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Tuesday Reviews: Test/Audrey, Wait!
Well, it is Tuesday, and here are my reviews for this week! Mwah.
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Test
by William Sleator
Pub. Amulet Books, imprint of Harry N. Abrams, March 2008
Looking at the (long) list of books that William Sleator has written, it is no surprise that he has been writing novels for young adults for over twenty years. It shows in that his writing is not as edgy as it probably once was, but his newest novel, Test, is culturally relevant and filled with a fast-paced Sci-Fi plot.
Speaking of plot, here it is: In the future, a person must pass The Test to graduate, and if they don't they are doomed to a life with a low-paying job in the slums where people wear gas masks when they go outside because of the pollution. The Test, by the way, is published by a large oil magnate's company, and every school in the country must buy it. The story is about Ann and Lep, a Thai boy who needs to pass the test for a better future, and how they overcome adversity and learn about friendship. (all together, now: awww)
The story is a little formulaic, but so are certain books about a teenage wizard, so no problems here. The characters are old archetypes, particularly the spunky young heroine and the little rich girl who has her daddy around her finger. However, the character of Lep is a Sleator creation, doubtless a product of his time spent in Thailand, where he leaves on and off.
Most of the merit of the book comes from its Chris-Crutcher-Like Message: Standardized Testing Will Take Over The World. Ask any middle-grade or high-school teenager, and you'll get the same response. No one likes the test now, and if trends continue, it is very possible that this future will be real. A lot of teens will pick up the book in defiance simply because of its topic. Most, if not all, will enjoy it.
In short, Sleator is showing his age, but he is definitely still a force in YA literature and Test is an important book that will be enjoyed by many.
3Q, 4P
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Audrey, Wait!
by Robin Benway (debut)
Pub. by Razorbill/Penguin Young Readers, April 2008
Remember The Princess Diaries? Sure you do! Take that basic premise and combine it with Nick & Norah's Infininte Playlist. What do you get? Audrey, Wait!
The story is about Audrey (duh), who breaks up with her longtime boyfriend, Evan, because he's kind of self-absorbed and she just isn't feeling it. Trust me, she does it gently. So she's at his band's gig that night and they premiere a new song, called "Audrey, Wait!", where Evan tells the tragic tale of how she broke his heart and crushed his dreams forever. And, naturally, it climbs to be the Billboard #1 song in the country. Now everyone thinks that Audrey is some sort of bee-otch and paparazzi are following her everywhere, when all she wants to do is hang out with her friend Victoria, her new boyfriend James, and her cat Bendomolena. Who is fat.
So yeah, the plot is sort of the basic framework of aforementioned Meg Cabot book, but it's different, I swear! Actually, no, it's pretty much the same plot, but it still works. Because now we have music, and a spunky new heroine who is soooo much cooler than that other one. There are some cool twists and reimaginings, but the book's strength is in the characters and Benway's distinct voice.
The characters are pitch-perfect. Audrey is everything one wants in a chick-lit book but only gets in books of higher quality, in that she's fresh, funny, and lots of fun. She has a cat, Bendomolena, who provides comic relief because he is literally heavier than the Titanic. "It's a gland thing." Victoria is Audrey's partner in crime, complete with cell-phone and pseudo-pink-mohawk. And James is the perfect boyfriend ever in the history of the world that makes you wish you were Audrey.
This is Robin Benway's first book. It shows in that she obviously has a close connection with her book and she is writing a character that is probably pretty close to herself. There are appropriate quotes from cool rock music heading each chapter, and there's a knowing sense of humor that lets you know that teenager-dom sucks for everyone, not just you.
If Penguin does this right, Audrey, Wait! is sure to be a number one bestseller, a number one single by Zac Efron or the Jonas Brothers or someone, and probably a Disney movie with Emily Osment or Miley Cyrus or something. Bullseye.
* 5Q, 5P
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Test
by William Sleator
Pub. Amulet Books, imprint of Harry N. Abrams, March 2008
Looking at the (long) list of books that William Sleator has written, it is no surprise that he has been writing novels for young adults for over twenty years. It shows in that his writing is not as edgy as it probably once was, but his newest novel, Test, is culturally relevant and filled with a fast-paced Sci-Fi plot.
Speaking of plot, here it is: In the future, a person must pass The Test to graduate, and if they don't they are doomed to a life with a low-paying job in the slums where people wear gas masks when they go outside because of the pollution. The Test, by the way, is published by a large oil magnate's company, and every school in the country must buy it. The story is about Ann and Lep, a Thai boy who needs to pass the test for a better future, and how they overcome adversity and learn about friendship. (all together, now: awww)
The story is a little formulaic, but so are certain books about a teenage wizard, so no problems here. The characters are old archetypes, particularly the spunky young heroine and the little rich girl who has her daddy around her finger. However, the character of Lep is a Sleator creation, doubtless a product of his time spent in Thailand, where he leaves on and off.
Most of the merit of the book comes from its Chris-Crutcher-Like Message: Standardized Testing Will Take Over The World. Ask any middle-grade or high-school teenager, and you'll get the same response. No one likes the test now, and if trends continue, it is very possible that this future will be real. A lot of teens will pick up the book in defiance simply because of its topic. Most, if not all, will enjoy it.
In short, Sleator is showing his age, but he is definitely still a force in YA literature and Test is an important book that will be enjoyed by many.
3Q, 4P
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Audrey, Wait!
by Robin Benway (debut)
Pub. by Razorbill/Penguin Young Readers, April 2008
Remember The Princess Diaries? Sure you do! Take that basic premise and combine it with Nick & Norah's Infininte Playlist. What do you get? Audrey, Wait!
The story is about Audrey (duh), who breaks up with her longtime boyfriend, Evan, because he's kind of self-absorbed and she just isn't feeling it. Trust me, she does it gently. So she's at his band's gig that night and they premiere a new song, called "Audrey, Wait!", where Evan tells the tragic tale of how she broke his heart and crushed his dreams forever. And, naturally, it climbs to be the Billboard #1 song in the country. Now everyone thinks that Audrey is some sort of bee-otch and paparazzi are following her everywhere, when all she wants to do is hang out with her friend Victoria, her new boyfriend James, and her cat Bendomolena. Who is fat.
So yeah, the plot is sort of the basic framework of aforementioned Meg Cabot book, but it's different, I swear! Actually, no, it's pretty much the same plot, but it still works. Because now we have music, and a spunky new heroine who is soooo much cooler than that other one. There are some cool twists and reimaginings, but the book's strength is in the characters and Benway's distinct voice.
The characters are pitch-perfect. Audrey is everything one wants in a chick-lit book but only gets in books of higher quality, in that she's fresh, funny, and lots of fun. She has a cat, Bendomolena, who provides comic relief because he is literally heavier than the Titanic. "It's a gland thing." Victoria is Audrey's partner in crime, complete with cell-phone and pseudo-pink-mohawk. And James is the perfect boyfriend ever in the history of the world that makes you wish you were Audrey.
This is Robin Benway's first book. It shows in that she obviously has a close connection with her book and she is writing a character that is probably pretty close to herself. There are appropriate quotes from cool rock music heading each chapter, and there's a knowing sense of humor that lets you know that teenager-dom sucks for everyone, not just you.
If Penguin does this right, Audrey, Wait! is sure to be a number one bestseller, a number one single by Zac Efron or the Jonas Brothers or someone, and probably a Disney movie with Emily Osment or Miley Cyrus or something. Bullseye.
* 5Q, 5P
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