Fade to Black--Alex Flinn

Alex Crusan is an HIV+ student driving to Dunkin' Donuts one morning when his windshield is hit with a baseball bat, breaking the window and causing flying glass to cut him. Crawling on the floor of his car he manages to hit the gas and drive away from the assailant.

Clinton Cole is an intolerant student who wants nothing more than to see Alex Crusan leave his school. He is intolerant because he is afraid. He's scared that he or his family will get HIV just by breathing the same air as Crusan. He's so scared he's willing to do whatever it takes to send Crusan a message.

Daria Bickell claims she sees Cole smash Crusan's window. But did the Down Syndrome girl really see what she says she saw?

Told in these three alternating viewpoints, Fade to Black is an excellent example of how people's perceptions of the truth are different. On the surface Clinton Cole is an intolerant bigot. But is he really capable of violence? He's just a scared kid who's misguided and needs some help. Daria Bickell just wants to help, to be a hero, but how far is she willing to go to do that?

I liked the story. Once again Alex Flinn has written an engaging interesting book. It's good for everyone--boys, girls, high schoolers, middle schoolers.

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Reading: I'll get to it.
On My Nightstand: Way too many.

Heavy Metal and You--Christopher Krovatin

Yes. I know. I have no excuse. Well, other than holidays with a toddler. I started this book ages ago and then time got away from me. But then I finished it in a big burst of reading on Monday. Life just gets in the way.

Sam and Melissa are complete opposites. Sam is a metalhead--a serious metalhead who knows metal history. Melissa is a preppie girl. They fall for each other, but the relationship is doomed. Melissa tries to change Sam too much, while at the same time being intrigued by his bad boy image. She tries to escape her preppie lifestyle by dating Sam, but it falls apart.

I loved the heavy metal music references (aside: I love metal. I bought my toddler the thunderlords cd--heavy metal music for kids.) I loved how Sam brought intelligence to the scene. Even to the seemingly illogical practice of moshing...

This is a solid first novel. It's a good romance book for boys--it's not heavy on the romance, but the relationship is the major plot in the story. Juggling a new girlfriend who seems perfect and out of your league with your best friends who are at odds with her, is a difficult thing to do. Krovatin portrays this nicely. There's enough metal, drugs and swearing to interest boys, and enough of the relationship to interest girls. I'd keep it for the high school kids because there is strong (realistic) language, but also because I think middle schoolers just won't really get it.
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Reading:
On My Nightstand:

Drowned Wednesday (The Keys to the Kingdom)--Garth Nix

Oh Garth Nix, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways....
1. Sabriel 2. Lirael 3. Abhorsen 4. Mister Monday 5. Grim Tuesday 6. Drowned Wednesday.

I devoured Drowned Wednesday in just a couple of days. Arthur is at the hospital recupperating from a broken leg and telling Leaf all about his crazy adventures in the House when he decides to be proactive, return to the House and deal with Wednesday instead of waiting for her (she had already sent him an invitation to lunch that he couldn't refuse and claimed that transportation was arranged). Just when he decides not to wait for Wednesday's transportation and to do something instead of be vulnerable, his hospital room is flooded and he and Leaf are transported to a huge sea. Leaf is picked up by the ship meant for Arthur, but Arthur is stranded on his hospital bed. He manages to get picked up by a salvage ship, but not before disturbing some buried treasure and being marked with "the red hand" so he can't escape the wrath of the pirate who "owns" the treasure. Arthur must defeat the pirate, rescue Leaf, confront Drowned Wednesday, find the Third Part of the Will, get the Third Key, and save a whole bunch of lives before Wednesday is over.

This is a great adventure series that should appeal to loads of people. There's the familiar story of a boy who has been chosen to save the world when all he wants is to be left alone, but there's so much more to it. There's a lot of depth that older readers will appreciate. There's humor. Arthur is a very likeable character (did I say that last time?). I can't wait for the rest of this series!
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Reading:
On My Nightstand: Girls Dinner Club--Jessie Elliot

The Boyfriend List--E. Lockhart

Fifteen year old Ruby has everything going for her, a group of best friends, a perfect boyfriend, interesting albeit annoying parents, and then she loses it all (except the parents) and has panic attacks instead. Trying to figure out what went wrong, Ruby starts therapy and comes up with the reason: boys. She comes up with a list of all her boyfriends, even the ones that were imagined and unofficial and crushes from afar.

Ruby (Roo) is a funny typical boy-obsessed teenage girl. At times she is shallow and self-centered, and other times she really is the victim of her cruel peers. Her best friend is right that she was not meant to be with her "perfect boyfriend" (I thought his unique valentine's gift--half a carnation--was nice, but Roo wanted the everyday roses and didn't see the value in being different) but that doesn't mean her best friend should go out with him! What kind of a friend is that? Roo is not the nicest to her friends either--she snubs the only friends who really appreciate her. But she comes around in the end.

I liked The Boyfriend List. Roo is a likeable character, even with her faults. There were a couple of times when I was confused as to what was happening when, but no more confused than when I talk to real teenage girls.... and I think it was more a problem with my mommy brain than with the writing. It all made sense in the end. :-)

I think high school girls will appreciate the story more--they have more of a history with boys than middle school girls. Although middle schoolers are getting just as cliquey as high schoolers, and they are definitely into boys, it just reads more like a high school book. And there are some references to certain, um, acts, that I hope middle schoolers don't know. Although these days, you never can tell. I'm reading this with my high school book group in January so we'll see what they say...

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Reading: Drowned Wednesday--Garth Nix
On My Nightstand: Girls Dinner Club--Jessie Elliot