Title: Vibes Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
ISBN: 9780618995301 Pages: 249
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 2008
Readers Annotation:
Even though Kristi's psychic abilities allow her to hear what people are thinking, she realizes that she still rarely gets to see the full picture.
Even though Kristi's psychic abilities allow her to hear what people are thinking, she realizes that she still rarely gets to see the full picture.
Author Information:
Amy Kathleen Ryan attended The University of Wyoming, where she studied anthropology and Spanish. She is also a graduate of The New School, where she received her MFA. Amy is a young adult writer, with three novels credited to her name. Vibes, which is Ryan's second novel, took her four months to write. Her latest novel Glow is set to come out in September of 2011.
Amy was born in Jackson, Wyoming. Her hobbies include walking her dog and cooking, and she loves to read books and magazines. Amy currently lives in Colorado with her family.
http://www.amykathleenryan.com/amy.php
Plot Summary:
Kristi first realized she was a psychic when she was in junior high. Kristi and her best friend Hilde Petersen used to play a game where Kristi would guess what Hilde was thinking. However, Kristi's abilities became a burden soon after, when she was the first to know that her father was unhappy and would be leaving her mother to live in Africa. By the time the girls reached high school, they were no longer friends, and Kristi became bitter as a result of feeling abandoned. Her relationship with her mother also became strained, as Kristi blamed her mother for her father's leaving.
Kristi first realized she was a psychic when she was in junior high. Kristi and her best friend Hilde Petersen used to play a game where Kristi would guess what Hilde was thinking. However, Kristi's abilities became a burden soon after, when she was the first to know that her father was unhappy and would be leaving her mother to live in Africa. By the time the girls reached high school, they were no longer friends, and Kristi became bitter as a result of feeling abandoned. Her relationship with her mother also became strained, as Kristi blamed her mother for her father's leaving.
When Kristi is grouped with Gusty Petersen for a school project, she figured her life couldn't get any worse. It didn't help that Gusty was the most handsome boy on campus, and she used to have a crush on him. All Kristi could pick up from her psychic observations of Gusty is that he thinks that she's 'sick'. However, things begin to change when Kristi and Gusty start working together, and Kristi begins to realize that although she can read people's minds, she may not really understand the whole story.
Critical Evaluation:
This realistic fiction piece, set in the present day, addresses the unique abilities of psychics. The author expertly conveys the thoughts of the main character through first person narrative. Therefore, the reader is given a unique insight into Kristi's adolescent difficulties. Kristi deals with the separation of her parents, a workaholic mother, and the idea that she is unattractive and strange. Adolescents will especially connect to her struggles as an unusual teenager. The characterization of the various personalities in the story are cleverly portrayed via Kristi's thoughts. At times, the narrative is written in italics in order to inform the reader of the main character's psychic moments. The writer utilizes excellent sensory images and descriptive prose, giving the reader a complete picture of the situation at hand. Despite the many subplots, the book concludes with a satisfying resolution, tying all the story lines together seamlessly.
This realistic fiction piece, set in the present day, addresses the unique abilities of psychics. The author expertly conveys the thoughts of the main character through first person narrative. Therefore, the reader is given a unique insight into Kristi's adolescent difficulties. Kristi deals with the separation of her parents, a workaholic mother, and the idea that she is unattractive and strange. Adolescents will especially connect to her struggles as an unusual teenager. The characterization of the various personalities in the story are cleverly portrayed via Kristi's thoughts. At times, the narrative is written in italics in order to inform the reader of the main character's psychic moments. The writer utilizes excellent sensory images and descriptive prose, giving the reader a complete picture of the situation at hand. Despite the many subplots, the book concludes with a satisfying resolution, tying all the story lines together seamlessly.
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Coming-of-age
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Booktalking Ideas:
1. Kristi was born with psychic talents which she discovered in middle school. Do you have a talent that you only realized later in life?
2. Kristi's father left her and her mother for another woman. Do you know any parent who has abandoned their family to live with someone else?
1. Kristi was born with psychic talents which she discovered in middle school. Do you have a talent that you only realized later in life?
2. Kristi's father left her and her mother for another woman. Do you know any parent who has abandoned their family to live with someone else?
Reading Level/Interest Age: 15+
Challenge Issue: Foul language
- Many teens use foul language, and therefore removing a book for that reason alone is not justifiable
- There are many great talking points for adolescents due to the realistic nature of the relationships in the book
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy
- Many teens use foul language, and therefore removing a book for that reason alone is not justifiable
- There are many great talking points for adolescents due to the realistic nature of the relationships in the book
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy
Why I chose this item: I found this book in the young adult section of my local library and thought that the plot would be a great contribution to my realistic fiction genre.
Vibes book trailer
Vibes book trailer
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