Marcelo and the Real World

I received a free copy of this book from a giveaway I entered at goodreads. Thought I'd share the review here as well.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Marcelo is not what his father would call “normal,” but he is okay with that. He is happy with his life and looking forward to his senior year at Paterson (a school for children with special needs.) He is especially excited about his summer job taking care of the ponies at Paterson. Marcelo has a disorder that most closely resembles Asperger’s Syndrome, although that it not what it is. He hears a sort of internal music that no one else can hear and views the world in a way that is unique to him.

Arturo, Marcelo’s father, feels that Paterson is not the place for Marcelo. It is too sheltered. He is sure that his son could learn to function in the “real world” if he had to. And that is Arturo’s plan, to take Marcelo out of his comfort zone and put him in the “real world.” Arturo gives Marcelo a choice: if he gives up the job at Paterson and works in the mail room at his father’s law office he may choose to go to Paterson or the local public high school for his senior year. If he insists on keeping his stable man job he will have to go to the public high school. Marcelo’s choice leads him to a summer of adventures, new experiences, and knowledge that he isn’t sure he ever wanted to have. He develops new friendships and learns that friendly people are not always friends. Through the summer Marcelo is forced to think about his life and what he wants out of it. He learns who he is and who he wants to be.

I first saw this book at the Cooperative Children’s Book Center and desperately wanted to read it. I was so pleased to not only find it listed as a giveaway but to win it! Once I received it in the mail I could not wait to read it. I was not disappointed.

As a middle school library media specialist and young adult literature enthusiast I read many YA books. I try to read across genres and formats. In a year I read many books that I enjoy but not many that are truly unique. Marcelo in the Real World fits that bill. It is enjoyable and unique, a wonderful combination.

I was pleased that Marcelo’s disorder was never named. I think that too often people read a book where a character has a certain disorder/disability and they apply the traits of that character to all people with the same disorder/disability. Stork did a great job of giving the reader an idea of what Marcelo was like without stereotyping him or anyone else. I also liked the comparisons that Marcelo makes that let the reader understand how he is feeling (ex: his brain feeling like a chewed up wad of bubble gum.)

I found the relationship between Jasmine and Marcelo to be interesting. I was surprised that Jasmine wanted to move back home. That didn’t really seem to fit my idea of her from what I had already read and I had a hard time reconsidering that. The whole Vermont scene really didn’t fit for me. It made more sense at the end.

I felt that there was a lot going on in the book but the issues were all handled/resolved. I liked that Marcelo thought through the outcomes of his actions and was prepared to deal with the consequences. I think that this is a hard thing for any seventeen-year-old to do. His final decision was really a reflection of who he is and what he believes in.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to YA readers and adult readers alike.



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Fire by Kristen Cashore

Fire by Kristin Cashore

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'll admit, I was a bit hesitant about this book. Graceling was one of my favorites of the year and although I was excited about this book I was a bit leery because it was a prequel. I don't always like those, especially when the only character that appears in both is not one that I like. I was very pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed Fire as much, if not more, than Graceling.

Fire is set in the land neighboring that in Graceling. There are no gracelings in the Dell and Dellian people have never heard of them. What the Dell does have is "monsters." These are animals and/or people that are similar to "regular" animals/people except for their color and beauty. A monster kitten may be emerald green or fuschia. The smaller monsters don't pose much of a threat but larger ones are predators. They can manipulate a person's mind to make them walk willingly to die. Monster people can control the minds of others with their beauty and their own mind. Fire is a monster female with flame red hair. She knows what she is and what she is capable of. At 18, all she wants is to be "normal." She has no desire to control and does not seek the reaction that her appearance brings. However, her kingdom is in a time of great turmoil and her "special" abilities may be just what are needed. She fights against her past, perceptions, and her feelings in order to find what is right for her. See is a character that I could relate to and admire at the same time. The other characters in the novel are also strong and capture your interest.

Cashore is a beautiful storyteller. I love how well you get to know the main characters in her books. They are not perfect and we see the imperfections. I also like that nothing is as it seems. There are twists and turns, secrets and truths revealed. found myself getting really involved in what was going on. I cared about what happened to the characters and feared for them when they were in danger.

If you liked Graceling you won't be disappointed with Fire.

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My Catching Fire review from www.goodreads.com

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
oh. my. stars. Now I have to wait for the third?!?! I couldn't even wait a few more months to read this one!!! Since I read an ARC I don't want to give anything away. I'll just say this....
....the beginning felt a bit rushed to me. There was a lot going on and and I couldn't really get my bearings. I liked it but was waiting to see where it went. Part way through the book it really picked up and grabbed me the way the first one did. I couldn't put it down. I like where the story went and although I had some ideas about what was going to happen I didn't have a clue how it was going to get there. I had extremely high expectations for this book and it didn't disappoint. The ending definitely sets up the third book and I HAVE to know what happens!!!!! This is for sure a second in trilogy....the plot thickens but you end up without answers to your most pressing questions! If you want resolution wait until the third book comes out and read this one and that one in succession.

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Books I can't wait to read

There are three books that I am not-so-patiently waiting to read (well, there are many but three are driving me crazy!!!) It's a good thing the school year is almost over because I am expecting these to arrive in the mail any day now.....

1. Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games. Have I mentioned how much I enjoyed THG?!?! Seriously, I think I read it 3 times!! There is no way that I could wait until Sept.1.....thank goodness for ARCs :)

  

2. Fire, the prequel to Graceling. I was pleasantly surprised by Graceling. I was browsing in the book store when the cover caught my eye. I would say that it was second only to THG. I must admit that I'm a little leery about a prequel but I'll give it a try. Another ARC, couldn't wait for the release date :)

3. Along for the Ride. I couldn't get an ARC of this one so I'll have to wait for a couple more days. I pre-ordered it (along with Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover) so it should be shipped right to my door on the release date.

                 

Just writing about these is making me impatient!! I can pretty much guarantee that not much will be accomplished until these are finished!

Year in review

Well, another school year is almost over. Our circulation nearly doubled this year (meaning students checked out twice as many books!!!) This is super exciting for me :) There were so many great books! Below is a list of the most popular books in my seventh and eighth grade LMC:

Twilight (surprise, surprise)

The Hunger Games (my favorite of the year!!)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (entire series)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (loved it!)

Maximum Ride (the first three are great!)

anything by Sarah Dessen (they even borrowed my personal copies!)

Cirque du Freak 

Alex Rider 

Found (what a great idea!)

On Devil's Court (Deuker is still up there!)

Unwind

Fantasy is still the most popular genre by far!

Here I go....

Wow! My first post!!! Pretty exciting for me. This is something that I've been meaning to do for sometime now. As the school year is winding down I find that I finally have a moment to get started. 

I hope to use this blog as a place to post summaries and reviews of books that I read/hear about. I am lucky that I get to "talk books" with my students every day during the school year but there are so many books and only so many seventh and eighth graders at my school. Many of the books I read are better suited to older YA readers. I am excited to get a chance to share them here :)

I hope you enjoy what you see and wish you happy reading!