Unwind, By Neal Shusterman

Title: Unwind
Author: Neal Shusterman
Publish Date: June 2, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 352
ISBN: 1416912053

Price: Paperback $8.99
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Range: Young Adult

Annotation: After the "Heartland" civil wars wear the central bloodshed was over the right to choose, the government tries to appease both sides by banning abortion. The catch lies between the ages of 13 and 18 when a window of options is given to parents and/or guardian to decide: should this child can be unwound?

Summary: Meet Connor. He is about to be unwound. Meet Risa. She is about to be unwound. And meet Lev. He too, is about to be unwound. Thrown together at the near end of their lives, these three unlikely friends become quick allies as they face the ultimate fate for three very different reasons. They have to do whatever it takes to stay in one piece. The alternative would, as the law states, keep them "alive" but in many different pieces. And their body parts would go to other people who are I need of a body part, eye, teeth, or even a frontal lobe. All they have to do is make it to 18...

Evaluation: In both a philosophical and religious debate that echoes today's struggle with the right to choose. This action packed story is amazing! It's a page turner while also broaching sensitive issues such as teen pregnancy, abortion, abandonment, love, and freedom. The endearing quality in this story is its believable nature and engrossing story. I loved it!

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Topics on abortion, orphans, relationships, parental abandonment, anger management, self-worth

Reason this book was chosen: One of the few books I could find that dealt with the political nature of abortion. A unique story in itself. Bound to bring up some INTERESTING conversation..

cool fan made book trailer:

Paper Towns, by John Green

Title: Paper Towns
Author: John Green
Publish Date: September 22, 2009
Publisher: Speak/Penguin Young Readers Group
Pages: 320

Price: Paperback $9.99
ISBN: 014241493X
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range: Young Adult

Annotation: When Margo shows up at Q's (short for Quentin's) window in the middle of the night she asks him to help in an all night, brilliant revenge scheme. Having a crush from afar for a LONG time, he goes along with it. But the next day she is missing, leaving behind her a ton of clues for him to find and decode.

Summary: When Margo Spiegelman calls for Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night at his window, she is spewing a plot of crazy revenge dressed like a secret agent. Margo’s always planned in a stye that's over the top, but until this point, she’s keeps the ninja behavior to herself. Quentin, aka Q, has always crushed on Margo from afar, so Q looks at the opportunity as a turn for the better. He follows her into a one night mission of revenge that takes them from ex-friend's houses to Sea World. But after their crusade, the next day at school, his love-from-afar-turned-potential has completely disappeared and his hopes are squashed! Though not so surprised (Margo has always been an riddle), Q finds himself in a mystery chalk full of clues. And, the best part is: they’re for Q!

Evaluation: John Green is a great author who created a relatable character. It speaks to the slight over thinker who longs to connect. Also, this books goes along with a handful of others that prove YA literature can be smart and complex. A highlight is the use of the poem "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman.

Cool Websites in the Green World : John Green http://www.sparksflyup.com/index.php, Youtube http://www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers Nerdfighters http://nerdfighters.ning.com/

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Romance, Social Outcast, Issues with Runaways, Connecting with Others, Coming of Age, Parental Issues

Reason this book was chosen: I love when authors use literary references and have an all-over intelligent tone. John Green, award winning author for Looking for Alaska, creates a book that looks at relationship and coming of age in an insightful book with a plot driven by mystery to boot!

Smack, by Melvin Burgess

Title:Smack
Author:Melvin Burgess
Publish Date:May 1, 1999
Publisher:HarperTeen
Pages:293 pages
ISBN:0380732238
Classification:Fiction
Genre:
Age Range:Young Adult
Price:$8.99

Annotation: Gemma and Tar flee there abusive and poor home lives for living the runaway squatter life and turn to heroin as an escape.

Summary: Tar is 14 years old and runs away from his alcoholic and abusive home life. Gemma goes with him, equally as unhappy in her home life. They take up residence in an abandoned property along side two older teens who share their life and their heroin with them. Clearly heroin is a blissful escape from their lives and situation until it become more repressive then their previous lives.

Evaluation: Having lost two very important people in my life to Heroin addiction and knowing first hand the bliss then the danger, I really (I don't know about enjoyed) but appreciated the frankness and reality of this book. It was truthful about the entire experience and I know how seductive heroin can be. A very important book for those who have considered the drug themselves.

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Dangers of escapism, a safe way to experiment, addresses thoughts of running away, and turning to drugs

Reason this book was chosen: A beyond taboo subject not many people can relate too who aren't inclined to consider heroin as a means of escape. They can't and won't endorse the telling of these stories or are willing to admit it is more common then they think it is. Scary and real and actually does happen. An important book for teens who find solace in drugs, think about running away, or are faced with parents that drive them to do anything to escape.

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: