We Were Here - Review

Title: We Were Here

Author: Matt de la Peña

Release Date: October 13, 2009

Format/Page Count: Kindle ebook/336 pages

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Purchased: Amazon 

Synopsis:  The story of one boy and his journey to find himself.

When it happened, Miguel was sent to Juvi. The judge gave him a year in a group home—said he had to write in a journal so some counselor could try to figure out how he thinks. The judge had no idea that he actually did Miguel a favor. Ever since it happened, his mom can’t even look at him in the face. Any home besides his would be a better place to live.

But Miguel didn’t bet on meeting Rondell or Mong or on any of what happened after they broke out. He only thought about Mexico and getting to the border to where he could start over. Forget his mom. Forget his brother. Forget himself.

Life usually doesn’t work out how you think it will, though. And most of the time, running away is the quickest path right back to what you’re running from. (From GOODREADS)

Expectation: My expectations for this book were high. I just read Mexican WhiteBoy and thought it was amazing. I love this writer's voice...so I was pretty confident I would enjoy We Were Here just as much.

Market/Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

Review:

‘People always think there’s this huge hundred-foot-high barrier that separates doing good from doing bad. But there’s not. There’s nothing. There’s not even a little anthill. You just take one baby step in any direction and you’re already there. You’ve done something awful. And your life is changed forever.’ ~ Matt de la Peña, We Were Here

This is one of the best young adult books I have ever read. Scratch that. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

At the onset of We Were Here, we get acquainted with Miguel, the narrator of the story as he is transferred from juvi to a halfway house. Miguel has a mindset that he has absolutely nothing to lose, and that he will never again have anything to gain. We are aware that he has done a bad thing—a terrible thing—but we are not quite sure what it is. We only know that he never wants to forget the burden of his guilt…that he wants to carry it with him forever and feel the extreme pain of his suffering.

This is the story of three troubled teens. Miguel, Rondell and Mong are a very unlikely trio. Miguel’s first encounter with the other two boys are violent. There is spitting and punching and a painful pinning to the ground. All of these things make the reader think Rondell and Mong will both soon be left in the dust of the story. But they would be wrong. The three eventually devise a plan to escape the halfway house together and make a run for freedom in Mexico.

Once they are out in the wilds of California, and heading for the ocean so they can travel south to Mexico, the story really takes off! Along the way, the reader is treated to a wealth of self-reflection from Miguel’s ongoing journal writing. We discover that he is a compassionate, thoughtful and intelligent young man. And we get to find out the back-stories of each of his traveling companions as Miguel sets off one night by himself to read the boys’ files, which he stole while preparing to leave the halfway house behind him.

It is also Miguel who allows the reader to see the good in the other two boys. Rondell, we are quick to learn, is not a bad kid…but a simple one. He believes in Jesus Christ and puts all his faith into a bible he cannot read but carries around with him all the same. Mong, who appears to be a psychotic hopelessly lost soul, turns out to be an overwhelmingly sad case. Nobody should endure the heartache and soul-breaking that Mong has been through in his young life. When he declares Miguel his best friend, it will baffle both Miguel and the reader…but it is such a pivotal moment in the story. Heartrending.

I love when authors namedrop books. I always have. In We Were Here, Miguel has a penchant for reading. Throughout the course of the story, he spends time with Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. The reader cannot help but see Miguel as a modern day Holden, and Rondell as a modern day Lennie. At one point I found myself thinking, ‘Oh please, please, please…mention Camus’s The Stranger. You have to!’ And sure enough, the name was eventually dropped. Miguel’s second travel companion, Mong, is without a doubt Camus’s Meursault! This book is an homage to all three of these wonderful stories, but it is also SO much more than that. It is a story that, in itself, will definitely become a classic.

The potential reader of We Were Here will just have to take my word for it when I say this is one of the best books I have ever read. I don’t want to give away too much of it here. I can only say that it unfolds with a beauty I have not seen in a while. The reader will grow so close to these three boys, they will want to protect them from both themselves and the world around them as they set out on the journey of their lives. The journey they take makes men of boys, and makes each of them realize the wealth they carry inside. Your heart will break and strengthen and break again as you take every step alongside Miguel and his broken friends. And when you hope beyond hope that they do the right thing, they might even hear you.

This was a beautiful story. Be prepared to feel all of the emotions you carry…and some you didn’t know you had. I will be re-reading this every now and again…it’s one of those books you want to hug close to you when you’re finished.

Expectation - I thought Mexican WhiteBoy was a great book. This book...this book! I love it so much. Expectation was annihilated! Matt de la Peña has written the quintessential coming of age book, the quintessential on-the-road book and the quintessential friendship book all in one! It's a must read!

Size: 5 (1/2)

White Horse - Review

Title: White Horse

Author: Alex Adams

Release Date: April 17, 2012

Format/Page Count: Kindle ebook/320 pages

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Purchased: Amazon 

Synopsis: White Horse is the first book in an absolutely unique debut trilogy—a post-apocalyptic thriller chronicling one woman’s quest to nurture those she holds dear against the backdrop of a shocking, new world.

Thirty-year-old Zoe leads an ordinary life until the end of the world arrives. She is cleaning cages and floors at Pope Pharmaceuticals when the President of the United States announces that human beings are no longer a viable species.

When Zoe realizes that everyone she loves is disappearing, she starts running. Scared and alone in a shockingly changed world, she embarks on a remarkable journey of survival and redemption.

Along the way, Zoe comes to see that humans are not defined by their genetic code, but rather by their actions and choices. White Horse offers hope for a broken world, where love can lead to the most unexpected places. (From GOODREADS)

Expectation: I had high hopes for this story. I know Alexia through Absolute Write...and I've heard so much about her novel (Actually series of novels!). I couldn't wait to read it. Sounds like something I would really love. Contemporary, yet dystopian/apocalyptic.

Market/Genre: Apocalyptic/Dystopian/Contemporary - I was comfortable calling this novel a lot of things. I wanted, at times to put it in the Young Adult market...but then I thought, no...it's New Adult...but then I thought, no it's Adult. I have a strong desire to say it has mass market appeal and crosses all of these markets.

Review:

“We’re all just meat puppets with an invisible hand inside us, making us dance and live. When that hand slips off the glove, we collapse and that is the end of everything.” ~ Alex Adams, White Horse

“Am I trying to save someone? Is that what I am? Some kind of wannabe hero? I don’t feel like a hero. I just feel scared.” ~ Alex Adams, White Horse

Zoe is a kickass kind of girl. She doesn’t mess around. At the onset of the story, she is cleaning cages and floors for Pope Pharmaceuticals. This feels slightly beneath her station, as she’s an intelligent independent woman. But then you realize she is slightly disenchanted with things. You might say she’s a bit of a dropout. But she’s just waiting for her moment.

That moment comes when she embarks on a journey at the end of the world. Or perhaps it arrives as portent in the form of an urn mysteriously left in her apartment prior to the world’s unhinging. The reader is certainly obsessively drawn to this urn and the mystery surrounding it! As those who come into contact with said urn come down with violent flu-like symptoms, the reader boards the intense mostly edge-of-the-seat rollercoaster ride that is WHITE HORSE!

What I loved about White Horse – The alternating timelines. We are in the past where the world is alive and vibrant, yet showing cracks at its seams…then we are in the post-apocalyptic after-world where everybody is either dead or transmogrified into something horrific and implausible. Or, if you’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it), you are like Zoe…immune to the pathogen known as White Horse (called that by an exuberant preacher who saw the pandemic as the first white horse of the apocalypse) that either kills you or whacks out your DNA like some kind of freak side-show Dr. Frankenstein virus. I do love the mythical-like creatures that pop up in this post end-of-world story! Horrors of horrors from a rock-like woman, to wolf-like packs to tail flicking sub-humans. As implausible as they all seem, I am immediately believing in their existence in this new less populated world. I love that we get to go back and forth between the hideous after-world and the mundane normal-world on the brink.

Zoe is one of the best female characters I have read in a long, long time. She is strong—powerful—and good. She holds on to her humanity in the ugliest of situations. I love that she immediately took herself to the therapist’s couch when the urn showed up in her living room...and how she made up the story of it being a dream and not a reality, just so she could get a therapist’s opinion on the mystery.

Zoe falling in love with the therapist was nicely done, too. Dr. Rose soon becomes Nick…a man Zoe can fall for in the pre-apocalyptic world, and run to in the post-apocalyptic world. This thread between the two worlds makes White Horse a romance of sorts. As Zoe runs across the world, hoping against hope that her Nick survived White Horse, she comes into contact with many ‘people’. The most sinister is the indefatigable ‘Swiss’! The Swiss is a man the reader loathes and despises. Oh, do we want to see the death of this heinous man!

I won’t go on any further. I feel as though I am merely gushing again. I loved this über-fantastic, über-frenetic paced train-wreck of humanity. I guarantee you will be amazed by White Horse. That urn that appears in Zoe’s apartment—the moment it made its appearance I thought of that Stephen King gem The Tommyknockers, where Bobbi Anderson trips over the tiniest metal object protruding from the ground and she just has to un-root it. The object becomes a behemoth of trouble, just like Zoe’s urn. Go out to the closest bookstore…or head for an online store—whatever you do, purchase WHITE HORSE today! Buckle in and enjoy the meltdown of humankind!

Note on the trilogy: Although this is book one of a trilogy, the ending of this book will leave you ultimately satisfied. Sure, you will want to read book 2 right away, but you are not left on one of those unforgivable cliffhangers that some series tend to leave you on.

Expectation met and exceeded. I can't wait for book 2 of this 3-book series from Alexia!

Size: 5 1/2

What a Boy Wants - Review

Title: What a Boy Wants

Author: Nyrae Dawn

Release Date: April 6, 2012

Format/Page Count: KINDLE/141 pages

Publisher: Self Published--Amazon Digital Services

Purchased: Amazon

Synopsis:

Courtesy of watching his mom’s relationships, Sebastian Hawkins knows what girls need to do to get a guy. He has what he considers a PHD in hooking up. When he needs extra cash for a car, Sebastian starts up an online venture as The Hook-up Doctor, to anonymously help girls land the guy of their dreams. Of course, his services don’t offer a happily-ever-after guarantee. He’s seen firsthand getting together never means staying together.

And then he falls in love…

With the last girl he would expect…

Totally not in his game plan.

Suddenly, Sebastian finds himself muddled in the game he’s always prided himself on. He can’t even pick up girls at parties anymore! Why would anyone want to be in love when it turns you into a stuttering, screwed-up, mess with really lame stalker tendencies? Stalking? Totally not his gig.

But the Hook-up Doctor won’t let himself go down easily. He’s always known how to give a girl what she wants and now it’s time to figure out what a boy wants… and he definitely plans on getting it. (From GOODREADS)

Expectation: This was yet another book I heard of through Twitter. It sounded good. I thought I would give it a try...not too much expectation, to tell the truth. I just liked the idea that it was in a guy's first person POV.

REVIEW:

You would think an arrogant narrator would turn a reader off. But über cocky Sebastian is quickly accepted for who he is. He's the cool guy everybody likes. The smooth operator. He's so suave, in fact, he runs a blog to hire out his hook-up services to girls looking to understand and 'connect' with Mr. Right. What does Sebastian care if they only succeed in a plain old simple hook-up, instead of the lasting relationship they might actually be looking for? Sebastian himself is not one for love. He's happy to hook-up with the ladies and steer well clear of relationships and love. After seeing what love does time and again to his single mother, he's happy to continue having a good time without strings.

Nyrae Dawn does an incredible job getting into the head of a teenage boy. She captures the voice perfectly. Although Sebastian's Hook-Up Doctor status kind of makes him a bit of a slime-ball (lets face it...it sounds a little bit skeezy to be selling hook-up skills over the internet!), Dawn is masterful in her ability to make the reader still care about her dastardly narrator. He's a teenage boy, after all. They can be excused for such things, right. Especially if the writer allows the reader to see all the good inside. And under his Hook-Up Doctor facade, Sebastian's just a good kid.

Sebastian starts to see his BFF, Aspen, as something more than a friend. Did she always have the curves he's only now noticing? Has she always been so pretty? The hook-up doctor's 'no emotions-no love' rule seems to crumble as he begins to see Aspen in a new light. But there are all kinds of roadblocks in this quick paced young adult romance. You'll enjoy unravelling the story to find out what happens. It was such a pleasant surprise to watch the characters stumble and grow. The two remaining main characters, Jaden and Pris only add to the enjoyment. Though the friends make up a seemingly unbreakable foursome, Jaden and Pris just can't see eye to eye. Their friction makes for some interesting situations. Friction aside, though, these friends look after one another...to the point of having a PPP (Pre-Party Plan) to keep each other out of trouble.

This is a quick and endearing read. Sebastian is one of the more memorable characters I've read about in recent months. I heard a rumour Ms. Dawn will be bringing her characters back to life in a follow-up of What a Boy Wants (I believe the title is What a Boy Needs and that it takes us closer into the life of Sebastian's best guy friend, Jaden). I, for one, will definitely be picking it up. These characters are vibrant and real. I look forward to spending more time with them!

One important detail I feel I need to address. I would have given this book a 5 1/2 but for this one detail. I know this title is self-published. It's a great great read and I recommend it highly and happily. BUT...there are a few little mistakes within its pages that could have been avoided. There are issues here and there regarding tense. It's written in past tense, but every once in a while there's a slip. There are also a few missing words, or extra words here and there. None of the editing issues take away from the story.
That detail aside...go pick up this book. Nyrae Dawn is a name I'm sure we'll hear a lot about in the future. What a Boy Wants will NOT disappoint! (If I were an agent and this book came across my desk...I'd be ALL over it!)

SIZE: 5

EXPECTATION: Having not much expectation for this title, I can safely say it blew me away. Loved Sebastian's voice. Made it easy to plow through this great story!

Mexican WhiteBoy - Review

Title: Mexican WhiteBoy

Author: Matt de la Peña

Release Date: August 12, 2008

Format/Page Count: Kindle/258 Pages

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Purchased: Amazon

NOTE: This author was brought to my attention through BOOKALICIOUS.ORG

Pam posted about Matt's books being removed from the curriculum in Arizona...and she challenged other readers to read Mexican WhiteBoy along with her in April. I took her up on the challenge. (-:

Synopsis:

DANNY’S TALL AND skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. A 95 mph fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it.

But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny’s brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico. And that’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. Only, to find himself, he might just have to face the demons he refuses to see right in front of his face. (From GOODREADS)

Expectation: This book sounded interesting, of course. But I didn't have any real expectation. I just thought it was pathetic that it would be removed from a curriculum. I wanted to support the author and send a message to the idiots who 'banned' his books. But I didn't really know enough about it to have any real sense of expectation.

REVIEW:

Before I start in on my gushing for this novel, I wanted to begin by saying that the story TOTALLY snuck up on me. As I was reading about a hitting competition in the beginning of the book, I had no idea how deep the story would go. Initially it was an interesting read, yes...but it suddenly became so much more than I first imagined it would be. It blossomed into such a great coming of age story...filled with wisdom and memorable characters.

Danny moves to National City to spend the summer with his father's family. Danny felt like an outsider at the preppy private school he attended, because he is half-Mexican, but coming to National City, he feels like an outsider because he is half-white. He doesn't speak a word of Spanish. He loves his father's family...almost irrationally. He wants so much to be like them...to be Mexican like them.

Upon Danny's arrival to the neighbourhood, he takes part in a batting competition after being prodded by his cousin Sofia. Sofia is feisty and fiery and she loves her cousin. She protects him in the neighbourhood...sticks up for him when kids ask why Danny doesn't talk.

When Danny shows prowess with a baseball bat, Uno, one of the neighbourhood boys, has a problem with him. Uno doesn't like the competition. He clearly feels threatened, so he pitches Danny a bad ball. Danny struggles to get a piece of the errant pitch and accidentally sends his bat through the air...right into Uno's developmentally handicapped brother's face. Uno's reaction is to break Danny's face open with his fist. This causes Danny to slam his head into the ground.

This is not a great start to Uno and Danny's relationship.

The great surprise I discovered as I continued to read is that these two boys become best friends. The turn in their relationship begins at a local fair, when some of the boys take turns at a pitching cage equipped with a speed gun to measure the speed of a thrower's pitch. Uno's quick switch from bitter jealousy and dislike to admiration of Danny's gift is absolutely transformative.

From this point on in the story, I was delighted by the way the two boys grew their friendship. It was great to see Uno teach Danny to reign in his wild pitches, and to watch the two grow together and take on each other's better qualities. Uno turns out to be the best coach (both life-coach and pitching-coach) that Danny has ever had. And Danny blossoms under Uno's tutelage. His thoughtful inward personality actually seems to wear off on Uno over the course of the novel. It's just a great relationship to witness...well worth reading Mexican WhiteBoy for.

There are some great moments in this book...from the hustling scenes Uno and Danny participate in, to the parties the close-knit group of teens have, to the quiet moments Uno and Danny share at the train tracks.

There is also a LOT of darkness in this story. To begin with, Danny's father is GONE. Just gone. He doesn't know why, but the truth comes out along the way...and it is a truth that initially crushes Danny. It's his passionate cousin, Sofia, who helps him through the difficulty he experiences with this plot-line. Sofia and Uno, who seems wise beyond his years...and is so much more than the bully we thought he was at the beginning of the story.

I won't get into everything that goes on in this story...because it is so worth picking up. I don't want to spoil any more of the surprises that happen along the way. Just go get this book! You won't regret it. But here's a hint...GIVE IT TIME. If you're anything like me, you'll be quietly reading along and suddenly think, 'heh...this is good. This is real good.' It's the first book that snuck up on me in a long time. It starts out quiet, but the ride picks up until you realize you're absolutely 100% hooked in.

I would happily recommend this book to anyone. Matt de la Peña does an amazing job playing with the reader's expectations. Quiet shifts in his characters become explosions on the page. Once you start reading Mexican WhiteBoy, you will fall in love with these strong characters and delight over the way they play off one another.

SIZE: 5

EXPECTATION: Ha! Even after the first few pages, my expectation wasn't that extreme. And then the shifts began and my love for the story grew and grew. I want to thank Pam from Bookalicious for turning me on to this author. I will be picking up more of his books! It's safe to say my expectations were blown out of the water.

AND Special Message to Arizona, who removed Matt's books from their curriculum: SHUT UP! This is a brilliant relationship book...a great book about friendship. I can't see anything inappropriate with it. It's been called anti-white...just ridiculous. It sounds like another case of book banning by people who didn't bother opening the book and reading it.