The "N" Reviews--See the content keys for an explanation of the numbers.
Navigating Early, by Clare Vanderpool
*Printz Honor Book (2014); An ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection; An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book; A New York Times Editor’s Choice; A New York Times Bestseller; An Indie Pick; A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year; A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year; A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year; A Booklist Books for Youth Editors’ Choice Selection; A BookPage Best Children’s Book; A Texas Lone Star Reading List Selection; A Notable Children's Book in Language Arts Book; A Down East Magazine Best of Maine Book; A North Carolina Young Adult Book Award Master List Selection; An Iowa Children's Choice Award Finalist*
Core themes: coping with death (of mother/brother); friendship; accepting others; reconciliation with and understanding a parent; quests as self-examination; what it means to be a man; dealing with guilt
Drugs/alcohol: custodian at the school drinks on the job and sometimes to excess (as reported by Early, since he doesn’t appear directly in the book); told Billy Holiday smokes; Early brings tobacco for ringworm and poison ivy; rum drunk by the “pirates” (but not the boys), including scenes in a bar in which others are drinking; Pi pretends to be drunk with ale; whiskey used to numb a forehead for stitches; cigarette smoking by at least two characters (not the boys); Jack says his mother sometimes added “the stuff for what ails you” to hot tea when she was feeling ill
Religion/occult: reference to a quote that if you want to know what someone values, find what he or she “enshrines”; a discussion of “temples” for things like books, a boat, or baseball; in the story of Pi, a sea witch hexes treasure; discussion of whether Jesus ever went fly-fishing; recurring mention of church and funerals as Jack remembers his mother
Romance/sexuality: none
Violence/abuse: Jack punches his friend in the face; Early’s brother assumed dead during World War II in France; Pi’s village is attacked and everyone is killed; discussion of what pirates might do to harm someone; an explosion a bit away from the boys; a toe lost to a shark in the back story of a character the boys meet; back story told in which Gunnar killed another man in an unfair fist fight against two brothers and is then left to burn in a fire started with whiskey and a lit match (and who wishes he had died, instead of defending himself by killing a man); unsavory men threaten the teens and others with guns and even shoots at them at one point; Early charges and punches Jack; the boys find a skeleton of a boy accidentally shot by another boy; one man shoots at a bear and is mauled (not described graphically; later it is insinuated he wanted the bear to kill him)
Vulgarities: 1 Note: These are more references to swearing than any significant swearing in the text.
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: This is a wonderful book that explores themes of friendship and death acceptance through the quest of the boys and the quest of “Pi.” The pirate behavior (drinking, stealing, etc.) and language and the violence is not much worse than you’d find in Treasure Island. Early’s autistic characteristics seems easy to spot for adults, but teens may not recognize them so easily.
I would suggest this book to: younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens.
Author website: http://www.clarevanderpool.com/
Reviewer: Jill Papsdorf
*Printz Honor Book (2014); An ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection; An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book; A New York Times Editor’s Choice; A New York Times Bestseller; An Indie Pick; A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year; A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year; A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year; A Booklist Books for Youth Editors’ Choice Selection; A BookPage Best Children’s Book; A Texas Lone Star Reading List Selection; A Notable Children's Book in Language Arts Book; A Down East Magazine Best of Maine Book; A North Carolina Young Adult Book Award Master List Selection; An Iowa Children's Choice Award Finalist*
Core themes: coping with death (of mother/brother); friendship; accepting others; reconciliation with and understanding a parent; quests as self-examination; what it means to be a man; dealing with guilt
Drugs/alcohol: custodian at the school drinks on the job and sometimes to excess (as reported by Early, since he doesn’t appear directly in the book); told Billy Holiday smokes; Early brings tobacco for ringworm and poison ivy; rum drunk by the “pirates” (but not the boys), including scenes in a bar in which others are drinking; Pi pretends to be drunk with ale; whiskey used to numb a forehead for stitches; cigarette smoking by at least two characters (not the boys); Jack says his mother sometimes added “the stuff for what ails you” to hot tea when she was feeling ill
Religion/occult: reference to a quote that if you want to know what someone values, find what he or she “enshrines”; a discussion of “temples” for things like books, a boat, or baseball; in the story of Pi, a sea witch hexes treasure; discussion of whether Jesus ever went fly-fishing; recurring mention of church and funerals as Jack remembers his mother
Romance/sexuality: none
Violence/abuse: Jack punches his friend in the face; Early’s brother assumed dead during World War II in France; Pi’s village is attacked and everyone is killed; discussion of what pirates might do to harm someone; an explosion a bit away from the boys; a toe lost to a shark in the back story of a character the boys meet; back story told in which Gunnar killed another man in an unfair fist fight against two brothers and is then left to burn in a fire started with whiskey and a lit match (and who wishes he had died, instead of defending himself by killing a man); unsavory men threaten the teens and others with guns and even shoots at them at one point; Early charges and punches Jack; the boys find a skeleton of a boy accidentally shot by another boy; one man shoots at a bear and is mauled (not described graphically; later it is insinuated he wanted the bear to kill him)
Vulgarities: 1 Note: These are more references to swearing than any significant swearing in the text.
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: This is a wonderful book that explores themes of friendship and death acceptance through the quest of the boys and the quest of “Pi.” The pirate behavior (drinking, stealing, etc.) and language and the violence is not much worse than you’d find in Treasure Island. Early’s autistic characteristics seems easy to spot for adults, but teens may not recognize them so easily.
I would suggest this book to: younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens.
Author website: http://www.clarevanderpool.com/
Reviewer: Jill Papsdorf
New Boy, by Tracy Chevalier
Why this book is worth considering:
At the beginning I must clearly state that Tracy Chevalier is one of my favorite authors. She is a brilliant writer in terms of characterization, atmosphere, and historical integrity, and despite the slowness of her storylines, they are always engaging. I am therefore reading through all of her books, which is what brought me to New Boy. I never intended to review it, because it is marketed to adults; however, because it is a story about preteens, I felt it might be of interest to teen readers.
New Boy is different from her other books, though, in that it is part of a series in which respected authors are invited to retell a Shakespearean play in another setting with other characters. Chevalier's tale is a retelling of Othello, which may be of particular interest to Shakespeare buffs or homeschooled high school students who might enjoy some comparative literary analysis.
Because its cast of characters are almost all 11 or 12, the novel has only minimal and mild swearing. Though there is a heavy theme of racial tension, there is no sex, drinking, drugs, or discussion of religion or the occult. In that sense the novel is appropriate for even young teens, and the story is easy to follow, especially for those familiar with Othello. Shakespeare's dark tale is made much more relatable, however, so it may also be more thought-provoking in a more immediate, more meaningful way than the play is for some readers and could therefore lead to some interesting discussions.
Why this book may not be right for your teen:
As you might be able to tell already, I'm not crazy about this novel, as much as I respect Chevalier. It is not her finest work by a long shot. This is mainly because I think she has a deeper understanding of the adult world than the child's world and therefore falls short in realistic dialogue, believable interpersonal relationships, and an intimate psychological understanding of this age group. Having grown up in the '70s myself (the era in which the story takes place) and having been in the field of education for many years (especially with middle school students), I often found myself thinking "It wasn't like that back then" or "We didn't think like that" or "These kids wouldn't likely do/say that." I did keep in mind that perhaps my little Christian school in Denver was different from a public school in Washington D.C., but I've also learned over the years that kids are pretty similar no matter where they are from, so I remained skeptical throughout the novel and was therefore never able to "suspend my disbelief" to fully engage in the story.
Parents should be aware that though there is no sex, there is some kissing, lustful thinking and behavior, and vulgar sexual references. There is also violence and evil behavior, which is in keeping with Shakespeare's original tale but more disturbing coming from children--kind of like Lord of the Flies is. Perhaps most importantly, parents should be aware that like the original play, this novel is a dark tale of betrayal and revenge and jealousy. It isn't "entertainment" but instead a literary examination of the dark side of human nature, and it should be read as such.
Literary artistry: * * * * *
I would suggest this book to younger teens/ older teens/ all teens/ no teens.
Author website: https://www.tchevalier.com/
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
Why this book is worth considering:
At the beginning I must clearly state that Tracy Chevalier is one of my favorite authors. She is a brilliant writer in terms of characterization, atmosphere, and historical integrity, and despite the slowness of her storylines, they are always engaging. I am therefore reading through all of her books, which is what brought me to New Boy. I never intended to review it, because it is marketed to adults; however, because it is a story about preteens, I felt it might be of interest to teen readers.
New Boy is different from her other books, though, in that it is part of a series in which respected authors are invited to retell a Shakespearean play in another setting with other characters. Chevalier's tale is a retelling of Othello, which may be of particular interest to Shakespeare buffs or homeschooled high school students who might enjoy some comparative literary analysis.
Because its cast of characters are almost all 11 or 12, the novel has only minimal and mild swearing. Though there is a heavy theme of racial tension, there is no sex, drinking, drugs, or discussion of religion or the occult. In that sense the novel is appropriate for even young teens, and the story is easy to follow, especially for those familiar with Othello. Shakespeare's dark tale is made much more relatable, however, so it may also be more thought-provoking in a more immediate, more meaningful way than the play is for some readers and could therefore lead to some interesting discussions.
Why this book may not be right for your teen:
As you might be able to tell already, I'm not crazy about this novel, as much as I respect Chevalier. It is not her finest work by a long shot. This is mainly because I think she has a deeper understanding of the adult world than the child's world and therefore falls short in realistic dialogue, believable interpersonal relationships, and an intimate psychological understanding of this age group. Having grown up in the '70s myself (the era in which the story takes place) and having been in the field of education for many years (especially with middle school students), I often found myself thinking "It wasn't like that back then" or "We didn't think like that" or "These kids wouldn't likely do/say that." I did keep in mind that perhaps my little Christian school in Denver was different from a public school in Washington D.C., but I've also learned over the years that kids are pretty similar no matter where they are from, so I remained skeptical throughout the novel and was therefore never able to "suspend my disbelief" to fully engage in the story.
Parents should be aware that though there is no sex, there is some kissing, lustful thinking and behavior, and vulgar sexual references. There is also violence and evil behavior, which is in keeping with Shakespeare's original tale but more disturbing coming from children--kind of like Lord of the Flies is. Perhaps most importantly, parents should be aware that like the original play, this novel is a dark tale of betrayal and revenge and jealousy. It isn't "entertainment" but instead a literary examination of the dark side of human nature, and it should be read as such.
Literary artistry: * * * * *
I would suggest this book to younger teens/ older teens/ all teens/ no teens.
Author website: https://www.tchevalier.com/
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
See the content keys for an explanation of the numbers.
The Night is for Hunting, by John Marsden (Tomorrow Series, book 6)
*Selected, COOL Awards (Canberra's Own Outstanding List) 2000; Winner, WAYRBA (West Australian Young Readers' Books Award) 2000; Shortlisted, Bookdata/Australian Booksellers Association Book of the Year Award 1999*
Core themes: war; children in war (in this book, the teens rescue some children from the enemy soldiers and try to provide as normal a life as possible for them, even school); death of a child
Drugs/alcohol: reference to the night Ellie was drunk and went to bed with Adam (in a previous book)
Religion/occult: They pray when they buried a young girl who dies. There is a Christmas celebration that includes a prayer and reading from a Bible, but it’s not really portrayed as a Christian feast; it’s more about the presents and trying to provide something nice for the kids in the midst of war. (The young girls do receive crosses as Christmas presents.) Ellie states that she doesn’t believe in reincarnation. She says at one point that she feels very close to God (while admiring his beautiful creation on a clear night) and talks about her faith but not in a coherent way or in a way that changes how she behaves. She also says, “I was starting to suspect that whenever I wanted God, he was there.” (though she doesn’t always like the way he seems to order things).
Romance/sexuality: 2, 4
Violence/abuse: The war continues in this book. Though the number of encounters with the enemy is less than in previous books in the series, there are a few, including one in which the teens kill eight enemy soldiers. One of them was mistakenly shot when he was trying to surrender, though it’s not clear what the teens would have done with him if they hadn’t killed him. They bury the bodies in a mass grave. Earlier in the book there are some fist-fights and three of the teens are locked in car trunks or rooms. Ellie runs over a man with a motorbike. A young girl dies wandering in the outback.
Vulgarities: 1, 3, 7
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: In this book, the teens rescue a group of children from enemy soldiers and then spend quite a bit of time in their hiding place in the bush taking care of the kids. It’s a nice change to have Ellie focused a bit more on others.
I would suggest this book to: younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens.
Author website: http://www.johnmarsden.com.au/
Reviewer: Jill Papsdorf
*Selected, COOL Awards (Canberra's Own Outstanding List) 2000; Winner, WAYRBA (West Australian Young Readers' Books Award) 2000; Shortlisted, Bookdata/Australian Booksellers Association Book of the Year Award 1999*
Core themes: war; children in war (in this book, the teens rescue some children from the enemy soldiers and try to provide as normal a life as possible for them, even school); death of a child
Drugs/alcohol: reference to the night Ellie was drunk and went to bed with Adam (in a previous book)
Religion/occult: They pray when they buried a young girl who dies. There is a Christmas celebration that includes a prayer and reading from a Bible, but it’s not really portrayed as a Christian feast; it’s more about the presents and trying to provide something nice for the kids in the midst of war. (The young girls do receive crosses as Christmas presents.) Ellie states that she doesn’t believe in reincarnation. She says at one point that she feels very close to God (while admiring his beautiful creation on a clear night) and talks about her faith but not in a coherent way or in a way that changes how she behaves. She also says, “I was starting to suspect that whenever I wanted God, he was there.” (though she doesn’t always like the way he seems to order things).
Romance/sexuality: 2, 4
Violence/abuse: The war continues in this book. Though the number of encounters with the enemy is less than in previous books in the series, there are a few, including one in which the teens kill eight enemy soldiers. One of them was mistakenly shot when he was trying to surrender, though it’s not clear what the teens would have done with him if they hadn’t killed him. They bury the bodies in a mass grave. Earlier in the book there are some fist-fights and three of the teens are locked in car trunks or rooms. Ellie runs over a man with a motorbike. A young girl dies wandering in the outback.
Vulgarities: 1, 3, 7
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: In this book, the teens rescue a group of children from enemy soldiers and then spend quite a bit of time in their hiding place in the bush taking care of the kids. It’s a nice change to have Ellie focused a bit more on others.
I would suggest this book to: younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens.
Author website: http://www.johnmarsden.com.au/
Reviewer: Jill Papsdorf
99 Days, by Katie Cotugno
Why this book is worth considering:
Cotugno's website sums up her work nicely--"messy, complicated, feminist love stories." None of this is a bad thing, and she does a good job making her fictional world and its characters seem very real. The book is an easy read and touches on some important themes, such as honesty, integrity, natural consequences, and--probably her most intentional theme--the moral double standards that American society often applies to men and women. With primary characters that are either in late high school or well into college, it also has older characters than most YA fiction does. This makes it more of a "new adult" novel, which will appeal to those transitioning into their 20s. Concerned parents will be troubled by the mature content, but Cotugno does refrain from graphic sex.
Why this book may not be right for your teen:
Yuck. That was my main gut reaction throughout the entire novel. Despite its valuable themes, this novels reads like the most sordid kind of soap opera, except with younger characters. Molly, the protagonist, is a kind, hard-working young woman, but she is completely unfit for romantic relationships. This makes her a poor role model for Cotugno's readers. Molly has such a shaky moral compass and such minimal self-control that she is constantly cheating on one of two brothers, both of whom she "loves." Of course, she is decent enough to feel horrible and aim to do better, but that isn't enough to keep her from being a protagonist I almost loathe. This is unfortunate, not only because readers are usually supposed to sympathize with the protagonist more than the supporting characters, but also because the theme of double standards is a truly valuable one worth some discussion. In this novel it is lost within the disturbing storyline.
I disliked this book so much that I started speeding up my reading about a third of the way through, but I couldn't speed up too much because the story flipped back and forth between two time periods in Molly's life. Concerned parents will want to be aware that although the novel doesn't have graphic sex scenes, its primary focus is romance and sex. It also contains a fair amount of swearing (including blasphemy). Drinking, references to tarot, and homosexual characters who kiss are also present.
Literary artistry: * * * * *
I would suggest this book to younger teens/ older teens/ all teens/ no teens.
Author website: http://katiecotugno.com/
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
Why this book is worth considering:
Cotugno's website sums up her work nicely--"messy, complicated, feminist love stories." None of this is a bad thing, and she does a good job making her fictional world and its characters seem very real. The book is an easy read and touches on some important themes, such as honesty, integrity, natural consequences, and--probably her most intentional theme--the moral double standards that American society often applies to men and women. With primary characters that are either in late high school or well into college, it also has older characters than most YA fiction does. This makes it more of a "new adult" novel, which will appeal to those transitioning into their 20s. Concerned parents will be troubled by the mature content, but Cotugno does refrain from graphic sex.
Why this book may not be right for your teen:
Yuck. That was my main gut reaction throughout the entire novel. Despite its valuable themes, this novels reads like the most sordid kind of soap opera, except with younger characters. Molly, the protagonist, is a kind, hard-working young woman, but she is completely unfit for romantic relationships. This makes her a poor role model for Cotugno's readers. Molly has such a shaky moral compass and such minimal self-control that she is constantly cheating on one of two brothers, both of whom she "loves." Of course, she is decent enough to feel horrible and aim to do better, but that isn't enough to keep her from being a protagonist I almost loathe. This is unfortunate, not only because readers are usually supposed to sympathize with the protagonist more than the supporting characters, but also because the theme of double standards is a truly valuable one worth some discussion. In this novel it is lost within the disturbing storyline.
I disliked this book so much that I started speeding up my reading about a third of the way through, but I couldn't speed up too much because the story flipped back and forth between two time periods in Molly's life. Concerned parents will want to be aware that although the novel doesn't have graphic sex scenes, its primary focus is romance and sex. It also contains a fair amount of swearing (including blasphemy). Drinking, references to tarot, and homosexual characters who kiss are also present.
Literary artistry: * * * * *
I would suggest this book to younger teens/ older teens/ all teens/ no teens.
Author website: http://katiecotugno.com/
Reviewer: Cheri Blomquist
See the content keys for an explanation of the numbers.
no-name baby, by Nancy Bo Flood
*The Horn Book Guide: A top Historical Novel for YA readers; "Top One Hundred Best Books of the Year" Bank Street*
Core themes: family, sacrifice, forgiveness
Drugs/alcohol: none
Religion/occult: grandmother prays the rosary; baptism of a baby; prayer to God
Romance/sexuality: 4
Violence/abuse: none
Vulgarities: none
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: This is a post-World War I coming-of-age story about a girl named Sophia growing up on a farm in the Midwest. When her mother goes into early labor and her aunt comes to lend a hand, Sophia learns a family secret that has the power to change her whole life if she lets it. Although I didn't care for the character of Sophia in the beginning of the book, she slowly develops into a more mature, likeable individual towards the end. I would have liked for Sophia and Karl's relationship to have more time to develop, but in the end that wasn't what the story was really about. The prose is well-written and gives an authentic portrayal of rural farm life and what it was like to live in that time of great loss and change.
I would suggest this book to: younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens.
Author website: http://nancyboflood.com/
Reviewer: Annika Holland
*The Horn Book Guide: A top Historical Novel for YA readers; "Top One Hundred Best Books of the Year" Bank Street*
Core themes: family, sacrifice, forgiveness
Drugs/alcohol: none
Religion/occult: grandmother prays the rosary; baptism of a baby; prayer to God
Romance/sexuality: 4
Violence/abuse: none
Vulgarities: none
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: This is a post-World War I coming-of-age story about a girl named Sophia growing up on a farm in the Midwest. When her mother goes into early labor and her aunt comes to lend a hand, Sophia learns a family secret that has the power to change her whole life if she lets it. Although I didn't care for the character of Sophia in the beginning of the book, she slowly develops into a more mature, likeable individual towards the end. I would have liked for Sophia and Karl's relationship to have more time to develop, but in the end that wasn't what the story was really about. The prose is well-written and gives an authentic portrayal of rural farm life and what it was like to live in that time of great loss and change.
I would suggest this book to: younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens.
Author website: http://nancyboflood.com/
Reviewer: Annika Holland
See the content keys for an explanation of the numbers.
Nothing, by Janne Teller
*Winner of the Best Children's Book Prize from the Danish Cultural Ministry; Le Prix Libbylit 2008 for best novel for children in the French-speaking world; the 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Award; and the Mildred Batchelder Honor Award.*
Core themes: pursuit of the meaning of life through sacrifice
Drugs/alcohol: none
Religion/occult: At its core, I think this whole book is about faith. It questions what truly matters in the world and asks the reader to consider why they are in this world. In terms of specific religious references, one boy is Muslim and most of the other kids attend the local church–-not sure if it is Catholic or Anglican. Some of the kids profess to be atheists.
Romance/sexuality: reference to a teen girl being raped
Violence/abuse: plot quickly spirals into more violent and self-effacing acts. Fist fights, dismemberment, rape, abuse of animals, desecration of a corpse
Vulgarities: none
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: This is a grim book and definitely not for everyone. Translated from Danish, the story revolves around 13-year-olds who are trying to impress upon a schoolmate that there is meaning in life. When I first read the plot synopsis, I thought it was an interesting concept. I had no idea how dark, morbid and bleak it would become. As a group, the kids decide to create a “heap of meaning” to impress their classmate who has declared that “nothing matters.” As “the heap” grows, and each teen takes a turn suggesting a “meaningful sacrifice,” nothing is off-limits. The desecration of innocence, faith, and patriotism are just a few of the things added to the heap of meaning. Even though some of the things are just symbols of greater beliefs, it is still jarring to read how they are treated. At first, I believed this book had no redeeming qualities and was intended to simply question and shock; however, after the discovery of the heap, the story takes a turn that demonstrates the shallowness of trying to impress the world and how fleeting fame is. The book does ask some important questions for teens and adults to consider. What is truly meaningful in life? Should we care so much about looks, possessions, or what career we have? Unfortunately, it then veers off in a disturbing direction that doesn’t really attempt to answer these questions. Instead it becomes a game of cruel one-upmanship. This is the type of book I can see some high school English teachers being thrilled to have the class read. Edgy, violent, no moral redemption. A lot of questions but no real answers.
I would suggest this book to: younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens. Note: I went back and forth on whether to recommend this for older teens or not. In the end I decided there isn’t enough to redeem it.
Author's website: http://www.janneteller.com/ Note: This website is in Danish. If you are using Google Chrome, you will be able to translate it. I'm not sure about this capability in other browsers.
Reviewer: Annika Holland
*Winner of the Best Children's Book Prize from the Danish Cultural Ministry; Le Prix Libbylit 2008 for best novel for children in the French-speaking world; the 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Award; and the Mildred Batchelder Honor Award.*
Core themes: pursuit of the meaning of life through sacrifice
Drugs/alcohol: none
Religion/occult: At its core, I think this whole book is about faith. It questions what truly matters in the world and asks the reader to consider why they are in this world. In terms of specific religious references, one boy is Muslim and most of the other kids attend the local church–-not sure if it is Catholic or Anglican. Some of the kids profess to be atheists.
Romance/sexuality: reference to a teen girl being raped
Violence/abuse: plot quickly spirals into more violent and self-effacing acts. Fist fights, dismemberment, rape, abuse of animals, desecration of a corpse
Vulgarities: none
Literary artistry: * * * * *
Comments: This is a grim book and definitely not for everyone. Translated from Danish, the story revolves around 13-year-olds who are trying to impress upon a schoolmate that there is meaning in life. When I first read the plot synopsis, I thought it was an interesting concept. I had no idea how dark, morbid and bleak it would become. As a group, the kids decide to create a “heap of meaning” to impress their classmate who has declared that “nothing matters.” As “the heap” grows, and each teen takes a turn suggesting a “meaningful sacrifice,” nothing is off-limits. The desecration of innocence, faith, and patriotism are just a few of the things added to the heap of meaning. Even though some of the things are just symbols of greater beliefs, it is still jarring to read how they are treated. At first, I believed this book had no redeeming qualities and was intended to simply question and shock; however, after the discovery of the heap, the story takes a turn that demonstrates the shallowness of trying to impress the world and how fleeting fame is. The book does ask some important questions for teens and adults to consider. What is truly meaningful in life? Should we care so much about looks, possessions, or what career we have? Unfortunately, it then veers off in a disturbing direction that doesn’t really attempt to answer these questions. Instead it becomes a game of cruel one-upmanship. This is the type of book I can see some high school English teachers being thrilled to have the class read. Edgy, violent, no moral redemption. A lot of questions but no real answers.
I would suggest this book to: younger teens / older teens / all teens / no teens. Note: I went back and forth on whether to recommend this for older teens or not. In the end I decided there isn’t enough to redeem it.
Author's website: http://www.janneteller.com/ Note: This website is in Danish. If you are using Google Chrome, you will be able to translate it. I'm not sure about this capability in other browsers.
Reviewer: Annika Holland