Fat Girl? Says Who?

I wander the hallways of the middle school I work at and I remember how out of place I felt when I was twelve. I was shy because I didn't want to draw attention to myself. I was overweight and so self-conscious. On top of that, I hated being told I was fat. I hated going to the doctor, I hated gym class, I hated everything about middle school. It brought out my weight issues because all the other girls looked the same. They were skinny and perfect. I was fat, so what boy would want to look my way? I couldn't get a date, heck I couldn't even get a compliment. Middle school was the worst time of my life because I just didn't fit in, literally. Going to the richer middle school had its disadvantages because no one was very accepting of differences. Being overweight meant you were a target for bullying and jokes. After reading Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne, I realized if these books were around when I was in middle school perhaps I wouldn't have been so self-loathing.

This books begins with Celeste, who is overweight. She comes home from school, eats her chocolate cookies, and is completely content with this routine. She is always made fun of by the popular crowd, but she has a best friend, Sandy, who always stands up for her. Her parents don't press the weight issue, but Celeste knows everyone views her as the "fat" girl. When her Aunt signs her up for a  plus size model competition, Celeste is horrified. There is no way she is going to try to draw more attention to herself and her weight issues. Then she comes up with an idea: she can't win the Husky Peach competition if she's not fat. So Celeste's weight loss journey begins. She encounters lost friendship, struggles with eating, and she begins to develop the confidence she never knew she had. This story was very sweet and inspiring because shy fat girl turns out to have some confidence in herself. Enough so that in the end, she discovers who her real friends are, and she is not afraid to tell people exactly what she's thinking.

Another book I just finished literally five minutes ago, Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee, dwells on similar issues. Rosie is overweight. Her mother and aunt buy her gifts like weight loss books, treadmills, and work out clothes in order for Rosie to get the hint and drop the pounds. The more she is pushed, the more frustrated she gets. It appears nothing is going to make her food obsession cease, until she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She tries a few of her own weight loss experiments, then slowly begins to see a change in herself. Plus, she has her eye on Kyle, who is a jock and is gorgeous. After seeing a therapist for her weight, her issues become more evident. It appears weight gain and food aren't the only thing Rosie is dealing with. This book is about discovering yourself and realizing that although you may not be a skinny, inside is what matters most. I fell in love with this book! I have been in Rosie's shoes, and I have come out on the other end. I enjoyed her journey, and it is an inspirational story that many overweight girls can relate to.
I liked Artichoke better that Chocolate Cookies because Rosie is a teenage girl who needs to discover herself. Celeste is a young girl who starts losing weight because she didn't want to be in a beauty pageant. Also, Rosie's story was more believable. It was easier to see her ups and downs, and it was easier to understand her frustration and hurt because if you were an overweight girl you could easily relate.
Both of these books were easy to read. Ironically enough, they were my gym reads; just something simple to read that was interesting and kept my mind off the treadmill. These books were published a few years ago, but it means there is hope for the future that authors may begin writing their novels with overweight, curvy, heroines in mind. In addition, it's always nice to read a book about someone who was in, or is in, your position with weight loss. As an adult, I realized in middle school/high school, all I needed was someone to tell me they understood my problem. I needed to hear an inspirational story because maybe I would have pushed myself too. Believe it or not, ever since I started reading those books I have a new outlook on my being overweight. I have begun to see the beautiful things about me rather than the pieces of fat that make me cringe. I have even, gasp, worn shorts twice this year. :) For those of you who know me, you KNOW pigs have officially flown. It sometimes just takes a little inspiration, or a cutely worded novel, to dig you out of a hole.

Another thing I like is these books are giving girls a clear picture that perhaps the size zeros of the world aren't always that well off. T.V  always paints a wonderful picture of fat people becoming thin like magic because that is what is expected and 'right'. The media thinks 'perfect' is a small, delicate girl, with long hair and bright brown eyes. I was so glad that these books were more down to earth and gave a real life picture of what it's like to be struggling with weight loss. Neither of these girls became bean pole thin, but they both felt good about themselves. And it shows young women today that size zero isn't always what is desired, and sometimes it isn't always the healthy route to shoot for. It's really about loving the person you are, and I think that point is frequently missed among the youth today.
Plus by Veronica Chambers is on my list to read soon. It sounds like a Cinderella story of weight loss and yes more self-discovery.We shall see. Check my shelfari update on that one. :)

Dealing with School, Life, the Usual

Books are always meant to be enjoyed and shared, but there are those that help young adults, and in some cases even adults, learn about the lessons in life. I have a select few that I have come across throughout my high school, college, and teaching career that I felt needed to be passed on.
Laurie Halse Anderson has always proven to be an author that excels at capturing the voice of young adults. I read Speak when I was a sophomore for a independent reading project. It was one of those books that truly caught my attention, especially because I went through a reading drought about that age. I was trying to figure out the secret at the end, but at the same time I was enjoying how pure and emotional Melinda felt. She was so honest and trustworthy, yet she was alone. I myself went through a period where I felt I had no friends, and I felt constantly isolated. At that time, knowing I wasn't the only one gave me such hope and comfort. The group discussions we had revolved around how bad we felt for her, but at the same time it was easy for all of us to relate to her in some way.  Plus, as the old saying goes, you never really know who your true friends are until something bad happens. The book is a great one, especially for young teenagers who are looking for a quick read.

Twisted is a book from a male perspective. Interesting enough right? He's a high school senior, so what do you think is really on his mind? Tyler is a screw-up. He was invisible, but decided he needed to stand out and make sure people remembered him. After he was arrested for graffiti, Tyler was sentenced to a summer full of unpaid manual labor with the school custodians. He returns to school for his senior year ready to be done with everything. Only, Tyler looks different and has definitely caught the eye of his dream girl, Bethany. The problem is: Bethany's twin brother, Chip, has been tormenting Tyler for years. Tyler is invited to a party, and things start to get hot and heavy with Bethany. Instead of giving into his desire, Tyler walks away because Bethany has had a few too many. The next day at school, pictures of Bethany are posted all over the internet. The cops get involved and immediately peg Tyler for the crime because of his record. This is a story of self discovery, being a teenager, and constantly being the "bad" child. Although Tyler's voice was at times very raunchy, readers were able to get a feel for how he was feeling. Plus, if you looked at the surrounding cast, Tyler had a lot of issues he needed to figure out. My 8th grade boys loved it. That could also be because the underlying talks of sex were very clear. Either way, boys will get sucked in because it is finally a 'boy' book.
These are two excellent reads that any young adult could get into. Plus they are quick reads, so it is possible for students to do an independent book project on them in a short time. Great books. I definitely recommend them to adults as well. Who doesn't want to know what a 16 year old is thinking?

Are You Going to Scarborough Fair?

My friends did not lie when they said I would be constantly singing Scarborough Fair before, during, and after this book.

The book's plot focuses around this ballad and pays particular attention to the lyrics. Nancy Werlin wrote that she found this ballad terribly romantic as a teenager. "Listening to the lyrics as an adult, though, I was take aback. The man demands one impossible task after another for the woman; and if she doesn't deliver, then she's no "true love" of his. I thought: There's no way that woman can prove herself to that man; he's already made up his mind. Did she do him wrong? What's the story?" After reading the lyrics myself, I realized Werlin was correct. Seamless shirts? An acre of land between salt water and sea strand? Sowing the land with one grain of corn using a goat's horn? Who thinks of this? And Werlin also has a point: It seems this man already made up his mind. It's funny how a very sweet sounding ballad can prove to be a disheartening song about love.
Impossible is the story of Lucy Scarborough. Lucy's birth mother, Miranda, is mentally unbalanced. She is the bag lady of the town, but none of her friends know this about her. Miranda wanders the town singing this ballad and claiming Lucy is "cursed" and "damned". Up until the night of the prom, Lucy assumes her birth mother is just insane and pays her no mind. However, when her date rapes her that night, which leads to her pregnancy, Lucy, the parents who raised her, and her love interest, Zach, begin to listen more closely to the warning.

 Lucy discovers all the Scarborough girls were cursed. In order to lift the curse, the girls must complete all the tasks in the ballad before the birth of their daughters. What seems impossible leads Lucy and her family on a wild journey and race against the clock. Will she succeed in time? Or is she too to suffer the same fate as her mother and ancestors before her?
The author did a fantastic job of spinning this ballad into a challenge. I loved the twists and turns, the attempts and mishaps Lucy suffers through, and of course who doesn't love a great romantic story. Zach is pretty much the ideal man. He stays with Lucy during her rough times and proves to be a friend when she seems to be running out of options. And because I am a hopeless romantic myself, his thoughts, love, and affection towards Lucy is overwhelming. It makes you wish all guys were like that. :p
I enjoyed the book, but I felt the ending was just too convenient. The entire book builds up to the last events, but it almost turns into a mock fairy tale at the end; sort of overdone. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but after reading I felt it was just something I had heard before. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars because I did enjoy the journey, but I just felt the book was so built up that it deserved another ending. I do recommend this book because the concept of taking this ballad and creating a story to go along with it is incredible. It's a really cool idea, plus it was interesting to watch the family figure out the puzzle logically. This truly is a book of togetherness and proving just what true love it.

Wither: to become wrinkled of age or diease

Lauren DeStefano is an emerging author. I found out she resided in Connecticut and was excited because she was in close range. Of course I will more than likely never come in contact with the woman, but that is besides the point. Wither is her first novel, which is to be the first of a trilogy.
Based on ideas from The Handmaiden's Tale, Wither takes place in the not so distant future. There is a disease that shortens the expected lifespan of men and women. Women are expected to live until they are 20, and men are supposed to live until 25. Once the individual becomes of age, they will begin contracting this disease and slowly die within the year.

Rhine lived with her twin brother, Rowan, until she was captured by the Gatherers. These are a group of people who kidnap women and sell them into prostitution or murder them. Rhine is one of the lucky three who is hand picked by the Housemaster, who is a scientist desperately trying to find the cure for this illness. She, along with the other two chosen, are to become wives of his son, Linden. She will be expected to cater to his every desire, bring him children, and stay enclosed in this mansion for the remainder of her live.
Once the sedation wears thin, Rhine is introduced to her sister wives, Jenna and Cecily. Jenna, 19, is beautiful in every way, but very closed off because her sisters were killed in the same night she was chosen to live. Cecily, 13, is young and naive to this world. She is eager to please her new husband and doesn't quite understand why her sister wives seem to be fighting this new chance at life.
Weeks turn into months, and each day brings a new surprise, a new secret, and a new reason for Rhine to escape. She begins to discover that her new husband is clueless to all the horror around him, and perhaps the Housemaster's chilling appearance may bring danger to all of them.
Love, Love, LOVED this book. The concept for this trilogy is very cool. Plus, it was nice to read an emerging teen read that isn't mature enough for middle school. Each chapter held a new secret, a new discovery for Rhine, and it was a great adventure to go on. Enter Gabriel, one of the kitchen staff, and things get more complicated, but the reader discovers her hidden affection for him. He shows her different aspects of history, when the rest of the continents used to exist, but he also keeps her focused on the one thing she truly desires, which is her freedom. In order to receive the potential keys to her escape, Rhine must rely on the help from Jenna and attempt to gain enough of Linden's trust in order to secure her position as First Wife.
I absolutely fell in love with the characters, the mystery, and the writing. All three girls have such different pasts that it was very interesting to see how they would mesh together. I bought this book before I finished reading it because I knew it was one I needed on my shelf, but it was one I could read again and get the same feelings as I did when I first read it. DeStefano's first book really does leave you craving more.

Love: It will kill and save you, both

This quote completely sets the tone of Delirium by Lauren Oliver. The more I read, the more I believed in the words.
In Lena's society, which is the Portland, Oregon years in the future, Love is a disease. Those in charge have developed a 'cure', which is given to all citizens on their eighteenth birthdays. Having the surgery for the cure means a peaceful life where people are happy and set forever. Their marriages, jobs, and even how many children they have are matched for them. The only thing people need to worry about are the stresses of the everyday. Love, whether it be from a significant other or from family, is non existent. Lena has always went with the norm, assumed she was plain, and that things would be different after she was cured. Her mother committed suicide when Lena was 6 because she could not be cured. After 3 procedures, society could not cure her. So Lena's mother would rather die than go through another procedure. After desperately trying to get rid of the reputation her mother created, Lena looks forward to her procedure and accepts her place in society.
Then she meets Alex. Alex begins to open her eyes to the lies the community has been feeding her. She soon realizes that her family has been keeping a few secrets as well. Towards the end, Lena decides that the pain love causes is worth the risk.
This book reminded me a lot of Matched because of the dystopic society and the matching of people. In addition, the main characters in both discover the truth and try to break free of the norms. Delrium brought in the deep concept of friendship. Lena and Hana's friendship is so simple, yet so pure. They both risked their own lives in order to help each other. Her emotions, her questioning of authority, her love for Alex are so real.
I felt myself constantly being swept up in their sweet romantic outings. I have to say once I finished the book I was almost in tears because of the tragic situation her society traps her in. I believe this is a trilogy, which I am looking forward to. Unfortunately, because this book just came out, it will be a while until we get the sequel. I loved this book, quite the roller coaster ride.

Judy Blundell: Strings and Lies

Judy Blundell is one of those emerging authors that writes towards an older, mature audience. Her writing weaves a story filled with betrayal, lies, and blooming romance.

After reading What I Saw and How I Lied upon a recommendation, I realized that her writing is more sophisticated. Although her books are meant for young adults, they are targeted towards young girls whose minds are mature enough to handle the concepts. It took a while for me to read both books: What I Saw and How I Lied and Strings Attached because the writing wasn't meant to be chunk read. It wasn't meant to be skimmed. Each sentence, each word she wrote is meant to captivate readers and show them this world. You are thrown into the lives of these young naive girls and expected to figure out the puzzle pieces as they are left for you.
What I Saw... takes place in the 40's after the war. The main character, Evie's,  family appears perfect. Her father, the war hero, her mother, the perfect example of a woman, and Evie, young but getting used to being in her own skin. Their family trip to Florida slowly begins to unravel secrets of Evie's father's time during the war, and it begins to make Evie wonder who she can trust and who is betraying her.
Strings Attached takes place in the 50's, and it focuses on the battle of ethnic upbringing. In particular, the Irish and the Italians. Kit is Irish, and has a love for the theater, so one day she packs her stuff and runs to Manhattan to find a job as an actress. Kit's ex-boyfriend's father finds her and makes her a deal she can't refuse. You can immediately see Nate Benedict's ties to the Italian mafia, and one can assume Kit sees it too. Kit's story takes a longer time to read because she flashes back often so readers can get the whole story. Her flashbacks give clues about the future and the more you read the more secrets are revealed. Once her ex-boyfriend returns from the war, more lies send Kit's life into a tornado of confusion, and it is no coincidence that Nate continues to appear at her shows and her apartment. So she took the offer she couldn't refuse, but what favors need to be returned before Nate and his mysterious work efforts are out of her life?
I liked Strings Attached better than What I Saw... because I could relate more to Kit's character. Evie is young and naive, whereas Kit is strong and catches on to the lies faster. She believes so much in this dream that the reader wants her to come out on top. You want to believe she'll make it, you want to believe things will work out. Evie's story focuses on her coming of age, but Kit's character is more sure of herself and her dreams.
I also found it was extremely interesting how Blundell added the aspect of the Italian mafia into her novel. No, it's not a major part, but during this time mysterious deaths, mobster hits, and well dressed men in clubs was emerging. Kit is not directly apart of that reality, but as the novel goes on readers can see how she is indirectly an accessory. I think this made the book more interesting to me because there aren't a lot of books that focus on the mafia. It's a very 'hush hush' topic, but Blundell did a really nice job of including it. For some reason, I am drawn to the idea of the mafia. Maybe it's because I am Italian, I don't know.
Blundell paints a great picture of each time period, so the reader is fully aware the stories did not take place in 2011. She describes the economic difficulties of families, the women during the war, how men were portrayed after they returned home. The books were beautifully written to the point where I needed to take my time and not try to finish quickly because I didn't want to miss the elegant sentence structure and word choice. Both female characters share many qualities, however each have their own voice. As I said before, these books were written for young adults, but meant for mature audiences, so it makes adults feel better about reading them. The books are great too because it gives a little romance, but the entire book does not revolve around that concept. It's a nice break from the typical love story. Plus, the covers are enchanting and pretty, so that's always something that grabs people's attention.
I sincerely hope we see more of Blundell's writing, and I hope she continues to focus on particular time periods because it would be really neat to see what she does with the 60s and 70s era.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth Series

Just finished the last of the series: The Dark and Hollow Places. My opinion of the books was always very high. I fell in love with this series when they were recommended to me. I finally added them as a favorite on Shelfari because as I was reading the 3rd book, I remembered how fantastic the writing was.
I have always been drawn to books with dystopic societies, and this series was no exception. Mary, the main heroine from the 1st novel: The Forest of Hands and Teeth, lives in a village that is surrounded by fence keeping the unconsecrated, zombies, out. The sisterhood is in charge, and their rules are the ones everyone abides by. When an invasion breaks loose in the village, Mary, her lover, her fiance, and her best friend fight desperately to find this ocean Mary always longed for. The only thing they have to hold each other together is hope. Although decisions the group makes are, at times, questionable, Mary's hope never dies. The author leaves the reader with a very cryptic ending; because truly how can one be happy in a world where people are constantly in fear?
Book two: The Dead Tossed Waves takes on the point of view of another strong heroine: Gabry. Gabry is Mary's daughter, and the two of them are continuing to fight the good fight against the unconsecrated (Mudo, zombies). Once an invasion of unconsecrated leaves the ones she loves infected, she must find a way to get past the Recruiters, who control everything. Some of their rules and regulations don't make sense, so she grasps to find another way. Gabry breaks the rules, and in doing so meets Elias, who claims to know her past. Not only is Gabry trying to survive, but she begins to unravel the stories of her mother's pasts and the secrets she's been keeping. Another strong female lead. You can feel both female character's curiosity and pain. Both lost people close to them, and both discovered that there was something more than the fence closing them in. They reached and hoped for other answers, which they soon discovered and craved.

To finish out the series, The Dark and Hollow Places is narrated by Gabry's twin sister, Annah. Personally, I feel Annah is the strongest of the 3 women. She is jaded and broken herself. After being left behind by Elias, she has been on her own surviving in the Dark City, a place that is uninfected at the moment. Her shattered past and dying hope seem to only drive her towards one thing, surviving. Feeling neglected and lost, Annah feels her only hope for surviving is finding a way out of the city. She is confronted by Catcher, a friend of Gabry's from her old village. As Annah begins to accept her past, she realizes that something about Catcher is familiar. Both of them are broken in different ways. Annah must continue to survive, but at the same time she must discover what is it is like to live.

The writing was absolutely fantastic. I found myself bookmarking pages just so I could remember the lines. Carrie Ryan's writing weaves through and gives the reader so much detail it swallows you whole. I found, after finishing, there were many sequences where there is no dialogue. Annah struggles against the night, the wind, the darkness, but she is alone. I was so drawn up in it that I didn't ache for the human interaction, which is something I usually do. I typically will skip ahead just to see the dialogue, but in this last book it was amazing how her writing was enough for me to see everything. I could see the tunnels, I could feel the shiver and cold, and it was incredible. I think the third was my favorite also because I was able to relate to the scenery. Annah's story takes place in a city, which gives the readers the idea that this story could take place during a recent time. Mary's story is in a forest, Gabry's near an ocean, so readers may not be able to image the time period because it could be any time. They aren't around civilization, whereas Annah is. The fact that people can better relate to the city atmosphere gives a different feel to the story, and also makes it more powerful.
I absolutely love this series. You have a dystopic society where everything seems hopeless, but these three characters find the courage to push on and continue fighting. No matter how jaded and how scared they are, each one has something different to drive them further. The romance was a nice pinch of happiness to make you smile. Love these books. I am so glad I own them because reading them again would not be a chore. I recommend them; they are three of my favorites. :)