Annotation #5: Young Adult

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

by Becky Albertalli 

Release Date: April 7th, 2015

Genre

Young Adult

Appeals of the Book

• Authentic Characters

• Issue Oriented 

• Well-Written

Synopsis

Simon Spier is a normal teen who loves to be with friends, likes to be aware of all the drama happening at his school, and he has a really cool, funny family. However, he has one major secret. Simon is gay, and he’s not ashamed of it. He hasn’t told anyone yet, but he has his reasons. One day he does open up to another gay person he met online, who anonymously goes by the name of Blue. Simon feels like he can be himself when he emails Blue. But one day someone from school discovers Simon’s secret correspondences and blackmails him. Simon must do all he can to make sure his secret is not released to the world.

Characteristics That Fit Into Young Adult

• Main characters are teens and it is centered on them.
• Contemporary setting and time period. Part of the setting takes place at the main character’s high school. Modern references to video games, technology, and music.
• Teen angst situations.
• Teen lifestyle presented, such as the typical teen party with drinking is mentioned, hanging out after school, dealing with and gossiping about school drama. 
• Deals with realistic social issues such as LGTBQ relations.
• Mood ranges from humorous to dark.

Read-A-Likes

Anything Could Happen by Will Walton*

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green*

Read Me Like a Book by Liz Kessler*

At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson**

The Inside of Out by Jenn Marie Thorne**

* Recommended by NoveList

** Recommended by Kirkus Review

Annotation #4: Western

Savage Country

by Robert Olmstead

Release Date: September 26th, 2017

Genre

Western

Appeals of the Book

• Strong Characters

• Richly Detailed

• Dramatic Situations

Synopsis

Michael Coughlin returns to Kansas to attend the funeral of his brother, David. Michael’s sister-in-law, Elizabeth, wishes to go south on a major buffalo hunt her husband had planned to earn his family a fortune. Michael assists Elizabeth on this expedition, with the help of several friends and hired workers, but where they go is a savage land where you risk your life. Beware not just the animals, but the people you meet as well. Who are the real animals among them? 

Characteristics That Fit Into Western

• Setting is the Great Plains of the West in the time period between 1865 and 1900.
• Storyline involves buffalo hunting, but at the same time trying to survive in the harsh West and has a sense of resolution (Saricks 318-319)
• The hero “arrives to right wrongs” (Saricks 315). However, the hero’s motives go beyond this traditional aspect. He wants to use his skills to help family, using “strategy before guns to win arguments” (Saricks 315). Saricks explains that some main characters have a mythic aspect to them, which this main character has because he has been all around the world and has so many skills that he can do almost anything and knows almost anything. (Saricks 316-317).
• Reflections on the past, both good and bad, are present. Therefore, it has a bit of nostalgic tone, but features a dark tone at time (Saricks 320).
• Rich details of the western landscape.
• Midway between leisurely and fast-paced. Not too much action happening.

Read-A-Likes

The High Divide by Lin Enger*

The Last Crossing by Guy Vanderhaeghe*

Mudbound Hillary Jordan**

Devil's Dream by Madison Smartt Bell**

* Recommended by NoveList

* Recommended by Kirkus Review

Works Cited

Saricks, Joyce G. The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. Chicago, IL: ALA, 2009. 

Annotation #3: Science Fiction

Armada

by Ernest Cline

Release Date: July 14th, 2015

Genre

Science Fiction 

Appeals of the Book

• Likable Characters

• Action-Packed

• Very Detailed 

Synopsis
Zack Lightman is a nerdy young adult who seeks his own adventure. He is a big fan of science fiction games, books, and movies. His favorite game is Armada, an aerial combat game that features humans vs. aliens. He lives with his mother in a small town outside Portland, Oregon. His father died in a tragic accident when he was a baby. Left behind by his father was a journal claiming the United States military is working with video game and science fiction movie developers to prepare humans for an alien invasion. Sounds crazy, right? But one day while staring out his classroom window, Zack sees an alien spaceship from Armada hovering in the sky. Is this just his imagination? Or was his father right all along?


Characteristics That Fit Into Science Fiction:

• Story allows the reader to think about social and ethical issues. The main character and the rest of Earth face deeply troubling issues that are possible only because of the settings, plot, and alien characters present in the story. Because of these aspects, the reader is forced “… to think differently when considering the available possibilities” (Saricks 246). 
• Outer Space is part of the setting. 
• Wide-range of characters having different cultures, race, and sexual orientation. Aliens are also part of the character list. 
• Tone ranges from comical to dark at times. The dark tones featured forces the reader to “…reimagine situations and events in other contexts” (Saricks 249). 
• Contain a “richness of concepts and ideas” (Saricks 246). 
• Technology featured is beyond our understanding. 
• Fast-paced due to the heavy amount of action scenes. 

Read-A-Likes
Soda Pop Soldier by Nick Cole *
This Is Not A Game by Walter Jon Williams *
The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu **
After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn **

* Suggested by NoveList
** Suggested by Kirkus Review

Works Cited
Saricks, Joyce G. The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. Chicago, IL: ALA, 2009.

Annotation #2: Horror

The Grip of It

by Jac Jemc

Release Date: August 1^st, 2017

Genre

Horror

Appeals of the Book

• Fast-paced

• Eerie tone

• Flawed characters 

Synopsis

James and Julie move out of the city to try and repair their troubled marriage. They find and quickly purchase a cheap, big house that is too good to be true in a small town nearby. Despite hearing eerie sounds and witnessing strange occurrences within and around the home, they stay with hopes of starting anew. Physical, mental, and emotional ailments break down James and Julie as they try and uncover the past of the house they thought would cure all their troubles. Will people believe what they have witnessed? Do they even believe? And who is their strange elderly neighbor spying on them?

Characteristics That Fit Into Horror

• Eerie tone.
• Dark atmosphere. Both characters have tension between them, which raises the darkness throughout the book as they are further broken down by the haunted house. 
• Contains profanity.
• Setting is a haunted house.
• Supernatural elements.
• Sexual Content.
• Main characters are “…haunted, shattered individuals” (Saricks 118). The house breaks them down into madness. 
• Fast-paced due to several jolts at “…irregular, unpredictable intervals” (Saricks 119).
• Several unexplained occurrences keep the book moving, creating a “..sense of unease as we await the unexpected” (Saricks 113).
• Ending is unresolved. You are left with more questions than answers. 

Read-A-Likes

All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage *

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski *

Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson *

Little Sister Death by William Gay **

The Accidental by Ali Smith **

* Suggested by NoveList

** Suggested by Kirkus Review

Works Cited

Saricks, Joyce G. The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. Chicago, IL: ALA, 2009.