Young Adult – Page 65 – My Good Reads

‘Tragedy Girl’ – Christine Hurley Deriso

This novel is due for release in April 2016, but I received an advance digital copy from NetGalley. For these reasons I won’t give any plot spoilers away.

Anne goes to live with her aunt and uncle after the tragic deaths of her parents. She is drawn to Blake, the golden boy of the school, who also has experienced his fair share of tragedy. While things seem good, there are clues that not everything is quite what it seems.

In this novel we get lots of questions, and Anne’s constant questioning does make the book feel slow at times. Unfortunately, once these questions start to get answered I feel that the story is rushed to its dramatic resolution.

While this isn’t my cup of tea, I can certainly see it being a book that certain students that I teach will love.

‘Bullet Boys’ – Ally Kennen

While ‘Bullet Boys’ features a trio of teenage boys at its heart, and some fairly mature action, it is a relatively straightforward read. I can see it appealing to boys and girls, particularly those who like their action and aren’t too bothered about understanding why it happens or even whether the action is particularly credible. That’s not to say it’s a bad read, but I didn’t find it quite as good as ‘Berserk’ or ‘Beast’.

It was, without question, entertaining once things got going.

Alex, Max and Levi are an unlikely group of friends. Alex is calm and steady, content to watch those around him, and he is handy to have around in a crisis (useful by the end of this novel). Levi is desperate to improve his lot in life. His initial actions spark a lot of the problems that come later. However, they could probably have avoided a lot of these problems if it weren’t for Max – a definite character to avoid if you ever came across him in real life!

This novel focuses in part on the boys’ developing relationships and their progression to adulthood. It’s successful here, and in the moments when we are watching the boys out in the wilds of Dartmoor. Where I found it less successful was with the plot concerning the Army and the hidden cache of guns. Made for some interesting scenes, but it all got so far-fetched by the end that I was keen for it to be over. I’m sure others will put it down in a much more positive frame of mind…

‘The Jewel:The Lone City 1’ – Amy Ewing

From the start, we are under no illusions that Violet Lasting’s life is not meant to be easy. She is an Augury, separated from her family and auctioned off to the highest bidder to act as a surrogate for a wealthy family.

Many dream of living in The Jewel. While its inhabitants don’t suffer many privations, their lives are far from easy. Beneath its glittering surface, The Jewel is a harsh and unpleasant place to exist.

In many ways this is like so many other YA dystopian novels. We have a female protagonist who is a lot stronger than she thinks; rumours of scandal at the highest level; some gruesome deaths; a clearly defined social structure and, inevitably, the romance.

However, it is not a mere copy of these novels. There is something about Violet that makes you hope she’ll triumph. While she is naive in giving in to her feelings for Ash, we are made to understand her motivation for continuing something so dangerous. The character of Lucien – like Cinna in The Hunger Games – is intriguing, not least because he really does seem to offer hope for the future. The biggest plus for this novel though was the completely unexpected element to the ending, which has me desperate to know what comes next.

While this didn’t make it onto the Carnegie Long-list for 2016, I am certain that those amongst its target audience who pick it up will find a place for it in their hearts.

‘Silent’ – Sara Alva

At 15, Alex has the kind of life that makes for horrific reading. His mum frequently abandons him, her boyfriend is abusive towards him and he is desperate to hide the fact that he is gay from those around him. These pieces are slowly fed to us, and they felt worse to me because of Alex’s acceptance of his lot in life.

When a well-meaning teacher calls Social Services after Alex is burned, he is angry and determined to reject all overtures of friendship/help. Watching Alex try to find his place as he is taken away from everything he has known makes for painful reading.

It would be easy to put this down as the book is bleak. However, when Alex is taken to foster care he becomes friends with Seb, a boy who doesn’t speak, and they form an unlikely bond. Their friendship – and inevitable romance – really does become a source of strength to both boys and offers some hope to the reader.

The boys do not have an easy time of it, and some of their experiences make for uncomfortable reading. I felt quite wrung out by the end of this, but so pleased that I picked it up.

‘The Love That Split the World’ – Emily Henry

The cover for this book is beautiful, and made me really keen to read it. The reference to time travel made me think this would be a Young Adult romance/finding yourself book with a bit of a difference.

When we first meet Natalie Cleary we learn she is preparing to leave for college. Everything is changing and she is trying to work out who she is. So far, so normal. We also learn that since she was little she has been receiving regular visits from a mysterious Native American woman known to her as Grandmother, who tells her stories to try and help her make sense of the world. When Grandmother tells her she has three months to save him, and she must find Alice, I really wasn’t sure what was coming.

For almost the first half of the book I was struggling to really engage with it. Though well-written there was a sense of something missing that I just couldn’t put my finger on. Some reviews I’ve read criticise the way Natalie and Beau’s relationship is set up, but it wasn’t that. It all just felt very slow.

However, as the story continues it picks up intensity. As Natalie meets with Alice and starts to learn more about what is happening to her, I cared more. Considering all the various possibilities, and seeing Natalie’s uncertainty as she tries to work out what matters to her, felt very real.

There was definitely a sense for me that this book is better than I first thought. I just wonder whether I’m alone in finding the slow-burn approach a little off-putting.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital copy received in exchange for an honest review.

‘Am I Normal Yet?’ – Holly Bourne

The stigma surrounding mental health issues seems to be of great interest at the moment. In this book Holly Bourne seems to be going to great lengths to shatter our preconceived notions of what certain conditions mean/how they affect people.

16-year old Evie wants nothing more than to be normal, whatever that is, and we follow her through her days as she starts college and starts the process of reducing the medication she takes to help her live with her anxiety and OCD. More than anything she no longer wants to be known as the girl who went crazy, and she’d also quite like a boyfriend, but she struggles to work out what are typical reactions to the situations she’s in and what are the symptoms of her condition.

Her fear of how others will judge her was brought home with the excruciating account of her date with Oli. It highlighted just how easy it is to bandy around terms like ‘mental’ without really thinking about the implications of their use.

While this all sounds very worthy, the thing that struck me most was about this book was the warmth of the characters and the humorous way in which Bourne relates their experiences. Definitely one that I could see appealing to readers for many different reasons…

‘The Tattoed Heart: Messenger of Fear 2’ – Michael Grant

This second book picks up with Mara coming to terms with what it means to be a Messenger, and realising the true consequences of her earlier actions.

Mara is being punished for her part in a girl’s suicide, and some of the descriptions of what she is made to witness in her new role are not for the faint-hearted. Watching Mara learn her duty as a Messenger means watching some pretty messed-up lives from a distance, powerless to intervene. This was dark…deliciously so!

This novel focuses a lot on the lives of Gabrielle and Trent. I won’t reveal their stories but how Grant deals with them had me questioning so many things.Throughout the novel it feels like Grant is toying with us, and the end result is compelling.

What I particularly loved in this book was how Mara learns more about the Messenger and his background. I defy anyone to not have a bit of a lump in their throat by the end.

Where will part three go? I can’t wait to find out.

‘Be Careful What You Witch For’ – Thomas Hoobler

Daughter of famous movie stars is sent to live with eccentric aunt…sounds like Sabrina the teenage witch.

This was a quick read, and I can see how the story would appeal to younger female readers. The book tries to explore – a little – what it’s like to try and fit in and how far you will go to get what you want. There were a few moments that made me giggle, but I didn’t really find much about this book that would make me want to recommend it to anyone over a number of other books that explore similar topics.

I received a digital copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe – Benjamin Alire Saenz

The moment I was given this book to read I had a feeling it could be something special. The cover is beautiful, and it seems to sum up perfectly the sense of loneliness that pervades this novel.

Aristotle – known as Ari – is part of quite a large family, most of whom we never get to see. His older brother is in prison, his father is a Vietnam veteran who speaks little and Ari is used to spending a lot of time alone. Dante is an only child who is also used to spending time alone. The two boys meet in the summer of 1987, when Dante offers to help Ari learn to swim. For these two American-Mexican boys on the cusp of adulthood their friendship provides an opportunity to discover themselves.

We know from quite early on in the novel that Dante is gay. I loved the fact that for most of the book this is not the focus of their relationship. They talk, they fight, they have periods of not talking…but their bond is clear. I loved the way their friendship was portrayed, and there is a real heart-in-the-mouth moment during the early stages of the book (you’ll know it when you come to it) that I didn’t see coming. The boys’ relationship seems quite unsettled after this incident – perhaps quite naturally – and Ari in particular takes a long time to come to terms with his feelings. However, this incident did allow us the opportunity to get to know some of the family members in a little more detail and I found this part of the book really touching.

Saenz’s prose was captivating. I didn’t want it to end, and this is definitely a book I’d want to re-read.

‘The Art of Being Normal’ – Lisa Williamson

This book features on the CILIP Carnegie 2016 pre-longlist, and I’ve been trying to read as many of these titles as I can before going back to those that make the next stage. Some are definitely more appealing than others – and this was one that I was looking forward to reading.

This cover is pretty simple, but conveys clearly the key issue of the book. The latest issue of the book that I’ve seen has a more obscure cover, and I’m curious about the apparent change of focus.

Before you read this you are told that David Piper has, from a very young age, known he wants to be a girl. Every one of his peers seems to be aware of this, and yet only his two closest friends are meant to know for certain. David spends a lot of the book agonising out how to tell his parents that he is transgender, yet we are giving no clues in anything they do that this would be met with anything other than understanding. This minor gripe aside, David is a character that you support and want things to work out for.

When he is defended in school by the mysterious new boy, Leo, things get a little more interesting. We know Leo has a secret. Though we can clearly see after reading how this is set up, the moment where the secret is revealed comes as a real surprise.

While this will find fans amongst readers who may want to explore their own thoughts on this issue, for me the book was more about friendship and how we learn to accept ourselves as we grow away from our families.

This book was one I rattled through, and thoroughly enjoyed.