Teen

Review: Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

| Tasha

unwholly

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

Unwind by Shusterman was a single book with an amazing premise: an American society where teens who were too unruly or too burdensome were unwound into parts for others to use.  Fans of the first book will be delighted that Shusterman is turning that single book into a trilogy.  Book two picks up soon after the first.  All your favorite characters who survived the first book are here.  Connor is running the Graveyard, a place of safety for over 700 teens who escaped being unwound.  Risa is at his side, working to keep the teens all healthy.  She’s in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down.  Lev is working with teens to try to keep them from being unwound by their parents, forced by the courts to do this.  But wait, there are new characters too.  There is Starkey, a boy who knows that he is destined for greatness and is sure he could lead better than Connor.  There is Cam, a boy who was manmade from unwound teens, who is sure he is human though others doubt it.  There is Miracolina, raised knowing she is a tithe and will be unwound.  There is Nelson, the cop who was shamed when Connor escaped and who has not stopped chasing him.  There is rewritten history that keeps teens victims.  There is a large corporation working against them.  And that’s just the beginning.

Shusterman does an amazing job here of juggling all sorts of different perspectives while keeping each personality distinct and fascinating.  All of the characters, even the villains, have clear motivations and reasons that they see the world the way that they do.  Some are blinded by faith, others by obsession, and still others by their own view of the world itself.  His character building is well done, especially for such a large cast.

Shusterman continues to point out throughout the book how his concept is not far-fetched.  By using actual newspaper articles that point to teens being vilified, he firmly ties his fantasy world to our own.  The entire premise of the series is fraught with gray areas, ethics on both sides, and straight humanitarianism.  It is in this gray area that Shusterman does his most powerful work.

There are moments where the momentum flags and the pace drags a bit.  But that is a minor complaint and one that would never prevent me from finding out how the entire series ends.  Here’s hoping for another complex and complicated book to complete the set!  Appropriate for ages 15-17.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

Review: Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

| Tasha

dont turn around

Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

Noa woke up on a table, an IV in her arm.  She had no memory of how she got there.  Years earlier, she had managed to escape from the foster care system by hacking computers and creating a fake family.  She is tough and smart.  That is what saves her when she makes a harrowing escape from the warehouse where she awoke.  But men are following her and nowhere is safe.  The only chance she has is to survive in that shadow world where there is no record of her existence.  But she needs access to cash and a computer to pull it off.  That’s where Peter comes into the story.  A wealthy kid, he watched his brother die from the mysterious disease that kills teens.  When Peter sniffs around his father’s files, he stumbles upon one that has men chasing him as well.  So he needs a great hacker to help him find out more.  That person is Noa.  Now the two of them know just enough to get them killed and the only option they have is to trust each other and keep running.

Gagnon creates a future world here that is just a few years ahead of our own.  From the raging disease that is striking down an entire generation to the mysterious people who are using teens for experiments, this is a world that is darker and wilder than our own.  At the same time, it’s a world that is close enough to ours to make it understandable and almost reality.  Gagnon writes about hacking as a beautiful mental exercise, something that the wild and intelligent teen would do simply as a challenge.

Noa is an amazing heroine.  Though she doesn’t have super powers of any kind, she is frighteningly strong mentally and gutsy as can be.  For those looking for a strong heroine, Noa is a modern and fascinating one who offers complexity and vulnerability too.  Peter is another interesting character with his hacking hobby that is used for good and his disturbingly distant parents.  The two of them together are dynamite.

Thrilling and fast paced, this book will appeal to teens who love computers as well as those looking for a riveting read.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from copy received from HarperCollins.

Review: Ask the Passengers by A. S. King

| Tasha

ask the passengers

Ask the Passengers by A. S. King

Astrid wishes there was someone who could just listen to her without pressuring her.  Her mother is too pushy and driven to confide in, her father too withdrawn and high.  Her younger sister makes jokes that would make it impossible for Astrid to tell her the truth.  The truth is that Astrid has been kissing a girl and may just be in love with her.  But Astrid isn’t sure that she is really gay.  It may be that she just loves Dee for being Dee and not because they are both gay.  To make matters worse, Astrid’s best friends are in a fake relationship to keep their own secrets.  Astrid spends a lot of time on the picnic table in her backyard watching the planes fly overhead.  She beams them her love, tells them her secrets, and asks them for advice.  When the gay club that she and her friends frequent gets raided, Astrid is forced to start to confront the truth about herself, her family, and her friends.

King has captured the story of a girl questioning her sexuality here, but the story also transcends that and will reach teens who are questioning other aspects of themselves too.  It is a story that encapsulates that particular blend of wonder and fear that comes as a teen who is learning about themselves in such a private way that the rest of the world doesn’t change along with them.  Beautifully written, this is a book that speaks to the fragility and yet strength of that time.

In addition, King has created such a strong character voice here.  It rings with truth, never becoming snarky but really capturing a teen aspect.  Astrid’s messages to the plane passengers add an additional sense of magic and wonder to the story.  As she beams her love up, passengers receive it, make decisions based it, question their own lives, and react.  It adds an important dimension to the book, showing that throughout our lives people are still questioning.

This is a striking read with a vibrant heroine and a radiant point of view that itself beams with love and acceptance.  Appropriate for ages 16-18.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

| Tasha

crown of embers

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

This sequel to the amazing The Girl of Fire and Thorns continues the story of Elisa and other beloved characters from the first novel.  It is the story of Elisa’s new role as queen of a country after war.  They won the war against the Inviernos only through Elisa’s use of the Godstone that she bears as part of her body.  The war may have been won, but her enemies are all around her as spies and perhaps even manipulating her own government.  After several attempts at her life, Elisa heads on a new journey; this time searching for a source of power using the guidance of her Godstone.  It is a harrowing journey that will put all of those closest to her at risk.  It is also a journey that readers will be thrilled to take with her thanks to the action, strong heroine and romance packed into this book.

Carson has done it again.  I was looking forward to this book so much, but so often my favorite series slip in the sequels.  This time, the second is as strong as the first.  I love the fact that Elisa is brave, strong and almost fearless, yet at the same time has achingly large doubts about so much of her life.  She is complicated as are so many of the secondary characters around her.  Carson invests much in each of them, making them unique and interesting too.  So many could be spun into their own novels.

The world building here is exceptional.  Carson has created a place of political intrigue, murder and deceit that would be too much without the equally strong message of the power of friendship, the ability to do what is right, and the love that flows throughout the novel.  Beautifully realized, the setting is made all the more vivid thanks to the characters who populate it.

Highly recommended, this book will thrill fans of the first novel.  Get this series into the hands of teens who love Kristin Cashore’s Graceling series.  Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Review: Son by Lois Lowry

| Tasha

son

Son by Lois Lowry

Claire gave birth to her son when she was fourteen.  As a Birthmother in the community, she wasn’t allowed to touch or even see her baby, who was whisked away immediately.  She expected to be a Vessel for some time, but something went wrong during the birth and she was considered unfit to bear more children.  So Claire was sent to work at the Fish Hatchery in the community, but as she left the birth center, she asked about her baby and whether it had survived.  That’s when she learned she had a son.  During her free time, she started to volunteer at the Nurturing Center and figured out who her son was.  But there was no way for her to really connect with the baby, this disconnected time together had to be enough.  So when her baby left the community, Claire had to follow him.  The journey would leave her stranded, desperate and completely changed.  This conclusion to The Giver Quartet ties the various threads from the other books together and will leave fans of the series satisfied and amazed.

Lowry is the first author I ever wrote a fan letter to and it was for The Giver.  At the time, dystopian fiction was not the rage and was quite unusual, especially for children.  Throughout the series, Lowry has built upon that incredible first book, startling those who thought Jonah had died when he fled, and creating an entire world that was solidly built and designed. 

This book startled me with how effortlessly it reads.  The prose has wings that shimmer and shine, illuminating the incredible world that Lowry continues to expand.  There are so many small moments in this world, from the hand-crafting of a boat to the years of practice before taking a life-risking trip.  There are small birds in cages, picked flowers on tables, and the strength of a long marriage.  Lowry weaves these together into her world, making it hearty and vibrant.

Claire is a wonderful character.  Even in her desperation she is radiant, someone who refuses to accept the world that she is placed in and continues to seek new ways.  It is through her perseverance and determination that the book works.  And it certainly does work.

A memorable ending to a ground-breaking quartet of novels, this one was breathtaking, wrenching and pure wonder.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Holding on to Zoe by George Ella Lyon

| Tasha

holding on to zoe

Holding on to Zoe by George Ella Lyon

16-year-old Jules left home and started working at a Toyota factory once her baby Zoe was born.  The facility offered free baby care and a small apartment for them to live in together.  But her best friend and mother don’t seem to be accepting Zoe at all.  It’s almost as if they’d be happy to Jules just forgot about her baby altogether.  But Jules is determined to be a good mother to this perfect little baby.  It means that she has to juggle a lot of responsibilities and even more when she heads back to high school.  When she is forced to leave Toyota and return to living with her mother, things reach a crisis.  Throughout the book readers will piece together what is true in Jules’ life and what is not.  This is a credible and disturbing book about teen pregnancy and mental illness.

In reading others’ reviews of this book, I found that many had responded negatively to the book.  It is a unique mixture of teen pregnancy book in the beginning and mental illness in the end.  The mental illness portion comes slowly and readers will see tentacles of it early in the book if they look for them.  Jules’ pregnancy is handled honestly with both the baby’s father and Jules’ mother responding negatively to the news.  There is a beautiful sensitivity to the entire work that makes it poignant.

Jules is a protagonist with real issues.  As she struggles, the characters around her become all the more human.  Her mother moves from being a rather shadowy figure of doubt to someone who cares deeply and is unable to show her emotions.  Jules’ best friend Reba also shows her true colors as Jules struggles on.  Reba refuses to play along with Jules insisting that she see the truth. 

This book is sensitive, real and tragic.  It is an issue book that changes issues as the story continues, something that is unique and fascinating.  Appropriate for ages 16-18.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar Straus Giroux.

Review: Pinned by Sharon G. Flake

| Tasha

pinned

Pinned by Sharon G. Flake

Autumn is the only female wrestler at school, but that doesn’t stop her from excelling.  Her physical strength and her mental agility are formidable.  However, she can’t seem to apply that same effort to her school work.  She is several grades behind in reading and failing math.  Adonis, on the other hand, loves school and is known as one of the smartest kids in their 9th grade class.  In a wheelchair because of birth defects that left him without legs, Adonis survived a bullying attack that almost killed him.  These two people, both struggling with big issues in their lives, tell their stories in alternating chapters.  Neither character is perfect.  Despite her strength, Autumn is needy and pushy.  Adonis is proud and disdainful of those who will not try to excel.  They aren’t really even friends, but Autumn wishes they were so much more. 

Flake has refused here to make the book you think you are reading.  She has a heroine who is strong physically and mentally, yet will make readers cringe with her headlong flirtation with Adonis.  Adonis could have been that saintlike disabled character that everyone would have recognized.  Instead here he is prickly and judgmental not only of Autumn but of everyone around him.  He lives in a life of certainty where he can peg people easily into categories.  Flake beautifully ties these characters into their families where Autumn’s parents have GEDs and also have issues with reading.  On the other hand, Adonis’ mother is educated and making sure that Adonis will have a bright future academically.  They are studies in contrasts, and yet also studies in similarities as they both struggle with disabilities.

The writing here is strong and forthright, speaking directly to the reader.  The book rests on the heads of its two narrators, both of whom see the world in a specific way that is their own.  As their relationship slowly turns into something more serious, readers will be surprised to find that not all of the loose ends are tied up neatly.  Adonis remains aloof and hyperaware of the opinions of those around him.  Autumn stays flirtatious and continues to struggle with school.  There is nothing magical here.  This is life, and it continues clearly after the book ends.

This should be very popular with middle school readers who will enjoy the complex and surprising characters as well as the thread of romance.  Appropriate for ages 13-15.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

| Tasha

code name verity

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Verity has been captured by the Gestapo, who have tortured her and kept her without sleep for weeks.  Now she has agreed to tell them the truth, but as a British spy during World War II, that means putting many others in danger.  Still, it gets the torture to stop, and there are many ways to be truthful.  As Verity puts pen to paper, she tells the story of the friendship between two girls, Maddie and Queenie, who would never have met during peacetime, much less become best friends.  Maddie’s story is that of becoming a female pilot when there are very few.  It is a story of strong skills, good luck, and great mentors.  Along the way, she met Queenie, another strong girl, who spoke German, bluffed naturally, and loved fiercely.  This friendship is the heart of Verity’s story of truth, one written with details that are lingered over as if they transport her somewhere safe.  It is also the story that will keep her alive one more day, but eventually the story must end.

Wein is purely masterful here.  While I caught certain things in the story that pointed me to the right conclusions, much of it is so cat and mouse that it is a real pleasure to puzzle through.  That said, it is also a great story all on its own without the puzzle, something that is incredibly difficult to do.  Wein populates her story with so many strong women.  There are Maddie and Queenie, either of whom would have been heroine enough to carry their own book.  Yet there is the magic of having their stories told intertwined.  There are the other women who risked their lives against Hitler, women who defied by seeming to capitulate, women who fought with all their had.  It is the story of all of those women too.

Throughout the book there is an ache that will not go away.  That is the ache of Verity and her story of torture.  Every detail is rimmed with sorrow, with never seeing it again, with the knowledge that her days are so few.  This creates a fragility, a solid sadness, that is present throughout.  It is the world of war, the desperation and the death, and it lifts this book to another level that is beyond the pain.

Tremendously beautiful, achingly sad, and beyond brave, this book and these heroines are simply and utterly amazing.  This is a must-read book, one that I hope garners awards, one that will be a delight to share with others.  Oh, and I must mention that it’s a great crossover for adult readers too.  Trust me, get your hands on this one!

Appropriate for ages 16-18.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

| Tasha

other normals

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

Perry Eckert loves to play Creatures & Caverns in all of his spare time.  He doesn’t have any friends to play the game with, so he just creates characters.  When someone inspires him to create a character based on himself, he does.  Of course the character differs in some ways, like his red skin, yellow hair and tail, but he is also not that strong, not that fast, but full of honor.  Perry’s parents are worried about him being a social outcast, so they send him to summer camp.  There, Perry is swept into a world where Creatures & Caverns is real!  Even better, they need Perry to help them save their world.  All it will take is Perry kissing the most popular girl at camp.  No pressure.

Vizzini is a master of misfit characters.  He takes Perry and throughout the book reveals much more about him than just his geeky exterior.  Instead, we all discover that Perry is a true hero, filled with honor, who is intelligent and very brave.  Vizzini throws in realizations that Perry has about modern American life, about thinking too much and acting too little, that will resonate with readers. 

Vizzini does not shy away from swear words in critical places.  There is also some nudity (on the part of Perry) but I won’t ruin those parts for you.  Vizzini brings lots of humor to the story, enough to bring out big guffaws of laughter at times.  There is also plenty of adventure, some death, enormous monsters, and everything that D&D players would want in a book. 

Get this into the hands of kids you know who game.  They will enjoy not only the game brought to life idea, but also the winning hero at the heart of a great adventure.  Appropriate for ages 15-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from HarperCollins.