Two books

This sure has been a nasty bug. It's been almost a week and my mind still feels foggy. But at least I am able to read again.

I started on two YA books: Laura Resau's Red Glass and Jordan Sonnenblick's Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pies. On the surface, these two books couldn't be more different. One aims at the higher end of the age range and a "girl" story, the other straddles the high MG/low YA age range and definitely a "boy" story. Resau's language is evocative, sensual, and it invites the reader to linger. Sonnenblick's language is witty and smart, and it invites the reader along for a fun ride. As I got deeper into both books, however, I am struck by how similar they are.

In each book, the narrator's life is changed by the plight of a little boy in their life. Sophie undergoes these changes in a road trip to two foreign countries while Steven stays right where he is: going to school and playing the drums. But when they describe their reactions and thoughts, they show equal perception and vulnerability. Both books include tender moments that startled and moved me.

This just goes to show that there are many ways to get into a reader's heart.