Guilty Pleasure Reading

I've been meaning to post since I don't know... forever ago. Why has it taken me so long? Busy at work, busy at home, busy, busy, busy. That's no excuse because I've been meaning to post about my current Guilty Pleasure Reading. What, you may ask, is my definition of Guilty Pleasure Reading (yes, I think of the words in capitalized)? Simply put, it's my escapist reading. I don't care how well written the title is, I don't have to justify my reading of it as literature or I'm reviewing it. Strangely enough, my Guilty Pleasure Reading runs the gamut of types of stories. It could be my Harry Potter fanfiction I read on my phone, my manga series that I still pick up on occasion, or that Robert Cormier novel that put me on the path of my career-- The Chocolate War.

Or it could be like the book series I'm currently Guilty Pleasure Reading -- the Jasper Dent series by Barry Lyga. The first book, I Hunt Killers. Jazz knows everything there is to know about serial killers because of his Dear Old Dad. Dear Old Dad was the most notorious serial killer of today. While Dear Old Dad (D.O.D.) wastes away in prison, Jazz fights D.O.D.'s voice in his head daily, hoping, praying that his conscience will be the thing that stops him from being a killer like D.O.D.--or an even better one. Then the murders start happening in his town. Jazz knows that before long someone will start pointing their finger at him, so he tries to help the police in their investigation to stop the Impressionist.

The key to the novel for me was Jazz. What an intriguing character. How does someone who was raised to be the best serial killer not use his brainwashing? How much is nature vs. nurture and really what chance does this kid have? It reminds me of a line from the TV show Criminal Minds about those who have had the horrible scarring childhoods can become the sociopathic killers or the ones who catch them. Jazz will be the hunter to the killers. Lyga kept him interesting through his inner monologue of Dear Old Dad and his own internal battle against said training. Lyga created the right mixture of darkness with a splash of humor to make this dark time easier to swallow. The novel definitely pushes the envelope in terms of graphic violence, but older teens and adults will most likely be fine with it.

I'm one of those people who silently mocks all of you readers who read the last few pages ahead of time to see what happens. I have to admit that this book made me do it. The first time Jazz flashes to the dream/memory "cuts like chicken" I had to know if he was made to kill his mom as a kid. Of course we don't know the answer, but I still had to look.

The second book. The Game, is out and available. I'm trying to get through my pile of books I have to review for review journals before  I pick it up, but it's a tough battle. If you enjoy dark novels about serial killers, which in the teen lit world I can't really think of one, then this one will be up your alley.

Kearsten's Book Club: Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Once again, we teens (and teen librarian) met to discuss an awesome teen book.  This Monday, we talked about the sad and wonderful Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King.

When her best friend, whom she secretly loves, betrays her and then dies under mysterious circumstances, high school senior Vera Dietz struggles with secrets that could help clear his name.

Vera was a troubling character for some book club members. She's had a rough time over the years: her mother took off for Vegas when Vera was twelve, her dad has very strict ideas about how teenagers should pay for themselves (by getting a full-time job ASAP), and Vera's been keeping secrets for her best friend Charlie for YEARS.  So, yes, Vera's struggling, and she makes some heavy mistakes in her choice of coping mechanisms.

BUT: Vera changes.  She makes mistakes, she does the wrong things, and she ignores signs she shouldn't, just like we all have.  What makes Vera awesome is the way she works towards righting her wrongs without compromising who she is.

This story, with its grief and death and guilt and humor and strangeness, led us down all sorts of thought-provoking paths. We talked about abuse, about magical realism, about rape culture, about third-person omniscient narration, about littering (and its environmental impact), and about the utter wrongness of 'blaming the victim'.

RUN to the library to pick up a copy of this beautiful, funny, and sad novel. Already shed some tears over it? Why not try one of these similar titles?

Shine by Lauren Myracle. When her best friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover the culprits in her small North Carolina town.

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney. When Alex, a junior at an elite preparatory school, realizes that she may have been the victim of date rape, she confides in her roommates and sister who convince her to seek help from a secret society, the Mockingbirds.

Stick by Andrew Smith. Thirteen-year-old Stark "Stick" McClellan's brother has always defended him against those who tease him for his thinness and facial deformity, so when Bosten, having admitted he is gay, must leave home and their abusive parents, Stick sets out to find him.

The Perfect Shot by Elaine Marie Alphin.  Brian uses basketball to block out memories of his girlfriend and her family who were gunned down a year ago, but the upcoming murder trial and a high school history assignment force him to face the past and decide how far he should go to see justice served. Includes facts about miscarriages of justice in American history.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.  A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school.