Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzalez

Image: Macmillan Publishers

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzalez. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~8 hours. Read by Mark Sanderling. Macmillan Audio/ Macmillan Young Listeners, March, 2020. 9781250265371. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! It's the first day back for my students! Too bad it's rainy! Teen Tuesday features Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzalez. Ollie is the narrator of this fluffy with a side of sad lgbtq romance. He's out and proud and visiting his aunt in North Carolina for the summer. She has cancer and he has been babysitting so that his mom can spend time with her sister at a lake. He has a summer fling with Will, who has suddenly ghosted him. As he's angsting over that, he learns that his parents decided to relocate to North Carolina for the school year - his senior year - in order to take care of his aunt and her family. Ollie is devastated, of course, but soldiers on, 1. because he's a good guy and 2. because he adores his aunt and her kids. 

Little does he know that Will is a basketball star at the school he will be attending and that Will is firmly in the closet. Oh the drama! Luckily, Ollie is befriended by a trio of besties who have his back, Juliette, Niamh and Lara. He also joins a band.

This was a fluffy, fun read that also had moments of tenderness and depth. I absolutely adored the narrator and his performance. 

Middle Grade Monday: The Hope of Elephants by Amanda Rawson Hill

Image: Charlesbridge

The Hope of Elephants by Amanda Rawson Hill. 476 p. Charlesbridge, September 6. 2022. 9781623342597. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

It's the penultimate Monday of my students' summer break! I'm back with my colleagues for two days of PD on Thursday. Tick tock, tick tock. Counting down to the end of summer. 

Middle Grade Monday features The Hope of Elephants by Amanda Rawson Hill. This first-person verse novel is narrated by Cass, whose father has been battling cancer all of her life. She was only one when he received his first cancer diagnosis. Then, each odd year of her life, he was diagnosed with a different kind of cancer and now, on the last day of her eleventh year, she finds out the cancer is back. But, Cass senses that her parents, who have been very open with her, are now keeping something from her.

They are. The reason why her dad has such bad luck with cancer is that he has a genetic mutation, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, where half the sufferers develop cancer before the age of forty. Cass has a 50/ 50 chance of having the mutation and of developing breast cancer before she's thirty. Now, not only is she dealing with her dad's recurrence, she has to decide whether to have her blood tested for the mutation. Does she want to know? What is the value in knowing? So she makes lists of pros and cons. While she deals with this, she's also dealing with wanting to continue playing baseball (doing so puts her dad at risk for infection), trying to find comfort in her faith, and her homeschooling assignments, which involves visiting an elephant at a nearby zoo, with whom Cass bonds.

My how I loved this book! Not only is the cover absolutely perfect and perfectly gorgeous, but I found the voice immediately compelling. Readers will get to know Cass through powerful free-verse poems that feature strong emotions and intense imagery. Don't miss reading the informative Author Note at the end. 

Tell your readers who love verse novels and sad novels to make sure to add The Hope of Elephants to their tbr (to be read) list. The book releases on September 6. Happy book birthday! Happy reading!

Teen Tuesday and Arc Review: Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

Image: Penguin Random House

Dancing at the Pity Party: a dead mom graphic memoir by Tyler Feder. 208 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, April 14, 2020. 9780525553021. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Teen Tuesday features Dancing at the Pity Party: a dead mom memoir by Tyler Feder. Graphic artist Tyler Feder remembers her mother in this achingly beautiful memoir about love and loss. Feder and her mom were close. She was a sophomore in college when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. Using a subdued pastel palette, Feder chronicles the myriad of feelings she and her family experienced over the year that followed - shock, terror, guilt, hope - through the process of grief when her mother succumbed.

I grabbed this on my way to the airport in November and read it while I waited for my flight. I wept copiously. But I also laughed. So much about this lovely, important graphic novel resonates. It truly belongs in every possible library collection. I wouldn't necessarily hand it to someone newly grieving the loss of a loved one, but certainly to anyone who wants to help.

Look for Dancing at the Pity Party in April.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Wink by Rob Harrell

Image: Penguin Random House

Wink by Rob Harrell. 316 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, March 31, 2020. 9781984815149. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Wink by Rob Harrell. All Ross Maloy wants is to get through seventh grade with his best friends, Abby and Isaac. But Isaac's been MIA ever since Ross got diagnosed with a rare eye cancer. Now he's that kid at school everyone's whispering about or pitying -the cancer kid. On top of that, the side effects of his treatments cause embarrassing situations inspiring someone to create and spread cruel memes about him. 

People who know me, know that I'm awfully hard on cancer novels. This first-person novel is not like any book about cancer you've read. It's authentic, honest and hilarious, heartbreaking and heartwarming. I even broke my "no star ratings" vow on Goodreads to give it five. I forced myself not to swallow it whole in one sitting. The spot illustrations and occasional comic strips featuring Bat Pig will appeal to fans of illustrated novels and add to the humor. You know your kids who eat up sad books will be all over this. Guess what? So will your kids who hate sad books! It's that good.

Wink releases on March 31. You'd better order multiple copies cuz this won't sit.

Friday Memes: Wink by Rob Harrell

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Image: Penguin Random House

Wink by Rob Harrell. 316 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, March 30, 2020. 97819884815149.

Publisher synopsis: A hilarious and heartwrenching story about surviving middle school–and an unthinkable diagnosis–while embracing life’s weirdness.

Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader. He doesn’t want to lose his hair, or wear a weird hat, or deal with the disappearing friends who don’t know what to say to “the cancer kid.” But with his recent diagnosis of a rare eye cancer, blending in is off the table.

Based on Rob Harrell’s real life experience, and packed with comic panels and spot art, this incredibly personal and poignant novel is an unforgettable, heartbreaking, hilarious, and uplifting story of survival and finding the music, magic, and laughter in life’s weirdness.

First Line: I'm lying on a steel table, all too aware of the giant ray gun pointed in my direction.

Page 56: There are som fields behind Abby's subdivision that lead down to a small creek, where we've spent hours splashing around and catching crawdads. It's kind four spot. Or one of them, anyway.
     We climbed over the rail fence and set off into the waist-high weeds and grass at the back of their property. I walked quietly for a minute before I started in.
     "The news isn't, um...good."
     Abby watched me while I grabbed a big stick out of the path and threw it to the side. "So, it's cancer?"
     

Book Review: Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts

Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts. 292 p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September, 2014. 9780544331648. (Purchased)

At seventeen, apparently Zac is too old for the pediatric cancer floor, so he's admitted to the adult cancer floor (which seems like cruel and unusual punishment to me). When loud music blares from the room next to his, his curiosity is piqued. So far on his cancer treatment journey, Cam, at thirty-two is the closest thing to a peer Zac has met. His neighbor is most definitely female and most definitely angry. Zac has been in isolation due to a bone marrow transplant for several weeks with only his mom to keep him company. He's going a bit stir-crazy. Even if he could meet Mia, he fears she may be way out of his league.

Mia, he learns, is a newbie - newly diagnosed with bone cancer, which is very, very treatable. Zac is an expert on survival odds of all sorts of cancers thanks to midnight sessions on Google. As someone who has relapsed, he knows his odds of five year survival are dwindling. Still, he copes by remaining positive and disarms people with his wicked sense of humor. Mia, whose relationship with her mother wasn't that great to begin with, is red-hot angry. She's surly and defiant and doesn't endear herself to the hospital staff at all.

The point-of-view shifts between Zac and Mia irregularly; a good chunk of the beginning of the book is just Zac's. He is clearly the more sympathetic of the characters and has a great relationship with family but especially his mother.

I liked this one. A lot. There were a couple of things that prevented me from loving it, mostly medical and timeline issues. Minor quibbles from an adult reader with a medical background. This is a well-done cancer book. I look forward to recommending it to my eighth graders who love sad books, cancer books, or, perhaps, The Fault in Our Stars. 

As an aside, I think the marketing team did a disservice to the book by likening it to The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor and Park. TFIOS has a rather rabid, cult-like following passionate fans. While a majority of teen readers absolutely love this book without question, some despise it. Therefore, both types of fans may have a tendency to judge Zac and Mia harshly. 

I get the comparison to TFIOS only in that it features two smart teens facing the unimaginable. For me, Zac and Mia is the better book. And frankly, I don't see the comparison to Eleanor and Park at all. 

I don't look at Goodreads reviews or much mainstream publishing reviews until after I've read the book. While there is a good deal of love for this title, I was struck by the venom of some GR reviews. Those who were not trashing it because of the comparison were disliking the book because Mia was so unlikable, so bitchy. 

Huh.

That is one of the novels strengths. Who says one has to like a main character for it to be a good book? Isn't it really a great thing to react viscerally to an unlikeable protagonist? Hasn't the author succeeded when that happens? Why not cut the (obnoxious) kid a break and try to understand where she is coming from? Believe me, folks who are undergoing cancer treatment experience a swirling, overwhelming myriad of emotions, including unbridled, utter fury at everything and everybody. They may or may not be heroic or strong or brave. They may eventually get to be heroic and strong and brave, or not. Even Zac scoffs at the idea that he is heroic; at how many FB friends he picked up because he's that kid with cancer; at the well-meaning but dickhead coach who gives him a pity prize at the Sports Award Dinner. Mia is one of the most honest portrayals of a teen with cancer I have ever read. She's right up there with Tessa from Before I Die by Jenny Downham. She makes this a great read. She makes it honest.

Zac and Mia won the Text Prize in Australia in 2012. I had never heard of this oddly named award; so I looked it up. Turns out the full name is The Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing and this nifty prize is given to a manuscript! Read more about it and current and past award winners here. Once published, Zac and Mia went onto to win or be shortlisted for several other Australian awards. 

Consider adding it to your YA collection and recommending it to your teens.

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart. 240 p. Scholastic Inc., January 27, 2015. 9780545665735. (Review from arc provided by publisher)

Twelve-year-old Mark has spent most of his short life battling cancer and has just received word that it's back and it's bad. He's done now. All he wants to do is take his dog and climb Mount Rainier, a trip his grandpa promised him once he got better. But Grandpa died and Mark isn't getting better so he's going. Now. Despite the fact that it's winter. Despite the fact that he's never climbed a mountain. Despite the fact that his medicine makes him nauseous but if he doesn't take it he gets blinding headaches. 

Mark's quite the little schemer. He purchases a bogus bus ticket, ditches his clothes and takes the train wearing a backpack containing about a hundred dollars, his camera and trusty notebook into which he writes haiku. He carries Beau, his dog, in a duffle. He tells no one of his plans, not even his best friend, Jessie. But he does leave a message in their secret place. Once Jessie pieces the clues together, she's in a bit of a fix morally. While she wants to honor Mark's wishes, she aches for his heartbroken parents especially when a snowstorm bears down on the area.

Her POV is told in half-chapters. They are short and intense. His chapters are marked by miles from his destination. While his journey is not easy, suspension of belief is required especially if one is familiar with terminal illness, mountain climbing in general and Mount Rainier in particular. Gemeinhart was smart and kept details suitably vague. Young readers won't notice. The book will have wide appeal - from readers who love weepies to those who want adventure/ survival to those who want a story with a great dog. I must admit to feeling a tad angry at Mark, not for what he put his parents through (well, maybe a bit) but for what he put his dog through. That dog, man, what a great dog.

Confession time. I wasn't eager to read this book - yet another cancer book. This one being compared to TFIOS, a book I did not particularly care for, didn't make me want to read it either. In fact, the cover colors sort of evokes TFIOS. Add to that the knee-jerk reaction I get to HYPE and, well, I just was not rushing to read it. Perhaps my own recent pas de deux with the disease added to my disinclination. Also I think I'm a bit hard on cancer books going all the way back to me at 14 reading Love Story with rolling eyes instead of crying eyes. (Well, maybe a little.) Nursing school and my first career as a nurse added to my propensity to be hard on these books. Don't get me wrong. I love a good cry over a book but a cancer book has to be amazing for me to love it. 

Oh, I will cry. It doesn't take much to get me bawling. I just won't love the cancer book. It's too dang easy to write. Most adult readers have some experience with the disease and bring their own emotions that are all too easily tapped. Writing a good cancer book for kids, especially middle grade kids, which is where The Honest Truth is being marketed, is trickier. I can think of only three I would call amazing: Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, (okay four, its companion, After Ever After) by Jordan Sonnenblick; Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nichols and Me, Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. The first three told compelling stories while nailing the medicine and showing the disease in all its messy ugliness but staying solidly middle grade. Me, Earl and the Dying Girl, is solidly YA and is perhaps one of the bravest cancer books for its irreverence and rather unlikeable main character.

Oh, contemplating an unlikeable main character made me think of a fifth memorable cancer book - Jenny Downham's Before I Die. Oh! How I raged at Tessa! I read it with my ears while shoveling about seven inches of snow off my driveway. I was so involved in Tessa's story, the driveway was done and I didn't remember doing it. Of course, I got her motivation but she still wreaked havoc on her poor devoted dad. I didn't like her and felt guilty for not liking her because she was dying for crying out loud. And this is is a good time to circle back to Mark and The Honest Truth because this is a review of that book for crying out loud. 

While Mark did not reach the level of unlike-ability for me that Tessa did, I am clearly reacting to the choices of both teens as a parent. Actually, I didn't dislike Mark. I just found his decision incredibly selfish and impulsive and poorly planned. Kids won't. So add The Honest Truth to your school or public library collection and get out there booktalking it. I booktalked the book without reading it first (something I rarely do) back in early December. I had an extra arc so I gave it to the eighth grade LA teacher who brought her classes in for the booktalks. She reports it hasn't been back on her shelf since. Trust me, it'll be a go-to book. And do keep an eye out for this promising author's sophomore book. Not too much pressure, eh Mr. Gemeinhart?