Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Maberry, Jonathan. (2011). Rot & Ruin. NY: Simon & Schuster.
ISBN: 978-1442402331
Awards/Honors: ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2011)
Bram Stoker Award Nominee (Novel, 2010)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Survival, Confidence, Friends, Family, Evil Humans, Orphans
Genre: Horror
Annotation: Tom Imura is a post apocalypse samurai who wields his sword with compassion and vicious accuracy. He and his kid brother, Benny, fight against evil humans, and the zombies that now amble freely.
Summary: This story is set in the future after some unknown catastrophe caused people to re-awaken after death into flesh eating zombies. Chaos ensued, leaving the planet mostly rot and ruin - zombie infested areas outside protected towns. Benny Imura is 15 and looking for a job so his rations don't get cut, just like all his friends. After searching around, he finally agrees to be his older brother's apprentice bounty hunter - for zombies. Benny hates his brother and thinks him a coward for running away when he should have saved their mom from becoming a zombie. What he learns with Tom in the rot and ruin slowly changes this perception. The bounty hunters he used to think were heroes turn out to be evil kidnappers, murderers, and facilitators of an awful place called Game Land. Game Land is where they take the kidnapped children, give them a club or stick, put them in pits with zombies, and gamble on who will win. Tom, Benny, Nix, and the crazy lost girl band together to put an end to Charlie Pink-Eye's band of marauders.
Evaluation: I loved this book. That said, there were some long winded preachy parts and Tom was unbelievable patient with impudent little Benny, but the rest of the book's greatness more than makes up for any minor faults.

Cruise Control by Terry Trueman

Trueman, Terry. (2004). Cruise Control. NY: HarperTeen.
ISBN: 978-0066239606
Bibliographic Usefulness: Anger, Violence, Divorce, Absentee Father, Sports, Disability
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Paul McDaniel is angry. He's angry at the unfairness of the world; that he should be strong, but his brother has severe cerebral palsy and can't walk or talk. Mostly though, Paul's anger is directed at his father who wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning poem about Shawn after he left the family.
Summary: Paul McDaniel is the best player on his basketball team, gets straight A's, and has a serious anger problem. He lives with his mom, sister, and brother Shawn, who has severe cerebral palsy. Paul, who deeply loves his brother (even though he calls him a "veg"), resents his father for abandoning him and for escaping the day-to-day realities of living with a profoundly disabled family member.
Most of Paul's anger is due to his father's leaving and then using Shawn as a prop for his writing career. Paul, though smart and talented, is filled with a rage that comes out in violent bursts. For example, he pummels a man for almost hitting a girl in a crosswalk, and is quick to anger with those around him. His best friend Tim also has problems with violence and gets thrown in jail for beating up his step-dad for hitting his mom. This shows Paul what could happen to him if he continues with his violent ways. Throughout the story, Paul's reigning question is how he can pursue happiness while his brother is suffering and his mom and sister are stuck caring for him? Paul's conflicts continue until his mom finally tells him the truth about why his father left - she asked him to.
Evaluation: This is a companion title to Stuck in Neutral which is from the perspective of Shawn, the brother with cerebral palsy. I haven't read that one, so feel I missed out a little, especially since Stuck in Neutral is supposedly the better of the two. However, Paul's frustration with his situation and the violent ways he deals with his anger are portrayed well.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Cashore, Kristin. (2008). Graceling. NY: Harcourt Children's Books.
ISBN: 978-0152063962
Awards/Honors: Amelia Bloomer List (2009)
Andre Norton Award Finalist (2008)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2009)
William C. Morris YA Debut Finalist (2009)
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (Children's Literature, 2009)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2008)
Locus Recommended Reading (First Novel, 2008)
Locus Nominee (First Novel, 2009, 6)
SIBA Book Award (Young Adult, 2009)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Independence, Moral Integrity, Survival, Love, Strong Female
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: At eight, Katsa was able to kill full grown men with a single blow. Now, at 16, she takes fate into her own hands to escape the evil king making her kill and save the kingdom from his tyrannical reign.
Summary: Katsa has been blessed with a powerful “Grace”: an extreme and often feared skill. Her Grace makes her almost invincible, but she is in the service of an evil king, her uncle, and is forced to use her Grace to harm others. With her different colored eyes, the mark of the Graced, she stands out as one to be feared. Then she meets Po, a prince who is willing to look her in the eye with his own mismatched eyes. With Po on her side, Katsa attempts to end her uncle’s tyrannical reign and struggles for redemption from her own Grace.
Evaluation: Katsa and Po are compelling and believable characters; they contain the power of self-reflection and honest emotion in a way that makes us like them all the more. The story they are unfolding is full of adventure, danger, love, and evil too. A great read.

Fade to Black by Alex Flinn

Flinn, Alex. (2005). Fade to Black. NY: HarperCollins.
ISBN: 978-0060568399
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Bullies, Friends, Down Syndrom, Violence, Hate Crime
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Alex Crusan - HIV positive student and victim of a beating bad enough to put him in the hospital. Clinton Cole - Afraid of catching AIDS and angry that his little sister plays with Alex's sister. Daria Bickell - Down Syndrome student who witnessed the attack of Alex. Who is telling the truth? What is the truth?
Summary: Fade to Black alternates between the voices of Alex Crusan, an HIV positive student and victim of a beating bad enough to put him in the hospital; Clinton Cole, a classmate afraid of catching AIDS and known to have tormented Alex on multiple occasions; and Daria Bickell, a Down Syndrome student who witnessed the attack of Alex. Readers hear from Alex as he deals with the ignorance and hate of those around him, and also as he comes to terms with how he contracted HIV. Clinton, we learn, is angry, scared, and not afraid to be outwardly cruel to Alex. He is a classic mean jock. Daria has seen Clinton being mean to Alex and claims to have seen him at the scene of the crime. Clinton is innocent, but can't prove it, especially with his reputation and past actions. Plus, Daria says she saw him do it. Slowly, Clinton realizes his fear is grounded in ignorance, Alex's anger at Clinton and people like him lessons, and Daria admits she was riding high on the attention she was getting.
Evaluation: I really liked how Flinn wrote Daria's chapters like little repetitive poems. The book also deals with a lot of the issues surrounding HIV and the ignorance and fear that people have. I think teens will enjoy ferreting out the reality and arguing about the sensitive issues raised along the way.

The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier

Cormier, Robert. (2001). The Rag and Bone Shop. NY:Delacorte Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 978-0385729628
Awards: ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2002)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2006.03|Criminal Elements, 2006)
Kirkus Review Starred Review
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Manipulation, Deception, Trust, Honesty, Violence, Loss of Innocence
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Jason, twelve years old and wrongly accused of murder, must fight his way through an interrogator's vicious "verbal traps". Jason is innocent! But who will believe him? Does he even believe himself?
Summary: Jason Dorrant is a shy and somewhat introverted 12 year old. After 7 year old Alicia Bartlett is found beaten to death, Jason becomes the main suspect in her murder. She was a friend of his, and the last one to see her alive. In an attempt to wrap the murder up quickly, police call in a top interrogator to get a confession from Jason. What ensues is a dark and manipulative interchange where Trent twists and distorts Jason's words, making him look like a crazy and violent boy. Even when Trent realizes Jason did not commit the murder, he carries through with his cruel interrogation. Soon, Jason begins questioning himself and what he is capable of. Trent finally gets Jason to confess to the murder, but during this time the real murderer is caught. Trent loses everything and Jason has been converted from a peaceful boy into what Trent accused him of being - a murderer.
Evaluation: I want to say this book was awful, but really it was not. I despised the way Jason was manipulated, the way adults took advantage of innocence, and the violence of the murder. However, the story was great. I loved how it lays bare many aspects of the potential darkness of human nature. I think my favorite line is when the interrogation is over and Trent and Jason are walking out of the room and Sarah describes Jason, "He looked broken, as if just lifted down from the cross" (pg 148).

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Alexie, Sherman. (2007). The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 978-0316013680
Awards: American Indian Youth Literature Award (2008)
Cybils Finalist (Young Adult Fiction, 2007)
Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist (Young Adult Literature, 2007)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2008)
National Book Award (Young People's Literature, 2007
Book Sense Book of the Year Honor Book (2008)
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (2007)
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Fiction and Poetry, 2008)
Michigan Library Association's Thumbs Up! Award (2008.1|Honor, 2008)
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (2007)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2010.02|Hard Knock Life, 2010)
ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound (2009.2|History & Cultures, 2009)
Odyssey Award (2009|Recorded Books, Narrated by Sherman Alexie)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2007)
Peter Pan Award (2009.01|Winner, 2009)
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award (2008)
Kansas City Star's Top 100 Books of the Year
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Winner
Barnes & Noble 2007 Best for Teens
National Parenting Publication Gold Winner 2007
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Poverty, Racism, Alcoholism, Family, Fitting In, Cultural Identity, Death, Loss, Grief, Violence
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Arnold Spirit, angry at the poverty and cruelty around him is encouraged by a teacher to leave the reservation. However, at his new all white school, Arnold faces a whole new set of challenges.
Summary: Arnold Spirit, or Junior, lives on a poverty stricken reservation run rampant by alcoholism, ignorance, and lost hope. A single violent event puts in motion a new life for Arnold. In class one day Arnold notices that his textbook is so old that it still has his mother's name in it. In a rage, he throws the book across the room hitting and hurting the teacher. While Arnold is suspended for the act, the teacher comes to him later encouraging him to leave the reservation for a better education. Arnold is the only Indian in the sea of white faces at his new school, except of course for the school mascot. This move causes a whole new set of problems for Arnold. The people on the reservation are angry that he is trying to leave and the white kids at his new school treat him like an outcast. As time passes, Arnold falls for a white girl and joins the basketball team. Tensions reach an all time high when Arnold's new school is set to play basketball against his old school, and his ex-best friend Rowdy.
Evaluation: I had heard so many good things about this book and have waited a long time to finally read it! Now, I can't believe I waited so long. This story is full of honest moments and emotions; some extremely funny and others extremely sad, violent, and horrifying.

Lush by Natasha Friend

Friend, Natasha. (2007). Lush. NY: Scholastic Paperbacks.
ISBN: 978-0439853477
Awards: Rhode Island Teen Book (2008)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2007)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Alcoholic Parent, Secrets, Family, Friends
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Thirteen-year-old Samantha's dad is an alcohlic. While dealing with school, boys, and a maturing body, Sam must also cope with her family's secret.
Summary: Samantha is a typical 13 year old in that she has to deal with middle-school, having crushes, and being embarrassed by her maturing body. What isn't typical is her family's secret - her father is an alcoholic. Sam's mother and grandmother push her to have compassion for her father, but Sam isn't so sure. With this weighing on her shoulders, and not being able to talk to her friends, Sam begins trading notes with an anonymous person in the library. She reveals her secret, asks questions, and receives some honest, but hard truths. Everything comes to a head, though, when Sam's father smashes a bottle of Jim Bean on Sam's little brothers face.
Evaluation: I really liked this book. I'm not usually a fan of problem literature, but I chose to read this one because it addresses a fairly common family issue. It is a fast read and doesn't dwell on mellowdramatics. And despite the alcoholism and act of violence, Sam's family is loving, if not a little misguided.

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn

Flinn, Alex. (2002) Breathing Underwater. NY: Harper Teen.
ISBN: 978-0064472579
Awards: South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominee (2003-2004)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2002)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2003)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2002)
Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award Nominee (2005)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Child Abuse, Violence, Anger, Love, Family
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Sixteen year old Nick is wealthy, popular, and prone to acts of violence. After he slaps his girlfriend and is required to take an anger management course, Nick finally starts recognizing his frailties.
Summary: Nick Andreas lives with his rich, but physically abusive father. At the start of the school year, Nick begins dating Caitlin, a beautiful but insecure girl. Because of her insecurity, she allows Nick to treat her poorly. Nick is verbally and physically abusive and eventually crosses the line so that Caitlin gets a restraining order. Nick is required to attend anger management courses, but doesn't understand what he did wrong until the very end.
Evaluation: I chose to read it because it covers, with specific focus, the topic of anger and abuse. While these are often covered in other titles, not usually with so much direct attention. For this, I like the story. I love the slow progression of Nick realizing his part in the cycle and finally finding the strength to stand up to his father.

Shattering Glass by Gail Giles

Giles, Gail (2003). Shattering Glass. NY: Simon Pulse.
ISBN: 978-0689858000
Awards: South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominee (2004-2005)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2003)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2005)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2003)
Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award Nominee (2007)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Bullying, Rape, Murder, Peer Pressure, Cliques
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Rob and his cronies kill Simon Glass. We know this from the start because no one likes Simon Glass, not when he is a fat, bumbling nerd, and not after they turn him into being popular.
Summary: Simon Glass is overweight, a sniveler, and has the fashion sense of a four year old. When he catches the eye of Rob, the newest senior class top dog, Simon's life gets a makeover. Told from the perspective of one of Rob's cronies, readers get to follow along as Rob gets more and more intense and Simon raises in popularity. The players in Rob's game are vaguely aware that Rob is getting out of hand, but no one has the power to stop the progression. Added to this is that Simon isn't willing to stay under Rob's control. Building up to the final act of violence that readers know is coming, is a story of friends, power, and secret pasts.
Evaluation: I chose to read this book because it embraces the popularity power struggle of high school boys. We often see this in books for girls, but not so for boys. Overall, I think the characters are well written and the story moves along nicely. The narrator's voice is honest and his inner dialog emotionally balanced. However, I did have a hard time believing the actual murder scene. While Rob's character is complex, I do not see him capable of such an uncontrolled act.