Nightschool by Svetlana Chmakova

Nightschool by Svetlana Chmakova
Vol. 1-Vol. 3
(Publisher Page) (Author Page)

Summaries from Yen Press.

Series Synopsis:

Nightschool answers the age-old question—Where do demons get their diplomas? Schools may close for the night and the lights may be off, but class is still in session. At the Nightschool, werewolves, vampires, and witches gather to learn everything from spell casting to calculus. Alex, a young weirn (a particular kind of witch) has always been homeschooled, but dark forces seem to be drawing her closer to the Nightschool and the mysteries within.
Vol. 1 Summary:

Schools may lock up for the night, but class is in session for an entirely different set of students. In the Nightschool, vampires, werewolves, and weirns (a particular breed of witches) learn the fundamentals of everything from calculus to spell casting. Alex is a young weirn whose education has always been handled through homeschooling, but circumstances seem to be drawing her closer to the Nightschool. Will Alex manage to weather the dark forces gathering?

Svetlana Chmakova is an OEL (Original English Language) manga creator that I have been aware of and reading since she started publishing her comics online through Wirepop and Girlamatic. I loved both Chasing Rainbows, a story about a girl whose future is foretold, and Nightsilver, a story about a young witch. Unfortunately both stories have been on hiatus for years now since Svet had to turn her attention to publishing her first professional manga series, Dramacon.

Once Dramacon ended a new series, Nightschool, began. I was highly interested in Nightschool not only because I've loved all of Svet's work thus far, but also because the series wouldn't have an end in sight. Dramacon was only signed on for three volumes, and Nightschool, so far, seems to be a much longer running series. I've bought and read all three volumes out now and have loved each volume. I think Nightschool is a very promising series.

Alex, the main character, is a home-schooled, but gifted, young witch who lives with her older sister, Sarah. Something awful happened in Alex's past which only re-enforces her self imposed isolation, but isn't and hasn't been revealed. Whatever it was it's left a mark on Alex. Sarah is always teasing and pushing Alex to move outside her comfort zone. When Sarah goes missing Alex willingly and quickly investigates the night school Sarah worked at as the Night Keeper to find out why. A parallel story involves a group called the Hunters who protect humans and enforce a treaty between Night Things and the Hunters keeping humans blissfully unaware of vampires, weres, and weirns.

The story is slow going which is one reason why I've held off on writing a review on Nightschool for three volumes. I wanted to see where the story would be taken, and it's taken about three volumes to establish what kind of magna this series would be. While Nightschool's storyline was slow going it wasn't boring at all. On the contrary I've loved turning every page and reading every part of Nightschool, especially the authors notes at the end of each book!

The story is slow going because there are several storylines; Alex looking for Sarah, Alex's amazing and mysterious powers that surpass her age, and the Hunters who are investigating her powers although neither she nor they realize it yet. Without going into too much spoiler-y detail all the storylines keep you guessing as to what will happen next. Each volume adds more and more layers to the characters and world making Nightschool one fun and intriguing read. All of the characters have their funny moments, their serious moments, and their WTH? moments. Svet has found ways to not only keep you guessing, but love the characters and become invested in them. It's an amazing ability that makes Svet a very talented and complex story teller.

The artwork, again, is gorgeous. Having read Svet's works for years now I have seen the molding of her artistic style. I am amazed at the uniqueness of Svet's character designs and background settings. My favorite character design so far? The librarian, of course! Vol. 3 was just released in April, and was the best volume yet in all of these respects. I can't wait to see what happens next. Keep it up Svet!

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga
Paperback Edition
(Author Website) (Author Book Page)

Five years ago Josh’s life changed. Drastically. And everyone in his school, his town—seems like the world—thinks they understand.
But they don’t—they can’t.
And now, about to graduate from high school, Josh is still trying to sort through the pieces. First there’s Rachel, the girl he thought he’d lost years ago. She’s back, and she’s determined to be part of his life, whether he wants her there or not.
Then there are college decisions to make, and the toughest baseball game of his life coming up, and a coach who won't stop pushing Josh all the way to the brink.
And then there’s Eve. Her return brings with it all the memories of Josh’s past. It’s time for Josh to face the truth about what happened.
If only he knew what the truth was . . .

I just have to say bravo to Bookish Blather for recommended this book to me after my review of Prey by Lurlene McDaniel went up. The areas in which I was disappointed in McDaniel's story were answered with Lyga's take on inappropriate student-teacher relationships. The best part of this story was how it was told, and who told it. In Boy Toy Josh is the sole narrator. This works to the novels strength allowing you know, understand, and be in Josh's head.

Before I go on I'd like to point why I read this book, and why I was so intrigued by the story line. Yes, it is a ripped-from-the-headlines tale, but it also a form of abuse many people don't see as abuse. When an adult male sleeps with his adolescent female student everyone is ready to call it abuse. When an adult female sleeps with her adolescent male student most people write it off with the idea that he's "a boy" and this somehow negates the abuse. This kind of thinking is flawed. Abuse is abuse no matter who it happens to. This is why I wanted to read this book. I wanted to see how this form of abuse was handled in fictional form. I wanted to know where a male author would take the subject matter.

That being said not only does Josh take on a similar mind set towards his abuse, but so do others in school and around him. Josh doesn't understand why everyone treats him differently. In many parts of the book Josh thinks "I got laid on regular basis, and that wins me sympathy?" It's clear that even with therapy and years between him and Eve Josh still doesn't understand what was so wrong with his relationship with her.

Then there is Rachel and her insisting on being a part of his life. It was very interesting to see how Josh's words always seemed to conflict with his emotional and physical responses to a relationship with a girl his own age. How their relationship evolves throughout the book shows so much about the consequences of a sexual relationship between a 12 year old student and his 25 year old female teacher.

In all I was very impressed by this book and how Lyga handled the very real situation of a female sexual predator and the stereotypical ideas behind it. He explored how that kind of relationship effected not only the victim, but his friends and family as well as the abusers own family. It is not a simple situation. It is complex and harmful, and this book handled the subject matter respectfully.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

(Author) (wg.com)

Eighteen-year-old Lia is dealing with the death of her best friend Cassie. She's living with her father, stepmother and stepsister while trying to finish her last year of high school. Things wouldn't be so bad if she could just loose ten pounds. Then maybe ten more. No matter how skinny Lia gets it won't change how she sees herself in the mirror. Lia has anorexia, and sadly her best friend Cassie dealt with bulimia. Both are eating disorders that cause the girls to become dangerously thin among other physically and mentally harmful consequences. Lia can't help the way she feels about her body, and she feels that no one can understand her. When Cassie dies Lia has to take a good long look at her life, her family, and her body issues before they end up killing her.

I have to say I'm always impressed with the way Anderson creates such vivid voices for her characters. Lia is not a cookie cutter teen girl who happens to have issues about her weight. Lia is dealing with real psychological problems which manifest in the form of her weight. She doesn't understand why no one else can see what she sees, whether its her weight or Cassie's ghost, and she knows that if anyone did know they'd send her to "the nut house". So everything Lia feels and thinks stays with Lia. This causes frustration and anger with her family, especially her Neurosurgeon mother, who just wants Lia to eat.

I'm late again, and dreaming halfway out the door (99.00! 99.00! 99.00! Tomorrow will be 98.00!) when the red blinking light catches me. The answering machine. Not my problem. Jennifer will get it when she comes home.

But what if it is Jennifer, asking me to pick up Emma after school again? Or my dad, needing some important papers he forgot. Or Cassie---

Well, no. Not Cassie. (pg. 53)

The real strength of this novel is in the way Anderson depicts the repercussions that occur when someone is anorexic. Anorexia doesn't just hurt the person with it. Anorexia hurts everyone that loves that person. It causes tension in Lia's fathers second marriage, it causes her younger sister to deal with what Lia is experiencing and doing to herself, and it pushes her mother to sheer anger at the fact that her daughter is slowly starving herself to death. What anorexia and bulimia do, physically, to the body is also addressed and all of these elements give a real-life understanding to it.

I applaud Anderson for writing a book and dedicating it to all the readers that have contacted her over the years who deal with problems concerning their body weight and/or cutting. I would highly recommend this book to YA readers. I'm sure it will touch more men and women of all ages then I could possibly know.