I finished Speeding Bullet, another Neal Shusterman novel, in one day because I found it so hard to put down. This is the story of Nick Herrera, a New York City teen who is not rich, does not get terrific grades, and does not get the popular girls. Then one day he saves a little girl from being hit by a subway train and begins to think he has some kind of special gift. He starts looking for other people to rescue, believing that he cannot lose. 
Then he meets Linda Lanko, the daughter of one of the biggest developers in the city, and they begin to spend time together. Linda's father is very rich, and she is used to always getting exactly what she wants. So is this relationship going to be good or bad for Nick? The ending of the book surprised me, and I'm always happy when that happens! I highly recommend this book for tweens and teens, especially reluctant readers.
I had never read anything by prolific teen author Meg Cabot, so when I saw Jinx on the 2008 teens’ top 10 nominations list, I decided to read it. The heroine's real name is not Jinx but Jean, and she goes to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in New York City because of a mysterious stalker back home in Iowa. She believes bad luck has plagued her life and that she is unlikely to escape her grim fate any time soon. She also believes that she is a witch.
I can see why this book is so popular; I think that I would have just loved it when I was in high school. To the reader, the heroine's low self-esteem seems just silly, considering all that she has going for her. Jean is beautiful, smart, and gifted. She meets Zack, who lives next door, and convinces herself that he just wants to be friends with her, even though it is obvious to the reader that he really likes her. I think this idea that a young woman's negative perceptions about her own life are drastically mistaken -- and that she is really someone to be admired -- will resonate with a lot of teen girls.
Even so, as an adult reader I found the story rather predictable and shallow. I don't think I'll be picking up another Meg Cabot book any time soon.
The Red Pony, by John Steinbeck, appears on the Battle of the Books list for 6th to 8th graders this year, and I had never read it before. The book is short (around 100 pages) and is divided into 3 sections, all very downbeat and depressing, as I've found is typical of Steinbeck's fiction. I can't honestly say that I enjoyed this book at all, but I recognize that it is considered a classic, with its themes of family relationships, coming-of-age, etc. When I was in school I was not bothered by this type of story, but maybe now with the state of the economy and so much sadness and worry in real life, I'm just in the mood for more escapist fiction. Let's just say I'm not eager right now to re-read The Grapes of Wrath!
