Hate List is a great book!

Finished Hate List yesterday on the dock.  I was totally crying.  Although the ending wasn't as good as the whole book...and has one of those open endings that my 8th graders love so much (sarcastic), I still loved the book.

Val really had to go through a lot during the book and grew so much as a person.  I can't imagine how she dealt with all of it without yelling "I didn't shoot anyone" all the time.  And I wasn't a huge fan of either her mom or her dad...or brother really.  What mom never asks if her daughter is guilty?  What mom doesn't step in and help a daughter more?  It was weird.  And her dad.  Yuck!

I thought that they should have put a yearbook picture of Ginny--from before the shooting--in the time capsule.  That would have been very sweet.  Where you thinking that the ending would have been different.  I thought her speech would have been very different at graduation.  I couldn't understand why she kept mentioning the hate list....it was driving me nuts.

Also where did this art teacher fit into everything?  She wasn't related to anyone?  It was really weird.  Not that she liked to draw...but the teacher.  I don't understand why she had to be so eccentric and described in so much detail.

I've started Uglies now and it reminds me so much of The Giver.  The whole location and concept is very much like The Giver's government and ideology.  I like it so far...it's so different.  What a neat concept for a book.  Anyone going into 8th grade should read it before reading The Giver.

Just great reading!

So City of Ashes is pretty slow, so I put it down and waited for Laurel to finish Hate List (which is a book from the list on the right).  She LOVED it, so I was really looking forward to it.  And it's already due next week....

I started Hate List last night and it is certainly worth the wait.  It's about a school shooting, and it goes back in forth in time which is a bit confusing so far.  Laurel said it takes some time to get used to it.  I'm not very far into it, but it pulled me in right away.  I could really identify with the characters immediately.  What I've already learned is no matter much you hate (and you shouldn't), don't write it down on a list, cause that list will surface one day and you'll look bad--like really bad.  That's a good theme, huh?

I reserved and picked up Uglies and Stealing Heaven this morning (the right Stealing Heaven this time).  Laurel is excited to get started on one.  Can anyone recommend which one she should try first?

What are you reading now?  Is it good?

Locker Room Talk: High school boys are crude

Finished Food, Girls and Other Things I Can't Have today on the dock.  I was actually cheering on the guy at the end and laughed out loud at one point although I don't remember what was so funny.  I'd recommend this YA book--especially to a boy reader.

What I was surprised about was the language content....some of it was fairly inappropriate.  I figure some of the innuendos and vulgar language are how boys talk in high school, but to be reading it in a book is just plain weird for me.  Most of my time, I spend sheltering my own kids from mature video games, MTV television shows and R rated movies.  But in reality, parents (hey, that's me) need to be reading ahead and finding out what's in these YA books!  Teenagers read about the same topics I wouldn't let my daughter watch at the movies or on TV....it's really so backwards.  Is this OK?  Am I the only one noticing this discrepancy?

But I also want to add that the inappropriate content still isn't half as bad as shows like Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant...  So parents shouldn't shy away and start banning (censoring--oh no!) YA books.  They are great conversation starters for parents and teenagers, especially if you've pre-read the book.  Check out a book and read it.  Be a good role model.  And you kids:  tell your parents they need to be reading as well.  Turn the Bachelorette off--nobody like Ashley anyway:)

So even though I'm at the Lake, I got on the St. Charles County Library webpage tonight and reserved Hate List and Stealing Heaven (both on the summer reading list on the right).  I have the second book: City of Ashes to hold me over until I get home.  Thank goodness I thought ahead.  Whew.