Young Adult
SKINK, NO SURRENDER by Carl Hiaasen
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When Richard’s cousin (and best friend) Malley disappears, a little amateur detective work confirms his worst fear: she has run off with the man she met on the Internet. While the police try to track her down, Richard heads down to their favorite getaway on the beach where he meets a seemingly insane, homeless environmental activist named Skink. It turns out that Skink is the former Governor of Florida, and that he faked his own death years ago, before becoming a vigilante for endangered turtles, among other things. When Richard gets a cryptic phone call from his cousin that seems to indicate that she is in danger, he and Skink take matters into their own hands and travel into the wild waterways of Florida to rescue Malley.
An exciting teen thriller that is difficult to put down, this novel will not disappoint readers who are looking for an engaging plot, well-developed characters, thematic depth, and plenty of surprises. I highly recommend it!
LABYRINTH LOST by Zoraida Córdova
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For years, Alex has tried to hide her powers. She doesn’t want to be a bruja–not after what happened the first and only time she let her magic slip out. But when her best friend is in trouble, she can’t help but take on the bully, and suddenly, her magic is no longer a secret. In fact, it seems she is the most powerful bruja of them all: an encantrix. As her mother and sisters joyfully plan her Deathday ceremony and celebration, Alex plans a counter-canto–one which she hopes will take the burden of her magic away forever. Unfortunately, her canto goes wrong, and Alex must rely on the help of a brujo boy she hardly knows to reach the Tree of Souls and rescue her family from the Devourer.
A compelling blend of myth and modern life, the world of the Brooklyn Brujas will entrance readers. Alex’s struggle to come to terms with her magic is inextricably tied to her struggle to find her place in her family and community. One of the most engaging books I’ve read lately; I highly recommend it to teen fantasy fans!
DIAL EM FOR MURDER by Marni Bates
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Emmy has been spending countless hours at Starbucks trying to write a romance novel. It isn’t going well. All of her dialogue seems stilted and the high- stakes plot isn’t at all believable. But when a stranger tackles her to the ground and dies on top of her, Emmy is thrust into an unbelievable thriller of her own. It seems like the old man may have taken a bullet that was meant for her, and before he died, he slipped a password-protected tablet into her pocket. The police seem ready to put her into “protective custody” when the dead man’s grandson (and inconveniently Emmy’s best friend’s ex-boyfriend’s best friend), Sebastian, shows up with a clandestine alternative: enroll in an extremely expensive and extremely well – guarded private school. Sebastian seems to have his own secret motives for wanting Emmy close, but Emmy knows that this might be her only chance to break into the tablet and achieve her own secret agenda. The old man mentioned her father, and Emmy is determined to find him.
This thriller kept me engaged from start to finish. I won’t call it a mystery since there weren’t really clues that the reader could unravel, but it is certainly mysterious. I’m still on the edge of my seat wanting to figure out what’s going on. Too bad I have to wait for a sequel! Highly recommend it to teens who enjoy thrillers.
If you liked Dial Em for Murder, you might like The Name of the Star.
A FIERCE AND SUBTLE POISON by Samantha Mabry
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Lucas has always been an outsider to San Juan: the rich white developer’s kid who only visits in the summers. But all his life he has soaked up the culture, especially the stories the old women tell about the scientist’s house and the supposed witch-girl who lives there. As Lucas gets older, the stories begin to seem less real. Until the summer that the island girls begin to disappear and everything leads Lucas back to the old house and the mysterious girl shrouded in the trees.
A poetic literary thriller nestled somewhere between realistic and science fiction, this novel gripped me from the start. I actually read it in one sitting, a rare occurrence for me. Mabry immerses readers in a vivid setting of blended reality and folklore as Lucas struggles to define himself, caught between two worlds and a disappointing relationship with his father. One of the best written books I’ve read this year and a stunning debut novel. I highly recommend it!
HOUSE ARREST by K. A. Holt
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Timothy wouldn’t be writing in a journal if the court hadn’t ordered it. He’s supposed to show that he’s sorry. Only he’s not sorry he stole the wallet to buy his baby brother’s medicine–just sorry he got caught. And that they took the medicine away. Now he’s on house arrest, which is better than juvie. In fact, it’s not that different from his life before–staying home, helping change the bandages on Levi’s trach, wishing his mother didn’t have to work overtime, that they could afford a nurse more than two days a week, that his father hadn’t left. But he had better get things right this year, or else he’ll end up in juvie after all.
Through poetry, Holt reveals Timothy’s evolving relationships with family, friends, and authority figures, and his own transformation. His love and care for his brother is beautiful, and his resentments toward his father and probation officer believable and complex. The ending left me waffling back and forth between depression and hope. I highly recommend this nuanced novel to teen and adult readers who enjoy realistic fiction!
YOU’RE NEVER WEIRD ON THE INTERNET (ALMOST) by Felicia Day
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Before “The Guild” and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Felicia Day was an isolated, home schooled kid who discovered a community and her own voice on the then fledgling internet. Her memoir goes beyond hilarious anecdotes from an unconventional childhood with the history of the Internet and online gaming from a user’s perspective, her experience with video game addiction, a glimpse into the life of an unknown actor trying to make it in LA, an account of creating a low budget Web series (“The Guild”), and her perspective on and experience with Gamergate. A truly gifted writer, Day divides her memoir into semi-chronological sections by topic, giving each individual part its own arc in addition to the overall narrative arc of the memoir, which encourages readers to pursue their creative passions.
I picked up this book as a Guild fan, thinking it would just be an interesting glimpse into Felicia Day’s life. Instead I found one of the most interesting and entertaining memoirs I have ever read and a new audiobook favorite! If you are not a Felicia Day fan already, the book may lack the “squee” factor it had for me, but if you are an Internet user who enjoys memoirs, you will probably still find her story engaging. Definitely listen to the audiobook!
CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell
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Watford School of Magic changed Simon’s life. When he was eleven, the Mage plucked him from the orphanage and told him he was the most powerful magician ever to live–the one who was prophesied centuries ago and who is destined to defeat the Insidious Humdrum which has been stealing magic. Of course Simon wishes he were born into a magic family, and that his magical abilities were not quite so unpredictable and destructive, and that the Insidious Humdrum weren’t making his life quite so miserable. Perhaps most of all, he wishes the Humdrum didn’t inexplicably look exactly like him. But when in his final year the Mage suggests that he leave Watford for his own safety, Simon’s answer is an emphatic no. He couldn’t possibly leave his brilliant and brave friend Penny or his girlfriend Agatha. And he couldn’t ever leave Baz, his vampire archnemesis/roommate, unmonitored–especially now when Baz’s parents and the other old magic families are planning a rebellion against the Mage. Unfortunately, Baz doesn’t show up for the start of term. Although he is initially worried the vampire might be planning something evil, when the ghost of Baz’s mother shows up looking for him, Simon begins to worry for his safety. When Baz finally does return, released from an embarrassing kidnapping, Simon feels obligated to help him find his mother’s killer–even if it means trusting the person he knows is destined to kill him.
Carry On, Simon was the hypothetical “Simon Snow” fan fiction novel written by character Cath in Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, a novel inspired by the Harry Potter fan fic world. In actually writing Carry On, Rowell created a vivid and nuanced fantasy world that has many direct parallels to Harry Potter, which makes the differences and twists all the more meaningful. I wish there really were eight books set in this world, but the one is brilliantly crafted, engaging, and poignant. It will be most appreciated by older teen and adult Potter fans. It is not necessary to read Fangirl first, but I recommend it.
BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson
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Jacqueline’s childhood was shaped by the Civil Rights movement, her grandfather’s garden, the kids playing in the streets in Bushwick, and so many other things. She gathers her memories and turns them into poetry in this National Book Award winning memoir. Her story is accessible and beautifully told with vivid imagery and a depth of reflection that inspires similar personal reflection from readers of all ages. A beautiful book. I highly recommend it!
DOLL BONES by Holly Black
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It’s not that Zach doesn’t care what other kids think of him. He does his best to hide his secret imaginative life from his friends on the basketball team. But it’s worth the risk of getting caught in order to keep playing the game with Poppy and Alice. When Zach is being William the Blade, it is like his whole identity changes; he becomes a pirate. And the creepy bone China doll they pretend is their queen really seems to have deadly powers. When Zach’s dad throws away all of his action figures, Zach feels like his world is falling apart. He can’t get up the courage to tell Poppy and Alice why he can’t play anymore. But the bone China doll isn’t about to let Zach go so easily. A ghost appears to Poppy in a dream and suddenly Zach and his friends find themselves on a real adventure every bit as dangerous and magical as any of their games.
This creepy adventure story combines the family and friendship tensions of growing up with an intriguing ghost story. I wouldn’t call it scary, but it definitely has a chilling tone at times. The main thrust of the book, however, is the evolving character relationships and Zach’s coming of age. I would recommend this book to middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy adventures set in the real world.
UNDERTOW by Michael Buckley
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As she heads to school on the first day of its integration, Lyric Walker has strict instructions from her father: keep your head down. Don’t do anything that would make them suspect you are anything other than fully human. When the Alpha emerged from the sea three years sgo, Coney Island was thrown into turmoil. The government claims to want to help the Alpha assimilate with the humans, yet nearly all of the original Alpha who assimilated in secret 17 years ago have disappeared along with their families. Lyric’s mom might be the last one left. And being taken by the government might not even be as bad as the lynchings and beatings administered by so many hateful civilians. But even knowing what is at stake, Lyric can’t help but try to break up a fight between a human and Alpha student and finds herself punished by being assigned to tutor the Alpha prince. As violence at the school escalates, Lyric hopes she can keep herself safe and her secret hidden until her family is able to make their escape.
I had trouble putting this book down! With political tensions reminiscent of the last century’s school integration movement (and some timely commentary on building walls), family tensions and danger for the Walkers, friendship issues for Lyric, a love triangle, and some fantasy battles, there is no shortage of reasons to turn pages. Yet the story flows well and does not seem overburdened by its many complex attributes. I highly recommend this book to teen readers who enjoy dystopias and urban fantasy! I am excited to read the sequel.
Susan the Librarian 