Review: The List by Siobhan Vivian

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

The List by Siobhan Vivian. Scholastic, 2012. Currently available.

Genre: YA Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Face Value: We’ve got a headless body count of three here, which is not ideal. However, the girl at the center of the image has all of her body parts. I do love the way the cover image captures the shock of being on the list. The girl’s facial expression conveys just how stunned she is, and she could be either the ugliest or the prettiest, we don’t know. These faceless bodies surrounding her are watching her reaction, and probably judging her. The cover does capture the unsettling feeling that underlies all of the girls’ stories throughout the book. My only concern is that the contemporary clothing styles might soon look dated, so it’s not really a cover with longevity. I can’t wait to see what they come up with for the paperback to convey that same icky sense of social discomfort.

Does it break the slate? Completely and totally. Vivian shatters the slate and sweeps away the pieces so that there’s nothing left. Siobhan Vivian has a keen sense of what it means to be a part of adolescent girl culture and what she writes feels real – almost painfully real, at times, because it’s so honest and feels familiar in a “been there, done that, don’t ever want to go back” sort of way. She writes in a way that points out the absurdity and hurtfulness of the teen girl social structure without making the reader feel guilty for being part of it. As I was reading, I experienced moments of deep regret for the mean, judgmental, and unfair things I have said about other girls and women. Reading The List encouraged me to take a hiatus from bodysnarking.  Since I finished the book a few days ago, I have tried to refrain from commenting on girls’ and women’s bodies. It’s tough because it has become so a part of the way we function as a culture, but I want to try to go at least a month without bodysnarking and hopefully cut it out of my life fully. Thanks to Vivian, I was inspired to change my behavior, and I think other readers may have a similar reaction to her bold, sharp story about the hurtful aspects of girl behavior.

Who would we give it to? Oh my goodness, everyone. I certainly want to give it to all of my female friends. I also want to give it to all of my female students, all of my male students, anyone who teaches or works with adolescents, anyone who was an adolescent…I think I want to order this book by the case and hand out copies like candy on Halloween.

There is one reader group to which I would not give this book: middle school girls about to start high school soon. If I had read The List before starting high school, you could not have paid me to walk through those school doors on the first day. I would have stepped off the bus and bolted for the parking lot. This book does not paint a pretty picture of the high school experience, and I would hesitate to give it to those readers who have not yet experienced high school. Not necessarily because of content relative to age, but because you at least want to have some shred of optimism remaining to carry you through freshman year. Continue reading →

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Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Posted on May 14, 2012 by

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers. Houghton Mifflin, 2012. Currently Available.

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Face Value: Though this book has some signifiers that I usually don’t like, with a girl in a fancy dress looking off into the distance, I’ll give the book some serious credit for the fact that this fancy dress is actually a fancy dress that said girl wears during the book. And some more credit for the crossbow. And some more credit for the awesome tagline: “Why be the sheep when you can be the wolf?” Basically you know this book is going to be Slatebreaking as soon as you look at it, and who can really complain about that?

Does it Break the Slate? It’s about a 15th century convent that secretly trains assassins. So, yes, obviously. But also, even within the fantasy context, Grave Mercy is a complicated look at what life and options were like for a woman in the 1400s, and the characters in it go on their own, fascinating emotional journeys.

Who would we give it to? This would be a natural recommendation for readers who loved Graceling or die hard Buffy fans. It’s long, and has a lot of historical detail alongside the main plot, but will definitely appeal to a certain type of fantasy reader. Continue reading →

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Review: Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett & Illustrated by Jon Klassen

Posted on May 10, 2012 by

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Jon Klassen. Balzer + Bray, 2012. Currently available.

Genre: Picture book

Face Value: To die for. Jon Klassen’s illustrations throughout the book are worthy of framing, but the cover is especially dynamic. I love the knitted texture of the title lettering.

Does it break the slate? Yes, it does. It’s not a slate smashing kind of picture book in the way that Imogene’s Last Stand is, but it definitely challenges our ideas of what children can be capable of. Annabelle’s knitting is quietly rebellious rather than in-your-face, and that’s part of what makes her such an appealing character. She is understated in her Slatebreaking.

Who would we give it to? Resourceful, creative little ones who love to make things. They will connect with Annabelle and her creative use of the endless yarn.

Continue reading →

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Review: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth

Posted on May 7, 2012 by

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth: Balzer + Bray, 2012 (Currently Available)

Genre: Slightly Historical / Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Face Value: Other cover artists take note. This is a beautiful, resonant cover that speaks to the book meaningfully without giving too much away. We see the girl, her whole body, but not too close up. We see the farmland, the vast landscape that evokes a sense of Cameron’s solitude. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

Does it Break the Slate? It totally does, even if its not always in the way that I want it to. Cameron does what she can with her situation and takes care of herself in the best way possible. Sometimes my reader-self really struggled with the horrible things that happened to Cameron, the way she was treated and her limited options. I wanted a big bold confrontation, where she fought the system and won. I didn’t’ get that, and that’s ok. Sometimes a quiet chipping away at the slate is what’s available to you, and it still totally counts. More details in the full review.

Who would we give it to? This is another great addition to your LGBTQA section of your library, and a really good choice for lovers of realistic fiction. Cameron’s journey is so empathetic, and the story is beautifully told. Small town life is really honestly captured.

Continue reading →

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Review: Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler. Candlewick Press, 2006. Currently available.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Face Value: Sigh. Another disembodied girl. So boring. I would much prefer the cover image to be a hot, melting, oh-so-sexy grilled cheese sandwich. (If that sounds weird, don’t worry – it will make sense later.)

Does it break the slate? Yes, although it leaves the job unfinished due to an abrupt ending. Right when Mara is on the verge of doing her most Slatebreaking action of the entire book, Mackler leaves us hanging. So frustrating! But prior to that major revelation, Mara undergoes smaller Slatebreaking changes. She learns to stop slut-shaming her niece. She sees value in alternative educational and career paths.

Who would we give it to? High school overachievers, including myself back when I was in high school. This book hadn’t been written yet, but I sure could have used something like it when I was frantically trying to live up to everyone’s expectations. Continue reading →

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Review: The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Posted on April 30, 2012 by

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour: Dutton Books, 2012 (Currently Available)

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Face Value: This cover is immediately appealing to me. I love the colors and the way, between the sunglasses and the hipster t-shirt, it totally screams “summer road trip” even if you didn’t know that’s what it was about. Yeah, there’s a slight cutoff on the face, but even beneath the sunglasses, it still looks like a specific person, not a generic model.

Here’s the thing about it though. Until I was a few pages in, I had no idea the protagonist was a boy (Colby being a fairly gender neutral name). It’s his story. So why is there a girl on the cover?

Through a critical lens, there are a few ways to read this, and I haven’t decided what I think yet. In one reading, we’re looking at an awesome role reversal. Instead of a female protagonist or author being played down to suggest “don’t worry boys! You can still read this!” we have a book from a boys point of view that looks like it’s about a girl! And it is, in a lot of ways – most of the other characters in the book are female. Bev is a hugely important part of Colby’s story.

But in another reading, here we have a classic case of the Male Gaze. Here we have a book, from the point of view of a boy. So by putting Bev, the object of Colby’s affection on the cover, we’re seeing her through his eyes. We’re looking at a woman through the lens of the male perspective, the male narrator

So what do you guys think? Do you like the cover? Is it misleading? Does it fit the book! I can’t decide!

Does it Break the Slate? It totally does. This is only the second book we’ve reviewed on this blog that features a male protagonist (the other was Everybody Sees the Ants. Interestingly, both of these books are by female writers). But what’s great about Colby is that he’s a totally feminist 18 year old dude. And he doesn’t need to go through a transformation during the book to understand these values – they are already instilled in him at the outset. He thinks girl bands are brilliant. He respects his female friends – in fact he surrounds himself with interesting, smart women. He knows a lot about Riot Grrl for crying out loud! I love this kid. And how cool is it to see this type of comfortably feminist male protagonist at the center of a teen novel? A feminist journey is great, but that’s not the journey Colby is on. He’s already there. His journey throughout the book is more personal, and that’s still a really interesting one to read about.

Who would we give it to? Music fans and hipsters. Seriously, this is a very cool book. Nina LaCour’s writing style is edgy and fun and relatable and she has a ton of music references peppered throughout the book. It’s set in San Francisco. The main characters just graduated from an arts high school. There’s a type of reader that will be all over this book.

But also, it’s a road trip book! Which is really fun for summer. And it’s all about the indecision and moment of transition in between high school and whatever happens next. And I think there are a ton of readers who will really relate to that. Continue reading →

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Review: Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Posted on April 26, 2012 by

Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian. Scholastic, 2010. Currently available.

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Face Value: Terrible. Just terrible. I cannot take this book anywhere unless I peel off the dust jacket. I even feel the need to conceal it within my own home, because I left it on the table and then a friend who came over saw it and exclaimed, “Brianna, WHAT are you reading?” She then proceeded to wave it in my face and mock me for reading romance/erotica. No matter how carefully I explain that this book is a sophisticated fictional exploration of how adolescents handle their sexuality, nobody will listen to me because it has that cover. It’s not that I’m opposed to teen characters being overtly sexual, it’s just a matter of being able to read a book in public without having everyone raise their eyebrows. It would be worse if I were still a teenager. If I brought home that book from my library my mom would have asked questions, for sure.

Does it break the slate? Vivian has written a nuanced story about teen sexuality and rigid gender expectations limiting adolescent girls’ experiences. This book is Slatebreaking much in the same way that The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is Slatebreaking – a prep school girl realizes that she’s fed up with the limited options for being a “good girl” and does something about it. Where Frankie takes subversive action, Natalie’s choices in Not That Kind of Girl are more personal, and the change is not school-wide but rather an individual revelation. Natalie sets a powerful, and wonderful, example of personal change that will resonate with teen girls struggling with similar sets of rigid gender expectations.

Who would we give it to? Anyone who attends a high school that is uptight about adolescent sexuality. So that’s probably everyone who attends high school. Continue reading →

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