The adoration of Jenna Fox

Jenna Fox has been in a coma for over a year. When she wakes up, she has no memory. She just knows what her family tells her and what she sees on the 100os of hours of DVDs that have recorded her life. In the Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson, readers are brought into a future where medicine has evolved greatly. I was continually guessing when reading the book, trying to put together clues and piece together possible solutions and outcomes.
I think the book appeals to teens because it is both suspenseful and futurist, but also philosophical. Jenna questions just what makes us human. Can percentages or math speak to if each of us has a soul? Jenna is a very relatable character for teens in that she feels often out of place but wants to fit in. The questioning of her identity, literally because of amnesia, is like what teens go through when trying to carve out their own their own identities. The rebellion and complicated relationship with her family is also applicable. One of the most poignant parts of the book is in the beginning, when Jenna wonders why she has no friends to speak of, and then says that each of us should have one friend at least.
The book is a great and varied mix of subjects. Futurist and philosophical, the urge to fit in, our relation to other, out relation to our humanity and medical ethics all crammed into one. I think it's a good book for a teen new to science-fiction because it doesn't start too far out in the imagination and show how much we can relate to characters from different backgrounds/worlds.

Down to the Bone

Mayra Lazara Dole's Down to the Bone is about a teenage girl, Laura, coming to grips with being gay in the Miami Cuban community. Dole's writing style reminds me of Francesca Lia Block, she forms long sentences, twisting new words and verbs to become her own. The only parts that feel slightly forced are when lesbians and genderqueer is mentioned. It felt like Dole stepped back from Tazer's character development for a little public service announcement.
It was nice to see Laura struggle for most of the book. She tried at first to be straight so she could love a man and please her family. This seems like something the gay community would abhor, but it seems much more relateable for youth to want to fit in and have people like them so intensely. I also liked that Laura was successful even when she dropped out of school. She was still a dedicated and hard worker, and found ways to feel worthwhile and happy.
Laura was easy to care about and relate to. The language and dialogue in the book was a page-turner and it had great aspects of Spanish language and Cuban culture thrown in. A definite recommendation for anyone.

The perks of being a wallflower

"...even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have," Stephen Chbosky writes in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Charlie is a fifteen year old writing anonymous letters to an unknown person. Charlie is unemotional throughout these letters, he states that he feels things deeply and gets angry, but his narrative is consistently calm. I think this lack of emotion doesn't deprive the reader of anything though, perhaps the reader makes up for Charlie's lack of emotion by feeling it for him. This detachment also makes us feel there is something off about Charlie, in the beginning of the book I wondered if charlie might be slightly autistic... He say " I didn't know that other people thought things about me. I didn't know that they looked."The book has some great lines for thinkers of any age, such as "It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book." and "I feel infinite"

Saint Iggy by K. L. Going

This book reminded me of Mrs. Dalloway. It seems like a stream of consciousness book, following Iggy's jumpy thoughts. It is more suited for YA though because of Iggy's imagined conversations. Dialogue is what keeps books going, after all. Like the title, and the corresponding scene in the book, imply, Iggy wants to do something saintly. Then everyone will understand that they were wrong about him, and he's fantast. I think this has big empathy appeal with teens. I used to think about this all the time when I was one; if I just do THIS, everyone will think THAT. Or fantasies of what would happen after I died. I think the book is relate-able, but the ending unrealistic. What does it say to teens about dealing with life and consequences?

Blankets by Craig Thompson

Blankets by Craig Thompson is the first graphic novel I've ever read, or even looked at. I was slightly overwhelmed when I first picked it up from the library, it was very thick, and I was sure what I was in for. It is a seemingly autobiographical story about Craig, him growing up, his family, his religion, his identity, his art, his loneliness. It definitely reminds me of "bidungsroman"; the author goes from child to teen and then in his early twenties. He goes on both a mental journey (growing up) and a physical one (to see Raina). He matures by the end, figure out his own identity rather than doing as his pastor and parents say, and finds his place as an artist in society and reconciled with his brother.
I liked the title, blankets was a relevant term when Craig struggled with his brother as a child and also when he first falls in love and Raina makes a blanket for him. I felt the author was very in touch with his teenage self, even if his teenage self (with that strong religious attitude-reading the bible every day, no masturbating) wasn't exactly typical. He was relatable, and his artwork was well-done. I especially like the fantasy scenes with Raina and all the swirling patterns of the quilt. The short caption style caused Craig's thoughts to be more concise, and sometimes more profound.
Overall, it was a great first graphic novel, no complaints.

Rules of the Road

Road of the Road by Joan Bauer is about a sixteen year old girl named Jenna who spends the summer quickly becoming an adult. Jenna not only works during the year selling shoes, but is hired full-time to drive her employer Mrs. Gladstone cross-country and confronts many issues such as self-confidence, responsibility, alcoholism, Alzheimer's, death...the list could go on.
I found Jenna to be overly mature for a sixteen year old, more of a picture of what a parent would like their child to be rather what they are. Jenna is not at all self-centered or irrational. She enjoys working, she takes care of her family, she keeps her cool when Mrs. Gladstone nixes her lunch plans and doesn't blow up at Elden.
Aside from questioning Jenna's character, I thought the story was well-written. I especially liked the parallels between the disrespect  and dismissiveness shown to teens with the disrespect and dismissiveness shown to senior citizens.

The Outsiders - SE Hinton

I've read that The Outsiders is considered (one of) the first YA novels and it's easy to see why. It has a lot of the characteristics from the powerpoints including the young narrator, the dramatic and quick action and emotion and absent/uninvolved parents/adults. It also has that optimistic ending and a sense of youth empowerment at the end...  A 'Ponyboy wrote down his story, maybe my story is important to tell, too' type of feeling, I think.
I read this book in 8th grade and I remembered liking it, but when I thought about it, I couldn't remember why. I'm from a small town with no gangs or violence so I wasn't sure why I liked it or what I related to. The book is clearly still popular though; my suburban library has 5 copies and I read many posts online  by teens saying that they couldn't put the book down. After rereading, I think Ponyboy's voice is what makes the book timeless. His voice is open, honest, and he makes great observations... His tone is relatable and transcends the characteristics of the reader.
And just an aside, the copy I picked up was newer and had an interview with the author in the back that was very interesting. I didn't realize that S.E. Hinton was a woman, and also learned that she started writing the book at 15 when a real-life incident (complete with "greaser!" name-calling) happened to one of her school friends.