Above

Bobet, Leah       Above        

Arthur Levine Bks see Scholastic Books    2012  358p  $17.99      978-0-545-29670-0       hs     VG       Fantasy    

To call the characters and the plot of this debut novel "interesting" is an understatement.  The reader’s entire understanding of urban fantasy will be challenged, and only the most dedicated reader will persevere past the first several chapters. 

Matthew (Teller) was born in Safe, an underground haven for misfits (the sick and freaks), and it is his job to “record” the histories of its inhabitants.  When he and several others have to escape Above, his entire understanding of Safe is turned on its head.  At first, the reader may be put off by Matthew’s dialect, his way of speaking and describing things, and the strange capitalization of words, but all these elements come together to fully realize the author's world-building in a satisfying way.  Matthew's protective love for the fragile character Ariel is especially touching, and the ending will bring readers to tears.

 
Some sporadic use of the “F-word” dictates that this is not for younger readers.  This is not a book that will appeal to reluctant readers, but the hardy and persistent reader will be rewarded with the most unique fantasy of the year. 

VG    Patricia Naismith       Urban fantasy

 

Contemporary American Poetry.

Llanas, Sheila Griffin. Contemporary American Poetry.
Enslow 2010 160p 34.60 Poetry Rocks (Enslow)
978-0-7660-3279-8 hs E-BN
Includes poems with criticism related to poetic style and technique on specific poems by Roethke, Bishop, Stafford, Lowell, Brooks, Wilbur, Ginsberg, Merwin, Plath, and Collins. A quick way to gain insight into contemporary poems and poets. Grades 9 up. Students often do not know which poet to choose when a project of analysis is assigned by an English teacher. This book provides at least two poems from each author with notes on poetic style and technique, themes, symbolism and a discussion about the poem often ending with a question for students to ponder. A brief biography of the poet starts each chapter. A chapter on each of the following poets is included: Roethke, Bishop, Stafford, Lowell, Brooks, Wilbur, Ginsberg, Merwin, Plath, and Collins. Students will be challenged to understand each poem and often how the author’s life affected the writing style, content, or themes. The colorful outside cover will attract students and often there are color photos of the poets to start each chapter. The biographical segments often reflect the difficulties the poet faced, whether emotional or physical or financial. Thus the content of the poems often held a smattering of autobiography or personal philosophy. Many poets have served as Poet Laureate of the United States or their home state. A strong addition to any library collection where poetry is analyzed. Chapter notes, glossary (villanelle should have been added to the glossary) and index complete the book. Web sites that contain personal readings of the poems are found in the chapter text. For grades 9 and up. McNicol,Lois

Slipping. by Cathleen Davitt Bell

Bell, Cathleen Davitt. Slipping.
Bloomsbury see St. Martins, 2008, 215p, $16.99, 978-1-59990-2586

A first novel by Cathleen Davitt Bell, Slipping is an unbelievable masterpiece. It is about relationships and how we allow them to go away. The relationships are between friends, between brother and sister, and between father and son. There is humor, adventure and emotion from cover to cover. Contemporary teen language combines with a protagonist who is real to make a controversial topic like life after death believable. Redemption is possible as we explore a topic that has been studied since the beginning of man.
Slipping blasts the lid off the can of worms that contains the notion of life after death. As Michael slips into and out of the cold river between life and death, pulled there by his recently deceased grandfather, he could die or survive. His love for his grandfather has to be strong enough to help his grandfather come to terms with his own shallow, lonely life and death. Along the way, underachiever Michael pulls others aboard his journey as he navigates the river of the dead. First, he meets Ewan, the pathetic outcast and loner at a small private school in New York City. Ewan’s area of expertise is anything related to ghosts, and he helps Michael understand what is happening to him. Gus is Michael’s soon to be ex-friend. Michael has been feeling Gus pull away for a while, yet is helpless to save the friendship until they are thrown together in a basketball game with the school jock, Tripp. Grandpa steps into Michael to show Michael that he has all of the talent and drive to play ball, and Michael is the hero of the game. After helping his grandfather share his regrets about his loveless last years, Michael almost perishes with his grandfather into a world of permanent death. In a dramatic, perilous ending, Michael is able to save himself with the help of his sister and a few of his friends, and most importantly, his own father.
The subject matter is for a mature teenager or adult who is willing to consider that life is not as we see it. The writing style is fast-paced and engaging. All teenagers, male or female will feel empathy with Michael, a character who is so pathetically compelling that as he weaves his tale, weaves the reader into his web. All teenagers have had an art teacher like Ms. Rosoff, an overachieving sister like Julia, a best friend who has pulled away at times, and a school jock who is characteristically like Tripp. Bell leaves the reader questioning his or her relationships with family and friends as well as acceptance of people for who they are. Just like Michael has his grandfather in his head at unexpected moments, the reader will recall parts of this book for a long time after closing the cover.
This book is best for a mature student in upper middle school or high school. The fantasy/dramatic component of the book makes it too difficult for an immature reader. MS