My Chemical Mountain - Hardcover

Vacco, Corina

3.78

210 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385742428 ISBN 13: 9780385742429

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2013

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The Outsiders meets Erin Brockovich meets Bridge to Terabithia in this high-octane drama. TIM THARP, author of The Spectacular Now, National Book Award finalist, calls My Chemical Mountain “A gritty, surprising story that confronts important personal and social issues head-on.”

Jason and his friends live for the rush of racing their dirt bikes on Chemical Mountain and swimming in orange, chunky Two Mile Creek. But they hate wealthy and powerful Mareno Chem, the company responsible for invading their territory, polluting their town, and killing Jason's father. The boys want to get even. But revenge has a price--and more than one person will pay.

Winner of the Thirtieth Annual Delacorte Press Prize for a First YA Novel

A Bankstreet Best Book of the Year

“Reminiscent of The Outsiders. . . . Dark and unflinching.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Written in the tradition of such early twentieth-century muckrakers as Upton Sinclair, Frank Norris, and Ida M. Tarbell. Angry and urgent, topical and timely."--Booklist

“From Jason’s complex teenage boy perspective, [Vacco] captures both the disheartening helplessness of the situation and the boys’ reckless resistance: ‘We cross a landfill on our way to school. We swim in creek water that smells like nail polish remover . . . We are not fools. We are brave and brilliant.’ There is power and hope in that kind of statement, and Jason’s coming-of-age tale, though dark, is full of both.” —The Horn Book Magazine

“Grim but impressive debut . . . lyrical prose and strong characters make it worth the read.” —Publishers Weekly

“A budding romance and subtle insight into Jason’s changing relationship with his friends guarantee that there’s a little something for all readers in this well-thought-out, well-executed story.” —School Library Journal

“The scenes, the attitudes, the desperation are brilliantly rendered. . . . My Chemical Mountain offers something of that punch-in-the-gut ethos of hard-boiled detectives, transferred to blue-collar youth living in a cauldron of pollution.” —The Tonawanda News

“Corina Vacco shows us real-life monsters, up close and very personal.” —ELLEN KLAGES, author of The Green Glass Sea

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From the Back Cover:

We live by the best landfill ever. I flipped my dirt bike there once. Plus I've got a sketchbook full of uranium monsters. My friend Cornpup likes to show off the bumps on his back for a dollar. And Charlie, he'll drink red creek water on a dare.

About the Author:

CORINA VACCO felt compelled to write about toxic towns after reading an article alleging that hundreds of thousands of children and teens throughout the United States attend schools built on or near dangerously polluted sites. She found the inspiration for this particular book while living in Western New York, where she heard teachers speaking out against a landfill adjacent to an elementary school. A city girl, world traveler, and activist, Corina enjoys playing guitar, listening to the blues, and exploring the great outdoors. She lives in Berkeley, CA with her husband, who is a member of the Coast Guard, and their magnificent puddle-splashing, car-loving little boy. They share their home with one slightly neurotic Italian greyhound and a growing collection of books.

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