Here are a few new titles written about high school students: Hello,
Goodbye and Everything in Between is another “light” YA title from
Jennifer E. Smith (Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight) and
deals again with teen romance. In this case, Clare and Aidan are leaving for
college within 24 hours. They spend their last time together trying to
figure out their relationship, re-living some memories, and creating some new
adventures with friends Stella and Scotty.
If you set your expectations appropriately, you will likely enjoy
this book, especially if you are also about to experience a life change like
high school graduation. Personally, I found the character of Clare to be a bit
controlling and had some trouble empathizing with her almost obsessive need to
make a decision about breaking up. In addition, it seemed a little improbable
that multiple sets of parents, no matter how uninvolved or permissive, would
allow teens to be out all night right before making the big trek to college. I have liked other titles by Jennifer Smith more, but Hello,
Goodbye and Everything in Between is a quick read and generally
entertaining. My favorite part was near the end when they really did seem
to “grow up” and appreciate someone else’s perspective and the value of their
friendship. Starred review from Voya.
Are You Still There? by Sarah Lynn Scheerger is a little uncomfortable to read at times,
given that it deals with a school bomb threat and bullying that led to a
student suicide. However, it would certainly be a worthwhile read for
literature circles or a social worker and students grappling with serious issues. Gabi Mallory,
conscientious student and near perfect daughter of a policeman, attends high
school where a bomb threat resulted in a three hour lockdown. The school
responds by setting up a student-staffed helpline (Is that realistic? What
would the lawyers say?) and Gabi gets involved – maybe too involved since the
bomber seems to be contacting her directly.
Who is making the threats? Why? Some clues are available in the
Stranger’s Manifesto, diary entries from the bomber which are interspersed with
Gabi’s first person commentary on events. Are You Still There? is
a quick read due to the many suspects (Gabi’s new boyfriend, other helpline
staffers, her sister’s friends) and mounting tension. Aside from some
implausible aspects with the helpline, author Scheerger deftly weaves mystery
with the emotional struggles of feeling invisible and worthless. Scheerger, a
licensed clinical social worker who counsels at-risk youth, points especially
to the often callous bystanders who may not actively bully someone, but who
show little empathy for others who are different. As Gabi and her friends and
family learn, the consequences of inaction can be very serious.
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon has a beautiful cover and its story will be compared to John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. Everything, Everything is a fine book to recommend for “fun” reading – and it will certainly read quickly due to short chapters, diagrams/drawings and text/email additions, but I could not relate to the characters and their motivations. Madeline is stuck in a sterile home environment, complete with an airlock (really?!) due to compromised immunity and is almost totally dependent on her Mom for social interaction. When the Mom is cutting an 18-year-old’s food, it should be the first clue that more than one person in the relationship is “sick.” At the same time, it did not seem believable that this isolated girl could apply for a credit card and charge airfare to Hawaii – much less that she would risk traveling on a plane where even healthy people tend to get sick.
And why would someone who had barely any experience of physical
contact move almost immediately to an intimate physical relationship with the
new boy, troubled Olly, next door? Yes, Madeline was evolving and growing as
the story continued, but how quickly would she really change? Wouldn’t she have
been overwhelmed by the stimulation in the outside world? Would she have
rebelled much earlier (another example: her Mom still knows and freely uses her
password)? Or would Madeline realistically have taken smaller risks and
tended to stay more true to her accepting, “Zen-like” philosophy, and less
adventure-some persona? The publisher has provided a 6 page discussion guide and in pdf form and Everything, Everything received starred
reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal (grades 10+) – so
read this for yourself and let me know your reaction!
I will be posting about some other YA titles soon and am always
looking for recommendations.
