Perfect Chemistry

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles published by Walker and Company, 2009.

Elkeles has done a fabulous job in this modern take on the Romeo and Juliet story. Instead of Montagues and Capulets, she has Latino Blood and Country Club. She tells the story in alternating first-person point of view and both co-protagonists are fully fleshed out, intriguing characters.

Both characters grow and change, providing a strong internal arc. But the book also has a very solid plot.
Elkeles makes excellent use of foreshadowing.  Doses of humor break up the tension. Thoughtful use of Spanish words and phrases in the text was extremely well done.

The sequel is due to come out in May, 2010. You can bet I'll be getting it.
Here's a sexy book trailer for Perfect Chemistry.



More Personally
Enjoyed meeting authors PJ Hoover, Michele Bardsley, Jordan Dane and fellow Vermont College student Stacy Nyikos at the Red Dirt Book Festival in Shawnee, OK. The community coming together to talk about books can be very inspiring. I look forward to sharing my thoughts on their books soon.

The Magician's Elephant

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo, Candlewick, 2009.

DiCamillo uses omniscient third to put the reader in everyone's mind, including the elephant. The vague location and lack of an exact time add to the fairytale feel of this story that is sure to charm readers.
 
Here is a video of DiCamillo reading the first chapter

Don't Look Behind You

Don't Look Behind You by Lois Duncan, published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1989.

Being told that life as you know it is over, that you have to move to another state and assume a new identity might indeed seem like the end of the world. Especially if you're seventeen and Prom is just a couple weeks away.

Told in first person, this story definitely falls into the category of suspense rather than traditional mystery as April and the reader wait for the hitman to catch up with her family. Following the story of a teen forced into the witness protection program because of her father's testimony is a compelling setup. April (who later becomes Valerie) makes several mistakes that results in the hitman finding the family's home. 
 
I found this was also made into a TV movie starring Patrick Duffy in 1999. Several of Duncan's other books have also been made into movies including Hotel for Dogs.

Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator

Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison published by Recorded Books, 2005.

First off, I was very impressed with this audio production. Jessica Almasy brings an excited, breathless quality to her reading that fits the protagonist's quirky, effervescent personality. With funky costumes, wigs and an irrepresible optimism, Gilda is someone I'd love to be, although I'm a little too shy to pull it off.

In the opening book of this series, Gilda finagles a trip to San Francisco and ends up investigating a cousin's suicide.

The POV was omniscient third which allowed the reader to have a better understanding of everything going on.

As for the sidekick relationship in this one, Juliet acts as Gilda's sidekick in a completely platonic relationship, providing the skeptical, logical approach to balance Gilda's more mystical outlook.

Gilda has a strong voice and her longing for her late father move this book into the literary mystery category.

I'm eager to read the other books in this series.

Tender Morsels

I haven't been keeping up with my blogging this summer. (Shame on me!)

But I have been spending my time wisely. I had a glorious ten days at the Vermont College of Fine Arts working on my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults.

One fabulous part of my residency was hearing a lecture from Margo Lanagan, author of Tender Morsels. Ms. Lanagan is from Australia, which I guess is about as far removed from Oklahoma as you can get. But, her gregarious nature and bubbly personality made it seem like we were neighbors.

Tender Morsels is a richly complex book. It does deal with some rather dark subject matter (incest and rape) but it wraps these subjects in a fantasy world with a few degrees of separation from our own. I found it very interesting that for some of my classmates, these subjects immediately moved the book out of the category of what they thought teens should be reading. But, I have to disagree. Teens (and all of us, for that matter) should have a means of addressing difficult subjects. Is there a safer place than between the covers of a book?

I also think that Lanagan did a brilliant job of letting the reader know what happens without pausing on any graphic details. And, perhaps that is part of why the book is raising such a stir - Lanagan has left room for the reader to fill in those details with their own imagination. Apparently, those imaginations can be terribly lurid!

Finally, I have to mention the complex point of view shift Lanagan employs. Some of the book is written in first person, some in third person. Oh, and the first person narrator isn't always the same character. Sound confusing? I have to admit, I thought so at first. But then I caught on to what Lanagan was doing - the point of view is actually a commentary on patriarchial society. The men in the story (even if they are secondary characters) believe they are the hero of the story - it is all about them in first person. While the women (who are the focus of the novel) have no voice, their story is told in third person. I felt so smart when I figured this out!

Here is an interview with Lanagan http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/lanagan_interview/

And here is the link to her blog http://amongamidwhile.blogspot.com/

Girl, Hero

Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones published by Flux, 2008.

I feel like I'm a little behind in reading this book. I started to read it back in January when I attended my first residency at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Carrie Jones was one of the awesome graduate assistants who helped guide us during our stay in Montpelier. Well, during the course of the semester, I got sidetracked by reading all those mysteries. My primary creative project for the past year falls into the mystery genre, so I've tried to read as many of those as I can. And, unfortunately, Girl, Hero fell to the bottom of my reading list.

Now, I can't tell you how awful I feel about that.

Especially because, reading it could've really helped me with what I've been working on. It's not a mystery, but it does feature a girl who is trying to figure out who she is and also deal with Dad issues. Except, this girl-hero has multiple men filling that father figure position – talk about upping the ante! This book is great. It deals with about a dozen issues in a real life way (not like in a talk show, to quote Lily, the protagonist.) It is also incredibly creative. Throughout the book, Lily writes letters to John Wayne. Yes, that John Wayne. Lily's late step-father watched John Wayne movies with her. I think writing these letters helps her feel closer to the dad she's lost. But you should read the book and draw your own conclusions.

No Book Review Today

I have to give credit to Carrie Jones for blogging about the potential impact US bloggers might have on the situation in Iran.

In Iran, many people are using blogs, Twitter and Facebook to communicate their dissatisfaction about the recent elections. If you don't know about that, open up just about any news site, like MSNBC and you'll find plenty of articles about it.

But, back to the potential impact of US bloggers. The Iranian government has set out to censor the protest blogs in Iran. And how do they find those blogs among the gazillion in cyberspace? I'm told they do a search and check the time zone setting for the site.

So, until further notice Playing With Words, along with lots of other kidlit blogs is now set for GMT + 4.30 - Tehran time.

Also in solidarity with the Mousavi campaign, I've turned my avatar green as suggested by Faeirie Drink Review site.

And finally, I want to say Thanks to those dozen or so folks I saw holding "FREE IRAN" signs this afternoon when I left the State Capitol Builing in OKC. It takes alot of guts and stamina to stand out on Lincoln Blvd in the heat with the aim of moving Okies to action. You Rock! (and it worked on at least one person)