Have a Great 2010! Resolutions, December Wrap-Up and What's Happening in January

I have 10 New Year's Resolutions for 2010 :)

1. Not let blogging affect my grades

2. Clean up my blog (fix whatever needs fixing, I'm open to suggestions)

3. Visit and comment on other blogs more

4. Host more giveaways

5. Have more guest posts by other bloggers and authors

6. Have more author interviews

7. Have more informative posts relating to books about poc

8. Read more books and post more reviews!

9. Respond to comments more often

10. Read books sent to me for review within a month (I was so awful at this and I sincerely apologize and I will do better!)

My Favorite Novels of 2009: See my 2009 Holiday Gift Guide.
Since I just started blogging in July I didn't get to read as many 2009 releases as I would have liked. In addition to books featured on my Gift Guide here are a few others that deserve a notable mention

1. Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith. Read my review

2. Mare's War by Tanita Davis Read my review

3. So Punk Rock by Micol Ostow. My review

4. Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim. Read my review

5. Muchacho by LouAnne Johnson. Read my review

6. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley. I read it before this blog so I couldn't review it but I loved this novel. Wow. Highly recommended :) I need to re-read it and review!

My December religion themed reviews was a bit of a failure :( But I thoroughly enjoyed the books I did review
Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah-Muslim
Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim-Muslim
So Punk Rock (And Other Ways To Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow-Jewish
I Wanna Be Your Shoebox by Cristina Garcia-Jewish
Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa by Micol Ostow-Jewish

Throughout January expect things to be a little quieter. I have finals in two weeks so I'm not allowing myself to go to the library or a bookstore in an effort to really study for finals AND read/review all the books in my tbr pile (or as many as I can).
I also want to read at least one book for every challenge in January.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for your chance to win A Flight To Freedom by Ana Veciana Suarez, The Ring by Bobbie Pyron and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

I wish everyone a great 2010 filled with lots of love, happiness, fun, laughter, books and anything else you wish!

Perfect Chemistry

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Rating: 5/5

IQ "'No matter how much you want her in your life, she doesn't belong. A triangle can't fit into a square. Now I'll shut up.' Isa
'Gracias'. I don't point out that if it's a big enough square, a small triangle can fit inside perfectly. All you have to do is make a few adjustments in the equation." Alex pg. 121

This novel has the perfect romance! Well, since there' s no such thing as perfect, it's as close to a perfect romance as you can get. Perfect Chemistry lives up its title, the chemistry between Alex Fuentes and Brittany Ellis is sizzling ;) Seriously this novel turned a non-Romance lover (before Perfect Shot, I wouldn't have even touched a novel solely about romance, so I was slowly changing my mind) into someone who will no longer turn up their nose automatically if a romance novel is recommended to them. I read this novel twice in three days! I started reading it right before I went to sleep, thinking I would be able to put it down. Nuh-uh. I stayed up from midnight till about two in the morning reading this novel. Then I read it again the next day because the romance was beyond adorable, I needed to find some good quotes and I wanted to be sure I hadn't missed a single detail of the story. It's also the ONLY book to ever make me say 'OMG!' out-loud (I died a little inside, don't judge me).

It's a classic Romeo and Juliet story with a modern day twist. Set in Fairfield (a fictional suburb of Chicago) the new Romeo is Latino Blood (a gang) member Alex Fuentes and Juliet is the wealthy, white Brittany Ellis. Alex is poor and from the southside. It's whispered that he comes strapped to class, comes to school high and has been arrested countless times. Brittany is rich, captain of the cheerleading squad, dating the captain of the football team, is from the northside and has a seemingly perfect life. Alex and Brittany are forced to be partners all senior year in chemistry class (and now I have to quote the back cover) "the results are bound to be explosive. But neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all-love." However, everyone is rooting against their relationship (including their friends), they are just too different and Alex can never give Brittany what she wants. His lifestyle is dangerous and hers is all about reputation, safety and perfection.

Within the first few pages, you are drawn into the story by the witty one-liners, sarcasm and bantering between Alex and Brittany. They've never even talked till senior year and Brittany almost runs Alex over with her car while he is on his motorcycle which is a result of some very playful innuendos and jokes throughout the rest of the year (actually a lot of events in the book involved a car or car keys). Unlike other YA novels where the two main characters are supposed to be love interests but have no chemistry between them, this novel has a ton of it. The air is fraught with sexual tension for most of the book, but there are some really sweet, funny and heartbreaking moments as well. The romance between Brittany and Alex is hard to describe because all I can think of is AWESOME. It's a realistic relationship; they go through low lows and high highs. Half the fun is reading their flirty dialogue that they disguise as contempt for each other. The novel doesn't focus on sex and there is nothing too graphic. Also too my immense relief there is no huge misunderstanding that tears the two main characters apart. Those are annoying and played out (make no mistake, there are a lot of issues they have to work through). When you finish Perfect Chemistry, you are going to want your own Alex Fuentes (or Brittany Ellis). Personally, Alex is my current favorite YA love interest (sorry Paul and Jace) of all-time. He's the best bad boy and he has a motorcycle. And he speaks Spanish! This is a bit random, but something I really liked about the novel was there is no Spanish-English glossary in the back. I'm glad! If readers want to know what's being said they have to work a little and look it up online and perhaps they will learn a little more of the Spanish language :)

The story is told in alternating points of view in each chapter from Brittany and Alex. It was the best way to go for this novel so that we don't get all of one perspective and get to see both sides. The reader knows immediately that Brittany's life can't possibly be perfect and the author doesn't try to make it some big dramatic secret, which is nice. Readers are let in on Brittany's life right away. I especially applaud the author on having different family drama (it's not typically seen in YA novels, at least not the ones I've read), it's not predictable at all and it was very eye-opening. The relationship between Brittany and her older sister Shelley is a beautiful one and Brittany definitely wins the 'best younger sister in YA award'. Brittany's parents are almost cliches, but then they surprise you. They start out as typical; workaholic father, mother who only cares about the family's reputation and image (think of the neighbors!) but we learn more about the mother. The father did however remain a bit of cliche, but the mother was original.

The author also created an authentic high school. There were no mean girls and obnoxious cliques. There were cliques, but they were more low-key and there wasn't much time spent on them and there are some annoying, obnoxious characters, but they only play a small part in the story (this is true in real life too, the cliques and mean girls are there but they aren't a big deal, they don't dominate high school). There are definitely cliques formed based on location (and so they become racial cliques. In Chicago the SouthSide is mostly African Americans, the Northside is whites and the Westside is Latinos, but since Fairfield is fictional this doesn't apply) and the author explores that theme here. As Alex says "diversity breeds knowledge. But I've also seen it breed hatred and ignorance." and one of the best examples of that is high school. Also, when Alex and Brittany start dating (no that's not a spoiler, you must have seen that coming!And if you didn't, oh well) their friends aren't all kumbuyah, let's all hold hands. They are stubborn and unwilling to accept it. Slowly people come around, but it's a small number and not everyone does. That's a realistic portrayal. Most of the characters of the novel are genuine and well-rounded. Even characters only briefly mentioned add to the story and provide some sort of depth. I sort of wish I had their chemistry teacher, Mrs. Peterson. She's a hard grader and strict, but she really believes in her students, "If you think you can't change the world, then go on and follow he path already carved out for you. But there are other roads to choose, they're just harder to trudge through. Changing the world isn't easy, but I sure as hell am going to keep trying. Are you?"

I know some people think the ending was melodramatic, but based on what I know about gangs (Chicago is one of the main cities with the most gang violence and teens killing teens so I've read/heard enough) I wouldn't say it was melodramatic at all. It was realistic. That stuff happens, it's no picnic being in a gang, the feeling of family is often false and most people join gangs to protect their families, not necessarily themselves. I think Simone Elkeles captured that element of gang life perfectly. And yes the ultimate ending might have been a bit cheesy but really, did you want it any other way?

What makes this novel special is not the fact that it's fairly predictable, because yes it is (although there were some parts were I almost cried and there are plenty of twists and dramatic moments). What makes Perfect Chemistry special is that it provides an authentic, heart-warming, sad, humorous look into romance and high school life with a great cast of characters that you will be able to relate to. High school and up

PS You Must Watch the hilarious book trailer for Perfect Chemistry here (If I only I knew how to embed videos into this post). The uncut version isn't inappropriate or anything, I recommend you watch that one.

PPSS I'm SO EXCITED for the sequel Rules of Attraction (it will be WoWd soon)

Have a Happy New Year!

Yup Another Challenge: 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit

I've signed up for the 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge hosted by blogger Jessica and author Kay Cassidy. I need to pick 10 chick lit books to read.

Read here for more information on the challenge!

I thought this challenge sounded like a lot of fun and I think some lighter, entertaining reads will be good to have in between other books or right after a depressing or awful book.

Here's my list. As usual it's all YA, all about people of color :) I'm going for 12 books but I'm listing many books to give me some options and to remind me that they need to be read and reviewed. I also added three off color chick lit books that I really want to read.

1. Who You Wit by Paula Chase
2. Honey Blonde Chica by Michelle Serros
3. Hotlanta by Denee Milner & Mitzi Miller
4. It Chicks: Sixteen Candles by Tia Williams
5. Drama High: The Fight by L. Divine
6. Haters by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
7. How to Salsa in a Sari by Dona Sarkar
8. Hallway Diaries by Felicia Pride, Debbie Rigaud and Karen Valentin
9. Girl vs. Boy by Yvonne Collins and Sally Rideout
10. Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe
11. Amor and Summer Secrets by Diana Rodriguez Wallach
12. Jason & Kyra by Dana Davidson
13. The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy (off-color I believe)
14. Samurai Girl by Carrie Asai (is this chick lit?)
15. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (off-color)
16. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (off-color?)
17. Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrar
18. The Kids at Latimar High by Deborah Copeland

I've read a few books on this list but it's been a really long time since I read them and I know I enjoyed most of them (a few I can't remember), others are sitting in my tbr pile patiently waiting to be noticed. Let me know if you have any recommendations or think a book on my list does not qualify as chick lit!

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Rating: 5/5!!!

IQ " 'I remember everything about you,;" says Peeta, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. 'You're the one who wasn't paying attention.'
I am now, I [Katniss] say.
'Well, I don't have much competition here,' he says.
'You don't have much competition anywhere.'" Katniss pg. 382 So cute!

I was so focused on finishing this book, desperate to get to the end and see that everything turns out ok but at the same time trying to savor each page. Does everything turn out ok? That's the question left in my mind as The Hunger Games ends in an air of suspense. One of the perks of reading this novel nearly a year after it came out is that I don't have to wait for the sequel, Catching Fire (although I believe the third book comes out in August so I will have to wait for a while after finishing the sequel). Ironically, I've owned the ARC of Catching Fire for some time. My sister got it at ALA this summer and read it first, not realizing it was a sequel. Neither of us had even heard of The Hunger Games or really noticed it at bookstores. Then once I began reading book blogs it popped up all the time. Especially now during the holidays, I've seen Catching Fire on many a Best YA Books of 2009 list. It just goes to show you that the books many people are obsessed over on blogs, aren't always the same books people are obsessed about in real life (personally, very few of my friends read books so they certainly aren't going to be raving about any one in particular so I may be a little off base in my assumption. Justine Larbalestier talks about something similar Internet famous vs. World famous here). I'm not sure if I would have picked up The Hunger Games were it not for all the positive reviews on it and the countless times it was recommended to me (I swear I would see all these Team Peeta or Team Gale buttons popping up on blogs and be totally mystified!)

With that being said, on to my review. I really don't know what to say about this extraordinary novel. It's literally almost all been said. I'm pretty sure I may have been the last person with a blog to read this book. In fact, I'm not even going to summarize the book since I guarantee everyone knows what the book is about. Now if you haven't read the book you shouldn't read my review since it's basically all spoilers.

I love Katniss. One of new favorite YA heroines. She's brave, stubborn, a bit cranky and all-around fierce. She is also utterly unaware as to the fact that she has on people. We learn that guys think she's gorgeous but that people are intimidated by the sullen, angry look on her face all the time (there's an amusing scene where Katniss is being prepped for an interview and her mentor Haymitch says "you have as much charm as a dead slug." That pretty much sums it up, but how can you not love a character like that?) I was so engrossed in her struggle, completely spellbound. And the fact that she took her sister's place in the Hunger Games? True love right there. She'll do anything for her family. I also sympathizes with her confusion over which boy to choose. Although the choice has seemingly already been made for her. Throughout the Games she thinks about Gale all the time, wondering about his reaction to this or that. But she also gets closer to Peeta and grows to admire him.

Now for the ultimate question: Team Gale or Team Peeta? The bad boy vs. the good guy. A very tough choice, since I really like both of them. I'm not at my love stage with them, I think both guys are great, but I'm not obsessed nor do I feel inclined to go argue about who is a better match for Katniss, especially since I have mixed feelings toward them both. I like Gale because he's strong, rebellious and a good friend to Katniss. I think his nickname for her "Catnip" is cute and shows that he has a softer, teasing side. He's independent and the fact that he automatically volunteers to watch over Katniss' family speaks volume about what a great guy he is. On the downside we don't know much about him and he's more of a fighter than a thinker. He doesn't always think about how his words and actions could be taken as a form of rebellion and get him and his loved ones in trouble. But I think some of the best romances start out as a friendship, so I wouldn't mind seeing him with Katniss. However, I do wonder at what's taking him so long to proclaim his feelings to Katniss. It's clear (at least to the readers if not Katniss) that he likes her and wants to be more than friends (talks about running away together, kids). Katniss does seem to realize that Gale has feelings for her and she has feelings for him too since she doesn't like to think about Gale and Peeta in the same thought. I like Peeta because he's such a sweetheart. The soft spoken baker's boy has a few surprises in him. He gets done what needs to be done when necessary and even though he can frost a cake he can also wrestle and camouflage himself extremely well. He's not afraid to share his feelings with Katniss. He's smart, strong and hates being helpless. He's even a bit cunning whether he knows it or not and he knows how to play to the crowd (a fine actor in the making). However, I don't know how long their relationship would be able to last since it's based on pretense and necessity. Ultimately, I'm on Team Peeta because he's got so many great qualities and is really a surpise throughout the Hunger Games. This could change of course since in Catching Fire we spend more time in District 12 with Gale and Peeta. So I'll get to know Gale better and perhaps see an unflattering side of Peeta?

I also remembered reading a blog post over at Steph Su's blog about whether or not YA Literature Should Be Used in The Classroom. I definitely think YA literature should be used in the classroom and The Hunger Games proves my point. You could easily use a book like this in a classroom to discuss modern issues to really get students. This book asks tough questions about family and sacrifice (be honest would you take your loved one's place in The Hunger Games, knowing in all likelihood that you will die? An excellent essay question!), reality TV (the games are a form of reality TV in the future. Do you think reality TV would ever be like that?), violence in society (the Hunger Games isn't particularly gruesome but it's not fluff either, the question would be do you think teenagers should read more books with violence featured in them. While many people would assume all teens are violence thirsty maniacs who would say "yes more violence!" I think the number of Nos, you would get from teenagers would be a large number with interesting reasons) and the future in general (especially a manipulative government, is this a possibility in the future?) These are just a few questions that ran through my mind that would make great discussions and essay topics.

I was fully confident this book would meet my high expectations and it did. I'm sure Catching Fire will exceed all of my expectations and I'm eager to read it. I highly recommend The Hunger Games as it's entertaining and thought-provoking. The characters are fantastic and furthermore, I liked how the issue of race never comes up in that I didn't automatically assume all the characters were white. Characters of all races abound in this novel, Katniss herself has olive skin and dark hair (her sister, Prim is a blonde with blue eyes). This novel has it all; tough issues to tackle (class, government, war, reality TV, etc.), romance (Gale vs. Peeta), adventure/violence (23 people to kill in order to be named the victor) and small bursts of humor that kept the novel from getting too heavy (especially from Effie and Haymitch).The world Suzanne Collins has created will suck you in and be completely authentic and believable. High school and up.

Sidenote: The Hunger Games is being made into a movie and I would definitely go to see it, especially because the author is the screenwriter so it shouldn't be butchered like other books into movies. I don't really have any ideas for casting picks so feel free to share your choices for the characters. From what I've seen, many people aren't casting olive-skinned actors, just suggesting people use make-up which is annoying, I'm sure there are some great actors out there who aren't white (for the latest example I can think of see Slumdog Millionaire! Fantastic movie). Also since Katniss loves to sing, I'm thinking of creating a music playlist for the book :)

Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa

Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa by Micol Ostow 2006

Rating: 2.5/5

IQ "It'd be nice to have real feelings, strong feelings for someone-as a person more than just a romantic entity. I'll bet that Lucy has real feelings for Rafael...which in turn leads to the suckiness. So unfair, life." Emily pg. 134

Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa tells the story of Emily Goldberg, a half Jewish, half Puerto Rican high school senior. She's never met her mother's Puerto Rican relatives until her Puerto Rican grandmother dies and her mother insists the whole family attend the funeral. Emily's always been curious as to why her mother doesn't talk about her Puerto Rican family, but she's always simply assumed that her mother didn't want to be a part of her family back in Puerto Rico once she moved to America. After all her mother moved to New York, went to college, married and converted to Judaism. She's never mentioned her Puerto Rican sisters or parents or extended family. But being back in Puerto Rico makes her mother nostalgic. She decides she wants to stay for a little while over the summer and Emily's dad wants Emily to stay with her. Emily reluctantly agrees although she's a little upset over the fact that she is missing the summer road trip her friends have planned and that she won't be spending time with her boyfriend, Noah before they both go to college. Emily's Puerto Rican relatives are polite, but many of them think she's spoiled and they all call her the 'nuyorican'. Emily's cousin, Lucy, gives her an especially hard time.

This novel is cute and predictable with some holes. Emily is a genuine character; funny, awkward, shy and astute. One of my favorite quotes of hers (besides the IQ) is "the moment feels pregnant, tense, brimming with potential and unspoken promises." I've never heard a moment descriebd as pregnant and I thought that was funny and clever. Her struggles are what the everyday teen goes through. She's worried that she and Noah aren't handling their distance well and she's not sure what they're going to do once they're both in college. They've never talked about their relationship in the long-term, like it states in the above quote, Emily starts to realize that she likes the idea of having a boyfriend, better than her actual boyfriend. Her struggle is over whether or not she can change her feelings and fix her relationship with Noah which is severely weakened by her being in Puerto Rico. Lucy was an annoying character. She has a grudge against Emily and viewed her as being a pampered princess. My problem with her was she held the grudge for so long when there was clearly evidence to the contrary that Emily wasn't spoiled and stuck-up. Emily's shyness could be perceived as snottiness but she quickly proves that she's not and I would have liked to see a better relationship between Lucy and her. Emily's boyfriend is a completely abstract character, which is fitting I guess, since we don't see much of him, but Emily thinks about him all the time so I was expecting a little more information on him. The secondary characters like Ricky, Rafael, Jose (Lucy's brother), Marisa (Emily's precocious ten year old neighbor) Ramona and all of Lucy's other friends are pretty flat as well. I especially wanted to know why Marisa was so fascinated with Emily.

I feel like the novel didn't fully explore Puerto Rico. In that, Emily didn't really get out all that much, she spent most of the time at home with her mom and one of her mom's sisters, Rosa (her mother has four sisters, but they stayed at Rosa's house) and her family. She didn't even visit her other relatives. It would have been nice if Emily asked questions about her Puerto Rican heritage but she never did. In truth she spent most of the time being timid and boring and she started to get on my nerves. She was genuine yes, but genuinely annoying. And she didn't even learn how to salsa dance till the last chapter! She did visit Old San Juan and a few other historical places as well as teen hotspots in Puerto Rico (clubs and malls) but there wasn't much detail about the people there and whether or not it was the same as American dance clubs and malls.

All in all, Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa is an enjoyable read, but the characters aren't particularly endearing or memorable. I'm sure this is a story I'll forget down the line, but it was an entertaining quick read. Emily's struggles are authentic especially in addressing the issues that arise the summer before going to college for many high school students, but she was just an ok character who didn't really discover her roots. 8th grade and up.

The Winner! And Enter My Next Giveaway :)

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway for a $20 Borders giftcard. You guys shared some really sweet holiday stories and gave me some great recommendations (based on what you would get with the giftcard). BTW I did end up giving 2 extra entries for everyone who commented on my reviews :)

And the winner is.....

Aik!

Congrats! I'll be emailing you shortly. You have 48 hours to get back to me.

Now onto my next giveaway. This one is going to last a little longer, but same old easy entries!

Who: 1 winner-U.S. Only (I'm sorry all my international friends!)

What: Win 3 books; The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Flight to Freedom by Ana Veciana- Suarez and The Ring by Bobbie Pyron. Read my The Ring review. Read my Flight to Freedom review

When: Dec. 28, 2009-Jan. 18, 2010

How: I have 2 copies of Flight to Freedom and The House on Mango Street. So I decided to giveaway one. And Bobbie Pyron has graciously agreed to donate a copy of The Ring. Thanks Bobbie!

Must leave an email address! Just leave me any kind of comment, it could just be 'hey'. Interesting/funny/thoughtful comments are always appreciated!

+1 Sidebar link (leave link)

+3 long time follower (haha Edi I followed your advice!)

+2 new follower

+2 First person to comment on any reviews starting today till Jan. 18 (MLK Day).

+5 If you comment on all reviews from now until Jan. 18 (can't just be 'great review').

I've read all these books (just not all reviewed) and I really really liked them and I'm sure you will too!

Best of luck everyone and have a happy new year!

Flight to Freedom by Ana Veciana-Suarez (YA)

Yara is an eighth-grader who lives in a middle-class neighborhood of 1967 Havana, Cuba. Her parents, who do not share the political beliefs of the Communist party, finally are forces to flee Cuba with their children to Miami, Florida. There, Yara records in her diary the difficulties she encounters in a strange land with foreign customs. She must learn English and go to school with new children. Her parents also adjust to the new country differently, and Yara's father grows frustrated with her mother when she becomes more independent.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Told in a series of vignettes stunning for their eloquence, The House on Mango Street is Sandra Cisneros's greatly admired novel of a young girl growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. Acclaimed by critics, beloved by children, their parents and grandparents, taught everywhere from inner-city grade schools to universities across the country, and translated all over the world, it has entered the canon of coming-of-age classics.

Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous, The House on Mango Street tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, whose neighborhood is one of harsh realities and harsh beauty. Esperanza doesn't want to belong--not to her rundown neighborhood, and not to the low expectations the world has for her. Esperanza's story is that of a young girl coming into her power, and inventing for herself what she will become.

The Ring by Bobbie Pyron (YA)

Plagued by slipping grades and a budding criminal record, at 15, Mardie's heading down a path of self-destruction she can't seem to avoid. Unlike her perfect older brother Michael, who does everything right according to their father, Mardie can't measure up. But when she discovers a girls' boxing club at the gym, Mardie's drawn in by the fighters' fearlessness and strength. Having already lost her parents' trust, and shunned by her boyfriend and friends, the ring is the only place left where no one judges Mardie. Angry and hurt, Mardie can't wait to start throwing punches. But Kitty, her wise and patient trainer, a former boxer who's coached her share of troubled girls, shows Mardie that boxing isn't just about fighting--it's also about strategy and mental discipline--the things that make a fighter into a winner. Mardie begins to apply the lessons she's learned in the ring to her own battles, especially at home, where she finds she's not the only one struggling for acceptance. As she trains for her upcoming championship bouts, Mardie hopes to make her parents proud. Filled with exciting sports action, The Ring is the inspiring story of a girl learning to believe in herself.

Male Monday: The God Box

The God Box by Alex Sanchez 2007

Rating: 5/5

IQ "not every single soul Jesus reached out to is listed in the Gospels. And how do we know that some of the people who are mentioned weren't gay." Angie pg. 15

The God Box is one of the most quotable books ever, so I just picked one of the first ones I saw that resonated with me, but there are so many other incredible quotes in this book! I love this book. It fulfills a much needed niche in the issue that so many teens struggle over which is; can you remain true to your faith and be homosexual? My answer (and the book's) is YES! This book is a lot like a how-to guide in that the author takes every excuse Christians give that homosexuality is bad and completely trounces it with facts and Bible verses to back him up. He does this through a delightful cast of characters.

In The God Box Paul (really Pablo but he wants to be called Paul) is a senior in high school and he's had the same girlfriend, Angie, since middle school. They are best friends with a lot of the same interests and committed Christians but there's not a lot of passion between them. Then Manuel transfers to their school and he's gay. They live in a small conservative town in Texas and homosexuality is severely frowned upon and one kid (Jude) has no problem saying "If I saw two guys walk down the street holding hands, I'd take a baseball bat and kill them." These comments are all too common and school officials do nothing to stop the teasing, vandalism and violence that is happening to anyone the popular kids at school deem "queer" (whether they are actually GLBT or not). Paul has been having dreams about guys and when Manuel shows up, it brings the issues Paul has been struggling with to the surface. Manuel is clearly into him, but Paul loves Angie so in his mind, he can't be gay.

This novel is wonderfully well written and the characters were so real for me. I was terrified for Manuel's safety and I had to remind myself that it was just a book. Then I realized, it's not just a book. Real events happen like this all the time in high schools and towns across America. And the ignorant, hurtful comments that kids would say about GLBT teens reminded me too much of the derogatory, violent way white people treated black people, especially in the South. In The God Box, people have essentially changed only two things from the days of segregation; the target (from blacks to gays) and the method (from lynching to shooting). It's awful, especially because most of the people in the novel are supposed to be Christians. My favorite character is Manuel. He's wonderful with his pierced ears and eyebrow, devout faith and endless optimism. He doesn't let the negative comments and harassment get him too down and he has a great comeback for everything. He's a devout Christian and he really knows his Bible, he's constantly proving wrong Scripture passages that are used to condemn homosexuality with scripture passages that just let it be, homosexuality just is. He also has a really cool idea about God that I never though of (the inner feminist in me is ashamed), that God is also a she. "doesn't St. Paul say in Galatians that in Christ 'there is neither male nor female'? Why should we portray God as some old bearded guy, or even a man at all? Since we don't have a pronoun for a Supreme Being so infinite that it's called the 'I am', why not give equal time to calling God 'she'?" (pg.71) Huh. It's an interesting thought and throughout the book Manuel mixes it up, calling God Him and She.

It's fairly clear right away that Paul is gay, but his classmates and family don't suspect anything (although his girlfriend and other close friends do). Paul's struggle is heart wrenching and you feel so bad for him as he goes through a roller coaster ride of emotions ranging from happiness when he hangs out with Manuel to intense guilt for having his dreams and thinking his thoughts about guys to love for Angie. Watching Paul's growth in faith and maturity is a very real journey that connects the reader. I didn't feel any distance from Paul and his struggle, I was able to visualize the scenes from the book and imagine how these characters must have felt. The ending is sad and rewarding and I was definitely rooting for Paul and all his friends to come out ok. Another great character is Angie, Paul's girlfriend. She's the best example of a Christian (along with Manuel and Dakota, another one of Paul's friends). She's very sweet and is trying to help Paul understand who he is, although she loves him and wants him to be straight. She's caring and reaches out to everyone although we do learn that she has had to struggle to come to terms with her feelings about Christianity and homosexuality. Dakota is a firecracker always willing to fight for injustice. She's blunt, compassionate and loyal. She, Angie and Manuel decide to try and start a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) and reading about their efforts to do that is frustrating and fascinating. The school tries to thwart them at every turn but they will not be deterred. Even the awful characters are scarily realistic and three-dimensional.

The title is thoughtful and unique as Manuel says (and I agree) "I think we've created God in our image, instead of the other way around. It's like we've built this little box and tried to cram the infinity of God into it, too afraid that if we let him out, she might challenge us too much." This theme is explored in depth throughout the rest of the book. I can't recommend The God Box enough, it's a Godsend in a way because I think it really helps all teens struggling between keeping their faith and staying true to themselves, even if you're GLBT this book will delight and inspire you because you may have a similar attitude to that of other characters; God will send all GLBT people to hell. This book refutes that claim but not at all in a preachy way. For mature readers. 8th grade and up (or at least for people who are mature and about to enter high school). Oh and I really like the cover, how it's two guys holding hands and through their hands you can see a church door (I think it's a church door at least).

Note: I ask that all people read this book, but especially Christians. It's the very definition of food for thought and I think all Christians should read this book and remain open-minded. Perhaps Christians are being a bit too hasty and judgemental in their feelings about homosexuality and taking the Bible out of context.

Skunk Girl

Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim 2009
MacMillan/FSG

Rating: 5/5

IQ "But this is my body and this is who I am and feeling sorry for myself isn't going to change the situation, or make it any better. Why direct so much negative energy inward, at something you can't even help? I should reserve any negative energy for the things and people who really deserve it, like men who don't put the toilet seat seat down or people who drive on the shoulder to try to bypass bumper-to-bumper traffic. My name is Nina Khan, and I'm a skunk girl. [...] and this makes me a little different, yes, but not any less beautiful. Not one bit." Nina pg.12-213

Nina Khan is a sixteen year old skunk girl. She is a skunk girl because there's a line of hair running down her back. This is mortifying because her crush Asher Richelli has seen it and she's sure that he'll never like a skunk girl. Also she's not allowed to go to parties, sleepovers, dances and can't be friends with boys and dating is certainly out of the question. All Nina wants is to please her traditional family and fit in with her classmates.

Nina is an amazing main character, She's funny and awkward. She's the only Muslim and Pakistani in her small, predominately white town in New York. People are ignorant and while it annoys Nina she doesn't always speak up for herself. She makes fun of her world with a sharp tongue that she wishes she could use in real life, only in her head is she quick-witted. In real life she says awkward things that ruin sweet or light-hearted moments. Nina never gets too whiny or bogged down in self-pity she keeps (while not always a positive outlook) a funny perspective on everything. The romance between Nina and Asher is so cute. I wasn't expecting the ending between them, but I think it is realistic. Asher is pretty good guy although there were some things I didn't like about him, he's not one of my favorite YA love interests. Nina's two best friends are great; Bridget and Helena. They are complete opposites, Helena is bubbly and gorgeous, she always has a boyfriend and she believes in true love. Bridget is sarcastic, tall and clumsy. However she can ski quite well. Both of them are very understanding of the restrictions Nina has. And while they have boyfriends, they never make Nina feel like a third or fifth wheel. They mature as characters, Helena realizes that she doesn't always need a boy in her life and Bridget learns to take the initiative in relationships. Another growth in a relationship is the bond between Nina and her sister, Sonia. Sonia was a "supernerd" who had no life in high school. Nina wants Sonia's good grades but she also wants a life. They have no relationship to speak of and the gulf between them grows even longer when Sonia goes to college. Sonia does come back and visit and they grow to understand each other better and theirs is a realistic relationship (I think) between sisters.

Each section in the book has a title that ties into the content of the section, oftentimes it's a humorous title like "The Wrath of Khan" or "Next Stop: Street Hooker". Nina's narration if fast-paced we laugh and cringe as she has a series of first and new experiences. Nina's story is universal. While we may not all be skunk girls, every girl can empathize with Nina's story because we all have some body hair in some place or another body issue that we hate about ourselves. We all disagree with some rule or another that our parents have. I also liked how in Skunk Girl, we learn about the different ways Muslims practice their religion. Some pray all the time and some hardly ever. We get glimpses into the lives of Muslim families when Nina and her family go to parties of other Pakistani Muslims. Especially in the discussions between Nina and other Pakistani Muslim girls her age, they aren't very close but they bond over similar issues of trying to balance two worlds. They talk about the challenges of having coarse body hair and dating. Most of the girls are in their first or second year of college, but they accept Nina into their group. One girl's boyfriend has proposed to her, but he's not Muslim or Pakistani. Their mothers all want to arrange their marriages and they don't particularly care if the girls finish college or not as long as they are married. Nina's mom tells her daughters they can marry whomever they wish and they can go to college, but the girls know that she wants them to marry a doctor/lawyer/businessman/engineer Pakistani Muslim and she wouldn't care if they didn't finish college.

Skunk Girl is a fantastic read that everyone can relate to. You will laugh with her, root for everything to turn out well for her in the end and admire her optimism and fresh, humorous perspective. This book is perfect for every high school student who has ever felt left out and had a low self-esteem (I think that's every high school student!). The book isn't predictable, or slow to develop or boring. It's fresh, funny, and fast with some twists. High school and up.

New Crayons, This Week in Reviews, Awards and More Challenges (Historical Fiction, Global Reading)

New Crayons is brought to you by Color Online.

I'm pretty much the only book blogger who got no books for Christmas. Haha. But it's ok because I got some money that I can use for books.

From the Library

Child of Dandelions by Sheenaz Nanji

In Uganda in 1972, President Idi Amin, also known as the Last King of Scotland, announces that foreign Indians must be “weeded" out of Uganda in ninety days. Fifteen-year-old Sabine’s life is changed forever. The president’s message, broadcast on the radio every day, becomes Sabine’s “countdown monster," and it follows her through days of terror. Sabine’s father is convinced that, as Ugandan citizens, their family will be unaffected, but her mother insists it’s too dangerous to stay. When her beloved uncle disappears and her best friend abandons her, Sabine begins to understand her mother’s fears. She becomes desperate to leave, but Bapa, her grandfather, refuses to accompany her. How can she leave him, and where will her family go to begin a new life?

-I'm super excited to read this book since I love historical fiction and it's about a poc! It's part of the South Asian Author Challenge along with the Royal Reviews: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. The challenge starts Jan. 1, 2010 and I'm reading it on that very day :)

Reading in Color Reviews Week of 12/20-12/27 (Remember you may get 2 additional entries in my giveaway if you comment on reviews)

Male Monday: So Punk Rock by Micol Ostow (Off-Color)

Tuesday: Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia

Wednesday: The Ring by Bobbie Pyron (Off-Color)
Thrusday: I Wanna Be Your Shoebox by Cristina Garcia (MG)

Friday: Ash by Malinda Lo
Saturday: Perfect Shot by Debbie Rigaud
Sunday: Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim (Coming soon).

It's been a whirlwind of a week, but I want to review a book everyday until December 31st. I'm trying to get all the books that have been recommended to me reviewed before 2010!

More Challenges (I swear I'm done after this!)

Royal Reviews: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge -Why am I doing this challenge? Because I LOVE historical fiction and I want to spread awareness of historical fiction about poc. I know it exists and I'm eager to find all I can. I always have to shoot for the highest level in a challenge so I'm going for obsessed which means I read 20 books. Starts Jan. 1, 2010-Dec. 31, 2010

Here's my list-All YA and all about people of color. In no particular order.

1. Child of Dandelions by Sheenaz Nanji

2. Copper Sun by Sharon Draper
3. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation Vol. 1: Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

4. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation Vol. 2: Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson

5. Harlem Summer by Walter Dean Myers

6. This Strange New Feeling: Three Love Stories from Black History by Julius Lester

7. Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman

8. Anahita's Woven Riddle by Meghan Nuttal Sayres

9. Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins

10. Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz

11. Thin Wood Walls by David Patneaude

12. An Ocean Apart, a World Away by Lensey Namioka

13. Ties That Bind, Ties that Break by Lensey Namioka

14. The Stone Goddess by Minfong Ho

15. Zazoo by Richard Mosher

16. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

17. Sammy and Julianna in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Saenz
18. Secrets in the House of Delgado by Gloria Miklowitz

19. All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

20. The Rock and The River by Kekla Magoon

I'm also participating in the Challenge That Dare Not Speak It's Name: GLBT Challenge 2010. I'm going for Rainbow Level which means read 12 books. See my sidebar for my list of titles and other details.

My last challenge is the 2010 Global Challenge

This one is probably my hardest challenge so I'm going to start with easy and hopefully I'll be able to upgrade! The Easy challenge involves reading a book from Africa, Asia, Australiasia, Europe, North America, and South America. From your own continent find a country, state or author that is new to you. I'll have to do some more research for titles, preferably YA.

I got a blog award! Like a really long time ago and I'm awful for delaying so long in putting up this post. Thanks so much Ah Yuan at Gal Novelty!

Here are the rules for this award:
1.) Thank and post URL to the blog that gave the award.
2.) Pass the award along to 6 brilliantly over the top blogs (blogs you love!) Alert them so they know to receive the award.
3.) Copy and paste this quiz... Change the answers, ONE word only. (2 are acceptable.

I'm giving this award to...

1. Helen at Helen's Book Blog

2. Nathalie at Multiculturalism Rocks!

3. Sheila at One Person's Journey Through Books

4. Robby at Once Upon a Book Blog

5. Zetta at Fledgling

6. Jodie at BookGazing

The Q&A

1. Where is your cell phone? bed
2. Your hair? Straight

3. Your mother? Working out

4. Your father? Basketball
5. Your favorite food? Pizza
6. Your dream last night? None
7. Your favorite drink? Water
8. Your dream/goal? Wealthy, Happy
9. What room are you in? Bedroom
10. Your hobby? reading

11. Your fear? death
2. Where do you want to be in 6 years? College
13. Where were you last night? babysitting
14. Something that you aren't? math skills
15. Muffins? Yes!
16. Wish list item? Books!
17. Where did you grow up? Chicago
18. Last thing you did? Sleep

19. What are you wearing? Jeans

20. Your TV? Awesome
21. Your pets? None

22. Friends? Amazing

23. Your life? Decent

24. Your mood? Pensive

25. Missing someone? Nah

26. Vehicle? public transportation
27. Something you're not wearing? hat
28. Your favorite store? bookstore

29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? Don't know
32. Your best friend? hilarious
33. One place that I go to over and over? school :(
34. One person who emails me regularly? mom
35. Favorite place to eat? Benihana's

Whew sorry for such a long post, but I had a lot of catching up to do! Happy Holidays :)

Perfect Shot

Perfect Shot by Debbie Rigaud 2009

Rating: 3.5/5

IQ "Besides it is a known fact that if you don't care enough about what you're fighting for, you are less likely to win the battle." London pg.145

High school junior London Abram is an amazing volleyball player and she loves the sport and doesn't relish the idea of going outside of her comfort zone. But then she meets Brent St. John while working at her art-store job. London rings up his purchases and discovers that he's a photographer. Later that day she sees him in front of a store. She doesn't realize what all the commotion is about, until she's already been counted by Brent. She learns that he's working as a photographer's assistant in a modeling competition. So she does what any girl with a crush will do; she signs up for the modeling competition to spend more time with him! London is competing against fourteen other aspiring models, people who really know fashion. London knows nothing about fashion, she's perfectly comfortable wearing her volleyball jersey and jeans everyday. London only cares about getting Brent's attention, but then she gets into the competition, it's kind of fun. Also there's a cash prize and London needs the money if she's going to be able to afford volleyball camp. London is starting to think that maybe she can win the boy, the competition and the money!

The writing in Perfect Shot is fast-paced and holds the reader's interest. The characters have pretty good senses of humor and their antics will have you chuckling. London's best friend, Pam is a self proclaimed HDQ (Haitian Drama Queen) and she lives up to her nickname. While her dramatics will definitely have you laughing, her loyalty to London will emphasis what a seriously true friend is. Pam has lots of crazy stories about her various crushes through the years and they are all helpful to London. In one story London learns that, "offering his seat is not synonymous with offering his heart. Some guys actually do it because they want to, not because they want you." (pg. 90-91). I think that's a very good lesson to keep in mind. Another interesting character was Kelly, London's arch-rival. They go way back, they were both child star models, but they've never gotten along. Kelly grows and develops as a character in a realistic way, she doesn't change over night after some life-altering experience which is good. And of course, Brent is adorable, but I think he's the one major character who wasn't developed all that well. I would have liked to learn more about his background especially the reasoning as to why he became a photographer. London is a likable main character, I was invested in her success concerning Brent and the modeling competition.

It's safe to assume that Perfect Shot will be predictable, including the outcome of the modeling competition. I don't know much about romance novels, but I'm pretty sure romantic comedy end happily. The book was different in the reason behind the fighting between London and Kelly. While a bit annoying, it was different and added a little more interest to the story.

A minor problem with the novel is some of the celebrity references and events. For example, when describing Brent, London says he looks like "a cross between a teenage Lenny Kravitz and a modern-day Jean-Michael Basquiat." Now, perhaps this is my lack of art knowledge, but I had no idea as to who Jean-Michael Basquiat. I did however know what Lenny Kravitz looked like, so throughout the book I envisioned Brent as looking like Lenny Kravitz with other elements of my own dream guy. Now, I'm no worse for wear because of imagining how he looks, but it may cause a bit of confusion among readers. There are a lot of pop culture references, most from the last five years, but that dates the book. I'm not sure of the longevity of SimonPulse Romantic Comedies, but if they are continuously re-read then future readers may also be confused, not knowing what TRL is, or what the music video "Stronger" is like or who DJ Unk is. I'm the kind of reader who has to go and look up cultural references that I don't know, but some readers won't bother and while I certainly don't think the cultural elements made the book, I think they add a nice element to it.

I liked Perfect Shot, it's a funny, cute and thoroughly entertaining read. I also want to chime in and agree that Perfect Shot would make a cute movie and Debbie's casting of the two main characters are perfect. Tristan Wilds as Brent and Teyana Taylor as London! If you've read the book, what do you think? Anyway, I definitely recommend this book to all romance fans and for those who (like me) are new to the genre. It's a good intro to the romantic comedy series and I applaud Ms. Riguad on being the first author to have a book about African Americans in the SimonPulse Romantic Comedies series.

Disclosure: Received from the author. Thanks Debbie!

Ash

Ash by Malinda Lo 2009
Little & Brown/Hachette Book Group

Rating: 100/5!!

IQ "She wasn't exactly telling the truth, but she wasn't entirely lying, either, for she did not believe that wrong was an accurate description of her feelings. Perplexed, yes; uncertain, yes; but beneath it all something as yet unnamed was coming into focus." pg. 187

I chose the above quote because I think it fully exemplifies how people feel when they fall in love and I also think that it describes how people feel may feel when struggling to find out their sexuality (this is pure speculation, based on the few other books I've read, so in all probability I may be wrong and feel free to say so). As in, when first falling in love, people are confused. We don't know what this bubbly (cute song) feeling is that has come upon us, we feel uncertain but happy.

I LOVED this novel! As soon as I finished it, I knew that I had to review it on Christmas, a wonderful book for a wonderful day (if you don't celebrate Christmas, well then it's for a wonderful holiday season! Ash is a retelling of Cinderella. I must admit, I would prefer to have seen this version of Cinderella in movie form as a child or to have it read to me. Anyway, Ash is short for Aisling and her story starts off somewhat typically, just add in magic. Ash is devastated by the loss of her parents, especially the death of her mother. She wants to die and be with her family. Her stepmother has her working as a servant and her stepsisters are apathetic and even make her life worse. Enter Sidhean and Kaisa (I also adore all the names used in the novel). Sidhean is a powerful fairy and Ash falls in love with him, she wants to become a part of his world. Sidhean is handsome and seems to care deeply for Ash, but he's also dangerous. She feels that only in the world of fairies will she be happy (short of death and in a way you do die when you join the faeries). Then she meets Kaisa who is the King's Huntress. Kaisa is beautiful, friendly to her and doesn't treat Ash like a lowly servant (unlike everyone else in her life). She treats Ash with respect. She teaches her things and listens to her. In a way, Ash is a love triangle but within that love triangle are the deeper forces, Sidhean represents death and Kaisa represents life. Who will she chose? Also, all the characters are three-dimensional. We learn their stories and while some don't change, we learn the motives behind their actions, and some characters do change for the better.

I love the twists in Ash. Not just the obvious of Ash falls in love with a woman. Their romance is slow to develop but it's thoroughly enjoyable. But that's not what this novel is about. Ash is not a coming out story, it's more of a coming of age story. Even more it's about a girl coming to terms with her grief and learning to love again. She is at rock bottom and love saves her. Ash is grieving and Sidhean is a way out, he's not Prince Charming (he is charming though). He's her fairy godmother (fairy godfather to be politically correct ;p). Also his help comes at a price. Ash is unpredictable because while you suspect the story will have a happy ending, there is a good deal of pain and trials to go through. How exactly will Ash get her happy ending?

The writing in Ash is absolutely beautiful. You turn each page slowly and you never want the story to end. I relished each place. I could have stayed in Ash's world forever. I could perfectly envision it in my mind's eye. A place where everyone is accepting of people's gender (there's no preconceived gender roles), sexuality (there are gay couples and it's totally fine) and race. Race is never really mentioned in the book, only in descriptions of character's appearance, although the author has said that she has always seen Ash and Kaisa as Asian. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world where people's race and sexuality were accepted as is and that no one was told they could not do something because of their gender? I also loved this world for the fairies. They are beautiful, cold, magical beings. They hide from the humans and the only real source of conflict in Ash's world is over whether or not fairies exist, and the practicing of magic by greenwitches. And of course, the exquisite scenery described in Ash adds to the attraction of her world. Ash spends much of her time in the Woods, where faeries are said to lurk. The Woods are described with such detail, you can envision them perfectly in your imagination.

I can't recommend this book enough. Ash will blow you away, it's just lovely. I finished this book feeling satisfied with a happy content feeling, but then later on, I wanted more (the author is working on a story set in the same world but thousands of years earlier, I believe). I'm so glad I bought this book because Ash is a book I will treasure and re-read countless times. Also, the cover is gorgeous! I'm so glad that one of my new favorite books has a great cover to go with it :) There's no graphic violence or sexually explicit acts so I'm going to recommend this to all who are in 7th grade and up.

I want to close this review with a quote from the author (which I found watching this video because I think she is right on and I couldn't have said it any better myself (I'm paraphrasing a bit) "The real fairytale is that nobody cares that she's gay. The fairytale is that she can fall in love with another woman and it's as normal and wonderful as any heterosexual romance." Amen! It's a beautiful romance, but Ash is about so much more; loss, love and hope. Ash is a must-read. Don't miss out on this stunning debut novel.

PS Merry Christmas everyone!!!! And I hope everyone continues to have a happy holiday season :)

I Wanna Be Your Shoebox

Happy Holidays!

I Wanna Be your Shoebox by Cristina Garcia

Rating:4.5/5

IQ "How do you balance what happens to you against what you make happen? Are they both a kind of destiny? I think about what Saul's been telling me. That life is not just about the hand you're dealt, but what you do with it." pg. 126

I Wanna Be Your Shoebox is quotable, "awesomesauce" (to quote Ah Yuan), funny with heart and pretty great. I only had a few problems with the novel.

Thirteen year old Yumi is Cuban, Japanese and Jewish. Her parents are divorced and although she lives with her mother, she is closest to her father's family. Her father is a piano tuner and dreams of making it big in the punk music world. Her father's father, Saul is Jewish and dying of cancer. He married Hirohito, a woman he met in Japan. Saul and Hirohito lived in Japan for many years and were prosperous there. Yumi asks Saul to tell her his story, so she can learn everything she can from him and about him before he dies (he's 92!). Yumi's world seems to be turning upside when on top of her grandfather dying, her Cuban (with a little Guatemalan mixed in) mother announces that she has a serious boyfriend and they are moving from L.A. to Napa. Oh and to top it all off, her school's orchestra program (Yumi plays the clarinet) is being cut off. It's going to be an eventful, stressful, funny, heartbreaking year.

My main problem with the novel was the slow moving plot. There aren't many twists and the climax is really slow to develop. I was starting to grow impatient, wanting a plan of action for Yumi on how to save her orchestra. Furthermore, some incidents were unresolved, as in we never learned anything else about them. They happened and that was that, no reactions from anyone or further elaboration (for example why did Yumi's parents get divorced?). Another problem was that some characters were flat. With such a leisurely moving plot, the characters should have been well developed. But the personalities of Yumi's Cuban family (including her mother) are not described with much depth and we know almost nothing about Jim, her mother's boyfriend. Yumi herself admits that she's closer to her Japanese-Jewish side, but she wants to learn more about her Cuban side. I would have liked to see her connect more with her Cuban grandparents and her mother's sister.

There was one main surprising twist to the book, and that was the romance. It's not a prevalent part of the book, which I liked, but it's there beneath the surface. A love triangle ensues and the end result took me by surprise, but was quite pleasing. Yumi is a great protagonist, stubborn, independent, loyal, a leader and true to her own heart. She takes charge of saving her school's orchestra, by deciding they should play punk songs. I would love to hear an orchestra playing the Sex Pistols, Bob Marley, the Ramones, the Clash and the Wailers! It was really sweet and I loved seeing Yumi's take charge attitude, she goes toe to toe with her school principal and she will have you cheering her on! She's one of my all-time favorite middle grade protagonists and I would love to see a YA novel about her because I'm sure she would be just as awesome when she's older. I loved the quirkiness of the orchestra, they are funny and thoroughly entertaining.

Saul's story is fascinating, with high points and low points and he teaches Yumi (and the reader) valuable lessons. he is always optimistic, keeps his sense of humor and is unafraid to die. He will have you laughing and he has characteristics that will remind you of your own grandparents. Hirohito also has an interesting story, although I wished we learned more about her background. I loved hearing about their life together in Japan, since it showed Japan in a thoughtful, different, positive light, Japan was a bustling, happening place and it was one of the best places to be for Americans (besides America).

The title I Wanna be Your Shoebox comes from a poem of the same name by Catherine Bowman. It's an awesome poem, and I'm including it at the bottom of this review. I Wanna Be Your Shoebox is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it to all middle schoolers. Older teens may be a little more annoyed by the slow moving plot, however the quirky characters along with the big hearts displayed throughout the book, make this book endearing. 5th grade and up.

For those who celebrate Christmas, have a Merry Christmas (I will be reviewing Ash tomorrow, not sure when, but it's so beautiful I want to review it on Christmas!) :D For all those who don't celebrate Christmas, have a wonderful holiday season!!

I want to be your shoebox

I want to be your Fort Knox

I want to be your equinox

I want to be your paradox

I want to be your pair of socks

I want to be your paradise

I want to be your pack of lies

I want to be your snake eyes

I want to be your Mac with fries

I want to be your moonlit estuary

I want to be your day missing in February

I want to be your floating dock dairy

I want to be your pocket handkerchief

I want to be your mischief

I want to be your slow pitch

I want to be your fable without a moral

Under a table of black elm I want to be your Indiana morel

Casserole. Your drum roll. Your trompe l'oeil

I want to be your biscuits

I want to be your business

I want to be your beeswax

I want to be your milk money

I want to be your Texas Apiary honey

I want to be your Texas. Honey

I want to be your cheap hotel

I want to be your lipstick by Chanel

I want to be your secret passage

All written in Braille. I want to be

All the words you can't spell

I want to be your International

House of Pancakes. I want to be your reel after reel

Of rough takes. I want to be your Ouija board

I want to be your slum-lord. Hell

I want to be your made-to-order smorgasbord

I want to be your autobahn

I want to be your Audubon

I want to be your Chinese bug radical

I want to be your brand new set of radials

I want to be your old-time radio

I want to be your pro and your con

I want to be your Sunday morning ritual

(Demons be gone!) Your constitutional

Your habitual—

I want to be your Tinkertoy

Man, I want to be your best boy

I want to be your chauffeur

I want to be your chauf-

feur, your shofar, I want to be your go for

Your go far, your offer, your counter-offer

your two-by-four

I want to be your out and in door

I want to be your song: daily, nocturnal—

I want to be your nightingale

I want to be your dog's tail

Off Color: The Ring

The Ring by Bobbie Pyron 2009

Rating: 3.5/5

IQ "Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours." Poster in boxing ring, pg. 193


Mardie is starting to develop a record, she's been at a party with drinking involved that was crashed by the police and she shoplifts. Her father and step mom don't trust her, and all they seem to care about is Mardie's perfect older brother, Michael. But Michael is hiding a big secret. Also, Mardie wants to know more about her mother, but all her dad will tell her is that they are both screw-ups. What is he hiding? Her "boyfriend" Ben, is only interested in one thing, but he keeps Mardie popular and entertained. Then Mardie discovers boxing. She can let all her anger out and oddly enough these girls seem to accept her. Now all she needs to learn is control, how to use a strategy and think before she fights.


I really liked how The Ring emphasizes that boxing is not all about brawn, it's brains over brawn. Sure you have to work hard physically, but you also need to be quick witted. It also really hones in on the point that fighting should be a last resort. Readers will get a glimpse into the world of amateur female boxing, it's not scrutinized but you learn the gist of the rules and what it takes to be a boxer. I admire all female boxers because it takes a lot of work and they don't just beat each other down, they are awarded points based on finesse.


Mardie's story takes place in a small town world in Colorado. The people are often closed minded and everyone's business spreads around fast. Mardie herself is prejudiced without even realizing it, she's scared of the Latino students at her school. I liked that since all people have prejudices whether they know it or not and it makes Mardie a more realistic character. She's also angry and hurt and she needs to learn to open up and let it all out and let it go. All the characters were realistic, although some could be a bit one dimensional. We don't learn much about Kitty, Mardie's trainer, but the few things we do learn are interesting (middle class girl joins the Air Force then becomes a boxer) and I think her story could be a great prequel. Mardie's boyfriend, Ben is a jerk. He's very popular but he only wants Mardie to sleep with him and of course things don't go well when she doesn't want to put out right away. She still pines after him though because she misses going to parties with him and he was cute and lots of fun to be around. In the end we think he may be improving, but it's left open. Mardie's best friend, Alexis doesn't seem like that great of a friend and I think Mardie is a bit too forgiving of her actions. I really liked Mardie's new friends that she met at the boxing ring, Destiny and Shireen. They each taught her lessons in their own way, lessons that Mardie may not have been open to at first, but she needs them later on. I do think part of Michael's secret was obvious, but that's just me.


I applaud the author for highlighting the often ignored world of female boxing. The plot isn't that fast moving, but it's not totally predictable either. The romance is predictable, but some of Mardie's other choices, both good and bad are not so predictable and keep the reader interested.

High school and up.

Disclosure: Received from the author. Thanks Bobbie!

Jumped

Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia

Rating: 4.5 / 5

IQ "Sometimes what you don't say means more than what you do." Back cover

Not a particularly quotable book but it packs a punch without needing deep quotes, the actions speak volumes and teach valuable lessons.

Leticia overhears Dominique threatening to beat up Trina and Trina doesn't seem to have heard the threat. Leticia doesn't want any part of it, she failed geometry first semester and has to take early morning math classes during the second semester so she doesn 't have any time to be worried about other people's problems. Also, Trina is self-absorbed and thinks she's "so cute" so Leticia thinks Trina was bound to get beat up soon anyway.

Jumped is told in alternating points of view between Leticia, Trina and Dominique. Throughout the whole book, Leticia struggles over whether she should or should not warn Trina. Her best friend Bea thinks she should warn Trina, but Leticia isn't so sure. Leticia was a frustrating character. Sure you want to see obnoxious people get what it's due to them, the whole karma thing. But does anyone deserve to get beat up by someone they don't even stand a chance against? In Trina's case, big and tall Dominique will pound petite, slim Trina to a crisp. Leticia acts selfish throughout the novel, but quite frankly none of these characters were endearing. Trina is cheerful but obnoxious. She does indeed think she's all that and she is but her behavior is irritating . She's also a great artist. Dominique is angry. Shes angry at the world, but especially angry at one of her teachers who failed her and now she can't play basketball because her GPA is below the required level set by her coach. Trina just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, an easy target for Dominique's anger.

This novel is amazing. Rita Williams-Garcia doesn't sugar coat anything, but the novel isn't graphic either. Nor is it preachy or judgemental. The girls and the lack of involved adults (both in school and out of school) are all realistic. Their actions have consequences. The novel is short and slowly develops, but it's suspenseful. The ending was a bit frustrating, simply because of the thought-process of the characters. Kudos to Ms. Williams Garcia for writing about a topic that gets ignored so often, girl on girl violence. I think this issue is on the rise and it offers a glimpse into the thoughts of mean girls from a lower class perspective whereas books like Gossip Girl, the Clique and movies like Mean Girls are about upper class girls picking on girls of a lower class. In Jumped everyone is on equal economic footing. High school life is accurately portrayed between the cliques, the teachers who don't care about their students and the lives of the students.

I highly recommend this book to all teens, but especially those who don't see much girl on girl violence or fully realize the devastating consequences it can have. There are few light-hearted moments so you definitely need to be in a certain mood to read this. 7th grade and up.

Off Color Male Monday: So Punk Rock

So Punk Rock by Micol Ostow, Art by David Ostow

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "Instead, real life happens in drips and drabs. It gets portioned out in metered bites, some of which take more digesting than others. It happens frame by frame. Sometimes you get to linger, to soak in the surroundings. Some panels are more about ambiance than action, while others are pure cliff hangers. Real life is more like a graphic novel that way." Ari pg. 241-242


So Punk Rock is real life in graphic novel form! This novel is funny and the art is awesome and really adds to the hilarity of the novel. Ari Abramson wants to start an indie rock band, because he loves indie music and he wants to do something fun for once, that he wants to do, not what his parents want him to do. Ari's parents want him to go to Brandeis. They are constantly stressing him about his grades, forcing him to constantly work on improving his SAT scores (he's a junior but he takes practice tests, is enrolled in a test prep course and takes the actual SAT) and take as many Honors classes as he can. Ari attends Leo R. Gittleman Jewish Day School and he persuades his best friend Jonas to be bassist (and much to Ari's chagrin lead singer), Yossi Gluck to be the drummer and Reena Gluck to be back up vocals. Ari is lead guitarist. However, all four of them live in the suburbs and they don't really have a lot of credibility when it comes to be hard-core rockers. That and none of them (except Ari) know a whole lot about how to play rock music (or even an instrument in some cases). The result is a hilarious, bumpy, musical gig.

I really liked the characters in this novel. Ari is the main character and his narration is humorous and honest. He makes fun of himself with ease and sees the hypocrisy/absurdity of others quite well which really engages the reader. Ari only asks Jonas to be in the band because Jonas is popular with the ladies and will help them attract fans. Jonas has never played the bass before and he demands to be lead vocalist, never mind the fact that he can't really sing. Jonas is a decent friend, but he can be a real jerk. He's the alpha male and Ari's the beta male and their friendship is a bit complex (Jonas is clueless to the resentment Ari has towards him sometimes). Yossi Gluck is a loner and "High Conservative" (which means that he keeps kosher and only eats in Rabbi-approved restaurants and on the Sabbath he doesn't drive, use electricity or anything else that involves work). Yossi's family has a ton of money and he owns a set of drums (his parents wanted him to learn how to play klezmar music, which is a Jewish style of music) so Ari thinks he's a natural for being the drummer. Although Yossi's conservatism proves to be a problem on more than one occasion. He grows as a character and it's nice watching his transformation from a very quiet, not really into indie music, reluctant, religious kid to a guy who is able to stand up for himself, stand up to his friends, appreciate the indie culture and still maintain his faith. Major props to him for sticking to his principles and he makes they most interesting friends in the most random of places. The guys don't want Yossi's sister to be in the band at first, but Yossi's parents won't let Yossi join the band unless his sister is also allowed to participate. They want both Yossi and Reena to get out their shells and they see the band as the perfect way to do it (they even allow the band to practice in their racquetball court aka the "rocking-ball court"). Reena proves to able to sing incredibly well and she soon becomes a welcome addition to the band and The Tribe is formed. I loved thier tagline "Not your Rabbi's music." All the characters are developed nicely, including the minor characters who only make brief appearances such as Sari (Ari's love interest), Ben (Ari's cute but annoying little brother), Larafromcamp (aka Lara, Jonas' girlfriend from Hebrew camp) and Ari's parents. The romances are cute and watching Ari go from being a nobody and not knowing who he is, to becoming a somebody and learning who he is through an indie rock band makes for an engrossing coming of age story.

Now I don't listen to rock music, so all the rock band mentions were completely lost on me (I recognized a few names of artists that Ari's friend, Jonas listens to. Needless to say, Ari looks down on Jonas' music taste, since Jonas likes whatever is on the Top 40 charts). As I write this review, I'm listening to Lou Reed to help me get into the mood of the book :) I also loved learning about Jewish culture. The book doesn't provide a too-detailed portrait of Jewish day school and I would have liked to learn a little more about it, but the bits and pieces I read about were interesting. I think it would be difficult to only eat kosher (Jewish dietary laws) foods. It made me laugh at how the school cafeteria only serves kosher food so there is an underground food service (for example if you know the right person you may be able to get a slice of pizza, for a price). Jewish slang and humor was another great part of So Punk Rock. They all use the term "kosher" which is slang for cool. I laughed at the self-decrepitating humor Ari uses and I think the book does a good job of knocking down stereotypes of Judaisim and the Hebrew people.

The cartoons are great and very much add to the humor and understanding of the novel. David Micol did an excellent job. Micol Ostow did a great job writing in a boy's point of view, it doesn't feel fake or forced, but very genuine and realistic. I highly recommend this book to Jews and non-Jews alike. It's So Punk Rock and you will laugh as you follow the characters on their musical journey navigating the perks and trials of being a Jewish, suburban kid in today's world. I received a delightful intro into the world of Jewish Day school and indie music and it's one I won't forget. 8th grade and up. Very kosher :D