The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Image courtesy of Titlewave.com

The Hate U Give 

by Angie Thomas

I laughed, I cried, I sang out loud, I didn't twerk, but at times I wanted to!  I experienced such a wide range of emotions while reading The Hate U Give that I felt I was on a roller coaster!

Starr is a 16 year old teenager living in what some might call "the ghetto."  When she was ten, her best friend was killed in a drive-by.  After that, her parents sent her, and her brothers, to a private school 45 minutes away.

In the vein of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Starr has to navigate between her two worlds.  When in her neighborhood of Garden Heights, she can't be seen as being too "white" or too "good" for her friends.  When at Williamson, her school, she can't be seen as being too "hood"; she always uses complete sentences and says "yes ma'am and no ma'am."

But when tragedy hits again, Starr finds her worlds colliding and tries desperately to keep these worlds from falling apart.

The Hate U Give is a Tupac Shakur reference and is a theme throughout the story.  This book is such a passionate, real look at family, race, police relations, coming of age, gangs, community and so many more topics that I could go on forever.  I think this book will appeal to anyone over the age of 12, black, white or purple.  The violence, realistically portrayed, might not be suitable for some middle school students, although I think they would appreciate the story.

In light of current affairs and the charged political climate around police shootings of people of color, I feel this book should be required reading for all educators and most high school students.  The Hate U Give has made an impression on my heart that will not soon go away.  Thank you Angie Thomas for this gift!

As an addendum to this post - I MET ANGIE THOMAS!!!!!  Here is our picture!

Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

Image courtesy of Netgalley.com
I have received an Advanced Reader's Copy
of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Daughter of the Burning City

 by Amanda Foody

Sorina lives in the travelling city of Gomorrah, a dark and stormy place home to freak shows, fortune tellers and magic.  She is an illusion worker, able to create people from her thoughts.  She was adopted at a young age by the Proprietor of Gomorrah, destined to take his place one day.

Sorina is the master of The Gomorrah Festival Freak Show, the show that she has created from her illusions.  There is tree, a lumbering, bark-covered being Sorina created when she was three.  Hawk, born as a little sister but with wings and talons.  Unu and Du, Siamese twins who play music and bicker continuously.  These and other of Sorina's imaginings make up her family.

But Gomorrah is not accepted in all parts of this land.  There is talk of war and rebellion.  And when Sorina's illusions start dying, she is left to figure out how in a world of magic, creatures that aren't supposed to be real, can die.

Daughter of the Burning City is an engaging story of magic and family.  I did have a hard time imagining the world that Foody has created.  This book is for fantasy lovers who are in high school.  I have ordered it for the library, but would warn those who check it out that the violence can be quite dark.

Nemesis by Brendan Reichs

Image courtesy of Titlewave.com

Nemesis 

by Brendan Reichs

Min Wilder has been murdered every day on her even day birthdays since she was eight.  This year, her sixteenth, was no different.  What is different is that the world seems to be falling apart.  Meteors, tsunamis, earthquakes, all threaten to destroy the earth.  Nothing makes sense, so when she finds out that she's not the only one with these same experiences, she's flooded with relief.

However, that relief is short-lived.  Min realizes that events she experienced as a child, weren't what she thought.  People that she trusted, weren't who they said they were.  And now she doesn't know who to trust.

I have to admit that I did not see the end of this book coming.  It took me totally by surprise.  This story is fast paced and the characters are deep and well developed.  I would not recommend it for middle school as the violence is pretty severe.  However, I would highly recommend it for high school students.

York (The Shadow Cipher) by Laura Ruby

Image courtesy of Titlewave.com

York (The Shadow Cipher) 

by Laura Ruby

In the early 1800's, twins Theresa and Theodore Morningstarr were behind the growth and creation of New York City.  From the "Underground" to the trash recycling "rollers", all inventions were their brainchildren.  But then one day they vanished, leaving the city to speculate about a cipher they passed on that was said to lead to treasure!  Skip forward several decades and we meet twins Tess and Theo, named for the Morningstarrs and residing in one of their greatest accomplishments, the Tower.

Tess and Theo have always been fascinated by the Morningstarrs and their York Cipher.  Their grandfather was part of a secret society who's sole purpose is to crack the code.  And although they had many people working on it for many years, no one ever came close to discovering the treasure.  

Then one day the twins learn that an evil developer has bought their beloved apartment building and has given the tenants 30 days to vacate.  Tess and Theo feel as if the York Cipher is the key to saving their building.  All of a sudden the clock has started ticking for them to do what no one has been able to do - find the treasure and get their building back.

Will they be too late?  Will the treasure save their building?  Can two kids with the help of some friends crack the Morningstarr code?  These questions will keep you racing through the book to the very last page.  And when you're done, you will be waiting anxiously for the next installment of this gripping series.  

Can you solve the code?  

I would recommend this book for upper elementary school students who love to read and to middle school students.  Even though the story is complicated and intriguing, the characters might be a little young to appeal to high school students; although not for this middle aged librarian!

I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson

Image courtesy of Amazon.com

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

Image courtesy of Titlewave.com

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

Image courtesy of Titlewave.com

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.