Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a great story of loss, bullying, and ultimately the power of friendship. Three friends from England decide to "take" their dead friend's ashes from the family home and spread them in Ross, Scotland which Ross talked about constantly. Friends Blake, Sim and Kenny are best friends who feel that their friend Ross's funeral did not honor him as the great person he was in life. They go through adventures on trains, in taxis, on motorbikes, meeting girls, bungee jumping and confronting their own involvement in their departed friend's final days. Each of the three friends have to cajole, embarass and psyche each other throughout the book to do this one last act for their friend,Ross. The only problem I see is that this book is so English teens will not understand their grammar, slang, etc. and may not persevere which would be a shame because this is a rollicking good, funny, sad, and in the end, redemptive read.



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The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Franciso X. Stork

The Last Summer Of The Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Stork's book was just as good as Marcelo In The Real Worldbut in a very different way. Stork's writing is just so engrossing! When we meet Pancho, he is bent on finding the killer of his sister (even though the police said she wasn't murdered, it was natural causes) and going to live at St. Anthony's an orphanage and plot his revenge. But it is at St. Anthony's that he meets D.Q., a kid with cancer, who comandeers Pancho as his aide because DQ has brain cancer but DQ has plans to make Pancho and DQ "death warriors" and DQ is writing the manifesto while Pancho is tracking clues to his sister's killer. And along the way, Pancho's anger with his father's accidental death, his feeling somehow responsbile for his sister's death, is used by D.Q. to change him. D.Q. is such a strong character, even though he is suffering from cancer,but he is knowledgable, kind, not given to "whining---part of the Death Warrior Manifesto" and along with his love interest, Marisol, we see Pancho begin to grow as a person once hardened into a vulnerable young man with a future that does not include prison. I urger everyone to read this book, if you liked Marcelo, YOU WILL LOVE this book! Stork is one of my new favorite writers!



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Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci

Rose Sees Red by Cecil Castellucci

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I truly enjoyed this novel about a really sweet girl, Rose, who has had a tough time because she chose to continue her dance and ballet in high school. Her "best friend" Daisy dumps her (because she chose to go to another school and pursue dance). She has no friends, and Rose lives across from a real Russian dancer, who she has never met. Life is looking really bleak for Rose until one night, Vrena, the Russian dancer, breaks into her room and they begin a friendship. The great part of this story is how Cecil Castellucci can paint the beauty of New York City for their one night out together. Castellucci does an awesome job with the characters who become Rose's friends as they create meaning, acceptance, and support with Rose and Vrena. Since Rose was seeing and feeling "black, black, black," her night out with Vrena helps her to see "red" as in Vrena's Russian life (political and cultural differences), new friends: triplets Caleb, Caitlin and Callisto, boyfriends (Free and Caleb). New York City here they come:jamming, dancing, singing, American restaurant, Russian restaurant, sleepover and participating in a peace march. Even though Rose loves to dance, this time spent with her new friends and Vrena, helps her to see how much dancing is the part of her life that she loves. With all the action piled into one night, all these young teens witnessed a real moment together, bridging any cultural gap, with love, laughs, and abandon. I highly recommend this sincere look at feeling like a stranger, overcoming international barriers, to fitting in and feeling free.



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