StVil, Lola. Girls Like Me.

StVil, Lola.  Girls Like Me.  Houghton Mifflin  2016  310p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-544-70674-3          hs  Realistic fiction  VG-BN           

Girls Like Me is the story of Shay Summers, an imperfect teenager trying to live in a world that is not forgiving of girls like her, or girls that look like her.  That world is set up more for girls like Kelly, who is forever on Shay’s back. Or Blake, the god of Shay’s high school.  Or her stepmother, who, in the wake of Shay’s father’s death, is forever trying to fix Shay, one healthy snack at a time.  One day, in a chat room, Shay makes a connection that sets her heart and hopes flying.  Maybe she is not alone.  Maybe there is someone out there who understands, and maybe he is closer than she thinks. 

Girls Like Me is a novel written, charmingly, in verse.  The reader falls in love easily with Shay-- a girl who just doesn’t quite fit in -- and her misfit group of friends: a terminally ill girl named Boots, and Dash, her confident gay friend who struggles with acceptance in his own family.  We sit in class with Shay and witness her being bullied by Kelly, and we cringe as she struggles to find a healing, healthy relationship with her stepmother.  We ache as she remembers her dad and wishes he could help her.  When she meets Godot, online, she seems to have found a kindred spirit. His voice, too, is in verse, and he is witty and kind.  Together they are funny and cute -- an oasis from Shay’s day-to-day life.  But then he wants their relationship to be real, and in the real world.  This complicates matters for Shay.  What if he rejects her, like much of the world seems to do? 
 

This story is a lovely read.  It is heartbreaking at points, honest, and ultimately moving.  As the author says on the book jacket, it is a perfect book for those who “laugh too loud / think too much / feel too much.”  Those who enjoyed Perks of Being a Wallflower and Eleanor & Park will enjoy this novel as well.  This story would be an excellent addition to any Young Adult collection.

Summary: Girls Like Me is a story written in verse about an imperfect teenager trying to live in a world that is not forgiving of girls like her, or girls that look like her.  She is suffering after the death of her father and trying to get along with her step mother and the kids at school.  Then one day, in a chat room, she makes a connection in a chat room that sets her heart and hopes flying. 

Self-esteem-Fiction, Coming-of-Age Novels                                                              --Michele Nass

Wiviott, Meg.  Paper Hearts.  Simon & Schuster/McElderry Books  2015  368p.  $17.99  ISBN 978-1-4814-3983-1  ms/hs  Historical fiction  E-BN     

The story is a fictionalized account of a group of girls who become friends in the Auschwitz death camp as they struggle to survive and work in a munitions factory.  In 1944, Zlatka and the other girls make a birthday card for Fania, her best friend in the group, to mark her twentieth birthday.  This undertaking is an enormous risk for them, and the origami heart is treasured and hidden through the remaining time in the camp and the death marches afterward.  The actual heart can be seen at the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre.  The story is told in verse format and covers flashbacks to life before the war, the dark days in the camp, and the daily struggles and familial losses of the inmates.  It is a tale of love and loss, hope and survival.  Highly recommended for secondary collections.

Summary: Fictionalized account of girls who become friends in the Auschwitz death camp and the risks that they take to make a simple paper birthday card for one member of their group.

Holocaust-Fiction, Novels in verse                          --Stephanie Pennucci

Teeny Little Grief Machines. (series: Gravel Road)

High, Linda Oatman.  Teeny Little Grief Machines.  (series: Gravel Road)  Saddleback      2014  252p  $9.95  ISBN 978-1-62250-883-9  hs  Realistic fiction in verse  VG-BN   

Many teens turn to writing, especially poetry, to clarify their responses to their experiences and emotions.  Lexi’s story, told through brief poems, describes her struggles to deal with her shattered, dysfunctional family, her infant sister’s grief, and her autistic brother, Blaine.  Each poem is a window into the witty, intelligent, and irreverent young woman’s character as she tries to make sense of life’s challenges. 

Teens, particularly reluctant readers, may be drawn to the less intimidating impression poetry provides them: lots of white space, short “chapters” (i.e., poems), with many breaks in which to collect one’s thoughts.  Even when the reader opens the text and reads randomly, Lexi’s life provides plenty of substance for reflection and feedback. 

The title Teeny Little Grief Machines could describe the people profiled in Lexi’s spare lines.  The phrase is also an accurate depiction of the poems themselves, brief glimpses into a grief-ridden teen’s life.
           

Summary: In this novel in verse, short poems provide glimpses into Lexi’s unhappy home life.   

Novels in verse                                             --Hilary Welliver

Crossover.

Alexander, Kwame.  Crossover.  Houghton Mifflin  2014  237p  $16.99     ISBN 978-0-544-10771-7  ms/hs Sports      E-BN 

In this unique novel in verse, high-school basketball star Josh Bell raps about his relationship with his twin brother, his parents, and his experiences on the court.  The poems vary from light and funny (about basketball and his brother’s girl friend) to the more serious and touching (his father’s health).  This novel is a must for any middle- or high-school collection that needs more novels in verse or sports books.      

 Summary: Josh Bell raps about his life, including his family and basketball. 

Basketball-Fiction, Family-Fiction, Novels in verse  --Stephanie Pennucci