Sucks To Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (maybe) by Kimberly Pauley is a fantastic read for young adults...especially those that struggle with making decisions! Sixteen-year-old Mina is a normal teenage girl who worries about normal teenage girl things like best friends, boys, school, and prom. The only difference being is that Mina's parents are vampires. She has known all along that they are vampires, and this fact has not effected her life in very many ways, that is until now. Now that the vampire council has found out about Mina's existence she must choose whether she wants to become a vampire herself. Doesn't sound too complicated right? Well it is the toughest decision she will ever make. If she chooses to become a vampire she will get to stay with her parents, but she must forget everything and everyone from her life prior to becoming a vampire, and she is just not so sure she can do that. Furthermore to help her make her decision she has to go to classes that provide her with everything should would ever want to know (or not want to know) about being a vampire. Throughout the novel Mina struggles with her decision and the many ways it will affect her life. Mina's main struggle is trying to figure out which is more important family or friends. How can she make a decision that will affect her entire life at only sixteen years old? Well she has too...and she will!
Sucks to be Me is a great novel for young adults because it encompasses an issue that most adolescents go through: balancing friends and family. This is Kimberly Pauley's first novel, but it sure does not show! She does a great job at providing readers with a real glimpse into the life of Mina, and we can truly feel her emotions as she struggles to make a life-altering decision. I would recommend this book for junior high and high school students probably starting in seventh grade. I think it is a great book to lead into a discussion about the struggles that adolescents face when forced to prioritize family and friends. Go get it and read it today!
To read author Kimberly Pauley's blog click here:
http://www.blogger.com/profile/4918687
This novel is a 2009 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers nominee. For a complete list of nominees please use this link:
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/quickpicks/quickpick.cfm
No comments:
Post a Comment