Ultraviolet Book Review

 Author: R.J. Anderson. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Carolrhoda Books. ISBN: 9780761374086.

Annotation: After her classmate, Tori Beaugrand, disintegrates in front of her, sixteen-year-old Alison Jeffries finds herself as a patient at Pine Hills mental hospital and a suspect in Tori’s murder.   

Personal thoughts: I had heard mixed things about this novel and when I began reading it I had very few expectations. Within the first chapter, however, I was hooked. R.J. Anderson’s writing style is spot on, and I loved how the story wasn’t melodramatic. I was fascinated by Alison and her abilities, and think that they will make for a very strong series. I truly did not see the “twist” in the novel coming, and felt like I was on my toes throughout the story. I’m really looking forward to the sequel, and plan to recommend this novel to teens who want something different, original and entertaining.   

Plot summary: All her life, Alison Jeffries has been able to see, taste and smell things no one else can. When she listens to music, the notes form rich, colorful patterns in the air. Certain letters leave a disgusting taste in her mouth and some words are as delicious as chocolate. When she was a child, her mother told her never to talk about what she was seeing, making Alison think that her visions were crazy. Now she is sixteen, and Alison has spent her life trying to hide her abilities from the world, turning her into a loner at school. No amount of preparation can prepare Alison, however, for what happens one fateful afternoon behind her high school. Tori Beaugrand, a beautiful, popular, out-going student, and Alison get into a fight. Longtime rivals, Alison has had enough of Tori’s bullying and, more than anything, the harsh noise Tori gives off that no one else can hear. After Alison punches Tori, something she never dreamed of doing, something horrible happens: Tori disappears. Tori’s disintegration, coupled with the most unbearably painful noise Alison has ever heard, is more than she can handle. Alison awakens days later in the hospital, her body bruised, and learns that Tori is missing. Convinced that she killed Tori, but not sure how, Alison is moved to Pine Hills, a institution for teens with mental illness. Now that she is a suspect in Tori’s murder and under constant surveillance from her doctors, Alison begins to wonder if her mother was right. Is she truly insane or is their more to her abilities and what happened to Tori than she realizes?

Review:  Part Girl, Interrupted part A Wrinkle in Time, this first installment in R.J. Anderson’s new series for teens offers something slightly more cerebral yet thought-provoking than the usual young adult novel. From the start, the reader, like Alison, is not sure what is truth and what is fantasy. Alison sees beautiful, flowing colors when she hears sounds, she ascribes tastes and sensations to words and numbers, and she smells emotions. The author’s descriptions of these abilities are very well-done and seem realistic enough to raise the question of whether or not she herself experiences what Alison does. At first slightly un-settling, readers will eventually get used to Alison’s interesting sensations, and appreciate the crucial part they play at various points in the story. Alison’s experiences in the Pine Hills mental illness facility also raise questions for the reader: is she crazy? Does she belong in the facility? Will she ever be released? These, along with the more science-fiction aspects of the novel, combine in an interesting way that makes for an original and unique story that will hold great appeal for the right type of reader. The second novel in the series, Quicksilver, is set to be released on September 6, 2012.

Genre: Science-Fiction

Reading level: Grade 7+

Similar titles: The Sleepwalkers by J. Gabriel Gates, Tighter by Adele Griffin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.  

Themes:  Mental illness, mental hospitals, murder, synesthesia, sanity vs. insanity.

Awards/Reviews:  Positive reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.

Series Information: First installment in Ultraviolet series. Second novel, Quicksilver, set to be released September 6, 2012.    

Discussion questions:

-       Why do you think Alison’s mother didn’t want her to talk about her abilities?
-     Do you think Alison should have been a patient at Pine Hills? Why or why not?
-      Research “synesthesia.” Is it a real condition?
-       Were you surprised to learn the truth about Faraday’s research study?
-    What would you like to see happen in the sequel?

Tighter Book Review

Author: Adele Griffin. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Knopf Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780375866456.

Annotation:  Seventeen-year-old Jamie is struggling with her own problems even before her mother finds her a summer job on the island of Little Bly as an au pair to eleven-year-old Isa. Soon after arriving on Little Bly, Jamie discovers the mansion Isa’s family owns might be haunted by restless spirits.

Personal thoughts:  I have to admit that this novel was not what I was expecting at all after reading the book jacket. In many ways, this novel differs from other ghost stories for teens so much that it would be just as appropriate for adult readers. The plot is very much a psychological thriller that dives headfirst into some very complicated issues. There are elements of a ghost story, but the real focus of the novel is on Jamie and her own personal ghosts. Overall, I was impressed, even if I didn’t have a great time reading the novel. Tighter is definitely something different, and something that teens who want to think should read.

Plot summary: Seventeen-year-old Jamie Atkinson is struggling with some major personal demons as she sets out to spend the summer as an au pair on the island of Little Bly. She is addicted to pill popping: antihistamines, muscle relaxers, sleeping pills, anything to ease the pain of an old track injury and, more importantly, numb out her mind. Jamie is plagued by memories of a romantic relationship she had with her chemistry teacher that ended in rejection. She’s also being haunted by visions of two of her relatives who committed suicide. Her mother thinks that taking a job on the small New England island will help Jamie, so she travels to Skylark, Little Bly’s largest mansion to care for eleven-year-old Isa while her father is in Hong Kong. Also living in Skylark are Connie, the middle-aged housekeeper, and Milo, Isa’s older brother. Jamie and Isa become fast friends, but soon Jamie discovers a secret about Skylark’s past: Isa’s previous au pair, Jessie, was killed in a tragic accident with her boyfriend, Peter, the summer before. It seems that Jamie bears a startling resemblance to Jessie, so much so that the ghost of Peter might be haunting Skylark attempting to reach out to her.

Review: Tighter delivers a ghost story far more psychological than most young adult novels dare to travel, resulting in a thoughtful and unique read. It is clear from the first page that the “heroine”, Jamie, is more than a little off-kilter. Not only is she addicted to popping pills stolen from her parents medicine cabinet, but she is plagued by horrifying ghostly visions of two relatives who committed suicide. She is also coping with an inappropriate romantic relationship she had with her chemistry teacher, one that ended with her being rejected. Even with these personal demons, Griffin lets on throughout the story that there is something deeper to Jamie’s problems, something that becomes unraveled as the novel progresses. When Jamie arrives on Little Bly and begins to believe that Skylark is haunted, the reader is constantly wondering whether her visions are the result of her self-medicating, or if the ghost of Peter is truly trying to contact her. Jamie’s charge, eleven-year-old Isa, is an interesting character who is also dealing with her own demons. It is Isa’s older brother, handsome, fourteen-year-old Milo, however, who is the most intriguing resident of Skylark. He and Jamie seem to have an instant connection, but one that is far from positive. Milo has a knack for cutting right to the core of Jamie’s insecurities, and seems to be more involved than he’s letting on in Peter’s ghostly presence in Skylark. Overall, Tighter is a relatively short but powerful novel that delivers a storyline far different from usual young adult fare. Equally enjoyable for teens and adults, readers will be left thinking long after the final page.  

Genre: Ghost Story/Psychological Thriller

Reading level: Grade 8+

Similar titles: Lark by Tracey Porter, Shine by Lauren Myracle.

Themes:  Ghosts, addiction, mental illness, teacher and student relationships, death, grief.

Awards/Reviews:  Positive reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal. Written by National Award Finalist author.

Series Information: N/A

Discussion questions:

- How does Jamie’s addiction to pills influences the events of the story?

- Do you think that Jamie taking the job at Skylark was a good idea? Why or why not?

- How did Jamie’s memories of her relationship with Sean Ryan influence the events of the story?

- After completing the novel, what was your understanding of Milo’s influence on Jamie, Isa and Peter?

- Do you think that Skylark is haunted? Why or why not?