Looking for a good book to read?

Looking for a good book to read? You found the right place! I love Young Adult Literature and love recommending interesting titles to my students even more. This blog will recommend titles of YA Literature that I have recently read and want others to discover as well. Enjoy! Under each post is the "Comment" option. Feel free to share your opinions about each of the books so that other students can read your opinions as well.


You might have noticed the recent makeover each of the posts got. I rearranged the posts so that the summaries are hidden. If you are curious about a book and want to know more about it, click on "Read more >>", the summaries are hidden there for more information. Have fun!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Jerk, California

Title: Jerk, California
Author: Jonathan Friesen
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

You will like this book if:
  • You want to learn more about Tourette's Syndrome and the people that live with it.
  • You like to read about a character's journey.
  • You live a moral life and want others to do the same.
  • You have every been lied to about the important people in your life.
You will not like this book if:
  • You like to read books that have to be imagined.
  • You are annoyed by religious or preachy stories.
  • You prefer books that have a lot of action and adventure.
Thank you to Morgan M. and Danny M. for this book recommendation!  Danny pointed it out to me, I picked it up at Half Price Books, and Morgan read it shortly afterward.  Both students loved it so I couldn't wait to check it out myself.  Morgan even said it was her favorite book that she had read this year.  Thanks Morgan and Danny!!!

Summary: Sam has Tourette's Syndrome and he epitomizes the sterotypes: uncontrollable shoulder jerks, insistent blinking, and sudden outbursts of inappropriate words and phrases.  Tourette's was the only gift left to him by his alcoholic womanizing father.  His step-father is no better, but Sam doesn't have anyway to get out of his small Minnesota town.  That is until an unexpected guest comes to his graduation party and beautiful, fascinating, confusing young lady wanders into his life.  Could the crazy town coot really have anything to teach Sam?  Would Naomi and her beautiful body ever look beyond his spasms?  Years upon years of lies begin to unravel themselves as Sam and Naomi go on an unexpected road trip and learn that sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. 

Fun Fact #1: The author, Jonathan Friesen, has Tourette's himself.  This made the descriptions of  Sam's illness very realistic and believable. 


Fun Fact #2: Although I didn't see it coming, there was definitely a slightly religious message as the book neared a close.  This twist will definitely cause a reaction in its readers: some will love it, some will feel put off by it, and others will notice it but not care.

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