Amiri & Odette: The New with the Old

Amiri & Odette: A Love Story by Walter Dean Myers,
with paintings by Javaka Steptoe

Why did I read it?

My sister grabbed this book from the library, and when she finished reading it, I couldn't resist the uniqueness of the cover and idea behind the adaptation.

What happened?

Amiri is the prince of the basketball courts in the Swan Lake Projects. While he appears to own and conquer all he sees and all who challenge him, his mother worries. She understands the violence and danger of his urban life, and wants him to settle down.

Later that night, his mother's desires become his desires, as he meets the girl of his dreams. But a dangerous curse separates their new found love as Odette is promised to Big Red. While Odette believes herself irrevocably chained, Amiri believes their love is stronger than any other tie.

But, defeating Big Red and holding onto the love that they have found will be even more difficult and dangerous than either can imagine.

What did I like or not like?

As Myers puts out in his introduction, the story of Swan Lake has been told in Celtic, Russian, Slavic, and Arabian folklore, and is best known for the Tchaikovsky ballet version of the tale. But Myers felt it appropriate to tell the tale again as he believed modern dangers in young people's lives today are similar to the magic spells of folklore.

Myers sets his retelling of the classic tale in a housing project, relates the action in verse form, and has his words accompanied by collage-on-cinder-block paintings by Javaka Steptoe.

I thought the combination of urban poem and paintings was a new and interesting way to portray the timeless themes and story of Swan Lake.

Am I Next?

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

Why did I read it?

I always find myself interested as to why I open my Book Blurts with this question. Often times I think someone might read a book because of some of the reasons that I read a book, but I can never be sure if this question is helpful or boring. What do you think?

If it were to be helpful it might be because it mentions stuff like this book winning the 1989 Coretta Scott King Award for outstanding African-American contributions to children and young adult literature.

What happened?

Richie Perry just graduated from high school at seventeen, and is now sitting on a plane bound for Vietnam. Even though he wasn't for or against the war in Vietnam, he didn't think he had any better options at home. But, nothing could have prepared Perry for what he was in for. Whether its convincing locals that American are the "good guys" or surviving a Viet Cong attack, Perry begins to realize that he will never be the same after his time "in country." 

What did I like or not like?

Even though this isn't an easy read, I do think it is an important read. As someone who has never been in war, I think its easy to forget what men and women have done for our country. This book, and others like it, give us a glimpse into a terrible situation that we can only imagine without them.

In addition to a very realistic look at being a soldier during the Vietnam War, this book also deals with racism, death, killing, reasons or the lack thereof for fighting in war, and camaraderie between "brothers in arms."

Another interesting thing I found is that the author joined the army at seventeen just like Perry.

P.S. This book contains cussing, crude jokes and discussions, and some graphic violence. But, being a novel on war, I don't think it would be very realistic if it didn't include these things.