HAYWOOD’S HYPE
This semester, students have been invited to be guest reviewers for the Haywood’s Hype column. This second student critique was written by Rachel Barr. Thank you, Rachel!
DAMAGE by A.M. Jenkins
Austin, the main character of DAMAGE, is a high school athlete living any normal guy’s dream. He is the guy everyone looks up to and the pride of the Panthers. Even though Austin has a good life, great friends, and a leading spot on the football team, Austin finds himself in a terrible depression. He doesn’t feel anymore because of the depression. He questions whether to get up in the morning. He is so depressed he even thinks of killing himself. Austin is struggling in his own skin, fighting a battle no one can see or provide help. And yet his perspective changes when he meets Heather McKenzie. Everyone wants to be acquainted with her, but she only has eyes for the pride of the panthers. Heather is hands-down beautiful, but no one is perfect. Heather has never let anyone know the truth about the death of her father. She is all about never showing her flaws to anyone, but is that really healthy? Will they help each other to recovery or crumble under the pressure?
Jenkins wrote this story in second-person. It was also written in a slightly depressed tone. I enjoyed reading DAMAGE because it shows what a high school relationship is and how a real one should be.
An award winning author, Jenkins received a few awards for her other books. She lives a great life with three sons, two cats and two dogs. Jenkins received the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship Award for her book titled NIGHT ROAD. I really did enjoy the book and I would give it 4 stars, the highest rating.
Our third and final student critique till next semester is by Kim Drzewiecki. Thank you, Kim!
THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER by
Sarah Dessen
Macy’s summer takes sharp turns right in front of her eyes in
Sarah Dessen’s 2004 New York Times Bestseller, The Truth about Forever. Macy’s summer plan is to spend every day at
the information desk and every night studying.
Whatever time is left in between is used to help her overly obsessive
mother prepare for the opening of her new townhouse section in her beloved
cul-de-sac. However, Macy did not plan to get a job with “Wish Catering “and a
crew of new friends… or Wes. Wes is very artistic, romantic and tattooed. He’s
not part of Macy’s plan, or anything like her over achiever boyfriend, Jason, who
happens to be away at “Brain Camp”. So,
what is it about Wes that she finds so addicting? What is it about him that
tears down her walls? He squeezes his
way into her comfort zone, and finally gets her to talk about how much she
misses her father, who died from a heart attack. He also has her talking about how much she
misses the way her Mom used to be. This book sends readers up and down, page by
nail-biting page. This down to earth
teenage love story expresses denial, comfort, sympathy, heartbreak, love and
hopefulness. Watch Macy and her summer
day by day, as she slowly picks up the pieces of her broken heart, every time
it breaks.
Sarah Dessen has been recognized
with the following awards: Starred Review, School Library Journal, 2004; A New
York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, 2005; Colorado Blue Spruce Young
Adult Book Award Nominee, 2005; TAYSHAS High School Reading List, 2005-2006;
Utah Beehive Young Adult Fiction Award Nominee, 2005-2006; Teen Buckeye Book
Award Nominee, 2006; South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominee, 2006-2007;
Buckeye Teen Twelve Book Award Nominee, 2001; A Georgia Peach Book Award for
Teen Readers Nominee, 2007; Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award Nominee,
2008; A YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults, 2011.
Dessen uses words and phrases in a way that you can very easily understand. It is not too complicated but it is also not boring. All the words used have their own emotion and express the sadness or anger. When Sarah writes, the dialogue is very distinct and the paragraphs are broken up so that each moment does not necessarily drag on for a long time. Every situation is very emotional, from anger all the way to happiness and everything in between. Personally, I felt a lot of excitement, heartbreak and hope. For sure you can see this whole story very clear in your mind. It is entertaining and enjoyable. I like this book because I like reading realistic fiction and teenage love stories; stories I can put myself in and I can very easily do that with this book. It is easy to relate to which also makes it an easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would rate it 4 out of 4 stars! ****