Alright, before I get started, there a couple of things I would like to mention.
First of all, I would like to say thank you again to all of my readers who continue to visit this blog and read on a regular basis. It certainly makes it easier for me to keep up with daily posts when I know that someone in the world is reading them.
Second, if you have recently begun reading my blog, I would like to encourage you to go back to my older posts from November and December and read those too. I think you will enjoy them.
Third, please comment on what you read. Comments like yours are much appreciated because they help me see that you like or relate to the things I've written.
Well, that's all for business. Now, on to the book reviews.
Yesterday, I had a bit of time to read because I've recently finished revising a novel that's been in the works since last May, so that is no longer interfering with my reading time. I read two YA novels yesterday, both of which I thought were quite good.
Summary #1: Because of Winn-Dixie: This is a short novel recounting the fictional experiences of a young girl named India Opal Buloni, who goes by her middle name. She begins her story, which is set in a small Florida town where Opal and her father have recently moved, by relating how she met a dog in a grocery store, named him Winn-Dixie (the name of the grocery store), and took him home. Opal's father is a preacher, and her mother ran away when Opal was three. The entire story illustrates how one dog influenced her life, and the lives of the people Opal meets. What the story lacks in tension it makes up for in sweetness and character development and hilarity.
Summary #2: Julie of the Wolves: Julie is an Eskimo girl who runs away from a horrible marital relationship. She desires to go to San Francisco and see a girl with whom she has corresponded for some time. Instead, she becomes lost on the tundra and must use all of her instincts and knowledge to survive. However, she does not remain in solitude as she finds a pack of wolves, learns their mannerisms and methods of communication, and becomes a full-fledged member of their pack. She also tunes into her Eskimo roots and must finally decide if she still wishes to rejoin civilization with all of its conveniences, beauties, and savagery, or if she will hold to the old ways and be a true Eskimo. Though I will not tell you how the story ends, I can say that the tale does do something that other YA novels would not dream of: embrace reality.
Most other novels meant for children between 10-14 will give the story a happy and peaceful conclusion. Julie and the Wolves, on the other hand, presents the girl with a dilemma in which neither alternative is truly what she wants or feels like she needs. But she must make the choice regardless.
I will admit that it was refreshing to see a writer do something so different. However, I think that the story is really better suited for 15- to 18-year-olds. Regardless, I recommend both of them highly.
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