Old and New together

Far Far Away
by Tom McNeal
Random House Children's Books
June 2013

Think Grimm's fairy tales: Hansel and Gretel, long ago, far away, ghosts and murder, definitely anachronistic.

Now think today's young adult literature: coming of age, making your way, establishing identity, and getting the girl.

Spin those two perspectives together, and you get an intriguingly distinct read that combines a contemporary setting (set in some time similar to today, and definitely in the United States) with the intrigues and dangers of Grimm's sterner European tales. 

Fun!

What's different about this book?
I've read young adult books with ghost stories, and I've read historical suspense, but I've not come across such a skillful and effective blending of the Grimm perspective with contemporary teen fiction. The story is somewhat disorienting at first, but the end result is a charming read about protagonists who are winsome, realistic, and good -- and facing evil as old as time. 

What will I do now that I've read this book?
This title definitely goes on my purchase list for my school libraries.  I can't wait to try to explain its setting and plot to my patrons. This is a fun read that invites mental engagement to cross the incongruence in periods of time and perspective.

I'll also be sharing it with my Summer Reading groups:  the local public library, the local schools' staff reading challenge, and my own #bookaday reading. Great stuff -- fresh, compelling, and intriguing.

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Coming of age, being part of family

My One Square Inch of Alaska: A Novel
by Sharon Gwyn Short
2013 by Plume
 
Beautifully set in the late 1940s, early 1950s, this book represents fairly accurately the feeling of those years and how folks thought and moved and related.
 
Ms. Short has given us an insightful look at adolescence in a dysfunctional family -- at how family members deal with issues and each other. While I didn't always enjoy the first portion of the book, the focus narrows, the characters deepened, and the plot line seemed to pick up and hold my attention.

The quest to allow the younger brother Will to officially claim his prize in Alaska is particularly intriguing -- and I speak as someone who generally doesn't enjoy quest literature.

What's different about this book?
The evocative setting gives an authentic feel for the early 50s and the ways life was different then. And the story of Donna and how she is both boxed in yet set free during those years and in those positions is a compelling read. 

The ending comes abruptly, but it ties up the story -- and it answers the inevitable questions about what happened to the protagonists.  A very satisfying conclusion.

What will I do now that I have read the book?
This will be a great historical fiction for my young adult readers who need realistic fiction set in a not-too-distant time. We will be adding several copies to our high school libraries.

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An irresistible read

Stonefly
Book one of the Jacob Duke series
Scott J. Holliday
Haley Road Publishing
June 2013

I never say this, but here it's true:  There are no flaws in this book.

The writing is top-notch: well-crafted character development, quick-to-make sense plot lay-out, and a magical way of setting a firm, fixed universe within which the story unfolds. Somehow all the rules of the game fit and make sense ... and come together to create genuine suspense.   

It is realistic fiction -- except that Jacob is the son of a successful business woman and a genie. So he bears the genetic curse of being bound to grant true wishes that he hears people utter. Or someone dies.

What's different about this book?

It is amazingly and intricately crafted.  The writing is superb, and the reader feels immediately that he is in the hands of a master author.  There's no weakness of narration. The story line is cohesive and compelling. This is the best-written book I've read for as far back as I can remember.

The killer writing comes with an amazingly interesting story line. Win win.

What will I do now that I've read it?

This book holds universal appeal for all the libraries for which I purchase and recommend.  My young adult readers will be hooked by the plot line and the suspense. Well, that is also what will hook my adult friends.  But they'll also be surprised at how well the story is written.  

I'm more excited about this series than I have been about any ... ANY ... that have made it big in the past years.

Mr. Holliday, how quickly can you write the books that follow?

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Authentic voice in a teen romance

The Kissing Booth
Beth Reekles
Random House Childrens Publishers UK
April 2013

So, Beth couldn't find a book online that she liked.  So she wrote her own.

This puts a fun spin on a novel that is fun to read -- but portends greater things to come as the author matures. 

A teen romance, written by a teen, carries an authentic tone to it that makes the read immediate and absorbing.

What's different about this book?
The author, Ms. Reekles, is seventeen.  And there's the point of difference: the routine, the fun, the crazy actions in the book reflect the routine, fun, and crazy action of real teenagers. And the wisest actions in the book -- reflect the wisdom of a teenager. That means the wisest thinking and the most mature perspective in the book will be that of a seventeen-year-old. Because no one can conceive beyond who they are.

So mistakes that Elle makes (and makes again!) are those of an adolescent. And that was really frustrating for this adult reader who thought, "Duh. You made that huge mistake once. Why would you do so again??" 

But it was a fun read -- something like the cotton candy that shows up a couple of times in the story. Fluffy, ephemeral, and a little sweet.

What will I do now that I've read it?
But hey, I like sweet in a world where abuse and profligacy and crudeness tend to reign. I appreciate knowing a book that I will be able to recommend (over and over again) to kids who are the same age and time period as Ms. Reekles.  Definitely chic lit -- but largely wholesome in the values and relationships that are solid and represent parents that are present and concerned. There is a somewhat blasé attitude towards teen sex, but most teens will recognize that and form their own attitudes.

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For a different audience

Levitating Las Vegas
Jennifer Echols
Threshold, Pocket Books

May 2013

A good read. Not a must-read but still interesting.

Holly has the ability to levitate both herself and objects and people in the world around her. But her parents drug her so she won't be aware of her ability.  Turns out she's not the only one.

Holly is something of a normal adolescent and then young adult -- that is, sometimes ditzy, petty, and impulsive. But the story of her affinity for Elijah from 9th grade on is constant and unswerving. This particular story resolves satisfyingly but is obviously the first of a series. The more interesting characters and developments may lie in the books that follow.

What's different about this book 

There is often a correlation between the age of the protagonists in a novel and the age of the intended reader. If true in this case, Levitating Las Vegas is the first book I have read that was targeted for early 20-somethings and college-aged readers. 

And the setting --  Las Vegas! What a ripe venue to show a behind-the-scenes story of what business as usual looks like.

What I'll do now that I've read the book 

Of all the l libraries I work with and purchase for, this age range is not one of them. Since it's not a compelling read, I don't think I have anyone that I will be sharing it with.  That's not intended to say it's not worth reading.  It's just not a must-read.

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