The Year of Ice

Malloy, Brian. The Year of Ice. St. Martin's Press, New York: 2003.

Annotation

A year is spent learning about a young man grow into his own adulthood as he battles with sexuality, family issues, and bringing new life into the world.

Nomination for Recommendation
For being Brian Malloy's first Novel, this novel does an exceptional job explaining Kevin's life as an eighteen year old. There is no one distinct climax that conquers the book. The novel's serendipity exposes issues after issue, but delivers continuous solutions until the very last page. Malloy does an excellent job explaining the scenery that Kevin grows up in, from mentioning key landmarks too correlating characters emotions with the current setting that the book is taking place in. The issues of sexuality and friendship that Kevin deals with are monumental for a person his age. It is happy, sad, and relieving to see how he pushes through it all. This book goes to show that even though you may think you have another person figured out: "People can still surprise you."

Genre: American Library Association Alex Award

Beloved

Morrison, Toni. Beloved. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc: 1987.

Annotation
This book observes and tells a traumatic tale about a family that deals with slavery and the barriers needed to step up and away from it.


Nomination for Recommendation
Sethe is a mother who carries many burdens. Even though she did what she thought was best, her past continues to come back and reveal itself. Being a woman who was embedded into a family of slavery, she wishes to make her way out. Morrison paints very detailed pictures in the reader's head to help see the pain Sethe went through as her family was left behind. The books starts with Sethe in a house with a new life and new growth. It's just her and daughter, and she couldn't ask for more. But more comes. As the cycle of life continues so does the truth. Two more characters show up, Paul D and Beloved, and it takes time to see what each character represents. Morrison gives momentarily flashbacks as the plot thickens, and then ends with a compelling resolution that softens the tough blow for the reader. No matter what you have seen or where you have been, this book takes you to a place where you continually look for an escape. Sometimes the quickest route isn't the best.

Genre: Postmodernism/ Contemporary Literature

Love and Other Four-Letter Words

Mackler, Carolyn. Love and Other Four-Letter Words. Random House Publishing,

New York: 2006.

Annotation

Sammie handles her typical teenage life with it's twist and turns. For every bad side there is always a good one.

Justification for Nomination

Sammie's life surely is stressful. Her dad aborts the family, her mother is going through employment issues, and her best friend doesn't seem to be playing the role she used too. This book outlines the average life of a teenage girl. Sammie handles these obstacles with sincerity. Carolyn Mackler takes Sammie's tribulations and uses them as a way to harmonize the pace of the novel. Of course there is a bright side to every situation, which shows in this romance. For every friend that leaves a new one comes. For every boy that doesn't like you another does, especially when she least expects it. This is an uplifting, laugh now cry later novel that helps you appreciate the simple things in life.

Genre: Romance

Playing Without the Ball

Wallace, Richard. Playing Without the Ball. Jacket Illustration: 2000.

Annotation

A teenager battles two occurrences: one with love and one with basketball. His destination for life is open with choice.

Justification for Nomination

Basketball is a game of four quarters, so give the book credit for playing around with that aspect. The story line is thought out, whether you know basketball or not, the book uses basketball cues to help portray Jay's life. Jay is a seventeen year old boy with plenty of ambition, considering his parents both left him, and he is living by himself. He explores the opportunities that life gives him, and he makes the best out of his situation. Jay's life is realistic. Wallace helps the reader see the ordinary mishaps that force Jay is go out of bounds at times. Teenage boys tend to worry about girls. Well, besides settling for an underachieving basketball team, ironically, dealing with girls is one of Jay's quarrels and happy outcomes. It's an enjoyable teenage read that brings a reader into a fast paced life of a teenage boy.

Genre: Sport and Romance.

The Killer's Cousin

Werlin, Nancy. The Killer's Cousin. Delacatore Press: New York, 1998.

Annotation

A high school senior is acquitted of murder, but the drama continues as she moves into his aunt and uncle's house and faces the same demons he was trying to run away from.

Justification for Nomination

David was acquitted of murder, but he felt he had to get away from the media and the surroundings that kept an eye on his trial. Through David's first person narrative this story is laid out for the reader. As David moves to his aunt and uncles he tries to live a normal life, whether it's starting a new school to prepare for college, or having to deal with a family who's daughter died four years before Davids arrival. The book captures realness, and the suspense continually builds, but you never see it coming. David is facing demons of his own. His younger cousin Lily seems to be aggravating the components of Davids life that he is trying to escape. The book reaches a point where the bottle opens, and the message leaks out. You think the situation is resolved, but as the book closes the story is put together in an ironic, but very believable manner. After each event happens, don't sit and think about it, keep reading and see where David takes you.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense.