Halliday, John. Shooting Monarchs. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003.
Annotation: Macy committed crimes because prison was the only place that felt like his home. After a bad storm, a detour takes him through the quiet town of Shiloh, a place that has never seen someone like him. It doesn't take long for him to make a stir: one resident becomes a hero, while the visitor becomes a serial killer.
Justification for Nomination: John Halliday embodies literary excellence in his first novel Shooting Monarchs. The entire novel comes from a third person perspective, but the author describes the characters so well, that you feel that you know them on a personal level. Halliday makes it easy for you to feel what the characters are feeling, making the book a quick and easy read, because it keeps you hanging on in anticipation. This genre of writing has a darker side than what I was expecting. It shows that humans can be dark and edgy, but according to this book, there is a reason for this action, and if things were different, the outcomes would be different. Although it seems pessimistic, I think in the end the genre is optimistic, because it has a moral to the story to make a difference for someone else. Even the "bad guy" earns a soft spot from the reader; if only things were different for him, he wouldn't be this way and his life would be different in some way. The characters are relatable to young adults because they are young adults themselves. They are dealing with issues that are endured by every teen: falling in love, loving someone who doesn't love you back, getting a first job, prom, being teased, going to high school and most importantly becoming a hero.
I recommend this book because it shows there is good and bad in everyone, but it's important to have someone show you there is a different way. All teens need a little guidance, even when they don't accept it. This book has underlying morals that are important for all people to read and know.
Genre Category: Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Realistic/Edgy
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