My Name is Not Easy

In Short 

My Name is Not Easy by Debby Dahl Edwardson is historical fiction about five different students attending a Catholic boarding school in Alaska during the 1960s. It was published in 2011 and has 352 pages. It won many honors, including being a National Book Award Finalist.

Summary  

My Name is Not Easy has five diverse narrators describing life at Sacred Heart School. While each character faces different challenges, the tension between Indian and Eskimo students is a central theme.

My Take 

This is a book that opened my eyes to a culture and history I hadn't heard much about. My Name is Not Easy is well written with characters that will make you laugh and make you cry. An important book about understanding others.

  
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Dead End in Norvelt

In Short
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos is historical fiction. Set in the summer of 1962, this book tells the story of Jack's adventurous summer despite being "grounded for life" by his parents. It was published in 2011, has 352 pages, and won the 2012 Newberry Medal and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

Summary  

Jack (yes, same name as the author) is supposed to be grounded all summer. His mom will only allow him out of the house to help their fiesty old neighbor type up obituaries for the local newspaper. Soon Jack starts to realize that an unusually large number of long-time Norvelt residents are dying this summer, and he suspects foul play.

My Take 

I wanted to like this book, but the truth is I didn't. The pacing was too slow, and I didn't particularly connect with the characters. That said, there were interesting bits of history and parts that made me laugh out loud. I would recommend it for fans of Richard Peck's writing, which has a similar feel to me.

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What I Saw and How I Lied

In Short
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell is an addictive mystery/romance set in post-WWII America. It was published in 2008 and won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in that same year. It has 284 pages.

Summary
Fifteen-year-old Evie wants desperately for her mother to allow her to grow up--to wear lipstick, date older boys, smoke cigarettes, and dress in stylish clothes. When Evie's stepfather takes the family on a Florida vacation, she meets the man of her dreams. Peter is in his early twenties and served in WWII, but Evie knows this is love. Things get complicated when Evie's parents are put on trial for murder. Slowly Evie realizes that life is a lot more complicated than she had thought, and now she has to decide whether to lie to protect her parents or tell the truth.

My Take
Overall, I thought What I Saw and How I Lied was a great page-turner, but it didn't move me. The ending was a departure from what I had expected, and that was a nice surprise even if it didn't seem very consistent with Evie's character. Maybe that was what kept me from fully loving the book: Evie was so naive and innocent and then suddenly so grown-up and, well, guilty. I guess everyone ended up guilty in one way or another. Maybe that's the point. We're all fallible, we all make mistakes, and we all have to figure out how to pick up the pieces of our broken lives and move forward to create something new.

*Warning: This book contains some language and sensuality. I would recommend it for an older teen audience.

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