YA roundup #2

It’s been 3 weeks since I started reading for the YA class, and a huge stack of books are due back at the library today. I haven’t found the energy to do legit reviews of most of these books (required for class) but I figure if I keep blogging about them, I’ll remember them when I’m doing my deadline crunch.

Chocolate War (book) Awfully similar to the movie, but with a different ending. Then movie ending kinds fucks with your head and good doesn’t win. The book, just has good not winning. The ending was apparently the reason the book had such a hard time getting published. No publisher wanted to be responsible for everyone NOT learning a valuable lesson and everything NOT working out okay in the end. I’d like to see this updated for kids today. It could be interesting. There hasn’t been a good teenage cyberbullying movie, I don’t’ think.

Rock star, Superstar is a totally cool book about a high school band/ jazz band geek who gets himself involved with some indie rock, adventures and reality ensue. He gets himself an overweight girlfriend before he’s famous, and she ends up breaking up with him, eventually. But not before some legit treatment of sex and high school relationships. No it’s not an earth shattering event, but it’s treated totally respectfully, unlike many books aimed at boys. I’m definitely interested in reading more of the author’s stuff

Goddesses #1 Heaven Sent. So, umm, there’s this series of books about ancient muses who are being punished by their dad, Zeus, and he banishes them to live on Earth as humans until they learn their lesson. But Hera interferes, and instead of sending them to ancient Athens, they end up in modern day Athens, Georgia. And bizarreness ensues. This book is so light and fluffy, there’s not much to be offended by. It’s a little too “oh boy, we don’t have stuff like this at Olympus” for my taste, and the narrative is a bit too teen girl. But it’s over so quick, I hardly notice. This book is written by Clea Hantman http://www.craftygal.com/archives/402/porch402.htm of teen crafting fame. And I can totally see she has the career of her dreams.

Dawn: Diary Two (California Diaries) it pains me to say anything bad about Ann M. Martin, but California Diaries are just not my thing. This is the sort of YA crap that I think of as a YA book, and therefore hate. Too much angst, and not being able to tell anyone your feelings, and just generally being juvenile while trying to deal with adult problems. Also, very little plot actually happens in this book, its mostly just crap about feelings. One thing good to know is that mostly Ms. Martin has gotten rid of the whole Californians are crazy healthy hippie freaks thing. They eat pizza in this book, and it’s not covered in broccoli or tofu. We see very little of the Dawn we all know and love from the BSC, unlike the one book where everyone goes to see a show and starts drinking, except goody-goody Dawn. You can take the girl out of Stoneybrook, but you can’t take the Stoneybrook out of the girl.

Lydia sent me Kamakazi Girls (book) and I think I’m going to try to catch the movie at AX, possibly while wearing a Lolita dress. This is a story about an unlikely friendship between a proper Gothic Lolita girl and a hard edged punk in a girl-biker gang. They learn the true value of individuality and friendship while dressing like crazies. The book started slowly with a lot of boring description. But, it really grew on me by the end. And the main character really reminded me of someone who lived in Stern with me.

The Chronicles of Narnia (DVD): I remember not liking the book much as a kid, so luckily I only had to watch the movie. And it was fantastic!! I hate children, and dislike the British, but I seem to like little British children. Also, I like unicorns, and animals. I wish the witch was a little cooler looking though. The only problem is, I can’t get that SNL video out of my head.

Because of Winn-Dixie (DVD) I realized something last night, you all probably knew it, but I’m finally willing to admit it. I’m a sucker for animal movies, animals in movies, cute animals in general. I don’t even like dogs, but I like them in movies. And this movie was full of them. They live in some tiny hick town, yet they have the best stocked pet store I’ve ever seen: tiny goats; chickens, ducks, bunnies, a talking parrot, etc, etc, etc. And then there’s weirdo dog Winn Dixie, who according to IMDB is a special Picardy Shepard from France, 2 of them actually. I swear they were saying Bacardi on the DVD, but I was probably just wishing to be put out of my misery after that awful Napoleon Dynamite. The movie doesn’t do the supporting characters as must justice as the book does. But, all the animals make up for it, totally. Also, Dave Matthews sings and is a character, it really suits him.

I think I’m up to date now, stay tuned to the next installment. I’m about to start a legit non-fiction book about the teenage brain. It should bring me firmly back to the land of grownups.