young adult fiction – Page 2 – Cannonball Read 17

Two books I never read in high school

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Night by Elie Wiesel

November 29, 2020 by KimMiE" Leave a Comment

November has been a sucky month in a sucky year, and on a recent trip back east for a family situation, I found that the collection of science fiction stories I brought with me for distraction just wasn’t cutting it. Unable to focus, I did the only sane thing and decided to binge-watch seasons 2 and 3 of The Office. After Michael Scott restored the humors in my brain, I raided my sister’s bookcase, where I found a number of books that have been languishing […]

Not a damn turtle in sight

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

September 6, 2020 by KimMiE" Leave a Comment

CBR12 BINGO: Orange I keep trying to like young adult fiction, to the point where it might be unfair of me to review the genre, since it’s clearly not my thing. There are exceptions, of course (my recent discovery of Eleanor & Park stands out), but generally all I can expect from YA is a solid character to whom teenagers can relate. Turtles All the Way Down scores in its representation of a teenage girl with severe anxiety and OCD, but the rest of it just […]

Almost Twenty years later and still a Potter head!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K.Rowling

March 31, 2020 by genericwhitegirl Leave a Comment

This is the second installment of the illustrated Harry Potter books. I love reading these books with my 7-year old son. They have just enough illustrations to keep him interested from page to page, especially since this is an unabridged version of the books. There are even a few extras, like this page: Not only is it relevant to the story, but it offers a little bit of extra information for those who can’t get enough of the wizarding world. In this story, we meet […]

Beasts of jargon.

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

October 29, 2019 by Leedock 2 Comments

Let’s face it. If Rainbow Rowell wrote the instructions on the back of a box of oatmeal, I would read it. Many Cannonballers understand exactly what I’m saying and I have to thank their rave reviews from the early days for introducing her to me. “Fangirl,” in particular, is one of my favorite books. Rowell captures what it’s like to be a college freshman: starting at square one, trying to make new friends, and figuring out who you are. The main character in that novel, […]

The house of cards continued standing.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

October 21, 2019 by Leedock Leave a Comment

As she did in her second novel “The Dreamers,” Karen Thompson Walker places her characters in the midst of a strange yet believable crisis. Here, for no discernible reason, the rotation of the Earth slows down. The gravitational pull is altered and tides change. Long periods of daylight are followed by long periods of night. Some wildlife begins to die while other types flourish. Plants are no longer able to grow without the aid of artificial light. The plot line reminded me a lot of […]

…when we were infinite.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

September 22, 2019 by Leedock Leave a Comment

CBR11 BINGO: Banned Books This is a frequent flyer on the Office for Intellectual Freedom Top 10 Most Challenged Books list (2004, 2006-2009, 2013, 2014). The tragedy is that the books that often speak frankly and clearly about real issues of growing up and learning how to navigate in the world are frequently found so threatening. It’s as if the books are instructional manuals for bad behavior rather than stories that can offer hope, validation and solace. “Charlie” begins writing a series of letters to […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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