Freakboy

Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark, Farrar Straus Giroux Books, New York, 2013. ISBN: 978-0374324728

Plot Summary

“Freakboy” is told from the point of view of three different teens. Brendan seems to have the perfect life between his good grades, his wrestling meets, and his beautiful girlfriend, Vanessa.  But Brendan keeps having strange thoughts--like  what would it be like to be a girl, so graceful and beautiful? And how can he be transgender if he still likes being a guy?

Vanessa isn’t sure what’s going on with her boyfriend.  Sure he’s been moody and distant before, but this time it’s different.  She knows she’s not the typical frilly girlfriend--after all, she’s on the school’s wresting team with Brendan. Could her being a tomboy have something to do with Brendan’s distance?

Angel is the beautiful, worldly young woman who works at the local LGBTQ teen center. She’s also transgender and seems to be pretty comfortable with her life and who she is. Motivated by her abusive past, Angel is determined to help other LGBTQ teens get help and find their way. But can she get Brendan the help he needs, especially when he’s not being honest?

Critical Evaluation

The narrative in “Freakboy” has two distinct qualities with its  multiple first person points of view (POV) and being written in verse.  Clark makes it easy to figure out who’s speaking in each chapter, not only by their name at the beginning of their section but also their distinct voices. Brendan’s words are as jumbled as his thoughts, Vanessa ties in her family toward how she’s feeling, and Angel uses descriptions such as the color of the sky to correlate with how she’s feeling. The multiple POV’s helps the reader gain a better understanding into each of the characters, much more than a third person narrative might have.

Being written in verse does several favors for the book.  Readers who are fans of Ellen Hopkins and other YA verse authors will find Clark’s writing style familiar. Despite the book being over 400 pages long, it’s a quick read and reluctant readers will find it easy to get into the plot.  Several of the pages are also written out in different shapes: a T for transgender, a question mark for Brendan’s feelings. While the book does deal with several difficult and challenging topics such as gender identity and depression, the POV’s and verse narrative makes for an easy and diverse read.

Reader’s Annotation

If you like being a guy, but also think about being a girl, does that make you a freak? That’s what Brendan Chase thinks of himself, anyway.

About the Author

“Kristin Elizabeth Clark lives and writes in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Northern California. She hikes with her dog and reads to her cats… but she’s not one of THOSE people. Really. She has worked as a child advocate within the juvenile justice system, as a children’s theater producer, and is a proud volunteer at Project Outlet in Mountain View, California. Her young adult debut, Freakboy, was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) on October 22^nd, 2013.”

(Bio. Retrieved  November 19^th, 2014 from http://kristinelizabethclark.com/about/)

Genres

LGBTQ

Contemporary/Coming of Age 

Verse

Curriculum Ties:

Poetry

Booktalking Ideas

1: Is it easier or harder to express your thoughts through verse?

2: Which of the three characters do you relate with most?

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

LGBTQ

Mentions of depression/suicide

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why Included?

I included “Freakboy,” because it’s a newer YA book dealing with gender identity. I also loved the beautiful verse it was written in.

Waiting

Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams

Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, New York City, 2012. ISBN: 978-1442443549

Summary

 As missionary children, London and Zach spent most of their time together. More than brother and sister, the two of them were best friends, inseparable as their family traveled to different countries. But that all changed when Zach dies. Suddenly, London has lost her faith and finds herself the outcast at school, and none of her classmates sure of what to say to her. Her dad is away from home most of the time and her mom sits in her room in silence, not saying a word to anyone but God.

When Lili, a bright, happy student from Utah sits at London’s table, London thinks she might finally have someone to talk to. But London still isn’t ready to talk about what happened with Zach to anyone: not to Lili, who has four brothers of her own. Not to Taylor, Zach’s best friend. And not to Jesse, the mysterious brother of Lili, who has no idea of London’s past.   But isn’t it about time somebody listened to London’s feelings?

Critical Evaluation

Emotional throughout, Waiting deals carefully with the topics of grief and death.  While the characters may come across as bitter or too emotional in their outbursts, their various displays of grief are realistic. London’s back and forth emotions, as well as her struggle to find normalcy with friends and a relationship will especially speak to teen audiences. While there is a love triangle in the book, Waiting is more about London’s relationship with her family and her own grieving process. The choice as to which boy London will pick is not as important as London finding someone to finally tell the truth to.  

 The build up to Zach’s life and death is a slow burn, allowing readers to connect more with London’s grief itself and not the details about her brother.  While there are several bittersweet moments toward the end of the book, the audience comes away with a sense that London and her family finally have a chance to fully heal.  With heartbreaking verse and beautiful emotion, Waiting is a stunning novel on grief and moving on.

Reader’s Annotation

How do you grieve for your brother when you won’t talk about him with anyone?

About the Author

“Carol Lynch Williams, who grew up in Florida and now lives in Utah, is an award-winning novelist with seven children of her own, including six daughters.  She has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College, and won the prestigious PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship. The Chosen One was named one of the ALA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and Best Books for Young Adult Readers; it won the Whitney and the Association of Mormon Letters awards for the best young adult novel of the year; and was featured on numerous lists of recommended YA fiction. Carol's other novels include Glimpse, Miles From Ordinary, The Haven, Waiting, Signed, Skye Harper, and the Just in Time series.”

(About Carol Lynch Williams.  Retrieved November 17th, 2014 from http://www.carollynchwilliams.com/about.php)

Genres

Verse

Contemporary

Curriculum Ties

English—Poetry

Booktalking Ideas

1: Different forms of grieving

2: How does faith factor into the story?

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 14+

Grades 8+

Challenge Issues

Language

Sexual Situations

Violence/Suicide scenes

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why included?

I included Waiting for its heartbreaking story and verse, as well as the realistic characters.

Rumble

Rumble by Ellen Hopkins

Rumble by Ellen Hopkins. Margaret K. McElderry Books, New York City, 2014. ISBN: 978-1442482845

Summary

Written in verse, Rumble is the story of Matthew Turner. Matt's younger brother, Luke, just committed suicide after one of his friends embarrassed and outed him to his school.  Matt blames himself for not being there for Luke, as well as his supposed ‘friend,’ who started the bullying.  Matt’s family is also falling apart: not speaking to each other and not taking the loss of Luke too well.

Family, friends, and classmates are all telling Matt it will get better. But hearing that is almost as worse as hearing “God has a plan.” An atheist, Matt doesn’t believe in any sort of god, or that everything happens for a reason. How can anyone explain that what happened to Luke was good or right? As he lashes out against the idea of religion, Matt’s girlfriend, Hayden, grows concerned. She’s a strong, born again Christian who never understood why Matt doesn’t believe in anything. But despite this huge difference, Matt and Hayden love each other and respect each other for the most part—until Hayden’s father speaks out against gays in their community, and challenges library books dealing with gay and lesbian content.

Critical Evaluation 

While there are many subject themes going on in this novel—religion, bullying, the loss of a sibling—Hopkins manages to give enough attention to each of them. The characters themselves also juggle this multitude of themes well, with no stereotypical or flat beliefs to be found. Despite his initial anger at the beginning of the novel, Matt is believable and vulnerable throughout his grieving process. While his brother’s suicide is a main focus of the novel, its themes go beyond grief and loss. One of the strongest themes is religion, and how Matt, Hayden, and Matt’s parent’s view religion and God.  The frank discussions and emotions toward organized religion and faith make this novel stand out from other similar titles. And while Matt doesn’t sway in his values nor has a ‘come to religion’ moment, he does have an understanding that even he cannot explain everything out there.

The subject content and strong language makes Rumble a better read for older teens. With plenty of hot button issues and beautiful verse, Rumble is perfect for Hopkins fans, old and new.

Reader’s Annotation

After his brother commits suicide, Matt struggles with his grief and lack of faith for something better.

About the Author

 “I was adopted at birth and raised by a great, loving older couple. I grew up in Palm Springs CA, although we summered in Napa and Lake Tahoe, to avoid those 120 degree summers. After my adopted parents died, I did find my birth mother, who lives in Michigan with my half sister. 
I studied journalism in college, but left school to marry, raise kids and start my own business--a video store, before the mega-chains were out there. After a divorce, I met my current husband and we moved to Tahoe to become ski bums and otherwise try to find our dreams. At that time, I went to work for a small alternative press, writing stories and eventually editing.
When we moved down the mountain to the Reno area, I started writing nonfiction books, many of which you can see here. The rest are viewable on my personal website. I also continued to freelance articles for newspapers and magazines. All that has changed, with the publication of my novel, CRANK, which has led to a valued career writing YA novels.”

 (Ellen Hopkins.  Retrieved October 30th 2014 from http://www.amazon.com/Ellen-Hopkins/e/B001H6OOSA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1)

Genres

Verse

Contemporary

LGBTQ

Religion  

Curriculum Ties

Poetry/English

Booktalking Ideas

1: Why did Matt blame himself so much for Luke’s death and his family falling apart?

2: The religious aspect of the plot: how it changed the story.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 15+

Grades 9+

Challenge Issues

Religious Content

Language

Mentions of suicide and violence

Sexual situations

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why included?

I included Rumble because Ellen Hopkins is a favorite YA author in our district. I also liked the different plot aspects and how the book was written in verse.