The Bystander by James Preller

Pages: 223

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: real life / social issues

Notes for Parents: Scenes of bullying.

The Back Cover

Eric is the new kid in seventh grade, and he needs new friends. Griffin is cool and popular and wants to be his friend. But Griffin always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if he doesn’t like someone, they’re in big trouble. The more Eric hangs out with Griffin, the more he ends up in the middle of bad things, too. But he’s just there, just watching while it happens; none of it is his fault. He’d like to do the right thing and stop being friends with a liar and a bully like Griffin. But how can he stop being a bystander without becoming a victim?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

It’s a fairly simple story about a boy who gets mixed up with a bully.

What’s good?

This is a thought-provoking and realistic portrait of one boy’s middle school experience. The author respects that bullying is a complex issue with no easy solutions. The writing is simple and straight-forward, making it a fast and easy read.

Best Part: Eric’s sneakers and $27.

What isn’t good?

The story ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. Perhaps this is apropos since the bleak reality is that justice for bullies is often fleeting. There are rarely concrete resolutions in the complicated world of teen drama.

Worst part: I didn’t like Mary.

Recommendation þþþoo

This was a good, solid story that brushed the surface of a growing issue. It doesn’t offer any solutions, but it recognizes the problem with a convincing example.

Preller, James. The Bystander. New York: Square Fish, 2009.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Pages: 312

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Real life / social issues

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language and sexual references

The Back Cover

Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear—part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo’s unique perception of reality, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer…to join “the real world.” There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it’s a picture he finds in a file – a picture of a girl with half a face – that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The cover sums up the story well.

What’s good?

Marcelo is a beautiful and endearing character whose disconnect with the real world forces us to question what normalcy really is. This is a simple but emotional story with a strong plot, good supporting characters, and many poignant moments. Marcelo’s voice carries a subtle sadness as he navigates a world outside his comfort zone. It's almost painful to witness his vulnerability.

Best Part: Marcelo’s dog, Namu Amida Butsu.

What isn’t good?

Avoiding a concrete diagnosis of Marcelo’s condition was a cop out. The lack of commitment gave the author a licence to ignore the inconsistencies of Marcelo’s behavior (as compared to, say, a child with Asperger's Syndrome) which conveniently enables Marcelo to understand situations that the average autistic child would not. 

Worst part: The pace is a bit slow.

Recommendation þþþoo

This was a good story with a great protagonist, excellent language, and creative plotting. However, it was too simple for me. I couldn’t help but compare it to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, a novel that is much more complex and entertaining.

Stork, Francisco X. Marcelo in the Real World. New York: Scholastic, 2009.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Pages: 308

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Dystopian / Science Fiction

Notes for Parents:  Contains scenes of violence and death

The Back Cover

In Mary’s world, there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.

The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there life outside a world surrounded by so much death?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a trilogy.

What’s good?

This story is set in a post-apocalyptic society built around protecting its population against the Unconsecrated…aka zombies! While the premise is not unique, it feels fresh and inspired, and the writing is both visual and emotive.

Best Part: Great fight scenes!

What isn’t good?

The characters are weak, the love triangle is dull, and the use of first-person, present tense strangles the story. While the main thread of the plot was pretty consistent, many of the subplots were messy and some storylines even seemed to drop away, never to be heard from again.

Worst part: The mystery of the Roman numerals.

Recommendation þþooo

I love a good zombie story, but this didn’t do it for me. I loved the idea and the beginning was strong with good potential, but a lack of character development and sloppy subplots bogged down the story so much that I had no interest in reading the next book.

Ryan, Carrie. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. New York: Delcorte, 2009.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Pages: 323

Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens

Genre: Dystopia

Notes for Parents: Scenes of violence.

The Back Cover

In America's Gulf Coast region, grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts by crews of young people. Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota-and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or by chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life....

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

It gives just enough information.

What’s good?

This is a well-paced, gritty adventure set in a desolate future where ecological disaster has left the world struggling to survive. The tone is wrought with sweat and desperation as Nailer ekes out a living scavenging old ships. There are tense moments when Nailer must choose between what’s advantageous and what’s ethical. Loyalty and integrity are themes that run throughout the novel.

Best Part: Tool, the half-man.

What isn’t good?

A lot of little things annoyed me right from the start. I loved the name Nailer, but then we met Sloth, Bapi, Moon Girl, Pearly, Jackson Boy, Tick-tock…and Richard Lopez. It came to feel a little contrived. A lot of his word choices seemed awkward, which is unfortunate because the world he created was very believable in its bleakness. Also, the villains were a little harsh, secreting cruelty without remorse. I prefer my bad guys to have at least a little humanity in them.

Worst part: The author’s corny word choices.

Recommendation þþþoo

This was not a bad book. It’s a fascinating look at one of our possible futures. It has tons of action and adventure, interesting characters, and unique settings. Unfortunately, the language feels juvenile, while the content itself calls for something more mature. The story felt…off balance.

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2010.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Pages: 196

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre:  Real life / Afterlife

Notes for Parents: Some mature themes

The Inside Cover

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones. Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then, one February morning, Mia goes for a drive with her family and, in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is a story about a teenage girl stuck between life and death. As her memories of what has happened unfold in front of her, she has to decide if she wants to die or live.

What’s good?

This bittersweet, emotional story has a powerful premise, strong, relatable characters, and some beautiful, even inspiring, moments. The theme of music is woven evenly throughout the story, strengthening and balancing the straight-forward but disturbing plot.

Best Part: The end.

What isn’t good?

I cringed a few times at some of the cheesy metaphors, and I found myself drifting off occasionally because of the slow pace.

Worst part: When she played him like a cello.

Recommendation þþþoo
The thought-provoking questions, strong characters, and the fact that it’s under 200 pages makes this a solid, fast, and easy read.

Forman, Gayle. If I Stay. New York: Dutton, 2009. (hardcover)