Rebel Angels, by Libba Bray

• Title: Rebel Angels
• Author: Libba Bray
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
• Date: December 26, 2006
• ISBN-10: 0385733410
• • Reading level: Young Adult
    
  • Paperback: 592 pages
  • Classification: Fiction
  • Genre: Historical Fantasy

Series Title: Gemma Doyle Trilogy

Reader's Annotation: The second book in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, the adventure of Miss Doyle continue on. She continues her mission to search for and destroy Circe while at the same time facing more complex barriers and difficulties between both the magical worlds and the high society 19th Century London.

Summary: After initially breaking through to the "realms" and Gemma finds out her connection to magic, she and her friends continue to fight to bind the magic of the realms (as much as the resist). But as they do this they are seduced by London society and the temptation to be proper young ladies and all that entails. Meanwhile, Gemma continues to brake the "rules" of being a proper young lady by being more and more captivated by Kartik who is squatting with gypsies outside her proper boarding shcool and is a messenger of the Rakshana, an questionable organization that may be out to get her. This makes Kartik even more dangerous and alluring.

Evaluation: I found this book the be the best of the three. Beautifully woven pictures of London, the gypsie camp, and the artwork Rebel Angels, at the turn of the Century juxtaposed by the magical world the three girls of The Gemma Doyle Trilogy. Bray creates a world poetic by nature and conflicted by harsh reality.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: The relationship between Kartik and Gemma serves as a go way to look at racial and economic divides and/or when people don't approve of interracial relations. There is magical, anti-religious themes even if the don't tend to be-but if you look closer there are classic battles of good and evil, self-discipline, and friendship. Also, an interesting look at the role of women in the Victorian era which gives a lot of insight into the role women play today and how we got to this point in women's lib.

Reason this Book was Chosen: Again, I wanted some depth in my genre choices, and was impressed by the story telling and the racial undertones. I also wanted to look at the history of women in society in the past. relation

Notes:

WINNER 2006 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults

NOMINEE 2007 - Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award

Official Trilogy Website:

http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/gemmadoyle/home.php

Official Trailer Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/gemmadoyle/parlor/bktrailers.html

One of My Favorite Fan Trailers:

It's a Kind of Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini

Title: It's a Kind of Funny Story
Author: Ned Vizzini
Publish Date: April 3, 2007
Publisher:Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 448 pages
ISBN:0142401757
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fiction
Age Range:Young Adult
Price: $8.99

Annotation: After being accepted into a prestigious high school in Manhattan the pressure mounts and Craig becomes increasingly depressed. He checks himself into a facility after calling a suicide prevention line and he finally begins to understand himself and his talents.

Summary: Like many determined NYC teens, Craig sees being accepted into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the one way all exclusive ticket to the success he dreams of. Craig studies excessively to get in and that the beginning of his life spinning out of control. Once he is in he begins to feel the pressure and begins to see himself as average and maybe even not capable of being as successful as he see himself in his head. He get seriously depressed. He stops eating and sleeping and even ends up almost killing himself under the weight of the depression. The breakdown winds him up in an institution where he meets all sorts of people and begins the upward climb to rehabilitation and facing what's really crippling him.

Evaluation: I have a special place for this book. Something about the character's relatable sadness and they way he comes back from it was awesome. I heard this was being made into a movie and I can see why. You can tell it's authentic and comes from actual experience which makes it all the more endearing.

Also a realistic view of the increasing pressures of school and success in todays world.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Returning from the brink of suicide. There is a point to picking up that phone and calling for help. It's not pointless.

Reason this book was chosen: There are more teens then we think that go through recovery institutions for many things like depression, drugs, or suicide and I think its refreshing to read a story with humor and pathos and it gives hope to those with crippling depression. Sometimes a little spark is all it takes to keep fighting.

Gossip Girl #1 (Bk. 1 in Series), Cecily Von Ziegesar

Title:Gossip Girl
Author:Cecily Von Ziegesar
Publish Date:April 1, 2002
Publisher:Poppy; 1 edition
Pages:199 pages
ISBN:0316910333
Classification:
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range:Young Adult
Price: $7.91

Annotation: In a Manhattan upper crust Private High School being a teen takes on new meaning. Everybody has it all, plus an extra dose of dysfunction, jealously, sex, drugs, and all drama in between. And don't forget, Gossip Girl knows what you are doing. xoxo

Summary: In New York, jet-setter teens have it all, including a wealth of of problems. A narrator who spreads gossip remains unknown, while the problems keep on getting spilled. Follow super cool Serena, coming out of an expulsion and, Nate, sexy and stoned, and Blair, popular queen of their school and ex-best friend of Serena. The dish on everything is being gossiped to everyone. No secret is too precious as these spoiled and broken teens grapple with both the luxuries and the trauma of being the elite few that seems like a fairy tale on the outside.

Evaluation: This book was turned into a TV show that reigns as the most controversial teen show on TV. It's nasty (in the best way), sexual, drugs are everywhere, and the kids are so freaking spoiled it makes you feel guilty just watching it. This book (and the show for that matter) shows the downside to all the money and elite living. And it shows that even the rich have problems. The real value lies in realizing that a teen in this situation could really benefit from reading it before actually doing these things. And the bottom line is, reading it is a lot more fun then actually suffering through it!

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Gossip. Gossip. Gossip. Seem Harmless? Not so good actually...being careful what you spill is a valuable lesson.

Reason this book was chosen: The book has the effect of gossip itself once you enter it's hard to extract yourself; teens will devour this whole. The open-ended conclusion promises a follow-up. Also, it is hard to discern the book from the TV show anymore (as they are so intertwined). I liked the idea of touting a title that is just as good as the mega hit it inspired.

Website: http://www.gossipgirl.net/series/