Just Contemporary: Tough Stuff

November is Just Contemporary month, hosted by Basically Amazing Books and Chick Loves Lit.  If you follow my blog, then you know my true love for YA falls with the contemps.  So when I found out about this month long feature I knew I had to participate.

Each week different topics will be discussed among the blogs in regards to contemporary YA.  The beauty of this genre is it reaches many different outlets.  While one book might leave you breathless from laughing so hard, another may have you clutching it in tears.  My reasons for reading YA contemps are based on that reaction alone.

This week's topic: Tough Stuff

Some people read to escape the hard edges of reality, so they may steer clear of the grittier and more challenging topics in books.  For me though, I welcome it with open arms.  I'm more apt to pick up a book that deals with the "tough stuff" than I am to read a light & fluffy book.  When it comes to contemps, I think some of the most well written books in YA are the ones who dig deep and portray the not so pretty side of life.  The most rewarding feeling you can get from a book is when a character has walked in your shoes, and you're able to identify with them.  It's almost as though that author took bits of your story, and put them on paper.

Death is always a hard pill to swallow in any story.  It's so final.  I know a few readers stay away from books that involve such a heavy topic and I completely understand why.  Death and dying is never an easy thing to read about.  The first 22 years of my life, I was one of those people.  Why would I want to read about someone else's pain?  But then something happened, and my views on death drastically changed.  It was no longer this part of the world that I had heard of; it was now something sitting in my home, obvious in everything I looked at, spoke about, and thought of.  Due to my experience with losing my mother at a fairly young age (I was 22), I have a different approach to death in stories.  When a character explains the ugly process of what one feels like after losing someone, I get it.  I'm right there, in that moment with them.  It's an even more beautiful thing when a character goes through the motions of grieving, breaks down a few hundred times, but eventually knows how to pick themselves back up.  I get that, too.

A few YA contemps I've read dealing with death that stick out in my mind are: Moonglass by Jessi Kirby, The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle, Saving June by Hannah Harrington, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, and The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.

Each of these stories approach death from a different angle, yet I found something common with them all: the capacity to accept, deal, and move forward.  Its a hard lesson to learn in life.  A lesson I wish I never knew.  But that's the irony of life, we never know what cards we'll be dealt.  You just have to play them, good or bad.  If you're on the fence about reading a YA contemp that deals with death, I encourage you to read any of these that I mentioned.  Sometimes the "tough stuff" are the most rewarding stuff ;-)

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Published: April 5, 2011 by Dutton Juvenile
Received: gifted by Jacinda from The Reading Housewives of Indiana

It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance. {taken from goodreads.com}

Holy Effing Crap.

Sorry, I know that's not the most professional way to start off a review.  But then again - who says I read & write reviews for a profession?  I do it for THIS.  And by this, I mean my copy of Where She Went that I am pointing at right now, but you can't see it.  This freaking amazing book is the reason why I have this blog.  It's so I can gush over my thoughts & opinions with you all about books that go way beyond just words.. it takes on a life of it's own inside my head, with a pulse & every thing.  This book is the epitome of why I love to read so, so much.  When the clock ticks 4pm on a Thursday afternoon & usually I am racing out the office door to freedom; it was THIS book that I actually contemplated staying just so I could finish & not have to waste precious moments in traffic getting home, just to re-open the book & lose myself all over again.  Seriously people.  Prepare yourself for greatness when you sit down to read this book.

Gayle Forman takes us 3 years ahead to New York City.  But this time we are witnessing it all from Adam's point of view & what an amazing point of view it is.  I felt myself really connecting with the story being told through his eyes.  I really loved Adam's character in If I Stay, the prequel to Where She Went, so knowing that the second book would be his narrative this pleased me so much.  Adam's career as a musician has really taken off.  He is now at rock star level.  He happens to be in New York City, in between tour stops with his band.  On this one fateful night, he finds himself sitting inside Carnegie Hall listening to the sweet sounds of a once familiar cello.  A cello being played by Mia, the same girl he once shared a whirlwind romance with & a devastating blow with when she lost her family in a fatal car accident.  The two have been living their own separate lives for the past 3 years with lots of uncertainty still hanging between them.  So when Adam & Mia are reunited on this hot summer night, sparks ignite & more questions come to mind, than answers are given.

Adam has lost his touch with music & feels completely alone in this glamorous life that he now portrays.  He questions his future & whether or not the band, the music, any of it makes sense any more.  His heart still aches for how things were left between him & Mia just 3 years ago.  It's in these moments that I really fell for Adam.  You get the sense that he is trying to push through his mundane life, feeling empty & hopeless.  Yet you still see that beautiful boy, full of so much talent & love for the girl who never left his heart - not for one second.  The two of them have one night to share together in New York City.  Mia is forced to confront her demons & speak the truth about why she chose the path she did, with out Adam.  While Adam is forced to listen & try to understand.

The writing in this novel goes beyond most YA contemps.  As I said before, it takes on a life of it's own.  Gayle Forman is poetically beautiful in her ability to grab the reader & never let go.  If I've ever had a hard time putting down a book, it is definitely this one!  There are not enough words & blog space to extend the amount of gushing I feel is appropriate for this book.  I have never read a second book & been this taken back with it.  Do I dare say I believe it to be better than the first?  I have fallen in love with this story, these characters, this world!  I never wanted it to end.  I seriously could have kept reading on & on & on. 

P.S. Can I just say how much I wish there really was a band called Shooting Star because I really, really want to hear them play!!!  The lyrics that are mentioned at the beginning of each chapter definitely grabbed my attention. I must know the sound that goes with them!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Published: January 1, 2009 by Speak
Received: bought from Barnes & Noble

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands. {taken from goodreads.com}

I bought this book several months ago & kept meaning to read it, but for whatever reason it remained on my shelf.  On the verge of it's sequel, Where She Went, about to be released there's been a lot of talk about this book.  I figured now was a good time to finally pick it up & read it.  It's hard for me to do so when a book gets SO much hype though.  I almost don't want to.  I tend to enjoy a book more when I know nothing about it & can form my own thoughts & opinions with out be swayed by others.  This book lived up to it's hype, in my opinion.  Gayle Forman has written a novel with such depth & emotion that it leaves the reader in awe.  There is no way someone can read this & not feel something for it's words.

The story takes place in a small town just outside of Portland, Oregon.  It's winter & a fresh coat of snow & ice has just coated the town.  Seventeen year old Mia, her parents, & her younger brother Teddy are forced to take a "snow day" & stay home from school & work.  Since the weather does not appear to be that bad outside, & signs of the ice melting begin to reveal itself; the family decides to pack up the car & take a family road trip to visit friends & family members.  Through Mia's point of view we begin to understand the dynamic of her small, close-knit family.  She isn't your typical teenager by any means.  She actually enjoys spending time with her parents & younger brother Teddy.  She is also a very disciplined cellist who has dreams of attending Julliard some day.  Mia's parents are her biggest supporters, being two adults who built their family on music.  The four of them together are the type of family every one admires & respects.  They are honest & real.  But more than anything, they show their love for one another with out any hesitations or fears.

Another strong relationship we learn about in Mia's life is that of her boyfriend Adam.  The two of them met in high school & again, it was music that brought them together.  Adam is the type of boyfriend that every girl wishes for.  He is deep & caring, and thinks with his heart before his teenage hormones.  Both Mia & Adam together are the epitome of young love.  However, their relationship faces challenges ahead.  The prospect of Mia going to school in NYC at Julliard & Adam staying behind in Oregon to continue the successes of his up & coming band, Shooting Star weigh a bit too heavily on this young couple.

As Mia & her family make their trek down the icy roads to visit friends & family, the unthinkable happens.  Their car collides with another & throws both her parents, herself, & Teddy out the windows.  The vehicle is left in shambles & the only sound heard within miles besides the piercing crunch of metal is that of classical music still making it's way through the unbroken car speakers.  But it's Mia who is standing along the road side, taking in the gruesome scene before her.  Is that the lifeless body of her parents that she sees? & where is Teddy??  Then Mia spots her charm bracelet peaking out over the ditch, still attached to her body.  How is this even possible?!  The sirens sound & help is on it's way.  In a whirlwind of catastrophic events, Mia is witnessing the paramedics do their jobs as diligently as possible.  The reality of what has happened hasn't quit set in yet for Mia.  Shock is all she seems to comprehend.

In the hours to follow Mia is being put to the ultimate test.  She follows her body to the hospital where she must witness the gruesome task of what it means to literally bring the dead back to life.  The idea of having to see such a thing really took the breath out of me.  Soon Mia's grandparents, other family members, friends, & even Adam show up at the hospital.  She again is put through torture having to witness their pleas & wants for Mia to stay alive.  It is the tears of her grandfather that broke my heart the most.  A man so soft spoken & of very few words brought so much humility to such a grave scene.  His words of telling Mia she can let go & move on if that is what she chooses to do hit really close to home for me.  Unfortunately, I have been in his place & have had those exact same words as I witnessed someone on the verge of dying.  It's a moment that changes someone forever.

It is Adam who ultimately stole my heart.  His words & his presence alone channels through Mia and makes her realize that she has a choice.  Live & face the nightmare that has now become her life, or die & let go of this awful pain - leaving so many loved ones behind.  It makes you wonder, when someone is on their death bed do they too have this choice??  The ending came very abrupt for me.  For the last few pages my heart was beating twice as fast & I must have been holding my breath.  When I read that last paragraph, I literally sat the book down & said, "wow".  This story will forever change me.  Gayle Forman has written something so profound & touching, that I was able to really connect with these characters.  Grab the tissues because you will be shedding a few tears!  It's a story about love & loss and what it means when you're given the choice to live or die.  This book definitely puts things in to perspective.  I know it did for me.

...To Be Continued (sequels of 2011)

There are quite a few books coming out this year with book 2, book 3, & so on in their series... that I thought I'd create a post to highlight some of these eagerly anticipated sequels!  I know of a few off the top of my head right now.. but if there are more, please feel free to list them in the comments below!

Desires of the Dead (The Body Finder #2) by Kimberly Derting - February 15, 2011

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.
Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.
As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely #5) by Melissa Marr - February 22, 2011

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.
Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.
Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.

Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman - April 5, 2011

It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.
Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.
Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4) by Cassandra Clare - April 5, 2011

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

The Dark and Hollow Places (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #3) by Carrie Ryan - April 7, 2011

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face when she and Elias left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the horde as they found their way to the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.
Annah's world stopped that day and she's been waiting for him to come home ever since. Without him, her life doesn't feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then she meets Catcher and everything feels alive again.
Except, Catcher has his own secrets—dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah's longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah—can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry #3) by Simone Elkeles - May 24, 2011

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?
Continuing all the steamy romance of the first two books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles gives fans one more satisfying taste of the irresistible Fuentes boys.

Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater - July 12, 2011

In Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) by Andrea Cremer - July 12, 2011

Betrayal, loss, pain, fear. How many trials can love endure and still survive?

 

The Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare - August 30, 2011

The Infernal Devices is a series of prequels to The Mortal Instruments series, set in 19’th century London. The story concerns 16-year-old orphan Tessa Gray, whose quiet life is thrown into turmoil when her older brother Nathaniel suddenly vanishes, leaving her alone. Her search for him leads her into Victorian-era London’s dangerous supernatural underworld, where warlocks throw masked balls for half-demon Downworlders. When Tessa discovers that she herself is a Downworlder, she must come to trust her natural enemies, the demon-killing Shadowhunters, if she ever wants to learn to control her powers and find her brother. Torn between the beautiful Will, a Shadowhunter who isn’t what he seems, and the devoted Jem, whose own deadly secret is slowly destroying him, Tessa must draw on all her strength to save her brother and keep herself alive in this deadly new world.

Silence (Hush, Hush #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick - October 18, 2011

The Hush, Hush series has captivated readers with the story of Nora Grey, her friend Vee, and a mysterious fallen archangel named Patch. In the gripping conclusion of the trilogy, Nora finds that as things start to unravel around her, she is more drawn to the enigmatic Patch. She soon discovers that the answers lie closer to home than she realized, and it is time for her to take control of her destiny once and for all.