Breathe, Annie, Breathe

From the bestselling author of Catching Jordan, comes a brand new book in Miranda Kenneally’s Hundred Oaks series: Breathe, Annie, Breathe.  This one takes place post-high school, so it could be considered “New Adult,” which is sort of a sub-genre of Young Adult, just with “slightly older” characters. I, personally, am really excited about the New Adult (NA) genre, because it deals with a lot of issues that I can relate to, i.e. the difficulties of post-adolescent life: first love, starting college, getting a job, etc. Bookshelvers Anonymous gives a really persuasive argument for NA literature, that really resonates with my feelings about the genre.  I could go on and on about New Adult, but I won’t bore you. If you’re interested in learning more about this hot topic, I suggest checking out some of the following posts, “New Adult 2012 Edition,” “New Adult: It’s not about the sex (but don’t be afraid of the sex either),” “Some Thoughts on ‘New Adult’ and Also ‘Cross-Unders,’” “The New Adult Category: Thoughts and Questions.”

 Breathe, Annie, Breathe
by Miranda Kenneally
306 p. Sourcebooks Fire. July 2014.
Gr 9 Up.

Feeling partially responsible for the death of her boyfriend, Kyle, Annie is training to complete Nashville’s Music City Marathon, the race her track boyfriend had been working towards all of the last year.  But Annie hates running. In fact, the first time she begins training, she ties on her sneakers, heads to the high school track ready to log some huge distances, but is only able to make it around the track twice before her lungs begin burning and her shins throbbing.  Determined to not give up, Annie joins an intense 6 month training group so she can finish running more than half a mile.  Training is gruesome for Annie: she’s slow, her knees aren’t made for long distance running, and her stomach is incredibly sensitive, and there may even be some chafing. Though the support of her running friends and coach keep Annie running.  But everything is complicated when Annie unexpectedly connects with her coach’s brother, Jeremiah, an adrenaline junkie.  Struggling with her guilt surrounding Kyle’s death, Annie is hesitant to start a relationship, especially with someone who is frequently taking risks that land him in the hospital.  Thoughtful, heartfelt, and hopeful, this story will prove to be an inspiration and motivation to readers to push past tragedy and “feel again.”

The Feels

I’m not sure how I’ve never read a Miranda Kenneally book until now.   I really like Kenneally’s portrayal of healthy and active characters, emotionally and physically.  Annie’s grieving and growth are realistic, and the novel takes a good look at the process of healing. Moreover, readers may also gain some useful running tips from the book; I especially like that Kenneally gave an accurate and hard protract of struggles of pushing your body to its physical limits.  It just makes Annie’s determination all the more admirable.  In truth, I might have been a little inspired lace up my running shoes after finishing the book! I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to run a marathon though, but we’ll see.

The book isn’t all about romance; in fact, Jeremiah is supportive, kind, flirty, and patient enough to be the friend Annie needs until she’s ready for something more.

Annie is super likable: she’s thoughtful, determined, and a little sassy. I really enjoyed the book, but I wasn’t overwhelmed with feels.  However, it’s a light, inspiring book that I think is definitely worth a read; it really makes you think about living in the now.

Anatomy of a Misfit

Anatomy of a Misfit is one of this fall’s most buzzed about books; of course, when a book is touted as “Mean Girls meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower” it’s easy to see why people might be excited about it. Already, there is talk about a movie adaptation; Sullivan coined this as the “start of the “TFiOS’ effect.”

Anatomy of a Misfit
by Andrea Portes
336 p. HarperTeen. September 2, 2014.
Gr 9 Up

In the book, 15-year-old Anika Dragomir, the third most popular girl in school, struggles to accept the “spider stew” of her true self which is in opposition to her precarious social rank.  Anika knows her friend Becky Vilhauer, the most popular girl in school, is a bully, yet she tolerates her cruelties to avoid destroying her own social persona.  Her secret relationship with nerd turned hottie, Logan McDonough, complicates things even further, especially when Anika begins to get glimpses of his troubling home life.  It is not until the bad boy everyone wants to date, Jared Kline, flatters Anika into a date that she realizes her true feelings for Logan.

The Feels

When I started the book, I was immediately charmed by Anika’s insightful, snarky, and refreshing narration.  For 300 pages, I was laughing out loud until the end when the book ripped my heart out, and then I may or may not have been vocally and embarrassingly crying when the emotional punch of a conclusion hit me.

Anika’s self-deprecating narration reveals her faults, doubts, and questionable ethics, making her all the more endearing and relatable. Ultimately, her triumph and bravery in the face of devastating and heartbreaking tragedy will have readers cheering.  The novel stands up well against other coming-of-age stories of its kinds and is perfect for lovers of John Green.

Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park
by Rainbow Rowell
328 p. St. Martin’s Press. April 12, 2012
Gr 9 Up

Two awkward teenagers labeled as outsiders, Eleanor and Park, meet on the school bus where they quickly bond over their love of comics and 1980s alternative music.  Told through the alternating perspectives of Eleanor and Park, readers glimpse the contrast between Eleanor’s awful home life of abuse-plagued poverty and Park’s dysfunctional but loving family.  Funny, smart, and heart-wrenching, the story of two quirky teens falling in love for the first time is captivating for teen and adult readers.

The Feels

Okay, I didn’t really have too many feels about this book.  It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t feel sucker punched with emotion like some other books I’ve read.  I felt for Eleanor and her terrible, terrible home life, and I enjoyed watching them fall in love and grow and change because of the other person.  The ending tore my heart apart, and I became increasingly frustrated with Eleanor, but I’m not going to spoil the ending by going into any more detail.

A little clarification

Technically, Eleanor & Park isn’t contemporary fiction, because it takes place in the 1980s.  However, it is realistic fiction with a smart and emotional story line.   Eleanor & Park was published on the heels of Green’s The Fault in Our Stars with a glowing review from Green himself: “Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book.”  Since, St. Martin’s has gone back 28 times for a total of nearly 500,000 copies of the book.  Just as Harry Potter opened the door for fantasy readers, Twilight for vampire fiction, and The Hunger Games for dystopia fiction, I think it is safe to say that Rowell and Green have helped to open the door for contemporary, realistic stories again.

Also,

I may have met Rainbow this year as well.  I fangirled so hard, and even Benedict Cumberbatch made it into our photo.  If you haven’t read her books, I highly recommend all of them.  Fangirl‘s my favorite, in case you were dying to know.

John Green: Contemporary Gateway

If you haven’t heard of him yet, then you’re probably living under a rock. John Green is an Indiana resident, Young Adult author, and is one half of the Vlogbrothers, one of the most popular online video projects in the world. His #1 New York Times bestseller that Time Magazine called “damn near genius,” The Fault in Our Stars will break your heart into a million little pieces. It was adapted into a movie starring Divergent‘s Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. Also, I might have attended “The Night Before Our Stars,” and I might have shared tissues with the stranger sitting next to me.

I’m not going to talk about all of his books (But they’re all really good. You should go read them. Seriously.) just The Fault in Our Stars because its success (it sold nearly 2.5 million copies in just 19 months after its release), I think, has really served as a gateway for contemporary young adult fiction.

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
313 p. Dutton. January 10, 2012
Gr 9 Up

Hazel Grace is a 16-year-old terminal cancer patient.  With her life-sustaining oxygen tank, she attends a weekly Cancer Kid Support Group where she meets Augustus “Gus” Waters, a confident, sarcastic, handsome boy and a cancer patient in remission.  Through an exchange of books, philosophies, and metaphors, Hazel and Augustus try to make sense of what it means to be in love and imminently mortal.  Green’s style shines through with witty characters and dialogue filled with humor and melancholy. The book is an achingly beautiful story about life, love, and loss.

The Feels

No. It is not okay. I am not okay. Stop saying it’s okay.

This story makes my heart hurt so much, and months after reading the book and seeing the film, I still feel emotionally raw.  Hazel and August certainly left their scar on me.

After TFiOS

I think it is safe to say that Hazel Grace and Augustus left their scar on the YA literature scene as well.  Readers are now looking for titles that are permeated with aphorisms and unrequited young love.  Molly Wetta lists various configurations to look for in YA novels to satisfy Green fans:

• Pop Culture + Irony + Doomed Love (e.g. Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything)
• Highly Quotable + Heartache + Happy Ending (e.g. Saenz’s Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe)
• (Endearingly) Raunchy Moments + Boarding School + Gut-wrenching Plot Twist (e.g. Smith’s Winger)
• Not Another Cancer Book (e.g. Murphy’s Side Effects May Vary)
• Missing Persons + Profound Thoughts (e.g. Whaley’s Where Things Come Back)
• Emotionally Intense + Bittersweet (e.g. Ockler’s The Book of Broken Hearts)
• Unexpected + Under the Radar (e.g. Galloway’s The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand)
• New Releases + Old Favorites (e.g. McGovern’s Say What You Will)

Also…

I met John Green, and he was just as adorably nerdy and nice as I always imagined.