young adult

Book Review: Variant by Robison Wells

Variant by Robison Wells gets moving quickly. It take about four pages to learn most of what you’re going to about the main character’s back story. His name is Benson Fisher and he quickly vaults from yet another foster home to a school where…wait for it…Nothing Is As It Seems! Maxfield Academy is surrounded by [...]

April 23, 2012 READ MORE →

Book Review: The Hunger Games

I’m not sure when it happened, or if it has always been this way, but young adult literature–at least the popular stuff–has taken a dark turn.  This year I’ve read and reviewed The Burn Journals, The Forest of Hands And Teeth, and now The Hunger Games. Lighthearted these are not. Lord Of The Flies Meets [...]

November 5, 2009 READ MORE →

Book Review: The Chocolate War

This in another one of ALA’s most frequently challenged books. Someone is always trying to ban The Chocolate War. They should settle down: it’s a cool but bleak read. The Chocolate War is that rare thing in young adult literature: a relentlessly depressing book without any positive outcomes. But Robert Cormier is good at making [...]

May 14, 2009 READ MORE →

A Sparkling Review of That Twilight Book Everyone is Howling About

You know I’m right, but if you’re going to fuss, please do it in the comments section so everyone can enjoy it. If you liked this post, please Subscribe To The RSS feed.

April 29, 2009 READ MORE →

Book Review: The Burn Journals

When I was in high school, everyone was always revving at fever pitch. The smallest issues were always blown out of proportion–but at the same time, everything felt so real. The author is in his early teens at the beginning of the book. For reasons that don’t make much sense to him (or us), he [...]

April 9, 2009 READ MORE →