Sam and Ilsa's Last Hurrah
by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publication Date: April 10, 2018
SAM AND ILSA'S LAST HURRAH by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan was a delightful, sweet, and hilarious short novel about twins saying goodbye to their pasts and jumping into their new lives after high school. When given the chance, twins Ilsa and Sam hold extravagant dinner parties at their grandmother's penthouse in New York. To make things interesting they each invite three secret guests that the other sibling doesn’t know. At the close of their high school days they hold their final dinner party which turns out to be a wacky, magical night during which secrets are professed, glass is shattered, and the truth comes out whether or not it was meant to be shared!
This story had me laughing out loud. Its plot was so absurd yet emotional and meaningful. In one scene, a sock puppet might be trash talking a toddler while other characters seriously consider the impact their lives have on the environment and how life will change as sea levels rise and the polar ice caps melt. As the events follow a whirlwind pattern, both Sam and Ilsa experience a rollercoaster of emotion throughout the book. They fight, change their minds, and change them back. Each party guest adds another layer of turmoil for the narrators. The cast of characters includes ex-boyfriends, new potential boyfriends, new potential girlfriends, horrible best friends, a sock puppet, dance partners, and neighbors. Overall this book is crazy and fun, a good short read!
The Diminished
by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: April 10, 2018
After the Gods destroyed the Earth and split the moon, everyone is born with a twin, save a few every generation. Those who are unfortunate enough to have their twin die become Diminished, doomed to have their grief overtake them in a violent rage. The few who are Singleborn are destined to rise to the Throne and rule Alskad. Vi, a diminished, is just trying to survive unnoticed, despite the fact that she has been without her twin since birth and has never succumbed to her grief. Bo is Singleborn, heir to the throne of Alskad.
I really liked THE DIMINISHED. It is interesting to see how the mythology of the world has shaped, and it seems intentionally unclear whether the myths are true (like in Percy Jackson), or if they are just religious beliefs that almost everyone believes. While a good story, the plot twist was extremely predictable, but this does not make the book unenjoyable. The created world is rich with mythology, lore, and conspiracy, both politically and religiously!
Life Inside My Mind
Edited by Jessica Burkhart
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: April 10, 2018
LIFE INISDE MY MIND is an essay anthology focused on YA authors’ personal experiences with mental health. Each “chapter” is a story written by a different author, and each has a vastly different focus: the topics ranged from anxiety to depression to OCD to Alzheimer's. While some of the stories were deeply personal, some were more of a reflection on societal issues and the stigma around mental health. This book was different from any I had ever read. At first, it was hard for me to make the constant switch in tone as the authors shifted, but eventually, I was able to adapt to the format, and I’m so glad I did! This book offers some incredible insights, and I really appreciated the fact that so many of the authors emphasized that there is no one “right way” to manage mental illness.
My personal favorite essay was written in a poetry format called “This Is How You Unravel” by E.K. Anderson, which told the story of a girl living with bipolar disorder. I loved this chapter in particular because of its ability to genuinely portray the negative aspects of mental illness while offering a hopeful message. There were many essays that had a profound impact on me, though, not just this one! Even though I was skeptical about this collection at first, I would highly recommend this collection to anyone, regardless of whether they have personally experienced any of these conditions. Although I personally haven’t, I was still able to relate to all of the authors because of the honest, candid emotions that they shared with readers. Because of frequent references to suicide, addiction, abuse and violence, this book is probably best suited to older teens.
Someday, Somewhere
by Lindsay Champion
Publisher: KCP Loft
Publication Date: April 3, 2018
SOMEDAY, SOMEWHERE is about two cool teens takin’ on New York. Their names are Dominique and Ben, and they both appreciate jazz. Ben is a violinist. An amazing, high-strung, mischievously sexy violinist. Dominique wants to be a dancer. She danced when she was young, he played when he was even younger. She stopped for financial and social reasons, he didn’t. Dominique lives in Jersey, Ben, in the most "high-life" part of New York. She does something worthy of an episode of Crazy Ex-Gilfriend. She gets on the train–-the A Train, to be exact-–and tracks this boy down, a boy who she only met once before. She does not tell him where she comes from, or why she’s not seen around there often. He does something in return that is equally wildly romantic. I’m not going to tell you what it is, though. It’ll ruin the surprise. Trust me, it’s worth it. Even though the whole of “New York Dominique” is a lie, Ben isn’t picture perfect either, and his secret could be the one that tears them--not to mention him--apart.
SOMEDAY, SOMEWHERE is a really good book. Every single book that I review happens to be good enough that I’ll buy it when it comes out-–or after if I’m lazy--to have in my own home library, and force my future adopted kids to read it. But especially this book. Dominique and Ben are the two of the most sympathetic protagonists I’ve read in a long time. And the book taught me something: privilege never leaves. It is everywhere. Unlike Dominique, I have never once heard from my parents that I cannot do exactly what I want to, for any reason. My plan in life is to own a chain of bed-and-breakfasts and be a writer. I’ve heard, and I am very well aware, that it will require 99% of my passion and time to have one bed-and-breakfast, not to mention a chain. I’ve heard that it will be hard. But I’ve never heard my least favorite word… "Impossible." I am a young white lady-appearing agender chicken nugget living in one of the most liberal cities in the U.S. I have a lot of privilege. It won’t get me all the way to my goals, but at least I’m in a position where I can have (slightly) feasible, actual goals, and not just pipe dreams. I’ve never heard, "You can’t. Not because I don’t want you to…we just can’t do it." Dominique has. You get used to what you’re given, I guess, so that could explain why, in general, Dominique is easy-going and joyous. She is critical of life, and for good reason, but she’s held onto her dream for this long, in her heart, in the back of her heart, and that is only something someone with a strong resolution can do. Ben is also strong, but in a completely different way – they match well. I put myself in his shoes with ease. I haven’t been through anything like he has, but y'know, everybody’s got somethin'. I empathize with him because he looks for art in the dark…and maybe that keeps him in the dark…but he is a shining light. Not all the way. But enough to be. Not "be happy," or "be perfect." Just…be.
MUNMUN
by Jesse Andrews
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: April 3, 2018
Jesse Andrews’ latest novel, MUNMUN, delves into a dystopian world where a person’s height directly corresponds to their wealth, or “munmun.” The richest in the world stand at skyscraper height while the poorest are the size of mere rats. Warner and his sister, Prayer, are littlepoors, the very smallest of the citizens. After the accidental murder of their father, Warner and Prayer set off to try and find Prayer a wealthy husband who will share his wealth and “scale up” Warner’s family. And so begins an epic adventure of hope, humor, and important motifs that are far more serious than how they are presented.
Personally, I enjoyed MUNMUN. Andrews describes this made up world with such precision that I began to believe that it really existed. The roller-coaster ride of Warner and Prayer kept me on the edge of my seat--well, bed--and kept me happily turning the page. The syntax of this book is unique in that many words are pushed together, all acronyms are spelled out phonetically, and more. While it is hard to get used to at first, this style of writing perfectly encapsulates the narrator, Warner. Despite having an ending that left much to be desired, MUNMUN is a well-written, passionate book about the struggles of the poor that I recommend to any interested readers.
The Window
by Amelia Brunskill
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: April 3, 2018
When Jess’s twin sister, Anna, dies suddenly, everyone from her parents to the police are all too willing to write it off as a tragic accident. But Jess knows something else was going on that night. Jess knows she is being lied to. She decides to investigate the night of Anna’s death herself. As Jess learns more about the truth, she begins to question if she really knew Anna at all.
THE WINDOW traces the sickening downward spiral of a teen girl whose demons are invisible to everyone else in her life. The plot is steeped in sex, drinking, rule-breaking, and general teenage recklessness. This guarantees that readers won’t be able to put it down. Although the author resorts to the occasional clichéd turn of phrase, the thrilling, rapid-fire plot twists more than make up for it. Ultimately, THE WINDOW ends up as more of a soap opera than the layered psychological thriller that Brunskill was going for; but it’s still certainly worth reading for anyone in the mood for a novel with secrets, melodrama, heartbreak, and sinister undertones.
Folded Notes from High School
by Matt Boren
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: April 3, 2018
FOLDED NOTES FROM HIGH SCHOOL by Matt Boren follows Tara, the biggest mean girl at South High. She seemingly has everything: a gorgeous jock boyfriend, best friend, and she’s the star of her school theater department. But this year there’s a new freshman, Matthew. She’s having fun being his mentor, almost like his older sister, but then it gets complicated when she starts feeling things she never thought she was capable of... but there’s nothing she wouldn’t do to keep her status as queen bee.
This book is written in the witty slang of high school notes being passed between the South High students, which I thought was very clever and is easy to relate to. The story was fun and light; definitely recommend!
