Book Review: Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Title:  Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Author:  A.S. King

Publisher:  Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published:  October 12th 2010

Format:  Hardcover, 336 pages 
ISBN: 0375865861 (ISBN13: 9780375865862) 

Summary from Goodreads: 

"Vera's spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she's kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?"

Thoughts:

A Talking Pagoda

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King had a very unique concept of story delivery.  Yes it's very common to have multiple characters talking about their sides of the story in one novel, but this one did more than that - it did not just have people giving their insights, but an inanimate object as well.   It was also able to convey this really poignant feel without being too depressing as the blurbs would have us believe.  It showed objectivity but it did not detach the reader from the emotional quality of the book.

But...

...some parts felt dragging and too slow, often a bit too redundant.  I get it, Vera got screwed over by her best friend, but she still had to clear his name or she won't be able to live with herself.  Do I really want to read some slightly differed variations of this situation over and over before finally getting this issue resolved?  No, I already got the gist of it the first few times it was mentioned.

But then...

...at least I was able to enjoy Vera's dry wit and sarcasm and her father's labile behavior.  I poked fun at her dad's seemingly square personality and I was so angered at Jenny Flick's unbelievably nasty antics. 

Of course...

...I looked forward to reading about the book's resolution and whoah, imagine my surprise (and disappointment) that it got really fast-paced towards the end that although it was satisfying to see it end the way I liked it (not a spoiler, I do not necessarily always want a happy ending.  Again, NOT a spoiler), it just felt a bit hurried in the way that the original premise felt too slowed down.

And the verdict...

...I liked reading Please Ignore Vera Dietz, it had some awesome potential.  Maybe if I read it a few more times I'd get what Ms. King wanted the readers to see in her story.  But for now, I'd say it's OK.

Oh and by the way...

All opinions expressed in this book review are my own and not influenced by any party in any way. 

Please contact me for questions, comments, and suggestions.


'Til the next book!

Book Review: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Photo taken from Goodreads

Book Info

Title:  Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist 
Author:  Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Publisher:  Knopf Books for Young Readers

Language: English

Format:  Paperback 

Pages:  183 pages

ISBN-10:  0375835334

ISBN-13:  978-0375835339

Source:  Purchased, Fully Booked

Buy this book on Amazon 

 

Summary

From Goodreads:

"It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date."

Review

It is confirmed – I have definitely read all of Rachel Cohn’s and David Levithan’s work backwards, beginning with Dash and Lily, then Naomi and Ely, and now, Nick and Norah.

I have watched the movie version and I totally loved it, but this book was a very different adventure.  Not because this book was bad – it wasn’t.  The movie could not even compare.

Flashback to when I was eight years old and just watched The Little Mermaid in the movies:  My mother said, “Everything becomes different in movies.”  She couldn’t have been more spot-on.  Aside from changing storylines, the experience of reading about it instead of watching it has always been more significant to me.  If anything, it’s my imagination that is at work – not that of the director’s, or the scriptwriter’s or even the costume designer’s.  I am the one who decides how Nick and Norah looks like, and although Michael Cera came a bit close to the Nick in my head, but Norah was way, way off Kat Dennings. 

And so because this is the last book (for now) that I would be reading from this dynamic writing duo, I felt that I owed it to them to do a different style of book review for this book.  And because Levithan’s books make me play music in my head as I read, I thought making a playlist for the different aspects I loved about this book would be cool. 

Here goes:

The Fight is Over by Urbandub. 

Breakup Song

Nick and Tris, Norah and Tal.  Tris broke up with Nick and he could not move on; meanwhile, Norah is in a controlling relationship with Tal, which has left her cold and a teeny bit disillusioned.  The relationship of these two pairs of ‘ex-lovers’ were shown quite effectively without too much storytelling.  Yes, Nick’s parts obviously focus around the breakup with Tris but it is not hard to grasp the gravity of the situation for him, and elicited just the right amount of sympathy without seeming to be too trying hard or pathetic.  As for Norah and Tal, the story of their relationship is much less ‘out there’ than Nick’s, but it is also very easy to understand without too much ‘garnishing’ that try to force emotions from readers, but only succeed in making them irritated because of too much uncomfortable and unnecessary details. 

Don’t Call It Love by Vinyl Pinups

The Kiss

When Nick asked Norah if she’d be his five-minute girlfriend, Norah answered by giving him a kiss.  And that’s when they both realized that something is bound to happen between them.  However, none of them knew yet what they were in for, and were still in denial about what is happening.  That’s why I think this song fit that moment perfectly, not just for its slow sound, but also for the lyrics.  That Kiss between Nick and Norah was excellently described; it felt like we were actually watching it instead of just reading about it, but better.

Help I’m Alive by Metric

For the Characters

The characters are very human and believable, and quite likable.  Even Tal and Tris, with their impossibly possible irritating traits like constantly interrupting a potentially sweet moment for Nick and Norah, were actually very funny and endearing, especially Norah’s revelation of Tris as an occasional good friend.  Have you noticed that Nick and Norah have names that start with ‘N’ while they’re exes’ names both begin with a ‘T’?  I wonder if it has some significance.  I also like how some characters only had small parts in the story and yet drew a huge impact, from me, at least.  I especially liked Norah’s Dad for being ‘such a dad,’ and because even if he was mentioned just briefly, it was for me, one of the best parts of the book. 

Give A Little More by Maroon 5

For the Writing

In my opinion, although this is a great story on its own, the next two books written by Cohn and Levithan read a bit better and had more solid writing to back up their stories.  I guess as time passes and with more practice, we really do get better at things we do, considering that Dash and Lily is my favorite among the three books they wrote together.  But that is not to say that this book is not good.  I liked the plot, the storyline, and the dialogue.  And judging this book by its own merit, I could still say that this is up there with those other really cool stories for the YA genre.  The voices were distinct and quirky, very solid.  It was intelligently written and had a great lyrical, smooth tone.  The story, told through two points of view, flowed seamlessly and effortlessly, and did not sound redundant.  Some books that do multiple points of view tended to repeat a single scene through their heads which can sometimes be confusing and tiring because you get to read about one scene several times, with the views rotated among the characters but nonetheless still the same.  In this book, a scene is examined by both Nick and Norah only if it is important enough.  If not, it would only be mentioned in passing just so the connection between their stories does not get broken. 

Hey Hey You by Vinyl Pinups

For the Whole Book, Part 1

This is the song that played through my head throughout the story.  Obviously, the song mostly referred to how Nick and Norah met, but the upbeat tempo also made me think of their two personalities.  I know that Nick is very hardcore punk, and Norah is such a music snob they’re sure to be offended by how little I know about music, but as I said, if I like the beat, I listen to it.  And I like the beat of this song in the same way that I liked their catchy story. 

I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles

For the Whole Book, Part 2

So it turns out, I actually have a little music taste.  But that’s because this song was mentioned in the book and when Dev mentioned this to Nick, it automatically started playing in my head, and I thought, Yeah, this is a great song for this book.  This is exactly what Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is all about.  Nick needed to hold someone’s hand to help him get through his breakup with Tris.  Norah needed someone to hold hands with in order to get her through life.

And then, it was mentioned there that every pop song sang today could be traced to ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’, and somehow, this book by Cohn and Levithan is sort of a pioneer of its own type of fiction:  The light, easy, compelling, and fun love story between two young people in search of their own place in the world.  Not just once did I see a book that remotely resembles the theme of Nick and Norah, and I daresay this book is one of the inspirations for those other stories. 

Rating

If you have any questions on this particular rating, please refer to my ratings system here.

Notice 

All opinions expressed in this book review are my own and not influenced by any party in any way.

Please contact me for questions, comments, and suggestions. 

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

 (Photo taken from Goodreads)

Title:  Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List

Author:  Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 

Publisher:  Knopf Books for Young Readers  

Language: English

Format:  Kindle Edition 

Pages:  256 pages 

ASIN:  B000VSW7WU 

Source:  Purchased,  Amazon 

Music In My Head:  Supposed to Be by Default

Buy this book on Amazon

Rating:

 

A friend of mine actually laughed at me when I read this book.  She said that I was doing this Cohn-Levithan collaborations backwards:  First, I read Dash and Lily's Book of Dares - which is the third book - then I now read Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List - the second one.  I quickly point out that I've watched Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, but she also quickly points out that it's not the book so it doesn't count.  I never did got to win an argument with any of my friends.

One of the highlights of writing this review is that I get to include what music played in my head while reading.  Of course, that almost happens only when I read a Levithan work, and seeing as this is one-half Levithan, music suddenly springs up in my brain:  Supposed to Be by Default.  I don't know if you've heard of it, but the tune is pretty catchy and the lyrics really good.  I'm not the best music critic/judge out there, so I can't tell if this is bad music or not, but it's perfect for this book.  I imagine it being sung by both Naomi and Ely, more by Naomi.  Because that's what they are - they're supposed to be.  Here's why: 

The Gospel According to Goodreads:

"NAOMI AND ELY ARE BEST FRIENDS. Naomi loves and is in love with Ely, and Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in love with boys. So they create their "No Kiss List" of people neither of them is allowed to kiss. And this works fine - until Bruce. Bruce is Naomi's boyfriend, so there's no reason to put him on the List. But Ely kissed Bruce even though he is boring. The result: a rift of universal proportions and the potential end of "Naomi and Ely: the institution." Can these best friends come back together again?"

Don't you think the song sums up their story perfectly?  Because I do.  I know that the song is actually about romantic love and Naomi and Ely's love is anything but romantic - they're best friends for God's sake.  But it still did not stop me from thinking it's the perfect song because they're meant to be together, they're really meant to be friends forever, and removing sex from the equation - Naomi and Ely are the perfect couple.

Which is exactly what made me pick this one up.  Not really for the fact that one-half of this is written by my favorite author, but because I could not have found a better book about best friends at a cross roads not because they've fallen for each other - that's actually very easy - but because one is in love with the other, but the other is in love with one's boyfriend.  It's a unique take on the love triangle, with a lot of friendship elements that it's really worth reading.

Have you ever wondered how Will and Grace were before they became Will and Grace?  Well, I imagine they're almost like Naomi and Ely.   Sometimes, you have this best friend that you've decided in the early part of your life that you would marry someday.  However, the fact that your friend is gay hinders your fantasy from becoming a reality and that was the main conflict in this story.  Naomi could not seem to grasp the fact that no matter how long their No Kiss List would be, or how watertight it was, she and Ely would not be together.  Even if he did not kiss her Bruce the Second, it would still happen eventually, as I always rationalize:  All things end badly, otherwise they would not end.  What ended here was not their friendship, what ended was Naomi's immaturity.  This may be about Naomi and Ely, but while Ely also does his share of growth and maturity, it was Naomi who was focused mostly on.  Maybe that's why the title was 'Naomi and Ely' and not 'Ely and Naomi.'  Or maybe I'm the only one thinking that.  But still.  

The story was written through different points of view, Naomi and Ely, the Bruces, and other friends.  It was like talking to all the characters in order to understand what happened.  It was like being a part of a big group of friends, but something happened while you were away so when you came back, you had to talk to each friend in order to get a book-worthy account of what happened to two of your closest friends - Naomi and Ely.  Also, although other readers found the different POVs confusing and pointless, I felt that it was cool to get different perspectives on what was happening, and you discover which friend made sense, which friend was worth keeping, and which friend should be dumped.  On this issue, you definitely understand what's going on and what to believe.   The writing was hip, edgy, and smart.  I like that each point of view was personalized for that character's personality.  Naomi has these symbols inserted in her chapters which is very creative and which makes the reader 'get' her.  You know, when you sometimes talk to someone and you make gestures for a certain word instead of saying it out loud?  Because of that, I suddenly associated that attitude to Naomi.  She's a gesture girl.  Gabriel, on the other hand, spoke through music tracks which shows he really loves music and it's ingrained in his personality.  The other characters' stream-of-consciousness chapters also have their own unique flavor which makes them stand out among the rest.  So I cannot imagine what other readers were saying when they said that they got confused which chapter they were reading because of the several POVs, I didn't because I recognized certain characteristics unique to a certain character.  The cast were definitely human, and I could relate to any of them, but mostly my favorite character is Gabriel.  Not just because he's hot - although it was because of that mostly - but because he seems to be very perceptive considering his role as a doorman in Naomi and Ely's apartment building. 

You know what else I liked?  That the characters were already in college and around 19 and 20.  Most young adult fiction I've read were all set during high school and it's very refreshing to have a light but intelligent novel for early college kids without it turning serious, dramatic, or trashy.  

Obviously, I liked this book.  A lot.  However, I am not going to compare it to Dash and Lily or even to Nick and Norah (even if I only watched it, not read it), I think that each collaboration between Cohn and Levithan are unique and awesome in their own way.  While reading this book, I've never - not even once - thought of the other two books, although a very important rest room has been frequently appearing in all three novels, each story leaving a mark on that restroom.  I was pleasantly surprised to see something from Nick and Norah on this book, and seeing that something from Nick and Norah and something from Naomi and Ely in Dash and Lily.  I'm not going to say what it is you can find, you have to find it for yourself. :-D

Finally, I'm leaving you with the song that has been playing over and over in my mind while reading this book:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 (Photo taken from Wikipedia)

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Language: English
ISBN - 10: 0375831002
ISBN - 13: 978-0375831003

Buy this on Amazon

Rating:

The year is nearing its end, but I see that great books are still coming my way!  So definitely, you know where my review is headed.  :D  I know a lot of you has read this, and I'm probably one of the last to discover this  (it populated our bookstores only very recently), but if ever there are some who found this even later than I did, for their sakes, a short summary is in order:  Immediately before World War II, Liesel Meminger was adopted into a poor family in Molching, the Hubermanns.  Suffering from the loss of her brother from his death on the way to their new family, and from the separation from her real mother, she steals picks up a book lying on the snowy ground, The Gravediggers Handbook, her first of several books that she takes.  Living with her new family, she learns to cope with her loss through reading books with her new Papa, and with an unexpected Jew come to hide in their house.  The story is told by Death, an unusual narrator, focusing on the life and death of people around Liesel and herself, doing their best to live through a difficult time in history.  This is obviously a serious read, even for the older readers. 

One of the things I loved about this book:  It teaches history in the most interesting way possible.  Unlike The Diary of Anne Frank, this book, in my opinion, has more spunk and edge, and with a unique narrator, more wisdom, perhaps.  The decision to tell the story through Death gave the author more room to express mature observations about the world, about living and dying, without it sounding too phony or unrealistic if coming from a younger point of view.

The characters are very likable, and each of us can relate to them - their feelings, thoughts, fears, everything.  I especially loved Rosa Hubermann, even though she appeared to be the most severe character and would at times seem to be the villain, I loved her big heart and her bigger patience for Liesel (no spoilers, but yes, towards the end I guess you'll understand what I'm saying).  Yes, she seems hard, but you know, like teddy bears, grizzly and big on the outside, soft and cuddly on the inside.  The innocent friendship/love story between Liesel and Rudy Steiner is cute, endearing, and very touching.  And of course, the addition of the Jew Max Vandenberg provided perspective and insight into the Jewish suffering of that time, and also demonstrated the strength of Papa Hans Hubermann's (The Promise Keeper) character.

The story is written clear enough that younger readers can understand, but I guess if you take this story at face value it won't be so easy and in some parts, if not prepared, you might get too bored or overwhelmed.  But knowing beforehand that this is a deep story not just about history or about Liesel, but of living and dying, will prepare you for a smooth but emotional ride into the characters' lives. 

I definitely recommend this read to anyone, not just young readers, as all of us can learn a lot from this book.  Obviously not just about World War II but about ourselves.  I heard that this is turned into a movie but for me, I think reading this book will make you understand the story more than watching it, as I don't think it would be as easy to express those feelings on film, to delve into the characters' thoughts, especially Liesel's.  Although movies visually take us through the whole story, can it ensure the same, if not more, emotional connection with the story?  And let's face it:  movies change stories in books.  If you would like to watch the film, go ahead, but I'm betting that reading it and watching it are two very different experiences, I'm sure for me it would make a huge difference.  But I am also hoping that witnessing it all happen in front of me will prove pleasant and insightful.

Dash and Lily's Book Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

(Photo taken from Goodreads)

Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Language: English
ISBN - 10: 0375866590
ISBN - 13: 978-0375866593
Rating:







How to present this review, I wasn't exactly sure. I wanted to give it a unique review in the way that it has given me a unique read. But alas, my creativity deserted me. So let's just talk about the book, and maybe I'll think of something great as I go. This is the third collaboration between Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. Previous books included Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, which was made into a movie starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, and Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Sweet, huh?

Let's go to the blurb, which is, apart from David Levithan, what made me get it in the first place:

"I've left some clues for you.

If you want them, turn the page.
If you don't, put the book back on the shelf,
please.

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Cold their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?"

Writing this book, the authors exchanged emails - not a red Moleskine notebook - and no plans were made beforehand. As I was reading, I imagined them playing a game of continue-my-email-story, Levithan writing something about Dash and then daring Cohn to follow up with an appropriate but quirky response through Lily. I am almost sure that is what happened, and the result? A pleasant, fun, smart, and endearing story of an adventure through New York to find not just love, but friendship, answers, and self.

The best thing about reading a David Levithan book is that while reading, I have this background music for that book. For Boy Meets Boy, although Tony by Patty Griffin was mentioned a few times, with a dedication to the Tony from the song, I always heard Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest, maybe it was because the first chapter had Paul and his friends dancing in the bookstore. I think this is because his books are filled to the brim with music references, and with Rachel Cohn with him at the helm, it just got better, and this one is no exception. If you read it, you might even be pleasantly surprised to see some cameos from another book of theirs. But back to the music: for Dash and Lily's, I always heard December 2 Chapter VII by a band here in the Philippines, Taken by Cars. I think because this story was set in December that I immediately thought of that song. And probably this part too:

"But I wasn't where you were
No, I was never where you are
I'm in my looking-glass view
Always almost too close to you
I'm always almost too close to you."

When I hear those lyrics, I think of Dash and Lily and think how they were almost the ones who knew each others' real feelings and secrets, yet they do not even really know each other.

I totally loved this book! It was filled with interesting characters, popular New York landmarks, and even better dialogue. The conversations between Dash and Lily in their red notebook was very meaningful and inspirational, it was a well-written essay about identity, hope, and other such deep and thoughtful subjects. Come to think of it, the whole book was almost like reading a beautiful essay, only this was a beautiful work of fiction. Some might think that because of these deep and meaningful stuff, then it might not be a good choice for teens, but really, young adults would enjoy this book. I think this story could actually answer some questions that most of them have, that most people have. Even looking past the ponderous ideas thrown back and forth between the two main characters, and just reading this for the story that it is, is very interesting, engrossing, and enjoying.

The authors also threw in a lot of humor, and readers will find themselves laughing out loud at some scenes. But the story is not just humor-filled, it has a lot of emotions thrown in that readers will find themselves commiserating with Lily, falling for Dash, annoyed at the bookstore people, even becoming endeared to that cute and cuddly great-aunt Ida/Mrs. Basil. E. It makes you wish you were part of that story.

Another reason why I would love to recommend this book is that it's got a lot of words that we can add into our vocabulary. Dash is a word nerd, and his dialogue has a lot of words like erudition, arcane - I'm not sure if many of you use these in daily conversations but it sounded very uncommon to me. And of course, knowing uncommon words is always an uncommon advantage.

I would gladly recommend this book to all my friends and people I know. I am pretty sure everyone would enjoy this, as there is something in Dash and Lily's for everyone. And I'm pretty sure I would re-read this countless times. Definitely one of my favorites for this year!

According to the news, the movie rights for this book was already acquired by Scott Rudin and writing/directing the film adaptation would be Lena Dunham. Gotta watch out for that!

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"I wrote a final entry in the notebook and closed it, perhaps for good.

I'm gripped by a cherishing so deep."

-page 162, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

(Photo taken from the Barnes and Noble website)

Title: Boy Meets Boy
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Language: English
ISBN - 10: 0375832998
ISBN - 13: 978-0375832994
Rating:







This is a story about a gay teenager named Paul who lives in a town where every person is allowed to be whomever they want to be. Not really gay utopia, as there are also some who are not happy with things as they stand, but as in Paul's words: "There isn’t really a gay scene or a straight scene in our town. They got all mixed up a while back, which I think is for the best." Which it really is. The author has painted a wonderful picture of a place where it's okay to be anything you want to be, that the only thing that separates you from your dreams is your belief in yourself, and your capacity to make things happen. This story also showed that, gay or no, friendship and love are two very complicated things, and that every person must know how to handle something so precious. When Paul begins to fall for Noah, a new kid in school, things get problematic when his ex Kyle, begins to reach out to him and wants to get back together. On the other hand, Paul and Joni's friendship is put to the test when Joni starts to go out with a person whom Paul and their other friends don't approve.

So if you think this book is too unrealistic and only good for light reading for teens, think again. The well-drawn characters will pop right out of you and take you to their world and let you see it through their eyes. They will tell you their secrets and you'll be surprised that in a novel such as this, love and friendship are still taken seriously, that in this almost perfect world, challenges will still come at you, and you, gay or straight, should learn how to deal with it. This story may be easy reading, but the values it teaches should not be taken lightly. Even parents can learn a thing or two from Paul and his friends.

This is a great read, especially if the heavy gay issues are getting too old for you. Or you're just really tired of heavy stuff. With its witty, entertaining dialogues, vivid characters, and creative settings, you'll definitely enjoy reading this, and find new friends within the story. It's not full of drama, but it does have its moments, and those moments are what makes this book shine. Sometimes, when I'm feeling a little down, I visit Paul and his friends and feel good about myself. Because as the story ends, Paul always tells me: "What a wonderful world."