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Gonzalez, Julie
3 Reviews
(4)
YA
In elementary school, Jane stole her friend's homework and turned it in as her own. In middle school, she "punked out" her sister's Barbies. Now sixteen, when things go wrong, Jane still writes letters blaming Bubba, her "imaginary enemy"; things get complicated when he writes back. Though the book's resolution is anticlimactic, Jane's voice is well executed, her sarcasm masking vulnerability.
Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett
(4)
YA
Sensitive fifteen-year-old Connor is reluctantly drawn into a game of Russian roulette, which ends in the death of his best friend. The story is told in brief chapters that alternate between Connor's life after the shooting, stray flashbacks, and odd fantasy scenes involving a dragon. Though the characters are well realized, the writing--choppy sentences interspersed with flowery descriptions--is self-conscious.
Reviewer: Mark Adam
(4)
YA
Ben (call him Icarus) has always known that he can fly. His early flight experiments alternately charm and alarm his family; as he approaches adolescence, though, they urge him to abandon his fantasy. The plot provides genuine suspense: is Ben delusional or visionary? Narrated alternately by Ben and his older brother, the novel's uneven tone ranges from colloquial to highly elevated.
Reviewer: Norah Piehl
3 reviews
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