I know it's been awhile, but I've been reading all this time and I have many books to add to this little catalog of extra great and mostly YA books. Keep watching this space to eventually see reviews for:
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Scythe by Neal Shusterman considers that in a perfect world that has conquered natural death, all that’s left is unnatural death. Scythes are responsible for choosing who dies and how they die, all in the name of population control. Two teens- Citra and Rowan- never thought much of the scythes (who would want to think about their death? Especially now that deaths are so rare?) until they’re asked to become scythes. Becoming a scythe means having power over life and death- are they ready for that kind of power? Are the other scythes capable of wielding this power fairly?
Readers should be aware that topics surrounding death and suicide largely define Scythe before choosing to read it. It fits the “thriller” genre, bursting at the seams with action and suspense. It feels lengthy, and at almost 500 pages, it is, but that’s in part because there is so much happening. Scythe is packed with action, plot twists, and developing character relationships. I can see anyone who’s interested in utopias (and how they’re never actually perfect) absolutely loving this book, but any fan of action and adventure can appreciate Shusterman’s novel. It’s the first one in a trilogy, so the investment you make in the characters will being ongoing. Refugee by Alan Gratz follows the harrowing and often heartbreaking journeys of three refugee children. Josef is a young Jewish boy fleeing the concentration camps of the Holocaust. Isabel flees the riots of Cuba, braving the unforgiving waters between Cuba and Florida with her family. Mahmoud leaves the destruction of his home in Syria during the still ongoing Syrian civil war for asylum in Germany. Their stories weave together across generations and between families as the trauma of being a refugee connects them in inexplicable ways.
Maps at the end of the novel show each family’s journey. The final pages of this powerful book explain the historical true stories that the fictional families are based upon. Immediately following the historical note is a section titled “What You Can Do” that details programs helping refugees. Although the fictional character Mahmoud successfully fled the ongoing Syrian civil war with his family, they needed help to do so. Readers can help the real children fleeing the Syrian civil war by donating to UNICEF and Save the Children. Alan Gratz’s Refugee is doing important work to respect the refugees in our world history and to aid the refugees of today. Part of this is, as Mahmoud realized, making the effort to see the individuals who are refugees and witness their humanity and their needs. As a novel, it moves quickly, an easy read in terms of technicality but heavy on the heart. However, the trauma is acknowledged carefully and gently, positioning the book as a powerful but practical whole-class text. In My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, Edward’s the king, until he isn’t. Then Jane’s the queen, until she isn’t. Then there’s a battle for the throne. And somewhere in there, Jane marries a horse-man.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but I do know it wasn’t this. My Lady Jane is a trip. It’s a playful read that feels like it chose history for the setting of a narrator-heavy fantasy that isn’t actually interested in history. The tension between Catholics and Protestants in the historical moment of the book becomes a battle between those with the magic to turn into animals and those without animal forms. Historical accuracy is rejected in favor of a dramatic adventure heavy in sass and romance. It’s a fun read that those who love romance and adventure will heartily enjoy. The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X. R. Pan follows Leigh, an artistic high schooler, as she processes her mother’s suicide. Leigh’s emotions, shared in colors, weave together the intense experiences that allow her to understand her mother’s life and death. Following the loss of her mother, it’s hard to know what is real and what is distorted by grief; her mother is now a bird that Leigh desperately pursues all the way to Taiwan. In Taiwan, Leigh meets her maternal grandparents. During her pursuit of her mother the bird, Leigh’s understanding of her family and her own cultural traditions blossom.
This is an intense read. I was emotionally exhausted from reading The Astonishing Color of After, and I found myself reading it so slowly for that reason. It demands to be absorbed and slowly, carefully processed, like the grief it details. It is not a book for everyone. Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart is the story of, you guessed it, Lily and Dunkin. It’s about to be their eighth-grade year and while eighth-grade can be scary for anyone, it’s especially daunting for Lily and Dunkin. Lily’s a girl, but she was born a boy. Her classmates don’t understand that and neither does her father. Dunkin’s the new kid at Gator Lake Middle and he’s faced with big choices: Will he be popular or be Lily’s friend? Should he take his bipolar medication or enjoy the energy that comes only when he doesn’t take his medication?
This is a cute but sometimes emotional read that makes difficult topics (namely being transgender and having bipolar disorder, but grief, family, acceptance, and other topics also naturally and gracefully weave themselves into the story) accessible for discussion. It moves quickly and is an easy read in terms of technical difficulty. I especially appreciate the way this book uses Dunkin’s voice to show how manic episodes feel, letting sentences rush and ideas jump and jumble. It’s a great book for helping students (mostly in middle grades but maybe high school, too) empathize with their transgender peers and their peers with mental illnesses. If you’re looking for a more mature read about bipolar disorder, I recommend Madness: A Bipolar Life by Marya Hornbacher. Hornbacher has bipolar disorder and captures the expression of a manic episode even more powerfully than Dunkin’s narratives. Her book is a wildly intense emotional experience. Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens is about Billie, preacher’s daughter and member of the inseparable friend group known as the Hexagon, and her struggle to balance these two identities and stay true to herself. When what started out as just another night of exciting adventures and stupid dares with the Hexagon ends in (accidently?) setting her father’s church on fire, this struggle to define herself only gets harder. To make matters worse, love between friends adds to the confusion. Billie’s going to be busy figuring out how to fix everything… and getting herself figured out.
Dress Codes for Small Towns reads in a whimsical way that dances across the pages and bubbles with excitement. I loved this book. It’s adorable and hilarious and fun, but it also has some important things to say about small towns, friendship, romance, and the difficulty of not quite knowing your own sexuality. It’s perfect for high schoolers, but I’m recommending it for everyone because the characters are so charming and the writing is so lyrical. After reading Dress Codes for Small Towns, I think Courtney Stevens could write dictionary entries and I’d still want to read them because her style is just that exciting and engaging. Billie’s story of self-discovery makes for an expressive and exciting read. Far from the Tree by Robin Benway is the heart-warming (and sometimes heart wrenching) story in which three biological siblings- two adopted girls and a boy from many foster homes- find each other after being separated all their lives. As they come to understand their pasts, they look toward a new future together.
The chapters’ points-of-view are divided between the three siblings in a glimpse into what it means to be adopted and how family is defined by so much more than blood. Mature topics are discussed- teenage pregnancy and alcoholism- as well as many other often difficult topics, including adoption and foster care. Far from the Tree is also a positive LGBTQ text, offering a same-sex relationship as nuanced and heavy in personal discovery, and just as normal as those of opposite-sex relationships. It also gracefully addresses the influence of race on high school students through the experiences of Mexican-American students Joaquin and Rafe. It seems impossible for a single book, especially one of less than 400 pages, to address so much without feeling cluttered, but Far from the Tree manages it. The over-arching theme of family weaves together each of these meaningful discussions in ways that make each glimpse into being lesbian or looking Mexican or having a baby in high school feel real and meaningful. In the co-authored Will Grayson, Will Grayson, John Green and David Levithan pour out the thoughts and fears and hopes of three boys: Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and Tiny Cooper. All three high schoolers meet on evening full of disappointment and excitement for both Will Graysons and begin a dramatic romance, falling out, and test of their friendship. And in case you missed any of that, there’s a play about it all at the end.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson was the first YA LGBTQ book to be able to put “New York Times Best Seller” on its cover. However, I don’t think it can claim the “happy LGBTQ” genre that earned Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda enthusiastic popularity and a movie (Love, Simon). Will Grayson, Will Grayson is ultimately a sweet book, where the boys begin to understand and revise what “love” means and where friendship is tried, tested, and true. It’s encouraging on many levels, but perhaps not for its gay readers, where love between boys is disappointing at best. That’s why I’m left wondering where this book’s place is- it has an obvious interest in normalizing same-sex relationships (which is important work!), but it does so seemingly at the expense of the characters in those same-sex relationships. While high school romances are often messy, this one just left a funny taste. I love John Green’s work, but I think I would recommend many of his other books before this one.
In The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Starr is Khalil’s childhood friend and the witness to his murder at the hands of police Officer One-Fifteen. She and the community are hurt and outraged by Khalil’s unnecessary death. In the testimonies and threats that follow, Starr realizes how hard it is to be brave and speak out. The Hate U Give is the deeply personal and challengingly emotional journey to struggle for justice for Khalil.
I can’t say enough how important this book is. It’s powerful and provocative and in the words of one reviewer (see the dust jacket), if it “makes you uncomfortable, that’s because it should.” These are the topics and emotions that we need to bear witness to right now. Angie Thomas navigates injustices against people of color with a grace and emotional weight that place Starr and her family in your heart, placing the issues that they face near to your heart as well. The writing is beautiful and genuine and it excels in every quality a good story should have, with the additional ability to make its readers aware of an issue that’s beyond important. My copy is heavily dog-eared and I’ve already placed it into the hands of a friend because that’s how much this book needs to be read. It’s such a powerful and provocative read that it’s getting a much-deserved movie. |
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The book titles in these book reviews hyperlink to the book's or publisher's website. These are books in my classroom that I think you'll enjoy. Look at the categories and click a topic that interests you to find some books that I've enjoyed and reviewed within that category. If you have a book to recommend or want me to recommend a book for you, fill out the "Book Recommendations" form below. You can see what I'm reading at https://www.goodreads.com/amismatchedmuse Categories
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