Between Shades of Gray

     I just finished a beautifully written book entitled Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. It tells the story of a Lithuanian girl named Lina who is forcibly removed from her home with her family and sent to work at labor camps in Russia during World War Two.  Based on true events, this book was an education for me because I had never heard of the Balkan Genocide in any history class I have ever taken.

     In this book Lina and her family are arrested by the Soviets and removed from their home in Lithuania.  Separated from her father, Lina, her mother, and brother Jonas are sent away.  Along with other Lithuanians, they are packed in boxcars and begin a long journey by rail.  During the trip Lina meets Andrius, and they help each other survive the journey.  Other passengers, however, are not so lucky, and many die or are killed en route.  The survivors are tired, dirty, and starving when they finally arrive at their destination, the Altai Labor Camp in central Russia.  There they are forced to work in horrible conditions for very little food, enduring lice, scurvy, and other illnesses.  Andrius continues to help Lina and her family by stealing food for them, passing on information about Lithuania, and taking care of Jonas when he gets scurvy as a result of malnutrition. 

     After six months at the Altai Labor Camp, Lina must say goodbye to Andrius when she, her family, and other captives are sent away yet again.  This time their destination is Trofimovsk, a small military settlement past the Arctic Circle and close to the North Pole.  Here the captives are forced to endure even worse conditions than those in Altai as they try to survive both the Arctic tundra and abuse from Soviet soldiers, who force the captives to forage for materials to build their own shelters and to provide heat so they can survive the Arctic winter.  Here even more die from dysentery, starvation, and the harsh conditions, including Lina's mother.  The only thing that keeps Lina and her brother going is their desire to live.

     While the theme of this book is not pleasant, readers will admire Lina's strength and perseverance as she tries to survive at the hands of the Soviets.  I think many will also feel the same shock and surprise to discover that such an atrocity occurred as I did.  In the United States, when students study World War Two they learn about the Holocaust and are told that the Soviets were US allies.  I don't think too many learn that our Soviet allies were simultaneously exterminating people while they were helping us defeat the Nazis.  This may be partially due to the fact that not too many people knew about it until fairly recently.  As the author explains in her Author's Note, those displaced during World War Two spent anywhere from 10 to 15 years in captivity before being released.  Upon their release, however, none spoke of what happened to them.  They couldn't, because they were still under Soviet rule and knew that they could end up back in prison in Siberia if they openly discussed their experiences.  According to the author, survivors did not begin to discuss this sad moment in Balkan history openly until 1990 after the Soviet Union dissolved.

     The author did extensive research in Lithuania before writing this book.  There she met with historians and government officials, and was even able to interview survivors.  The result is this powerful and moving novel that finally sheds light on what for many is a sad, forgotten moment in history.  5 stars.

What I've Been Reading Lately

Happy fall, everyone! School is in full swing and I've been busy with work and shuttling my children to and from their extra-curricular activities. Nevertheless, I have still found the time to squeeze in some YA reading. For me, reading is how I wind down at the end of a long day. When the book is really, good, however, I still end up going to bed late because I can't put down what I'm reading! 

In no particular order, here are the books that I have read this past month:

1. The Order of the Poison Oak by Brent Hartinger. I have now read three books by this author. The other two were The Geography Club and Project Sweet Life.  Hartinger is a gay man and is one of the few authors I know of who writes about gay teens.  I have already talked about Project Sweet Life in a previous post. The Geography Club is the story of a gay teen named Russ.  Together with his friends he forms a club for gay and bisexual teens and their straight allies. Not wanting to become the target of bullies, members give the club the pseudonym "Geography Club," which they hope will sound so boring to the student body that nobody will want to join it except for those student who know what the club is really about. 

The Order of the Poison Oak is a sequel to The Geography Club, where Russ and his two best friends take jobs as summer camp counselors.  The first group of campers come in, all of whom are burn victims who are coming to camp to have a chance to be with other children like them and temporarily forget their scars. Ultimately, it's a story about acceptance. 4 stars.

2. Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel.  New Yorker Rio moves with her well-off parents to Los Angeles, where Rio tries to fit in at her new school.  While at first she is befriended by the art geeks, she casts them aside when the popular girls invite her to join their inner circle.  Ultimately, however, she realizes that she doesn't belong with the popular kids and goes back to the art geeks.  

What a waste of time this book was. It was shallow, stupid, and full of clichés and one-dimensional characters. Plenty of good YA books about the concept of high school popularity exist, but this book is not one of them. 1 star.

3. See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles.  Fern and her family live in Vermont, where her father owns and operates a restaurant called Harry's.  Fern's biggest problems are feeling invisible, always being saddled with the responsibility of taking care of her annoying little brother Charlie, and dealing with bullies on the bus who have targeted her and her brother Holden as their main victims. All of these problems seem trivial after a family tradegy rocks the family, changing their lives forever.  

I never would have read this book if I had known exactly what the family tragedy was really about.  I read a lot of gritty, realistic fiction but certain topics just haunt me. I had a hard time sleeping after I read this book.  As far as quality of the book, however, I can say that it was pretty well written even though I felt that the conclusion seemed a bit rushed. 3 1/2 stars.

4. Curveball: The Year I Lost my Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick. Rising teen baseball star Peter's pitching career comes to a screeching halt after a devastating injury ends his days as an athlete for good. Now he's left trying to figure out his place in the world.  To make matters worse, his grandfather has started forgetting things and acting strangely.  The only person who seems to understand is Angelika, a girl in his photography class.

This is a nice story about coming of age and dealing with the physical and mental decline of grandparents, but at times I felt that it was trying too hard to educate the reader about dementia instead of moving the story along.  Still, it's a nice story about a boy trying to rebuild himself after his dreams are unexpectedly taken away.  4 stars.

5. Flash Burnout: A Novel by L. K. Madrigal.  Blake juggles having a girlfriend and helping out a female friend whose mother is a drug addict, all while trying to get a grade higher than a C in his photography class.  It's a novel about accepting responsibility for making mistakes and trying to do the right thing.

This book is a very sad portrait of what drug addiction can do to a family, and also very realistically describes how hard it is to balance a romantic relationship with a platonic one, although I was unhappy with the book's sad ending.  4 1/2 stars.

Enjoy the fall everyone and happy reading!

My Last Batch of Summer Books

     So as August came to a close I found that I was having a harder and harder time choosing books to read. After visiting three different libraries, however, I was finally able to compile five titles to read before summer vacation ended.  I spent my time with these titles:

     Here is how I ranked these books:

5. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber.  A high school senior discovers that the foreign exchange student staying at his house is actually a trained operative intent on revenge, and Prom Night ends up being a crazy adventure through New York City as the foreign exchange student, Gobi, tries to complete her mission before the night is over. This book was fast-paced and well written but seemed to be missing depth.  3 1/2 stars.

4.  Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger.  Three friends spend the summer trying to earn enough money so they can fool their parents into thinking that they actually spent their time working at summer jobs. The book includes nice references to the history of Tacoma, but I had already figured out the ending when I was halfway done with the book.  As I was reading I kept thinking that the book would make the perfect Disney movie, but I doubt if Disney would keep the book's homosexual uncle and his partner as characters in the movie version.  3 1/2 stars.

3.  The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie.   Half novel and half comic book, this book chronicles aspiring filmmaker Larkin's freshman year of high school.  This is a nice, quick and clever read. 4 stars.

2. Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina.  New student Piddy Sanchez becomes the target of a bully, who thinks that Piddy is after her boyfriend.  The bully makes Piddy's life a living hell, but luckily she has friends and family to watch her back. 4 1/2 stars.

1. I Am J by Cris Beam.  Born female, J is a transgender teen intent on becoming a boy, even though it may ruin relationships with friends and family. A heartfelt and realistic look at what it feels like to be trapped in the wrong body.  5 stars.

Now that I'm back at work I won't be reading or posting as much, but I'll still update when I can!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

     One of my all-time favorite books is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.  This book is about a young American Indian boy named Arnold who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation, where he is surrounded by extreme poverty, rampant alcoholism, and a profound sense of hopelessness. Desperate for a better chance at a successful life, Arnold transfers from the high school on "the Rez" to the nearby all-white high school. Already a frequent victim of bullies, Arnold finds that this move causes him to be completely ostracized by his fellow Indians, but what hurts the most is being rejected by Rowdy, his best friend. And since he is the only Indian at the all-white high school, Arnold has difficulty fitting in with his classmates. Arnold drifts through two completely different societies but is not accepted by either one.

     I love this book! First of all, as a white, middle-class female I found this book to be eye-opening. I understand that I have lived a privileged life. I am lucky to have no knowledge of poverty. I knew that the US had many Indian reservations but had no idea how desperate and depressing life could be there. I therefore appreciate this book for what it taught me about how others are forced to live.

     Second, Arnold is an open and honest character. He very matter-of-factly describes what it is like to be poor. He describes what it feels like not to receive Christmas presents, to go to bed hungry, and not to be able to pay when on a date. He also offers no apologies for the excessive drinking he witnesses, even in his own family, and the heartache it can cause. 

     Although many of the subjects of this book are gritty and somber, Arnold's inner strength is what saves him. He refuses to give up and succumb to the demons that surround him. As hard as things are, Arnold perseveres. 

    

     

Third Batch of Books Completed!

Here are the books I have recently finished:

All five books had female protagonists.  All were quite good but very different. Here is my ranking from least to most favorite read:

5. Born Blue by Han Nolan.  Abandoned by her drug addict mother, Janie is first exposed to "the ladies" (singers like Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday) in foster care. A gifted singer herself, Janie sets off on a self-destructive journey to become a famous singer. This is a gritty, sad, and disturbing but well-written book.  4 stars.

4. The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shan. Eleven-year-old basketball player Lucy is all set to have the best year ever when her sister goes off to college, leaving Lucy with her own room. She is convinced that her year is ruined, however, when her parents make her share her room with her great-aunt visiting from China and attend Chinese School on Saturdays, which conflicts with basketball. Intended for elementary students, this cute and engaging novel explores Chinese culture, basketball, and the importance of family.  4 stars.

3. Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande.  Members of Mena's über-religious church ostracize her after a letter she writes involves them in a nasty lawsuit. Things get worse when the same church targets her biology teacher after she begins teaching a unit on evolution. This book does get a little preachy and the ending is a bit rushed, but it provides interesting insight into the ongoing debate between evolutionists and creationists. 4 stars.

2.  Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.  After a bizarre car accident, popular high school girl Sam finds herself reliving the last day of her life over and over. A well written, realistic, and poignant picture of high school.  4 1/2 stars.

1. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler.  Fifteen-year-old Virginia is overweight and miserable, the only member of her family who isn't thin, gorgeous, and popular. While at first she obsesses to lose weight, it no longer seems to be important once a horrible scandal rocks the family to its core.  A marvelous story of self-discovery and empowerment. 4 1/2 stars.

I go back to work in two weeks but I am going to try my best to get through at least one more batch of books before school starts. To the library I go!

What I'm Reading Now

    This week I have chosen books with female protagonists. That's about the only thing they have in common. Here's my selection:

     Three of the books I chose (Born Blue by Han Nolan; The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler; Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande ) because they were nominated for awards. I chose Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall because of strong reviews and because I liked another book by the same author. And I chose The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shan because my 12-year-old, who usually only likes fantasy and science fiction, gave this realistic fiction title a good review.

     I'll let you know what I think after I'm done with them!

The Art of Racing in the Rain

     When I was a child, many of the books I read had an animal as a main character, most famously E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. I was not prepared, however, to encounter the same phenomenon when opening a book intended for young adults. Nevertheless, that is exactly what I found when I started reading The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. This book's main character is an elderly dog named Enzo who narrates in the first person. In this book Enzo is at the end of his life and starts to think back on his life with his human, Denny, an aspiring race car driver.  Enzo reminisces about the joys, sorrows, and challenges that he and Denny experienced, including marriage, the birth of a child, two lengthy court cases, and hours upon hours spent watching videos of famous car races.

     This book was required summer reading at my school this year. It was a rough year for us because one of our best and brightest students passed away before Thanksgiving at the age of 17. It was a horrible tragedy. I was not prepared to open The Art of Racing in the Rain and read about a character in the book fighting the same disease that took our girl. But that is a personal reaction to what went on in my life this past year, and it doesn't change the fact that the book is profound, sweet, and unique.

I very much recommend this book but dog lovers beware - you may find yourself choking up and even crying at the end! 4 1/2 stars.