“For seventeen years, Charlotte Alexandra Williston has felt as if she’s a supporting character in the ongoing play that is her life. She’s been reading lines someone else wrote instead of saying what she really thinks, never stepping outside of the proverbial prim and proper box containing her well-bred life in Caulfield, Connecticut. But now, she’s determind to create her own story – one in which she’s the star. After graduating high school, she impulsively embarks on a jaunt across Europe with her best friend Molly. From London to Florence to Copenhagen and beyond, Charlotte explores cities and castles, befriends strangers, and shops ‘til she drops. She even meets the guy who just might be the one she’s been waiting for. And in the midst of her adventures, she finds time for reflection in some unlikely places, beginning a new journey that will take her further than any of the planes, trains, and black cabs waiting for her when she arrives…”

Last week I was introduced to a character named Charlotte in Nicole Richie’s Priceless, (and we know how well that went) so when I picked up Confessions of a Teenage Pond Hopper and found the main character was also named Charlotte I first  thought “…ah crap”.

Never fear! Charlotte Williston was luckily a much better character to follow than Charlotte Williams.

Just days away from graduating from high school, Charlotte takes off on an impulsive trip across the pond (an idiom referring the Atlantic Ocean that’s between the US and the UK) as a way of stepping out of her tightly laced life that she never really felt was her own. Charlotte is the kind of girl who has always taken the safe route – doing well in school, trying to please her parents, not getting involved in relationships, which has made her life turn out cold and bland. This trip is Charlotte’s rebellion against that life as well as chance to remove herself from it to find herself and what she really wants along the way.

In contrast to Charlotte is her best friend Molly who comes along on the trip with her. Molly is outgoing, lively and has an obsession with shopping (with a credit card limit that accommodates that obsession). Molly balances out Charlotte’s more inhibited nature and encourages her to step outside her shell. It would’ve been nice to see Molly interested in something other than constantly shopping, but she was a good character who obviously cared very much for her best friend and was a total asset to the trip.

The romance in the story between Charlotte and James is completely gorgeous but at times I found myself wistfully thinking “ah if only things like that really happen”. Though their relationship wasn’t completely unrealistic, there was a kind of sweetness and maturity that I felt could only be seen in a fictional book. But maybe I’m a cynic.

Now I’m in two minds about this next point. Either Grossbard has a very sophisticated vocabulary or was a bit too into her thesaurus while writing this book. I felt a bit like a simpleton, needing a dictionary to look up words like “acquiesced” and “nomenclature”, so at times the vocabulary was a bit distracting. On the one hand, I remember an interview with Gilmore Girls writer, Amy Sherman Paladino saying “your audience is only as smart as you let them be” and on the other I’ve heard that you don’t need sophisticated language to tell an amazing story. From the middle towards the end the vocabulary wasn’t really an issue, so it’s kind of a take it or leave it point.

Confessions of a Teenage Pond Hopper is a great coming of age story, and one that feels so completely relevant. I was excited to read this one since I’ve also just graduated (but from college, not high school) and am planning a trip to Europe next year as well. The places Charlotte and Molly travelled to and the experiences they had have completely inspired me. But even if that’s not your specific circumstance, the emotions Charlotte goes through as she examines her life up to that point will ring true with a lot of people, making it a really great read.

Pages: 193
Publication Date: September 2010
Rating: :

Teaser Quote: “Thirty-six hours and counting and she was beginning to realize the overwhelming proportions of what she was about to do. A natural worrier, she never did anything without thinking it through. And now it was all about to change”.

“Youth in Revolt is the journals of Nick Twisp, California’s most precocious diarist, whose ongoing struggles to make sense out of high school, deal with his divorced parents, and lose his virginity result in his transformation from an unassuming fourteen-year-old to a modern youth in open revolt. As his family splinters, worlds collide, and the police block all routes out of town, Nick must cope with economic deprivation, homelessness, the gulag of the public schools, a competitive type-A father, murderous canines, and an inconvenient hair trigger on his erectile response — all while vying ardently for the affections of the beauteous Sheeni Saunders, teenage goddess and ultimate intellectual goad.”

Youth in Revolt is unlike any other YA novel. It’s crude, honest, and hysterical. Payne has painted a wonderful picture of a young boy coming to terms with himself. What sets Youth in Revolt apart from other novels in the genre – beside its frank descriptions of an adolescent boy’s mind – is an element of absurdity. Payne weaves a playfulness into his characters and their actions that makes for a story so interesting you can’t help but read to the end.

Though the novel deals with boys around the age of fourteen, it is intended for an older audience. Payne does not shy away from topics such as sex, drugs, and alcohol. In fact, he goes into detail about these subjects, creating a realistic portrayal of a young boy’s mind. This immediately grabbed my interest, as there are so few male narrators left to the YA genre and, of those narrators, so few provide honest depictions of the male psyche.

The story is given to us in the format of Nick Twisp’s journal. We learn that, though Nick is only fourteen years old, he is highly intelligent. His vocabulary rivals that of a college student and his wit resonates with older readers. Younger readers will be entertained by his displays of immaturity and fool-hardy pranks that land him in trouble so unrealistic that you want to believe it just so you can laugh. But if you don’t laugh at Nick’s pranks, you’ll have to laugh at his mother’s behavior and her numerous crazy boyfriends.

The delight of Youth in Revolt lies not only in Nick’s unique voice, but in the extravagant journey he takes. This is not your typical boy-meets-girl story. It’s more of a boy-will-travel-to-the-ends-of-the-earth-for-girl story. Nick journeys from state to state pursuing the girl he believes to be his soul mate. Throughout his journey to reunite with Sheeni, Nick meets quite a few characters – some friends, many enemies, and some he can’t even identify. One of his most memorable enemies is Trent, Sheeni’s ex-boyfriend. Trent is still very much in love with Sheeni and determined to win her back. Nick knows he is no match for Trent’s intelligence, wealth, and good looks so he concocts plan after plan to keep Sheeni and Trent apart. His plans often backfire and have the reverse affect of bringing the two together. Nick’s quest for Sheeni’s affection is the underlying main plot. After reading about the lengths Nick will go to for Sheeni, you’ll be rooting for him by the end.

Perhaps the most unique twist to the story is Nick’s creation of an alter-ego, Francois Dillinger. Francois is an evil master-mind, a part of Nick willing to push boundaries and even break the law. Nick lets Francois take the reigns whenever he feels he can’t handle a situation because Francois isn’t afraid to tell people off or run away from home. This book is already on a level all its own and the addition of Francois bumps it up one more level. If you’re looking for a mature, laugh-out-loud YA novel, you’ve found it in Youth in Revolt.

Pages: 499
Publication Date: November 2009
Rating: : :

Teaser Quote: “My house was just searched by a Ukiah policeman! I’m still a nervous wreck. The Law arrived in the company of Mr. and Mrs. Joshi, who demanded to know if I was harboring their runaway daughter.”

Hamish Graham is intelligent, disciplined, resourceful and fearless, and scorns all weakness. His heroes include Charles Upham, Alexander the Great and Te Rauparaha – all men of action. But he is also a fourteen-year-old with an anger problem and a disturbing past, and these have landed him in a series of boys’ homes for violent and troubled young offenders.

The gripping series of events following his arrival at New Horizons culminates in a desperate rescue mission on a mountain that has already claimed the lives of two young soldiers.

Hamish is smart, calculating, clever, but most of all, bad. Or so his teachers would lead you to believe. Underneath his horrible behavior, is a misunderstood boy, quite brilliant, who looks up to great leaders like Alexander the Great.  Hamish’s mind is just wired…differently from most boys his age. Most boys get out their aggression through schoolyard fights and hitting the gym; Hamish takes it out on his neighbor’s dog. Which isn’t to say he’s going to grow up to be a maniac psychokiller, but to the outside world, he’s no better than a criminal.

Told through journal entries and mixed narrative, Hamish explains his story, and why he does the things he does. At the heart of things, Hamish is just curious. He thinks up ideas and tests them to find the outcome. Really, he has a brilliant mind for science and especially military strategy and tactics.

The New Zealand setting takes what could be just another boring misunderstood- teen-boy-hooligan story, and adds real depth. (The helpful Kiwi slang guide in the back is a real treat).

Violence 101 is exciting, dark, and at times, hilarious. I got a vibe of Fight Club meets Dexter. To the world, Hamish is a jokester, only no one else is laughing. He may come across as though he has no conscience, but rather it is replaced by an “honor code” of sorts, modeled after his heroes. I couldn’t help but cheer him on, even though I knew he should be having a hell of a therapy session.

Not a great book, but a pretty darn good one. I think a bridge between Part 1 and 2 would have made the narrative more coherent, instead of reading like two separate stories. Definitely a good read for those who like a little grit in their stories.

Page count: 240
Release date: Oct 14, 2010
Rating: :
Teaser Quote: “My name is Hamish Graham and this is the journal I have to write…the people who run this place don’t know what to make of me. Just like the last place I was in …”