And now for something completely different…

We decided to try to put the “smack” in “The Mighty Smackdown” by engaging in a real-time dialogue on a share site; we had no idea how it would work, but what follows is the (mostly) unedited ramblings of three people trying to decide which of the two books (Elaine Marie Alphin’s The Perfect Shot or Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me) to put forward…

Dia: Okay, let’s begin. I’d like to start off by saying I hope Andrew had a good night’s sleep, woke up and decided that When You Reach Me is so much better than The Perfect Shot...

Andrew: Well, the sleep part is correct … the rest is just a dream. The Perfect Shot is the better choice, much deeper in content. Brad?

Brad: Please say that you are kidding, Warke.

Andrew: O.K.--so now I’m sorry that I got you on the share site... look at the ideas that are presented in The Perfect Shot...can you continue to ask yourself and question about every discussion that you made? When is doing the right thing better than doing the easy thing? I didn’t find that in the other book.

Brad: I’ll give you that there are things to admire in The Perfect Shot. I liked the fragmented narrative, the interstitial dialogue between a medical team that gives sense of suspense throughout the novel. I liked the interplay between the school project and the current happenings, the intermingling of the present and the past. All interesting. I’ll give you that. But there is lots to irritate as well. As far as I’m concerned, When You Reach Me might be one of the best books I’ll read all year. It’s pretty much perfect.

Dia: Yahoo! You know why? Because When You Reach Me is about that time when you go from being all kid into adulthood all due to to a slight twist and Stead nailed it.

Brad: Absolutely. And Miranda, the protagonist’s, voice never drops. It sounds real and authentic the whole way through the novel. It’s kind of a dizzying feat, in many ways.

Andrew: It’s not that I dislike When You Reach Me... I just didn’t think that it is as appealing to younger readers as The Perfect Shot. The time in which the story is written speaks to me (and you) as we were alive when the $20000 Pyramid-like game shows were on, and we understand that schools had dentists and all the other things in the 70s referenced in the novel. I just don’t see the students getting hooked into this book and, as a result, the message is then lost. I would have a harder time finding a student that I think this would be a good match for as compared to the other book.

Dia: I’ll admit the time is set when I was that age, so for sure that is a plus for me. I’ll also give you that the popularity might go to The Perfect Shot because of the basketball action, but that just means we have to use When You Reach Me to teach the power of little things strung together to make something beautiful and there is no way I’m going to let the “rhythm…of….the…ball” and some fake street talk (in The Perfect Shot) bowl it over.

Andrew: I agree that the “bounce bounce bounce” of the basketball, the street talk and the out of body experience are all items that were flaws in this book--but to have the hidden hero of your story as [EDITED FOR SPOILERS] isn’t great writing either. I think that the issues still have to outweigh the minor flaws in writing. When it comes down to the heart of the story, which is stronger?

Brad: [EDITED--SPOILERS, WHILE BRAD AND DIA JUSTIFY THE PURPOSE OF THE “HERO” OF WHEN YOU REACH ME] The Perfect Shot has more than a few writing flaws. I hate it when author’s have established characters do things completely out of character, like when the protagonist’s father, a guitar-building pseudo-hippy, almost drops the N-word (?!?!?!?). Or when Joyous starts talking like the jive-talking Barbara Billingsley in Airplane, overnight, to shoehorn in some sort of racial issues into the novel to give it purpose. As for When You Reach Me-- the fact that it takes place in a different time, foreign to the kids, is what would make it SUCH a rich learning experience. The whole book is about displaced time. And faith. And compassion. About the rational and the mysterious conflating into something, well, beautiful.

Dia: Wow...what he said....I also have to give a shout out to the main character and few scenes with the Mom that have nothing to do with time travel - except the kind we do when we change forever. For instance, page 120, where she knows her Mom sees the apartment everyday like she sees it and she still can’t apologize made me cry.

Andrew: Cry? Really?

Brad: I got a misty a few times as well.

Andrew: O.K.. So tell me. Could you name a student from, say, the past two years to whom you would give this book with your recommendation?

Dia: If I had read this last year, I would have done it across the board with the challenge class.

Brad: Ditto. Further to that, I can almost guarantee that I will be buying this book for my niece, and my brother, and friends, and anyone else I know who likes reading. True dat. The book is something I haven’t encountered before (although I admit I am a complete novitiate when it comes to Young Adult fiction): Young Adult North American Magic Realism. I hesitate to “talk the book up” too much because one of its many charms is how understated and plausible the elements of the fantastic are. If I knew that this was a time travel novel, I probably wouldn’t have engaged in it as readily as I did. That the “science-fictiony” stuff was so grounded and, well, quiet and matter-of-fact and moving, just made it...I don’t know....special. Like A Wrinkle in Time, which the novel references and aspires to be (and succeeds in being as effective, I think, in a wholly different way).

Andrew: I have a hard time giving up on a book (The Perfect Shot) that has such a good history teacher character and a plot centering around the growth of young people when put into uncomfortable situations and having to resolve them: The Challenge of Co-existence. But, as I have said, I do like both of the stories and would support moving When You Reach Me to the next level.

Dia: Sure--play the Co-existence Card.

Brad: I totally agree that the history class stuff, history teacher included, is the best part of The Perfect Shot. I thought that it was engaging and interesting, and that it was when the characters were at their most grounded and appealing. But the book, ultimately, is a mystery/thriller where the solution to the mystery is pretty obvious on page 2 or 3, and the thrills never...thrill. At no point did I feel that anyone was really in jeopardy (well, except after the initial horrifying murder stuff).

Dia: Great! We move the best book one while agreeing that The Perfect Shot could be given out to students because of redeeming qualities. Let’s face it--kids don’t come with a ton of background knowledge, so they might be a little more thrilled by the thrills we thought were a bit simplistic.

Andrew: I don’t think it’s the thrills that will capture the students as much as the notion of the injustice of the courts. I think that they would really buy into this as students do like everything to be “fair and equal” where wrong people are punished (as long as it isn’t them) and this book is filled with those events. However...

I will agree that When You Reach Me is the stronger book...well done both of you.

Dia: Then I’m leaving now, my work here is done. Great job to the both of you and thanks for thinking of a creative way to show this dialogue, Brad, and thanks to Andrew for pulling us out of The Dark Ages.

Flash Burnout vs. Whisper

Hmmm. I'm not so sure the books I'm reading are getting better and better. What I have noticed is that they're getting more similar, but maybe that's just the luck (or not) of the draw. Flash Burnout was a great read. I especially like the little photography text "excerpts" at the start of each chapter, although I'm not sure kids would get the metaphors. I like to be entertained and learn something when I invest my precious time in a novel. This book didn't fail on either of those accounts. Now I know a bit about photography, like what "flash burnout" means! I thought the love triangle in this story was a bit boring, actually. Very predictable. But the relationships between the main players and their siblings and parents were complex and diverse (from an adolescent's point of view). In addition, those characters brought other interesting story lines -- with the medical-examiner dad, and the "hurtling" brother, oh, and the drug-addicted, tattooed mom. There's lots here for the YA crowd. I like a bit of action/grittiness in a story; and although this book delivers some, it's mild. Even the sex scene is "tasteful". What appeals to me most as a teacher is that Flash Burnout isn't a chick book. Girls would definitely enjoy this book, but it is told from a boy's perspective. I think it's important that kids get to see boys struggling with relationships and involved in activities other than sports. ...I'm not sure the cover sells the story (and that's important to me); I think kids would pick up the book expecting some kind of thriller or mystery, but that's not really what's delivered. Whisper is a chick book. It's a really interesting story, not unlike many others that are on the shelves right now -- a (perfect) girl struggles with her special powers and meets up with a (messed-up) boy struggling with his special powers... you get the picture. I enjoyed the read. However, I think that the first three-quarters of the book is so full of girliness that boys wouldn't wade through it. There's a lot of description of what the girls are wearing, who their friends are, what their hair is like, and cupcakes and lattes, etc., etc. So that being said, it's definitely going to appeal to girls, and the main character, although she starts out as one of those "goody-two-shoes" types, does develop some gutsiness as the story progresses. She ends up being a resourceful heroine, just as you would expect. I guess that's what I disliked about this book; it's very predictable. On the other hand, who doesn't like to imagine what it would be like to read minds? The perks and challenges of that power make for an interesting story. The alternate point of view, with the messed-up sister and perfect brother, would have also been an interesting story (with a bit more grittiness). Nevertheless, this book would be an easy sell to the grade 8 and 9 girls I teach. My vote is for Flash Burnout. (There's nothing like a little friendly competition.)

Flash Burnout vs Whisper

Wow. The books are getting better and better for me. I was hoping not to be the first one to post on these two books, but I guess I will risk being the loser who picks a different book than my two colleagues reading the same novels. Frankly, I am having hard time deciding which book to move on, so I will share my thoughts on pros and cons and then make a decision by the end of this post. (I won't torture those of you who have read the books and moved them on with another plot synopsis.)

Flash Burnout. Pros: I really enjoyed the protagonist's voice and his sense of humour. The characters are well developed and very real. I like the family dynamic; the supporting character of the older brother who hassles his younger sibling, but comes through as someone to count on in a crisis, won me over. I think boys and girls will be able to read and relate to the characters and conflicts. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book myself. Cons: The climax that I was hoping for involved the conflict with Marissa's mom, the addict, and their relationship, and hopefully some kind of adventure, but the climax I got involved a love triangle with the characters, whom I liked, letting me down in their inability to remain faithful. Is it really so impossible for a girl and a boy to be "just friends"? I am not sure I like that model for our young adult readers. Maybe I could just to go back and watch When Harry Met Sally again if I want to explore that idea again, rather than getting kind of creeped out by teenagers exploring that idea (don't worry, I've already been identified as "old-fashioned" and "bleeding heart" in other venues this week, so you don't need to comment about it).

Whisper. Pros: I liked reading this book more. Despite its fantasy genre, the characters are believable and likable (even cranky Icka soon had my sympathy). Some of the problems about fitting in and wondering what your friends and family really think about you are issues to which lots of teen readers will relate. I think teens will recognize family members and friends in their own lives and girls, in particular, will relate to the sister rivalry and friendship dynamics. The climax was very exciting. It also has characters who redeem themselves. Cons: It is another fantasy novel to add to the pile. I don't think boys will pick this one up.

Hmmm. Aren't these pro and con lists supposed to clarify my choice?

The debate really seems to be how we are defining "best" book. Is it the one I enjoy more? The most exciting? The one more students will read? A book I can teach? A book that will appeal equally to both genders? A book that teaches the best lessons? All of these questions have me voting for different books.

Where is the rubric?

Without one, I am just going to say I liked Whisper more and let my other two colleagues make the deciding votes.

Round 3: Scrawl vs. The Demon's Lexicon

Yay, look at me, the first poster of Round 3! I'm supposed to be reading these and deciding the winner with the good folks over at Kenilworth (sp?), but they haven't posted yet, so I will put my opinion out there on which of these two novels needs to move forward.

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

As soon as I got this book through truck mail, I was already dreading reading it. Another book about fantastical creatures that don't really exist, but are supposed to kinda be normal teenagers like the ones we see every day? Yup. There is no end to the vampires, werewolves, fairies, demons,

shape-shifters, zombies, gods and goddesses, those who hunt them and those who love them, is there? Aren't there real people out there anymore that are worth writing about?

I used to enjoy this genre and its connections to the dark underworld and the occult. I even took a Vampire Literature course during my University days, where I had the chance to shred Twilight and get in heated arguments with fangirls over the merits of Buffy. At this point in the development of this fad, I think that enough is enough.

The Demon's Lexicon isn't about vampires (thankfully), but it is about magicians and teens marked by demons. If you can get past the absolutely wretched front cover, which seems like it combines the worst of Edward Cullen and an artsy, emo, 20-something, new version of the lone wolf t-shirt, this book is a good read. I won't go into too many plot details, because it has already been outlined by other bloggers, but there is still some originality here; some respectable characters (albeit the same cliched characters seen in many novels of this genre), and a very good OMG moment at the end of the novel that I didn't see coming.

Naturally this will be a series, which I have ranted about in a previous post. When it comes down to it, I think students who have not already become bored by this fantasy genre will enjoy this book, and probably want to read on as the rest of the trilogy is released. But I couldn't help getting the feeling as I read through this novel that we have seen all of this before, and will probably see it again before this sparkly, "Yes, I have the ancient mark of a demon, but I just want to be a normal teen!" trend nears its death rattle.

As negative as this review is, I must reiterate that the book is good. It is entertaining, and once you get past the slow beginning (at least I thought it was slow), you will be rewarded with where the novel leads the reader.

Scrawl by Mark Shulman

Ok, a book about regular people. No super powers here. Nobody is being chased by magicians. Scrawl was an interesting read, because for the first few chapters of the book, I thought it was about a bully being forced to write down all the bad things he had done. To atone for his deplorable behavior in detention under the watchful eye of a caring guidance councilor.

But Scrawl is more than that, and the reader sees this as they get to know the writer/main character, Tod. He may do some reprehensible things. He may be a thief and he may extort money from students in his school. But really, he has no clue who he is, and this comes across in his actions as he steps into various of the high school niches. He hangs out with other bullies. He is a petty criminal. Yet he enters a spelling bee. He makes sure he is never late for his English class. He always shows up to detention and doesn't protest too much when he is required to write every day after school. He interacts with artists, and the AV club, and the drama kids. He knows how to hem a skirt.

What I liked about Tod is that he is a realistic character. He is a teenager. He really has no clue what he is all about yet. The identity he has created for himself is not how others view him. The notebook he is forced to write in helps him see himself in a different light. What he will do with that is up to him, as well up to the mind of the reader (because thankfully this isn't a series!).

This novel is not really plot driven, but it provides an honest high school voice, one that I feel many students could relate to. I felt that this book really did provide some insight into how a teenager perceives themselves compared to what others think about them, and the constant struggle and amount of thought that goes into the creation, manipulation and maintenance of identity.

And my winner is...

It has to be Scrawl. I tried my best to put aside my prejudices against the genre of The Demon's Lexicon when choosing which one to advance. When all is said and done, in my opinion, Scrawl is just a better book. I think it is good for a wide range of ages and reading abilities, and amidst all the teens who sparkle and fight were-monkeys in the night, there is a real character here that teens can understand, and maybe even learn from.

My apologies to the entire Smackdown community—it’s been a bit hectic at work, and then technology problems have plagued the receiving of this blog posting. Sorry all!!!

Now, on to our show…

Epitaph Road by David Patneaude

In one word: Dopey.

Epitaph Road is “paint-by-numbers” Young Adult fiction. Post (semi-)apocalyptic world? Check. (Potential) Love triangle involving the protagonist? Check. Redonkulous cloak and dagger sequences? Check. A spy/traitor in the mix? Check. Religious allegory sprinkled here and there? Check. Friendly exposition-spouting lackey who gives all the pertinent information at just the right time? Check. Lots of italicized words, for optimum “edge-of-your-seat” tone? Check. Females, while fleeing, mysteriously disabled, unable to continue on, whispering to her wards “You have to go…[t]here’s no time” (no “Go on without me”????). Check.

No clichéd stone goes unturned, that’s for certain.

That’s not to say that it isn’t a periodically engaging read, for the most part--lots of twists and turns, and, in its own rambling, clichéd way, kind of interesting. The epitaphs that begin each chapter are sometimes clever and moving, telling the story of a whole lifetime in just a few short phrases. Sometimes these epitaphs are beautifully written and poignant; however, other times they are trite and purply. Hmmm. I guess they are sort of a metonym for the book as a whole, which oscillates wildly between interesting and dopey.

To be fair, this is obviously the first book of a series (or at least it appears that way—truth, Dia?), and it suffers a bit from “Origin Story Syndrome,” setting up so much exposition to be explored in later books. Patneaude does set up some fairly hiss-able villains, and periodically comes up with a notion or two that really sets the reader back: for instance, the virus that claims half the world’s population is distributed through McDonalds and Starbucks free giveaways. Clearly, the Legal Departments of these two chains haven’t read the book…

Anyway. Not dreadful. Just sort of m’eh. No big surprises. No pulse-pounding adventure. Periodic flashes of interesting stuff. But, overall…m’eh.

The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong

In one word: Dopey (but somehow, kind of moving). O.K., O.K., technically six words, but my posting, my rules.

First things first: I hate texts that start off with a de facto Greek Chorus/Prologue, outlining what is to happen in the plot (unless, of course, there is something structurally in the narrative where there will be a payoff): for instance, before the story even starts, we know that the protagonist, Ben, and his younger brother will survive the story; we know that Dylan, another brother, probably dies or is gravely injured; and we know that the father disappears halfway through the novel. If this were a novel where the “whys” of these occurrences were the tale, that was not about the end point but the journey, a novel of theme or character, this might work structurally. But this is a straight-forward, rip-snorting adventure novel; I’m not sure why Herlong plays these cards right at the jump. It really diminishes some of the “surprises,” and I was continually waiting for certain events to happen. Bah.

Rant over.

Let’s be honest folks—this is a boys’ adventure novel through and through, which has strong thematic and narrative ties to the great granddaddy of the genre, The Coral Island. Storms must be navigated through, sharks must be encountered, bones must be broken, fraternal ties must erode and re-bond, life lessons must be learned, food must be scavenged, and swashes need buckling. Some of this is formulaic and teeth-gratingly clichéd: the tensions between the father and the protagonist, Ben, are straight out of an ABC After School Special, particularly for the first ten chapters or so. And sometimes characters conveniently ignore key elements, or “forget” important details in their lives, so that the narrative can sort of lurch forward incredulously (really? Is it possible for a father to forget that his five-year old son can’t swim, only to remember when they have embarked on a high seas adventure and said child has gone overboard? Really?!?!??).

And yet…

I kind of bought in. The changing relationship of the brothers was interesting and, at times, unexpectedly moving, and some of the adventures were, while not exactly thrilling, certainly fun. The novel is frantically paced—one “trial” is barely over before another begins, and the reader isn’t bored, ever. Everything is wrapped up a bit too tidily at the end, and some of the more ambiguous narrative possibilities are achingly explicitly “solved” in the last few pages—a few unearned epiphanies to be sure. But I was more than a little moved by that last page, unearned or not, and I was satisfied as I closed the book.

The writing is clear and unencumbered, fitting of an adventure novel, but not leaving a lot to study for teachers; sure, there are some interesting symbols and some transformational change for the characters (albeit a little hokey), but I’m not sure it would be a fantastic choice for a whole class read. As well, it is a “guy book” methinks (although someone could call me on this, and although it is written by a woman, a potentially interesting class discussion in itself) that is firmly steeped in the technical language of sailing, a potential impediment for some readers (my land-locked self included). Suitable for a reading group or circle? Absolutely.

Let me be clear—The Great Wide Sea is fine, but just fine. I don’t think it will ever be considered a modern classic in any sense of the word. But it is engaging and fun, which, for this round against Epitaph Road, is enough for it to move forward.

The Great Wide Sea it is!!!

And just one more thought, just about the whole Smackdown experience thus far. In the first round, I had two texts that were truly GREAT, and I was forced into a really difficult decision as to which one could move on. Honestly, it was really hard, and I’m still not sure I made the best choice. This time, I had two books that were just O.K., and that was an equally hard decision, as I would hate for either of these books to be considered the best of what Young Adult fiction has to offer us. Both decisions = tumult. Interesting.

- Brad

Ship Breaker vs. The Perfect Shot

Ship Breaker

This is a post-apocalyptic story with your quintessentially grubby, untrustworthy people living in shanty towns. It centers around the life of a kid who works on a slave-type salvage team digging through old ships. He is a dreamer who frequently looks off to the horizon watching boats sailing free; meanwhile he digs through small spaces on beached, derelict steel vessels pulling out valuable scrap wire for his boss. Always at the back of his mind is the hope that he may come across something that will make him rich and get him out of this life before it's too late. At home in his shabby shack he is constantly on edge as he deals with the fluctuating tempers of his drugged up, boozed out papa.

The story is well told and hooks readers by creating a sympathetic protagonist. We want things to work out for this young guy and if we can get past the slightly predictable and contrived sci-fi scenery and lingo, it's an intriguing story. Who do you trust and how can people stick together in such a rough life? Kids will like this book for its constant danger and its underdog paradigm in a tough world. It is a quick read and worth a look.

The Perfect Shot

This story is about a kid who loves basketball. But that's not all. Brian is also involved in figuring out.... a MURDER! A horrible tragedy hits his neighborhood as his girlfriend, her mother, and her brother are victims of a terrible crime. What's worse is Amanda' s father may be wrongly accused. Brian is also working on a school project that touches too close to home and ups the tension as he tries to balance basketball expectations, philosophical questions about doing what is right, and possibly life and death. Our protagonist, full of guilt and who's-got-game angst, has to do his part to see justice reign.

Kids will like this book once they get into it. The beginning is a little confusing as it seems there are pieces of information missing. Clues are given that make sense later, so if kids can plow through the opening without giving up, they'll love the rest as the mystery unfolds. Some parts are quite repetitive but there are also some really good twists that kids will like.

Our Pick for the Next Round

In the end, we were split on the two books as a group, each having its fans of the genre more than anything. Neither book stood out, either as weak writing or as brilliant storytelling, but after final votes were in, THE PERFECT SHOT, moves on to the next round.

End of Round 2 Limps into Sight

Oh the February that would not end! It has claimed a few victims in our Smackdown. We have one school lost in action, a consultant admitting defeat and a tiny bearded high school administrator valiently slogging through his two books. What does this mean for you? Sadly, a little delay before your next books get to you. If you haven't already, and frankly I drink a lot of Diet Coke so even if you have, let me know if you are in for round three.

I see the Epic Detour/Flash Burnout battle has given us the first nominee for the back from the dead final round. Let me know if others have fallen and you want to give them a chance. Voting for this will happen after round 4.

For those of you frozen readers, committed to the cause....Arlene and I salute you.