I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson

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I Have No Secrets 

by Penny Joelson

Jemma is a teenager with cerebral palsy.  She lives with her foster family who also foster a young, Autistic boy, Finn and a young girl with anger issues, Olivia.  Despite being part of this foster situation, the family is loving and safe.

Jemma has no control over her body at all.  She can't feed herself, she can't use the bathroom by herself, she can't even roll over by herself.  She has no way to communicate to those around her.  She relies totally on her care giver, Sarah, for helping her throughout the day.  Sarah treats Jemma like a regular girl, paints her nails, plays her music and talks about boys.  

Others talk to Jemma too. They find it easy to talk to someone who can't talk back or tell anyone what they might be up to.  When Jemma hears news about a local murder, she is desperate to warn those around her.  Being able to communicate has never been more important, or more impossible.  But by chance, Jemma is introduced to a doctor who thinks he might be able to help her.  Suddenly Jemma's life becomes in danger because of what she's overheard.  Can she communicate what is going on before it's too late?  Can someone with no control over their body communicate the truth?

I Have No Secrets is a murder mystery that you won't be able to put down.  But it's also a discussion about how we treat the disabled within our communities.  Without giving too much away, Jemma is the one who cracks open the case, but she can't do that without help from many others.  We often see the differently-abled as not as smart, capable or valuable as those of us who are lucky enough to be able to walk and talk without aid.  This story examines the biases and stereotypes that many differently-abled people face.

In the vein of Wonder, I Have No Secrets would be a great read for students in middle school through high school.  The murder mystery will engage students who like thrillers, and the relationships between the characters will keep them hooked.

I Have No Secrets was not available through any of my regular book purchasing options as it is published in the UK.  However, it was available on Amazon for a pretty reasonable price.  I enjoyed reading the voice of the British characters and sometimes trying to figure out what they were talking about!  If you read it as a book group, you can teach context clues to decipher some of the vernacular!  Joelson has obviously done her research and I Have No Secrets is a precise look into the life of a family caring for differently-abled children.  I hope you will read it!

Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano

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Holding Smoke 

by Elle Cosimano

John "Smoke" Conlan is in a juvenile rehabilitation facility for a murder that he didn't commit.  The jury went easy on him, considering he had just been released from the hospital after his father had killed him.  Having being brought back to life after being dead for eight minutes has left John with a gift; one he uses to his full advantage at the "Y", the Greater Denver Youth Offender Rehabilitation Center.

Smoke has earned his nickname by using his new gift to gather information.  You see, Smoke can leave his body.  He can travel through walls, past guards and around barriers.  He is happy to let this gift keep him alive and out of trouble at the Y, a place where he is safe, as long as he has information to trade for that security.  But then, while digging up information for another inmate, he stumbles upon someone who can both see and hear him in this altered state.  Meeting Pink changes everything.  Now he has to get out.

Holding Smoke is a fresh story that will appeal to readers of all ages.  Part fantasy, part realistic fiction, I think this is a book that will cross genres.  I have ordered it for my middle school library, and think it would work in high school as well.  Smoke has a voice that I think many teens will relate to, and even some adults!

All Rights Reserved by Gregory Scott Katsoulis

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All Rights Reserved
by Gregory Scott Katsoulis

Speth is on her way to her party.  When all children in the Dome turn 15, they receive their cuff at a public ceremony.  You see, all words, gestures and other forms of communication are trademarked, restricted or copyrighted.  The cuff will automatically charge each family as they communicate.  At her party, Speth will find out which brands will sponsor her.  She's hoping for some good ones, as her family is poor.  However, before she arrives at the park, a boy her age that she had a flirtation with, walks up to her, kisses her and then jumps off a bridge.

Beecher's untimely death causes Speth to reconsider these long held laws, and she decides not to talk at all.  But this decision sends ripples through the community that creates ramifications that Speth couldn't have foreseen.  Speth becomes disdained by the powerful in her community, yet championed by the disenfranchised.  

Unprepared for the chaos that her decision has incited, Speth has to figure out how to take care of her family while adhering to her stance.  Can she be a change-maker?  Can one girls' actions against an authoritative regime bring down a system that is grounded in fear and greed?  All Rights Reserved is a great choice for book groups as it will bring up many hot-button issues.  It is both relevant and engaging.  

This book would be great for high school students and adults.  The violence might be a little heavy-handed for the middle school student, you have to know your audience.  It might also be paired nicely with a classic, such as 1984.