Page 6 2005 Teen Comments on Books Eligible for Awards
First name or initials: Trystan
Age: 18
Book Title: Amaryllis
Author: Craig Crist-Evans
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:yes
Because: The first time I ever read a war book, I was hesitant to begin it and positive that I wouldn't like it. War boys were for boys, or so I thought. "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien opened my eyes to the war novel genre, and I discovered what valuable writing and reading alike this genre contains. "Amaryllis" is no different. Also a book about the Vietnam War, it is also about brothers, fathers, and the natural separation and difference in relationships that comes with experiences not shared. The book is interesting to read as the author has divided it up between narration of the younger brother Jimmy and the older brother's letters from Vietnam. I definitely think this book is a best. The war novel genre is lacking in young adult reading, and I believe it is an important type of literature for young adults to be exposed. "Amaryllis" does that very well.
Quality Rating:5 - One of the best books I ever read 4 - Pretty good.
Popularity Rating:4 - Lots of people will want to read it.
Sauerwein, Leigh Song for Eloise
First name or initials: Trystan
Age: 18
Book Title: Song for Eloise
Author: Leigh Sauerwein
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:no
Because: I think it's ironic that I just finished "Birth of the Chess Queen" before beginning this book. "Birth of the Chess Queen" had a chapter devoted to the cult of love and troubadours and songs of heartbreak and passion. I didn't really know that much about it before, and the information came in really handy forunderstanding this book. I'm still confused by some literary choices Sauerwein made. There are italic sections that don't match the rest of the story, and their meaning, connection, or importance eludes me. The book is 133 pages long and it has no chapter. That's not a huge problem; it's just a little weird and exhausting for a reader.
Similar to those tragic love songs (like Tristan and Isolde), the whole story has a morose gloom to it. It was interesting to read what seemed like an extended version of one of those tragic love tales from older days, but it wasn't really an enjoyable read. The whole time I was reading it I felt like I was dreaming or drugged. I didn't really care that much about the characters either. People die, become nuns, get separated from their loves, but I really wasn't affected. I think this book had a much greater potential to be good, but the writing and characterization done by the author took that away. I wanted to stop reading it, but I kept thinking it would get better, so I just ended up finishing it anyways. I don't think it's a best book. It's depressing, and I understand that that is the way the story should be, but I don't see any real appeal in it.
Quality Rating:2 - Only for people who are interested in this 1 - Yecch! Force read only.
Popularity Rating:2 - Only people who are looking for this type will read it
Yalom, Marilyn Birth of the Chess Queen
First name or initials: Trystan
Age: 18
Book Title: Birth of the Chess Queen
Author: Marilyn Yalom
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:yes
Because: Usually I will pick a fiction book over nonfiction any day of the week, but when I first heard about this book, I really wanted to read it. I was a little worried when someone else who read it thought it was "dry" (no offense to this person -- you have your own, equally legitimate opinion, of course :) ), but I really enjoyed it. Maybe it's because I haven't read any nonfiction books for awhile, but still, I liked it. I thought the research was extensive and the presentation of the material wasn't overwhelming. Best of all, the subject was interesting to read and think about. If this book went up against a really good fiction novel, I don't think I would call "Birth of the Chess Queen" the best book of the year, but I definitely think it is either the best or one of the best nonfiction books I've ever read. I think it's a best book (definitely for the upper end of the young adult scale, however). I don't know how many other people this book will appeal to, but I really enjoyed it.
Quality Rating:5 - One of the best books I ever read
Popularity Rating:3 - Some will and some will not care to read it.
(Optional) I also want you to know...: Di, would you please put my name in the drawing for this book? I would love to have a copy to keep and read again more slowly!
Thank you!
Krulik, Nancy Ripped at the Seams
First name or initials: Ellington
Age: 15
Book Title: Ripped at the Seams
Author: Nancy Krulik
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:undecided
Because: I really liked this book. It was charming and quaint and reminded me of a mix between the play “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and the ever-popular “Cinderella.” In this story, Sami Granger, a fashion designer comes to the Big Apple in hopes of fulfilling her designing dreams. The story held my interest, and though the ending was predictable, it was still and ending worth reading.
Quality Rating:4 - Pretty good.
Popularity Rating:4 - Lots of people will want to read it.
(Optional) I also want you to know...: *I would LOVE to have a copy of this book!
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds Including Alice
First name or initials: Ellington
Age: 15
Book Title: Including Alice
Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:no
Because: This book was really boring. I found myself unable to follow the story as it made several key references to other books in the series. When I looked up the series I found the Including Alice was maybe the 20th in this particular series. I wondered if the author honestly expected me to read 20 some books so I could better understand her poorly written attempt at understanding today’s teens. It was poorly written, uninteresting, and relied much too heavily on the previous works.
Quality Rating:2 - Only for people who are interested in this
Popularity Rating:2 - Only people who are looking for this type will read it
Thompson, Celia The Nine Lives of Chloe King
First name or initials: Ellington
Age: 15
Book Title: The Nine Lives of Chloe King
Author: Celia Thompson
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:yes undecided
Because: We’ve all read those books that have the cheesy action plot line with the gorgeous, romantic hunk, and most of us like them down deep. This book provided the above criterion. In this book, Chloe King falls from a 200-foot-tall building on her sixteenth birthday and survives. She later discovers that she is a cat person and begins a sort of morph into a cat. This book is ridiculously cheesy, but I thought it was ridiculously addicting. I would recommend it as a great summer read that could be followed up on as the series progresses.
Quality Rating:4 - Pretty good.
Popularity Rating:3 - Some will and some will not care to read it.
First name or initials: Trystan
Age: 18
Book Title: Colman
Author: Monica Furlong
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:no
Because: Don't get me wrong, I love Monica Furlong's writing. Wise Child probably ranks in one of my top five favorite books, but I was a little disappointed with Colman. The story was fine, the characters were good, but overall nothing had that extra sparkle that Furlong's previous novels ("Wise Child" and "Juniper") had. One thing that especially disappointed me was the use of foreshadowing in connection to the rising action of the plot. I really enjoy foreshadowing in a story; it makes the plot much more exciting when those things happen and you see the loose ends tied together. Colman kept foreshadowing events and bringing in magical objects that you know the characters have to use, but when those things actually happened or the magical objects were used, it just wasn't that exciting. I like books that that me on an emotional roller coaster along with the characters, but Colman just felt like I was riding up, getting ready for the first big drop, and instead of a big drop, the track just went straight (it made for a rather boring roller coaster ride as you can imagine). The major villains do not that threatening as well, or at least that's not the perception I got from the portrayal. The ending was predictable as well. I suppose I was just a little surprised that they are always on the edge of danger that either no one gets caught up in or turns out not to be that bad.
I think Colman is a nice read for readers who've read "Wise Child" and want to know what happened afterward. The book accomplishes that just fine. I don't think it's a best book, however.
Quality Rating:3 - OK
Popularity Rating:2 - Only people who are looking for this type will read it
Konigsburg, E. L. The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Top 10, because it was intersting and it was a fun book to read. I got
into the book right away and didn't want to put it down.
Shelbi, age 13, rating 5
*Would like this book.
___
Not nominated because I couldn’t get interested in it. Not my type of book.
Tiffany, age 16, rating 2
First name or initials: Trystan
Age: 18
Book Title: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Author: E. L. Konigsburg
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:no
Because: The only really positive thing I can say about this book (other than I like the cover) is that it could have been a quirky, delightful, thought-provoking story; it ended up not being any of those. Mostly I would classify it as a waste of time. I tried to get into the story, but the real conflict doesn't even arise until almost halfway through the novel. The plot line just doesn't feel right, like it's disjointed or unbelievable or something else. I didn't care about the characters, and though I felt bad that something they treasured so much was going to be demolished, the author failed to make me feel hardly anything, let alone just as desperate or heartbroken as they did. After spending hours with this book and these characters, I feel like I'm taking nothing away from it except the bad taste it has left in my mind. The question of "What is art?" was dealt with, but not to any worthwhile degree. The novel didn't say anything new about the question, just presented a one-sided answer that fit its poorly designed plot. I don't think it's a best book. This is the lowest rating I've ever given a book, and though this isn't the novel I've hated reading the most, the others had at least one quality to redeem themselves a little. I can't find anything about this book that does.
Quality Rating:1 - Yecch! Force read only.
Popularity Rating:1 - Nobody in their right mind will ever read it
McCord, Patricia Pictures in the Dark
For one, the title actually makes sense. Sisters 15 year old Carlie and 12 year old Sarah have an obsessive mom. She doesn't like to have anymore involvement with them than absolutely nessecccary. So when their mom sends them to bed at 6:00, they wait until it gets dark to retrieve thier paper pads and pens. They pick a topic, like waht their houses will look like, bathrooms, even weddings; and draw it. In the morning they laugh at the unporportional sketchs.
Other forbidden things include: using the bathroom before mom wakes up, taking bath without permission, consistent three meals a day, and washing her clothers with theirs.
Absolutely a Best Book, it made me appreciate how cool my mom is and social survices familys with moms like mine. Not depressing ending, could have a sequel, not required though. --Kara, 14
Ehrenhaft, Daniel Tell it to Naomi
This book truly deserves to be one of the best books this year. There were a few problems with it though, mainly because of the way it was written. The author wrote in a simple way. I was able to figure things out really easily before the reader was supposed to actually find out. I would say that this book is directed to more of the younger readers, but overall it was a very good book. It's about a boy posing as his sister, writting an advice column in his school paper.-- Karlie, 14
Hallowell, Janis. The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn
First name or initials: Trystan
Age: 18
Book Title: The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn
Author: Janis Hallowell
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:yes
Because: I am amazed by the diversity of writing which this author wields so effortlessly and seamlessly. On the technical side of the novel, I thought the author was flawless. Her story, containing an interesting, original, and gripping plot, is narrated by four very different characters. Their respective sections each feel different. I thought the author's choice to use first person point of view for the three other characters and a more distant third person for the newly designate "Virgin mother" was fitting. Characters are my favorite part of any novel; if I can't get into the characters, I don't like the book. Each character in this book was so different and yet so alive and real for me, even though only one writer was creating them all.
I like to judge books based on how much they made me think, usually; it's what I'd call the less technical side of literature, the overall effect of the author's painstaking precision and attention to detail. I left this novel full of things to think about, and from so many different subject areas: the mob mentality possible in all human beings, the desire for faith, the need to believe in something, the beauty of music, the necessity of "saints and madmen" in society throughout all of man's history, the humanity of homeless people, the causes of doubt and skepticism, love, fear, teen pregnancy, psychological trauma and "cutting," innocence, and even more that I missed or am only forgetting. I think this book is definitely for older teens, but I think it's a best book.
Quality Rating:5 - One of the best books I ever read
Popularity Rating:3 - Some will and some will not care to read it.
(Optional) I also want you to know...: I like my name in the drawing for this book, please, Di.
Thank you!