After the Moment, by Garrett Freymann-Weyr (Guest Review)

Title: After the Moment
Author: Garrett Freymann-Weyr

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; 1 edition

Publishing Date: May 18, 2009
Language: English

Price: Hardcover $16.00
ISBN-10: 061860572X

Classification: Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range: Young Adult

Reader's Annotation: Maia Morland is smart but challenged while Leigh, new to town, is popular and totally in love with Maia. What happends after the moment? And what happens if it is a little to real and not like some pretty romance story?

Synopsis: After the Moment is a touching and realistic novel that shows a girl, Maia Morland, who suffers from many aspects of self mutilation (eating disorders, cutting). Leigh Hunter is a popular, smart jock that moves to Maia's town because his half sisters father passed away and needs help coping. When Leigh and Maia meet, he sees past the exterior and becomes immediately attracted and interested in Maia. Overtime, you notice the story unfold and head down the paths of violence, war, failed love, and so on.

Evaluation: The book, to me, was good (not great), but I would still recommend it for people looking for the issues dealt with in this book. It was slightly challenging to follow all the side character's stories, so I kind of just focused on Maia and Leigh's story and allowed myself to become confused while reading about the supporting characters.

Reason this Book was Chosen: The novel is a good, easy read, and touching. Again, not incredible, but it definitely deals with many real life topics that teens may face. It was written by Printz Honor author Garret Freymann-Weyr.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: This book deals with heavy issues that many teens face such as eating disorders, self-mutilation, and the sorrows of failed love. Parental suggestion for mild sexual innuendo.

Teenreads.com brings up an interesting point: “Garret Freymann-Weyr's novels for young adults are inevitably distinct. Her teenagers seem serious beyond their years, deeply invested not only in their own lives but also in the often complicated lives of their adult family members. AFTER THE MOMENT is no exception, and its male protagonist further cements Freymann-Weyr's reputation as a risk-taking author unafraid of tackling topics, and taking perspectives, unusual in young adult literature.”

Author Website: http://www.freymann-weyr.com/

Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Title: Wintergirls
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publish Date: February 23, 2010
Publisher: Speak
Pages: (Paperback) 288
ISBN: 014241557X
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range: Young Adult

Price: Paperback $9.99

Annotation: After the death of her best friend, Lia is forced to deal with her own struggle with an eating disorder, or else face a similar fate.

Summary: Lia and Cassie have been friends since childhood. They make a pact to be "the skinniest girls in school" but both have different yet equally dangerous ways of reaching that goal. After going separate ways as friends, Cassie passes away and Lia is forced to face the loss of her best friend, the reality of her sickness (anorexia and cutting), and the relationships she has with her broken family and people around her. With the ghost of Cassie following her around, will Lia be able to break the cycle of self-destruction and save herself from the only path that lays in front of her: death?

Evaluation: A triumph worthy of textbook status for people dealing with or knowing people with eating or cutting disorders.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Bulimia, Anorexia, Cutting, Broken Families

Reason this Book was Chosen: Though chalk full of "tips" it's supersedes being a manual for girls looking for a how to guide by shear worth and relatable content for girls who really need help and not wanting to feel alone. It gets inside the head of a girl stricken by a disease that is often misunderstood. It's beautifully emotional and a definite page turner!

Book Trailer: Official

Amazing Fan Made Trailers:

Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous

Title:Go Ask Alice
Author:Anonymous
Publish Date:December 27, 2005 (1st 1971)
Publisher:Simon Pulse
Pages:224 pages
ISBN:1416914633
Classification:
Genre:
Age Range:Young Adult
Price:$9.99

Annotation: After being unknowingly turned on to LSD, the anonymous main character falls into a hole of destruction via drugs.

Summary: Written by an Anonymous author in diary form, this tale follows an innocent girls descent into a world of the hippie revolution and ultimately utter despair. It is generally questioned whether the book is a "true" account of a drug addict like it touts itself, or just a scare tactic created for the sole purpose of enlightening young readers to the horrors and ultimate death from a drug overdose in the late 1960s.

Evaluation: To me it is questionable how a teen will take this. It's intended to be a scare tactic or warning I think, but also reads as a vicarious and/or manual for partying with drugs and doing whatever the hell you want. Sounds like every teens dream. Furthermore it lacks the sophistication of a real teen "voice" and mirrors more of a interpretation of what adults think teens are. At any rate, it is entertaining and a classic controversial title. Ultimately if you take it with a grain of salt, it's quite a good read and has potential in actual worth or being able to have some bibliotherapeutic usefulness.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Romanticizing Drugs and the consequences

Reason this book was chosen: Widely controversial for everything from sex to drugs during the hippie days, Go Ask Alice, is a reference to the Jefferson Airplane song "White Rabbit". Grace Slick made the song on what she (and many others) thought were drug references in the classic book Alice In Wonderland.

Best Part of the Book? Getting this stuck in your head:

Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Title: Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publish Date: September 14, 2008
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 384

Price: Hardcover $17.99
ISBN: 0439023483

Price: Hardcover

Classification: Fiction
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Range: Young Adult

Annotation: As punishment for a long past rebellion, the citizens of the 12 districts are randomly selected to fight to the death on a televised show. In the famished 12th district, Peeta and Katniss are thrown together & chosen to represent their district and fight to be the single person left alive. The only way to win is to stay alive...and only one can win.

Summary: In the not to far off future, in the 12th District, in what was once the country of the United States of America, lives Katniss. Standing in for her younger sister who was chosen by lottery to participate in the "Hunger Games," Katniss is forced to fight to the death with & against Peeta (the male representative also chosen by lottery). In the Arena, they are forced to fight each other as well as Capitol created death traps all while being broadcast to the citizens daily. In the spirit of reality TV the Capitol uses the Hunger Games to teach the citizens a lesson that uprising is not an option and that the people are powerless. Peeta and Katniss create a surprising bond, but are also forced to try and kill each other. There is nothing left to do but fight to try and get out alive.

Evaluation: Suzanne Collins states that she got her idea while watching TV one night, and there being nothing to watch but reality TV and the iraq war. The apparent mix between Gladiator style fighting and todays culture of reality TV and entertainment style news coverings of Iraq turn this book not only into one of the funnest pieces of YA written but also into an important commentary on our society. It fun, you root for the characters, and feel empathy for society.

A wonderful, though violent tale.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Therapeutic topics include Reality Entertainment, War, Dissent, Love, Survival, Loss

Reason this Book was Chosen: Because this is by far one of the top choices of reads in YA lot today. However, it's use of violence makes it a prime target for disapproval. However, I feel that it's worth supersedes the controversy.

Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0439023491
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Range: Young Adult

Series: The Hunger Games

Reader's Annotation: The sequel to the stunning Hunger Games, Catching Fires takes off where Katniss has won the Hunger Games against all odds. Now, she and Peeta should be happy. But the Capitol isn't happy with what's happened at all, and they may not let it go.

Summary: Now that Katniss and Peeta have suvived the Hunger Games they are faced with fame and even moer troubles! It's as if there hell has just begun! While trying to make sense of her feelings for Peeta, she finds herself in the middle of yet another Games. It seems as if the Capitol will do anything to repress the civil dissent that has seemed to grow around Catniss. Will the Capitol win?

Evaluation: Just as good as the first one! It's political and edgy and continue to raise great issues about facism and entertainment. Collins' writing is so engrossing you find it hard to wait for the final installment. It makes you want to turn the channel when Surviver is on the televsion!

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Dealing with Loss, Staying Strong in the Face of Adversity, Reealistic Views of Fame and Reality TV, Violence

Official Website: http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by JK Rowling

By: J.K Rowling

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books; 1st Edition, Book Seven (7)

Publish Date Hardcover: July 21, 2007

ISBN: 0545010225

Page #: 784 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: Older Teen, Younger Teen (With discretion)

Series Titles: Harry Potter

Reader's Annotation: The final tale in the famous Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Potter finally confronts Voldemort and saves the day. Is anybody surprised?

Synopsis: Harry Potter doesn't return to Hogwarts, now under the charge of a new, darker headmaster. Is Snape friend or Foe? What will become of Harry and Ginny, and Ron and Hermione? How will Harry's psyche withstand the forces of darkness on this new wild path of combat and exclusion? In the whopping 784 page conclusion, these questions and more will be answered, but don't expect to be reading about the child-wizard, all doe eyed and innocent. This Harry has a decidedly different battle that is not only outward but inward. The building self-doubt that was planted in the earlier books threatens to take over. Sadly not all come out alive. Not a fan of the beginning Potter installments, years six and seven have won me over in shear entertainment and darkness. In the end, all that darkness comes back into the light with a bang.

Evaluation: Much to my chagrin, after managing to stay out of the whole Harry Potter phenom for quite a while (and yes, while working at a library and book store), I finally picked up the last book. I may be alone here but this is the only book I read in the series. I tried to read another after I finished this but it didn't appeal to me. However this last one had a notably darker edge and dealt with some pretty hardcore issues.

Bibliotherapuetic Usefulness: Dumbledore is a powerful gay figure, sexuality brims everywhere, bloodshed and death present itself

Why this book was chosen: This book is darker then the others. And has more depth and also, JK Rowling has admitted that the main wizard, Albus Dumbledore was in fact gay. Suddenly HP had a new audience!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (UK: Philosopher's) Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Living Dead Girl, by Elizabeth Scott

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Publish Date: September 2008

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 176pp

ISBN: 1416960597

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Range: 14 and up

Price: $8.99

Annotation: Alice was kidnapped and abused and now she is waiting to die. She thought she knew how it would all turn out, but she was mistaken.

Summary: Five years ago, Alice was taken by a man in an aquarium pretending to be helping her. Alice isn't even actually Alice. All of Ray's girls are renames Alice. And the last Alice was killed when she no longer had her childlike body. She was 15. This Alice is aware that this will be her fate soon and she almost welcomes it as freedom from the sexual abuse horror that has become common place in her life. Her duty is to find a replacement for Ray. And how it all turns out is not how she envisions at all.

Evaluation: A lot of books are hard to read because the thought is horrific but this is up there on the top ten list. Intense, straightforward, and sexual, listening to her story was like being a prisoner myself. The writing is simple and short of choppy, not in a bad way, but in a way that keeps you feeling short of uncomfortable. It's an interesting use of style with this subject matter. I actually had to stop reading it for a month. I had to. Then I finished it. It was difficult to be in this headspace, but it is clearly a story that needs to be told.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Getting Used to Being Abused, Sexual Abuse, Abduction, Healing, Surviving Abuse, Escape

Reason this book was chosen: I couldn't help but be curious how this book would take shape. After reading it, it was so stunning I had to bring light to it's importance. I know it's one of those books that parents or educators want to shield their children from (the horrors of life-like these) but it's reality and it may make children or teens aware and safer because of it. A must read.

Website: http://www.elizabethwrites.com/livingdeadgirl.php