YA fiction gems

YA fiction gems

"'Sorry,' I gasp, and tear through the kitchen like a hunted
fox. Up the stairs. Into my bedroom. Into the furthest corner.
Crouched down behind the curtain. My breath is coming like a piston
engine and tears are coursing down my face..."
Following an incident at her school, Audrey, protagonist of
Sophie Kinsella's Finding Audrey, was hospitalized for weeks. She's
waiting until fall to start at a new school. She's been diagnosed
with social anxiety disorder, general anxiety disorder, and depressive
episodes.
Basically Audrey is scared to leave her home except to be driven
to see her therapist. Apart from that therapist and her family, she's
afraid of talking to people. The prospect of eye contact especially
terrifies her. Doing things that come easily to most teens, such as
going to Starbucks, feels fraught with danger.
And then there's Audrey's family. Big brother Frank is
seriously into gaming, seeing it as his ultimate vocation. Their mom
believes in and acts on everything in the Daily Mail--including their
belief in the dangers of gaming. At one point she tosses an expensive
computer out of a window. Her dad seems to be oblivious to the
ongoing family drama. Her therapist mandated filming of her family
contrasts delightfully with her perceptions of her daily life to
create a lively and insightful narrative.
Anxiety and depression are still too often conversationally
taboo. They can also be hard to understand. At a time when more and
more teens are being given these diagnoses this perceptive coming of
age story is a very welcome addition to YA literature.

"I want to ask what it's like. She knows what Roy Lenox has
done. He hurt her and no one else knows. Or maybe they do, but they
don't believe her.
I don't think I can stand it."
Imagine you're seventeen. You live to write. It's the center
of your identity. You're already earning money doing free lance
work. Suddenly you're the winner of a talent search contest, chosen
out of 400 finalists. The prize is the chance to write a profile of
an up and coming teen actor (who is even dreamier than you imagined)
as part of a press tour for a movie. All expenses covered plus a cash
prize.
Only there's trouble in paradise. You learn that a reknowned
director has a record of harassing actresses. One of them desperately
wants you to do a story exposing him. But he's a vindictive tyrant,
capable of destroying anyone who challenges him.
That's the plight of Josie, protagonist of Camryn Garret's Off
The Record. You're with her every step of the way as she navigates
not only a whirlwind movie press tour, but daunting moral and ethical
issues. This insightful and engaging coming of age narrative is
perfect for a time when people are beginning to realize that some
males in positions of power can do enormous harm to those whose lives
they control.

On a purrrsonal note, I had quite the adventure yesterday. The week
before last I had an emergency dentist appointment. I learned that I
needed oral surgery to not keep getting infections. Only we couldn't
really afford it. I was feeling anxious and guilty. Then Madison
told me that her uncle, who is a board certified oral surgeon would do
it for free. Madison and Caroline drove me to Augusta, hung out while
I had my surgery, and drove me home with a stop at Hannaford to buy
ice cream and yogurt. The surgery was quick and much more painless
than I imagined. Dr. Berube is very kind. If you live near Augusta,
Maine and need oral surgery I highly recommend him. (Jules)
I took good care of her and even let her sleep in this morning. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Dr. Berube and my friends who solved
what felt like an unsurrmountable problem.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway



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