"One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies" Official Discussion

[Tenley Nadine]

Really, you can discuss anything about the book that you found interesting or annoying. Also, you can create 10 words (or less) blurbs for it here as well.

The blurbing book club will be reading this book until October 16th (if you have suggestions for a book you want to read next you can send me a message or leave me a comment on my profile page).

EDIT: This is the bluring club discussion for the specific title listed above. Sorry, if I confused anyone before.

[Stephenie]

Rose Blanche. Its a children's book, but my English class is using it for our Holocaust project. Sorry to spoil it for anyone, but Rose dies while trying to take food to a concentration camp. The end.

My blurb: "A book with a beginning, a middle, but the author forgot to add the ending."

Sorry that my blurb was over 10 words.

[Pablo_the_Penguin]

Awwww, and here I was thinking this would be a place to talk about all those stories in which the mother is dead. Seriously, the list of those stories is immesurable.

[Kerri Blueberry]

you know, I read this book but I guess it wasn't all that exciting or unbelievably good or anything because I don't remember one bit.

[Amy Leona]

I really did like it.
Probably because:
A) gay boys.
B) the format was...interesting/amazing.

[Tenley Nadine]

I wasn't going to post something because I created the forum and I was gonna stay neutral, but I read the book yesterday and it was awesome. Literally, I just sat in Barnes and Noble from like 3:30 to around 7-ish and read (partly because I didn't have money to buy it and partly because I was bored), (it occurs to me now that sitting in Barnes in Noble on a saturday afternoon is one of those things that qualifies you as a nerd).

But, I really, really liked it. I could really relate to the character of Ruby (not in the mom dying kind of way) because her experience in L.A. gave her a really unique perspective on life. I'm not saying that I have the same perspective on life, I don't. Its kind of similar, but not exactly the same. Its like my feelings about the book "Speak" (and if you know me, you probably know how much I love "Speak"). I like the character of Melinda and her outlook on high school, and in turn, I like the character of Ruby because of her outlook on L.A. and life in general.

I also got really mad while reading it because for the life of me I couldn't figure out why this book was being challenged. It couldn't be sex references because Ruby specifically says that she wants sex to be something meaningful with someone she actually loves. Thus, it isn't arguing for shallow relationships. My guess is that its being challenged for the same reason "the Bermudez Triangle" by Maureen Johnson is being challenged... gay relationships. Argh... When will people learn that everyone is created equal (even homosexuals!) and everyone has the right to do whatever the frick they want to do! Seriously, there is absolutely nothing wrong with writing about gay characters, in fact there's everything right with writing a book with gay characters. Because maybe if enough books about gays are written people will realize how immature their being and accept the people around them.

This is off topic, but I was also mad because at Barnes and Nobles I ran into a potential book banner. She was going on and on about how she would not let her children read such "dirty" material. She specifically mentioned, sex, eating disorders, drug use and of course... homosexuality. Meanwhile her daughter (I can only assume, I didn't exactly go up and ask for a family tree) was standing next to her rolling her eyes and flipping through a copy of Twilight.

But anyways, back on topic. I liked the book, so much in fact that when I do get some money I'm going to have to go back and buy so I can reread it.

Make sure you leave your opinions and ten word blurbs over the next to weeks (till October 16th). A ten word blurb is a sentence that sums up the book in ten words or less. Typically, you'll see blurbs on the front covers' of books.

Below is my ten word blurb;

A surreal, nostalgic version of a coming of age tale.

[sabelmouse]

what is it with these people? that is just the kind of book i'd be loking for for my teenaged childen.

[Tenley Nadine]

Seriously, when/if I have children I will purposely buy that kind of books for them. Because they are clearly against casual relationships and drug use and eating disorders and whatever else. And if they read it before they experience it maybe they'll know enough about the side effects that they won't do it. Like, this makes perfect sense in my mind, but maybe its just me?

Argh... book banners annoy me.

[Scribe]

You should hear some of the stories my friend tells. She's a librarian. She's in charge of the YA section. *shudder*

[Lauren Nicholson]

Not a librarian, but working on it. ;)

And yes, there is shuddering involved.

Just recently, we had a man challenge a book in our library because it "glorified gay relationships."

The main male character was raped by his mother's boyfriend. That is the only 'gay' scene in the entire book.

I don't know how people can read books without reading the book.

[sabelmouse]

it makes as much sense as " my daughter is not getting birthcontroll, if she has sex she'll get pregnant.

[Caitlin Hobbs]

I really liked that book but I like "Wat My MOther Doesn't Know" better

[Tenley Nadine]

I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, but I looked at it in the bookstore and it looked really interesting. Its definatly on me, "things to read" list (BTW, that's a really, really long list).