Ink and Bone~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

"There is no place in the world for librarians who lack the will to defend books against wars, rebels, and Burners. Books cannot fight for themselves."

             In a world where personal ownership of books is forbidden, Jess Brightwell and his family are involved in a thriving black market where illegal books are sold. The Great Library is the main source of knowledge in every major city and it is where any literature in all of history can be obtained instantly on a blank, which is like a tablet where any book can be sent for you to read.

             Jess has been used as a delivery boy for his father for years to deliver illegal books to his customers. But when Jess begins to decide against taking over his father’s business, he is sent by his family to be a spy in the Library's service. When he meets new friends and begins to understand the worth of the library more, his loyalties are put to the test. Especially his loyalties to the people who control the Great Library. When a member of his training group creates a new device that could destroy the foundation of the Library, Jess realizes that the leaders of the Library will do anything to preserve the knowledge of the Library, even if that means sacrificing human lives.

             This book was very interesting so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I loved that the topic of this book was about all books being virtual because I feel like it is something that may very well happen. Technology is advancing and SO MANY things are on a computer that most people don't even think to pick up a book anymore. I liked this new world Rachel Caine created and I definitely think that the whole process of the Library was very well developed. There were a few twists in the book that I didn't expect but I really did like and it definitely got me to keep wanting to read more to find out what would happen next. I would recommend this book to any of my friends and I would definitely recommend this book be bought for our library. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series Paper and Fire!

The Book of Ivy~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

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What would you kill for?

            After a war that destroyed most of the United States, Ivy Westfall’s family came to power and founded the country Westfall. But when the Westfalls lost in a conflict with the Lattimers, they lost their power and the Lattimers began to govern Westfall as a dictatorship. Ivy grew up hating the Lattimers and the new laws they created, especially arranged marriages. Every year the daughters from the Westfalls marry the sons of the Lattimers.

            This year it is Ivy’s turn.

            To the Lattimers, it’s just another marriage.

            To the Westfalls, it’s their chance to regain power.

            Ivy’s father and sister have given her the task to kill her new husband, Bishop, in order for their family to return to power. But as Ivy begins to understand more about Bishop and his family, can she find the will to do it? What if everything she once knew actually wasn’t true? What if Bishop really isn’t as brutal and awful as her family told her? Will she be able to kill the only person who seems to actually understand her? As her love for Bishop grows and she finds out the truth about her mother’s death, Ivy realizes that things definitely are not what she grew up believing.

            I really enjoyed this book so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I loved the characters, especially Ivy’s character. I really liked that the author made the arranged marriages seem realistic and that not every marriage worked out because in all honestly, that’s how it works sometimes. In arranged marriages, I would expect things to not always work out or for there to be some complications, especially for the kids who are only 16. Also, at the beginning of the book I was worried that I could already tell how the book was going to end. I was wrong. There were some really good plot twists in the book and they completely caught me off guard. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any of my friends

After the Woods~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

 



"I become very still, trying to make myself shapeless so he'll forget I'm a GIRL, because that feels the most dangerous of all."

     Julia and her best friend Liv beat the odds. When a man jumped on top of Liv, Julia did what any best friend would do. She tried to pull Donald Jessup off Liv and ended up taking Liv's place so Liv could get away. After she is found after two days of running from Donald, everyone she knows tries to make her believe that she should just forget about it. Julia begins to just bury it deep down and move on, like Liv begs her to do.

     Fast forward one year.

     Another girl's body is found in the same area Liv and Julia were attacked. When hearing about it, memories that Julia has tried to bury finally resurface.

     While Julia struggles trying to contain these awful memories, Liv starts hooking up with Shane Cuthbert and starving herself. Is it because she feels guilty for getting away from Donald Jessup while Julia took her place?

     When Julia finds out the truth about Liv, will they ever be able to get back to how they were?

     Will anything ever be the same after the woods?

     

      I really liked this book so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I felt so bad for Julia's character. Her therapists were crazy. They literally didn't do anything to help her. Her family and best friends tried to make her forget everything when obviously she should've tried talking about it. Bottling things just doesn't help. At some point, it'll all come out. I also in a way felt bad for Liv because her mother was extremely hard on her and I think if I had a mother like that, I'd be like her. Obviously since I haven't been in that situation I couldn't necessarily connect with Julia's character but I feel like I would've handled it like her. I would recommend this to any of my friends.



Atlantia~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

 

 

 

           All Rio has dreamed of is a the life outside of underground city of Atlantia. She's always had her sister at least by her side but when her sister makes an unexpected choice, she's left by herself, alone and trying to continue to silence her siren voice. When she feels she has nothing left to lose, she makes a plan that leads her to question her mother's death and her own destiny.  It also leads her to question the people who govern the Divide between the sea and land. As she continues through the story, she learns that she must know the past of her people in order to find how to help the people of Atlantia.

 

            I liked this book so I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars. I was worried about whether I would like this book or not because I didn't enjoy the other series Matched that Ally Condie also wrote. This book was good though. Honestly I thought this book was actually going to be about mermaids but I liked the idea of having a city under water where humans could live. I also liked that this wasn't a book I wanted to just speed through. Ally Condie does have very good writing and I like her style. The thing that really made me only like this book was there was a lot of slow parts. That's also something that made me not like the Matched series as much as well. But all in all, I did like this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy.



Forget Tomorrow~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

 

 

 

 

          In a world where your future has already been decided for you, Callie anxiously awaits her 17th birthday to see what her destiny holds for her. But when she sees that her future only holds trouble, she's dumbstruck watching her future self kill her little sister. Shortly after, she's placed in Limbo which is a prison for future criminals.

          When she escapes from Limbo, she tries to change events to alter her future so she doesn't end up taking her sister's life. In trying to run from the government and hoping she can change the future, she sets up events that she hopes will create a new future. If she can't, she will have to find a way to save her sister from the biggest threat of her life; herself. 

            I really enjoyed this book so I gave it 4 stars. I really enjoyed how Callie progressed throughout the book and her actions. I really like Dunn's choice of writing and how she didn't rush the events to get through the book. I liked that each event was very well thought out to help the progression of the book. What I loved most about the book was the dystopian society and being able to see your future right before you. That is extremely interesting to think about because I know a lot of people want to see how their future will play out and what direction they should go in. All in all I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to any of my friends.



Dreamland~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

“All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream”

–Edgar Allan Poe

            Odea Donahue is not like most kids her age. Traveling from town to town with her mother her whole life and not knowing her father aren’t the only strange things about her.

            She has the ability to walk through people’s dreams.

            After being able to walk in people’s dreams since she was six years old, she knows that there are rules that she MUST follow. Never be seen, never interfere in the person’s dream, and never walk through someone’s dream more than once. Her mother was able to enforce these rules until she meets Conner, a new kid who has secrets of his own. Conner’s past makes her even more interested in him and she begins to break the rules in hopes that she’ll uncover the truth behind Conner’s past. But the rules were made so that the monsters would never find her. Once the rules were broken, they found her and took her mother hoping that it would lure her to their world. In her journey to find her mother, she uncovers more about Conner’s past, and her own.

            I really enjoyed this book so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I loved the whole plot of the book. I think the author did an amazing job creating a good view of the world she created in the book. The plot twists were ones I did not see coming at all. One thing that wasn’t so great about the book was that it took a little bit to really get into. Although I liked that some parts did leave you questioning something and made you what to read even more. Also, I liked the originality of the book. There aren’t any many books that I’ve seen about people dream-walking and other worlds being created from the monsters that are in nightmares. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

Half BROTHER -- ARINZE MGBEMENA

         

           Ben Tomlin is a 13 year old boy, growing up in Canada in 1973 and experiencing everything that life as a 13 year old boy would normally experience. Zan is an infant chimp, literally pulled away from his mother  just eight days of age. He is now being raised as part of Ben's family for a university experiment on primates and language, which Ben’s father is leading. This experiment was performed to discover if another species can be taught to understand and communicate the human language. From the very first day Zan is with their family, Ben’s parents tell him about what the experiment is for and why Zan is living with them. His father talks about the importance of Zan being brought up to believe that he is a human. Zan wears clothes, eats at the table with the Ben's family , and plays with Ben’s toys, just like a normal human child. The Tomlins teach Zan how to communicate using American Sign Language  so they can talk to him more and he can interact more with them. Ben understands the experiment, but he is kind of confused on how his father’s and his mother’s interacting with Zan. His father, opposed to even giving Zan a name. He never leaves the boundary of the experiment, and does not try to listen to anyone or anything that challenges his ideas of how the experiment should go. His mother is more nurturing. She recognizes that Zan’s need confronting and  tries to be a mother figure for Zan, while at the same time not messing with the experiment.
As Zan gets older , and the experiment becomes more difficult to work with, the Zan Project begins to spiral out of control. At this point, Ben finds an friend in Peter, an student research assistants working on the project. Like Ben, Peter sees Zan is a living being with real needs and emotions.  Peter and Ben attempt to find a way out of what has become a tragic trap for Zan.

         What was most interesting thing to me about the book is how they treated Zan as a human child and he acted like a one too. I also liked how Ben was trying to take Zan away from the experimentation and show that he is just a living being not an experiment . I enjoyed the book very much and i would recommend it to anyone.  

The Ask and The Answer - Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Chaos Walking Series; Book #2

The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

What is one supposed to do when their safe Haven....doesn't end up being that safe after all?

In this continuation of Chaos Walking trilogy, Todd and Viola have made it to their destination; a city called Haven in which they are supposed to find safety from the impending army of Prentisstown, and welcome the next set of settlers from the Old World into their new life. But even before they manage a step into this place, it's already not what it's supposed to be: Mayor Prentiss has beat them there and removed the old leader from his position, declaring himself the Mayor of NEW Prentisstown, and even better yet the PRESIDENT of the entire New World. Todd and Viola are separated, and must face their own struggles separately. Viola learns the trade of being a healer, and also how Mistress Coyle the head healer, is plotting against Mayor Prentiss as her old position of leader of revolutionary group the Answer. Todd is forced to work for Mayor Prentiss alongside the Spackle, original inhabitants of the New World and slaves of the settlers, doing hard labor and realizing just how much they hate their masters. He eventually works his way to right-hand-man of Mayor Prentiss, just as Viola joins ranks with the Answer to take him down. The two believe they have joined opposite sides, and must act accordingly. But once reunited, everything changes, and takes another turn for the worse....

Aaaaaand I'm back with the review for the second amazing book in this trilogy.  As expected, this book was just as amazingly written as the first; none of that second book let down I have experienced a lot in the past. As before, the writing style just absorbs you into the New World, right into Haven/New Prentisstown and all the changes they're having to adapt to, due to horrible Mayor Prentiss. The POV of the story goes back and forth between Todd and Viola, accentuating the separation of the two and the different sides they've taken. I also really like the way Ness plays these two together; in need of one another, but hasn't brought it completely into the romantic spectrum yet. God forbid he's almost making me want a romance between the two, hinting at it like he does, but not making the whole story rely on the fact that they are romantically involved with each other. Love it. I also adore how completely different the setting is from the first book to this one. The first in the swamps, and then to an actual civilization in this book. The contrast between the two and how they affect the story is striking. I cannot explain how much I'm loving this series...I've already worked my way into the final book before even posting this review! If you've read the first book, and loved it continue on, my friend. A great adventure awaits you. Five stars without a doubt.

The Elite Review by Paige Espinosa

     In this sequel to The Selection, America Singer finds herself competing against five other girls for Prince Maxon while still trying to figure out her feelings for Aspen. Once on solid footing, America finds herself no longer Maxon's only favorite and has to hurry up with her decision-making before Maxon gives up on her and moves on to someone he knows will be there for him. In this book, America also starts to uncover some of her country's secret history and develop a new, more intimidating meaning of what it would mean for her to one day possibly be the queen.
     I gave this book three and a half stars because even though it was still pretty unoriginal I just had to know what was going to happen with the characters, even though it wasn't hard to guess. Neither Maxon nor Aspen are outright awful choices so while reading this book, I couldn't choose who to root for! No matter which one she chooses, America will still be moving up at least one caste and both boys seem to genuinely care for her. I found myself getting frustrated at her for making this whole ordeal so much more difficult and messing things up with her temper. By the end, I even cried a bit and I'm not a sappy romance novel type of person.. The last time I cried like this while reading a book was when Dumbledore died at the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! I can't wait for the next book to come out just so I can know what happens with these characters, it's killing me a little bit on the inside wondering if my hunch is correct or if suddenly there will be a huge plot twist. (It could happen, this author is a talented writer, she could totally pull something crazy like that off like maybe killing one of the boys or America leaving both her boy-toys at the castle to join the rebel forces against her country and meeting a nice rebel boy who likes to read...)

Impossible - reviewed by Maggie Devero

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme; remember me to one who lives there, for once she was a true lover of mine..."

An old folk ballad begins to haunt Lucy Scarborough, once she turns seventeen. All she wanted was to go to a normal prom, with a normal cute boy in a band, and enjoy herself. What she didn't expect, was her deranged biological mother showing up at pictures and throwing glass bottles at her and her date, then her date raping her in a closet after prom, and finishing it off by killing himself after he left. The thing is though...Lucy doesn't think her date, Gray Spencer, was in control of himself at the time. Not that he was inebriated or something...Lucy thinks that another person was possessing her date, and was the cause of all this. With the help of some hidden notes and a diary from the time her mother Miranda was sane, Lucy learns she has to complete three unbelievable, and magical tasks in order to discontinue a curse that has been passed down in her family for generations. With the help of her foster family, her best friend Zach, and the modern day things that weren't available years ago, Lucy can only still hope to win this battle, break the curse, and avoid falling into insanity.

I gave the book three out of five stars. The storyline itself was unique enough; I really didn't expect a rape scene to take place only chapters within the beginning of the book. The rest of the book had its twists and turns which kept it interesting. I don't really read a lot of fantasy/magical themed books, or at least ones like this, but I liked it! The writing style was good as well, descriptive enough to not be boring, but not detailed enough to be fully captivating like making me part of the story itself. Even the mini romances throughout the book didn't bother me as much as they usually do, probably because there was not the usual emphasis on them to the plot. Also the cover was really pretty, one of the main reasons I looked at the book in the first place. When I googled the picture for this review, this wasn't even the main cover to come up, but I like this one a lot better. So yes, the book was a nice change of pace for myself, and it was worth the three stars.

Cutting for Stone Reviewed by:Taylor O'Brien

Review of Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese

By: Taylor O’Brien

            Cutting for Stone is a coming-of-age novel based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It begins with a man named Marion going through his mother’s old workspace, and the rest of the story is told as a flashback. Marion recounts the story of him and his twin brother, Shiva, as children. Since their mother, Sister Mary Joseph Praise, died in childbirth and their father, Dr. Thomas Stone, abandoned them soon after, they were raised by other hospital workers. They were very close until their relationship with a girl named Genet drove them apart. Due to unanticipated circumstances, Marion is forced to leave Ethiopia. He travels to New York and continues his studies, but while there, his life takes an unexpected turn.

          Over all, Cutting for Stone receives two stars out of five. It was obvious that the story meant a lot to the writer and that the situation the characters were in was horrible, but I personally could not become attached to the characters. I couldn’t become attached to the situation because I have no experience with Ethiopian culture, nor could I sympathize with Genet and Sister Mary Joseph Praise because I am not a woman and am not able to feel the same emotions and think the same thoughts as them. I don’t have a brother, am not a virtual orphan, and have no interest in medicine, so I can’t relate to Shiva and Marion. I would not recommend this book since I cannot relate to any aspect of it, though if you liked The Invisible Bridge, you may like Cutting for Stone.

Along for the Ride - Reviewed by Stephanie Best

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Reviewed by Stephanie Best

            Auden, a young woman in her summer before college, has missed out on a lot of normal experiences. She missed out on friends, prom, and even riding a bike. On an impulse decision, she decides to spend the summer with her dad, his new wife, and her new baby sister, Thisbe. One day, she decides to get at her stepmother’s boutique, and a whole new world opened up to her: friends, a social life, and a mysterious guy. Through her new friends, she meets Eli, a loner who, like Auden, stays up all hours of the night. Together, in the late night hours, they begin on a “quest” for Auden to experience many things she had missed out on as a child. Their attraction to each other starts growing. Are either of them ready to take that ride? Will others get hurt along the way? And how will her relationship with her father pan out?

                A few weeks ago, I read Dreamland by Sarah Dessen, and I did not particularly enjoy it. However, I have read a few of her other books that I did like so I decided to give this book a chance. I’m glad I did. Of her books, Along for the Ride is one of my favorite books so far by Sarah Dessen. I thought it was a cute story. The only problem I had with the story was the resolution. It seemed uneventful to me. However, I still really enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a young adult romance with a happy ending and to anyone who enjoys many of Sarah Dessen’s other works.

Suck-It Up-- Reviewed by Alexandra Lopez

Author: Brian Meehl
Reviewer: Alexandra Lopez

After graduating from the International Vampire League, a scrawny teenage vampire named Morning McCobb is given the chance to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a superhero when he embarks on a mission to become the first vampire to reveal his identity to humans and to demonstrate how peacefully-evolved, blood-substitute-drinking vampires can use their powers to help humanity. He ends up falling for Portia Dredful, a beautiful, strong willed girl. Things get harder, however, as he has to resist the temptation of sucking Portia's blood. Will McCob be able to resit?

I really did enjoy this book. The most that I've enjoyed from this was the explanation given to why they don’t burn. I like mythical creatures, just as much as the next guy. However it bothers me when vampires can withstand the sun. It’s basic knowledge that vampires burn in the sun. But in Suck-It Up it gives a reasonable reason why they don’t burn, which I was pleased with. Of course the book overall was good, but there could have sped up some parts. If you enjoy vampires then you should read it. I recommended to those that enjoy sparkly vampires that this isn’t your book.

Zan-Gah -- reviewed by Alexandra Lopez

Zan-Gah

Author: Allan Richard Shickman

Reveiwed:Alexandra Lopez

Rated: ***

   Zan-Gah a young boy between boyhood and manhood. He proves himself over time that he has come of age to his people, however he never truly feels like a man. He blames himself for losing his twin, his other half, Dael. He takes a stand and ventures into the prehistoric wild he calls home, to find him, risking his life and maybe the saftey of his people to find his brother.

  The intro of Zan-Gah caught my attention. It jumped right into the story, and was very enjoyable for awhile. The story was good, but not as great as it should have been. I would say this book is more appropriate for children. The flaws would be the pacing, and character depth. Other than that Zan-Gah was one wild ride.

 The pacing was fine in the beginning gave just enough detail to understand where the book was headed. Maybe that's why I loved it, it just dived right into action.  However as the story continued it wasn't as good. The story felt cramped, it took three years for him to find his sibling, some scenes were either muddled or were not detailed enough.

  Another problem was that even though we knew of Zan-Gah, we didn't really know him. Yes he was a hero to his people, but what did he enjoy? Considering the time, which is the Stone Age it wasn't a bad problem. Survival was more important, Zan-Gah mentioned that quite often. However we would have liked a bit more about Zan-Gah other than his bravery.

  Overall I have mixed feelings about this. It had an entertaining story, and great action, without the gory detail. Still I rated 3 out 5 stars. I believe the author was writing for a different audience. Other than that it was enjoyable. If you have the time it's a good book to read.

Life as we knew it - a review by George Morejon

Life as we knew it
by Susan Beth Pfeffer
*** stars

In Life as we knew it, Miranda is just an average teenager living in suburban Pennsylvania. She has a diary she writes in all the time, she worries about her friends, and has problems with her parents' marriage. A huge event that's suppose to be once in a lifetime is happening; the moon is going to be hit by a giant asteroid. This is something everyone's excited for... until it actually happens. The are natural disasters everywhere, and the moon is much larger than it used to be. When the summer came, the weather just gets worse. In the winter, the snow is much higher than normal, over 2 metres. Everyone's getting sick, and Miranda's the last hope for her sick family. Everyone's left the town, and now she has to journey out to see what's left...

I thought this book was alright. I really only got to the summer, but I liked what I read. I'd have to give it 3 stars because I didn't get to finish it.

Cathy's Ring -- a review by Hope Austin

Cathy's Ring
by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman
***

Cathy Vickers is back, and now she's trying to disappear. After finding three dead bodies under her window one morning, Cathy realizes that someone's after her. She decides it's best thaty she just disappear instead letting her family or friends get hurt. Unfortunately, fate has other plans for her. The unfolding mystery has Cathy finding allies in former enemies and following a path to self-discovery.

What I really enjoyed about this series was how much effort the authors put in to not make it seem like your typical paranormal romance. There's a lot of other stuff going on, the romance just happens to be the trigger for it. The series also realistically (as one can get in paranormal fiction) explores how people feel being the side characters in somenone else's story. Cathy's tendency to make everything about herself is a noted character flaw. That being said, this book could have been a lot better. The ending was very cliche and anticlimactic because everyhting comes together far too nicely. Still, I'd reccomend this series.

May Book Club -- Tuesday, May 3 -- During Advisory SSR

I am the Messenger 

by Marcus Zusak

Excellent YA fiction -- sweet story of a young man who's given an odd chance to make a difference in the lives of many specially chosen people --- just by seeing their needs and acting on his best instincts to do good and to help.

Please join us for the book discussion in the library.

Ms C.

The Alchemist - a review by George Morejon

The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho
***** stars

This story begins with an Andaluz shepard boy in the fields tending his sheep. He has a recurring dream about finding a treasure by pyramids, but he didn't know what it meant. He went to a seer to find out what it meant, and later ended up meeting a mystical king who tells him to 'follow his person legend'. He decides to sell his flock and leave everything in Spain behind so he can fulfill his legend. He then has to explore the strange lands of north Africa and, reading the omens along the way, because when a person follows their legend, the universe conspires to make it happen.

This was probably one of the best books i've read in this class. I liked everything about it. The setting from Spain down to Tarifa and Tanger, across the desert to Egypt felt like one of the Arabian Nights stories. The theme was a follow-your-dreams kind of one, but this one didn't seem like it was trying to hard. It just seemed to flow. I don't really know what else to say about it, but i just loved it. I don't know how long it took me to read it because i read it any time i could, mostly in school.

Cathy's Key -- a review by Hope Austin

Cathy's Key  

by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman
 
***  


This book is the sequel to Cathy's book. It follows Cathy as she unravels the secrets surrounding Cathy's boyfriend, Victor, her best friend's budding business, amd her father's death. Even though her biggest problems are purely paranormal, she still deals with things like trying (and failing) to stay employed so she can can pay her mother rent, documenting it all in in her notebook.


This series has all the trappings of a paranormal romance (love triangle and all), but the authors do keep things interesting with a unique take on immortality (rooted in Chinese mythololgy), interesting charcters and subplots, and well-paced humor. Since third book is already out, I'm going to read it next. If you plan on reading this, it's probably in your best interest to call the number on the book, and actually take a look inside the bag.

Tales of the Madman Underground -- Review by Hope Austin

Tales of the Madman Underground
by John Barnes
****stars

The year is 1973 and it's the first day of senior year, and there's one thing Karl Shoemaker wants to be: normal. No funny looks, no forced sympathy. That's easier said than done. Normal kids don't have boozers for parents, nor do they have to work five jobs to support themselves. Worst of all for Karl, normal means distancing himself from the Madmen, a group of kids who, for whatever reason, are sent to group therapy from people who don't know how to deal with them to people who don't want to deal with them. Over the years, they've been like a slightly more stable family for him. Luckily, Karl has has his two best friends, Paul and Squid, and the new girl Marti (a "genius" whose parents were forced to let "take it easy" for a year) to help him figure out what normal really is.

There is a definite Catcher in the Rye-esque feel to this book. Not so much in the subject matter, but more so in the tone of the story. Karl is an angry, angry boy and has every reason to be. The thing I like best about this book is the realism. No one is cartoonishly evil, nor is anyone ridiculously beautiful. it also really ties in to one of the main themes of the book: you never really get the whole story; everything has layers. As for the setting, you don't really notice that it's the seventies that much. There aren't obnoxious pop culture references on every other page reminding the reader that the story does, in fact, take place in 1973 and like that. Overall it's a pretty phenomenal coming of age story. Definitely check it out.