My Friend Dahmer

Summary:  This graphic novel looks at the notorious serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer from the eyes of a high school friend, Derf Backderf.  The author went to high school with Dahmer, shared rides with Dahmer, went to his house several times and Dahmer was even his friend group’s so-called mascot.  Derf shares what he remembers and the relationship he had with Dahmer.  Dahmer was always that weird kid you find in almost every high school.  Dahmer would role-play these fake episodes of someone having cerebral palsy, making fun of the family’s decorator. His “friends” would like but he never fit in.  Backderf and his friends became interested in Dahmer and his quirkiness, and included him in their group at school, as their mascot.  They would all laugh at his strange antics and then go off on their own and Dahmer would go home. They rarely hung with him outside of school, because of his creepiness.  Derf explains his discovery of Dahmer’s fascination with dead animals, his strange behavior and other demented sexual fantasies.   The book doesn’t go into his crimes and makes you feel pity for him.  Our curiosity about what makes a human being commit such heinous crimes is what makes you want to read this book.   

Backderf, D. (2012). My friend Dahmer: A graphic novel. New York: Abrams.

Commentary:  This book is an autobiographical graphic novel written from a high school friend of Dahmer's point of view. The images make this graphic novel out to be what it really is...creepy.  Backderf's information continues to fill you with curiosity about what makes a person want to do these things. The author is sort of matter of fact, not necessary "making fun" of Dahmer but not really "helping" him either.  This is the kind of stuff that fills my mind with nightmares that I can't shake, escpecially after reviewing some of the actually interview footage of Dahmer.

Connections:  I would consider this book an Nonfiction Autobiography in graphic novel format.  It is filled with the author's memories from being in high school with one of the world's most notorious serial killers.  The author said he tried his best to remember his 16 year old self in this book and tell it from that perspective.  For instance, his 16 year old sense of humor now about when they were making from of Dahmer acting like he was having a seizure was funny as a 16 year but not as an adult.  It's just so baffling on paper how this person turned out to be this grisly and inhuman given his seemingly textbook childhood.

Derf Backderf's webpage

Link to interview with author, Derf Backderf about the book and movie, My Friend Dahmer.

Book Trailer

Last interview with the real Jeffrey Dahmer

Movie Trailer for the movie that was just released in 2017

Six of Crows

Summary:  Six of Crows is about 6 characters that come together to pull off a dangerous heist. They come from troubled backgrounds. Kaz, the leader, is the main character. Kaz is all about revenge for his brother’s death who was killed as the result of Pekka Rollins’ deception. Inej was kidnapped and sold into slavery and a brothel. Nina was taken prisoner and now lives as a refugee. Jesper is buried in gambling debt. Wylan comes from a privileged background but was disowned by his father because he cannot read. Matthias spent a year in prisoner after escaping harsh military training. These teens know how to survive the ugly and unforgiving world known at Ketterdam. The outcasts are brought together by Kaz in an attempt to pull off an impossible heist of rescuing a valuable prisoner from a high-security prison. It’s an offer they can’t pass up. The unlikely cohorts head off on this dangerous journey. Their trust and allegiance is tested at every turn.  The ending leaves you with enough (too many actually) loose ends that you will need to read the rest of the books to find out what happens.

Bardugo, L. (2015). Six of crows. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Commentary:  This book is action packed and surprising with a lovely magical element.  I like that the magic has rules to follow.  You really bond with each of the characters and their backstory.  You begin to bond with them as the story progresses and feel for them.  Teens can definitely see themselves in this book because it has every race, sexual orientation, relationship you might be able to imagine. You worry they might kill each other but they begin to bond as the story progresses.

Connections:  I would consider this book a Fantasy Fiction novel that is filled with a world that most teenagers can relate to in one way or another, the runaway, the tough guy, lost girl, etc.  I also loved getting to know the author through all of her video interviews.  Some of the books that we have read, you can rarely find a video interview but Leigh is not shy around a camera and is very personable and willing to give an interview.

Leigh Bardugo's webpage

Author's book talk about Six of Crows

Video interview with the author about book one of the trilogy, Six of Crows.

Video interview with the author about second book in the series.

Book Trailer

Invisible

Summary:  Invisible is a book about Doug Hanson, a 17-year-old boy that only cares about two things, his train and his best friend, Andy. Doug has some quirky behaviors like stalking and pranking that make him stand out as a creeper while Andy is a football star. Doug appears psychologically unstable, but he believes he is fine.  It’s everyone else that has a problem. Doug is picked on, stalks his crush, and refuses to acknowledge an incident that happened at the Tuttle place.  He sees a therapist and is medicated and skips out on both his sessions and taking his medication. Doug is kicked out of school after making a bomb threat and reveals that he’s no longer taking his medication. While speaking with a psychiatrist, Doug recounts the moment when he and Andy started a fire in an abandoned house, which ended up taking the life of Andy. However, Doug still believes Andy is with him, and doesn't realize it is only in his head. Afterwards, Doug sets fire to his train and the town of Madham, and his basement burns down. Doug then claims to be in the Madham burn unit, with Andy by his side, but we are left unsure whether Doug is alive or in a mental institution.

Hautman, P. (2005). Invisible. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Commentary:  The strengths of this book are that it brings to light mental illness issues and inner demons that some teenagers may be struggling with, either themselves, friends or family members.  Although this book was surprising, suspenseful and disturbing all at the same time, I think that some teenagers will be able to see themselves in either Doug or Andy and perhaps be able to help themselves or others. 

Connections:  I would consider this book a Realistic Fiction novel with references to mental illness and the issues that come from that, although we never do find out exactly what mental illness effects Doug. We also never really know if his reality is reality or what really happens to him at the end of the story. Hautman also has a new book coming out on September 12th called Slider.  

Pete Hautman's webpage.

Pete Hautman's BlogSpot

Video with the author with his dogs, one bullies the other.  He is very passionate about bringing awareness to the bullying issue because he was bullied as a kid.

Book Trailer

Speak

Summary:  Melinda Sordino (which in Italian means mute) ruined a party by calling the cops the summer before freshman year. Now she is the outcast of all outcasts.  She should have called. She was raped by a senior, Andy Evans, but no one knows. Now her old friends won’t talk to her. Kids at school she doesn’t even know hate her. She is not able to tell anyone about it.  She gets depressed and loses her ability to speak with ease.  She can express only her inner pain and struggle through skipping class and physical acts, such as biting and cutting herself.  The only place she feels safe is alone, inside her own head, but even that’s not safe. She needs to speak the truth. Her only friend Heather, is a new girl and is the total opposite of Melinda. Heather does not accept her high school clique as an outcast and does her best to be popular. Heather is self-centered and unable to see that she is using Melinda to avoid facing the fact that they both can be better people and better friends. Melinda continues struggles through her freshman school year contemplating thoughts of suicide. She is continually harassed by the boy who violated her. Her art teacher helps her to find herself again. She starts to put her life back together, and finds an inner strength she never knew she had…to speak.

Anderson, L. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Commentary:  This book is brutally honest and open about a particularly difficult situation. It is real and something that teenagers will be able to see themselves in from all the cliques to the one teacher who cares about you.  Melinda grew so much from the beginning of this book to the end, truly finding her voice.  

Connections:  I would consider this book a Realistic Fiction novel that addresses a tough topic, teenage rape and the issues that a person has in dealing with the emotional scars that leaves.    

Laurie Halse Anderson's webpage.

Video interview with the author about Speak.

Book Trailer

The author has a section on her webpage dedicated to Teachers who may be teaching  lesson with her books.  It's a great resource.  Here's a link to the Speak Teacher page.

This is a link to the Lifetime movie created based on the novel Speak.