Prom Anonymous

Prom Anonymous

By: Blake Nelson

272p
Puffin

ISBN-10: 0142407453
ISBN-13: 978-0142407455


Annotation:
Three childhood friend reunite to attend prom together and, in the process of finding dates and dress, gain some insight into themselves.

Summary:
Nelson provides a fluffy but humorous exploration into the lives of three friends, Chloe an art geek with a admiration for Sylvia Plath, Laura the popular girl with the athletic football star boyfriend that she sleeps with more out of routine than affection and Jace the tomboy with the crush on the newly transfer star athlete with a secret of his own. Having grown apart through out their high school careers into separate and very different cliques, the three friends decide to make prom an evening to remember.

Teens will love this light and fluffy novel about the trials of high school and the idea that sometime friends grow up, and grow apart but that if they look hard enough they will remember the reasons they became friends. Throughout the novel each character is forced to deal with individual issues, and through that they learn that their friendship is still strong and that they can always depend on each other. In the process emerges quite a pleasurable read. An enjoyable book especially designed for the chick-lit generation. Some sexuality is discussed though out the book as well as some references to drug usage. However, this is hardly an edgy novel, and will fit in with most YA readers.

Two Parties, One Tux and a Very Short Film about the Grapes of Wrath

Two Parties, One Tux and a Very Short Film about the Grapes of Wrath
By: Steven Goldman

320p
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books


ISBN-10: 1599902710
ISBN-13: 978-1599902715

Annotation:
Mitch, a shy and awkward high school junior, negotiates the difficult social situations he encounters, both with girls and his best friend David, after David reveals to him that he is gay.

Summary:
Goldman introduces us to Mitchell an intelligent but lazy high school junior. The story opens as Mitchell is told by his best friend David that he is gay. Since David and Mitchell do nearly everything together (movies, school, and attend parties) Mitchell must now reexamine all aspects of his relationship with David; and find the perfect date for prom.

This book is made more interesting when David and Mitchell make an experimental short Claymation film based extremely loose on Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath filled with biblical imagery and controversial nudity scenes. Mitchell decides to show his film in place of turning in a paper on the novel, and his problems spiral out of control. Mitchell must now deal with the impending judicial review on his film, which may cause him to get expelled, plus the expanding sexual animosity between him and David. In addition, Mitchell has garnered the attention of Danielle the extremely attractive and recently single popular girl at school.

Goldman’s first novel is told with a dry wit that at times can be humorous, but can also come off as slow. His main characters seem, likeable enough and tend to mirror much of the attitudes of adolescents, however the problems that Mitchell faces and the his attitude for much of the book comes off as whiny and unfeeling.

Autobiography of My Dead Brother

Autobiography of My Dead Brother
By: Walter Dean Myers

p. 212
Publication HarperTempest

ISBN-10: 0060582936
ISBN-13: 978-0060582937

Annotation:
Jesse uses his sketchbook and comic strips to make sense of his home in Harlem and the loss of a close friendship. And so Jesse fills his sketchbook with drawings and portraits of his blood brother, Rise, and his comic strip, Spodi Roti and Wise, as he makes sense of the complexities of friendship, loyalty, and loss in a neighborhood where drive-bys, vicious gangs, and abusive cops are everyday realities.


Summary
In this novel that is perhaps too real, we are introduced to Jesse, and his blood brother Rise. Through the actions of both boys; the cautious and careful Jesse and the more risk taking and dangerous Rise, we are able to explore the quintessential Harlem lifestyle and all the stuff that comes with it. As we are introduced to the story, the setting is a funeral for both boys. We are led to examine and discover what actions led to this tragic event.

Jesse who has always looked up to Rise who was only two years older has now begun to notice distance between him and his blood brother who has begun hanging out with the local gang and selling drugs. As Jesse is pushed further and further away he begins to explore sides of himself that have long been dormant. Perhaps the most interesting side is his artistic ability. Through his art he is able to express himself and create a world in which he and Rise are still the friends he longs for.

This gritty novel is real and rough. Teens will love the tempo and feel of the novel as well as the underlying story which is more about expression than an actual plot. Perfect for those reluctant readers who prefer a more realistic novel.

Memoirs of A Teenage Amnesiac

Memoirs of A Teenage Amnesiac
Gabrielle Zevin
271p.
Publisher Farrar, Straus & Giroux

• ISBN-10: 0312561288
• ISBN-13: 978-0312561284

Annotation

After a nasty fall, Naomi realizes that she has no memory of the last four years and finds herself reassessing every aspect of her life.

Summary
This touching sophomore novel, by the author of Elsewhere (2005), touches on the sensitivities and humors of everyday life.

Naomi accidentally hits her head and loses all her memories from the present to sixth grade. Imagine all the traumatic events of the last five years, having to be rediscovered in a few days. Things like rediscovering your parents are divorced or birth control devices in your bedside table take on a complete new level of emotionality. Naomi allows us to experience these events at a comfortable and safe distance as a reader. Through her journey she is able to learn more about herself and the people in her life as well as find love. Until her memories come flooding back.

What does this mean for all the meaningful friendships she has made during her time as an amnesiac, and more importantly what does it mean for her and her fellow amnesiac boyfriend?

This novel is a humorous and guilty pleasure that still has the ability to affect the reader. This novel is perfect for those readers looking for something with substance yet still a fun read.