Classic YA

My last library trip was a disappointment. Out of eight books, I only finished two. Though the jacket flap summaries may beckon, it's tough to find a quality story sometimes. That's when I'm especially glad to be a library patron instead of a shopper.

In the wake of my shelf-browsing strike-out, I decided to pick up the sequel to a classic. Robert Cormier is a patriarch of the young adult category, and a blind spot in my reading history. I hadn't gotten around to reading The Chocolate War until last year. This week I read Beyond the Chocolate War.

While I have unfailing respect for Cormier's ability to create, build, and sustain tension in a very real, very male and adolescent way, his stories are too sinister for my taste.

Any well-crafted (or poorly crafted) book can teach about writing, though, and I'm always an eager pupil.