Flight-Sherman Alexie

Mr. Alexie, you are on NOTICE. If you write ONE MORE novel as brilliant as Absolutely True Diaries of a Part Time Indian or Flight, you will officially be my new literary boyfriend.

Flight tells the story of "Zits," a half Indian, half White 15 year old foster child. His mother died when he was six, and his father ran off the day Zits was born. Because his father never claimed him, Zits can't claim legal status as an Indian. As such, he's placed with white family after white family.

Zits harbors a deep anger and hatred for his situation in life. And I don't blame him; he's been through something like 20 foster homes (none of them good) and all his belongings fit in a backpack. Understandably, he's kind of a prick. But, you know, I have a GIANT soft spot for unruly foster kids, so I liked Zits immediately.

Convinced by a "friend" he met in Juvie, Zits walks into a bank, armed and crazy, and opens fire. A bullet explode into his head and then...nothingness. When he wakes up, he finds that not only is it 1975, but he's inhabiting the body of Hank Storm, an FBI agent.

Zits careens through space and time, waking up in new bodies that witness shocking acts of violence and revenge, including Custer's Last Stand.

Of course there's a moral lesson here about the damage seeking revenge can cause, but the moral never feels heavy handed. I adored Zits, and teared up more than once as he told his story. As this is a Sherman Alexie novel, I also laughed quite a bit.

Seriously Mr. Alexie; I'm one more good book away from staring at your author photo with little cartoon hearts in my eyes. I may or may not begin keeping a photo of you on my bedside. You know, something like this:


Don't say you haven't been warned.

Saints of Augustine-P.E. Ryan

Sam and Charlie were once best friends, but haven't spoken to each other in over a year. Sam suddenly ends his friendship with Charlie, claiming it "just wouldn't work out." Charlie always wondered why Sam ended things so abruptly, but decided not to press the issue. The story unfolds in chapters that alternate between the two boys' viewpoints, revealing the struggles each of them are facing.
After the death of his mother, Charlie becomes concerned with his dad; he's been more interested in drinking than interacting with his son. Charlie's only salvation, smoking pot, has put him into debt with a menacing dealer and caused his girlfriend to break up with him.
Sam's parents have split and he learns it's because his father has come out and now lives overseas with his lover. He now has to endure time with his mom's bigoted boyfriend. Sam finds it exceptionally difficult to put up with him because he is worried that he may be gay. Sam later reveals that he ended things with Charlie due to the feelings he had for him. Both Sam and Charlie's lives come to a head and they end up turning to each other for comfort and escape.
I know this probably seems like a somber read, but Ryan does a good job at creating genuine characters and drawing the reader into each of their lives. I enjoyed the story because it is so true to life. This really is what happens when a relationship dies out between friends; things are awkward and neither party wants to be the first to talk to speak to the other, but when you really need each other, everything gets put in the past.

Ta Da!

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If I Stay-Gayle Forman

Ever since Sherman Alexie pulled me out of my bookslump, it's like the floodgates have opened and all these really wonderful books have come slip sliding my way. If I Stay is one of those wonderful books.

Mia, a seventeen year old high school senior, has a pretty good life. She's close with her family, she has a loving punk rock boyfriend, and it seems to be a given that she'll be accepted into Julliard. But that wouldn't make for a very interesting story would it? Course not. Enter the conflict.

"Everyone thinks it was because of the snow. And in a way, I suppose that's true."

A thin layer of snow falls, and, because this is Oregon, the schools shut down. The family decides to take advantage of the snow day by taking an impromptu road trip. One minute, they're trying to come to a consensus over which radio station to listen to, and the next, Mia is standing on the side of the road, surveying the terrible car wreck that has killed her family. Mia doesn't understand what she's seeing. She walks over to the mangled car and sees her own body there, mangled, the flesh of her leg ripped away to reveal the bone beneath.

Am I dead?

I actually have to ask myself this.

Am I dead?

Before the accident, Mia was struggling with which path to take. Does she follow her first love-music-to New York City and Julliard, or does she stay with her family and the boyfriend who loves her so very much? Now though, as she watches herself lay there in a hospital bed, deep in a coma, she has a much greater decision to make; Should I stay?

Oh man. This book just about ripped my heart out of my chest. Mia thinks back to time spent with her family, and while she's relating these lovely memories, I sort of forgot that her family is dead. When I remembered (rather, when Mia reminded me of the fact) I felt this giant whoosh of the wind being knocked out of me. No! I love them so much! They can't be dead!

It's why the book is so brilliant. Mia is so torn between letting go (it'd be easier, she's so very tired, and maybe she'd be with her family again. Life would be so hard without them) and staying for the things that are still here (Adam, Kim, her music.)She knows life will be so painful if she stays. If she goes, she knows she leaves behind people that love her, and need her to come back to them. What would you do? I honestly didn't know what Mia's choice would be. Of course I wanted her to live, but I would have totally understood if she decided to just let go.

I cannot say enough how beautiful this book is. After finishing the last page, I had the desire to sit alone in silence, just to be able to digest all the beauty and the pain.

Have I convinced you to read it yet??

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian-Sherman Alexie

So remember how I was complaining about being in a total book slump? THE SLUMP IS OFFICIALLY OVER!! And it's all thanks to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.

I'm sort of ashamed to admit how hesitant I was to read this book. I'd even checked it out from the library a few months ago, but returned it unread. It had gotten such rave reviews, that I was a little wary. I've gotten burned a few times this year by the "omg you HAVE to read this!!1!" reviews on some other blogs. I'd rush out to read those books and, while there was nothing wrong with them, per se, they just suffered from my too high expectations. Anyway, I was cautious.

From the first paragraph, I was totally hooked. I could instantly hear Junior's voice in my head, loud and clear. He's smart, he's funny, he's sarcastic, he's confused and, well, he's awesome. Seriously, I would totally hang out with this kid.

I loved the honesty of it all. Junior pulls no punches in describing all the things that are wrong with the reservation and with the people on it. He traces every problem back to its source; booze. But though he acknowledges these issues, he's also attached through the strong bond of love and loyalty to the Rez. When his math teacher tells Junior that he has to leave the Rez in order to survive, Junior takes his words to heart and decides to go to high school at Rearden. Rearden is off the Rez and full of white kids. Though he knows he's going to be looked on as a traitor, Junior also knows that his teacher is right; if he wants a different life for himself, he has to leave the rez.

I really loved Junior's relationship with his family. They have their issues (dad's a drunk prone to disappearing for days on a bender, mom is an enabler and his older sister is sort of a hermit) but the love and devotion they all have for one another is wonderfully apparent. Who hasn't thought their family was totally weird and effed up, and loved them anyway?

It would have been easy for the story to devolve into stereotypes and absolutes. Instead, the story is beautifully crafted and feels incredibly real. This could be because it's loosely based on Sherman Alexie's own experiences growing up on a reservation. Still, it's the mark of a great writer when you can read their work and not think of the author all the time. Instead, you're thinking about the characters. After all, that's the point of story telling.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is at turns heartbreaking and hilarious. A book can get me to both laugh out loud AND cry? How rare (and awesome) is THAT?

I finished this book in a day, and was totally bummed that it was over. Luckily for me, Sherman Alexie is "hard at work" on a sequel, tentatively titled The Magic and Tragic Year of My Broken Thumb. I can't wait to have Junior's voice in my head again.

Hold Tight-Harlan Coben

I think it's about time to review something written by my literary boyfriend (Also known as my LBF), Harlan Coben. Call me a romantic, but his ability to write a good murder mystery had me from day one. I've found all of his books equally interesting, so I'm just going to review the first one I ever read, "Hold Tight." The story is about Mike and Tia Baye, concerned parents who decide to start monitoring the computer activity of their sixteen-year-old son, Adam. He has been acting despondent and temperamental lately, especially since the death of one of his classmates, Spencer Hill. After reviewing Adam's e-mails, his parents become increasingly worried about their son's safety. And when Adam goes missing, they refer to a series of cryptic messages that lead Mike on a wild chase around the city. I'm talking dead hookers, brutal fist fights, undercover drug clubs, hostage situations kind of wild. On the quest to find his son, Mike learns more about Spencer's death and Adam's possible involvement. I wish I could go into more detail, but I don't want to reveal all the good stuff. Let's just say, Coben will keep you guessing until the last page.
Coben has been described by a fellow mystery writer as a "modern master of the hook-and-twist." That couldn't be more accurate--my LBF knows just how to keep me coming back for more. I forsee a long literary relationship...

Ha! Suck on THAT John David POSER.

Just as I had hoped, Salinger is refusing to sit idly by and allow my beloved Holden to be completely defiled by this John David California asshat. He's filed suit in Federal Court, and, if you're even slightly interested in the legal process (as I am, despite working as a paralegal, which you would think would've beat all interest in the legal process outta me by now) you can read the complaint here. There's also a good article and interview with a copyright attorney here.

Seriously, how much do I want to work at the firm representing Salinger? HOW AWESOME WOULD THAT BE? I mean, the Complaint talks in length about Catcher in the Rye, describes Holden, discusses the importance of the novel, and even uses direct quotes. How stoked was the paralegal who did THAT research. You know what I did today? I researched the California Rules of Court for a boring ass demurrer today. THAT IS SO BORING IN COMPARISON.