Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
One night, at a popular club, Clary Fray, and her best friend Simon, are having a great time until she sees hooded figures murder a guy. The murder is not like anyone she has every seen since he is covered head to toe in black tattoos and, mysteriously, the murder victim disappeared into thin air. In fact, the only people who can see them are their fellow Shadowhunters--an elite group of people who have the ability to vanquish demons.  Just when things could not get any worse, the murder, turn "stalker," finally reveals himself (his name is Jace) and learns all about the Shadowhunters and the the possibility that she may be one herself. Clary always knew she was different, but she didn't count on the becoming a demon hunter. Unfortunately, this news comes a little late when Clary's mother is kidnapped and the only way she can find her mother is with the help of the Shadowhunters and trusting a gorgeous guy she barely knows.

Critical Evaluation:
Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series is a blast. When I read the this title, I could not put it down since Clare hits the reader with an exciting moment that he or she did not expect.  Clary is an average teenager who is completely unaware of her capabilities. She has a strong affinity for art and readers will be able to relate to her story because she feels unfulfilled; all her life something has been missing and we will learn why as the story develops. The male lead, Jace, is the stereotypical bad boy who breaks hearts and is a loner. However, Jace is also unfulfilled because he eventually learns that his whole life has been one giant lie. The other Shadowhunters are tougher, more sophisticated, and deeply troubled as well. Although these teens have amazing abilities, they are also very vulnerable and insecure. I highly recommend this series to anyone who wants to step away from the formulaic vampire and werewolf love stories (starring wishy washey or vapid characters), City of Bones is a great place to start.

Information about the Author:
The Mortal Instruments series is Cassandra Clare's first young adult series. According to her website, she has lived an extraordinary life where she spent most of her childhood moving around the world and actually spent a month of her infancy in her father's backpack as they trudged through the Himalayas. Clare was educated in Los Angeles where she begin writing her own short stories and an epic novel entitled "The Beautiful Cassandra."  After graduating college, Clare moved to New York and actually worked for tabloid magazines writing articles on various celebrities including Brad Pitt, Brittney Spears, and Paris Hilton. When Clare began writing the City of Bones, she quit her job and started writing fulltime.

According to Cassandra Clare:

[she] hates working at home alone because she always gets distracted by reality TV shows and the antics of her two cats, so she usually sets out to write in local coffee shops and restaurants. She likes to work in the company of her friends, who see that she sticks to her deadlines(para. 3).

The fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments is out on April 11, 2011.

Genre:
Teen Fantasy

Reading/Interest Level:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to City of Bones:

• Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle Trilogy) by Libba Bray
• Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Awards/Recoginition:

•  ALA 2010 Top Ten
  

Plot Summary:
William Henry, assistant to Dr. Pellinor Warthrop, has seen too many things that a twelve-year-old should never see, do, or hear. In fact, William is "indispensable" to the Warthrop, which means that he cannot survive without him. One late night, a grave robber appears before Warthrop to show him that something horrific lay in his buggy and only Warthrop can identify it. When the grave robber brings the "thing" in, Warthrop immediately identifies this gruesome creature: Anthropophagi. The doctor is completely amazed that this creature still exists; more importantly, the fact that it is native to Africa, and is living in New Jerusalem, makes this finding even more intriguing since this creature cannot swim. In order to find out how this creature came ashore Warthrop must figure out how many of them exist, where this one was hiding, and who, or what is responsible, for their appearance.

Critical Evaluation:
Yancey provides an incredibly chilling and scary story that draws an unusual, but plausible comparison between the actions of monsters and people desperately fighting for survival.Although the Anthroprophogi eat humans, they eat because they have to survive. Moreover, they are called abominations since they consume human flesh, but the past proves that humans are also guilty of devouring their fellow man in order to survive (i.e., Donner Party). Just like Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, Warthrop is obsessed with the oddities of the world that he not only risks his own life, but that of his apprentice. For William, he has literally grown-up around the madness of Warthrop that he finds himself desensitized; however, with the discovery of the Anthropophagi, all of his fears break the wall that he has built up in his soul and mind. This book is not just a scary tale, but a warning of  how obsession, narcissism, and ignorance can not only destroy lives, but bring down the world. Lastly, Yancey clearly conveys that even though nightmares are not real, the very world we live is filled with more frightening things than we could every dream of, especially when people matters into their own hands under the guise of "the greater good." Readers will not be able to put this book down and some of them, unfortunately, will need to leave  the light on before going to sleep.

Information about the Author:
According to Rick Yancey's website, he had always wanted to be writer since he was very young. He earned his Bachelor of Art in English at Roosevelt University, in Chicago. After graduating, Yancey returned home to Florida where he started teaching and worked in the the theater (para. 1). Eventually, he ended up taking a job with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and worked there for ten years, which inspired his memoir entitled "Confession of a Tax Collector." The Wall Street Journal has praised his memoir calling it one of the five best books on taxes.

Yancey is also author of the Alfred Kropp Trilogy and the Teddy Ruzak adult mystery series that have quite a following and his titles have been nominated for prestigious awards. Monstrumologist is Yancy's first young adult series and the second book of this series, The Curse of the Wendigo, is available for libraries to purchase. Lastly, Monstrumologist was also selected as a 2010 Michael L. Printz Honor Award.

Genre:
Teen Horror

Reading/Interest Level:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Monstrumologust:

• Reckless by Cornelia Funke
• Bonechiller by Graham McNamee

Awards/Recognition:

• 2010 Michael L. Printz Honor Award
• Starred review Booklist (09/1/2009)

Plot Summary:
In the not-so-distant future, the world has changed. Not only has the government been overrun, and taken over, by the Feed Corporation. When a child is born, he, or she, has a "feed" implanted into their brains that not only plug them into the highly advanced technological world, but use them as a means to "feed" the Feed Corporation. In this tale, a teen named Titus, who is a product of his world, is partying on the moon with his buddies. When all seemed fine, a techno terrorist uploads a virus into the feeds of the party goers and Titus loses controls of all his senses. The next day, he wakes up in the hospital completely unaware of what happened and there, at the hospital, he meets a girl named Violet. Unlike most of his friends, Violet is different. Not only is she unfashionable, she is intelligent, opinionated, and a free spirit. Moreover, unlike Titus, she does NOT have a feed implanted into her brain. Violet gives Titus a chance to see the world differently and how technology, albeit convenient, can be cumbersome and desensitizing.

Critical Evaluation:
M.T. Anderson provides teens with a thought-provoking story that stirs great conversation and forces readers to think about society and it's dependence on technology. Anyone who works with teenagers know that they are the key audience marketing companies appeal to; teens are the  largest group of consumers that rake in profit. Not only does the "Feed" provide teens of the future with ESP-like capabilities (teens can close their eyes and talk to their cousins in Paris using brain waves) and they can also stake out the best deals anywhere with the help of the Feed. For example, a teen is looking for a pair of Seven Jeans. She walks into a store, thinking she will get a steal until an ad pops up in front of her face telling  her where she can get better or different deal. Teens are not only bombarded with marketing material on a daily basis, their entire existence relies on having the best clothes to wear, the best toys to play with, and listening to the best music ever. In this world, individuality is frowned upon and commercialism and consumerism are the new Gods.

Information about the Author:
M.T. Anderson is a critically acclaimed young adult and children's author who has written a variety of stories including Burgerwuss, Thirsty, and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing. According to his website, Anderson, just like his repertoire, has lived an exciting life. His family moved around a lot (his father was in the military) and he had lived in Italy and England (where he went college at Cambridge University). Anderson has also held quite a few different jobs such as working in retail, an editorial assistant, and a classical music reviewer. Anderson also says that ever since he was a teenager, he always wanted to be a writer and threw himself into his novels and comic books. After graduating from college, and variety of jobs, Anderson went back to school and received an MFA in Creative Writing at Syracuse University. A few years letter, he started teaching "Writing for Children and Young Adults" at Vermont College, which played a huge role in the creation of his works. Between graduating and teaching, Anderson started writing stories for adults and children, which eventually gave birth to his first novel Feed.  Not only did he manage to wow audiences all of the country, his books won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award. 

Genre:
Teen Sci Fi, Teen Romance

Reading/Interest Level:
Grades 9 & up


Books Similar to Feed:

• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• Godless by Pete Hautman
• Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Awards/Recognition:

•     National Book Award Finalist
•     Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner
•     New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year
•     Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards – Honor Book
•     Chicago Public Library Best Books for Children and Teens
•     ALA (American Library Association) Best Books for Young Adults
•     Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books of the Year
•     Junior Library Guild Selection
•     Volunteer State Book Award Master List (Tennessee)
•     Riverbank Review Children’s Books of Distinction
•     Book Sense 76 Top 10 Picks
•     Horn Book Fanfare
•     Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books – Bulletin Blue Ribbons
•     Booklist Editors’ Choice

Plot Summary:
Melinda Sordino doesn't speak. In fact, it has been several months since she has said a word to anyone. Last summer, there was an amazing party that anyone who was anyone was there. However, the party was busted up by the police when they received a phone call from an anonymous source. Unfortunately, when the "anonymous caller" decided to confide in her friends, not only did she lose all her friends, her reputation has been destroyed for crashing the best party on her block ever. Lonely, and an outcast, Melinda has thrown herself into her art where everything she felt was expressed in color, sketching, and paints.  Although she is constantly bombarded by the millions of thoughts that she refuses to express in words, and the one memory that torments her all the time, Melinda struggles to block out all of the pain and suffering. With each passing day, Melinda tries to start over, but something always manages to break her. However, when she sees him again, for the last time, everything that she worked so hard to forget resurfaces with a vengeance that will would scare the devil himself.

Critical Evaluation: 
Speak is well-written story that tackles the horrors and pain of a girl who is violated by a boy she didn't know, abandoned by the very people she calls "friends," and surviving the pressures of high school. Halse Anderson has created a story that is very real, and, at sometimes, unnerving, especially towards the end when the reader puts the whole picture together and Melinda's attacker confronts her for the last time. Readers will also sympathize with Melinda, especially when her friends don't believe her when she tells them what happens. Moreover, reading this story as an adult, it was hard to read because no one would comfort her or ask why she stopped talking. Halse Anderson has received praise, and criticism, for this thought provoking text that should be read by every teenage girl who may relate to Melinda or those looking for empowerment and healing.

Information about the Author:
Laurie Halse Anderson is another well-known YA author who has felt the praise and the condemnation from parents, educators, librarians, and administrators all over the country. Just like Judy Blume, Halse Anderson has written a variety of books that deals with some very serious issues in a way that allows readers to assess the affects of these actions and how we can deal with them and offer support for those who fall victim to these deeds. In second grade, Halse Anderson knew she was going to be a writer and eventually became a freelance reporter for newspapers and magazines. According to her biography on her website, she did shed many a tear as the rejection letters rolled in from various publishers until she joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators who gave her the feedback she needed and she wrote her debut Young Adult Novel Speak (para. 4).

Genre:
Teen Contemporary Fiction

Reading/Interest Level:
9 & up

Books Similar to Speak: 

• Cut by Patricia McCormick
• Splintering by Eileen Corrigan
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Awards/Recognition:

•  ALA Best Book for Young Adults
• ALA Top-10 Best Book for Young Adults
• ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults
• Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist
• IRA Young Adult Choice
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• Michael L. Printz Honor Book (American Library Association)
• National Book Award Finalist
• New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
• New York Times Bestseller List
• SCBWI Golden Kite Award
• YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults
• Printz Honor Book
• National Book Award Finalist

Plot Summary:
Life for Arnold Spirit (aka.Junior), on the Spokane Indian Reservation, is not at all glamorous. Not only does he have a bunch of medical problems, alcoholic relatives, mediocore access to education, lives in a run down trailer, and is the number one target on every bullies list (even the adults), he is also very lonely except for his grandmother. Junior is not only embarrassed by the poverty that has enveloped his family, home, and community, he longs for something greater where he can forget about the problems at home and within himself. Thankfully, the one outlet Junior can rely on to to relieve all the frustration and anguish is drawing. Just when life cannot get anymore "exciting," Junior has been accepted into an all white school that will require him to leave the "Rez," which brings a lot of uproar from the community.  Moreover, when he falls in love/lust with Penelope (whose father is a huge racist), his life takes even more interesting twists than he expected. Of all people to be on a basketball team, Junior is chosen to take on a task that is close to impossible since he has no physical talent other than outrunning the bullies on the reservation.

Critical Evaluation:
Sherman Alexie is probably one the greatest, and well-known, Native American in the United States. Although known for his adult fiction books, Alexie has written a book/memoir for teens to convey that no matter who we are and where we come from, we always have the choice to better ourselves. This story is absolutely hysterical simply because Alexie takes a "sensitive" issue and provides another aspect how history always manages to repeat itself. Through the use of cartoon bubbles and witty dialogue, Alexie uses these tools to express non PC (politically incorrect) thoughts in manner that makes them almost ridiculous.  Also readers who are unfamiliar with the issues that have been plaguing the Native Americans such as poor housing, limited access to resources, the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs), and continued isolation of these people, will be humbled by this well written account of one Native American teen. This book is filled with tons of information that would be great for any teen book club and as part of any school curriculum, especially when students are learning about American History.

Information about the Author:
Sherman Alexie is Arnold Spirit (this novel is based on his life). According to his website, Alexie planned on becoming a doctor, but ended up giving that up since he kept fainting in Anatomy and enrolled in creative writing. Alexie excelled in writing and has written numerous award winning titles such as: Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven and Reservation Blues.  In fact, Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven, was turned into a movie, entitled Smoke Signals, that one acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. Alexie has also received many awards for his poetry and he is actually an accomplished public speaker, director, and comedian. In 2010, he won the Faulkner Award for Fiction (War Dances), and his first young adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, won the National Book Award in 2007 and the audiobook of this titled won the Odyssey Award in 2009. Alexie continues to make a difference by encouraging dialogue between the many ethnic groups that make up this country.
  
Genre:
Teen Lit for Guyd, Teen Humor



Reading/Interest Level:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian:

• American Born Chinese by Gene Yuen Lang
• A Step from Heaven by An Na

Awards/Recognition:

• Please see this website

Plot Summary:
It's senior year and Rob, the most popular guy in school, decides that he wants to leave his legacy by transforming the school geek into Mr. Popular. Meet Simon Glass.  Not only is he a brain, but he takes the term "geek: to whole new level, which makes him the ideal candidate for Rob's "Cinderella" project. With a makeover, lesson in the art of being "Cool," and an attitude change, Simon not only leave his reputation as the King of Geeks in the dust, but he actually manages to achieve the same rank as Rob, who has mixed feelings about this. Then, one day, Simon Glass does the unimaginable--he supersedes Rob as the coolest guy in school. However, Rob is unable to stop Simon just as Dr. Frankenstein was unable to put an end to his creation. In a desperate attempt to reclaim what is his, and to keep Simon from revealing how he hacked the school's computers to change his grades, Rob and his buddies, do something horrific to take back something that was never theirs to begin with.

Critical Evaluation:
When reader's read the first chapter, they are immediately thrown in a world entangled in violence and revenge. This story provides a grim look into the power of high school cliques and how desperate we can be to bring an end to our suffering by hurting those who hurt us. In this tale, the tables have turned on the popular guy who turned the nerd into someone that stripped him of his power and popularity. Giles' story is fast paced and incredibly well-written that readers cannot put it down. This books is a great title for the reluctant reader since it draws them in the moment they turn the first page. Although Simon Glass meets a horrible demise, readers will learn how popularity can turn anyone into monster.

Information about the Author:
Unlike most authors, Gail Giles didn't know she was going to become a writer until she wrote a funny story that helped her escape the wrath of the nun at catholic school. In her website, Gail Giles have lived in quite a few places that have inspired the various locations of her novels. The idea for writing this novel came about when Giles was substitute teaching an art class and overheard a bunch of cheerleaders teaching a nerdy guy how to dress and how they have to have a "seminar" to help him look better. When Giles overheard this conversation, she tucked it away and decided to use it, coupled with another story, told by a teen who was helping around her house.

In this story, the boy's father made a terrible decision where he had to drop out of school, lose all of his friends, and, eventually, ruined his life. By using different parts of the stories, and the influence of the Great Gatsby and Lord of the Flies, Giles crafted this tale of two guys with two very different agendas and the disastrous results of their decisions. Giles has written several other thrillers such as: Dead Girls Don't Write Letters, What Happened to Cass McBride, Playing in Traffic, and Right Behind You. Although most of her words revolve around some pretty intense situations, these novels drive home the moral of every story, which provides a cautionary tale for teens to make the right decision or suffer the consequences of their decisions.


Genre:
Teen Suspense, Teen Contemporary Fiction

Reading/Interest Level:
Grades 10 & up

Books Similar to Shattering Glass:

• Breaking Point by Alex Flinn
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Awards/Recognition:

• Starred Reviews from Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, and Booklis