Review of Small Avalanches and Other Stories (Paperback)

Oates, Joyce Carol.Small Avalanches and Other Stories. HarperTempest, 2003. lib ed 0-06-001218-8 $17.89

Oates collection of previously published short stories thought to have teen appeal is dedicated for the bad girls. Quite fitting, for protagonists include sisters who deliberately destroy their twice-divorced mothers relationship with a new potential mate, a is pursued by a stranger, Melissa, who willingly trades a friends life for her own; Sunny, whose refusal of a marriage proposal drives a boy to suicide; and Melanie, who lets her beautiful but naïve cousin Steff take off with a man met on the Internet. Stranger danger abounds in these stories as girls on the brink of womanhood lose their innocence through interaction with pedophiles, crazy neighbors, and other shady characters.
Oates adeptly portrays that tensions of wanting to be a grownup and a little girl all at once, and chronicles the way girls change sleekly change personas, depending on whom they are talking to. The literary merit of the collection is to be expected from the winner of the Pen/Malamud Lifetime Achievement Award in Short Fiction; the language feels surreal in most stories, and dialogue is not typical casual teenspeak. The stories are technically flawless, but wouldnt be my first choice for a booktalk.



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Review of No More Us for You (Hardcover)

On his first day at his new job working as a security guard at the Long Beach Contemporary Museum, 17-year-old Carlos finds himself cleaning up a pool of urine left by some random guy that just walks in and goes on the floor.

Surrounded by some of the strangest "art" he's ever seen, Carlos is sure that this will be a much easier gig than bagging groceries, and will be a great way to buy some nice things for his girlfriend, Mira. During the urine incident, he meets Vanessa, a relatively new classmate at his school who works as the museum's receptionist.

Another classmate, Isabel, also meets Vanessa for the first time shortly afterward. The one-year anniversary of the car accident that took Isabel's boyfriend's life is approaching, and Isabel can't keep her mind from wandering off from time to time, where it ends up exploring ideas of death and fate. When she and her best friend, Heidi, befriend Vanessa, Isabel ends up in the middle of a friendship triangle while she tries to sort out her own mind and come to terms with Gabriel's death.

Vanessa can tell that Isabel needs some distraction, and she tells Isabel that a guy at her job, Carlos, would be perfect for her. Carlos, on the other hand, is still reeling from a friend's difficult situation, and the hard blow that Mira has just dealt him.

On the fateful night of the Valentine's dance, Isabel and Vanessa meet up with Carlos and his best friend, Snake.Both Isabel and Carlos look forward to this opportunity to get to know one another and forget their troubles, but then tragedy strikes, throwing everyone's lives into turmoil. Is this relationship over before it has the opportunity to start?

I was surprised at the heavy amount of adult content in this story. The very title is taken from a display at the art museum that reads "No More C***us for You," and rough language is tossed around easily and almost without purpose. This book also focuses on some mature themes, such as drugs, gangs, drunk driving, and teen pregnancy.This is definitely a book for the more mature teen.

Reviewed by:Allison Fraclose



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Review of Mason (Paperback)

To everyone around him, Mason Avrett isn't the smartest or brightest person on the planet. He has no friends, no parents, and no one to look out for him. The only thing he has going for him is his drawing, and even that can't help him. He does have his Aunt Molly, but she can't protect him against the evil forces of his brother, Gene.

One look at Gene and everyone can tell that he spells trouble. Gene just so happens to find satisfaction in hurting those around him. Since the very beginning, Gene has hated Mason, his parent's "special" son. Gene uses Mason's gullibility as an advantage, making sure and influencing his brother that he is always doing something wrong, that he is "as dumb as a doorknob," someone who just doesn't deserve to even be alive.

Rene Denton is at first skeptical of Mason, but after continuously seeing how rude and dangerous Gene can be, she suddenly feels like she needs to become friends with him. Not caring what her other friends think, Rene begins to spend time with Mason, only to get a better view of what Mason thinks and how his life is.

Getting closer to Mason makes Gene want to hurt Rene even more, and he begins to plot a plan to take his brother's only friend away from him.

Even though people might think Mason's mind is weak, he will soon find out that it is the strongest thing he has and, even though it may help him, past events will show Mason how it ruined his life forever.

Unique, lovely, and all the more scary, MASON takes readers on an adventure they will never forget. Mind-over-matter is important in this novel, and Thomas Pendleton creates well-developed characters you will both love and hate. With an ending that will take your breath away, this is a story that will be remembered forever.

Reviewed by:Rnadstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen



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