Poison Ivy by Amy Goldman Koss

Poison Ivy
Amy Goldman Koss

OVERVIEW
Ms. Gold is dying for her third period Government class to have a mock trial. Unfortunately, when she asks the students for trial-worthy suggestions, they come up blank. So, upon finding a “suicidal” note by “Poison” Ivy, a girl getting picked on in class, Ms. Gold jumps on and runs with the case. Given from eight different points of view, Poison Ivy takes the reader on the road to “Poison” Ivy’s freedom from the tormenting grip of the “Anns.”

PLOT
Everyone knows that Ivy is always getting picked on, and its due time she got a break, but apparently, that isn’t motive enough for the students of Ms. Gold’s third period to stand up to the Anns. These middle graders are still caught up in the popularity ring, therefore choosing not to cross those with power, hence Ann and her friends. Instead, they sit back, relax, and watch the trail as it unfolds, wrongfully, in favor of Ann.

CHARACTERS
The characters of Poison Ivy were all very realistic. I’m sure we all have one of each in school. Ann was just as superficial as she would have been in real life and Shannon was such a groupie. You’d think Daria would have gotten out of her box, but I think this case actually made her sink farther in. But with the help of Cameron things could be changing for her. [You go girl!] Ivy was just well, Ivy. I don’t think she really cared much about the trial. To her, it was just another form of torment. Owen, the Anns’ lawyer, was my favorite of all the characters. Although he was defending the bad guys, he did a very good job of it. If ever caught in a fix, I know who to turn to for help. Overall, I loved how Poison Ivy was written from a multiple-person POV. I don’t think it would have been enjoyable if it would have been just Ann’s or Ivy’s side of the story. The book then would have been totally bias.

OVERALL
Poison Ivy is purely an ironic tale of doing what is right and/or what is expected of you. I was definitely taken by surprise at how everything turned out, but I guess it just goes to show that life’s not fair. A total tale to reverse psychology, but a funny one at that.

Guest Author and Giveaway

This Contest is Official Closed.

Today is the first day of my Guest Author giveaway and I'm pretty pumped. But I guess we better get started. The first author is going to be the one, the only, Amy Goldman Koss!!!! You might remember her from the wonderful interview we had last month. This one, is just as great. So here's Amy sharing a few words about her HILARIOUS favorite family tradition. "Remember, she is a FICTION writer."

I wish I could report that I do some fabulously homey, fresh-from-the-oven, warm and loving tradition thing every holiday season. No, that's a lie. I have no particular admiration for those who excel at kitchen sports, unless, of course, they are serving their fresh yummy treats to ME.
But I really WOULD like to be able to say that I dress all our family pets up as holiday heroes and characters for our annual photo shoot. The turtles, (two big red sliders) would look lovely in sparkly fairy wings with halos. Chubs the hamster would make an adorable elf with tiny curly-toed green elf shoes on his itty feet.

And can't you totally picture Timmy, (my bunny rabbit) in a Santa suit, with his fuzzy nose twitching merrily? "Ho-Ho-Ho!" he would say, except that he can't really make any sound except by flinging his dish around and gnawing the bars of his cage. Actually, it's Sweetie, our lumpy old black lab, who should probably be Santa, because she's the biggest and fattest and looks so pretty in red.

No, wait! How about if they all wear tiny Mary, Joseph, Wise men costumes and stage a Nativity scene?

OR, wear little ancient toga outfits and reenact the battle of the Maccabees and subsequent miracle of lights? That would be nice! Even our goldfish would rise to the challenge and light a candle on the Hanukkah Menorah.

Actually, since we're so politically correct, we'd dress each animal to represent a different religious tradition, although I might have to commandeer a few neighborhood pets to cover Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Islam, Shintoism, Jainism, Christianity, Wicca, Rastafarianism, Buddhism,Judaism, Baha'ism, Confucianism, Sikhism, Taoism, Unitarian, Neo-Paganism, Vodoun, Atheism, Yoruba, Lukumi, Camdomble, and any others I may be forgetting.

YES! I remember now! That's totally my family holiday tradition! We load the little darlings in my festively decorated little red wagon and travel the neighborhood, singing, barking and tweeting carols and songs and chants of the world. The wagon's a bit crowded, but hey, that just adds to the jolly fun! Sweetie, wearing her Rudolph red nose and antlers, pulls the sleigh and we give everyone we visit either a dog biscuit, a wee bag of bird-seed or a pinch of turtle food.

It's a beautiful, beautiful thing. And I look forward to it all year, although the clean up afterward is a little dicey.

Happy Holidaze!

xo

Amy

So now, what's in stock for you? Amy has donated a copy of Poison Ivy for one lucky winner, all you have to do is leave a comment... oh, and tell your friends.

Extra Entries?
post about the contest and include the link in your comment--one extra entry
tell me where/who you heard about this contest from in your comment--one extra entry for you and the person