Book of the Week: Willow by Julia Hoban

I've read other books that deal with teens who self-mutilate, but none have been as engrossing, developed, or as realistic as Julia Hoban's Willow.  In comparison, other titles feel a lot more shallow and less holistic. Willow is nothing short of disturbing and breath-taking.

In this book, Willow is a smart, authentic-seeming teenage who is living a nightmare. She has labeled herself a "killer" because she was driving the night that she and her parents suffered a fatal car accident. She is the only survivor. Never mind that Willow's parents had that second bottle of wine and were too impaired to drive home, never mind that the rain was torrential, never mind that Willow only had her learner's permit. She blames herself and wants everyone else to.

Too ease her pain (or possibly to validate it) Willow begins to cut herself. I have never read a book that describes this process, mentally, emotionally, and physically in such excruciating detail. It is sickening in its reality.  Willow successfully hides her addiction to cutting successfully until a boy named Guy catches her doing it. After this, Willow makes him promise not to tell anyone. He agrees and they begin a rocky but intensely close relationship.

Normally, I would want Guy to tell someone quickly so that Willow could get help. This is me as a reader who works with teens every day. This is me as an adult looking in a judging Willow and Guy and wanting someone to help Willow, to force her to change. But, that would not make such a compelling read. Because the relationship between Guy and Willow is so authentic, so based on feelings and fears and mutual respect that I don't want that to be messed up with Guy telling on her. But, I don't want Willow to continue cutting, either.

In this way, the author puts the reader in Guy's shoes. If he tells, Willow may be forced to get help. But, if she's not ready for help then she will continue to cut (or try another route to ease her pain) without actually working through her sadness and loneliness and pain. Sure, Guy is a teenager and cannot be expected to take on Willow's problems, but I do think that he does a great job of caring about her as a person. He helps her work through her problems in a natural, caring manner. He's not looking for sex, but for her companionship. This is refreshing.

I would hope that teens (and adults) who read this book understand more about the psychology behind cutting. I don't hope that teens (or adults) will try to take on the problems of someone who is cutting; that is scary to me. But, I do recognize that friends have an enormous role in the lives of those who are hurting. I think that Guy models an engaged, concerned friend who just does not know how to help someone who is in as much pain as Willow.

Book of the Week: The Julian Games by Adele Griffin

As far as popularity goes, Raye is on the outside and loves to look in. She is new scholarship student at the Fulton School, a ritzy city school where the children of the rich and brilliant go to prep for their Ivy League years. Her nights are spent watching movies and pigging out with her best friend, Natalya. This all changes when the most popular girl at school, Ella, asks Raye for help in getting revenge against the most gorgeous, charming boy in town: Julian.

Raye is quick, and shows Ella a fake facebook profile that she created with Natalya as a bit of a joke. The profile is for a beautiful girl named Elizabeth, who claims to have recently come to the US to attend college. Natalya and Raye have fun using this profile to "friend" those that would never talk to them in real life. When Raye offers up Elizabeth as a way to get revenge against Julian, Ella jumps all over it.

Julian takes to Elizabeth quickly. Raye poses as Elizabeth for hours and hours every day, having great conversations with Julian. Quickly, the conversations become more and more intimate. Eventually, Raye is going to have to decide whether or not she can continue as Elizabeth, or try to date Julian for read. If she chooses to play along as Elizabeth, Julian will lose interest and realize that it was all a bad joke. If Raye chooses reality, Ella is going to punish her. And Raye knows that it will be painful.

I loved this book. The cover is great, and so is the message: Social networking can be dangerous. This message is obvious, but it never felt all that preachy. I didn't feel as though my students would be turned off from it. Certainly, my students are not over-privileged teens causing trouble online. But, there have been many cases of cyberbullying and online harassment in the past few school years.

I think that this topic of the dangers of social networking and the different types of bullying that have resulted from new and emerging technologies is here to stay in YA lit. There is a lot of room for more of this topic in YA, and I'd be interested to hear about more titles that incorporate this topic into their plots.

Book of the Week: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

At some point after starting Kody Keplinger's The DUFF, I paused my reading to find out who in the world had written this book. Why? Because it felt as though I were eavesdropping on a some of my students talking about their weekend plans. Is this bad? No. The dialogue and narration were so realistic, so convincing that I knew that someone of great talent had written this novel. And, it turns out that this person is Kody Keplinger and that she is 18 years old.

Which makes sense, right? Who else but an 18 year old know how teens sound and think and feel? Still, though, it takes a serious talent (at any age) to know what people of a certain age are like and then translate that into believable characters and an interesting plot. That's just what this book has in spades.

The main character of The DUFF, Bianca, is instantly believable and likable. She is a little awkward physically, but shard as a knife in terms of wit and intelligence. The book opens with a crabby and bored Bianca watching her gorgeous best friends gyrate in a club, wishing that she could just make a getaway. But, her super hot best friends love to party and flirt, so Bianca stays.

Enter smokin' hot player-boy Wesley Rush. His first act on the scene is to tell Bianca, who's not really a close friend, but who is in the same social circle, that she is a DUFF. A Designated Ugly Fat Friend. How does Bianca react? She throws her glass of Cherry Coke right in his face. And she finally gets to leave the club.

But Wesley's comment stays with her. No matter how she tries to forget what Wesley thinks of her, she cannot. Why? Because she thinks he's right.

And circumstances in Bianca's life are not perfect. Her mother is absent, her father is unable to face the fact that his marriage is crumbling, and Bianca doesn't feel as though she has a chance with her crush or any other boy. She was heart-broken as a freshman and that rejection still stings years later.  Bianca's a bit of a mess, but she's real and entertaining and I love her.

I could not put this book down and laughed out loud several times. The ending is a tad rushed, but this is easily forgiven. The quality of the writing and the intensity of this book are superb. I can't wait to read whatever else Ms. Keplinger writes. At 18, she has a long future as an amazing author ahead of her!

Book of the Week: Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams

Heartbreaking. Gritty. Devastating. Somber. Real. 

These are the words that come to mind when I think of my experience in reading Carol Lynch Williams's novel in verse, Glimpse. It is the story of two sisters torn apart by an abusive, uncaring, and demented mother. It is the story of innocence lost. It is madness and reality all in one. 

Written in a series of poems, the narrative voice of the main character has a child-like feel to it. In fact, the speaker in this book is probably in her pre-teen years. It reads like a poetic version of Dorothy Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina. The themes are similar and so is the utter desperation of the children in these books. 

This book gave me horrible nightmares. It is not out-and-out graphic in terms of portraying the abuse that infects the lives of these two girls, but it is emotionally and mentally provocative. I was disturbed by this book. But, that is not necessarily a bad thing. I think that this book could be very helpful and/or interesting to readers who have enjoyed other controversial novels like Ellen Hopkins's Tricks and Thalia Chaltas's Because I Am Furniture. No happy endings. But, a realistic view of the lives of two young girls whose every day lives are turbulent and unpredictable.

Book of the Week

This week, I'm doing something different. I have chosen a book that I haven't actually read yet. Why? Because it's a new book that I know I am going to love, a book that I think many of you are going to love. It's called Annexed and it's written by Sharon Dogar.

Annexed is the story of Anne Frank from the viewpoint of the boy who shared her attic hiding space with her for two years. His name is Peter and there is no journal or diary surviving to tell his tale. This is a fictional tale, but based in truth. The author has imagined the thoughts and fears and anger of this teen boy, who did not survive the Holocaust.

Here is a video that includes footage from WWII, some descriptions of the book from the author, and some narration from the book itself. I will be getting a couple copies of this book for classroom use soon. Let me know if you'd like your name to be placed on the waiting list for this title.

Book of the Week: The Dead & The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

How is it that every time I read a book by Susan Beth Pfeffer I start counting the number of canned good I have on hand? Oh, right. Because she makes me believe that the world is ending and that I'm going to starve to death at any moment!

Don't get me wrong. It's weird and twisted, but I love the fact that she is able to convince me that I have a matter of weeks before I'm gone. Her writing is so convincing, and her characters are so believable that you can't help but feeling like you need to rush through the pages to find out whether they survive or not. And, not everyone survives.

The plot of the book is this: The moon has been hit by an asteroid. It is now much closer to the Earth, so there are lots of tsunamis and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The natural world no longer behaves (if it ever did). People panic. They start hoarding food and there are shortages of the basic necessities all over.

This book takes place in New York City, which is about the last place that I'd want to be if a disaster such as this struck. I wouldn't want to be in any city for that matter. Way too many people and way too little natural resources.

But, the main character of this book, Alex Morales, has a large network of family, friends, and church members who are willing to support him and his two younger sisters. But, his mother hasn't returned from work and his father is stuck in Puerto Rico. He wants to step up and take care of his siblings, but he's only seventeen and doesn't feel like he can live up to the example set by his loving father.

Whether he likes it or not, Alex is in charge. He has to find a way to keep himself and his sisters alive until his mother and father return. And, with every day bringing a new problem, a new unknown, this task will become less and less simple as his story progresses.

If you are at all a fan of dystopian literature or the author or of the environment, you should read this book. There is a first book in this series, but you don't have to have read it (for real) to enjoy this one. Apparently, the two stories converge in the third book, but not until then.

Book of the Week

When my husband first saw the previews for Avatar, he was beside himself. He wanted to see it so badly. He pleaded and begged and finally I caved and went to see it with him. To my absolute and utter amazement, I loved it. I thought it was such a great story that could easily relate to what those who have colonized our planet have done to native peoples and the environment.

I Am Number Four is not the exact same story, but I definitely felt like there were connections. It tells the story of a teenaged John Smith (aka Number Four), who is an alien on the run. He was born on the planet Lorien, which is described as being similar to Earth but smaller. John's home planet was invaded some years ago by another group of aliens--the war-prone Mogadarians. As it turns out, the Mogadorians ruined the environment of their own planet, as well as Lorien. Now, they want Earth.

But, in order to take control of Earth, they need to kill off the nine children who left their home planet just in time. These teens are now starting to develop their Lagacies (super powers) and the Mogadorians need to find them before they become too powerful.

From the very beginning of this book, I was hooked.  I just couldn't put it down. I felt for John, who just wanted to be a normal teen, but also wanted to protect the home planet that he barely remembers. I think that the messages about the environment and the poor treatment of those we consider to be "other".

I think that certain parts of this book were a little rushed, and character development suffered a little because of the pace and action. But, I found a deep connection with the main character. I will definitely read the next book in this series.  I am not one to read a lot of science fiction, but I thought that this read was less science fiction-y and more about humanitarian and environmental issues. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Book of the Week

I do enjoy a good fairytale retold now and again, but I have to admit that it is not my favorite type of story to read. I don't know what it is about these revised stories that makes them a little less engaging for me, but it's true that I tend to read these a little slower and lose interest a little faster.

Ash by Malinda Lo is not an exception to this personal issue that I have. I started reading it a few weeks ago and finally finished it today. And, I managed to read many other books in the meantime. I just wasn't all that interested in it. At first, I though that I was really going to like this one, but it kind of stalled in the middle for me. But, if you are a lover of this genre, I think that this storyline is one of the more unique and truly retold.

This revised Cinderella tale starts in a similar vein as the original tale. Aisling (or Ash) is the beloved daughter of a wealthy man. After her mother dies, her father takes a new wife who already has two daughters of her own. Ash quickly realizes that her stepmother and stepsisters do not wish to become one big happy family. When Ash's father dies, her stepmother informs Ash that the large debt left behind by her father will be paid off through her service. As in, Ash becomes a servant.

This is where Ash deviates from the traditional Cinderella tale. Instead of a fairy godmother, there is a handsome male fairy named Sidhean. At first, Ash is drawn to him. But, she knows all of the fairy legends and understands that giving her life to Sidhean would be a permanent decision. And, there's the beautiful, strong, and independent Huntress, Kaisha. Ash realizes that there is some inexplicable draw toward this woman, but is also unsure of her feelings and is frightened of betraying Sidhean.

The end of this novel was a little too easy for my taste, but I would not say that I regret reading it. I like that Ash has a choice between a male and female lover. This was an unexpected twist, but not unappreciated. I would recommend this book to those who love fairy tales and anyone open to revising the traditional picture of love in our oldest stories.

Book of the Week: Need by Carrie Jones

This week's book is super special because it comes from a Maine author and is set in Maine! I loved reading this book because I could totally picture the setting. If I couldn't all I needed to do was envision one of our famous Nor' Easters and I was all set.

Carrie Jones's Need is about a teen girl named Zara, who moves to rural Maine after her stepfather's death just about paralyzes her. She comes to Maine from South Carolina in the middle of winter to live with her grandmother, a tough Maine woman who works as an EMT.

Zara is readily accepted at her small school, but there have been some weird events and tragedies that have shaken this small town. One boy has disappeared without a trace. A few weeks later, another teen boy is missing. And missing boys aren't the only problem. A strange man is seen standing outside of the school cafeteria, pointing straight at Zara. And there's Megan, a popular girl at school who takes an immediate hatred toward Zara and tries to make Zara's transition to Bedford High as uncomfortable as possible.

When Zara learns that she is surrounded by supernatural beings, she starts to doubt her sanity and her strength to save herself and the people she cares about. But, the role of heroine and human rights advocate is not lost on her. She tries intervene to intervene in this unfamiliar realm, but will she find the missing boys in time to save them?

I loved this book from start to finish. I promise that I was not biased in any way because a fellow Mainer penned this book. I was arranged in an interesting way, with a "phobia" starting every chapter. It was interesting to see how the defined phobia that started each chapter would play out in the narrative. The story was pretty clever and the sequel seems to have its own unique structure. I can't wait to read it!

Book of the Week

Hate List by Jennifer Brown is one of the best YA books I've read in a long time. Well, I should temper this by saying that it's one of the best realistic YA books I've read for a long time (because I'm currently reading Libba Bray's Going Bovine and I adore it!) I really, really want to the girls in the Chick Lit Book Club to read this title next year because it will provoke some great discussion.

This book is centered around a school shooting. The story is narrated by Valerie, who survived the shooting, but whose boyfriend was the shooter. He committed suicide after killing several classmates and a teacher. One of the worst parts of this situation for Valerie is that she (somewhat) inspired the killings with her "Hate List"--A list of peers and teachers whom she "hated" because of the way that they had bullied and treated her and her boyfriend.

Now, Valerie is without her boyfriend/ best friend and is hated by most everyone in the school. For a variety of reasons, she chooses to go back to her high school and face her classmates and teachers. Some treat her as if she pulled the trigger, but there are a couple of surprising people who come to her defense.

This is an emotional and realistic read, but important in this post-Columbine world. There is no way, in my opinion, to understand violence and hatred, but if we talk about it openly, there may be room for a variety of viewpoints and life experiences to come through. And, the book is well-written and could serve as a great vehicle for book club discussions!

Book of the Week

The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard is a spare, straightforward, intriguing read. From the first line, "Julia was killed on Labor Day on her way home from a party," the intensity of this book does not let up. But, its intensity is not drawn from a ton of unnecessary drama. In fact, the main character, Colt, is about as laid back and realistic teen-boy as I've ever read. His voice and persona make him feel and sound like a real person.

This book reminded me of Romeo and Juliet, even though Colt tells us that his story is not a Romeo and Juliet story in the very first chapter. Even though I heard what he was saying, I still could not help but draw connections between the two stories. For one, Colt and Julia (Juliet?) had a secret relationship. Unlike Romeo and Juliet who are kept apart because of their parent's feud, Colt and Julia needed to keep their relationship a secret because of a mountain. In their town, Black Mountain separates the rich from the poor. Colt is poor and Julia is rich. Social class in their town means everything, and Colt and Julia are not willing to challenge the norm by going public with their relationship.

And, Julia already has a boyfriend. It's not clear to Colt (or me) if Julia ever really intended to break up with her boyfriend before she died in a horrible drunken-driving car crash. All we know is that she maintained a relationship in public with one boy and in private with another. For a year. That's a long time.

Julia's untimely death leaves Colt in an awkward position. He wants to mourn Julia's death, but cannot publicly, because he never told anyone about his relationship, not even his best friends. So, he questions the value and the meaning of their connection through out the entire book. That is until Julia's brother hands off a secret diary of Julia's that he found hidden after she died. In this diary, Colt unlocks the true feelings and struggles Julia encountered during her "secret" year with him. But, how can Colt move on now that he knows that his relationship with Julia was more than a fling to her?

I truly recommend this read. I think that it'll appeal to guys and gals because of the style of the narrative. The writing is fluid and clear and the story will grab your attention. I literally picked it up and read it in one sitting. Two hours, tops. If you are loving Romeo and Juliet, then this might be a great modern adaptation to read. You can find it on the free reading shelf at the back of the room.

Book of the Week

This week's book is one that I actually won online from Teens@Random. It's called Going Bovine and it was written be a new favorite author of mine, Libba Bray. To win it, I completed a series of super fun assignments and earned points. I then "shopped" for a book and chose this one because I'd heard so much about it.

Interestingly enough, I read all the time and my husband is a virtual non-reader. He has read four or five books in the seven years that we've been together. I read at least four or five a week! (Note: My husband is very intelligent and I have the utmost respect for his talents.) But, as I started this book one night before I went to bed, my husband leaned over and started reading this title over my shoulder. He feel in love with it and we proceeded to read it aloud together every night for about a month. (It's a looong book!)

I have to say that this book is a crazy awesome adventure. There is absolutely nothing predictable or formulaic about this plot. There are twists and turns on every page. Basically, Going Bovine is the story of a 16 year-old boy named Cameron. He's not the coolest kid or the smartest kid, but when he contracts a form of Mad Cow Disease, he becomes a kids with a lot less life span than your average teen. When an angel named Dulcie urges Cameron to escape his hospital bed to save himself and the world, Cameron starts a wacky, unreal (or is it real?) adventure with his new friend, a hypochrondriacal little person named Gonzo.

This quest is not an easy one and the duo must go through many, many perilous stops in order to reach their destination and find a cure for Cameron's lethal disease. Along the way, you'll laugh out loud and hope for the best. Because, you surely won't want the adventure to end, no matter how many pages this book ends up being! My husband rates this as his favorite book of the decade, which puts it right above the three that he's read thus far!

Book of the Week

Though National Poetry Month is officially over, I have one last book of poems that I'd like to profile before we move on to the latest and greatest in Young Adult Lit. This week's book is not a novel told in poems, but a collection of poems that work together to tell a story. What's this story about? Love. All its phases. The pretty and fun. The ugly and yucky. It's all about love.

In Love Poems for Real Life, editors Mary Esselman and Elizabeth Ash Velez bring together a huge variety of poems and poets to show the different phases and stages of relationships. There are classical Shakespearean sonnets, modern e.e. cummings free verse poems, and all sorts of amazing poems in between. The book is divided into seven sections: ecstasy, stability, monotony, uncertainty, misery, and clarity. And, if you've ever been in love, chances are that you've experienced some of these phases firsthand.

Here are a couple of my favorite poems from this collection (I'm in a lovey mood today, so I chose poems from the "ecstasy" and "stability" sections):

My favorite love poem EVER is this one:

And this one is a new favorite. I read it aloud to my husband and he loved it!

Book of the Week

I've been excited to read The Maze Runner by James Dashner for some time now. I've heard a lot about it and was looking to remedy the emptiness of waiting for the third book in the Hunger Games series. I thought that this story would somewhat parallel The Hunger Games, and it sort of does.

Both stories involve teens who are being controlled by the dystopian governments in power. Both books involve these teens being placed in a controlled, artificial environment where death seems to be the only way to escape. Both books rely on mind control and brainwashing of some sort to convince the 'contestants' in the story to play along with the game that the government has designed. The main difference between The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner is that the government in TMR is very secretive and the kids don't know why they're there.

I did not love this book in the same way that I've loved the Hunger Games series. I did feel for the characters and want them to succeed, but I was not pulled into the story as much as I expected to be. I will probably continue to read the books in this series, but I probably won't be waiting outside the local bookstore on the day it's published like I do with the Hunger Games books!

Book of the Week

I love reading a novel written in verse. I think that these novels tend to be creative and open themselves to more readers than traditional prose novels. Also, it's wonderful to sit and read a novel for thirty or forty minutes and finish the entire books.

This week's book, Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Halprin Wayland is one that I was able to sit and read in less than an hour. What I love about books like this is that, though it only took me a short while to read, the poems and images and the voice of the character will stay with me for weeks and months.

This book follows its speaker through a year of school. I couldn't exactly tell which year of school the speaker was entering, but I'd guess that it was either an 8th or 9th grade experience. Even more than the poems, which are pretty amazing, I enjoyed discovering the artwork contained in this novel. It's a collection of mixed-media drawings, collages, and prints, but it all works together to add to the meaning of the poems.

I almost want to show this book to my freshman and sophomore students as they work to develop their own writing collections with the multigenre and vignette projects. I love the way that poems mingle with images, and the way that media is used to enhance the presentation of the writing.

This book is no longer in print; I bought it a long time ago and have not yet reviewed it. I reread it and re-enjoyed it for this review. It can be found used (hardcover version) on amazon for a penny, plus shipping. A serious bargain!

Book of the Week

Naomi Shihab Nye is one of my favorite poets. She has a way of making the complex more simple and the simple more complex. Her free verse is flawless and intriguing and her imagery brings allows you to see and feel the world.

Her newest collection of poems is titled A Maze Me: Poems for Girls. This group of poems covers every subject from relationships to war to nature to human nature to love to random every day crazy/ beautiful-ness. I received this book as part of a generous donation of books to our classroom. I absolutely know that there are several of you who would love to read it. This collection is probably best for teen girls, but this author has other collections of poems that would pique the interest of the male members of our classroom.

Here is a poem from this collection:

Life is a tangle of
twisting paths.
Some short.
Some long.
There are dead ends.
And there are choices.
And wrong turns,
and detours,
and yield signs,
and instruction booklets,
and star maps,
and happiness,
and loneliness.
And friends.
And sisters.
And love.
And poetry.

Life is a maze.
You are a maze.
Amazed.
And amazing.

Book of the Week

To continue our theme for the month of April, this week's book is a collection of poems. We're going to have a book of poetry every week for the month of April to help celebrate National Poetry Month. This week's collection is edited by Patrice Vecchione and it's titled Truth and Lies: An Anthology of Poems.

This collection draws from a variety of poets, from classic to modern, from famous to the lesser known. I love that every poem relates somehow to the theme of the collection. Some of my favorite poets, like Lucille Clifton and Naomi Shihab Nye are included in this collection. Here's one of my top choices from this anthology. It's by Charles Bukowski and it's the subject of this youtube video.

Book of the Week

For the month of April, every Book of the Week will be either a collection of poetry or a novel told in verse. This is one of the many ways that we are going to celebrate National Poetry Month. Out title this week is edited by Betsy Franco, but the poems are all written by teenagers. Real teenagers.

It's called Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems By Teenagers. All of the poems are about love in some form or another, but there are different types of love and different stages of love addressed. I love that the poems are all written by teens. I hope that some of you take this collection as inspiration and proof that your words are worth sharing with the world!

There are many, many awesome poems in this collection, but I thought that I'd share my absolute favorite in the entire bunch:

"Love Poem" by Juan Nunez, age 15

I am
the flour
to your tortilla,
baby.

Book of the Week

This week's book title is in the form of a question: Does My Head Look Big In This? The question is not about wearing a helmet, a ski hat, or a baseball cap, but a hijab. A hijab is a Muslim head scarf, which is traditionally worn by Muslim girls and women to cover their hair. For the main character, Amal, this religious tradition puts her at risk for all sorts of problems at her non-Muslim high school.

The book takes place in Australia, so there are not the same sorts of post 9/11 jokes, taunts, and stereotypes as I'm sure we have in the United States, but there are a lot of assumptions and misunderstandings about why Amal would want to wear the hijab. That's right, this is her choice, not her parents. She wants to wear this traditional scarf because she is feeling more and more in tune with the teachings of her religion. Her friends, her family, and the teachers at school don't understand this choice, but Amal needs to find the strength and the answers within her if she is to hold fast to her decision to don the hijab.

This read is an insightful look into what it must feel like to want to take part in and be proud of a religion that is severely misunderstand. Aman must either stop practicing her religion, which she loves, or risk not fitting in with the non-Muslims at her school. This is a tough decision for any teen. Even if you do not practice the Muslim or any other religion, it is easy to see that there are connections between this character and those who stand up for their beliefs. When it comes down to it, are you willing to risk friendships for your beliefs? Are you willing to be misunderstood and be rejected or would you rather hide your beliefs be accepted?

Book of the Week

I've only read one other book by Terry Truman, but that one book is one I think about regularly. It's called Stuck In Neutral and it's about a boy who is silenced by cerebral palsy. I have a copy on the free reading shelf if you'd like to borrow it.

I don't know that No Right Turn will haunt me in the way that Stuck in Neutral has, but it definitely kept me hooked and interested to see where the story was going. No Right Turn starts with the main character, Jordan, recounting the day that his father committed suicide. Jordan was the last to see his father alive and the first to find him dead. This experience (understandably) affects the rest of Jordan's teen years. Jordan withdraws from his friends and isn't really able to talk about his father to his mother or anyone else.

Fast forward a few years. Jordan's mother starts to date a neighbor named Don. Don is pretty cool and drives a hot corvette. Jordan and Don bond a bit over the car, but Jordan yearns to be alone with the vette. After Don allows Jordan to drive the car, Jordan decides to sneak the car away from Don's house for a quick joyride. This one joyride turns into several. Jordan risks is health and his safety by pushing the speed limits of the car each time he takes it out.If this wasn't enough, he also has the most beautiful and popular girl at schoo believing that the vette is his. How can he tell he that it's not and go back to driving his mother's Honda? Will she pay any attention to him without the car? Will he continue to sneak the car away without Don knowing?

There is a bit of suspense included in this novel. It's a quick read, especially if you're into cars. There's a lot of talk about the corvette. If you're interested in reading this title, please look for it on the back shelves.