Rebel Angels

by Libba Bray. New York: Dleacorte Press, c. 2005, pbk. 548 pages. ISBN 978-0-385-73341-0

Second book in the Gemma Doyle trilogy. It is near Christmastime and Gemma and her friends are looking forward to time away from Spence Academy. But their time of celebration is clouded by the dangers brought on by Gemma's recent actions in the Realms. Now the magic is loose and many are after its power. It is now up to Gemma to find the Temple and bind the magic to restore order to the Realms. But who can she trust when so many thirst for the power?

This book is a must read for fans of the first book, A Great and Terrible Beauty. Not only is this book full of mystery and fantasy, but Bray also gives the reader an opportunity to ponder racism, classism and the roles of women in Victorian England.

Three Girls and Their Brother: a novel

by Theresa Rebeck. New York : Shaye Areheart Books, c2008. 341 pages.

After one very successful photo shoot for The New Yorker, three gorgeous, red-headed sisters find themselves as the latest "It Girls" (think "Hilton sisters" plus some literary roots). Their brother in turn finds himself taking on the protector role against the unscrupulous and moral-lacking members of the entertainment/modeling world, the paparazzi and the hungry-for-scandal public. Told in four parts by each sibling. An Alex Award winner for 2009.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (2008), 342 pages, 2008 National Book Award Finalist

my review:

Elite boarding schools often provide a popular backdrop for young adult novels. They also provide the young adult novelist numerous opportunities to create situations where parental involvement and adult supervision is lacking; money and resources may abound for the characters. Many times, these characters live in a world that most young readers have never experienced--that of a life of privilege and status. All of these elements are a part of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks but the title character of Frankie is such an odd (in a smarty, funny way) girl that she is more realistic and relatable for many readers than the usual prep or boarding school characters.

Frankie becomes obsessed with her plans to infiltrate and be a part of the all male secret society (the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds) at Alabaster Prep. At the same time, she is experiencing her first love and a relationship where she struggles to not lose her own identity. More than just a pretty girl, Frankie fights for her place in the academic institution and in the world where the “Old Boys Club” rules.

The Disreputable History… is filled with clever wordplay and even more boarding school and college pranks, ideas of interventionist art, subverting the institutions of power and notions of gender roles and breaking the rules (whether written or just understood). Written in the third person, the narration is a welcome change from the usual first person narratives of many young adult novels. This is a coming of age book that defies many of the conventions of this genre.

2009 Michael L. Printz Honor Book

Weetzie Bat

Title: Weetzie Bat

Author: Francesca Lia Block

Publication date: 1989

Number of pages: 109

Genre: fiction, Young Adult fiction
Geographical Setting: L.A., Hollywood
Time Period: 1980s

Series: yes, first in the Weetzie Bat series

Plot Summary: Weetzie is an offbeat individual living in Hollywood. A child of divorce, nobody understands Weetzie. She has a bleached-blond flattop and wears vintage clothes. She meets her best friend Dirk in high school who takes her slam-dancing at clubs in L.A. Dirk reveals to her that he is gay and this is just fine with her. They go “duck-hunting” together and dream about their true loves. Dirk’s grandmother gives Weetzie a gift that grants her three wishes. Both Weetzie and Dirk meet their true loves and live in a fairytale-like cottage together. They make underground films that are successful and have a baby they raise together. Their lives are not completely a fairy tale but their love for each other is allows them close to happily ever after.

Subject Headings: love, individuality, blended families, homosexuality, filmmaking, punk-style, death, suicide, nontraditional families, children out of wedlock, L.A., Hollywood, alcoholism, three wishes, “duck-hunting”

Appeal: fairy tale-like, love story, 1950s style and film references, punk fashion, beginning of AIDS epidemic, minimalist-style of writing, poetic-style of writing, Charlotte Zolotow Book, lonely teenage girls could identify with Weetzie, characters’ own vernacular, rape incident, 1980s Hollywood club scene, loss of parent by suicide, alcoholic parent

If you liked the Weetzie Bat series, you might enjoy: Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, Clara Vidal's Like a Thorn, Nadine Monem’s Riot Grrrl: Revolution girl Style Now!