The Boomerang Effect

The Boomerang Effect

By Gordon Jack

This is the first book that I have read in a really long time that actually had me laughing out loud. Let's just say the domino effect is in full force here, one bad decision can start a landslide!

Lawrence Barry is a junior and reminded me a little bit of Ferris Bueller except Lawrence's charm doesn't always hit the mark and readers end up feeling a little sorry for him rather that feeling he's "the coolest." There is a masked prankster on the lose and Lawrence is the prime suspect due to his "not-so-great" reputation. Thanks to a men-tee program Lawrence gets the chance to redeem himself showing a hidden intelligence and heart when he is forced to quit smoking pot. He's under the threat of reform school and there is nothing like threatening to take a person away from their friends to sober you up.

The Boomerang Effect is a pretty quick read and I would recommend it to the reluctant reader who, like myself, can find some books a little daunting. With a mystery, plenty of pranks and a good number of laughs the pages will fly by. With relatable characters and some silly situations Gordon Jack has created one entertaining read!

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood

by Trevor Noah

You probably know Trevor Noah from Comedy Central's The Daily Show.  Trevor was a surprise pick to replace the indomitable Jon Stewart, but the South African comedian has slowly come into his own and as you read his new memoir, Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood, you might start to think perhaps Jon Stewart had a very good reason to pick Trevor as his successor.

Noah's story doesn't begin with his birth.  It goes back much further than that, when the white South African government imposed the system known as apartheid on its inhabitants, hitting black South Africans the hardest with repercussions that continue to this day. Noah's mother, Patricia, rebelled against apartheid as much as possible, becoming a secretary and then making the momentous decision to have a child.  But not just with anyone.  Patricia turned to a friend, Robert, who also just happened to be a white Swiss expat.  In South Africa at that time, it was not only illegal for Trevor's parents to have a sexual relationship, it was punishable by several years in prison.  Trevor's very existence was, in fact, evidence of a crime.

Trevor describes his childhood in a series of eighteen essays, that cover everything from his mother's insistence they attend three different churches on Sundays to his laughably inept attempts to woo girls in high school to the difficult and often turbulent relationship Trevor had with his abusive stepfather.  The essays are by turns funny, moving, and heartbreaking.  Throughout the essays, Trevor is careful to not only describe the effect apartheid had on his family and other black South Africans, but to multi-racial people labeled as "Colored,"  Trevor also points out the often arbitrary rules of apartheid that sometimes popped up seemingly overnight, with no other purpose than to further divide South Africa's black and Colored peoples.  He even devotes several pages to how apartheid affected his father and other whites who disagreed with apartheid.

If Trevor is the star of the show, his mother, Patricia, often steals the spotlight as his determined supporting actress.  If nothing else in the world, Patricia is often the voice of Trevor's conscience and the force nudging him to reach for something better.

The book is an easy read in terms of readability.  Trevor's voice shines through the page, and he makes it sound like he's sitting at a table in a coffee shop regaling his friends with the most meaningful moments of his childhood.  His language does get a bit salty at times, but it never comes off as gratuitous.  Another thing to keep in mind is the book doesn't move in a straight line from Trevor's birth to his early 20s.  I had a really hard time putting it down.  If you like memoirs, this is definitely one to read.

Finding Audrey

By Sophie Kinsella

 Sophie Kinsella, of the Shopaholic series fame, brings us this account of Audrey, a teen suffering from anxiety as the result of some sort of traumatic event (we don't know what) that has sent her into darkness and despair. She is unable to leave her house, or go to school, or talk to anyone, or to remove her dark sunglasses. 

The story is told from inside Audrey's head, so we have a first hand account of where she is at in her recovery and demonstrates Audrey's lack of awareness of the effect of her illness on the other members of her family. It takes some time for Audrey to realize how wrapped up in herself she has been, not being aware of anything outside of herself and her feelings.

Audrey's family is a bit quirky, Mum reads the Daily Mail and allows the crazy stories in there to influence her parenting, Dad tries to support Mum, sometimes having trouble keeping up, brother Frank is a frustrated teen (see Mum's attempts at parenting), and Audrey's anxiety keeps her hidden from the world. 

Audrey sees Dr. Sarah, who helps Audrey make progress in her recovery by trying to get her to take some steps outside of her comfort zone. One day her comfort zone is invaded by Linus, a friend of Frank, who actually seems to understand Audrey and is able to support her steps to recovery. 

This book is an honest look at Audrey's anxiety and the difficulty she faces as she tries to emerge from the darkness, written with humour and respect.

 

The Truth Commision

The Truth Commission 

by Susan Juby

There is a saying that the truth will set you free, but sometimes that truth comes with a price. Normandy, Neil and Dusk (who's real name is Dawn) are art students at the Green Pastures Academy in Nanaimo, BC and they decide to ask their classmates some truth seeking questions. 

As they probe their peers, they uncover truths that they may not have been expecting, not only about their targets, but also about themselves. All of this truth seeking starts a domino effect throughout the school and  the student body comes clean in different ways with both positive and negative results. 

The hardest truth to uncover is about what happened to Normandy's famous sister, Keira. Keira, a published graphic novelist has mysteriously returned from college and has shut herself away from everyone. It doesn't help that Normandy's parents are in denial about any issues that Keira's novels have wrought upon the family - the graphic novel characters bear a striking, yet unflattering resemblance to Normandy and her parents. In trying to uncover what has happened to Keira, Normandy is forced to face some unpleasant truths of her own, but with the support of Neil, Dusk, and some unlikely allies, she develops the strength needed to carry on.

The writing style is engaging, written in Normandy's voice, in the format of her final project for class. The tales of the truth commission are dotted with Normandy's own wit and observations, often in the form of amusing footnotes to her teacher. Juby pulls you right into the story and you find yourself caring for and rooting for the characters as they find out truths about themselves and each other.

Going Bovine

by Libba Bray

Cameron, a lazy, underachieving, high school pot head is diagnosed with Mad Cow Disease. The disease is terminal, there is no cure, he's done. However, at the hospital, he is visited by a pink-haired punk rock angel named Dulcie who tells him his only chance of survival is to find Dr. X.  Thus begins the craziest road trip every conceived. 

Along with Gonzo, Cameron’s hypochondriac hospital roommate, and a garden gnome who is actually the Norse god Balder, Cameron sets off across America looking for the mysterious Dr. X. Although Cameron is initially not particularly likeable, his character grows throughout the book until you eventually find yourself rooting for this unsuspecting hero. A series of seemingly random, hilarious mishaps later, the story comes to an amazing ending, tying all these random events into a truly unforgettable climax. 

Libba Bray’s humour and wild imagination make for an amazing read filled with churches of perpetual happiness, snow globes, and countless laugh out loud moments. This social satire is well worth the read, carrying with it a clear message to live life to the fullest.  

Warning: Strong Language used. Intended for older teen audience.

Noggin

Noggin

 

By John Corey Whaley

Imagine if you had a terminal illness.  You knew you were going to die but doctors offered you a way out – sort of.  What if they offered to cut off your head, freeze it, and reattach it to someone else’s healthy body as soon as the technology became available?  

This is exactly what happens to 16-year-old Travis Coates who is dying of cancer.  Travis’ family agrees to the offer, but believes it will be decades at the very least before Travis is brought back to life.  However, only 5 years later, technology has advanced and Travis is back!

Sounds like a happy ending, right?  But when 16-year-old Travis comes back (in a taller, fitter, skateboarder’s body no less), his best friend Kyle and girlfriend Cate are 21 years old and have moved on with their lives.  Neither of them wanted Travis to die; they would have done anything in their power to stop it.  But they don’t know what to do now that he’s back. Having Travis come back from the dead turns their lives upside down.

As you can imagine, Travis is an overnight media sensation.  But he just wants to be a normal 16-year-old kid again – with the same best friend and girlfriend.  

At school Travis meets Hatton, who initially calls him Noggin.  Hatton is funny and friendly, and he’s not afraid to poke a little fun at his new friend Travis who has “a good head on his shoulders.”

Although the premise of this novel is fairly absurd, Noggin is really a book about identity and relationships.  What makes us who we are?  What connects us to our friends?  In real life, things change.  Best friends and girlfriends may only be temporary.  All of us have to deal with these issues – but most of us don’t have to deal with coming back from the dead.

The Firebug of Balrog County

The Firebug of Balrog County

By David Oppegaard

Mack Druneswald is a high school senior living in Balrog County.  (Mack has named it Balrog County after the fiery monster in Lord of the Rings.  Its real name is something as boring as the place itself.)

But Mack has more to contend with than boredom.  His mother has passed away, leaving him lonely and vulnerable.  What’s a well-read geek to do but start setting fires?

Arson becomes Mack’s drug of choice.  As his internal “firebug” encourages his antics, Mack increasingly requires bigger and more daring fires to satisfy his need.

When Mack meets Katrina, a college girl who is attracted to his geeky intelligent self as well as his secret identity as a pyromaniac, Mack becomes more audacious and longs to set fire to the town’s Halloween Haunted Castle.

Although Mack’s exploits are often clever and amusing, there is nothing funny about the loss of his mother.  The reminiscences about Mack’s mother are heartfelt and emotional.  This book will make you cry and laugh out loud, all the while rooting for a kid that sets fires all over town.

We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a true story

We Should Hang Out Sometime

by Josh Sundquist



“When I was twenty-five years old, it came to my attention that I had never had a girlfriend"--the first line of this compelling and occasionally ridiculous true story.

Josh Sundquist has written a funny, awkward memoir about his dating (or not-dating) foibles, and has done so with a good balance of hope and frustration.  Sundquist, who is a Paralympic ski racer, YouTube star, and motivational speaker, knows how to endear himself to the reader in a way that doesn’t come across as false- even when some of his dialogue feels way too on-point witty for a teenager. Not all his sentiments about unrequited crushes are likeable, but who hasn’t had a slightly selfish thought about someone they like?

In We Should Hang Out Sometime, former romantic entanglements are revisited and analyzed. Sundquist isn’t blaming anyone for his lack of romantic luck, but it is more that he wants to try and understand why something so universally simple for other people is so difficult for him. An amputee cancer survivor from a young age, he revisits the stories of his romantic failures from comically scientific perspectives that include graphs, a hypothesis and follow up investigations. Even as he struggles with issues of fitting in and self-worth, his humour keeps the story flowing in an upbeat way.

Funny, easy to relate to, and genuinely very sweet, the book is a pleasure to read as you find yourself rooting for Sundquist to shake off his insecurities and fight for what he cares about. A definite feel-good memoir for anyone who has ever questioned their exact place in the world.

Denton Little's Death Date

By Lance Rubin

In the world Denton grows up in, everyone knows what day they are going to die, thanks to tests run at birth.  For some people, that day is when they are very old, and for others, it is when they are quite young.

Denton is one of the people with an early death date.  In fact, his death date is in just 2 days, the same day as his senior prom. Denton's last couple of days alive are filled with an array of dramatic firsts - first hangover, first love triangle, first time giving a speech at his own funeral.

Laugh-out-loud funny, and a bit raunchy at the same time, this was a great read.  

Noggin

by John Corey Whaley

Travis Coates died of leukaemia at the age of 16.  But he agreed to be part of a scientific experiment, and scientists cryogenically froze his head in hopes of some day being able to attach it to a healthy body and bring Travis back to life.  The scientists thought that if this actually happened, it would be years and years in the future.

The thing is, it’s only been 5 years since Travis died.  He’s 16, but all his friends are now 21.  His friends have grown up and moved on.  His girlfriend is getting married (to someone else!).  Travis just wants things to go back to the way they used to be, but of course that's impossible.  Travis has been given a second chance at life, but will he be able to look beyond the past long enough to take full advantage? 

This book is a bit sci-fi, in that the technology exists that enables scientists to re-animate people, but that’s really where the sci fi ends.  A fairly quick read, with funny first-person-dialogue, this is a realistic look at the in-between stage of life when you’re too young to be an adult but at the same time too old to be a kid.

Book of the Month - January: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

by Jesse Andrews

Greg Gaines has High School all figured out.  His secret: be nice to every clique, but just don't let other cliques see you doing this and never commit to the cardinal sin of eating lunch in the cafeteria.  Together with his only friend Earl, he gets through the days remaking low budget movies and life is great until his mother ruins everything.

When his childhood friend Rachel is diagnosed with leukaemia, his mother forces him to rekindle his lost friendship with her.  As socially awkward as he his, for some reason, Gre has the uncanny ability of making Rachel laugh.  But when Rachel decides to stop her cancer treatments, Greg can think of only one thing to do - make a film for her which not only turns out to be the worst movie ever made, but also becomes the turning point of his life.

One would think a book about cancer couldn't be funny, but this book is absolutely hilarious, sad and heart-warming all at the same time.  Greg is sarcastic and crass and the story moves along at a fast pace.