TRADITION by Brendan Kiely

by TPS reader wilhelme21

The book Tradition by Brendan Kiely is a not so common boarding school story. The story follows Jules Devereux, a senior at Fullbrook, the highly esteemed and exceptional boarding school, and Jamie Baxter, a “jock” who came because of a hockey scholarship. Jules is a determined girl who is ready to rattle the world and everyone who doesn’t agree with her. She doesn’t agree with the stereotypes and traditions at Fullbrook and enlists the help of the uncertain yet eager Jamie to help her. As Jamie learns of the old-boy social codes at the school, he tries to hide his secrets from his old life by becoming a better person. Jules and Jamie can’t wait to move on to the next chapter in their life, college, but they have to navigate how they feel about their school and what they want to do about the present. This book does a really good job with detailing the thoughts of the pros and cons the characters face. Should Jules just keep her head down for her senior year and focus on college? Should Jamie lay low and stay out of trouble because he’s not here on the same accord as everyone else? Along the way they form a group of friends who deal with issues that seem almost foreign at a school like Fullbrook. These friends feel ignored and unheard by their classmates and the institution as they try to change things. This book offers a twist to a common high school friendship and immerses the reader into someone else’s experiences and the ideas they stand for and against. 

TRADITION by Brendan Kiely

by TPS reader hickst20

Tradition by Brendan Kiely has been one of the most powerful books I have ever read. This book is written in the perspective of a girl named Jules and a boy named James that attend a boarding school called Fullbrook. Fullbrook was once an all-boys school and because of this, boys are given special treatment by the administration and easily get away with anything they want. Jules is a senior and is trying to change the reputation she had when she was younger. Her goal in senior year is it to help girls have more of a voice. Her plan is going well until the night of the annual bonfire. Something happens to her that night that makes her struggle with herself and the way other people view her. James transferred to Fullbrook his senior year on a hockey scholarship. He came from an underprivileged town in the Midwest and struggles with the rich entitled boys at Fullbrook. The way the boys talk and treat girls make James wonder why no one has stopped this behavior. Jules and James join forces and try to change the reputation of women and speak up for girls who are too afraid to tell their stories. This book helped me see how awful women are treated across the United States and that the abuse of women still happens every day. If women speak up, they are called names and if they don’t then the person that takes advantage of them gets away with it and moves on to the next girl. I believe this powerful book should be read girls to help them understand just what being sexually assaulted means.

TRADITION by Brendan Kiely

by TPS reader tabbenori22

Fullbrook Academy is an elite school Jules attends. Students are pressured to get into the right college and get the right grades. Jules’ goal, as are many other students, is to get into the right college and keep her head down. As Jules tries to do this many things from her past keep popping back up. Jules also tends to be a hardcore feminist which leads to her being laughed at by many of her peers. Then one day a new student comes to the school, James. James seems totally out of place when he comes to Fullbrook. He is taken under the school’s wing for a hockey scholarship and life is definitely not easy for him. Seeing as this scholarship is his only chance to escape his past. He is pressured by his coaches and parents to get that scholarship and do good, which makes him on the edge. Fullbrook is like any other school, where you’re judged on your looks, and it is “mandatory” to have a boyfriend. James quickly falls in love with Jules and tries to connect with her, but she continues to reject him. They turn out to have a lot in common and connect throughout the year even though James gets mocked. He gets mocked for talking to Jules since she is a “ bad person”  in every guy’s eyes based on her past. Their past experiences seem to connect in the oddest ways, and this is a very fun book to read because Jules and James standing up against the tradition of Fullbrook Academy.

 

KIDS LIKE US – Hilary Reyl

by TPS reader hickst20

The book Kids like Us by Hilary Reyl is about a teenager with Autism named Martin. Martin travels to France for the summer with his mom and sister because his mom is filming a movie there. While he is there, his mom enrolls him in a regular school unlike his center with kids like him at home. At his new school, he meets people that remind him of characters from his favorite book, In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. He starts to compare them to the characters in the book and soon gets frustrated with what little they have in common. Martin develops feelings for a girl named Alice that he refers to as Gilberte from the book by Proust. These people soon become his friends but aren’t hanging out with him for the right reasons. This makes Martin second guess himself and helps the reader see how his personality develops throughout the novel. The book is written in the point of view of Martin and is written like a journal. I personally didn’t like this book because I didn’t feel like there was a rising action or climax anywhere in the storyline. There were no shocking moments or cliffhangers at the end of a chapter that made me want to continue reading it. This book was a good representation of how a teenager with Autism thinks and responds to a situation, but I think the author should have done a better job with the storyline.

 

A LIST OF CAGES by Robin Roe

by TPS reader wilhelme21

A List of Cages is a YA LIT book by Robin Roe. It follows a boy, Julian, with a very mysterious past and his only friend Adam. Adam and Julian first met in elementary school and were assigned as reading buddies. Adam had trouble keeping Julian on task because he was constantly talking, drawing, or especially singing. One day several years later after a horrible accident, Julian became Adam’s foster brother. Julian was never the same but still had that unique spark in him. Years later, Julian lived with his uncle and started freshman year. He became even quieter and lost. He did not have any friends and ate lunch alone.

Adam was surprised one day after school to find Julian on his couch. He did everything he could to cheer Julian up. He was over the top when he found out Julian was going to the same high school. He noticed Julian became even shyer and later found out that something was wrong. Adam digs deeper and tries to help Julian but only seems to make things worse.

I found myself reading this and was automatically intrigued. The more I read the more engrossed I became. The double-sided story gives two different sides to the plot and doubles the drama. While there is a big level of seriousness to the story, it is balanced with humor. I love the different personalities of Adam’s friends. I think the author did a very good job giving backstories to both Adam and Julian and making the characters come to life. My favorite character was Charlie because of his funny comments and concerns. I would recommend this book. I am not a huge fan of realistic fiction, but I think the author did an amazing job.

DEAR MARTIN by NIC STONE

By TPS reader ruppj18

(SPOILER ALERT)

Dear Martin by Nic Stone features Justyce an extremely intelligent young man who is set to go to an Ivy League school. His best friend is a kid named Manny, who is very rich and hangs out with a lot of kids that Justyce doesn’t like, including one named Jared, whose slightly racist comments bother Justyce more than others think it should. When Justyce is attempting to help his on and off girlfriend, Melo, who is trying to drive while wasted, he is arrested by a cop who assumed that he’s trying to hurt her or steal her car, regardless of what Justyce says. He is eventually released, but the incident has a huge impact on the way he views the world. Justyce starts to write letters to Martin Luther King Jr., using them to vent his frustrations and to figure out what he should do.

When Justyce and Manny are out for a drive, they are playing their music loud with the windows down, and an off-duty white cop gets pissed. When Manny ignores the man’s demand for them to turn it down, shots are fired and Manny winds up dead. In the aftermath of the attack, instead of the cop being on trial, it is the character of Justyce and Manny who face scrutiny.

This incredibly powerful novel forces readers to see a different side of our world, and calls into question all that you believe. It is a very easy book to read and goes by quickly. This book is one of the most moving novels I have read, and I highly recommend it for everyone. 

HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE by Jennifer Niven

by TPS reader hunth19

Holding Up The Universe, by Jennifer Niven, is an inspiring and compelling book.  I couldn’t put it down!   The story takes you into the life of Libby Strout, who was dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen.”  After her mother died, Libby tried to overcome her grief with eating, and gained so much weight that she had to be cut out of her house. But, for a couple of years, Libby works really hard to become much healthier.  She goes to her first day of high school, where she meets a variety of people.  A few are friendly, and she gains some true friends.  However, many bully her about her weight, not knowing what she went through.  

Jack Masselin is one of these bullies.  He does everything he can to fit in because he wants to hide his secret: Jack has prosopagnosia.  He can’t recognize faces, not even those of his own family, much less those of his friends.  Every day at school is a constant struggle.  One day, in order to fit in, Jack gets involved in a game that bullies Libby.  Consequently, they both end up in group counseling together.  The two have every reason to hate each other, but over time they grow close to each other, and rely on each other.  

Throughout the course of the book, you will be inspired by Libby, a girl who can do anything.  She stands up for herself and for her friends, and boldly does whatever she puts her mind, despite what other people think.  You will be inspired by Jack, a guy who finally learns how to see people for how they really are inside.  Together, they both overcome their difficulties.  Jennifer Niven’s story is irresistible, and I would strongly recommend it.