Student Review: Fist Stick Knife Gun by Geoffrey Canada

Geoffrey Canada. Fist Stick Knife Gun. Beacon Press, 1995. 179p 13.00$ ISBN 0-8070-0423-5

I just completed a book entitled Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence, written by Geoggrey Canada. This book describes what life was like for Canada and his three brothers in the poverty stricken streets of the South Bronx’s in the 1950’s and the 1960’s. His father was an alcoholic and not a strong presence in his life, so in many ways he was raised by his mother and the streets of New york. Canada uses wonderful illustrations which kept me interested in his story.  His illustrations lead me to believe the target audience he is trying to reach are teenagers, though I am sure it would be good for any age.  Unlike the teachings of martin Luther King, Canada’s parents told them to match violence with violence. Their age of innocence ended at a very young age and they had to learn to survive in the “jungle they lived in.”

I checked out Fist stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence, because I was intrigued to learn about the harsh reality that people faced and are still facing everyday.  I was shocked by some of the things I read.  I found myself constantly anticipating the next page.  I also was intrigued by the hard facts that Canada wrote about.  He uses interesting figures mixed with his personal story, to tell a remarkable story.  It introduced me to concepts I was not familiar with.  Canada opened my eyes to inner-city problems such as recreational drug use, hand gun sales and usage along with the need for safe places for children.

I like this book because it painted a vivid picture in my mind of the run down streets of New York.  Not only did it transcend time, but it allowed me to enter a poverty torn urban world, which is the polar opposite of my world here in Columbia, Missouri.  Since he personally knew the characters, his descriptions of them are in depth and unique.  During the entire book there was an “awe factor” which made it quite suspenseful.  The harsh and tragic times these urban children faced are a lifestyle I am totally unfamiliar with. I enjoyed his writing style and the helpful message he tries to send.  It wasn’t a dull “self-help” book; there were many parts where he describes stabbing, shootings, and murder, which kept it thrilling and suspenseful.  If you’re looking for a book to keep you on the edge of your seat, I recommend this one. There were also times in the book where it was nothing but facts and statistics which bored me. I got through the severe childhood that he endured, and after that he changed. It became him trying to help and give back, which made me lose interest.

Flawed by Kate Avelynn

Release Date: January 2013

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Goodreads description:

Sarah O’Brien is only alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago—James will protect her from their violent father if she promises never to leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.

Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.

Sam Donavon has been James’s best friend—and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on—for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact…

What it's all about: Sarah and James have always been closer than most brother-sister duos.  Their shared past and present situation bonds them together in ways that no one will understand because they have chosen to hid that part of their lives away.  Sarah has never had anyone other than James to rely on to take care of her so when Sam becomes a part of her life, she struggles to learn how to make her own path without James.  The only problem is that James isn't ready to let Sarah go...

Who it's all about: Flawed centers on Sarah, a junior in high school who live at home with her not-really-there mother, abusive father, and overprotective older brother.  James has sheltered Sarah beyond what is necessarily smart or safe, as is evidenced in her reliance on him and seeming inability to make or follow-through with her own decisions.  While I felt like I understood Sarah, I also felt like I could never truly connect with her.  I wanted nothing more than to shake her a bit and convince her to let someone else in.  Sam and his mother were right there wanting to help her if she would just let them.  James was an interesting character but I have to admit that he made me uncomfortable almost from the beginning.  His intensity in his dealings with Sarah was really unnerving. I had a feeling the whole time that he was a time bomb just waiting to go off.  Sam...I really liked Sam and felt like he truly got the short end of the stick in everything.  He tries so hard to be there for Sarah...but she simply won't let him. (One of the many reasons I wanted to shake her a bit...)

The Bottom Line:  Flawed was a very highly anticipated read for me and I think that while I enjoyed it, I didn't quite have the reading experience that I was expecting.  The emotional roller coaster that this book took me on made it difficult to read and I found myself reading it in small chunks, wholly unprepared for the depth of feeling I experienced and the continued sense of impending doom. Flawed was a good read but it lacked a certain something that I can't quite pinpoint that would have made it great.  If you're interested, however, I definitely wouldn't dissuade anyone from giving this one a try.  It definitely is a dark, emotional read that is very well-written and will lodge itself securely in the hearts and minds of many readers.

Callum & Harper by Fisher Amelie

Release Date: 24 December 2011
Publisher: Self-pub

Goodreads description:

Life sucks for orphans Callum Tate and Harper Bailey.

Kicked out of their foster homes because they suffer the 'eighteen disease' with nothing but a hundred dollar check from the government and a pat on the back, they're forced to rely on a system that failed them miserably.

So they sit. They sit inside Social Services, waiting for their social workers to call their names and offer them the miracle they know will never come but they sit anyway because they have nowhere else to go, no other options on their very literal and figurative empty plates.

But as they sit, they notice the other. Although captivated, they each come to the conclusion that life is complicated enough without throwing in a boiling tension that can't ever be acted upon because they're both too busy thinking about where their next meal will come from but when their names are called and both are placed on a year long waiting list for permanent housing, suddenly relying on each other seems like a very viable plan B.

And, oh, how lovely Plan B's can be.

Well, except for the psycho from Harper's past that haunts her and, oh, yeah, there's the little issue that neither of them knows they're in love with the other.

Needless to say, Callum & Harper's life just got a bit more complicated.

My Thoughts...

This book was a refreshing read that introduced me to a pair of characters that absolutely stole my heart. I fell for them hook, line, and sinker in the first few pages of this book and they didn't let me go. Their story is both painfully heart-breaking and delightfully uplifting. Every moment, from start to finish, takes your breath away.  I'm going to try to review this book, but honestly? I loved it so much and it touched such a special place in my heart that I don't think I can do it justice.

The story is told in alternating POVs and while this is often a hit-or-miss kind of thing for me, I have to say that Fisher Amelie hit the nail on the head. There is no way that I would have loved this story nearly as much if I hadn't gotten to be in both Callum and Harper's heads. The style allows the reader to develop a deeper relationship with both characters. It's frustrating at points because you do know what each person is thinking and you want to *SHAKE THEM* (a lot), but at the same time, it makes their hesitations, actions, reactions, interactions,--EVERYTHING--that much more realistic. Because seriously: how often do we think and do different things in real life? We may be in love with someone but never tell them for fear of ruining our friendship. It happens.

The thriller, psycho-stalked aspect of this story added another dimension that I wasn't expecting when I picked this book up. (READ: I didn't read the synopsis before I started.) It adds an extra element of suspense and a level to the relationship between Harper, Callum, and their friends. It becomes an extra piece that binds them together. And speaking of their friends--those people are all incredibly awesome. They felt so much like a family (only the kind of family that you choose). I loved how they accepted Harper into their circle from the beginning. They were all people that I felt like I wanted to know.

Overall, I don't really know what else to say other than READ THIS BOOK. There's so much to relate to in this story and it offers up such a hopeful message.

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Release Date: 26 November 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Goodreads description:

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Mrs. Menold's Thoughts...

Katie McGarry's other two books, Pushing the Limits and Dare You To, were definitely some of my favorite contemporary reads of the last year plus.  She writes with a very authentic YA voice that draws me in quickly and easily.  Crash Into You did the same for me and was a great read to start off 2014 on the right foot (even if it was my 4th book of the year...).

Isaiah's character has basically haunted me since the first book in this series.  He was so dark and broody on the outside but we never really got to see what was going on inside his head.  It was eye-opening to get a more in-depth look into his personality and start to see him in a different light.  Usually, I'm not a fan of romantic relationships that change one person or the other but I felt like Rachel really opened Isaiah up to the possibilities in front of him and allowed him to dream for what was probably the first time in his life.

Rachel, well, I didn't think I was going to like Rachel at first.  I thought she was going to be a typical slightly whiny, wimpy rich girl with some problem and an attraction to bad boys.  But, thankfully, she wasn't that way at all.  Her family situation was truly a disaster, although no one on the outside looking in would ever know and you could almost feel her desperation to break free and be herself.  She also knew her family was well off and didn't try to hide it or turn her back on it.  She simply wanted them to accept her the way she truly was inside and she found that acceptance with Isaiah (after a little prodding).

Isaiah and Rachel may be the "life of this party" so to speak but the other characters in this one really pulled the whole story together for me.  We get fantastic glimpses into the other characters that we saw in the previous two books, moreso than we ever really did in the second book.  Each minor character has a crucial role to play and didn't feel like a throwaway.

Crash Into You was an enjoyable read, even if it was a tad predictable (like any good romance), and I look forward to more from the author.  The ending has a sort of rushed feeling to it and I wasn't sure how I felt about it as a way to wrap up the storyline.  However, neither of those minor issues will stop me from reading the next book in this series because they are really fun, quick reads.  Ms. McGarry's books are great read for YA romance-obsessed teenagers who enjoy the angst and the kissing that books like this offer.