Book Review - Instructions for Dancing

  📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

Instructions for Dancing
by Nicola Yoon
After her parent's divorce, Evie Thomas no longer believes in love. However, she feels justified in her belief after the strangest thing happens one day. After seeing couples kiss, she gets visions of their relationships, leading right up to how they end. It all started when Evie found a ballroom dancing book that led her to a studio where the opportunity to take lessons occurs. Her partner is the owner's grandson, called X, and while Evie doesn't plan to fall for him, that appears to be happening.
If you're not a fan of fantasy, you're in luck because this isn't fantasy. It is magical realism, as the only unbelievable part is Evie's visions. The characters are all likable and feel real (ignoring the vision part). Evie and X's budding romance is the core of the story. Still, Evie's family drama, and her relationship with her friends, are also significant to the story. Oh, and without spoiling too much, you might want to have tissues on hand once you hit the second part of this book.

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Book Them Graphic - Just a Touch of Magic (Magical Realism)

 

Book Review - The Astonishing Color of After

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

The Astonishing Color of After

by Emily X.R. Pan

            After her mother’s suicide, Leigh receives a mysterious package in the mail with notes and photographs of her mother as a young girl. This, paired with seeing a beautiful red bird she believes is her mother, leads Leigh to ask her father if they can travel to Taiwan for her to finally meet her maternal grandparents. There, she travels to her mother’s favorite places and digs through her family’s past to discover just what it is her mother wants her to know.

A beautifully written story with wonderful aspects of magical realism. Leigh’s story of dealing with her mother’s suicide and the grief she faces is both touching and captivating. In addition to the present time, there are parts of Leigh’s past including memories shown through magical aspects. 

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Book Review - American Street

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

American Street

by Ibi Zoboi

Haitian teen Fabiola Toussaint is forced to continue the journey to Detroit, from Haiti alone after her mother is detained. Upon her arrival, she is greeted by a family who aren't as warm as the family she dreamed of. Now Fabiola must assimilate herself into a new school and culture, all without having her mother with her. To make matters worse Fabiola’s aunt and cousins all have secrets that may just end in disaster.

An intriguing story about immigrating to the United States. Fabiola’s journey is made easier by the fact that she was born in the United States. Readers will still feel what many people are going through today through her story. Not all of the characters are likable but those that aren’t shouldn’t really be liked to begin with.

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