Split by Swati Avasthi

Title: Split	Loved it	Graded
Author: Swati Avasthi
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Elements: Abuse
Series: Stand alone

16-year-old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father's fist), $3.84, and a secret. It is about what happens after.

After you've said enough, after you've run, after you've made the split - how do you begin to live again?

This review contains spoilers.

Jace ran away from home. Bruised and battered, he turns up on his brother Christian's doorstep. All we see of him are his physical beatings, but there's much more going on emotionally. From young he's been the split image of his father. He's been told that he looks like his father, he's going to be like his father... he's just like his father. And that would be good, if his father wasn't an abuser.

Every relationship and character in Split plays an important part in the story. I was going to write a long review, but I'll just reflect on some of the people that had the most presence and impact on Jace's life before where we met him.

The thing that resonated the most with me was Jace's internal struggle. On one hand, he loathes his father for the abuse that he inflicted on Jace's mother, Christian and himself. On the other, this is his father. The prestigious, respected Judge Witherspoon.

From Wikipedia:

A judge, or arbiter of justice, is a lead who presides over a court of law, either alone or as part of a panel of judges.

It's not ironic, just hateful that the person who 'presides over a courtof law', whom the society entrusts to put the bad guys away so as to protect them, is a bad guy himself. Someone who hurts his own family, the very people that trust him explicitly to take care of them, to protect them.

Despite his very horrible shortcoming, it doesn't change the fact that Jace loves him, and looks up to him. What makes this even harder for Jace is that he's afraid that he'll be like his father, especially after the incident that caused him to hit Lauren, his ex girlfriend. Why his father abused his mother, we're not told. It could be a way for him to show his 'love' but that is bull. I might assume that it's a cycle, given Jace's situation.

Jace's relationship with his mother is perhaps much more complicated than his relationship with his father. He's seen his mother abused in the most horrific ways possible, and it doesn't make sense to him that she still stays with his father. One of the scenes that struck me was when after a particularly vicious attack on his mother due to her attempt at leaving him, Jace's father lies with his head on Jace's mother's lap, saying that she couldn't leave him again so that he wouldn't attack her again... and she strokes his head. Jace doesn't understand why she stays with him; she's portrayed as a weak character and that's how he sees it.

There are so many things happening, that what I'm typing here is just the barest hint of what I deduce is going on. Jace's mother has definitely impacted his view on women, and that's one reason why he went for Lauren. She was strong, she went for what she wanted despite what anyone else had to say or think about it. She's the opposite of Jace's mom. And when she forgives him for hitting her, well, I believe that what happened with Lauren was the last straw for Jace.

His worst fears are realised. He's turned into his father, and he's somehow managed to turn the strongest person in his life into what he imagines is going to be the newer version of his parents. Jace's last act of rebellion in his father's home was to execute the first move in a vicious fight. He's either subconsciously or deliberately provoking his father into sending him away, and while it hurts Jace that his beloved father is banishing him from his home, it's an excuse for him to go without being hunted down by his father, like his brother Christian was when he left home five years ago.

That's where Jace goes, and that's where the story starts.

Split has shown me one of the ugliest things in life: abuse by people you trust with your life. Yet the novel is not bleak; it has an almost hopeful tone that looks ahead to the future instead of staying in the past. The sparse use of shocking abuse scenes were more than enough for me, and to think that people actually go through this is a wake up call. Definitely an insightful read.

The forbidden fruit factor

So I'm watching the first season of Torchwood. It's darker than Doctor Who, and has much more of what current TV is defined as by some people: sex and violence. It's about this team of agents in Cardiff, who is assigned to eradicate all forms of hostile alien life from Earth, something like that. There's the famed Captain Jack Harkness, leader; Toshiko, admin ; Owen, medical; Ianto, cleanup; and Gwen, newbie.

I liked Gwen. She was the audience stand-in, asking questions we as viewers wanted to know. She had a perfectly normal and boring life before. I also liked Owen. He was witty, charming, and a man whore. Gwen and Owen had a lot of banter. I won't deny that they had chemistry, but in fiction, somehow banter = sexual tension. It's not, but anyways. I was looking forward to more quips and jokes at the others' expense, and then I found myself rooting for them to get together.

They did. The problem is, Gwen already has a boyfriend. It's not Owen. And by get together, I mean in the most basic, carnal way. While Gwen was still attached.

And that's when I lost respect for both Gwen and Owen. It didn't matter that I was rooting for them to get together before, what mattered was that they shouldn't have. Because Gwen was not available you know.

It got me thinking: the forbidden fruit tastes much sweeter when it is out of reach. They were my OTP, and I was giggling during their scenes together, hoping for more even though I knew they shouldn't. And when I got more, I was appalled.

And another point: What were the repercussions going to be?

Some YA novels don't address this issue as satisfactorily as I would have liked. The forbidden fruit is always had in the end, and with little to no repercussions. Look at Twilight: happy ending all around! Except for some of those inconsequential characters. It's not that I don't appreciate a happy ending, but there's only so much you can do without having contradicted the previous things you said in the past few hundred pages before it's just sexual tension, and we're just in for the ride to see how you get together.

And all those amazing premises you pointed out: werewolves, angels, vampires with humans etc. All that attracted me to the story, all that intrigue--it's just gone in one magical plot device. And irrelevant. Because it's like a quick fix for me. And if I wanted to just see how you hooked up, I can just read a romance novel.

I would like to see what happens when you break those rules, without a magical plot device that gives you a loophole. When that happens, it results in some pretty sticky and unpleasant situations for the characters. But you know what? That's better, because then the characters grow even if they didn't want to. Or an alternative, sometimes the forbidden fruit should just stay forbidden. Then we'll see what we get.

It's much more satisfying for me as a reader to get the full meal, rather than just dessert on steroids.

Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Title: Fat Cat	Loved it	Graded
Author: Robin Brande
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Knopf Books
Elements: Social Issues, Weight
Series: Stand alone

Cat is smart, sassy, and funny—but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment—on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living—and eating—like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice. . . .

This funny and thoughtful novel explores how girls feel about their bodies, and the ways they can best take care of their most precious resource: themselves.

Fat Cat has some elements that attract me horribly to romance books.

1) The main protagonist and love interest has a PAST
Something bad happened last time to Cat, that caused her to cease any and all forms of communication with Matt. Really, even eye contact! Okay, maybe I exaggerate. Whatever it is probably has something to do with Cat's issues.

2)...and when they have a past, there will be an INSANE amount of groveling.
Hah! I definitely cannot wait to see Matt grovel. He seems like a decent sort, so he will grovel, though I don't know how much he will. Will Cat grovel too? That's what you have to find out.

Here are some factors that I just like overall, and think should have more of in YA.

1) Homework
Come on. You have time for an epic adventure or two, so why don't you have time for homework? Fat Cat is essentially about Cat's project, and her journey to achieving its objective. The fat part is definitely part of the project.

2) Feasibility
The science project is actually quite feasible. It seems like something that my lecturer would assign to us. It has layers and actual analysis and research! I know that Fat Cat is just a STORYBOOK *rolls eyes* and it doesn't need to explain these things to us because after all we're just interested in the ROMANCE aspect of it all, and the science project is just a prop so Robin Brande doesn't have to do all of that.

Wrong. I appreciate that she's done a lot of research into the science aspect. As the story progresses and the project is underway, Cat discovers several obstacles that cause her to redefine the objective and the methods used to obtain data.
It's hard for her to stick to the project but she knows what's at stake. Her didcation is amazing, and it justifies This is a welcome change from the 'plot twist' that stories usually employ: where the main protagonist has to change one aspect (the main un) in order for him/her to get the love interest.

3) Cat has ambitions! (As a subplot, not a plot.)
I'm tired of this: one of the character has a hobby or interest that is pretty useless, but is referred to several times in the story. Oh, and guess what? It actually helps in the big plot, in the grand big finale! I AM SO SURPRISED BY THIS TURN OF EVENTS!

No, I'm not. That's not to say that I don't enjoy it. I do, but its a tired trope/cliche/whatever you call it. Cat has skillz in the cooking and baking department. Yes, this helps in the overall picture, but it's not the one factor that turns thing in her favour. It's nice to see a girl protagonist whose main purpose seems to be falling in love with the love interest.

Kudos, Robin Brande! I loved this book.

Happy Birthday, Erica of The Book Cellarx!

I'm going to post this at 12pm noon here, which is hopefully your 12am there. If it's a wee bit early, I call dibs on first birthday wish! :P.

Things I know about Erica

• Book blogger of The Book Cellarx. Have you followed it yet?
• She's in show choir, so she can totally join Glee and rock at it.
• Turning 17. Now she can't sing this phrase anymore: "I am sixteen, going on seventeen...".
• Team Ash from Julie Kagawa's The Iron King.
• Shares the same birthday with Phoebe Kitanidis, author of Whisper. Happy birthday Phoebe!
• Loves Richard's abs. Oh look who dropped in for a cameo! Hi Richard's abs! And who're you attached to... OH, RICHARD HI.
• Has many many many many pets, including three dragons, four gremlins and probably a pet bafoon.
• A cheerleader for awesome YA books, not just SEA and The Iron King.
• She totally has a whole stash of books hidden underneath the floorboards of her bedroom. *nods*
• You just know she stole Ash from Julie yesterday when Julie was playing SIMS.
• Likes to vlog. SO MANY VLOGS about so MANY GOOD BOOKS.
• Her mailbox is BEST FRIENDS with the Fed Ex man. 
• Has one of the coolest accents ever.
• You can stalk her on Twitta here.
• Do you know that she's holding a birthday celebration contest? Really!
• I was gonna make this '17 things I know About Erica', but I kinda fail, so I'm gonna write a short poem instead.
• Roses are red
  violets are blue
  Team Puck is cool
  I guess Team Ash too
  
  I'm watching the World Cup
  while typing this out
  Netherlands hasn't scored yet,
  I'll sit here and pout.
  
  Thinking of words
  that rhyme with seventeen
  What about Erica, stuck in a
  Zombie quarantine?
  
  No I can't type that
  Who'll then cheer for SEA?
  The Iron King's Grimalkin
  tells me: Let her be.
  
  If the grey cat says so
  I guess I'll comply
  Happy birthday this year,
  have fun and goodbye!

Oh god, that was lame. Hope you have a great day ahead!

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Title: Some Girls Are	Loved it	Graded
Author: Courtney Summers
Genre: Comtemporary
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Elements: Social issues, Bullying
Series: Stand alone

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.

Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

Oh my god. I just finished reading this, and I can't get over how vicious the acts are. I feel like I need to take a scrubbing to my heart. Now let me backtrack. I live in a peaceful, very safe society where things like this don't happen. Or if they do, it's very quiet.

When I first heard of Some Girls Are, I thought that yes! It'd be interesting to see things from the bully's POV. What goes through her mind when she does that? Does she feel bad for making others suffer; does she even think of it as them suffering? I got more than I bargained, because it starts off with the bully being bullied.

Technically, Regina isn't THE bully. She's the bully's best friend, which is worse because they just go along with what the bullies want them to. In a sense, they're being bullied themselves, and they can't ever fight back. The only way they can get ahold of themselves is if the bully lets them go.

This is as much the bully's story as the bullied. And since you'll read Regina's story, let's start with the bully, and in SGA, that's Anna. I'm not going to mince words here: I hate her. Or if I have to be more precise: I hate the influence she has over people. And I admire it at the same time. Now, this Anna. Only in the last chapter do we get to know more about her journey to be the reigning queen beeyotch. In a time where everyone is unsure of themselves and their places in the world, she's the one who knows what she wants, and she'll do anything to get it. It doesn't matter to her whose head she steps on as long as she gets there. To go after what you want and not care what anyone else thinks, isn't this what is preached to us? 'Be confident! Go after what you want! Haters to the left!'

'But Liyana,' you protest. 'That's different. You're totally twisting the meaning around.' But interpretation is a wondrous thing, is it not? With this short paragraph, can you see how much Anna wants it? And by it, I mean anything she wants. When she wants something, she wants it bad.

Now Regina. She's been Anna's best friend since they were freshmen, so that means she's been under Anna's control for a long time, and she's used to it. Best of all, Anna's used to Regina being under her thumb, that when it happens that Regina 'does' something she doesn't approve of, she freaks out. She's more worried about the loss of control than the act that actually happened. To her, this signifies the worse betrayal she has ever experienced, never mind that Regina didn't actually do anything.

Bullies just hate when people rebel against them. The thought of it, of losing power and control scares them so much, and that's why they always have to crush others down. And those in the posse are as much under her control as the bullied. Using Anna as an example, when she shows favour to them, they are as much under her control because they never ever want to be out of it. Being on the inside, even controlled is better than being bullied, but not accepted. Right? :S

Personally, I have never gone through such a thing and I NEVER EVER WANT TO. Everything came through so raw and potent; I've never felt such hatred, bitterness and revenge. And rage. Lots of rage.

This novel is good in so many ways.