Thursday, September 23, 2010

What young adult novel should Hollywood adapt next?

EW.com recently had a good article called What young adult novel should Hollywood adapt next? It's a good question. With the success that Twilight had and the buzz that the possible Hunger Games film is getting, as well as all of the other books that are being made into movies that I've blogged about, it seems that teen books are perfect material for movies. So, what book would you pick to be made into a movie?

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Book Review: You by Charles Benoit

Told in the second person, You could just as easily been called "If Only." Narrated by Kyle, a high school sophomore and a member of "the hoodies", Kyle's school is like every other - clique ridden. The hoodies wear black hooded sweatshirts, they drink beer in the park, they slack off and they pretty much stick to themselves. But when Kyle garners the hatred of the king of the jocks, even his fellow hoodies don't help him. Kyle scuffles through life, seemingly dead on the outside, until Zack an eccentric transfer student kicked out of a prestigious prep school befriends him. But by this point, Kyle's earlier choices may have already sealed his fate. From the start of Kyle's narration, the reader knows that things may not turn out well for Kyle. His decisions through out high school culminate in the final harrowing conclusion.

The Kyle that the world sees is very different from the Kyle that the reader knows. His feelings and thoughts are realistic. He acts tough, uninterested, and bored. Only the reader sees Kyle's hurt when he hears his mother telling his younger sister not to be like Kyle. Like Kyle, the reader will be left thinking, if only.