Permanence : Tattoo Portraits by Kip Fulbeck
Permanence is a pictorial compilation of tattoos on real-life people paired with explanations, stories, and justifications written in the individual’s own words and handwriting. Some people get tattoos for a reason, others “just because”; some people have tattoos that mark a specific time, person, or circumstance, others are random. None are forgettable. Kip Fulbeck, an artist with a love for ink, has put together the images and stories of many people – from college student to celebrity – showing how tattoos represent our culture. Rather than giving the reader a full history of how and when people began putting and accepting ink into their bodies, or discussing how tattoos went from underground to mainstream, or questioning (or defending) tattooing as an art form, Fulbeck instead simply allows individuals to express what their tattoos mean – or don’t mean – to them, including interviews with individuals like tattoo artist Kat Von D. The purpose of this book is not to encourage or discourage tattooing, and the adults interviewed do not necessarily censor their words. Permanence is an open forum that allows readers – those with tattoos and without, those thinking about getting one, and those who never will – a glimpse into a cross-section of the tattoo culture.
Recommended to high school readers and adults with an interest in tattoos and art and the cultural relevance of both.
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
Terra Cooper has long blond hair and a killer body, but all too often people can’t see beyond the port-wine stain covering her left cheek. No matter what she and her mother have tried in order to cover, lighten, or get rid of the birthmark, it looks like it’s there to stay. Her dad is adamant that the family is no longer allowed to waste any more money on Terra’s face; her mom, always well-meaning, thinks Terra “will be so beautiful” if only one of the treatments will work; her boyfriend Erik just wonders “why not fix your face?”; and her best friend Karin seems to be secure in the fact that she’s the prettier one. It is only when Terra meets Jacob, with the cleft lip and the complicated childhood, that she begins to learn to feel comfortable in her own skin.
This is a beautiful story that follows not only Terra and Jacob as they persevere to find where their paths in the world are, but also their families, as they all struggle to recognize the relationships that matter the most and the things that are truly important in life. With interesting conversations about maps, travel, and history, this story has broad appeal, especially those who loved John Green’s Paper Towns. Recommended to all readers.
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
One relatively minor accident changes her in ways she never could have imagined. With one random incident, her life has turned upside-down forever. Seventeen-year-old Naomi fell trying to save the yearbook staff’s precious camera, hit her head on the school steps, gets taken to the hospital, and now can’t remember anything following the time when she was in sixth grade. She doesn’t remember her parents’ divorce or her mom’s new daughter, or her best friend Will, or her boyfriend Ace, or her love for tennis, yearbook, or photography. Meanwhile, one of the things that Naomi does know about herself is that she was orphaned as an infant, and she struggles now – again – to discover her place in her family’s life, and in her own life. In her loneliness, she grows attached to James, the boy who saw her fall and went with her to the hospital under the charade of being Naomi’s boyfriend. James is tortured by his own past and unassuming of Naomi’s, unlike Will and her dad who keep expecting her to act like and be the “old” Naomi. When Naomi begins to remember, she’s more confused than ever.
While this isn’t a stand-out read, Gabrielle Zevin touches on just enough drama and angst to grab and hold onto the teen reader’s attention, without unrealistically stretching the reader’s imagination too much. This quirky read is recommended for high school readers with an interest in fiction. Boys and girls alike will enjoy the fully developed characters of Will and Naomi.
Katherine Vasilik, Teen Librarian
Franklin Lakes (NJ) Public Library
tel: 201-891-2224 x105
fax: 201-891-5102
email: vasilik@bccls.org or kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com
blog: http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com