Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Originally published in 2000.
Audiobook narrated by Liz Morton.

When her older sister runs away, 16-year-old Caitlin O'Koren tries to fill the gaping void in her life with cheerleading. Yet after falling from a cheerleading pyramid, she struggles with choices that send her life into a downward spiral. Mesmerized by affluent bad boy Rogerson Biscoe, Caitlin abandons her parents and friends for the seductive lure of his dangerous yet exciting world. But the pain of Rogerson's controlling rage soon shatters the pleasure of their clandestine romance. Trapped in a dizzying maelstrom of abuse, Caitlin seeks the solace of a drug-induced dreamland.

Sarah Dessen talked about writing Dreamland here.

I liked the first three-quarters of the book better than the ending. There was too much wrapping everything up in neat packages for me - and in ways that seemed quite unrealistic. I do think that the topic of teen dating violence is an important one, and I applaud Dessen for taking it on.

A few other random thoughts:

• I would have liked to understand the character Rogerson better, why he did what he did, who he really is.
• Early in the book I identified quite a bit with Caitlin's mother - but by mid-way, I couldn't believe she could be so oblivious to Caitlin's problems ... but maybe that's more realistic than I - as the mother of teenagers - would like to believe.
• I liked the use of photography as a plot devise as well as symbolism.

2010.82

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

Published in 1999. 228 pages.


Keeping the Moon is the fourth of Sarah Dessen's books that I've read. I enjoyed the quirky characters. I think Just Listen is still my favorite though.

Dessen talks about writing Keeping the Moon - and the impact that the book still has on her - on her website.

2009.52

Weekly Geeks No. 23

This week’s theme: Fun Facts About Authors.

Since I'm currently reading The Truth About Forever, I have decided to choose Sarah Dessen as the writer about whom I'll post.

(Collage from a post on Dessen's "latest news" blog.)

• Born June 6, 1970.


• Lives in North Carolina.


• Graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, with a degree in English.


• Mother of Sasha Clementine, who was born September 2, 2007.


• Her ninth YA novel to be released June 2009.


• Enjoys shopping at The Gap.


• Fan of UNC basketball.


• Voted for Barack Obama in the recent election.


• Official site.

Other Weekly Geeks' author fun facts:

• Alexander McCall Smith (juliann)


• Christopher Moore (ali)


• Dean Koontz (naida)


• Astrid Lindgren (lou)

Not Too Old

Growing up, I spent a great deal of time at the public library in the small city in which I lived. I especially loved participating in the summer reading programs, and some of my favorite childhood memories include meeting with children's librarians to report on my reading for the week or sitting on the floor in our living room with the stack of new books I'd just brought home from a library visit. I loved novels, especially historical fiction and mysteries.

By the time I got to high school, though, most of the time I spent at the public library - at least during the school year - was spent on debate research. I certainly still considered myself a reader - and I enjoyed most of what I was required to read at school, including To Kill a Mockingbird, Dandelion Wine, and The Fountainhead - but I wasn't visiting the library to find novels. In some ways I no longer quite fit in at one of my favorite places to be.

According to Wikipedia, the 1970s to the mid-1980s were the golden age of young adult fiction, when publishers began to focus on the emerging adolescent market, and booksellers and libraries, in turn, began creating YA sections distinct from either children's literature or novels written for adults. As with many trends, my town was apparently behind the times. I distinctly remember, at perhaps fifteen years old, asking the children's librarian one summer if I could participate in the reading program. She reluctantly allowed me to do it - but it was clear that I was really too old. There was no YA section at the library, no teen summer reading program.

Since becoming an adult - especially a mother of two teen girls - I have discovered that the young adult genre is not only one that I enjoy but also one that is filled with excellent novels. Just because these books are about adolescents and are marketed for adolescents, that doesn't mean that they, as a group, are in any way inferior to adult novels in character, plot, setting, theme, or style. I love visiting the teen section at the local branch of our county library, especially to peruse the new books shelf.

Among some of my favorite YA reads over the past couple of years - with links to my reviews - are the following:

• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang


• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne


• If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko


• Just Listen by Sarah Dessen


• Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies) by Justina Chen Headley


• The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock


• Princess Academy by Shannon Hale


• Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar


• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson


• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher


• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

I wrote this post for August's Bookworms Carnival,
hosted by Florinda at The 3R's.
Check out other carnival posts here.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Published in 2006. 371 pages.


First sentence: I taped the commercial back in April, before anything had happened, and promptly forgot about it.

Last sentence: It was bright and warm, catching the ring on my thumb as Owen reached for it, spinning it slowly, slowly, as the song played on.

Why I read this book: I wanted to have a young adult novel with me on vacation, for a quick read after I finished The Host. My seventeen-year-old daughter is a fan of Dessen, and I've been wanting to read some of her work. I mentioned Just Listen in a post I wrote for Weekly Geeks about teen dating violence, so it's been on my mind - and it was what I picked up when I was at the library.

Description of the plot (adapted from the book jacket): Annabel Grene is the girl who has everything. At least that's who she plays in a department store commercial. In real life, though, Annabel is the girl who has nothing: no best friend since mean-but-exciting Sophie dumped her with malicious rumors flying, no peace at home while her older sister's eating disorder preoccupies the family, and no ability to tell anyone what's on her mind. Then she meets Owen Armstrong - intense, obsessed with music, and determined to always tell the truth, no matter what the consequences. Can a girl who hates confrontation find a way to connect with a guy who thrives on it? And can Annabel find the courage to tell what really happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends?

What I liked about this book - and how I think it compares to Speak: Comparison of Just Listen to Speak, which I reviewed earlier this year, is inevitable. The basic plot lines are similar, and even the titles invoke the same concept. The books are quite different, however, most notably in tone, but also, I think, in the subtext; I came away from Just Listen with a different feeling than I got from Speak. I really loved Speak, and I also loved Just Listen - but I think for different reasons. Both books have great protagonists with strong voices - but their voices aren't the same. In Speak Melinda has the perfect combination of sarcastic wit and honest pain; Annabel is more "chatty," giving more details about her days. In some ways, I might equate Melinda to my older daughter and Annabel to my younger; I love talking to them both, but the conversations proceed quite differently. Both books also make use of symbolism - something I greatly enjoy in a contemporary novel. Speak is more subtle about it than Just Listen is, with Just Listen packed full with symbols that help define the themes of the book. (A couple of times I wondered if teen readers would find the symbolism a little too blatant, as in, "Enough with the symbols; I get it already." But personally I love symbolism!) The way that music played an integral part in Just Listen's plot was a major plus for me, and I always like a sweet love story.

For more information: I liked this review at teenread.com. Dessen talks about how she got the idea for Just Listen on her website.

What I'm going to read next: I'm already committed to reading quite a few books for August, including Breaking Dawn, The Accidental Time Machine, Suite Française, and Nights in Rodanthe (that one's actually a re-read), but I'd love to fit in another of Dessen's just as soon as I have the time! I'm going to ask my daughter which she recommends ...

Other book bloggers' reviews of Just Listen:
If you have read and reviewed this book, I would love to link your review here. Please leave me a comment or email me your link!

• Tricia (April 1, 2009)


• Joy (April 24, 2008)

2008.43

The Books-Vacation Connection

Today is the last day of our family vacation. Within an hour or two, we will be back on the road, and I'll be sleeping in my own bed tonight. (I've been blogging about our road trip over at my "regular" blog, if you're interested in the details.)

Although I was hoping that vacation-time would equal reading-time, I've not made huge strides in my reading goals, partly because of the large amounts of time we've spent driving (and I can't read in a car without getting sick) and also because of the many activities we've been packing into our days. (In a couple of weeks, I'll be vacationing again - at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, where the pace will be much slower and I expect I'll have more time to read.)

I have had a few moments of books-vacation connection, though, and here is a summary:

• Finishing The Host the night we slept in Portland, Oregon.


• Reading - and loving - Just Listen, which I carried around in my bag to Bainbridge Island and all through the museums at Seattle Center.


• Visiting the Eagle Harbor Book Co. on Bainbridge Island, and supporting the local economy and independent booksellers by leaving with a bagful of books. I had everyone in the family pick something - and I intend to read nearly all of them myself! The titles we purchased are The Broken Window, Just Grace, The Children's Quick and Easy Cookbook, Tomorrow's Magic, Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little, and When It Happens.


• Visiting the Science Fiction Museum, which has the goal of "promot[ing] awareness and appreciation of science fiction literature and media while encouraging visitors to envision new futures for humanity."


• Starting a re-read of Doomsday Book, which is my IRL book club pick for July. (Do you think I can finish it before Tuesday?)


• Visiting a few sights related to a certain popular book series, since we were in the area anyway. (I'll be posting more about this later, and my daughter Jelly Bean will be too.)


• Listening to part of Hoot on CD in the car.

I will continue to wish that I could read faster, since July is nearly over and I am nowhere near the eight-book goal I'd set. But I guess any good read is better than none!

Weekly Geeks No. 4

This week’s theme: Choose a political or social issue that matters to you. Find several books addressing that issue; they don’t have to books you’ve read, just books you might like to read. Using images (of the book covers or whatever you feel illustrates your topic) present these books in your blog.

The organization that I work for has been lobbying over the past few years - unsuccessfully - for some legislation in our state protecting young people from dating violence. Until we can convince our illustrious leaders that this is, indeed, an important issue for the safety and well-being of our young people, we will just continue with our education efforts, including promotion of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week.

These are my book picks on this important issue - three young adult novels, one of which I've already read (and loved!), an autobiographical account of an abusive relationship, and a non-fiction guide for parents.

Speak

Just Listen

Inexcusable

Not Another Sarah: Avoiding and Escaping Abuse

Saving Beauty From the Beast:
How to Protect Your Daughter From an Unhealthy Relationship


By the way, I've heard Sarah Southerland speak about her experience as an abused wife - a situation that should have been recognized before her marriage - and she has created the NAS Foundation "to provide and promote Action Campaigns to improve Public Awareness of Healthy Relationships and Prevention of Abuse and Sexual Assault."