Dead of Summer

Camilla Way has penned a short book with a huge impact, and it will be very easy to sell to young adult readers, particularly those who are after a good mystery and don't mind some "intense" scenes of violence.

It's 1986 and oh so hot in Greenwich UK when three misfits form an uneasy alliance and explore the river and old caves under the city. Kyle, the loner, is prone to fits of anger and disconnection from his mates. Denis, the village "special needs" loner, talks about the A-Team incessantly and hangs out with Kyle, regardless of what other people think. Anita, the odd new girl, comes to town and gets drawn into the "gang" mainly by default. They avoid bullies, steal row boats and wander aimlessly, drawing suspicious stares and fear from the locals. To add to their cache, Kyle's sister, Katie, disappeared in a well-publicized kidnapping the summer prior.

Way's tone remains detatched throughout this intense book. Anita is relating the events of 1986 to her psychiatrist, seven years after the events in the cave. We know that Anita is the only survivor, so that tension is placed in our minds early on. Even though the book is short, the tension builds at the same slow languid pace as the summer progresses. Way's description of the heat and the stench of the environs only adds to the reader's feelings about these three characters.

I have to admit that I was not expecting the ending. Some people that I've talked with about this book said they saw it coming, but I absolutely did not. I thought I had it all figured out, too, but it was the obvious solution. I guess that's why I like whodunits so much; I never know before I get to the end.

Why is this for young adults? Robert Cormier's Tenderness continues to be one of the best sellers in my library, and I see this as a step up from that book. It explores the mindset of violent teenagers, and I think there is a lot to relate to for teens in this book, unfortunately. The bullying is a major topic, as is the bored restlessness of the teens. This is a literary read that will appeal to teen readers across the board. You will be able to see it to your reluctant readers because of its subject matter, and your better readers will appreciate the Way's skillful writing.

Thirteen Reasons Why

I hate New Year's resolutions, so I never make them. But if I were to make them, I'd make one that involved sharing more books with people. I am a librarian, so that's basically what I do, but I want to do more of it. There are so many incredible, important books out there that I think we need to get the titles out there and share what we've read. So...let's share...

Today's book is by Jay Asher called Thirteen Reasons Why. I think what I find so phemonenal about this book is the style and the fact that a young adult publisher (way to go Penguin) actually published a no-holds-barred book on suicide, and it's a success. Suicide has always been a taboo topic in young adult literature, and there are several books that now deal with it honestly.

Stylistically, this book is amazing. Hannah has committed suicide, and she before she died, she sent a box of cassette tapes on it's way to 13 different people. Each person named on the tapes has somehow figured in to her decision to kill herself, and the person who now has the tapes, Clay, has no idea what he did to her to figure into her decision. So, he listens...and he learns that Hannah's decision took a long time to make, and it centered around several events which may seem slight or self-created by Hannah. When looked at as a whole, Hannah simply couldn't live with what was happening to her.

I'm anxious to get the reaction of my student's to this book because they are always my most honest gauges of whether I am on the mark or reading like an old lady. I also want to make this book required reading for every person who deals with teenagers in any capacity. The previous book that I felt that way about was The 3 NBs of Julian Drew by James Deem, and I still do feel that way about that book. My only quibble with it is Julian's code, and the fact that it requires some effort to decode. 13 is more accessible to all readers, even those pressed for "time" to read.

This book deserves discussion because of the topics it raises and the issues Asher presents. Style-wise, this book also deserves discussion because there are so many elements that make the reader think. I cry at the drop of a hat, and this book did not make me cry. That's one of the first things I discuss with other's who have read this book. Why is that? Why didn't my overly empathetic soul just melt for Hannah? Was it her matter-of-fact tone? Was it that you knew that she was dead, so there was no real greiving for her? I didn't dislike her at all, so that's definitely not it. In Unexcusable by Chris Lynch, Kier is such an amoral, unlikeable character that the reader has no empathy for him, but not so in this book.

Read it, please, and let's chat about it. Kudos to Jay Asher for being so brave and writing this much needed book! Remember, just because I like to read books about serial killers, it doesn't mean that I'm going to go out on a spree. So...just because kids read books about suicide, doesn't mean they're going to do it. Let's move past that ancient idea and give our kids some credit, for Pete's sake. Give it to them and TALK about it!