The 5 W's

The 5 W's

Wild Awake written by Hilary T. Smith

Who: Teenage piano prodigy Kiri Byrd who has recently suffered the loss of her estranged older sister, also simultaneously trying to discover her self and plan her future.

What: The book begins with Kiri desperately searching for the truth behind her sister's mysterious death which gradually veers off to other avenues of her life, such as love and life, with a gripping depiction of grief and being young.

When: This story is set in the modern day with emphasis on youthful problems and trials, like drug use, sexuality, parents, and futures.

Where: Kiri lives with her parents, who are on vacation for most of the story, in the suburbs of a bustling city. She makes frequent trips to the sketchy side of town where her sister's apartment was, a place she looks for solace and closure in.

Why: This story is driven by grief and is searching for the meaning of love and the different kinds of love. Smith does a fantastic job depicting the teenage struggle, especially the struggle circulating around death. She gives us the good, bad, and ugly in a way that young adults can process easily without losing the brevity, which is one reason I loved this novel so much.

I give this book 4 STARS for 5 W's. Being totally honest, the first time I tried to read this book, I got to chapter seven and then never picked it back up. After being urged by my librarian to finish it, I picked it back up and I am so glad I did. The first half is hard to get through, like biking up hill, but after that, your flying down hill through the book as pieces fall together and fall apart. Smith is able to paint pictures with words, throw words on pages like paint against a wall, splattering emotions in an abstract and fresh way. Another thing I found uplifting about this book was that it is a very intense story but it is not graphic. Sometimes mixing the two, especially in a young adult book can be overwhelming, but Smith is allusive while getting her point across. Like when she talks about sex, she doesn't just outright say it, she instead says that the two characters "Danced under a sky full of stars." I enjoyed this book thoroughly and insist that if you come across it, that you pick it up and give it a go, like I've said of Handy Nelson in a previous post, I am so excited for Hilary T. Smith's future works and am sure to love what she will do next.

Summertime Serendipity

Summer is a time to take a break. Maybe from school, work, and just life's craziness in general. It's the time for vacations, pool parties, fun with friends, and crazy adventures. But for those average summer days when you don't really have any plans, but don't want to watch Netflix all day like you did the day before, I've made a little list of all the things I like to do on those potentially boring days.

1) Take a walk. Down a sidewalk, your driveway, a city street. You never know who or what you'll run into.

2) Visit somewhere you've never been before. Maybe it's a local bookstore or a park a few towns over, you just might find a new favorite hangout.

3) Paint a picture. That's right, break out the brushes and acrylics, go nuts on a canvas, a piece of paper, or maybe your bed room wall. You might shock yourself with what you create.

4) Tidy up. I know, cleaning, ugh. But it's a productive way to spend a few minutes and you might find those lucky socks you lost your freshman year.

5) Get crafty in the kitchen. Whether it's a new dessert, a summertime cocktail, or just using cookie cutters on your PB&J, it's a fun and yummy way to spice up a routine part of your day.

6) Try something new. That ice cream flavor you always wondered about but never ordered, a TV show everyone raves about, or maybe a new hairstyle like a four-way braid. Breaking out of your comfort zone can be exhilarating and rewarding.

7) Write a poem. I am no poet, that is no secret, but sometimes playing with words can unveil something, and who knows, maybe you are a poet but you just don't know it. (See what I did there)

8) Help somebody. Maybe you have a friend who's moving houses, you see someone struggling with their groceries, or maybe doing something nice for a family member. A little kindness goes a long way.

9) Click shuffle. Spice it up a little, I've found some of my favorite songs by shuffling my Pandora stations. And an impromptu dance party never hurt anyone either.

10) Make a new friend. A name and handshake can do wonders. Introduce yourself to the Starbucks barista, the person behind you at the grocery, or the new neighbors next door. You can never have too many friends, and even if it's just a friendly conversation and a wave goodbye, you could brighten someone else's whole day.


I hope you enjoyed my tips and suggestions. These are things I like to do when I'm having a bum day and need a little action. Have a happy, safe, and fun-filled summer! From my corner of the world to yours.

Lesson in Psychology: Stockholm Syndrome

Let's get psychological In here.

I remember reading Stolen by Lucy Christopher for the first time my freshman year of high school, putting it down after I was finished, and going, WHOA.

Christopher wrote the book as her thesis for graduate school, and graced the literary world with it after being encouraged to publish it.

The book follows Gemma, a teen girl living in Britain, who is kidnapped in the airport while waiting to vacation with her parents, by her mysterious stalker, Ty. Gemma is smuggled to the Australian outback where Ty has a compound-style house set up.

It is clear from the beginning of the book that Ty is and has been obsessed with Gemma for a long period of time, with flashbacks into her life that he is hidden in, as well as his creepily accurate knowledge of her life and mindset. His obsession with her is the obvious reason he kidnapped her, hoping that she would fall in love with him like he loves her, blah blah.

When I first started the book, I fully expected and applauded Gemma's immediate hatred of Ty. She was defensive, rude, paranoid, and terrified of him and all of his things. What I didn't expect out of Gemma, was her slow transition to not only being comfortable with Ty, but being attracted to him. And then I remembered, she's not stupid or weird or crazy, she's being brainwashed. She has Stockholm syndrome.

Stockholm syndrome, in lay man's terms, is basically when someone begins to like and sometimes love their captors, it is a psychological coping mechanism that is unfortunate, but reasonable. Gemma had been around Ty and only Ty for so long, and saw that he took care of her and went out of his way for her, so it was natural when she began to like being around him and missed him when he was gone. It didn't hurt that Ty is described as ruggedly handsome and fit in the book, which any teen girl is probably going to be attracted to.

Gemma has a lot of internal conflict when the story gets to that crossroads of "he kidnapped me, I hate him," and "he cares for me, I like him." And I think that is exactly what Christopher used the story to explore, the line that is blurred in your psyche when human nature overrides logic and morale. She does an outstanding job not only making Gemma's thought process easy to understand and vivid, but she is also able to manipulate the reader's feelings and moral compass. When the reader, a sane third party, begins to have emotions of affection, pity, and lust for a teenaged kidnapper, they begin to wrestle with their heart and their heads, which is how Gemma feels. Christopher's ability to give the reader a taste of how Stockholm syndrome works and affects the mind and body, is spectacular and mind blowing.

This book stuck with me, I still get chills when I think about it, and I will always be a Lucy Christopher fan solely because the novel was so splendid and evocative. In my Intro to Psychology class in college, I immediately thought of this book when we reached the subject of Stockholm syndrome, and realized just how spot-on Christopher was when describing how Gemma's brain was working, before, during, and after being held captive. Even if psychology isn't your thing, I still strongly suggest this book because it is not only a story of mental and physical tests, but a story that displays life, love, and being a teenager in all its brevity. The rawness of this book is still daunting to me, Christopher never uses useless information or words or scenes, it is simply cut and dry, in and out, begin and end, which I have come to respect and enjoy after reading allusive and boring YA books.

Stolen is definitely one for the ages, a riveting tale of youth, fear, pressure, lust, internal conflict, and danger. I recommend this book to all, though it is a YA novel, I think people of all ages will find this book enticing and rewarding. Go check it out, you won't regret it.

Let's Rave

Okay, so you know after you read an awesome book you feel like you need to scream it from the rooftops and give it to the person next to you on the subway? Yeah, well, I just had a moment like that with this book.

Drumroll please.....

Out of the Easy
By: Ruta Sepetys

Breakdown

This is a YA novel set in 1950's New Orleans, a town with the tagline "the big easy." See what she did there with the title, clever huh? It is the story of a girl named Jo who is struggling with deciding her future, and getting the heck out of Louisiana. She is the daughter of a prostitute who works at a brothel with a Madame that is more of a mother to Jo than her biological mom. Much of the story takes place at or around the brothel, mostly focused on her toxic relationship with mommy dearest and her mobster boy-toy. There are a few love interests, friendships, and as always, life altering decisions and dangerous midnight adventures that almost kill someone, and one night that actually does.

The reader is eased into the story but quickly taken on a wild ride through the lives of good people, bad people, and worse people, along the sidewalks of the French Quarter. Jo is an honest, endearing, and headstrong girl, and a kickass narrator. She is witty, sweet, and knows exactly what she wants, just not how to get it. Jo also finds love, not only romantic love, but family love and friendship. The characters are alive, literally jumping off the page, they also have good qualities as well as bad, making them actual humans, not like a lot of the bull characters that we see in books where everyone is either perfect, evil, or dead.

Much of the story uses the setting as its crutch, which is jazz-age Louisiana, specifically New Orleans, which was a hub of jazz, crime, and glamour. Sepetys does a flawless job making the reader feel like they're walking the streets of the French Quarter right next to Jo, describing everything accurately and eloquently, street signs and all.

The whole daughter-of-a-prostitute thing may seem a little offsetting, especially in a YA novel which are notorious for either too vague or WAY too descriptive sexual content, but this is a classy, yet informative book. There was no part that made me wince, or wonder, or totally grossed me out. Sepetys writes as though the reader is mature, which I think all YA readers appreciate. She doesn't cheat us of any imperative information, or drown us in tacky sexual innuendoes or situations. One of the things I love about this book is that every line was promoting they plot, there was no useless detail or awkward humor, simply beautiful, funny, reliable writing.

It'd been a while since I'd read a book that immediately sucked me in and held me tight, but when I picked this bad boy up, I was hooked. I remember starting this book sitting beside a pool, hot as heck, sipping a virgin Pina Colada, and ending it beside a pool, pitch black and cold outside, with an empty cup and full heart. This story made me so happy and tied up every thread of the story line, it was great. Especially after having just finished a boo-worthy book, this novel gave me the boost I needed and restored my then-fading faith in YA books.

I will always smile when I see this book in Barnes & Noble, recommend it to friends, and think about Jo when I drive through Louisiana. This story will stay near my heart and will touch yours too. I cannot rave enough about Out of the Easy. Put this sucker down on your summer reading list, it's a definite must, and one of my all time favorite YA books.

Seriously though, you should go get it, like, now.

The 5 W's

The 5 W's

Being Henry David, written by Cal Armistead

Who: Okay, so this is the grab of the story. The main character of the story doesn't actually know who he is, so he goes through multiple names and personalities, one of them being the incarnate of Henry David Thoreau. Cool right?

What: So, for the sake of this, we'll call the main character Henry David. The ploy is that Henry David wakes up at a train station with a copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau in his hand, no wallet or anything, and absolutely NO recollection of who he really is. The novel is a chronicle of his journey to finding his life and accepting who he was and who he will become.

When: The story is set in the present, with flashbacks to Henry David's past life, and a boatload of Walden reference.

Where: Henry David pretty much gallivants all over the place, but the bulk of the novel is concentrated in Concord, Massachusetts where Walden pond is.

Why: I think this novel is trying to connect a classic piece of transcendentalists literature with modern teenage life. But the main issue I had with this is that to fully understand and really have any interest at ALL in the story requires prior knowledge of Henry David Thoreau and the Transcendentalism movement. I was fortunate enough to have just completed US History before picking up this book, but to those who know nothing about Thoreau, Walden, or Transcendentalism, you will probably find yourself confused and frustrated. Also, if you have any interest in reading Walden by Thoreau, this is probably not the book for you because there's a quote from and explanation of the book in every chapter, which can be exhausting and kind of annoying if you're like me and want to focus on one story at a time.

I give this book 3 STARS for 5 W's. I found it was really hard to connect with the main character because the reader is clueless as to who he is, other than a teenage boy. And I am in no way against amnesia stories, but this one just wasn't sine correctly, it jumped around and none of the threads seemed to connect.  I became quickly annoyed that the author kept inserting Henry David Thoreau quotes from Walden, confusing me between his story and Thoreau's story.
But the one thing that overall bummed me out about this book, was that the story built up brilliantly, and I was sure that there would be some ingenious plot twist or climax that would make me eek in surprise and make up for all the other things I didn't like, but no. There was no climax, no plot twist, the story was so predictable and it really bugged me that it took the entire book to get to the point, and the point wasn't even good, if there was any point at all. I remember finishing the book and going, “Ugh, that was underwhelming to say the least." I expected a lot from this book and I felt really let down by it.
Though I will say, the supporting characters were fantastically written and I loved each and every one of them, the setting was vivid, and the dialogue was believable teenaged dialogue. I also enjoyed the attitude of Henry David, and his spit-fire comments.
Overall, this book simply didn't do anything for me, it didn't surprise me, intrigue me, or even make me mad. I felt nothing, honestly, I felt like I wasted my time. But, this being Armistead's debut novel, I will overlook the actual story and probably read his next book because his writing is so effortless and witty. He has a lot of potential and promise, and hopefully he'll deliver next time. I think with the right story, he could produce an incredible book, with great structure and unique characters. I have hope for his future and will definitely watch out for him.

Let's Get Real About TFIOS

Okay, so if you're a breathing person on the internet, which I assume you are if you're reading this, then you have probably heard about The Fault in Our Stars, AKA, TFIOS.

The Fault in Our Stars is a novel written by author/blogger extraordinaire John Green, which quickly turned into the hot ticket item amongst teens. From personal experience, I found that if you are a female teenager who has not read the novel, it made you feel so uncomfortable and out of the loop that you immediately went to the library to check it out, but you couldn't because some other girl in the same boat as you beat you to it, so you ended up borrowing it or whatever. Point is, you read it, you know, if you fall under the description I just described.

I read the novel about this time last year, and can honestly say that out of all of John Green's novels, it was my least favorite. But, to be clear, it was a great read and very emotional, but I feel it is certainly not his best, as a die-hard Looking for Alaska lover. So you can imagine my surprise when it snowballed into what it is now, which is craziness.

I was however, thrilled to find out that the movie was being directed by Josh Boone, I am a HUGE fan of his debut film, Stuck In Love, which also features Natt Wolff, who appears as Isaac in TFIOS. I went to see the film with a friend and found myself in a theatre full of other teenage girls, who I ended up laughing, cringing, and to my surprise, crying with. I didn't cry when I read the book, but seeing it all unfold in front of me with actually people and actual medical equipment, I cried like a baby with colic.

The TFIOS fandom is INTENSE! The image of two clouds with the words, "Okay” scrawled in each is plastered all over the internet. People are overanalyzing and obsessing over each inch of the book and film, and I can honestly say that if it was any other book with any other author, I would be exhausted and annoyed. But I have a crazy amount of respect and admiration for John Green, not only because he was the ONLY reason I got through my World History AP test, but also because he is crazy smart, charitable, personable, and so gracious.

So, being real about TFIOS: No matter how overhyped, and teenagery it may seem, it is an excruciatingly harsh story about life, love, friendship, and the incredulous power of words. It is also about metaphoric death by cigarettes, Amsterdam, basketball, infinity, and the strength it takes to be on a rollercoaster that only goes up when life has given you every reason to felt down. I am proud to be a part of a generation that can recognize the beauty of fiction and latch on so tightly to it, I am thrilled that John Green has taken up the duty of being our voice, and screaming into the void for us, shouting at the world and calling their attention to what it's like to be young and broken, young and restless, and just, well, young. So thank you Mr. Green, thank you for your crazy mind and ability to lift us from our lives and drop us into a vortex of emotions so overwhelmingly swirling around us, and making us feel, just feel emotions instead of running away from them. Thank you for making this thing called life that much better.

As for TFIOS, novel and film, I suggest that you go to your local library and put your self on the waiting list for the book, because I am almost certain that there will be a waiting list. And after you've read the book in its beautiful entirety, you should get some popcorn and a box of tissues and sit in a theatre full of teenage girls, cry with them, laugh with them, and immerse yourself in the story. And when you leave, numb and exhausted from feeling all the feelings, learn from Hazel, and Augustus, and Isaac, and  Peter VanHouten, and seize the day, carpe diem. Don't take it for granted, or shy away from it, but take on life at 100 mph, live every moment like it'll be your last, do what you want when you want, damn it!

And, well, that's all I've got to say about that.

S&S Sandwich

I've recently been in the business of coupling together works of fiction with songs, I call it The Song & Story Sandwich. Basically, it's matchmaking for literature and music, which is an unbelievable amount of nerdy fun. I try to put together books that compliment a song, evoking the same feeling and setting the same mood. So without further babbling, here is my first attempt at making an S&S Sandwich.

 She Looks So Perfect
By: 5 Seconds of Summer


                         +

                       
                        The Beginning of Everything
                        By: Robyn Schneider



The reason I slapped both of these beauties together is because they both send pretty much the same message, which is: Boy likes Girl, even though she's awkward and self conscience, she's perfect in his eyes. Cute, right?

Let's break it down, shall we?

The Song: Written and performed by up-and-coming British pop band, 5 Seconds of Summer, "She looks so Perfect" is upbeat, quirky, and oh-so sensually sung, not in a creepy way, but in a I-want-to-make out-with-you way. It topped charts and shocked parents with a steamy music video, much like Jimmy Eats World's music video for "The Middle," both of which are basically kids running around in their underwear. It's a catchy tune, and is sure to get stuck right in your head and stay there like a stubborn child.

The Story: A debut novel from Robyn Schneider, "The Beginning of Everything" is a quirky and quick read. It revolves around the new and awkward life of Ezra Faulkner, and what would an interesting narrator/protagonist be if their life wasn't newly shaken and gross? Lucky for him, his life is both, after a car wreck on prom night leaves him crippled and unpopular, Ezra looks at the world differently, that is until he spots mysterious new girl, Cassidy Thorpe. She breaks him out of his self-inflicted state of misery and makes him feel alive. A book full of humor, realistic high school stuff, some heavy emotions, and one hell of a plot twist, it delivers and strings the reader along. Not to mention, has lit a fire under Schneider's career as a writer, she's gathered much a attention and praise for her first crack at a novel, You go girl!

There you have it folks, one S&S Sandwich hot and ready to go, make sure to check both of the lovely ingredients out, preferably at the same time. I hope you enjoy!