Feed by M.T. Anderson

Anderson, M.T. (2004). Feed. NY: Candlewick
ISBN: 978-0763622596
Awards: Los Angeles Times Book Prize (2002.02|Young Adult Fiction, 2002)
National Book Award finalist (Young People's Literature, 2002)
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (2002)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2003)Booklist Editors' Choice (2002)
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (2002)
ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound (2004.3|Literature & Language Arts, 2004)
ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound (2009.4|Science & Technology, 2009)
Book Sense Summer Pick Teen Readers (2003)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Consumerism, Commercialism, Independence
Genre: Science Fiction
Annotation: Titus is an average teen living in a future world where everyone has a feed - a computer - implanted in their brain. On a trip to the moon with his friends he gets attacked by a hacker, and meets Violet, a girl who is afraid of what is happening to the world.
Summary: Titus and his friends are average teens living in a future world, a world where everyone's brains are wired with a feed. The feed pumps personalized advertisements and television shows directly into people's head. They also give people the ability to chat with anyone. Slowly, readers realize that humans have destroyed the planet and everyone has devolved into stupid, thoughtless consumers. Everyone but Violet. Titus meets Violet on a trip to the moon and through her, readers learn of the plight of the planet and the dumbing down of the people. We follow Titus, Violet, and friends as humans start loosing their skin, the Earth rebels, and everything comes to an end.
Evaluation: At times it was hard to keep up with all the slang, but the story is great. As Titus goes from being an ignorant teen to a more aware person, readers are able to both hate and sympathise with him. Also, despite the looming apocalypse, the book is full of humor and ironic wit.

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.

The Killer's Cousin by Nancy Werlin

Werlin, Nancy. (2000) The Killer's Cousin. NY: Laurel Leaf.
ISBN: 978-0440227519
Awards: Edgar Award (Young Adult, 1999)
Edgar Award, Young Adult (1999)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (1999)
Garden State Book Award (Teen Fiction Grades 9-12, 2001)BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (1998)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2003.01 | I’ve Got a Secret, 2003)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers - Top Ten (1999)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (1999)
Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults (2010)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Suicide, Guilt, Violence, Love
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Seventeen year old David is sent to live with his aunt, uncle, and young cousin, Lily, after being acquitted in a highly public murder trial. Joining a strange household where Lily's older sister committed suicide, David realizes that Lily has a few secrets of her own.
Summary: After David accidentally causes his girlfriends death, he is involved in a highly publicized trial. He is acquitted of the murder, but his parents attempt to reduce the impact of this event on his life by sending him to live with his aunt and uncle. In the house lives his cousin Lily, an angry eleven year old still reeling from her older sister, Kathy's, suicide four years earlier. At first David and Lily circle one another with distrust, but Lily soon is breaking into his attic apartment and destroying things. The attic where Kathy lived and killed herself. Meanwhile, Kathy's ghost appears to David, telling him to save Lily. David discovers that Lily killed, or believes that she killed, her sister. The relationship between David and Lily peeks when he tells her parents that she need psychological help and they kick him out. Finally, Lily cracks and tries to kill herself by burning the house down, but David hears Kathy's voice and runs to pull Lily out of the fire engulfed house. This saves Lily both physically and psychologically and creates a fierce bond between the two killers who must live with what they have done.
Evaluation: I read Werlin's book Impossible awhile back and really enjoyed the intertwining of contemporary fiction and magic. This story is not different. Usually a book with magic will focus on the magical elements in a story, but Werlin manages to focus on reality that just happens to include the supernatural. Great book!

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Hopkins, Ellen. (2004). Crank. NY: Margaret K. McElderry.
ISBN: 978-0689865190
Awards: ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2005.04|Read ‘Em & Weep, 2005)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2005)
Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award Nominee (2009)
Abraham Lincoln Award Winner (2009)
Gateway Readers Award
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Good girl Kristina takes a turn for the worse during a visit to her druggie father. Addicted, raped, and pregnant Kristina faces a difficult road ahead.
Summary: Kristina lives with her mother, step-father, and brother; is well-behaved, and a good student. When an opportunity comes up for her to visit her father, whom she hasn't seen in years, Kristina jumps at it. It turns out that her father works "under-the-table" at a local bowling alley, drinks too much, and is a druggie. During this visit Kristina has a transformation, embracing her wild side. She begins calling herself Bree, and herself becomes addicted to crank, thanks to attractive drug dealer, Adam. When Bree returns to her mother's, she brings her new addiction with her. She is later raped and becomes pregnant with the rapist's child. She keeps the child, and also the addiction.
Evaluation: I did not like this book. Kristina's transformation happens too fast to be believable; her choices all of the sudden incredibly bad. Also unbelievable is the fact that her middle-class, conservative mom let her stay with a man as vile as her father. If you can get by the questionable premise, Kristina's (Bree's) story and de-evolution is interesting and scary.

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.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Stiefvater, Maggie. (2009). Shiver. NY: Scholastic Press.
ISBN: 978-0545123266
Awards: Amazon's Best Books of the Year (2009)
Amazon's Best Books of the Month (August 2009)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2010)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2010)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Love, Independence, Determination
Genre: Fantasy
Annotation: Attacked by wolves as a child, Grace survives because one wolf, her wolf, saves her. Since then, Grace watches for her wolf who comes to the edge of the woods and watches her. And then there is Sam, who fearfully waits for the cold.
Summary: Grace has been fascinated with wolves ever since she was attacked by them as a small child. What she remembers is being saved by a wolf with yellow eyes; a wolf who continues to watch her from the edge of the woods. Grace feels an inexplicable bond with "her" wolf, because she is sure it is the same wolf that saved her all those years ago. Then, when a classmate is killed by wolves the townsfolk decide to hunt them down. Grace hears of the plan and runs fearlessly into the woods to save the wolves and especially her wolf that she loves so much. Shots are fired, but what Grace finds is not a wounded wolf, but a naked boy. A boy with yellow eyes.
The story alternates between Grace and Sam, who readers know is a werewolf. The werewolves are slaves to the weather and change into their animal form in cold weather-hence the title of the book. Sam is the wolf that saved Grace and watched her ever since. Now, Grace saves Sam and hides him in her room where they fall in love. They both know the cold will return and with it Sam's animal form, but this time it might be forever. Sam and Grace fight to keep Sam in human form.
Evaluation: As far as paranormal romances go, this is a good one. Grace and Sam have a deep and undeniable bond that reaches beyond human or wolf form. Characters are well written and developed, and secondary plot lines keep the story interesting and moving along. I read this book because I kept seeing it appear on lists with lots of stars at the end. Also, I love a good fantasy YA book!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

Pearson, Mary. (2008). The Adoration of Jenna Fox. NY: Henry Holt and Co.
ISBN: 978-0805076684
Awards: Andre Norton Award Finalist (2008)
Golden Kite Award (2009, honor recipient)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2009)
Locus Recommended Reading (Young Adult, 2008)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2008)
Book Sense Summer Pick Teen Readers (2008)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Family, Fitting In, Medical Ethics, Survival, Car Accident
Genre: Science Fiction
Annotation: Seventeen year old Jenna Fox wakes up after spending 18 months in a comma. While she cannot remember anything of her early life, she is plagued by frightening flashes and slowly learns the truth of her existence.
Summary: Jenna Fox wakes up from a comma without any memories of her past. She is living in a broken down house in a small forested neighborhood with a mother and grandmother she doesn't recognize. Flashes of memories come to her as she watches video after video of her childhood-her parents way of helping her remember who she is. As the days go by, Jenna learns more about the mysterious accident that should have killed her and the lies her mother and father have been telling her.
Evaluation: I have to admit that I am a fan of science fiction and enjoyed this story quite a bit. Jenna puts things together pretty quickly without very much information, but this is easy to overlook. I love the weaving in of Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond; it gives the story another level of depth and emotional honesty.