July Genreflecting: Giveaway: Solid by Shelley Workinger & Review: The Program by Suzanne Young

I apologize that this is posting late. I goofed when setting the scheduler. :) Enjoy!

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

From Goodreads

Depression & suicide are very common among teenagers. The tough transitional years seem to have a magnified effect on this population in particular; so much so that a few select states are piloting The Program to combat this terrible affliction. If teens begin exhibiting signs of depression, they can be whisked off to the secluded facility that will assist in their recovery. After a few weeks they can be reintegrated into society with a totally new outlook on life.

Sloane & her group have had a tough few months. It all started when her brother Brady committed suicide. Soon after that others started to be put in The Program. Unfortunately, they person that came out on the other side was barely even a shell of the person they were before treatment. With things crumbling all around her, Sloane wonders if she & boyfriend James can really hold it together. They just have to make it to age 18 & they'll be free. But life isn't very kind and Sloane finds herself fighting her family & friends for her love & her life.

This was an incredible book! Seriously, I don't think I've enjoyed a science-fiction book this much in a while. The story was riveting because you really had no idea what to expect next. There were so many possibilities & so much potential for things to change in a heartbeat that I was constantly on the edge of my seat. 

What stood out the most for me though was the timing of this book. Normally when you enter a story it's either before or after what we consider the "rising action," being the event or person who catapults the story forward. In The Program I felt like we were walking into the middle of the story, but in a good way. We didn't have to read through the uptick in teen suicide & The Program also isn't fully operational. This book is set in the testing phase & is catching on, so this is long before anyone can really analyze the outcomes of The Program. 

Sloane & James are broken people, but in an understandable way. Since any sign of emotion can be grounds for admission for depression, there is no safe outlet. Even sports have been taken away in case the competition was too much to handle. All these things are still being sorted out, so watching teens struggle with their new existence is very moving and relateable.

As a science fiction book it held true to the science portion. We get to see the inner workings of parts of The Program that are based in the neurological control of its victims. This is chemical brainwashing for the betterment of society. I could see this being the stepping stone for a society that eventually tries to control all emotions. It could relate to any number of other books or movies where the governing entity tries to control the responses of the population "for their own safety."

Even better are the "what if" scenarios that dance around in your mind. Would we really do this to our own teenagers? How can Sloane make it out of this situation? Is there any hope of survival? The moral compass is spinning out of control in this book & there is little hope of getting it back on track. Luckily this was the first in a series, so we'll see where the story goes in the next installment.

On to the fun part! This week I'm giving away a copy of Solid by Shelley Workinger. Remember that you must be at least 13 years old & have a US mailing address in order to enter. The giveaway will close on Friday, August 2. Good luck!
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February Genreflecting: Giveaway & Stay With Me by Paul Griffin review

An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit

Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.

From award-winning writer Paul Griffin, Stay with Me is both heartbreaking and uplifting, filled with characters (both dog and human) that will forever change the way you look at the world.

From Goodreads

That summary does this book more justice than I ever could. Stay With Me was powerful beyond words. Incredibly well-written and perfectly paced, this book had me hooked from beginning to end. Mack is a sensitive and misunderstood teen. Despite his personal difficulties he is determined to make something of himself if only to be able to enjoy a nice, quiet life. A life he decides he wants to share with Cece, the personable and brilliant waitress at Mack's job. 

While Mack is initially "assigned" to take care of and look after Cece in her brother's absence at boot camp, the two come to mean more to one another than either one of them ever hoped. You find yourself imagining just how great and easy life could be for them if everything worked out. But since this is kind of like a typical romance in reverse, all the great stuff happens before the difficult thing that rips them apart.

The language and imagery used in this book are done in such a way that you hardly notice that not a lot is necessarily going on. Taking place over just 102 days, time means nothing and everything. There are so many characters and layers to their stories that you still don't quite see the whole picture until the very end. And what an ending! Truly a must read!

With respect to it's genre, Stay With Me has all the classic elements. The whole story revolves around this young couple's love, not only for one another, but also for the people and animals in their lives. Tracking their romance is how the story moves forward and progresses. There is a myriad of emotions ranging from vitriolic hatred to unquenchable adoration experienced by our young lovers as they grow and evolve together. And this book definitely follows the pattern of truth in love. This isn't a fairytale ending because this book is about real love. That's not how it's always supposed to work, but sometimes it's better this way.

I really enjoyed reading a romantic book. In comparison to a realistic fiction book, this one just gives me so much more to look forward to! The emphasis isn't on the experiences that these teens have, but on their love. While that may sound contradictory, it's really not. Being based around the teens' emotions provides a different avenue of interacting with readers. I find it can be a deeper connection for me most of the time because I am attracted to love. While not always easier to relate to, I find it much more enjoyable.

Now onto, the fun part! As part of the Genreflecting feature, each month I will be giving away a book in the genre I explored. As this month is Romance I have chosen to give away Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway! The giveaway is open from now until midnight on Thursday, February 28th to US residents over the age of 13. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

January Genreflecting: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky review

Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

From Goodreads

First off, we'll start with my review of the book. Having grown up when YA was just starting to blossom, it's not surprising that I missed this book the first time around. It also wasn't my kind of reading at the time. Well, it's apparently not really my style today. Told in the form of letters to an unknown recipient, we meet the brilliant, if awkward Charlie. The kid brother of the star football player & a boy-obsessed sister, Charlie has never really fit in socially.

While I can relate in a way to this, the book spiraled into something weirder and more dark than I imagined. There is pervasive drug & alcohol abuse, as well and sexual & emotional assault on many characters. I think the core message of the book could have been brought to fruition without all this, but in a way these things are so ingrained in the personalities & lifestyles of the older teens that Charlie hangs out with that I think the book would have been missing something without it.

For such a short book, told in four parts over about 200 pages, it packs a wallop of a punch. The world as we see it is through the distorted perception of Charlie, but the message that he seems to latch onto throughout the book is one of individuality & trusting oneself. The narrative & word choice give a clear picture of just how removed Charlie is from the social interactions he is supposedly taking part in. His incomprehension of other people's actions coupled with his cognitive abilities reminds me of someone with Asperger Syndrome. All of this combined to make a powerful, if sometimes overstated, storyline.

With respect to the genre analysis, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is indeed a prime example of a contemporary life book. While we listen to Charlie describe his emotions & events of his life, what we're really focusing on is how he interacts with his own world. We don't focus in on the fact that he smoked pot & took LSD, we focus in on the fact that in his desperation for acceptance, Charlie was willing to experiment with things outside of his comfort zone. We get to live alongside Charlie as he travels the confusing path that is adolescence. It is especially difficult for him for reasons that he himself is unaware of, so it makes the overarching story (and not the minutia) the most important.

I think this book has successfully explored the teenage experience at a very pivotal time in our nation's collective history. Being published in 1999, but set in 1991-1992, would normally make this book seem "dated" to the majority of the population. While there are definitely some obvious "signs of the times" in the book, it is a timeless novel. I could see it being set anywhere from the 1960's to in the near future. A good contemporary novel has the ability to transcend time in order to be approachable by the audience, present & future. This is evidenced by the fact that this book is just now being made into a major motion picture starring Emma Watson (of Harry Potter fame), Ezra Miller, and Logan Lerman.

What do you think about The Perks of Being a Wallflower? Have you seen the movie? Do you intend to?

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Love is a most potent & dangerous illness. So dangerous in fact, a cure has been created to prevent the population from having to suffer under its wrath. Lena Holoway can't wait until her 18th birthday, the day she'll finally receive the cure. She's not scared, she's simply anxious to have it over with already. A life without love is predictable & normal, safe. She's spent her whole life in the shameful shadow of her mother's love-induced suicide that Lena is ready to be protected from the deliria's grasp.

In a measured & calculated, fenced off Portland, Lena has spent the last 17 years of her life listening only to prescribed music, reading only approved books & being monitored for any possible sign of deliria infection. A few of her fellow classmates succumb to the terrible disease, but Lena is pleased that neither she nor her best friend Hana have been stricken. That is until Lena happens to meet Alex. And then, everything changes...

I know my review is a little shorter than you may be accustomed to from me, but that's because I continued to give away too much of the story as I wrote. This book was PHENOMENAL!! I absolutely could not put it down. The way the story is written is quite emotional because, despite the eradication of all forms of love, there is this undercurrent of repression. Suppressing a natural instinct is one of the most dangerous things that can be done & I honestly believe that this society is constantly on the brink of rupture. Why else would there be roving bands of guard-like protectors?

On a character level, this book was miles above the author's last attempt, Before I Fall. Many of you may recall my distaste for Oliver's characters in that novel & will say that I am very pleased that I tried this novel. A lot of the time if I don't like the first book an author has written, I won't bother to read any more. The premise of this book was too great to pass up & the characters were exactly what I was hoping they would be. I really enjoyed watching Lena struggle with not only her past & present, but with both her society & her expectations for her life. The three main characters, Lena, Hana, & Alex, are thoroughly formed & can stand on their own. While they all play off one another, I could see them working an independent people.

So basically in summation, you really need to read this book. While I may be overlooking some of the more minor editing details (that I'm sure will be cleaned up in the final editing) I really think this book has a great message & execution. Please enjoy & let me know your thoughts!

Nostalgic Friday: Flowers for Algernon

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

This week's selection is Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, which was originally published in short story format in 1959. It was turned into a book in 1966. I remember reading this in 7th grade and loving it because of the moral of the story. Be careful what you wish for, because you might not like it when you get it.

Charlie Gordon is a mental handicapped adult (IQ of 68) who works a menial job. Not completely content with his lot in life, Charlie takes reading and writing classes at the local institution for retarded adults. As he improves, his teacher recommends that he be a candidate in an experimental surgery to improve mental function. The surgery has been proven a success on a small scale with the increased intelligence of the mouse Algernon.

After the surgery and recovery, Charlie's IQ sky rockets to 185 and he begins to experience the world in a way he never has before. Unfortunately, it's not what he wants. Almost none of his experiences are positive as he had grown up understanding and interacting with the world one way and now that system no longer works for him. He can't relate nearly as well to other people or they to him.

Soon thereafter, Algernon begins to reject the operation and after reverting back to his former intelligence, he dies. Charlie realizes that this is where he is headed and scrambles to try to repair the damage he has caused.

While the subject matter is more serious and a little more sad than usual, I find that this book still has purpose. Some of the language has changed and become outdated, which isn't unusual for a book approximately 40 years old, but I found the symbolism and truth refreshing. When so many YA books exist in fantasy realms or deal with very saucy material, I sometimes want to retreat into these more adult-ish novels.

I found myself sympathizing with Charlie because I could understand his feeling of alienation and worthlessness. While I have never been mental handicapped, one kind of gets the same feeling as a tween/teen. There's self-doubt, worry, bullying, and the determination to overcome obstacles. I felt like I really understood Charlie which made all the difference in how I related to him as a character. The story was quite plausible, especially when taking the time period into context, and the adverse reaction was logically expected.

While it's not a light, fun read, I find that it still has merit when I want something to ponder. What are you thoughts? Too heavy or a refreshing change? Thanks for stopping by!

Border Crossing by Jessica Lee Anderson

The mixed-race son of apple pickers, Manz lives with his hard-drinking mother and her truck-driver boyfriend in the hardscrabble world of dusty Rockhill, Texas. Forced to take a summer job rebuilding fence of a cattle ranch, Manz works alongside his friend Jed and meets a girl named Vanessa — but even among his friends, Manz suffers from an uncontrollable paranoia. As the summer wears on, Manz becomes convinced that "Operation Wetback," a brutal postwar relocation program, is being put back into effect. As the voices in his head grow louder and more insistent, Manz struggles to negotiate the difficulties of adolescence, the perils of an oppressed environment, and the terror of losing his grip on reality.

From Goodreads

There was no better way to sum up this book than with that blurb. I tried for quite a while to write a better summary, but this one was much more concise and clear than anything I had written.

In short, this book was marvelous!! I found myself absolutely mesmerized by Manz's thought process; it just drew me in completely. We meet him and jump right into the thick of his confusing life with a withdrawn alcoholic mother, who ends up being more like a child than Manz. His mostly absent, truck-driving step-father is a sight for sore eyes, providing tension relief at just the right time; but it's not enough to keep Manz firmly planted in the here and now.

As the story moves along, the author acknowledges that no one can make it through this tough a situation alone by introducing Manz's best friend Jed and his romantic interest Vanessa. While he tries desperately to hide his deteriorating condition, Jed and Vanessa just seem even more drawn to him. Not surprisingly, Manz has a difficult time accepting their help, support, and friendship as his paranoia becomes more and more severe. The author really captured the complexity of this situation while maintaining an easy to follow storyline. There wasn't too much going on at once to where you are confused, but there is enough going on that it keeps your attention. The realism in this book is astounding and the author deserves HUGE props for accurately portraying the reactions of the characters to the situations that they face. I HIGHLY recommend that if you like the raw, grittiness of Ellen Hopkins that you give this a try. It's not as harsh, but still truly amazing.

Are you planning on picking it up?