Crossing the Line
by Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: June 12, 2018
CROSSING THE LINE by Simone Elkeles is a novel written from two different perspectives. One narrator, named Ryan, is a teen who crosses the border from Texas into Mexico to learn to box and to escape his family. The other narrator is named Delilah, the daughter of a wealthy lawyer. When the two meet, they become entangled in a dramatic tale of murder and betrayal set amidst the drug wars of the US/Mexico border.
The double narrative was a pleasant change from the straightforward single narrator of most novels. The author captured both sides of the story well, and the plot was never stagnant. It was a fast-paced and exciting tale of life on the border.
We Are All That's Left
by Carrie Arcos
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Date: May 15, 2018
WE ARE ALL THAT’S LEFT by Carrie Arcos is an unflinching look at the terror of war and in contrast, the lasting power of love. The story switches back and forth between the life of Zara in present-day Rhode Island and the childhood of her mom, Nadja, in the midst of the Bosnian War two decades prior. After a terror attack at a local farmer’s market leaves Zara injured and her mom in a coma, Zara races to find out more about her mom’s hidden past and to rebuild her life on an unstable foundation.
In WE ARE ALL THAT’S LEFT, Arcos has intricately woven together two unique but related storylines. The characters are believable and the plot is set at an excitingly rapid pace, keeping the story going while still advancing the character development. The story and writing of WE ARE ALL THAT’S LEFT make it into a thrilling, remarkable novel with a powerful message of love and all of the forms it can come in. I recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction, gripping storylines, or strong heroines.
All of This Is True
by Lygia Day Peñaflor
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: May 15, 2018
When four teenagers befriend their favorite YA author, they don’t suspect that anything will go horribly wrong. Miri Tan just figures that her plan to get to know the author has been successful. Soleil Johnston is happy because the mysterious new boy Jonah Nicholls has started to hang out with them. Penny Panzarella hopes that with their newfound friendship, she can show her school that she is more than just an airhead party girl. Yet things can’t always go your way, and the teens figure that out when author Fatima Ro’s pleas for them to be "transparent" with her turn into her manipulating them so they become the plot of her newest book. And we all know you can’t write a book without a good twist.
This book has so many amazing aspects. For one, it has an amazing method of communicating the story: through "documents" gathered about what happened. These documents include transcripts of interviews, diary entries, and snippets of the book that Fatima wrote on the protagonists. I really enjoyed this because it made you feel a lot like you are actually in the story and experiencing it just like a real scandal is going on.
On to the actual story. At first I was a bit bored. Peñaflor pretty quickly revealed what the big "twist" was that made the group so scandalized. After I read this, I figured what more could they do? But this idea was quickly dismissed in the middle of the book when things began to pick up. This was very interesting because a lot of times when authors reveal the twist too early, the rest of the book feels pale and weak in comparison. In this book, the author did the opposite of that. The author even made it so readers feel almost like they are spoiling the book for themselves through the "excerpts" of Fatima Ro's book.
Another great aspect of this book was the characters. I don’t think I have ever read more relatable characters in a YA book before. The three main girls were all book nerds in love with YA (which many readers could relate to) who each have different distinct teen personalities from the suck up, to the victim, and the one who just wants to fit in.
Overall, I recommend this book for fans of ILLUMINAE because even if they are not in the same genre, they utilize similar methods of storytelling. Also, this book is best for teenagers because of references to rape and mild violence.
The Smoke Thieves
by Sally Green
Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
What do a princess, soldier, demon hunter, thief, and servant all have in common? They all live in a world where four nations, soaked in the barest bit of magic, are at the brink of war. In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a marriage arranged by her scheming father. In Calidor, March seeks revenge on the prince he serves for betraying his people. In Pitoria, Edyon steals for the fun of it, as he travels from town to town. And in the far north, Tash runs for her life as bait for the demon hunter Gravell. But as alliances shift and old feuds are dug up, each of their lives will be affected as they eventually come together because of a single jar of the illustrious drug, demon smoke.
Though this book started out slow, it certainly did not stay like that for long! In fact, this was the book that brought me out of my reading slump! As the story progressed, I could feel myself fall quickly in love with the plot of each chapter. The author did this by writing tons of mini high stakes situations that make the reader unable to put the book down from chapter to chapter. Another thing Green did with the plot that really interested me personally, was how she hinted about connecting all of the point of views at some point of the book. Because of this, I was constantly searching for what could be hints of connection. This sort of active reading made me super absorbed into the plot because I really felt like I was there with the characters, trying to figure out the political plots and twists with them.
Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed was the characters. Each had a very distinct “role” but the book made sure to stay away from falling into the stereotypes that came with them. One thing that I found to be very interesting was how the author had a character that felt very similar to a character in her previous book. I enjoyed how she added this in because I loved that character, but at the same time I thought it was interesting how she made sure the character was still unique in his own right.
If you love books full of amazing world building and a bit of magic, this book is for you! You will not be bored with all the amazing subplots and excellent writing.
Emergency Contact
by Mary H.K. Choi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: March 27, 2018
EMERGENCY CONTACT by Mary H.K. Choi follows Penny Lee’s first year of college in Austin, Texas. An aspiring writer, Penny is excited to finally leave behind her high school years and start fresh in a new environment. Meanwhile, Sam works at a coffee shop and is struggling to get by, much less work towards his dreams of directing movies. Through texts and the dual-perspective aspect of the novel, readers follow the timeline of Penny and Sam’s relationship throughout the novel.
We found this to be a good, if a tad cluttered, first novel from the author. While Choi’s ambitious attempts to tackle many subject matters were generally successful, they fell flat at others. We would have liked to have see some aspects of the novel developed more, such as Sam’s relationship with his mother and some of Penny’s pre-college experiences. However, Choi did a good job of addressing diversity and it was easy to connect with the two main characters and their natural-feeling relationship. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and we recommend this for people looking for an uplifting story told in a unique way!
*Trigger warning for sexual assault.
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All We Can Do Is Wait
by Richard Lawson
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: February 6, 2018
ALL WE CAN DO IS WAIT by Richard Lawson follows the different perspectives of a group of teenagers in the aftermath of a horrible tragedy. In a hospital waiting room in Boston, five strangers wait to hear news of their loved ones, and find solace in each other. Though taking course over a single night, their diverse pasts are explored, leading to realizations and breakthroughs on behalf of the characters. More than just a disaster story, ALL WE CAN DO IS WAIT sheds a light on the effect of the relationships we have with others and the idea of unity in the face of catastrophe.
Lawson brings energy and excitement into each page, yet is able to keep the narrative grounded in reality. Each character is vastly different and allows for a multitude of experiences to be shown, and are all relatable in their own ways. The revelations that occur throughout the story are done in the most realistic and effective ways, creating dimensional portrayals of characters rather than used simply for dramatic effect. However, all the events are merely a backdrop to the connections they create with each other, the real star of the story. I loved this book and the way it conveyed emotions and relationships, and would highly recommend it!
by Simone Elkeles
