Road Tripped by Pete Hautman

Steven (aka Stiggy) runs away or actually drives away from home. His girlfriend (if that's what she really was) broke up and literally left town. He ticked off his only friend (maybe permanently). And almost a year ago, his dad died.

So what better way to deal with his problems than hop in his dad's Mustang and leave Minnesota to head down the Great River Road. Stiggy has no destination in mind; he is not trying to find answers or search for himself; he just wants to get away. The river road may be paved, but for Stiggy it is a rough one.

Of course, Stiggy does have a lot of time to remember past events (that we learn about through flash backs). Times with his friend; times with his girlfriend; times before and after his dad died.

Stiggy meets a lot of interesting people on the road: some odd, some helpful, some scary. But they all play a role in Stiggy's ultimate decision to keep heading South or turn around and head home.

You will root for Stiggy to find his way and deal with his problems. He makes them worse before he can make them better, but he is trying.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer

Another book with a reality show in it. I swear I'm not looking for them - I just keep coming across them and thinking they sound interesting. In this case, four students are frustrated by how much the show has invaded their school.

Luke is fed up with For Art's Sake, a show that a pits a select few Selwyn Academy (a prestigious arts school) students against each other for the prize of a scholarship. Each week, the show ends with a competition where the contestants perform in their chosen medium (dance, drama, music).

Jackson, Elizabeth and Ethan (our narrator) follow their friend Luke into a plot to discredit the show and demonstrate how it has nothing to do with creating art and everything to do with making money. They suspect the school administration is benefiting financially at the cost of school's prestigious reputation.

In addition to the financial issues, they hope to bring to light other problems with the show. Luke decides to write a satirical, biting long poem that the group distributes in an underground publication (called the Contracantos) designed by Elizabeth that also includes Ethan's drawings. They also investigate the possibility that the show is scripted. Hopefully, someone will listen to them.

On top of the fact that their plans seem to get them nowhere, Ethan has a crush on Maura, the star of the show. As part of their scheme, he does get to talk to her, and in the process discovers she is being used by the show's producers. They are taking advantage of the fact that she is willing to do whatever it takes to be a successful professional dancer. How do you take down a show without killing the dreams of your classmates?

Poet Ezra Pound is a central part of this story. Introduced in their English class, his work inspires them. I mention this because within the pages of this story you will find a poem that perplexed me when I read it in high school. I mean no disrespect to poetry lovers, but this one was just not for me. I include it here in its entirety:
                        The apparations of these faces in the crowd;
                        Petals on a wet, black bough. 

Imagine my shock when I saw this poem after all these years. I was mostly confused by its brevity, but I will say I have never forgotten it.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.

Sex & Violence by Carrie Mesrobian

Sex & Violence - it's a title that gets people's attention. Two words with general meanings that when put together can take on many connotations.

For seventeen year old Evan, sex is a casual pursuit. He has never gotten too attached to any of his partners. He has grown to look at women and admire them for the physical attributes and ponder the possibility of sex with them. The thing about sex is that you may not be the only person attracted to someone. For Evan, this is bad. Collette offers herself to him and he takes her willingly. When her ex-boyfriend finds out, Evan is cornered in the shower and brutally beaten.

Evan's dad moves them to the small lake Minnesota town where he grew up. Evan and his dad have moved many times since Evan's mother died, but he has never been to this place. Constantly moving has caused Evan to not form close relationships (with friends or lovers), so he is reluctant to befriend any of the other lake kids. He avoids doing things that bring back memories of his beating (like the shower). He also hesitates to hook up with any girl although the desire is there. It is particularly tricky with Baker who is dating a large athletic guy who could easily pummel Evan if he is not careful.

This book could have fallen into a typical story arc of Evan meeting the right girl and learning to trust in himself and others again. But life is not that easy. There are many issues being addressed in this story. For one, Evan's dad is acting differently. He is more casual and open and seems interested in the married woman next door. Two, the specter of Evan's uncle is never far away. Evan explores an off-limits island and finds things that bring him closer to an uncle who has just disappeared.

It's an amazing, complex story that does not tie up solutions to life's problems in neat little boxes.

For more info about this book, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's author's site.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

I don't understand people who hate others because they are different. Looking back to when I was young, I realize now that I was bullied. For a long time I thought of it as teasing or even a right of passage for boys, but it was torment that made me afraid and uncomfortable. It never went beyond the verbal and was not everyday, but it was enough that I remember several times fearing the school day. I tell this because I know there are many young people who are constantly bullied and the face much bigger issues than I ever faced. And that leads us to this book...

Gabe started out life as Elizabeth. He has known for a long time that he was not comfortable being a girl. Although he dresses as masculine as possible in school, he is still Elizabeth to everyone else. Now that he is a few weeks away from graduation, he is hopeful that he can get away from his small town and just be Gabe all the time. He dreams of going to the Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) to be a radio DJ.

Gabe's one escape has always been music - an interest that has grown to near obsession thanks to his neighbor John (the first person to ever to play Elvis on the radio back in the 1950s). John gets Gabe a late night slot on a small local radio station where he can play pretty much whatever he wants. Borrowing heavily from John's personal music collection and vast knowledge of popular music of the past 60 years, Gabe creates themed programs each week that to his surprise attract a small, loyal following. Gabe also attracts a few female admirers who do not know his big secret.

It's a small town and secrets cannot remain secrets forever. When the truth is revealed, a few violent thugs threaten Gabe in person and online. Gabe is attacked for doing nothing but trying to be himself. It is a truth of life that still confounds me. 

Fortunately, Gabe is not alone. In addition to John and his radio listeners, Gabe also has his best friend (and the first person he ever told) Paige. She has always been there for him. His feelings for her are complicated, though. Is it possible they could ever be more than just friends? 

His family situation is more delicate. His parents are not adjusting so easily to the transition. They continue to call him Elizabeth and often refuse to even look at him. Will they ever come around to accept that their little girl has always been a boy on the inside and now wants his outside to match?

Of course, I love the music elements of this story. There are so many references to artists and songs that I like (every chapter title has Elvis in it!). Even though the music is cool, the messages and the characters are the real reason to read this. It is full of hope and strength for anyone who has ever been bullied. Gabe never gives up. He is always looking forward.

For more info about this book, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

Ethan was abducted when he was seven. He got into a car in front of his house and was gone for nine years. His four year old brother, Blake, was the only witness. Now he has returned to his family as a sixteen year old with no memories of the family he was taken from.

It is an adjustment for them all. He has a little sister born after he was taken, a brother who is mad at him for getting in the car and parents who just want   their family whole again. He also must face the continuous questions of what happened to him while he was gone.

He quickly becomes attracted to the neighbor girl who knew as a boy, but she has a boyfriend who is athletic and popular. She is his only relief the tension in his house.

At times life is almost normal for Ethan, but those moments are few. He wants his memories to come back, but nothing is there. There is no real happy time for the people in this story. Blake and Ethan fight. Ethan's parents are strict about being home on time and checking in frequently.

As I read, I felt Ethan's family was pushing him too fast. A family gathering happens the a few days after he returns and he goes back to school the next Monday. None of it helps Ethan adjust any quicker.

For more information about this book, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's website.