Teen

Review: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

| Tasha

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Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Published February 12, 2013.

Josie knows that she wants to leave New Orleans behind.  She wants to leave her mother, a prostitute who works in a brothel.  Josie wants to leave behind her job of cleaning the rooms of the brothel.  But it’s not so easy to leave The Big Easy, especially when a wealthy man just turned up dead soon after meeting Josie in the bookstore she works in.  Josie is also caught up in lying about the mental condition of the bookstore’s owner so that he won’t be committed.  And there may just be romance flying with not one handsome young man but two.  Yet Josie has one specific dream and that is getting into Smith College.  The question is just how many people she may have to step on to get there and how she will have to compromise herself.  This vivid portrayal of a 1950s New Orleans takes us into the seedy world beneath the shiny beads and lovely architecture.

The setting of this novel is such an integral part of the story that it simply would not have worked anywhere else in the world.  Beautifully captured, readers get to really see the time period reflected as well as the city herself.  Add to that the wonderfully charged atmosphere of the story and you get a book that is impossible not to fall for, just like New Orleans.

Sepetys has created a complex heroine in this novel.  Josie is both ashamed of her background and yet defensive and proud about it as well.  As she gets deeper and deeper into the secrets and troubles of the storyline, her character is tested and Josie does not always react the way one might expect a heroine to.  Instead she is genuine, making wrong choices, correcting and then making others.  Often there is no right answer, just not the worst one. 

Well-written and compelling, this glimpse of New Orleans features a striking heroine and a tumultuous storyline.  Appropriate for ages 15-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from Philomel.

Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

| Tasha

prodigy

Prodigy by Marie Lu

As June and Day flee directly after the first book concludes, they reach Vegas.  Traveling in disguise with Day weak and wounded, they are taken in by the Patriot rebels on the day that the death of the Elector Primo.   The Patriots agree to help them but there’s one condition: they have to assassinate the new Elector Primo.  Very quickly a plan is hatched.  June is taken prisoner by the state and put directly into contact with the new Elector Primo who seems taken with her.  Day joins a group of Patriots as a runner, taking out trains with explosives and creating chaos while making sure that he is noticed as one of the Patriots now.  But things are not as they first appeared and both Day and June separately begin to question what they are doing and why.

So many teen series hit a wall on the second book, but that is not the case here.  Reading as if it is a straight extension of the story in the first novel, Legend, this book is a read that is thrilling and gripping.  The characters stay true to those you know in the first book, building their relationships and continuing to question.  Lu’s writing is clear and strong, she takes time to create believable characters, giving even secondary characters motivation and backstory.

Lu does the same with the world building.  It is a treat to have a chance to further explore the world of Legend and Lu gives us so much more to explore.  Readers will get a glimpse of the famed Colonies here and so much is answered when Day gets a glimpse of a world map for the first time.  Readers learn the truth alongside the characters, a very powerful device.

Filled with twists, turns and daring escapes, this book is a fitting continuation of Legend.  Fans will have to read this but best of all, they will not be disappointed.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from Putnam.

Review: Perry’s Killer Playlist by Joe Schreiber

| Tasha

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Perry’s Killer Playlist by Joe Schreiber

This second book in the Perry & Gobi series continues Perry’s story.  After surviving a wild night with Gobi, an assassin who disguised herself as a foreign exchange student, Perry’s band is doing very well and is now touring Europe.  He is dating a new girl, an older girl, who is sophisticated and completely out of his league.  But when the band travels to Venice, Perry can’t help but visit Harry’s Bar, the place the Gobi said she would meet him someday.  Gobi does show up, but once again she brings trouble with her.  Perry is once again drawn into her world of narrow escapes, bullets, guns, murder, trust and betrayal. 

Schreiber excels at creating books that are superbly readable.  This sequel is only a couple of hundred pages long and reads so quickly, the pages blur.  The pace is breakneck and wild, it’s a book that sweeps you up and you just have to know what happens next to these two characters. The setting of Europe lends a new vitality to the book as well.  It’s a pleasure to romp through Europe with these two.

The focus is on the action in this book and less on the characters, but I was pleased to see that we got to know Perry and particularly Gobi better in this book.  While she continues to be a mysterious figure, we are also shown tantalizing glimpses of what her life must have been like.  Perry serves as her perfect foil, reacting humanly to all of their escapades while Gobi remains cool and calm.  It probably helps that she is the one with the gun most of the time.

For fans of the first book, they will not be disappointed with the continued mayhem and action of this sequel.  This is a great series to hand to reluctant readers who will appreciate the fast pace and short length.  Appropriate for ages 13-16.

Reviewed from ARC received from Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Review: Butter by Erin Jade Lange

| Tasha

butter

Butter by Erin Jade Lange

Bullied because of his weight, Butter eats alone at a table with a special bench in the cafeteria.  He sits alone in each class, thanks to his specialized desks.  His parents struggle with his weight to, his mother continuing to try to get him healthy food and his father basically not speaking to him at all.  Butter’s one big connection is with his online girlfriend who doesn’t realize who he is and who is starting to pressure him to meet in person.  As Butter’s life continues to become more and more bleak, he makes a desperate decision: to eat himself to death on the Internet.  When he makes the threat, Butter suddenly gets attention from some of the most popular boys in school.  Suddenly, Butter has friends, a group of kids that includes the bully who gave Butter his name.  But as the day gets closer, Butter begins to wonder if he really wants to commit suicide and how he will survive at school if he doesn’t go through with it.

This book has such a strong premise with the overweight teen bullied into committing suicide in the most humiliating way possible.  What I didn’t expect though was to completely fall for Butter.  Butter is big yes, but in so many more ways that his physical size.  He has a huge sense of humor.  He has an enormous musical talent.  Best of all, Butter is completely human, not stereotypical in any way. 

Lange’s writing skill takes this book from what could have been a morose and vicious read and turns it into a book that really explores the levels of bullying, ranging from a single cruel and inhuman attack to the more subtle and even more dangerous support for self harm.  Along the way, Butter will become dear the reader, as his death approaches, Butter’s dark friendship with the boys buoys his spirits, but readers will continue to see through it even when Butter can’t. 

This is not a book you can put down, because you will have to see how it ends but also because Butter himself is a compelling protagonist.  From its timely anti-bullying message to the thrill of the Internet both for dating and humiliation, this book is a great teen read.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from Bloomsbury.

Top 2012 Teen Reads to Wake Your Brain Cells

| Tasha

What an amazing year for teen literature!  We had books that explored fantasy and science fiction in new ways and others that caught the heart of reality.  I managed to narrow my favorites down to twenty that are below with links to my full reviews:

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Ask the Passengers by A.S. King – A striking read about a teen questioning her sexuality that beams with love and acceptance.

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore – This sequel to Graceling takes place 8 years later and took Cashore 4 years to write.  The result is a beautifully conceived world and a heroine who is a complicated survivor of abuse.

The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan – The selkie legend retold in a series of short stories that come together into one glorious novel.

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The Children and the Wolves by Adam Rapp – Stunning, violent, vile and filled with heart wrenching beauty of its own unique sort, this book is one that you can’t turn away from, though you may want to.  Amazing.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein – Two incredible British teen girls become involved in fighting the Gestapo during World War II.  This is a achingly beautiful and brave read.

The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George – The tension between principles and love comes to a head in this book that explores lesbian teens and internal contradictions.  It’s a complex book that calls people to action and is populated with intriguing characters.

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The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi – This second book in the Ship Breaker series takes us to new characters who are just as amazing as those in the first book.  Filled with action and violence, Bacigalupi offers us the tragedy of war and child soldiers set against a decaying world.

Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers – The friendship between a teen and an older man is at the heart of this novel that is quietly powerful.

Every Day by David Levithan – A wakes up as a different person each day, quickly leaving each life behind, until he meets Rhiannon a girl he can’t leave behind.  Bold, vibrant and unforgettable, this book explores issues of race, sex and individuality.

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The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen – Conner is an orphan boy chosen to compete for the right to pretend to be the lost prince.  Filled with twists, violence and lies, this book is a riveting read perfect for tweens and young teens.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – As an unabashed Green fan, I was thrilled when he came out with a new book.  Then I was entranced and amazed as I read the story of Hazel, a girl with terminal cancer, and Augustus, a cancer survivor.  There is reason for the buzz on this one.  Simply incredible.

The Girl with Borrowed Wings by Rinsai Rossetti – Frenenqer is the perfect teen girl, kept closeted away from the world, until a boy who can shapeshift and fly enters her window.  Lush, beautiful and exotic, this is a love story that features a unique and complex heroine.

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The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin – Horrible truths are hinted at and the tension becomes almost unbearable in this slow-building thriller set in the wilderness of northern Idaho.

Grave Mercy by R. L. LeFevers – Ismae escaped into the convent of St. Mortain where she is trained to be an assassin.  Sent to the court of Brittany, she is quickly caught up in its politics and passions but must continue to kill as instructed.  This is a luminous gem of a book with a sequel coming in 2013.

Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses by Ron Koertge – Subversive poems just for teens that show what happens after “Happily ever after.”  Dark chocolate stories that surprise and delight.  Bet you can’t read just one.

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The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman – A triumph of a book, this is the first in a new series by veteran Hautman.  Beautifully written, it’s an intoxicating blend of technology, time travel and religion.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman – Seraphina is hiding a secret that she can tell no one.  It’s marked into her skin: dragon scales.  Complex world building, an organic love story, and dragons make this an amazing fantasy.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo – This debut novel will amaze with its original fantasy concept where a young woman discovers her own unique powers but not before someone else does first.

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Small Damages by Beth Kephart – A pregnant teen is sent to Spain to keep her pregnancy secret.  Staying with a friend of her mother, Kenzie slowly comes to realize that she has choices.  This novel is a celebration of Spain and extended families.

Son by Lois Lowry – The final book in The Giver series, this book ties the various threads from all of the books in the series into one glorious ending.  It will leave you satisfied but also surprised.

Review: The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer

| Tasha

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The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer

Mia’s life is turned upside down when she is possessed by a demon.  She terrorizes her family, throws them across the room, and destroys their home.  Priests try to exorcize the demon, but nothing works until her relatives from Italy arrive and force the demon to flee.  Mia has to return to Milan with them so that she can be protected from future attacks by the demon.  Once there, she is kept inside most of the time unless several of her family are available to escort her outdoors.  Even with their protection, the demon tries to attack her often.  Mia begins to learn Italian, the history of her family, and the strange arts that they practice.  Soon she feels very at home in Milan, but will there ever be a time that she is truly safe there?

Beyer’s book is very well-written.  It has a style that celebrates the historical in Milan, the beauty of the Italian language, and the strength of a close-knit family.  The perspective of Mia is crucial to this, allowing readers a way to see Milan for the first time through her eyes.  Add in the exorcisms and demons, and you have a book that is a dazzling addition to teen lit.

The setting of Milan is as much a part of the story as Mia’s extended family.  It is Italy that is celebrated here.  At the same time though, Mia’s extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins are each written as unique and intriguing characters.  Some are imposing, others motherly, but they all surprise and delight. 

The opening scene of the book with Mia’s possession is written so vividly and with such strength that you know that you are in for a unique and fascinating read.  Happily that stunning opening continues through the entire book.  Appropriate for ages 15-17.

Reviewed from copy received from Egmont.

Review: Burning Blue by Paul Griffin

| Tasha

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Burning Blue by Paul Griffin

Nicole was a beautiful girl, the prettiest in the school.  But that all changed when someone threw acid in her face at school.  Nicole didn’t know who did it, because she didn’t see anything other than the bottle aimed at her face.  Her boyfriend was nearby, the janitor seemed to know not to touch her, and a teacher was around too.  Quiet loner, Jay decides to figure out who did this.  He sees beyond her wounds, realizing that there is a lot more to Nicole than her lost beauty.  Jay is a hacker, able to get into government databases and trace people’s activities online.  As he gets closer to the truth of the attack, he and Nicole grow closer too.  Now he has everything to lose, especially as Nicole seems to be a suspect herself. 

Griffin nicely creates a lot of tension and mystery in this story of disfigurement and beauty.  Told from Jay’s point of view with insets from Nicole’s journal, this novel asks difficult questions about beauty, what lies beneath it, and the envy that it produces.  The question of who attacked Nicole stays in Jay’s focus, but the reader will equally enjoy the growing relationship between Jay and Nicole.

Jay is a fascinating character.  He is a hacker who pretends to know nothing about computers.  Some of his online conquests seem a bit to simple and easy, but with that aside, the hacking forms an intriguing basis for a detective to work from.  He is able to make breakthroughs and discover information that otherwise would be impossible.  But beyond the actual hacking, Jay lives a tattered life with his father after his losing his mother, and struggles with epileptic seizures.  His is a life lived alone by choice, until Nicole enters it.

A strong introverted and geeky character at its heart, this novel is a fine mystery but much more too.  Appropriate for ages 13-16.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books.

Review: A Certain October by Angela Johnson

| Tasha

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A Certain October by Angela Johnson

Johnson continues to write powerful books in a short format.  Here we meet Scotty, a teenage girl who thinks of herself as rather bland, like tofu.  The people around her seem more vibrant and complex like her little brother who has autism and enjoys trains, being naked, and eating cookies.  Her best friends too seem to be more interesting to Scotty.  Then in October everything changes because of a train accident.  Scotty’s little brother is injured severely and another boy is killed. Scotty feels responsible for both of them, though she barely knew the other boy.  This is a story that takes the small details of life and then shows how a single event can tear through, changing life forever.

Johnson writes like a poet, using unique symbolism to make her points.  Scotty sees herself as tofu, bland until someone else adds flavor.  Readers though will immediately understand that that is how Scotty views herself, not how the she actually is.  Instead Scotty is an intriguing mix of teen angst, intelligence, and a big heart. 

Johnson writes her characters in real life.  They all read as real people, not even the parents becoming stereotypical.  The teen boys are just as human as the main character, treating the girls with respect and friendship.  It’s a refreshing change to see male secondary characters who are more than a stereotype too.  When Scotty is grieving, the power of family and friendship together is obvious.

With its dynamic cover and short length, this book is sure to be picked up by teen readers.  Here they will find a strong heroine who is intensely and utterly real.  Appropriate for ages 13-15.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

Review: The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

| Tasha

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The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

Mahlia and Mouse survive in the war-torn area near the Drowned Cities, living a hunger and danger filled life dodging soldiers from both sides of the war.  But you can only hide and dodge for so long, Mouse gets caught by a wounded half-man who was bioengineered solely for war, named Tool.  Tool holds Mouse hostage until Mahlia brings drugs to heal him.  Even that is not easy, because a squad of soldier boys, injured by Tool, is there demanding the same drugs that Mahlia needs to free Mouse. Things do not go as planned.  Soon their village is in flames, Mouse is captured by the soldier boys, and Mahlia has lost everything.  Now it is up to her to decide whether she is just going to go on hiding or take an impossible chance and head for the Drowned Cities.

The book is like a strong dark current that submerges the reader, pulling you deeper and deeper into the novel.  At times, the tension and horror gets to be overwhelming, and I would have to put the book down and take some deep breaths in the sun before diving right back into the darkness.  Bacigalupi writes with an amazing clarity and strength.  Here he tackles war from the point of view of children who are caught in a situation not of their making, but who will do almost anything to survive.  The issue of child soldiers is at the heart of this story, but it also touches on war itself and the atrocities that come along with it on both sides.

Happily, there is also a golden and true heart at the center of this story.  It comes from its three main characters: Mahlia, Mouse and Tool.  All three are entwined in the war and yet somehow apart from it too.  Their story is one of dedication, friendship, and loyalty.  All things that are far too rare in the rest of this dark world.  Against that darkness, the three shine.

If you enjoyed Ship Breaker, this second book returns to the same setting but features different characters.  It’s an amazing feat to create a sequel just as good as the first, and Bacigalupi achieves that here.  Appropriate for ages 16-18.

Reviewed from library copy.