Chin Music by Gregory Roberts
Summary: Brook Gunderson is a teenage boy with two great loves: baseball and pranks. But when the pranks get him into trouble with his new baseball coach, Brook finds himself benched for upcoming games. Struggling to get back in his coach’s good graces, Brook learns to take a hit from the ball when he’s up at bat. But his pitching career seems to be cut short when a day of fun and another stunt injures him in a way that means he will never regain his fastball. Faced with a choice to let this new turn take him down or to get creative, Brook comes across an article about a pitch called the knuckleball and decides he’s not ready to give up just yet.
Number of Pages: 198
Age Range: 13-14
Review: Today I learned that teenage boys are pretty dense. Over and over Brook is involved in stunts that get him into trouble and endanger his life and dreams. Yet it doesn’t seem to sink in. He doesn’t learn that these pranks and stunts are things that maybe he shouldn’t be doing, no matter what consequences follow them.
Except it was funny. Even though I was yelling at Brook to stop putting his pitching career in jeopardy, I was also laughing at his antics with Jiggle, his best friend. Yes, they went a bit too far at times, but it was amusing.
Chin Music by Gregory Roberts isn’t all fun and games though. At its’ heart, it’s about a family with two very different sons. One takes his disappointment in life and turns it into a drug addiction and an excuse to become a drug dealer. And the other puts himself in a position where his dreams are at stake, but he finds a way to turn things around. It’s not clear why one is able to rise above while the other one isn’t, but it’s an interesting comparison.
Again I was drawn to the younger sibling in Brook’s sister Taylor. She’s ten years old and thinks the world of her older brother, even though their relationship mostly consists of her being used to cover for him. Taylor doesn’t get enough credit in my book, and I hope that Brook reconnecting with his brother also means he will stop taking Taylor for granted as well.
Overall, it was a lighter read that will be enjoyed by early teen readers with an interest in baseball. Brook’s pitching career and Roberts’ use of baseball terms were interesting and quite informative.
Memorable Quotes:
“I put on some board-shorts and a T-shirt and climbed up the stairs to the main floor. Jiggle would be here in about a half-hour, and there was no use showering since we would be swimming in a canal that contained runoff from about ten farms and ranches in the area. The best thing to do was just not to think about the crap in the water and enjoy good things about the experience. Kinda like life.” – Brook from Chin Music by Gregory Roberts, page 101
“‘For some people the news I give them about cancer devastates and destroys their life, for others it enriches it.’
‘But how do you know which people will bounce back?’
‘I don’t. Some people have the ability to turn their hardships into strengths, others stay stuck in the mud. But the ones who do get up, well, those are the strong ones.'” – Conversation between Brook’s father and Brook about surviving hardship from Chin Music by Gregory Roberts, page 117
Chin Music by Gregory Roberts is published by Puffin Canada, (2007).
Old Man by David A. Poulsen
Summary: When Nate’s estranged father phones out of the blue, he changes Nate’s summer plans of turning his life around and winning over the attentions of his local crush. Instead Nate and his father whom he refers to as Old Man embark on a journey to Vietnam, revisiting the Old Man’s past as a soldier in the Vietnam War. Separated from his father for years, Nate gets a chance to know and see him as he truly is, someone deeply affected by the choices of the past. Not everything he learns about his father is pretty, but their travels together give Nate a different perspective on life and what’s really important.
Number of Pages: 217
Age Range: 15-17
Review: In a contemplative read that explores the personal impact of the Vietnam War, Old Man by David A. Poulsen is about a father and son connecting before it is too late.
I did have a couple of problems – Nate’s anger toward his father for all of the years he wasn’t around seemed to dissipate quite quickly, the Old Man’s abandonment of his wife and son isn’t adequately explained and the fact that the Old Man was dying seemed like a ploy to add more drama to the story – but my problems were overshadowed by my intrigue over the historical aspect and the relationship Nate and the Old Man build.
Told from Nate’s unique and spirited perspective, Old Man follows the growth of both father and son as they confront the Old Man’s past together. I’ve read Poulsen’s book before but found it was a completely different experience knowing the Old Man’s intentions right from the start. What I love about this story besides the two strong main characters was how much I learned about the Vietnam War. From the Old Man’s experiences alone it is easy to see how a person would be affected for the rest of their lives after living through it.
Once I got used to it, I appreciated Nate’s open nature and quick willingness to accept his father as he was. This easily could have been a story about teen angst and a father’s quest for forgiveness, but instead it is a glimpse into the moment that defined the Old Man’s life and the journey with his father that will go on to define Nate’s.
Because it contains some disturbing, yet historically accurate elements, I’d recommend this book for mid to older teens.
Memorable Quotes:
“‘And this is where the battle you told me about, the one you and Tal were in, this is where that battle happened?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Why did you want to come back here?’
‘Jesus, Nate, you could be one of those interviewers on 60 Minutes or something. These are tough questions.’
‘Sorry.’
‘A lot of guys come back. Visit the places where shit happened. I don’t know exactly why. I never wanted to experience anything like that ever again. And I didn’t think I’d want to reminded of what happened here. So I can’t explain exactly why we’re here, except that I guess I changed my mind.'” – Conversation between Nate and the Old Man from Old Man by David A. Poulsen, page 110
“‘You’re doin’ good, Nate.’
For some reason I liked hearing him say that. I wasn’t at all sure I was doing good, but I wasn’t doing all that bad either. And I realized something. I hadn’t complained about anything, not really, for at least a couple of days. Ruining my image.” – Nate reacting to a comment from Old Man in Old Man by David A. Poulsen, page 121
I sat back down in the foxhole. ‘Listen, I’m not pissed off or anything, but I’m still wondering why you brought me here.’
He slid up the backpack, pulled it behind his head, lay back on it. ‘Sometimes the most important thing that happens in your life isn’t a good thing. This is the most important thing that ever happened to me. I wish I could say it was your mom. Or you. But it was this. I want you to know me. To know me you have to know this.'” – Conversation between Nate and the Old Man from Old Man by David A. Poulsen, page 129
“‘Nate, Vietnam was a bad deal. It shouldn’t have happened. Like a lot of wars shouldn’t happen. But one thing I learned. Once you’re in a firefight or on a search and destroy or getting the shit kicked out of you on a hill with a number for a name, you aren’t fighting for your country or to make the world a better place. You fight for the guys around you. You ever hear that expression about the guys in the trenches?’
I nodded.
‘When you’re in those trenches, the only people who matter to you are the people beside you. They’re trying to stay alive; you’re trying to stay alive. And you’re trying to keep each other alive. That’s what I was doing in Vietnam. I didn’t know that’s the way it would be when I enlisted. I thought I’d be fighting for my country and my family and my officers and my uniform – stuff like that. But that isn’t how it turned out.'” – Conversation between the Old Man and Nate about the true nature of war from Old Man by David A. Poulsen, pages 208-209
“I looked at him, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was still staring up at the night sky. He moved his shoulders up and down. ‘You asked me what if I hadn’t come here to fight. I don’t know. Maybe I’d have been an accountant or taught school. Or gone ranching sooner than I did.
‘I know this. I’d be a different person than the one I am. I know things about me that I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t been a soldier in Vietnam. I know that no matter how scared I am, I can still fight. I know that the men next to me on the battlefield can count on me. I know I can see death coming and fight like a son of a bitch to keep it away. That’s going to be kind of important for the next while.'” – the Old Man from Old Man by David A. Poulsen, page 209
Old Man by David A. Poulsen is published by Dundurn Press, (2013).
Last Sam’s Cage by David A. Poulsen
Summary: Forced to put his own safety first, Eddie leaves home and takes up residence in the local zoo to get away from his mother’s boyfriend Steve who is bent on harming him. At the zoo he meets Jack, a bit of a lost soul still dealing with his grief over the tragic and violent death of his sister decades ago. Jack becomes a mentor-figure, helping Eddie when he needs it and getting him to reconsider his life choices. But when Eddie’s cash dwindles, he turns to his old ways of breaking and entering to find stuff to sell, finding himself in a world of trouble when former acquaintances reappear in his life. Fortunately, Jack is there to make sure what happened to his sister doesn’t happen to Eddie.
Number of Pages: 222
Age Range: 15-17
Review: An eye-opening look at the life of a young offender named Eddie, Last Sam’s Cage by David A. Poulsen is a thoughtful look at the binds that hold us, albeit emotional or societal.
Since his father died, Eddie has lost the always person in his life and finds himself left with an unstable parent who brings home a physically violent boyfriend. When Eddie steps in to stop Steve from hurting his mother, he becomes the target of Steve’s aggression instead. The violence escalates until Eddie finds being in a Young Offenders facility is almost preferable to being at home, and after he does his time he decides to leave home for good. Despite still having an attachment to his mother, Eddie gears himself up for leaving her by reminding himself that she never once defended him from Steve or tried to protect him.
Once he’s on his own though, living in a zoo at the age of fifteen, Eddie has little choice but to return to a life of crime to buy food. The system seems to be stacked against him, but thankfully he meets a man named Jack who keeps an eye out for him and helps him realise he needs to make different choices for things to be different.
Jack is caught in a cage of his own. When his sister was abducted while she was supposed to be under his watch and then turns up raped and dead, Jack cannot forgive himself. It’s been half a lifetime since his sister’s death, and he still visits where she was abducted every day. He is consumed by grief and guilt even after so many years, unable to keep a job and focus on anything else.
But something about Eddie gets through. The connection between Jack and Eddie helps them both, especially after Jack rescues Eddie when his old criminal acquaintances are ready to abuse and kill him.
It’s a transformative experience for both. For Jack, it sets him free from the chains he’s been carrying around, allowing him to go on with his life at last. And for Eddie, he gains the courage to move back in with his mother after Steve has left her for a younger woman. While Eddie knows he’ll still have to be on his guard, weighed against continuing to live at the zoo or getting back in the criminal system, it seems to be the best option for him.
I love the parts of Eddie’s journal that feature his memories of his father. He truly was a caring adult whose loss left a big hole in Eddie’s life, which is why I especially loved the second memorable quote when he realises his father will be a part of him forever.
Last Sam’s Cage is a wonderful, character-driven story I would recommend to mid to older teen readers.
Memorable Quotes:
“I ended up writing about a time when we’d gone camping at this lake. I was pretty little and it was the first time I’d even been around water that wasn’t in a bathtub or a puddle. My dad carried me the whole time we were in the water. Sometimes he’d lower me into the water, but as soon as I got scared he’d lift me out and carry me again. Having my dad looking after me like that was about the safest feeling there could be.” – An excerpt from Eddie’s journal in Last Sam’s Cage by David A. Poulsen, page 62
“As I was sitting there, I had this sudden and really clear memory of my dad. Not of him exactly, but of something he used to say. I was afraid of the dark when I was little. Not just a little bit afraid, either. I was pretty much terrified. On those night that I lay in my bed crying, my dad would come in and sit on my bed. He wouldn’t say much. Most of the time he’d just sit with his hand on my shoulder and I’d feel better just having him there. But before he’d leave he’d always say, ‘I’m here, Eddie. Always and always.’ That was the part I liked, the ‘always and always’ part. Hearing those words made me feel that no matter how scared or alone I was, my dad would be a part of me forever.” – An excerpt from Eddie’s journal in Last Sam’s Cage by David A. Poulsen, page 115
“Jack closed his eyes again. Eddie looked to see if he was crying, but he wasn’t. Maybe after a while you stopped crying – even after something as awful as what had happened to Jack. Eddie couldn’t think of anything to say. He couldn’t think of any words that could possibly make a difference or even make sense.
And he didn’t understand, either. He didn’t understand how a person’s guilt could be so great that he would give up his own life to sit at that playground all those days, all those years. Surely no one could have have blamed Jack for what happened? But maybe it didn’t matter. Not if you blamed yourself.” – Eddie from Last Sam’s Cage by David A. Poulsen, page 134
Last Sam’s Cage by David A. Poulsen is published by Key Porter Books, (2004).
MetalMagic: Talisman by Derek Donais
Summary: In a land containing a metal that allows certain people to do magic, siblings Jaren and Morgaine are both convinced magical skills will be what gets them off the farm where they live with their parents. But while Morgaine has the talent to use Metanduil, Jaren seems to have no such talent. When the siblings have a run-in with a rich girl from town though, they must leave their home quickly. What they don’t know is that a Warwitch who has gone so far as to inject the metal into her skin is trying to take over the land, and Jaren and Morgaine may be the only ones who can stop her. Turns out Jaren can’t use the metal to perform magic because he is one of the rare people who was born able to do magic without it. The question is, will the allure of power prove too much for the siblings to handle, or will they be able to stop the Warwitch in her tracks?
Number of Pages: 272
Age Range: 14-16
Review: In the fight between the Truth and the Deceiver, who will be victorious? MetalMagic: Talisman by Derek Donais is the first in a trilogy that explores good and evil, and the personal decision each person must make to live in the Truth or be ruled by the Deceiver. Perhaps a bit heavy handed morally at times, Donais creates a fantasy world that uses magic with real and relatable characters.
There’s a lot going on in Donais’ book. Sibling rivalry, philosophical musings about right and wrong, learning how to be a leader at a young age, and all of this is on top of a society ruled by a monarchy and those who can perform magic. The good guys follow the Truth, and those obsessed with magic and power have given themselves over to the Deceiver.
I love the relationship between Morgaine and Jaren because it’s complex. Jaren believes he doesn’t possess any magical talent and is jealous of his sister’s ability, but then it turns out he is so rare someone like him hasn’t been born in a thousand years and his natural magical ability is something Morgaine envies. The comparison between how they both handle their power is intriguing, and I quite enjoyed the exploration of power as a corrupting force.
It may sound odd, but my favourite characters were Ver and the Warwitch. Ver because he’s a mentor and a protector, helping Jaren process what’s going on and his talents. He builds him up, and as a result Jaren makes better decision and is able to hang on to what is important in his life without letting his unique gifts go completely to his head.
The Warwitch fascinated me as a villain. Injecting herself with the metal so she can have her power amplified and access it all of the time is extreme but shows how the power has gotten to her. I can only imagine how angry she must have been that Jaren was born with a talent she had to go through so much pain to possess herself. By the end it is questionable whether she survived her encounter with Jaren or not, so I am interested to see what the next book has in store.
I was engaged in the world Donais has created, and would recommend this book as a Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes alternative for guys.
Memorable Quotes:
“Ver simply smiled and chuckled anew. ‘The True One doesn’t want to interfere more than is absolutely necessary. You have to find the answers for yourselves. I’m just here for a while to help you on your way, while the odds are stacked against you.’
‘That’s not encouraging, either. So, you could just disappear if you feel we’re no longer at a disadvantage?’ She got another elbow. This time, Iselle returned the favour. ‘Jaren Haldannon, you cut that out. I’ll ask whatever questions I want. I’m not altogether happy about being caught up in what amounts to a pieces match between good and evil.’ She glared at Ver. ‘Why don’t you just go and wipe them all out? You said yourself, the True One has unlimited power.’
Jaren gaped at her, astonished at the girl’s brazen words.
Again, Ver merely smiled. ‘I wish it were that simple young one. I truly do. But, while the Deceiver’s power is more limited, it is potent nonetheless. As long as he has people willing to sacrifice themselves for him, willing to take up his twisted cause, he cannot be utterly defeated.'” – Conversation between Ver and Iselle from MetalMagic: Talisman by Derek Donais
“He would apologize to Iselle as soon as they were free, he promised himself, to her and to his sister. Of late, he had spent too long in isolated self-pity. He was actually beginninf to feel homesick. Jaren suppressed a laugh at the irony of it. Perhaps it was best he had no summoning talent, if little more than a week’s absence from home made him yearn for the life he’d left behind. Perhaps it was best to admit the truth and move on.
In any event, his adventure was turning out to be nothing like what he had envisioned – all they’d been doing was running: running to Mother Haddie’s running to Ensin Llaw, and, now, running again – to wherever. Maybe the promise of a farmer’s life – predictable and hard, yet safe – was not so bad.” – Jaren from MetalMagic: Talisman by Derek Donais
“‘Fear is one thing. Panic is another. It doesn’t allow you to think things through rationally, you just act. Remaining calm enough… well, you’ll see. You’ve done well.'” – Ver giving Jaren a pep talk from MetalMagic: Talisman by Derek Donais
“Could you wander from the Truth unwittingly? If so, what were the signs that it was happening? He shuddered involuntarily with the picture of Morgaine’s face back in the clearing days ago, twisted with dark pleasure, and then thought of his own path, just begun. Which way was Morgaine headed at present? Obviously, the magic had an allure, a draw that was deeply tempting. He’d felt it himself. He’d even felt the yearning for it before he discovered his abilities. It was the pull that had caused him so much grief over the past months. But he knew it now, all the same. How could you handle such power and remain true?” – Jaden from MetalMagic: Talisman by Derek Donais
“Ver smiled. ‘Remember our discussions, Jaren. Remember that the choices you make, and the reasons you make them, shape your destiny. Remember your free will.’ He placed his hand on Jaren’s shoulder. ‘And remember, what the True One has made is supposed to bring balance and unity, not anger, fear, or revenge. Do not fear what is yours to use. Only beware the ends to which it is turned, and know the means will truly determine the outcome.'” Ver giving Jaren another pep talk from MetalMagic: Talisman by Derek Donais
MetalMagic: Talisman by Derek Donais is published by Wheatmark, (2010).
Fastback Beach by Shirlee Smith Matheson
Summary: Lured into the wrong crowd by his best friend Larry the Lark, Miles finds himself being charged for auto theft after being abandoned at the scene of an accident on Fastback Beach. Sentenced to 100 hours of community service, Miles spends time with the Berniers, an elderly couple with a love for fast cars as well. Their positive influence leads Miles to realise he can have the cars he loves if he really works at it, but his friends, while grateful he didn’t give them up as well, are reluctant to change their ways. When another car goes missing, and then the car Miles was working on as part of his community service, he knows who is responsible and must choose between friendship and doing the right thing.
Number of Pages: 97
Age Range: 12-14
Review: Fastback Beach by Shirlee Smith Matheson is one of the Orca Soundings offerings, meant to hook reluctant readers. Miles’ story is immediately engaging as Matheson plunges her reader into the action of him and his friends stealing a car and going on a joy ride that ends in injury. Left to take responsibility, Miles who was already a reluctant participant decides not to rat out his friends and to plead guilty straight off.
With an absent father who was a race car driver, Miles is drawn to cars and speed as well, and once he finds a healthy outlet for his interests by helping to repair Mr. Berniers’ car for an upcoming show, he’s fine. He may hate the fact that his mother’s boyfriend is about to become his step-father and he might still be drawn to Larry, but it’s still pretty clear he’s going to be okay. Especially with a girlfriend like Kenny.
But it is Larry and Spider who have the problem. They don’t want to stop stealing cars and making easy money by selling off the parts, and Spider seems to resent that Miles wants out. When they steal Mr. Bernier’s car, it isn’t a surprise.
I think though the crux of the novel was supposed to be whether or not Miles will turn them in for the theft, because he has easily connected the dots and knows what they have done. Except I didn’t question it, I knew he was going to turn them in. He’d already changed and found the support he needed to make the right decision, and knew that his friends stealing Mr. Bernier’s car was crossing the line. He knows he has to do what is right, and he does.
It’s a quick, pretty uncomplicated read, but I enjoyed the characters of Miles and Kenny and kind of wish the story had been developed with more detail and complications. A must-read for car enthusiasts.
Memorable Quotes: I didn’t have any.
Fastback Beach by Shirlee Smith Matheson is published by Orca Book Publishers, (2003).
The Vow by Jessica Martinez
Summary: Annie’s best friend Mo is the most important person in her life. Their entrance into each others’ lives in grade school is a saving grace for both with Mo being a new immigrant to the United States and Annie losing her sister. So when Mo’s father loses his job and his family must move back to Jordan from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, the idea is unthinkable. Annie and Mo need each other, and to prevent their separation, Annie comes up with an idea to keep him in the United States. But neither of them truly realises what is involved in what Annie is proposing, and what seems like a simple decision becomes increasingly more difficult for both. In the end, true friendship prevails with unique results.
Number of Pages: 424
Age Range: 14-16
Review: In a story about friendship between the sexes, The Vow by Jessica Martinez explores how far a couple of teens are willing to go to stay in each others’ lives. Both with families they don’t connect with, Annie and Mo decide to solve their problem by getting married and keeping their platonic relationship.
There’s something about Annie that just makes my heart break. It wasn’t that she was the sister of Lena, a teen who had been raped and murdered, it was her reaction to Lena’s disappearance. This book is about two vows, the one Annie makes to Mo, yes, but also the one she made to God as a child not to eat until her sister was found alive. Annie’s backstory informs her present life as she cannot bear to lose another person she is close to and she feels personally responsible for preventing it. But like her vow to God as a child, she learns painfully that some things are out of her control.
Mo’s story developed more slowly for me. By the end of the novel I did have more empathy for him with his growing attraction to Annie and his own feelings of powerlessness when it came to his sister’s experience in Jordan, but it wasn’t till he heard Annie out and responded to her despair that I admired him. When it came down to it, he was willing to put the needs of his best friend before his own.
Annie and Mo are obviously naive and driven by teen angst when they decide the only way to solve the problem of Mo having to leave the country is to get married, but Martinez is a kind writer as she details how their ‘brilliant’ plan falls apart without judgement. Maybe it wasn’t the best decision or the most realistic, but the story is about good intentions and mistakes that are learned from. As a result, I like the underlying message that marriage is more complicated than it appears. Annie and Mo may have wandered into it thinking it was an easy fix, but quickly find out their decision has complications they couldn’t have forseen.
The Vow is a book my mid-teen self would have loved. The angst, strong declarations and actions concerning friendship, slightly over-the-top plot and heart-pounding, respectful romance aspect are all draw factors, and I would recommend this book for other mid-teen readers.
I’ve now read three of Martinez’s four books, and this one is my favourite so far, although I realise I’m behind because Kill, Kiss, Vanish recently came out. Looking forward to getting around to reading it.
Memorable Quotes:
“I was too young to be told what nothing really meant and too stupid to guess. Mo calls it naive, but he wasn’t there. It was trickier than that. It was wanting to know, being on the edge of understanding, then backing away intentionally.” – Annie from The Vow by Jessica Martinez, page 57
“I have to close my eyes as the flavors burst in my mouth – gentle heat from the pepper, salty tang of the pork, sweetness of pomegranate, the velvety-rich walnut sauce. He’s waiting, but I don’t know what to say. ‘I love you; can I have you babies’ might scare him, but it’s my most sincere thought.” – Annie from The Vow by Jessica Martinez, page 226
“I had to do it. It had to be done. I repeat it over and over so repetition can either make it true or numb me. Hurting Reed was the price for saving Mo. I had to do it. It had to be done. I had to do it. It had to be done.
But if I’d have imagined that his eyes could ache like that, I don’t know. I don’t know.” – Annie from The Vow by Jessica Martinez, page 290
“‘If you loved her,’ he spits, ‘you wouldn’t have married her without her family’s permission. You wouldn’t want to take her away from the people who love her most. You wouldn’t want her all for yourself. Maybe that’s what you Muslims do, but here in America we don’t need to isolate our women just to force them into loving us.’
‘No, of course not. You just isolate them from yourself and from everyone else as they don’t feel any love at all. So they’re looking for the first opportunity to escape and find someone who won’t hold them at arm’s length, someone who’ll actually love them.’ I look at Mrs. Bernier. Then Annie. ‘Isn’t that right?'” – Conversation between Mr. Bernier and Mo after Annie and Mo announce their news from The Vow by Jessica Martinez, page 325
“‘I just never thought you’d hurt us this way,’ she says bitterly.
‘That’s the problem!’ I hear myself yell, but it doesn’t even feel like me. It’s some other girl, some other explosion. ‘There isn’t a maximum amount of pain you can feel. It’s not like you can use it all up on Lena and expect to be done. I can’t hide in my room the rest of my life because your heart is already too broken. It’s not my fault that you let what happened to her crush you.’
She pulls in her chin and lifts her shoulders like she’s bracing, but it’s too late. I’ve already said it. We’re both too shocked to do anything but stare at each other.” – Confrontation between Annie’s mother and Annie over her sister Lena’s death from The Vow by Jessica Martinez, page 345
The Vow by Jessica Martinez is published by Simon Pulse, (2013).
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Amy Mathers has been passionate about reading from a very young age, and hopes others will share her enthusiasm for funding a teen book award. Read more Follow Amy
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