Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
There are moments when I really miss Teen Librarianship. Reading Sweethearts was one of those moments. It’s a book I would have loved to booktalk. And I know it would go out. The cover alone sells the book. I still can’t look at it without the desire to eat it… my boyfriend even tried to grab the cookie off the book as it rested on the night stand one hazy morning!
Zarr, like Dessen in Just Listen, captures the female obsession/depression/anxiety related to all things food and social acceptance: the need for sweets and more sweets and the pressure to be attractive, thin. It is very well written but ultimately, I found Deanna’s story (Story of a Girl) more compelling. But this is a book whose themes of memory and resilience will stick with you long after you’ve finished reading.
Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins
I picked up Repossessed with a bunch of other books but read it first because I liked the cover. Hey, it looks naughty and I wasn’t disappointed. When a demon tires of torturing souls, he decides to take a vacation. He hops into the body of American teenager, Shaun, a few seconds before the boy is supposed to die. Instead, the demon alters his future and takes over. Kiriel, the demon, proceeds to drink up his human experiences. Having monitored Shaun from Hell, Kiriel fits pretty seamlessly into the stride of Shaun’s everyday. As the story progresses, we learn how Kiriel fell from Grace and his true goal; attract the attention of the Creator.
Raised a Catholic, I was lead to believe the worst part about hell was not the torment, fire and general misery but instead, the nothingness of the absence of God, that to be apart from God was the harshest punishment. It certainly is for Kiriel.
I love the concept. I even grow attached to Kiriel. He certainly makes improvements in Shaun’s life. But the story is not properly fleshed out. It feels more like a fifth draft. I believe there is more to explore. And while there are some great moments (“I’m going to plunge myself into the expanses of her many charms. The line’s moving, Bailey; scoot up.” 65) I really wanted more.
A 2008 Printz Honor book.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth
I just finished Labyrinth. It definitely had a book 4 feel. Not quite as readable as book 3 but foreshadowing events to come in the fifth and final installment.
Percy is on the cusp of adolescence. He is becoming a better/stronger fighter. He develops his power over water. His feelings toward Annabeth border on the romantic. But Percy continues to show his ignorance, misunderstanding Annabeth’s reaction to the introduction of a red-headed mortal who sees through the Mist – Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Rachel becomes essential to completing this years quest; navigate the Labyrinth to find Daedalus and convince him to help save the Camp Half-Blood from eminent invasion by Luke’s growing army.
We meet many new and interesting mythological characters in this one but sometimes it occasionally feelings like overload. It was great to have a mortal invovled (Rachel) and I hope to see more of her in the next book.
