Classic Retread: The Pigman

Published:  2005 (first published in 1968)

The Pigman (The Pigman #1)

By: Paul Zindel

HarperTeen

ISBN-13:  9780060757353

When sophmores John and Lorraine played a practical joke a few months ago on a stranger named Angelo Pignati, they had no idea what they were starting.  Virtually overnight, almost against their will, the two befriended the lonely old man; it wasn't long before they were more comfortable in his house than their own.  But now Mr. Pignati is dead.  And for John and Lorraine, the only way to find peace is to write down their friend's story - the story of the Pigman.

Review

     John and Lorraine are both sophmores at the same school and became friends entirely by chance.  Neither one feels very wanted at home for one reason or another, and the two of them love to get into rebellious mischief with each other.  They have a game with some of the other kids to see who can call a stranger and keep them on the phone the longest.  One day they call Mr. Angelo Pignati pretending to be charity workers looking for donations and are surprised by how sorry they feel.  They go to his house to "pick up" a donation, and end up striking up a friendship with this lost man, who seems alone in the world.  But how far can things go and how much can John and Lorraine take advantage of him before harmful consequences are visited upon them?

     This definitely is a little bit dated, owing mostly to the after-school special dialogue and the movie of the week premise to it.  Plus, a book doesn't get read almost fifty-six years later and stay completely current.  The changing narrative between John and Lorraine was a fairly seamless trade-off and their specific personalities were very believable.  If I had read this as a teenager, or a younger kid, I'd probably sympathize most with John and Lorraine.  But now, somewhere in the middle of my twenties, I'm able to see both sides of the coin.  The behavior of the two of them, including it's destructive trend towards Mr. Pignati, isn't okay even when he seems to be encouraging it.  As a teenager from a screwed up family life though, I can understand having issues with limits when no one around you is setting them in ways that make sense, or is giving you what you need to not be a nutcase or juvenile delinquent.

     John's parents are uptight, and from an older generation (I think he said his Dad is in his early sixties?) and he's constantly being compared to his perfect older brother.  Combine that with a creative, intelligent mind and overabundance of imagination and it equals trouble!  Lorraine's Mom is a man-hating bitch, who basically let her own bad relationships sour her on the whole gender.  She's become bitter, steals from her home healthcare clients, and works Lorraine like a servant - while constantly telling her how ugly she is and overall useless.  So, yeah, not completely casting stones, but they know what they're doing isn't right either.  Lorraine talks about omens throughout her narrative and Zindel makes use of foreshadowing with the detioriorating health of the baboon, Bobo, that Mr. Pignati visits at the zoo (i.e. old, broken down like him, etc.) and as a reader you can see it coming.  The ending wasn't any real shock.  Overall a book that makes you think, but the humor was my favorite part.  The whole first chapter where John talks about his stint as the Bathroom Bomber of his freshmen class was pure gold!

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Canon or Non-Canon?

Published:  September 10th, 2013

Fangirl

By: Rainbow Rowell

St. Martin's Press

ISBN-13:  9781250030955

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan... But for Cath, being a fan is her life -- and she's really good at it.  She and her twin, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading.  Rereading.  Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath's sister has mostly grown away from the fandom, but Cath can't let go.  She doesn't want to.

Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates.  Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone.  She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who believes fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can't stop worrying about her Dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?  Can she make it without Wren holding her hand?  Is she ready to start living her own life?  And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Review

     Cath is a difficult character to read about.  If there's one thing that Rainbow Rowell does more memorably than anything else, it's writing characters who are beyond everything else, realistic.  Cath, for example is awkward, antisocial, set in her ways and would rather live in her fandoms on the internet than in real life.  Cath isn't ready for anything to change and panics when her twin sister Wren doesn't want to be college roommates.  Cath just wants to stay in her room, avoid the cafeteria by existing on granola/protein bars, and not make any new friends.  Slowly though, her abrasive and stubborn roommate Reagan takes Cath under her wing, refusing to let her fade into the background.  Cath loves her fiction class as well, but the professor doesn't believe in the validity of fan fiction, which is a major part of who Cath happens to be.  Can Cath let go of the comfort of Simon Snow, boy wizard, and find a place for herself in the real world?  And how can she bring Wren and Dad into this new life she's building, without destroying everything?

     Like I said before Cath is difficult to read about.  She's sarcastic, yet shy and insecure to the point of almost being a hermit.  I understand wanting to shut yourself away from the world and I'm as guilty of it as anyone else.  Only, my hiding place of choice was the library instead of my bedroom.  I can empathize with Cath's inability to know what to say, or do in a social situation.  Also, coming from a home life that is less than perfect, in which problems are largely ignored instead of being dealt with.  But Cath begins to come into her own with the help of Reagan and her strange, but charming friend Levi.  We also get to see just how far Wren has distanced herself from the situation in the other direction - doing things to draw attention to herself that are potentially harmful to herself and people around her (but mostly just herself).  She wants to be the life of the party, but what price will she pay for it?  Plus, there's Cath's writing "partner" Nick, who isn't what he first appears to be.  I was highly impressed with the so-called secondary characters, who all add something important to the plot and move the story along.  The relationship with her Dad is especially hilarious, touching and truthful.  I love the interactions between them when Cath brings her boy home and also when Cath and her Dad stage an intervention on her sister.

      A really big part of this book is about being geeky, letting your freak flag fly and still knowing how to get back to reality at the end of the day.  Cath's big obsession is Simon Snow, who is her world's equivalent of Harry Potter (Except the book awkwardly mentions Potter as if they coexist.  I choose to ignore this!).  Cath is still waiting for the eighth book to come out, but has basically begun writing her own AU (alternate universe) version of it online, in her fan fiction community.  "Carry On Simon" has become such a huge thing in the fandom that people are wearing t-shirts and Cath is getting thousands of views a day!  I love the respect with which Rainbow treats fan fiction in this book.  I feel like she gets that there's nothing wrong with sharing your imagination with others for fun (and free) even if it involves someone else's worlds.  But she also knows that there's a fine line between having some geeky fun, and being unheathily obsessed.  We also see a glimpse of the idea that fan fiction might be squelching Cath's desire to write original stuff, or even her ability to do it.  My biggest disappointment in this was Cath not even attempting to make up her assignment for her fiction Professor.  It felt like she just completely gave up.  Also, I wanted to know what happened to Simon and Baz!  But mostly, this is a novel that is a tale of self discovery, a family's journey to something better (if not perfect) and a story of first love in all it's unpredictability and tenderness.  If you've read Rainbow Rowell before, her first and last name are the only two word of this review even necessary to you.  If not, seek her out.  Fangirl is wonderful, and just wait until you discover Eleanor and Park!

VERDICT:  4.5/5 Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Please Don't Guard My Life...

Expected Publication: March 1st, 2012
The Lifeguard
By: Deborah Blumenthal
Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN-13: 9780807545355

It's an unsettled summer for Sirena. Back in Texas, her family's splitting apart, but here in Rhode Island, at the cottage of her aunt, it's a different world. There are long days at the beach and intriguing encounters with Pilot, the lifeguard with shamanic skills. Sirena explores her obsession with Pilot and discovers his mysterious--almost magical--gifts.

 

Review

 

   Sirena is stuck in Maine with her Aunt for the summer, because her parents are in the middle of an ugly divorce back in Texas.  At first her unhappy family life consumes her thoughts, leaving her depressed and isolated.  But then Sirena crosses paths with Pilot, a lifeguard who she is instantly attracted to.  She also gets a job volunteering at the hospital and becomes friends with a old painter named Antonio.  There are also unexplained supernatural things going on.  Will Sirena be able to heal her pain, get the guy and solve the mystery of all the weird things happening.  This book was a major let-down.  I went in with high expectations and at first it seemed like they'd be met.  However, the obsession/instant love between Sirena and Pilot was a major turn-off for me.  I HATE it when the main characters of a book have such a superficial connection to each other.  Also, none of the supernatural stuff was ever really explained to my satisfaction and Sirena got distracted from her curiosity way too easily.  She was an intellectual bimbo, which was unfortunate and made my brain hurt.  My favorite things about this book were Sirena's Aunt, the dog, Antonio.....yeah and that's about it.  I seriously abhorred the way that this book was written, it was a stylistic nightmare.  I can't stand books that are more description than dialogue and this was one of those books.  I would not recommend this for anyone who actually wants a book where something of substance happens.  If you want fluff and instant love with nary a plot in sight, this one's for you.

 

VERDICT:  1.5/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money was exchanged for this review.  This book is expected to be published March 1st, 2012.*

In Another Life

Published: September 29th, 2011
Lola and the Boy Next Door
By: Stephanie Perkins
Dutton Publishing
ISBN-13: 9780525423287


Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Review

   Lola seems like she's a pretty normal girl other than her life-is-a-costume-party philosophy (which is actually kind of cool).  She's seventeen, has a cool rocker boyfriend Max (who at 22 makes her parents nervous), two Dads who love her fiercely and a great best friend she can always count on.  Everything starts to blow up in her face when the Bell family moves in next door again and she has to face the humiliating episode between Calliope, Cricket and herself from two years ago.  When Cricket seemingly shut her down, Lola's heart was broken and Calliope has always been jealous of the possibility that Lola could be important to her twin, when outside of her figure skating career he's all she really has.  Plus, Lola has to deal with her re-emerging feelings for Cricket, her dimming feelings for Max and all the drama that comes with her birth mother Norah, who is her adoptive Dad Nathan's biological sister and is causing all sorts of issues between him and his partner Andy.  A really cool thing about this book is that Lola works at a movie theater close to Berkley and her co-worker is Anna, also later on Etienne St. Clair.  So I got to see two of my fave characters in YA literature from Anna and the French Kiss again.  Other than that this book underwhelmed me quite a bit.  Lola came across as a confused, overly dramatic, spoiled brat, drama queen who didn't appreciate how good she had it.  Honestly Max's sudden trasformation from good boyfriend to complete asshole felt very contrived.  I felt like all of the feeling that showcased in this book was very shallow and one-dimensional.  That said, it was a pretty cute book.  Not very deep, but a cute and angsty teen romance.  I don't know if I'd recommend it to anyone other than people who have read and fallen in love with Anna and the French Kiss previously.  Overall, kind of a disappointment.  I honestly hope I connect better to the characters in Isla and the Happily Ever After.

VERDICT:  2.5/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

I Will Survive

Published: October 11th, 2011
The Survival Kit
By: Donna Freitas
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN-13: 9780374399177



When Rose’s mom dies, she leaves behind a brown paper bag labeled Rose’s Survival Kit. Inside the bag, Rose finds an iPod, with a to-be-determined playlist; a picture of peonies, for growing; a crystal heart, for loving; a paper star, for making a wish; and a paper kite, for letting go.
As Rose ponders the meaning of each item, she finds herself returning again and again to an unexpected source of comfort. Will is her family’s gardener, the school hockey star, and the only person who really understands what she’s going through. Can loss lead to love?

Review

   When Rose's Mom dies, her enitre family is falling apart.  Rose especially has a hard time living without her Mom around but things begin to look up when she finds the Survival Kit that she left for Rose with her favorite dress.  In the kit are  a picture of peonies, a crystal heart, a box of crayons, a paper star, an iPod with an empty playlist, and a paper kite.  It takes her some time, but with the help of her friend Krupa and the senior boy from her school, Will Doniger, who landscapes the yard Rose slowly begins to heal.  This book was a beautiful exploration of losing a loved one and coming to terms with life afterwards.  The rawness of emotions and the sincerity of the characters and their words/actions cuts like a knife to the heart.  But there are just as many gorgeous moments that are happy.  This book takes you through the first year after the loss of Rose's Mom and her growing relationship with Will after quitting cheerleading and after a rough break-up with her popular football player boyfriend.  Rose learns to enjoy the music in life again by taking it one song at a time and to have fun again by hanging out with friends at Will's hockey games.  But that doesn't mean things are perfect.  Rose's Father is getting lost in a bottle and driving drunk.  Her brother is pulling away from her and her Grandmother is bristly and interfering (although with a good heart and good intentions).  This whole book is about love, healing and the power of living life to the fullest.  I was touched more than I can say and I would recommend it VERY highly to fans of Sarah Dessen and authors that deal with heavy subjects in such a beautiful way.

VERDICT:  5/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*