Rattled by Lisa Harrington
Summary: Bored after her fifteenth birthday, Lydia’s life picks up when new neighbours move into the old Henley place across the street. Suddenly there’s a new love interest named Sam that her older sister Jilly calls dibs on, and Lydia gains a new friend in his younger sister, Megan. After what seems like merely a rough start with Mrs. Swicker, Lydia realises Sam and Megan’s mother’s hostile nature is meant to hide something and decides to investigate. What she uncovers will not only have consequences for the Swicker family, but will also put Lydia’s life in danger.
Number of Pages: 189
Age Range: 13-15
Review: Rattled is a fun, relatively short read that lives up to its’ name. I was rattled by the secrets of the new neighbours, but first I was intrigued. Lisa Harrington hooked me into her tale and I kept turning pages until things were resolved.
Plus I quite enjoyed Lydia’s voice. I included some of her quotes that made me laugh in the Memorable Quotes section. The dynamic between Lydia and her sister Jilly was believable and amusing because of who Jilly was as a character, a somewhat stereotypical blond who turns out to have her sister’s back in the end. I think my favourite part though was when Jilly finds out that Sam is actually younger than her and freaks out because she kissed a guy who was her sister’s age.
This is a good reluctant read pick because the plot moves quickly and there is mystery and suspense involved. It’s a lighter read when it comes to depth, but I’d still recommend it because it was an enjoyable mix of humour and intrigue.
Memorable Quotes:
“To be honest, Megan’s reaction surprised me a bit. Their mother-daughter relationship had always seemed sort of strained. Guess you never really know how someone feels about their mom until you suggest she might be a murderer. I’d have to remember that for next time.” – Lydia from Rattled by Lisa Harrington, page 93
“A car door slammed, then the sound continued down the street and faded away. I looked longingly at the door. In most horror movies, this would be the moment the boyfriend or best friend would burst in and come to the rescue.
No one came.
My heart sank.
They usually got massacred anyways.” – Lydia from Rattled by Lisa Harrington, page 171
“‘Looks like someone’s rented the Henleys’ again,’ Mom said, leaning slightly towards the window. Jilly and I stopped what we were doing and locked eyes. After a second we tore over to join Mom.
‘Please let them have boys,’ Jilly whispered.
‘Please let them not be psycho,’ I whispered.” – conversation between Jilly, Lydia and their mom from Rattled by Lisa Harrington, page 189
Rattled by Lisa Harrington is published by Nimbus Publishing (2010).
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The Leaving by Budge Wilson
Summary: A collection of short stories about gender inequality, coming of age, and complex familial relationships written by classic Canadian writer Budge Wilson.
Number of Pages: 161
Age Range: 17-18
Review: I want to pick a favourite story but it’s impossible to do. I enjoyed “The Metaphor” because it fondly reminded me of my own seventh grade experiences with my English teacher Mr. Miller. “Mr. Manual Jenkins” confused me. “The Leaving” made me think about gender roles and the right everyone has to being treated with respect. “My Cousin Clarette” made me want to cry. “Be-ers and Doers” made me want to stand up and cheer when Albert finally had it out with his mother! And “The Pen Pal” provided some comic relief. Wilson manages to explore the entire array of human emotions in this collection.
Suffice it to say that throughout all of her stories, Wilson demonstrates a deep understanding of different relationships and the complex nature of being a girl/woman while also writing detailed depictions of the Canadian landscape. (A skill I’m growing to realise is essential to classic Canadian literature.)
I’m not sure I would classify this collection as being for teens exactly, but reading it does make me want to track down my high school Canadian Literature teacher and demand to know why I had to read Margaret Laurence when I could have been reading Budge Wilson.
As Wilson herself writes through the voice of Elizabeth, “She was a real troublin’ book. But she was good.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Memorable Quotes:
“I cried some more that day and excused myself from supper. I heard my father say, ‘I think I’ll just go up and see if I can help.’ But my mother said, ‘Leave her alone, Arthur. She’s sixteen years old. It’s time she learned how to cope. She’s acting lika a hysterical child.’ My father did not appear. Betrayal, I thought, runs in the family.” – from “The Metaphor” in The Leaving by Budge Wilson, page 18
“And I’m here alone. No one can see what I’m saying or how I’m saying it. But that’s the crazy part. Even when I’m alone, maybe especially when I’m alone, I sit in judgement upon myself. I am my own judge and jailer.” – from “The Diary” in The Leaving by Budge Wilson, page 21
“Meredith does not rant and rave like Father. This quality is what drew me to him in the first place. I did not then realize that anger has many faces, and that there are a lot of subtler forms of violence and violation.” – from “The Diary” in The Leaving by Budge Wilson, pages 32-33
“A lot is said about the value of strong, silent men. Me, I think that men who are silent about things that matter just don’t have the strength to say what they really feel.” – from “Mr. Manuel Jenkins” in The Leaving by Budge Wilson, page 51
“We walked quickly through the night. North and South Mountains closed off the sky behind us and far ahead, but a full moon made it easy to see our way on the frosty road. The hill country was full of scrub growth, stubby spruce, and sprawling alders, unlike the tidy fields and orchards of the Valley. But the frost lent a silver magic to the bushes and the rough ground, and the moonlight gave a still dignity to the shabby houses.” – from “The Leaving” in The Leaving by Budge Wilson, page 85
“I could hardly believe it. My ma didn’t even read recipes. She kept them all in her head. I asked, ‘Was it good?’
She thought for a moment before answering. ‘She was a real troublin’ book. But she was good.’
I couldn’t understand that. ‘If it was so troublin’, why was it so good?’
She answered that one without hesitation. ‘Found I weren’t alone,’ she said.” – from “The Leaving” in The Leaving by Budge Wilson, page 90
“‘All along I bin blamin’ men fer bein’ men. But now I see that oftentimes it’s the women that makes them that way.'” – from “The Leaving” in The Leaving by Budge Wilson, page 94
“I do not have the courage to stand up to Clarette and tell her to stop tormenting me. I am afraid of her retaliations. But deep inside, I can feel something solid in the core of me, which I know will prevail. This is what keeps me going, what shelters me during these long months of invasion.” – from “My Cousin Clarette” in The Leaving by Budge Wilson, page 107
“I’ve seen the razzle-dazzle colours of the low-lying scarlet bushes in the fall, blazing against the black of the spruce trees and the bluest sky in the world. I’m familiar with the way one single radiant summer day can make you forget a whole fortnight of fog – like birth after a long labour.” – from “Be-ers and Doers” in The Leaving by Budge Wilson, page 145
The Leaving by Budge Wilson was published by House of Anansi Press (1990). Currently published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside.
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The First Stone by Don Aker
Summary: Reef is a young offender who has gotten into trouble more times than he can count. When he and his friends Jink and Bigger find out the city is going to demolish their favourite hang out spot, his anger leads him to make an irreversable decision that will change the lives of himself and Leeza Hemming forever. After the dust settles, Reef finds himself in a group home doing volunteer work while Leeza finds herself in a rehab facility trying to rebuild her body. Both face having to make a choice about going on with their lives, but they find help in the most unexpected place: each other.
Number of Pages: 230
Age Range: 15-17
Review: In The First Stone Don Aker takes the issue of rehabilitating young offenders and ends up creating a well-thought out, plot-driven exploration of one young man’s journey to becoming a productive member of society.
This is another title I love because The First Stone is laced with meaning with the biblical reference and Reef’s habit of collecting stones with his grandmother. I quite enjoyed how Aker used the stones to bring the story full circle and to a meaningful close, even if the relationship between Leeza and Reef is left unresolved.
Aker manages to inject humour into an otherwise serious themed book and is incredibly skilled at maintaining dramatic tension throughout. Even though the reader is not privy to all of the dramatic scenes, Aker finds other ways to satisfy reader curiosity which I appreciated.
I would recommend it for the mid-teens, as it contains mature themes and a fair bit of swearing. Also, if you enjoy this book, there’s a sequel called The Fifth Rule by Aker that continues Leeza’s and Reef’s stories.
On an interesting note, Budge Wilson wrote one of the comments recommending The First Stone featured on the back cover of the book and tomorrow I will be reading her book, The Leaving.
Memorable Quotes:
“She’d had a hard enought time trying to explain it to her mother and stepfather, who felt that being around ‘all that pain and suffering,’ as they put it, was the last thing Leeza needed. ‘You don’t have to prove anything,’ they’d said.
Well, maybe they were wrong. Maybe there was plenty she had to prove. Like there was a reason she was still living and breathing when her older sister, Ellen, had stopped doing both six months ago.” – Leeza from The First Stone by Don Aker, pages 17-18
“The judge paused again, was rewarded with silence, then continued. ‘Despite the fact that the public is demanding stiffer punishments. I firmly believe that punishment is not the way to dissuade individuals like yourself from committing crimes such as this one. Numerous studies have shown that incarceration of young people only leads to further instances of criminal behavior. A case in point is your own prior stay at Riverview Correctional Institute.’ A moment passed and, when she spoke again, she addressed the spectators. ‘More important than fear of punishment is the need for compassion, the need for better choices, the need for young people who commit crimes to recognise that they are and will continue to be members of society, and that the actions of everyone in that society impact in some way on every other member.” – Judge Thomas from The First Stone by Don Aker, page 60
“No, she couldn’t blame her stepfather for not wanting to be there. No one else did either. Herself less than anyone.” – Leeza from The First Stone by Don Aker, page 67
“‘Carly told me you were in a car accident.’
Leeza didn’t respond. It hadn’t seemed like a question.
‘Uh . . . Anybody die?’
Leeza said nothing for a while, listened to the morning that filtered through the doorway from somewhere down the hall. Then, ‘Just me,’ she said.” – conversation between Brett and Leeza from The First Stone by Don Aker, page 72
“‘The slanted ceilings make it awfully narrow,’ Alex said, ‘but you have turrets.’
Second Rule or no second rule, Reef lost it. ‘Look, you freak!’ he roared. ‘You may have problems but there’s nothin’ wrong with me! I ain’t got Tourette’s. and I’ll kick the shit outta anyone who says different. Including that sonuvabitch Colville downstairs!’
Alex’s face flickered through several different reactions, like those flip-books that kids make in school when they are bored, riffling the edges of their looseleaf to make a figure change expressions. Alex’s showed surprise, then confusion and, finally, hilarity. Nearly choking with laughter, he managed to gasp, ‘Oh, Reef honey, are you for real?'” – conversation between Alex and Reef from The First Stone by Don Aker, page 84
“‘So, I hear you had quite a day,’ said Leeza’s mother.
Quite a day. Three words. Words Leeza had often used herself when she’d visited Ellen and, later, the kids at the Children’s Hospital. The kind of meaningless comment you make when you really have no idea what someone has been through. Quite a day, indeed.” – Leeza from The First Stone by Don Aker, page 106
“‘Well, Reef,’ said Brett. ‘I was looking forward to seeing more of you, but there’s little chance of that now.’
He looked at her. ‘Why not?’
She nodded at the lunch voucher. ‘Carly’s sending you to the cafeteria. Clearly the woman is trying to kill you.'” – conversation between Brett and Reef from The First Stone by Don Aker, page 135
“Even visits with Jen and Robin weren’t enough to pull her out of her funk. They had come by a few times after her mother had called them, but they hadn’t stayed that long. And Leeza could understand why – it was painful trying to make conversation when they had nothing in common. Leeza’s days were one therapy after another and trying to cope with pain. Theirs were filled with summer jobs, shopping, afternoons at the beach, new boyfriends.” – Leeza from The First Stone by Don Aker, page 140
“It was just a fluke that I ended up where I did. A one-in-a-million chance,’ he said, and he thought briefly of Marlene Eisner feeding coin after coin into those casino slot machines. She’d never understood odds like those. Never would.” – Reef from The First Stone by Don Aker, page 212
“Diane tore her eyes from the empty doorway and stared at Brett. ‘How could he think saying he was sorry would make up for what he did?’
‘I don’t believe,’ Brett said softly, ‘that he thought that.'” – conversation between Diane and Brett from The First Stone by Don Aker, page 222
“He’d thought of the Robert Frost poem they’d read in English class that week, thought of the part about home:
Home is the place where, when you have to go there,
They have to take you in.
Reef wondered if that was what home was for Alex. Hoped it wasn’t true. But he couldn’t get those words out of his head when he and Alex said goodbye for the last time.” – Reef from The First Stone by Don Aker, pages 225-226
The First Stone by Don Aker is published by HarperTrophy Canada (2003).
(Buy this book: Amazon
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Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant
Summary: Everybody has secrets. Walking in on her boyfriend and best friend about to kiss is a secret that devastates Betsy Wickwire, especially when it becomes clear the secret wasn’t really a secret to anyone but her. Inconsolable and trying to maintain a shred of dignity, Betsy decides that the only thing to be done is to make some money and move far away as fast as possible. An encounter with Delores, a fellow student from school, is a game-changer as Delores immediately jumps on board with Betsy’s idea to be a house cleaner and creates a cleaning business for the two of them. Their new job provides hilarious encounters and new friendships, but mostly it reminds Betsy that she is not the only one with secrets.
Number of Pages: 324
Age Range: 14-16
Review: An enjoyable, lighter read, Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret tackles the problem of rebuilding yourself after an unexpected break up. Betsy moves from depression to obsession to freedom and independence, largely thanks to Delores’ determined spirit. I was surprised that a popular girl would have the name Betsy (the first time I read this book it really threw me), but the friendship that Grant develops between Betsy and Delores was more poignant the second time around. I was able to see more clearly how large a role Delores plays in Betsy’s recovery and that gave me a new appreciation for the way Betsy pays her back.
I’ve seen Tumblr posts commenting that fictional guys are better than real guys and I have to say Murdoch is one of the characters that comment is talking about. Murdoch is shy, kind, gentle but also persistent. His entrance into the book is quite memorable and I loved reading about him and his artistic ability. I always felt like he and Delores were like brother and sister, as opposed to Delores being his romantic interest. Also, kudos to Grant for her subtle development of Betsy’s feelings for Murdoch. It started with a stray thought or two, but grew into interest and then love.
Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret has humour and heart, and I’d recommend it to teen fans of the romance genre because it does have romance, but it also has positive female role models who are not just endlessly thinking about and pursuing guys. When Murdoch and Betsy do start going out, their relationship is respectful and sweet but I wouldn’t say it’s the main focus of the book.
One thing did surprise me though. After a betrayal like the one Betsy experienced, from her boyfriend and her best friend, I didn’t understand why there was so little anger on Betsy’s part. She sinks into depression with no thought to attempting revenge then or later, and there is no showdown scene between her and Carly. Perhaps though, Betsy is just more of a grown-up than I am.
Memorable Quotes:
“She found herself running again. She couldn’t see for the tears but for everything else was in sharp focus. She knew she’d lost a sandal. She knew her mascara was all over her face. She was even aware enough at some level to realize that her howling sounded a lot like the animatronic dinosaur she’d seen on a junior high school trip to the Museum of Natural History.” – from Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant, page 4
“And suddenly I was me again. Wanting something. Going for it. Knowing I could get it. I didn’t care that the brush was splattering me with Tilex and water and miscellaneous other gross and possibly toxic stuff. I was a dog and this was my bone.” – Betsy from Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant, page 67
“He kept his cigarette in the side of his mouth and his eyes squinted up against the smoke. I got the impression he was doing it for our benefit. It kind of grossed me out. I felt quite strongly that someone decrepit shouldn’t flirt.” – Betsy from Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant, page 103
“I stood on the front lawn with my arms dangling and my head back and breathed in the cool clean air. It felt almost liquid against my sticky skin. I was suddenly aware of my face and my eyebrows and the baby-fine hair on my lower arms.
I was suddenly aware, period. It was like I was picking up signals from the outside world again. It felt good.” – Betsy from Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant, page 193
“Some stuff was too big. Some stuff was out of style. Most stuff reminded me of things I’d rather forget. It was as if instead of saying Juicy or Nike, the labels read Sucker or Naive or How could I have been so stupid?” – Betsy from Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant, page 198
“Murdoch had told me about his dad, about dropping out of engineering school, about wanting to be a rock star when he died. What was he not telling me? He had secrets too.
That didn’t scare me. It didn’t even give me that shimmery feeling. It made my stomach flip the same way it did when I thought about kissing him. I wanted to know what his secrets were and I wanted to be brave enough to tell him mine. It would be fun. It would be more than that.” – Betsy from Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant, page 283
“I couldn’t even say the words to myself. I knew I was wrong.
Delores had only taken junk – or at least only meant to take junk. I’d been looking for something valuable. I’d wanted people’s secrets. I’d wanted proof that I was okay. I needed to know that all these people were just as defective as I was.
Delores and I had both only taken what we needed to make ourselves feel better.” – Betsy from Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant, page 313
Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant is published by HarperTrophy Canada (2011).
(Buy this book: Amazon
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B Negative by Vicki Grant
Summary: Paddy Armstrong’s mouth gets him into trouble when a smart-ass answer to his irritating step-father’s question about what he’s going to do after high school changes his whole life. His mother’s worried, his dad is proud and his girlfriend breaks up with him. When Paddy follows through on his choice, a medical examination reveals a secret that has the power to destroy his family as he knows it. Now it’s up to Paddy to decide whether he will be the spark that lights the gasoline or the one who brings everyone together.
Number of Pages: 125
Age Range: 13-15
Review: When Paddy finds out his blood type is B and his parents are both blood type A, he quickly figures out that something is amiss. B Negative is a fast-paced journey through one teenager’s exploration of what being family really means. I liked Paddy’s hot-headed attitude that sometimes got him into trouble but was ultimately protecting a truly loyal and loving person inside. Well, loyal and loving to everyone except Anthony, Paddy’s mother’s husband.
This book is geared toward reluctant readers as part of the Orca Soundings collection, but I love how Grant slips in some symbolism through giving Paddy blood poisoning after he punches Anthony and cuts his hand on the glass. It’s perfect because on another level, Paddy’s blood type is what temporarily poisons the whole family. Nice touch.
Memorable Quotes:
“He takes a sip of coffee. I can see it burns his lip. It always does. I used to wonder why he didn’t just blow on it or wait until it cooled down a bit but I don’t anymore. I realize that for dad it’s all part of manning up. You do what you have to do and keep quiet about it. Sometimes that means sacrificing your life for your kid’s. Sometimes that means choking down burning hot coffee.” – Paddy from B Negative by Vicki Grant, page 46
“Then sometime later – I don’t know how long – I open my eyes and I see Mom. Her face is all puffy and wet. I suddenly understand how sick I am – but it’s weird. I’m not scared. It’s just a sort of fact.” – Danny from B Negative by Vicki Grant, page 117
B Negative by Vicki Grant is published by Orca Book Publishers (2011).
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Deconstructing Dylan by Lesley Choyce
Summary: Sixteen year-old Dylan is an only child and a bit of a loner. His girlfriend breaks up with him because she’s sick of hearing him talk about bugs, but when a new girl named Robyn starts at his school, Dylan finds himself with a new friend who has her own quirks. Both have an affinity for the study of death, and both are affected by secrets their parents have kept from them. In Dylan’s case though, the secrets his parents have hidden involve a dead older brother and questionable, possibly illegal activities that could put Dylan in danger and his parents in jail. As the secrets start to unravel, Dylan is left to question who he really is, and what kind of future he might have.
Number of Pages: 174
Age Range: 15-16
Spoiler Alert! Don’t read any further if you have plans to read this book!
Review: Did you know identical twins share the same DNA sequence but have different fingerprints? It’s the same with clones – they have the same DNA sequence as their DNA donor, but different fingerprints that are influenced by their growth in the uterus. In our society though, identical twins and clones are vastly different. Twins are known to have souls, but the jury’s still out on whether clones do.
Lesley Choyce tackles the philosophical issues of cloning through the story of Dylan, a sixteen year-old who finds out his parents dealt with the childhood death of his older brother by cloning him. His book reminds me of Unique by Alison Allen-Gray, which tackles the same issues and the same reluctance to tell the truth on the end of the parents.
Deconstructing Dylan is a good introduction to subject, exploring what it means to be a clone and share another’s DNA, as well as the conflict Dylan’s parents experience as a result of their decisions. It is also a story about giving of yourself to help others through their turmoil, which seems to be a positive, re-occurring theme in Choyce’s books. His characters aren’t always successful in their attempts to provide support, but they try their best.
Due to the philosophical nature of this book I wouldn’t recommend it to reluctant readers, but it is suitable for the early to mid teens. Though cloning is a science fiction topic, teens will identify with Dylan’s struggle to define himself as his own person.
Memorable Quotes:
“Most of my life I have felt somewhat like a water strider – able to walk or run on the surface of things, knowing that if something were to disturb that surface, I would sink into whatever was beneath me and drown. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic. Part of me, though, often wanted to pierce that surface and drop beneath. I wanted to see what was down there. I wanted to be immersed although I did not want to drown.” – Dylan from Deconstructing Dylan by Lesley Choyce, page 21
“I wanted to tell her I felt like one of those insects I’d read about. I’d just outgrown the hard casing of my body. I’d cracked out of one skin and was tossing it off but I didn’t have a hard new skin yet. I felt exposed and vulnerable and the only person who could really help me was right here with me. And I could never, would never, tell her the truth.” – Dylan from Deconstructing Dylan by Lesley Choyce, pages 128-129
“Did I even have a right to exist? Not according to some of the hard-line thinkers. I was a freak of nature. A monster. And how was I going to live with that?” – Dylan from Deconstructing Dylan by Lesley Choyce, page 131
“I was offended by the way she said it. ‘Jesus. What am I – some kind of science project? A walking, talking lab experiment?’
My mom started to cry. I didn’t apologize.” – Dylan from Deconstructing Dylan by Lesley Choyce, page 145
“I took out the twin photographs of Kyle and me. ‘In some ways I feel like I truly know who my brother was but in other ways I feel like I don’t know him at all. Even though I never met him, I miss him. I wish he were still alive.’
‘But then if he had lived, you never would have been born,’ Graham said.
‘I know. It’s bizarre. I actually feel guilty that I’m alive and he isn’t.’ – conversation between Dylan and Graham from Deconstructing Dylan by Lesley Choyce, page 171
Deconstructing Dylan by Lesley Choyce is published by Dundurn Press (2006).
(Buy this book: Amazon
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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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