August 18, 2010
The Ninjas have delivered a diverse set of reviews for this issue. We have everything from a look at krakens to an exciting techno-thriller. You'll also see that E. Lockhart's Ruby Oliver is back, and this time her problem is too many boyfriends. The reviewer of De Goldi's The 10 P.M. Question thinks fans of Perks of Being a Wallflower will go for it. Thank goodness there are still a couple weeks of summer reading time left!
NEWQUIST, H.P.Here There Be Monsters: The Legendary Kraken and the Giant Squid. Houghton Mifflin. August 2010. Tr $18.00. ISBN 978-0-547-07678-2. Gr 5-9–Imagine being attacked by the mythical kraken of The Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. Newquist enlightens his readers with the fact that such creatures might not be as mythical as scientists had previously thought.
Although this book made me feel as if I was reading a description of some sort of conspiracy theory, the overall effect was pretty informative. Unfortunately, I was familiar with most of the material in the second half of the book, the part that described the anatomy of cephalopods. But the first half presented more information that was new to me.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was different from many other nonfiction books I've recently read. The language used was appropriate for its intended audience, and the information was clear and to the point. Newquist manages to capture and hold the reader's attention throughout. I would recommend this book to anybody who's interested in science or mythical creatures.–Hilary L., age 17
DE GOLDI, Kate. The 10 P.M. Question. Candlewick. September 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-763-64939-5. Gr 6-11–de Goldi'snovel deals with extreme anxiety experienced by Frankie, a 12-year-old boy. Already posing an interesting premise for such an age group, the story develops as the protagonist befriends a new, inquisitive girl at school who causes him to question (and try to cover up) more of his routine, anxious life.
Frankie seemed very real to me, and it was refreshing to read a YA book that deals with anxiety instead of depression. This distinction reflects Frankie's character; he's worried to the point of obsession, but he has moments of happiness in which he truly enjoys life.
The only (and it's really quite minor) problem I had with this book was my inability to determine the setting, both time and place. Perhaps I'm not the most observant of readers, but I finally decided that it took place in New Zealand (the author's home country) after America, England, and Australia were all referred to as foreign countries. Other than this subtle hint, I found little support for my New Zealand theory, but I'm sticking to it. Also, the setting seemed almost timeless, meaning it could have taken place anywhere from about the 1960s through modern day (at least in my head), until iPods were mentioned. This sudden modern element shocked me enough to make me wonder if I had missed more clues about the time period, and effectively took me out of the story.
Overall, this is an enjoyable if slightly worrying read. Read it if you like Stephen Chbosky's Perks of Being a Wallflower and don't mind a somewhat shallower cousin, or if you like stories about anxiety, terminally quirky families, and coming-of-age journeys.–Emily L., age 17
FALKNER, Brian. Brain Jack. Random. September 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-375-84366-2.PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-93924-2. Gr 6-10–From cover to cover, Brain Jack is a healthy dose of refreshment. Sam, a high school senior and self-taught computer hacker, lands a job with the government's Cyber Defense Division. The next technological leap brings on neuro-headsets, which enable users to browse the Internet with the power of their minds. Unexpectedly, Sam's dream job becomes a nightmare when the public's best friend turns out to be the government's worst enemy.
I found this book to be exciting! In a similar way to M.T. Anderson's Feed, Falkner used the near-future setting as a canvas for a horrifying technological scenario, which made the story feel surreal. Though not probable, many of the story's events are possible. I could tell that the author put some serious effort into creating a realistic, believable universe. The little details provided while discussing, for example, the issues of game addiction, terrorism, and more sophisticated cyber defense systems helped hold everything together. It got me thinking about a lot of things I don't normally think about. Teen fiction needs more of that!
I'd recommend this book to high school readers, since it contains a large amount of "computer-speak." Falkner did a great job of explaining unfamiliar or uncommon terms and planting context clues, though sometimes it was a little much. Younger kids may find it difficult to relate to some of the characters (though they were wonderfully fleshed out and developed). For a 300-plus-page book, this was a fast read, but I had to be sure to read it thoroughly. Every detail was important, keeping me focused and into it.
I don't know if it was intentional, but I enjoyed finding allegorical meaning in some parts of the book. I think it's safe to say that the stories in most teen novels aren't allegories, so when I started finding a deeper meaning I got excited! It's just my interpretation, but I believe the issues explored in the story represent the Internet, and more specifically, social networking. Instant teen appeal, right? All the time the Internet becomes more social, gets more information, and therefore is, essentially, a collective intelligence of its own. We, as users, are a part of it, but it's a resource rather than a part of ourselves. Though fictional (for now), the concept of neuro-headsets represents the next step in our information-hungry future, where having the world at our fingertips isn't enough.-Tom L., age 15
LOCKHART, E. Real Live Boyfriends. Delacorte. December 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73428-8; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90438-4. Gr 7 up–The fourth in the "Ruby Oliver" series, this book was better than most. It was a fun, easy read. Although, the plot wasn't very realistic, I still enjoyed it, and the story was filled with several unexpected events, which kept me interested.
The main character, Ruby Oliver, is unforgettable. She's an extraordinary teen who is trying to live an ordinary life and get through her everyday troubles. But since she suffers from mental issues and boy troubles, things are just bound to be complicated. The story is fast-paced and it's sure to hook you right from the start.–Hannah L., age 14
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