tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50327509970306460382024-03-05T00:14:29.694-08:00Cresta McGowan YA CentralCresta McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423736850920572013noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5032750997030646038.post-73254232102594319502012-04-15T09:47:00.002-07:002012-04-15T09:47:36.755-07:00Wanting more...I am no doubt, a fan of the classics. However, I think in today's modern society, teens lack the ability to relate directly or even be impacted by books written so long ago. History is something they snore at, albeit ignorantly, but they do. I want to spice up the reading list for my students, I want to bring fresh authors to light and study books that are relevant to them NOW, not through years of probing and prodding.<br />
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The following books were chosen as <a href="http://www.ala.org/yalsa/morris-award">Morris Award winner for Young Adults for 2012</a>. I'd like to each one next year. Which do you think is the best option? I am leaning towards <i>Paper Cover Rock</i> by Jenny Hubbard because it references <i>A Separate Peace</i> on multiple occasions. I thought maybe we could read <i>A Separate Peace</i> in the fall in lieu of short stories, let that lead us into research covering World War II, and then connect it all with<i> Paper Covers Rock</i> at the end of the year. Call me crazy, but I want them to like learning!<br />
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2012 Winner</h2>
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<img alt="Where Things Come Back" src="http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/booklistsawards/bookawards/morris/2012/whaley_web.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; height: 301px; width: 200px;" /></div>
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<strong><em>Where Things Come Back</em></strong> by John Corey Whaley, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN 978-0-4424-1333-7.</div>
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Lily, Arkansas, seems like a sleepy town where it would be unlikely for anything of note to the outside world to happen. But Cullen’s seventeenth summer is marked by the overdose death of a relative, his brother’s disappearance, and the discovery of a woodpecker thought to be extinct. These seemingly disconnected events collide in this novel which demonstrates that nothing is random. Whaley’s story will absorb readers as they follow Cullen on his journey through an unforgettable summer.</div>
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“With plot twists and surprising connections, this is one of those rare books that does not come along often,” said Morris Award Chair Teri Lesesne.</div>
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2012 Finalists</h2>
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<img alt="The Girl of Fire and Thorns" src="http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/booklistsawards/bookawards/morris/2012/girloffire_web.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; height: 200px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 135px;" /><img alt="Paper Covers Rock" src="http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/booklistsawards/bookawards/morris/2012/paper_web.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; height: 200px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 130px;" /><img alt="Under the Mesquite" src="http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/booklistsawards/bookawards/morris/2012/mesquite_web.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; height: 200px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 130px;" /><img alt="Beween Shades of Gray" src="http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/booklistsawards/bookawards/morris/2012/grey_web.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; height: 200px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; width: 131px;" /></div>
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<strong><em>The Girl of Fire and Thorns</em></strong> written by Rae Carson, published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-202648-4.</div>
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Elisa bears the Godstone. She is a chosen one. What she is chosen to do is unclear, but perhaps her journey to marry the king of a neighboring country in the midst of war will provide some of the answers. Carson weaves together religion, politics, prophecy, and more in this fast-paced fantasy that brings Elisa to a destiny no one could have anticipated.</div>
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<strong><em>Paper Covers Rock</em></strong> written by Jenny Hubbard, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. ISBN 978-0-385-74055-5.</div>
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Alex, a junior at an exclusive boarding school, uses his journal (neatly hidden inside a copy of <em>Moby Dick</em>) to relate the disturbing events that led to the drowning of a classmate. Hubbard’s literary references, her creation of Alex’s poems and journal entries, and her storytelling skills combine in a story about the code of silence that often compromises the code of honor.</div>
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<strong><em>Under the Mesquite</em></strong> written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, published by Lee and Low Books. ISBN 978-1-60060-429-4.</div>
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This novel in verse tells the story of Lupita, the oldest of eight children. When Lupita’s mother is diagnosed with cancer, it is up to Lupita to step into a role she never considered taking in her drama class: surrogate parent. McCall’s chapters are exquisite poems with language that sings and stings. Finding hope amidst despair, finding the chance to laugh, and finding the incredible power of family make this a memorable reading experience.</div>
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<strong><em>Between Shades of Gray</em></strong> written by Ruta Sepetys, published by Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group USA. ISBN 978-0-399-25412-3.</div>
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In lyrical prose, Sepetys introduces readers to 15 year old Lina and her family as they are evicted from their home in Lithuania and transported to Siberia as prisoners during Stalin’s reign of terror in the 1940s. The journey is perilous; not all will survive. Lina is determined to document it all in her art and her journal. Sepetys shines a light on a corner of history not often seen in YA literature. The juxtaposition of lyricism in the midst of the horror underscores Lina’s indomitable spirit.</div>Cresta McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423736850920572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5032750997030646038.post-45528423993997367872012-03-22T10:33:00.001-07:002012-03-22T10:33:33.954-07:00Contemporary and ClassicsRight now, I am reading <i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>with my 10th grade English classes. I will soon begin <i>Of Mice and Men</i> with my 11th grade English classes, and <i>Holes</i> with my Reading class. Of these three novels, on <i>Holes</i> by Louis Sachar is considered to be young adult reading, but each year we perpetuate the cycle of classic literature onto today's high school students. I find myself this year asking why?<br />
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It's not that I don't believe in the validity and power of the aforementioned novels, I do. Wholeheartedly. <i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>is one of the best novels ever written, and while many students do become attached to the novel, rarely do they do so until Tom dies - even throughout the court case, they keep waiting for the Disney ending to come along and save the day. It isn't coming.<br />
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I guess what I'm pondering here is the question - if they won't read the classics, what will they read that has literary merit? There is a slew of Young Adult novels out there, but which ones are best to teach? I'm writing one myself, and I'm not sure it'll ever see the light of publication, but if it does - can I teach it? Does it merit an in-depth study. It has language, and sex, and violence, but it's real. I believe young people want to read something real and relevant to them. Just this year, we as teachers, requested to teach <i>The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian</i>. We were denied for two main reasons: <br />
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<ol>
<li>They claimed the reading level was too low. I assure you, based on what I am working with, it was NOT too low.</li>
<li>The content was not appropriate. In the novel their is a masturbation moment of a teenage boy - really, is that far fetched? I think not.</li>
</ol>
The content is age-appropriate, the reading level allows for understanding, and the historical work we could have done with Native American tribes would have been fantastic. I believe it was the mention of masturbation that upset the powers that be more than the reading level. Yet, it's okay to read about murder, mayhem, drinking, suicide, drug use, incest, sex, racism, rape, and retardation. These are just a few of the topics I teach in the "approved" selections for 10th and 11th grade reading. But masturbation, that is over the line.<br />
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There is a debate in our county over selecting books kids would read anyway, saying that "If they would read it anyway, we shouldn't teach it." But, I disagree. <br />
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Teaching a book is very different from simply reading for pleasure. And some books that are great stories require an in-depth look at the historical basis for students to really appreciate the literature.<br />
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So, with all of that said - any recommendations from the masses out there about more modern contemporary novels that merit a study as much as the classics? <br />
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Thoughts and opinions welcomed.Cresta McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423736850920572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5032750997030646038.post-43497775676151576632012-03-03T16:37:00.001-08:002012-03-03T16:37:55.928-08:00Crossed by Ally Condie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrDhXEGTsNJC8ptHP7Fw_EnYo-tPbQ2Fa9IYuiSeQA_UWlPh_0MP2eCA1_RtWWv8ltfHE9Dmaye3A1RBqpQ-MdzKNkha6g9xWw3ZYAtGLg0NXfvOZmH7wAgrHFOhz2oaA3uv0s-9ybqY/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrDhXEGTsNJC8ptHP7Fw_EnYo-tPbQ2Fa9IYuiSeQA_UWlPh_0MP2eCA1_RtWWv8ltfHE9Dmaye3A1RBqpQ-MdzKNkha6g9xWw3ZYAtGLg0NXfvOZmH7wAgrHFOhz2oaA3uv0s-9ybqY/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<i>Crossed</i> is the sequel to the amazing book <i>Matched</i> by Ally Condie. It is the second book in the trilogy. <i>Crossed </i>continues to follow the life of Cassia Reyes and her quest to find the boy she loves and the redemption from her Society life, The Rising. <br />
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At the end of <i>Matched</i>, the reader is left wondering what Cassia will do - how will she solve her love choice between Xander and Ky? We know Ky is the man of the hour, but her childhood love for Xander is never far from her thoughts. <i>Crossed </i>answers that question for us and much more. And within this simple decision of love, Cassia is also to answer questions that are bigger than she is...what is the journey of life all about? Is their ever true freedom - freedom from The Society, or freedom in The Rising? Cassia believes with all her heart that The Rising is the answer she needs. The answer to her love for Ky or Xander, the answer to who she can trust, the answer to save her soul. It's the quest of a lifetime.<br />
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Her journey is long and hard. She meets some she can trust and finds that others she thought she knew were keeping secrets from her, secrets that change almost everything. She is challenged. Ky is challenged. And the true conflict of the story is how they meet, and sometimes fail to meet, the test in front of them. They are both seeing the world as a different place, but for Cassia it is all new. Ky brings his family demons with him and his status as an aberration, but Cassia has never known anything outside the comfort of The Society, until now. <br />
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She proves to be a strong heroine, not afraid to take chances. She endures, as well as anyone else, scourging across unknown territory. She will let nothing stand in her way of getting to Ky, The Rising, or back to her family; even back to Xander. <br />
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<i>Crossed </i>as a sequel does not disappoint. It hints enough at <i>Matched </i>to keep the reader engaged and wondering about the characters met before now, but moves forward in a way that introduces new characters, settings, and plot lines to the reader in an unobtrusive way. <br />
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This book is written from both Ky and Cassia's viewpoint, it shifts every chapter. I must admit, I found myself enjoying the chapters from Ky's viewpoint more than Cassia's. I'm not sure why, I can't quite put my finger on it. Possibly because I believed so much in the suffering of Ky's character and knew the true heartbreak that would ensue for him if he was to lose Cassia in this book. I kept reading to make sure Ky was safe and loved. My heart bleeds for him. I'm not sure how I feel about Xander, and sometimes how I feel about Cassia.<br />
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I can't wait for the final book to hit the shelves so I can devour it as quickly as I've devoured the first two. Ally Condie - you certainly have my attention!<br />
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I can't find a date for when this will be released, but when I do - I'll post it! :-)Cresta McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423736850920572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5032750997030646038.post-66785427952039642702012-02-26T06:36:00.000-08:002012-02-26T06:36:18.947-08:00Matched by Ally CondieLove triangle. Yep - that's the premise for Cassia Reyes in <i>Matched</i> by Ally Condie. But, before you think "not another teen drama" give <i>Matched</i> a chance. I read the book in three days, could not put it down. A love triangle exists, because we all know that love is a fundamental emotion coursing through teenage veins (and ours, to be honest), but it's different for Cassia and for Xander and Ky - her double matches; there's more at stake than just a broken heart. <br />
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The Society, the world in which they live, has created perfection. Couples are genetically matched by genes, DNA, and the potential for perfect offspring (as a teacher in public education, I can say this does NOT sound like a bad system). This happens on or shortly thereafter their seventeenth birthday. In short, The Society plays Cupid. And while some parties are destined to be singles for the rest of their life, those that are the best are matched with the best. Your match most likely will come from another province outside the one you live in, but for Cassia, that's where the surprise begins. <br />
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***Side note: Now, if you're a word nerd like I am, the idea that the outlying areas are called provinces immediately sparked your musings of war. Province comes from the Latin word Provincia, meaning territory under domination (pro -before, vincere - to conquer). So, as I started reading more about Cassia's love matches, it didn't surprise me that one of them came from a war-torn province with plenty of sultry mystery. <br />
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Her match night goes as planned, with one little twist. Her perfect match is right in the room with her; her best friend Xander. While this is rare, most people meet their match on a screen before them, neither are upset by the match, in fact, Xander was hopeful all along. But, the mystery begins when Cassisa gets home to read her micro-card about Xander. This is a chip containing all information about your future betrothed. Cassia doesn't really see the point in reading hers because she's known Xander her entire life, but curiosity gets the better of her and she pops her card into the reader. Xander's face is there for only a moment and then it's somebody else - somebody she never thought would be a match for her, Ky Markham. <br />
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The Society doesn't make mistakes. This could not possibly be happening. Why hasn't she ever looked at Ky this way before? What are the odds that he's now a part of everything that she does? Is The Society playing tricks with her? Or is this who she's really supposed to love? Does she have a choice in a world where everything is chosen for her: who to be, who to love, where to work, and when to die? Choice...choice...choice - <i>Do not go gentle into that good night, rage, rage, against the dying of the light...</i><br />
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<i>Matched </i>is a well-written novel at 400 pages, and I found it to be an easy read with excellent flow to the story. Condie's descriptive language is right on cue; not too much that you are drowning in it, and just enough to give you an adequate picture of the life inside The Society. Lucky for readers, <i>Matched</i> is part of a trilogy, and the second book <i>Crossed</i> is in bookstores now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEyzZVrCYwP-tHWJV0dKrNv9YF33XPrSDsD_WaOUQj8fipiNLnlMoq8Pp0UgR4m-MfPEBtzH6YzICb6Qr6IvEnEd6FNBOCFYJGylLB6Uqu0K75sigBiE4VHZb6rkrB9z4NMjvc6IiQFQ/s1600/b041b3b6ad820a7d93627e.L._V189371978_SX200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEyzZVrCYwP-tHWJV0dKrNv9YF33XPrSDsD_WaOUQj8fipiNLnlMoq8Pp0UgR4m-MfPEBtzH6YzICb6Qr6IvEnEd6FNBOCFYJGylLB6Uqu0K75sigBiE4VHZb6rkrB9z4NMjvc6IiQFQ/s1600/b041b3b6ad820a7d93627e.L._V189371978_SX200_.jpg" /></a>Ally Condie (<a href="http://www.allycondie.com/">www.allycondie.com</a>) is a former high school English teacher
who lives with her husband and three sons outside of Salt Lake City,
Utah. She loves reading, running, eating, and listening to her husband
play guitar. <b>SERIOUSLY - CAN SHE SOUND ANYMORE LIKE ME???</b> (except I like watching my husband work on his car and listening to him play the drums)<br />
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For more information about <i>Matched </i>and the author, visit the <a href="http://matched-book.com/index.html#home">book's website</a>. In the YA world, I would give this book a definite "two thumbs up" - it's enough science fiction/fantasy to keep a reader turning the page, with just enough reality to make one wonder, "What would I do???"<br />
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<br />Cresta McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423736850920572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5032750997030646038.post-71126550415525042002011-11-12T15:17:00.001-08:002011-11-12T15:17:49.102-08:00How to Save a Life by Sara ZarrI wrote this on my other blog, but since it's really YA - thought I'd share here, too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_y32oW312J8isz1khVw9leKkUKvhenTBwkcU4kJzxRTNY52SklRzyOhXzt7c8x2dfo_wZytVP-NYOLa9_3lmQgAHEq-j3G8eQKvpnKmU09_Vzguu99OAOHawmGniPCyUsxL-5yCyFNg/s1600/How%252Bto%252BSave%252Ba%252BLife%252Bby%252BSara%252BZarr.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_y32oW312J8isz1khVw9leKkUKvhenTBwkcU4kJzxRTNY52SklRzyOhXzt7c8x2dfo_wZytVP-NYOLa9_3lmQgAHEq-j3G8eQKvpnKmU09_Vzguu99OAOHawmGniPCyUsxL-5yCyFNg/s320/How%252Bto%252BSave%252Ba%252BLife%252Bby%252BSara%252BZarr.jpg" width="212" /></a>Sara
Zarr is one of my favorite YA authors. She doesn't implore the use of
paranormal or fantasy in her writing - just good ol' fashioned story
telling. Stories that appeal youth and adults alike. I met her four
years ago when she was doing a book tour for <i>Sweethearts</i>, her
second novel and it was fascinating to hear her read from the text. A
real live author in the high school where I teach reading aloud to teens
hanging on her every word.<br />
<br />
I enjoy her writing so
much, I've even emailed her since the meeting - something I've never
done before with an author - to share with her how her books have
touched my life. She replied! It felt like a real conversation. Her
books are stories I think of fondly all the time and ones I know I'll
read again. She is the author of four novels: <i>Story of a Girl, Sweethearts, Once was Lost </i>and now<i>, How to Save a Life</i>. I loved her first three novels, so I knew I would love the latest publication.<br />
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And I did.<br />
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Sara Zarr's latest book <i>How to Save a Life</i>
does not disappoint. This touching YA novel shows the depth of caring
and love through a family experiencing a great loss. Robin, after
losing her husband suddenly has decided a new baby is just what the
family needs. She and "Mac" had always talked about adopting and
fostering but just never got around to it. Jill, her daughter, is
completely against the idea. Since her father's death, Jill has adopted
a "rebel without a cause" attitude towards life. It's mostly just a
ploy to cover up the immense hurt she feels from losing a parent at such
a young age. Her high school graduation is fast approaching, and who
she was before and after her father's death are complete strangers to
one another. She's managed to isolate herself from her friends and her
first love boyfriend is in an on-again-off-again status, it really just
depends on the day of the week. And now - now her mom wants a new
baby? Jill could not be more pleased (a sarcastic line I feel her
character would think apropos). <br />
<br />
But her mom is convinced it's what the family needs.<br />
<br />
Enter
Mandy. A young girl that's found herself in a family way before her
time. Mandy has only had one love, Christopher. She's saw him once, at
a Fair, and they sneaked off to the corn fields. It sounds horrible -
the idea that she jumped right into the veggie stalks with this guy, but
when you read the way Zarr writes this true love moment in time, your
heart bleeds for Mandy. When learning she is pregnant, she panics
because she doesn't know who the father is. Still sounds like you'd
think poorly of her - you're wrong again. Mandy's mother is "that
mom". A mom that has a string of boyfriends and the next one is going
to be the one that gets them out of their situation, which of course he
never is. The latest love conquest, Kent, is more interested in Mandy
that her mother. Let your imagination run wild.<br />
<br />
But,
despite her poor upbringing, Mandy is not a dumb blonde - an idea her
mother would prefer her to be. She decides she wants her baby to have a
better life than she does and she knows one thing for certain, she
never wants the baby around Kent and her mother. She goes onto an open
adoption website and Robin is there - it's Kismet. Things aren't
perfect and there are some bumps in the road, but in the end <i>How to Save a Life</i> does just that. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLc5TmrMhA9QmowgjyNtrOPFL4bODbjxupd8uogtB4Yl90ekaGAzlUB4905hm-GRQvHuaOdQWcmgJ9RDkjmsheciYBz7rzkkaInTIDbp4VmIe9jSzTioR_vAxhP1hEpt0QIj_YB4AJP8/s1600/sara+zarr.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLc5TmrMhA9QmowgjyNtrOPFL4bODbjxupd8uogtB4Yl90ekaGAzlUB4905hm-GRQvHuaOdQWcmgJ9RDkjmsheciYBz7rzkkaInTIDbp4VmIe9jSzTioR_vAxhP1hEpt0QIj_YB4AJP8/s320/sara+zarr.jpg" width="252" /></a><br />
Zarr's
use of language and writing style is what makes this story so
appealing. I found myself nodding along with lines of text, quotes
like, "<span class="highlight">It’s the quiet kind of crying that can go
for
hours, when over and over again you try to stop, try to tell yourself
it’s going to be okay, but another part of yourself can’t stop thinking
about the thing that’s breaking your heart." Reader's will find
themselves immersed in sympathy and empathy for the characters she
creates. </span><br />
<span class="highlight"><br /></span><br />
<span class="highlight">I
don't know what's next on her writing plate, but I hope for something
soon. If you'd like to check out more about Sara Zarr, visit her
website at <a href="http://www.sarazarr.com/">www.sarazarr.com</a>.</span><br />
<span class="highlight"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="highlight"><br /></span><br />
<span class="highlight"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Cresta McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423736850920572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5032750997030646038.post-23096188742067861692011-11-12T14:47:00.001-08:002011-11-12T15:05:48.330-08:00Ruined by Paula Morris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrLhbRfqj70GB-wjbwUKa6TlmSNP1wFQlsjrUg0QplItx8Bf8BE8WakUqLOTmW3zYdbNfdkfMGsoqZn2MwAtAzntxM5sBNm6SaSYewnawR8Dw72dm8KvP_A4gY7CNNFtMIVQccMlLnp4/s1600/ruined.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrLhbRfqj70GB-wjbwUKa6TlmSNP1wFQlsjrUg0QplItx8Bf8BE8WakUqLOTmW3zYdbNfdkfMGsoqZn2MwAtAzntxM5sBNm6SaSYewnawR8Dw72dm8KvP_A4gY7CNNFtMIVQccMlLnp4/s320/ruined.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
It is not often that I read a "ghost story" and truly love it. The only other book that grabbed me this way about an ethereal being was <i>Her Fearful Symmetry</i> by Audrey Niffenegger (and reading this book made me want to re-read Niffenegger's book because it was just so good!).<br />
<br />
<i>Ruined</i>, by Paula Morris, is a great read! <br />
<br />
I find I'm a a little behind the curve in writing about this book, though. It was published August 1, 2009. Whoops! I bought it at the book fair last year and just got around to turning the pages. It starts slow, but once you're in - you're in!<br />
<br />
Book Description via <a href="http://amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a>:<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<i>Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes
to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a
creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the
filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous,
unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she
wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette
Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to
talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city.
There's just one catch: Lisette is a ghost.</i><br />
<br />
<i> A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.</i><br />
<br />
<i>
As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend -- and as she slowly
learns to trust Anton Grey -- she also uncovers startling truths about
her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past,
or has everything been ruined beyond repair?</i><br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
The description gives it more of a teen angst feel than the book truly has. <i> </i>It is a YA novel, but it is steeped in historical fiction of Mardi Gras in Louisiana. That is what I loved the most about this book. <a href="http://www.paula-morris.com/biography/">Morris</a>, originally from New Zealand, really captured the essence and the pride of this landmark state putting her own dynamic flair to "old money" in the deep deep south. <br />
<br />
Her lead character Rebecca is a strong female protagonist that does NOT give into the social pressures of her high society new school. She maintains a true identity throughout, and an open mind. Never once do you doubt the realness of her intentions, nor do you doubt the faith she has in her friend that is a ghost. This makes you attach to her character closely, not wanting to see her hurt, or lost or betrayed. I found myself becoming defensive and annoyed with the other characters in the book when they weren't as strong as Rebecca. But, I'm sure Morris intended her readers to get mad at Anton a few times, after all - he is the requisite love interest.<br />
<br />
As a true "spooky" book, Morris had me. At every turn I was never quite sure what was going to happen - was Lisette real? Was she honest? Was she lying? What secrets did she hold? The drama infused between Lisette, her past, her familial connections kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the reading. I had no idea what to believe until the very end and even then, it's so well portrayed that you find yourself just staring into the pages of the book.<br />
<br />
I would highly recommend this read. It's fairly short, 309 pages, and would appeal mostly to middle school age and up. If you like history interwoven with fiction, this is a book for you!<br />
<br />
<br />Cresta McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423736850920572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5032750997030646038.post-13337736694248098582011-11-07T19:04:00.001-08:002011-11-07T19:04:50.155-08:00Fooling Fools...<style>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Fooling Fools</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
alarm clock was always annoying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It didn’t matter how many different sounds Verizon put in the options,
any noise that caused Athan to wake for school seemed strident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He hit the snooze button and drifted
back to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there it was
again. Did five minutes already pass?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And who decided
five minutes was enough time to drift back into dreamland and recover from
being awoken in the first place?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was all it took.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
drifting thought and he couldn’t go back to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His mind had always run this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’d think of something and be unable to let it go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At night when he tried to sleep, the
day’s events would whirl in his head over and over again…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What was it I was supposed to do for homework in English?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are ‘queen’ jokes really still funny? Did
I hear dad come in this morning? Is he home? Is he awake?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Questions filled his mind until it felt
like his head would explode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every.
Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Morning and night his
thoughts turned his world inside out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today was no different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why
is five minutes the allotted time for snooze?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
alarm sounded again, but this time hitting snooze did not turn it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He reached for the phone to be sure he
was pushing the right button and saw that it wasn’t the alarm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elise was texting him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was 5:30a and she was already up
texting him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“u
rdy 4 this?” was all it said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No. </i>He wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted to tell her that, to be honest, but he knew the
decision they’d made together was the right one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’d have to be ready, whether he really was or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He text her back, “yeah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meet 4 bfast?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yep.
c u soon :-).”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Athan
drug out of bed and tiptoed out his bedroom door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was careful to open and close it without making a
sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once inside the bathroom,
he locked the knob and prayed in a whisper, “Please just let him sleep.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reaching slowly to turn on the shower
knob, he cringed at every squeak looking back at the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His knotted stomach released and he stepped into the
welcoming warm water, fears assuaged for now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Just
as he was reaching for the knob to sneak back into his bedroom a mighty fist
pound on the door making him knock everything off the bathroom counter in a
jangled mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“How
long have you been in there?” his dad roared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You don’t pay the damn bills around here and the water’s
been runnin’ to damn long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get out
here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
was nowhere to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No window to
jump through, no door but the one in front of him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He slowly clicked the lock on the door and the world rushed
in.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Rough
morning?” Elise asked when he stepped through the cafeteria doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Athan had done his best to keep his
bangs low over his left eye, but the evidence of the morning’s hot shower
burned red on his face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yeah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trapped like a rat in a cage – the
bathroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Not
today,” she lifted her long blonde hair, “but last night was no picnic.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A thumbprint bruise was working its way
to the surface of her neck, just below the ear lobe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t want to know anymore and he knew she didn’t really
want to tell him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Athan
and Elise went through the line and headed to a corner table to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Silence between them was a welcome
comfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They spoke not a word and
while noise raged on in the dining hall around them, they continued to sit
still and quiet in a world for just the two of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Elise that finally broke the peace.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Did
you see him yesterday after school?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know you walked home the long way.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was the only person he’d ever known that could ask a
question like that without making a funny face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His choice never bothered her and he appreciated her ease
with it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not many people in
this one-light town were ready to accept anything outside of “one man, one
woman, til’ death do us part.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
infuriated Athan if he thought about it too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People riding their
high horses of what’s right and what’s wrong.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prom queen and the football star, shacked up drunk all
the time, a muffled prayer away from an abortion, and he was the one with a
problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boy who’d never been
in love, never been in a relationship, and certainly had never had sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wasn’t even sure he wanted to, even
with the guy who caught his eye these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are all so stupid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, most people didn’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They suspected, called him a queen,
even nominated him to reign at the prom, but Elise kept their suspicions at
bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was his proclaimed girlfriend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He
scanned the cafeteria, glancing over his shoulder before he answered her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
did, but he didn’t see me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
just as well right now, because after school today we’ll be the only thing this
town is talking about.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
know!” She jumped up and hugged him tight, kissing his cheek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She picked up her books and headed off
to class, waving to him one last time before she disappeared through the double
doors.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Athan’s
chair skipped forward a step and Aaron, asshole extraordinaire, stepped on his
foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Oh, sorry Ashley – didn’t
mean to ruin your nail polish,” and he laughed at his own clever use of
names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His minions trailed behind
him, giggling all the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
amused Athan to watch this spectacle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was used to the taunts and the comments, they really didn’t bother
him from people like Aaron who will turn out to be nothing one day, who already
were nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The funniest part of
it all was, as much as they made fun of him, as much as they wanted to ruin
him, he never walked with a group of guys giggling like a bunch of girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sighed and reminded himself <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you can’t fix stupid, </i>grabbed his bag
and headed to class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He heard
Aaron’s last comment as he walked around the hallway corner, “I have no idea
how he got a girl like Elise.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Because
she could trust me not to touch her,” he said to no one but himself.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
day dripped along like cold honey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Senior English had to be the most boring class he’d ever taken and as
the quiz over <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wife of Bath</i> hit
his desk, the question of what he was supposed to read last night was answered
loud and clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shit.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elise sat across the room already working away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She never forgot to read an
assignment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It amazed Athan how
she kept her grades so high with what she had going on at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She claimed it was her ticket out of
this hellhole – that and him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
looked up at him and he rolled his eyes at her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She flipped him off casually, a scratch of the eye, but he
could see her smile beneath the shadow of her hair, her smile and the fingertip
bruises appearing on the other side of her neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was usually more careful about it, but today she didn’t
seemed bothered by the imprints of home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
neck bruises were minor in the grand scheme of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Athan sat and recalled the bloody lip,
the black eyes, the broken wrist, and once, a bulging bruise on the back of her
right thigh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That one she would
never talk about, but it made her limp for more than a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He couldn’t believe someone in this
world understood what he dealt with everyday, but when they met in Algebra I
freshman year and he watched her tug the sleeve of her shirt down over her
forearm when it was still 90 degrees outside, he knew their bond would be
forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
seemed unfair that another man like his father existed in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even more unfair that Elise’s dad
seemed to actually be the evil twin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His dad had been rough on him since he was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Called him names when he was a kid,
told him to, “Stop acting like a little faggot,” when he caught him dancing in
the mirror in middle school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
mother just looked the other way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’d always known Athan was different, but she never protected him from
his father, never stood in the way of all the anger that rained down on
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Elise’s dad, he’d done
more than just wail on her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
used her, abused her, and as a result she didn’t trust men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her mother was long gone and Athan was
really the only person she felt safe with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She knew he’d never harm her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Two
weeks ago, they’d both turned eighteen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Two weeks ago, the plan they’d talked about for three years came to
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today after school, Athan
and Elise would get married at the courthouse and there wasn’t a damn thing
their parents could do about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today after school, they’d say, “I do” and run away together to start a
life somewhere else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somewhere
they didn’t know anyone, somewhere people didn’t mind a little difference, and
didn’t demand submission. Somewhere other than here. </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
plan was complicated because it had to be done in front of their parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without witnesses, the entire thing
would seem like a sham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’d
both saved their money over the last two years to buy Elise a simple engagement
ring and to be able to afford rent on an apartment in the city for six-months
until they both found jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Right now, that ring sat deep inside Athan’s backpack along with the
lease papers they printed from the computer in the library.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The deposit for their place had been
paid online and because they’d had enough money for first and last month’s
rent, a co-signer wasn’t even asked for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They had thought of everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
The goal was to
walk home to Elise’s house after school and propose to her right on the front
steps in front of her dad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Athan
was scared, but as long as Elise was there and they were outside, her dad would
hold his temper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not like the
town didn’t know about what he did, who he was, but he liked to pretend he was
a good father when the public was looking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once he’d come to the school to sign some papers and made a
huge spectacle of himself and Elise in the front office, hugging her and
talking about her being “daddy’s little girl.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Athan thought Elise was going to puke, but she didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
dealing with Elise’s dad, they would return to Athan’s house and announce the
news to his parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bags already
packed, they’d catch the bus to the city hall, make their peace with the judge,
and head straight out of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
only flaw in their plan was its destruction to their grades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would be skipping out on the last
two weeks of school and while it wouldn’t really mess up Elise’s chances of
graduation, Athan’s success hung precariously in the balance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a 4.0 and with or without
exams, would graduate with a passing average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He, on the other hand, barely pulled a “B” average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’d done the math on it, well Elise
did, and it seemed like he would survive, but just barely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All year they hadn’t been absent or
failed a class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They watched their
grades with intensity and Elise tutored Athan relentlessly in subjects he
struggled with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing would get
in the way of their plan for escape.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
bell rang and they met at the schoolhouse doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words were not needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Athan pulled her into a close embrace. Her hand slipped into his and
they started the longest walk of their lives.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Standing
in the courthouse with their parents watching their every move, Athan slipped a
ring onto Elise’s delicate finger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She returned one to him and they said vows that while not traditional,
held more meaning to one another than most couples truly in love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Athan’s mother cried, his father
seethed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elise’s dad slumped with
his arms crossed tight around his chest, constantly checking behind him,
looking out the window, or studying the judge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Courthouses made him nervous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
the judge said, “I now pronounce you man and wife,” a smiled spread the width
of both their faces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hooking their
arms together, everything they’d fought for and fought against in the last four
years brought them to this moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it was everything they’d hoped it would be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Leaving
the room, Elise glanced back one last time at the man who ruined her life and
then turned her gaze to Athan, the man that just saved her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Do
you think we fooled them?” she asked, a Cheshire grin lurking behind her eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Yeah,
them and everyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It isn’t
hard to fool a fool.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>Cresta McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423736850920572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5032750997030646038.post-80153459127921319642011-11-06T12:50:00.000-08:002011-11-06T12:50:03.627-08:00"Eve" - Chapter EightThe following story was an entry on inkpop.com. It was the first writing for young adults I completed on the weekly writing challenge and I WON! <br />
<br />
<i>Just a side-note: Caleb is name chosen by the author, not me. I'm not a fan and would like to change the name to Christopher because for some reason that is better for me, but - this was an entry in progress.</i><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cresta McGowan, Eve</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Eight</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
horse walked with an uneasy gait carrying all three of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arden hugged close behind Caleb leaving
me to undulate on the horses’ ass; a sobering thought seeing how that is the
very impression I had of Caleb upon meeting him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was so smug and confident the way he just assumed we were
helpless without him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It pained me
to realize he was right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sat
strong and tall in the saddle, as if he’d won some sort of battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rabbits swung from the neck of his
horse and storm clouds loomed overhead threatening our every step.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
hated my lack of survival savvy. There was nothing in the pages of Fitzgerald
that had prepared me for this except knowing when to duck if my “Gatsby” had
one too many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shuddered at the
thought of feeling like Daisy, dimwitted and dependent on a man, taking help
from the proverbial knight on a horse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mine just didn’t carry a sword, nor was he as debonair as I’d read him
to be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
wind died down and the sunflowers returned to their upright bloom, but that did
not stop the rain from falling out of the sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caleb picked up the pace to a canter and shouted a
half-hearted, “Hang on back there!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we arrived on the edge of his settlement, my fears of his earlier
prowess were somewhat assuaged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
had not lied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A deer hung stretched
from a tree, and a boar was posted on a makeshift roasting spit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caleb swung down from the horse in one
graceful motion and extended his hand to Arden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arden grabbed for him quickly and he lifted her gently to
the ground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Thank
you,” she said and her face filled with a rosy flirtation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh,
please,” I muttered and Caleb and Arden looked at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He extended his hand in my direction, but I brushed it
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could get off a horse by
myself, that much I knew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, as
soon as I slid off the back of the beast, it lunged forward leaving me sitting
in a fresh puddle of mud from the rain shower.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You
really do have trouble with a helping hand, don’t you?” his hand extended once
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Begrudgingly I took it this
time, but not without damage to my pride.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His
camp was small but clean and it was obvious he’d hidden here successfully for a
while now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one pull of his palm
on a lingering rope, pulley’s and twine began to jut from the braches revealing
a crude house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The surface was
rough but sturdy and he clamped each corner down to the ground giving it shape
and life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Windows were cut high to
let in bits of the morning sunlight and traps extended from the bend to catch
small prey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to admit, his
habit of impressing was hard to ignore, but he didn’t need to know that, not
yet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Arden
gushed over his ingenuity like she’d never heard of such great
accomplishments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both had read
how Huck Finn and Jim survived the trek down the Mississippi, and even if only
in books and stories, men were told as skillful creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never quite understood in the pages
of books why men were painted as such necessary beings when we were supposed to
loathe them, fear them in real life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wanted to ask my teachers, but I knew this type of question would
result in a thrashing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caleb
continued setting up the home he’d made for himself, now shared with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I supposed the confirmation of a man’s
capability was somewhat fascinating, but I found myself still leery of him;
trusting too easily could be one’s demise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Skill of survival is certainly a worthy attribute, but man’s
cruelty and manipulation often lay deep beneath the surface, like an itch you
can’t scratch, but will go mad trying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Where
did you learn to do all of this?” I asked interrupting Arden’s locked gaze.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You’d
be surprised what you can get done, what you can learn, when your life’s on the
line.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I
supposed that’s true.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It
is.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to learn more about
him, try to have faith in the goodness he showed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Have
you always been alone out here?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His reply intimated that no more would
be said about the subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wanted to press him, ask questions about his former campmates, but his green
eyes shifted from glistening grapes to a deep jilted jade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The look made me wary, made me remember
all we’d been taught about men and their malicious ways.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Caleb
moved back to his horse, clucking softly in his ear as he removed the rabbits
from the neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He nuzzled the
horses’ muzzle with great affection and love; two qualities I was quickly
learning he was capable of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
tree he tied him to held a worn path past its trunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wondered where this path led and who traveled it, Caleb to
leave or others to enter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gave
the horse an apple and stroked his long mane with a loving hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d always found in life those that
love animals, love others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He may
prove this to be true, too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Arden
was sitting on a tree stump watching him work with his horse and appreciating his
nimble fingers as he pulled the rabbits from the line, her eyes were lost in
his muscular frame, jaw agape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was embarrassed for her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Close
your mouth,” I snapped and sat down next to her, but she stayed lost in her
daydream.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Do
you really think all those things they told us about men are true?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, so far, he’s been nothing like
what we learned in school.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caleb
lifted the horses’ saddle and blanket now and I found myself sucked into Arden’s
stupor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His tattoo of the New
American Crest glistened against his shoulder in a mix of water and sweat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Close
your mouth,” Arden said and rolled her eyes at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My jaw now snapped shut and I tried to get my wits about me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So,
what would you ladies like for dinner tonight?” he asked, “Rabbit, deer,
boar?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pointed at each choice
like we’d been invited to the King’s buffet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mouth watered at the thought of real meat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’d been days since Arden and I had a
real meal. The world does provide, but berries do not last long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mind drifted back to the days of
school where a real feast was laid out on tables before us, three times a
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roasted meats and steamed
vegetables, fruits, salads, and sides all for our taking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life outside the compound had been
harder than I anticipated and the wait for real nourishment had only fed the
idea of starvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arden was
eyeing the deer, her mouth practically watering over its form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She looked at me and started to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew what she wanted, she was so
transparent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I knew we could
never, ever kill a deer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Rabbit’s
fine,” I said and stared Arden down until she created a full pout on her face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It’s the only animal we have a chance
of returning to you someday.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t want to be in his debt, I barely wanted to be in his camp.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
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<br />Cresta McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423736850920572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5032750997030646038.post-45867804765308222842011-11-06T12:38:00.001-08:002011-11-06T12:38:37.069-08:00So...Writing for a YA audience...I've added this blog to my repertoire so I can post stories that I believe appeal to YA audience. I hope you enjoy.Cresta McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423736850920572013noreply@blogger.com0