Young Adult Books Rock

My foray into the library's young adult section was fruitful. Not only did I discover Jeremy Fink--see last post--but I found two other books I liked.

First off, another book by Wendy Mass. This one is called A Mango-Shaped Space. It's about a girl named Mia who finally discovers that there's a name for her ability to see colors when she sees letters and numbers and hears distinctive sounds. Learning that name, synesthesia, and meeting other synesthetes empowers her to embrace her colors. Of course, it's a rocky road that leads to her own acceptance and the acceptance of friends and classmates, but the book has a definite uplifting note.

The final young adult book that I read recently is Someday This Pain Will be Useful to You by Peter Cameron. The title comes from a quote by Ovid: "Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you." This book is a great example of a specific type of uplifting material, the type where (a) you feel validated in hearing a characters struggles in life, because you've known similar feelings or struggles, and (b) the character makes something of that struggle. Here, the main character James is generally unhappy, not able to pinpoint an exact reason for it at first. He knows that his confusion around his sexual orientation, his parents' divorce, and the falling of the Twin Towers (he lives in New York) two years before the book takes place must all factor into it, but it takes the course of the book to work toward a new understanding of how to function despite these truths. Someday takes place during the summer before he's supposed to go to college, and though he doesn't have a perky personality, James nevertheless delivers a heartfelt story of subtle change.

Both of these books were as good at the beginning as they were at the end. I love a book with good follow-through. I'm looking forward to reading more by both of these authors.

Uplifting-ness

Do you ever just need something to lift your spirits? I do. Actually, it's become a minor mission of mine to sort through the media out there and find the movies, the books, the websites, the essays that uplift and sustain.

Maybe you're ill and stuck inside all day, staring at the wall again as thoughts float past. Meditation is one approach, a very good one. Crafts are another outlet, but they take energy. During my times of illness, though, there has always come the point when I need a distraction, a message of hope. Stimulation of a positive nature.

Maybe you're going through a rough personal relationship. A breakup, a fight, or a time of little communication that leaves you confused. Sometimes you need to turn to a different world or hear of another's experience that turned out okay.

Maybe you're just bored or a little down after an exhausting day. Enter the uplifting material out there. It's harder to find than I would have expected before I started seeking it out specifically. The definition of "uplifting" isn't saccharine--we're not talking about cream puff happiness here, the type that fades as soon as you've experienced it, giving you a sugar crash soon after. It can be silly, downright stupid, intelligent, thoughtful, serious, or outlandish. Just as long as it leaves you feeling good about life.

Taste, of course, varies. When I Googled "uplifting," the first hit was the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary definition: "to improve the spiritual, social, or intellectual condition of." We're all so different in our experiences of life, so let's just lay it out now that we won't always agree about my picks, and that's okay. I just want this to be a fun place to share my latest discoveries, whether oldies unearthed or more recent fare.

Here's where I'll begin: Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, one I finished last night. The last time I was at the library, I wandered over to the young adult section. That's where I found this. I often find these novels more honest and real than some of the adult fiction out there. You're often grabbed right from the beginning, and that was certainly true with this book. Jeremy Fink narrates the tale of his journey with his best friend, Lizzy, to uncover the keys to a box his father left him. Engraved with "The Meaning of Life" and the mandate to open on his thirteenth birthday, the box's arrival in Jeremy and Lizzy's life throws them into wholehearted search for a way to open it. Still processing the death of his father about five years earlier, Jeremy soon finds himself deeply questioning life's meaning as he begins to wonder if he'll ever see the box's contents.

I truly enjoyed this one. It was fun and honest. The friendship between Jeremy and Lizzy is quirky, as is that between Jeremy and his mother. Unexpected events and discoveries keep it fresh until the end.

Thanks for reading. If anyone is reading this, I welcome your suggestions for uplifting material out there!