Paper Covers Rock

Title: Paper Covers Rock
Author: Jenny Hubbard
Pages: 192
Language: R
Content: PG13/R
Level: High School
Recommendation: Not In This Library

Summary: At the beginning of his junior year at a boys' boarding school, 16-year-old Alex is devastated when he fails to save a drowning friend. When questioned, Alex and his friend Glenn, who was also at the river, begin weaving their web of lies. Plagued by guilt, Alex takes refuge in the library, telling his tale in a journal he hides behind Moby-Dick. Caught in the web with Alex and Glenn is their English teacher, Miss Dovecott, fresh out of Princeton, who suspects there's more to what happened at the river when she perceives guilt in Alex's writing for class. She also sees poetic talent in Alex, which she encourages. As Alex responds to her attention, he discovers his true voice, one that goes against the boarding school bravado that Glenn embraces. When Glenn becomes convinced that Miss Dovecott is out to get them, Alex must choose between them.

Review:  Although there are a lot of literary elements in this book, I would not recommend it to our patrons - especially the conservative ones.  This is not a story that will suit everyone, particularly with its fragmented voice, symbolic representations, and references to homosexuality, drinking, etc.

Ketchup Clouds

Title: Ketchup Clouds
Author: Annabel Pitcher
Pages: 251
Content: PG13
Language: PG
Level: High School
Recommendation:  Okay Read

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret—a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder.

Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can—in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

Review: I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the plot of this book, however, I had a hard time connecting to the characters.  Some explicit sexual details (which when you thought about how she was writing this in a letter to some older guy she doesn't know was kind of weird), but it was never over the top or gratuitous.

Queen of Kentucky

Title: The Queen of Kentucky
Author: Alecia Whitaker
Pages: 375 pages
Content: PG/PG13
Language: PG
Level: Middle School High School
Recommendation: Okay Read

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would prefer to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school. She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table. She's on top of the world, even though her best friend and the boy next door Luke says he misses "plain old Ricki Jo."

Review:  Fun and easy contemporary read for those girls who are tired of dystopian or paranormal genres.  The writing is light and the characters are ones that youth can relate to.  

The Boy On The Wooden Box

Title: The Boy on the Wooden Box\Author: Leon LeysonPages: 240Content: PG13Language: PGLevel: Elementary/Middle/High SchoolRecommendation:  Good Read

Summary: This powerful memoir of one of the youngest boys on Schindler’s list deserves to be shared. Leon Leyson grew up in Poland as the youngest of five children. As WWII breaks out, Leyson’s ingenuity and bravery, combined with the kindness of strangers and a bit of serendipity, save his life, time and again. The storytelling can at times meander, and the various reflections of his life in Poland during the war can result in a certain patchiness, but Leyson’s experiences and memories still make for compelling reading about what it was like to suffer through the Holocaust. 

Review:  Great book with the straightforward story of Leon, perfect for YA readers. I was impressed with the brilliant descriptions of such horrific events. Truly a moving piece of work and a must read for those interested in the holocaust.  Understated in some parts, but tells enough of the story to understand the terrible experiences without being too graphic. 

Man Made Boy

Title: Man Made Boy
Author: Jon Skovron
Pages: 368
Language: R (10+ "F")
Level: High School
Recommendation: Okay

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Boy’s never left home. When you’re the son of Frankenstein’s monster and the Bride, it’s tough to go out in public, unless you want to draw the attention of a torch-wielding mob. And since Boy and his family live in a secret enclave of monsters hidden under Times Square, it’s important they maintain a low profile.  Boy’s only interactions with the world are through the Internet, where he’s a hacker extraordinaire who can hide his hulking body and stitched-together face behind a layer of code. When conflict erupts at home, Boy runs away and embarks on a cross-country road trip with the granddaughters of Jekyll and Hyde, who introduce him to malls and diners, love and heartbreak. But no matter how far Boy runs, he can’t escape his demons—both literal and figurative—until he faces his family once more.

Review: Man Made Boy is many things and genres. A retelling, fantasy, romance, humorous and contemporary. However behind all this, Man Made Boy is a coming of age novel. Highly entertaining and relatable, Jon Skovron weaves a story suitable for all ages. While I would say more boys would love this, I still think anyone could read this book.  Not a bad read, but this book just ins't the right book for me.   Full of mystical characters, the book keeps you guessing.

Wicked Jealous

Title: Wicked Jealous
Author: Robin Palmer
Pages: 272
Language: PG
Content: PG
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Okay Read

Summary: Simone never saw herself as the “cute girl”—she was always the chunky, band tee wearing, France-obsessed smart girl. But now that Simone’s a few pounds lighter and sporting a new retro style, things have gotten, well, weird. Her crush Jason seems to actually know she exists. And when Simone’s soon-to-be stepmonster Hillary stops ignoring her, Simone knows something is up. When Simone’s brother offers to let her move in with him and his six roommates on the beach for the summer, Simone jumps at the chance. But living with seven very different college boys isn’t exactly helping her land her very own happily ever after.

Review: An easy read with an updated fairy tale and a protagonist that I really enjoyed. Her teen angst was real without being exaggerated like it can be in so many books.This, as if you couldn't tell just by looking at the cover, is a modern day version of Snow White, complete with 7 silly boys, with funny nicknames closely resembling those of the 7 dwarfs. The story is predictable of course, but does have a lot of humor in it which was enjoyable.  Good moral to the story.