Young Adult
SAINT ANYTHING by Sarah Dessen
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Sydney has always lived in her older brother’s shadow. But when Peyton winds up in prison after driving drunk and crippling a young bicyclist, Sydney feels more ignored and isolated than ever. Her parents seem to be treating Peyton as the victim in the tragedy, and Sydney feels like she is shouldering all of the guilt for her entire family. But when she transfers to a new school, Sydney meets Layla and her brother Mac and through their friendship begins to discover who she really is, independent of her brother and her parents. As Sydney grows in self confidence, her relationship with her family begins to evolve as well.
This is probably the best book I’ve posted lately. It is well written, with strong, realistic characters, and an engaging premise. I would recommend it to teen readers who enjoy realistic fiction.
ALL FALL DOWN by Ally Carter
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Everyone thinks Grace is crazy, but she’s not. She saw the scar-faced man shoot her mother. She knows the fire wasn’t an accident. But the lack of a bullet wound in the coroner’s report and the lack of evidence on security cameras led to years of shrinks and being shuffled from school to school. Now she’s been sent to Adria to live with her grandfather the ambassador who hasn’t seen her since her mother’s death. After so long away, Adria is both familiar and foreign, and reminders of her mother are everywhere. But when Grace stumbles into a secret meeting in the abandoned Iranian embassy, she recognizes the scar-faced man instantly. Dismissed by her grandfather as fatigued and confused, Grace must seek the help of new friends and friends from her childhood to navigate the hidden tunnels of Embassy Row and find her mother’s killer before he kills again.
This fast-paced, suspenseful mystery features a spirited and mischievous heroine and a cast of colorful supporting characters. The gradual revelation of clues and an unreliable narrator make the ending difficult to guess but allow the reader to remain constantly involved in puzzling out the mystery. A thrilling start to what promises to be a compelling series! This book will likely appeal to mystery/thriller loving teens of a variety of ages.
TAKING FLIGHT: FROM WAR ORPHAN TO STAR BALLERINA by Michaela DePrince with Elaine DePrince
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As a child, Michaela DePrince witnessed terrible violence in war-torn Sierra Leone. She survived the death of both of her parents, and escaped as a refugee to Ghana, where she was adopted by an American family. What kept Michaela’s hope alive through her years in Sierra Leone was a torn magazine cover with a photograph of a ballerina on it. It was the most incredible thing she had ever seen, and she hoped that one day she could become a ballerina too. Her adoptive parents supported her dreams, and Michaela overcame racial discrimination to become one of the world’s few black classical ballerinas.
Young as she is, Michaela’s memoir only covers her first 17 years of life. But her story is inspiring and very well-written. I read it in one sitting. Although marketed as a young adult book, her story will be of interest to teens and adults. I highly recommend it!
THE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST by Holly Black
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Growing up in a small town at the edge of the Faerie realm, Hazel and Ben learn what you should and should not do to be sure that the folk don’t play they’re dangerous mischiefs on you. You may visit the glass casket of the horned boy, but you must never try to break the glass lest you be cursed. Hazel and Ben fell in love with the horned boy, dreaming that he was their prince and that one day they would rescue him. In the meantime, they spent their days playing the knight and the Bard–using Ben’s magical music gift and Hazel’s skill with a sword to take revenge on the monsters that tormented tourists. But when Ben’s gift faltered, Hazel made a costly bargain with the folk. Five years later, when someone breaks the horned boy’s glass casket, Hazel struggles to get her memories back, to figure out whether the horned boy is a prince or a villain, and to find a way to stop the sinister monster that walks in his shadow.
This modern fairytale is a thrilling read. Hazel, Ben, and their changeling friend Jack are fantastically interesting characters and the mysterious plot keeps you on the edge of your seat. I would recommend this book to teen readers who enjoy fantasy and fairy tales.
If you liked The Darkest Part of the Forest, you might like Reckless by Cornelia Funke and The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.
WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart
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They called themselves the Liars–Cadence, her cousins Mirren and Johnny, and their friend Gat. They had been coming with their families to their grandfather’s private island every summer since forever. Although they didn’t see one another all year long, in the summers they were confidantes, co-conspirators, best friends. But everything changed in summer fifteen when Cadence had her accident. It left her with crippling migraines and took almost all of her memories of that summer and the accident itself. All she remembers is Gat and the beach roses and holding hands under the stars. Since her mother won’t tell her what happened, and the Liars seem to be doing their best to ignore her questions, it is up to Cady to piece together her memories of summer fifteen. What was so horrific the her brain won’t let her remember? How did her relationship with Gat change so much in so short a time? And is there really such a thing as a second chance?
I didn’t figure this book out before the big reveal. I actually ended up reading it twice to find all the clues I missed. This suspenseful novel starts off deceivingly light, but be prepared for an intense read. I’m still thinking about it. I would recommend this book to teens who like heavy realistic fiction.
If you liked We Were Liars, you might like If I Stay by Gayle Forman, The Book of Lies by Mary Horlock, and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.
THE ENDLESS STEPPE: GROWING UP IN SIBERIA by Esther Hautzig
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Esther had a beautiful childhood. She shared a large home with her parents and extended family in their Polish town of Vilna. They had beautiful garden that Esther tended with her grandfather, and she attended a wonderful school. But that all ended with the German invasion. As the Polish army fought valiantly against the Germans, the Soviets began to wage war against what they considered to be internal enemies. Labeled as capitalists, Esther, her parents, and her grandparents are shuttled into cattle cars and taken to labor camps in Siberia. From age ten to age fifteen, Esther learns to survive working in the harsh, barren landscape. But as she grows and builds friendships and a life for herself, it becomes difficult to imagine ever leaving.
Esther Hautzig tells her life story in beautiful and evocative prose. Her experiences of joys and hardships are both shocking and accessible; in many ways, childhood in Siberia is no different from childhood anywhere else. There is sadness in this story, as you can imagine, but ultimately, Esther’s story is hopeful. I highly recommend this book to middle grade readers and teens who enjoy historical novels and memoirs and who are interested in hearing a less-often-told side of the Second World War.
IF I STAY by Gayle Forman
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The day started out like an ordinary, happy snow day for Mia. She, her mom, her dad, and her brother pile into the car to visit her grandparents. But suddenly, Mia is standing on the side of the road staring at the mangled remains of the car. She sees her parents lying in the road and realizes their bodies are so damaged that they must be dead. She searches for her brother in the wreckage, and instead finds herself–her own body half buried in destroyed car parts. But Mia is not dead. As the paramedics whisk her off to the hospital, Mia follows, watching her body go through surgery, hearing the word “coma,” trying to process what has happened. As her grandparents sit by her bedside in the ICU, the nurse tells them to encourage Mia, because really it is up to her whether she wakes or not. Mia realizes she has a choice. As her extended family, her boyfriend, and her best friend struggle with their grief and fears, Mia wrestles with whether or not she should stay in world without the people she loved most.
This heartbreaking novel is sad but hopeful. Mia’s internal debate in the hospital is intermingled with memories from her past, stories of the friendships and relationships that have shaped her life. Readers can relate to Mia’s experiences of growing up, which encourages them to step into Mia’s shoes. What would you choose? Mia’s choice emphasizes both the incredible pain and beauty of life. A great novel for teen readers who enjoy heavy realistic fiction.
THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater
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Every October, the water horses return to the island. The beautiful predators are both feared and respected. Many have lost a parent to a horse’s fierce teeth. Puck Connolly lost two. When her older brother announces that he’s planning to move to the mainland, Puck announces that she plans to ride in the Scorpio Races–a deadly race of water horses along the shore line. Maybe she can win enough money to support herself and her younger brother. And maybe she can convince Gabe to stay. If she survives, that is. Sean Kendrick is riding in the races, too. He and his water horse, Cor, have won four years straight. No one can communicate with the horses like Sean can, and no horse understands Sean like Cor. But Cor belongs to Sean’s employer, Benjamin Malvern, and the more Sean wins for Malvern, the more Malvern’s son, Mutt, hates him for it. For Sean and for Puck, the first woman to ride in the races, the danger will come from more than just the teeth of the water horses.
Suspenseful, heart-wrenching, and beautifully written, The Scorpio Races is one of the most unique and compelling fantasy novels I have read in a while. Stiefvater immerses readers in the island culture and creates nuanced characters that you can’t help but love. I highly recommend the audiobook, performed by Steve West and Fiona Hardingham!
OKAY FOR NOW by Gary D. Schmidt
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Whenever everything seems to be going well, something terrible is going to happen soon. When Doug gets a baseball cap signed by Joe Pepitone (the Joe Pepitone of the Yankees!), it is inevitable that his jerk older brother steals it. And when he is finally feeling happy on Long Island with friends and a baseball team, it is inevitable that his father mouths off to his boss, loses his job, and moves the family upstate to stupid Marysville, New York. Which means that they’ll be living near Ernie Eco (the jerk). Which means that Doug’s father will be going out drinking every night with Ernie Eco (the jerk) and his brother will still act like the evil criminal mind he is and his mother will still stare into the distance like she’s wishing she had a different life–or maybe wondering when Lucas will come home from Vietnam. And it turns out that everyone in stupid Marysville looks at Doug like he’s the scum of the earth. Terrific. But when Doug discovers a book in the library with an extraordinary painting of a terrified bird plunging toward an icy sea, he is inspired to uncover a new side of himself and the people of Marysville. Of course whenever everything seems to be going well, something terrible must be about to happen. . . .
Through brilliantly written first person narration, Schmidt gradually reveals Doug’s transformation and the evolution of his relationships with friends, family, and neighbors. Not only is the coming-of-age story compelling and accessible, but tense character relationships add suspense that makes this book difficult to put down. It will appeal to middle grade readers and teens (and even adults, especially those who grew up in the sixties) who enjoy coming-of-age stories and historical fiction.
Doug’s voice makes this book exceptional, and Lincoln Hoppe’s performance of the audiobook is perfect. I highly recommend listening to this one!
ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell
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When the new girl with the weird clothes sits next to him on the bus, Park does his best to ignore her and hopes it is a one time thing. If she wants to draw attention to herself by dressing oddly, that’s her business, but the last thing he needs is for Steve and the other kids at the back of the bus to start picking on him, too. He’s done a good job of keeping his head down so far. When Eleanor gets on the bus for the first time, she knows the school year is going to suck. Everyone makes it clear that they don’t want her to sit with them, so she takes an open seat next to an Asian kid and does her best not to bother him. This is what she has come back to after her year of sleeping on a friend’s couch: a creepy stepfather who still hates her guts and a bus full of hateful high schoolers.
But as the year progresses, Eleanor and Park start to lower their barriers. They begin to acknowledge one another, to read comics together, to exchange music. And as their friendship grows into romance, they hesitantly allow one another to catch a glimpse into their deeper struggles, especially in their home lives.
It is hard to describe the brilliance of this book in a summary. My mother (also a librarian) recommended it to me with no summary saying, “Just read it. It’s wonderful.” And it is. It is one of those books where the words themselves are engaging. The imagery is fresh and interesting. Every word is deliberate. Every character is nuanced and realistic. The plot lines range from sappy and heartwarming to disgusting and horrifying. Realistic fiction love stories are not usually my genre (I usually require some sort of thriller/sci-fi subplot to cut through the sap), but this book is incredibly well-written–and gets some bonus points for the very subtle Romeo and Juliet parallels (starting with the title). I recommend it to teens and adults who like love stories and literary fiction.
If you liked Eleanor and Park, you might like Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler.
Susan the Librarian 