The Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar

Another in the urban fantasy sub-genre, “Good Fairies of New York” is better (IMHO) than “Tithe”, but I can honestly say I don’t like the style. Urban fantasy blends stories of “the fey” with gritty realism. The thing is, I don’t really want my fairy stories blended with gritty realism. In this tale, Morag and Heather, two pseudo-lesbian Scottish fairies who have a penchant for getting in trouble, land in the apartment of a ne’er-do-well New Yorker named Dinnie after a binge of alcohol and magic mushrooms. They crash through Dinnie’s window, throw up, fight and pass out. Dinnie is an overweight, unemployed squatter who likes porn and has an unrequited crush on the girl across the street, a bohemian named Kerry who is seriously ill with Crohn’s Disease. The story zig-zags across New York and overseas, adding in fairy groups of all kinds as a kind of a “war” builds up, although in the end that becomes very secondary to the other plotlines. Where it works: The introduction by Neil Gaiman compares Millar to Vonnegut and there are similarities. Dark humor is well blended with stark social satire (homeless people die in doorways each day and no one seems to notice, much less care). The “good fairies” are anything but. These anti-hero protagonists are so self-absorbed that every good deed ends up deepening their troubles and causing grief for others. The best line in the book came on page 205, “They are just under the thrall of an evil King. Much like the United States.” Where it doesn’t work: The wild swings from one scene to the next with little or no natural flow was present in “Tithe” as it is here, and I don’t know if it is a hallmark of this type of literature, but it makes reading the jagged text very challenging. Random use of sexuality seems designed for no other purpose than to titillate (and makes it completely inappropriate for younger readers) and the copy I read was in great need of an editor, as it had blatant typos. Although this novel was stronger than my first attempt, I can’t say this most recent urban fantasy has made me like the genre any better. I’m told Charles de Lint is the master here, so I may try one of his books before giving it up entirely. Maybe. If it’s really short.

TAB Reviews!

Welcome to the new TAB year. Bookclub members review the following…

MJ writes:
“The Dark is Rising” by Susan Cooper. The best thing about this book is that it’s so full of adventure and it is almost like a puzzle.

CM writes:
“Pirate Emperor” by Kai Meyer. I really like his writing style. I love the characters (especially Jolly). It’s an interesting book. There aren’t really any others like it. Be warned it is a cliff hanger!
“Blaze of Silver” by K.M. Grant. It was action packed, plus it wasn’t the type of book where you can guess every sentence before you read it. It didn’t have a cliff hanger ending, and I really liked the way all the characters turned out.
“Titan’s Curse” by Rick Riordan. I love this book! I really liked the plot and the new characters introduced.
“Charlie Bone and the Beast” by Jenny Nimmo. I liked it as a continuation of the series with the same characters but it was a huge cliff hanger.

SB writes:
“Epic” by Conor Kostick. I think it deserves to be a TAB book because it is an interesting “epic” story full of action and adventure. I liked the author’s style and the development of the characters. This book is especially interesting because the topic is very distinct and unique.

CK writes:
“Twisted” by Laurie Halse Anderson. It was a great book about a guy who’s having a very “twisted” life and I like how he learns to “untwist” it and make peace with his family. Some parts I think could have been taken out, but overall it was a good book.
“Harlem Summer” by Walter Dean Myers. It gave me a look at how some people felt during the Harlem Renaissance and how not everyone wanted to be really famous. I also liked how there were historical facts in the book and that most of the characters were real people.
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” by Jeff Kinney. I chose yes (for this as a TAB book) because it was funny and I liked how it wasn’t a “Dear Diary” type of book. So it was a nice change from the standard diary.

DK writes:
“The Titan’s Curse” by Rick Riordan. It’s heartstopping, just as good as the first two.

KS writes:
“The White Darkness” by Geraldine McCaughrean. This is the story of a girl in love with an Antarctic explorer who’s been dead for 90 years. Her “uncle” then grants her favorite wish – to go to Antarctica. I can’t say much more, because that would give away the plot – which is AMAZING. Everything in this story is unexpected, it doesn’t feel like a copy cat. The descriptions are wonderful, and the characters seem like they could exist. Not too pretty or perfect.
“The Invisible” by Mats Wahl. This book is about a boy who becomes invisible. No one can hear him, he can’t lift anything, he can hardly move. The writing is better than most, but the ending is very predictable. I could put it down whenever, and the plot wasn’t great.
“Getting Air” by Dan Gutman. This story tells of the hijacking by terrorists of a like … forty minute flight. One of the many reasons it sucked. Who hijacks a plane 3 hours from anything important, on only 45 minutes fuel? (***SPOILER ALERT***) Then it crashes, after three 13 year olds kill terrorists along with 30 knitting granny ladies. It moves too quickly, with hardly any description, only dialogue and 1st grader descriptions of actions. It’s a rip-off of Hatchet and Lost, and the plot is predictable.

Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos

It’s rare that a “message” novel packs the kind of punch of this short contemporary novel, but then, we live in interesting times, yes? Nadira is a painfully average ninth grade girl in a Brooklyn high school. There’s only one problem. Her family is living in the county illegally. As Muslims on expired visas, in NY, after 9/11, the choices are not pleasant. On advice of counsel, the family tries to enter Canada but things go badly. After that, they are caught up in the web of bureaucracy and federal policy that so many have begun to question of late. This story may be fiction, but the tale it tells rings very very true. What helps this succinct novel along is the reality of Nadira and her sister Aisha – and the members of their families and community. As sisters, Nadira and Aisha fight, are envious, but love one another. As an important secondary note to the political themes, this story is also a personal journey for Nadira. Through these experiences she learns to accept herself and how to live in a world that is not always kind. Some decide to return to their country, some become a true part of the American melting pot, and some, the strongest perhaps, demand that we see them for who they are. I cannot think of a novel I have read of late that is more timely and carries this kind of emotional hit. Brava to Ms. Budhos.

Girl Stories by Lauren R. Weinstein

Even for graphic novels, this one is a little off-beat. But then again, with graphic novels pushing the bounds of literature these days, expect that anything and everything will emerge! “Girl Stories” is a 237 page collection of short stories, pretty much biographical, of the author’s teen years. The stories are a tad random, but that doesn’t matter too much as there does seem to be an over-arching structure holding them in place. The illustrations are very bright and busy – interesting to the eye but not good for those inclined to ADD, methinks. The character of Lauren is fun, and the author is able to reflect on her life with a healthy dose of humor and perspective. I really enjoyed the middle school tales, which seemed right on point. I also liked the belly-piercing story, which had just the perfect level of “gross”. I enjoyed the book but didn’t feel it will “stick with me”, just didn’t get deep enough. The only criticism is one that the author freely admits to from the beginning…she wrote the strips over seven years, using different styles and drawing techniques. That makes it a bit difficult, from section to section, to keep track of who is who (since the character of Lauren looks quite different in each of the stories). It isn’t a major concern, the book was enjoyable and has some nice girl empowerment messages. Worth a read.

The Witch’s Boy by Michael Gruber

In many ways, this is a very strong book. Rich text with deep threads make it mature and interesting. One day, a witch finds a boy in the forest and raises him, although she isn’t quite sure what she’s doing. Along the way there are colorful characters, well-thought out magic, some delightfully fractured fairytales and more than a few SAT vocabulary words. For me, what the story lacked was a “connection”. It was clever, it had fresh ideas, but the omniscient narrative voice was distancing and the story, which was essentially simple, took far too many twists to get to the point. Let’s start with narrative voice. In Kate DiCamillo’s “Tales of Despereaux” the narrator manages to connect to the reader through a kind of arch humor and sly asides. In this book, I’m not even sure the narrator ~likes~ any of the characters. Who is the protagonist here? I started out being a bit intrigued by the witch, but she is kept at emotional arms length for the duration of the tale (and disappears entirely at points) so I could never fully warm up to her. Then there’s the witch’s boy, “Lump”. The author intimates again and again how the boy is headed for trouble, and he, of course, progresses through the majority of the book as a kind of anti-hero, hurting everyone around him. The only characters I really identified with and enjoyed were the supporting characters – which is rarely compelling enough to push you through 377 pages of text. Then, there’s the storyline. It doesn’t so much move as it meanders. That which should have been prologue (the witch finding the boy and figuring out how to raise him) runs some 67 pages. Lastly, for all of the details given, I had difficulty placing the setting. I mean, I know this is fantasy, but at times it reads as 14th Century Germany, and at other times, 17th Century France. No matter how fantastical the setting, there should be some consistency. This tale throws out consistency for that which is convenient. I know I sound like I hated this book. I didn’t. As I said, it has a lot going for it, I just found it lacking in a key area or two. My copy of the book had extensive notes by the author at the end. In these notes, Mr. Gruber explained that the witch is essentially his own mother, an intriguing but (surprise) distant woman, and that Lump is essentially his early life, with much of the book being a kind of mea culpa for not being a better person. Clearly, Michael Gruber is a gifted writer. Wouldn’t it be ironic if he could distance himself more from his work and, as a result, create characters that one could better connect with?

American Born Chinese by Gene Luan Yang

This complex graphic novel won the Printz Award for Young Adult literature last year, a first for a graphic novel. I have to say, it is extremely well done. The graphics are clear and engaging, the dialog strong, and the themes powerful. I don’t think this is a graphic novel for the younger set, however. As much as I enjoyed the book, I can’t honestly say I fully understood it. Some of it was a lack of full understanding of Chinese cultural traditions, and some was simply that the book is a tad abstract. There are three storylines, separate at first but clearly intertwined by the end. First, there is the monkey-king legend (one of my favorites from Asian mythology). Interspersed with that are the stories of Jin, an American-born Chinese kid trying to assimilate into a culture which still views him as alien; and the story of Danny, an all-American kid trying to come to terms with a 1940s film-style stereotypical Chinese cousin. Without giving too much away, I will caution readers that none of the stories take place within the same timeframe, and close attention should be paid to monkey-king’s abilities as they might be reflected in the other stories. In the end, this isn’t so much a story of cultural assimilation as it is about learning to accept your inner nature as you grow up. I liked the book and would strongly recommend it to teens who are able to take in the messages of disparate visual images, but for older folk, you may want to stick with more linear graphic novels, such as “Pedro and Me” by Judd Winick.

Double Helix by Nancy Werlin

***Spoiler Alert***
I try very hard to not to give critical plot points away in reviews, but in this case, the big stumbling block of the book ~is~ the major plot point. Before I give it all away, however, let’s talk about the book in general. The copy I received had several award stickers on it. In addition to the “Edgar Award”, given to mystery books, this one also made the TAB top ten list. These tell me that the book is considered to be well-written, as well as well-liked. I can’t disagree. Nancy Werlin’s writing style is engaging and her characters feel like people you know. My struggle was that this book was made into a mystery. Nearly two thirds of it is actually a “coming of age” novel. Had that been it, I would have been fine. Eli Samuels is a super-smart high school grad with an intelligent and understanding girlfriend, but he is drifting in life. Didn’t apply to college, can’t deal with his mother’s losing battle with Huntington’s Disease, and fighting constantly with a critical, distant father. Such stuff is the gristmill for teen lit, and, when it is written this well, makes for a good read. Sadly, the author didn’t stop there. Ms. Werlin adds in a storyline about “big scary science”. Eli is just too smart, too good at everything he does. At a genetics lab, he discovers a secret…was he “made”???!!!! If the plot sounds familiar, it should. Genetic alterations have made for some great Sci-fi of late, but sadly, this book isn’t one of them. The grand climax fell deeply flat, mostly because the advances in genetics in the few years since the book was published make Eli’s secret sad, but not Frankenstein-like. Today, I think we know that the age of manipulating genes isn’t “on the horizon”. It’s here. Instead of (gasp), discovering that genetic alterations are happening, authors need to explore what the moral role should be as we learn to alter the nature of humanity. As for books, the best example of this, IMHO, is Nancy Farmer’s “House of the Scorpion”, which brings the moral, ethical and human issues to a deeply disturbing and provocative point. In “Double Helix”, my general reaction was “so what?” It’s the ~answer~ to “so what?” that is far more interesting to me than the realization that our technology might be advancing faster than our common sense. Been there, done that. It’s the 21st Century. Time to look past the possibilities and focus on impact. And yes, I’m also a Sci-fi TV buff. For almost identical storylines to this book (done better) check out “The Pretender”, “Dark Angel” and “Kyle XY”.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Okay, just kidding. I’m not really going to review this book in detail because a) I have no interest in putting spoilers out there and b) there are plenty of folks who will be sharing their opinions. Actually, now that the series is “complete” I just thought it would be interesting to talk about it as a whole. A synopsis seems hardly necessary, but here goes: The series is about a young boy who discovers he has magical powers and (of course) a great enemy. The books have adventure, humor, drama, even sports, and do a delightful job of following young Harry as he “comes of age” and discovers the deeper mysteries of life along with his growing magic powers. Although it is pure fantasy, the strength here is that non-fantasy readers have enjoyed the books as much as the hard-core Fantasy buffs. The characters, the friendships, the school setting and the growing pains are all very real and very identifiable. IMHO, Ms. Rowling succeeded exceptionally as she portrayed the emotional life of Harry during each of his teenage years. One would think she spends a lot of time around teenagers(!) That said, the Harry Potter series isn’t just a fad, but downright phenomena. Three hundred and twenty-five million copies of the books in this series have sold thus far, and a record-shattering 12 million copies were printed for the *first* run of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. The collected series have the highest print runs of any book in American history, and compete with “The Bible” and “Shakespeare’s Collected Works” in terms of world publishing history. And yet, they are not literary masterpieces (yes, I said it, feel free to throw stones…). They are simply good. Very good, and they have something unusual for any book, much less ones aimed at teens – they have a universality about them. In our culture, we tend to equate universality with blandness. An example of this would be to compare a really good ethnic restaurant with a fast food franchise. The fast food places are far more palatable to the masses, but are widely seen as having inferior food as everything is boiled down to a kind of acceptable homogeny. In this case, I think that such assumptions do not apply. The Harry Potter books may not please teachers who worship at the feet of authors like D.H. Lawrence or Somerset Maugham, but to dismiss them is to seriously underestimate their quality, and, I believe, their staying power. Ms. Rowling freely admits her Dickensonian influences in writing these books, and the comparison is apt. Charles Dickens wrote “penny dreadfuls” and was considered the fun but volume/trash writer of his time. Think of him as the 19th century Jacqueline Susann. As far as I can tell, Dickens has fared pretty well a hundred or so years later. I’ve come to believe that some books get the crown of literary merit not only for good prose, but simply for sticking around long enough. And then there is something to be said about literary masterpieces being well-written, but not necessary being, well, enjoyed. Most people recognize the brilliance of “Moby Dick” but few put it on their favorites list. The Harry Potter books, in contrast, are favorites of children, teens, adults and seniors worldwide. They are books that can be reread and treasured for generations to come. It is this factor that will keep them around, and perhaps with time, appreciated for their full value.

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles

This was the last of the many Gail Giles books I read for the upcoming “Books for the Beast” conference. Sadly, I would have to say it was my least favorite. Ms. Giles has a tendency to put unexpected twists into her stories, meaning that you know something bad is coming, but don’t really know what. Unfortunately, in this overdone novel, I knew exactly what was going to happen. It was a suspense novel that had no suspense. Added to that is one of the most boilerplate plotlines one could come up with. See if any of this sounds familiar: A popular group of kids adopts a nerdy geek with the intention of making him/her popular. There is the jock, the handsome guy, the rich kid with brains, and the popular guy who has a mean streak. Add in parents who are distant, cold and demanding and you have any given teen show on the CW network. Each chapter begins with an “interview” of sorts (the meaning of which becomes clear very quickly). These let the reader know who was involved and what happened after the fact. While these interviews take the air out of any sense of anticipation, I actually liked them more than the story itself. Somehow these voices seemed more “real” to me. This book might appeal to any kid trapped in the social nightmare of school stereotypes, but other than that, I would read one of the other Gail Giles books if you want a good creepy scare.

What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles

I call this a 50-50 book. On one hand, the psychological underpinnings really work and the style helps drive the story forward in a rather breakneck pace. The book is told through three perspectives: Cass McBride, a popular girl who has been kidnapped; Kyle, her kidnapper; and Ben, the lead detective trying to find her. The story is strongest in the voice of Cass, trying to understand and gain the upper hand in her fate. The title of the book says much. It’s not just what happens to Cass in this event, but what ~has~ happened to her, and those around her, that brings her to this place. Kyle’s story is disjointed and sad, but works well to create dramatic tension with Cass. The negative part of this book comes with the police search and the ending. Ben’s story is necessary to move the plot forward, but seems to only be there as that device. The characters are so flat in his narrations that they become interchangeable. The dialog is so “bad TV cop show” that it is actually laughable. The editing needs work, too. “Party Hardy” is spelled “Hearty” and there are hanging quote marks throughout the book. What really bugged me about the story, however, was the ending. I strongly felt that Ms. Giles betrayed the “truth” of one of her characters to force her rather trademark creepy/twisting end. Given the voice that she had created for some 200 pages, I just didn’t believe where it ended up going. Like I said, this one rated five on a scale of ten for me.

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

I have to admit it. I am an absolutely huge David Lubar fanatic. IMHO he is to YA books what Joss Whedon is to television, what Shakespeare is to theatre, what Britney is to bad girls…(LOL). His writing is smart, funny, unexpected, layered, engaging and so much more. This book was no exception. Scott, a clever but underdeveloped young man, suffers through his freshman year with “Job”-like issues…but his “put one foot in front of the other” attitude and sardonic view of the world around him make this book a laugh-out-loud delight … with a few of those spin on a dime moments that will totally make you catch your breath. Added to this, you have a really strong book that is extremely guy focused. How rare is that? David Lubar is a welcome addition to the modern landscape of teen novels. Take time to enjoy the fun.

Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters by Gail Giles

Two thumbs up for an eye-catching title. In this succinct, fast-to-read novel, Gail Giles continues her noted style of getting to the point. Reading almost like a short story (I read it in one sitting, unusual for me) this book takes place mostly over one afternoon. Creepy but less dark than some of her works, “Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters” is about Sunny, the seemingly unperfect daughter amidst a family so dysfunctional they make the “Married…With Children” folks look healthy. Sunny’s older sister, the “golden child” has died. Father drinks, mother is a basketcase. But, as in all good mysteries, nothing is quite as it seems. The page-turning quotient here is high and the end is most certainly open to debate. Not a bad way to spend 90 minutes. A good choice for those who like a lot of mystery in compact form.

A Brief Chapter In My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt

When you have an “out loud” laugh by page three, you know you are in for a treat. When the book is a first novel, you have to be that much more impressed. This book had a good deal of support in the TAB bookclub last year and I’m happy to say that it has been my favorite book this summer (barring Harry Potter, of course). The folks in this book aren’t just real – they remind me so strongly of the students I work with that you have to remember it is fiction. There is not one moment of “dramatic plot device” here. While one of the major plotlines is predictable, it never takes that Lifetime TV twist I expected. Things progress naturally, very much as they would do in real life. It is a funny book, a thoughtful book, a sad book, but does not have any of the darkness in it which is so prevalent in YA novels these days. It was a complete joy to read, and the first page-turner I had picked up in months. Kudos to Ms. Reinhardt for something fresh and delightful. I look forward to her next work.

Black Juice by Margo Lanagan

Australian authors are all the rage these days. Newcomer Margo Lanagan adds to the pack with her unique short story collection, “Black Juice”. Loosely categorized as fantasy, this collection of rich but oddball tales defies true description, but does, in fact, border on horror. Threads of the supernatural and the dark recesses of human souls run through this dense and richly woven text. The first story, told in the tale similar to Appalachian myth, tells of a family “singing down” a daughter as she drowns in the tar pits. Following this are stories of murderous clowns, devil-like angels, cults, and a dry, mechanical, bleak future. While I recognized the brilliance in the writing, I can’t say that I enjoyed this collection. Some stories felt like drafts of longer works, while others, with their Australian slang, left me confused as to what, exactly, was going on. Ms. Lanagan clearly has skill as a writer. It will be interesting to see if she develops this ability for American audiences in future works.

Playing in Traffic by Gail Giles

This story is about Matt, one of those good kids who blends into the background of his school, and Skye, a troubled “Goth-girl” who pursues Matt. It isn’t so much a love story as a train wreck, but it isn’t hugely depressing. In part, the reason it isn’t a downer is because of the speed of events. This fast-read book has short chapters which whisk by as the almost inevitable impending doom approaches. There is a lot of “normal” here, and some insightful moments. I understood Matt’s observation that his family lived together, but separate, and I laughed out loud when he noted that if it “wasn’t on the computer then the research was not worth doing”. Matt is fairly grounded for a 17 year-old, a sense, perhaps, of the author’s voice coming through. It is that grounded nature, however, that makes the tale somewhat unbelievable. He spirals from decent guy to party animal so fast that it is hard to see where his reasonableness loses out to self-destructed behavior. The reason given is the pull of a girl coming on to him, but I still feel it is a tad far-fetched. A subtle morality book, there are many kids as troubled as Skye out there. The best advice, sadly ignored, is when Matt’s younger sister tells him that he needs to be talking to an adult. If teens reading this book could pick up on that simple idea, a number of their struggles could be better resolved. But that wouldn’t make for good YA fiction, would it? And so we have a short little book with a mature content and a troubling, sudden end. Read it, and share your views.

So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez

With a book by Alex Sanchez, you have to know there will be both gay and Hispanic themes. There are in this book, and they are treated with the utmost respect and delicacy. Frederick is a newly arrived “gringo” to a well-to-do Hispanic neighborhood in L.A. Xio is a fun and outgoing girl in the 8th grade at her local middle school. The two become friends, and I grew to really like both as the narrative smoothly slips from one character to the other through timely chapter breaks. Is Frederick gay? It is something he dreads, like many young people who want to fit in. It is also something he would do anything to avoid. Xio likes him, and she is determined to make this cute young man her first “real” boyfriend. Read the book to discover Frederick and Xio’s delightful personalities and the discoveries they make along the way. Proof positive that reality doesn’t have to be depressing.

Jason & Kyra by Dana Davidson

An overly long romance book, this one has mature content and will please many a reader of those “heartache-but I’ll love you forever” kind of novels. It wasn’t to my taste, but then, I’m not a fan of romance. Sickenly unrealistic, Jason & Kyra go to a really good high school in Detroit and live in relative splendor. He’s the super-jock that doesn’t indulge in chemicals and she’s the shy smart girl who surprisingly gets his attention. Girl gets boy, girl loses boy, you know the drill. The only thing that struck me as fairly compelling in this wordy tome were the scenes between the two of them. Their dialog in those sections seemed natural, and their feelings relatable. The book is sorely in need of an editor, bulging at over 300 pages. There is also a switched “narrative voice” (a modern trend) but it is deeply inconsistent. One chapter is Jason’s. The next starts as Kyra, then goes back to Jason. Along the way, there are paragraphs and sentences where the point of view swings wildly to other students and even, on one occasion, a passerby. It’s too much. The constant emphasis on Kyra’s love of R&B music doesn’t seem to have a point other than to make sure we understand she doesn’t listen to Rap. Okay, after the first time, I got it. R&B sets the mood – but five mentions later of the same thing put me in a coma. That’s not the only thing in this book that seems unmotivated. Jason’s father starts out as hardworking, distant and stern. It is later revealed that he is a physically abusive drunk. It doesn’t fit with how he is presented, it doesn’t fit with his successful career or the girlfriend we never meet, it just seems to be a device to push the lovebirds together. It was one of many things I could have done without. This was a first novel by Ms. Davidson. Hopefully her next will be more polished.

Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci

It’s not deep, it’s not 100% realistic, but I really enjoyed this book. Yet another tale of L.A. (I guess all those “heartland America” books are over). Victoria, aka “Egg”, is a child of Hollywood, but she lives in a simple setting. Her divorced parents represent different parts of the business, and of her personality. Her father, a well-respected make-up artist is quiet, sometimes warm, and sometimes temperamental. Her mother, a fading actress looking for a new break is trying to reach out but doesn’t really know how. Victoria will appeal to many a teenage reader. Angry, lost, confused, funny, smart, strong, she discovers much about herself along the way and I really enjoyed her journey. The ends aren’t tied up all neatly, and adults may not love some of the choices Victoria eventually makes, but there is something to be said for a young woman who finds her passion and pursues it. Brava to “Egg”. I hope others enjoy reading this as much as I did.

Who Am I Without Him? Short Stories About Girls and Boys in Their Lives by Sharon Flake

I really love Sharon Flake’s work, but this was not one of my favorites. Not because it was poorly written, it wasn’t. The characters stand true and speak in voices so clarion it is difficult not to hear their cry. I found the short story format, one I like, to be difficult in this instance. In most cases, the stories were too short to really grab me. There was no thread between them other than the stated title. I would have preferred to see something along the lines of Ortiz’s “An Island Like You” or the works of E.R. Frank where there are ties between the characters, however distant or occasional. There is also the darkness in these stories. The opening one, however real, made me deeply sad. Most of the others, including a heart-wrenching letter from a father to a daughter at the end, did little to lift my mood. The one story that stood out for me was that of “Mookie”. Mookie is a young man who knows how to treat a woman because of a group of very controlling female relatives. He uses this knowledge to become a “playah”, but then falls in love…real love. It was the only story in the book that utterly delighted me. Would students be attracted to this book? I think so. There is no question that what is written here is very much about life. The only question is how glossed over we like our reality.

Sammy & Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I don’t want to say this was a weak book. It wasn’t. It has emotional impact. It makes you think, particularly about the “necessary lies” of life. But I didn’t love it. In part, it just isn’t my thing. With a title and cover that makes you think “romance” it is, in actuality, a kind of fictionalized memoir. The author grew up in a barrio of Las Cruces, NM named “Hollywood”. He grew up poor, Hispanic and in a time when everything was changing – the sixties. The character of Sammy really seems to be the author, a good student with a sharp mind and dreams of getting out. Sammy struggles with the pull between the nature of his community and the shattering of normalcy as societal expectations change overnight. It is a sad book. A lot of people are “lost” along the way and a sense of hopelessness and expected doom reign throughout. In some ways, it reminded me of Irish culture in the tendency towards the morose. There are strong characterizations here, and the people are very real…so real that they speak Spanish throughout. While this lent a kind of naturalness to the dialog, I found it somewhat distancing as I could not figure out what the phrases meant. I also strongly felt the book was in need of an editor. Without any given through-line, it just meanders along. At one point, Sammy has struggles during Lent…unfortunately, that episode lands squarely in the middle of summer. It was disconcerting. Had the book been streamlined, I think it would have a beauty to it. At nearly 300 pages however, it was just one too many references to fistfights and the “Aztec chin”. Mr. Saenz has a lyricism to his text. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.