All seventeen-year-old Lainey wants to do is cook--and become a famous chef someday, with her own cooking show. Being African American and a vegetarian only make her think that the field is more wide open and ready for her. She's good at cooking, something that runs in her family; both her grandmother and her mother are great cooks, and her mother co-owns a restaurant. Cooking makes Lainey feel better--something she learned from her mother, who offered her food every time she was hurt or disappointed. But then something happens that cooking can't cure--her ex-best friend, and the boy she's smitten with, treats her badly, then runs away. Lainey has to learn to deal with this, to value herself, and to not let herself be used.

A la Carte was an enjoyable read; it gripped my interest and held it. Davis' scenes are vivid, emotional, and feel real. Cooking and baking make a nice backdrop to the story, with actual recipes interspersed throughout. The recipes look like they've been handwritten on lined paper by Lainey with personal notes, and each recipe is of something she makes in the book. This makes Lainey seem more like a real person. Some readers may enjoy trying out Lainey's recipes, which adds another dimension to the book.

For the first page or two, I struggled to understand why Lainey was where she was, but once it was explained on the third page, everything seemed to fall into place, and I found myself loving the details, the tone, and the character.

The beginning of the book sets a cozy, uplifting tone, with Lainey upbeat and fairly confident, surrounded by a loving mother and grandmother, and peers who appreciate her cooking. Small good things keep happening. I enjoyed this tone, and Lainey's character, immensely. Sim, her ex-best friend, makes many appearances, and it's clear that Lainey's smitten with him. But when Sim doesn't invite her to a big party, and then runs away, it feels like there's an abrupt, major shift in tone and focus--into unhappiness, worry, and painful emotions. I felt a bit betrayed by the abrupt shift; it didn't feel like the same book, exactly, that I'd been reading and enjoying for the first ninety pages or so. Sure, there were stresses and unhappiness, but there was such a cozy feeling. Lainey's whole attitude and personality seem to change after Sim runs away, as does the story, and while that's understandable, I felt misled. A shorter setting up of life-as-usual before the change would have worked better for me.

Davis seems to know food and food preparation inside out; the specific details feel real and believable, and add to the authenticity of the narrative. She also shows us many times, through other characters' responses, just how good a cook and baker Lainey is; people rush to grab her baked goods when she brings them to her jazz club or bakes a new recipe at the restaurant. This works well, and may help readers admire Lainey. Backstory is often sprinkled nicely into the story, though there were a few places where it stopped the forward motion. Davis nicely incorporates bits of humor throughout the book, especially Lainey's mother's responses.

Read the entire review here.

My rating:

While everybody was laughing at my joke, Grandpa's German shepherd, Dawg, nudged me from under the table, and I slipped a piece of turkey to her. She had been creeping back and forth between me and Woodrow to gobble up our scraps.
Granny, mama, and Irene had been cooking all day, so we were blessed with not only turkey and the fixins but also ham, salads, four kinds of vegetables, hot rolls with real butter, and sweet iced tea. Grandpa said some people don't see this much food in a month.

The Search for Belle Prater is a sequel to Belle Prater's Boy. Woodrow Prater has lived with his grandparents in a small town for almost a year, ever since his mother disappeared. On his thirteenth birthday, Woodrow gets a hang up call that he is sure is from his mother—her way of telling him that she is thinking about him. Woodrow, along with his cousin Gypsy (who the story is told by), and their new friends Cassie and Joseph, go looking for his mother.

On their first trip out, it's Joseph who finds some family. But his aunt thinks she may have seen Woodrow's mother somewhere. Eventually, Woodrow and Gypsy find a letter from Woodrow's mother that helps him see that she really does love him, even if she isn't with him.

This book is written using the strong, vibrant voice of Gypsy. The beginning is a little slow to start, however, the characters and story grow on you. Each character has a unique voice and way of being, and the dialogue makes you feel like you are in the room with the characters, truly listening to them talk. There is also a strong sense of place and time throughout the book, with details sprinkled throughout to make this even more real to the reader.

Some plot threads, even ones that were stressed (such as Cassie's second sight) seem to go nowhere, to be only loosely related to the rest of the story, or to be dropped completely. At times, too, it feels as if the narrator and main character, Gypsy, disappear while she recounts certain events. Although the characters are very unique, for me there was not enough in the plot to keep me riveted to the book or to care deeply. There is some emotion, especially in Woodrow's search for his mother, but at times the story felt like vignettes strung together, with not a complete story or forward thrust to the plot.

When we finally read about the news that the book seems to build up to—Woodrow's actual conversation with his mother—the information is told to us, not played out as it happens in a scene, so there is a lessening of dramatic tension, and not as much emotional payoff as there might have been. This book does not feel like it has as much heart or depth as the previous book, so it may not work as well as a stand-alone book. However, readers who enjoyed the first book may be satisfied with this one.

The strong sense of place and time, and the unique voices of the characters are enough to pique many readers' interest, and as you read, you slowly come to care more about the characters. There is also a kindness in many of the adults in this book, like the previous one, that is refreshing to read. This is a good read, especially for those who read the first book.

-Added June 7, 2005

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
Random House, July 2003. Hardcover, 240 pages ISBN: 0385512104

My rating:

My name is Christopher John Francis Boone. I know all the continents of the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,057.
Eight years ago, when I first met Siobhan, she showed me this picture:


and I knew that it meant "sad," which is what I felt when I found the dead dog.
Then she showed me this picture:


and I knew that it meant "happy," like when I'm reading about the Apollo space missions, or when I am still awake at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. in the morning and I can walk up and down the street and pretend that I am the only person in the whole world.
--The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon, p. 2

Fifteen-year-old autistic Christopher Boone excels at math, but does not understand emotion or personal connection. He is most comfortable with facts, and is often puzzled by the way other people act.

One night he finds the neighbour's dog, Wellington, dead in the yard, and the neighbour accuses him of murdering Wellington, he begins a quest to find out who really killed the dog. Along the way he uncovers another mystery, and is forced to face challenges and try to understand things that he has not before.

Christopher is an intriguing character; he is highly intelligent, but so emotionally disconnected, and he lacks empathy for others. Still, we come to care about him and the world he lives in, in part because of the great detail he gives us about the feelings and context in the world around him, even though he doesn't understand those feelings or context. We see that he is so often overwhelmed by outside stimulants—sounds, sights, touch, etc, and that he retreats into his head or tries to impose rules on the world because he is so greatly overwhelmed, and this, too, helps us empathize with him more.

He reports everything he sees and hears, although he doesn't understand the subtleties, and through his reporting, we are able to understand the emotional complexities and motivations of other people that he completely misses. The greatest insights that we gain about Christopher's behavior and knowledge come through his telling us what other characters have said about him, not what he tells us directly.

However, at times this emotional disconnection and lack of empathy for people can create some distance for the reader, making the reader feel disengaged from Christopher, and even, at times, frightened of him, and the lengths he is willing to go to protect himself.

Through Christopher, we are given a peek into the world of autism. We learn a lot about autism and science through the course of the book, while being entertained, though the details slowly unfold, and are not overwhelming.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is incredibly well written. The writing is engaging and interesting, almost poetic at times, the characters full, and we learn throughout the book. The book contains very vivid, fresh details that help us see the characters and believe in them.

However, about half way through the book, after Christopher solves the mystery of the dog, the excellence of the writing drops off, and we lose one of the major threads that was pulling us through the book—the mystery of the dog. In addition, neither Christopher nor his parents seem to act in character in the last half of the book, and their actions and some of the plot twists become unbelievable, and feel forced. Despite this, the novel is an enjoyable read.

This is a moving, powerful, interesting, and extremely well-written book. A can't-put-it-down book.

-Added Feb 8, 2005

The Boxer
by Kathleen Karr
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004. ISBN: 0374408866

My rating:

Sparring Tonight
Barefisted battles at their best
$5 purse to a 4-round winner
Likely lads invited

I'd read that sign a hundred times. This time I stopped and read it again. Sure, I was small. But I was fast. Everybody said I was fast. Maybe I could hold up for four rounds. Give just enough back to the other fellow... Five dollars was more than I made in two weeks. With five dollars I could get a pair of boots without slapping soles that let in the weather. I could buy Ma a new dress so she wouldn't be ashamed to show her face at mass. I could bring home some extra food—more than just a hunk of meat—to keep that hungry look out of the kids' faces for a few days... There were too many things I could do with five dollars. Wasn't even worth continuing teh list. Before I could change my mind, I pushed through the door into Brodie's Saloon.
--The Boxer, Kathleen Karr, p. 6

Fifteen-year-old Johnny Woods has tried to be the man of the household, ever since his father left two years earlier. But in 1880s New York, with no highschool diploma, Johnny has to work in the sweatshops, where he hardly makes enough money to feed his family. He and his family live in the slums, and he dreams of getting out of there.

Then he sees a sign for boxing—and a money reward—that changes his life. Although boxing for money is illegal, Johnny tries out--and gets put in jail for six months. In jail, he meets a famous middleweight boxer, now retired—Michael O'Shaunnessey. Michael takes Johnny under his wing, feeds him well, and trains him to be a top notch boxer. Johnny already had raw talent; he just needed some intense training, support, and advice, and he gets all this, and a way out of poverty, from Michael.

This is an incredibly well-crafted book. Right from the first paragraph, we begin caring about Johnny and his plight. We want him to find a way out of poverty for himself and his family—and we want him to win against the people and circumstances that try to stop him. Johnny is a character we like and can look up to; he is generous, kind, compassionate, and keeps trying to make things better for himself, his family, and other people. He never gives up, even when the odds are against him, and he tries to do the right thing. He is also intelligent and talented, and begins as an underdog—and as a result, we care deeply about what happens to him.

Johnny speaks with a strong, powerful voice, as does O'Shaunnessey, and we see Johnny grow and change throughout the novel. There is powerful imagery, the dialogue sounds right, and the characters feel very real. Although Johnny's siblings are not fleshed out, they are not the focal point of the story. However, Johnny's mother could have had a little more fullness to her, but she is a great character.

Under Karr's expert writing, the setting and time period come alive in this story, and feel authentic. There is not one boring place in the book. The story draws us in, and holds us there completely. It feels as if the Karr really knows the world and what it feels like to be there. The ending is also satisfying. This is a thoroughly enjoyable, satisfying read. Highly recommended.

-Added September, 2004

Last Chance Texaco
by Brent Hartinger
HarperTempest/HarperCollins, 2004. ISBN: 0060509120

My rating:

"Well?" Leon said. "How do you like your new home?" New home? Was he trying to be funny? "Brief rest stop" was more like it. But Leon didn't look like he was being sarcastic. No, his face looked open—warm, even. Either he was a moron or he hadn't read my file yet
--Last Chance Texaco, Brent Hartinger, p. 6

Fifteen-year-old Lucy Pitt has just been sent to Kindle Home—a last-stop group home before a high-security facility, and a different kind of group home than she's ever lived in before. Lucy has lived in group homes since she was seven, and her parents and brother died in a car crash. She's developed a tough skin—but things start to change for her at this new foster home. The counselors, and one in particular, actually care about her. And she meets a boy at school that she likes. For the first time in a long time, Lucy feels like she has a few people on her side—and she finds herself actually caring about herself, and wanting to stay at Kindle Home.

But then a rash of car burnings take place in the group home's neighborhood—and people blame Kindle Home. Funding is cut, and Kindle Home is threatened. So Lucy decides to find out who is behind the arson.

Hartinger draws us into Lucy's life, and makes us care about what happens to her and to Kindle Home. Although the beginning is slow, we quickly come to feel Lucy's pain, anger, and fear—and we gain insight into why she feels that way. Lucy is a believable and sympathizable character, one we want to succeed, and the group home is also vivid and well-drawn.

At times it feels like there is too much explanation, as if Hartinger didn't trust the reader to understand what is happening. But the characters are fully drawn, the story compelling, and we are propelled forward throughout the story, wanting to know what happens next. Romance is woven into the story, which makes the story more enjoyable, and there are enough caring characters to help balance out Lucy's painful situation. The mystery of who is the arsonist adds to the overall enjoyment, and fast page turning.

There were a few brief moments that felt unbelievable to me, and that drew me out of the story, but the story remained a compelling story. The ending felt slightly too convenient and wrapped up—but I was glad there was a happy ending. This book is an enjoyable, satisfying read with depth, layers, and great story interest. Positive and uplifting.

-Added July 19, 2004

The Long Night of Leo and Bree
by Ellen Wittlinger
Simon & Schuster, 2002. ISBN: 0689835647

My rating:

8:00 P.M.
Leo
She's screaming at me again, like I'm deaf, like I'm stupid, like I don't know what day this is. I knew she'd be crazier than usual today—that's why I got up early and went to work at the garage before she woke up this morning. I figured there was no sense taking a chance—the more I'm around her today, the more likely I'll start seeing those pictures flashing in my mind again.
--The Long Night of Leo and Bree, Ellen Wittlinger, p. 1

This is a gripping book about two teens, Leo and Bree, and how their lives intersect one fateful evening. Leo's sister was murdered a few years earlier, and his family never recovered. His father left, his mother alternates between alcoholic binges and freakouts, and Leo himself is angry and troubled. Bree has a controlling mother and boyfriend, and wants to escape their grasp over her. So she heads out a rougher area of town, defying her mother—the same area of town that Leo is angrily driving through, wanting to escape the memories of his murdered sister and his mother's blame.

Leo spots Bree and abducts her, shoves her into his car and takes her back to his place. And there, they spend a long night together, both hurting and afraid, with Leo caught up in his rage and mixed-up thinking about his sister. As the night slowly passes, Bree is able to make Leo see her as a person in her own right, a real person that he shouldn't hurt.

Wittlinger skillfully makes us sympathize with Leo, at least initially, and that sympathy and understanding of the pain he comes from is enough to carry through for the rest of the novel, reminding us that he is not a monster, but a very troubled, angry teen. She (a little less successfully) also shows us Bree's fear and ways she tries to free herself.

For each chapter, for each time in the day, we are taken through the minds and emotions of both Leo and Bree, and we develop empathy for both. Often books that move between viewpoints don't work well, but this one is a masterpiece of two distinct viewpoints propelling the story forward. There are only a few brief moments we are jarred out of the story, and they don't keep the reader from diving back into the compelling story.

This novel takes us through the emotions and minds of both protagonists—two distinct teens, with very different lives. Gradually, we see Bree help Leo find some peace over his murdered sister, and Leo help Bree realize she can stand up to her boyfriend and mother. There is a nice balance of momentum, which keeps you riveted to the pages, and internal exploration.

The novel wraps up nicely—the reader is left wanting more, in a good way. An intense, gripping, enjoyable read.

-Added July 21, 2003

Cheating Lessons
by Nan Willard Cappo
Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster, 2003. ISBN: 0689860188

My rating:

Bernadette is intelligent, outspoken, and often judgemental of others, especially when they are less intelligent than her. She is also a skilled debater—but she has only one good friend. In a school where many students struggle with their classes, Bernadette stands out, and her attitude doesn't help her. But she doesn't care. When her public school gains a new, handsome teacher—Mr. Malory—who encourages her to use her mind, even praises her. Bernadette flourishes.

Then Mr. Malory announces that Bernadette's class got such a high score on a quiz that they will be part of the state's championship debate team. Bernadette is ecstatic. Her class, her school, will be going up against rich, private school students, something her school has never managed to do before.

But after her euphoria fades, Bernadette realizes that someone cheated to get them in the championship. Bernadette discovers that Mr. Malory is the one who's been cheating, changing the answers and scores on tests, and feeding them answers to the upcoming championship. She's faced with a dilemma about what to do. The other students on her team really need the prize money that their win will bring—and for the first time, they are beginning to think they might not be so stupid, after all. But cheating is cheating. What should Bernadette do?

As Bernadette works with her teammates, she grows and changes, becoming kinder, friendlier, and more accepting of others. She comes to realize the value of friendship, and figures out a way to do what she thinks is right.

Many of the characters are vivid and complex, although a few characters, such as the librarian, feel like plot devices to make events happen. There is a gentle unfolding of hidden needs and character traits, and good foreshadowing. However, there is one conversation that seems to refer to something that has been edited out of the book. Overall, this is enjoyable read.

-Added June 1, 2003

More great teen reads!

• Favorite Teenage Angst Books
• Reading Rants: Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists
• Grrrl Power Reads
• links to teen booklists

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