Impossible by Nancy Werlin

According to the author, this book is inspired partially by the ballad "Scarborough Fair" and the recent vampire-romance craze. For me, this book was the perfect antidote for Twilight -- a fantasy story complete with an evil fairy king, a female character who fights for herself and has power in her own individuality, a male character who helps but does not "save" the heroine!

I read this book in two days, and I plan to encourage my female students to read it for SSR.

I also think this would be a nice companion piece to Wuthering Heights. It's got some similar themes (the Elfin King is obsessed with Lucy and all of her female ancestors).

Also, check out this post by the author on her inspiration for writing this book: http://www.nancywerlin.com/impossible.htm

Jennifer Government by Max Barry

Imagine a world owned by corporations . . . not so hard to imagine, is it? That's the concept behind Jennifer Government. Nike's hottest new shoe is selling for literary over $1000, and now they've decided to increase the appeal of their product by setting up a murder that appears to be over the shoes. This action snowballs into a struggle between what little of a government is left and the corporations who want to do away with law all together.

I loved the concept of this book, and as I've noted, it's not a reality that is too hard to imagine. There were some slow parts, and I wasn't crazy about how it ended, but I did like this book.

I think this book would work nicely with any other dystopian/futuristic literature. I am considering using it in E2H as another pairing with Brave New World, and I think it might also pair nicely with Fahrenheit.

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

I picked up this book after Crutcher's presentation here at Central; this was the book he mentioned that features a character based on the little girl he told us about. True to his word, Whale Talk had lots of colorful language and some graphic and upsetting images of child abuse. However, it was not gratuitous or overdone -- it definitely seemed true to life.

I liked this story of TJ, the only black student in an Idaho school, and his struggles to help all the misfits earn their athletic letter jackets. There were parts of the novel that made me laugh, and even more, there were parts that made me want to cry. I wasn't crazy about the ending -- I thought it could have ended 20 pages earlier, but the overall story was worth my time.

I am currently using this book in my freshmen literature circles. Of the three students in the group, two had finished the novel in less than a week! My impression is that they are really enjoying it. I also think this book could work as a companion to Lord of the Flies to show both sides of conformity/nonconformity.