Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear - part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo's differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer...to join "the real world."
There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file - a picture of a girl with half a face - that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.
(Summary from back of ARC)

After reading this review and basing my expectations off of that, I find myself slightly disappointed but still satisfied. Marcelo in the Real World wasn't the sort of edge-of-your-seat type of reading that I was expecting. It was more thoughtful and slow and deliberate. It was like an old classical piece of art as opposed to an Andy Warhol. Both beautiful, just in different ways. I think I relate more to the Andy Warhol-esque books but I still have a deep love for the classical ones. I just don't think they're as fun.

The best thing about this novel was how it was narrated. Marcelo has a mental problem that slows him down. His analyzations and conversations and reactions are all more thought out and perfectly executed than most normal people. He takes the time to make connections and figure out the best way to approach a problem. More people should be like him. I think there would be a lot less hate and a lot more love and appreciation if everyone took the time to sit down for a few minutes and think things through before acting.

I also liked how Marcelo affected the people around him. How their lives were improved and made better just by his being around. Like everything he touched turned to gold. Again, we need more Marcelos.

The only thing that didn't work for me was how slow it moved. And yeah, I realize that that totally goes against the point of the book. But to me, things are just more fun if they move fast and this book moved at a snail's pace. It took me a while to get used to. But I guess that just proves that I'm one of those people who needs to slow down once in a while.

So yeah, this was a pretty fine book. I think Marcelo will strike a chord with anyone who reads his story and cause them to take a step back and look at things from a different angle. Definitely recommended.

B

Are U 4 Real? by Sara Kadefors

Kyla is exactly the kind of girl Alex could never talk to in real life. She's a gorgeous, outspoken city girl who parties to forget about her absent father and depressed mother. He's a shy ballet dancer from the suburbs who's never been kissed. Luckily, when they meet for the first time it's not if real lift - it's in a chat room, where they can share how alone and misunderstood they feel far away from the conformity-obsessed scenes at their high schools and at home. Kyla and Alex quickly forge a friendship that's far from virtual...maybe they're even falling in love.
But what happens when you come face-to-face with the soul mate you've never met? Will that person be the same? Will you?
(Summary from jacket flap)

I think the coolest thing about this book is that it came out in Sweden eight years ago and was such a hit there that it's now translated to English. I don't know how often this goes on - translating a foreign book into English. I've never heard about it being done before. I guess because the American market is so hard to get into? Maybe? But I think it was an excellent decision to make the jump with this book.

The thing that worked the most for me was how pronounced and different Kyla and Alex's lifestyles were. They each were very unique which made it memorable and special when they finally met and were able to see the world through each other's eyes. I liked reading how two opposite personalities and lifestyles came together.

The other thing I liked was how the writing seemed like it came from a different place. Like, how real can an author's voice be if it's been filtered through a translator? I found myself wondering what the original was like and how the Swedish book might have been perceived differently than the English version. I felt like I was missing out on some things but it also made me feel connected to something outside of America's exclusivity.

There were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way though. Like how fast the book moved. There weren't enough details and descriptions for my taste. I wish we could've seen Alex and Kyla's relationship evolve more slowly. Milk it for all it's worth, you know?

I also think that Kyla's character was a little awkward at some points. Like the author couldn't figure out how she wanted to portray her. My perceptions of different characters and scenes were messed with a little bit because it seemed like midway through a description the author would switch it up and decide to take it in another direction. That was kind of frustrating and confusing.

Also, when I posted about this book for a Waiting on Wednesday post a while back, I got some comments from people in Sweden who said that the English version of the book had been re-edited and that some of the dirtier parts had been taken out. Knowing that, while I was reading I kept thinking of how much deeper and edgier the book could've been if everything deemed "dirty" by the editors had been kept in. It just makes me mad knowing that I'll never be able to read the alternate version of the book. I feel sort gypped.

But other than that, I think this book came together nicely. It was a fun experience to read something that wasn't by an American author.

B-

*If you do decide to read this book, you should try and watch the movie afterwards. It's called Sandor Slash Ida and came out a little bit ago. I haven't been able to find it anywhere but I'm still looking. It looks like a fun movie.

Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg

Bobby Framingham is the star quarterback at Durango High School and one of the most talented high school football players in California. He's waiting on scholarship offers from big schools and hopes he'll go pro after college. On the field, his teammates are like his brothers. But off the field, he knows he's different - Bobby is gay.
Can he still be one of the guys and still be honest about who he is? And even more, if people knew, could he still get that scholarship? Bobby's not sure. After all, there are no openly gay male atheletes in any of the major college or pro sports. Can he help change that? He doesn't want to be a hero or a poster boy for gay rights - he just wants to play football - but how he handles his istuation will send a big message.
Just like in football, once Bobby's forced out of the pocket he'll have to make a play. He'll have to deal with the changing dynamics of the team and his changing relationships with his friends an family, and accept that his path to success might be more difficult, and more public, than he'd hoped.
(Summary from jacket flap)

Out of the Pocket is a surprisingly readable and relatable take on homosexuality in high school.

And I say "surprisingly" because I'm a cover judger. It looked like it might be a little too boy-ish and manly for me based on the football player and the sky and the black but it wasn't at all. It could appeal to anyone and I think that's the point. How anyone should be able to pick up a book like this and enjoy it.

I actually like the fact that the cover is marketed at guys because I know a guy or two who could stand to read a little more about homosexuality.

One of the things that really impressed me about Out of the Pocket was how realistic it was. Bill Konigsberg wasn't afraid to tackle all of the stupid stereotypes and idiot high school jock guys head on. Jokes, slurs, and crudeness, all included. It added personality and "real-ness" to the football guys and made it even more dynamic when Bobby came out and had to deal with their crap. Nothing was sugar-coated or brushed over. It was all laid out on the table and dealt with in a methodical manner.

I also like the statements that some of the characters made to Bobby.

"Bobby, you're a cool guy. Who cares if you're gay or straight? It's all the same, I mean, either way you love someone. That's all there is to it."

And amen to that.

There were a few tiny things that could have been improved about the book. I wish there had been a little more depth - I would've liked to hear more of Bobby's opinions and thoughts about the events. There wasn't enough of that. I also think that a few of the side characters, like Carrie, would've been fun to learn more about. Their backgrounds and personalities could've been hashed out more.

But overall, I think that this was a solid novel that dealt with a real life issue in a way that's simple and understandable. I applaud the author for that.

B

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her stepmother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way - thin, thinner, thinnest - maybe she'll disappear altogether.
(Summary from jacket flap)

Let's start out with a few choice quotes from the book, mmk?

"The snow drifts into our zombie mouths crawling with grease and curses and tobacco flakes and cavities and boyfriend/girlfriend juice, the stain o lies. For one moment we are not failed tests and broken condoms and cheating on essays; we are crayons and lunch boxes and swinging so high our sneakers punch holes in the clouds. For one breat everything feels better."

"We held hands when we walked down the gingerbread path into the forest, blood dripping from our fingers. We danced with witches and kissed monsters. We turned us into wintergirls, and when she tried to leave, I pulled her back into the snow because I was afraid to be alone."

And that right there is the novel summed up in a few sentences. Dark, haunting, sick, and still hopeful. It messes with your mind.

Laurie Halse Anderson really knows how to write. I actually think that Wintergirls would've worked really well if it was written in prose. The way the words are put together is almost poetic, but not quite. It's a different kind of writing style than I'm used to and it helped to lend an air of surreality to the story. I liked it.

The other thing that was great about the book was that it dealt with a harsh problem in a harsh way. There was no sugar-coating anything. How could there be when it's told through the eyes of a girl who's starving herself to death? Lia was brutally honest and seriously messed up, but she was convincing.

People exist that do things like this to themselves. It's horrible. I think that Wintergirls did an oustanding job of portraying something that's usually shoved into the closet because people are too scared to face the reality of it. But this is real. Girls like this are out there. They just need to be seen.

The only teensy thing that I took issue with was that this book actually didn't leave a huge impression on me...? Which is strange. Maybe it's just me. It was a great book but I think I read it at an inoportune time.

So a B+ for this one. Heavy stuff here.

One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin

Fifteen-year-old Finn has always felt out of place, but suddenly her world is unraveling. It all started with The Party. And Adam Porter. And the night in September that changed everything. The only perosn who knows about that night is Audrey - Finn's best friend, her witness to everything, and the one person (under thirty) Finn trusts implicitly. So when Finn's childhood friend Jersy moves back into town - reckless, beautiful boy Jersy, all lips and eyes and hair so soft you'd want to dip your fingers into it if you weren't careful - Finn gives her blessing for Audrey to date him. After all, how could she possibly say no to Audrey?
With Audrey gone for the summer, though, Finn finds herself spending more and more time with Jersy, and for the first time since September, for the first time in her life maybe, something feels right - absolutely, stunningly right. But Finn can't be the girl who does this to her best friend...can she?
(Summary from back of ARC)

Ahhh...can I decline to do a review on this one please? That would be great.

Because I adore C.K. Kelly Martin and I wouldn't want to say anything less than glowing about her book. But I think I kind of have to with this one. It wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be.

The biggest thing that bothered me about One Lonely Degree was how passive it was. Her first book tackled a big issue in a big way (teen pregnancy from a guy's perspective - it doesn't get much better than that) and this book just didn't. I guess you could say that the whole Adam Porter thing was the event that was supposed to add a little bit of tension and edginess to the book, but I didn't see that at all. Nothing really jumped out at me or made me take a second look.

The other thing that bothered me was Jersy. On the surface he was the cute, idealistic guy, but, at least to me, he was a complete man ho (don't laugh at my terminology). He hooks up with Finn's best friend. Like hook-up, hook-up. And then once she's gone, he turns around and tells Finn that it was really her all along. While reading, I was just like, seriously? Really, Jersy? Because if any guy did that to my best friend or to me, I'd slap him across the face and walk away. Not okay in my book. Jersy was just a big ol' slime ball.

Other than that though, this book was quite good. After I realized that there weren't going to be any big controversial events, I resigned myself to reading it like I did Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty. Like it was a fun little account of a teen's life. I listened to the voice instead of any underlying hints and meanings that there might have been. And once I got into that, I decided that the book wasn't half bad. Finn had a really great voice and the way she described things and reacted to different twists in her life struck a chord with me. She reminded me of myself.

I also loved the ending and the openness of it all. Because, really, in real life, nothing turns out perfectly. It's about finding the silver lining and making the best out of what's put in front of you.

One Lonely Degree wasn't a book about some big issue that needs to be confronted or some star-crossed romance, it was a book about life.

And I loved that.

So thanks C.K. You really can do no wrong in my mind.

B

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom (#26)

Eddie is a grizzled war veteran who feels trapped in a meaningless life of fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. As the park has changed over the years - from the Loop-the-Loop to the Pipeline Plunge - so, too, has Eddie changed, from optimistic youth to embittered old age. His days are a dull routine of work, loneliness, and regret.
Then, on his 83rd birthday, Eddie dies in a tragic accident, trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. With his final breath, he feels two small hands in his - and then nothing. He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden, but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever.
One by one, Eddie's five people illuminate the unseen connections of his earthly life. As the story builds to its stunning conclusion, Eddie desperately seeks redemption in the still-unknown last act of his life: Was it a heroic success or a devastating failure? The answer, which comes from the most unlikely of sources, is an inspirational glimpse of heaven itself.
(Summary from jacket flap)

Whew, that was a long summary.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven is a warmly confusing book. If such a thing is possible.

After first finishing it I was left dissatisfied. It seemed like there had been too much plot for too little book. The writing seemed sparse and unemotional, and the events were logistically improbable.

But after sitting on it a while and letting my thoughts work themselves out, I've come to the conclusion that this is a really wonderful piece of literature.

The prose that I first thought was bare now seems to be simple and effortless, helping to get the story across plainly and effectively. And the improbable events just added a nice dream-like quality to the novel.

It was the way that it was written, the way everything fit together so nicely, that made it all work. Now, I can definitely see why this is a book that has been remembered.

This is the first book of Mitch Albom's that I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me think about things in a different way. It was well-written, graceful, and just an all-around good book.

B