Controversial Literature for Young Adults

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

2010-04-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

Title: The Chosen One

Author: Carol Lynch Williams

Publish Date: May 2009

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 224pp

IBSN: 0312555113

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $16.95

Amazon: $11.53

Annotation: Thirteen-year old Kyra has just been chosen to marry her sixty-year-old uncle, who already has six other wives. Kyra must make a desperate choice to either face her fears or comply with rules and powers that be.

Summary: Kyra is thirteen-years-old. She lives in a polygamist community with her three mothers and LARGE list of siblings. She savors any time she gets alone, especially when she can spend that time reading the book she keeps hidden in a scrubby olive tree (secular books are forbidden on the compound). Kyra get’s put into The Chosen Ones, an isolated polygamist sect in the desert led by Prophet Childs. The Prophet decrees that Kyra must marry her sixty-year-old uncle, who already has six other wives. Wondering if this is her punishment for sneaking forbidden books and liking a boy her own age, Kyra must make a choice. She doesn’t see how she can go through with this marriage but if she doesn’t follow orders dangerous and violent consequences await.

Evaluation: This was a powerful and emotional read about a realistic subject that is not necessarily common (yet common enough). The frightening aspects of the story are the tight constraints in which Kyra must abide by in order to protect her family. Her frustration, anger, and guilt ridden emotions transcend off the pages. My heart literally broke for Kyra when she found out she had to marry her sixty-year-old uncle (can you imagine? Ugh), especially because she was so in love with Joshua (a boy her own age). The ending came as a bit of a surprise. I am still not sure how I feel about it, but I do have hope that Kyra will overcome her fears. One thing I just loved was how the mobile library on wheels was kind of this symbol for hope. As a soon-to-be librarian I will always have an affinity for libraries and the impacts they can and do have on young people, especially those in need.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Living under a strict set of rules.
Fear for your family.
Being forced into something you are uncomfortable with.
Having to care for you family and never getting to be a kid.

Reason this book was chosen: I am HUGE Big Love fan (I know, I know), so when I did some research on young adult books and polygamy I found The Chosen One. This story highlights several interesting issues such as: polygamy, underage marriage, incestuous marriage, faith, love, loyalty to family, and the fear of the outside world.

Similar Titles:

Keep Sweet by Michele Dominguez Greene

Willow by Julia Hoban

After by Amy Efaw

Author Website: Click HERE

Author Interview: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2010
Association for Mormons Letters Award (Young Adult), 2009
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2010

Take a look at this book trailer. I feel it captures the overall tone of the story.

Freaks and Revelations by Davida Wills Hurlin

2010-04-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

Title: Freaks and Revelations

Author: Davida Wills Hurlin

Publish Date: November 2009

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 234pp

IBSN: 0316049964

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $16.99

Amazon: $12.23

Annotation: Based on a true story, “Freaks and Revelations” follows the lives of two boys, one homeless gay thirteen-year old and the other a seventeen-year old neo-Nazi. When their paths cross, violence ensues.

Summary: Told from the perspectives of Doug and Jason, in alternating chapters. Each boy has a difficult and painful background. Doug’s family is dysfunctional. His parents are racist and unrelenting. At ten years old, Doug’s older brother, Carl, is shot by a black man, which fuels the already racist parents. Then Carl decides to not press charges, aggravating his parents even more. Doug begins drinking and using drugs to get away from everything, especially his preoccupied parents. When he discovers the punk rock scene, he begins to feel connected to something, so much so, that he is pulled into an extreme aspect of the scene, he becomes a skinhead. Jason comes from a dysfunctional family as well. His parents have split up, turning his mother into a stringent religious nut. His uncle was arrested for child pornography, his brother has runaway (and no one seems to care), and he has a crazy grandmother. During a family meeting, Jason decides he wants to be honest, so he tells his family he is gay. His mother decides he is not welcome in their home and packs him a backpack and kicks him out. Not knowing where or what to do, Jason ends up in the Castro, doing anything he can in order to survive. When life there gets too hard he heads to Los Angeles, meets a friend, Coco. Eventually, Jason and Doug encounter one another in an ally behind a restaurant. Doug and his Ne-Nazi friends beat Jason up, leaving him for death. Twenty-five years later, the two meet again in a surprising circumstance that changes both of their lives.

This story is inspired by the real lives of Matthew Boger and Timothy Zaal, who have shared their story on The Oprah Winfrey Show and NPR.

Evaluation: A story of hate, violence, pain, and forgiveness. I felt sympathetic for each boy as the author focuses on each character’s childhood and teenage years, allowing the reader to not only see where they came from but how they came to be. It’s really devastating. The fateful encounter between the boys (when Doug almost beats Jason to death) was extremely hard to read.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Survival.
Acceptance.
Being thrown out for being gay.
Having anger.
Abusive home life.
Living in a dysfunctional home.
Forgiveness.

Reason this book was chosen: The real life story of Matthew Boger and Timothy Zaal (in which this story is based off of) is fascinating and almost seems unreal as Matthew almost took Timothy’s life when they were both very young. The reuniting of the two men at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles is so touching.

Similar Titles:

Freak Show by James St. James

Fade to Black by Alex Flinn

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L.Going

Author Wikipedia Page: Click HERE

Awards:

ALA Rainbow List, 2010

NPR Article: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97451126

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

2010-04-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

Title: Unwind

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publish Date: November 2007

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 352pp

IBSN: 1416912045

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $16.99

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: Connor has just found out he is on the list to be ~~killed~~ unwound: taken apart piece by piece for organ and body parts donation. On his desperate attempt to escape he meets Risa and Lev, who are also “unwinds” on the road.

Summary: Set in a dystopian society where the war over abortion has come to the conclusion with The Bill of Life, which does not allow any child to be touched from the moment of conception till the age of thirteen. Between thirteen and eighteen teenagers can be ~~killed~~ unwound for their body parts for those who are in need of them. A medical breakthrough allows the entire use of the body, which has society convinced that unwinds are not killed, but live on in a separated state. The story follows three teens, Connor, Risa and Lev, who are from different backgrounds and who are all consigned to this fate. Throughout their journey they change their attitudes about themselves and learn to become leaders among the Unwinds.

Evaluation: Extremely thought provoking story that is set in a dystopian future where the abortion debate has turned into a war, leaving the final solution a morbid compromise where no one can abort a fetus, but they can “unwind” (harvesting body parts) their child between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. This is INSANE! I thought the author did an excellent job presenting questions about the value of life, and the extent to which one is willing to go to defend one's beliefs. This is a quick read, as you just cannot put it down.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Parental Abandonment
Fighting for your life.
Survival.
Comforting your idea of what life is/means.
Relationships.

Reason this book was chosen: The controversial issues this book presents such as the value of life and the extent to which one will go to defend one’s beliefs. Additionally, the reviews for this book are phenomenal. Someone on Good Reads explained the book as follows: “Pro-Life verses Pro-Choice equals The Bill of Life.”

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Everlost by Neal Shusterman

The Unwind movie site: http://unwindmovie.com/UNWINDMOVIE/UNWIND.html

Author's Website: Click HERE

Awards:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2008

ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2008

Check out this book trailer!

Big Mouth & Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

2010-04-05T22:14:00.001-07:00

Title: Big Mouth & Ugly Girl

Author: Joyce Carol Oates

Publish Date: April 2003

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pages: 288pp

ISBN: 0064473473

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 13 and up

Price: $8.99
Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: When sixteen-year-old Matt, AKA Big Mouth, is falsely accused of threatening to blow up his high school and his friends turn against him, an unlikely classmate, Ursula Riggs AKA Ugly Girl, comes to his aid.

Summary: Big Mouth is Matt Donaghy, a popular well-read teen who likes to make jokes. After making a seemingly harmless comment, he finds himself unexpectedly driven into the center of a controversy over safety within school. Ugly Girl is Ursula Riggs, a loner and star of the girl’s basketball team. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks or feels. She barely knows Matt, but steps in to defend him when everyone else is against him. The two form an unlikely friendship and eventually a romantic relationship.

Evaluation:Extremely well-written story with engaging characters that sort of become your friends. The novel explores a post Columbine-era where school shootings, or bomb threats are not taken lightly. The characters are well developed, making them seem real and missed when you finish reading. Overall, a very satisfying read.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Being accused of something you did not do.
Having everyone turn his or her backs on you.
Being a loner/outcast.
Opposites attract.
Discovering who your real friends are.

Reason this book was chosen: I read some great reviews about this book and thought it was an interesting look inside a post-Columbine era when it can be dangerous to not take every remark seriously, yet false accusations and rumors can really hurt people's reputations and lives.

Similar Titles:

Sexy by Joyce Carol Oates

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles

Author's Wikipedia Page: Click HERE

Awards:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2003

ALA Popular Paperbacks, 2005

Cut by Patricia McCormick

2010-04-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

Title: Cut

Author: Patricia McCormick

Publish Date: January 2002

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Pages: 160pp

IBSN: 0439324599

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $16.95

Amazon: $7.99

Annotation: Callie is a normal teenager. She attends high school and runs track, but Callie is hiding a big secret, she cuts herself. When the cuts on Callie’s arms are revealed, Callie is sent away to deal with her problems.

Summary: Fifteen year-old Callie appears to be normal, she attends high school and runs track. When a school nurse notices all the cuts on Callie’s arms, Callie is sent away to a psychological treatment facility for adolescents. At the treatment center, Callie refuses to speak to anyone, including her family. Instead she watches, and listens and learns about all of her group mates (who are suffering from anorexia, behavioral problems and drug abuse), but they know nothing about her. Then, when Amanda joins the group and flaunts her cutting scars, it becomes more difficult for Callie to remain silent. She slowly begins to speak and shares her feelings. In doing so, Callie realizes that she wants to get better.

Evaluation: I felt this was an important read as it shows a glimpse inside the mind of why someone would want to use self-mutilation as a coping mechanism. This is a fast read, but also a deep and meaningful experience. The psychological problems Callie faces are very real and very sad. I think this is a great story for anyone either going through similar situations, or anyone who knows someone going through this.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Using self-mutilation as a coping mechanism.
Feeling like you caused harm to someone you love (guilty).
Feeling unable to speak about your problems.
Learning forgiveness.

Reason this book was chosen: To explore the mentality of a cutter, both psychologically and emotionally.

Similar Titles:

Willow by Julia Hoban

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Define “Normal” by Julie Anne Peters

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:
Isinglass Teen Reads Award, 2004
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2002
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, 2001

33 Snowfish by Adam Rapp

2010-04-05T22:11:00.001-07:00

Title: 33 Snowfish

Author: Adam Rapp

Publish Date: February 2003

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Pages: 192pp

IBSN: 0763618748

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $15.99

Amazon: $6. 99

Annotation: Custis, a homeless boy, Curl, a fifteen-year-old drug-addicted prostitute and her boyfriend Boobie, who just killed his own parents, are on the run from the police with a baby, Boobie’s little brother. They are all set out to make a better life, regardless of their past.

Summary: When you have nowhere to go, whom do you turn to? Custis does not have parents. He has been living with Bob Motley, who has been sexually abusing him over a period of time and forces him to participate in pornographic films with other children. Custis decides to run, but he has nowhere really to run to. While collecting quarters on the street near an arcade he notices a strange boy with black eyes named Boobie. The two meet and become friends. They make a home in the woods and are soon joined by Curl, Boobie’s fifteen-year old girlfriend who is addicted to drugs and prostitutes herself in order to survive. After Boobie inexplicably murders his parents, he grabs his baby brother in hopes of selling him to the highest bidder. The four of them hit the road, running from the police and doing anything they can to survive.

Evaluation: A haunting and depressing story that shows an unfiltered view of three children who have been forced to live lives they did not deserve. Through all the pain and suffering, these characters display a human quality that is actually quite beautiful. The overall underlying message of the story is really amazing as each character gets the opportunity for redemption. It should be noted that there is a lot of offensive language, though the language fits the context of the story. There is no easy way out in this story, the reader must work for it, and I have to say, I really appreciated this aspect as it leaves the reader with a message to reflect on.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Displays realities of being young and poor and abused.
The life you are given isn’t always fair.
Redemption.
Coming from a rough beginning.
Losing the people who are the closest to you.

Reason this book was chosen: This book was chosen because of the multitude of controversial issues, which are: sexual abuse, teen pornography, teen prostitution, murder, delinquent behavior, and teen sex.

Similar Titles:

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Jumping the Scratch by Sara Weeks

When Jeff Comes Home by Cathrine Atkins

Author Wikipedia Page: Click HERE

Awards:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2004

New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, 2004

The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

2010-04-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

Title: The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials

Author: Phillip Pullman

Publish Date: April 1996

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Pages: 416pp

IBSN: 0679879242

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $7.50
Barnes & Noble: $6.75

Annotation: The first book in His Dark Materials trilogy is set in an alternate universe where humans have “daemons.” Lyra, the eleven-year old heroin, sets out on an adventure to save her friend Roger, and ultimately the world.

Summary: Set in a Victorian/Steampunk world where humans have "daemons" that are a physical manifestation of their soul in the form of an animal that is both physically and spiritually connected to them. The story is set around ten-year-old Lyra Belacqua who is an orphan and has been raised at Oxford University by the attending scholars. Along with her companion daemon, Pantalaimon, she sneaks into places she does not belong and learns secrets about her protectors and her home. Lyra’s ride begins when her friend Roger gets kidnapped by adults who conduct experiments on children. Lyra sets out to find him, along the way sh encounters talking bears, flying witches, wandering gypsies, and learns of a possible dispute that exist between different worlds.

Evaluation: Phillip Pullman is an outspoken atheist from England who is also known as a supporter of the British Humanist Association and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. His Dark Materials is said to be what Narnia is for Christians, but for atheists. With that said, I would not classify this book (or series) as anti-Christian or anti-religion. There are minor references and it’s nothing apalling (in my personal opinion). Overall, I view this novel as an adventure-fantasy with present themes that questions truth and deception, as well as what is the value and nature of the soul are.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Trusting yourself.
Fearless.
Questioning authority.
Fighting for your rights.

Reason this book was chosen: Phillip Pullman is an outspoken atheist from England who is also known as a supporter of the British Humanist Association and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. His Dark Materials is said to be what Narnia is for Christians, but for atheists. Now, I am not an atheist, nor am I a Christian, I would consider myself a spiritual human being. In any event, religious matters aside, this book was chosen for the steampunk fantasy element. Alternate universes and girl heroes

Similar Titles:

The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Series: His Dark Materials

The Golden Compass (2001)

The Subtle Knife (2001)

The Amber Spyglass (2001)

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2003
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 1997
British Book Award (Children's Book of the Year), 1997
ALA Notable Children's Book, 1997

The Movie:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chobsky

2010-04-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author: Steven Chobsky

Publish Date: February 1999

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Pages: 224pp

IBSN: 0671027344

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 13 and up

Price: $14.00

Amazon: $10.08

Annotation: Charlie is about to begin his freshman year in high school. He has many fears, as he is somewhat of a loner. Writing letters to a “friend” help him chronicle his life experiences.

Summary: Charlie is about to begin his freshman year in high school. He has many fears, as he is somewhat of a loner. Writing letters to a “friend” helps him chronicle his life experiences. From losing a friend to suicide to gaining a handful of friends who are all seniors, Charlie’s letters continue through the school year, recording his friendships, high school life, mental issues, and ongoing battle to emerge from passivity and actively engage with the world.

Evaluation: A truly inspiring and compelling novel about growing up. Charlie, the protagonist is easily relatable as he narrates his thoughts and feelings. His story and experiences rang true and pulled me back in my wallflower days in high school. Subjects such as: sex, drugs, and abuse, were presented in a realistic manner. I LOVED this book, could hardly put it down once I started reading it. Go MTV for promoting this book! Truly a teen classic.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Being a “wallflower.”
Experiencing big life moments for the first time.
Falling in love.
Being scared of love.
Being scared of being alone.
Suffering from a traumatic experience.
Molestation

Reason this book was chosen: It came as a recommendation from a good friend who said, “it’s our generation’s version of the Catcher and the Rye.” This is one of FAVORITE YA books. Maybe it was my connection to the time period--the Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Smiths, being infinite, I whole heartedly fell into Charlie’s story about his freshman year of high school. This book deals with a gamut of issues: friendships, homosexuality, sex, drugs, death, fighting,

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Cut by Patrick McCormick

Awards:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2000

ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, 2000

Godless by Pete Hautman

2010-04-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Title: Godless

Author: Pete Hautman

Publish Date: November 2005

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 208pp

IBSN: 1416908161

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 13 and up

Price: $15.95

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: Jason decides he no longer wishes to be Catholic like his parents, instead he decides to create his own religion, Chutengodianism, a.k.a to worship the town's water tower.

Summary: Jason Bock decides to take a spiritual departure from Catholicism, as he is tired of his parent’s strict ways. He decides, in part as a joke with his friends, to worship the town’s water tower. He recruits a congregation of worshippers and calls this new religion “Chutengodianism.” As Jason and his congregation worship the Ten-Legged God (the water tower), unexpected things and emotions start to happen. What started out as a joke has suddenly become problematic for some of the members.

Evaluation: I thought this was a good/quick story that offers readers a lot to ingest. Jason is an enjoyable character. It's easy to see why he has such an influence over his friends and it’s interesting to see him attempt to figure out religion and what makes it work, or not work. I found the evolution of the character’s motivations incredibly interesting as Jason became more curious, Shin went into an obsessive manner, Henrey just wants to climb the tower, and Magda just wants to get close to Henry. It’s a weird parallel if you think about it. Overall, the main message I got from this book is not that religion is a bad thing, or a good thing, just that everyone should question it.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Questioning faith.
Struggling to understand religion.
Influence can be a powerful thing.

Reason this book was chosen: After reading the back of the book and discovering the storyline about a high school student questioning religion that decides as a joke to form a new religion worshipping the local water tower, I knew I had to read this.

Similar Titles:

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjan

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:

National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, 2004

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2005

Booklist Editors’ Choice, 2004

CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children’s Book Council)

New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, 2005

ALA Popular Paperbacks, 2007

Tenderness by Robert Cormire

2010-04-05T20:09:00.001-07:00

Title: Tenderness

Author: Robert Cormier

Publish Date: September 2004

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Pages: 240pp

ISBN: 0385731337

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Age Range: 14 and up

Price: $16.95

Amazon: $7.95

Annotation: Eric is an 18-year-old serial killer and Lori is a fifteen-year-old runaway. They are both victims of sexual abuse who are quenching their needs for affection through murder.

Summary: Eighteen-year old Eric Poole has progressed from killing small animals to killing parents and unsuspecting young women. He has paid for these crimes by serving three years in the juvenile detention center. Lieutenant Jake Proctor has labeled Eric as mentally incapable of feeling and a psycho path. He believes Eric has committed at least three other murders, and will not be able to control himself. Upon his release, Eric encounters Lori, fifteen years old, whom he has met before when she was twelve. While on the road to hunt for Maria, a girl Eric met in the juvenile detention center. unveiling of Eric’s psychopathic desires and underdeveloped emotions.

Evaluation: A dark and gritty read that deals with major psychological issues rooted deep down within a serial killers mind. I thought the overall disturbance of the story to be quiet hard to read—killing kittens, oh my! However, Cormier allows the reader to venture into the dark world as to what and how things happened, which for me lead me to some creepy places and overall enhanced the story because it gave me the power to foresee the ugliness. This was definitely a novel I had to just put down and return reading when I was mentally able. The underlying theme, which so happens to coordinate with the title of the book, is for both characters to release their fixations and to be handled with love and tenderness. The ending was poignant and left me with an eerie feeling. Actually, the entire book left me that way.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Amazon:

Being an outsider.
Struggling with family pain.
Having bad things happen to you and being confused about it.

Reason this book was chosen: After reading The Chocolate War, I decided I wanted to get another feel for Cormier’s work as I enjoyed his writing style. Tenderness focuses on an interesting subject: serial killing. The library record states, a psychological thriller told from the points of view of a teenage serial killer and the runaway girl who falls in love with him.

Similar Titles:

Fade Robert Cormier

I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Author Website: Click HERE (Wikipedia page)

This book has been adapted into a film. Click HERE to view the IMDb page.

Awards:

Popular Paperback for Young Adults/Different Drummer, 1999

Here is the film trailer.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

2010-03-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

Title: Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publish Date: August 2009

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Pages: 400pp

IBSN: 0545123267

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy/Supernatural

Age Range: 13 and up

Price: $17.99

Amazon: $10.79

Annotation: Grace is fascinated with the wolves who hang out in the woods behind her house. There is one wolf, her wolf, whom she connects with, the one with the yellow eyes. When Grace meets a boy with those same yellow eyes, she knows he is her wolf.

Summary: When Grace was younger the wolves in the woods attacked her behind her house. Ever since then, she has been fascinated by them and has kept a watchful eye. There is one wolf she has always felt a special connection with, the one with the yellow-eyes. Meanwhile, Sam has always lived two lives, in the summers he is human, but in the cold winter months he turns back into a wolf. Sam has watched Grace from afar for most of his life. After changing back to his human form, he finally meets her, in which startles Grace as she instantly notices his yellow-eyes and feels a familiarity takes her breath away. Grace knows Sam is her wolf. The two of them share an unlikely relationship and a fight against the cooling months, as Sam must stay warm in order to remain human.

Evaluation: A well-written love story about a werewolf, Sam, and a once bitten but never changed girl, Grace. I liked the alternating narratives between Sam and Grace. In fact, this allowed me to develop feelings from both characters points of view, and because of this I found myself more engrossed in the story.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Teen angst.
First love.
Yearning love.
Feeling intense emotions.
Problem solving.
Having a difficult upbringing.

Reason this book was chosen: I love supernatural/paranormal stories, especially ones that involve a romance. Yes, I’m that person. With that said, Shiver is a captivating story with a good amount of angst and chilling romance.

Similar Titles:

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garica

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Need by Carrie Jones

Author Website: Click HERE

http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/

Series:

Shiver (2009)

Linger (2010)

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2010
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, 2010

Lush by Natasha Friend

2010-03-20T22:38:00.001-07:00

Title: Lush

Author: Natasha Friend

Publish Date: November 2006

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Pages: 192pp

IBSN: 043985346X

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 13 and up

Price: $16.99

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: Samantha is thirteen years old and navigating her way through junior high while keeping her alcoholic father a secret.

Summary: Thirteen-year-old Samantha is carrying a big emotional secret: her father is an alcoholic. She wants to reach out to someone, yet she doesn’t want anyone to know her secret. Desperate for help, Sam decides to write a letter to unknown person she finds finds at the public library she frequents. When her father’s drinking gets worse, Sam finds herself in a bad situation and nearly gets taken advantage of. She discovers her mysterious pen pal from the public library and ends up coming clean to her friends, who support her.

Evaluation: A compelling read that details the emotional struggle of a girl dealing with her father's drinking problem. I think this is an excellent book for anyone going through a similar problem as well as friends of anyone going through a similar problem as it provides some insight and awareness on the pain alcoholism causes. Additionally, the story moves quickly, which makes this a good read for reluctant readers.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Growing up with an alcoholic parent.
Embarrassed for people to know your home life.
Being desperate for help.
Getting bullied.
Ignoring a problem, even when it doesn't go away.

Reason this book was chosen: I originally grabbed this book because of the delicate subject matter of growing up with an alcoholic parent. In addition to the subject matter, I came across several reviews, all of which had good things to say and many of them insisting people to read. The book is very short, only 192 pages and moves quickly, while incorporating many crucial issues.

Similar Titles:

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

Right Behind You by Gail Giles

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:

ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers, 2007

International Reading Association Young Adult Choices, 2008

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

2010-03-20T22:37:00.001-07:00

Title: Pretties

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Publish Date: November 2005

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 384pp

IBSN: 0689865392

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $14.00

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: In a perfect society, where everyone is brain-damaged into being happy all the time and transformed into the universal pinnacle of beauty, how do you rebel?

Summary: In part two of the Uglies series, Tally Youngblood has just become a Pretty. Being Pretty isn't just superficial though, the operation has deeper consequences as she struggles to retain her mental acuity after undergoing the operation. She is re-connected with her best friend Shay and joins a new Pretty clique of friends where she; challenges authority, falls in love (again) and discovers how to stay “bubbly” as she uncovers her past. When she is bubbly she is able to think more clear, in opposition to being Pretty-minded. .

Evaluation: I am a HUGE fan of the Uglies series. Pretties is my favorite because we get to explore Tally’s world a little more—why the world is the way it is and how the rebel came to be. I love the relationship between Tally and Zane. I thought the concept of starving yourself and cutting yourself in efforts to wake up (and feel something) to be interesting and actually a very dark aspect of the story. The running themes in the series display freedom to think for yourself and that beauty comes from within.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Fighting for what you believe in.
Losing someone you love.
Being caught in a love triangle.
Beauty is on the inside.
Friendships are not always easy.

Reason this book was chosen: After reading the Uglies, you almost just have to read the Pretties. The subject matter it’s quite interesting and though provoking as it deals with concepts of perfection and erasing the pain and depression from all human beings in order to have a “happy” society.

Similar Titles:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

Author Website: Click HERE

Series: The Uglies Series

Uglies (2005)

Pretties (2005)

Specials (2006)

*Extras (2009)

*Extras is not necessarily part of the series, though there are references and similarities.

Awards:
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2010

Paranoid Park by Blake Nelson

2010-03-20T22:36:00.001-07:00

Title: Paranoid Park

Author: Blake Nelson

Publish Date: September 2006

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)

Pages: 176pp

IBSN: 0670061182

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 13 and up

Price: $15.99

Amazon: $6.99

Annotation: A young skateboarder finds himself mixed up in a gruesome death of a security officer. Unable to deal with his emotions, he finds himself writing letters as a way to release the guilt.

Summary: Written in a series of letters by an unnamed skateboarder that recounts the events that lead up to the horrific murder of a security guard, including his actions to cover up his part in the crime. It all started when he went to Paranoid Park by himself because his friend blew him off. He is intrigued by all the skaters and what everyone is doing. He gets approached by a "streeter" who asks if he can use his board. He lets him. They end up hopping a train to a trainyard and then it happened. The security guard who was chasing them gets murdered in a gruesome way. Throughout the story the skateboarder is tormented about the event, but cannot bring himself to take responsibility.

Evaluation: This was an eerie and suspense-filled read that provides the reader with a psychological ride inside the mind of a tormented teen who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. The narrator’s internal monologue was very real. I thought it was an interesting choice for the narrator to not resolve the issue (as in confess), rather he came to terms with his guilt.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Carrying a secret around.
Feeling guilty.
Trapped in fear and paranoia.
Coming to terms with guilt.

Reason this book was chosen: I actually saw the movie by Gus Van Saint before I even knew this was a book. I thought the movie was brilliant and wanted to read the novel. Additionally, the story exposes an underground skateboard world that I found interesting.

Similar Titles:

Rock Star Superstar by Blake Nelson

Beige by Ceil Castellucci

Vandal by Michael Simmons

Author Wikipedia Page: Click HERE

Awards:

ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2007

Here is the film trailer.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

2010-03-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Title: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Publish Date: April 2008

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Pages: 272pp

IBSN: 0805076689

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $16.95

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: Jenna Fox has just awaken from an eighteen month long coma to a life she doesn’t remember, a body she doesn’t recognize, and two parents and a grandmother she doesn’t really know.

Summary: Jenna Fox was in a horrible car accident that led to her eighteen month coma. When she awakened, she didn’t remember anything—who she was, where she came from, why she was in a coma. Her mother encourages her to piece her life back together by watching home videos of herself that span every year of her life - each neatly cataloging every moment of Jenna’s growth and development, though she does not relate to the Jenna she see’s in the videos. She struggles with remembering facts and school curriculum's, but not her most deepest and personal memories. She remembers historical facts, yet was told she was never into history. This sets Jenna off questioning her parents, and her being. Little by little Jenna begins to remember things of her past, like her close relationship with her grandmother Lily, though her grandmother is cold and distant with her now. As Jenna learns the secret her parents have been keeping from her, she does not like what she learns, in fact she is furious and confused as this raises more questions for her, like is she even human?

Evaluation: The Adoration of Jenna Fox is imaginative and haunting as it stirs up moral and ethical questions. I liked the way the author has the reader discovering exactly who Jenna Fox is right along side Jenna Fox. This made the story more intriguing as every clue was turned over.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Identity.
Acceptance of you’ve become.
Recovering from a traumatic event.

Reason this book was chosen: Set in a dystopian world with moral and ethical boundaries being pushed and questioned, need I say more? I also love the amnesia aspect of the novel and finding out what happened to Jenna, as Jenna herself discovers what happened.

Similar Titles:

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by Emily Lockhart

Author’s website: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2009
SLJ Best Books for Children, 2008

Derby Girl by Shauna Cross

2010-03-20T22:33:00.002-07:00

Author: Shauna Cross

Publish Date: September 2007

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Pages: 240pp

IBSN: 0805080236

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $17.99

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: Bliss Cavendar is a blue-haired punk rock indie teen who is stuck participating in beauty pageants in a small town in Texas. When roller derby enters her world, everything changes and Bliss learns some hard realities in life.

Summary: Bliss Cavendar is sixteen-years-old and a misfit in her small town of Bodeen, Texas. Her mother is instant on her succeeding in beauty pageantry, as that is what she herself never succeeded in—a dream that is far from what Bliss wants. On a shopping trip in Austin with her mother, Bliss snags a flyer about roller derby. She devises a plan with her best friend Pash to go back to the derby for try-outs. She remembers back when she was younger she loved roller skating. After making it on the team, Bliss begins sneaking out twice, saying she has SAT prep, for practice. She becomes Babe Ruthless and a fan favorite for the Austin Roller Derby scene. She meets a musician, falls in love, experiences all the pain/excitement first love can bring, and most importantly she discovers her strength from within.

Evaluation: This was a fun read, mainly because I love the derby. The story is sort of the same old misfit living in a town that doesn’t understand her but she finds a group of new friends. You can tell the author was a former derby girl as her descriptions of the derby are spot on. I like that the romance subplot took a backseat to the strong female friendships. This story is about self empowerment, friendships, and self discovery.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Self Discovery.
Empowerment.
How to be your own hero.
Be proud of who you are.
First love.

Reason this book was chosen: Well, I love roller derby. I go to the Dollhouse once a month to see the LA Derby Dolls! When I heard Drew Barrymore was making a movie about roller derby I was pumped, even more so when I heard “Whip It” was based off the young adult book, Derby Girl.

Awards: Similar Titles:

Beige by Cecil Castellucci

The Waters & the Wild by Francesca Lia Block

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Click HERE for the LA Derby Doll website.

Author Wikipedia Page: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2008
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2008

Check out the Film Whip It!

The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tasjian

2010-03-20T22:33:00.001-07:00

Title: The Gospel According to Larry

Author: Janet Tasjian

Publish Date: May 2003

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Pages: 256pp

IBSN: 0440237920

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 13 and up

Price: $16.95

Amazon: $6.99

Annotation: Josh Swensen is a bored seventeen-year-old genius who creates a website, "The Gospel According To Larry," where he posts all of his rants about our celebrity-obsessed culture, anti-communism, and any other random thing that he thinks of.

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Josh Swensen is highly intelligent, bored, and dealing with the average teenage issues of fitting in, developing secret crushes and worrying about social placements in the hierarchy of high school. Out of boredom, Josh decides to create a website where he write about all his thoughts about the world. He names his website “The Gospel According to Larry.” He used the name Larry in irony to being the least likely holy name.

Evaluation: This is an intelligent and humorous book that details the thoughts and feelings of a seventeen-year-old boy. I really enjoyed everything about this book. From the writing style, to the the visual presentation, this was an all around enjoyable book that provided humor and provoked thought on ones own beliefs.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Unexpected success.
Losing a parent.
Having a crush on your best friend (and they don’t know).
Not wanting to be known when everybody wants to know you.
Going after things you feel passionate about.

Reason this book was chosen: A seventeen-year creates a website where he post his opinions about consumerism, religion, & politics in America—need I say more. I am down with “Larry” and so is Bono from U2!

Similar Titles:

Godless by Pete Hautman

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman

Vote for Larry by Janet Tasjian

Series:

The Gospel According to Larry (2003)

Vote for Larry (2008)

Larry and the Meaning of Life (2008)

Author’s Website: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Popular Paperbacks, 2005
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2002

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

2010-03-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

Title: Wintergirls

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Publish Date: March 2009

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)

Pages: 288pp

IBSN: 067001110X

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 13 and up

Price: $17.99

Amazon: $9.99

Annotation: It all started with a pact between two friends, Lia and Cassie were going to be the skinniest girls in their high school, until there friendship fell apart and Cassie lost her life.

Summary: Lia has just found out her best friend Cassie was found dead in a hotel room. Lia and Cassie were best friends for years, they called themselves wintergirls as they made a pact to be the skinniest girls in their high school. Cassie was bulimic and struggling with family issues. She decided she could not be friends with Lia anymore. Lia was anorexic and Cassie was her only friend. Lia lives with her step mom, Jennifer, Emma her half sister, and her never-home-father. Lia’s mother is a doctor who seems to make Lia’s life more complicated. Lia struggles with her anorexia, she cannot seem to control it (which is ironic because anorexia is a controlling disease). Everywhere she turns she is haunted: by food, by the scale, by Cassie, by the thirty-three missed calls. She cannot escape herself or her pain so she focuses on ways to not eat, to fake a scale reading, to pretend like everything is all right. But everything is not all right. Lia must come to terms with Cassie’s death before she dies herself.

Evaluation: A portrayal of an anorexic teen, which gives the reader an understanding into the mindset of someone dealing with this disease. This was an extremely sad and haunting read. It was hard for me to get through it, not because it was bad, but because it was painful to get inside the head of a young anorexic girl. I have a couple of friends who battled (are battling) these kinds of issues and learning more about it just broke my heart into a million little pieces. I feel I have to make it a point to say I did not feel this was a “how-to-guide” for anorexia. If anything, it is a scary and very real view of the disease that provides a warning.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Having an eating disorder.
Knowing someone who has an eating disorder.
Suffering in silence.
Wanting to get better, but not knowing how.
Grieving over the loss of a best friend.

Reason this book was chosen: Laurie Halse Anderson is a well-known award winning young adult writer. When I found out she wrote a book about the struggles of a young girl dealing with anorexia and her best friend (who suffered from bulimia), I thought this would be an important read.

Similar Titles:

If I stay by Gayle Forman

What I saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

After by Amy Efaw

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2010
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2010

Invisible by Pete Hautman

2010-03-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Title: Invisible

Author: Pete Hautman

Publish Date: June 2005

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 160pp

IBSN: 0689868006

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $16.14

Amazon: $7.99

Annotation: Douglas MacArthur Hanson, “Dougie,” is the nerdy weird kid in high school, while his best friend, Andy Morrow, is a popular football player and theater. They discuss everything accept what happened at Tuttle Place three years ago.

Summary: Douglas MacArthur Hanson, “Dougie,” and his best friend Andy Morrow share everything. They have been best friends since they were children, though they are both in different places in their life as Dougie is the weirdo kid in school, being picked on by everyone and Andy is the popular kid, into football and theater. The two discuss everything, except for what happened at Tuttle Place three years ago. Meanwhile, Dougie is obsessed with his trains and building a bridge between East Madham and West Madham. He feels bridges are good things as they connect people. As he begins to question his memory and why his parents and psychologist have him on meds, he starts to uncover what happened at Tuttle Place.

Evaluation: This is one of books that I would recommend to a reluctant reader because A.) it’s only 160 pages and B.) it’s brilliantly constructed. I really enjoyed this tense story--it was painfully sad and left me questioning the ending (I love when that happens—deep contemplation hours after the story has ended). Did Dougie die in the end or not? I’m thinking he did die and the "Madham Burn Unit" is the place he wakes up in, in his afterlife. Though, he could have also survived and been using his imagination again. In any event, this was a quick story with vast amounts of suspense and lots of deep contemplation. This would be an excellent book to use for a group discussion as the ending is up for debate and the symbolism of the train and title of the book have plenty of deep

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Emotional damage of a traumatic event.
Being a loner.
Obsessing over something.

Reason this book was chosen: I was attracted to the psychological suspense of this realistic fiction story. Additionally, the length of the book makes this read an easy commitment (and one you won’t regret).

Similar Titles:

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L.Going

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2006
Kirkus Editor's Choice, 2005

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

2010-03-20T08:07:00.001-07:00

Title: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publish Date: September 2009

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Pages: 400pp

ISBN: 0439023491

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Supernatural

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $17.99

Amazon: $10.52

Annotation: After surviving the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are back in District 12, planning a wedding, and facing rumors of a rebellion.

Summary: The second installment of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games sweeps you right back into that iron grip of the Capitol, a totalitarian government that has become angry and seeks retribution. Victor's Katniss and Peeta find themselves facing rumors of a rebellion, an inevitable circumstance after reading about their haunting participation in the games. In the interim, Katniss struggles with her love interest between Gale and Peeta--not really having time to discover what her true feelings are.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: Do not even think about starting this book until you have read THE HUNGER GAMES. This is a masterful journey of terror, love and loss.

Evaluation: I literally could not put this book down. Suzanne Collins enhances the sequel to The Hunger Games by capturing the same dark edge and intensifying jaw-dropping lure. I have to say, the ending KILLED me in that you are pretty much left hanging, and there is nothing you can do but wait till August 23th.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Having feelings for more then one person.
Struggling to protect the ones you love.
Not knowing how you feel about someone, romantically.

Reason this book was chosen: After reading The Hunger Games, I had absolutely no choice but to read the highly anticipated sequel. This story is violent and dark and definitely frightening to think about—how could anyone pass this up?! Currently dying for the Mocking Jay due out August 23, 2010.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Author Website: Click HERE

Series: The Hunger Games Series
The Hunger Games (2008)
Catching Fire (2009)

Mockingjay (August 24, 2010)

Awards:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2010
Locus Recommended Reading (Young Adult Book), 2010

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2010-03-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

Title: Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publish Date: October 2008

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Pages: 374pp

ISBN: 0439023483

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Supernatural

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $17.99

Amazon: $10.52

Annotation: When Katniss's younger sister's name is drawn to be in the Hunger Games, she decides to take her place because in the Hunger Games, only one survives out of twenty-four.

Summary: Set in a dystopian future, Panem now resides where North America perished and in this future society the Capitol has to keep all of its districts in place. One day the districts decided to revolt, and as a result of that came the Hunger Games. Every year one boy and one girl from each district aged twelve to eighteen are chosen to fight. All twenty-four teens are placed in an outdoor arena to fight to the death, leaving only one teen left standing at the end. When Katniss's younger sister's name is drawn to be in the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to step in for her sister. Another contestant in the Games is one of her friends who she's romantically interested in, and who's romantically interested in her. Katniss has to decide who to trust to survive, and making a statement about the cruelty of the system.

Evaluation: Wow! Many reviewers of this novel have called it "addicting," I could not agree with that more. From the first page I could not put this book down. Katniss's terrifying struggle to survive, and to maintain her sense of self within the competition, makes for enthralling reading. Hunger Games touches on many issues, from personal morality, to the effects of oppression and societal violence on young people.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Love can be confusing, especially when you aren’t sure who you love.
Bravery can be scary.
Witnessing the death of a friend is devastating.

Reason this book was chosen: A deadly lottery combined with a gruesome reality show where teens have to fight to the death. This book was almost impossible not to read.

Similar Titles:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Author Website: Click HERE

Series: The Hunger Games Series
The Hunger Games (2008)
Catching Fire (2009)

Mockingjay (August 24, 2010)

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2009
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, 2009
ALA Notable Children's Book, 2009
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2008
Locus Recommended Read (young Adult Book), 2008
Romantic Times Reviwers' Choice Award, 2008

Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block

2010-03-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Title: Pretty Dead

Author: Francesca Lia Block

Publish Date: September 2009

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pages: 197pp

ISBN: 0061547859

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Supernatural/Urban Fantasy

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $16.99

Amazon: $11. 55

Annotation: Charlotte seems to have it all, she lives in a lavish mansion with no adult supervision and has everything she has ever wanted, except she is lonely because Charlotte is a vampire.

Summary: Charlotte Emerson has been a teenage girl for centuries now. She is a vampire and has lived through many fashions and many experiences. After settling down from a life of luxury, she decides to go to school and meets a girl named Emily, someone who reminds Charlotte of her deceased brother Charles. Charlotte begins to live life through Emily, but soon becomes jealous of Emily’s human life. Emily wishes to be turned but Charlotte refuses to damn her. Inevitably, Charlotte loses Emily. She finds herself falling in love with Emily's boyfriend, Jared, who also reminds her of her dead twin brother, Charles. As her love grows, she begins to lose her immortality and is possibly becoming more human. For the first time in over one hundred years, Charlotte is able to cry. Unfortunately, Jared is not content with being a human; he begs Charlotte to make him a vampire.

Evaluation: You either love Francesca Lia Block or you hate her. I love her and I love her take on vampires. The story was comparable to Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire, as a young girl was turned into a vampire to appease her master and then tires of her long unchanging life and seeks out a new one. I found Pretty Dead to be a quick read, in that it was interesting and unpredictable and carried the same poetic edge that all of Francesca novellas have.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Fear of the unknown.
Grieving.
Yearning to have a companion.
Losing people you love.
Acceptance.

Reason this book was chosen: I am a Francesca Lia Block fan as well as a vampire fan, though this novel was more about love then the supernatural element. Anyone who loves Francesca will want to read her take on vampires.

Similar Titles:

Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga

Author Website: Click HERE

Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

2010-03-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

Title: Knife of Never Letting Go

Author: Patrick Ness

Publish Date: September 2008

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Pages: 496pp

ISBN: 0763639311

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price:

Amazon: $9.99

Annotation: Todd Hewitt lives in Prentisstown, a place where all the men can hear each other’s thoughts, in which they refer to as “the Noise.” There is no women in this town, for all the women died when Todd was just a baby.

Summary: Todd Hewitt lives in a town where all the women are dead and all the men can hear each other’s thoughts. The Noise, it’s a collective stream of consciousnesses pouring out into the world and into the minds of the rest of the town. Todd is twelve, about to be thirteen, an age that will define him as a man. When he is out in the woods, alone, he discovers something, a silent something. This silent something is not supposed to exist, which leads him to uncover a girl. Thus begins book one of the Chaos Walking trilogy.

Evaluation: A very creative story by Patrick Ness with vivid descriptions of the New World and an almost uncanny idea of the human race. The ending almost forces you to pick up the sequel as it is unfinished and unresolved—so have it ready to go, otherwise you may find yourself a little angry.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Identifying with who you are.
Taking a chance on the unknown.

Reason this book was chosen: I love any novel that incorporates a dystopian world. Patrick Ness’s adventure series is quiet different as the story takes place in a world where all the women have died from a virus and all the men can hear each other’s thoughts. Guardian Children's Fiction Award, 2008

Similar Titles:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd

Author’s Website: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2009
Guardian Children's Fiction Award, 2008
Booktrust Teenage Prize, 2008
Locus Recommended Reading (Young Adult), 2008

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn

2010-03-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Breathing Underwater

Author: Alex Flinn

Publish Date: October 2002

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pages: 272pp

ISBN: 0064472574

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 14 and up

Price: $12.95

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: Nick has it all, a dad who earns a healthy living, a big fancy house, a shiny red sports car, and a beautiful and gifted girlfriend, Caitlin, who adores him. That is, until Nick hits his Caitlin and is forced to undergo group counseling.

Summary: Nick has just been sentenced to anger management class because he hit his girlfriend, Catlin. At first, Nick doesn’t see the point of having to go to therapy for slapping his girlfriend. But as he goes through the process of journaling their relationship, he begins to realize that everything he hates about his father is manifested in his treatment of Caitlin.

Evaluation: A very important story, detailing the cycle of abuse, and the affects family violence have on everyone involved. I found it interesting that Alex Finn, a female author, was writing in the perspective of Nick, the abuser.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Abusive relationships.
Anger management.
Abusive parent.

Reason this book was chosen: Physical abuse in teenage years is important to highlight as it does happen. Breathing Underwater details the life of the abuser, and more importantly shows how he came to be that way and provides hopefulness for his recovery.

Similar Titles:

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles

Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn

The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci

Author’s Website: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2002
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2002

Geography Club by Brent Hartlinger

2010-03-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Title: Geography Club

Author: Brent Hartlinger

Publish Date: February 2004

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pages: 240pp

ISBN: 0060012234

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 14 and up

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: Russel Middlebrook and a couple of his friends form a geography club as a cover for gay/lesbian club.

Summary: Russel Middlebrook is pretty sure he is gay as he isn’t attracted to the opposite sex and seriously avoids the half-naked guys in the locker room every day after gym class. While not having an actual experience with another guy, Russell decides to surf the net for gay chat rooms. While doing this he friends another gay teen, one whom happens to attend his very same high school--Kevin Land, the star of the baseball team. The two meet off school grounds and decide they have to keep their relationship a hidden. After discovering that there are more people like him, Russell decides to form an un-popular club, the geography club, to use as a cover for a gay/lesbian club. A place where Russell and his friends can be themselves on school grounds. Everything is good for a while, then things start to go awry as intense peer pressure and insecurity take their toll.

Evaluation: A compelling read, detailing the lives of seven different teens who come together to start a gay/lesbian support group. The story depicts the feelings of isolation and fear that each homosexual and bisexual teen goes through. By forming a "geography group" they not only develop a support group but friendships. Ultimately this is a story about doing the right thing.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Discovering your identity, even when it’s not accepted.
Accepting who you are.
Accepting other people for who they are.
Doing the right thing, even when that means you have to give up something you really want.

Reason this book was chosen: A secret gay support group under the auspices of a geography club in efforts to form a support group.

Similar Titles:

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2005
Book Sense Summer Pick Teen Readers, 2004

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

2010-03-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Title: Boy Toy

Author: Barry Lyga

Publish Date: January 2009

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Pages: 416pp

ISBN: 0547076347

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 14 and up

Price: $16.95

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: Josh Mendel’s life was changed forever when he was twelve years old with his involvement with his drop-dead gorgeous history teacher, Mrs. Evelyn Sherman. Now, eighteen, and about to graduate, Josh is faced with his haunting past.

Summary: When Josh Mendel was twelve years old, he became sexually involved with his high school history teacher Mrs. Evelyn Sherman. During this affair, Josh becomes addicted to the sexual exploration. He experiences feelings of guilt, but those feelings wash over with the pleasure given to him by Mrs. Sherman. Everything comes to a dramatic end when a game of spin the bottle happens between Josh and one of his long time baseball friends Rachael. Written back and forth between Josh's flashbacks from five years ago and the present, Boy Toy is a heartbreaking story of a young man trying to heal his past demons and move on into adulthood with honor and ease.

Evaluation: A powerful story that looks inside the psychological affects of sexual abuse between a student and a teacher. Even with this serious subject matter, Lyga captures the lives of high school students with humor and wisdom. This book definitely kept me interested and I appreciated Josh re-telling the actual affair/abuse between him and his history teacher Mrs. Sherman. Overall, a powerful

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Facing your dramatic past.
Having sexual experiences with an older, authoritative person.

Reason this book was chosen: First off, I am a fan of Barry Lyga—I read Fanboy and the seqel GothGirl and loved his witty writing style. Second, I became extremely interested in other books by Lyga and Boy Toy has an interesting storyline of sexual abuse between a young boy (Josh) and his teacher. The story unfolds pretty rapidly with Josh’s flashbacks of what happened and the after affects of that event. Lyga writes a powerful novel and does not hold back from graphic descriptions of Josh’s past.

Memories of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Right Behind You by Gail Giles

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2008
Cybils Award Young Adult Fiction, 2007

Whale Talk by Chris Cutcher

2010-03-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Title: Whale Talk

Author: Chris Crutcher

Publish Date: April 2001

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pages: 224pp

ISBN: 0688180191

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Sports

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $15.95$17.99

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: T.J. Jones is an adopted, multiracial, high school boy who is highly intelligent and athletically gifted. Hating the way organized athletics works, T.J. refuses to participate, until he decides to form a swimming team of his own with the less than popular students.

Summary: T. J. Jones is an adopted boy of a multicultural background (black, Japanese, and white). Athletics come natural for T.J., yet he chooses not to participate on the organized teams at school—he hates being told what to do. One day, he decides he wants to form a swimming team with all the outcast in school but there is one problem, the school does not have a pool and T.J. wants everyone to earn a letter.

Evaluation: Chris Crutcher combines sports and personal development flawlessly. This is my second Chris Crutcher book and once again I am impressed with his writing and storytelling. It takes a lot for me to be hooked into a storyline that I am not usually drawn too. Chris Crutcher always hooks me. The real life issues are relatable for just about anyone who went to (or is going through) high school. The dialog is spot on, which means foul language but hey, that’s the way it is. Overall an inspirational story that shows no matter what your circumstances are you can overcome them.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Fitting in.
Multicultural backgrounds.
Being bullied.
Overcoming fear.

Reason this book was chosen: This book was on a required reading list but I must say I probably would have end up reading it anyhow because Crutcher is a talented writer and one that I would recommend to pretty much all young adults. Even if you don’t like sports (which Crutcher seems to be a big fan of) you can still find the joy and meaning in his books.

Similar Titles:

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2005
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2002

ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award, 2002

Washington State Book Award, 2002

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, 2002

Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

2010-03-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

Title: Rules of Survival

Author: Nancy Werlin

Publish Date: September 2006

Publisher: Penguin Group

Pages: 272pp

ISBN: 0803730012

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

Price: $16. 14

Amazon: $7.99

Annotation: Matthew is eighteen and has two younger sisters and an abusive mother. In one long letter to his sister Emmy, he recounts the events that took place while living with their manic mother.

Summary: Matthew, Callie and Emmy live with their unstable mother Nikki ( who is known for her flights of fancy and her sudden rages) in South Boston. The three of them have grow up tip-toeing around their apartment, always afraid of setting off their mother’s wrath. When Matt and Callie sneak out one night they meet a man named Murdock, who seems to take a stand on children being mistreated. Matt and Callie decide to formulate a plan to get Murdock involved into their lives in hopes he can help them. Their plan takes a wrong turn when their mother ends up dating Murdoch and when the relationship does not go well, Matt is frustrated and depressed as he had hopes of Murdoch being their savior. In the end, SPOILER ALERT, Murdoch comes back as he realizes that the kids are in danger. He forms an alliance with Matt’s father and Nikki’s sister and they end up taking the children away and gaining custody. Nikki makes one last effort to kidnap Emmy--this is when Matt finally understands that he has the power to ensure his own survival.

Evaluation: This is an intense and terrifying read told through the eyes of Matthew, the oldest sibling in an abusive household. The structure of the story is formulated into a letter—Matt writing to his younger sister Emmy about their childhood. I thought the predominate theme of abusive households and the affect they have mentally and physically on children to be valid and heartbreaking and I only hope this book serve teens who are living in dysfunction households. Another interesting point Nancy Werlin made in this book was how hard it actually is for someone on the outside to intervene.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Child abuse.
Surviving while living in a dysfunctional family.
Adults are not always right in their actions, even parents.

Reason this book was chosen: The realistic storyline of family abuse and the ways in which this abuse affects children.

Similar Titles:

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2007

ALA Best Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2010

ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2007

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2006

Fallen Angeles by Walter Dean Myers

2010-03-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Title: Fallen Angeles

Author: Walter Dean Myers

Publish Date: May 2008

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Pages: 309pp

ISBN: 0545055768

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Range: 14 and up

Price: $6.99

Amazon: $6.99

Annotation: Richie Perry, a seventeen-year-old from Harlem, arrives in Vietnam in 1967. This is his story.

Summary: After his high school graduation seventeen-year-old Richie Perry joins the army because college was too expensive and the job market was scarce. Richie enlists in the army to play for the professional basketball team. After he injures his knee he ends up being shipped overseas for combat duty. This is when we enter Richie’s deep narration of the war and what it felt like for him (and for you as the reader). ``We spent another day lying around. It seemed to be what the war was about. Hours of boredom, seconds of terror.'' (p.132) . Through the narration we see Richie get discriminated against (racially) and assigned to all the dangerous missions. In the end, Richie returns home wounded.

Evaluation: A compelling story about the Vietnam War that neither condemns nor glorifies it, but rather opens the reader up to thinking about the event that took place. The dialog is raw and appropriately fits the characters and the setting of the story. The honest narration from Richie evokes extreme sympathy and insightfulness.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Racially discriminated.
Poverty.
Having limited choices due to being poor.
Being placed in harms way, due to your skin color (nationality, etc.)

Reason this book was chosen: I have heard many wonderful things about Walter Dean Myers. When this book showed up on the required reading list I was elated because I have wanted to read it for some time now. As one of the first YA books that incorporates war, Fallen Angels is definitely a must read.

Similar Titles:

Children of the River by Linda Crew

The Contender by Robert Lipsyte

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:

Coretta Scott King Awards, 1989

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 1988

A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book, 1989

ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 1998

Raider’s Night by Robert Lipsyte

2010-03-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Title: Raider’s Night

Author: Robert Lipsyte

Publish Date: July 2007

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pages: 256pp

ISBN: 0060599480

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Sports 13 and up

Age Range: 13 and up

Price: $16.89

Amazon: $6.99

Annotation: Football is Matt Rydek’s life. He has been training intensely now for two years. After witnessing a ritual hazing gone wrong, Matt is left with guilt to either do the right thing, or play by rules of the Raider's.

Summary: The Raiders football team has been part of Matt Rydek’s life forever. In fact, Matt was almost like a captain as he kept fellow players on their lifting schedule, working out, and spending time with the younger players. Matt has an intense focus on winning a scholarship--driven dully by his love of the game and bullying sports dad. When football camp begins, Matt finds himself witnessing bullying and manipulation. On the last week of camp the hazing turns into a sexual assault and none of the adults do anything about it, rather they turn away as if it didn’t happen. Matt is unsure about what to do, if he goes to the authorities he loses everything: his friends, his scholarship, his future.

Evaluation: Robert Lipsyte takes the reader on one hell of a ride--A frightening look inside high school football, and I say frightening because almost every bad conception in relation to high school football was presented in this novel. After conducting some of my own research, I found this novel pretty accurate, with the drug use and ritual hazing attacks (scary). However, we see the protagonist of the story, Matt Rydeck, come to realize that the measure of a man is who he decides to be and what he decides to stand for, which brings me to the conclusion that Raider’s Night should be read by every high school teenager—especially those involved with sports. I really enjoyed this novel and what the story brings to the surface.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Being pressured from everyone around you to be the best.
Having a father who harasses you.
Hazing inside sports teams.
Doing the right thing, with the possibility of loosing everything.
Being forced to use drugs.

Reason this book was chosen: In addition to being on the required reading list, this story incorporates an inside look of the negative side of high school sports and the challenge of doing the right thing, with the possibility of loosing everything you have planned for your future.

Similar Titles:

Taken by Chris Jordan

What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles

Behind the Curtain by Peter Abrahams

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:

ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2008

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

2010-02-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

Title: Boy Meets Boy

Author: David Levithan

Publish Date: May 2005

Publisher: Random House Childrens Books

Pages: 192pp

ISBN: 0375832998

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 14 and up

Price: $17.99

Amazon: $8.95

Annotation: Paul meets Noah. Paul falls in love with Noah. Paul loses Noah. Paul tries to get Noah back.

Summary: Paul is gay and he lives in a simplified town where being gay or a drag-queen quarterback is not given a second thought. In fact, when Paul was five, he knew he was gay, especially after seeing what his kindergarten teacher wrote on his report card. He then proclaimed his homosexuality to his parents, who had no hesitation or refusal of acceptance. During Paul’s sophomore year in high school, he falls love with Noah, a new kid (who is also gay), but things get complicated (high school drama) with Paul’s ex who seems to have a change of heart. In the meanwhile Paul’s friend Tony, who is homosexual and lives in a different town—a religious town, comes out to his parents who do not approve of his lifesytle and won’t let him hang out with boys unless there are girls there too.

Evaluation: I really enjoyed this story because of the wonderful world in which it creates for almost every GLBTQ teenager. Fantastical in respect of the town in which Paul lives is so accepting of the GLBTQ community, but still showed the struggles homosexual teenagers have when coming out to their parents and not finding acceptance.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Coming out to un-accepting parents
Confidence.
Self-acceptance.

Reason this book was chosen: A LGBTQ story that offers more humor and happiness then sad and depressing.

Similar Titles:

Geography Club by Brent Hartinger

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

Author"s Website: Click HERE

Awards:

ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2006

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2004

ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2004

Lambda Literary Award, 2003

BCCB Blue Ribbon Book, 2003

What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles

2010-02-11T18:57:00.000-08:00

Title: What Happened to Cass McBride

Author: Gail Giles

Publish Date: November 2006

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 224pp

ISBN: 0316166383

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 14 and up

Price: $13.25

Amazon: $7.99

Annotation: Cass McBride has been buried alive by the older brother of the boy who killed himself after she turned him down.

Summary: David Kirby has committed suicide and Cass McBride--the beautiful and popular girl who is on track to becoming prom queen and applying to all the best schools-- feels somewhat responsible. Cass knows what she wants, and knows what it takes to stay on top. If you are on her radar, she is sweet, and if you’re not on her radar, you don’t matter. When David Kirby asked her out, a nobody, Cass was shocked. She was nice to his face, but ripped him apart in a letter to her friend—one found by David. Kyle, David Kirby's big brother, learned too late about the note Cass wrote and holds her responsible for the death of his brother. He decides to kidnap her and buries her underground. Now, Cass finds herself waking up from a drug-induced sleep, realizing that Kyle has buried her alive with a crude air supply system and walkie talkie setup through which he can torture her for what she did to his brother. Cass decides the only way she can get out alive is if she manipulates Kyle’s guilt over leaving his brother with their emotionally abusive mother.

Evaluation: A psychological thriller about how crazy and mean teenagers can be. The style and structure of this book captures the reader from the first page (very Gail Giles like). I liked how each chapter alternates character narration, allowing you the reader to feel their points of view. I also appreciated the straight forward plot line, with a satisfying, but ambiguous conclusion.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Think about the way you talk to people—words can inflict pain.

Reason this book was chosen: After reading Shattering Glass I was hooked on anything Gale Giles. I picked What Happened to Cass McBride because of the buried alive storyline—sounded, er, freaky.

Similar Titles:

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Author Website: Click HERE

Awards:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2007

ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2007

Feed by M.T. Anderson

2010-02-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

Title: Feed

Author: M.T Anderson

Publish Date: December 2003

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Pages: 300pp

ISBN: 0763622591

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Range: 13 and up

Amazon: $7.99

Annotation: Titus and his friends live in a society where everyone has a Feednet wired into their brains and are basically controlled by corporations and driven by consumerism. The story begins with a spring break trip to the moon where Titus meets Violent (“the girl”) and soon after gets his Feed hacked along with his friends.

Summary: Set in a near future where everyone has a Feednet wired directly into their brains. These feeds can do a number of different things for each individual like: bringing a constant stream of media and advertising, offering instant information. This negates the act of reading and writing and almost speaking as chatting is mostly done through the feeds. Titus and Violet are two teens who meet during spring break on a trip to the moon. Violet is unusual because she did not get a feed until age 7, making her the only free-thinker that questions authority, while Titus is quite comfortable with his feed. That is until an “interaction” happens and Titus and his friends experience a jamming in their Feeds. This very same “interaction” affects Violet’s life.

Evaluation: Impressively thought out novel. Anderson introduces global issues and consequences of consumerism, commercialism, data mining and the temptation to rely too much on technology to the detriment of developing into thinking, questioning, individuals who are willing to take responsibility for decisions—big and small. The slang was brilliant! --Different from today’s teens which helped set the novel apart from our time, yet similar enough to understand. Anderson gives teens a lens to evaluate their own culture.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness

Think for yourself, even if its against the norm.
Standing up for yourself.
Losing someone you love (a romantic partner)

Reason this book was chosen: I love storylines that involve dystopian worlds, questioning authority, and technology advances. When I read the synopsis of this book, mainly that the characters had chips installed in their brains (Feeds) that basically controlled them, I knew I would love it—and I did!

Similar Titles:

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

Awards:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2003

Book Sense Summer Pick Teen Readers, 2003

A Horn Book Fanfare Book Award, 2002

BCCB Blue Ribbon Book, 2002

Psyche in a Dress by Francesca Lia Block

2010-02-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

Title: Psyche in a Dress

Author: Francesca Lia Block

Publish Date: September 5, 2006

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 128pp

ISBN: 0060763760

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

Age Range: 12 and up

Amazon: $8.99

Annotation: A modern retelling of the classical love story about Psyche and Eros. Modern day Psyche is a teenage girl who stars in the films her father makes. When her love Eros leaves her, she ventures out on an odyssey of self discovery.

Summary: Psyche is a teenage girl under the abusive thumb of her film producer father, Zeus. Missing her mother, who left when she was younger, Psyche connects with her spirit by wearing the dresses she left behind. She has a brief affair with a mysterious stranger, Eros, whom she experiences love with. When Eros leaves, Psyche's life spirals downhill in which sets her on a journey to achieve happiness—the same happiness she felt when she was with Eros. Psyche takes full form in her metaphoric namesake: the soul. She goes on an odyssey of self discovery and traveling through other mythological heroines--Eurydice, Echo, Persephone--as she meets new lovers, who, inevitably, cannot replace her one and only love, Eros. She ends up returning home and working for her father’s girlfriend, Aphrodite, who happens to be Eros’s mother, which reunites Psyche to Eros. She gives birth to Joy and learns

Evaluation: Psyche in a Dress is an emotionally raw novella written in verse using classical Greek mythology against the backdrop of Hollywood. This story explores eroticism and teenage sexuality. It studies a young girl as she struggles with her identity and relationships. It helps to have some prior knowledge in Greek mythology before reading this book, otherwise it can be quite confusing.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness:

Self discovery
First love can leave a heart fluttered with confusion.

Reason this book was chosen: I love Greek Mythology and was interested in Francesca Lia Block's retelling of the classic story of Pysche and Eros.

Similar Titles:

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Ruby by Francesca Lia Block

Author's Website: Click HERE