There's so much happening in the world of Young Adult books! Some people may classify a few of these books as MG rather than YA, but again, I put forth the usual disclaimer - associating an age with a reading level is impossible.Many of these books are crucial - they deal with ideas and issues that need to be addressed. Yet, when I read, the "issue" cannot ever be all-important. I cannot love a book simply because it is important. And that's why, even though I read books that are arguably more "important", my favourites remain ones that wring my heart.Boy 87Fourteen-year-old Shif is put into prison for something he has not even done yet. It is when he goes to jail that he discovers others who have been imprisoned for the kind of "something" which is actually nothing at all. Also, it is in Shif that every prisoner's hopes are vested, for Shif is young and can run away: his … [Read more...]
How Not to Disappear
Wow. What a wonderful book. It kept me reading and reading and reading. I had to wipe away tears more than once, and I kept shaking my head at the power the story had over me.For me, How Not to Disappear is not a Young Adult book, and I cannot understand how it is classified as one. If I had read it as a young adult, I would have been traumatised. There's violence, abuse, isolation, drunkenness ...Hattie, who thinks she is in love with Reuben, needs to make an important decision. The one thing she takes a while to realise is that it is a decision. She must make a conscious choice, and it is not wise to base her decision on Reuben's reaction.The most important bit of advice she receives is from an old lady called Gloria, who has the beginnings of dementia. Do not be afraid of regret.Gloria and Hattie, two isolated and vulnerable individuals, embark on a journey together. … [Read more...]