Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Geoff Herbach's Felton Reinstein is one incredible character. His voice is funny, sweet, confused and just plain nice but life has not been easy for Felton and his family. At the age of five, Felton finds his father's body after he hung himself. Felton grows up insecure with some bad advice from his mother, doctors, and not having a father figure. The summer that his best friend unexpectedly leaves to take care of his grandmother; everything goes crazy- Felton's mom agrees that he will take over his best friend's paper route; he shoots up inch by inch, eats everything in sight, starts lifting weights for football, and running. Felton meets Aleah Jennings when he drops a newspaper off at his best friend's house. Aleah is a superb piano player and likes Felton. Felton begins seeing Aleah daily and they definitely have a romantic, sweet connection. But then his mother starts acting strange, cursing, drinking, and as a final threat she stops being a mother to Felton and his little brother, Andrew. Felton doesn't want to burden anyone with his family problems and his father's suicide is always a specter that keeps chipping away at his mother, brother, and Felton. I laughed at Felton's thoughts and actions but I really felt for Felton when his family was falling apart; he didn't know what to do, how to act and he withdrew by missing lifting, practices,not seeing his friends or Aleah. What will happen to Felton is worth all the drama and laughs. Herbach's book is a recommended read, I can't wait to see what my students think, since this is a Reading Olympic book selection.
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suicide (2)
Hold Still by Nina LaCourMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this first novel by Nina LaCour! Caitlin is devastated when her best friend Ingrid commits suicide. And Caitlin had no idea. She literally does nothing all summer, her funk is so huge. Ingrid had such a great personality, they were best friends, did everything together, yet Caitlin had no idea Ingrid was depressed! She finds her best friend's journal under her bed one night, when did Ingrid put it there? Did she want Caitlin to read it? As Caitlin reads the different entries--some are to Caitlin, some to Jayson (a boy she liked), hall monitors and rain clouds...Ingrid was a great artist and photographer who carried her camera everywhere and snapped pictures all the time. Ingrid begins to live and rejoice in life without Ingrid by reading Ingrid's journal, by loving a boy who provides sympathy, and friendship, making a new girl friend. It is her art teacher, Miss Delani, who tells Caitlin she is just as talented as Ingrid and helps renew Caitlin's purpose in life. LaCour was able to sustain the deep, aching sadness that paralyzes Caitlin throughout the first half of the novel and she does a superb job of slowly,reawakening her zest for life through her relationships with her friends and family. I really liked Caitlin's character (depressed, cranky, funny and anguished) but even more I liked so many of the supporting characters, gay Caitlin who knew who she was; Jayson and Taylor--nice boys, Miss Delani- who found it difficult to deal with Ingrid's death and seeing Caitlin everyday as a reminder of how she failed Ingrid, Caitlin's supportive mom and dad. This is a great honor choice for the Morris Debut Award, teens will love it!
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