The Rules of Survival

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin. Library copy. Cybils shortlist.

The Plot: Matthew tells his story to his younger sister, Emmy; the story of their lives when Emmy was still small. When Matthew, Emmy, and their sister Callie lived with their mother and dreamed of escape. Nikki, their mother, is hugs and kisses one day; curses and slaps the next. It's an uncertain way to live; and Matthew begins to hope that something will change when he sees a man in a store stand up to a man shouting at a small child. By a twist of fate, this man, Murdoch, starts dating Nikki. Maybe, things will change. But Matthew has forgotten the rules of survival; including the rule of not hoping for escape.

The Good: This is not an easy read; it is unsettling and upsetting, a look at physical, psychological and emotional abuse.

Nikki has to be mentally ill; the way she treats these children is chilling. Nikki is not like the mother in Hugging the Rock by Susan Taylor Brown; in that book, the mother, while ill, is not abusive; that mother never wanted to be a mother; and that mother, perhaps, does what is best for her child by becoming an absent parent.

Matthew, Callie, and Emmy could only hope to be so lucky; it would be a dream come true for their mother to drive away and never come back. The problem isn't just that Nikki is a bad parent; the problem is that Nikki believes herself a good mother. Nikki believes that she loves her children. She sees herself as teaching her children how to have "fun" while she dances on the edge of danger.

Nikki doesn't see her children as individuals; she sees them as extensions of herself, feeling and believing and acting as she does. I was reminded of Diane Downs; I was reminded of fiction about immature teen mothers, who talk about the child only in terms of what the child will bring the mother, or only in terms of a child no different from a doll, who will do as the mother needs, who will act and believe and think as the mother wants.

Nikki expects her children to read her mind; to be happy when she is, sad when she is, to know when to be spirited and when to disappear. These become the "rules of survival" for Matthew and his siblings.

Another fascinating and disturbing part of this book is Nikki's ability to appear "normal" to others and her ability to manipulate men. Nikki pretends that all is well with Murdoch; at other times, she meets men who she gets to do almost anything. Matthew, her son, wonders at this; his father tries to explain, but the explanation rings hollow -- these men are weak. Nikki is pretty and flirtatious. It leaves Matthew to wonder, is he strong? Or weak? Would he allow someone like Nikki to twist and turn him?

Matthew and Callie try their best to protect their young sister, Emmy. It turns out they do too good a job. Emmy feels safe enough to speak out; safe enough to provoke Nikki into anger and violence. It becomes a scary moment for the reader, as well as for Matthew and Callie. You cheer that Emmy feels safe, that her self has been protected enough that she is spirited and not scarred. You are as confused as Matthew and Callie as you wonder what is best for Emmy; should she, too, learn the rules of survival, learn to not speak up? Or has Emmy learned a different set of rules; is she finding excitement, "fun," as the mother would say, in provoking Nikki?

It is Emmy, more than himself, more than Callie, that drives Matthew to take action. What he does and tries to do; what he fails to do; is fascinating and thought provoking.

I can't help but mention Nikki again; because she is the scariest mother I have met in fiction in a long time. She is scary because of how she treats her children; and she is scary because she fails to see anything wrong with her behavior; her belief that she is a fun mom; her unpredictability; the abuse she dishes out.... I want her to disappear or die as much as her children do. She is beyond redemption; the only thing that can be redeemed, that can be saved, is her children. And with every page, you hope that Michael can save himself and his sisters.

Links:
The Cynsations (Cynthia Leitich Smith) Interview.
Sara's Holds Shelf review.
Propernoun review.
Reading YA: Readers' Rant review.
bookshelves of doom review.
Goddess of YA review.

Blog of the Day: Adbooks

Blog of the Day: Adbooks. Actually, a website.*

About the Blogger: Moderated by Krista; an open Yahoo Group.

About the Blog: The "purpose is to discuss books written for adolescents, or young adults (YA)." Adbooks has a schedule of books to be discussed, but discussion about any YA book is welcome. Adbooks is the home of the survivor-like JHunt Award for Young Adult Literature. I'm a member.

*Note: As explained in Blog of the Day: Spicy Reads, sometimes a blog isn't a blog.

Clay by David Almond

Clay by David Almond. Copy from library.

The Plot: Davie is an altar boy, living in a small town in England when he first sees Stephen. Before this, it is a typical boyhood; a flirtation with a girl at school, a best friend, a rivalry with the kids from the next town that is a self described "war". But after Stephen arrives, a strange boy living with Crazy Mary, things change. Stephen makes things out of clay. And says he can make them live.

Are they alive? Davie is drawn to Stephen, to this power he has, and other things fall by the wayside. The pretty girl, his best friend. But the war with Martin "Mouldy" Mould only escalates. Stephen's answer? Create a man of clay to take care of Mouldy.

The Good: I adore David Almond. Straight up, let's get that out of the way. Love him. Love his books. So of course this gets onto my Best Books of 2006 list.

OK. On with the good.

Almond writes dialect; but it's not heavy handed. From the first "bliddy hell" I could hear these boys voices, the voices of their world, and I really want to listen to this on audiobook. I'm not a fan of books with dialect, because often heavy use of dialect separates me from the story. Here, I may not know what clarty means when I read "Great clarty footprints all through the hall" it thrills me, nonetheless. Another bit I loved: "the air outside seemed filled with angels."

I adored Davie's family; Almond has created a warm, loving family, very likable, which contrasts all the more with the danger in Davie's life. What is he getting himself into, the conflict with Mouldy, the relationship with Stephen, the man they may or may not create? Why is he making these choices?

Davie is Catholic; he believes in miracles and the miraculous and this story is set at a time when one may start to question those beliefs. Enter Stephen, with proof of miracles; proof of good and evil. And Davie believes; believes in Stephen's power, even when he sees Stephen create and destroy and treat people like toys. Believes because he sees these things.

Stephen pulls Davie into his world, saying that Davie can create, also. The only thing we need to make a real man, Stephen says, is the consecrated wafer and wine. I still get chills as I remember this passage; will Davie commit this ultimate sacrilege? And for me, this choice, and what Davie does, and why, is the heart of the book.

In addition to questions about belief, there are also questions about creation and responsibility (AKA the Frankenstein issue). Is Davie is mad or dreaming? Is this real? And if it is real, now what? What should this man of clay do? "Nothing means he'll crumble back into the earth. Nothing'll be the end of him."

Links: The Gail Giles review.
Bookshelves of Doom review.
An interview at Booktrusted.

Surrender

Surrender by Sonya Hartnett.

There will be spoilers. And it is better to read this book without spoilers. So I will try to have all non spoilers at the top and spoilers afterwards, clearly marked. And I cannot do much more to make you read this book without spoilers short of showing up at your house and forcing you.

The Plot: Gabriel is dying. He lies in bed, aged only twenty, his life slipping by and looks back on his life; his strict parents, his isolated town, his brother, his beloved dog, and his friendship with the Finnigan, a Huck Finn type child who is wild and unruly, the opposite of Gabriel.

But nothing is what it seems; even Gabriel's name isn't Gabriel. Surrender is his dog; but it's much more than that, as Gabriel surrenders to his fate.

The Good: The language is stunning. "The sun's like a coin that's been buried for years." It's the type of writing that you almost forget what you're reading, as you enjoy the words and the language.

I began this book, disliked it, read the last chapter, had a very "meh" response. Because it's an adbooks contender, I picked it up to read the whole thing. Turned out, there was a lot I missed; and while I'm not sure I can say I liked this book, I am fascinated by it, and impressed by the language, which is why I'm adding it to my Best Books of 2006 list (see sidebar).

And now, ladies and gentlemen and readers of all ages....

In order to say why I am fascinated, I have to go into full on spoiler mode.

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S

The Plot: Gabriel's real name is Anwell; and he relates a story of growing up in a small, isolated town in Australia; of meeting a wild boy, Finnigan, who is Anwell's opposite in everything, Bad to Anwell's Good; of strict parents; of a disabled brother; of Anwell, at the age of 7, causing the death of that brother; of his Mother knowing what had happened with enough time to rescue the brother, but not doing so; of his beloved dog, Surrender; of his father making Anwell shoot his dog; and finally, Anwell taking a hatchet to his parents.

But. Gabriel is in a white room (a hospital? a prison? home?), ill and dying; he fears and wishes for Finnigan to visit; and by the end, it is clear that there is no Finnigan and never was, but that Finnigan is very real to Gabriel and Finnigan is killing Gabriel. At this point, almost anything could be argued as not being real and being imaginations and hallucinations of Anwell/Gabriel.

The Good: The part about Finnigan not being real left me very "meh". Seen it, in various stories by Stephen King and in The Other (the book and movie by Thomas Tryon.) And the idea of Finnigan being Anwell/Gabriel's other half, or the ghost of his brother; well, there is plenty to discuss for book discussions.

But I began rereading, this book with beautiful language, that I thought was an inside look at mental illness and suddenly BAM the older brother is locked in a fridge while Mom watches with a hint of a smile and then BAM Gabriel takes the axe -- it was like I was suddenly reading a book version of The Descent but with pretty language. (Yeah, a scary gross horror film; but one that is just as much about the descent into madness as Surrender is not just the name of a dog.) It's not just the metaphor, a frequent horror film device; the language.... it's the equivalent of watching the shooting scene during Face/Off when the Wizard of Oz song is playing in the background. Sort of like Stephen King in a PBS dress.

The killings take Surrender from a psychological drama with plenty of book discussion type questions (who is Anwell? Who is Finnegan? Who is starting the fires? What does Anwell/ Gabriel know about what is going on? Is Gabriel even really dying? Did any of it really happen?) to out right horror, as the mother looks at the refrigerator knowing her son is in there, then turns to back to her nap, or later, as the blood and the brains of the parents spatter the room.

Is any of it real? Is it all the imaginings of a tortured mind? Does Gabriel only think he killed his parents, because that was the only way to be free of them? Or is he a tortured child, driven to the unthinkable?

Who is the right audience is for this book; why teens? Why not adults? Would this get a bigger audience if it was sold adult?

Anyway... it's one of those odd books that I cannot say "I loved it" because it is so disturbing. But I can say it haunts me. And I can say it is one of the best books I've read this past year.

Links: the Gail Giles review. The Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast Review.

Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

The Plot: It's been a tough year for fifteen year old DJ; with her mother working two jobs, her father injured and her two older brothers away at college, it's up to DJ to take care of the family dairy farm. Summer should be a bit of break (DJ won't think about how she failed English); but it's lonely.

Then Brian shows up. Brian lives in the next town over; which means he is on the football team; the rival football team. He's also cute and popular. His coach is good friends with DJ's family, and DJ's family needs the help. Football is very important to DJ's family -- heck, the cows are named after football players. So since is what the coach wants, Brian helps out. DJ gives him a bit of a rough time, but who wouldn't? Brian clearly can't pull his weight.

When DJ overhears an angry Brian telling his friends she's a Dairy Queen -- no better than the cows -- DJ starts to reexamine her life, her family and her friends.

The Good: DJ is quiet (like most of her family), with only a few friends. It hasn't helped that for the past year she's been doing backbreaking work to make sure the family farm survives. It's affected school (failing classes, dropping out of sports). But being quiet isn't' the same as having nothing to say; and when DJ does speak (even if it's just to the reader) she can be quite sarcastic: If there was ever a TV show called People Who Are Crazy And Need To Have Their Heads Examined, I'd be the very first guest and I hadn't done anything all weekend unless you count sulking, but I guess my body needed the rest.

When DJ overhears an angry Brian making fun of her, she could get mad and get even. But -- and here is why DJ is a great character -- after the anger, the hurt, and the wee bit of revenge, she listens to what he said. And thinks, am I just a cow? Going along with my life, not really thinking about it, not making choices?

DJ decides to take action: I saw something I wanted to do and I decided to do it. The feeling of freedom this gave me -- I can't even describe it. It was my decision. I chose it. I am not a cow.

What she decides to do? Play football; like her brothers before her. Dairy Queen takes the reader thru the grueling training, the attitudes she gets from others, the tryouts. It's clear this isn't a walk in the park; but it's also clear that DJ is tough and willing to walk.

She's not so willing to talk, tho. Remember cute Brian? She helps him train, failing to ever mention that she hopes to try out for her school football team. I mentioned their schools are rivals, right?

This book could easily have fallen into the romance category; but it's more about DJ than about DJ and Brian. It's also about communications in a family; DJ's family has silence down to an art form, and it's hurting all the family members, not just DJ.

Links: The Longstockings Review. Bookshelves of Doom Review. Swarm Of Beasts Review. Sara's Holds Shelf.

Ptolemy's Gate

Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud. Audiobook.

This needs to get added to my Best Books of 2006 list!

Plot: The conclusion of the Bartimaeus trilogy. Nathaniel (known publicly as John, magicians must keep their true names a secret) has achieved a position of power and prestige in the government. Life should be perfect; isn't living well the best revenge? He justifies the abuses of the government and magicians because.... well, he is a magician! And works for the government!

Maintaining his place in the world isn't easy; Nathaniel relies heavily on Bartimaeus, a powerful (and snarky) djinni who has lost some of his strength because Nathaniel never gives him a break to return to the Other Place. Seriously; a djinni needs to recharge every now and then, but Nathaniel doesn't allow it. Meanwhile, Kitty, a commoner with a bit of magic, continues to work for the good of the people, which means freedom from magicians like Nathaniel. Bartimaeus wishes for freedom also; freedom from being bound to Nathaniel and other magicians, freedom to return to the Other Place. It all comes to a head when a magician oversteps himself and London itself is threatened.

The Good: An excellent fantasy; the world is fully realized and the characters could walk out of the pages. I read the second book two years ago, so certain details of what went on before this were a bit fuzzy; based on that, I do think a reader could start with this book and then go back to the others. But, it's a much better experience to follow Bartimaeus's adventures in full, so I recommend starting with the first book, The Amulet of Samarkand.

Kitty is an amazing character; she is driven, she is smart, she doesn't take any nonsense. She also has a surprising amount of faith in people. Her strength and sense of purpose and sacrifice are believable; she's not a goody-goody, she is a person with a mission.

Bartimaeus is one of the best fictional characters, ever. He is over 5000 years old, and this is his trilogy, the story of his time in service with Nathaniel and his life before. He is snarky and sarcastic, a voice of wisdom, but also a little too inclined to bring up past triumphs. (Ah, there was that time a thousand years ago when I....)

When I read the first book, it was easy to describe this as dark Harry Potter, with Nathaniel in the Harry Potter role: a young boy apprenticed to a magician. Dark because these magicians are not Dumbledore nice; dark because the magicians rule the world. The magicians believe that they are better than non magical commoners, deserve to be a higher class, and look at commoners as insignificant and incapable of self-government. Kitty is the voice and face of the non magical, and matters are confused because Kitty has some magic about her. The magicians look at djinni as things to be used; it's no wonder that Kitty and Bartimaeus, both despised by those in power, bond.

Nathaniel has grown from a frightened boy to a powerful magician; his journey has led him to embrace the power, at the expense of others. It's an amazing portrait of just how someone goes to the "dark side."

These three stories are separate at first; Nathaniel believes Kitty to be dead, and Kitty lives under an assumed identity; these separate threads weave together into one cohesive story, with Bartimaeus connecting it all.

This alternate world is fully realized, with a past that goes back thousands of years and a present that involves other countries. There is so much going on -- wars, political intrigue, issues with magic -- that some points aren't resolved at the end of the book. This works very well; yes, the story Bartimaeus tells is resolved, but the world in which it is set goes on. Could there be other books set in this world? Yes, and I'd love to revisit; but the story of these three characters is wrapped up.

My only wee problem is that for some reason, I thought these books were set in the past, yet with this one I realized they are set in the present. The first book had a very 19th century feel to it; I think I need to reread!

Links: official website.