Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Meyer, Stephenie. (2005) Twilight. New York: Little Brown & Company 498 pages.

Bella, a clumsy and somewhat jaded teen, has just moved back to Forks, Washington to live with her dad. At school she is mystified by Edward who seems different from the rest and saves her life on multiple occasions. Edward is a vampire and before Bella knows it she's in love with him and the adventure begins.

So most people know that I struggled with this book. But it is my goal to write a fair and rational review. Thus, I'm going to start with what was good about it. Edward was attractive and at times downright sexy. I personally prefer men with a heart beat, but Meyer made him heroic in the most traditional sense. This made him easy to fall for. Second, although I had to wait almost 400 pages for it, I must say the climax was creative and exciting. That's all I'm going to say in case there are blog readers out there who haven't read the book yet.

Now for the critique. The writing left a little to be desired. In my opinion adverbs are the root of all evil and given Meyer's heavy use of them, she disagrees. The word "incredulous" was used multiple times in various contexts. It drove me nuts. To steal from The Princess Bride, "I do not think that means what she thinks it means." Second, probably over 100 pages of this book were spent with Edward explaining to Bella how dangerous he is. I kept thinking, "I know, I know - get over it! Less talking more action, Please!" Third, was the lack of a strong female character. I'm not used to reading books where the girl is constantly unable to take care of herself. I found this difficult to handle. Edward always had to be there to save her.

For the record, I did get sucked in. I think the only option is for Bella to become a vampire herself, and I'm proud of Stephenie Meyer for being so successful.

A Novel Idea, by Aimee Friedman

Friedman, Aimee (2006). A Novel Idea. New York: Simon Pulse, 234 pages.

Summary and Evaluation: Sixteen year old Norah is anxious to experience her first kiss, but she has bigger things to worry about when she finds out that unless she picks up some extracurriculars she can kiss her college goals good-bye. With the help of her friends, Norah starts a book group at an indie bookstore and, low and behold, James walks in. He's attractive and friendly, and they even have the same taste in books - except maybe the romance novels that Norah secretly loves. She follows the schemes of her favorite heroine, but finds that romance on the page is much different than romance in real life.

I don't need deep meaning in everything I read, but I do tend to choose books that have more than an escapist appeal. I never knew mind candy could be so sweet. This is just downright fun for book lovers. It is no magical literary masterpiece, but it does have a lot of stereotypical, lovable characters. Norah has a best friend who is trying to convince her family she doesn't need to go to college and a busy-body gay friend who both help her out of some tough spots. Then, there's the awkward romantic moments like Norah's almost first kiss. Norah's over the top application of her favorite romance novel spins her into lies about her many imaginary admirers. It follows the romance formula perfectly seeing as Norah is basing her plan on it. But a comical twist at the end makes it slightly unusual. The best part of the book is that it constantly pokes fun at chick lit and romance. The author even references her book, South Beach, when Francesca, a preppy member of the book group, starts naming off all of her "shallow" book preferences. I appreciated that the author did not take herself or this book too seriously.

My concern with this book is readership. The simple prose and fast-paced narrative tempt me to offer this to reluctant readers. But allusions to Weetzie Bat, Speak, and even The Devil Wears Prada may alienate a reader who is not familiar with these books. Someone more involved with literature may be turned off by the trite prose. But on the other hand maybe they, like Ime, will enjoy a lighter read.

Booktalk Hook: Here's my script for a short booktalk. "Everything that Norah knows about love comes from her contraband collection of romance novels. Desperate to beef up her college applications, Norah starts a book club and suddenly romance becomes a reality. James saunters into her club and she is smitten; they even have the same taste in books. Eager to win his affections, Norah turns to lessons from her secret stash of romance novels. Unfortunately, in her life things just don't work out the same way. Can Norah find a way to win James over?"

Street Love, by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter Dean (2006). Street Love. New York: Amistad, 134 pages.

Summary and Evaluation: Damian, an upper class student headed for the Ivy League, falls for Junice, a girl struggling to keep her family together after her mom goes to prison for dealing drugs. When they meet in the office one day, Damian is eager to get to know this beautiful girl, while Junice is careful to hide her life that she is ashamed of. Against the will of friends and family, each must show what they are willing to sacrifice in order to be together.

Like A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich, the language of this book took some getting used to. Told in free verse, the rhythm and style kept changing as each character spoke. But after a little time, I acclimated and found that this form was beautiful. When Damian was hanging out with his guy friends, I felt like I was singing along to a rap. Other times, I was just reading concise angry sentences like when Junice is at family court. "You quote paragraphs and sentences/And laws with numbers and subsections/Will my tears erase them?" When Junice spoke the poetry used vivid imagery. She says that her hands can "crush razor blades and catch sunbeams." Novels in verse also do not tell the whole story. I appreciated the chance to add my own inferences to the story which is something I have not often found in the literature I've read so far. Although I liked the form of the book and I found the plot compelling, I was left disappointed at the end of the book. The ending seemed unrealistic and uncharacteristic of both Damian and Junice.

Booktalk Hook: I would create and memorize a free verse poem of my own that introduces Damian and Junice and their struggle to show their love for each other.

Seventeenth Summer, by Maureen Daly

Daly, Maureen (2002). Seventeenth Summer. New York: Simon Pulse. 291 pages.

Summary and Evaluation: Angie Morrow has just finished High School and expects to spend her summer hanging around the house and reading, but that was before she starts going out with Jack. Angie discovers the sensation and anxiety of being in love as Jack takes her sailing driving and picnicking in their small town. As the summer progresses, Angie makes mistakes along the way like going out with Tony when she should have said “no,” and learning what it is like to think constantly about a boy. Jack and Angie’s feelings for one another intensify, but they are forced to face the realities that summer does not last forever. At first Angie’s naivety and the slow narration of the text frustrated and annoyed me. Angie rarely speaks to Jack and though they are in love they hardly know each other. But as the story progressed, I began to enjoy the long descriptions of nature scenes and Angie’s introspective moments. Her innocence progressed into a deep understanding of herself. The book is successful in showing Angie’s maturation from a child into an adult. By the end of the story, she is no longer as concerned with what her parents think. While at times the text was overdone, it still told stories without words. I knew exactly what Lorraine’s relationship with Martin was without being told the details and without Angie even realizing them. The old fashioned language like “fellows” and “go with” even became enjoyable.

Booktalk Hook: This book presents a culture of dating and adolescence that has disappeared and is a depiction of average life in early 1940's America. I would present it as a romance from a different time and offer at an entertaining contrast from YA romance novels of today.