Here’s part three of my 2009 Favorite Books. You can also look at my favorite choices in the first and second part of this blog series.
These are the books for kids and teens that resonated with me. I’ll also share from a writer’s perspective what I learned from this books as well.
Here’s the third and final batch of books:
The Forest of Hands of Teeth by Carrie Ryan
I actually had to drop the author a note on how this book gave me nightmares. And for me that is a compliment. Mary lives in a world surrounded by a fence that keeps out the Unconsecrated—a.k.a. Zombies. And when the fence is breached—well, let’s just say bad things start happening. The way the author melds in character motivation and the dynamic relationships between the characters just made this book even stronger.
The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti
Full disclosure: There really isn’t a Deb Caletti book that I don’t like so I may be kind of biased when it comes to this author. Quinn’s relationship with her eccentric father has always been erratic but when she realizes that he has stolen important things from former wives and girlfriends, she decides to give them back. This book at its heart is about love relationships and how one learns to trust after betrayal. Plus, the vignettes in the book spotlighting character love histories is worth its weight in gold on learning how to cultivate authentic voice.
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
I loved the fiesty voice from Han’s middle grade novel, Shug. And I wasn’t disappointed with the first book in this trilogy. Belly is finally coming into her own. She’s becoming “pretty” and finally catching the eye of Conrad—the subject of a long crush. But then there’s his brother Jeremiah. You know what’s coming—love drama. This is like the perfect summer book. Focusing on the relationship dynamics and how a character can grow through circumstances are concepts to transfer into one’s own writing.
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
A book taking a taboo subject and blending in magical realism with literary prose brings a lot to the table for a writer studying craft. The structure of the novel (not in conventional chapters) and the way that Anderson takes the approach to show how Lia comes to terms with her friend’s death and her own mortality and issues—it looks almost effortless. This is the kind of book that can be read more than once to get deeper meanings. A worthy goal for a writer.
Z for Zachariah by Robert O’ Brien
For some reason, I never heard of this book growing up. But I’m glad that I finally got a chance to read it. Ann has survived a nuclear holocaust and is alone after her family doesn’t come back from an errand. She lives in a remote valley protected from the ravages of radiation. And just when she thinks she’s alone—enters Dr. Loomis. He wants to stay in the valley with Ann. But when Ann finds out who she’s really dealing with—she is faced with a choice: Does she stay in the valley or does she leave? This book uses the diary format. As a writer, I learned how to reveal character growth as well as symbolism and plotting.
