Highly Recommended

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Review: Love, Aubrey

May 22, 2009 in Reviews | 5 comments

by Suzanne LaFleur
Middle Grade, 272 pages.
Wendy Lamb Books (2009)
ISBN: 978-0385737746

At the beginning of LOVE, AUBREY, we don’t know what kind of tragedy has rocked Aubrey’s world, we just know she’s utterly alone. As we watch her buy herself a beta fish and putter around her empty house, it emerges that her father and sister died in a car accident and her mother fled from the grief of losing them and the guilt of being behind the wheel. Grandma comes to pick up the pieces and moves Aubrey to Vermont. The two women, young and old, united by tragedy, try to put the pieces of their lives back together while searching for Aubrey’s mother.

Once they find her, it becomes clear that her pain is too raw and she simply isn’t ready to be a mother yet. Aubrey must begin the slow and complicated process of making friends, grappling with her memories and reimagining what home and family mean in this new life of hers.

If only most adults had the strength and grace of this eleven year-old character. Aubrey is so hurt — on many more levels than she’ll ever admit, even to the reader, who knows most of her secret heart — but her wisdom shines brilliantly from these pages. Through writing letters, first to her beta fish, then to her dead sister’s imaginary friend, then to her dad and finally to her mother, she expresses just how strong she’s become, how strong, in fact, she’s always been. These letters cap off chapters in the perfect balance of narrative and the character’s own self-expression.

LaFleur’s writing is a thing of beauty and simplicity. Through Aubrey’s crystal-clear voice, she expresses longing, love, pain and hope with the lightest touch. The reader is always deeply involved in Aubrey’s emotions but never told about them outright. We just know Aubrey so well from the first page that everything she does makes total, resonant, brutally honest emotional sense. When her mother doesn’t come home for Christmas, we know her rage and grief, even if we’ve never experienced her circumstances.

This is the whole point of fiction, the very essence of creating a character who lives and breathes. For such a short, quiet book, LaFleur manages not only startling character development but a fleshed-out plot. Memories, emotions, flickers of new life and tortured pangs of the old combine seamlessly as Aubrey does chores to keep her mind off her grief, goes to a new school, visits with a guidance counselor, rediscovers her relationship with her mom and finally chooses her real home, at least for now.

The tagline of the book is: “She will make you cry. She will make you smile. Aubrey will stay with you forever.” I can’t put it any better than that. In this age of high-concept paranormal adventures, barbed-wire edgy and unrealistic, cookie-cutter romance, sometimes I wonder where all the small, literary books of amazing emotional depth and power are. LOVE, AUBREY is the book I’ve been waiting for (Gayle Forman’s IF I STAY (review) and Carol Lynch Williams’ THE CHOSEN ONE (review) also come to mind). It fills me with utter joy that such a talented writer and such a passionate editor found each other and created this unassuming, completely take-your-breath-away masterpiece.

LOVE, AUBREY comes out on June 9th, 2009. If you’ve forgotten the glorious ache of feeling your entire register of human emotions, read it as soon as you can. You’ll be so glad you did. I didn’t even know how much I needed Aubrey in my life. Links: Amazon, Shop Indie Bookstores.

For Readers: This book will appeal to middle grade readers as well as, um, everyone on the planet. Buy this for the kids in your life and tell them to pass it on to siblings, parents, grandparents. I’m serious. Everybody needs to read this book and its appeal is so broad, so human, that it will charm and touch each person who comes in contact with it. Of all my recent reads, this one is most likely to stand the test of time. It is a modern classic in my head already and it hasn’t even come out! Yes, I know I’m gushing, but I’m totally allowed.

For Writers: It isn’t often that writers achieve the ultimate goal of transparency, as LaFleur does here. There are some writers, of course, who thrive on their trademark voice, who use it everywhere as an indelible stamp. LaFleur has a style, sure, but as a writer, she completely disappears into Aubrey’s voice, she spins her words without once interrupting the “fictive dream” to call attention to a flourish of writing, a clever joke, an important moment. Most writers, whether consciously or not, just can’t quite get themselves out of their own writing. Not LaFleur. What you see here is all Aubrey, all the time. Please read it. If it doesn’t change your writing, and I’m not sure it will because its lessons are very subtle and complex, it will change the way you see character and it will redefine your boundaries of how deeply into a fictional soul you can go.

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Review: The Chosen One

May 3, 2009 in Reviews | 1 comment

by Carol Lynch Williams
Young Adult, 224 pages.
St. Martin’s Griffin (2009)
ISBN: 978-0312555115

Kyra Leigh might be Chosen to wed her uncle, Hyrum, an Apostle in their fundamentalist religious sect, but his Choice is only the beginning of the toughest one she will ever make. A thirteen year old girl raised by three mothers among a brood of brothers and sisters, Kyra knows she has to obey Prophet Childs, whose messages come to their Compound directly from God.

But she knows a few other things, too. She knows that Joshua, a neighbor boy, has feelings for her which are deeper than those she sees in most plural marriages. She knows that the books Patrick brings by every Wednesday in his Mobile Library on Wheels do not contain the word of Satan like everyone says they do. She knows that just because Prophet Childs decrees something, it isn’t always right.

Kyra and her vulnerable, extremely human family are pitted against the cold and effective machine of Prophet Childs’s zealous hold on the community. Her uncle’s desire to take her as his seventh wife puts her in the eye of a controversy that results in death threats, beatings and near-constant surveillance. She must choose between giving in to his Choice and abandoning her home and family for the terrifying freedom of the real world.

When Kyra finally chooses, the reader can intimately feel the entire weight of the world on her shoulders. And there is no happy ending. There is only hope and, for what it’s worth, the noble knowledge that truth and faith don’t have to be contradictory, violent things. THE CHOSEN ONE is a poignant, gut-wrenching story of destiny, family and the search for self in the face of great obstacles. In these brief pages, Kyra takes the stand of her life, loses everything and I will never forget it. This book is one I highly, highly recommend.

THE CHOSEN ONE comes out May 12th, 2009. Pre-order your copy today or pick it up at your favorite indie store. Here are links: THE CHOSEN ONE (Amazon), THE CHOSEN ONE (Indiebound).

For Readers: Kyra is a character who will remain with you. Invisible walls that feel stronger than any brick and mortar surround areas in everybody’s life. Williams’s honesty in writing this and Kyra’s great courage alone are worth the read. While there are a few violent or upsetting scenes, they’re crucial to the richness of the climax. One big issue here is women’s rights and gender roles. Under Prophet Childs’s watchful eye, women are second class citizens who are not allowed to act or think or speak for themselves. The brutal lessons here make this book even more unforgettable.

My galley came with a preview of the audiobook, which will be released on May 12th by Macmillan Young Listeners. Actress Jenna Lamia, from what I’ve heard so far, does a pitch-perfect version of Kyra. If you prefer listening to books, pick up a copy.

For Writers: An environment must be a character in your story. If it isn’t, you’re missing opportunities to bring out themes or manipulate the emotional impact of the work. Williams’s emotionally-charged settings are a masterpiece. From the real world, where Kyra and her family are ridiculed, to the Prophet’s office in the Temple, where danger crackles in the air, any writer can pick up the subtle yet unmistakable mood Williams sets. If your settings aren’t doing any thematic or emotional work for you, pick up THE CHOSEN ONE and see how it’s done.

I don’t think I can say this enough, but a writer can’t be afraid of consequences. Some writers tend toward unrealistic happy endings and neat topped-with-a-bow conclusions. In a lot of cases, that’s not lifelike. There are consequences for every action, good and bad, and, if you’ve done your job, your novel will have a lot of action. Don’t be afraid of putting your character in a difficult situation, it will make them more real to your readers. For one of the most emotionally raw, unsettling endings I’ve read lately — and one that hits all the right emotional buttons — read this book and see how oddly satisfying it manages to feel.

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Review: If I Stay

April 28, 2009 in Reviews | 4 comments

by Gayle Forman
Young Adult, 208 pages.
Dutton Juvenile (2009)
ISBN: 978-0525421030

Mia, a senior in high school, sees her entire life flashing before her eyes like an old cartoon cliche. Only for her, it’s very much real. Mia and her family get involved in a horrific car accident in the opening pages of Gayle Forman’s engrossing YA, IF I STAY. Her parents are killed instantly and her brother is whisked away. While Mia’s body fights for breath in the ICU, Mia’s spirit spends the rest of the book remembering her life and grappling with the most important choice she’s ever had to make: will she stay or will she slip away?

An agent friend recently got back from New York to tell me that all the editors were going crazy for this book. Without delay, I picked up my copy and couldn’t be more thrilled with it. IF I STAY isn’t just another teen grief novel, not by a long shot. It’s the story of Mia’s life and the people in it. Most of all, it is not a story about death… it’s a story about choice.

If everyone in your family died, would you join them? If your future suddenly turned out harder than you ever imagined, would you choose the easier road and die? Mia’s decision opens up a rich landscape of memory for the reader to explore. We meet her parents, who are, hands down, some of the coolest parental units in YA fiction. We meet Adam, who is the punk guitar to her classical cello. We meet Julliard, the dream that Mia’s worked so hard for, the one that hangs in the balance now. We meet Kim, Mia’s best friend, who finally kneels down and prays.

Through it all, we see family and friends rallying around the hospital while Mia, drifting disembodied, has to decide whether to live or die. Her decision is up in the air until the last few pages but the reader will be completely gratified when she makes her choice. They’ll rejoice, too, to feel the resounding pulse of life and love throughout this imaginative, beautifully written book.

Because that’s what IF I STAY is all about. Mia has a great life that’s full to the brim with love. There is no terrible angst, no unfair circumstance. Not until the moment of the accident. And even then, when everything from her old life falls apart, Mia uses the lessons and values she’s learned from her loved ones to keep her strong.

You can order IF I STAY or pick it up at your favorite indie store. But do read it… this is a book many, many people will be talking about for months to come.

For Readers: Mia is a strong, endearing character thrust into a nightmare situation. She has to reconcile her love for her boyfriend and extended family with her extreme grief and survivor’s guilt. Forman has orchestrated all of these feelings in a profound, beautiful and honest way. For fans of literary fiction as well as readers who enjoy tales of love and family, this is a highly, highly recommended must read.

For Writers: Do not pass go, do not write another family scene and do not collect $200 until you check out IF I STAY. The mom and dad in this book have to be some of the warmest, most genuine fictional parents I’ve ever read. Also, writers everywhere could take a few notes on Forman’s use of memory. The plot is rather simple: girl is in car accident, girl lands in hospital. The bulk of the book is made up of memories intercut with the hospital narration. Read this novel to see how one memory flows into another and which moments and scenes the author picks to tell her story and to flesh out her characters.

Watch how the emotional landscape changes as these memories blossom and transform themselves into an entire, vibrant lifetime. You may not write a book composed mostly of memories, like this one, but you should always remember that your main character’s inner life is run through with their past and future, just like Mia’s is as she ponders it all. Check out Gayle Forman’s website and watch the IF I STAY book trailer. It is very cool and understated.

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Review: This Is What I Want to Tell You

April 12, 2009 in Reviews | 1 comment

by Heather Duffy Stone
Young Adult, 240 pages. Flux (2009)
ISBN: 978-0738714509

Senior year ushers in brand new complications for twins Nadio and Noelle and their friend Keeley. Noelle is struggling to find love as Keeley and Nadio discover their feelings for each other.

Nadio, meanwhile, revels in his newfound girlfriend but is crushed by the guilt of keeping secrets from, quite literally, his other half. He wrestles with his feelings for Keeley, who has her own complicated past, as well as his relationship with an estranged father he never knew. As Noelle contemplates how to keep her grip on reality from slipping, Nadio tries to decide what it means to be a man and how to keep his fractured family together.

Achingly real, full of love, tenderness, heartbreak, disappointment and hope, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU’s characters are thrown into a wicked triangle of emotion. Keeley doesn’t want to keep any more secrets, she also doesn’t want to move too fast after an experience she had over the summer. Nadio is stuck between the two most important people in his life as he battles the idea of his father for his identity. Noelle gasps and sputters her way into a half-hearted love affair, where her expectations of the man, Parker, are much more than he can ever realize.

Heather Duffy-Stone writes in a lyrical, sparse style. Some of her descriptions of this small college town and adjoining big city are lush but the dialogue is short, sinewy and power-charged with subtext and emotion. She is also unafraid to tackle the issue of jealousy between best friends in a way that seems very truthful. Whether Noelle covets Keeley’s romantic life, Keeley’s time spent with Nadio or the advantages of Keeley’s family wealth, the emotion is deeply founded and unflinchingly honest, even at its ugliest. That’s admirable.

Overall, a quick, engrossing read of expectations, revelations, love and family. One of my favorites so far this year.

Get your own copy of This Is What I Want to Tell You today! Heather Duffy Stone’s debut is also our Kidlit Book Club selection for the month of April. If you’ve read it, head over to the Book Club page to join the discussion!

For Readers: This book will appeal to literary readers as well as those who like the more commercial stuff. There’s lots of drama here, but it is real, based in truth and experience. You won’t find the petty high school politics, nor will you get RoboParents and their endless lecturing, like in some less imaginative fare. More serious, word-geek readers will appreciate the writing style and some of the dark subjects discussed. Do be warned, though, that some situations and themes in this book are serious in nature and would resonate best with more mature readers.

For Writers: The characters here are so fully fleshed out and mutli-faceted that I wanted to listen to them think for much, much longer. In this short book, however, Heather Duffy Stone has managed to pack in quite a lot of development. Writers will love reading the two POVs, especially Nadio. I can’t remember the last time a male POV written by a woman has caught this much of my attention and refused to let go. Writers would also do well to study the powerful triangle connection between the protagonist. A pair of characters in opposition can be very effective. Put a third character in there and make them bounce off each other? You’ve got fireworks. If this isn’t in your TBR pile yet, what are you doing reading this review? Go get it!

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