ARC Review: Twerp

Twerp by Mark Goldbatt
4/5 stars
Random House Books for Young Readers, 2013
288 pages
MG/YA Historical Realistic
Scheduled to release May 28

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is technically set in the 1960s but for the most part it feels very contemporary, lacking, for example, talk about the civil rights movement but also lacking mention of computers and cell phones. Apparently it is based on the author's own childhood and it feels like it comes from a very real place.

The format of the novel is that the protagonist, Julian, is keeping a journal for his teacher after an undisclosed bullying incident (which is eventually revealed to us at the end). Along the way, we gain insight into his friendships, first romance, and a burgeoning talent for writing.

For me, the real standout of this book is the writing which felt sophisticated but not in an off-putting way. I imagine that very few sixth-graders write as well as Julian but just because they're not able to put it all in words, doesn't mean they're not thinking these things. I feel like this book could be very popular both with its target audience as well as crossover to an older audience due to the writing style. There's a great balance between comedy and drama and I loved how friendship and loyalty are at the core of Julian's life even when they lead him astray.

Overall, this is a title that I would definitely recommend to young and older readers alike who enjoy contemporary/realistic stories. This is also a great addition to the literature about bullying, being a compelling witness to its wrongness without veering into preachy territory.

Small Damages

Small Damages by Beth Kephart
2/5 stars
Philomel Books, 2012
288 pages
YA Historical Realistic

Source: Library

After having some mixed experiences with Kephart's previous works, I had decided to swear her off, sensing that we just did not click. But then in the year end wrap-ups, I saw some of my favorite bloggers praising her latest (see below for links) so I gave in and picked this up at the library. As you can see from my rating, I ought to have abstained.

After her father's death, Kenzie discovers she is pregnant by her Yale-bound boyfriend (realized that my opening may have made this sound like an incest book, which it's not) and she insists on giving birth to the baby. So her mother arranges for an adoption and for Kenzie to reluctantly spend the summer in Spain where the adoptive parents reside. There she meets people and discovers things.

While I can see the beauty in Kephart's writing, I just found the entire experience of reading this so dull and unengaging. I felt dropped into the story without necessary contexts; I spent most of the story thinking it was set in 2012 (it's not; it's 1995-why 1995? I don't know); I think there might have been a new romance blossoming for Kenzie with a boy in Spain but I'm not sure; I'm not entirely sure when and how she got pregnant beyond knowing in my head the mechanics of human reproduction. Was it a reaction to the death of her beloved father? I didn't get a good feeling for their connection (and that's bringing all the feelings about my dad into this story-I know I would have been devastated so why can't I imagine Kenzie as devastated? She didn't feel real to me.) There were some very emotional moments for the characters in the book but I just felt nothing beyond boredom and wondering if I could still count this as a book read if I skimmed to the end (I decided that it does.)

Suffice it to say that I can recognize the skill in the writing here but it all left me cold. I wanted to feel something, I should have felt something considering the themes touched on and yet nothing.

Other Opinions-all positive so you can get another perspective on this book's merits:
Forever Young Adult
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
My Friend Amy

Why YA Realistic Fiction #3: Relationships

Aragorn with toy

Welcome to post #3 in my September Weekly Discussion Posts focusing on YA Realistic Fiction and why it rocks. Many times I feel like contemporary and historical books are overlooked in favor of the paranormal, fantasy, and dystopia around the YA blogosphere. This is just a little attempt on my part to bring to your attention some of the great things about YA Realistic Fiction. I'm going to have three weeks of posts and then the fourth week will have a giveaway so be sure to stop by!


This week I am thinking about the kinds of relationships featured in books. The main type that also seems to garner the most attention is the romantic and why not? Romance is great and I am drawn to books with a strong romantic element. However I have found myself becoming increasingly picky about my romance (and very anti-love triangle). Thus I hope for a book with strong friendships and ideally some parental involvement. Where do I turn? Realistic fiction.


Now I'm speaking very generally here about stereotypes but I feel like when I am looking for those kinds of non-romantic relationships, they are more likely to be found in realistic fiction. I feel like this might be for two main reasons. First, it is reflecting real-life where we tend to have those kinds of relationships. Everyone has parents although the involvement varies and most people manage to have some friends outside of a romantic relationship.

The other main reason I can think of is just the focus of realistic fiction. A lot of dystopia and fantasy have to introduce new rules of the world in addition to romance and that cuts down on the page-time for other relationships. The one exception I feel would be for mentors to the main character (I'm thinking of Orma in Seraphina and Kanin in The Immortal Rules particularly). When the focus of the story is defeating tyranny or just plain surviving, that cuts down on the time that can be spent developing other kinds of relationships. But realistic fiction already has rules established and usually lower stakes leaving more time for a girl to just relax with her friends (or obsess over schoolwork, activities, college, boys, etc. with friends). Because I remember how important my friends were to me in high school, I always like to mention when I feel like a book does a particularly good job capturing that.


What do you think? Do you think my ideas about the reasons have any truth? What other reasons can you think of?



Thus concludes my discussion posts for this theme. Remember to come back next week to enter a giveaway :) Honestly that's the best part of these discussion posts!

A peek at the week ahead: A lot of disappointment on my end. I wanted x from books and they kept giving me y. Expect 3 and 3.5 star reviews, on the lower end of the ratings (usually I DNF a book that would earn less).

Why YA Realistic Fiction #2: World-Building

Welcome to post #2 in my September Weekly Discussion Posts focusing on YA Realistic Fiction and why it rocks. Many times I feel like contemporary and historical books are overlooked in favor of the paranormal, fantasy, and dystopia around the YA blogosphere. This is just a little attempt on my part to bring to your attention some of the great things about YA Realistic Fiction. I'm going to have three weeks of posts and then the fourth week will have a giveaway so be sure to stop by!

This week's topic is World-building and is perhaps a bit more relevant to contemporary rather historical fiction. I was reminded of this as I started reading Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff this week. This is an adult steampunk fantasy novel that is filled with unfamiliar words and governmental structures; I really struggled in the beginning. To me, this experience is a great reminder of how fast I can slip into a contemporary novel. Most of those I've read are set in high schools or the summer in America-something I am very familiar with. Even those set in Australian or British schools have their familiar elements.

This also applies to all of the little details: what do people eat? What does their clothing and housing look like? What role does the government play? A lot of those answers can be taken for granted in a contemporary novel and it certainly helps me slide into the world and start to connect with the characters, my primary purpose when reading.

These thoughts are not an excuse for realistic fiction writers to skimp on details that enhance our understanding of character because they assume we know already. The right information about character clothing or class selection can prove illuminating. But I think it's a great thing for us readers to not have to wade through pages of description and info-dumps before we can get to the real heart of the story.

Do you agree that the worlds of realistic fiction often pop quickly more than those that are constructed whole-scale from the author's imagination?

Be sure to join me next week for the third post about relationships.

Sidenote:
Look what I treated myself to:
Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt
Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett
Two great books that you could win September 23 when I unveil my accompanying giveaway!

Why YA Realistic Fiction #1: Standalones

My cat

Welcome to post #1 in my September Weekly Discussion Posts focusing on YA Realistic Fiction and why it rocks. Many times I feel like contemporary and historical books are overlooked in favor of the paranormal, fantasy, and dystopia around the YA blogosphere. This is just a little attempt on my part to bring to your attention some of the great things about YA Realistic Fiction. I'm going to have three weeks of posts and then the fourth week will have a giveaway so be sure to stop by!

The topic for the first week is YA Standalones. For the part if you pick up a paranormal, dystopia, or fantasy book, you are investing in a story that will be told over three parts-that seems to be the dominant number although I have seen several series that are longer. This is not a bad thing, of course. But sometimes I just want one story in one book, with no cliffhanger driving me crazy while waiting; just one self-contained story. And when I want that, I head to the realistic fiction.

I guess it's just about balance. Sometimes I love a world or the characters so much that I want more time. Sometimes the author actually seems to have a story that needs that much space...and sometimes they don't. Since I would prefer to be left wanting more, standalones work great for me.

Of course, not all realistic novels are standalones; I just feel like you are more likely to find a standalone title in that section. What do you think? Do you agree with my assessment about this aspect of realistic fiction? What are some enjoyable non-realistic fiction YA books that are standalone?

Next week: setting/world-building