THE REAL BOY by Anne Ursu
The Magician Caleb adopted Oscar as his shop assistant, to help with small tasks like restocking the pantry, but not with magical tasks of preparing spells for the customers. As far as Caleb and his mean-spirited apprentice Wolf know, Oscar can’t even read—although Caleb has begun to suspect something of Oscar’s self-education through the way he obviously knows more about herbal magic than Wolf. Shy Oscar is happy to remain in the background where he doesn’t have to interact with people, who often think there is “something wrong with him.” But when Caleb goes out of town on a secret errand, Wolf sneaks out to the forest for an afternoon and is chopped up into bits by some unknown creature. Soon after, Callie, the healer’s apprentice arrives with more distressing news: the children of the lords and ladies in the high-walled “Shining City” are contracting mysterious illnesses—and the healer is also away on unnamed business. Fearing a resurgence of the plague that nearly destroyed their country years ago, Oscar and Callie realize they cannot wait for their masters to return. They must try to find a cure for illnesses—and hope that whatever monster killed Wolf does not return.
I loved this book! I found it much more engaging than Breadcrumbs. The story develops slowly, with a lot of time devoted to world-building. But by interspersing a few dramatic and intriguing events early on, Ursu kept me eagerly turning pages, trying to puzzle out the mystery as I became immersed in the fantasy world. As the title suggests, it is inspired by Pinocchio, but only loosely; the connection isn’t even clear until over 200 pages into the story. More significant is Oscar’s struggle to fit in with the “normal” people around him, his gradual discovery of his own abilities and self-worth, and his growing friendship with Callie. All of the characters—good and not-so-good—are carefully crafted with strengths and short-comings. And the ominous evil that threatens them is both terrifying and misunderstood. A wonderfully complex and engaging fantasy—I highly recommend it!
If you liked The Real Boy, you might like Charmed Life by Dianna Wynne Jones, Dreamwood by Heather Mackey or The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson.
BRIGHTLY WOVEN by Alexandra Bracken
Sydelle has spent her whole life in a desert village in Palmarta where a drought has left her community impoverished for over a decade. But when the king of Palmarta is poisoned, their life is plunged into chaos. The government blames the neighboring country of Auster, which responds to the allegations by preparing for war. But a young wizard arrives in the village naming a different culprit: the malicious hedge wizard Dorwan. With the invading army at their doorstep, Sydelle’s parents sell her to North as a guide, hoping that the wizard will keep her safe, and the two vanish, leaving the rest of the village to become hostages of Auster. Sydelle is determined to lead North to the capital as quickly as possible, believing that the sooner they inform the Queen of Dorwan’s treachery, the sooner a truce will be called and her village released. But Dorwan is not going to let them succeed without a fight, and Sydelle soon learns that North is hiding some terrible secrets–and both of their lives may be at stake.
I saw this book on a display and thought “that author has the same name as the RA in my freshman dorm….” And then I discovered that she is the RA from freshman dorm and even began writing this book while in college! Go Tribe!
I really enjoyed this book, and thought it was particularly great for a first novel. The world building was pretty cool. She kept with the medieval high fantasy vibe while replacing knights with wizards and barbarian hoards. The heroine does spend most of the book as a pawn, but she gets herself together in the end and takes some control/action of her own, so that was relieving. But because the heroine takes so long to live up to her potential, it fell short of what I consider to be the greats of teen high fantasy (The Blue Sword and Alanna/Song of the Lioness). But it is better than many teen fantasy novels where the “heroines” tend to be pawns or lovesick groupies for the entire story. I do hope that she someday writes a sequel, because after Sydelle’s growth and transformation in this first book, I think she is going to become a very interesting and influential player in the future events of her world. . . .
COSMIC by Frank Cottrell Boyce
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Liam has always looked old for his age–really, really old for his age. In fact, as the only six-foot-tall, bearded twelve year old he knows, he is frequently mistaken for a parent or a teacher. At first, Liam finds his grow-up appearance to be an annoyance–a reason for kids to make fun of him–and mostly spends time on his own, playing World of Warcraft. But when his parents encourage him to go out and make friends, he discovers that looking grown up can have its advantages. Which is how he has the opportunity to ride the terrifying, gravity defying Cosmic at the amusement park. And how he and Florida, posing as father and daughter, almost get to test drive a Porche at the car dealership (until Liam’s dad catches them at the last minute). But when Liam finds out about a contest to win the ultimate trip to a new amusement park in China, he becomes Florida’s “dad” once again as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime. And that is how they end up lost in outer space, and this time, Liam’s dad is nowhere near enough to save the day.
This science fiction novel is funny and poignant, in some ways reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Throughout his “dadly” adventures, Liam learns a lot about what it means to be a parent vs. a kid, and ultimately discovers that even the greatest adventures are not worth as much as his own dad’s love. I highly recommend this one to middle grade and teen readers. It would also make a great family read aloud to older elementary age kids, as parents are sure to enjoy it, as well!
ETIQUETTE AND ESPIONAGE by Gail Carriger
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Sophronia’s older sisters are refined and well-mannered Victorian ladies. But Sophronia is much more interested in climbing around in dumb waiters and tinkering with gadgets than more ladylike pursuits. So when a highly sought-after finishing school offers Sophronia a place at their academy, her mother ships Sophronia her off immediately. What her mother does not realize, however, is that Sophronia is a covert recruit to a finishing school that trains evil geniuses in espionage, assassination, and other fascinating arts–in addition to the requisite curtsying and handkerchief manipulation, of course. Sophronia’s curiosity and climbing skills thrust her into the middle of a skirmish between the school administrators, dangerous flywaymen, and her least favorite fellow pupil–the pompous Monique, who has stolen and hidden a very valuable prototype somewhere off school grounds. With help from her new school friends, the school’s young mechanics (the “sooties”), and her pet mechanimal (Bumbersnoot), Sophronia is determined to find the prototype before Monique or the flywaymen can get to it.
Set in an alternate 1850s England, this novel is part sci-fi and part fantasy. There is plenty of machinery to please steampunk fans, and some werewolves and vampires for those who prefer the supernatural. And for readers who enjoy stories about boarding school mischief (think the Marauder’s Map from Harry Potter), it is a very fun read! I highly recommend it to middle grade and teen readers.
FEVER, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
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When her friend Polly dies of a mysterious fever, Matilda is in shock. It doesn’t seem possible that Polly could have been so healthy yesterday and dead by the morning. But in a few days’ time, the shock of Polly’s death is overshadowed by the terrifying reality of a yellow fever epidemic that leaves no one unscathed. When her mother falls ill, Mattie and her grandfather try to flee Philadelphia, only to fall ill themselves on the road. They recover and return to a changed city–full of crying orphans, ruthless thieves, mass graves, and starving survivors. In order to survive, Mattie must learn to defend herself, do her best to help the sick, and cling to the hope that her mother may still be alive.
This exciting historical survival story will appeal to middle grade and teen readers. If you liked Fever 1793, you might like A Time of Angels by Karen Hesse or An American Plague by Jim Murphy.
BRAIN ON FIRE: MY MONTH OF MADNESS by Susannah Cahalan
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Susannah Cahalan’s illness came out of nowhere. One day she was living a perfectly normal life as a New York Post journalist; weeks later she was strapped to a hospital bed, experiencing seizures, paranoid hallucinations, and catatonia. The doctors were ready to send her to a psychiatric ward, but her family insisted that there must be a medical cause. Something was wrong with Susannah, and it wasn’t mental illness. After a month of tests, procedures, and turmoil, doctors finally found a diagnosis just in time to save Susannah’s life. Although Susannah has nearly no memories of her “month of madness,” she has reconstructed her path through illness and recovery based on family recollections, journals, and hospital records. Her memoir is intense and fascinating, forcing readers to reexamine their perception of mental illness and reminding us how little we know about the remarkable human brain. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in memoirs or medicine!
WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson
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Cassie is dead, and it is Lia’s fault. Lia didn’t answer the phone that night when Cassie called. Thirty-three times. But it’s more than that. Whenever Cassie had thought about purging less and gaining weight, Lia had told her to stay strong. Together they would be the skinniest girls in school. Because Lia didn’t want to be alone. But now Cassie is gone, and Lia is seeing her ghost everywhere, sometimes accusing Lia, sometimes encouraging her as she continues to lose weight, while trying to convince her dad and stepmother that she hasn’t fallen back into the habits that sent her to the hospital before. As she struggles to deal with her grief and guilt over Cassie’s death and her own eating disorder, Lia’s life begins to fall apart.
Probably the bleakest of Laurie Halse Anderson’s intense but wonderful contemporary teen novels, Wintergirls is not for the everyone. You may not enjoy this book if you are squeamish or if you fear that a realistic depiction of the interior thoughts of someone with anorexia may trigger unhealthy memories or habits from your past. But if you truly do want to understand what it is like to have anorexia or want to know that you are not alone in your experience with eating disorders, this book is realistic and powerful.
THE IMPOSSIBLE KNIFE OF MEMORY by Laurie Halse Anderson
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Hayley does not remember growing up in the town that she and her father have come back to after so many years. She doesn’t remember her grandmother’s house at all. But there are a lot of things that Hayley chooses to forget, since remembering is usually painful. This will be her senior year of high school and her first year in traditional school since she was twelve, when she and her father hit the road in his semi and he started “homeschooling” her. Hayley is glad that Gracie still remembers her from when they were kids (although she has no memory of Gracie); it is nice to have at least a couple friends when most of the kids at school are mindless zombies. But when Hayley meets Finn and starts falling in “love” (falling in “like?”), it becomes more difficult for her to keep her worlds separate: the world of school, where she makes superficial friends and just barely scrapes by in most classes, and the world at home, where she tries to cope with her father’s alcoholism and wishes she could help him erase the memories that haunt him from the war.
I could not put this book down. Seriously. I skipped choir rehearsal, blew off a Skype date with my fiancé, stayed up half the night, and finished this book in one sitting. It was excellent—another triumph for the brilliant Laurie Halse Anderson. The subject matter is tough—a realistic portrayal of life with an alcoholic family member—but the story is not bleak. Hayley and Finn are great characters; they have their funny moments as they both struggle with family issues and building their own relationship. And ultimately, the story is hopeful. I highly recommend this one!
If you liked The Impossible Knife of Memory, you might like Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson , Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
ONE DEAD SPY: THE LIFE, TIMES, AND LAST WORDS OF NATHAN HALE, AMERICA’S MOST FAMOUS SPY by Nathan Hale
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Revolutionary Captain Nathan Hale is about to be executed for spying on the British. While the British officer is fetching the hanging orders, the jovial hangman helps Nathan brainstorm some awesome Last Words. But when Nathan says “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country,” he is immediately swallowed by a giant book. It turns out those Last Words were so awesome that Nathan Hale made history! And his brief visit to the history book gives him a glimpse of some fascinating events that happen in the future. When the British officer returns, Nathan Hale delays his hanging by telling the story of the Revolutionary War and its outcome. And he promises to delay his hanging even further by telling about other dramatic historical events as the series of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales continues.
This graphic novel series is great! Author/Artist Nathan Hale (illustrator of Rapunzel’s Revenge) brings American history to life with his artwork and infuses it with humor through the great framing story of the character Nathan Hale, the pompous British officer, and the comedic hangman. One Dead Spy is currently on the NYT Bestselling Graphic Novels list. Two sequels have been published so far (Big Bad Ironclad! and Donner Dinner Party). A fourth (Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood) comes out next month.
BOXERS and SAINTS by Gene Luen Yang
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In two companion novels, Yang tells the story of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion in China from the perspective of a member of the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists and the perspective of a Chinese Christian. These National Book Award recognized graphic novels are violent, though-provoking, challenging, and perhaps even inspiring. Yang exposes both virtue and corruption in characters on both sides of this historical tragedy, while violence undermines, propels, but ultimately balks before spirituality. I would recommend these novels (which must be read together, in the order listed) to anyone who enjoys truly thought-provoking historical/war fiction—and who doesn’t mind a fair bit of violence.
Boxers
Bao grew up loving the opera stories of the ancient Chinese gods. When he sees his a foreign Catholic priest smash a statue of one of his gods, he is infuriated. His father goes on a journey to seek justice for the actions of the foreigner and the Chinese Christians (“secondary devils”) who were with him, but the foreign army beats him nearly to death. In response, Bao joins a secret society which vows to honor the ancient Chinese traditions, protect their families, and eradicate the devils (foreign and Chinese) from their land. Through a cleansing ritual, Bao and his brethren become possessed by the ancient gods when the fight. They are all but invincible. But as they through travel China, slaughtering foreigners and secondary devils, Bao finds that his values are frequently called into question as he struggles to balance justice and mercy. And when a woman wishes to join their order, he must decide whether he accepts the ancient belief that too much involvement with women can taint a man’s soul.
Saints
Four Girl has grown up without a name, the only one of her mother’s children to survive infancy and believed by her grandfather to be cursed. Deciding she will live up to her nickname as a “devil,” Four Girl makes horrible faces whenever anyone looks at her. Her mother takes her to an acupuncturist to be healed of her “devil face.” The kind man “heals” her by making her laugh. But Four Girl is intrigued by the crucifix on the man’s wall. She begins asking him questions about Christianity. After having several visions of the Christian warrior woman Joan of Arc, Four Girl decides to convert to Christianity and takes the Christian name Vibiana. But when her family learns of her conversion, they have her beaten. She runs away and seeks refuge at a Christian stronghold. In her new life, Vibiana feels called to pursue justice and protect her Christian community from the violence that threatens it. Thinking it an obvious course of action given her calling, she starts training to be a warrior maiden like Joan. But Vibiana’s calling may not be as simple as she thinks.
Susan the Librarian 