I'm happy to report that reading for this year remains on track, although I've got a couple sizable tomes (aka "thickies") in progress this month. February wrapped up with an easy read, Carlos Is Gonna Get It, a young adult book by fellow Colby album Kevin Emerson. It's always interesting to see what kind of writers the Colby English department is pumping out, and Emerson is one of the most prolific. In fact, I didn't want to get committed to a series like Oliver Nocturne (and a couple others he has written), so this proved to be an ideal choice.The book ultimately carried a good message of being understanding to others, even if they drive you completely crazy. Obviously Carlos is not being controlled by aliens, but what's his deal? The characters were well developed, with each of the main characters wrestling with their own personal issues (injuries, changing schools, cliques) in addition to the whole matter of what to do about Carlos. The descriptions of various parts of greater Boston and the New Hampshire wilderness were well-written. The Tubs were a nice touch, and supposedly they exist (I'll be sure to check next time I'm in New England).
My main reservation, which has been echoed by others is that the subject matter and the writing style sometimes diverge. Generally books featuring seventh graders target upper-elementary readers who are getting out of serialized chapter books and into stand-alone works. This is because children's lit tends to look forward, so protagonists are often slightly older than the intended audience. However the writing style tended to learn toward young adult, but I'm not sure how interested YA readers would be in these characters, as they are quite juvenile. I know that when I was in high school I would have viewed the characters as petty brats. Therefore it is probably better classed as a children's book, but for those mature enough to handle a little salty language.
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