Ironman

IRONMAN

Bibliographic Information:

Crutcher, C. (1995). Ironman. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 068813503X.

Excerpt:

"I sat in a dark room upstairs in my house and decided not to end my own life like I done my children's. I think not many people understand the nature of mercy, because it gets misnamed a lot-hooked up with organized religions when there ain't no call for that-but I see it as the only medicine available for our anger, it is the only medicine for our hurt, it is the only medicine for our desperation." -page 179"

Plot Summary:

Bo Brewster is an aspiring triathlete with issues; anger management issues, problems at home, bullies at school, etc. Due to an outburst Bo is placed in an anger management class with what he considers to be a collection of likely future serial killers. He is initially reluctant about the anger management experience but, needs to complete the class in order to not get kicked out of high school. While completing the course and training for an upcoming triathlon Bo finds he has more in common with the potential serial killers and learns a lot about himself, family, and life along the way.

Critical Analysis:

This realistic fiction sports drama takes place in somewhat present time; I say that due to the Bruce Springsteen and Rod Stewart references. In this book Bo, the main character is not the only one with issues, but everyone, which is refreshing. My favorite thing about this novel is that it uses humor to explore very serious and real issues which are present in a young adults life. Issues such as rejection, anger management, family dysfunctional, to the more serious issues of death, alcoholism, and sexual and physical abuse.

There is no safe portrayal of an unflawed character in this novel, with the exception of letters/journal entries which Bo writes to Larry King, his voice of reason. The story is broken up between scenes taking place at anger management, dialogue between family members, letter/journal entries, and dialogue taking place between other characters not including Bo. So, though the story is told through Bo's perspective, the narrator is in the third-person omniscient style.

Shelley, Bo's girlfriend who he meets at anger management class is an aspiring gladiator who Bo's father refers to as "beefy" at one point in time in the novel. The characters are so well thought out that they do not reinforce conventional cliches of what young adults sound like, look like, or do. The only problem I personally had with the novel was the triathlete/athletic heavy dialog which I had a hard time fanning an interest in a lot of the time. But, that is due to me being a girl with a short attention span when it comes to any sports activity with the exception of basketball.

All in all, I think this is an excellent book and one that would especially interest male readers.

Reviews:
Chris Crutcher uses humor and straight talk to present a variety of issues facing kids today, love, divorce, child abuse, managing anger, even finding out someone you care about is homosexual. I find I am able to discuss these issues with my students using the book as a springboard. One of my students said, "This is the best book I have ever read. The kids in the book talk like us and feel like us." Another student said she laughed out loud when reading it at home. The other reviews presented the plot, I just wanted you to know what my teens thought of the book. -Reader's Review, Judy C. Harvey

Crutcher reassembles some of the character types he used to riveting effect in his stellar Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes: a teenage misfit narrator enduring grueling athletic training; a tough heroine with a tragic past; a right-wing authoritarian heavy; enlightened teachers; and a sadistic father. At its best, the narrative crackles along in the author's inimitable style. Beauregard Brewster, a would-be Ironman triathlete, chronicles the events that ensue after he insults an oppressive teacher and is forced to take an anger-management class with other troubled students. But Crutcher's message sometimes overwhelms the cast and the story line. Beau's stern father, who has to be right at all costs-even if it means stacking the deck against his son-is one of the few fully fleshed-out characters. Many are either saintly multiculturalists (Beau's gay swimming coach, earlier met in Stotan; "Mr. Nak" the Japanese cowboy anger-management teacher; the black female high school principal) or, in the case of the offensive teacher, outright villains. In spite of these flaws, Crutcher achieves many memorable moments-exchanges between the students in the anger-management class, for example, are idealized but often deeply moving. Ages 12-up. -Publisher's Weekly

The Killer's Cousin

The Killer's Cousin

Bibliographic Information:

Werlin, N. (2007). The Killer's Cousin. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN: 9780803733701.

Excerpt:

"...I had not meant even to hurt her. But I had, and now I lived forever with the abyss that separated me from people who didn't know what it was like, to have killed. To be a killer. Acquittal had nothing to do with it. I was a killer. And I know in my gut when I met another of my kind." -page 175

Plot Summary:

David Yaffe is a high school senior, for the second time. During his first year as senior he was being charged for brutally murdering his girlfriend. But, he got off, possibly due to family connections. He is now giving high school another try in hopes of clearing his reputation in another town and having another chance at getting in to college. But, this isn't a story about David, but his eleven year old cousin Lily. Lily is an odd, vindictive little girl who used to have an older sister named Kathy. But, Kathy tragically committed suicide. Do David and Lily both have a similar secret that they are hiding?

Critical Analysis:

The Killer's Cousin is a young adult thriller that takes place in modern time. The narrative is made up of quick, usually simple sentences that contributes to it's readability. Though this book reads more like a juvenile fiction novel, it is considered YA based on some strong language and sexual content.

Mysteries unfold and character suspicions flip flop. For example, there are two deaths in this narrative. One being Emily, David's ex girlfriend, and the other being Kathy, Lily's older sister who she was notably jealous of. This story is psychological and for the majority of the novel we do not know if David is being rational, or projecting his feelings concerning the death of the ex girlfriend on to Lily.

Something that I love about this book is the instability of the characters, which added to the edge of your seat suspense. For example, the younger cousin Lily goes from innocent/insecure, to annoying, to a conniving and evil figure within seconds. I don't have much to say for the character development in this book, but I don't think that was ever particularly the intent of the author. I also can't guarantee any heartfelt or moving themes or realizations. This book is a short, suspenseful read that would be suitable for all young adult reading levels.


Reviews:
Many secrets bubble just beneath the surface of this skillful thriller narrated by a high-school senior who has been accused?and acquitted?of murdering his girlfriend. David Yaffe moves from Baltimore to Cambridge to avoid publicity, but instead of finding refuge with Uncle Vic, Aunt Julia and cousin Lily, he is shown to their attic apartment and expected to fend for himself. His relatives appear to be conducting a cold war. Still blaming each other for their daughter Kathy's suicide four years ago, Julia and Vic have stopped speaking to each other. The one who suffers the most from their silence is 11-year-old Lily, who shows signs of being emotionally disturbed. Suspense rises to a feverish pitch as pieces of a complex puzzle fall into place, involving Kathy's death and Julia and Vic's estrangement from each other and from David's parents. Even Kathy's ghost seems to make an appearance, imploring David to "help Lily." Meanwhile, Lily is doing everything she can to turn her parents against him. David's attempts to pull the family together fail miserably until, in the aftermath of a chilling climax, he confronts his own demons as he attempts to help Lily dispel hers. The novel's gothic flavor, compelling minor characters (David's skinhead friend, Frank, and Raina, a college student and artist) and subtle exploration of guilt and complicity add texture to this tense psychological drama -Publishers Weekly

This is one of my favorite books in the world (though I haven't seen it in about four months cause I lent it to a so-called "friend" who promises to return it "any day now", argh). The thing I like best is the characters. David was so real to me, afraid of himself, lonely, guilty. Frank was probably my favorite character in the book. He reminds me of certain friends of mine. At first I really disliked Lily -- she seemed like a demon-child -- but after I realized what had happened I felt sorry for her. The only part of the book that I didn't like was Kathy's ghost. I didn't think that belonged in an otherwise realistic story, though it was through Kathy that David realized what Lily had done. All in all, a great book which I'd recommend to anyone who likes suspense novels. -Reader's Review, Meaghan Good

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventure of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventure of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy

Bibliographic Information:

Meyer, L.A. (2007). Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventure of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy. New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN: 9781593160944.

Excerpt:

"Even with a fleet of well armed boats the Fervor is foolish to take on a kings ship. These smaller ships swarm about us pepperin' us with bullets and cannon balls. The master has been hit with chain shot and taken below, most of him. -Chapter 18"

Plot Summary:

Bloody Jack is the story of an orphan girl named Jacky. After her street gang of beggars die she is forced to find a new means of survival and disguises herself as a 10 year old boy so that she she can join the English Navy.

Critical Analysis:

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy is the first in a series of historical fiction novels about Mary "Jacky" Faber, or Bloody Jack as she is so aptly named after killing a pirate. This book might remind some of Oliver Twist or The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, but more modern and grittier.

For example, the story starts off with Mary begging with her friend and mentor Charlie until he is killed. There are several other killings throughout the story by Mary's own hands once she becomes a ship boy such as the killing of a pirate, and a man on the ship that tries to sodomize Mary not knowing that she is not a he. Other more modern issues that might have been considered taboo during the times of the two previous books mentioned are those of female menstruation and sexual activity from a female perspective.

It should be noted that L.A. Meyers is male, but tells the story from Bloody Jack's female perspective, and I think he does a good job. Mary blossoms from a girl that easily resembles a boy to a girl going through puberty, and then a girl who finds herself developing feelings for her fellow shipmate, Jaimy.

Though this is historical fiction, it is fantastic and light, yet enjoyable. The story is told in a whimsical cockney accent which takes a bit of getting used to, but eventually does happen. Also, Mary "Bloody Jack" Faber can be pretty self deprecating at times, for instance I remember her describing herself as thin lipped and leather at one point in time. I related her early 19th century insecurities to ones a 12-13 year old girl would have today.

I would definitely recommend this book to young adults, and especially girls. As far as character development is concerned L.A. Meyer does a great job of making Jacky a likeable character with her quick wit, insights, filthy mouth by those times standards, and self depreciation. I would definitely consider her a character, and I look forward to reading other books in the series.


Reviews:Bloody Jack is a a rollicking good time, a colorful yarn with a lively protagonist and a boatload of action. Once begun, the book is difficult to put down; once completed, it's hard not to leap immediately into the next in the series.
-Tom Knapp, A Reader's Review

Meyer evokes life in the 18th-century Royal Navy with Dickensian flair. He seamlessly weaves into Jacky's first-person account a wealth of historical and nautical detail at a time when pirates terrorized the oceans. Interspersed are humorous asides about her ongoing struggle to maintain "The Deception" (she fashions herself a codpiece and emulates the "shake-and-wiggle action" of the other boys when pretending to use the head, for instance), she earns her titular nickname in a clash with pirates and survives a brief stretch as a castaway before her true identity is discovered (the book ends as she's about to be shipped off to a school for young ladies in Boston). The narrative's dialect occasionally falters, but this detracts only slightly from the descriptive prose ("He's got muscles like a horse and looks to have a brain to match") and not at all from the engine driving this sprawling yarn: the spirited heroine's wholly engaging voice. Her budding sexuality (which leads to a somewhat flawed plotline involving a secret shipboard romance) and a near-rape by a seaman mark this one for older readers, who will find the salty tale a rattling good read. Ages 12-up.
-Publishers Weekly

Grade 6-8-With the plague running rampant in London in 1797, Mary's parents and sister are soon counted among the dead. Left alone and penniless, the eight-year-old is taken in by a gang of orphans and learns survival skills. However, when their leader is killed, Mary decides to try her luck elsewhere. She strips the dead body, cuts her hair, renames herself Jack Faber, and is soon employed as a ship's boy on the HMS Dolphin. When the vessel sees its first skirmish with a pirate ship, her bravery saves her friend Jaimy and earns her the nickname "Bloody Jack." Told by Mary/Jack in an uneven dialect that sometimes doesn't ring true, the story weaves details of life aboard the Dolphin. Readers see how she changes her disguise based on her own physical changes and handles the "call of nature," her first experiences with maturation, and the dangers to boys from unscrupulous crew members. The protagonist's vocabulary, her appearance and demeanor, and her desire to be one of the boys and do everything they do without complaint complete the deception. This story also shows a welcome slant to this genre with an honorable, albeit strict Captain, and ship's mates who are willing and able teachers. If readers are looking for a rousing, swashbuckling tale of pirates and adventures on the high seas, this title falls short. However, it is a good story of a brave ship's "boy" with natural leadership abilities and a sense of fair play and humanity.
-School Library Journal

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

Bibliographic Information:

Lyga, B. (2006). The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. Boston: Random House. ISBN: 0618723927.

Excerpt:
"He's a gross little perv. He stands in the main lobby every morning when we all come in and you can see him staring at the girls." She looks over at me, and I guess something shows on my face because she indulges me with that magic grin. "Hey, it's cool for you to stare at the girls, You're not, like, a hundred and ten years old and married. But, I was just sick of him and his shit, so i told him that if he bothered me again, I was going to tell the police that he molested me." "You should have seen the look on his face!" She rears back laughing, smoke purling from her nostrils like a dragon. "Oh shit, man, it was hilarious. I mean, I think he has molested one of the girls before. And after all that crap, man, he looked guilty. I knew I had him. So, I got up and left, but before I left I untucked my shirt and I undid a couple of buttons and I sniffled a little bit when I walked past the secretary's desk. Just to make an impression, you know?
. -page 139

Plot Summary:

Donnie, or better known as Fanboy, is a 15-year-old high school student. He is also an avid graphic novel aficionado, accelerated student, and unfortunately a walking target for a group of individuals at his high school he has christened "The Jock Jerks". The Jock Jerks terrorize him during lunch, and target him during Phys Ed during dodge ball. One day a girl photographs a picture of Fanboy being targeted during gym class, and that is where the adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl take form.

Critical Analysis:

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl is a novel which takes place in modern day; accurately labeled by critics as the "post Columbine" era. This novel tells a story of typical, real time, teen angst from the perspective of Donnie, or Fanboy. Fanboy is a shy, intelligent high school student that has yet to learn much about life or women at this point in his development. He has one friend in high school named Cal, who is one of the token black students at Fanboy's high school, an athlete that provides a segue between Donnie and the Jock Jerks. Cal is also an avid graphic novel reader and collector. Then, there is Kyra, or better known as Goth Girl. Kyra is portrayed as a goth-centric teen with suicidal tendencies, as well as a passion for graphic novels and stealing cars. She somewhat adopts Fanboy and teaches him to stand up for himself, not be so afraid, and yes, life goes on, and that one's tragic teen life, really isn't that tragic. Though, that adage doesn't have to just apply to teen life.

While reading this book one watches Fanboy emerge as a more outspoken and self confident individual. We also see Fanboy putting aside typical social mores such as what is the standard of beauty, and what is normal in the realms of love and friend and family dynamics. We all have issues, and we are not one or even two dimensional beings. There seems to be a dated trend in YA lit, and possibly all outlets of culture and media that it is the jocks vs. the geeks, beauty queens vs. the outsider, etc., but that is rarely the case, and Lyga does an excellent job of applying humanity and scope to the majority of the characters which he portrays in this novel.

I would recommend this book to pretty much everyone I know that can somewhat relate to or has an interest in geek/outsider culture.

Reviews:Age range: Grade 9 and Up
Barry Lyga's novel (Houghton, 2006) about a smart, geeky, artistic 15-year-old boy with a passion for graphic novels comes to life with Scott Brick's narration. On bad days, Fanboy is bullied and tormented by his peers; on good days, they ignore him. Fanboy meets Kyra, a Goth Girl with requisite attitude who is also an outsider, and she teaches him to stand up for himself. Brick provides fitting voices for the teen and adult characters-including real-life comic artist Brian Michael Bendis-that give the audio an almost cinematic quality.
-School Library Journal
"I'm a computer geek, a comic book geek, a study geek. Even in the Fast-Track classes, I'm apart." Fifteen-year-old Fanboy is miserable at school, where he is bullied, and at home, with his pregnant mother and her husband, the "step-fascist." His only relief is the late hours spent creating his own comic book. Then he receives an instant message from Kyra, an enigmatic Goth who seems to be the only witness to the violence he endures, and the two form a cagey, charged friendship. Unlike Daniel Ehrenhaft's Drawing a Blank (2006), in which a young comics fan embarks on a wild, fantastical adventure, Lyga's debut novel is a darkly comic, realistic, contemporary story of bullying and a teen's private escape in artistic pursuits. Fanboy entertains plenty of violent thoughts. He carries a bullet, keeps a tally of his abusers ("The List"), and lashes out with sometimes-cruel remarks, which feel sharply authentic. The insider comics details will slow some readers, and the open-ended questions about Kyra's personal story will frustrate others. Yet Fanboy's whip-smart, often hilariously sarcastic voice skillfully captures a teenager's growing self-awareness, and adds a fresh, urgent perspective to age-old questions about how young people cope with bullying and their own feelings of helplessness, rage, and being misunderstood as they try to discover themselves.
-Booklist
"...Fanboy's whip-smart, often hilariously sarcastic voice...adds fresh, urgent perspective to age-old questions about how young people cope with...being misunderstood as they try to discover themselves." (Booklist, ALA, Boxed Review )

A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life

A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life

Bibliographic Information:

Reinhardt, D. (2006). A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life. New York: Random House. ISBN: 0385746989.

Excerpt:

This is starting to sound like Romeo and Juliet but with lots of hair and heavy dark clothing. It strikes me as totally absurd when I conjure up a picture of two ad-ass Orthodox kids breaking all the rules. -page 106

Plot Summary:

Simone is a 16 year old girl growing up in a staunchly liberal, atheistic household. Simone shares her families religious and political agendas, but there is one difference between them, that being that she is olive complexioned and they are blond hair, blue eyed, Caucasians. So, Simone is adopted. Here birth mother Rivka, contacts her and this gives Simone the oppertunity to settle a lot of unanswered questions. But she is also curious to why the contact is being initiated now? Simone does meet her birth mother, and finds out she is a Hasidic Jew who had Simone when she was her age, 16. The story unfolds further as Simone puts the pieces of her past together and builds a relationship with her birth mother.

Critical Analysis:
A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life is a realistic/romantic fiction novel geared towards young women. There are two plots that interject: One, the reconnection of a young adoptee with her Hasidic Jew birth mother that is terminally ill, and two, the main character Simone's first romantic relationship. The story is told in modern time from Simone, a high school Junior's perspective. Initially the story starts out with open dialogue between Simone and the reader but, that style of dialogue is quickly dropped within the first few chapters and the narrative continues from Simone's point of view. Something else to note about Simone, is that her family are what some would consider idealistic, yuppie extremists. Not that I have a problem with that, but with Simone's mother being a lawyer for the ACLU, the family being fervent Athiests, over half of the narrative takes place at a local co-op, along with countless other liberal yuppie cliches, the story and ideologies come off too forceful to take seriously.

Also, there isn't much character build-up which didn't allow me to develop a relationship with any of the characters.

The characters motives and actions were so predictable that I had a difficult time enjoying much of this book. You would think that potentially the romantic fling that takes place between Simone and Gary, her barista crush at the co-op and fellow writer for the school newspaper, would spark more interest and appeal, but it does not. Simone fawns over Gary, he secretly has a "huge crush" on her ever since she showed up to get coffee one morning before an Athiest Alliance rally, and one day Gary calls Simone to ask her out on a date somewhat out of the blue. Their romance blossoms and Gary is more interested in being a supportive boyfriend to Simone and explaining Jewish culture than making-out, amongst other things.

This novel would be good light reading for a young woman but, does not promise to deliver any thought provoking questions, solve any real life issues, or deliver an insightful morale.


Reviews:
Gr. 9-12. Olive skinned and dark eyed, Simone looks nothing like her fair-haired family. She is, nonetheless, the beloved daughter of her adoptive parents and enjoys a close and supportive relationship with her younger brother. It therefore comes as a terrible intrusion in Simone's comfortable life when, after 16 years, her birth mother asks to meet her. After some resistance, Simone makes contact with Rivka, a 33-year-old self-exiled Hasidic Jew who is dying of ovarian cancer. Despite a fairly transparent setup, once Simone and Rivka are brought together, their shared story is developed with skill, attention to detail, and poignancy. Both Simone and Rivka are strong, complicated characters who benefit greatly from each other: Simone is gifted with her heritage and history and thus a richer identity, and Rivka is able to leave the world having known her daughter. Some sexual content and strong language in Simone's friendships and school life may make this an inappropriate selection for younger teens, and with a poorly representative cover, the book may require hand selling.
-Booklist

If read solely as adolescent fiction, this book is harmless fun. A young girl comes of age and finds her identity, albeit through a slightly less usual route (i.e. meeting with the woman who gave her up for adoption). In the process, she comes to terms with her own sexuality, ideas of family, and ethnic heritage as the daughter of a Jew.

The prose is neither bad nor extremely good, and I don't have enough knowledge of the Jewish heritage to comment intelligently about that portrayal. However, the portrayal of an adoptee is so insensitive and rooted in ignorance that it can be harmful to people using this book to understand an adoptee's experience.

Simone's parents are an odd mixture of extreme idealization (accepting Rivka without any anxiety on their own part or mixed feelings letting Simone get close to a woman who will soon die and possibly pose a competing interest) and insensitivity. While it's refreshing to see adoptive parents who are supportive of their adopted child's original family, it takes a great deal of skill and emotional maturity to navigate conflicting interests.

Given that they are portrayed so idealistically, however, it is odd how insensitive they are to Simone's initial anger and reluctance to meet Rivka. They don't bring up the topic gently, give her any hint why they are placing pressure on her, or give her space to express her fears and worries.

Finally, it strikes me as very selfish that Rivka has come back into Simone's life only to receive care and companionship for herself. Rivka does give some information about Simone's backstory, but the main part of their relationship is Simone caring for Rivka. The story is unbalanced in only presenting Rivka's needs rather than presenting Simone's equally legitimate needs.

In short, this entire story rang false. Read entirely as fiction without any grounding in truth it is a passable diversion, but as regards a portrayal of adoption it is potentially misleading and harmful for those involved in adoption.
-M. Kim (A reader's review)

The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War

Bibliographic Information:

Cormier, R. (2005). The chocolate war. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0440944597.

Excerpt:

"My God," Brother Eugene cried as he entered the classroom and beheld the bedlam. The destruction of Room Nineteen took exactly thirty-seven seconds. Archie timed it from the doorway. A sweetness gathered in his breast as he saw the room being turned into a shambles, a sweet moment of triumph that compensated for all the other lousy things... -page 71

Plot Summary:

Jerry Renault is a freshman at Trinity High School. At Trinity a secret society of upper classmen that go by the name "The Vigil" exert control over the student body through intimidation techniques and cruel "assignments". Jerry Renault refuses to follow The Vigil's order to sell chocolates for the school fundraiser which not only threatens the schools authority, but also The Vigil's.

Critical Analysis:

The Chocolate War is a realistic fiction novel that takes place in modern time. The story mostly belongs to Jerry Renault, a freshman whose mother has recently died. Jerry is simply trying to get through the drudge of day to day life and make it on the high school football team. It is also a story about Archie, a manipulative smooth taker who is in the secret society known as The Vigil. Also, there is Jerry's friend Goob (short for Goober), who learns fairly quickly to conform in order to be spared the cruelty of his peers.

Children can be cruel, and so can adults. The Chocolate War shows a darker side to humanity where the majority of the characters are self obsessed, power hungry(as well as drunk), seemingly conscienceless individuals, and "animalistic" as the story suggests. Cormier's greatest achievements with this novel would have to be his well paced suspense, gritty character portrayal, as well as his obvious devotion and respect to his audience. The issues and scenes in this book are blatant and at times jarring to the reader, which is what made it such a confrontational piece of literature when initially released. I have no complaints as far as weaknesses are concerned with this book. I think this piece of literature serves as the perfect example of a segway piece which is just as enjoyable to the young adult audience as it is to an adult audience.

Reviews:

The Chocolate War is masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful; complex ideas develop and unfold with clarity."-The New York Times Book Review

Recorded Books (Recorded Books, LLC.)
The Chocolate War is a brilliant, unflinching portrait of vicious mob cruelty and conformity in an exclusive prep school. A gripping story from one of the most provocative writers in modern young adult literature, it will hold you spellbound until the final, anguished fight on the football fields of Trinity School.

Copper Sun

Bibliographic Information:

Draper, H. M. (2008). Copper sun. New York: Atheneum. ISBN: 0689821816.

Excerpt:

"Cato say go south, "Amari insisted. "And he also said the streets were paved with gold. Cato's story is just an old slave's tale about a place that doesn't even exist!" "This place he called Fort Mose is just a pretend place he's heard of--like the Promised Land--a place you go when you die. And I don't want to die--not yet!" -page 208

Plot Summary:

Amari, a 15-year-old girl is captured from her tribe in Africa and sold in to slavery to become the birthday present of a 16-year-old plantation owner's son. This is a story of hope and survival as Amari tries to escape slavery by running away to a potentially mythical place in Florida where "slavery does not exist and the streets are paved with gold".

Critical Analysis:

Copper Sun is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of Amari, a captured African that is sold in to slavery. The character descriptions are rich and well developed, and the story is riveting as Amari goes from one horrific landscape customary of the American slave trade to another. Draper paints a gritty and realistic portrait of what would be customary of a captured slave girl from Africa. The atrocities which take place are shocking, but very much a reality of our American history.

Draper's biggest strength in this novel is her integrity of character and reference to historically accurate places and practices of the time; The only weakness would be the predictable ending and some contrived characters and scenario's found throughout the novel. Copper Sun would be a good starter book for young adults and teens that are just becoming familiar with the history of America and the African Slave Trade.

Reviews:

Gillian Engberg (Booklist, Feb. 1, 2006 (Vol. 102, No. 11))
Best known for her contemporary African American characters, Draper's latest novel is a searing work of historical fiction that imagines a 15-year-old African girl's journey through American slavery. In brutal specifics, Draper shows the inhumanity: Amari is systematically raped on the slave ship and on the plantation and a slave child is used as alligator bait by white teenagers. And she adds to the complex history in alternating chapters that flip between Amari and Polly, an indentured white servant on Amari's plantation. A few plot elements, such as Amari's chance meeting with Besa, are contrived. But Draper builds the explosive tension to the last chapter, and the sheer power of the story, balanced between the overwhelmingly brutal facts of slavery and Amari's ferocious survivor's spirit, will leave readers breathless, even as they consider the story's larger questions about the infinite costs of slavery and how to reconcile history. A moving author's note discusses the real places and events on which the story is based. Give this to teens who have read Julius Lester's Day of Tears (2005). Category: Books for Older Readers--Fiction. 2006, Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, $16.95. Gr. 9-12. Starred Review

Teens Read Too Review--2007
This is not just another book about slavery. This is a book about something real and tangible. Ms. Draper's writing is so vivid that you can smell the rank odors beneath ship. You can feel the pain of being lashed with a whip. Your throat will constrict at the heart-wrenching pain of a mother and child being forced apart. You will also celebrate the strength and spirit of Amari and those she inspires.


School Library Journal and Booklist both starred reviewed this novel.