Category Archives: Young Adult Fiction

December 9, 2012 · 8:15 PM

ANNOUNCEMENT: 1970s Gay & Lesbian YA Read-a-Long

Image courtesy of federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last month I read The Heart Has Its Reasons: Young Adult Literature with Gay/Lesbian/Queer Content, 1969-2004 (Scarecrow Studies in Young Adult Literature) by Michael Cart and Christine Jenkins, a book that, as you may have guessed from its subtitle, examines young adult books with LGBTQ content published between 1969 and 2004. The authors list EVERY YA book published between the years 1969 and 2004, and I decided that I would take it upon myself to read as many books as possible that are listed in its pages.

Although I am not generally an avid reader of young adult books, I’m continuously fascinated by and interested in the portrayal of LGBTQ youth (and adults) within young adult books. And, as a reader who is predisposed to reading entire series of books, the fact that, due to the unfortunately low number of books published, reading every young adult book with LGBTQ content (at least until the 2000s) is actually a goal within my grasp, I am excited by the challenge.

I am using the terms gay and lesbian (as opposed to the more inclusive LGBTQ) for this challenge because these books are very binary and only feature gay or lesbian characters. (Per book. Seriously, the first YA book to feature both gay and lesbian characters was My Life As a Body by Norma Klein in 1987. The first to mention bisexuality was “Hello,” I Lied. by M.E. Kerr in 1998, and the first major transgender character wasn’t featured until 2004 in Julie Ann Peters’ Luna.)

I asked around on Twitter last week if anyone was interested in joining me for this read-a-long, and so far Amy, Jodie, and Carina have signed on to read at least a few with me. I plan on posting about the books sometime during the last week of each month. Some of these books are harder to find than others (especially David Rees’ In the Tent), but I’m hopeful I’ll be able to find them all.

2013 Schedule (all links lead to the book’s Goodreads page)

ETA: This is a complete list of all the YA books with LGBT characters published between 1969-1979. Ten books in eleven years.

January: I’ll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip by John Donovan (1969)
February: The Man Without a Face by Isabelle Holland (1972)
March: Trying Hard to Hear You by Sandra Scoppettone (1974)
April: Ruby by Rosa Guy (1976)
May: What’s This About Pete? by Mary Sullivan (1976)
June: Sticks and Stones by Lynn Hall (1977)
July: I’ll Love You When You’re More Like Me by ME Kerr (1977)
August: Hey, Dollface by Deborah Hautzig (1978)
September: Happy Endings Are All Alike by Sandra Scoppettone (1978)
October: In the Tent by David Rees (1979)

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November 5, 2012 · 9:25 AM

Mini-Review: The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman

The Freedom Maze
by Delia Sherman
Published 2011 by Small Beer Press
Ebook borrowed from the library
Read August 2012
258 pages

My favorite book in fifth grade was Jane Yolen’s The Devil Arithmetic, the story of a young Jewish girl who is transported back in time to a concentration camp. I read The Devil’s Arithmetic the way some people read Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre: over and over and over, often sneaking pages under my desk during science lessons, basically eating the book until it was falling apart and the pages no long stayed attached to the binding. So when I heard about The Freedom Maze, a book about a young, Southern white girl in 1960 who goes back in time to live as a slave in 1860, I was unable to resist the muffled cries of my 10 year-old self, pleading with me to give it a chance.

I don’t read a lot of young adult fiction anymore, but what I can say is this: The Freedom Maze would have ended up the way of The Devil’s Arithmetic in my younger self’s hands. (I was pleasantly not-quite-surprised to read Solomon’s thanks to Jane Yolen in the acknowledgements.) In fact, as someone who tends to avoid young adult fiction, I found myself thoroughly charmed and surprised by the risks Sherman took in this novel.

Grade: A

Recommended: When you’re looking for a unique, well-written YA story.

This post includes links that are part of Amazon’s Affiliate program. If you click a link and buy the book, I get a (very) small portion of the profits.

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Filed under 2012 Reviews, A, E-Book, Young Adult Fiction

September 19, 2012 · 8:49 AM

Review: Starting From Here by Lisa Jenn Bigelow


Starting From Here
by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
Published 2012 by Amazon Children’s Publishing
Review copy won via Goodreads First Reads giveaway
Read August 2012
282 pages

I broke one of my very strict reading rules by entering the giveaway for this book. The blurb for Starting From Here starts off with:

Sixteen-year-old Colby Bingham’s heart has been broken too many times. Her mother is dead, her truck driver father is always away, and her almost girlfriend just dumped her for a guy.

Normally any mention of a) a dead mom, b) a newly straight ex-girlfriend and, to a lesser extent, c) an absent dad, is enough to send me running for the hills. Or clicking over to a different book page on Goodreads. You know, whatever fits the circumstances. I’m the girl who gets text messages from friends letting me know when the books they are reading contain any mention of Mom Death (MD), even if I’ve never mentioned any intent to read those books. You could say that I’m a bit more sensitive about that topic than your average Jill.

Based on that, I probably should have passed on this little book. The thing was, uh, I really liked the cover? (I have the best reasons for choosing books.) So I entered the giveaway and I won and I read it and, luckily, I only cried a little.

There is a lot more to Colby’s story than the death of her mother–I’ll get to that in a minute–but I want to talk a bit about the way that loss is presented in this book. The struggle with the grief and absolute awfulness of losing your mother as a teenager as described in Starting From Here is amazingly realistic and  honest. For instance, Colby didn’t come out to her mother before she died , and when Colby has this conversation after she starts to date a new girl:

“Well, congratulations, Colby. You deserve a nice girl.”

“A nice girl,” I repeated. “Who are you, my mother?”

The words just slipped out, and I felt a little jolt in my gut, like an elevator dropping two inches. I wanted to believe that Mom would like Amelia. I wanted to believe she’d be cheering for me, too. But I didn’t know–and I never would. (p. 185)

I maaaaay have teared up a bit there. The mentions of her mom and the pain of missing her were the highlight of the novel for me, partly because they bear a resemblance to my own experience, but mostly because they capture those emotions so well.

The real focus of Starting From Here is Colby’s relationships with her father, who is absent most days of the week for his long-distance trucking job, and Mo, a stray dog she adopts after she saves him when Mo is hit by a car. Through taking care of Mo, Colby begins the healing process and meets her new love interest, Amelia. Colby’s best friend, Van, is struggling with being a constant baby-sitter for his nephew and trying to have a social life. The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at Colby’s school is planning a dance. Oh, and Colby also has a complicated friendship with the local veterinarian, who has marital problems.

Needless to say, there’s a lot going on here, and it takes away from the best parts of the book: the handling of grief after Colby’s mom’s death, father/daughter relationships, and Colby’s rediscovery of herself through Max and Amelia and Van. The writing is stilted at points and sometimes reminded me of the writing you might find in an early 1990s YA book, but overall, I was satisfied and glad I took a chance on a book with the dreaded Mom Death.

Grade: B

Recommended: Particularly for the deft handling of Post-MD emotions, but also as a solid YA novel with a variety of LGBT characters. Oh, and there’s an endearing dog who doesn’t die.

(Many thanks to Tasha for reading a draft of this post and keeping me from deleting it, as I often do when I write things.)

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September 24, 2011 · 9:44 AM

Banned Books Week Feature: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Published 1999 by MTV Books
224 pages

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.” — page 39

 

From IndieBound:

Standing on the fringes of life…

offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie’s letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

WHY IT WAS BANNED: 

“One of 55 books that parents in Fayetteville, Arkansas are petitioning to have removed from school libraries. The parents, who formed Parents Protecting the

Image of two books locked together by chains with the text "Banned Books Week Sept 24-Oct 1 Bloggers Wanted"

Minds of Children, object to the profane language and depictions of sexuality in many of the books and have accused the librarians and other opponents of their efforts of promoting a “homosexual agenda”. PPMC objects to this book because of its depictions of gay sex.” (via American Booksellers Foundation for a Free Press)

That’s right my friends, the “HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA”… bringing good books to teens since 1974*.

Perks also gets challenged based on its depictions of drug use and for being “obscene or child pornography.” (via Marshall University) Buuut mostly for furthering the “homosexual agenda.”

SOME THOUGHTS:

  • This isn’t the book for everyone, but it was one of those “right books at the right time” deals when I read it for the first time in high school.
  • It was also the only book featuring gay characters that I read before I went to college. I’m still pretty stunned about that.
  • Perks has a scene where the family is watching the series finale of M*A*S*H and Charlie sees his dad cry for the first time. M*A*S*H was my mom’s very favorite show, but I never really gave it a chance until I had read that scene in Perks. (I can now quote M*A*S*H episodes at length and may or may not own several seasons on DVD.
  • I have a  very unsubstantiated theory that folks who didn’t enjoy Catcher in the Rye won’t enjoy Perks.
  • Perks is imminently quotable, and I guarantee there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people with a tattoo of the “infinite” quote.
  • Don’t listen to the banners. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about friendship and the awkwardness of being a teen and finding yourself and
    coming to grips with your past. It’s beautiful and I want to hug it close to me and deliver copies of it (and Maureen Johnson’s The Bermudez Triangle, coincidentally also a banned book) to all the little Cass-es of the world.
So, if this does end up being my last letter, please believe that things are good with me, and even when they’re not, they will be soon enough.
And I will believe the same about you.
Love always, Charlie  (page 213)

 

This post is part of a series hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Please stop by the other blogs featuring banned books this week for your chance to win…something, I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s awesome.

YOUR CLUE

 

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Filed under A, Blogger Events, GLBTQ, Young Adult Fiction

September 6, 2011 · 10:08 AM

THOUGHTS: Shelter by Harlan Coben

 Shelter: A Mickey Bolitar Novel
by Harlan Coben
Published TODAY! September 6, 2011 by Putnam Juvenile
ARC received (and signed!) at BEA
Read May 2011
288 pages

From IndieBound:

Mickey Bolitar’s year can’t get much worse. After witnessing his father’s death and sending his mom to rehab, he’s forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools.

A new school comes with new friends and new enemies, and lucky for Mickey, it also comes with a great new girlfriend, Ashley. For a while, it seems like Mickey’s train-wreck of a life is finally improving – until Ashley vanishes without a trace. Unwilling to let another person walk out of his life, Mickey follows Ashley’s trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that this seemingly sweet, shy girl isn’t who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey’s father. Soon, Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it makes high school drama seem like a luxury – and leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew.

Here’s the thing about Harlan Coben: I trust the guy. I mean, except for that one totally strange Myron Bolitar novel*, all of his books have been thoroughly enjoyable. I know what I’m getting into when I pick up a Coben mystery: witty, smart writing and a solid mystery. I may or may not have read all his books. OKAY I HAVE READ ALL HIS BOOKS.

So I was absolutely THRILLED when I found out ARCs of Shelter would be at BEA. I was so excited, I read the whole book on the train ride home from New York. All you need to know from me is: it’s just as good as any of the best Harlan Coben novels. And if you’re not yet a Harlan Coben fan, you will be after this book. Trust me.

Grade: A

Also recommended: The Myron Bolitar series. If you like witty mysteries, do yourself a favor and check them out. If I was going to heterosexually marry any fictional former basketball player-turned-sports agent, I’d marry Myron Bolitar. I can’t think of a better endorsement.

*The one with the TERRORISTS. Ammirite?

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Filed under 2011 Reviews, A, Print, Young Adult Fiction

August 10, 2011 · 7:24 AM

REVIEW: Gemini Bites by Patrick Ryan

Gemini Bites
by Patrick Ryan
Published March 2011 by Scholastic Press
Borrowed from Library
240 pages
Read June 2011

Guess what? This book features TWINS! I bet you never would have guessed. Judy and Kyle Renneker are part of the rather large Renneker brood, and they don’t get along at all. Judy is suddenly Very Religious has been attending Bible study sessions–but unbeknownst to her family, it’s all an act so she can flirt with a cute guy. Judy’s been giving Kyle, who recently came out (to very accepting parents), a particularly rough time, capitalizing on her “religiousness” to take out her anger on her brother (for something unrelated to being gay).

Amid this sibling rivalry, the Parents Renneker have offered to let GARRET JOHNSON stay at the house for a month so he can finish up the school year before having to move. Yes, THAT Garret Johnson that you heard about in biology class–the creepy one who may or may not be a VAMPIRE. And you know what vampires will do, right? LEAVE TWO IDENTICAL MARKS WHEN THEY BITE YOU! Oh, it’s too much to handle, I know. Once Garrett moves in, Judy and Kyle both develop crushes on him, and the real battle of the twins gets going: who will get him? And will they follow him into the AFTERLIFE?

Gemini Bites is not a book that works well when summarized. It sounds campy and ridiculous–but it’s actually an original, funny, endearing book about first love and the strains of sibling rivalry.

SPOILER ALERT From the beginning, it’s pretty clear that there are no real vampires in the world of Gemini Bites, but Ryan manages to keep you guessing anyhow, which I appreciated. When all is revealed at the end, you don’t feel let down as much as amused that you could have possibly thought vampires could be real. END SPOILER

Gemini Bites is my favorite LGBTQ young adult novel that I have read this year. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Grade: B+
Recommended: To fans of YA novels
Also recommended: Ryan’s 2009 book In Mike We Trust, another great read.

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January 20, 2011 · 11:21 PM

Mini-Reviews: A Duo of YA Books

The DUFF
by Kody Keplinger
Published 2010 by Poppy
Recommended by Amy

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “Duffy,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

How much would I have enjoyed this book as a teenager? About 97%. I never really felt like the DUFF (designated ugly fat friend) but some of the character’s experiences mirror my own.

Why wasn’t this book around when I was 16? Because the author was only 10 when I was 16. I realize that 24 is not by any means old, but realizing this fact about the now 18-year-old author makes me feel as old as that lady from Titanic.

What happens when you Google “The DUFF?” You get a lot of hits for Hillary Duff. Because apparently that is what people call her.

Would Lizzie Maguire enjoy this book? Doubtful. There are a few scenes of sexy time and in my mind, Lizzie Maguire neither reads books with sexy time scenes nor does she read at all. Mostly she sings in front of her mirror with her hairbrush.

Can we discuss “man-slut?” No, but I do enjoy typing “man-slut.”

 

How I Made it to Eighteen: A Mostly True Story
by Tracy White
Published 2010 by Roaring Book Press
Purchased by Ethan and found later by me

How do you know if you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown?  For seventeen-year-old Stacy Black, it all begins with the smashing of a window. After putting her fist through the glass, she checks into a mental hospital.  Stacy hates it there but despite herself slowly realizes she has to face the reasons for her depression to stop from self-destructing.  Based on the author’s experiences, How I Made it to Eighteen is a frank portrait of what it’s like to struggle with self-esteem, body image issues, drug addiction, and anxiety.

Do I like this blurb? Not really. It makes the book sound a lot more overwrought than it actually is; I found it more poignant and honest, in fact. Touching, even. The blurb makes it sound like it’s an “issue” book, which it IS, I suppose, but not in the usual sense, where you feel bashed over the head with ANSWERS and ISSUES and such.

How does a book about depression work in graphic form? Lovely, in fact. Each bit about Stacy’s experience in the hospital is separated by mini-interviews with each of her friends from outside the hospital, which was kind of an ingenious way to show how depression is both affected BY and personally EFFECTS friends and family.

How many bonus points for portraying a “mental hospital” without evil nurses or abuse? About 67. And three cans of Progresso soup*.

Best part of the book? How I Made it to Eighteen has a lot of real literary merit; however, my favorite part was that the author Tracy White named the character Stacy Black. I love it.

You should probably read this book, if you enjoy memoirs in graphic not-novel format. It’s really good.

 

 

*I may have the book apocalypse on my mind. Hush.

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Filed under 2011 Reviews, Mini Reviews, Print, Young Adult Fiction

January 5, 2011 · 11:07 PM

Favorite Young Adult Novels Read In 2010


The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: This is a tale of a boy between two worlds, conflicted by his desire to crawl out of poverty and fit in at a privileged school while trying to stay connected to his family and childhood friends struck a chord with me. The first book I read by Alexie, it easily convinced me that it was necessary to read his entire back-list.

Flight by Sherman Alexie: A tribute of sorts to Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughter-House Five, the main character flashes back to important moments in Native American history and learns about the past of his people. I read this book quite unintentionally soon after I had finished Slaughter-House Five, and found it complemented Vonnegut’s work perfectly.

Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin (audio narrated by Tom Parks): I downloaded the audio on a whim, entirely because I thought the cover was pretty and that the story was only three and a half hours long. Jason, a sixth grader with autism, is only able to express his emotions through writing, and when he posts the stories online, he meets Rebbecca but then has to decide how meeting her in real-life would affect their relationship. A beautiful story with an excellent narration.

The Cat Ate My Gym Suit by Paula Danzinger (audio narrated by Caitlin Brodnick): Fighting censorship! Good English teachers! A feminist message! A book I should have read a long time ago, but still resonated with my grown-up self with its perfect mix of 70s nostalgia and modern day relevance.

The Book of Everything by Guus Kuijer (translated from the Dutch): From Booklist: “When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, nine-year-old Thomas responds, “Happy. When I grow up, I’m going to be happy.” His rigid, religious father, who hits his wife and children, warns Thomas, “Only good-for-nothings and weaklings are happy.” Fortunately, Thomas is aided by a neighbor, who introduces him to Beethoven and poetry; a remarkable older girl with a leather leg; and even the Lord Jesus, who actually communicates with Thomas from time to time: “Hey there, Thomas. Everything under control?” Set in Amsterdam in 1951, this slender Dutch novel is filled with quirky characters, frightening family confrontations, and laugh-out-loud moments. Dark humor and a wry, ironic tone, reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut, give the story a sharp edge. In a faux introduction, the author explains how the elderly Thomas gave him the book and warned him that he should read it first because it “may be too disrespectful.” This irreverence may disturb some but delight others, who will cheer on the earnest, good-hearted Thomas.”


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Filed under Lists, Year End, Young Adult Fiction

December 14, 2010 · 11:45 PM

Review: Pretty Little Liars (Series)

The synopsis of the first book, from IndieBound:

Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna.

Spencer covets her sister’s boyfriend. Aria’s fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily’s crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.

But they’ve all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they’ve kept. And guess what? I’m telling.

After reading The Lying Game, the first book in Sara Shepard’s new series, I decided to try out her first series, Pretty Little Liars. Sometimes it’s good to read books that are completely ridiculous and entertaining. I requested the e-book for Pretty Little Liars from the library and when it arrived, I quickly fell into an awful trap where I just COULD NOT STOP READING. I purchased some of the e-books, I downloaded some from the library, I even made an emergency trip to the library to get the fifth, sixth, and seventh books. It took me eight days to read the entire series.

I had a bit of an addiction. Reading books from the Pretty Little Liars series is like eating delicious Doritos–you know they aren’t very good and you probably shouldn’t continue with them, but you just can’t stop because that delightful factory made fake cheese is sticking to your fingers and you don’t really feel like washing your hands. Or, uhm, something like that.

 

Instead of giving away all the SECRETS, here are my thoughts on the four main characters.

The Characters

Aria: The liberal hippy of the group. If this were the Baby-sitter’s Club, she would be Dawn. I always hated Dawn.

Spencer: My favorite character for some reason. She’s the only one who actually does homework. (In BSC land, she’d be Stacey.)

Emily: My least favorite character. Oh, Emily, how you failed me. She was just so boring, despite her super-secret-secret crushes on girls. Not enough to scandalize me, I’m afraid. (BSC Connection: Mallory?)

Hanna: I kind of liked her, although she’s the rich Mean Girl of the group and I don’t think readers are supposed to like her very much. (BSC Connection: Claudia? Claudia would totally have had an eating disorder if the Baby-sitters Club books were for the YA market instead of middle grade.)

 

Recommended: For something light to break up all those heavy non-fiction books you’ve been reading; to understand what all the kids are up to nowadays; for simple enjoyment with no nutritionaleducational value.

Best Books: Pretty Little Liars, Perfect, and Wanted

Grade (For Series): B+

Grade (For Guilty Pleasureness): A++

***Breaking News*** I finished reading Wanted, the final book in the series, on Sunday. On MONDAY I saw a post on GalleyCat announcing that because the Pretty Little Liars show is so popular, there will be four more books. FOUR MORE BOOKS. My guiltiest pleasure just got a bit…guiltier.

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Filed under 2010 Reviews, B, E-Book, GLBTQ, Print, Young Adult Fiction

November 28, 2010 · 11:09 PM

Mini-Reviews: Guilty Pleasures: Mysteries Edition

The Lying Game
by Sarah Shephard
Published December 7, 2010 by HarperTeen
From Netgalley

I haven’t read Sarah Shephard’s Pretty Little Liars series, but I have heard a lot of YA bloggers raving about both the books and the television spin-off series, so I decided to try out Shephard’s work with The Lying Game before trying to track down the Pretty Little Liars books.

The book itself reminds me of the soap opera Passions—there are GHOSTS and cases of MISTAKEN IDENTITY and EVIL TWINS and rich girls who have nothing better to do (and certainly not homework) than set up elaborate pranks to embarrass and upset each other, including, but not limited to, fake snuff films and hiring an actor to play a police officer who “arrests” a rival for “murder.” The soapy drama is over the top ridiculous, and, I must admit, I found it irresistible. I sped through the book, which also has a sympathetic main character who has been mistaken for the dead twin sister she had never even met and an engrossing mystery of how her sister was killed.

Highly recommended if you’re in the mood for a light but nearly impossible to put down read. (Also if you like LOTS OF DRAMA. It’s pretty fabulously dramarific.)

Gift giving note: The Lying Game would make a great gift for reluctant, older teen readers. I might end up buying it for my 19 year old cousin once I decide if she would be offended to be given a book featuring high schoolers.

Cover of

Cover of The Woods

The Woods
by Harlan Coben
Published 2007 by Dutton
Brilliance Audio edition narrated by Scott Brick

My favorite thing about Harlan Coben stand-alone mysteries is that all the characters exist in the same universe; you never know which of the characters is going to show up. The Woods focuses on Paul Copeland, an Assistant District Attorney in New Jersey who is searching his long-lost sister who disappeared over twenty years ago in the woods of the summer camp where he was a counselor. Her body has never been found, but she has been declared dead. He has blamed himself all these years and when one of the men who also disappeared that night is found dead, Coben finds himself the main suspect and anxious to solve the case in order to prove his innocence and find where his sister was buried—or find out if she’s still alive.

As with all Coben novels (and I’ve read quite a few, ahem) the humor in The Woods is witty and the mystery is engaging. I highly recommend any Coben book if you’re looking for a good mystery, and this one would be a good place to start.

On the narrator: Some reviewers on audible seem to have it out for Scott Brick and strongly dislike his narrations, but I didn’t have a problem with it. He does a good job here.

Gift giving note: I may end up getting the audio book for my dad, who is not a reader but I think would relate to Copeland’s Dad-ness (the character has a young daughter). My dad also really likes cop shows, so this might be a good way to get him to read.

Cover of

Cover of Dexter Is Delicious

Dexter Is Delicious
by Jeff Lindsay
Published 2010 by Doubleday
Random House audio edition narrated by the author

The Dexter books stopped matching the television series after the first book, and while the literary Dexter is also now a dad, he is growing more human and having actual human feelings and Rita (who is much less annoying than on the television show) is still alive. In Dexter Is Delicious, the fifth book of the Dexter series, Dexter faces CANNIBALS.

I quite enjoyed hearing(?) Dexter grow as a character, and this is my favorite Dexter book so far.

On the Narrator: With this book I’ve officially listened to the entire series on audio, but this is the first book to be narrated by Jeff Lindsay. With the exception of journalists (like Gwen Ifell) and exceptions that prove the rule (like Neil Gaiman) I tend to despise audio books that are narrated by the author. Jeff Lindsay shocked me by being not just a tolerable author/narrator, but a great one. I loved his interpretation of Dexter and, like the best narrators, his voice added to the character. My only reservation about his performance was the nasal, high-pitched tones he gave the female characters, but luckily the woman who was given the most “air time” was Deb, and Lindsay’s voice for her was the most tolerable of the women. Highly recommended in audio.

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Filed under 2010 Reviews, Mini Reviews, Mystery, Young Adult Fiction