Young Adult Book Review
(scroll down for previous reviews)
(scroll down for previous reviews)
Title: In Search of Us
Author: Ava Dellaira Target Audience Recommendation: High School Rating: 4 stars Secrets almost never stay buried Summary In 1990s Los Angeles Marilyn is sinking beneath the weight of her mother’s expectations. Following some minor successes with childhood acting, her mother has been pressuring her ever since to have her career take off to support the two of them. But that’s not what Marilyn wants. Auditions increasingly fill her with anxiety. And her lack of success has forced them to move in with her belligerent uncle. Marilyn dreams of the day she can escape to college. Just one more year… And then she meets her neighbor, James. James who brings some light to her life. James who teaches her maybe she can live for herself. In present day, Angie is embarking on a road trip from her New Mexico home to Los Angeles in search of some answers. She has recently discovered her mother, Marilyn, has been lying to her about her family. All of her life she has been told that her father was dead, and her mother would provide no other background. Recently Angie has come across some information that has led her to believe that her mother hasn’t been completely honest with her. But the guilt of leaving behind a mother who dedicated her entire life to Angie after becoming a young, single mom is overwhelming. In Search of Us flashes back and forth between Angie and Marilyn’s teenage years. Both young women struggle with pleasing the mothers who love them, but also finding a way to be true to themselves. The story examines the lasting implications of abuse and dishonesty. Even lies told with the best of intentions can have a deep and enduring impact. Review In Search of Us is a wonderfully compelling novel. Alternating between the two stories of Marilyn and Angie as teenagers keeps the story moving briskly, while also providing a unique tie between the two narrators. Even though Marilyn and Angie tell their “own” stories, the two stories actually belong to them both because of their relationship. I found In Search of Us hard to put down. There are so many layers that make it an interesting read. The characters are likeable, and there is the specter of an obviously overwhelming secret hanging over these two women. I wanted to uncover the family secrets, to know the answers to Angie’s questions, and to see what would happen in the relationship between this mother and daughter. Highly recommended for all readers of realistic fiction; especially people who appreciate complex family dynamics. |
Title: Kids of Appetite
Author: David Arnold Target Audience Recommendation: High School Rating: 4 ½ stars Not everyone is born into their family Summary Vic’s life has always been unfair. Born with Moebius Syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes facial paralysis, he’s acutely aware of what it feels like to be on the outside; a feeling that only intensifies after his father’s death. And as his mother’s new relationship takes up more and more space in what was once their happy life, he reaches a breaking point. Vic leaves home and falls in with a group of young people he has often noticed around his neighborhood: Baz and Zuz, twenty-something brothers who are Congolese refugees; Mad, a teenager like Vic, who is obsessed with The Outsiders, Elliott Smith, and is the most beautiful person Vic’s ever seen; and Coco, a fiery, eleven year-old trying to recover from her excessive swearing problem. The story is told alternating between Vic’s and Mad’s points-of-view. Readers know something has happened causing Vic, Mad, and Baz to report to the local police station where Baz turns himself in for an initially unspecified crime. As the story progresses, readers gain a little more information about the present-day problem through Vic’s and Mad’s interviews with police officers; as well as the background story that leads up to real-time. As these kids aid Vic in his pursuit to resolve his grief, they bring him into their fold. And while not everything goes as planned (hence the aforementioned trip to the police station), Vic learns important lessons about what it means to belong and to be a family. Review Arnold has created a rich and compelling novel in Kids of Appetite. Beginning each chapter with either of his narrator’s (Vic or Mad) engaged in a real-time interview with a police officer creates tension. The fact that each of these interviews slowly adds more information about why Vic, Mad, and Baz are at the police station is engaging. And yet, those are not the most compelling parts of this book. The meat of each chapter, where Vic and Mad fill in the story of what leads up to this situation, is what ensnares the reader. Of course I was curious about what crime could possibly have been committed, but I was far more invested in the story that developed along the way. Baz, Zuz, Coco, Mad, and Vic are all complex characters. Though Vic’s storyline receives the most focus, each of the five members of the group, as well as some more minor characters, are fleshed out in ways that make them interesting and substantial. How can an eleven year-old orphan be more comical than pitiable? How do two brothers, who came to the country with nothing and continue to struggle financially, manage to ingratiate themselves so seamlessly with members of their community? Why is Mad’s relationship with her Uncle and Grandmother so complex? And readers cannot help but feel for Vic who, already struggling with a disability, is feeling like an outcast in his own life following the death of his beloved father. This unlikely group of friends forms a strong bond based on the desire to help one another. And even though they are all so different, they find common ground in the desire to create a safe space filled with love, compassion, and the freedom to be themselves. Kids of Appetite is an absorbing novel that addresses the complicated issues of family, love, and honesty; honesty with those who care about you and honesty with yourself. I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoyed this book. Highly recommended for all readers of realistic fiction; particularly people who enjoy stories based on strong and/or unlikely friendships like The Perks of Being a Wallflower or the movie The Breakfast Club. Title: The Raven King (audiobook)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater Readers: Will Patton Target Audience Recommendation: High School Rating: 4 stars All good things must come to an end Summary The Raven King is more than just the final book in The Raven Cycle series (Librarian PSA – if you haven’t read the first 3 books in this series, stop reading here and go check them out!). The stakes are high in this final installment. Will they find Glendower? Will Gansey really die? Is he Blue’s true love? Something is amiss in Cabeswater. It begins with just a glimpse of decay, rot overwhelming some of the otherworldly flora. But it quickly reveals itself to be much more. Cabeswater and its magical caretakers are being preyed upon by a demon. Adam and Ronan, with their links to the ley line and the dream world, are placed under particular threat. As is Noah, with his tenuous grip on the living world. These facts, combined with Gansey’s knowledge that his death has been foretold for this year (and the fact that he has fallen in love with Blue, whose true love will die if she kisses him) make the specter of Gansey’s premature demise palpable throughout Stiefvater’s final entry. As the story propels forward, the demon wreaks havoc, dismantling places and people. New characters and new complexities are introduced. Ronan learns there is more to his father’s illicit dabbling in the sale of dream things. Adam, growing more in control of his feelings about his future and his past, begins to lose himself to bouts of possession by the demon. Blue and Gansey struggle with their relationship, their respective secret from each other that they know Gansey will die, and finding a solution to save their friends. Is the answer to any of these things (all of these things) Glendower? What if it isn’t? Gansey’s search has knit together this little foursome into a family. What does a future beyond Glendower look like? What about a future without Gansey? Review Stiefvater’s mastery of the written word is perhaps most apparent in The Raven King. She is a wordsmith who flawlessly paints beautiful images of places both real and unreal; invoking historical characters and details seamlessly into her stories. Fans of this series may find themselves both pleased and disappointed by The Raven King. Some of the plot points can seem to veer off course, or resolve themselves in unsatisfying ways. However, the imagery of Henrietta and its magic remains triumphant. And the true success is the development of the four main characters and their relationship with each other. They grow, they change, and they learn so much about their places in the world and with each other. At its heart, this series though fantasy, is really about the love Blue, Gansey, Ronan, and Adam feel for each other. A highly-recommended read. It hits the mark for fantasy, coming-of-age, and romance. Note: I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of this entire series. The reader, Will Patton, does a phenomenal job of bringing to life each character with a unique voice. |
Title: Orbiting Jupiter
Author: Gary D. Schmidt Target Audience Recommendation: Junior High and High School Rating: 4 stars You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Summary Joseph Brook is 14 years old. He tried to kill a teacher at his old school. He has a daughter. He is only in eighth grade. And as far as Jackson Hurd can tell when Joseph comes to live with the Hurd family, he’s not much different from everyone else. And really Joseph Brook is not much different from Jack. He loves to read. Once he gets the hang of life on the Hurd’s Maine farm, he loves that too. The two boys play outside in the snow. He begins talking openly with the Hurd family. Joseph even wins over some of the teachers at his new school. No matter how normal he may seem though, the scars of his former life linger. At night, Jack can hear Joseph talk, and sometimes cry, in his sleep. He does not like to be approached from behind, doesn’t like to be touched, and he is plagued by the loss of his daughter, Jupiter. Joseph’s desire to find her is unabating. After all, he is her father. Safe on the farm, the cynicism Joseph exhibits when he arrives begins to subside. The belief in his abilities shown by some of the teachers at his new school begin to permit him to believe in himself. A warm and loving home allows him to begin to relax. And though his search for his daughter is still a driving force in his life, memories of the abuse that preceded his time with the Hurds start to relinquish their control over him. Unfortunately not everything from his previous life is willing to stay in the past though. And when remnants of his previous life come calling, Joseph has life-altering decisions to make. Review Joseph Brook is a sympathetic and endearing character. Though his story is often tragic, it does not succumb to the stereotypes of over-wrought tragedies. His tough exterior is not overdrawn. His honesty is not shallow, nor is it excessively vulnerable. Author Schmidt has created a character who can universally be seen as a good boy from bad circumstances. Yet he is not so unbelievably remarkable that his troubled life has not affected him. Told from 12 year old foster brother Jack’s perspective, readers are able to “see” Joseph’s life evolve without being muddied down in an internal dialogue of his struggle. Joseph shares just enough to allow his foster family to understand the damage done to him, without unveiling all of the details. Orbiting Jupiter paints a realistic picture of someone trying to get control of their |
Summary
Somehow Ben Fletcher finds himself transformed in a matter of moments from an always-anxious, good high school student to a criminal performing community service. Following a failed attempt by Ben and his friends to steal alcohol for a party from a local grocery store, Ben (who voiced his opinion it was a bad idea in the first place) finds himself arrested, while his friends escape. As a result he is required to take a class at the local community college, “give back” to society, and keep a journal while he is on probation.
Ben has always considered himself different than his peers. He didn’t have many friends until Gex showed up at school; and even now he considers himself to be a bit of an outsider among his foursome of friends: Gex, Joz, and Freddie. He’s always paranoid about what sort of trouble their delinquent behavior will find them in. On top of that, his mom’s a professional magician, and his father is a sloppy car mechanic obsessed with football (and Ben doesn’t have much interest in football, or cars).
When Ben chooses a knitting class at the local community college as part of his probation because his teacher crush is supposed to be the instructor, he’s horrified to find it is actually being taught by one of his classmate’s moms. If anyone finds out he’s knitting, he’ll be even more of a pariah. He’s too afraid to tell even his father. But once class begins, Ben realizes he’s good at knitting: really, really good. And he likes it. As his new hobby motivates him to explore avenues like selling his products on Etsy, and entering an amateur knitting competition, Ben’s secret gets harder to keep. With the newfound confidence he establishes thanks to his talent he eventually wonders whether or not it is something that even needs to be kept hidden.
Review
Ben Fletcher is a likeable and universal character. He is self-doubting, self-deprecating, and humorous. He wants to fit in, and pretends interest in things like football so that people won’t see how “different” he really is from everyone else. It’s this motivation to be normal that finds him in trouble in the first place. Normally Ben is far too cautious to get involved in pilfering alcohol. But he wants to impress his friends. And he really wants to get into this party so he can spend time with Megan Hooper, his school crush. Ben assumes she could never return his interest because he is just not remarkable or interesting. When he sees a glimmer of hope though, he is compelled to go against his better judgment.
Somehow Ben Fletcher finds himself transformed in a matter of moments from an always-anxious, good high school student to a criminal performing community service. Following a failed attempt by Ben and his friends to steal alcohol for a party from a local grocery store, Ben (who voiced his opinion it was a bad idea in the first place) finds himself arrested, while his friends escape. As a result he is required to take a class at the local community college, “give back” to society, and keep a journal while he is on probation.
Ben has always considered himself different than his peers. He didn’t have many friends until Gex showed up at school; and even now he considers himself to be a bit of an outsider among his foursome of friends: Gex, Joz, and Freddie. He’s always paranoid about what sort of trouble their delinquent behavior will find them in. On top of that, his mom’s a professional magician, and his father is a sloppy car mechanic obsessed with football (and Ben doesn’t have much interest in football, or cars).
When Ben chooses a knitting class at the local community college as part of his probation because his teacher crush is supposed to be the instructor, he’s horrified to find it is actually being taught by one of his classmate’s moms. If anyone finds out he’s knitting, he’ll be even more of a pariah. He’s too afraid to tell even his father. But once class begins, Ben realizes he’s good at knitting: really, really good. And he likes it. As his new hobby motivates him to explore avenues like selling his products on Etsy, and entering an amateur knitting competition, Ben’s secret gets harder to keep. With the newfound confidence he establishes thanks to his talent he eventually wonders whether or not it is something that even needs to be kept hidden.
Review
Ben Fletcher is a likeable and universal character. He is self-doubting, self-deprecating, and humorous. He wants to fit in, and pretends interest in things like football so that people won’t see how “different” he really is from everyone else. It’s this motivation to be normal that finds him in trouble in the first place. Normally Ben is far too cautious to get involved in pilfering alcohol. But he wants to impress his friends. And he really wants to get into this party so he can spend time with Megan Hooper, his school crush. Ben assumes she could never return his interest because he is just not remarkable or interesting. When he sees a glimmer of hope though, he is compelled to go against his better judgment.
Summary
Bone Gap is small town filled with cornfields outside of Chicago. Everyone knows everyone, and their business. That is until Roza shows up: a beautiful Polish girl who seems to arrive out of nowhere to win over town residents, and in particular the O’Sullivan boys. And just as mysteriously as she arrived, she vanishes.
Finn O’Sullivan saw the man who took his brother Sean’s girlfriend, Roza; but for some reason he cannot remember his face. So, no one believes him. They assume Roza is just one more person to leave those poor O’Sullivan boys. First it was their dad, dying in a truck crash when they were little. Then their mom picked up and moved to Oregon to live with a man who didn’t want children. And just when they were getting used to having Roza around, she left too.
But Finn is determined to find Roza, even if no one else will help. Even though his brother refuses to admit it, Finn knows Sean blames him for their inability to find Roza. And instead of helping, he just shuts Finn out. He finally finds someone to believe him (and fall in love with) in Priscilla “Petey” Willis, the local beekeeper’s daughter.
Told primarily from the perspectives of Finn and Roza, readers learn that Roza has in fact been kidnapped and is struggling to return to Bone Gap. She has been taken to a place that seems to exist outside of reality, and from which she cannot figure out a way back. As she struggles with her current circumstances, readers also learn about Roza’s life leading up to her appearance in Bone Gap.
Review
Throughout the story we learn of characters’ pasts and see how their present relationships develop. Bone Gap is a town full of interesting characters, some of whom possess interesting secrets. And in order to get to the bottom of the one surrounding Roza’s disappearance, Finn will have to accept some difficult truths about himself.
In addition to handling the difficulty of Roza’s disappearance, Ruby’s book addresses many other facts of smalltown life, family dynamics, and growing up. The residents of Bone Gap may gossip about one another, but they also look out for one another when times are tough. When residents suspect that Finn is using Petey Willis, some of them attempt to defend her honor, even though they have made fun of her in the past. Finn and Petey commiserate over the difficulties of having a deadbeat parent, and applying for college; all while also figuring out their own relationship.
Bone Gap provides some interesting mystery and fantasy elements in its storytelling, but its strength really is in the depth and personal relationships of its characters.
Bone Gap is small town filled with cornfields outside of Chicago. Everyone knows everyone, and their business. That is until Roza shows up: a beautiful Polish girl who seems to arrive out of nowhere to win over town residents, and in particular the O’Sullivan boys. And just as mysteriously as she arrived, she vanishes.
Finn O’Sullivan saw the man who took his brother Sean’s girlfriend, Roza; but for some reason he cannot remember his face. So, no one believes him. They assume Roza is just one more person to leave those poor O’Sullivan boys. First it was their dad, dying in a truck crash when they were little. Then their mom picked up and moved to Oregon to live with a man who didn’t want children. And just when they were getting used to having Roza around, she left too.
But Finn is determined to find Roza, even if no one else will help. Even though his brother refuses to admit it, Finn knows Sean blames him for their inability to find Roza. And instead of helping, he just shuts Finn out. He finally finds someone to believe him (and fall in love with) in Priscilla “Petey” Willis, the local beekeeper’s daughter.
Told primarily from the perspectives of Finn and Roza, readers learn that Roza has in fact been kidnapped and is struggling to return to Bone Gap. She has been taken to a place that seems to exist outside of reality, and from which she cannot figure out a way back. As she struggles with her current circumstances, readers also learn about Roza’s life leading up to her appearance in Bone Gap.
Review
Throughout the story we learn of characters’ pasts and see how their present relationships develop. Bone Gap is a town full of interesting characters, some of whom possess interesting secrets. And in order to get to the bottom of the one surrounding Roza’s disappearance, Finn will have to accept some difficult truths about himself.
In addition to handling the difficulty of Roza’s disappearance, Ruby’s book addresses many other facts of smalltown life, family dynamics, and growing up. The residents of Bone Gap may gossip about one another, but they also look out for one another when times are tough. When residents suspect that Finn is using Petey Willis, some of them attempt to defend her honor, even though they have made fun of her in the past. Finn and Petey commiserate over the difficulties of having a deadbeat parent, and applying for college; all while also figuring out their own relationship.
Bone Gap provides some interesting mystery and fantasy elements in its storytelling, but its strength really is in the depth and personal relationships of its characters.
Summary
Hazel Evans is a teenager in a small town. She goes to parties, kisses boys (although she thinks maybe she shouldn’t), and is secretly in love with her brother Ben’s best friend. Except Fairfold isn’t just any small town. It’s a place filled with faeries and magic. Hazel’s secret crush, Jack, is a changeling who lives as twin brothers with the boy he was meant to replace; and a horned prince sleeps in the woods in a glass casket no one has been able to break for generations.
There has long been an unspoken understanding among Fairfold residents and the magical creatures who live in its woods. Residents were free from faerie tricks as long as they respected faerie rules and customs. However, faerie behavior has been progressively crossing the line. Instead of being the victims of harmless tricks, some tourists are showing up dead. And now inexplicable things are happening to residents as well. Hazel begins receiving notes in nutshells, and then wakes up in her bed one morning covered in mud and shards of glass.
After Hazel’s mysterious messages, things begin to unravel quickly. The horned prince has somehow been released from his cage and now town residents are being terrorized by an unknown monster. Determined to save Fairfold, Hazel is forced to confront secrets from her present, as well as those that have been long buried in her search for a resolution. And she finds herself having to put her trust in others, not an easy task.
Review
Hazel’s biggest fear is that she is normal in a family full of talented artists. What she doesn’t realize is that everyone else envies her for her strength. Despite a difficult early life, Hazel is strong, confident, and well-adjusted; all of which makes her capable of confronting the dark magic that is overwhelming her hometown.
Holly Black teams her likable protagonist with an elaborately constructed fantasy tale. Fairfold in many ways could be just any other small town, which makes it all the more exciting that it isn’t. She integrates many familiar fantasy elements with new and elaborate twists. And the fact that the magical elements are interwoven with an otherwise completely realistic story make it all the more interesting.
An engaging and fast-paced read with complex characters. Perfect for readers who love fantasy fiction. And a good read for fans of realistic fiction looking for something a little different.
Hazel Evans is a teenager in a small town. She goes to parties, kisses boys (although she thinks maybe she shouldn’t), and is secretly in love with her brother Ben’s best friend. Except Fairfold isn’t just any small town. It’s a place filled with faeries and magic. Hazel’s secret crush, Jack, is a changeling who lives as twin brothers with the boy he was meant to replace; and a horned prince sleeps in the woods in a glass casket no one has been able to break for generations.
There has long been an unspoken understanding among Fairfold residents and the magical creatures who live in its woods. Residents were free from faerie tricks as long as they respected faerie rules and customs. However, faerie behavior has been progressively crossing the line. Instead of being the victims of harmless tricks, some tourists are showing up dead. And now inexplicable things are happening to residents as well. Hazel begins receiving notes in nutshells, and then wakes up in her bed one morning covered in mud and shards of glass.
After Hazel’s mysterious messages, things begin to unravel quickly. The horned prince has somehow been released from his cage and now town residents are being terrorized by an unknown monster. Determined to save Fairfold, Hazel is forced to confront secrets from her present, as well as those that have been long buried in her search for a resolution. And she finds herself having to put her trust in others, not an easy task.
Review
Hazel’s biggest fear is that she is normal in a family full of talented artists. What she doesn’t realize is that everyone else envies her for her strength. Despite a difficult early life, Hazel is strong, confident, and well-adjusted; all of which makes her capable of confronting the dark magic that is overwhelming her hometown.
Holly Black teams her likable protagonist with an elaborately constructed fantasy tale. Fairfold in many ways could be just any other small town, which makes it all the more exciting that it isn’t. She integrates many familiar fantasy elements with new and elaborate twists. And the fact that the magical elements are interwoven with an otherwise completely realistic story make it all the more interesting.
An engaging and fast-paced read with complex characters. Perfect for readers who love fantasy fiction. And a good read for fans of realistic fiction looking for something a little different.
Summary
Shelby Cooper and her mother live in Scottsdale, AZ; where they abide by the carefully constructed routine Shelby’s anxious mother has established. She is home schooled, has no friends, and rarely ventures out of their apartment. The world after all is a dangerous place. Even their Fridays when they go to the batting cages, the library, and have ice cream for dinner is a part of the routine.
Within hours from the novel’s start, Shelby’s meticulously structured life is about to come crumbling down around her. Her typical Friday night veers off course when she is hit by a car, which is followed by a trip to the hospital. After her accident, Shelby’s formerly shy mother becomes increasingly erratic in her behavior, taking them on an impromptu road trip, befriending a fellow traveler, and revealing that the father Shelby had thought was long dead is actually a dangerous and abusive man who is searching for them. However, as her mother’s behavior and story continues to evolve, Shelby isn’t so sure her mother is a person she can trust. And to make matters worse, she has started drifting off to a place called “The Dreaming.” Shelby is not sure if she is awake or asleep in this alternate reality. While there she is on a mission that clearly aims to help her uncover truths about herself, incorporating elements from her real life.
There Will Be Lies takes Shelby Cooper on a trip of self-discovery, as well as a road trip. A sheltered teen, she has to begin thinking for herself and come to grips with some difficult realities to discover who she (and her mother) really is. The reality will surprise you!
Review
Lake’s There Will Be Lies creatively utilizes elements from traditional folk tales and fairy tales to tell his own suspenseful story. These play largely in Shelby’s “Dreaming” in order to facilitate her coming to terms with a difficult reality. The metaphors of “The Dreaming” ease a bookish teenager into uncovering the truths and memories that had been so carefully hidden from her. All of this mixed with Shelby’s actual journey in the real world, creates a rich and layered story with surprises at every turn.
Recommended for readers interested in a unique twist on compelling realistic fiction.
Shelby Cooper and her mother live in Scottsdale, AZ; where they abide by the carefully constructed routine Shelby’s anxious mother has established. She is home schooled, has no friends, and rarely ventures out of their apartment. The world after all is a dangerous place. Even their Fridays when they go to the batting cages, the library, and have ice cream for dinner is a part of the routine.
Within hours from the novel’s start, Shelby’s meticulously structured life is about to come crumbling down around her. Her typical Friday night veers off course when she is hit by a car, which is followed by a trip to the hospital. After her accident, Shelby’s formerly shy mother becomes increasingly erratic in her behavior, taking them on an impromptu road trip, befriending a fellow traveler, and revealing that the father Shelby had thought was long dead is actually a dangerous and abusive man who is searching for them. However, as her mother’s behavior and story continues to evolve, Shelby isn’t so sure her mother is a person she can trust. And to make matters worse, she has started drifting off to a place called “The Dreaming.” Shelby is not sure if she is awake or asleep in this alternate reality. While there she is on a mission that clearly aims to help her uncover truths about herself, incorporating elements from her real life.
There Will Be Lies takes Shelby Cooper on a trip of self-discovery, as well as a road trip. A sheltered teen, she has to begin thinking for herself and come to grips with some difficult realities to discover who she (and her mother) really is. The reality will surprise you!
Review
Lake’s There Will Be Lies creatively utilizes elements from traditional folk tales and fairy tales to tell his own suspenseful story. These play largely in Shelby’s “Dreaming” in order to facilitate her coming to terms with a difficult reality. The metaphors of “The Dreaming” ease a bookish teenager into uncovering the truths and memories that had been so carefully hidden from her. All of this mixed with Shelby’s actual journey in the real world, creates a rich and layered story with surprises at every turn.
Recommended for readers interested in a unique twist on compelling realistic fiction.
Summary
Dealing with high school relationships can be difficult. They are only more complicated when you’re a closeted lesbian from a conservative Iranian family.
Leila’s family has expectations. Her father, a successful doctor, would like nothing more than for his daughter’s to follow in his professional footsteps; and of course find a nice husband as well. His youngest daughter Leila, however, has no interest in dating boys. She’s tried. Although she has kept the fact that she’s gay a secret until her junior year of high school, it has never really been a problem until now. Leila has never had feelings for anyone in school, until beautiful Saskia transfers in a few weeks after the school year begins. Saskia is beautiful, confident, and just may return Leila’s feelings. But Leila can’t be sure about Saskia and she has worked so hard to keep her secret to make sure her parents would never find out. However, as Saskia becomes more flirtatious, Leila’s hold on her secret waivers.
As Leila feels her grip on the identity she’s created begin to slip, she seeks comfort among new friends. And she begins to recognize that she is not the only one grappling with difficult personal issues. She begins to discover new things about herself as she lets go of her secrets and her fear. Leila is surprised by herself, and by the people in her life who she thought she knew so well
Review
In many ways Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel is a typical teen romance. Relationships are ever-changing, complicated, and impeded by the characters’ personal obstacles. However, it also offers a lot more. Leila struggles with the difficulty of being comfortable with herself, being honest about who she is, and the fear of rejection from her family. And although the book indulges in some stereotypes with its characters, it also turns others on its head.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a romance that isn’t quite like the rest.
Dealing with high school relationships can be difficult. They are only more complicated when you’re a closeted lesbian from a conservative Iranian family.
Leila’s family has expectations. Her father, a successful doctor, would like nothing more than for his daughter’s to follow in his professional footsteps; and of course find a nice husband as well. His youngest daughter Leila, however, has no interest in dating boys. She’s tried. Although she has kept the fact that she’s gay a secret until her junior year of high school, it has never really been a problem until now. Leila has never had feelings for anyone in school, until beautiful Saskia transfers in a few weeks after the school year begins. Saskia is beautiful, confident, and just may return Leila’s feelings. But Leila can’t be sure about Saskia and she has worked so hard to keep her secret to make sure her parents would never find out. However, as Saskia becomes more flirtatious, Leila’s hold on her secret waivers.
As Leila feels her grip on the identity she’s created begin to slip, she seeks comfort among new friends. And she begins to recognize that she is not the only one grappling with difficult personal issues. She begins to discover new things about herself as she lets go of her secrets and her fear. Leila is surprised by herself, and by the people in her life who she thought she knew so well
Review
In many ways Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel is a typical teen romance. Relationships are ever-changing, complicated, and impeded by the characters’ personal obstacles. However, it also offers a lot more. Leila struggles with the difficulty of being comfortable with herself, being honest about who she is, and the fear of rejection from her family. And although the book indulges in some stereotypes with its characters, it also turns others on its head.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a romance that isn’t quite like the rest.
Summary
Everyone in Sticks, Louisiana knows to keep out of the swamp. Rumors of its haunting have filled the small town for centuries. Sterling Saucier’s grandfather even built a fence around it, to keep people out and the swamp in. Then one morning, after a fight, Sterling’s brother Phin storms off into the swamp.
Sterling’s concern for her brother increases as the hours pass following his disappearance. Just before supper time a figure finally begins to emerge. Only, the person returning isn’t Phin, her name is Lenora May. As far as everyone in town is concerned Lenora May is Sterling’s sister and always has been. Even though “memories” of Lenora May begin creeping into Sterling’s head, she knows it was her brother who entered that swamp, yet no one seems to remember him except for her.
As Sterling desperately pleads with Phin’s best friend at school, she discovers a classmate, Heath, who might actually remember her brother. Claiming his own strange experience with the swamp, the two grow close as they search for answers about the swamp’s powers and a way to rescue their loved ones. In order to get their answers, the two need to dig into old town secrets, conquer their fears, and come face-to-face with things they never imagined.
Review
Sterling is a sympathetic character. Her brother enters the swamp after a fight they have over his leaving Sticks to go to college. When they were little, Phin protected her from their alcoholic father (now gone), and Sterling has come to depend on him to feel safe. Her desperate search for him is largely due to the guilt she feels over his disappearance. In addition to confronting the horrors of the swamp, Sterling is also forced to face her fears without Phin there to protect her.
Beware the Wild is filled with mystery, superstition, and surprises. Throughout the story Sterling seems to uncover the mysteries of the swamp and her town, only to find things are even more complicated. And while some members of the town seem to understand the swamp, they keep its secrets hidden. She and Heath fight to discover a way to save the forgotten members of their community, slowly peeling back the layers of mystery of Sticks and its swamp.
This story has a little bit of everything: paranormal storyline, romance, and strong friendships, with small-town, southern values.
Everyone in Sticks, Louisiana knows to keep out of the swamp. Rumors of its haunting have filled the small town for centuries. Sterling Saucier’s grandfather even built a fence around it, to keep people out and the swamp in. Then one morning, after a fight, Sterling’s brother Phin storms off into the swamp.
Sterling’s concern for her brother increases as the hours pass following his disappearance. Just before supper time a figure finally begins to emerge. Only, the person returning isn’t Phin, her name is Lenora May. As far as everyone in town is concerned Lenora May is Sterling’s sister and always has been. Even though “memories” of Lenora May begin creeping into Sterling’s head, she knows it was her brother who entered that swamp, yet no one seems to remember him except for her.
As Sterling desperately pleads with Phin’s best friend at school, she discovers a classmate, Heath, who might actually remember her brother. Claiming his own strange experience with the swamp, the two grow close as they search for answers about the swamp’s powers and a way to rescue their loved ones. In order to get their answers, the two need to dig into old town secrets, conquer their fears, and come face-to-face with things they never imagined.
Review
Sterling is a sympathetic character. Her brother enters the swamp after a fight they have over his leaving Sticks to go to college. When they were little, Phin protected her from their alcoholic father (now gone), and Sterling has come to depend on him to feel safe. Her desperate search for him is largely due to the guilt she feels over his disappearance. In addition to confronting the horrors of the swamp, Sterling is also forced to face her fears without Phin there to protect her.
Beware the Wild is filled with mystery, superstition, and surprises. Throughout the story Sterling seems to uncover the mysteries of the swamp and her town, only to find things are even more complicated. And while some members of the town seem to understand the swamp, they keep its secrets hidden. She and Heath fight to discover a way to save the forgotten members of their community, slowly peeling back the layers of mystery of Sticks and its swamp.
This story has a little bit of everything: paranormal storyline, romance, and strong friendships, with small-town, southern values.
Summary
Noah and Jude are twins and best friends. They are so close that sometimes they actually think of themselves as NoahAndJude. That is until tragedy, dishonesty, and disappointment derail their lives from their anticipated paths.
Told in alternating chapters, each twin tells his and her own story. Noah’s is from the perspective of his 13 ½ -14 year old self. A budding artistic talent, “training” for art school, he is struggling with the feeling of being an outsider. Intimidated by the strength and masculinity of his father, he keeps secret his own homosexuality and the feelings he is developing toward his neighbor, Brian. Though his sister has always been his companion, he feels a distance creeping between them as she develops into a normal, beautiful teenage girl; while he sees his mother as being the only person giving him approval. Hungry to please his vibrant, art historian mom, he develops a deep sense of competition with his sister for her affections. This, compounded by his own personal secrets he is keeping, reveals the beginning of a rift between Noah and Jude.
Jude’s chapters take place when the twins are sixteen, two years following their beloved mother’s death. She and Noah barely speak; and their roles have reversed socially. Noah, a former social outcast, inexplicably does not get accepted to the local art high school; and manages to thrive as a “normal” teen at the local public school. He joins cross country, goes on dates with girls, and parties with the surfers who once shunned him. Jude on the other hand, did get into art school as a sculptor; and the girl who was once so socially precocious is now unimaginably a loner. At 13 and 14 we saw her flirting with boys, sewing girly dresses, and experimenting with make-up; but following her mother’s death she institutes a “boy boycott,” dress in dark, shapeless clothing, and chops off her flowing blonde hair. Haunted by the spirits of her grandmother and mother, we get the sense that Jude has done something she considers an unforgivable wrong, for which the two women are punishing her. In order to redeem herself she seeks out the help of a once prominent sculptor to create a piece of art that will appease her mother.
As the twins’ stories progress, we learn more about the secrets they are keeping, and how deeply they are affecting them. The shame and weight they feel in being dishonest has ruined NoahAndJude. But it is difficult to tell the truth when you have been lying for so long.
Review
The guilt and isolation Jude and Noah feel in each of their chapters is vivid and realistic. Their struggle to be true to themselves, and honest with one another begs readers’ sympathy. Noah’s descriptive language relays his unique way of looking at the world, while revealing how strongly he feels he does not fit into it. All of that changes with the promise of art school, and the introduction of Brian; and we see how his fear in losing either of them alters his personality. Jude’s language is angry and regretful. Her mother’s death, and certain personal choices, have left her feeling wounded and vulnerable. Both twins so clearly want to be close with the other, but fear that total honesty will truly leave them alone.
I’ll Give You the Sun reads as though we are peeking into the journals of these two characters at times when they are both dealing with overwhelming personal struggles. It is impossible to not feel for them, root for their full disclosure with one another, and for the return of NoahAndJude.
A perfect pick for fans of realistic fiction who have ever told a lie.
Noah and Jude are twins and best friends. They are so close that sometimes they actually think of themselves as NoahAndJude. That is until tragedy, dishonesty, and disappointment derail their lives from their anticipated paths.
Told in alternating chapters, each twin tells his and her own story. Noah’s is from the perspective of his 13 ½ -14 year old self. A budding artistic talent, “training” for art school, he is struggling with the feeling of being an outsider. Intimidated by the strength and masculinity of his father, he keeps secret his own homosexuality and the feelings he is developing toward his neighbor, Brian. Though his sister has always been his companion, he feels a distance creeping between them as she develops into a normal, beautiful teenage girl; while he sees his mother as being the only person giving him approval. Hungry to please his vibrant, art historian mom, he develops a deep sense of competition with his sister for her affections. This, compounded by his own personal secrets he is keeping, reveals the beginning of a rift between Noah and Jude.
Jude’s chapters take place when the twins are sixteen, two years following their beloved mother’s death. She and Noah barely speak; and their roles have reversed socially. Noah, a former social outcast, inexplicably does not get accepted to the local art high school; and manages to thrive as a “normal” teen at the local public school. He joins cross country, goes on dates with girls, and parties with the surfers who once shunned him. Jude on the other hand, did get into art school as a sculptor; and the girl who was once so socially precocious is now unimaginably a loner. At 13 and 14 we saw her flirting with boys, sewing girly dresses, and experimenting with make-up; but following her mother’s death she institutes a “boy boycott,” dress in dark, shapeless clothing, and chops off her flowing blonde hair. Haunted by the spirits of her grandmother and mother, we get the sense that Jude has done something she considers an unforgivable wrong, for which the two women are punishing her. In order to redeem herself she seeks out the help of a once prominent sculptor to create a piece of art that will appease her mother.
As the twins’ stories progress, we learn more about the secrets they are keeping, and how deeply they are affecting them. The shame and weight they feel in being dishonest has ruined NoahAndJude. But it is difficult to tell the truth when you have been lying for so long.
Review
The guilt and isolation Jude and Noah feel in each of their chapters is vivid and realistic. Their struggle to be true to themselves, and honest with one another begs readers’ sympathy. Noah’s descriptive language relays his unique way of looking at the world, while revealing how strongly he feels he does not fit into it. All of that changes with the promise of art school, and the introduction of Brian; and we see how his fear in losing either of them alters his personality. Jude’s language is angry and regretful. Her mother’s death, and certain personal choices, have left her feeling wounded and vulnerable. Both twins so clearly want to be close with the other, but fear that total honesty will truly leave them alone.
I’ll Give You the Sun reads as though we are peeking into the journals of these two characters at times when they are both dealing with overwhelming personal struggles. It is impossible to not feel for them, root for their full disclosure with one another, and for the return of NoahAndJude.
A perfect pick for fans of realistic fiction who have ever told a lie.
Summary
Princess Arabella Celestine Idris Jezelia (Lia), First Daughter of the Kingdom of Morrighan is about to be married to the prince of the Kingdom of Dalbreck, without ever having met him. The Kiss of Deception opens as she is preparing for her wedding, dressing in her gown, wedding cloak, and jewels; but before she makes it down the aisle, she runs. Lia sneaks away with her handmaid Pauline, in search of another life where she has the freedom to choose who she wants to be and who she wants to love. After lengthy travel on horseback to the land of Terravin, where Pauline spent her childhood, the two women seem to find just that. They spend their days living and working at a local inn and tavern owned by a family friend of Pauline, and assume that their secrets are safe. Lia even finds the possibility of love with two of the inn’s guests. But things (and people) are not as they seem.
Lia’s desertion fractures an already tense alliance with Dalbreck. The subsequent rift permits rebel armies of the Kingdom of Venda the chance to lead fighting campaigns against the weakened kingdoms of Morrighan and Dalbreck.
Complications don’t end there, Lia’s suitors are not who they present themselves to be. One of these men is the prince she snubbed. The other is an assassin from Venda contracted to kill her. Neither Lia nor readers know who is who, and both seem to be falling for her. As this love triangle unfolds, we learn that these men are not the only ones keeping secrets, and that Lia’s story holds many more mysteries.
Review
I assumed Kiss of Deception would resemble the typical Fantasy genre love story. In some ways it does: the main character is a strong teenage girl living in a faraway time and place, breaking from the norm to find herself caught up in a complicated love story. However, the way that Lia’s story develops is entirely original. While the main narrator of the story is Lia, there are alternating chapters from the perspectives of “The Prince” and “The Assassin” included. The fact that their identities are kept secret through most of the book keeps readers guessing.
Because this is the first book in a promised trilogy, there are a lot of questions left unanswered, and elements of the story left unexplored, such as the nature of magic possessed by Lia and other “First Daughters,” and secrets being kept by cabinet members of Morrighan. These mysteries do not leave the book feeling incomplete. They just make me curious about what will happen in book two! I recommend this book to anyone who likes Fantasy and Romance, especially those with a bit of twist.
Princess Arabella Celestine Idris Jezelia (Lia), First Daughter of the Kingdom of Morrighan is about to be married to the prince of the Kingdom of Dalbreck, without ever having met him. The Kiss of Deception opens as she is preparing for her wedding, dressing in her gown, wedding cloak, and jewels; but before she makes it down the aisle, she runs. Lia sneaks away with her handmaid Pauline, in search of another life where she has the freedom to choose who she wants to be and who she wants to love. After lengthy travel on horseback to the land of Terravin, where Pauline spent her childhood, the two women seem to find just that. They spend their days living and working at a local inn and tavern owned by a family friend of Pauline, and assume that their secrets are safe. Lia even finds the possibility of love with two of the inn’s guests. But things (and people) are not as they seem.
Lia’s desertion fractures an already tense alliance with Dalbreck. The subsequent rift permits rebel armies of the Kingdom of Venda the chance to lead fighting campaigns against the weakened kingdoms of Morrighan and Dalbreck.
Complications don’t end there, Lia’s suitors are not who they present themselves to be. One of these men is the prince she snubbed. The other is an assassin from Venda contracted to kill her. Neither Lia nor readers know who is who, and both seem to be falling for her. As this love triangle unfolds, we learn that these men are not the only ones keeping secrets, and that Lia’s story holds many more mysteries.
Review
I assumed Kiss of Deception would resemble the typical Fantasy genre love story. In some ways it does: the main character is a strong teenage girl living in a faraway time and place, breaking from the norm to find herself caught up in a complicated love story. However, the way that Lia’s story develops is entirely original. While the main narrator of the story is Lia, there are alternating chapters from the perspectives of “The Prince” and “The Assassin” included. The fact that their identities are kept secret through most of the book keeps readers guessing.
Because this is the first book in a promised trilogy, there are a lot of questions left unanswered, and elements of the story left unexplored, such as the nature of magic possessed by Lia and other “First Daughters,” and secrets being kept by cabinet members of Morrighan. These mysteries do not leave the book feeling incomplete. They just make me curious about what will happen in book two! I recommend this book to anyone who likes Fantasy and Romance, especially those with a bit of twist.
Summary
His exceptional pitching ability aside, David Cooper seems a typical teenager. Most of his time is taken up with school, friends, sports, first love, family, and worrying about his future. The Coopers start out as cookie-cutter as everyone else in their Philadelphia suburb; where mom, dad and their three kids live in a nice house, socialize with their neighbors, and attend the local Episcopal Church on Sundays. That is, until the eldest sibling John is killed in Afghanistan, and everything falls apart.
Initially David is angry, and acts out by fighting and spray painting graffiti around town. Then the Coopers begin attending the local evangelical church, where David and his sister Mara are able to find solace among fellow congregants. However, for his parents this move only marks the beginning of a descent into religious extremism and a separation from reality. While David and Mara continue to grapple with the everyday trappings of teenage life, Mr. Cooper loses his job, begins speaking only in biblical verse, and becomes progressively more detached from the real world. Soon their parents become involved with a religious cult preparing for “The Rush,” another term for The Rapture (the moment when God selects true believers who will be saved from Earth and brought to heaven).
Their parents pressure them to stop focusing on a future that will never take place; pushing them to give up school, extra-curricular activities, and outside relationships. David, whose healthy relationship with God gives him strength, grapples with how to live happily as a normal teenager AND mend his broken family. He makes sacrifices to appease his parents, with the expectation that the family can begin to heal once “The Rush” does not occur. But then the unthinkable happens. David and Mara return late from an after-prom party (one they snuck out to attend); having missed the predicted time of “The Rush” they expect to be confronted with two very angry parents. Instead they find an empty house and their parents’ clothes laid out on the bed with no trace of them anywhere. Where could they have gone? “The Rush” could not have been real, but what happened to their parents? The two scramble to find the answer before anyone else discovers their parents are missing.
Review
This Side of Salvation is a perfect pick for anyone looking for realistic fiction with a bit of a twist. David Cooper is unquestionably likeable as a he strives to find his place in the world, while also trying to please everyone around him. Is it too much to ask to be able to be a normal teenager who can play baseball, go to school, and fall in love for the first time? David is sensitive, selfless, religious, moral, introspective, and intelligent all rolled into one. He is easy to root for as he struggles to repair the damage done to him and his family by the grief of his brother’s death. Although the difficulties he is facing can seem far-fetched, the root cause of them, and the frustration he feels are entirely relatable. With a strong cast of supporting characters in his normally goody-two-shoes sister, his science-loving and more-experienced girlfriend, and his gay best friend/baseball teammate; David is never completely alone in his struggle. And we all know that, no matter our circumstances, sometimes our friends understand us way better than our parents anyway. This Side of Salvation mixes up a typical tale of self-discovery with a bit of romance, sports, and a fascinating mystery that will keep you guessing.
His exceptional pitching ability aside, David Cooper seems a typical teenager. Most of his time is taken up with school, friends, sports, first love, family, and worrying about his future. The Coopers start out as cookie-cutter as everyone else in their Philadelphia suburb; where mom, dad and their three kids live in a nice house, socialize with their neighbors, and attend the local Episcopal Church on Sundays. That is, until the eldest sibling John is killed in Afghanistan, and everything falls apart.
Initially David is angry, and acts out by fighting and spray painting graffiti around town. Then the Coopers begin attending the local evangelical church, where David and his sister Mara are able to find solace among fellow congregants. However, for his parents this move only marks the beginning of a descent into religious extremism and a separation from reality. While David and Mara continue to grapple with the everyday trappings of teenage life, Mr. Cooper loses his job, begins speaking only in biblical verse, and becomes progressively more detached from the real world. Soon their parents become involved with a religious cult preparing for “The Rush,” another term for The Rapture (the moment when God selects true believers who will be saved from Earth and brought to heaven).
Their parents pressure them to stop focusing on a future that will never take place; pushing them to give up school, extra-curricular activities, and outside relationships. David, whose healthy relationship with God gives him strength, grapples with how to live happily as a normal teenager AND mend his broken family. He makes sacrifices to appease his parents, with the expectation that the family can begin to heal once “The Rush” does not occur. But then the unthinkable happens. David and Mara return late from an after-prom party (one they snuck out to attend); having missed the predicted time of “The Rush” they expect to be confronted with two very angry parents. Instead they find an empty house and their parents’ clothes laid out on the bed with no trace of them anywhere. Where could they have gone? “The Rush” could not have been real, but what happened to their parents? The two scramble to find the answer before anyone else discovers their parents are missing.
Review
This Side of Salvation is a perfect pick for anyone looking for realistic fiction with a bit of a twist. David Cooper is unquestionably likeable as a he strives to find his place in the world, while also trying to please everyone around him. Is it too much to ask to be able to be a normal teenager who can play baseball, go to school, and fall in love for the first time? David is sensitive, selfless, religious, moral, introspective, and intelligent all rolled into one. He is easy to root for as he struggles to repair the damage done to him and his family by the grief of his brother’s death. Although the difficulties he is facing can seem far-fetched, the root cause of them, and the frustration he feels are entirely relatable. With a strong cast of supporting characters in his normally goody-two-shoes sister, his science-loving and more-experienced girlfriend, and his gay best friend/baseball teammate; David is never completely alone in his struggle. And we all know that, no matter our circumstances, sometimes our friends understand us way better than our parents anyway. This Side of Salvation mixes up a typical tale of self-discovery with a bit of romance, sports, and a fascinating mystery that will keep you guessing.