princesses have a magical outburst, they are shamed for it and
sent away to learn how to control
themselves. Which, considering
how important it is that a princess
be pure and fit for marriage as only
men can be Kings, this had potential as an allegory for LGBT youth.
Book Reviews
Ellen Hopkins is
ready to Rumble
REVIEWED BY OLLIE LAVELLE
SNAPSHOT:
Matthew narrates in first person through the trials
and tribulations of a young man on the brink. He’s
taking dangerous risks, living life to the fullest here
and now--not for some supposed Afterlife or Second
Chance. His world and life pull him in opposite directions, even as he stands firmly in his own beliefs.
Between his suddenly religious again mother and his
science teacher father and his understanding war vet
uncle, his Christian club girlfriend Hayden and his old
friend/new interest Alexa, and the year ago suicide of
his gay and bullied younger brother Luke, there’s a lot
here for Matthew to chew on.
In the narrow pewter space
between the gray of consciousness
and the obsidian, where dreams
ebb and flow, there is a wishbone
window.
—Paperback ARC edition
As is usual for Hopkin’s work, this one peels back the
fluff of YA novels to leave open the raw wounds of
being a teenager struggling with the bad hand fate
has dealt him. Matt’s memories of the years past, of
childhood with Luke leading up to the day he committed suicide, are emotionally gripping and distressing.
Readers also get a strong sense of Matt’s parents’
characters through these times, as we learn about the
lust but not love that drew the two together.
While the ending wraps up a bit too quick, it is the
journey rather than the destination that is the prize in
this novel. Like life itself, what we find when we finish
14
Stray
by Elissa Sussman
is simply the end--the
lessons we/Matthew learn along
the way are what are important.
Appropriate for ages 15+. Strong language, alcohol or
drug use by minors, or sexual situations. Some intense
situations.
Deals with family, friendship, romance, loss, faith, bullying, suicide, sexuality and mental health issues.
Readers should be encouraged to discuss the ways in
which Matt’s relationships--with himself, his parents,
his girlfriend Hayden and new interest Alexa, and
even with his little brother and people of faith--are
both healthy and unhealthy, and determine for themselves which weighs heavier.
GET IT ON YOUR SHELF IF YOU...
- Love novels-in-verse that read like lyrical prose
- Are in need of a book to tug on your heartstrings
- Enjoy deep philosophical discussions about that
which is really important in life
- Have a soft spot for smart, sensitive male leads
who are still the bad boy type
SNAPSHOT:
Told in third person, this is the first in
THE FOUR SISTERS series. Here we
have the story of timid Princess
Aislynn--only she’s not a princess
anymore, but a fairy godmother in
training.
Instead, strong emotions in the girls
are seen as shameful and wicked.
Most of the female characters are
have a little bit going for them but
mostly when it serves for them to
interact with our protagonist. The
main villain--who seems to be the
only female with goals beyond
marry a man who will protect her
from her own dangerous heart--is
an Evil Queen who barely contributes to the plot.
Many of the plots, characters, and
reasons behind the world are left
unanswered by the end. Readers
who are caught up in the fast paced
and easy-to-read tale will hopefully
find those answers in the sequels;
while others may drop out because
of lack of strong emotions for Aislynn’s plights.
The action has an odd sense of
Appropriate for ages
detachment, perhaps
14+. Some intense
explainable by the
various ways in which
Aislynn’s hands were bleed- situations. Bullying, rape-culture and
women are kept down
ing. Her dress was stained
and suppressed from
with dirt and muck, her hair emotional and psychotheir full potential: at
unraveling with each heaving logical abuse. Includes
but does not deal with
the princess school,
breath.
sexism, self-harm,
magic and emotions
—Paperback
ARC
edition
purity-culture (aka
are dulled; and fairy
rape-culture) and lack
godmothers have
of female agency.
their loving heart
removed.
Readers should be encouraged to
think about how Aislynn’s world
There is an interesting concept
has affected her self-image, and try
that never quite hits the respect it
to see if there are any corollaries in
should deserve. It could very eastheir own lives where they have let
ily have been a strong statement
society dictate their worth and who
against shaming women for their
they can be.
sexuality, as when Aislynn or other
INTERVIEW WITH A YA
AUTHOR FROM BEYOND
THE GRAVE
Robert C. O’Brien
overcame his demons and
became a renowned contributor to National Geographic Magazine, until
glaucoma rendered him
unable to continue as a journalist. Instead, he
turned to writing children’s stories, and won
the Newbery Medal in 1972 for his novel Mrs.
Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.
Young Adult Mag: What inspired you to
write a story about rats?
Robert C. O’Brien: Mice and rats. I traveled all
over the world during my time with National
Geographic, and one thing that every place I
visited had in common was the presence of
rats. Rats are everywhere. They’re almost like
the humans of the animal world, in that they
occupy all of the same areas as we do.
YA: And