Riot by Walter Dean Myers

Riot by Walter Dean Myers EgmontUSA/September 22, 2009/Young Adult/160 pages

Summary During a long hot July in 1863, the worst race riots the United States has ever seen erupt in New York City. Earlier that year, desperate for more Union soldiers, President Abraham Lincoln instituted a draft–a draft that would allow the wealthy to escape serving in the army by paying a $300 waiver, more than a year’s income for the recent immigrant Irish. And on July 11, as the first drawing takes place in Lower Manhattan, the city of New York explodes in rage and fire. Fifteen-year-old Claire, the beloved daughter of a black father and Irish mother, finds herself torn between the two warring sides. Faced with the breakdown of the city–the home–she has loved, Claire must discover the strength and resilience to address the new world in which she finds herself, and to begin the hard journey of remaking herself and her identity. Review

I got this book for a book club discussion and 2 hours before I realized I had to be there, I quickly hurried up to read it. (Of course, once I got to the library, I found out that it was the next day.) Written as a play, RIOT is a fast paced and easy to read, considering it takes places in the 19th century. Although this is a short book, so many things happen and I find it even more amazing that it all takes places within 3-4 days. I enjoyed the beginning and how it starts with a scene from the present day, then sometime in the 20th century and finally to 1863. A horrible riot breaks out in in New York City and people everywhere are fighting. This is the first time the draft is used and the rich men pay the $300 (which would be equivalent to $4,000 today) to get out of it so they don't have to fight in the war. Myers writes about the prejudice that blacks faced and the impact on society. One problem that I had with the book was the voice of Claire. Now, I liked how Claire stood up about her ethnicity. Her mother was Irish and her father black. She could easily passed as white and she'd have to problems but she comes out and says she black even though that causes problems for her. My problem though was she was 15, yet I felt that she sounded like a 12 year old. I'm not sure if that was because of the time period or what.. I think this is my first Walter Dean Myers which is hard to believe, since he is amazing! Will have to read more of his books.

RATING

Writing: 5/5

Originality: /5

Characters: 4/5

Voice: 3.5/5

Ending: 4/5

Overall: 3.5 stars

Favorite character(s): Priscilla, who was Claire's best friend. I thought she was a strong character with lots of courage! Cover: B. I think the cover does

Put-down-ability: I read it straight through, so I'll say 1. But I don't think I would've read it all in one setting had it not been because I was in hurry to finish it, I don't know if I would've done that.

*Source: From public library.

Invisible Lines by Mary Amato

Invisible Lines by Mary Amato (& Illustrations by Antonio Caparo)

Publisher: EgmontUSA (November 24, 2009)

Hardcover: 336 pages

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

For Trevor Musgrove, life isn't always bright and cheerful. His family just moved to Hedley Gardens, a tough housing project its residents call "Deadly Gardens." He goes to school with rich kids who have everything, while he has to work to afford soccer cleats. It doesn't help that the best athlete in school, Xander Pierce, happens to have it out for him. Mistakenly enrolled in an advanced science class taught by an odd but engaging teacher, Trevor is thrown headfirst into the world of natural science. Through all this, he will learn that life can spring up in the darkest places-- maybe even in Deadly Gardens.

Review: I haven't read a MG book in so long and I'm so glad that I got the chance to read this one!

Mary Amato writes in a way that captures the voice of a preteen boy so well that it feels as if you are witnessing the real thing. I absolutely loved reading about Trevor. He's living with his younger brother & sister and mother. They live in these bad apartments and don't have a lot of money. I loved that this book dealt with real life issues and all of which were written in a way that a younger audience can deal with.

One of the issues in the book is Trevor doesn't have enough money to be on a club soccer team. You can tell that he has a passion for the sport and as I was reading the book, I just felt bad for him and the things he went through. Also, I envied Trevor's artistic talents. Drawing was another passion of his and he used it wisely. He started his own little business around school and drew stuff for his little brother. And at the start of each chapter there are illustrations and I thought those were nice!

Another big aspect of the book is Trevor's science class. He is put in Summit Science -an advanced class- by mistake. His science teacher is one of those teachers that always keeps the class interesting and fun instead of the more common reading out of the textbook type as well as being a teacher that really cared about his students.

I really enjoyed the character of Diamond. She lives in the same apartment building as Trevor and is always singing throughout the book as she has dreams of becoming a famous singer one day. Amato does a great job describing a situation that Diamond and Trevor face. My only problem is I wished there had been more of this character!

Rating:

Characters: 9/10

Originality: 7/10

Ending: 7/10

Writing: 9/10

Voice: 9/10

Plot: 8/10

Favorite character(s): Trevor! I found myself rooting for him throughout the whole book. So likable and has many great qualities about him!

Cover: B. So artistic and creative! Very nice.

Overall: Go pick up this book if you are looking for a realistic and genuine read! I will definitely be reading more of Mary Amato!

Review of Little Black Lies

Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen

Publisher: Egmont USA (October 13, 2009)

Hardcover: 320 pages

Reading level: Young Adult

"Sara Black is tiptoeing across a fraying tightrope. As the new eleventh grader at Anton High–the most elite public school in the country–she sticks out like an old VW bus in a parking lot full of shiny BMWs. But being the new kid also brings a certain advantageous anonymity. In Anton High’s world of privilege, intelligence, and wealth, Sara can escape her family’s tarnished past and become whomever she wants. And what’s the harm in telling a few little black lies when it can lead to popularity? That is, until another it girl at Anton becomes jealous of Sara’s social climbing. With her balance evaporating, one small push could bring Sara crashing down." 

Review: Little Black Lies was a wonderful read! It wasn't that hard to get into at all and by the time your halfway through with it, it's hard to put down! First off, I'd like to mention that one of the reasons I was drawn to this book because it takes places in Boston, one of my favorite places and it has to do with a private school -well, technically this school isn't one, but it might as well be. And Tish Cohen does this neat little thing with the chapters, she starts them all out with a quote about ants, which the students at Anton High calls themselves.

Sara Black never planned on lying, but soon one lie leads to another and pretty soon she's dug herself into a pretty deep hole that she's having a lot of trouble getting out of. What I liked about Sara is that even though she does get mixed up with some pretty snobby girls like CARLING, Isabella, and Sloane, she still had a good heart and at times I couldn't help but feel bad for her. I felt that the book was realistic and it was easy to see where she was coming from. In the end, there are consequences for everyone and I was glad to see Sara coming clean of all her lies.  

 

I  loved the relationship between Sara and her dad. I admired Sara's dad, Charlie, was always there for her (especially when her mother isn't.) I'm glad that this book talked a lot about what Charlie had go through with his OCD. I wasn't expecting Little Black Lies to talk about the seriousness of the disorder, but I'm glad it does!  Another thing that I really, really liked about the book is that it actually talks about the hard work that students actually get. I relate to Sara so much when she spent a lot of her time studying to maintain her grades. But, unlike Sara, I am no mathwhiz! The ending of the book was really good. I liked the bit of relationship that Sara has,  its a nice touch. 

Rating:

Characters: 8/10pts

Originality: 6/10pts

Ending: 10/10pts

Writing: 9/10pts

Voice: 9/10pts

Plot: 6/10pts

Favorite characters: Noah- now I know he wasn't a huge character, but I really liked his personality. It was really genuine. Also Leo because he sweet and just an overall nice character! I liked that even though he was rich and all, he wasn't stuck up like some of the others. & Poppy was another character I liked. I liked that she was into filming and even though some of the characters found her weird, I could relate to her a lot.  

Cover: A+! The cover is soooo freakin' pretty.  

Overall: Enjoyable read! Can't wait to read more books by Tish Cohen! 

To visit her website, click HERE!

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