Welcome to Hell

Welcome to Hell by "Bad" Billy Pratt, 178 pages

Repeatedly, in the collection of blog posts that make up Welcome to Hell, author Billy Pratt earnestly declares the mission of the writer to be the arduous distillation of truth from experience.  Given such a seemingly grandiose conception of his vocation, the reader might expect a diatribe against contemporary illusions and delusions.  Whether attracted or repelled by that prospect, what he will find if he dares to open the book is a series of vignettes, some funny, some poignant, some simply depressing, most of them defying cheap moralizing and instead inviting understanding.  What emerges is a portrait of Hell, a realm of aging adolescent consumers searching ever more desperately for validation or just the next dopamine fix, having already pawned their youth and healthy relationships.

An obvious trap for a collection of this kind is for the entries to become numbingly repetitive, but Pratt's descriptive approach avoids this entirely.  At the same time, the strong thematic unity and the unmistakable voice of the author keeps it from feeling disjointed.  The whole reads less like a haphazard bunch of essays than a carefully constructed novel in the tradition of Zola, albeit one holding up a mirror to a very different world.

Rose Royal: A Love Story

“Rose Royal: A Love Story” by Nicolas Mathieu (translated from the French by Sam Taylor) 96 pages  

This dark gem of a novella packed a powerful punch. Rose is almost fifty years old, divorced and has had it with men. Her favorite thing to do after work is to head to her favorite bar, the Royal, where she loves to drink beer, gin and vodka (but not together). One of the fascinating things about Rose is that she carries a .38 caliber handgun with her at all times. Like I said, she’s had it with men and their tendencies toward violence. 

Her friend, Marie-Jeanne, joins her every night and two nights a week, she sets up a small hair salon in the bar’s corner. Personally, I wouldn’t want anyone cutting my hair after they have had a few. 

On this night, the bar is basically empty. Near closing time, a group of teenagers, “seniors at a local private school,” come in to celebrate that they are only one hundred days from final exams. After Fred, the bartender, clears them out, the place is quiet until a man stumbles in carrying a dog that has been hit by a car. Rose helps him with the animal.  

His name is Luc and he drives a very expensive car. Luc and Rose are attracted to each other and soon begin dating. Despite the problem that they incur, neither one walks away. Instead Rose moves into his country house. But things don’t get any better. 

The story roars to a shocking conclusion. I was so shocked, I went back and re-read the entire novella.  I’m not sure that I truly understand why what happened, happened. And I don’t fully understand the title. Rose is the protagonist and Royal is the name of her favorite bar. Other than that, “Rose Royal” is a thrilling read and receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

In the Pink: How I Met the Perfect (Younger) Man, Survived Breast Cancer, and Found True Happiness After Forty by Susan McBride 128 pages

I’ve known Susan McBride since her first book, “And Then She Was Gone,” was published in 2000. She is one of the sweetest, smartest and funniest people I know. Not to mention one of my favorite authors. She’s talented too. She can write in a variety of genres: police procedurals, young adult, cozy mysteries, magical realism, mysteries and nonfiction.

In this short memoir, she takes the readers on a journey, like she does in all her books, through some of the best times, and worst times, of her life.  (That can be the title of this review, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”  I don’t think Dickens will mind.) I remember when she met her husband, Ed, celebrated with them when they married, cried when she was diagnosed with  breast cancer, and attended almost every book signing when she published a new book. How she was able to write while undergoing cancer treatments still amazes me to this today.

Reading her words to describe those times was like reliving them all over again. She remembered them the same way I did. That’s one of the reasons I waited so long to read her memoir. 

Busy lives have gotten in the way, and I don’t see her very often. Thank goodness for Facebook and Christmas poems so I can stay on abreast of her busy life with writing, Ed, and their beautiful daughter, Emily, born in 2012. Where has the time gone?

I found her story uplifting and her attitude courageous.  I hope anyone who reads “In the Pink: How I Met the Perfect (Younger) Man, Survived Breast Cancer, and Found True Happiness After Forty” will find the same courage to forge ahead as Susan had done.  “In the Pink” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

American Street

American Street by Ibi Zoboi, 324 pages

“On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie--a good life. But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola's mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit's west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own. Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice, will she pay the price for the American dream?” I liked this book but not as much as I wanted to.  This is a good book for teens who want gritty, realistic fiction.

Not If I See You First

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom, 310 pages

“Parker Grant doesn't need 20/20 vision to see right through you. That's why she created the Rules: Don't treat her any differently just because she's blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances. Just ask Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart. When Scott suddenly reappears in her life after being gone for years, Parker knows there's only one way to react--shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough on her mind already, like trying out for the track team (that's right, her eyes don't work but her legs still do), doling out tough-love advice to her painfully naive classmates, and giving herself gold stars for every day she hasn't cried since her dad's death three months ago. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened--both with Scott, and her dad--the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem. Maybe, just maybe, some Rules are meant to be broken. Combining a fiercely engaging voice with true heart, debut author Eric Lindstrom's Not If I See You First illuminates those blind spots that we all have in life, whether visually impaired or not.” This book was amazing.  I loved it.  Any teen who likes realistic stories should read this book.

All The Dirty Parts

All The Dirty Parts by Daniel Handler, 134 pages

“From bestselling, award-winning author Daniel Handler, a gutsy, exciting novel that looks honestly at the erotic impulses of an all-too-typical young man. Cole is a boy in high school. He runs cross country, he sketches, he jokes around with friends. But none of this quite matters next to the allure of sex. ‘Let me put it this way,’ he says. ‘Draw a number line, with zero is you never think about sex and ten is, it 's all you think about, and while you are drawing the line, I am thinking about sex.’ Cole fantasizes about whomever he 's looking at. He consumes and shares pornography. And he sleeps with a lot of girls, which is beginning to earn him a not-quite-savory reputation around school. This leaves him adrift with only his best friend for company, and then something startling starts to happen between them that might be what he 's been after all this time and then he meets Grisaille. All The Dirty Parts is an unblinking take on teenage desire in a culture of unrelenting explicitness and shunted communication, where sex feels like love, but no one knows what love feels like. With short chapters in the style of Jenny Offill or Mary Robison, Daniel Handler gives us a tender, brutal, funny, intoxicating portrait of an age when the lens of sex tilts the world. ‘There are love stories galore,’ Cole tells us, ‘This isn 't that. The story I 'm typing is all the dirty parts.’” Handler’s books just keep getting stranger.  I’m not sure that I really liked this book and I’m not sure that I’d recommend it to anyone, other than someone who was specifically looking for Handler’s books.

Lies You Never Told Me

Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson 336 pages

This young adult novel has an interesting cover; What I think should be the front is really the back, and what I would construe a back cover copy, is on the front.  The copy on back is interesting, but turns confusing after reading the book.

There are two main protagonists: Gabe and Elyse, along with two antagonists, Catherine and Sasha. Their stories are told in alternating chapters, which helps keep the tales separate and easy to follow.

The book’s first chapter is terrifying; I’ve never been so glad to be a child of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Gabe is over at his girlfriend, Sasha’s, house. Her parents are out of town and the teens are having a warm evening swim. When the parents call, Sasha lies that Gabe has come over. But thanks to technology, they are able to see what is happening, thanks to a surveillance camera.

While Gave and Sasha are in Portland, Oregon, halfway across the country in Austin, Texas, Elyse is trying out for her high school play. She doesn’t expect to land the lead, but when she does, she realizes she has a lot to lose…and gain.

When Gabe is leaving Sasha’s on the above-mentioned evening, he is struck by a car while he is skateboarding down the street. Lucky for him, a good samaritan stops and calls 911. When he discovers who saved his life, he tried to break-up with Sasha, but Sasha has other plans, including technology to scare him and breaking into his home while he is sleeping.

Elyse is also treading on dangerous grounds, but she just wants to be seen. Her drug-addict mother is barely in the picture. Elyse has been supporting herself for years, doing whatever it took to keep Social Services at bay. But now she has captured a man’s attention.

The story is tense, and the how easy it is to use today’s technology to manipulate people is terrifying. As the novel hurtled toward its climax, it got confusing. I wish I could chat with ya’ll about the ending, but no spoilers here. As I reached the last quarter of the book, I was planning to give it 4 stars, However the confusing ending, forces me to give Lies You Never Told Me receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Kill All Happies

Kill AllHappies by Rachel Cohn, 279 pages

“Last Call at Happies! Tonight, 8 P.M. Senior Class Only! Please with the Shhhh. This is it. Graduation. And Vic Navarro is throwing the most epic party Rancho Soldado has ever seen. She's going to pull off the most memorable good-bye ever for her best friends, give Happies-the kitschy restaurant that is her desert town's claim to fame-a proper send-off into bankruptcy, and oh yes, hook up with her delicious crush, Jake Zavala-Kim. She only needs to keep the whole thing a secret so that her archnemesis, Miss Ann Thrope, Rancho Soldado's nightmare Town Councilwoman and high school Economics teacher, doesn't get Vic tossed in jail. With the music thumping, alcohol flowing, bodies mashing, and Thrope nowhere to be seen, Vic's party is a raging success. That is, until Happies fans start arriving in droves to say good-bye, and storm the deserted theme park behind the restaurant. Suddenly what was a small graduation bash is more like Coachella on steroids with a side of RASmatazz pie. The night is so not going as planned. And maybe that's the best plan of all.” This book was completely crazy and I really enjoyed it.  This is a great story for teens who like fiction that is mostly realistic but just a little outside the realm of possibility as well.

Modern Romance

Modern Romance  by Aziz Ansari   279 pages

Aziz Ansari has made a living of humorous commentary on the state of modern romance. This book is the blending of his comic insight in tandem with legitimate research conducted worldwide by leading social scientists to determine how, in this day and age, when social media provides unlimited opportunities to meet other people, reality is proving opposing logic. Single people today have more romantic options than at any point in human history. With technology, the ability to connect with and sort through these options is staggering…so why are people frustrated and ultimately not making the connections they anticipated?

Ansari combines his irreverent humor with cutting-edge social science to give us an unforgettable tour of our new romantic world. – I found neither irreverent humor nor cutting-edge nor unforgettable anything to justify this publisher-inspired critique. There are many laugh out loud observations and the international research is interesting, but ultimately, the commentary is repetitive and the study’s conclusions are predictable. Given Ansari’s comedic shtick, I assume listening to his oration in an audio version would be more entertaining than reading a research project that could have been satisfactorily summed up in a fraction of the pages.

Posted By:   Regina C.  

Textrovert

Textrovert by Lindsey Summers, 234 pages

“It's bad enough when high-school senior Keeley grabs the wrong phone while leaving her small town's end-of-summer fair. It's even worse when she discovers that the phone she now has belongs to the obnoxious, self-centered Talon and that he's just left for football camp ... with her phone. Reluctantly, the two agree to forward messages for a week. And as Keeley gets to know Talon, she starts to like him. Keeley learns there's more to Talon than the egocentric jock most people see. There's more to Keeley, too. Texting Talon, she can step out of the shadow of her popular twin brother. Texting Talon, she can be the person she's always wanted to be. Sparks fly when the two finally meet to exchange their phones. But while Keeley has been playing a part online, Talon has been keeping a secret. He has a different connection to Keeley --- one that has nothing to do with phones, and one that will make their new relationship all but impossible. Knowing what she now knows, can Keeley trust him? And can love in the present erase mistakes of the past?” This was a fairly light romance.  I liked it, but I wouldn’t look for other books by the author based on this one.  I think that teen girls would probably like it, especially since it’s not long and might make a fun beach read.  Some of the subject matter gets pretty real, which keeps it from being complete fluff.  Overall, it’s not bad, but not a first pick either.

What You Left Behind

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi, 361 pages

Ryden Brooks is a single father to Hope.  At 17 years old, Ryden isn’t prepared to be a father but since Meg, Hope’s mother, died of cancer, he isn’t willing to give her up so he doesn’t have much choice.  Ryden feels like he is failing miserably at being a father, he blames himself for Meg getting pregnant when she had cancer, and he’s having a terrible time juggling fatherhood with work.  He is really concerned about how to handle school when it starts and especially his soccer schedule.  His plan has always been to play for UCLA on scholarship and doesn’t want to give it up.    Ryden’s feelings about Meg, Hope, and his life threaten to overwhelm him. If he can’t find a way to deal with them, he may fall apart completely.  This was an incredible coming of age story about an atypical single parent in high school situation.  I would highly recommend this to teens who like realistic fiction.

500 Dates

500 Dates: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Online Dating Wars by Mark Miller, 257 pages

I picked this up based on the title. I thought it seemed like an interesting premise. From reading the introduction, we find out that the author has experience in standup comedy, has written and produced for several TV shows and is a dating columnist. I had never heard of him before picking up the book.

I found the title and the introduction to be deceptive. He went on 500 dates but he admits he is only going to talk about 50 of them. Those are covered by two to three page essays in section one. There were several problems for me. One was that I don't think he struck the mix of serious and funny. He would be recounting a date and indicate that he said something but based on everything else he wrote you knew he hadn't actually said it. On the other hand, he had been serious up to that point so the flippant thing he said ruined the serious part.

The second section is his observations on dating and romance and the third section is dating fantasies. Some of it was amusing but overall it was pretty unoriginal.

The fourth section is fake news stories he wrote about romance, dating, and the sexes. This was the funniest section to me.

As an overall impression, I would say that I cracked a smile a few times but overall I did not think it was insightful or very funny. It may be somewhat insightful or funny to people who are not experienced in dating or have not heard all the clichés relating to dating and romance.

Take Me There

Take Me There by Susane Colasanti, 290 pages

Told alternately between three friends; Rhiannon, Nicole, and James, we follow their lives from Rhiannon’s devastating breakup with her boyfriend and its aftermath.  We get a little slice-of-life reality teen romance story.  This book was all right but I didn’t think it was her best story or that it was as well written as others I’ve read by her.  Teens who have liked her other books will probably like it but it wouldn’t be my first choice for a teen looking for this type of book.

Dumplin

Dumplin by Julie Murphy, 375 pages

Willowdean has always been heavy but she's always been okay with herself.  Until a boy she's always admired, a very cute, very hot boy, named Bo, starts to show that he likes her back.  Then she starts to question her feelings for him, his feelings for her, and just generally how she feels about herself.  Especially since she has recently lost her aunt, who was very heavy, to a heart attack.  Willowdean decides, on the spur of the moment, to sign up for the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant and finds herself with a following on one hand and ridicule on the other.  But her town may be in for a big surprise, and so may Willowdean.  I really liked this book.  Any teens who have ever felt uncomfortable with themselves will probably like it too.

Daring to Date Again

Daring to Date Again by Ann Anderson Evans   290 pages

Having just turned 60 myself and only married (this time) for almost five years, I was intrigued by the idea of Ann’s memoir. After 12 celibate years, she is ready for anything that will appease the hunger. To put it bluntly, she’s as horny as an 18-year-old boy

How does a woman of our age go about dating in the early years of the 21^st century? It’s a whole different world out there (I knew my newish husband from work). And what about sex? Is it as available as television, movies, etc. make it out to be? Where do women of certain ages go to meet men? Is Internet dating as scary as it seems? Ann’s memoir seems to answer all these questions, but the answers are not rules or guides for single women; the book is Ann telling the reader her experiences. I would never classify this book as self-help (unless it’s to gain confidence that there is sex available.)

Get ready to laugh, cry and enjoy all the emotions in between. Ann’s first adventure to conquer the sexual gnawing is with a guy Larry, who turns out to be a transvestite. Ann doesn’t care about that, but she is looking for a male with male longings.

Ann dates many, many men. So many, by the end of the book, I couldn’t keep them all straight. I’ve been so worried about stalkers I would never allow a virtual stranger into my home, much less my bed. Maybe it’s because Ann is a confident woman. I loved Chapter 13, Strategy. She makes a chart that will help guide her through the e-mails and flirts from the Internet. There are three columns: Indispensable, pro, and con. That list serves her well, until she meets Guy.

I was starting to get a little bored with the whole dating/sleeping around when Ann and Guy connect. I was astounded that Ann went to Zimbabwe to spend some time Guy. But that put the zip back into the story.

I enjoyed Ann’s voice; it was like a best friend/sister talking to me, telling me her adventures. I felt as if I was dating again vicariously through Ann, and all I can say, is please God, never let me single and horny again.

I give Daring to Date Again 5 out of 5 stars.

Kissing Ted Callahan And Other Guys

Kissing Ted Callahan And Other Guys by Amy Spalding, 312 pages

Riley is a drummer for her band and since she and Reid found the other two members making out, they've decided they need to get more experience with members of the opposite sex.  The two of them start a journal where they keep track of their experiences and advice for each other about relationships and girls and guys in general.  Riley has a huge crush on Ted Callahan and is trying to make sure that Ted is aware of her but in the meantime, she's finding out that other guys find her attractive as well.  What will happen to her newly budding relationship with Ted if he finds out that she's been seeing other guys?  This is a light-hearted romance for teens that is well written and fun.

Rumble

Rumble by Ellen Hopkins, 546 pages

Told in verse, as all of Hopkins’s books are, this tells the story of Matthew, who has lost not only his faith in God, but faith in most of the human race also.  His brother, Luke, committed suicide a few months ago.  He was being bullied because he was gay.  Matthew blames his parents, the kids at school, and would even blame God, if he believed in God anymore.  But mostly Matthew blames himself for not being there when his brother needed him most.  This is the story of Matt’s journey through this process, including his parents’ marital problems, his problems in his own relationship with his girlfriend, and his struggle with his lack of belief in God.  Give this to teens who like books about issues and who like books in verse.

All I Need

All I Need by Susane Colasanti, 212 pages

All Skye wants is to meet “The One”.  She sees what her parents have and that’s the kind of relationship she wants to have.  But all of the boys she’s met don’t have whatever quality it is she’s looking for.  Then, two weeks before her family is set to leave the beach for the summer, she meets Seth.  Seth is everything she has been looking for.  They spend the rest of that evening together and make plans to meet the next day.  Unfortunately, Seth doesn’t show up and Skye is left wondering what happened.  Actually, Seth was forced to leave early by circumstances beyond his control and since they had not exchanged contact information, he had no way to let Skye know.  Cue a long school year for both of them and a return to the beach next summer, when Seth has just finished his freshman year of college and Skye is about to begin her senior year of high school.  This story follows the two through the ups and downs of a long distance relationship.  This is a nice little story that a lot of teens girls will probably like.

The Infinite Moment Of Us

The Infinite Moment Of Us by Lauren Myracle, 316 pages

Wren is just graduating high school and instead of going to college in town, as her parents expect, she is planning to defer college for a year and travel to Guatemala to help teach English to young children.  She is dreading telling her parents but she needs to get away, to become her own person.  Charlie is also graduating college and plans to attend Georgia Tech.  His foster family is wonderful but Charlie has been let down so many times, he doesn’t trust himself enough to completely let himself be a part of the family, except for Dev.  Even though Dev is also a foster child, he has whole-heartedly accepted this family as his own and Dev is the only one that Charlie truly calls family.  This summer, Wren and Charlie officially meet, get to know each other, and fall in love.  This is the story of their summer, their experiences with first love, and their journey to find themselves.  This is definitely a book about relationships and love, so it will probably appeal more to teen girls.  I enjoyed it but it has some pretty explicit sex scenes so it’s probably a book to recommend to older teens and might have some of that new adult crossover appeal.

A Song For Bijou

A Song For Bijou by Josh Farrar, 296 pages

Bijou is a girl recently arrived from Haiti.  Alex is a boy who really wants to get to know her.  From the first time he saw her, he thought she was amazing and as he gets to know her, he knows she is amazing.  Unfortunately for them, Alex attends the all-boys school, St. Christopher, and Bijou attends its sister all-girls counterpart, St. Catherine.  Also, because of the cultural background, Bijou isn’t really allowed to have any contact with boys that aren’t related to her outside of school.  Since they don’t even go to the same school, that makes getting some time to spend together very difficult.  Alex is persistent though, and the two of them actually get some time to talk, at a school dance and through letters, and even some other opportunities achieved through friends’ plots.  Alex and Bijou begin to be friends and maybe even a little bit more, but something major happens that could spoil everything.  A sweet little story about first love that will probably appeal to more girls, but some boys may like also, this would work best for older elementary kids.