Pet Sematary

Blog Contributor: Rhiana Boutot

In Stephen King's Pet Sematary, Louis Creed and his family are expecting to live out a quiet life when they move to Ludlow, Maine. Though, that is definitely not what they get upon arriving in the rural town. For one thing, there is a cemetery full of dead pets in the woods behind the family's beautiful new home. And wasn't that cat dead, only a week ago? Ludlow seems to be full of unspoken mysteries, many of which have a dangerous air surrounding them. 

Of course, Pet Sematary is a horror novel. While the book may not have traditional horror aspects (i.e. vampires, ghosts and ghouls, "jumpscares", etc.), this book is still terrifying. The book - like all King novels - messes with your mind. The realistic characters makes it easy for readers to imagine themselves in these otherwise outlandish scenarios. For example, the way Louis is written allows the reader to envision themselves doing everything he does. I don't know about you, but I find that alarming - especially when you know what happens at the end of the book.

However, even if the book is more psychologically scary, that doesn't undermine just how frightening bringing back the dead is. Particularly because of how the dead act after they are resurrected. They don't seem quite... human anymore. Also, the lore surrounding the burial grounds and the entire process of resurrection is chilling. It seems like there is something supernatural occurring, and that in itself is enough to make Pet Sematary King's scariest novel.

Although the book might surround the literal horrors of resurrections and the tales of ancient burial grounds, what interested me more was how King portrayed the different ways each character dealt with the loss of someone close to them. Such as how Louis was irrational and didn't think of the consequences of his actions (though, of course, that could just be the burial ground's strange powers). Some characters completely shut down when it came to death (Louis' daughter and wife, Ellie and Rachel), and some saw death as a completely natural stage of life (Jud Crandall). The diverse ways each character grieves makes it easy for readers to find a character they can relate to.

I would recommend Pet Sematary to people who like horror novels, and especially to anyone who isn't bothered by gore and more adult themes. I will say, some of the more explicit details did make me want to put the book down because I can't STAND blood. Yet the suspense of the book, combined with King's brilliant writing, kept me going. As mentioned above, this is definitely King's scariest work.

4 X Jason Reynolds, The Track Series

Full disclosure-  I am a HUGE Jason Reynolds fan.  And I am probably the least likely person in the world to offer you an "objective" blog about anything he writes.  Reynolds has the sensibility of Langston Hughes with language that is both lyrical and fun, and he has the distinctive rich character work that signifies some of the best new adult and YA writers publishing right now.

There are four books in the series, and after being so drawn to the bold colored covers for a long time, I pretty much devoured each book over April break, and then raved to colleagues and students (and my kids) about Reynolds, about the Track series, and other books that I have already blogged about and may blog about in the future.  Each book has its own main character, hence the four titles in the series, and they all run for the same coach.  If you have ever been on a team or in any club that offers you some challenge and good times away from your day to day life, you could connect with this book.  I won't tell you my favorite in this series, but honestly, they are all pretty much my favorite.

Thank you, Mr. Reynolds, for writing great characters that we feel like we already know and that we know we will always remember.  Ghost, Patina, Sunny, Lu.

  

American Street

Even though her name is Fabiola, her American friends and family begin to call the protagonist, Fabulous.  She reluctantly takes on that alias, just as she reluctantly makes her way through Detroit's west side, a far cry away from her home in Haiti. 

The reader meets Fabiola on her trip to see family in America, and her mother is detained by U.S. Immigration in New Jersey.  Assured that her family in Detroit are "taking care of things," Fabiola finds herself fully engaged in life as an American teen, a life complicated by her well known cousins, the so called Three Bees.  Her reaction to this unexpected immersion is genuine, and her character is relatable.  Ibi Zoboi also takes a chapter here and there to offer the perspective of the other characters in the novel, making the lives of those that live on the corner of American and Joy all the more relevant to the reader.  

What exactly does it mean to be labeled a resident alien?  If you are curious, read American Street  and Fabiola's story.

Hey Kiddo

Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka brings the reader into the perspective of a younger Jarrett working through his childhood.  Jarrett mostly lives with his grandparents as his mother battles addiction.

The images Jarrett creates on the page reflect his coming of age and the whirlwind of emotional experiences he has in his reality.  The reader sees these experiences through the memories of Jarrett, both the collective family memories before he was actually born and the memories that he actually has as a younger child as well a young adult.  Along with the challenges Jarrett faces due to his circumstances, the reader can also connect to his more universal experiences that are just part of growing up. 

As this year's One Book, One Region selection, you should have no problem finding this great read on shelf at all of our libraries.  Jarrett Krosoczka visits Fitch students on September 18.