the rules they have taught him. He must keep below the radar, not draw attention to himself and the rules must be followed – at all times.

Not knowing much more than this means you are a little unsure what’s going on initially. The opening of the novel starts with dramatic chases, mysterious alien-like characters and some seriously odd stuff. I couldn’t help but be sucked in, and found myself desperate to find out what Will would do.

Will ends up in a special place, a school that you have to be invited to. There’s all manner of odd things going on, and watching Will trying to work out who to trust and what’s going on makes for a thrilling read. When he uncovers a secretive plot involving a number of students in the school he has to rely on his own judgement.

The supernatural features heavily, and this did make me less convinced in places. We’re asked to accept a lot, without really being prepared for it or given a satisfactory explanation.

On the whole, this is an exciting idea and involves some great characters. I’m curious to see where Frost takes this next.