Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Reviewed by Mimi
The book Deadline, written by Chris Crutcher is a story of premature death and all the decisions that come with it. Ben Wolf, the main character, discovers on the first page he is suffering from a terminal ilness. But Ben doesn’t let that get him down. He refuses to tell anyone about the disease and lives life to the fullest by making the football team even those he’s barely 127 pounds, arguing for a cause he believes in, and meeting the girl of his dreaams. But things get confusing when the town drunk comes into the picture and changes the way that Ben sees life? Will he ever understand or it is already too late? I really enjoyed this story for its realism and the dialog between the characters. The author does a good job of getting you to know each character and to become really be attached to the book. I’d recommend this book to anyone, male or female looking for a goood read. Caution though. There’s a bit of cursing and many scenes in the book may draw tears.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Reviewed by Mimi
If you’re looking for a book that will change your life and keep you engrossed every minute, The Kite Runner is the book for you. The story revolves around the life of Amir, an Afghan and the son of a wealthy and successful businessman. Amir is also a best friend to Hassan, the son of Amir’s servant who is very poor. Together the boys grow, but in the end betrayal occurs and life for the both of them changes eternally. This book meant so much to me that at times I imagined personally knowing the boys. Sometimes their actions would make me mad at them and sometimes I would laugh with them as if they were friends of my own. I really took pleasure in how vivid all of the descriptions of the author were, which made the story all the better. I’d suggest this book to anyone looking for a book that will move you to tears of both anger and sorrow, and alter the way you look at the world. The Kite Runner, truly, transformed me.
Someone Like Summer by M.E. Kerr
Reviewed by Mimi
If you’re looking for a great book to read and really enjoy, Someone Like Summer by M.E. Kerr, is not for you. I’d love to say that I whizzed through the account loving every bit, but I didn’t. I’d have to say this was one of the worst books I’ve read all summer. The story starts out bland as Annabel Brown, the daughter of a racist construction worker, meets Esteban, a man from Columbia working in the U.S. illegally. It’s a classic love story that could have been taken from any fairy tale, but at the end it leaves you disappointed and wondering why you ever read the book in the first place. I’d have to say the worst thing about the book is the racism. The plot doesn’t take place in somewhere in the middle of nowhere, where you would expect such ignorance, but in New York. The father calls everyone "Jose", and yet he sincerely believes that he is progressive. The author also does no good by having the relationship of Anna and Esteban go nowhere, as well as by throwing random tidbits no one needs to know into the story. Don’t waste your time.
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar
Reviewed by Mimi
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie is laugh out loud funny and a true coming of age story. Scott, the protagonist of the story, starts off high school perfectly. He has 3 best friends, a girl who might like him and he's doing well in school. But slowly things begin to change. One by one his friends move on and he finds himself swimming in piles of schoolwork. Meanwhile his mom gets pregnant and now Scott finds himself drowning in the work. In the end its only the scary girl with the piercings and dyed hair that honestly understands him. Will he leave his one new friendship in search of popularity or will he live out his high school career as a reject? What I really enjoyed about this book were the journal entries Scott makes for his soon to be baby brother. The author softens the character and brings more down to earth qualities to him through the conversations he has. I enjoyed the relationships that Scott builds and loses. The author keeps you interested by his constantly moving circle of friends. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a relatively quick book that'll keep you entertained and keep you laughing the whole way through.
What Mr. Mattero Did by Priscilla Cummings
Reviewed by Mimi
This is a story of accustions of abuse and the effects that they have on a community. The story starts with the revelation made by three best friends, Suzanne, Claire and Jenna, that Mr. Mattero had touched them inappropriately. The story is told from the viewpoints of Claire and Mr. Mattero's own daughter, Melody. While Claire basks in the attention that is given to her after the accusation, Melody deals with public humiliation and begins to see some of the downfalls of the father she always loved. Who's telling the truth in this story? What did Mr. Mattero really do? This story will answer those questions and more. I'd be lying if I said that this story didn't upset me greatly. I felt an emotional connection with each and every one of the characters, and the surprise twist at the end only made my feelings greater. Although I couldn't personally relate to most of the individuals, I found myself questioning their motives and placing myself in their shoes. The author shows you the pain thats hidden behind her characters and the pasts that made them who they are. I'd suggest this book to someone who's not faint of heart and is willing to delve further into the mysterious things that make people do what they do. Be prepared to come out asking yourself why, and looking for answers to questions left unsaid.
Off-Color by Janet McDonald
Reviewed by Mimi
Off-Color, a story of finding yourself, brings up your own questions of personal identity and where you fit the world. Cameron is your typical teenager growing up in New York city and living the average life. That is until her mother, a nail technician, loses her job and they are forced to move to the projects. Cameron is outraged and is more than anything scared. On top of that Cameron discovers that she is also half African-American. Her friends who love her, but also are a bit racially insensitive, struggle to embrace her new identity and the projects make life hard for the family. Will Cameron learn to accept both sides of herself or will she forever pretend to live her life in one color? I thoroughly enjoyed this story from start to finish. The author, whose other books I have read as well, shows the protagonist's changes perfectly. I liked that she didn't have Cameron automatically accept her role as a member of two societies, but slowly transitioned her state of mind to accepting who she is. I also appreciated that the author did not use too much profanity and unnecessary language in portraying the so called "ghetto" girls of the projects. This takes true talent and I was very happy with the ending as well. Anyone who enjoys books about racial differences and who is looking for a fast read, at only 176 pages, this book is just right for you.
The Namesake by Jumpa Lahiri
Reviewed by Mimi
This book is 304 pages of words that will, at times, leave you wanting to read more but at others make you shed tears of boredom. Gogol Ganguli is a first generation Indian American, and the first of his family to be born in the U.S. This makes a difficult life for him, struggling to fit in with old world parents and new world friends. Not only is growing up hard, but his name follows him everywhere, a name neither Indian nor American. As Gogol grows older he fights to find his place in the world that's always changing. Will Gogol find where he belongs or will he always be searching? The reason that this book only merited 3 out of 5 stars from me was its constant change of pace which made me struggle to keep interest. There were times reading this book where I couldn't put it down and others where I wanted to quit reading for lack of interest. In the end I found that it was all worth it but I would only recommend this to readers ready for a sit down that may put them to sleep at times. Give the book a chance. Hopefully you'll end up liking it as much as I did.