I cherish the book Sweethearts, I really do. Sara Zarr's sophomore novel gently captures both the innocence of youth and the point at which it is shattered. The friendship between a fragile girl and a tormented boy changes dramatically when they are children, and evolves further when they are teenagers and the long-lost boy returns unexpectedly.

Last August, the postergirlz selected this book as one of our of the recommended reads within that month's issue of readergirlz. Now, Sweethearts is our main pick for June, the book of the month for our book group. Five of us - Little Willow, Miss Erin, Lorie Ann Grover, Melissa Walker, and Holly Cupala - set up an online meeting to discuss the book at length. Here's what we had to say.

Little Willow: What words come to mind when you think of Jenna, the main character in Sweethearts?

Miss Erin: Lost, buried, caught, hidden, confused, bruised, neglected.

Melissa Walker: Hiding, scared.

Little Willow: I second "hiding" and "confused." Also: Fragile, lonely, searching, nostalgic, torn.

Holly Cupala: Questioning identity, hidden truths, self-punishment, longing for acceptance.

Lorie Ann Grover: Self-doubt, lost, confused, pained, hungry for peace and acceptance from others and herself.

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Little Willow: It's clear that I think Sweethearts is a great pick for readergirlz. Why do you feel people should read this book?

Lorie Ann: It's such a great example of defining yourself. This is something that every person does. So how do you do that in the face of people who have acted against you in the past, who you are now, and who you want to become. Most dear to me was the healing between Jenna and her mother. What a great warning that one neglect to communicate can alter relationships forever. Thank you, Sara!

Holly: I think Jenna's story will resonate with readergirlz of all ages. So much of growing up is about finding who you are, where you are going, and who you want to take with you. After struggles, heartbreak, and a second chance, Jenna comes away knowing all of these things. A beautiful book.

Melissa: I love that Jenna comes to be at peace with many different parts of herself, as we all must do. She isn't just one thing -- just Jennifer or Jenna -- she's a combination of all that she's experienced and seen and learned. And that's a beautiful thing.

Lorie Ann: I am so happy to be hosting Sara this month at rgz. It's our honor to have her participation. Let the month begin!


Hey there, roundtable readers! What did you think of Sweethearts? Please join our discussions of the book at the readergirlz blog and check out the June issue of readergirlz!

Related Posts at Bildungsroman:
Book Review: Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Book Review: Story of a Girl
Interview: Sara Zarr
SparkLife: Weighty Matters

Browse through all of the roundtables I've hosted.

Welcome to He Said, She Said, a feature for GuysLitWire in which a guy (Book Chic, a recent college graduate) and a gal (Little Willow, a bookseller) discuss books that will appeal to both genders.

Little Willow: Last month, when I posted about the many works of David Levithan at GuysLitWire & Bildungsroman, I described his first novel, Boy Meets Boy, as such:

What if someone's orientation was a non-issue? If people honestly, truly accepted gay and straight (and questioning) without question, and recognized love as love? Boy Meets Boy is a romantic comedy for ANYONE, but especially for teen boys who might be shy (or curious) about their orientation, and especially for librarians, teachers, and booksellers who support GLBTQ rights and wish more places would do so without blinking an eye.

Today, Little Willow and Book Chic will be discussing a few aspects of Levithan's novel Boy Meets Boy.

What stereotypes or myths did Levithan completely bust?

BC: Quite a few. He seemed to set out to break tradition and stereotypes and think outside the box when it came to these characters and this school.

LW: I think he busts through a lot from page one, when he (through the eyes of Paul, the first-person narrator) describes the town where the story takes place: "There isn't really a gay scene or a straight scene in our town. They got all mixed up a while back, which I think is for the best." Paul describes the background of their city a little more, closing with, "This is my town. I've lived here all my life."

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Hope to hear from some of you readers out there what you all thought about this book if you've read it! See you next time!

Previously on He Said, She Said:
Play Me by Laura Ruby
Poison Ink by Christopher Golden
Soulless by Christopher Golden
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Eavesdrop on He Said, She Said roundtable book discussions at GuysLitWire and Bildungsroman.

Red Glass by Laura Resau, our May selection for readergirlz, takes readers on a journey with Sophie, a teenage girl scared of change but full of sisterly love for a little boy her family took in after a tragedy. Pablo is only five years old - and the only survivor of a group that crossed the Mexican border in search of a better life in the United States of America. A year later, when they discover Pablo has living relatives still in Mexico, Sophie, her great-aunt Dika, Dika's boyfriend and his son, Angel, accompany Pablo back to his hometown. It's a trip that will change all of their lives - and their families - forever.

Lorie Ann Grover: I was so happy to find Red Glass as I was reading works with Latina content and those authored by Latinas. The book's 3 starred reviews made me jump to find a copy. I love the content it is bringing to our group, from a girl finding her freedom from fear to life in a small Mexican city. However, the individual, vivid characters are what ring so powerfully to me.

Little Willow: Anyone want to share their background or nationality? Are there any immigration stories in your immediate family?

Lorie Ann: I know my German grandfather left Germany right before WWII. The other side of my family came from Switzerland.

Shelf Elf: On my mom's side, we've been in Canada for a bunch of generations, but originally from Britain. My dad came here on his own from Belfast in his twenties.

Holly Cupala: My side of the family has been in the U.S. for generations (originally from Wales), but my husband's parents immigrated from India in the 70's. Their story is fascinating to me.

Little Willow: Who were your favorite characters in Red Glass?

Lorie Ann: Dika and Nola. Weren't these ladies such great examples of loving your body shape and being comfortable in the world?

Little Willow: Indeed they were. I admired Nola's strength and determination. I liked Sophie as the narrator because she was seeing everything with open eyes and she had such an open heart. I felt for her whenever she spoke of her fears and worries.

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To learn more about Red Glass, read the May 2009 issue of readergirlz. We hope that the website and this roundtable will encourage you to pick up the book and give it a read. We invite you to the readergirlz blog, where other readers and the author herself will be discussing the book's plot, themes, and characters all month long!

The readergirlz divas were so pleased Ellen Hopkins could join us in honor of Operation Teen Book Drop 2009, and in the month of April, National Poetry Month! The verse novel Impulse is a weighty, heart-wrenching read. Join us as we chat about this raw work and our take-aways. 

This month, the readergirlz are discussing The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson, a stunning novel about identity and memory. After a tragic accident, Jenna was in a coma for a year. Upon waking, she struggles to recover her memories and uncover the truth about what happened to her.

The book is full of twists and turns. This roundtable has spoilers. You have been warned.

Joining today's roundtable discussion is author Sarah Miller, whose novel Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller was spotlighted at readergirlz in December 2007, and my friend Sam, with whom I regularly share books and book recommendations. I knew both ladies had enjoyed the book as much as I did, so I invited them along. They were warmly welcomed by the other participants: readergirlz divas Lorie Ann Grover, Melissa Walker, and Dia Calhoun, and postergirlz members Shelf Elf, Jackie, HipWriterMama, and me, Little Willow, the moderator.

Little Willow: This book grabbed me right from the beginning.

Shelf Elf: It was the creepy tone and sense of foreboding that got me straight away. Like Jenna, you're immediately trying to figure things out, trying to get to the bottom of what is really going on in her house and her family. That's pretty compelling.

Melissa Walker: I was totally drawn in. What I thought was especially great was that the setting - this crumbling Cotswold house - was just lovely. And lovely settings and mysterious unknowns are very compelling.

Sarah Miller: The very beginning, I liked, but I was wary of the first paragraph in the "Waking" section (pg 6). I've got such an aversion to science fiction that I clammed right up for a second there when the stage was being set with all those tidbits about the future. But that something's-not-quite-right flavor of suspense won me over. That's got to be a hard line to walk: give too much info and the suspense dies, withhold too much and you risk leaving your reader frustrated and flailing for context.

Dia Calhoun: I absolutely cared, I was completely drawn in to Jenna's story. The way the mystery over what had happened to her was slowly revealed was masterful.

Lorie Ann: I opened the work with much anticipation due to the buzz the book was creating. I entered the mystery immediately!

Jackie: This was one that as soon as I started reading, the rest of the world faded away. I carried it with me and read it everywhere - even whilst walking through crowded downtown!

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To learn more about this book, read the March 2009 issue of readergirlz and check out my full-length book review!

To discuss this book in depth with other readers and the author herself, please visit the readergirlz forum.

Check out our fun recreate the book cover challenge for The Adoration of Jenna Fox!

Our February selection for readergirlz is No Laughter Here by Rita Williams-Garcia, the story of two young women, one of whom is forever scarred - physically and emotionally - by a coming-of-age ceremony. Two readergirlz divas and two members of the postergirlz lit council gathered together to talk about stories, ceremonies, secrets, and culture.

Lorie Ann Grover: No Laughter Here was brought to the divas' attention by rgz SALON member Sharon Levin. She issued a challenge: "This is the kind of book that should be featured at rgz!" We instantly got our hands on a copy and agreed. The protagonist is younger than we usually feature, but we believe the writing is exquisite, and the topic must be brought to light and discussed. Kudos to Rita for her contribution and publisher Amistad, HarperCollins for giving it voice!

Shelf Elf: I think this is such a good pick for readergirlz because it's a book that begs to be talked about. It touches so many themes that can connect to girls' lives, no matter where they come from: growing up, following your parents' wishes, being strong and supporting your friends, forming your own opinions and taking action. It certainly inspired me to find out more about FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), and to think about the place of rite of passage rituals in society.

Holly Cupala: I think this book reflects what readergirlz is all about: gutsy girls in life and lit. I hope girls will pick this one up and be inspired.

Little Willow: What would you do if your friend had a drastic personality change?

Shelf Elf: Worry and then try to get to the bottom of it.

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To learn more about this book, read the February 2009 issue of readergirlz.

To discuss this book in depth with other readers and the author herself, please visit the readergirlz forum.

Approximately 138 million women around the world have undergone FGM. Every year, another 2 million girls are at risk of the practice. Visit FORWARD (The Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development) to find out ways you can help.

Welcome to He Said, She Said, a feature for GuysLitWire in which a guy (Book Chic, a recent college graduate) and a gal (Little Willow, a bookseller) discuss books that appeal to both genders.

With its dual narrative, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is the perfect choice for a He Said, She Said discussion. In the story, a teenage boy receives a package from an unknown sender filled with cassette tapes. Once he starts listening to the tapes, he recognizes the voice as that of Hannah Baker, a classmate who recently committed suicide. She explains that the tapes should be passed from person to person, thirteen specific people who are related to her story in some way.

Hannah and Clay share narrative duties. Did you prefer one voice or character over the other? Why?

Book Chic: I didn't prefer one over the other. Both characters were evenly flawed and were also really interesting and realistic to read about. I liked reading through both narratives; both brought a great layer to the novel.

Little Willow: Because she was talking straightforwardly, without any interruptions or descriptions aside from that which was observed or felt by Clay, I really heard Hannah's voice as I read the book. I was drawn to her character more than Clay's because of my inherent need to protect, help, and save people – even though I knew from the start that it was futile in Hannah's case, as she was 1) dead and 2) fictional.

Did you feel as if either Hannah or Clay was an unreliable narrator?

BC: For some reason, I never wonder about reliability when reading a book, even for a class. It always surprises me when the question pops up. Perhaps I'm too naive but I tend to take things at face value, so if that's how it happened in the book, that's how that happened. Unless of course I'm reading a book about a compulsive liar or something, in which case it's known that the narrator is unreliable. So that's a long way of saying that I didn't feel either narrator was unreliable. I mean, maybe Hannah could have been unreliable either for a part of or the whole of the novel since she had already decided for the most part to commit suicide, so she could've been looking for any reason to go through it and twisted things to fit what she felt. But I don't think that was the case.

LW: I believed both of them. I think Hannah relayed what she felt, and that Clay reacted accordingly. Hannah never whimpered or whined; she had been the victim of some cruel events and pranks, and she described them as she remembered them. Clay, meanwhile, was more of a semi-casual observer. He knew Hannah, and they weren't strangers, but they weren't close. As the book is set up, with him listening to the tapes Hannah left behind, he had nothing to gain from feigning ignorance or from being boastful. He was alone, listening, learning, and that allowed readers access to his feelings as well as to Hannah's words.

Without giving too much away, let's simply say that there are some characters which greatly wronged Hannah, and some who inadvertently got caught up in everything, like Clay. He wasn't really a bad guy, especially not when compared to some of the other people / reasons on the tapes. So...( Read more... )

Check out previous He Said, She Said discussions.

Read Book Chic's review of Thirteen Reasons Why.

Read Little Willow's interview with Jay Asher.

Read this post at GuysLitWire.

Visit GuysLitWire.

In 1906, a young woman named Grace Brown lost her life in the Adirondacks. Nearly a hundred years later, Jennifer Donnelly wrote a novel entitled A Northern Light set in that time and place. Though sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey and her family are fictitious, their plight is not. As the oldest daughter in the family, Mattie acquired a lot of responsibilities when her mother passed away and her older brother left. When Mattie becomes employed by a lodge on Big Moose Lake, Grace Brown's murder becomes a subplot, but it is never the main focus of the book. This is Mattie's story from start to finish - and what a story it is!

A Northern Light is the January 2009 selection for readergirlz. Seven readergirlz ladies - postergirlz Little Willow, Miss Erin, Shelf Elf, and HipWriterMama, and readergirlz divas Lorie Ann Grover, Melissa Walker, and Holly Cupala - gathered together virtually to discuss the book at length.

Little Willow: What was your basic impression of the book?

Lorie Ann: I was amazed at the plot arrangement and beautiful literary qualities of the work. I knew this would gain notice and awards, and I'm so pleased it did! When we began rgz, I wanted A Northern Light to be featured.

Holly: I loved how every thread contributed toward Mattie's final decision – so beautifully, intricately drawn – and Jennifer shows us the light alongside the dark. Nothing is as it seems. Secrets abound. People have been telling me for a long time to read it, and I'm glad I finally did!

Miss Erin: Same here, Holly - I'd had several people rave about it to me, so at last I picked it up. I thought it was beautifully done, pretty much perfectly written, and a book I can definitely see myself reading multiple times.

HipWriterMama: I loved this book. Mattie reminded me of a gentler and more uncertain Jo March. I liked how Mattie was able to see and "accept" the flaws of her family and friends and want more for them. And, for herself. Beautifully written book with excellent use of plot and supporting characters to show Mattie's growth.

Melissa: The idea of an epic crime as the dark back story for Mattie's coming of age moments really intrigued me from page one.

Shelf Elf: This is the sort of book that made me sigh happily at the end. It felt old-fashioned to me, in a totally satisfying way. It already reads like a classic story.

Little Willow: Did you like how the narrative flipped back and forth between Mattie working at the time of the murder and the events beforehand?

Lorie Ann: Yes, I thought it was genius! And how she let us know with a word entry if we were back in time or current. I was propelled by several mysteries because of the structure.

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We hope this roundtable discussion will get you to pick up A Northern Light (and, perhaps, a dictionary!) Please join us at readergirlz to talk about the book some more.

Shed even more light on the subject:
Discuss the book with other readers and the author herself at the readergirlz forum
Read the January 2009 issue of readergirlz
Browse through back issues of readergirlz
Bookmark the readergirlz website
Check out previous roundtable book discussions at Bildungsroman

Welcome to He Said, She Said, a feature for GuysLitWire in which a guy (Book Chic, a recent college graduate) and a gal (Little Willow, a bookseller), discuss books that will appeal to both genders.

In October, we talked about Poison Ink by Christopher Golden. Then Little Willow got Book Chic to read Soulless, Golden's newest YA novel. We're both crazy about this spine-tingling zombie tale.

LW: It's true - The dead travel fast. The book was extremely fast-paced, and I whipped right through it. Total page-turner.

BC: I agree with Little Willow. While I wasn't enamored with Golden's prose in his other teen book this year, Poison Ink, I really enjoyed this one and can see why LW loves Golden so much!

LW: While I enjoyed Poison Ink, I also loved Soulless.

Do you like zombie stories (books, movies, etc) as a general rule?

LW: I like well-written horror stories and ghost stories, and thus I can enjoy well-told zombie stories, but I don't actively seek them out. Though I haven't seen any of the staple zombie films, I think this book would make an excellent film.

BC: Generally, no. Anything remotely horror I completely avoid. I'm very easily scared and then I'm up all night and I don't get sleep and then I can't go job hunting because I look like a zombie and I'll frighten off prospective employers. And that's not good.

Why did you get this book?

LW: I read anything and everything written by Christopher Golden. The man truly has the Golden touch. He writes intriguing, inventive stories, and he's a great storyteller. In Soulless, he effortlessly balanced everyone's backstories and plotlines, then wove them together tightly.

BC: I got this book firstly because the cover and synopsis intrigued me. I know I said that I avoid horror-type stuff, but what can I say? I can be a masochist sometimes. I'd heard about it earlier this year and wanted to get a copy of it at some point. Secondly, LW really wanted me to read Golden (actually, I'm not really that special; she wants everyone to read Golden, not just me).

(LW starts cracking up, then nods enthusiastically.)

LW: It's true - There's a Golden book for everyone! Okay, continue.

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That's it for this edition of He Said, She Said. We have some books in mind for future editions, but we're always open to suggestions, so feel free leave a comment on this entry with your recommendations.

Visit the SOULLESS website - http://www.christophergolden.com/soulless/

Related Posts:
Little Willow's review of Soulless
Book Chic's review of Soulless
He Said, She Said book discussions
Additional roundtable discussions hosted at Bildungsroman

In honor of our December book club pick, How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot, readergirlz divas, advisors, and postergirlz shared their thoughts about popularity.


Martha Brockenbrough, author of Things That Make Us [Sic] and founder of SPOGG, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar:

I grappled with the idea of popularity in middle school, and realized it could come from wearing a certain type of clothes, having a certain type of hair, and more nebulously, projecting a certain kind of attitude. I was a little behind in the clothes department, but probably could have convinced my mom to buy me more stuff if I really wanted to. What I decided, though, was that I would rather not have to do some of the things I saw the really popular girls doing. I wanted to be popular, but I wanted to be liked for the positive stuff I did and the kind way I treated others. I wanted to transcend the social norms. It wasn't that I *didn't* want to be popular, though I'm sure I would have said at the time that I didn't care about it. I just didn't want to have to sell my soul for it.

( Click here to read more of Martha's response, plus thoughts from Lorie Ann Grover, Holly Cupala, Dia Calhoun, Melissa Walker, HipWriterMama, and me! )


I may add a few more responses from other postergirlz and readergirlz to this post. Stay tuned!

Submit Your Feedback

How about you, gentle reader? I hope that you, like me, value individually over popularity. Please leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! Here are some discussion starters:

Were you (or are you) popular in school? Did you want to be?

Do you do your own thing, no matter what others think or do?

What do you think of how popularity is portrayed in books and film?

What's your most unique trait or talent? Do you share it or do you hide it?