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A Librarian Reads the Ghost and the Goth

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

ghost-and-gothThe Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Will and Alona are on opposite sides of high school’s  social spectrum. Alona is the queen bee and the most popular girl in school. Will is the sullen emo boy who stays away from everyone except for his best friend Joonie. Alona and Will never had anything to do with each other while Alona was alive. Ever since Alona was hit by a bus, buried, and mourned by her friends, Alona’s life (or afterlife) has been pretty lonely. So she is surprised to find that Will can see and hear her while she is haunting the school.

If he can see her then perhaps he can help her move on to wherever ghosts need to move on to. It’s hard to ask someone as socially low as Will for help but he is her only chance. The problem is that Will just doesn’t see her, he sees every ghost who haunts the school; and the all want his help. If Alona is going to move on she will need to use her superior social skills to organize the school ghosts, and deal with Will’s mood swings.

But there is a darker mystery that Alona has yet to discover. Will is being haunted by a dark force that is full of spite and hatred. If she doesn’t act quickly the evil spirit will tear Will apart before she can figure out how to move on. Or does she need to help Will because she has actually grown to like him? But he is so not popular so that couldn’t be it! :)

The Ghost and the Goth is a fun light read and a perfect quick distraction. I really enjoyed this book and I think you will to. Highly recommended and appropriate for all ages.

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A Librarian Reads For The Win

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

for-the-winFor The Win by Cory Doctorow

It is the near future, online gaming has evolved into more than a mere hobby or fun distraction from real life. Massive multi-player online role playing games, such as World of Warcraft, have become a source for wealth not just for those who run the game but for those who play it.

This is how it works. When you have a robust virtual character with high stats and rare items you gain a certain social status. But it takes hard work to level up your character. Sometimes people will take shortcuts and pay gold farmers to level their character up for them. Gold farmers are gamers who play in order to accumulate in-game wealth and items that they can sell to other gamers for real world cash. Who wouldn’t want to make some cash by playing video games?

But in some places, like the developing world, not everyone has access to the technology. So when a well-to-do man comes to you and tells you that you and your friends can play all day and he will pay you, you are ecstatic. But after awhile you find out he wants you to literally play all day with no breaks, and more of the in-game wealth goes to him and you gain little. Now you find yourself in a 21st century sweatshop, toiling away in front of a computer, fearful that if you speak out you will lose your job, or worse you will be beaten, and possibly killed.

So what are industrious gamers all around the world to do? As the tagline on the cover says: Online or offline you’ve got to organize to survive.

For The Win is an exciting and gripping novel of how ordinary teens, who are gamers just like you, stand up for their rights. I enjoyed this book a lot, but just to warn you it has a lot of exposition explaining how economies, unions, and video games work. So at times these educational moments can distract you from the narrative. But if you are into gaming or tech culture you will love this book and it is highly recommended. Lastly, For The Win is appropriate for ages 16 and up.

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A Librarian Reads Token of Darkness

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

token-of-darknessToken of Darkness by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Cooper Blake is recovering from a near fatal car accident. His high school football career is over, and he needs daily physical therapy. So, it is understandable that he is depressed and has become withdrawn from his former life. But his accident has caused ramifications in his life than what the physical and mental can explain. For you see, Cooper sees a ghost. She calls herself Samantha, but can remember little else. But Samantha is not all Cooper sees. There are also the shadow creatures that seem to attack living things, and especially like attacking Samantha. Cooper can see them, but no one else can. Is he going crazy? Is Samantha real? If so, what is her connection to his car accident?

Luckily for Cooper he finds a new friend in Brent, a teenage psychic. He may have some clue as to who or what Samantha is and how to help her. However there is another gifted teen, Delilah, a burgeoning young sorceress, who sees in Samantha a source of power. Can Cooper unravel Samantha’s mystery in time to help himself, and his new friends? Or is Samantha not whom she seems? Could she be dangerous? Cooper will have to learn to trust himself and his body all over again to solve the mysteries that surround him. He will also have to learn how to deal with his new life as a supernatural teen. Because if he doesn’t his life may just crumble all around him.

Token of Darkness is a great quick read and recommended for fans of the supernatural. If you aren’t similar with the genre this may not be the book for you because the author just jumps right into ghosts and magic and doesn’t explain how any of the mythology works. On the other hand it is refreshing for a genre book to focus more on the characters then the spooky world around them. It helps create a quick and satisfying read. So if you need a book to read while you are between series try this one. It will definitely fill your supernatural fix. Lastly, Token of Darkness is appropriate for ages 12 and up.

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Thirteen Reasons Why: A Recommendation by Amber & Katie

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Amber’s rating: 5 Stars

Thirteen Reasons Why is about a girl named Hannah Baker and Clay Jensen. Clay has always had a crush on Hannah and can’t believe that she had recorded her last words. Hannah has constantly been bullied and is very tired of it so she decides to kill herself to stop it. Clay gets sick to his stomach just listening to the recorded cassette tapes then he listens to his story which doesn’t help him much. Clay says in the book-”Hannah is dead and her reasons should be buried with her.” You’ll hear that a lot in the book if you decide to read it. I really liked it, I thought it was really well done. I mean you con really tell how Hannah feels when she is recording the tapes.

Katie’s rating: 5 Stars

Clay Jensen comes home to a package on his porch addressed to him. Inside are seven cassette tapes. The voice on the tapes is someone Clay thought he would never hear again. It was the voice of his high school love, Hannah Baker, who had committed suicide two weeks earlier. The voice at first tells him this, you listen, and you send the box of tapes to the next person on the list. As he listens Clay realizes that every tape was one of thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Every reason is a person on the list. Clay discovers terrible secrets about his classmates and himself, as he realizes one small thing could hang on to someone forever. Thirteen Reasons Why is a chilling suspense novel that could change your life.

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A Librarian Reads The Knife That Killed Me

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

knife-that-killed-meThe Knife That Killed Me by Anthony McGowan

Paul has a hard enough time figuring out who he is and where he fits in at school, but now he has the school bully and gang leader, Roth, to contend with. But Roth isn’t the type to just steal your lunch money, he is more likely to hurt you enough to go to the hospital. And now that Roth has his sights set on Paul he isn’t going to let up. What’s worse is that he has plans for Paul; plans that involve starting a fight with a gang at a rival school.

On the other hand, Paul might have just found a place where he fits in. There is a girl name Maddy who hangs out with a group of teens who are outsiders at the school; the misfits that don’t belong anywhere else. The group is led by Shane, a nice kid, who stands up fro everyone, and tries to make you feel welcomed. The problem is that every time Paul gets close to the group he gets paranoid that they will see that he is just a fake.

Does he face his self doubt and make friends with Maddy and Shane or does he let Roth pressure him in becoming a soldier in his gang? And then Paul, who just feels adrift and powerless, is handed a knife by Roth. And what scares Paul most is that he likes the knife. And he may get a chance to use it because the rival gang is coming and there will be a battle, not just for territory or street cred, but for Paul’s very soul.

This book is not my usual fare and it kept my attention pretty well. I really felt the struggle that Paul goes through. I would recommend it for readers who like realistic fiction or may be interested in stories of school violence and how bad situations can get extremely out of hand. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, but I don’t think it ruined the whole book for me, but rather just presented a good talking point about life situations and how things can be resolved. It is appropriate for ages 14 and up.

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