Feed by M.T. Anderson

Pages: 300
Intended Audience: Mature Teens
Genre: Science Fiction
Notes for Parents: Contains lots of coarse language and some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

“We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.”
So says Titus, a teenager whose ability to read, write, and even think for himself has been almost completely obliterated by his “feed,” a transmitter implanted directly into his brain. Feeds are a crucial part of life for Titus and his friends. After all, how else would they know where to party on the moon, how to get bargains at Weatherbee & Crotch, or how to accessorize the mysterious lesions everyone’s been getting? But then Titus meets Violet, a girl who cares about what’s happening to the world and challenges everything Titus and his friends hold dear. A girl who decides to fight the feed.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

In 2002, this book was the winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was a National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature. It has also been named a “best book” by the Chicago Public Library, Publishers Weekly, New York Times Book Review, and the American Library Association.

What’s good?

This cautionary tale easily inspires conversations about corporate influence, media, consumerism, and the use of technology in our everyday lives. The world building in this story is well-done. The reader quickly gets a sense of how dependent society is on the constant feed of information, and how devastating it is when that feed is lost. The first-person narrative is strong, and the premise is thought-provoking.
Best Part: “They try to figure out who you are, and to make you conform to one of their types for easy marketing. It’s like a spiral: They keep making everything more basic so it will appeal to everyone. And gradually, everyone gets used to everything being basic, so we get less and less varied as people, more simple.” (pg. 97)

What isn’t good?

Nothing really happens. Titus was a jerk and Violet was whiny. The only character I really liked was Violet’s dad. The loads of slang really just equated to bad grammar and verbal laziness, not to mention the overuse of the word “like.” The ending should have been emotional, but I wasn’t moved.
Worst part: “…and then I said this thing, and Calista said this thing, and it was like, da da da da da, da da da da da, da da da da da, all day.” (pg. 75-76)

Recommendation þþooo

I absolutely loved the idea of this book, but I didn’t like the execution. I was forever waiting for something significant to happen. It’s a nice love story, and it’s an interesting commentary on consumerism and media, but ultimately, I found it dull. For a story that was supposed to be a satire, I felt it was more like a tragedy. It seems wrong to NOT recommend this book because it’s received so much praise in the 14 years since it's been published, but I didn’t like it.

Anderson, M.T., Feed. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2002.

Warm Up by Sara Leach

Pages: 118
Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens; reluctant readers
Genre: Real life / Dance / Hi-Lo
Notes for Parents: None.

The Back Cover

Jasmine used to love dance. She struggles to hold on to that love as her dance team starts to fall apart. At a particularly rough practice, she channels her anger into her moves, surprising everyone, including herself, with how well she dances. But the team is still at odds, and it’s up to Jasmine to figure out a way to get her teammates to work together and celebrate the joy of dance.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This book is part of a new Orca series called Limelights, that focuses on stories about the arts.

What’s good?

Tension, drama, and hard work power this short novel about a competitive dance team. Although it’s written for reluctant readers, the story dynamics are complex enough that it can be enjoyed by all. The plot realistically portrays the competitiveness found at this level, the intensity of the training, and the power struggle that goes on within a team. The chapters are short, and for the most part the plot is simple. The characters are well-drawn and believable. 
Best Part: Nothing stood out.

What isn’t good?

There are lots of technical terms that only dancers will understand (e.g. chainés, backrolls), and much of the story is taken up by descriptions of the dance the team is working on, which may only be appreciated by dancers.
Worst part: Nothing is terrible.

Recommendation þþþoo

Readers who love dance should love this story. It’s a quick and easy read. For me, who knows nothing about dance beyond what I learned from watching Center Stage, the endless descriptions of the dance became a bit of a bore. However, there was enough conflict, drama, even a little romance, that I was entertained. Recommended, but only for those who enjoy dance.

Leach, Sara. Warm Up. Victoria, B.C.: Orca Book Publishers, 2014.

We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

Pages: 245
Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens
Genre: Real life / Family / Relationships
Notes for Parents: There are some mature scenes

The Inside Cover

Thirteen-year-old Stewart is academically brilliant but socially clueless.
Fourteen-year-old Ashley is the undisputed It Girl in her class, but her grades stink.
Their worlds are about to collide when Stewart and his dad move in with Ashley and her mom. The Brady Bunch it isn’t. Stewart is trying to be 89.9 percent happy about it, but Ashley is 110 percent horrified. She already has to hide the real reason her dad moved out; “Spewart” could further threaten her position at the top of the social ladder.
They are complete opposites, yet they have one thing in common: they—like everyone else—are made of molecules.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author is Canadian and won the Governor-General’s Award and the 2013 CLA Book of the Year for Children Award for her novel The Reluctant Journey of Henry K. Larsen.

What’s good?

Told from two perspectives in alternating narrative voices, this is a thought-provoking, humorous story of a family blending together. This is a quick read, with easy language and a quick pace. The plot is straight forward with several sub-plots that provide interest and movement. The story touches on many themes, including bullying, grief and loss, divorce, having a gay parent, and consent. There are many touching moments, especially involving Stewart, and many funny ones, usually surrounding Ashley’s poor vocabulary (e.g. she says “gayist” when she means homophobe, “joie to beaver” when she means joie de vive, and “unconstipated” when she means emancipated).
Best Part: Schrödinger (a.k.a. Shopping Bag, Shoebox, Shoelace, Shoehorn, Shoefly, Shock Plug, and Scooby Doo)

What isn’t good?

I didn’t enjoy the two main characters. Stewart is 13 and a genius, but he acts and narrates like an 8-year-old. He’s sweet, and likeable, but inhumanly tolerant of others who treat him badly so it’s difficult to relate to him. Ashley is rude, mean-spirited, shallow, self-centered, whiny, and kind of stupid, so it’s hard to sympathize with her character as well. The adult characters were well-drawn, but the friends were mostly just cutouts of teenage stereotypes.
Worst part: Ashley. I disliked her right up to the end.

Recommendation þþþoo

I think my expectations were too high when I started reading this book. I expected something a little more sophisticated. What I got was a story written for middle school with a few scenes more appropriate for teens. There were some complex subjects, but they were dealt with easily. Despite my disappointment, I still enjoyed the story. Recommended, for a light read.

Nielsen, Susin. We Are All Made of Molecules. New York: Tundra Books, 2015. (Hardcover)

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Pages: 256
Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens
Genre: Graphic Novel / Science Fiction
Notes for Parents: Contains some violence.

The Back Cover

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy.
Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta.
As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This graphic novel was developed from a web comic that won the author the Slate Cartoonist Studio Prize in 2012.

What’s good?

Blackheart is a vengeance-seeking villain with a conscience and his new sidekick is Nimona, a teenaged, shapeshifting spitfire with loads of sass and a thirst for blood. What begins as a simple tale of good versus evil quickly matures into a multifaceted story about relationships, stereotypes, perception, and healing the past. Witty dialogue and irreverent storytelling move the adventure-filled plot at a swift pace. The supporting cast, especially Goldenloin the fair-haired knight, and the nefarious Director are well-drawn (figuratively speaking) and strong. The setting is a wonderfully creative fantasy world.
Best Part: The strange mix of medieval society, magic, and modern day technology totally worked for me.

What isn’t good?

I’m not a fan of the drawing style. The characters have sharp features and vacant eyes, and the panels are dominated by muted colors. However, this is really the only thing I didn’t like and with all honesty, I got used to the style by a few chapters in. While the faces lack expression, the artist uses the body language of the characters to speak quite well.
Worst part: None.

Recommendation þþþþo

This story was totally quirky and a whole lot of fun. I was almost turned off by the violence at the very beginning, but was easily drawn in, especially by Nimona and her cheeky personality. Excellent pacing and strong, dialogue-driven plot development made this a quick and easy read. Definitely recommended.

Stevenson, Noelle. Nimona. New York: HarperTeen, 2015.