Three Sides of a Heart: Stories About Love Triangles
edited by Natalie Parker
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: December 19, 2017
THREE SIDES OF A HEART, a short story anthology, has a variety of stories with one thing in common- they all incorporate the popular YA trope of the love triangle. It’s difficult to pin this book down because of the very divergent topics, genres and characters used in each story. Sci-fi, historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism; murderers, magicians, knights, zombie-fighting slaves, astronauts-- you name it, this book’s got it. Because of the diversity of types of stories, some I found interesting and others less so.
One characteristic shared by each story is how unlike each love triangle is from the others. Many of the authors took great creative liberty, keeping the stories from becoming monotonous and producing some really inventive and delightful stories. One of them being Vega by Brenna Yovanoff which depicts the main character in love with a boy and a city. The characters in this short story are vibrant and original, each action they take prompts a reaction from the reader. The writing is beautiful and descriptive, exploring conflicted emotions and heartbreaking decisions with just 26 pages. Another story that I really enjoyed was Work in Progress by E. K. Johnston. It focuses on three people within three different realities, one on a spaceship, one during summer at a lake house, and one in medieval times. The reason this story struck me is that there is no “love” involved. The three characters simply are together, whether hiding in a space ship vent, sleeping in a bunk bed, or battling a dragon. The things they feel for each other are beyond physical affections or even saying the words “I love you”. Johnston does an amazing job of creating these feeling without flat out stating them- something not many authors attempt to do. Overall this short story anthology was fun and original, if you’d like to explore different genres and writing styles, this would be a great book to read.
Shadow Girl
by Liana Liu
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: December 19, 2017
SHADOW GIRL by Liana Liu is about a girl who just graduated college named Wei. She goes to a big mansion for one month over the summer to tutor a rich man's daughter (Ella). At first everything seems perfect. But Mei starts hearing strange noises and tensions start rising in the house. This novel is really a coming of age novel that is written perfectly. It's not just any dry coming of age book; there are many side plots but it isn't confusing. I enjoyed the writing style very much. The plot twists kept me reading way past the time I was supposed to be asleep. This was truly a good book.
Pretty
by Justin Sayre
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Publication Date: July 4, 2017
PRETTY by Justin Sayre discusses the meaning behind true beauty and true friendship. Sophie, the heroine of our story, struggles to balance her life at school as a popular, social girl and her life at home where she hides from her mother's alcohol addiction and abuse. Sophie is constantly being called “pretty”-- whether it's a compliment from a school friend or an insult from her mother-- but she doesn’t understand what the word means. Sophie’s social life becomes harder and harder to maintain. She has trouble interacting with her friends, her secrets increasingly drawing a rift between them. When her aunt comes to take care of her while her mother is away, Sophie begins to learn about her family’s past. Her aunt helps Sophie to express herself and do the things she loves. Sophie also realizes who her true friends are and is able to bridge the gap by opening up to them. With the help of her aunt and eventually her friends, Sophie is able to define herself: not as pretty, but as beautiful.
As a high school student, I read this and found it very enjoyable. Despite it being targeted towards a younger audience, I think it has a valuable message a person of any age can appreciate. The words used are simple and easy to understand but impactful, and the story is interesting and captivating. I recommend this book to kids in middle school but encourage older kids who are interested to enjoy this wonderful story as well.
R.I.P. Eliza Hart
by Alyssa Sheinmel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: November 28, 2017
Do I have a thing for odd, broken ladies named Sokoloff? From my last reviewed book, GENUINE FRAUD, I went right to this one. R.I.P ELIZA HART is about two misunderstood and mentally “sick” girls, both of whom seem to hate the other. One of them is a “mean girl,” the other is a “freak.” It is a whodunit, except you find out at the end…Eliza Hart is not perfect in any way.
This book was a bit sadder and a bit more beautiful than GENUINE FRAUD, although the slow reveal and deep twists were similar. I liked the tree burl thieves – I liked that their official “crime” was just maybe less of a true crime than you might expect. Mack and Sam are both, in my opinion, the most realistic characters, simply because we do not read from their perspective but we know how they feel. I liked Sam and Ellie’s transition between friendship and girlfriend/boyfriend-ship, it was paced well and very sweet.
I Never
by Laura Hopper
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Love is an unknown idea for junior Janey King, so when she falls hard for a popular senior, she has to get it together and figure out what her goals are, while still staying on top of school, her newly divorced parents, and constant friend drama. I NEVER by Laura Hopper tells Janey's coming of age story as she navigates first love and all of its many obstacles. I really enjoyed how real this story was and how it made you feel like you were truly Janey King and going through your first love right alongside her. The writing was well put together and has a nice flow to the chapters making it easy to follow, but while still leaving mystery. Will Janey love being in love? Or will she dig herself into a hole she can’t get out of…
Runebinder
by Alex R. Kahler
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: November 14, 2017
I really enjoyed reading RUNEBINDER, however while I completely recommend it, as it is a fantastic book, it is truly a dark novel. To give a little background, the world has rediscovered magic, but instead of creating a utopia, the world is plunged into something akin to hell, after "Howls," magical monsters created by draining a living human of their magic, are born into this world in the event known as “The Resurrection.” Now, three years later, Tenn struggles to survive, but between the Howls, and his own special powers, which often seem to have a mind of their own, can he get out of this alive? And if so, at what cost? But, once again, and I cannot stress this enough, the book really does have a very dark plot. So while I do highly recommend you read this book, please be prepared for a gruesome moment or two, and a couple adult scenes.
No Saints in Kansas
by Amy Brashear
Publisher: Soho Teen
Publication Date: November 14, 2017
NO SAINTS IN KANSAS by Amy Brashear is narrated by 16 year old Carly Flemming who is new to the small town of Holcomb, Kansas. Winter is usually quiet in this small town, but after the horrible murder of the Clutter family (including Nancy Clutter whom Carly used to secretly tutor), Carly and her friends take it upon themselves to solve the mystery and find the killer, much to the disapproval of the sheriff and their protective parents. This suspenseful novel was impossible to put down, and was definitely a fun read. Carly’s character is easy to relate to and she takes the reader on quite a ride as she tries to solve the case.
