Memory Monday - The Opposite of Chocolate by Julie Bertagna

The Opposite of Chocolate is apparently one of the most stolen books in UK school libraries, and I can see why. As well as its edgy-at-the-time (pub. 2003) subject matter of teen pregnancy and arson, it is a really good book. The battered old copy in my local library has not been stolen yet, but it's been read so many times it's on its third return slip (the bit in the front where the dates go).

Here's the Goodreads summary:

A second novel for Young Picador from Whitbread-shortlist star! It's a long, hot summer - and a climactic one. For 14-year-old Sapphire it brings the awesome, terrifying realisation that she is pregnant - a discovery that catapults her into the eye of a storm as her body, her future, her life, become a battleground for everyone's needs but her own. Meanwhile, out in the humid urban night, a mysterious firebug is running wild, working out his own anger and confusion with dramatic consequences. Somehow, from this cauldron of emotion and fear, Sapphire must find a way to take control of her life - and make the most agonising and lonely of choices.

TOoC won loads of awards here in the UK, and many praised the atmosphere of the novel: the long, hot, sweaty summer full of fires and endless evenings. I first read this as a 14-yr-old, the same age as the protagonist, Sapphire, and the thought of being in her place made me squirm with horror (I was quite a sheltered child).

So has anyone heard of it? It's well worth giving this one a read - I imagine you can pick up a copy on amazon for less than $2/£2, seeing as it's been out a while.

And what where the books that were wildly popular in your school libraries when you were a pupil? Or the ones that you read but dared not take out in case the librarians looked at you funny or other kids found out?

Memory Monday - Face by Benjamin Zephaniah

The first time I heard about Face was when Benjamin Zephaniah visited my school. The author himself was crazy, witty, and pretty funny, so I decided I wanted to read ALL of his books. They only had one in the library, but I was very glad it was this one, because Face is such a good book.

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Martin is a good-looking, self-assured boy who accepts a ride home from a drunken acquaintance and ends up in a horrible accident--badly burned, his face completely disfigured. Life as it was before is over...he loses his girlfriend and his friends, and finds that people are making judgements about him and how he feels without even knowing. As Martin struggles through the reconstruction of his face, he is also working hard to reconstruct his life. His character, however, remains intact. There are startling truths in this story, written with clarity and insight, which make it utterly believable and impossible to read without heartfelt empathy. Parents, librarians, teachers and mostly children will be absorbed by the story.
(Face was published 2002)

Don't let that summary make you think that this book is a boring, moral-filled story about NOT GETTING INTO STOLEN CARS, PEOPLE (although that's probably not a good idea). Face is a true coming of age story about the boy everyone knows - clever, witty, sporty, and popular - and about how much of that is superficial.

To my US blog readers - This is a British book, but it's on Amazon.com too, so don't let that put you off.

And best of all, this is a BOY'S YA - a rarity, it seems.

Has anyone read Face? And who thinks there needs to be more boy's POV books in young adult fiction?

Memory Monday - Prove Yourself A Hero by K.M. Peyton

PROVE YOURSELF A HERO REVIEW

photo credit

Author: K.M. Peyton

Published: 1977

Summary:

'A lot of rough hands thrust him uncompromisingly into a very small box. He was forced down by the back of his neck till his forehead touched his knees; the sides of the box pressed against him, and when they put the lid down it was hard against his back.'

Kidnapping is always an unpleasant business, but in Jonathan Meredith's case it is positively
barbaric. Kept for hours on end in claustrophobic confinement, he remembers that he used to imagine suffocation as an innocuous death. He would never think that again.

A taught and chilling story, set in the tough world of
horse racing.'

[Summary taken from the back cover of the Puffin Plus 1982 version]


This is probably one of my favourite books ever, for three reasons.


1) Jonathan, the main character. Mentioned in my 'about me' section (because I love him), he is such a vibrant, real character, who if he was real would be just the sort of person you'd want to hang out with. When Jonathan is out on deck (read and you'll know which bit I'm referring to) it's so beautifully and emotively written that it made me tear up a bit. And unlike many books with male main characters, K.M. Peyton's main characters show their emotions, and that makes them all the more 3-D.

2) The kidnapping theme. I love reading books about kidnapping, don't know why (maybe it's something about the danger?) and this one does it so well, that it's a bit of a thriller.

3) K.M. Peyton's writing. There's a reason why she's a real favourite. Plus, plenty of her books are excellent 'cross-over' reads - I know plenty of 40+ people who still read them and love them.

So basically, if you're looking for a good read that makes you think while still being exciting, sad, and hopeful at the same time, read this book. It's not in print at the moment, but very easy and cheap to buy on Amazon UK.

Who else has read this, or another of Ms Peyton's books? And does anyone have any old faves from childhood (or that they discovered on their mum's bookcase, like me), to recommend?