West Bend Community Memorial Library

Life Hurts
[printable] [printable-just titles]

America by E.R. FrankAmerica by E. R. Frank - At age 15, a boy named America has spent years lost in the system. Dr. B., a psychiatrist at Ridgeway Hospital, nudges America's life story from him. Dr. B. learns America was abandoned twice by his mother, about his bad brothers, and others in his life who care more than America does whether he lives or dies.
 
Whale Talk by Chris CrutcherWhale Talk by Chris Crutcher - T. J. Jones, the mixed-race, larger-than-life, heroic, first-person narrator of this novel, lays out the events of his senior year, with many digressions along the way. The central plot involves T. J.'s efforts to put together a swim team of misfits, as he tries to upset the balance of power at his central Washington high school, where jocks and the narrow-minded rule. However, a number of subplots deal with racism, child abuse, and the efforts of the protagonist's adopted father to come to grips with a terrible mistake in his past.
 
Bruises by Anke de VriesBruises by Anke de Vries - Judith is a battered 12-year-old who blames herself rather than her mother for her mother's constant and increasing physical abuse. Michael, one of her classmates, recently suffered from the emotional abuse of his severely critical father. When Michael befriends Judith, he is able to slowly, cautiously lead her toward self-confidence while he takes his own tentative steps toward forgiving his newly repentant father. With compelling drama and authenticity, Michael's and Judith's stories unfold toward hope-filled yet realistic resolutions.
 
Breaking Point by Alex FlinnBreaking Point by Alex Flinn - Invited to join Charlie Good's elite inner circle at school, newcomer Paul doesn't mind doing a few small things in return. And then one day, Charlie wants something big--really big. Now Paul has to decide how far he'll go to be one of the gang.
 
Chinese Handcuffs by Chris CrutcherChinese Handcuffs by Chris Crutcher - Still troubled by his older brother's violent suicide, eighteen-year-old Dillon becomes deeply involved in the terrible secret of his friend Jennifer, who feels she can tell no one what her stepfather is doing to her.
 
Counterfeit Son by Elaine Marie AlphinCounterfeit Son by Elaine Marie Alphin - When serial killer Hank Miller is killed in a shoot-out with police, his abused son Cameron adopts the identity of one of his father's victims in order to find a better life. But when his father's old accomplice tracks him down, will Cameron give up his new identity to protect the victim's family?
 
You Don't Know Me by David KlassYou Don't Know Me by David Klass - John wrestles with the uncertainty that no one really knows him. Although his hidden thoughts are hilarious, with razor-sharp observations about lust, love, algebra, and everything, John's home life involves an absent father, a mother who works long hours, and her boyfriend, who is abusive to John.
 
Shattering Glass by Gail GilesShattering Glass by Gail Giles - In this dark novel, Simon Glass is a clumsy nerd who learns the horror of high school cliques. Rob, the leader of the shallow group of bullies who entertain themselves at Simon's expense, decides to turn the frog into a prince. There is no altruistic motive for this plan as Rob takes on the role of puppet master and the others offer to help with the transformation. They teach Simon to drive, take him shopping for clothes, and put him on a diet and exercise regimen. The plan goes awry as Simon gains self-confidence, becoming more popular than Rob, and begins some manipulating of his own.
 
Forged By Fire by Sharon DraperForged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper - After he was almost killed in an apartment fire while his mother went to buy drugs, Gerald was raised by his aunt. Then one day, six years later, his mother returns with her new husband and Angel, Gerald's little sister. As the children grow up, it becomes more and more apparent that Angel needs Gerald's protection from her father's abuse. But who will protect Gerald?
 
The Hanged Man by Francesca Lia BlockThe Hanged Man by Francesca Lia Block - Francesca Lia Block explores love in The Hanged Man a novel that is not part of the Weetzie Bat series even though it shares the same Los Angeles backdrop. It's the story of 17-year-old Laurel, who lives just below the famous Hollywood sign. Her mind twisted and scarred from painful childhood experiences, Laurel becomes an addict and is driven toward reckless passions and empty mirages of "love." Only when she finds the strength to confront her inner demons is she able to reach out and feel a strong, true love for others, and herself.
 
Breathing Underwater by Alex FlinnBreathing Underwater by Alex Flinn - Nick is one of the chosen few at his high school: intelligent, popular, and wealthy. While everyone thinks Nick has it easy, he has never told anyone of his father's violent temper. When Nick meets Caitlin, she's all he's ever wanted. But then everything changes.
 
Freewill by Chris LynchFreewill by Chris Lynch - Will finds himself with a bunch of kids in wood shop in a school that's known as Hopeless High. Will doesn't know what he's doing there--or maybe he just doesn't want to admit the truth. No one knows why local teens are committing suicide, either. The deaths all have one thing in common: beautifully carved wooden tributes that appear just after--or just before--the bodies are found. Will's afraid he knows who's responsible for the deaths.
 
Hate You by Graham McNameeHate You by Graham McNamee - Alice Silvers writes songs she can never sing, because she has a broken "Frankenstein" voice. Her father choked her years before when she got in his way while he was fighting with her mother. After that night, her mother threw him out. Alice hasn't seen him since. Now she's 17. Alice has her songs, her words, her mother, her boyfriend, her life. Everything but her voice. Years have passed since that terrifying night, but Alice burns with a hate stronger that anything she's ever known.
 
I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline WoodsonI Hadn't Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson - Twelve-year-old Marie is African American. When Lena, a white girl, appears at school, they are drawn to each other because both have lost their mothers--and they know how to keep a secret. For Lena has a terrifying secret--her father is sexually abusing her. Marie must decide if she can help Lena more by keeping her secret--or by telling it.
 
I Was A Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia BlockI was a Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia Block - This is the story of Barbie Marks, who dreams of being the one behind the camera, not some barely flesh-and-blood version of the plastic doll she was named after. It is the story of Griffin Tyler, whose androgynous beauty hides the dark pain within him. And finally, it is the story of Mab, a pinkie-sized, magenta-haired, straight-talking fairy who may or may not be real. With the same lush, electrifying prose that made Weetzie Bat a cult classic, Francesca Lia Block concocts a potent brew of magic and transformation to stir the soul, revealing that love can heal even the deepest scars.
 
Claws by Will WeaverClaws by Will Weaver - Sixteen-year-old Jed Berg meets his nemesis--Gertrude, a punk chick with pink hair. Shifting back and forth between the streets of Duluth and the wilderness of northern Minnesota, the mesmerizing story of two unforgettable teenagers caught in a web of love, betrayal, and survival is told.
 
Uncle Vampire by Cynthia GrantUncle Vampire by Cynthia D. Grant - Sixteen-year-old twins Carolyn and Honey cannot agree whether to reveal the terrible secret they share about Uncle Toddy, in a psychological thriller that is also a portrait of personal victory and courage.
 
Speak by Laurie Halse AndersonSpeak by Laurie Halse Anderson - After Melinda goes through a traumatic and violent incident at a summer party, she calls the cops and becomes a social outcast. Her freshman year is a disaster. As time passes, she stops talking--except through her paintings in art class. Her healing process has just begun when her perpetrator attacks again. Only this time, she doesn't keep silent.
 
When Jeff Comes Home by Catherine AtkinsWhen Jeff Comes Home by Catherine Atkins - Sixteen-year-old Jeff, returning home after having been kidnapped and held prisoner for three years, must face his family, friends and school and the widespread assumption that he engaged in sexual activity with his kidnapper.
 
When Kambia Elaine Flew in From Neptune by Lori WilliamsWhen Kambia Elaine flew in from Neptune by Lori Aurelia Williams - Shayla Dubois considers herself a reader and a writer, and lately she's put a lot in her notebook. Her sister, Tia, has run away because of their mother's rules. Then there's Shayla's new neighbor, Kambia Elaine, who tells all kinds of fantastic stories. But as Kambia's stories grow more scary, Shayla realizes Kambia is trying to tell her something--something that she can't say out loud.
 
When She Hollers by Cynthia VoigtWhen She Hollers by Cynthia Voigt - With the first sentence of this searingly honest novel, readers are plunged into the consciousness of a teenage girl who is fighting for her life. Tish's adversary isn't disease or physical injury; instead, it is the devastation of ongoing sexual abuse. The novel spans one day, from the moment at breakfast when she warns her stepfather to stay away from her, to the realization-in the late afternoon-that she can escape his domination.
 
Eagle Kite by Paula FoxThe Eagle Kite by Paula Fox - Liam broke and buried the eagle kite the day he saw his father embracing another man. Liam never told his mother and now, three years later, she tells him that Daddy is seriously ill from a blood transfusion he needed a while ago. Liam cannot accept what he fears is the truth or come to terms with his mothers version of it.
 
Alt Ed by Catherine AtkinsAlt Ed by Catherine Atkins - Atkins paints a gripping portrait of an overweight teenage girl who's coming to terms with her father's estrangement, her brother's hostility, and the slow torture she's received at the hands of her classmates.
 
Rules of the Road by Joan BauerRules of the Road by Joan Bauer - Hired by Madeline Gladstone, the president of a shoe company, to help her prevent a corporate takeover, 16-year-old Jenna Boller embarks on an eye-opening adventure that teaches both of them the rules of the road--and the rules of life.
 
Whirligig by Paul FleischmanWhirligig by Paul Fleischman - When 16-year-old Brent Bishop inadvertently causes the death of a young woman, he is sent on an unusual journey of repentance. In his most ambitious novel yet, Newbery winner Paul Fleischman traces Brent's healing pilgrimage from Washington State to California, Maine, and Florida, and describes the many lives set into new motion by the ingenious creations Brent leaves behind.
 
Ironman by Chris CrutcherIronman by Chris Crutcher - Bo Brewster has been at war with his father for as long as he can remember. Following angry outbursts at his football coach and English teacher that have cost him his spot on the football team and moved him dangerously close to expulsion from school, he turns to the only adult he believes will listen--Larry King.
 
Somewhere in the Darkness by Walter Dean MyersSomewhere in the Darkness by Walter Dean Myers - A teenage boy accompanies his father, who has recently escaped from prison, on a trip that turns out to be an, often painful, time of discovery for them both.
 
Tears of a Tiger by Sharon DraperTears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper - The death of high school basketball star Rob Washington in an automobile accident affects the lives of his close friend Andy, who was driving the car, and many others in the school.
 
Bad by Jean FerrisBad by Jean Ferris - In an attempt to please her friends, sixteen-year-old Dallas goes along with their plan to rob a convenience store and when her father refuses to allow her to come home, she is sentenced to six months in the Girls' Rehabilitation Center.
 
Brimstone Journals by Ronald KoertgeThe Brimstone Journals by Ron Koergte - The Branston High School Class of 2001 seems familiar enough on the surface: there's the smart one, the fat kid, the bad girl, the good girl, the jock, the anorexic, the rich kid, the stud. Then there's Boyd, the angry young man who has just made a dangerous friend. Now he's making a list.
 
Fair Game by Erika TamarFair Game by Erika Tamar - High school senior Laura Jean is shocked when the school jocks are accused of gang-raping a retarded girl and her boyfriend Scott appears to be involved.
 
Give a Boy a Gun by Todd StrasserGive a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser - The horrors of teen violence is explored in this eye-opening novel through the lens of one shattering event where two armed students hold terrified classmates and teachers hostage in a school gym.
 
Monster by Walter Dean MyersMonster by Walter Dean Myers - Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. A Harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that Steve served as the lookout. Guilty or innocent, Steve becomes a pawn in the hands of "the system, " cluttered with cynical authority figures and unscrupulous inmates, who will turn in anyone to shorten their own sentences. For the first time, Steve is forced to think about who he is as he faces prison, where he may spend all the tomorrows of his life. As way of coping with the horrific events that entangle him, Steve, an amateur filmmaker decides to transcribe his trial into a script, just like in the movies. He writes it all down, scene by scene, the story of how his whole life was turned around in an instant. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred and his vision obscured until he can no longer tell who he is or what is the truth.
 
Crosses by Shelley StoehrCrosses by Shelley Stoehr - Nancy doesn't have a best friend, until she meets Katie in the bathroom at school. She and Katie have something in common. They both like to cut themselves. At first, it's just fun and Nancy and Katie don't talk about why they do it. But soon Nancy realizes that she and Katie need cutting to get through the day. Nancy can cover the scars on her body. It's the ones inside that are becoming hard to hide.
 
Damage by A.M. JenkinsDamage by A. M. Jenkins - Senior year should be a breeze for a guy like Austin Reid, a popular all-star football player with talent, charm, and a beautiful girlfriend. At least he thinks it should be. But sometimes it's hard just to get out of bed. Anything but a typical book about teenage depression, this is a rare and unsentimental novel for anyone who has ever wanted to just quit.
 
Shadow Man by Cynthia D. GrantShadow man by Cynthia D. Grant - Gabriel McCloud is 18 when he crashes his old pickup truck into a tree. The effect of his death on the entire community of Willow Creek spills into the pages of this poignant first-person novel.
 
Target by Katherine Jeffries JohnsonTarget by Katherine Jeffries Johnson - A teenage boy retreats into silence after being violated by two strangers.
 
Stuck in Neutral by Terry TruemanStuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman - Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his perceptions of his life, family, and condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him. In this powerful novel, readers can learn to look beyond the obvious and find a character whose spirit is rich beyond imagination.
 
Tangerine by Edward BloorTangerine by Edward Bloor - Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the incident that damaged his eyesight.
 
A Time for Dancing by Davida HurwinA Time for Dancing by Davida Hurwin - Samantha and Juliana. Sam and Jules--they've been best friends forever. Now, in the summer before their senior year, they're ready for anything! College? Professional dance careers? They'll share the triumphs and face the fears together. But neither of them is prepared for what happens when Jules is diagnosed with an incurable cancer.
 
Lizard by Dennis CovingtonLizard by Dennis Covington - Even though Lucius (Lizard) Sims suffers only from a facial deformity and other birth defects, his guardian sends him off to the State School for Retarded Boys because she is getting married and wants him out from underfoot. When a man claiming to be Lizard's long-lost father takes him out of the institution, he's off on a series of tragicomic adventures that include an interstate chase, his first--unrequited--love, his acting debut (in The Tempest ), murder, fraud and a kind of homecoming.
 
Dancing on the Edge by Han NolanDancing on the Edge by Han Nolan - A National Book Award finalist tells a poignant story of a young girl teetering on the edge of insanity. Miracle McCloy has always known that there is something different about her. Having been raised according to a set of mystical rules and beliefs, she is unable to cope in the real world. After accidentally setting herself on fire, Miracle meets a kind psychiatrist who helps her through the painful struggle to take charge of her life.
 
Born Blue by Han NolanBorn Blue by Han Nolan - "Born Blue" is the hard-hitting story of a girl who searches for love and security despite the roadblocks in her way--a gritty story that inspires understanding, tolerance, and compassion.
 
First Part Last by Angela JohnsonFirst Part Last by Angela Johnson - With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson tells the story of a teen father's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it.
 
Hanging on to Max by Margaret BechardHanging on to Max by Margaret Bechard - Sam's girlfriend is pregnant -- but Sam is keeping the baby. Sam should be planning for college and trying out for the football team with his best friend, Andy. Instead he's up to his ears in diapers and formula, caring for his baby son, Max. Will Sam now have to make a gut-wrenching decision about Max's future -- and his own? A poignant and humorous look at an old problem . . . with a new twist.
 
Smack by Melvin BurgessSmack by Melvin Burgess - A penetrating story about heroin use, "Smack" revolves around two 14-year-olds who run away from home. After Tar and Gemma try their first hit of smack, they begin an all-consuming search for the next hit--until a disaster forces Gemma to take matters into her own hands.
 
Stay with Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr - Sixteen-year-old Leila Abranel loves her older half-sisters--from her father's first marriage--but does not know them well. When her sister Rebecca commits suicide, Leila wants to know why and begins navigating her family's breakdown.
 
Forbidden by Judy Waite - For most of her life, Elinor has known nothing but the world of the True Cause followers, safe from prying Outsiders. But when she has a chance encounter with a familiar-looking boy, Elinor starts to question what she has been taught in this look inside a dangerous cult.
 
Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde - This deeply affecting novel by the author of Pay It Forward begins with the intersection of two nearly-lost lives. Jordan, 17, is hustling sex to earn a living in New York City after coming out to his parents and nearly getting killed by his homophobic father. In the horrific opening scene, he's squatting in the cellar he calls home when he realizes a girl is being raped in the alley outside. The victim is an 18-year-old waif whose life so far has been so unrelentingly brutal it doesn't register with her to complain about the rape. The instantaneous bond they form (Jordan gives her the name Chloe) has its origins in the most heartbreaking of circumstances: neither had a parent they could count on. When a second violent incident makes them fugitives, the two wind up on an exhilarating coast-to-coast journey looking for joy and beauty in what so far has been a grim existence.
 
The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks - Blood runs thick when two brothers leave their London home on a journey to the ghostly moors of Devon to hunt down the truth about their sister's savage death.
 
Dirty Liar by Brian James - Benji has to escape his home. His mother's boyfriend has crossed the line, and Benji can't deal with it anymore. So he leaves behind everything he knows to go live with his father and stepmother in Portland. His stepmother is nice, but he doesn't trust her. His father is testy, refusing to trust Benji. And Benji ... he's just trying not to self-destruct. In this spellbinding novel, Brian James surpasses his previous work to take his place among Adam Rapp, Melvin Burgess, and Kevin Brooks on the razor's edge of teen literature.
 
Hard Hit by Ann Turner - In this latest work from the author of the groundbreaking memoir "Learning to Swim," 16-year-old high school baseball star Mark has an enviable life. However, when his father is diagnosed with cancer, everything Mark ever believed in is called into question.
 
Dough Boy by Peter Marino - Overweight, fifteen-year-old Tristan, who lives happily with his divorced mother and her boyfriend Frank, suddenly finds that he must deal with intensified criticism about his weight and other aspects of his life when Frank's popular but troubled, nutrition-obsessed daughter moves in.
 
The Last Domino by Adam Meyer - Vulnerable following his brother's suicide, a high school boy comes under the thrall of a darkly violent classmate and events at home and at school go chillingly out of control.
 
Naughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman - Excited by the idea that her best friend, Callum McGregor, will be going to her school, 13-year-old Persephone Hadley, daughter of a racist politician, is too young and too privileged to realize that friendships between naughts, like Callum, the son of her mother's former maid, and Crosses, like herself, are impossible in her segregated society. In this alternate world, recognizably English but with a twist, conditions for the pale-skinned naughts have improved little since the days of slavery; the dark-skinned Crosses have the money and power. Caught up in the hostility surrounding the school's integration, Sephy attempts to be a public friend and makes things worse.
 
Autobiography of my Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers - Fifteen-year-old Jesse lives a clean and relatively careful life in contemporary Harlem. His best friend and honorary brother, Rise, is two years older and plays life faster and looser. The boys belong to a social club inherited from the men of the older generation. The Counts aren't a gang and the members tend to have a variety of aesthetic interests. Jesse is devoted to cartooning and sketching while C. J. is a fine musician. Rise, however, it seems to Jesse, has begun to lead a second life that doesn't include him or The Counts.
 
Black and White by Paul Volponi - Marcus and Eddie are best friends. They’re also stars on the basketball court, where they’re known as Black and White. Race has never been an issue: Marcus is black, Eddie is white, but it doesn’t matter. Until they start to pull stickups for extra pocket cash and the gun they’re using goes off. Now Marcus is going to jail and Eddie is going to college, even though Eddie is the one who fired the gun. Told in their two voices, Black and White is the gripping story of two good boys who make a bad mistake. It’s also a heart-breaking look at the realities of the urban criminal justice system.
 
Shut the Door by Amanda Marquit - In the vein of "American Beauty," Shut the Door offers a glimpse into the world of a family in crisis. It focuses on two teenage sisters struggling to carve their identities as young adults, taking risks and undergoing disturbing transformations that go unchallenged by their emotionally absent parents. Meanwhile, their parents' marriage is disintegrating and no longer provides the support the girls so desperately need. Their father's prolonged absence on a business trip provides the impetus to reevaluate family roles and relationships--and the choices made are shocking. This evocative family portrait reveals just what happens when our support system falls away and we become disconnected from the ones we love the most.
 
My Brother's Keeper by Patricia McCormick - Thirteen-year-old Toby, a prematurely gray-haired Pittsburgh Pirates fan and baseball card collector, tries to cope with his brother's drug use, his father's absence, and his mother dating Stanley the Food King.
 
Claiming Georgia Tate by Gigi Amateau - Twelve-year-old Georgia Tate feels loved and safe living with Nana and Granddaddy, until her sexually abusive father tries to win her custody.
 
Helicopter Man by Elizabeth Fensham - Fifteen-year-old Peter Sinclair's father is a paranoid schizophrenic, afraid of helicopters, police, and life itself. When Peter's mother leaves home one day and doesn't return, Pete and his father soon find themselves living hand-to-mouth, estranged from family, and teetering on the brink of homelessness. Based on a real experience, this is a haunting and ultimately redemptive story of illness, love, and a boy's indomitable spirit to survive.
 
Fade to Black by Alex Flinn - An HIV-positive high school student hospitalized after being attacked, the bigot accused of the crime, and the only witness, a classmate with Down Syndrome, reveal how the assault has changed their lives as they tell of its aftermath.
Jailbait by Leslea Newman - In 1971, unpopular and lonely tenth-grader Andi--teased at her Long Island high school for her large breasts and ignored at home by her distant parents--builds a fantasy romantic life around her clandestine, sexual relationship with a man in his thirties.
Broken China by Lori Aurelia Williams - The story centers on 14-year-old China Cup Cameron (named by a physician's assistant since, at the time, her teen mother "could care less"), who herself became a mother at 12. But in the first chapter, China's two-year-old daughter dies, and she takes on an enormous debt to pay for an elaborate funeral service. The debt forces her to take a job as a coat check girl at a strip club, dressed in a skimpy bathing suit, and she quickly sinks into a dangerous and destructive world. Readers may be overwhelmed by all the tragedy. (In addition to her daughter's death, China's mother died three years ago, and she lives with her uncle, who became wheelchair-bound after he was attacked in high school.) With vivid details (when China's daughter dies, the old women send her broken china since "in the olden days it was tradition for poor folks to decorate a grave with crushed pieces of their best servingware"), the author paints a tragic world of girls having to grow up too soon.

Sleep Rough Tonight by Ian Bone - Teased and bullied by his high-school classmates, Alex Pimentino tries to prove his worth by following the commands of a former student just released from prison, but finds that his real strength comes from doing the right thing.
Boy Kills Man by Matt Whyman - Two thirteen-year-old boys, blood brothers and best friends, get drawn into a dangerous, violent world on the streets of a troubled Columbian city.
 
Playing in Traffic by Gail Giles - "I was the ghost of school corridors. Skye was the devil. And I was doomed from the day she spoke to me." Skye clearly has a dangerous agenda, but how can Matt resist the mystery and drama she trails in her Goth wake? She promises a way out of his dreary existence-but at what price? Why has multi-pierced, multi-tattooed Skye Colby, the sexy and weird Goth Girl, singled out Matt, an almost invisible nobody, for special attention? This gripping page-turner will propel you from one shocking revelation to the next-right to the astonishing ending.
 
Under the Wolf, Under the Dog by Adam Rapp - Alternately heartbreaking and starkly humorous, this teenager's brutal story of escape and desire for redemption is masterfully told by the award-winning writer and film director of "Winter Passing," which starred Ed Harris and Will Ferrell.
 
Authors

M.E. Kerr
Chris Crutcher
Cynthia Voigt
Robert Cormier
John Marsden
Walter Dean Myers

 

~Young Adult Librarian ~
Kristin Pekoll
kpekoll@west-bendlibrary.org
262.335.5151 x128

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Updated December 17, 2008

"Organized education gives us information,
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