Originally uploaded by freerangelibrarian
My Librarything “Early Reviewers” copy of Nikita Lalwani’s “Gifted” showed up yesterday, and when the afternoon storm knocked out the electricity, I used this as my excuse to sit near a window (not TOO near a window) and begin reading by ambient light.
I greatly enjoyed the first thirty or so pages (always a good sign) and marveled at the neat, linear progression… the adroit but clear change in voice… the clarity of the characters. Then the power came back on and before I set the book aside I flipped the book over to read the blurb.
“Included in High School e-newsletter… mailing to YA librarians…. presented at National Council of Teachers of English conference…” Oh, and a Myspace page. Egads, it’s a YA novel!
That’s perfectly fine (I still reread Pooh, and why not?), but at least as I remember them, this ain’t nothing like the YA novels I read by the bucketful fifteen-odd years ago during my brief career as a children’s/YA librarian (which lasted all of six months before I was slurped up into technology… no regrets: loved the kids, wasn’t keen on the organizational culture). This book is longer (pushing 300 pages), the language more complex, the details richer.
In any event, I am not sure what makes this a YA novel — unless it’s the 14-year-old girl-math-whiz protagonist — but I mean that as praise, and I am only comparing it to my dim memory of a certain type of book from a certain era in a certain place.
I take it with me to the car mechanic’s today, so I should have my first read-through done by tomorrow.
Posted on this day, other years:
- Bank error in our favor... - 2006
- Karen and Sandy's Excellent Adventure - 2006
- No, Really, the Presentation URL - 2005
- Language Log and Gormangate - 2005
- Thursday's Talk: Slides, Brags, and Yes, It Went Well - 2005
I think you’ll continue to be surprised at the depth and literary quality of YA novels on the shelves today. Teens are more world-wise these days, but even when I was a teen, I was disappointed by the literature aimed for my age demographic. I mean, really, Sweet Valley High? There were exceptions (Lois Lowry, for example), but most of it was drivel. I am glad that there is more intelligent, thoughtful stuff out there, especially as I have a scant 8 or so years before my oldest becomes a YA reader!
yeah, get reading, girl! I may stop in the YA section myself and see what else I can enjoy.
I wonder who writes creative nonfiction for YAs..?