By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

The story is about a 15 year old girl named Daelyn Rice who has had a rough life to say the least. She has never had any friends, and as a child she was overweight and constantly teased, at one point even sexually assaulted. Her parents move her around from school to school and take her to different therapists to help her out however nothing seems to help. She has also attempted suicide at least a couple of other times, and in the story she is unable to talk and wears a neck brace because her last attempt consisted of her drinking ammonia and bleach. Because of all this her parents are very involved with her life, unable to trust leaving her alone and trying to do anything to reach out to her. When we meet Daelyn she has recently joined an online community about suicide which tells her she will die in 23 days (through suicide). She then slowly starts preparing for this, determined not to 'fail' at killing herself again. She slowly makes herself invisible, even slowly getting rid of all her possessions. However, the monotony of her life is broken up when a guy her age starts trying to talk to her while she waits for one of her parents to pick her up after school. Daelyn tries her best to ignore him however, refusing to feel anything. After time he manages to break her shell and they even begin dating. A girl in her school also befriends her, and we see Daelyn becoming closer to her parents as the novel reaches her end. All of these changes build the story up and really make one wonder what will happen in the end and if she will end up killing herself or not.

To begin with the story is told from Daelyn's POV, following all her thoughts and fears thoughout the story. The novel does not really take away parents, they play a large role in the story however Daelyn still manages to break away and accomplish things on her own. The story also seems very fast paced as each chapter is not very long and is titled with the days Daelyn supposedly has left to live, adding to the suspense and making time seem like it is flying by. The story is not very varied in terms of themes however it does deal with very important ones such as suicide, bullying, body image, and cancer. The story is also not very varied in terms of diversity in characters, highlighted especially with Daelyn feeling like a complete outsider. In the the novel we do not see a lot of optimism however towards the end when things start looking up for Daelyn and she is coming out of her shell the reader cannot help but hope that her recent changes lead to her not committing suicide. Finally, we do see a lot of strong emotion especially sadness, terror, and frustration.

Here is a Youtube clip which helps explain a little more about the website Daelyn constantly checks throughout the story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUo-Fv3pVQQ

Here is another link written by the other explaining why the author chose to write the story:
http://julieannepeters.com/files/InspirationBTT.htm

As much as I enjoyed the novel I'm not sure I would teach it in a classroom. It is a bit graphic in talking about suicide and it honestly makes me nervous that someone will find this book inspiring and commit suicide themselves. However, at the end of the book there is a section filled with discussion questions and information about bullying and suicide for teachers, and if I had to teach this book I would definitely only teach it at a high school level. This book reminded me a bit of Speak, as the protagonist goes through a lot of the same things Melinda did and in the end we see that speaking about her traumas does help. I think what is best about the book however, is the honesty with which it was written. The fact that it is graphic I feel would help draw students as it seems very real.

"If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

My heart is still aching from reading this book…

If I Stay is the story of Mia, a girl whose entire family died in a car accident on a wintery day in Oregon. Mia is standing outside of her body looking at her deceased parents and herself and her brother being worked on by paramedics. The moment is heartbreaking. Mia is taken to the hospital where she lies in a coma, deciding whether to let go and be with her family or to stay with her boyfriend, friends, and grandparents. The story is told from Mia’s perspective. In the span of 24 hours, we learn of Mia’s past through flashbacks and we learn about those fighting to keep her alive in the present.
I won’t tell you what happens. This story must be read to be appreciated. It is both heartbreaking and stirring.
The viewpoint is that of Mia but it deals with intense emotions young readers may have never experienced before. It will inspire them to ask themselves, “What would I do?” Would they leave to be with their family or stay and live? This is a choice no one wants to have to make but the author forces us to think about it.
This book is hopeful, sorrowful, enlightening, moving, emotional, and insightful. I would definitely recommend this book for the 14-year old and up. This would be a valuable book to add to the required reading list students.

"SPOILER" There is a sequel to this book entitled, "Where She Went" that picks up on Mia's life after the coma

Some links relating to the book:
http://www.ifistay.com/book.php
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9780525421030.asp

 Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

 

Summary:

     Set in an alternate history at the cusp of World War I, Leviathan is a tale of Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition, otherwise known as Clankers. The British Darwinists rely on genetically engineered animals as their weaponry, including the Leviathan, a whale airship and the British fleet’s most powerful air-beast. The orphaned prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Aleksander Ferdinand, is on the run from political enemies who seek to destroy him before he can ascend the throne. He flees his own country with a small group of loyal men, dodging the Austrian and German patrols hunting them. Meanwhile, a Scottish girl named Deryn Sharp has dreams of joining the British Air Force--a dream that cannot be fulfilled simply because she is female. However, she disguises herself as a boy and joins the Academy, becoming a brilliant (for lack of a better word) airman. The paths of Deryn (or Dylan, as she renames herself) and Aleksander cross in an unlikely encounter and they soon find themselves aboard the Leviathan on a wild adventure around a world at the brink of war.

 

Connection to YA Criteria:

     Both Alek and Deryn have had their parents literally removed, leaving them to fight their own battles. Alek is left alone with a dangerous title that he must conceal in order to survive, while Deryn completely switches genders to keep her dream alive. Being left without parents and having to manage hidden identities is an extreme scenario, but this is a fantasy novel. Nonetheless, the characters can still be praised for taking control of their lives and accomplishing their goals in spite of the war that is brewing right in front of them.

 

Links:

 Book trailers are always so interesting to me. Here’s one for Leviathan

 

 Recommendation:

     This is the first book I’ve read in the steampunk genre, and I have to say that it was pretty cool. I’m not a big history buff, but Westerfeld’s alternate history was a really interesting twist on social studies class, with pretty pictures too. The characters are young, but are taking control over their own futures. I would recommend this book for anyone who is a history, science fiction, and/or fantasy novel fan and who has the attention span to last through the 400+ pages. It might not be such a great read for elementary school readers, but it is definitely engaging for older readers (high school or even early college students) looking to get lost in alternative history. I’m all for twisting the classics.