Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin

Meet Sophie: She’s your typical high school goth girl, decked out in all black, and the victim of a hurtful rumor that may or may not be true.

Kenny on the other hand, is the school’s star basketball player with the hottest girlfriend in town and a mother who lets him do whatever he pleases.

The book starts off on “Chapter None” with Sophie at the pool with her close family friends. In only four short pages, she manages to get “bar coded” by an evil ice cream truck after she goes to search for her overweight, nerd of a brother, O.S. (which stands for Old Spice.)

After this, you get to learn a little more about Sophie and her family. Her father mysterously disappeared/exploded/died a couple years back, her mother stays home in her bath robe and watches game shows on television, and her brother secludes himself in the basement with a mounds of dirty clothes and addicting comic books.

Sophie tries to remember exactly what happened to her father by writing essays for her school counselor, Mr. Puglisi. Instead of venting to him, she doodles in her sketch book which she always carries around in order to jot down comedic/satanic drawings, things to remember, or random goth-girl stuff.

Kenny spends all of his time practicing basketball, playing basketball, BEING basketball. His father died when he was a child and his mother is addicted to silicon and cheap clothing. However, his problems begin one day when he’s sitting on the couch and messin’ around with his girlfriend when he suddenly has the urge to pick up her clothes and wear them. From there on, his story changes drastically.

Anything more would give the story away, let me just say it involves the “after life,”Virtuality, and very itchy elbows. Randomness is pretty much a theme of this story, but the author uses it in just the right way to make the story come alive. “Inspirational” (sometimes even inappropriate) posters accompany the genius writing and keep you laughing until the last page!

 Be forewarned though that once you start, you won’t be able to put it down! The only downside for me is that there are a few parts that can get a little confusing with all of the characters and how they tie together. Other than that, this book is a MUST READ for any teenager.

When I was first approached about getting a “sneak peek” at this novel, I wasn’t really sure if I would like it or not. Yet once I started reading, I was finished in just two days! “Fade To Blue” is my fave summer read so far, and I”m just dieing to read a sequel! If you’re a teen who likes reading, comedy, sitting on roofs, zombies, or high speed car chases, this is certainly the book for you!

The Color of Water by James McBride

The novel starts in the voice of James’ mother, Ruth. As a young Jewish girl living in a predominantly black southern town, her family raised her to live a traditional life of school, work, marraige, and children. However, when Ruth becomes involved with a black man, her family shuns her out of their lives. Even going as far as to recite a Jewish prayer usually saved for the dead. But with the help of her first husband, a black Minister named Dennis, she is reborn into Christianity.

Each chapter changes P.O.V’s between James and his mother,brilliantly mixing together serious reflections and witty remarks.

James’ part was written as an adult, recounting his memories of childhood. He lets the reader know that living in a family of eleven other brothers and sisters isn’t always easy, but they survived through their love for one other, a strong dedication to God, and their mom’s persistance to receive a quality education.

James vividly recounts times of innocent troubles which eventually lead to a death sentence for his mind. Yet, even at the most miserable moments of his life, James manages to pull through for the sake of his mother who he never wishes to disappoint.

At times, the irony of James’ life and that of his mother’s almost overflows on the page, making their strong bond even easier to understand. A mix of hidden and sometimes very up-front symbolism brings light to the many themes of this memoir. With one of them being racism, strongly represented by Black Power. Beautiful description and imagery lets you experience the character’s  lives as if you were standing right beside them.

At the book’s end, James’ story comes together. He, finally, realizes who he is and he accepts the uniqueness of  being a black man with a white mother. The secrets of his mother’s past reveal themselves over eight years. One of them being the reason why she ran away from her family with a black man, and how she struggled with being accepted by other African-Americans.

In the newly revised afterword, the reader gets to catch-up with James and Ruth McBride and how their lives have changed after the publication of the book. The reader is left smiling as even the stubborn Mr. McBride herself has come to terms with her life, bringing the memoir  full circle.

I highly recomemnd this novel for everybody. No matter the gender, age, race, or ethnicity, all readers will have something to connect with, and may even bring some sort of  resolution to their own life. Once you start reading, you really can’t stop, yet once it’s over, the reader will have a very strong urge to call their family and let them know how thankful they are and how much they love them.

I know that it has been a while since I have posted any new reviews! I’ve been having trouble finding new books that interest me! I would greatly appreciate any recommendations that you have! Please include the title and author of the book and I will gladly take a look at it!

Keep on reading,

Taylor

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

I just finished the gruesomely honest story of 14-year-old Indian, Arnold Spirit Junior. His story starts off with an explanation of how totally messed up he is and how much he loves cartoons. Junior uses his drawings to get away from the cruel realities of life on the “Rez,” his depressed, basement-dwelling sister, drunken father, and unfortunate mother. Also, his best friend shows affection by making fun of how “retarded” Junior is….and much more.

The story goes on to reveal the most intimate thoughts that have ever been inside the head of a 14-year-old boy. From girls, to drunken Indians, to basketball, Junior learns that even though he left the Rez to head to all-white school Reardan, it doesn’t matter how many problems you were born with, how many funerals you have been to, or the number of derogatory names you have been called. What really matters is that everybody has a chance to be better than they are expected-and everything can be humorous, including death. Alexie perfectly pin points the mindset, thoughts, and social life of a pubescent teen. He finds a way to draw you emotionally into the novel all while making you laugh with hilarious cartoons. 

I myself had dropped my jaw quite a few times as to how few limits were set for this book. I also cried quite a bit as Junior faces some of the hardest struggles in his life.

Alexie’s novel is one for every teenager, no matter what gender, who is looking for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, with a ton of humor and a bit  of tragedy on the side. Alexie has written a winner that should be in the hands of every teen in America.

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

This 2005 novel about a 15-year-old girl’s unfortunate string of extremely bad luck which leads her to terrifying panic attacks, is yet another hit by the out-of-the-box author, E. Lockhart.

The book starts off with a bit of a side note from Ruby Oliver, the narrator of this, “everyday teen angst” novel. A little froggy greets the reader followed by an explanation on why this book is even in your hands.

Each chapter from there on is titled by the name of a boy and a teeny explanation about him. The reader soon figures out though that the chapters are not about any of those boys really, but how Ruby, (AKA: Roo) lost her best friends, boyfriend, and became a leper in less than a week. E. Lockhart’s tragic narrative that dares to explore every nook and cranny of the teenage concious dares the reader to turn the page and read on about Roo’s deepest and darkest thoughts. From boyfriend stealers to stud muffins, E. Lockhart writes yet another masterpiece in the form of both a story and very truthful and humorous footnotes. Lockhart never fails to impress and entertain teens with her grippingly honest and sincere novel of teenagers and how they manage to survive life — one day at a time.

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

I just finished up the newly published book, Anything But Typical, and was really satisfied when I shut the back cover.

The front of the book is what caught my eye in the first place. It’s a very interesting portrait of a boy, with waves of blue and white swirling out of his head. (Trust me, it looks pretty sweet!)

On to the book. When I first read the description on the inside flap, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy it. However, I took a chance.

Within the first page, I was hooked. Baskin takes you on an everyday experience through the eyes of a 12-year-old autistic boy, Jason Blake. Now, Jason loves to write short stories and post them on an online site called, Storyboard. Jason is amazed by the power of words, letters, and the typical human nature.

The start of almost every chapter informs the reader about a little lesson on writing, Jason’s word-of-the-day, or the continuous plot of his latest creation. 

Throughout the story, Jason learns about both the advantages and disadvantages of living in a world that was not created for him. However, through the help of his latest character Bennu, new “girlfriend” from Storyboard, Rebecca, (AKA: PhoenixBird) and the power of the English language, Jason discovers that being different isn’t all that bad and accepting yourself the way you are can be quite relieving.

Personally, the beginning of the story when Jason is so excited about writing made my weheels start a’grindin’ too. However,towards the end, I had become so emotionally involved that when Jason lost his lust for creating and publishing new stories, so did I. The ending wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but everything has it’s minor flaws. In all, this was a book suitable for enthusiastic readers and writers of all ages.

Welcome to…. Ultimate Teen Reviews! This site is created by a teen, for teens to share their opinions on the best books of the moment. Read my reviews to learn a bit more on a book, or submit your own review to share your opinion!

Thank you all in advance for your support and I hope to read all of your reviews and comments.

Keep On Reading,

~Taylor

(In order to submit a review to be published on the Ultimate Teen Reads site, email your review to volleyrocker94@aol.com. Make sure to include the title and author of the book, a short summary, but no spoilers, and your own personal opinion on the book. Include any other information you wish. Keep in mind, all reviews will be read and approved by Taylor before being published!)