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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Ship Breaker

In Short 

Ship Breaker by Paulo Bacigalupi is a dystopian novel set in the American Gulf Coast. It was published in 2010 and has 336 pages. It won a Printz Medal and was a National Book Award Finalist.

Summary  

Nailer's life is a constant struggle for survival as he and a small group of teens work to gather and sell scraps from old, abandoned oil ships. After a huge hurricane, he discovers a wrecked clipper ship and its sole survivor: a rich and beautiful girl. He has to chose whether to claim the ship and all its wealth or take a chance and help the girl.

My Take 

Ship Breaker is a fast-paced book that will appeal to fans--especially male fans--of other dystopian novels. It's well-written with lots of action and many unexpected twists and turns. I personally would have preferred more romance and a little less violence, but not every book can be The Hunger Games.

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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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Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

 

In Short
Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman tells the (true!) love story of Charles Darwin and his wife Emma, and how it survived despite their opposing views on religion. The book was published in 2009 and has 272 pages. It won multiple awards, including being a 2010 National Book Award finalist.

Summary  

As a young man, Charles Darwin didn't believe in the Bible's creation story. Instead, he was creating a new and very controversial theory on the origin of species. His cousin Emma, a very religious person, accepted his proposal for marriage anyway. That decision--to marry despite opposing religious views--was a "leap of faith" that proved to be both heart-breaking and beautiful.

My Take 

I loved this book. Heiligman did a great job making heavy topics (science, religion, the debate on evolution) interesting and accessible to her audience. Though the book never had my heart pounding, the story was thought-provoking and well-paced throughout. Charles and Emma now feel like lovely, old friends.

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Feed

In Short
Feed by M.T. Anderson is a dystopian novel that satirizes America's media-obsessed and corporation-driven culture. It was published in 2004 and was a National Book Award finalist. It has 199 pages.

Summary
Titus lives in a dystopian world where most people have a "feed" of constant media (radio, tv, texting, commercials) implanted in their brains. He never thinks to question his world until he meets Violet. Unlike his other friends, Violet is  home-schooled by her academic father, and she asks hard questions about the effects of their excessive consumption.

My Take
Though I wasn't very intrigued by the storyline, I can't stop thinking about the points this book is trying to make. Where is our obsession with media leading us? Should today's consumers be more mindful of where their products come from and what happens to them when they are discarded? How can corporations  and governments be held accountable by the public? Is Titus and Violet's world more possible than we might think?

*Warning: This book contains excessive language and some sensuality.

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