review: love and other perishable items

LOVE AND OTHER PERISHABLE ITEMS
Laura Buzo
Knopf Books for Young Readers
(ARC picked up at ALA)

Amelia's 15 and Chris is 21, but she still can't help falling entirely, head-over-heels for her coworker. Surrounded by vapid and/or otherwise-lacking coworkers, the two strike up a friendship that only feeds Amelia's feelings and makes Chris confused about his own. They get along, they talk about real things, but at the end of the day there's still a very vital six years between them. Set in Australia and told from the dual perspectives of Amelia and Chris, this is a love story... sort of.

It probably comes as a surprise to absolutely nobody to learn that I'm not a big fan of "edgy" content -- sex, drug use, and too much profanity can really ruin my reading experience. (And this is not meant to be a rah, no sex-drugs-cussing statement -- just that I don't and never have liked reading it.) And this book had much more of that than I was expecting. There were a few scenes in particular that, if I hadn't loved the characters and their story so much, would have made me put the book down. So I'm a little torn in how much I actually like this book; despite it's adorable cover, it's maybe not something I'd give to your more sensitive readers.

Having said that, this book surprised me. In so many ways. I was surprised at the content (in a bad way), I was surprised at the dual POV (in a good way), I was surprised at the depth and the sadness (also, in a good way). Laura Buzo has made a relationship that could easily, easily be totally skeevy something you end up rooting for. Part of this is the fact that Amelia and Chris are both great characters and despite their age difference they really do get along very well, and part of it, I think, is that Chris' feelings are much less defined than Amelia's. Even he doesn't know if his feelings for her are of a romantic/sexual nature or if it's simply friendship and the fact that she's so different from most of the people he finds himself spending time with. In a big way this book reminded me of an earlier YA novel, Just Like That, by Marsha Qualey. (I'd recommend that for fans of this book.)

Aside from Amelia and Chris' story together, they each have their own lives happening. Both of their families and friends, but especially Amelia's, are hugely present. Chris, at 21, is watching his friends graduate and get jobs that pay well while he's still living at home, stuck in a sort of ennui, unsure what to do with his life and feeling stuck in suspension. It's a very realistic, very relatable feeling and handled so well. Amelia, on the other hand, is just trying to make life easier for those around her, especially her over-worked mother, and contemplating the essential questions of life and love, like how unfair Gatsby-style impossible love is, and how it sucks that her mom has to work full time and take care of everything else in the house while her dad refuses to even load his dishes. As with Chris' situation and feelings, Amelia's contemplation and anger is handled in a really, really great way. Buzo has talent for creating realistic and interesting characters that stand out.

This is one of those books that, for me, was made of extremes. The parts I liked I absolutely loved, but the parts I didn't like hard to get over. Although in this case my issues are subjective and entirely taste-driven, so others may not have the same hang-ups. For those looking for a completely character-driven novel that tackles some unlikely subjects, this may be exactly what you're looking for. But fair warning: it's sadder than you think it'll be.

Review: Alaska

ALASKA
Sue Saliba
Penguin
Published in Australia

Mia left her home in Australia, along with her alcoholic mother, to live with her older sister for a while in Alaska. But the close bond that Mia and Em used to have isn't quite what it used to be. Em has a child now, and a hard-headed, always-has-to-be-right husband. She found a way to escape from the dysfunction of their childhood home and now Mia, who finds herself attracted to Ethan, the man she meets in the forest, hopes to find her own escape in Alaska.

The writing of this book is so lyrical. The words seem like whispers and while it's beautiful, this sort of wispy, barely-there writing puts the book at a distinct disadvantage. At less than 200 pages, the book is already incredibly slim and it took me a good portion of the book to piece the plot and characters together. Mia, Em, and Ethan are more like shadows than realistic, fully imagined characters. Their personalities, desires, and histories are often only hinted at which makes it difficult to form opinions about them. Ethan, Mia's sort-of boyfriend often seems to be hiding something, however his and Mia's apparent connection makes for a confusing, complicated, half-there picture. There are bits and pieces of the overall relationship and story, but it never quite comes together fully.

Environmentalism and love for the earth was a big part of this book, with a "save the forests" plot being the main focus, but like the rest of the novel this plot wasn't developed enough to have much of an impact. The ideas and writing are wonderful, but it's not quite enough. Mia's journey in Alaska does eventually come to a head and the last third of the novel goes a long way toward putting the scattered pieces together. Unfortunately the ending leaves many subplots hanging, unfinished. Her relationships with both older sister Em and maybe-boyfriend Ethan are unresolved. However, the pretty, flowy writing made this a book I enjoyed despite the confusion and problems I found with it. If any of Sue Saliba's books are ever published in the US (this is an Australian novel), I'll definitely be checking them out.

Aussie YA

A few months back my parents went to Australia and they brought me back the best Australian-type present of ever: Aussie YA! They managed to find all four the books on my list and I haven't had a chance to read or talk about these books until now but I am so excited about them. Not only because as a whole everything I've read from Australia has been really great, but also because I finally finally have Steph Bowe's book! Also, jeesh, I love Australian covers. They're so foreign-y.