Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins, is decidedly a girl book. That doesn't make it bad, of course, it's just something to be aware of. The novel is, structurally at least, pretty standard fare in the world of YA lit. It's about a teenage girl who is sent off to Paris to a boarding school to complete her senior year of high school. At first she is miserable about leaving her friends and a budding romance behind, but once she gets used to Paris she falls in love...and not just with the city.

What immediately impressed me about this book was the care with which it had been written. The plot evolved delicately, and the characters demonstrated marked growth throughout the novel. The writing wasn't sloppy or hasty, and it demonstrated a maturity and confidence on the part of the author that I found very refreshing. What's even more impressive is that Stephanie Perkins is, for all intents and purposes, an amateur writer. This book was birthed during NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. Despite its rushed origins, however, the book is polished and complete. In fact, I believe the level of writing is superior to several of the books I've recently read by prominent authors, particularly Dash and Lily's Book of Dares. Though still unproven in many ways, I believe Stephanie Perkins has the raw talent and the attention to detail to become a truly excellent novelist.

My main problem with the novel is not the writing itself, but the plot. Though in the first portions of the novel the plot develops in a satisfying manner, complicating itself enough to stay interesting but not so much so as to become convoluted, it became overly simplistic as the novel reached its conclusion. Essentially things just sort of ran out of steam towards the end. It wasn't an unsatisfying novel, but the ending was rather predictable, and I felt it to be too conventional. Stephanie Perkins could have gone several different ways with the ending, but she just took the easy way out. This is fine, but is ultimately the reason that I think Anna and the French Kiss will remain a girl book rather than a book that a wider audience can enjoy. It was just a little too pleasing in the final analysis, and didn't demand enough of the reader or the characters to create lasting meaning. The novel's moral force fizzled in a wave of sentimentality. What's truly unfortunate here isn't that the ending was bad, it just wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be given how excellent the first half of the novel was.

On the whole this book is enjoyable, easy to read, and more carefully crafted than many other popular works of YA lit. It is, however, ultimately a fairly shallow book that demands little from its readers and offers little in return outside of a few hours of pleasant entertainment.

Score: 7/10
Read this book if: You like sappy romance stories, are enchanted by the romance of Paris, or are a teenage girl of any sort.
Don't read this book if: You are looking for a story that will take you on a meaningful emotional journey, or that demands a little work on your part to be fully enjoyed.

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

This novel is a bit of a strange bird in that it has not one, but two authors. Rachel Cohn and David Levithan collaborated to create this charming little work, and overall I think their union was a success.

The novel focuses on two teenagers, Dash and Lily, who both live in New York. Lily finds herself alone for the holidays, and decides to leave a red notebook with some cryptic instructions between two of her favorite novels at a local bookstore. The notebook is then retrieved by Dash, also a conveniently alone teenager, and the two kids begin swapping dares, sharing adventures, and getting to know one another through the notebook.

By having their interactions take place within the bounds of the notebook the novel offers an interesting twist on the conventional teen romance. Physical attraction and hormones play no part in Dash and Lily's friendship, and the two are able to arrive at a true meeting of minds and emotions that they are incapable of achieving with any of their friends in the physical universe. Their relationship has a sort of purity and honesty to it that is very refreshing for anyone accustomed to the typical romances found in novels of this sort. The friendship that springs up between Dash and Lily is aided by the strength of the two characters, who are well developed, unique, and interesting. The novel also features a fairly good cast of supporting characters. Though many of the secondary characters are a bit flat, there are a few (including a wonderful great-aunt and a chap named Boomer) who provide both excellent comic relief, and a degree of depth to the novel.

Because the novel was written collaboratively, with David Levithan writing Dash's portions and Rachel  Cohn writing Lily's, the two characters have their own voices, thoughts, and styles. This also means that the novel will likely be just as accessible for boys as for girls. However, the collaborative nature of the work is also probably this novel's greatest weakness. I'm not sure how collaborative novels are written, but there are points in the novel where it is clear that the left hand did not know what the right hand was doing. David Levithan's writing tends to be faultless, if a bit bland. However, Rachel Cohn's writing revealed an alarming tendency towards poor editing and inconsistency. Although these problems generally just resulted in minor typos, they occasionally led to inconsistencies within the novel's plot itself. In a novel written by two well known and well respected authors, I consider such sloppiness absolutely unacceptable. That said, the story's plot and characters were sufficiently strong that I was willing to overlook the technical errors while reading the novel. However, now that I've finished the book I would be remiss to not at least mention that whoever edited this novel did a subpar job.

On the whole this novel is engaging, quick to read, and enjoyable. The strength of the novel rests primarily in the two main characters, who are well developed, likable individuals. The plot occasionally left me a bit incredulous, but I still found myself struggling to put the book down. It probably won't change your life, but if you're looking for a quick read that will give you a little food for thought, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares won't disappoint.

Score: 7/10
Read this book if: You believe in the magic of Christmas; like treasure hunts, riddles, and dares; or believe in the power of the printed word as a vehicle of truth, when appearances so often deceive.
Don't read this book if: You can't tolerate some sloppy copy editing, don't like cheesy romance, or are a purist for deep books.

Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances

I must have been getting nostalgic for winter when I picked up this little Christmas-centric piece authored by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. Though the three stories are loosely related, they are essentially independent of one another, and I will therefore review them separately below.

The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson
This was a fun, fluffy little piece about a girl whose train gets stuck in the worst blizzard in 50 years. She meets a boy, they become friends, and awkwardness/hilarity ensues. I liked this little story. It was fun, it had some real heartfelt moments, and it offered some keen commentary on the one-sided nature of many of our relationships. The writing is nothing to shout about, but it didn't get in the way of the story and was pretty transparent throughout. Although there were some moments that were pretty cheesy, this was an enjoyable little tale.

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green
This was probably my favorite piece in the collection, and not because it was written by John Green (who I have an avowed bias towards). This story is about three friends who are summoned to a Waffle House where await an entire train car full of cheerleaders who have become stranded due to the weather. What follows is a wild adventure as the three friends attempt to brave the storm in order to partake in the miracle of cheerleaders. Beneath the surface, however, is a story of loyalty, love, and friendship that will appeal to anyone who has been lucky enough to be a part of a group of friends who are wildly different, yet unfailingly loyal to one another. This story reminded me of high school, and gave me a renewed appreciation for the simple bonds of friendship that I've enjoyed over my life. It was a real pleasure to read.

The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle
Her last name my be miraculous, but her writing is anything but. The final tale in this collection was easily my least favorite. It focuses on a pouty, self-centered girl who has recently broken up with the love of her life for really dumb reasons. The whole story is just her trying to justify her actions to herself and others, with everyone (reader included) just rolling their eyes and trying not to lash out at her. Not only is the narrator irritating, but the plot itself is cheesy and plodding. Although not exactly painful to read, this story certainly wasn't nearly as pleasant as its two companion tales.

On the whole Let it Snow is a fun, fluffy, and quick read. If you're interested in some holiday cheer, or just like the instant gratification of not one, but THREE romances crammed into one book, give it a try. If you're after a book with real literary merit, symbolism, character development, or complexity you'll want to look elsewhere.

Score: 6.5/10 (This would probably be 7.5 if the book didn't include The Patron Saint of Pigs).
Read this book if: You're nostalgic for Christmas, find the prospect of getting snowed-in romantic, or are just looking for some (extremely) fluffy entertainment.
Don't read this book if: You want to read a work of literature that actually has literary merit. This is escapist fluff fiction through and through.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

Ah, the Cold War. Has there ever been any other historical event that has given us more excellent films and stories? I mean we've got The Hunt for Red October, Rocky IV, every James Bond film, as well as this little gem from John Le Carre. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is the story of Alec Leamas, a field agent with British Intelligence who is asked to do one last mission before he "comes in from the cold." This story tells about that last mission in the divided city of Berlin. There's really not much to say about the book beyond that. It's a fun read, and pretty engaging. Unlike the James Bond books (which I haven't read, but so I've heard) this book tends to be more psychological than action-packed. It addresses the moral conflict and ambiguity that exists within the minds of the agents who sacrificed their own moral compass for the sake of a greater good. The novel explores these questions elegantly and with pathos, and by the end you really care about the characters. This book is considered one of the best spy novels ever written, and I can see why. It's not an action thriller, but it has all the twists and turns of a good mystery, and will keep you engaged and guessing clear to the end.

Score: 8/10
Read this book if: You want a quick, fun read that has more psychological action than actual explosions-and-guns action, or if you like the Cold War.
Don't read this book if: You want explosions-and-guns action, or aren't in the mood for light reading.

The Prophet

Kahlil Gibran is generally associated with the countercultural movements of the sixties and seventies. When I think of avid Gibran fans I usually imagine long-haired pot-smoking bell bottom-wearing hippies listening to sitar music in the back of a VW bus while burning incense and talking about the hidden messages in the latest Beatles album. Imagine my surprise, then, when I googled Gibran and found him to be a clean cut, dapper gentleman. Indeed, though Gibran eventually came to be adored by the hippies, he was first a poet, philosopher, and author who created something absolutely lovely in the form of The Prophet.

Kahlil Gibran

I don't have much to say about this book. The plot is little more than a skeletal frame into which are inserted poetic essays on topics ranging from eating, to work, to teaching, to love. The essays are brief, a little bit elevated in language and style, occasionally obtuse in their meaning, but absolutely delightful to read. Much of it just went over my head, but I still appreciated the rhythm and flow of the words, and the beauty of the imagery. The book is immensely quotable, and portions of it have no doubt found their way onto calendars and greeting cards for decades. Here are a few of my selected favorites:
"Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul."
"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding."
"For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill? Seek him always with hours to live."
There are loads more quotes in the book, which is quite impressive considering the whole book is only about sixty pages long. In the end this book is short, enjoyable, and pleasant. Occasionally I got the impression that there was more form to the language than actual substance, but it was still nice to read.

Score: 8/10
Read this book if: You love beautiful language and frequent metaphors, and enjoy philosophical explorations of the basic elements of daily life.
Don't read this book if: You want a plot, characters, or anything else that most books tend to have.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

I really liked this book. Basically it's about a kid named Craig who is bright an ambitious, works really hard to get into a prestigious private high school, and then finds out that he's quickly gone from being the smartest kid in school to just average. Thrown in with Manhattan's best and brightest Craig quickly starts to cave under the mounting pressure, until he checks himself into the psychiatric ward after nearly committing suicide. Once introduced to the motley crew of patients of "Six North" things get interesting, and that's where what could have been a very depressing read begins to turn into the funny story promised by the title.

The book's plot is simple, and most of the interesting action takes place within Craig's mind, and that's one of the things that makes this book so good. The toughest fights a person ever has are with himself, and once the internal battle is won the external actions are usually pretty easy. The book does a great job of capturing how one can become internally paralyzed by stress and a variety of other factors, and then explores the various external manifestations. The book provides a good look at the psychology of depression, and reveals what a vicious cycle it can be. Yet the book is also hopeful, showing ways in which self-destructive cycles can be effectively managed.

The other characters in the hospital provide good comic relief, but allow for the author (Ned Vizzini) to portray a variety of other mental illnesses in a soft and sympathetic light. In this way the book does a lot to overcome the stigma that's associated with mental illness, psychiatrists, anti-depressants, and so forth. The book also critiques socie
ty's tendency towards overmedication and hypochondria. Once admitted to the hospital Craig finds himself bombarded by phone calls from friends who think they should be taking anti-depressents and checking into the hospital as well. From the perspective of Craig, who has been through the trauma of near-suicide, these friends seem like ridiculous pretenders simply trying to capitalize on the social cachet of mental illness.

Of the various messages in the book, though, my favorite is related to the way in which some people hide their problems. One of the people Craig meets in the hospital is a girl who cut up her face with scissors because she was tired of the social pressure associated with being "hot." When she confides to Craig that she is worried that people will judge her for her scars throughout her life, Craig remarks "Everybody has problems. Some people just hide their crap better than others. But people aren't going to look at you and run away. They're going to look at you and think that they can talk to you, and that you'll understand, and that you're brave, and that you're strong." I firmly believe that everybody on this planet is a little bit screwed up, and that by pretending we aren't we simply perpetuate a lie that places extraordinary pressure on everyone involved. What this book does best is show that people can be messy, complicated, imperfect human beings, and still be great people. The book urges openness and honesty with yourself and those around you, suggesting that it is far better to be true to yourself than to conform to the model society lays out for you. This is a message that I feel would be of benefit to a lot of people, and the book did a great job of getting it across.

Of course no novel is perfect (though The Fault in Our Stars and Dandelion Wine come close), and I do have a couple minor complaints with this novel. The first is a matter of content. Within a hyper-conservative community such as Utah this novel would almost certainly never get taught in the classroom, and many parents would object to their children reading it because of some objectionable content. This is a real shame, because the messages in the book are so important to teens who are finding themselves under increased pressure to have their whole lives mapped out by the time they graduate from high school. My other quibble is more formal. Without giving too much away, I'll just say that a female plays an important part in Craig's recovery. While it would certainly be nice if everyone in the world could find a significant other just after going through a life-altering trial, this is an unrealistic expectation. I feel Craig's recovery would have been more significant, not to mention more real, if he had done it without any help from romantic sources. Still, can't have a young adult novel without romance, so I'll forgive it.

Overall this is a great book. I liked it, and if you can stand some "adult" content, I imagine most people would find it to be a good read.

Score: 9/10
Read this book if: You want to better understand the psychology of clinical depression (and assorted other mental illnesses), or want a reminder of why life is pretty awesome and worth living.
Don't read this book if: You generally don't enjoy young adult literature, or are put off by some coarse language and content.

All Quiet on the Western Front

This book is really excellent, but also super depressing. It's about the horror of World War I, as told from the German perspective. For those of you not keen on history, the Germans lost WWI quite badly, so you know going into it that it's not going to end overly well for those involved. While lots of books and films manage to show the horror of warfare, what makes AQotWF so good is that it also captures the toll of warfare on the individual souls of the soldiers involved. WWI was unique in that the war was  essentially being fought by children, with huge numbers of the soldiers falling under the age of twenty. WWI was also unique because it was the first war in which industry and technology really began to dramatically alter the face of warfare. Officers still carried swords, bayonets were still fitted to rifles, and horses were used in the cavalry; yet explosive artillery shells and gas attacks continually ravaged the front lines, while incessant machine gun fire and airplane attacks picked off those unfortunate enough to cross into no-man's land. The world was unprepared for war on the scale of WWI, and the cost was extremely high both in individual lives and in personal, individual internal scarring. The novel's narrator is frequently explaining to the reader how, in order to mentally survive the anguish of the war, he has to become less than human. War is shown to be an animalizing force, one which requires that a person shed themselves of any trace of humanity in favor of the primal forces that lead to survival. It's a choice between an animal life or a human death, even though many ultimately get neither. All Quiet shows the reader the ways in which modern warfare scar the land, the soul, and entire generations. It's writing is bleak, yet powerful. For anyone interested in history, this book is definitely a must read.

Score: 8/10
Read this book if: You are a history buff, or need a reminder of the negative aspects of technological progress.
Don't read this book if: You are easily upset by gruesome writing. This was a crazy bloody war, and the book isn't shy about depicting it in all its gruesome horror.