We Were Here, Were You?

We Were Here, by Matt de la Pena, is the story of Miguel who is sent to a group home because of an unspoken incident for which his mother will not even look at him for. During this time, Miguel meets Rondell and Mong. Together the three boys hatch a plan to run away towards the border and go to Mexico. All three teens come from different ethnic (Hispanic, Black, Asian) backgrounds and would be unlikely friends under normal circumstances.

First, I would like to voice my disagreements with this novel. I am unfamiliar with the juvenile detention system and have never associated myself with young criminals, so I may be mistaken with this criticism, but I think this novel has a few too many stereotypes. The dialect of the young men seemed a bit too much like people trying to impersonate young hardened criminals. Maybe that makes it seem more real but for me it exuded a sense of "this is what I think these people probably talk like". I could be completely wrong on that point though.

Another criticism I have is with the character of Rondell. There was little original about his character. He is a large, quiet, poor black male who has been on the wrong side of the law his whole life. How often have we seen that depiction? Oh, and wait, he is really talented at basketball? Well that doesn't help dissolve any stereotypes. While this may not have detracted from the merit of the story, it left me feeling a bit uninvolved.

Now, aside from my aforementioned criticisms, I do believe the story has redeeming qualities if only because it is about a world which many, myself included, are so unfamiliar with. It opens the door on a part of society that few realize exists or else choose to ignore. As unfamiliar as these people may be, they are still capable of speaking to us on a level which is both recognizable and reciprocated.

Also, I enjoyed Miguel's reflections on novels that he is reading and well as his journaling. It very much reminded me of Gantos' Hole in my Life which I also liked a lot.

Recommendation: I see many positive aspects in the novel for adults young and old if they have never personally experienced anything or anyone from this region of society. However, my one caveat would be to not immediately accept any stereotyped characters and let any young adults you know reading the novel to do the same.

Finding the Present in a Different Time

Kristin Cashore's Graceling is the story of a girl, Katsa, born with the extraordinary ability to kill people with her bare hands. Set in a fictional world, those like Katsa are said to possess "graces" which are extreme powers. Unfortunately, these powers are exploited occasionally as Katsa is forced to torture those demanded by her uncle, King Randa. Meanwhile, she meets a boy named Po, who also possesses a grace, and the two become extremely close after battling each other.

The main character, Katsa, is a very intriguing protagonist for a YA novel. She is ostensibly female but many of her character traits are ambiguously gendered. She is a lethal weapon with the capacity for instant death. She says that she will never marry anybody because it would compromise her freedom and independence. I am not saying that these are distinctly male or female traits, but it is rare to see a strong female lead in a novel who acts like that.

The main intrigue of the novel lies in its setting or time and place when considering its intended audience. Here is a world where people are born with special powers and kingdoms clash in violent competition. Certainly something every young adult runs into everyday, right? Thus, some people would argue that the novel is difficult to relate to because of the fantasy setting. Yet this is where I disagree. Imagine a young reader who feels ostracized and alienated as he/she grows up. Surely these feelings are rooted in the sometimes painful experience of adolescence more than most other periods of life. Now, this reader must think that they are totally alone with their respective problems and that nobody on Earth has ever had this problem before.

Now enters Katsa. She is born with this unique ability which nobody around her has. And lo and behold it makes her feel alienated and ostracized as well. Moreover, she lives in an entirely different place and time. If the reader can realize that some of these problems are universal to the human condition and that, yes, even people who lives in a world of make-believe can feel alone and alienated, then maybe there is hope for them yet. Not everything that relates has to come from your own backyard, much less planet.

Recommendation: I think this book would be great for a dream-filled reader who enjoys fantasy (because it is pretty heavy on the fantasy aspect) or someone you might think needs a counterpoint for their own troubles. As for adults, if you like the fantasy genre, then this could be right up your alley.

Relating to Frankie Landau-Banks

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is a story about a high school girl who undergoes a physical and emotional transformation over the summer. She changes from "a homely child to a loaded potato" as her figure fills out and she gains a high sense of self-confidence. Armed with this new personality, she returns to her school, Alabaster Prep and immediately snags the unattainable Matthew and begins to unload many baffling pranks on the unsuspecting students of the school. She begins to take command of all those around her as she tries to invade the all-male secret society of which her boyfriend is a member. Soon she is controlling its members like pawns in a chess game.

If I had to recommend one demographic to read this novel, I think it would be males (high school boys if young, fathers of young girls if old). The main reason for this is the valuable insight which it gives into the psyche of a young adolescent girl and in a sense all young adolescent girls. While Frankie might have more Machiavellian ambition than most high school females, she still acts like a lot of them. She swoons over Matthew in the same way that many girls do. This would help boys understand that just how different girls may view relationships with the opposite sex and what is really valuable to a high school-aged girl. Also, it could open a whole new field of understanding for fathers. If a young girl's dad just doesn't get why their daughter spends so much time focused on the minutiae of their outfit, looks or boys, perhaps reading this book can let them in on what high school looks like through female eyes.

Of course, that is not to say that girls surely won't get a lot out of this novel. In fact, it is specifically targeted for them. For all females who have ever experienced a double-standard or the unfairness of the opposite sex, they can certainly reap the benefits of Frankie Landau-Banks. But maybe it can unlock a surprising door into the female mind for the male readers.

Recommendation: For many different aforementioned reasons, a good read for each individual demographic.