Review: Poisoned Apples by Christine Heppermann

Title: Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty

Author: Christine Heppermann

Publisher: Greenwillow

Publication Date: 9.23.2014

Pages: 128

Genre: Young Adult, Fairy Tale, Poetry

Series: N/A

Source: ARC from ALA

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Every little girl goes through her princess phase, whether she wants to be Snow White or Cinderella, Belle or Ariel. But then we grow up. And life is not a fairy tale.

Christine Heppermann's collection of fifty poems puts the ideals of fairy tales right beside the life of the modern teenage girl. With piercing truths reminiscent of Laurie Halse Anderson and Ellen Hopkins, this is a powerful and provocative book for every young woman. E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars, calls it "a bloody poetic attack on the beauty myth that's caustic, funny, and heartbreaking."

Cruelties come not just from wicked stepmothers, but also from ourselves. There are expectations, pressures, judgment, and criticism. Self-doubt and self-confidence. But there are also friends, and sisters, and a whole hell of a lot of power there for the taking. In fifty poems, Christine Heppermann confronts society head on. Using fairy tale characters and tropes, Poisoned Apples explores how girls are taught to think about themselves, their bodies, and their friends. The poems range from contemporary retellings to first-person accounts set within the original tales, and from deadly funny to deadly serious. Complemented throughout with black-and-white photographs from up-and-coming artists, this is a stunning and sophisticated book to be treasured, shared, and paged through again and again.

Review:

Little known fact? I love poetry. Better known fact? I don’t like books written entirely in verse.

But that’s exactly why POISONED APPLES worked for me – it is a book of poetry, not a singular story told all in verse. In this book, Christine Heppermann brilliantly and bitingly delivers knock-out combinations of words that haunt and freeze the reader.

Poetry is a beautiful art form, and Heppermann is a master. I’ve always been a fan of fairy tales, but suddenly this is the adult version of a fairy tale. It’s not all ball gowns and magic and happily ever after. Poisoned Apples is what happens every day – where the line between fantasy and stark reality is blurred together.

The verse in this book is dramatically enhanced by black and white photos that look pretty from far away, but upon further examination are disturbing and dark. It lends a gritty realism to the poems, bringing them to life in a way that enhances ever single word.

Review: Kiss of Broken Glass by Madeleine Kuderick

Title: Kiss of Broken Glass

Author: Madeleine Kuderick

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: 9.9.2014

Pages: 224

Genre: Young Adult, Poetry, Contemporary, Issues

Series: N/A

Source: ARC from ALA

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Madeleine Kuderick’s gripping debut is a darkly beautiful and lyrical novel in verse, perfect for fans of Sonya Sones and Laurie Halse Anderson. Kiss of Broken Glass pulses with emotion and lingers long after the last page.

In the next seventy-two hours, Kenna may lose everything—her friends, her freedom, and maybe even herself. One kiss of the blade was all it took to get her sent to the psych ward for seventy-two hours. There she will face her addiction to cutting, though the outcome is far from certain.

When fifteen-year-old Kenna is found cutting herself in the school bathroom, she is sent to a facility for mandatory psychiatric watch. There, Kenna meets other kids like her—her roommate, Donya, who’s there for her fifth time; the birdlike Skylar; and Jag, a boy cute enough to make her forget her problems . . . for a moment.

Review:

Told in haunted, elegant verse, KISS OF BROKEN GLASS is a spectacular debut that will resonate with readers long after the last page is turned. It’s truly hard to believe this is the launching point of Madeleine Kuderick’s career because it reads like a seasoned pro. I love it when debut authors don’t shy away from touchy, tricky subjects. Kuderick took “Go big or go home” to a new level.

I’m honestly not that big a fan of books told through verse. I prefer fleshed out stories with lots of details that you can’t always get in poetry. But because of the subject matter, I can’t imagine this book being written any other way. Every word is precise and weighted, each moment fleeting and echoing through the rest of the book.

Kuderick doesn’t dance around the issues of cutting, but she handles in a vividly accessible way so many generations can—and will—be able to relate to it and Kenna. It should be a staple in school libraries and classrooms. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Review: Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Title: Freakboy

Author: Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux

Publication Date: 10.22.2013

Pages: 448

Genre: Contemporary, Poetry

Series: No

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: C

Summary (from Goodreads):

From the outside, Brendan Chase seems to have it pretty easy. He’s a star wrestler, a video game aficionado, and a loving boyfriend to his seemingly perfect match, Vanessa. But on the inside, Brendan struggles to understand why his body feels so wrong—why he sometimes fantasizes having long hair, soft skin, and gentle curves. Is there even a name for guys like him? Guys who sometimes want to be girls? Or is Brendan just a freak?

In razor-sharp verse, Kristin Clark folds three narratives into one powerful story: Brendan trying to understand his sexual identity, Vanessa fighting to keep her and Brendan’s relationship alive, and Angel struggling to confront her demons.

Review:

Maybe this was my fault. Maybe I should have taken it literally when the synopsis said “in razor-sharp verse” because I was not expecting a book of poetry. Not that I have any issues with poetry—far from it. I love the symbolism and stilted, lyrical way of working through a poem. But an entire book written in poetry? Not even the explosive content Kristin Elizabeth Clark was exploring in Freakboy could make this work.

My first issue (other than the poetry) was that there are three dueling perspectives in this book and while I can see the validity of each one, Brendan’s in the one that matters most. This book is his transformation—his journey of self-discovery.  While it was a times nice to know what Vanessa and Angel were thinking, it was not vital to the story. I wanted more of Brendan.

Which brings me to why the poetry angle didn’t work. Part of the beauty of poetry is its simplicity. Its way of condensing pages of monologue and dialogue into a raw, emotional power punch of a single page or less. The problem I have it something with this type of subject matter needs the detail and intimacy of a novel. You need more than a page or two to full understand the extent of how Brendan is dealing and making decisions.  

I think I would have rather seen the poetry as a filler between chapters, not encompassing the entire novel. I cannot commend Clark enough for tackling such a delicate and controversial subject matter. Ten years ago there was nothing like this book on the market and I think these types of novels are essential to address. If this book helps one person, then it was well worth the effort put in by everyone.

Buy: Amazon

Review: Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

Title: Love & Leftovers

Author: Sarah Tregay

Publisher:  HarperCollins Children’s Books

Publication Date: 12.27.11

Pages: 304

Genre: Contemporary, Poetry

Series: No

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: B

Summary (from Goodreads):

My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you've lost it?

Review:

Let me begin by saying I was not expecting this book to be told entirely in poetry format. I actually knew little about this novel before getting it in the mail, but what girl doesn’t love a good coming of age story? The way Sarah Tregay writes this tale is beautiful and poignant, but I think the story may suffer a little from the way it’s told.

A story told entirely in the poetic form is daring and revolutionary. It took me a little while to get into the story because I think my brain has become stuck on one format of storytelling in novels, and the shift took me by surprise. Once I got past that, I started to remember my love of poetry. There is something so simplistic and beautiful about poetry, and that really enhances the story here. Poetry is the closest form of written art in my book; instead of hanging pictures, Tregay hung words.

My biggest complaint is the serenity of this story. Forgive me for going into metaphor overload, but this story like a lake when the sun is shining and it’s 80 degrees outside. It’s peaceful and calm. There may be a breeze that makes the waves ripple along the surface a little, but there were no huge rapids or twists. There were no surprises and short of the format, nothing new. I didn’t have any “Oh, my God—did that really just happen?!” moments.

Please don’t get me wrong—this book is very good, and I do recommend it. But I don’t recommend going into it thinking this book will be exciting. It’s paced and sweet and light, but it’s not as meaty a story as I would prefer.

Buy: Amazon