Due to some malfunctions with the website, I'm back on blogspot.Head hear to read future reviews -- thepageflipper.blogspot.com!
Title: The Latent Powers of Dylan FontaineAuthor: April LurieSummary (from book):Fifteen-year-old Dylan's friend Angie is making a film about him while he is busy trying to keep his older brother from getting caught with drugs, to deal with his mother having left the family, and to figure out how to get Angie to think of him as more than just a friend.Review:There was a lot going on in this book. From Dylan's girl troubles to family drama, Dylan's life was a complete mess. But April Lurie wrote his story in a way that didn't feel rushed or overly dramatic, as the summary would make it seem. In fact, Dylan seemed like a pretty average teenager going through pretty average problems, but his situation and the characters in his life (including Dylan himself) were really unique and well thought-out, making the book have a lot of depth.This is one of those books where the characters just stick out to me, which, in my opinion, are usually the best ones. Dylan went through a ton of character building, and his persona was just so incomparable and refreshing. Somehow he was both the background and main character. Dylan's brother, Randy, and his fellow bandmates also stuck out a lot and had a side story big enough to be a novel on it's own.There are a lot more tiny details I could go over (like my love for Dylan's non-additive & organic food choices, and the subtle humor throughout the story), but this review would end up way too long. Suffice to say, I enjoyed the book. A lot.
Title: Living Dead GirlAuthor: Elizabeth ScottSummary (from book):Alice was only ten years old when she was abducted by Ray during a class trip. Now fifteen, she is a shell of a girl who has suffered constant, indescribable physical and mental abuse. Trapped in the tiny world Ray has created for her, Alice prays for the one thing that can release her: death. Instead, something worse happens - Ray commands Alice to find him a new girl. Someone young, who can be taught to be the perfect little girl he craves. Could this be the solace Alice has prayed for? Or will it be her final step from humanity to a place so dark she can truly never return?Review:This was deep, dark, and unsettling subject matter. The fact that it's completely realistic only adds to it's disturbance level.One part that really stood out to me happened pretty early in the book. "Alice" was watching a show on women who were abused, and the book commented on other women who, when finding out about another person's abuse, question why the victims don't just tell someone and get themselves out of their situation. I, myself, have thought about that plenty of times. And it cropped up a lot in my mind during the book, when Alice was out in public. But as I was reading, I became more aware of the mind games and threats and fear the abuser inspires in their victims, and it was much easier for me to grasp.Elizabeth Scott doesn't sugarcoat anything about this novel, and it's definitely a powerful one. I'm extremely glad she took the leap to publish it, because I really feel like the YA genre needs it. I'd imagine it was tough for her to write/get published (especially considering the audience her other books I've read, Perfect You and Bloom, were more geared towards), but the effort, in my opinion, was well worth it. Living Dead Girl was an extremely powerful and emotional book that I highly encourage others to pick up.
