Wendelin Van Draanen.
I've been reading Wendelin Van Draanen's books since I was 10 years old. I've read almost everything in her cannon and I don't know too many other people who've read her books so get ready for a fan girl gush.
Wendelin Van Draanen generally writes middle grade and YA contemporary, both series and standalone books. Because she's written so many books I wanted to highlight some of my favorites out of her impressive body of work.
The Sammy Keyes series
For me, this was the series that started it all. I picked up Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief back in 2003 and I was hooked from page one. Sammy is such a bad-ass girl who always seems to find herself in the middle of some mystery, whether it be through her own curiosity, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or just through her maybe not-so-smart decisions. This 18-book series spans Sammy's journey through junior high, starting at the beginning of seventh grade and wrapping up at the end of eighth grade. My favorite part about the series is that you really get to see her grow as a person throughout this time period. The series never drags, which could happen so easily in such a long series. Don't let this turn you off if you're older though. I truly think that this series can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Books 1-15 can kind of be read as standalones but I highly recommend reading them in order.
Runaway
While Runaway could be read as a standalone book, it is actually the story about one of the side characters in the Sammy Keyes series. Our main character Holly has been shuffled around the foster system. She gets fed up with her current family who is only in it for the money and decides to run away in hopes of finding a better life. The kicker -- she is only twelve years old. Holly's journey is harrowing and Wendelin doesn't shy away from the tough moments. That's one thing I love about Wendelin -- she never talks down to her audience and that's something I especially appreciated as a teen.
Wild Bird
Wild Bird is Wendelin's newest book, published in September of 2017 and I was lucky enough to be sent an ARC of the book last summer. I read it right away because if I hear Wendelin's coming out with a new book I have to pick it up ASAP. Wild Bird tells the story Wren Clemens, an angry and bitter 15 year old who's parents have decided that they can no longer help their daughter on their own, so they send her to a wilderness therapy camp. No, this isn't a story about terrible parents. Wendelin really emphasizes the nuances of a parent-teen relationship and that situations are rarely black and white. Wren doesn't know how to ask for the help that deep down she realizes she needs and it may take some scary nights out in the wilderness of Utah for her to find her way back. I teared up throughout the book and immediately gave it to my 14 year old cousin because Wendelin writes the teen experience so well, I wanted my cousin to read a story she could relate to.
Flipped
Looking for something a little less gritty? Then, Flipped is for you. This is the story of Julie Baker and Bruce Loski, life long neighbors that find themselves crushing on each other, but never at the same time. Told in a dual perspective narration, you get to see both sides of the story in this comic an poignant middle school romance. Wendelin captures what it's like to have a crush in middle school, when you're still trying to figure out who you are as a person. I loved reading both points of view and I found myself cheering for Bryce and Julie but not always both of them at the same time.
Well, there you go. I know I've talked about Wendlin Van Draanen's books throughout social media for what seems like forever but I never got a chance to write about her books in a formal blog post. I hope I've inspired to pick up one of her books, and if you do, be sure to let me know down in the comments. I'm always down to fan girl over her books!
Happy reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment