Book Review: Blank Confession by Pete Hautman

Shayne Blank, sixteen, walks into a police station and confesses to Detective George Rawls that he's just killed someone. So begins Blank Confession, a fast-moving story of bullying, revenge, and how Mikey Martin, the shortest kid in his class, learns how to stand up for himself.

The story alternates between Rawls and Mikey, each of them giving their impressions of the mysterious loner Shayne. After coming to town, Shayne almost immediately clashes with the town bully and drug dealer, Jon Brande. The stakes keep going up throughout the book. Shayne does everything he can to resolve the situation peacefully, but as we find out, he can defend himself very well when things turn violent.

The action scenes in this book are well written. They have an almost cinematic feel to them -- which is no wonder, since the story is clearly based on a famous Western from 1953 starring Alan Ladd.

The book is only 170 pages, but it packs a lot between the covers. It gave me one very entertaining afternoon of reading.

Kifflie

Reminder: Snowboarding Program this Monday

A reminder that Dennis Siegrist from TWEAKboarding will be here Monday night, February 28, at 7:00 PM in our meeting room to do a presentation on snowboarding. The program is free.

Book Review: Annexed by Sharon Dogar

Anne Frank's diary of her experiences hiding from the Nazis became world-famous after her death. In Annexed, Sharon Dogar explores the story from the perspective of Peter van Pels, the teenage boy who shared living quarters with Anne for more than two years. It's a moving account that alternates between Peter's experiences in hiding and his final desperate hours in a concentration camp.

Unlike Anne, Peter did not leave behind any writings, so Dogar has tried to fill in the gaps for him. Compared to Anne, he comes across as more insecure and less in command of his feelings for most of the book. As he suffers in the camps, his memories of Anne do help sustain him for a remarkably long time, and his voice becomes stronger near the end of his story.

This is not an easy book to read, but it is powerful stuff.

-- Kifflie

Chess Tournament this Saturday

Test your chess skills! Ben Corcoran, our Chess Club instructor, will be conducting a tournament in the Library Meeting Room this Saturday, February 12. On-site registration will start at 9:30 AM, and play is scheduled to begin at 11:00. Depending on the number of players, we are hoping to run four rounds of chess. Prizes (chess books and chess T-shirts) will be awarded to the best players. If you have any questions about this event or want to pre-register, call Kifflie at 532-8910.

Teen Writers Meeting

The Teen Writers Group will meet this Saturday, February 12, at 2:00 PM in the Library Board Room. Snacks and beverages will be served. All teens with an interest in writing are welcome to attend. Questions? Call Kifflie at 532-8910.

Snowboarding Program Rescheduled

Due to this week's blizzard, the snowboarding program that was scheduled for Tuesday night has been moved to Monday, February 28, at 7:00 PM in the Library Meeting Room.

--Kifflie