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Losing Romeo

Byrd, A. J. (2010). Losing Romeo. New York: Kimani TRU.

Pages: 324

ISBN: 978-1-4268-7455-0

Price: $9.99

Lexile: HL720L

Format: ebook

Awards: None known

In this sequel to Chasing Romeo, the three BFFs deal with the aftermath of a party in which Romeo’s ex-girlfriend, Phoenix, essentially announced to the entire room that she was pregnant with his child. When Romeo seems to break up with Anjenai to get back together with Phoenix, a fight breaks out, leaving everything and everyone confused and angry. The novel features chapters with alternating character viewpoints, where we see glimpses of each character’s personalities and lives before moving on to the next. In this bit of Phoenix’s first featured chapter, we learn that the very basis for Romeo’s and Phoenix’s rekindled and tenuous relationship is shattering, and only Phoenix knows the truth:

I get to the toilet and peel off my soaked panties only to hear clots of blood hit the water with sickening splashes. I can no longer hold back my tears, now that it’s clear to me exactly what’s happening.

No baby.

No Romeo. (22)

Although Losing Romeo is a sequel to Chasing Romeo, the book does a good job recapping everything that happened in the first book so that nothing major is missed by reading it on its own. The alternating perspectives are an interesting format choice for a book, leaving the chapters short enough that they can be read in short bursts and making the book a quick read overall. Losing Romeo deals with a lot of tough topics, such as teenage pregnancy, loss of parental figures, drug use, incarceration, eating disorders, and sex. It would probably not be suitable for readers under 14. The main characters are in their freshman year of high school and dealing with a lot of difficult situations that readers may relate to at the same age.

I rate Losing Romeo 3 out of 5 stars. It is a relatively easy read but the storyline became a bit confusing for me when the perspective shifted every chapter. I have read books in a similar format before, but usually those books only alternated between four or five characters. I think in total, we experience the thoughts and actions of eight characters throughout Losing Romeo, even though two of those characters have only one chapter each dedicated to them, and one is a main character’s parent. The format could be more enjoyable for other readers, but it mostly just confused me and left me forgetting whose thoughts I was reading at any given time.

Star rating: 3/5

You can see other ratings for this book on Goodreads here!

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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Riggs, R. (2013). Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Books. Pages: 538 ISBN: 978-1-59474-513-3 Price: $9.99 Lexile: 890L Format: ebook Awards: YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults

“We cling to our fairy tales until the price for believing in them becomes too high.”  (29)

When we’re young, we believe in things like monsters and later learn they aren’t real. But what would you do if you found out some fantastical things actually are real?

Jacob is tired of his ordinary life. His entire life is planned out for him because his family is rich; his uncles on his mom’s side own a chain of stores and it is his birthright to one day inherit them. He’s tired of working in the store and is determined to get fired when the story first starts and he receives a distressed phone call from his grandfather, whom he and the rest of his family believe is starting to suffer from dementia, as he is talking about monsters and needing the key to his gun closet, which Jacob’s father had taken away. Jacob leaves work at his father’s request to check on his grandfather, but to his horror discovers him nearly dead behind his house, with a letter opener as his only protection from what police would later assume to be wild dogs. Jacob, however, sees the culprit: a terrifying monster. No one believes him.

As Jacob tries to once again live a normal life and try to convince his family and new psychiatrist that he is not crazy, while also trying to come to grips with his grandfather’s sudden death, his grandfather’s last words haunt him. When he finds a letter from someone from his grandfather’s past, Jacob sets out for the island and the boarding school where his grandfather spent much of his childhood to find closure. But closure is definitely not all he finds there.

This book was cataloged in the horror genre at my library, but while intense at times and while the book cover and antique photographs throughout the novel are definitely creepy, the book itself is more science fiction or fantasy than horror. However, there are definitely horror elements, such as monsters, children with terrifying powers, and the fact that at first it seems like a ghost story. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children falls into an assortment of genres, so its labeling as horror is somewhat appropriate even if I believe it would be better shelved with the fantasy novels.

This is the first book in a series and is now a film, so it is very popular, although I have not yet seen the movie. I probably will watch it at some point, because I did enjoy the book immensely, even though I was disappointed it wasn’t the “horror” novel I was anticipating based on the description, cataloging, and book cover. I would rate the book 4 stars out of 5 for entertainment alone, because it was a very engaging read and I would like to explore the rest of the series when I have the opportunity. 

Some of the language used in the novel is crude (there are occasional “your mom” jokes and sexual innuendo) but the content is suitable for a teen audience 14 and older. There is death and violence and while it is easy to forget most of the time with all the other events going on, the backdrop of much of the novel does take place during World War II. In fact, the fact that the school was bombed and all the occupants are known to have died that causes a turning point in the story. The protagonist’s grandfather is Jewish and lost his entire family during the war, so while the focus of the novel is not on the war itself, it does play a large part in the events that occur. The page length is 382 in the paperback version, so it is a lengthy read for some teens. However, the book is so engaging, I did not notice the length at all until now.

The following excerpt comes from pages 138 and 139 in the digital edition:

"And there weren’t any survivors at all?’ Martin asked.

The old man thought for a moment, his gaze drifting up to the ceiling. “Now that you mention is,” he said, “I reckon there were. Just one. A young man, not much older than this boy here.” His rocking stopped as he remembered it. “Walked into town the morning after with not a scratch upon him. Hardly seemed perturbed at all, considering he’d just seen all his mates go to their reward. It was the queerest thing.”

“He was probably in shock,” Martin said.

“I shouldn’t wonder,” replied Oggie. “He spoke only once, to ask my father when the next boat was leaving for the mainland. Said he wanted to take up arms directly and kill the damned monsters who murdered his people.”

Oggie’s story was nearly as farfetched as the ones Grandpa Portman used to tell, and yet I had no reason to doubt him.

“I knew him,” I said. “He was my grandfather.”

Star rating: 4/5

You can view the official movie trailer below!

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The Book Thief

Zusak, M. (2007). The book thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 978-0375842207, Hardcover: $11.69

The Book Thief starts unconventionally: Narrated by Death himself, urging the reader to understand that he is not as scary as he seems and is actually a pleasant being, he describes the worst part of his job: seeing the survivors left behind when a person dies. The story then focuses on one particular “perpetual survivor,” a girl named Liesl. The novel takes place in Nazi Germany. Liesl is a young orphan living with foster parents. After learning to read, Liesl begins stealing books to cope with the horrors of war and her daily life.

The story’s opening with a narration by Death is sure to grab readers at the onset, although the sheer length of the novel (608 pages) may alienate some young readers. The protagonist, Liesl, is likable and the characters around her are believable, which will make the story enthralling to those who do not mind the length. The novel involves themes of loss and the cruelty of war but also the strength of the human spirit and the kindness of others, which should resonate with teens and adults alike. The Book Thief would be an appropriate selection for a Teen or Young Adult historical fiction section and is suitable for ages 14 and older.

Content warnings: War, violence