Dorry didn’t just wake up one day and find herself somehow changed into a religious fanatic. She got that way through the insidious and careful coaxing of a group called Fishers of Men. The Fishers are a radical Christian cult that lure new-kid Dorry into their midst with bright smiles, accepting arms, and best of all–a sense of belonging in a new and bewildering high school. Dorry loves being a part of the Fishers–at first. Then she starts to notice how much the Fishers are really asking of her. She is constantly hounded to convert new members, to follow a rigid caste system within the group, even blow off homework to attend numerous Fisher meetings. Suddenly, Dorry’s not sure if she’s a devoted believer or a crazed fanatic. When Dorry is fired from her babysitting job for scaring the kids with stories of hell, she re-thinks the whole Fisher thing and decides she’ll take spirituality on her own terms–not someone else’s. An excellent read with a timely warning–that you can’t always judge a cult by its cover.
Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville
Marina and Jed are at the top of a mountain waiting for the end of the world. Sounds kinda romantic, doesn’t it? It would be if it wasn’t for the fact that their families are part of a religious group that believes the end is near and has sequestered all “true believers” on top of Mount Weeupcut to wait…and wait…and wait. Along with stirrings of interest in each other, Jed and Marina are also staring to feel stirrings of doubt that the world is actually going to end like their fearless leader, Rev. Beelson, has predicted. And Marina REALLY starts to feel uneasy when she notices that the camp supplies include guns–lots of them. Even though Jed has never totally been sure that the world is going to crash and burn, he is starting to feel like he’d rather be somewhere else if it does. But before either of them realize it, the eve of Armageddon is upon them and they have fallen in love. Who will live? Who will die? And will the world REALLY end? Find out in this two-cool thriller co-authored by teen lit. laureates Jane Yolen (Marina’s voice) and Bruce Coville (Jed’s voice).
Seventeen Ways to Eat a Mango by Joshua Kadison
A gentle and fun intro. to Buddhist principles, Mango claims to be the “recently discovered” journal of “J.”, an aimless young botanist who has been sent by The Man to scout out an island paradise for the purpose of building a fruit packing plant on it. But instead, J. falls in the love with the beautiful island of Sakahara and its inhabitants, especially the village wiseman, Katchumo. Katchumo’s teachings turn J.’s capitalist sensibilities into introspective musings, and J. decides to damn The Man and seek life’s answers for himself. Call it kinda a Jonathan Livingston Seagull for the 90’s.
A Small White Scar by K.A. Nuzum
The only thing fifteen year old Will has in common with his brother Denny is a small scar that they each have on their hand from an ill-fated attempt when they were little to liberate their father’s penknife from his dresser. Other than that, they are completely different. Will is a practiced roper and rider on his father’s ranch in Colorado and his most fervent wish is to become a professional rodeo cowboy. Denny likes to ride, but if left alone, would prefer to daydream over an anthill all day. Will’s thoughts are as quick and sharp as the falcons that circle the endless skies over the ranch, while Denny’s are hampered by his Down’s Syndrome. All his life, Will has had to watch over Denny and keep him safe. Now, he has a chance to compete in his first rodeo and start a new life as a professional cowboy, free of Denny forever…But after all this time, can he really stand to leave his only brother behind? And will Denny, strong-willed in his own right, allow Will to leave? This unusual historical fiction, set in 1925, is a great guy story about the meaning of brotherhood and family. But don’t let the warm and fuzzy sentiment fool you—Nuzem packs plenty of action in this slim novel, including an electrifying rattlesnake showdown, a flash flood, and of course, plenty of rodeo bucking and slamming.
Saint Iggy by K.L. Going
Sixteen-year-old Iggy wants to do something great with his life, he just doesn’t have the tools. His parents are drug addicts, his apartment building is a den of down-and-outers and his only friend is a pseudo-hippie, law school dropout named Mo. But when Mo mentions getting some money off his wealthy, too-nice mom, Iggy sees his chance to turn his life around. He just knows that if Mo’s mom comes through he will be able to make his own mom come home, get his act together at school, and rescue that sad, gray girl he saw sitting all alone at a party. What Iggy doesn’t know yet is that by just being himself, he is going to do something great for Mo and his mom, something that will allow him to make the kind of sacrifice usually reserved for saints…sad, poignant, and powerful, Saint Iggy will leave you thinking about the ways you can help make the lives of the people around you a little better.
Girls for Breakfast by David Yoo
Why can’t Nick Park score? Is it because he’s just too desperate around the female objects of his desire, and has been since he discovered Playboy in third grade? Is it because he lives on uncool Summit Road while all the popular kids live up in the tony suburb of Renfield Hills? Is it because he lacks the He-Man pectorals of his fellow varsity soccer players no matter how many push-ups he does? (I mean, GOD, he’s up to 50!) Or could it be that everyone thinks he is a “whitewashed Banana”—white on the inside and yellow (Korean) on the outside? Nick’s secret fear is that his very Korean-ness in the lily white suburb of Renfield Connecticut is what’s keeping him from realizing his dream of getting past third base with a girl – ANY girl. Deeply funny and painfully realistic, David Yoo’s novel does what Melvin Burgess’s flashy Doing It fell short of—gives readers the true inner life of an adolescent boy, warts and all. It isn’t pretty, and it isn’t at all comfortable, but man oh man, is it compulsively readable. A+++!
Funny Little Monkey by Andrew Auseon
In clearly the best debut of 2005 so far, a pissed off teenage midget named Arty screws with his bullying fraternal twin’s mind by hiring a skinhead named Kerouac to come up with a prank so diabolical, it will set their entire school on a mad goose chase for a giant, concrete….turtle. Weird? Yes. Bizarre? Heck ya! One of the most original coming of age stories I’ve ever read? Abso-frickin’-lutely. If you’re into David Sedaris or like-minded writers who pull no punches when dealing with the absurdity of life, you simply cannot afford to miss Funny Little Monkey.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Miles is looking for the “Great Perhaps,” and he knows he’s not going to find it in any of the ordinary places. So he’s off to boarding school, where he will be free to reinvent himself and shed his safe (read, “boring”) image. Once ensconced at Culver Creek, he is befriended by the Colonel, a Culver Creek veteran who shows him the ropes, and the unbelievably sexy Alaska, who’s husky voice and gorgeous face keep him up at night. Miles finally learns what it is like to belong, as he is adopted into Alaska’s inner circle and nicknamed “Pudge,” (because he is so skinny) The novel starts each chapter with a countdown that is marching towards what? Miles’ discovery of his “great perhaps”? He and Alaska’s first kiss? Or something deeper, more sinister? As Alaska’s self destructive behavior is demonstrated over and over, readers will begin to fear not only for her, but also for the fragile Miles. Head over heels for the first time in his life, what will Miles do if something happens to Alaska? Is this your typical coming of age novel? Yes, but in many ways it is so much more. If you’re tired of the same old “life lesson learned” YA novel, try Looking for Alaska. I promise you’ll find something different and better within these pages.
The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green by Joshua Braff
During the late 70’s and early 80’s, Jacob Green comes of age in a Jewish family where his narcissistic father Abram rules supreme. There is no getting around his father’s demand for perfection in all things, so Jacob just tries to hide his worsening learning disability from Abram’s prying eyes. He lives a vicarious life through his older brother, Asher, who never shrinks from confronting their father, and often belittles the one thing Abram reveres most–their Jewish religion. Jacob also escapes by having “unthinkable thoughts”–fantasies about his hippie babysitter and what he wishes he could REALLY write on his bar mitzvah thank you cards. But when Jacob’s mother Claire leaves Abram for another man, the shaky family finally falls apart and Jacob is left to pick up the pieces of his father’s shattered ego. You may have noticed that the author shares a last name with a certain brilliant actor/writer who penned the incredibly cool “Garden State” screenplay. You go on with your bad selves, burgeoning literary genius Braff brothers!!
Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis
Fifteen Luther Farrell wants a lot of things: to win the state wide science fair, to ask out Shayla Patrick, the secret love of his life, to save up enough money that he can someday blow out of the depressed factory town of Flint, Michigan and never look back. There’s only one thing standing in the way of all these dreams. Luther’s tight-fisted, tough-talking mother, the Sarge. The Sarge needs Luther too much to let him waste his time with a girlfriend or leave her after graduation. Otherwise, who will help her run her evil empire of illegal housing projects and shady half way houses? But when Luther learns that the Sarge never intended to give him the money she claimed to be saving for his college education, he hatches an ingenious plan to hit her where it will hurt her most–in the wallet. At turns funny and achingly sad, this is Christopher Paul Curtis’s most edgy novel to date. Taking a risk with both audience and fan base, the author dared to take the image of the self-sacrificing single African American mother and literally turn it on its head, with great success. Fans of former CPC novels be warned, this is no Watsons Go to Birmingham. So don’t go reading it aloud to your little brother or sister!
Project X by Jim Shepard
Edwin Hanratty and his only friend, Flake, are two marginalized 8th graders who spend their miserably long days at school dodging the twin bullets of bullying jocks and sarcastic teachers. Edwin, who worries chronically about getting his locker open, spends many sleepless nights reminiscing about his childhood, when he felt connected to his parents and school was a place he enjoyed going. As Flake’s unstable temper grows shorter, he begins to convince Edwin that the only way to solve their problems is to kill themselves with his father’s guns and take as many people as they can with them. Edwin loves his parents and little brother Gus, but can’t see his future ever being anything but wretched. But when the moment of truth comes, and the gun is in his hands, Edwin is surprised and humiliated by his own extreme reaction…This is one for parents and teens to read together, to start discussions that help us avoid another Columbine. There’s powerful stuff between these pages–don’t be fooled by the short length. It really packs an emotional wallop.
Out of Order by A.M. Jenkins
Colt Trammel is masquerading as a dumb jock. He plays a mean game of baseball, which is what most of school career is riding on, since his grades are nothing to write home about. However, Colt’s first-person narrative reveals a sharp wit underneath his coarse exterior, and a painful self-knowledge of how stupid he appears to others. But the whole school scene is nothing compared to dealing with the women in his life. There’s his gorgeous girlfriend Grace who refuses to give him any real play; green-haired Corinne who is the first person to ever stand up to his wisecracks and see beneath his carefully constructed surface; and finally quiet Dory, with a rep. as the school slut, who would give him what Grace won’t, even though Colt knows he shouldn’t take it. Not much happens plot-wise in this book, but it is one of the best character-driven novels I have ever read, and gives great insight into the mind of a guy. Teenaged males, do you agree? Leave a comment if you think Jenkins has nailed the male high school persona.
The Afterlife by Gary Soto
In a few memorable days, Chuy makes it a point to fulfill all the dreams he’s ever had as a 17 year old chico growing up in the barrios of Fresno, California. He asks out a beautiful girl, gets great seats to a Raiders game, and tells his mother how much he really loves her. Why is Chuy doing all this now, when he never had the courage to do it before? Because on page 2 of Soto’s daring novel, Chuy is knifed to death on the dirty bathroom floor of a club, and as his spirit begins to float away, Chuy decides to make the most of his quickly dissolving Afterlife. A sort of Lovely Bones for guys (and the girls who love them)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Christopher Boone’s life is full of rules. Rule #1: No touching. Rule # 2: No lying. Rule #3: 5 red cars in a row on the way to school=Super Good Day. Rule #4: 4 yellow cars in a row on the way to school=Black Day. Rule #5: Nobody goes to heaven when they die because there is no heaven, only the universe, and so on and so forth. Christopher’s rules make sense to him because he is autistic. Because of his autism, he feels very little emotion, and needs strictly enforced routines and patterns to feel safe. When he discovers his neighbor’s dog dead on her lawn in the middle of the night during one of his nighttime rambles, he is frightened (because it doesn’t conform to his rules and routines) but also intrigued (because it seems like the beginnings of a good mystery; who killed the dog? and why?). As Christopher begins to conduct an amateur investigation into the dog’s mysterious death, he uncovers not only who was behind this brutal neighborhood crime, but also some deep and uncomfortable truths about himself and his family. Christopher’s voice is utterly unique, and I have found this original, brilliant book impossible to forget. I think you will, too.
33 Snowfish by Adam Rapp
Boobie is a teenage pyromaniac who has killed his parents and kidnapped his baby brother with the intention of selling him to the highest bidder. Custis is an orphan who, for most of his wretched life, has been the sexual slave of middle-aged pedophile. Curl is a teenaged prostitute who has a dangerous crush on Boobie. These three miserable outcasts have formed a tenuous bond and are all on the run for Boobie’s murder. The heartbreaking struggles they experience together as a sort of nightmarish family unit will leave two of them dead, and only one left to learn what real love and trust feel like through the kindness of an elderly black man named Seldom, and his chicken Deuce. This is a hard, hard book to read. It is disturbing and graphic and strange and sad. Snowfish contains great rewards for those who can handle its horrific descriptions, but go easy on yourself if you think this sounds like something you’re not ready for yet. I’m 30-something, and I wasn’t ready for how truly sad this book is. Read this one cautiously, maybe even with a friend or parent, so you can help each other understand the terrible beauty of this story.