Not if I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

Fans of books by Jennifer Smith like The Geography of You and Me and of Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything will also enjoy Not if I See You First by Eric Lindstrom.

The main character, Parker Grant, was involved in an accident and blinded at age seven and Lindstrom does an excellent job of evoking what it must be like to be blind.  Parker has learned to cope through a variety of rules and reliance on friends, but this story does shake some of the “truths” to which she adheres.  

Not if I See You First is full of drama and angst – the teenage angst of realizing that there are other people with problems, too. This story details her efforts over a few months to grow-up and to step outside her comfort zone. In many ways, Parker is as blind emotionally as she is physically. However, I personally thought that Not if I See You First was too repetitive when focusing on romance and on Parker’s attempts to work out feelings for her “ex” while dating someone else.  I was more engaged when she considers trying out for the school track team, learns to trust and makes some new friends as the year progresses. Although I wished that Parker was an even stronger person, she was not bitter and often insisted on being independent.

If you are a younger teen and looking for a book about teenage relationships and friendships, Not if I See You First is one to try – I will be including this title in a booktalk on characters with disabilities and look forward to hearing your reaction. Not if I See You First by Eric Lindstrom received a starred review from Kirkus.

Two new authors for me

This Thanksgiving I finally had time to read recently published books by two authors whose work I have been wanting to explore:

Slade House by David Mitchell

Several people have recommended The Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell so I was excited to see a new work by this award-winning and best-selling author, titled Slade House, published in late October.  

This extremely well-written novel is also filled with twists, turns and the horror found just beyond Slade House’s garden which is entered through a small, “magical” door hidden in a narrow alley.

The story spans almost 40 years with a different character in each of five chapters seeming to find a "soul-mate" and/or some understanding before being trapped in Slade House by the evil Grayer twins. These stories are intertwined – adding to the unsettled, scary, supernatural feeling of the book. In fact, The Huffington Post aptly calls Slade House "a spooky nursery tale for adults." Shorter, and less demanding than Mitchell’s other titles, this haunted house story is the perfect introduction to his work.

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

I have also been remiss in sampling some writing by Jennifer Donnelly (author of A Northern Light, the Waterfire series and others).  She, too, just published a new work:  These Shallow Graves which is a blend of historical fiction and romance.

The setting is 1890 New York City and the main character, Josephine Monfort, has just lost her father because of a gunshot wound.  Accident? Suicide? Murder? Jo and a young reporter, Eddie Gallagher, decide to find out.  At first, they have their own selfish motivations, but then attraction builds as they spend more time together.  Misunderstandings abound – between them and eventually between Monfort family members with Jo (whose heroine is Nellie Bly) intent on circumventing society’s expectations. 

It would appear that Jo’s father’s death is related to past dealings of his shipping company so Jo sneaks out at night to the wharves, to a brothel and to the morgue.  All of that activity may require some suspension of disbelief by readers, but it certainly moves the story along as Donnelly skillfully introduces several street urchins, pickpockets called Tumbler and Fay, and their cruel boss, The Tailor. 

Readers will likely solve the puzzle before Jo, but These Shallow Graves is a highly entertaining and easy to read, if at times improbable, story.  Fans of historical romance will truly enjoy it and then likely look for other titles by Jennifer Donnelly.

Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas

The new non-fiction book, Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas, is soon to also be a movie from producer Ridley Scott (planned December release).  Will Smith will star as Dr. Bennet Omalu, a young neuropathologist and researcher who in 2002 published a scholarly paper on repetitive head trauma after examining the brain of Pittsburgh Steeler player Mike Webster. Detailing the efforts to speak truth to power, Concussion tells the story of Dr. Omalu and the NFL’s opposition to his findings. 

Although the focus of Concussion is primarily on Dr. Omalu's work, Concussion covers a high interest topic for our high school students, too.  According to the National Institutes of Health, “sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among people aged 15 to 24 years.” I know I am always amazed to hear about the personal connection that many of our students or their siblings have to this serious topic. 

The official movie trailer for Concussion appears below:

Laskas first wrote of Omalu and his studies in a 2009 story in GQ and is director of the writing program at the University of Pittsburgh; Concussion received a starred review from Booklist.