Book Review - Missing

📖Recommend for Grades 10 and up📖

Missing

by Kelley Armstrong

            When people leave Reeve’s End, they don’t tend to come back and Winter Crane plans to do the same. A girl goes missing and Winter rescues a boy named Lennon who claims to know about her. Then Lennon disappears and his brother Jude turns up looking for him. Winter begins to question what is going on and if those who leave and never return are doing so by choice, or if something bigger is at play.

            A bizarre and suspenseful mystery you really need to pay attention to. Readers may find Winter annoying and the story “out there” but will still turn the page to find out what is going on.

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Book Review - Disaster Strikes!: The Most Dangerous Space Missions of All Time

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Disaster Strikes!: 

The Most Dangerous Space Missions of All Time

by Jeffrey Kluger

            In 1959 a group of seven Naval Test Pilots got a new job; Astronauts. This marked the start of space exploration for The United States, with the first man going up in 1961, and continuing today. While there have been many accomplishments (the US put the first man on the moon), there have also been missteps and even tragic accidents. From the Liberty Bell 7 sinking in 1961 to an Astronaut almost drowning in space in 2013, these are twelve disaster stories of space travel and exploration.

            Warning: You may want to have tissues prepared for some of these stories. The author wonderfully breaks down each of the stories into chapters so readers can stop and process, or reflect on what they just read. Some may be familiar with certain stories (Apollo 13 in 1970) while others are likely to be brand new. You can even read this with an adult and ask them which of these stories they remember. There is an index included in the back of the book to easily check when names pop up again in later chapters to check where you read it before.

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Book Review - Summer of ’69

📖Recommend for Grades 11 and up📖

Summer of ’69

by Todd Strasser

            It’s the summer after senior year and despite his girlfriend, Robin being off at camp in Canada, Lucas Baker plans to enjoy this summer. This includes spending time with his friends, counting down until his trip to visit Robin, and heading up to a music festival in Upstate NY come August. But there are complications at home with his parents and brother. Also, Lucas finds out he didn’t get into college and now risks being drafted and sent overseas to fight in Vietnam. Anti-war and peace-loving Lucas must figure out a way to escape the draft and deal with his family situations.

            While this is YA, younger YA readers should be aware of the language and that there is some sexual content in this book. Todd Strasser drew on his own teenage years as inspiration for this book. Those who do pick up this book may enjoy reading this and then asking family members who were around in 1969 what it was like at the time. Lucas is an intriguing character, as are many in this book. The majority of this book takes place on Long Island, so readers will recognize a lot of places mentioned.

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Book Review - The Rest of the Story

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

The Rest of the Story

by Sarah Dessen

A change of plans means Emma Saylor Payne will be spending the summer at her late mother’s home of North Lake, where she hasn’t been since she was a little girl. Emma doesn’t remember her mother’s side of the family and everyone there knows her as Saylor. The lake is split between the working class on the North Lake side and the wealthy on the Lake North side and she finds herself stuck between both worlds, as her father used to spend time at North Lake. Despite this, she chooses to be Saylor. While at the lake, Saylor hopes to learn more about her mother and the family she hasn’t seen.

Sarah Dessen leaves behind her familiar settings of Colby and Lakeview (though Saylor is from Lakeview) to take us to a new location of North Lake. In some ways, this book feels a little older than Dessen’s previous works but the same wonderful feeling is there even if the comfortable setting isn’t. The characters aren’t as memorable as her previous books either but will be overall delightful while you read.

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Book Review - 3 for 1 - Along for the Ride, Saint Anything, and Once And For All

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

Along for the Ride

by Sarah Dessen

            As the result of her parent’s divorce, Auden missed childhood and grew up quickly. Now in the summer after her senior year, Auden decides to spend the summer at her father’s house in the beach town of Colby with him, her stepmother Heidi, and new baby half-sister. While there, she finds herself helping Heidi out in her store where she eventually starts spending time with the three girls her age who work there that she doesn’t quite understand. Then there is the mysterious bike riding Eli who, like Auden, finds himself up at all hours of the night. While the rest of Colby sleeps, Auden and Eli spend time together driving around and drinking coffee. As the summer goes on, Auden finds this summer may have been just what she needed.

            A positively wonderful read. Auden is a delightful character and her story is filled with other appealing characters, especially Eli. Readers will find themselves wishing that Colby was a real place so they could hang out at The Bike Shop, shop at Clementine’s, and take part in Auden and Eli’s nighttime adventures.

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📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Saint Anything

by Sarah Dessen

            When Sydney’s brother Peyton gets sent to jail it affects not only his life, but hers as well. Despite his absence, their mother’s world still seems to revolve around Peyton, and Peyton’s friend Ames still hangs around giving Sydney the creeps. Her way of coping with everything was to close in on herself and leave behind the private school she always attended to attend the local public school. One day after school she goes to a nearby pizza shop where she meets siblings Layla and Mac. In them she finds much needed friends in her new school who also don’t know her family’s history the way her old friends do, as Layla and Mac have their own family problems. As Sydney and Layla become better friends, it complicates things with Mac whom she is also growing closer to and falling for.

            While still having the delightful feel of a Sarah Dessen novel, this novel has a bit of an older feel to it than some of her other novels. The cast of characters is a mix readers will love (like Layla), hate (like Ames), and have mixed feelings about (like Sydney’s mother). While the relationship between Sydney and Mac is important to the story, family and friendship is more centric, as is Sydney’s growth over the course of the book.

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📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Once and for All

by Sarah Dessen

Louna has spent many years helping her mother with her wedding planning business, which has affected her views on love and romance.  When her mother hires Ambrose, Louna isn't happy but she finds herself involved in a friendly wager with him. Louna, who hasn’t exactly dated since her previous relationship ended. has to casually date, while casual dating Ambrose has to hold a relationship. Working together, Louna's opinion of Ambrose starts to change.

A fun and enjoyable read despite Louna’s heartbreaking previous relationship backstory. The dynamic between Louna and Ambrose is delightfully entertaining and readers will enjoy when they are together. The supporting characters are equally enjoyable, with some especially so. While the story is told in present time, Louna also reflects on her relationship with her last boyfriend which will end in a tissue needing moment.

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Book Review - Glimmer of Hope

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Glimmer of Hope

by March For Our Lives Founders

            On February 14, 2018 the lives of students, teachers and falculty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida were forever changed when a gunman walked into their school, killing 17 people. Instead of wallowing in their grief, various students began to take action and came together to fight for gun control and formed March for Our Lives. On March 24, 2018, just 5 weeks and 3 days later, their protest took place not only in Washington D.C., but all over the world. This is the story of how they got there.

            An impactful, collaborative collection of stories written by the teens who organized March For Our Lives. These individuals include Jaclyn Corin, Cameron Kasky, David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez, and Alex Wind. Each organizer shares how they felt after that tragic February day, why they decided to get involved, and how they felt on that remarkable March day. Those sensitive to the topic of gun violence may want to pass on this one (though the focus isn’t the day itself) but others should not miss this inspiring read.

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Book Review - Heroine

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Heroine

by Mindy McGinnis

            One minute Mickey and her best friend are driving home with a pizza, the next they are in an accident and Mickey’s leg has broken in two. The accident means Mickey is sidelined from her senior season of softball unless she can heal before conditioning starts. Mickey’s doctor prescribes her Oxy to help with the pain after her injury, but when the pills run out, she takes obtaining the pills into her own hands. This leads Mickey on a road of self-destruction.

            The subject matter of this book makes it one to read with caution. It opens sometime into Mickey’s addiction with a horrific scene involving death. It then backtracks to right before the accident. Mickey’s story shows just how easy it can be to slip into addiction, even if one is in denial of it.

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Book Review -Heretics Anonymous

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Heretics Anonymous

by Katie Henry

            Michael is a non-believer who isn’t happy about being sent to a Catholic school upon his family’s recent move. He can’t imagine who of his religious peers will want to be friends with an Atheist, but then he meets the members of Heretics Anonymous. While Lucy is a true believer, she is also a feminist. There is also Avi who is both Jewish and gay, Max who is eccentric and likes to wear his cloak and Eden who would rather practice paganism. What starts off as them being a soundboard for each other, leads to acts of rebellion against the school and its rules. While their acts start small, they grow bigger and more complicated landing Michael in some hot water with his new friends.

            A terrific story about teens who come together despite their differences and tackle what they all believe in. Each member of Heretics Anonymous is wonderful and readers will likely have a favorite or two. This is definitely worth a read (or listen as Michael Crouch does a terrific job on the audio narration) no matter what your religious beliefs.

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Book Review - Let Me Hear a Rhyme

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

Let Me Hear a Rhyme

by Tiffany Jackson

            Steph is gone. Killed before he could have the music career he dreamed of, that his two best friends and sister feel he should have had. But who says the world can’t hear Steph’s music? Using tracks Steph recorded before his death, Quadir and Jarrell hatch a plan to share and promote the songs under the alias The Architect. They enlist Steph’s sister Jasmine to help and before they know it Steph’s music is circling the neighborhood. As time goes on, the three realize that keeping their secret may not be so easy.

            Set in the ’90s not long after the death of Tupac and Biggie Smalls, this book is a love letter to Brooklyn and Rap Music. The story alternates between Quadir, Jarrell, and Jasmine’s narration as well as insights from Steph’s perspective prior to his death. Readers won’t know where the story is going and what will happen with the secret our main trio is keeping. This book is a must-read for many.

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Book Review - 3 for 1 - This Lullaby, The Truth About Forever, and Lock And Key,

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

This Lullaby

by Sarah Dessen

            With her mother’s numerous marriages, Remy has never believed in love and long-term relationships, instead only having non-committal short-term ones. Now it’s the summer after her senior year and Remy finds herself helping her mother plan yet another wedding; number 5 to be exact. While waiting in the lobby of her soon-to-be step-father’s car dealership, Dexter comes literally crashing into her life. There are numerous reasons why Remy shouldn’t’ get involved with Dexter, with number one being he is a musician and Remy does not date those. But she is also going to college in the fall, so what’s a little summer fling? Over the course of the summer Remy finds that being with Dexter is starting to change her and how she feels about relationships.

            Despite coming out in 2002, this book is definitely worth the read. Remy is an intriguing, cynical, and realistic character that makes a wonderful narrator. Dexter is unquestionably loveable and readers will yearn for more of him. The story is also filled with other delightfully realistic characters such as Remy’s trio of friends, her co-workers, and Dexter’s bandmates. This book will have readers feeling all the feels throughout the story.

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📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

The Truth About Forever

by Sarah Dessen

            After witnessing her father’s death, Macy’s way of mourning is to take control of whatever she can in her life. While her “perfect” boyfriend Jason is away at brain-camp, Macy plans to spend the summer taking over for him at his library job and studying for the SATs. Then one night, after getting an e-mail from Jason about putting their relationship on hold, she finds herself following the Wish catering van who recently catered an event for her mother. She ends up landing herself a job with them and now in the orbit of those who work for it. There is vibrant Kristy, Monica who is accurately nicknamed “monotone”, Bert who is preparing for Armegeddon, and Wes who has his own secrets and whom Macy finds herself drawn to. As she spends more time with the people from Wish, and Wes in particular, Macy finds herself growing and changing as well as figuring out what she may just really need.

            Bittersweet and moving, this book will have readers turning the page for more. Macy is a delightful character and wonderful narrator. Dessen has filled this book with characters readers will love and love to hate. While the relationship between Macy and Wes is a big and important part of the story, the book is ultimately about Macy herself and her growth.

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📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

Lock and Key

by Sarah Dessen

            Ruby was doing just fine after her mother left, sure the sink in the kitchen doesn’t work and the power got cut off but she is making it work. That is, until the landlords make a surprise visit and call social services. Now Ruby finds herself living with her estranged sister Cora and wealthy brother-in-law Jamie in a large house and attending a fancy private school. She plans to just make it work until she turns 18 and can go back to being on her own. As she spends more time with Cora and Jamie, gets to know neighbor Nate, and just all around begins to develop a new life for herself, all while keeping the key to her old home close to her heart, Ruby may just discover what family really is and what it means to be a part of one.

            Wonderfully written and fast paced readers will not be disappointed by this Sarah Dessen novel. Ruby and Cora’s strained relationship and their story over time is remarkably realistic and well done. Jamie is seemly the most unrealistic of characters as he seems a little too good to be true. This book deals with some tough stuff such as child abuse, and those sensitive to the topic should be aware and possibly skip this read.

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Book Review - The Bridge Home

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

The Bridge Home

by Padma Venkatraman

In order to escape their violent father, Viji decides the best thing for her and her sister Rukku is to run away. The sisters aren’t prepared for living on the streets of India and are lucky to befriend two homeless boys (Muthi and Arul) who teach them how to survive. Despite their determination to make it, things take a turn for the worse and Viji finds herself having to make another important decision to help her sister.

            A wonderfully written story about four children trying to make it. Viji, Rukku, Muthi, and Arul are all delightful characters and readers will root for them throughout the story. Parts of this book may make readers cry, so keep some tissues on hand for the second half of this read.

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