Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway

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Currie, Cherie, and Tony O'Neill.Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2010. Print.

Annotation: Cherie Currie, lead singer of the once famous all girl band , The Runaways, tells us the trials and tribulations of being a teenager while trying to deal with fame, family, friends and relationships.

Review:  Cherie Currie was your average 15 year old girl living in California during the mid 70’s.  Although having to deal with her parents splitting apart, she lived a teenager’s life of partying, listening to rock and roll and experimenting with drugs and sex. She dreamed of a bigger life, but lived a very average one. 

All of that changed when famous (or infamous) record producer Kim Fowley and not so famous Joan Jett discovered and asked her to be the lead singer of the all girl band, The Runaways.  From dreaming of stardom to finally getting stardom, Cherie Currie  takes great courage in explaining the underbelly of the male dominated rock scene as well as exposing the hardships of dealing with drugs, rape, abusive record producers, and trying to hold onto relationships with friends and family. 

Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway is a gripping account how much abuse female rock musicians had to endure to try and make it big.  Cherie Currie gives us and in depth look at an experience and a band that helped open the door for future female rock artists.  

The Things They Carried

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O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Broadway Books, 1990. Print.

Annotation: Tim O’Brien, through masterful storytelling, brings you into the war that was fought in Vietnam. He tells us the experiences of death, fear, madness, loss of innocence and hope that each young solider experienced as they marched through an unknown land. 

Awards: France's Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger, Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award

Review: Although Tim O’Brien experienced war first hand, he chooses to write this story as fiction. After reading this book, it is hard to accept this as fiction however, O'Brien elaborates on storytelling in the chapter “Good Form” which brings into perspective why this is better considered a fiction story as oppose to a true life account. Each chapter is a short story that expands the entirety of trials the individuals must face in dealing with being at war. Tim O’Brien assumes the role of the main character along with 11 other men that observe as well as experiences the hell of Vietnam. Each character has their own story which deals with the many themes of war that include hating, fearing, regretting, and coming to terms with their life that is forever changed. O’Brien does an exceptional job at conveying the emotions of these men and what kept them going through what some felt was an unnecessary war. The storytelling is so captivating that it made this book very had to put down.




Alex C. Age 17
"My personal favorite genre of book is Non-Fiction or Historical.  I enjoy learning about the stories of our past..."

Forever...

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Blume, Judy. Forever.... New York: Simon Pluse, 1975. Print.

Annotation: This is the story of Katherine, a girl in her senior of high school who meets her first love, Michael. They begin a very serious relationship that throws them into the many trials and tribulations of love, sex and heartbreak.

Awards: Winner of the A.L.A. Margaret A. Edwards Award

Review: A first love is definitely a monumental moment in a teenager’s life. It brings them to a whole new world of feelings, emotions and experiences that bring about inevitable changes. Katherine and Michael are the typical teenagers that spend every free minute together, lust after one another while being sexually responsible, and feel that their love will last forever. But how long is forever? When Katherine’s parents sign her up to work at summer camp, 7 weeks away from Michael seems like an eternity. It is during this time that Katherine has the chance to step away and truly see if her love for Michael is genuine or if her experience at camp is the start to a whole new journey in life. 

Judy Blume does a fantastic job of getting inside the teenager’s experience of a first love. It is hard not to relate to one aspect or another within this story and truly feel for the characters and what they must go through. It is a very realistic and mature take on the challenges teenagers must face during their first love.




Stevie P. Age 17
"When I read a book I put myself in the main character's mind set... I love romances and dramas...I also love the book Forever Judy Blume, she's one of my favorite authors. "