A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ismael Beah

Beah, Ismael (2008). A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. New York, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 

ISBN: 9780374531263

240 pages

Classification: NonFiction

Genre: Memoir

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: War, Soldiers, Death, Family, Relationships, Grief

Reader's Annotation

Ismael Beah tells his true account of growing up, surviving, and fighting in Sierra Leone as a soldier during a brutal civil war. 

Summary

At the tender age of 12, Ismael Beah becomes swept up in the civil war in Sierra Leone. He loses his family, is completely alone in the world, and he is recruited in the army. The chilling tale of how he becomes a trained soldier, learns to shoot an AK-47, and becomes a warrior to survive. Reading the boy's transformation from an innocent boy who loves American hip-hop and reading Shakespeare to a casual murderer is horrifying and gruesome. At the age of 15, he is finally brought to a rehabilitation center and he begins a life as a child advocate, but the truly gripping part of the story is the account of his life as a soldier- how he gets wrapped up and consumed by the violence, and how his existence is measured by war. 

Notes

The validity of the account based on the dates mentioned as well as some shooting incidents, was questioned, and Ismael Beah responded by releasing this statement.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Roach, Mary (2004). Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. New York, New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 

ISBN: 9780393324822

304 pages

Classification: NonFiction

Genre: NonFiction

Age Level: 17-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Death, Cadavers, Life, Death

Reader's Annotation

Mary Roach takes an oddly humorous approach to the true story of what happens to the body after death including medical inquiry, criminal investigation, and other strange things. 

Summary

In this book, Mary Roach seeks to determine exactly what happens to the body after death. It takes a historical approach to what has happened to cadavers in the past as it examines what happens to bodies today. It delves into how bodies are used for scientific experiments and how they have furthered our knowledge of the body's systems, how bodies can be used in criminal investigations, their use in crash tests of automobiles, and other strange adventures after death. It is humorous at the right moments to keep the topic from being overwhelmingly dark and depressing, and it is an engaging read that helps uncover a topic rarely talked about in society or at the dinner table. 

Notes

There can be graphic descriptions in here that are not for the faint-of-heart (or stomach), which is why it is recommended for older teens. Those with a strong stomach will enjoy the whole book; others should read with caution as they discover what, exactly, happens to the body after death.

Awards

New York Times Bestseller

Amazon.com 2003 Editor's Choice Book

Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book

A Borders Original Voices Book

Winner of Elle Reader's Prize

Other Information

Readers who enjoy the thorough research and handling of Stiff might want to explore Spook, which examines the afterlife, and Bonk, which explores the intersection of science and sex. As with Stiff, these are recommended for older teens with maturity to handle difficult subject matter. 

Author Information

Mary Roach's Website

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Koontz, Dean (2006). Odd Thomas. New York, New York: Bantam Books. 

ISBN: 9780553384284

400 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Mystery

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 4 stars

Subjects: Relationships, Death, Crime, Mystery, Investigation

Reader's Annotation

20-year-old Odd Thomas lives a fairly normal life in Pico Mundo, California, with little ambition and little special about him- except for the fact that he sees and converses with ghosts, a talent that draws him into a mysterious event that will happen in his town unless he can prevent it in time.

Summary

This is a book that skips along at a swift pace, with enough character description for readers to feel like they are at home in Pico Mundo, California and enough mystery to keep them turning pages. It tells the story of Odd Thomas, a 20-year-old fry cook who has no ambition and little talent, except for writing, but he can't put pen to paper long enough to finish a project. His one unique gift- one that makes him truly odd- is his ability to see and converse with ghosts, and through this and his relationship with the beautiful Chief of Police, solve crimes. He also sees "bodachs", which are small, evil creatures that feed on carnage, and when he spots these gathering around one man in particular, he realizes that something horrific might be about to happen in his hometown. As he explores further, it becomes a race against time as he attempts to avert disaster and avoid detection and save the town. 

Other Information

Koontz has an impressive list of thrillers that will keep readers guessing and turning pages. If you enjoyed Odd Thomas, check out others by Dean Koontz. 

Author Information

Dean Koontz's Website

Odd Thomas Website

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter Dean (1998). Fallen Angels. New York, New York: Scholastic Paperbacks. 

ISBN: 9780545055768

336 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 4 stars

Subjects: War, Vietnam, Relationships, Friendship, Death, Grief

Reader's Annotation

Richard Perry sets aside his dreams of college and a writing career and enlists in the army to get out of Harlem and support his family and finds himself in Vietnam, facing the horrors of war, violence, death, and questions about racism and virtue, good and evil in a war that means so little to him. 

Summary

This book is set in Vietnam in the late 1960s, where Richard Perry, a Harlem teenager, finds himself after his dreams of college fall through. He is the sole supporter of his family, and even though he could have gotten out of the draft with a medical condition, he enlists to uphold his obligation to them. As he and his comrades face the horrors of war and the basest levels of human existence, Richard is able to contemplate meaningful life questions about the nature of good and evil, and how to find virtue in soldiers trained to kill without question. As the war continues, he starts to realize the disturbing trend that black troops are given the most dangerous assignments, and he seeks to understand what the US is doing there in the first place. 

Notes

Richard Perry is a skilled narrative guide throught the trenches of Vietnam. Although it can be graphic and difficult to read at times, the sensitive narrator will draw readers in as he questions the fundamental basis of society and war. These questions that he asks are the same that readers will have, and his exploration of these topics is poignant and sincere and make this book readable in spite of the horror. 

Awards

1989 Correta Scott King Award

Author Information

Walter Dean Myers' Website

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Zusak, Markus (2006). The Book Thief. New York, New York: Knopf Books.

ISBN: 9780375831003

576 pages

Classification: Fiction: Fiction

Genre: Historical Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Books, Nazis, World War II, Death, War, Germany, Holocaust

Reader's Annotation

Death tells the story of a 9-year-old book thief, Liesel Meminger who first steals a book at the burial of her 6-year-old brother and thereafter continues to steal books as she avoids Death even as it envelops World-War II era Nazi Germany. 

Summary

Death is not a very involved narrator- he is rather dry and sardonic at times, but he weaves the story of Liesel Meminger incredibly well. 9-year-old Liesel is sent away with her 6-year-old brother to live with a family in the countryside and avoid detection from the Nazis. On the way there, her brother develops a cough that proves fatal. At his burial, Liesel steals her first book, The Gravedigger's Handbook, even though she can't read. She learns to read and she marks the years by the various books she manages to steal as well as a group of friends she meets. As she survives when so many others do not, she begins to write her own story, and that is what seems to be her own saving grace. 

Notes

There have been a number of books on World War II and the Holocaust, and most readers will be familiar with Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl. This basis of knowledge will serve them well as they read this heartwrenching story. The dry tone it is told with makes the material palatable, and the rich story and characters created present hope in the most unlikely of places, in the most unlikely of times. 

Awards

New York Times Bestseller

Other Information

Readers who enjoy this book may also enjoy Zusak's I am the Messenger. 

Author Information

Markus Zusak's Website

What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci

Plum-Ucci, Carol (2002). What Happened to Lani Garver. New York, New York: Harcourt Press. 

ISBN: 9780152050887

336 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Death, Leukemia, Alcohol, Gender, High School, Cliques

Reader's Annotation

Claire, who missed a year of high school because of a battle with leukemia, is well aware that her hometown of Hackett scorns outsiders, and she dismisses parts of herself that don't fit in: her fears that her leukemia may have returned, her obsession with her guitar and writing dark lyrics, and her eating disorder- until the mysterious boy(?) Lani Garver enters town and forces her to examine her life. 

Summary

Claire McKenzie is desperate to fit in and not stand out from the crowd. After missing her junior year of high school because of a battle with leukemia, she is more determined than ever to hide the parts of herself that would be "acceptable" in her small hometown of Hackett Island. She doesn't tell anyone about her fears that her leukemia has returned, or about her love of the guitar and dark lyrics, or her eating disorder. With all of the secrets she has to hide to maintain the appearance of normal, it is no wonder she is immediately drawn to the strange figure of Lani Garver, an androgynous figure who immediately becomes a target of the small town's hostility for his otherness. Her friendship with him displeases her cheerleader friends and the popular boys in the school. Lani, however, forces her to be honest with herself and he helps her confrong her inner demons and examine her life as she wonders if he might just be an angel sent to help her. When the school's bullies begin to escalate their attacks, its more than Lani who might suffer at the hands of the "fish frat". 

Notes

This novel skips along at a quick pace, and although it is laced with somewhat unbelievable events and characters, the skill of the writing is great enough to overcome any deficiencies in plot. Readers will be pulled along with Claire as she tries to unravel the mystery of Lani Garver. 

Awards

2005 Most Popular Paperback List, American Library Association, honoree

2005 Young Readers Choice Awards, Pacific Northwest Library Association; nominee

2003 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, Young Adult Library Services Association; honoree, 

2002 Michael L. Printz Award, Young Adult Library Services Association; nominee
2002 Amazon #1 Editors’ Choice in Young Adult Literature; winner
2002 Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association; honoree
2002 Featured Books:  YM Magazine, September Issue
2002 Best Books:  Seventeen Magazine, September Issue
2002 Starred Review, Booklist, October Issue

Author Information

Carol Plum-Ucci's Website