It's Just a Sad Song That Pulls You Along: Book Review of Divergent

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Description

Divergent by Veronica Roth has been out there for awhile, and at the height of its popularity in the 2010s, I was not in a YA lit phase, so I missed all the hype. However, in my current stumble down the rabbit hole of dystopian literature, with its strong, rebellious characters and its unfair worlds, it all begins to feel the same. The same suppression of personality and creativity, the same secrecy and deception from the powers that be, and the strict control of the citizens’ movements. It is difficult not to say, I’ve seen this before, or, this feels familiar.

Divergent speaks a little differently because the main character seems to lean into the dystopian society she’s in, and unlike many other books, she plays mostly by its rules.

In Tris’s world, everyone fits into a faction, which is like a clan, and each faction lives by their chosen outlook on life—Amity promotes happiness, Erudite focuses on learning and research, Candor on telling the truth at any cost, Dauntless is brave and daring, while Abnegation, Tris’s birth faction, serves others and seeks to diminish the self. When Tris chooses to leave Abnegation for Dauntless, she places herself in a world so different from her own, she must brace herself for the ride.

Would I Teach This Book?

Would I teach Divergent? Of the many dystopian novels out there, Divergent does not differentiate itself so much. Matched, Uglies, and The Testing all have strong, female main characters who buck the system. Tris works from within and participates in the violent and often callous culture of Dauntless.

Reading Divergent at the same time I am teaching groupthink and The Wave was an interesting experience. Tris does not waver in her desire to become Dauntless, even when she is asked to be cruel or do dangerous things. There are several times in the book when initiates do not agree with what they are asked to do and they do it anyway. As with the Wave, if enough people stood up and protested that it wasn’t right, then things would change. But they don’t. They go along with it, to the detriment of all. In fact, the violent hand to hand combat is something that they lean into.

So, would I teach Divergent? I could see, in a college course on YA fiction or dystopian literature, including it on the reading list. It is, ultimately, an important part of the YA trend, like Hunger Games, Twilight, and The Clique, it represents a renaissance and a larger commercial viability for the genre. Okay, I’ve talked myself into it—another course on my bucket list of courses to teach—but a Stephen King course ranks ahead of YA lit course. 

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Whodunnit, Christopher?: Book Review of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Description

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon opens with fifteen-year-old Christopher holding the neighbor’s dead dog, getting blamed for its death, and subsequently punching a police officer because he tried to touch him.

Christopher has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and social situations are very difficult for him. He lost his mom and his dad is doing his best to hold it together with a son who has specific food requests, sensory challenges, and answers every question honestly and literally, including not responding in a conversation if he has not been asked a question.

When Christopher decides that he is going to solve the case of who killed the dog, Wellington, his father is dead set against it. He does not want Christopher butting into other people’s business, especially since the neighbor already called the cops on him and possibly still believes that he is guilty. Christopher, however, is not only determined to solve the mystery, he is also determined to write his discoveries into a book.

As Christopher investigates, he finds more than he ever bargained for, and he is able to do more than anyone thought he was capable of.

Would I Teach This Book?

Would I teach The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time? The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is told from the point of view of a child whose life is impacted by the flaws of his parents. Unlike other books, where parents are understanding and lovely supporters, Christopher’s father is far from perfect. Yes, he loves his son, but the book also shows him getting frustrated with his son. In real life, parents get frustrated with their children. They get frustrated with their children when they don’t follow directions or do something that they have directly been told not to do. Christopher’s father gets angry in a real way–that is not super careful to protect his son or always showing understanding of him.

People who do not understand ASD may respond in an impatient or unkind way that only makes things worse. Sometimes those that do understand may not always respond in a positive way. However, in the decision of what to teach, and having a choice, this may not be the influence that I would want to bring into my classroom. Allowing students to better understand what it is like for a person who has ASD is important, but it also seems important to show parents who are more understanding and accepting. Perhaps for a college audience The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time might bring important conversations, but for a middle school audience, the parental interaction might be a bit much.

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Don't Drop It Like It's Hot: Book Review of Patina

 

Patina by Jason Reynolds

Description

Patina is the second book in Jason Reynolds' Track series. Patina (Patty) has joined a new track team, and her first meet doesn’t go as she imagined. Her reaction does not garner any admiration from her coach. At the same time, she is adjusting to a new school, a private all girls school that is quite different from her old public school. She feels like she doesn’t fit in with the “hair flippers” and her new group project, she's the only one doing any work. 

These current challenges are built on top of more difficult family wounds. Patty’s father died in his sleep when she was little and her mother’s health problems make it too difficult for her to take care of Patty and her sister. Instead, they live with Patty’s uncle and aunt.

Track is Patty’s reprieve from her life. And at track practice, she has Ghost, Sunny, and Lu—the other newbies on the team who look out for her as she looks out for them. But now, she has been placed on the relay team and she must learn to work--no, run--in tandem. 

Would I Teach This Book?

Would I teach this Patina? I currently teach Ghost, the first book in the series, and it is a student favorite. I can see offering Patina as a choice for students who already read Ghost. Patty has strength and determination as well as vulnerability. Her challenges with fitting in at a new school would resonate with many students. She would be also a great character to focus on her growth. Not to mention that Jason Reynolds is just an all around great writer, and I enjoy reading and teaching his books.

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What Comes Easy for Some: Book Review of Out of the Easy

 

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Description

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys was a book club choice. The main character, Josie, knows the sketchy side of New Orleans because she was born into it. Well, moved into it when she was a little girl. Her mother is a prostitute working in Willie’s house, and she long ago expected Josie to fend for herself. Willie keeps an eye out for her, after a fashion, and pays her to clean the rooms in the house. Josie also has a second, more respectable job, working in the bookstore where she also lives.

Josie exists in her overlapping worlds of books and brothel until a customer at the bookstore assumes she is a college student. Josie begins to dream of a way out—if only the Big Easy will let her go. But for Josie, the trouble is just beginning.

Would I Teach this book?

Would I teach Out of the Easy? As I was reading Out of the Easy, I kept feeling like a thread was missing, the strongest thread that would guide all the subplots, and that at any moment, the real plot would emerge. But, spoiler alert: the main plot did not emerge. It was not a bad or boring read, but it was not the kind of gripping plot, where it has you in its talons, and you’re sneaking off to your room just to grab a few pages. It is not the kind of gripping I am looking for when I choose a book to teach. In addition, the seedy underworld of New Orleans, and especially Willie’s brothel, did not fulfill the promise of seediness. Willie’s brother felt too homy and cheery, compared to how I imagine a real brothel to be. To be fair, I have never actually been inside a brothel, but based on what we know about sex workers and how they are treated, I doubt that it is comparable to dorm life.

As a coming of age novel, Out of the Easy leaves much to be desired, and I would not classify it as YA.

 

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Sometimes, Only an Allegory Will Do: Book Review of The Measure

 

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

Description

The Measure by Nikki Erlick has an extraordinary premise: one morning every person in the world over the age of twenty-two receives a box with a string inside that represents the length of their life. Once everyone understands the significance of the box, some people choose not to open theirs, but many let curiosity get the better of themselves and decide to find out how much time they have left. To the horror of some, they discover that they have “short strings,” meaning they will die young. As the world decides how to respond to this new information, there are also individuals who seek to capitalize off of the newfound vulnerability of society.

The Measure has an ensemble cast, told from the point of view of several characters in a few different orbits. Nina and Maura, a couple who has been together for two years, seem to be the link between most of the characters. They choose to open their boxes together and then must contend with the heartbreak of their uneven strings.

The Measure is my book club's pick for October. Of the books we have read so far this year, it is my second favorite, second only to The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

Would I teach this book? 

Short answer: yes. Longer answer is in considering how I might use it. The Measure can be read as an allegory for not just prejudice, but also for privilege. Everyone gets a string that they have done nothing to merit. While longer strings do suggest the propensity to live a better life, the people who receive them do so arbitrarily, not because they have been more giving or more successful. Likewise, those that have received a shorter string have done nothing to deserve less time on this earth. Just as no person has done anything to deserve the circumstances they are born into, whether that means for their benefit or their detriment, those circumstances are often used to judge people or are ignored when considering a person’s ability to succeed or fail. Similarly to how privilege and belonging to a marginalized group are discussed, string length becomes politically divisive.

As in most allegories, as string length is something that does not exist, for some, they will have an easier time understanding how what we are born with and born into can impact our chances and therefore choices, and even more so when society creates unjust limitations.

That being said, while I have not taught a novel in a composition class, I know that some courses do kick off the semester with one. The Measure would be an interesting way to begin a political discourse and to examine the way that people discuss privilege, prejudice, and politics. Especially since The Measure does not begin and end on allegory, but instead creates a full and emotionally engaging novel, the discussion of plot could significantly contribute to engagement. It sounds like Erlick could offer a potentially effective way to introduce students to their status as academic interlocutors.

If you have taught or taken a composition class that used a novel or other full-length book, I would love to hear from you about your experience.

 

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Beware of Aswang: Book Review of Marikit and the Ocean of Stars

 

Marikit and the Ocean of Stars by Caris Avendaño Cruz

Gratitude

Thank you to the Montgomery County Public Library for making Marikit and the Ocean of Stars readily available for public use. 

Description

In Marikit and the Ocean of Stars by Caris Avendeño Cruz, Marikit’s birthday wish is to have a blue fairy dress—more beautiful than the wealthy girl’s yellow fairy dress—so beautiful no one would ever pick on her for her shabby clothes again.

And why shouldn’t she have such a beautiful dress? Her mother is the best seamstress, everyone agrees. When she asks her mother for the dress, she also points out that her recent birthdays have been sad affairs. Since the deaths of her father and brother while they were fishing, there have been many unhappy times for Marikit and her mother.

All of Marikit’s hoping and dreaming could not prepare her for the dress her mother makes—nor could it prepare her for the adventure ahead. Nothing could have prepared Marikit for that—not for the new friends, enemies, and lands she will see. And certainly not for the ways she’ll be tested.

Would I teach this book? 

Marikit and the Ocean of Stars has adventures, fairies, and a wide range of imaginary creatures from Filipino folklore. There is excitement and danger and a wide cast of characters. The supporting cast outshines Marikit, who, while she is described as brave and does exhibit some bravery, does not have as much depth of personality as other characters.

The book is a bit below the reading level for middle school, so I would probably not choose it to teach, but it would be good for a classroom library, to include a variety of reading levels. If I taught elementary, I would consider it for a fourth grade class, where it would be more compatible. I could also see the possibility of including it in a literature class on contemporary folklore, as it does include Filipino mythological creatures in inventive ways.

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It's All about Perception: Book Review of Can You See Me?

 

Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott

Description

Can You See Me by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott is the story of Tally, a girl entering sixth grade who has autism spectrum disorder. Tally has many concerns about going into sixth grade, which is in a different school building than fifth grade. She is afraid of getting lost, she is afraid of older kids giving swirlies, and when she learns that her friend likes Luke, the boy who bullied her through the lower grades, she has the added fear that she will be around him more often.

When people have an understanding of Tally’s experience of the world, it makes life a lot easier–but most people don’t understand, and even if they do, they are not always able or willing to make accommodations for her. But, as Tally writes in the journal, what makes her different can also be a superpower.

Reading about Tally’s experience was emotionally challenging, as the way it is written makes it clear that when people see Tally’s responses to things she is asked to do, they perceive that she is being difficult, rebellious, or even throwing a fit. But Tally has pathological demand avoidance (PDA) which makes following direct instructions impossible for her. People can word instructions for her less directly, such as suggestions or choices, and this makes it possible for her to comply. Otherwise, she must squish her brain in different directions, such as waiting before getting started or completing the task slowly. Sometimes, however, she is unable to do this, and she might respond by yelling or with another action that looks like refusal, but is actually her trying to cope with the intense anxiety PDA brings on. From the point of view of her parents or sister, who cannot experience what happens to her, it seems as though leaving the house can be nearly impossible. Carefully wording everything that is said to her would take practice, patience, and lots of empathy.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the relationship that Tally builds with a teacher that begins as an amusing misunderstanding but develops into an important ally at school. It is helpful to see how both Tally and the teacher navigate communication.

Would I Teach This Book?

Can You See Me is co-written by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott. Rebecca Westcott is an educator who has published several books and Libby Scott is a younger author for whom Can You See Me? was her first book. She was still a child at the time she cowrote it with Westcott. Scott lent her experiences of having autism spectrum disorder to writing the book. The descriptions in the book feel true, and in the sections that serve as Tally’s journal tell us, the book does give an idea of what having autism spectrum disorder is like for one person.

I checked out Can You See Me? from the Wheaton Library in order to see if it would be a good choice for my classroom library, and I think that it would be. We read Rules by Cynthia Lord, and while the experience of the main character is that of a girl of a similar age whose brother has autism spectrum disorder, the experience of the brother and his character development are lacking, so Can You See Me? would be a good companion. In the future, I might also consider teaching it. It was published in 2021, and there is merit to offering both current books and those that have lasted a few decades. I am curious about the sequel, Do You Know Me?, and would consider reading it.

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