The High Season by Judy Blundell

THE HIGH SEASON by Judy Blundell is the first adult novel from this winner of the National Book Award for Young People (What I Said and How I Lied). This new novel takes place on Long Island as Memorial Day weekend arrives and Ruthie Beamish, her ex-husband Mike, and teenage daughter Jem prepare to vacate their beach house. They rent it each summer to help cover expenses and this year’s tenant is Adeline Clay, the widow of a renowned artist for whom Ruthie (now the local museum director) once worked. 

Romance, celebrity, social climbing by haves and have-nots, an affair, questions of ethics and potentially dangerous choices quickly fill this book. There’s also plenty of art, feelings of entitlement and jealousy, plus many more characters and sub-plots as Ruthie schemes and contemplates revenge. Even with so much to track, THE HIGH SEASON received starred reviews from Library Journal (“sophisticated and delicious portrayal of subtle class warfare at the shore”) and Kirkus. Interested? You can read an excerpt (and see a reading guide) on the publisher's site.

As you establish your own beach reading list, don’t forget to consul recommendations from:

IndieNext: https://www.indiebound.org/indie-next-list
LibraryReads – monthly lists: http://libraryreads.org/
Great American Read (from pbs) with America’s 100 most loved books: http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/books/#/

GoodReads; see especially the annual Choice Awards by category: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2017

Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali

I requested SAINTS AND MISFITS by S. K. Ali because I think building a collection that includes diverse characters is very important. And I honestly can see where SAINTS AND MISFITS could appeal to students who already identify with characters like those featured in this YA novel.  However, for others who are less familiar I feel like it might simply reinforce stereotypes, especially about treatment of women and girls, unless they are willing to get beyond the first section where the Monster (Farooq) attempts to rape Janna (a self-described misfit). Still, the characters felt a bit immature and my reaction was less positive than other reviews. 

Maybe it is because I recently also read DARING TO DRIVE (non-fiction about women’s rights in Saudi Arabia) and SALT HOUSES (novel about multiple generations of a Palestinian family) two books which dealt with cultural expectations and women’s roles in the Middle East. What made those books more appealing? Perhaps it was more comfortable to look at these critical issues through a lens involving some geographic distance? Or maybe they just allowed for a wider life experience beyond high school angst?

Ali’s SAINTS AND MISFITS received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and School Library Journal so I decided to post it here, particularly because it does deal with standing up to bullies. I also am including a review of another recent YA novel, WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI, with characters whose heritage is tied to the Indian subcontinent.  In each case, perhaps our students will see that finding oneself involves more than just accepting community and parental expectations, no matter what background is involved.

In all honesty, I also had mixed feelings about WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI by Sandhya Mehon even before I started the YA novel and certainly while I was reading it.  In many ways, the cover with an obviously “spirited” girl conveys the tension throughout the book between traditional Indian culture (henna on her hands) and American independence and indulgence (she’s drinking an iced coffee).  

WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI received starred reviews from Kirkus and Yoya, plus positive reader feedback.  “Cute” and “precious” were frequent descriptors and this romantic comedy could make a fun movie.  The debut novel does address important issues like opportunities for girls in STEM fields, the power of privilege and wealth, and being kind and thoughtful to a girlfriend or boyfriend.  However, there is an increasing emphasis on the romance between Dimple and Rishi and those sections seemed very repetitive and somewhat unrealistic, given their upbringing and parents'  views. Overall, it seemed that WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI will likely be a popular choice as a light summer read from the public library or maybe more for middle school readers (School Library Journal suggests grades 7 and up).

Please see me if you have read ANY one of these books – I am truly curious to hear your perspective.

More YA titles ....

As noted in an earlier post, it seems that the new group of YA novels are rather dark and sad. That is certainly the case with The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson.  In fact, I did not think that it was an accurate portrayal of high school life, even in a privileged setting (Mill Valley, near San Francisco) which parallels New Trier.  Rather, this book seemed to be an attempt to string together vignettes – suicide, alcohol and drug use, teacher/student affair, car accident involving the family BMW, cyberbullying, cheating on the SAT, a runaway acting in gay porn films - about a group of classmates who repeatedly make poor choices and rarely face consequences.  

I cared about this group and felt that each student had a distinct, if caricatured, voice.  Most seemed to be looking for guidance and understanding, craving a listener, but the adults – both parents and teachers – were crafted in a very negative, stereotypical way. I will not be recommending this title and am frankly puzzled at the positive reviews from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.

Look instead for Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven (best-selling author of All the Bright Places).  Holding up the Universe also deals with some difficult issues of identity and self-acceptance faced by high school students. Junior Libby Strout became very obese while grieving her mother’s death and has only recently lost enough weight to return to school where she is bullied by others, including senior Jack Masselin who has prosopagnosia (face blindness). They ultimately form a bond, are not afraid to ignore peer pressure and challenge authority. Aspirational and inspirational with starred reviews from School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Voya.