The Last Mall Rat by Erik Esckilsen

Annotation:

Tired of rude, obnoxious customers? Hire local teens to harass them! Guaranteed revenge, or your money back! Caveat Emptor!

Justification for Rejection:

Mitch, too young to work at the mall, hangs out there instead, hence the mallrat of the title. He has sort of befriended “The Chair,” an extremely successful, and sycophantic (to the customers anyway) shoe salesman. One customer though, pushes him over the edge, and The Chair hires Mitch to get revenge by uttering the phrase, “Caveat Emptor” (buyer beware) and creep her out as she enters her car. It works, and before Mitch can realize what has happened, he has become popular at school, and the go-to-guy for revenge on customers throughout the whole mall.
Soon, Mitch gets his friends involved, including one, Jimmy Biggins. Jimmy is a trouble maker, and relishes his new “job” to torment customers. Things get out of hand quickly, as the number of incidents sky rockets, and Jimmy accidentally assaults a man and ends up wanted by the whole town. Soon, Jimmy becomes a martyr to all of the teens when he goes into hiding, which causes many teens to wonder about the mall chanting Big-gins, and freaking out customers. Mitch soon comes to the conclusion that the only way to put a stop to it is to turn himself in. He and his friends are sentenced, with Jimmy’s fate left unknown, though Jimmy may end up in juvenile detention.

OK, so why does this book get a rejection you may ask? Well, it is an entertaining read, and a good book, but it doesn’t quite meet my expectations. Although Mitch is quasi-idealistic, and takes up a quest to plague customers. The book is told in first person narrative, which starts out OK, but doesn’t really delve into the character, Mitch’s emotions. First person would be a great way to get into Mitch’s head, but the author doesn’t do it much. Instead, we get quasi-elaborate explanations of the secretary’s hair color, which he notices in the principal’s office. He suspects the principal of knowing about his “business,” and tries to look innocent in the office, and this is all that’s described. He thinks about how likely it is that he has been caught, but there is no mention of his emotions the whole time he is in the office, just descriptions of scenery. Another example is when he enters the interrogation room at the police station, we get a great description of how the room compares to those seen on TV, and what the table and lighting are like, but nothing about say, a gut wrenching, sweaty palm feeling upon entering. He then negotiates with the police captain like a grownup/seasoned criminal, which is a little hard to swallow given his circumstance. Young adult novels should show empowered teens, but this is not realistic (which the story is). To contrast, earlier in the novel, he talked about the uneasy feeling, and the excitement he got from scaring customers when he started.

The author also does little to address the character’s morality. He does get a little bit into how Mitch wonders if he’s wrong, or if his parents found out, but Mitch really has no internal conflict when he does these things. He does realize later on that he’s in trouble, and seeks to put a stop to it, before it escalates, but something is lacking. His thoughts on the matter are not portrayed that well. The first half of the novel, we get a sense of increasing danger, and thrill, but then suddenly Mitch stops the train, and the rest of the novel deals with the school kids harassing the mall, how can he help Jimmy, discussions with his father about what he should do, and how does he stop it. The remainder of the novel doesn’t really deal with the repercussions of what he did, and the thrill element is gone. I would expect the thrill to turn into panic, or something, but the story just coasts to the end. It ends with kind of a Deus ex machina ending, with the character getting off with a slap on the wrist for his crimes, and things are really no different than in the beginning.

Overall, this book is mildly entertaining to read in the beginning, but after the “let’s turn ourselves” bit, it falls short of a satisfying ending. Even after Mitch gives his statement to the cops, the drama of a trial, and Jimmy’s fate is skipped, and left open. The epilogue instead focuses on his father’s lecture about urban sprawl, and the community coming together, which was a very loose theme throughout the novel. Teens may be confused what the point of the story is, and may even think it’s a good way to earn money, especially since the kids got away with it (mostly).

In short, decent story for fun, hits a few points of teen development, but not that well. It falls short of being worthy of a nomination, because it is average. Read it for fun, enjoy it, but don’t expect award material. The one thing you should take away is be nice to the people working in the mall, you never know when someone will follow you to your car and say, “Caveat Emptor.”


Genre: Fiction, Problem Novel

Record of Lodoss War by Ryu Mizuno, and Yoshihiko Ochi

Record of Lodoss War: The Grey Witch: A Gathering of Heroes

Annotation:

Lord of the Rings meets Manga. Young Parn talks some strangers into following him on a damn-fool-idealistic crusade.

Justification For Nomination:

Lodoss, the Accursed Island, has know peace for some time after the six heroes defeated a great evil. Emperor Beld of the island of Marmo, formerly one of the six heroes, leads an army of ogres, goblins, and dark elves to conquer Lodoss. He is aided/manipulated by Karla, the Grey Witch to do so.

Parn, a young teenage-ish type of guy, starts off his quest by trying save his village from goblins. Being still a youth, the townsfolk disregard his warning. He then gets into conflict with the goblins who actually were ready to invade (imagine that, no one listens to the kid!). Parn is saved from the goblins by Etoh (his childhood friend), Ghim (a cantankerous dwarf), Deedlit (a young looking but ancient high-elf), and Sorcerer Slayn. Parn talks them all into joining him on his quest to be a holy knight, like his father before him. The party arrives in the city of Allan where they uncover a Marmo plot to kill the local royalty. In this town the thief Woodchuck joins their party. Soon fate uncovers the fact that Marmo is invading Lodoss with a sizeable army. Idealistic Parn, incensed that the Allanians will not fight, decides to lead his party to Valis to raise help there.

This graphic novel will grab teens’ attention on page 1 with great character designs, and an idealistic young hero. Teens will also relate to Parn’s quest to become a knight, because that will basically allow him to be seen by the world as trustworthy grownup, and not the child everyone sees now. Parn’s also jumps headlong into action, which is what many teens do, and when it gets him into trouble, his friends save him. This further emphasizes the importance of friendships during teen years. To sum it all up, Parn serves as an archetype for teen development. Even his wiser/older friend Deedlit the Elf, can serve as an icon for teen girls, though to a lesser extent. She is smart and thinks things through, and is also more mature than Parn, but still possessing a youthful enthusiasm despite her great age. In other words, girls mature faster than boys. Many teens will identify with these two characters at least, if not the story. It has everything teens love: heroes to identify with, romance, great character designs, a quest/fantasy story, clearly defined good vs. evil (grays are just starting to come into focus though), lastly, it is manga (teens love it right now!)



Suggestions for improvement:

Some scenes/motives aren’t that clear. Sometimes dialogue will be there, but not really apply to anything. Only upon re-reading, or looking at the pictures can some things be fully understood. Also, the lack of narration boxes is unusual, even for manga. Asied from that, this is a pretty good story, and a quick read. There are also some mini-series on DVD that are phenomonal.

Genre: Manga, graphic novel, fantasy

Bronx Masquerade, by Nikki Grimes

Annotation:

Bronx teens with little love for each other discover a common bond and empathy for each other through poetry.


Justification for Nomination:

Tyrone is a high school student at an unnamed Bronx high school；he is the central character that provides a central point for readers to identify with. Each character in Mr. Ward’s English class is given a chance to do an open-mic poetry slam every week. Each poem is read by a different student, and before they read their poem, they share their internal thoughts with the reader. Though the characters start out indifferent, or overtly hostile towards each other, through the hearing of the poems they grow to respect one another’s differences.

What makes this such a great book is that there are so many characters that get to tell their story. Each person has their own quirks, things they can’t stand about themselves, and things they think will make them happy. Lupe considers getting pregnant to become happy, because she sees how happy her friend Gloria (who is a single mom) is. It is then revealed that Gloria is not as happy as Lupe thinks. Some characters like Raul are idealistic, he wants to become an artist. Others are uncomfortable with how they look, and try to fit in with the other kids. Sheila Gamberoni, an Italian wants to be black. Another student who is a mixed race African-American wishes she was darker, and had less perfect hair so she could fit in.

Each character in this book seems like a living, breathing person. They bare their soul to the reader, and then tell a poem to the class about their feelings. The teens are idealistic, searching for an identity, trying on different roles, and becoming introspective in their thoughts and poems. The book also gets points for combining poetry/verse, with internal monologues, and inter-character dialogues. The book also addresses race relations, and does so with the characters learning to respect and accept each other. By the end of the book, color has been blurred. Lastly, these teens are in an inner city school, of various ethnic backgrounds, and I think all of them are portrayed in a positive light. It is an interesting read, that doesn’t dwell on the bitterness of inner city life, and offers hope.


Suggestions for improvement:

This book is great, I only wish that the teens’ self reflections were longer.

Genre: Poetry/Verse,

Street Love, by Walter Dean Myers

Annotation:

The acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers weaves an updated Romeo & Juliet-esque tail of forbidden romance by means of verse.

Justification for Nomination:

Damien, a youth in Harlem with a promising future; falls in love with Junice. Junice is not the average young lady, however since her mother was just sentenced to 25 years in prison for selling drugs, and she and her sister move in with their grandmother.

Damien and Junice fall in love, and begin dating each other. Damien’s mother thinks he should pursue his childhood friend Roxanne, and his friend Kevin tries to talk him out of his “infatuation” with Junice. Junice’s mother feels betrayed that her daughter isn’t trying to get her out of prison and instead is focusing on her relationship with Damien. The ending is more cheerful than Romeo & Juliet, in that they end up together, however the reader can be lead to believe that the future will not be easy.

Myers’ characters use poetic verse throughout the novel, this is done extremely well. I can almost feel the words flowing off of the page the words are so smooth. The characters feelings are dealt with through verse, as are their conversations with one another. Each character also has a different style of flow which works to convey that character’s mood. Junice’s rhymes feel unsure, while Damien’s spew forth confidence that his love for Junice is real. Junice’s social worker’s lines don’t really flow and come off as cold and uncaring.

The reason that this book deserves a nomination is because it has teens dealing with their very real feelings. Their uncertainty for the future. Damien’s idealism is so strong, it could only come from a teenager; while his disagreement with his mother’s view of Junice is ripe for testing the adult boundaries. Junice’s uncertainty about living with her grandmother, and Damien’s intentions is also conveyed. Junice is also embarrassed that she lives in the bad part of town, and that her mother is in prison, and wonders how this will affect Damien’s feelings for her. Damien’s passion for Junice puts him at odds with his mother, and gets him into a fight with a local thug.

We also have the teens stepping into the role of grownup, and not being able to go back. Junice ends up raising her younger sister because her grandmother is senile. She also tends to do the grocery shopping for the family. In many ways, Junice is more adult than most of the grownups in the story. Damien too steps up into an adult role by pursuing the runaway Junice to the Greyhound stop enroute to Memphis (from Harlem). He steps into the role by promising to provide for, and protect Junice, and her sister. Both Damien and Junice are more grown up than their parents, who offer cheap excuses, and immature viewpoints. Their parents are oblivious to the whole situation of the kids.

This book is also great because the teens in the story are so alive, and real. This is a story about African-American teens trying to get by through all of the crap society throws at them, and turn out alright. Teens will also identify how both sets of parents are out of touch with the situations of the protagonists.

Suggestions for improvement: I give the author credit for not ending on a bleak note. Although Damien, and Junice end up together, I don’t see a happy future for them, only one paved with bitterness and resentment.


Genre: Poetry/Verse

Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper

Annotation: Teen celebration ends in tragedy after a drunk driving fatality. Survivors cope with it, but one of the group can’t deal, and spirals emotionally out of control.

Justification for Nomination: Andy Jackson, high school basketball star, takes his friends out for a party after winning a game. Of course, drinking and driving was involved, and tragedy ensues. He and all of his friends survive the crash. Except his friend Rob, who dies a very horrible and fiery death (which is well described, and is visually stuck in my mind). As the driver, Andy absorbs a huge amount of guilt over the death, and he becomes essentially manic depressive.

He goes to therapy, and persuades his shrink that he’s getting better, while at the same time sinks deeper into depression. His friends, family and teachers try to help him, but he doesn’t accept it. By the time he realizes that he does need help, it’s too late and there is no one around to help him. Andy commits suicide leaving behind even more pain and grief than he had when Rob died. His friends then write letters to him as part of their grief therapy
First and foremost, this novel is almost all dialogue. It could have been very confusing, but actually serves to draw the reader deeper into the story. Any descriptions we get are character discussions, journal entries, letters, or news clippings. This lends the characters a depth and a livelihood of their own, which gives them authenticity. They are all living breathing characters in their own right.

This depth of character helps the reader see how the death of a dear friend affects those already undergoing stressful changes as a teen. In addition to dealing with acceptance by adults, school/sport duties, and a relationship, Andy must deal with being responsible for the death of his best friend. This grief amplifies the pain and confusion caused by being a teenager.
The book is also a good example of how teens have one way to talk and act for adults, and a totally different way for each other. To each other they tend to use slang, and are more real with their feelings, but with adults they talk in a more articulated way, and are less open with their feelings. A great example is Andy. Andy opens up to his girlfriend about his sadness, but seems to dwell on it too much. In his sessions with his therapist, he seems to tell him his feelings as well but we find out later that he was just telling the therapist what he wanted to hear, having left out some of the finer points of his suffering.

The book also portrays the teens with their development processes going on. The following are some examples of characters going through their development: self-centeredness (Andy’s suicide, his need for Keisha), idealism (Andy thinks he should have died instead of Rob), characters dating, Andy becomes introspective about Rob’s death, the teens all socialize with each other about teen things, some of them discover who they are(B.J.’s faith in God grows, Tyrone and Rhonda discover their true love for each other ), and they try to act more adult (drinking, serious dating, just acting more mature).

The book also gets points for having African-Americans as main characters, who are for the most part good kids, not wrapped up in gangs/drugs. They are not stereotypes. That’s not too say they don’t have problems, but for the most part these teens are pretty good. The author also gets some points for pointing out how messed up committing suicide is. She condemns the acts, but does it in the form of letters from the characters. Some of what is in the letters could be preachy, but its not because the characters voices are so strong, its their voice that condemns Andy’s suicide. There’s enough edge to their feelings to make it the character’s voice and not the author’s.

Suggestions for improvement: While 90% of the dialogue sounds authentic, there is some, mostly in the beginning, that sounds a little preachy. Some of the dialogue discussing Rob’s death sounds very stilted and preachy. After this point though, the characters take on a life of their own, and it shows in their voice.
I also thought Andy’s suicide was a little abrupt, and would have really liked to see him overcome his demons. This is especially the case since his therapist said he was improving. His suicide was foreshadowed (bridge jumping), but the way he did it was not (gun).

Genre: Problem Novel/Edgy Fiction

Review of Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel

Annotation: By the book Cabin Boy, and headstrong teenage girl explorer encounter air-pirates and mysterious creature. They must work fast, and overcome their differences to save their airship from both.


Justification for Nomination: Airborn by author Kenneth Oppel, invents an interesting world where airplanes were never properly invented, and airships reign supreme. He creates a detailed atmosphere of life on a luxury airship liner, and how such a place could be a home-like comfortable place for a young man.

In the story Matt Cruse wants only to become the next sail-maker (basically one of the people making sure the airship doesn’t leak), but his dreams are interrupted by the CEO of the airliner company thrusting his son into the position instead. Matt’s journey is further interrupted by air pirates, a crash landing on an island, and his newfound friend Kate’s quest to vindicate her grandfather’s discovery of a mysterious creature.

What makes this story worthy of a nomination is that it deals with many of the issues teens will deal with in school, and adolescence. First and foremost, Matt’s desire to gain an identity for himself by becoming a full-fledged member of the crew deals with this issue. Matt further deals with conflicting emotions and about making the right decision.

Matt often finds himself conflicted between his duty to Captain Walken, the Aurora, and his budding friendship/responsibility to Kate. While marooned on an island, Kate desires to go searching for a creature that her grandfather discovered, but Matt wants to obey the captain’s order to stay with the ship. He eventually is convinced to accompany Kate, who twists the rules to suit her needs oblivious to the trouble it causes Matt.

The final rationale is that Matt is forced to take on adult responsibilities. Due to Matt & Kate’s explorations the pirates who caused the Aurora to crash find out the Aurora is near their hideout. The pirates capture the crew of Matt’s ship and Matt must act, and think fast to dispose of the pirates so the Aurora can flee to safety. In the end Matt is successful, proving that he can handle adult responsibilities and be successful saving the ship where adults were not.

To conclude, Matt portrays the average teen by looking to be seen as an adult, taking adult responsibility, taking risks, having an idealistic view of the world, and testing the limits of authority (though not willingly at first).

Suggestions for improvement: Though this novel does have great descriptions, and portrays the teenage journey well some things could have developed better. The most prominent thing would be the death of the CEO’s son by pirates, and the fact that Matt and Kate contribute to the death of at least three pirates. Though this is an adventure novel, being the direct or indirect cause of several deaths should have caused the characters some deep thinking which was never dealt with.




Genre: Steampunk, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Welcome!

Hi everyone, welcome to Nautilus Library. Starting out this blog is purely for my Young Adult Literature class. I will basically be reading, and reviewing young adult literature. Please feel free to comment.

Right now I am considering to read one of the following:


1) Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel. This one is high on the list because I actually had a similar idea for a story, and if I ever write it, I don't want to copy Ken's work.

2) Looking forAlaska. Not surem why this one just looks interesting

3) American Born Chinese. I actually saw this in the book store and thought it looked cool. its a graphic novel, which I love, but I don't know if I want to make a habit of reading Graphic novels.



So long for now!