I have always been fascinated with the history and culture of Iran. I've learned about the Islamic Revolution during my World Civilizations class and did a whole project on it. I absolutely loved the graphic novel series called Persepolis I and II by Marjane Satrapi, which explored the revolution through the author's experiences. So when I came across a memoir about Iran, I was very excited to read it. Not only did I get a bit more information about the tumultuous relationship between Iran and the U.S., but also a terrifying account of being in prison for a crime one has not committed. 

Description: My Prison, My Home is a memoir by Halah Isfandiyari, who is the founding director of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Middle East Program. The author recounts her unnecessary imprisonment in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. Esfandiari, an Iranian-American scholar,  was incarcerated in solitary confinement on bizarre, paranoid charges of aiding the American government in plotting to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran. While visiting her mother in Tehran during the holidays, she was robbed in a taxi, then detained in her mother's home for months before being hauled off to prison. Initially, she thought it was a simple robbery, but then it became as if she was on a watch list of the fearsome Ministry of Intelligence, who grilled her about seemingly irrelevant information. The author recounts her trial and her release.

Review: I thought this memoir was interesting. It seems that many of the books that I've read about Iranian-Americans, the authors have immigrated from Iran and haven't gone back after the Islamic Revolution. I was curious as to how this author would describe her trip back home for a visit since she currently lives in the U.S. That being said, I was more interested and curious about the author's childhood and upbringing than her trial. Although her trial was scary to read, it did seem tedious and could have been trimmed down a bit more. The author was treated fairly well considering the infamous reputation of the Evin prison. I also thought the transition between the author's trial and the history of Iran's politics could have been a bit smoother. The history, goes into detail about from the 1960s to the Islamic Revolution, but skims over from the 1980s to the present. I would have liked it if the author spent more time talking about today's strained relationship between Iran and the U.S. since that is what her trial was all about. 

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. I do think this book is more geared towards adults than teens.

If you like this book, try: Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

   Teenagers have it rough. Stuck between not being a child and not having the full rights as an adult is not a fun place to be. You are constantly surrounded by expectations of how you should behave by everyone around you. We all have heard of stories about coming of age, but what does that exactly mean? Perhaps it means developing your own identity and dealing with power struggles with the adults around you. These themes are certainly the center of Laurie Halse Anderson's book entitled Twisted.

Description: Tyler Miller wanted to change his social status at his high school. He longer wanted to be the butt of jokes and the human target of the bullies at his school. He thought doing a prank would make him noticeable. Spray painting and defacing school property made him a legend and allowed him to gain the reputation of a criminal. When a high school party turns serious, Tyler is implicated in a drunken crime. Did he do it?

Review: I generally really like Anderson's novels about teens. She can accurately and efficiently portray the struggles of today's teens. In Twisted, her first male centered novel, she is able to show how much pressure Tyler receives from his verbally abusive father, his challenging classes at school, and the social pressures from his peers. Although the novel suffers from some stereotypical characters such as the 'hard' father who is absorbed into his work, the uncaring principal, and the popular kids who get away with pretty much anything, and the dialogue seems to come from a generic PG-13 teen movie,  Tyler's struggle to stand up for himself and to become his version of what a mean should be with or without the help of his father is real. There is a good balance of humor and seriousness. Not one of my favorite books by Anderson, but nonetheless an enjoyable read.


Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: Mild language. Scenes of underage drinking.

If you like this book, try: Ironman by Chris Crutcher

   I'm not a fan of today's slasher movies that are currently running in the theaters today. For me, horror is not seeing someone getting stabbed countless of times with a knife. What is truly terrifying, to me, is something that is psychological and can't be explained. I remember reading Poe's A Tell Tale Heart and I could almost feel a heart beating in the background as I read the short story. After being so absorbed in looking through the world through Louis' eyes and his transformation of a human to the undead in Interview with the Vampire, I couldn't go to sleep for two weeks. I was terrified that Lestat would "turn" me just because he was bored and to see what would happen, which now seems foolish only because I'd rather have a conversation with Lestat than be afraid of him but I think you get my point. It has been a long time that I've read an intelligent, thought provoking YA horror book.




Review:  If you could take the George Romero’s 1968 film Night of the Living Dead and put into a book, you would get Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I found the book to be very creepy. It is a perfect balance of horror without the gore with a bit of a romance story thrown in for good measure. I'm not a zombie girl, but I couldn't help liking this book. Although Mary's world is very bleak and often times chaotic, it is her hope and fortitude that allow her to keep going. What is frightening here is not really the Unconsecreated aka zombies, although there are numerous parts of the story where I had goosebumps while reading them, but the very idea of a life that is filled without choice or freedom is truly terrifying. Much of the story takes place in Mary's thoughts and at times can be a bit slow, but I found it hard to put down. Mary may be unlikeable to some people, but I liked how she never gave up her search and was very observant of others around her. I had many questions after finishing the book, especially as to how the Unconsecrated were created and why the villagers didn't know anything beyond their society. I was glad to know that there is a companion book called Dead Tossed Waves, which is now available.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of caution: There are graphic mutilations of the Unconsecrated aka zombies in the book, which gear more towards PG-13 than rated R. There is no sex or language.

If you like this book, try: Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan or The Giver by Lois Lowry.

   To think and write an original story takes a lot of creativity, time, and patience. There is no harm in using other works of literature as an inspiration as long as you make it your own (i.e. give it your own spin). Shakepeare, for instance, is not known for the plot of his plays, but for his language and characters which were truly unique to him and what we remember to this day. I don't expect writers to become the next Shakespeare, but at the very least I do hope they write a good novel. Unfortunately, Jennifer Hubbard's The Secret Year does not even meet my lowest expectations.

    I’ve been a bit behind on reading the award winning books for children’s literature. When I found out that this year’s Newberry winning book, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, was inspired by one of my all time favorite books as kid, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engline, I knew I had to move this book up in my queue of ‘to be read books’.



Rating: 3 stars

If you like this book, try: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle