Nerds Heart YA
I had the opportunity to fill in for a third-round judge and got to read two very thought-provoking books.
Last Night I Sang to the Monster
by Benjamin Alire SáenzZach is eighteen. He is bright and articulate. He's also an alcoholic and in rehab instead of high school, but he doesn't remember how he got there. He's not sure he wants to remember. Something bad must have happened. Something really, really bad. Remembering sucks and being alive—well, what's up with that?
Beautiful
by Amy ReedWhen thirteen-year-old Cassie moves to a suburb of Seattle, she is determined to leave her boring, good-girl existence behind. She chooses some dangerous new friends and is quickly caught up in their fast-paced world of drugs, sex, secrets, and cruelty. Cassie's new existence both thrills and terrifies her. She embraces the numbness she feels from the drugs, starts sleeping with an older boy, and gets pulled into a twisted friendship triangle that is tinged with violence and abuse. Cassie is trapped in a swift downward spiral, and there's no turning back.
Analysis
Both books are about similar themes. The reality of the effect that drugs, alcohol, sex and depression have on a young person. There is no glamor, glitz or glossing of these themes. They are gritty, disturbing and so very different from my own adolescent experience that I couldn't help but feel so sad for the poor children for whom this life is a reality.
However, I found there was a very distinct difference between the two books. And ultimately, it is what made the decision for me.
Zach in Monster took charge of his life. He was caring, compassionate and despite intense shyness, works very hard to overcome his problems. I was rooting for Zach the entire way. I knew that he had it in him to overcome his challenges.
I could not stand Cassie in Beautiful
. I can suspend disbelief, but only to a point. The very idea that a 13-year-old girl making a complete 180 personality change in a matter of days only because she realizes she is pretty is just too much. She gets involved in drugs, sex, and abusive behavior after being a good girl. All the problems that follow in this book are a direct result of her decision to listen to Alex. Perhaps if Cassie had been abused as a child or had some other sort of trauma that caused her to feel like a person that was worthy of all the crap she received, I could have believed it. But, it seemed like there was no motivation for her actions.Also, I don't think that any parent that was living in the same home as their child wouldn't notice that she was smoking pot before dinner and several times a day. It has a lingering odor. And they also never questioned her boyfriend. Cassie had it rough, and I am not blaming her for her abuse. However, I do think that a lot of it could have been avoided if she had been true to herself.
I am all about characters. If I don't connect with a character or in some way relate to them, the book doesn't fit for me.
Thus, my choice to continue on is Last Night I Sang to the Monster.
