"Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal" by Willow Wilson, Illustrated by Adrian Alphona

Celadon James

Module 8: Quick Reads Book Review: Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wilson, Willow. Illus. Adrian Alphona. Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal. United States: Marvel, 2014. Print.

2.     PLOT SUMMARY

Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenage girl (a Muslim one at that) leads a fairly normal life in New Jersey until one day she becomes the Marvel superhero Ms. Marvel, complete with blonde hair and blue eyes. But is that who she wants to be? Kamala struggles with self-identity as well as superhero-esque exploits in this first volume of the new Ms. Marvel series.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

This graphic novel has been lauded by critics as a great step into the land of diversity by critics. Kamala is not only a believable teen, she is a believable Muslim girl. In a time where the only talk of Muslims seems to be in reference to terrorists, this comic reminds us that most Muslims in America lead very normal lives and deal with normal problems. Her struggles with her parents and her desire for independence will be something that most teenagers can empathize with, as will her desire to be something that feels more “normal.” There is nothing in it that would make it inappropriate for tweens, but even older teens (and adults) will enjoy this graphic novel with its dynamic characters, forward-thinking plot, and crisp art. Even readers who usually don’t read graphic novels will appreciate this one for its nontraditional characters that are handled with such authenticity.

Speaking of art, the art of Ms Marvel is very high quality. The colors are not overly rendered or saturated, and Alphona’s art is both clean, non-dated, and aesthetically pleasing. Unlike many comics that have beautiful covers but low-quality art on the inside, this has excellent art throughout the entire graphic novel, and hopefully they will continue this trend throughout other Ms. Marvel graphic novels.

4.     CREATIVE ACTIVITY

Although I feel it’s obvious, “create a comic” is the perfect activity for this graphic novel. This differs from writing activities because there is an art element involved, and teenagers seem to really get interested in writing/drawing comics. Depending on how much access to technology you have, there are several resources that can be used for this.

Resources:

Crilley, Mark. “How to Make Rough Layouts for Comics/Manga” Youtube. September 2, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csbgkb1vhp0

·        Mark Crilley is a professional comic book artist who has several Youtube videos about art and comics. This is how to make rough layouts for comics. It’s only 15 minutes, but it gives a basic “this is how comics get made,” or…at least how the rough draft goes.

Dutch Renaissance Press. “Comic Book Paper Templates.” Comic Book Templates. 2013. http://comicbookpaper.com/

·        This website (and dozens others like it with a Google search of “Comic Book Template”) give a great base to create comics for kids so that they don’t have to waste time just drawing the boxes.

Other resources:

Local art schools/universities often have students who are willing to volunteer a few hours to come teach a class about character design/comics. These can vary wildly in quality, but kids interested in comics are often happy just to learn the basics regardless of quality of teaching.

In my experience, comic-teaching is a very popular subject, to the point where you can tentatively run more than one class on it (character design, dialogue, putting it together)

Other Creative Activities

·        Create a comic book hero/heroine: Kamala Khan is a unique superhero because she chooses her outfit based on her heritage. Based on a teen’s own history and personality, what would they wear as a superhero? What powers would they want?

·        ComicsPro. “24-Hour Comics Day.” 24 Hour Comics Day. http://www.24hourcomicsday.com/

o   This is a “dare” that many comic stores undertake: they invite comic writer/artist hopefuls to come and create a 32 page comic in under 24 hours. Many comic book stores offer food, drinks, and a place for the comic artists/writers to work for that 24 hours, and their submissions are then sent as part of a contest. Libraries could do something similar, but for the hours that they are open.

5.     RELATED RESOURCES

Marvel. “Create Your Own Comic.” Marvel. 2015. http://marvel.com/games/play/34/create_your_own_comic

·        This webpage is Marvel’s official “create your own comic” page. It lets kids take pictures of Marvel characters, plop them into storyboards, add sound effects and dialogue. This is a great resource if you’re looking for something for tweens or younger, or for non-artsy teens.

6.     PUBLISHED REVIEW 

Yehl, Joshua. Kamala Khan is a Marvelous New Hero. IGN. 5 February 2014. http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/02/05/ms-marvel-1-review-2

Teen's Guide to World Domination by Josh Shipp review

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Shipp, Josh. The Teen’s Guide to World Domination. United States: St. Martin’s Press, 2010. Print.

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Josh Shipp, the author of the book, spent a great deal of his teen years as a “troubled teen” and learned from trial and error how to rise above the problems of teendom and now is known internationally as a motivational speaker for teens. In this book, he goes over the seven “villains” that teens must overcome in order to dominate their world He also goes over several questions teens must ask themselves to encourage introspection about themselves, their relationships, and their future. The last thing he goes over is how to dominate specific areas of one’s life, such as school, parents, and dating.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

As a self-help book, there is no plot and the only real character Josh Shipp ever references is himself and his not-so-spectacular teenhood. In fact, most of the critical analysis that is used for most books is hard to use when discussing this book. Even the normal critical analysis for nonfiction, such as accuracy, is difficult since ‘self-help’ is not exactly a hard science.

However, it is still an incredible book. Shipp writes in a very casual, conversational tone. Even though the book is almost 300 pages, has no plot, and is basically a list of things and ways to fix your life, it reads easily, as if he’s sitting in the room just talking to you. Teens will appreciate his honesty and directness with subjects; Shipp talks about his troubled past, from spending time in jail to his gambling addiction. When discussing relationships, he doesn’t sugarcoat sex or tell kids that they absolutely shouldn’t have it. Instead, he discusses consequences and pushes caution and thinking about the future. In the entire book, he gives practical advice for tweens/teens looking to fix something about their life.

This is a book appropriate for both tweens and teens.  Generally, the advice is appropriate once puberty has been hit. Although the book discusses subjects such as sex and drug addiction, it is handled appropriately enough for tweens. It is also a book more meant for teens who are struggling, especially in school, and teens looking for validation when thinking about a future without a traditional college will appreciate what he has to say about that subject. Of course, all teens will benefit from different parts of his book—his “villain” area is pertinent to all teen experiences—but he spends a little extra time in his books for those teens who might be trying to do things differently. In fact, teens who are happy being on the traditional path (they do well in school, math and sciences especially, and intend to go to a traditional college) will find parts of his book borderline dismissive of their choices.

4.     CREATIVE ACTIVITY

Josh Shipp actually has several writing activities in his book that could be used that include introspective questions such as “What makes you unique?” to “Write a five sentence biography about yourself.” These could be good starting points for an activity.

Public libraries (and school libraries) spend time, resources, and effort trying to help teens prepare for college. Often they have free prep classes for the SATs/ACTs/PSATs to help them get better grades. They have admission counselors come to speak or speakers about financial aid come to talk about how they can pay for college. However, resources for students who want to pursue education from a more nontraditional source tend to be in short supply. Shipp focuses most of his energy towards this latter group, encouraging them to follow their dreams. Librarians can take a page from his book and offer resources for nontraditional interests. For instance, “So you want to be an artist?” night, where you can invite a local artist(s) to come, talk about how they became interested in art, the sort of educational path they took, and possibly a related activity (learning to draw something simple maybe). This could be done with several different professions such as IT, photographer, artist, mechanic, electrician, etc. (Offer food. Teens love food.)

While this next activity wouldn’t be for teens, Josh Shipp has many online programs and lectures that are free and events for adults with teens could be centered around them. (Josh Shipp is very expensive to book, but this is the next best thing!) A night where one of his short lectures is watched, discussed, and then maybe a local family counselor could speak could be indirectly beneficial for teens. These are located at
Shipp, Josh. "Help Your Teen Succeed in School and Life." Teen Expert Josh Shipp. 2015. Web. 22 July 2015. <http://www.heyjosh.com>.

Although not an activity, resources in a library for teens to access, whether a makerspace or just teen-appropriate books in subjects that could help them with alternate choices, is also important.

5.     RELATED RESOURCES

Shipp, Josh. "Help Your Teen Succeed in School and Life." Teen Expert Josh Shipp. 2015. Web. 22 July 2015. <http://www.heyjosh.com>.
This is Josh Shipp’s official website. It includes information about him, free lectures directed to teens, their parents, and those who work with teens. He also has information on how to book him (he’s expensive!) and information about his television series.

6.     PUBLISHED REVIEW 

Publishers Weekly. A Teen’s Guide to World Domination Review. Publishers Weekly. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-64154-2

"Akata Witch" by Nnedi Okorafor review

Celadon James

LS5623

Week 6: Fantastic Fiction

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Okorafor-Mbachu, Nnedi. Akata Witch. New York: Penguin Books,  2011. Print.

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Although Sunny was born in New York City, her family currently lives in Nigeria. However, that’s not her most unusual characteristic: Sunny is an albino, with pale skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair, which sets her apart from her peers in school. Even with her unusual looks, Sunny becomes friends with her classmate Orlu and his friend Chichi. Through their friendship, she discovers that she has magical powers, the ability to manipulate juju. The magical world is a fast-paced one, and her teachers have little patience for those who cannot keep up with their increasingly harder lessons. Just as Sunny feels she is beginning to understand the secret world she is a part of, she and her friends are given a deadly assignment that could kill not only them, but the entire world.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

Akata Witch is a stunning book that deserves more recognition than it currently has. It’s a coming of age story from another culture. In some ways, it shares similarities with Spirited Away, a movie by Studio Ghibli. Both are coming of age stories that, while the larger themes are ones that any reader/watcher would relate to, the specifics and how characters may act show exactly how different cultures can be. For example, in Akata Witch, the adults and teachers that Sunny encounters are much harsher with the teen main characters, quick to discipline, unafraid of using physical punishment, and in no way coddle Sunny and her friends when teaching them difficult subjects. They are hardly the warm mentor figure that Dumbledore cuts from Harry Potter, but even with these differences, you can feel the care they have for their charges and the weight of worry they carry with them for the problems encountered. This different perspective makes even minor characters with few lines dynamic and full of depth.

The main character, Sunny, and her friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, are the characters that truly shine. Sunny is a realistic teen who deals with common problems, like bullying. Her reactions to the situations she is put in make sense, and teens will find her very relatable. Although there is some romance in this book, it is hardly the forefront point of the book, which is a breath of fresh air after many forced romances in other YA books.

The plot itself, as touched on earlier, is a coming-of-age story. However, the trials Sunny goes through are not as flashy as, perhaps, Harry Potter’s were, though they have just as eye opening results. Additionally, the most intense trials and tribulations Sunny faces are not from her teachers or adversaries, but from herself or those she holds most dear.

As a piece of fantastic fiction, Akata Witch fills a much needed hold: most fantasy fiction, in the tradition of Lord of the Rings and other classic fantasy literature, takes place in England or in an England-equivalent area. Having fantasy branch out to another country brings new types of magic with different rules, a refreshing new look at how worlds can work. Teens looking for fantasy books, books that are culturally diverse, or books that have a strong main female character will find what they are looking for in this book. This book should be appropriate for all teens.

4. CREATIVE ACTIVITY

Passive Programming Idea:
Around the World In 80 Books or Where Do Books Take You?

One of the goals of a librarian, especially a youth librarian, is to make sure that our collections are not a “one story” collection; in other words, different stories should show different facets of people, race, and gender. An excellent passive programming way of illustrating this to our youth patrons is directly, through a map.

Supplies needed:

• Create or buy a map. Large ones can be bought for about $50, but a projector (to enlarge an image for tracing) and some butcher paper would also work, depending on budgets.
• Push pins/map pins
• String
• “Book Location” papers that both you and your teen patrons can fill out. I have an example here, but you can make your own as you see fit If you like this template, you can download it as a page here.

  An example of a finished “Book Location” paper

• 

• A list of teen books that are set around the world so that you can start the map off, though the hope is that teens will also join in and add the books that they read as well.

1. “Books, Teens, and Magazines”, a blog that reviews teen books and magazines, has a very short starter list of popular books from other countries, including books like Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys. https://booksteensandmagazines.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/ya-books-around-the-world-part-1-europe/
2. The Teen Blog of Wellington, New Zealand has a good starter list from each area of the world (though it hasn’t been updated in two years), located at http://www.wcl.govt.nz/blogs/teens/index.php/book-lists/books-from-around-the-world/
3. The Lawrence Public Library has put together several lists of books from various places around the world. For example, this is their Japan list: http://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/2014/01/around-the-world-through-young-adult-literature-ya-novels-set-in-japan/

Activity:

On the map, stick pushpins in the countries (or cities) that are the setting for books, and use string to connect the pushpins to a “Book Location” report to give teens basic information about the book. Although the librarian should make some of them, the hope is that teens will get involved and add books that they have read to the map as well (librarians might have to print out small 1.5”x1.5” book covers of the books teens choose to glue to their “Book Location Reports.” If planned programming is created to go along with this wall (programs that focus on various parts of the world, such as the following activity “African Masks”) this could help launch teen interest in various parts of the world.  

Goal:
As the name is based off Jules Verne’s famous book Around the World in 80 Days, the goal would be to eventually have 80 books on the map, though this number is a very high goal.

Programming Idea: African Masks

To go along with the passive programming idea above, programs can focus on parts of the world and teens can watch movies, create crafts, and play games based on various parts of the world. For Africa, it’s a great opportunity to talk about traditional African masks (which play a large part in Akata Witch) and have teens use their creativity to make their own mask.

The librarian should go over traditional masks in Africa and show pictures of examples.

• Rebirth Africa has a great deal of information about the history and meaning of masks from different tribes in Africa but has almost no pictures: http://www.rebirth.co.za/African_mask_history_and_meaning.htm
• Arty Factory has less information, but has drawn examples of masks: http://www.artyfactory.com/africanmasks/
• The African Art Museum is probably the most comprehensive resource with extensive information about dozens of tribes specific masks as well as pictures of the actual masks. It includes masks and information about the Igbo, who are the people that Sunny identifies with in Akata Witch: http://www.zyama.com/

In Akata Witch, Sunny and all others with magical powers have a “spirit mask” or the face of their spiritual self that shows itself as a ritual mask. Its look is based on their personality and their powers. Using this as a basis, teens should brainstorm what their own mask should look like.

Next, students will create an African mask. There are many ways to do this using clay, cardboard, or paper. There are many tutorials out there, but Larry Prescott and Tracy Albert have made one that would be appropriate for teens here: http://www.incredibleart.org/lessons/elem/papermask.htm

5. RELATED RESOURCES

• The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis is a nonfiction account of an ethnobotanist and researcher in Haiti and his encounters with hoodoo/voodoo, the kind of magic that the magic system that is in Akata Witch. This would be a good further reading resource for teens interested in history.
  Davis, Wade. The Serpent and the Rainbow. New York: Touchstone, 1997. Print.
• There were many links in the activities about African masks and history that can be used for more information on those subjects.  

6. PUBLISHED REVIEW

"AKATA WITCH by Nnedi Okorafor | Kirkus." Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus, 28 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 July 2015.

Works Cited

"African Masks - Information and Examples." African Masks. Artyfactory. Web. 15 July 2015.

"African Masks History and Meaning." Rebirth Africa. 2000. Web. 15 July 2015. <http://www.rebirth.co.za/African_mask_history_and_meaning.htm>.

"Around the World Through YA Literature: YA Novels Set in Japan." Lawrence Public Library. 2014. Web. 14 July 2015.

"Books From Around the World." Teen Blog RSS. 1 Mar. 2013. Web. 14 July 2015.

Prescott, Larry, and Tracy Albert. "African Paper Masks." Art Lesson: Paper Masks. Web. 15 July 2015.

"Tribal Masks and Statues of Africa." African Art Museum. Web. 15 July 2015.

"YA Books Around the World - Part 1 - Europe." Books Teens and Magazines. 15 Feb. 2015. Web. 14 July 2015.

LS5623: "A Step From Heaven" by An Na

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Na, An. A Step From Heaven. United States: Speak, 2003. Print.

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Young Ju and her family immigrate from South Korea to America. She is told America is heaven. After arriving to America, Young Ju realizes that America is not heaven. Her father works multiple jobs to keep their family afloat, barely. She struggles with her new baby brother, the cultural differences and the huge language barrier as well as a struggle of who she is.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

The insular nature of Young Ju’s family is reflected in the low number of character’s in the book. All of them are very complex, but none moreso than Young Ju herself. The writing style of the book adjusts as Young Ju ages and learns English, starting out as very simple, direct sentences when she is a child to much more complicated thoughts and ideas as she grows older. As she grows older, there’s a shift in her personality from her quiet “Korean” self to her “American” self that is willing to not just think about the hard questions, but ask them to the people who have the power to hurt her the most. Even her family have complex personalities, and that complexity, especially with her mother and father, is one of the things that will cause the most heartbreak in the reader.

The setting is fairly modern, though a lack of cell phones and modern technology indicate a slightly older era, possibly the 1990s. However, the exact date of the book doesn’t matter, since the story feels it could happen today or twenty years ago. Since it focuses heavily on the characters and Young Ju’s thoughts it feels timeless when one reads it.

There are some dark themes in this book, most prevalently domestic abuse. An Na handles the subject matter well, and it feels authentic to the reader.

4.     CREATIVE ACTIVITY

I feel like it would be remiss if one was teaching this book to not talk about domestic abuse. A discussion of what constitutes as violence and what someone can do when in a compromising position.

For an actual creative activity, have the teens brainstorm about fears the different characters (Young Ju, her father and her mother) might have had about coming to America. Have the students choose one of the characters and then draw a picture to represent the fears.

5.     RELATED RESOURCES

Thehotline.org/ 1−800−799−7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224. These are the two ways to get in touch with the national domestic abuse hotline.

http://www.anwriting.com/index.html An Na’s website

http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/authors/interviews/AnNa.html an interview with An Na about A Step From Heaven.

6.     PUBLISHED REVIEW 

Chira, Susan. A Step From Heaven Review. The New York Times. 2001. https://www.nytimes.com/books/01/05/20/bib/010520.rv123225.html

LS5623: The Fire Wish by Amber Lough

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lough, Amber. The Fire Wish. New York: Random House, 2014. Print.

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Zayele, a young Middle Eastern woman, is forced into a betrothal with the prince of Baghdad by her uncle, the vizier. On her way to Baghdad, she encounters a jinni and forces the jinni to grant her wish. Najwa, the jinni, has trained her whole life to be a spy and to spy on humans. But Zayele’s wish ends up revealing secrets in both their pasts that changes everything.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

Even in a fantastical setting, The Fire Wish comes with a great deal of diversity and insight into a culture that most Americans don’t know; that of the Middle East. Most fantasy novels take place in a very Western culture: there are kings, knights, and dozens of other words we as Americans are familiar with from both history and fantasy books. The king is called a caliph, the genies are jinni. Small details also color this story with authenticity, like the clothes. Zayele wears a hajib and her clothing is carefully modest—very unlike the popular Disney movie Aladdin (often one of the few pieces of media a young adult in America would have seen that takes place in the Middle East with a fantastical setting). The details are not so different that they make the book difficult to read, but there are enough that it feels like a new culture that the reader gets to explore.

The characters are also unusual; both main protagonists are female, not something that people would assume when being told they were reading a fantastical Middle Eastern story. Even very minor characters, such as the characters’ respective mothers, have distinct personalities. The only criticism that could be given would be that only the two main characters show much dynamic change—all other characters are static in their personality.

The theme is probably where the book shines the most, and it is not terribly subtle about it. The jinni and the humans have been at war for over a decade, and each has a very specific stereotype of evil of the other. As both Zayele and Najwa interact with their opposite race, they come to discover that everyone they meet is very much like them and the people they know—there are some good people, some bad people, and generally just people that wish to live their life. The parallel to a reader’s own life is obvious; perhaps not all Middle Eastern people are terrorists, and perhaps most people that live there simply wish to live their lives and enjoy time with the people they love.

Stylistically, The Fire Wish is not a difficult book to read. It is written in a first person point-of-view style, switching between Zaeyel and Najwa. Other than the occasional Arabic word, the vocabulary should not be too difficult for a teenager, and the syntax is also within reach of a normal teenager. This would be a good book for a younger teenager, though older teenagers would enjoy the plot just as much.

4.     CREATIVE ACTIVITY

In The Fire Wish, the jinni get their power from their “wishpower.” The wishes should be simple (the more complicated, the bigger chance they have to go wrong), and they can’t be things like “world peace.” Have each student come up with an answer to the following question: If you could have one wish granted by a powerful jinni, what would you wish for? When they share their wish, have the other students see if they can figure out ways that the wish could go awry.

Another activity, though a little more in-depth, could be done about the culture. Girls and boys are not allowed to mingle on their own in the book (part of the culture). Separate the class so that each gender is on a different side of the room. There are a lot of other parts of this culture you could bring in. Trying on hajibs, working within their modesty rules, but these might need to be done on a culturally aware level and not done offensively.

5.     RELATED RESOURCES

You can buy signed copies of The Fire Wish from http://amberlough.squarespace.com/new-products/the-fire-wish-hardcover-copy . This is especially useful for book clubs, classrooms, or libraries for a drawing.

Amber Lough, the author, is also active on several social media sites including Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook. She also attends regular conferences. These can be found at http://amberlough.squarespace.com/new-page/

6.     PUBLISHED REVIEW 

Kirkus. The Fire Wish: Kirkus Review. Kirkus Reviews. 2014.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/amber-lough/the-fire-wish/

LS 5623: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. New York: MTV Books, 2014. Print.

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Charlie enters his sophomore year of high school in this coming-of-age story. Charlie is very emotionally sensitive and cries easily but has deep insights on the feelings of those around him. He meets Patrick and Sam who introduce him to a group of voluntary outcasts who bring him into their circle. It’s a very honest book and discusses topics like rape, masturbation, and homosexuality. It’s been on the top of the banned book list for years because of those topics, but it handles them with honesty and in a plain manner.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

Perks of Being a Wallflower is a very honest novel. The reader feels the heartbreak that pervades adolescence. Even though Charlie is not a typical teenager, readers will relate to his struggles from dealing with crushes to the awkward missteps in social niceties and conversation.

Like Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, this book is also written more informally and done almost conversationally. It’s written as casual letters to a “friend”, and his writing noticeably improves as Charlie practices his writing. He often talks directly to the reader and asks questions to them, involving them in the writing.

The characters all have distinct personalities, making them all easy to remember despite the numerous side characters in the story.

4.     CREATIVE ACTIVITY

Writing Activity: have the students write a letter to a nameless friend asking advice in something they are having trouble with in their own life.

5.     RELATED RESOURCES

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the movie.

6.     PUBLISHED REVIEW 

Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Review: Perks of Being a Wallflower. Kirkus Reviews. 1999. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/stephen-chbosky/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/

Award-winning YA Lit: Confessions: A Novel by Kanae Minato

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Minato, Kanae, and Stephen Snyder. Confessions: A Novel. New York: Mulholland, 2014. Print.

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Yūko Moriguchi, a middle-school teacher in Japan, is devastated after her four-year-old daughter is found dead on the campus she works at. She investigates the death herself, and realizes that it wasn’t an accident—it was murder, and her own pupils are to blame. It’s now the last day of school, and Moriguchi has one final lesson to give, and that lesson sets a devastating plot into motion.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS characters, plot, setting, theme, style, authenticity

Confessions is a high-intensity book that is best read with little or no information about the plot so that it can be more fully enjoyed as the twists and turns happen. That being said, it is hard to critically analyze it without giving any of the plot away, so there will be minor spoilers in the following section, but I will endeavor to keep them as minimal as possible while still analyzing the book.

The book follows six different narrators, all with their own distinct voice. What makes these characters so interesting though is their moral ambiguity. Unlike most books, even the protagonist (Moriguchi) makes decisions that, while obviously seem justified to the character, are not the sort of decisions most readers would be able to condone. It becomes an intense adventure as the reader attempts to unravel the plot without the guide of a character’s moral compass.

This book was originally written in Japanese, and the cultural differences between Japan and America will be noticeable, especially the interactions between students and perhaps the way some family members interact with each other. However, the cultural differences only add to the flavor of the book, giving it a more authentic feel to its Japanese setting.

Also, while this won the 2014 Alex Award as an adult book that would have special interest to young adults, because of the moral ambiguity of the characters, it might be more recommended for older teens.

4.     CREATIVE ACTIVITY

I have two activities related to Confessions, though both are discussions.

Discussion 1: Was Yūko Moriguchi justified with what she did? Did any of the main characters have justifiable reasons for their actions?

This sort of discussion should have some research done by the students beforehand. This would also be an ideal time to discuss some basic philosophies (such as tabula rasa) that students could use as part of their argument for whether or not Moriguchi was justified.

(As a side note, in my senior year of high school English, we had a similar discussion about Medea and whether or not she was justified in her actions in Medea by Euripides. We had to have at least three points to offer on both sides, preferably at least one on each side with philosophical backup. It was one of the best discussions I have ever had about a book; everyone was able to discuss morality without feeling personally attacked or invested.)

Discussion 2: Compare/contrast Yūko Moriguchi with other characters from revenge stories. Whether in classic literature (Edmund Dantes in The Count of Monte Christo to Hamlet in Hamlet) or popular culture (The Bride in Kill Bill to Wesley from Princess Bride), revenge is a popular subject. Can a character enact revenge and still be considered a good person? A moral person? How does the choice for revenge change their lives?

5.     RELATED RESOURCES

Other revenge movies:

·         Memento

·         Kill Bill

·         True Grit

·         Oldboy

·         Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

·         Carrie

·         The Prestige

·         Memento

·         Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

·         A good portion of the horror genre (Shutter, The Last House on the Left)

Confessions was actually made into a movie, directed by Tetsuya Nakashima, that could also be watched.

6.     PUBLISHED REVIEW 

Minato, Kanae, and Stephen Snyder. Confessions: A Novel. New York: Mulholland, 2014. Print.