STAND ON THE SKY by Erin Bow
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When Serik’s attempt to capture a golden eagle goes wrong, Aisulu carries her injured brother down the mountain to their family for help. But as her uncle is preparing to set the broken leg, Aisulu decides to break a promise and tells her parents about the limp Serik has been concealing for months. And suddenly, her life changes completely. Her parents leave for the city to take Serik to the hospital, and Aisulu is left in the care of her uncle and his eccentric wife, unsure whether Serik will ever forgive her for her betrayal, even though she may have saved his life. And so, she decides she will save another life. Abandoning her responsibilities for milking the goats and carrying water, she heads back to the mountains and finds the dead eagle’s nest, rescuing its baby chick and bringing it home with her. At first she fears that her uncle will take the eagle from her, since she is a girl and eagle hunting is man’s work. But as she and the eagle bond, she sees a new side of her uncle as he encourages her to train the eagle as a hunter. As Aisulu and her eagle progress through their training, she sees the complexity of the attitudes about gender norms in her family and community and realizes that she may be in a unique position to save her brother–and the rest of her family–once again.
Set in the Kazakh region of modern Mongolia, this is the story of a girl finding her self-worth and realizing how much she is valued by her family, even though she is different. The uncertainty of Serik’s health and Aisulu’s eagle training drive the plot, but the real power of the story is in the transformation of Aisulu and her family. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to middle grade readers who enjoy character-driven novels and learning about other cultures.
THE MYSTERY OF BLACK HOLLOW LANE by Julia Nobel
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People think it must be great growing up as the daughter of a famous child-rearing expert. But sometimes Emmy wishes she had a normal mom–or at least that her mom spent less time on her work and more time paying attention to the things Emmy is interested in. When her mom announces that she has accepted a job on a reality TV program and that Emmy will have to go to boarding school on the other side of the ocean, it seems like proof that her mom’s work is more important than she is. It makes her feel a little bit less guilty about the secret she’s been keeping from her mom: the mysterious note and the box of “relics” from her long-absent father. “Keep them safe,” the note commanded. Emmy never knew her father, has no idea what these “relics” are, and doesn’t know who wrote the note or what kind of danger the mysterious writer anticipated. But when she arrives at her new elite English boarding school, she begins to uncover more pieces of the mystery of who her father was, and in the middle of the web of secrets is a danger much more real and terrifying than Emmy could have imagined.
This intriguing start to a mystery series is a great middle-grade page turner. The plot draws on common enough tropes–missing father, secret society, “heroic trio uncovering secrets at a boarding school” with a pleasant Harry Potter vibe–but what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in likable characters and an engaging mystery to puzzle out. I look forward to the sequel!
THE PERFECT COUPLE by Elin Hilderbrand
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The maid of honor’s body washed up on the Nantucket beach the morning of the wedding. It was the bride who found her. Needless to say, the wedding was canceled. Now it is up to the chief and his lead detective to interview the shell-shocked bridal party and figure out what happened. The simplest explanation, of course, would be that it was an accident. Girl has too much to drink, goes for a late night swim, washes up on the beach the next morning. But what about the abandoned kayak that belongs to the father of the groom? Why does the other bridesmaid seem so reluctant to discuss the MOH’s love life? Why was the bride on the beach so early in the morning carrying a suitcase? And where is the best man? As the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that everyone has at least one secret and no one is as perfect as they seem.
A character-driven mystery, this novel will appeal to some mystery fans, but also realistic fiction fans who like some good old-fashioned family dysfunction. In the end, exactly what happened is less important than the complex web of relationships between the characters. A fast and enjoyable summer read!
THE MISSING PIECE OF CHARLIE O’REILLY by Rebecca K. S. Ansari
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Charlie’s little brother, Liam, disappeared almost exactly a year ago, and Charlie is the only one who remembers him. When he disappeared, every trace of him vanished with him–his clothes, his photographs, even the top bunk of Charlie’s bed. Charlie’s mother also changed when Liam disappeared. Even though she can’t remember him, she almost never gets out of bed these days. Charlie is determined to find Liam and bring him back, because he knows it’s his fault Liam is gone. After all, the night before Liam disappeared, Charlie fell asleep wishing he didn’t have a brother. As Charlie and his best friend Ana search for Liam, they stumble upon a secret asylum full of disappeared children and realize that Charlie’s unusual dreams about an Irish family from the past may hold the key to freeing the trapped children–but only if they want to be released.
No mistake is too big to be forgiven in this novel about how family makes us whole. As Charlie discovers what happened to Liam, the mystery of his disappearance gives way to a race to escape from a magical prison. Interwoven with this suspenseful story is the theme of self-forgiveness as the characters must learn to accept themselves and their past mistakes. Character development and plot work together beautifully to drive the story forward. I highly recommend this book to middle grade readers who enjoy realistic fiction with a touch of fantasy and character-driven suspense.
A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman
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Ove is ready to leave the monotony of this life behind. He is tired of making his morning rounds to insure that all of the neighbors are abiding by the residential association’s rules. He is particularly tired of dealing with people, most of whom he finds to be incompetent and lazy. And most of all, he misses Sonja, who has been dead for six months now. As soon as his affairs are in order, he has resolved to join her. That is, until some new neighbors move in and drive their vehicle down into the residential area (although the sign Ove installed clearly states that this is a violation of the rules!) and back into his mailbox. Somehow, the reluctant Ove gets swept up into their lives and reinvested in his community which, as it turns out, needs him as much as he needs them.
This international bestseller is humorous, quirky, feel-good book about the importance of community and relationships. Engaging and occasionally absurd plot threads propel this story about a diverse cast of unconventional but lovable characters. I highly recommend it to adult readers of realistic fiction who like humor in their thought-provoking novels.
THE WORD IS MURDER by Anthony Horowitz
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On the day that she visited the funeral home to arrange her own funeral, Diana Cowper was murdered. Author Anthony Horowitz might never have been aware of the somewhat unsensational murder of elderly mother of a relatively well-known actor if he had not been approached by Daniel Hawthorne, an abrasive former detective turned police consultant with an unusual proposition. Hawthorne suggests that Anthony shadow him on the case and turn the events into a murder mystery story, which Hawthorne is certain will be a bestseller, due not so much to the intrigue of the case but to Hawthorne’s particular brilliance as a detective. Although he is off-put by Hawthorne’s egotism and other personality flaws and fears that such a book would be difficult to sell, Anthony finds the circumstances of Diana Cowper’s death so unusual and engaging that he must know what happens to her. And unless he agrees to Hawthorne’s book, he might never find out how the story ends. As the investigation unfolds, Anthony learns more dark secrets than he ever expected about Diana, her son, and Hawthorne himself. But every time he thinks of quitting, the mystery spurs him on, until he begins to wonder if he, the writer, is destined to solve it himself.
This meta-literary mystery is a fun, suspenseful read with enough twists, red herrings, and maddening clues to keep you going to the very end. The meta-literary framing, along with the brilliant yet barely likeable detective, sets the story as a kind of modern Sherlock Holmes novel, although the characters of the detective and record-keeping assistant are far from Holmes/Watson clones. I suspect this mystery may not be for everyone, as the meta-literary format is somewhat unique and experimental, but personally, I loved it. I particularly loved the moments when theories I had ended up being theories that Anthony would pursue–and then later have scornfully debunked by Hawthorne. I recommend it to mystery readers who like character-driven novels and who are open to interesting framing devices.
DREAD NATION by Justina Ireland
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Jane would have grown up in slavery if not for the War Between the States. Instead, she grew up helping her white mother defend the plantation against the onslaught of the undead who began to rise after the Battle of Gettysburg. Although the agreement to end the War so that North and South could join forces against the undead shamblers included the abolition of slavery, Black people are far from equal—arguably not even free. When Jane was rounded up with the rest of the Black teens on the plantation and sent to a finishing school where she would train to defend wealthy white women from shamblers, she hoped it would be an opportunity to gain some sort of liberty and life experience. Instead, she finds herself hampered by the racism and sexism that pervade her society. But when she and a classmate uncover a deadly conspiracy, they find themselves in grave danger and caught between the desire for self-preservation and the knowledge that if they don’t do something, the entire world could be lost to the undead.
This novel is stunning: well-written, nuanced, thought-provoking, timely, and with a gripping and richly imagined historical sci-fi that is nearly impossible to put down. Jane is a compelling and complex protagonist, and it is a pleasure to root for her against both the zombies and the disturbing social institutions that try to hold her back. For all of its thrilling adventure, it never shies away from a powerful and disturbing look at racism and its impact. I loved every page and highly recommend it to teen and adult fans of sci-fi, dystopia, or even historical fiction.
THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS by Ammi-Joan Paquette
Marty’s father is sick. The kind of sick with surprise hospital stays, weeks in bed, and not much talk of the future. When he first found out about the cancer, Marty’s dad got him a present: a jean jacket so that the two of them could collect buttons and pins to represent different memories during the time they had left together. It is Marty’s most prized possession. So when the jean jacket goes missing during one of Dad’s hospital stays, Marty is frantic. It can’t possibly be gone! That conviction that the jacket must be out there waiting for him somewhere reminds Marty of an old story his father used to tell him about the Train of Lost Things, a train that flies around the world at night collecting the lost precious possessions of children and holding onto them until they can find be returned to their owners. Desperate for his jacket, Marty sneaks out one night in search of the train and stumbles into an adventure beyond his wildest dreams.
In this touching coming of age story, a dose of fantasy helps Marty and the reader process the grief and loss of a loved one. About half of the book reads like realistic fiction, so this book will be most appealing to readers who enjoy both realistic fiction and fantasy, or fantasies that are heavily rooted in the real world, such as Savvy by Ingrid Law.
MARIAM SHARMA HITS THE ROAD by Sheba Karim
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As soon as Mariam sees the billboard in Times Square, she knows that Ghazala is in big trouble. It’s not surprising that Ghaz signed up for the modeling gig, but did she know that those images would be appearing in public where someone was bound to see? It’s not long before word gets around the Pakistani community, and Ghaz is labeled a “slut,” and locked in her room by her parents who are threatening to send her to Pakistan to find a husband. So Mariam and Umar do the only thing good friends can do. They help Ghaz sneak out in the middle of the night and take off on an epic summer road trip from New Jersey to New Orleans. But the trip turns out to be more than just a rescue mission for Ghaz or a wild way to spend a college summer vacation. Mariam learns new things about her father and must come to terms with her family’s past. Umar wrestles with how his homosexuality fits in with his devout Muslim faith. The fallout from Ghaz’s billboard and her family’s reactions continue to follow her. And all three of them are have their own assumptions challenged as they face various levels of racism throughout their journey into the Deep South.
This coming-of-age story features strong and engaging characters grappling with serious issues against the fun backdrop of a road trip plot. This novel will certainly appeal to older teen readers of realistic fiction.
MONSTROUS BEAUTY by Elizabeth Fama
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Hester has resigned herself to a life without love. Her mother died days after giving birth to Hester, as her grandmother died days after giving birth to her mother, and her great-grandmother. . . . All Hester knows is that for the women in her family, love kills. But when Hester meets a mysterious young man at the beach, she begins to uncover a dark tale from the past–a story of love and loss, of humans and sea-folk, the living and the lingering dead. And something in this past may have an important connection to Hester’s future. In her desperation to learn more about the past and free herself from her curse, Hester overlooks the very real danger lurking in the present.
Based on the jacket summary, I had expected this novel to be a paranormal romance. It is definitely not! Although there are some romantic moments in the book, the focus of the novel is on the journey of a young woman to uncover her ancestral past, break a curse, and find the strength to free herself from the weight of past tragedies and forge her own destiny. It is suspenseful and powerfully written with a rich, history-inspired fantasy woven into a quaint, contemporary, small town. Fama’s extensive research shows in the realism of her past and present settings and the authenticity of her characters without ever leading to copious explication. I highly recommend this novel to historical fiction readers and fantasy readers who enjoy gripping, character-driven stories. I had trouble putting it down!
The audiobook is phenomenal. I highly recommend it.
Susan the Librarian 