Books I Read & Loved in 2009--Part Two

2009-12-29 15:38:13 Posted By: Linda - YS

Unlike so many Hollywood sequels, this sequel will live up to (if not surpass) the first blog with its list of my favorite teen books from this past year! Here we go again…

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork: This is the story of autistic Marcelo, who makes a deal with his lawyer father to work in his law firm’s mailroom over the summer in order to experience the “real world.” There aren’t that many teen books out there with an autistic narrator so it’s already got a rare point of view going for it. Then if you add a really interesting and well-written story that thoughtfully explores human relationships, you’ve got a great book like Marcelo in the Real World.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman: This is a heart-breakingly good book about Mia, a gifted cellist, who must decide whether she wants to fight to stay alive after a horrific accident. Its immediacy and great characterizations make it a quick but outstanding read. Make sure you’ve got a few hankies handy when you read this one!

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford: Hilarious book full of “guy humor,” it tells the story of high school freshman Will Carter, a young man who is trying to navigate the tricky waters of high school and relationships and fails more often than he succeeds. Definitely aimed at an older teen audience, this is a realistic, laugh-out-loud funny story with enough poignant moments to save it from being total fluff. Keep an eye out for more titles from this new author!

The Pox Party & Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson: These two volumes make up the Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation series by the same author who brought us outstanding titles such as Feed and Burger Wuss. We first meet Octavian Nothing as a young slave in Boston right before the Revolutionary War and we follow him through his difficult childhood and adolescence. Written in authentic 18th century language with historically accurate depictions of slavery, this isn’t your typical teen series but they are absolutely outstanding in the quality of storytelling and characterizations. Simply amazing pieces of writing from an award-winning author.
 

I hope you get a chance to read at least one of these books (although I would strongly suggest that you read ALL of these books) and I'm looking forward to reading more great books in 2010! 

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