Day: August 7, 2008

Cicada Summer

| Tasha

Cicada Summer by Andrea Beaty.

Lily finds herself in the middle of her very own Nancy-Drew-like mystery in the small sleepy Illinois town she lives in.  When Tinny arrives, Lily immediately dislikes her.  Lily hasn’t spoken in two years and everyone thinks she is brain damaged, but Tinny discovers that Lily can read when they first meet.  Tinny begins taking over places where Lily felt comfortable, where she was safe and invisible.  Tinny is far from invisible and seems to revel in making Lily feel very uncomfortable.  But Tinny has a lot to hide too, just like Lily.  And Lily is bright as can be, just silent.  Strange details begin to trouble Lily, and she discovers that she is the only one who can save Tinny.

The tone here is golden.  Lily’s viewpoint is very strong and consistent and her inner voice is humorous and endearingly plainspoken.   She is a heroine with great depth who reveals her secrets step by tiny step, creating a dual tension in the novel as both girls’ secrets are slowly revealed to the reader.  Unlike Nancy Drew, there is no car, no clever solutions, there is life.  A lovely view of small-town life that has its own sort of mystery and tragedy.

Highly recommended for lovers of Nancy Drew who are now tweens, kids who enjoy mysteries, and anyone from small Midwestern towns who want to return briefly to their childhood.  Especially those of us who felt just as invisible as Lily.

Would You?

| Tasha

Would You by Marthe Jocelyn

Natalie is a free-wheeling kind of teen.  She breaks into people’s swimming pools just to have a cool dip with her friends.  They play the would you game where you have two impossible choices:  Would you rather lose all your hair or all your teeth?  Would you rather die or have everyone else die?  They are secure in their own immortality, safe in their sheltered worlds.  Until the accident.  When everything changes.

The characters here are fresh and engaging.  Jocelyn has perfectly captured the mix of angst and hubris that teens feel.  The writing is equally vibrant, pacing itself with the story.  I really appreciate that during the crisis, Natalie’s friends do not abandon her.  Just because they are breezy free teens does not mean they are heartless and cold.  It is a small touch, but just one of many that make the book read so true to life.

Recommended for tween readers in particular, this book is appropriate for ages 12-15.  Readers of Lurlene McDaniel will enjoy this book and will find more than tears to revel in.