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

Straight Punch.

Polak, Monique.  Straight Punch.  Orca    2014  249p  $12.95  ISBN 978-1-4598-0391-6  ms/hs     High/Low, Conflict      VG

Tessa McPhail tags to express herself, but graffiti is illegal, and after she is caught too many times she is sent to New Directions, an unusual alternative school on Montreal’s bad side.  At New Directions, students spend half the day learning to box in order to learn to channel their aggression in a controlled and disciplined manner.  At first this is very difficult for Tessa, who was caught in a hockey riot several years back and traumatized by the violence.  Gradually, however, with the support of her eclectic and troubled classmates, including a fellow tagger who goes by the moniker Pretty Boy, she gains more confidence in herself and learns to enjoy the boxing lessons.  This realization about boxing, however, comes just in time for everything and everyone in Tessa’s life to turn against New Directions: her boyfriend doesn’t want her there, her mother worries about her being there, and the neighborhood the school is in wants to see it closed down because it is judged that the students may introduce a criminal element to the neighborhood.  Tessa’s struggles are interesting, but the supporting characters are also intriguing: flamboyant Pretty Boy’s older brothers used him to break and enter, Jasmine’s aunt is gambling away the inheritance left her by her parents, Randy has a learning disability, Whisky is an alcoholic, and Di is pregnant.  The characters are very real, and readers will find the story engaging.  They may also be inspired to take up boxing.              

School-Fiction, Self-Esteem-Fiction       --Bethany Geleskie     

Ellis, Leanne Statland. The Ugly One.

Ellis, Leanne Statland.  The Ugly One.    Houghton Mifflin/Clarion  2013  245p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-547-64023-5  jr/sr      Multicultural  E-BN    

Although Micay can not remember how she got the scar on her face, the memory that is locked in her mind can only set her free once she remembers.  In the meantime she must find her place among her people, but how do you get people to accept you when they are afraid of you and the scar on your face?  The road she must travel is a hard one, but at the end of this journey she will be able to uncover her true self and accept her own fate within her tribe in the mountains of Machu Picchu.

A strange mystical walk through a land that is unknown to us, and a journey to find oneself in a world that does not accept one, The Ugly One is a story of discovering who you are, where you fit in, and for what purpose.  The story depicts a time of making human sacrifices for the gods so that the rain would be plentiful for the harvest of grains to feed the people.  In this culture, the power of dreams could lead one to the path of one’s future destiny.

This is a story beautifully told.  The author’s bond to Machu Picchu in Peru has inspired her to write this lovely story as if she heard the words in the wind. Her story will transport you to a time and place that is full of wonder, strong spirits and beautiful images.  The author is a powerful storyteller.

Summary: Micay has a deep scar on her face that causes people to dislike her.  They are afraid of her.  She cannot remember how she got the scar, but her wish is to be able to find her own happiness in this world of beautiful people.

Disfigurement-Fiction, Self-esteem-Fiction, Indians of South America-Fiction                                                                    --Magna Diaz