American Panda
At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies. With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth—that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese. But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?
Goodreads.com
This book about growing up as a child of immigrants, being disowned, and coming into your own was not as funny and sweet as advertised–in fact, it was quite painful. Maybe I’m projecting my own parental issues, but Mei’s struggles with becoming her own person when her parents control every aspect of her life by threatening to disown her (and eventually doing so) was difficult though cathartic to read.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Clementine
Clementine is NOT having a good week.
On Monday she’s sent to the principal’s office for cutting off Margaret’s hair. On Tuesday, Margaret’s mother is mad at her. On Wednesday, she’s sent to the principal, again. On Thursday, Margaret stops speaking to her. Then Friday starts with yucky eggs and only gets worse. And by Saturday, even her mother is mad at her.
Okay, fine. Clementine is having a DISASTROUS week. But maybe can she find a way to make it better.
Amazon.com
Such a sweet, funny story about a good hearted girl who can’t seem to help getting in trouble. I laughed a lot at her keen observations of school and family life, and I teared up at the end. This is the beginning of a series, and each additional entry has likewise been super cute and fun.
Rating: Re-read Worthy
The Wild Book
Thirteen-year-old Juan’s summer is off to a terrible start. First, his parents separate. Then, almost as bad, Juan is sent away to his strange Uncle Tito’s house for the entire break! Who wants to live with an oddball recluse who has zigzag eyebrows, drinks fifteen cups of smoky tea a day, and lives inside a huge, mysterious library?
As Juan adjusts to his new life among teetering, dusty shelves, he notices something odd: the books move on their own! He rushes to tell Uncle Tito, who lets his nephew in on a secret: Juan is a Princeps Reader, which means books respond magically to him, and he’s the only one who can find the elusive, never-before-read Wild Book. But will Juan and his new friend Catalina get to The Wild Book before the wicked, story-stealing Pirate Book does?
Goodreads.com
A fun adventure with some truly wonderful writing–kudos to both the author and his translator, as this was originally published in Spanish. Juan’s summer in his uncle’s library searching for the wild book was wonderful. However, there are a few unfortunate remarks stereotyping Indigenous people that this book could (and should) have easily done without.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Once Upon an Eid
Eid: The short, single-syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims. Maybe it’s waking up to the sound of frying samosas or the comfort of bean pie, maybe it’s the pleasure of putting on a new outfit for Eid prayers, or maybe it’s the gift-giving and holiday parties to come that day. Whatever it may be, for those who cherish this day of celebration, the emotional responses may be summed up in another short and sweet word: joy.
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This short story collection features a variety of stories about Eid, the name of two important Islamic celebrations, and how it is celebrated in various families from different cultures. All the stories focus on the family and friends who celebrate together, whether the circumstances are happy or bittersweet. I truly enjoyed this insight into a holiday tradition that I knew nothing about previously.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
The Water Mirror
In Venice, magic is not unusual. Merle is apprenticed to a magic mirror maker, and Serafin–a boy who was once a master thief–works for a weaver of magic cloth. Now, Venice is under siege by the Egyptian Empire; its terrifying mummy warriors and flying sunbarks are waiting to strike. All that protects the Venetians is the Flowing Queen. Nobody knows who or what she is–only that her power flows through the canals and keeps the Egyptians at bay.
When Merle and Serafin overhear a plot to capture the Flowing Queen, they are catapulted into desperate danger. They must do everything they can to rescue the Queen and save the city.
Amazon.com
This is an interesting world–a fantasy Venice where Merle lives among mermaids, magic mirrors, and a mummy siege. With flying stone lions, the Flowing Queen, and some friends, Merle must stand up to corrupt councilors and the high priests of Egypt. Unfortunately, the fascinating world is hampered by some awkwardly translated phrases (this book was originally published in German) and characters that are not fully fleshed out. I will not be finishing the trilogy.
Rating: Good but Forgettable
Planet Earth is Blue
Twelve-year-old Nova is eagerly awaiting the launch of the space shuttle Challenger –it’s the first time a teacher is going into space, and kids across America will watch the event on live TV in their classrooms. Nova and her big sister, Bridget, share a love of astronomy and the space program. They planned to watch the launch together. But Bridget has disappeared, and Nova is in a new foster home.
While foster families and teachers dismiss Nova as severely autistic and nonverbal, Bridget understands how intelligent and special Nova is, and all that she can’t express. As the liftoff draws closer, Nova’s new foster family and teachers begin to see her potential, and for the first time, she is making friends without Bridget. But every day, she’s counting down to the launch, and to the moment when she’ll see Bridget again. Because Bridget said, “No matter what, I’ll be there. I promise.”
Goodreads.com
A heart wrenching but hopeful novel about Nova, a nonverbal autistic girl who has gone through multiple foster homes and schools and dreams of going to space. Those of us who are old enough to know about what happened to the Challenger will know that some tears are definitely in store, but it is well worth it!
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
The Year I Flew Away
In this magical middle grade novel, ten-year-old Gabrielle finds out that America isn’t the perfect place she imagined when she moves from Haiti to Brooklyn. With the help of a clever witch, Gabrielle becomes the perfect American—but will she lose herself in the process? Perfect for fans of Hurricane Child and Front Desk. It’s 1985 and ten-year-old Gabrielle is excited to be moving from Haiti to America. Unfortunately, her parents won’t be able to join her yet and she’ll be living in a place called Brooklyn, New York, with relatives she has never met. She promises her parents that she will behave, but life proves to be difficult in the United States, from learning the language to always feeling like she doesn’t fit in to being bullied. So when a witch offers her a chance to speak English perfectly and be “American,” she makes the deal. But soon she realizes how much she has given up by trying to fit in and, along with her two new friends (one of them a talking rat), takes on the witch in an epic battle to try to reverse the spell. Gabrielle is a funny and engaging heroine you won’t soon forget in this sweet and lyrical novel that’s perfect for fans of Hurricane Child and Front Desk.
Goodreads.com
I’m not usually a fan of magical realism, but I enjoyed this book, although at times it came across as a bit obvious and clunky in terms of its message. This book stars Gabrielle, a young Haitian girl who strikes up a deal with a witch so she can fit in in America and discovers true friendship and love for her culture along the way. It is an ultimately sweet and hopeful story.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Spell Sweeper
Cara Moone is a wizard—and she’s basically flunked out of wizard school. Now she’s in training to be a MOP, a.k.a. Magical Occurrence Purger, a.k.a. it’s Cara’s job to sweep up the hazardous dust a real wizard’s spells leave behind.
A real wizard, that is, like Harlee Wu, the so-called “Chosen One” destined to save the magical world. But when one of Harlee’s spells goes awry and leaves behind a rift in the fabric of magic itself, it’ll take more than magic to clean up that mess. Luckily, messes are kind of Cara’s thing.
Goodreads.com
Kara is magical, but only just. Because her magical abilities are limited, she is relegated to being a mop–someone who cleans up the magic dust left over after a wizard casts a spell. At times this was difficult to read because Kara is so prickly with the people around her, from her sister to the school’s “chosen one,” and Kara is also bullied a fair amount. Still, it was a fun and unique magical world with high stakes and an exciting ending.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Good but Forgettable
How to Train Your Dad
Twelve-year-old Carl is fed up with his father’s single-minded pursuit of an off-the-grid existence. His dad may be brilliant, but dumpster-diving for food, scouring through trash for salvageable junk, and wearing clothes fully sourced from garage sales is getting old. Increasingly worried about what schoolmates and a certain girl at his new school might think of his circumstances—and encouraged by his off-kilter best friend—Carl adopts the principles set forth in a randomly discovered puppy-training pamphlet to “retrain” his dad’s mindset . . . a crackpot experiment that produces some very unintentional results.
Goodreads.com
A decent but nothing special middle grade story about a boy and his best friend who attempt to change his father’s eccentric, bartering, eco friendly ways in time to become “lookatable” for school. It wasn’t like the Gary Paulsen books I remember from my childhood, all about survival in nature, and I found myself frustrated with the father for putting his child in danger (and embarrassing him, although clearly that is less important) for the sake of his values. This wasn’t for me.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Good but Forgettable
Adventures with Waffles
Lena is Trille’s best friend, even if she is a girl. And there is never an ordinary day when you’ve got a best friend like Lena.
Hardly a day passes without Trille and Lena inventing some kind of adventure that often ends in trouble. Whether it’s coaxing a cow onto a boat or sledding down the steepest and iciest hill with a chicken, there is always a thrill—and sometimes an injury—to be had. Trille loves to share everything with Lena, even Auntie Granny’s waffles. But when Lena has to move away and Auntie Granny leaves the world, it sometimes seems like nothing will ever be right again. The warmth of friendship and the support of family suffuse this lightly illustrated novel, proving that when times are tough, a little taste of sweetness can make all the difference.
Goodreads.com
This middle grade novel covers a sweet year in the life of Trille and Lena as they have many adventures in their small Norwegian town. I laughed and cried. Heartwarming and fun.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Arnica the Duck Princess
Princess Arnica is so sweet and gentle that when she smiles even wolves and bears forget their fierceness. Everyone loves her, but she loves only Poor Johnny. Luckily, he loves her too, and even more luckily Arnica has a very sensible king for a father, who is happy for her to marry whomever her heart desires. So, no problem then?
Well, maybe just one – The Witch with a Hundred Faces has cast a spell on Arnica and Johnny which means that one of them, at any one time, must always be a duck, and the other human! Only the Seven-Headed Fairy can help them, but will they be able to find her in time?
Goodreads.com
A sweet and funny fairy tale-style story, framed as a parent and child creating the story together. I thought it was very cute and enjoyable. Translated from Hungarian.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Liberty’s Civil Rights Road Trip
Based on a real-life trip, Liberty and her friend Abdullah visit significant places from the civil rights movement, inspiring them to come together with others to create a better world.
Time to board the bus! Liberty and her friend Abdullah, with their families and a diverse group of passengers, head off to their first stop: Jackson, Mississippi. Next on their map are Glendora, Memphis, Birmingham, Montgomery, and finally Selma, for a march across the iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge.
As told through the innocent view of a child, Liberty’s Civil Rights Road Trip serves as an early introduction to places, people, and events that transformed history. The story is inspired by an actual journey led by author Michael W. Waters, bringing together a multigenerational group to witness key locations from the civil rights movement. An author’s note and more information about each stop on Liberty’s trip offer ways for adults to expand the conversation with young readers.
Goodreads.com
A short and sweet (but still tearjerking) story of Liberty’s journey to visit several civil rights landmarks with her family and new friends. This is a great picture book to introduce young kids to these important events and people in a gentle way.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Aru Shah and the End of Time
Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she’ll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?
One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru’s doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don’t believe her claim that the museum’s Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.
But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it’s up to Aru to save them.
The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?
Goodreads.com
This is a really fun read, filled with Indian mythology and relatable teenage characters. I have since read and enjoyed the rest of the series as well. If you’re into action, adventure, magic, and a bit of teen romance, this series is for you.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Icebreaker
Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, a brother to five sisters, and a hockey legacy. With a father and a grandfather who have gone down in NHL history, Mickey is almost guaranteed the league’s top draft spot.
The only person standing in his way is Jaysen Caulfield, a contender for the #1 spot and Mickey’s infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) teammate. When rivalry turns to something more, Mickey will have to decide what he really wants, and what he’s willing to risk for it.
This is a story about falling in love, finding your team (on and off the ice), and choosing your own path.
Goodreads.com
Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. It’s clear that the author is a hockey fan (I found out later that they are a Sabres fan), and that comes out clearly in the descriptions of games and other aspects of hockey life. Mickey is struggling with depression and hiding his bisexuality, while dealing with his feelings of abandonment by his parents, the legacy of two generations of hockey stars before him, his own white privilege and financial privilege, and the question of whether he even wants to continue playing hockey. This could all feel extremely heavy, and it is weighty at times, but the book is still a joy to read. The love of hockey, the camaraderie of the team, Mickey’s amazing and loving five older sisters, and of course his rival-turned-love interest, Jaysen Caulfield bring much needed joy to the book. Even though YA romances aren’t usually my thing, Mickey and Jaysen’s relatable struggles (and of course the abundance of hockey) made this a book I couldn’t put down.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Instructions for Dancing
Evie Thomas doesn’t believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a couple kiss and is overcome with a vision of how their romance began . . . and how it will end. After all, even the greatest love stories end with a broken heart, eventually.
As Evie tries to understand why this is happening, she finds herself at La Brea Dance Studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X. X is everything that Evie is not: adventurous, passionate, daring. His philosophy is to say yes to everything–including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he’s only just met.
Falling for X is definitely not what Evie had in mind. If her visions of heartbreak have taught her anything, it’s that no one escapes love unscathed. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?
Goodreads.com
This is a sweet but heartbreaking YA romance in which Evie, still reeling from her father cheating on her mother, can suddenly see how the relationships of friends and strangers will end. She tries her best to avoid seeing the end of her own romantic relationships, but eventually she has to decide if she is willing to pursue love even though it will eventually end. Although there are some fun and lighthearted parts of this book, overall it is a little more sad and painful and less frothy than most of the YA romances I’ve read.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Solimar
“I advise you to tell no one about the gift unless you trust them implicitly.”
Ever since Solimar was a little girl, she has gone to the ouamel forest bordering her kingdom to observe the monarch butterflies during their migration, but always from a safe distance. Now, on the brink of her quinceañera and her official coronation, Solimar crosses the dangerous creek to sit among the butterflies. There, a mysterious event gives her a gift and a burden–the responsibility to protect the young and weak butterflies with her magical rebozo, or silk shawl.
Solimar is committed to fulfilling her role, and has a plan that might have worked. But when her father, the king, and her brother, the prince, leave on an expedition, a neighboring king overthrows the kingdom and holds everyone left in the village hostage. It takes all of Solimar’s courage to escape and then embark on a dangerous journey to save her kingdom, but she’s not alone. Her pet bird, Lázaro, the butterflies she protects, and a magical rag doll, Zarita, are with her. Then, at a precarious moment, she meets a river boy who knows the rapids.
Even with help, can Solimar save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarchs from a greedy king?
Goodreads.com
Although I liked the adventure that Solimar and Berto had in the Mexican rivers, the book was too short to really feel that there were high stakes. Unfortunately, I found this pretty forgettable.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Good but Forgettable
Code Name: Butterfly
With irony and poignant teenage idealism, Butterfly draws us into her world of adult hypocrisy, sibling rivalries, girlfriends’ power plays, unrequited love…not to mention the political tension of life under occupation. As she observes her fragile environment with all its conflicts, Butterfly is compelled to question everything around her. Is her father a collaborator for the occupiers? Will Nizar ever give her the sign she’s waiting for? How will her friendship with the activist Mays and the airhead Haya survive the unpredictable storms ahead? And why is ‘honour’ such a dangerous word, anyway?
Goodreads.com
A short novel about a young teenage girl growing up in occupied Palestine. She deals with friend squabbles, sibling rivalries, questions about who is an occupier sympathizer, and dealing with the death of martyrs. This book raised a lot more questions than answers for me, as I know extremely little about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly from the Palestinian point of view, and as this book was originally published in Palestine, it assumes that its readers have a much better working knowledge of its context. Still, from my limited understanding, I enjoyed it.
Rating: Good but Forgettable
Aster and the Accidental Magic
Quiet . . . birds . . . nature. . . .
That’s what Aster expects when her parents move their whole family to the middle of nowhere. It’s just her (status: super-bored), her mom and dad (status: busy with science), her brother (status: has other plans), and . . .
. . . magic?
In her new home, Aster meets a mysterious old woman with a herd of dogs who gives her a canine companion of her own. But when she and her dog Buzz are adventuring in the forest, they run into a trickster spirit who gives Aster three wishes. After wishing for the ability to understand and talk to her dog, she becomes only able to talk in dog language . . . and the trouble she gets into is just starting.
Maybe the middle of nowhere will be more interesting than Aster thought.
Goodreads.com
An adorable middle grade graphic novel about a girl who moves to the countryside and discovers a lot of Magic in her boring village. It reminded me a lot of the Netflix show Hilda, which I also enjoyed very much.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
The Caiman
The unforgettable story of a man and his alligator. When Faoro the clockmaker adopts a baby alligator, he has no idea that someday their story will travel far and wide. But the town of San Fernando de Apure would never forget this kind young man and his adoring alligator, who played with the neighborhood children, took part in Faoro’s wedding, and, eventually, mourned his loss. Now their story is being shared with the world. In this delightful picture book first published in Venezuela, the author brings us back to her own childhood in Venezuela, as one of the children who used to visit this famous caiman, to tell the story of a man who loved animals and how his friendship with his alligator sparked a lasting legacy.
Goodreads.com
A cute picture book based on the author’s childhood experience in Venezuela with a jewelry repairer who raised a caiman. (Although Goodreads says it is an alligator, any good Floridian–or Venezuelan–can tell you that these animals are not the same!)
Rating: Good but Forgettable
The Girl from Shadow Springs
Everyone in Shadow Springs knows that no one survives crossing the Flats. But the threat of a frozen death has never deterred the steady stream of treasure hunters searching for a legendary prize hidden somewhere in the vast expanse of ice. Jorie thinks they’re all fools, which makes scavenging their possessions easier. It’s how she and her sister, Brenna, survive.
Then Jorie scavenges off the wrong body. When the dead man’s enemy believes Jorie took something valuable from the body, he kidnaps Brenna as collateral. He tells Jorie that if she wants her sister back, she’ll have to trade her for the item he thinks she stole. But how can Jorie make a trade when she doesn’t even know what she’s looking for?
Her only source of information is Cody, the dead man’s nephew and a scholar from the South who’s never been hardened by the harsh conditions of the North. Though Jorie’s reluctant to bring a city boy out onto the Flats with her, she’ll do whatever it takes to save her sister. But anything can happen out on the ice, and soon Jorie and Cody find they need one another more than they ever imagined—and they’ll have to trust each other to survive threats beyond their darkest nightmares.
Goodreads.com
An absorbing dark fantasy with great characters. This book is a mix between a wilderness survival story and a fantasy; the setting of the frozen and unforgiving Flats is as much a character as any of the people Jorie and Cody meet along the way. I really enjoyed this–I only wish it had been longer, or that there was a series coming!
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Apple Cake and Baklava
Leila is the new girl in Max’s class in rural Germany, and they soon become close friends. She has fled Syria with her family, having left her grandmother and father behind. Her most cherished object is a walnut from her grandmother’s garden. Leila is desperately sad when she loses her walnut and, in a failed attempt, sets out to return to Syria.
Goodreads.com
A heartwarming and heartbreaking story of a Syrian refugee in Germany and the new friends she makes at her school there. The book manages to be tender without diminishing the difficulty of being a refugee.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
The Sunbearer Trials
As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by Sol himself as the most worthy to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all―they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the people of Reino del Sol for the next ten years.
Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds, has never worried about the Trials…or rather, he’s only worried for others. His best friend Niya―daughter of Tierra, the god of earth―is one of the strongest heroes of their generation and is much too likely to be chosen this year. He also can’t help but worry (reluctantly, and under protest) for Aurelio, a powerful Gold semidiós and Teo’s friend-turned-rival who is a shoo-in for the Trials. Teo wouldn’t mind taking Aurelio down a notch or two, but a one-in-ten chance of death is a bit too close for Teo’s taste.
But then, for the first time in over a century, Sol chooses a semidiós who isn’t a Gold. In fact, he chooses two: Xio, the 13-year-old child of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck, and…Teo. Now they must compete in five mysterious trials, against opponents who are both more powerful and better trained, for fame, glory, and their own survival.
Goodreads.com
A really gripping play on the YA teens battling formula that Hunger Games exemplified. The Mexican setting, the semidioses, and the queer representation are all great, but the gripping plot and the teens making difficult and sometimes stupid choices kept me engaged from beginning to end. I was so mad to discover that this is the first in a duology and I will have to wait to find out what happens next!
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Three Kisses, One Midnight
This Halloween, magic will reawaken in the town of Moon Ridge, and any love forged that night will last forever. At least, that’s what the founder’s fable says, and best friends Onny, Ash, and True—better known as “The Coven”—aren’t taking any chances.
After brewing a supposed love potion from a recipe passed down by Onny’s grandmother, each member of The Coven sets off to try to charm the love of their life. One falls for an unexpected suitor. Another paints himself into a corner. And the third refuses to believe in magic at all… until true love proves her wrong.
Goodreads.com
This is a sweet romance in three parts (which are written by three different authors), each of which follows one of a trio of friends who attempt to find love before midnight on Halloween. Lots of swoons and a little bit of magic make this a candy-like read–sweet and enjoyable, though not overly memorable like some of these authors’ more well known works.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Good but Forgettable
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester
In this queer contemporary YA mystery, a nonbinary autistic teen realizes they must not only solve a 30-year-old mystery but also face the demons lurking in their past in order to live a satisfying life.
Sam Sylvester has long collected stories of half-lived lives—of kids who died before they turned nineteen. Sam was almost one of those kids. Now, as Sam’s own nineteenth birthday approaches, their recent near-death experience haunts them. They’re certain they don’t have much time left. . . .
But Sam’s life seems to be on the upswing after meeting several new friends and a potential love interest in Shep, their next-door neighbor. Yet the past keeps roaring back—in Sam’s memories and in the form of a thirty-year-old suspicious death that took place in Sam’s new home. Sam can’t resist trying to find out more about the kid who died and who now seems to guide their investigation. When Sam starts receiving threatening notes, they know they’re on the path to uncovering a murderer. But are they digging through the past or digging their own future grave?
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester explores healing in the aftermath of trauma and the fullness of queer joy.
Goodreads.com
At first I thought this book would be depressing because Sam’s trauma is clear and present from page one, but it turned out to be nothing like I imagined. Instead, it’s an addictive YA mystery with lovable characters finding their people and growing up in a world that doesn’t always make a place for them. Trauma does rear its head (rightfully so), but queer joy is also frequently present. This was a surprise favorite of mine the year I read it.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Re-read Worthy
The Stranded
Welcome to the Arcadia.
Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States – a leftover piece of a fractured USA.
For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. It is a world of extreme haves and have nots, gangs and make-shift shelters.
Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Ben is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all.
When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever . . .
Goodreads.com
A gruesome, enraging, but engaging YA dystopia set on a cruise ship. I found many of the characters irritating and brutal, although this fit with the setting. This is the start of a series of some kind, but I’m not sure I can bear to read more.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Good but Forgettable
School Trip
Jordan, Drew, Liam, Maury, and their friends from Riverdale Academy Day School are heading out on a school trip to Paris. As an aspiring artist himself, Jordan can’t wait to see all the amazing art in the famous City of Lights.
But when their trusted faculty guides are replaced at the last minute, the school trip takes an unexpected–and hilarious–turn. Especially when trying to find their way around a foreign city ends up being almost as tricky as navigating the same friendships, fears, and differences that they struggle with at home.
Will Jordan and his friends embrace being exposed to a new language, unfamiliar food, and a different culture? Or will they all end up feeling like the “new kid”?
Goodreads.com
This book is an addition to the series that started with New Kid, the Newbery winner. Kids will enjoy this, though I would have liked some more… events? Though the group of kids goes on a field trip to Paris and hijinks ensue, truly not a lot happens in this story.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Good but Forgettable
Winterhouse
Orphan Elizabeth Somers’s malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms – most notably its massive library. It’s not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family.
But the deeper she delves into the hotel’s secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel’s curse and solve the mystery.
But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to care for, and even Winterhouse itself? Mystery, adventure, and beautiful writing combine in this exciting debut audiobook richly set in a hotel full of secrets.
Amazon.com
This is a super fun, atmospheric middle grades mystery, set at the picturesque Winterhouse Hotel. I loved the characters, the setting, the mystery–I read this on Christmas and it was the perfect wintry tale. I have since read the next two books in the series and didn’t enjoy them as much as the original, but I think kids will really enjoy them.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Half-witch Kiki never runsfrom a challenge. So when her thirteenth birthday arrives, she’s eager to follow a witch’s tradition: choose a new town to call home for one year.
Brimming with confidence, Kiki flies to the seaside village of Koriko and expects that her powers will easily bring happiness to the townspeople. But gaining the trust of the locals is trickier than she expected. With her faithful, wise-cracking black cat, Jiji, by her side, Kiki forges new friendships and builds her inner strength, ultimately realizing that magic can be found in even the most ordinary places.
Goodreads.com
This is a really cute, fun coming of age story about a young witch. I’ve never seen the movie, but the book read like a children’s classic. I can see why it is so beloved.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Dim Sum Palace
Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can’t sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into . . . an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls . . . into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don’t notice they’ve prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress — a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat . . .
This deliciously humorous debut picture book, inspired by X. Fang’s memories as a child of epic dim sum feasts, is a dreamworld adventure that is at once a glorious celebration of the sensory world of childhood and a loving helping of food, family and culture.
Goodreads.com
A cute but forgettable picture book about a young girl’s dream about bao buns. I didn’t dislike it, but it also didn’t stick with me.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Good but Forgettable
Aces Wild
Some people join chess club, some people play football. Jack Shannon runs a secret blackjack ring in his private school’s basement. What else is the son of a Las Vegas casino mogul supposed to do?
Everything starts falling apart when Jack’s mom is arrested for their family’s ties to organized crime. His sister Beth thinks this is the Shannon family’s chance to finally go straight, but Jack knows that something’s not right. His mom was sold out, and he knows by who. Peter rival casino owner and jilted lover. Gross.
Jack hatches a plan to find out what Carlevaro’s holding over his mom’s head, but he can’t do it alone. He recruits his closest friends—the asexual support group he met through fandom forums. Now all he has to do is infiltrate a high-stakes gambling club and dodge dark family secrets, while hopelessly navigating what it means to be in love while asexual. Easy, right?
A wild romp told in a can’t-look-away-from voice, Aces Wild is packed with internet friend hijinks and ace representation galore!
Goodreads.com
This is a sweet, fun heist that somehow manages to also be about family and found family. If you’re a fan of heists, this YA novel is for you. (Plus, the cover is gorgeous!)
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Fire Becomes Her
In Rosiee Thor’s lavish fantasy novel with a Jazz Age spark, a politically savvy teen must weigh her desire to climb the social ladder against her heart in a world where magic buys votes. Flare is power.
With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground — and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share.Ingrid doesn’t have a family fortune, monetary or magical, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden’s father who refuses to acknowledge her.
So when Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid uses the situation to her advantage. She strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.
Will she stand with the Holts, or will she forge her own path?
Goodreads.com
This YA novel is a fantasy in which magic is both money and power, controlling both who has energy to heat and light their homes and who is able to vote in elections. Ingrid, a girl with more ambition than heart, must decide what future to pursue–one in which she gets the power she has always wanted, or one in which people like her don’t need to scrap for power? Ingrid wasn’t always likable, but I understood why she made the choices she did, and the political election plot was a nice twist on the YA dystopian theme.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
The Blue Book of Nebo
Prize-winner in three categories of the 2019 Wales Book of the Year Award, The Blue Book of Nebo paints a spellbinding and eerie picture of society’s collapse, and the relationships that persist after everything as we know it disappears. After nuclear disaster, Rowenna and her young son are among the rare survivors in rural north-west Wales. Left alone in their isolated hillside cottage, after others have died or abandoned the towns and villages, they must learn new skills in order to remain alive. With no electricity or modern technology they must return to the old ways of living off the land, developing new personal resources.
While they become more skilled and stronger, the relationship between mother and son changes in subtle ways, as Sión must take on adult responsibilities, especially once his baby sister Dwynwen, arrives. Despite their close understanding, mother and son have their own secrets, which emerge as in turn they jot down their thoughts and memories in a found notebook. As each reflects on their old life and the events since the disaster which has brought normal, twenty-first century life to an end, their new-found maturity and sense of purpose contrast not only with their old selves but also with new emotional challenges.
Goodreads.com
Translated from Welsh, apparently this is a modern day classic in Wales that is finally getting its English debut. It is set in a subtle but uncomfortable dystopia, centering around a woman and her teenage son, eight years after The End. It was unsettling to read about their experiences, not only during and after the nuclear disaster, but also before. I’m not sure I enjoyed it, but I have definitely thought a lot about it since reading it a couple of months ago.
Rating: Good
Kismat Connection
Is it possible to change your fate?
Madhuri Iyer is doomed. Doomed for her upcoming senior year to be a total failure, according to her astrology-obsessed mother, and doomed to a happily ever after with her first boyfriend, according to her family curse.
Determined to prove the existence of her free will, Madhuri devises an experimental relationship with the one boy she knows she’ll never fall for: her childhood best friend, Arjun Mehta. But Arjun’s feelings for her are a variable she didn’t account for.
As Madhuri starts to fall for her experimental boyfriend, she’ll have to decide if charting her own destiny is worth breaking Arjun’s heart—and her own.
Goodreads.com
What a fun YA romance, centering Indian American teens trying to escape their destiny. This book will draw inevitable comparisons to When Dimple Met Rishi, but it has a charm all its own. If you like frothy, fun YA romances, pick this one up.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Pretty Darn Good
Tell Me What Really Happened
It was all her idea. They would get away from their parents and spend the weekend camping. Down by Salvation Creek, the five of them would make smores, steal kisses, share secrets.
But sometime around midnight, she vanished.
Now the four friends who came back are under suspicion―and they each have a very different story to tell about what happened in the woods.
The clock is ticking. What are they hiding? Who is lying? Dark truths must come to light if their friend is to be found…
Told entirely through first-person police interviews, this riveting mystery asks: what really happened that night?
Goodreads.com
As is usual with YA thrillers, this book is a bit over the top. That said, the format in which the four main characters slowly reveal the story of what happened to their missing friend through police interviews keeps up the suspense and makes it compulsively readable. I enjoyed it. Teens will likely enjoy it even more.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rating: Good but Forgettable
Newbery and Beyond 