Otherworld
by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: October 31, 2017
When Simon’s best friend, Kat, is diagnosed with “Locked-in” syndrome, Simon is horrified. Fortunately, there is an experimental technology that puts a patient's mind in a virtual world, free to do whatever they want while crippled in the real world. In order to communicate with Kat, Simon sends himself into the virtual world and tries to bring her mind back to her body.
This book very quickly became one of my favorite books of all time. Most of the characters are well developed by the end of the novel, and most characters serve a purpose that is essential for the plot. One thing I really enjoyed about OTHERWORLD is that the romance (which seems almost mandatory in most new Science Fiction books) does not seem forced; Simon develops a romantic relationship with his best friend, not someone who he just met. To me, this book clearly draws inspiration from both READY PLAYER ONE and The Matrix. It raises questions such as “at what point is something artificial alive?”, and “is humanity becoming too dependent on technology?”. One of my favorite aspects of OTHERWORLD is that it has the potential to be realistic. The only unrealistic aspect is the advanced technology, but it is within reason that it is something humans can invent in the foreseeable future. OTHERWORLD is full of conspiracy theories that keep readers questioning what they think they know.
The story ends with a cliffhanger, and I cannot wait until the next book comes out. This book reminded me of READY PLAYER ONE and The Matrix.
The Afterlife of Holly Chase
by Cynthia Hand
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: October 24, 2017
Holly Chase is dead. Kind of. For the past five years, she’s been stuck in a limbo working for Project Scrooge as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past. This year’s assignment is different from the rest, though. For one, he’s super cute…
THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE is a delightful twist on A CHRISTMAS CAROL. It’s the perfect fun and easy YA novel. Cynthia Hand has a distinctive style. Though her characters can sometimes border on clichés, she makes up for it with witty dialogue and plot twists. The novel will appeal to anyone who’s in the mood for some Christmas romance, humor, and ultimately heartbreak.
Long Way Down
by Jason Reynolds
Publisher: Atheneum
Publication Date: October 24, 2017
LONG WAY DOWN is the story of Will, a young boy whose brother was just shot down and killed. Following the rules of his neighborhood- Don’t Cry, Don’t Snitch, Get Revenge- he seeks his brother’s killer. But now in an elevator ride down to the street he begins to realize that sometimes bullets miss. And there is always someone else who knows the rules.
Told in lyrical verse, I really enjoyed this book. The author uses this method to give a new meaning to words that would otherwise be meaningless. The whole story is told in a bit longer than sixty seconds which creates a panicky feel to the story. Reynolds also uses slang of this particular neighborhood that adds to the realness of the story despite it being written in verse. The urgency of the situation is also magnified by the fact that the main character is only fifteen years old, a strange age for someone to be preparing to shoot someone down. But his stream of thoughts is accurate for someone of his age and connects more with the readers.
This book is perfect for contemporary book lovers looking for their next obsession. It is definitely one that will leave you thinking, both because of the situation itself and because of the double meaning ending. Throughout the book, you are constantly forced to stop and think both because of the words used and the imagery provoked. I would recommend this book for older readers because of the situation and some of the language used.
Calling My Name
by Liara Tamani
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: October 24, 2017
Taja Brown, an African American girl living in Houston, Texas, narrates CALLING MY NAME by Liara Tamani. Throughout this coming of age novel, Taja grapples with the expectations of her parents, her relationship with God, her sexuality, and her own personal aspirations.
Because the novel begins when Taja is in middle school and ends after she finishes high school, it felt as though I was growing up alongside her, instead of reading her stories as an outsider. Taja beautifully develops her narrative voice over the course of the story, which was a rewarding process for me to experience as a reader. This immediately personal relationship with the main character, along with Tamani’s subdued (while still powerful) writing style, makes CALLING MY NAME easy to connect to for any teenager.
Readers who enjoyed the vignette-like structure and poetic language of Sandra Cisneros’s THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET will want to give CALLING MY NAME a try.
The Glass Spare
by Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Publication Date: October 24, 2017
THE GLASS SPARE tells the story of Wil, a princess of Arrod with a dark secret. Kept hidden from the public eye to serve as a spy for her father, Wil is attacked and almost killed when she discovers that her touch turns living things to stone. And not regular stone, but gemstone. First, she finds it amazing and tests her limits but then tragedy strikes, sending her on the run. Her search for a cure now puts her in the path of a cursed prince who hopes to use her for his own goals. Now she must decide: help a kingdom at the brink of war save itself, or betray her family forever?
Paired with an entertaining steampunk-like world and great storytelling, this book was amazing. I love that the author found a way to make the book really feel alive. The dynamic between Wil and her three brothers was so entertaining and each one was unique; by the end of the book you will wish that you had brothers like them. The side characters all felt fully fleshed out with their wants and little quirks shown proud to the reader. The author does a great job at showing the different sides of the world, from rich castles to impoverished cities--you can really travel the world with this book. Honestly, my only complaint with this book is the length and how I wish it could have been longer. But, this does mean that there was not a dull moment throughout the whole novel.
If you are interested in reading a fantasy novel reminiscent of King Midas, you won’t be let down with this book. And of course, if you love strong friendship and romance, you won’t put down this novel!
A Line in the Dark
by Malinda Lo
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 17, 2017
A LINE IN THE DARK by Malinda Lo is a suspenseful yet heartfelt novel that explores concepts of privilege, sexuality, and friendship. Protagonist Jess Wong has had unrequited feelings for her best friend, Angie Redmond, for as long as she can remember. When Angie starts dating Margot Adams, a wealthy girl from a nearby boarding school, Jess feels more alone than ever. The plot takes a dark turn when Margot’s best friend is murdered, and Jess, Angie, and Margot find themselves at the center of the investigation. Overall, I enjoyed this book; I found Jess to be a relatable, three-dimensional character, and I enjoyed hearing her narration. To add suspense to the murder, the book switches from first to third person halfway through the book, but I missed hearing Jess’s unique voice.
This book did an excellent job of shedding light on the power of storytelling and artwork, as Jess works on a series of comics that mirror her own journey throughout the novel. The one downside to A LINE IN THE DARK was the loose ends remaining at the end; the conclusion felt abrupt and I was left wanting more. Despite this, I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a fast-paced mystery novel with a compelling protagonist.
All the Crooked Saints
by Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
ALL THE CROOKED SAINTS by Maggie Stiefvater is a heartwarming story about overcoming your mistakes and accepting who you are. The story centers around the Soria family, a family with the unusual power to perform miracles. Pilgrims come from all over the United States to see the Saint of Bicho Raro, Daniel Soria. Daniel performs a miracle that exposes the darkness within a pilgrim and then the pilgrim performs the second miracle, expelling the darkness forever. The pilgrims must do the second miracle on their own; if a Soria helps a pilgrim in any way a very powerful, almost unbeatable darkness will fall on the Soria and anyone who tries to help will also experience the same darkness. The conflict arises when Daniel falls in love with a pilgrim and tries to help her, bringing the darkness on him. He flees into the desert to isolate himself and keep other Sorias from meeting the same fate. His two cousins, Joaquin and Beatriz, are compelled to help him and with the help of some pilgrims devise a plan to save Daniel.
This book has a great cast of characters. Each Soria family member and pilgrim is given a history and attitude. Some of the characters include: a fourteen foot radio host named Tony, a school teacher named Jennie who can only repeat back what is spoken to her, a pilgrim who is constantly rained on and wears a wedding dress with live butterflies stuck to it, a priest with the body of a man and the head of a wolf, and two twins made inseparable by the snake that twines them together. Each character has to overcome their own darkness in order to help Daniel overcome his. The story is also very inventive and creative; Stiefvater invents a convincing reality in which characters interact and live in the presence of miracles. I also really enjoyed the satisfying and exciting conclusion to the book. I would love to read other books by this author and recommend this book to readers of any age who like a character-driven, intricate, and creative story.
Turtles All the Way Down
by John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young People
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
John Green has done what I thought was impossible: he has out-John Greened himself. This is TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN in a nutshell: an emotional tale riddled with obscure literary references that only someone who has read an entire library would understand, the quirky best friend(TM), and too many internal monologues to count ...and I loved every second of it. More than just a romance, or a look at teenage friendship, or a coming of age adventure, TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN is about personal struggles with mental health and the inescapability of one's own mind. Aza, the main character, tries to live her life and not be controlled by her "thought spirals", but is held back by the very thing only she has control of: herself.
This book was a bit different from some of Green's other books, in that it was less plot based and more based on the internal emotions of the main character, but I think that he was really able to convey true and raw depth of the characters, especially Aza. His own personal experiences with mental health are visible through Aza; her struggles don't seem fake or exaggerated and are grounded in the roots of John Green's own fight. This is not a book to read passively; it demands a deep connection from the reader to actively root for and against the characters, often at the same time. Following the publication of this book, there is likely to be a trend in YA focusing on mental health, as seen in the effect of Green's other books after their releases, yet I doubt any of them will be able to match the caliber and power of TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN. There were definitely some problems, don't get me wrong. The freedom of these 16 to 17 year olds to do whatever they wanted is highly implausible, and the lack of any actively responsible parental figures is a bit strange, but these are commonly overlooked in YA fiction, whether it be a misunderstanding of the lives of modern teens or the need to further the plot, but it doesn't have too much of a negative effect on the novel as a whole. I was really impressed at this book overall, and hope that John Green doesn't take as long to write his next one.
This Darkness Mine
by Mindy McGinnis
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
The novel THIS DARKNESS MINE tells the story of Sasha Stone, the perfect straight-A student who plays first chair clarinet with her boyfriend on her side. At least she was until Isaac Harver comes around, the bad boy who seems to know all about her despite the fact that she has never talked to him before. Suddenly, Sasha learns of a twin sister she absorbed in the womb. She doesn’t think that it would explain the gaps of missing time in her schedule and the memories of things she never thought she would do, but would it? With the knowledge that her body might not be hers alone, Sasha must now figure out what she is willing to do to take her life back.
It has been a while since I have read a psychological thriller and this book made me wish that I have read more. I love the way that the author twisted seemingly normal things and made the reader question whether or not they were true. The main character’s mental state is one the reader must continue to question, adding to the mystery of the novel. All the layers the author added to this book were breathtaking as well, with the many different sides of characters to the main character herself. Most people always love the main character, but in this book, you will find yourself wondering how good she really is. This book is clearly well researched adding new information to things most people wouldn’t think twice about.
If you are looking for a psychological thriller with complex characters, this book might be perfect for you. With surprises at every corner and high stakes, this book is a fast-paced page turner perfect for fans. I would recommend this book for mature readers because of the language the author uses and some of the scenes featured, but if you are willing to look past that you will enjoy the book greatly. At the end, this book will leave you questioning who the real antagonist is: something dark and evil, or Sasha herself.
Satellite
by Nick Lake
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
SATELLITE by Nick Lake follows the narrative of 15-year-old Leo and his friends Orion and Libra as they make the transition from living in space to going ‘home’ to Earth for the first time. Having been born on a satellite that orbits Earth, the trio is forced to navigate the challenges of living on an unfamiliar planet that turns out to be much less welcoming than they’d hoped.
While this book was emotionally compelling and had plenty of depth, it was written in ‘text-speak’ which replaces words like “you”, “see”, or “someone” with “u”, “c”, and “some1”. This is certainly unique, but it makes the book frustrating to read and made me feel like I was reading the text messages of a kid who hadn’t learned how to spell out full words yet. The author also uses lots of complicated space terms without ever explaining what they are, leaving the reader feeling out of the loop. However, SATELLITE’s concept was very interesting and it felt so much deeper than lots of other Sci-Fi books I’ve read. In all, this book has the potential to be something truly amazing for people that aren’t bothered by lack of complete words. I recommended this book for ages 14 and above due to inappropriate language.
The Last Namsara
by Kristen Ciccarelli
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
THE LAST NAMSARA follows the story of Asha, a dragon slaying princess, disliked by her own people because of the crime she committed as a child that almost destroyed the kingdom. To make up for her mistake, she must kill dragons to protect her people. To top it all off, in order to unite the broken kingdom, she’s being forced to marry a man she hates: Jarek, the cruel commandant. However, the king gives her a choice: she can either marry Jarek or slay the most powerful dragon to gain her freedom.
Ciccarelli nails it with this fantasy novel. It’s got the perfect amount of our favorite fantasy clichés (sword wielding princesses and fire breathing dragons) but mixes things up with an uncommon romance between a princess and her betrothed's slave. Complex characters, forbidden love, a compelling plot and beautiful writing make THE LAST NAMSARA the perfect fall fantasy read for fans of ERAGON and THRONE OF GLASS.
Blood and Ink
by Stephen Davies
Publisher: Charlesbridge Teen
Publication Date: September 19, 2017
BLOOD AND INK by Stephen Davies is about a boy and girl named Ali and Kadi. Ali is a member of Al Qaeda and Kadi is a Muslim who lives in Timbuktu. When Ali helps occupy Timbuktu and discovers secret manuscripts, Kadi fights to keep them safe. The only thing is Kadi and Ali are in love with each other. I enjoyed reading this book. It was written from two points of view, Ali and Kadi's. I like that style of writing. The book was very fast paced and exciting. The only thing I didn't enjoy was that the book was about a very heavy topic, but it was written with a very light style of writing, which I think took away from the seriousness of the topic. Other than that there were many plot twists and you couldn't really guess the ending, which is a good thing. Overall, I really liked this book. I recommend this book to fans of fiction drawn from recent history.
They Both Die at the End
by Adam Silvera
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio know they are slated to die today. They don’t know how or exactly when, but sometime in the next 24 hours, they will meet their end. They resolve to make the best of their last day together and figure out just how much living they can fit in before they die.
THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END is beautiful, funny, and ultimately devastating. The author, Adam Silvera, succeeds at creating characters that are incredibly real and complex. Mateo and Rufus’s personalities carry the novel, and you will come to adore both of them. One of the best things Silvera does is he explores the darkness of Mateo and Rufus’s fate but does not let it overtake the entire novel, as authors are sometimes tempted to do; he still makes plenty of room for witty humor and hints of romance. This book is a 384-page rollercoaster that will whisk you away to an alternate universe, make you fall in love with the characters, and then leave you sobbing—and it’s absolutely worth every minute.
Wonder Woman: Warbringer
by Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: August 29, 2017
WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER is about Diana Prince trying to save the lives of everyone she cares about, including a stranger, Alia, that crashed near Themyscira. Breaking every law of her home, Diana swims out to save her. It turns out that Alia is part of a line of “Warbringers,” who unintentionally cause turmoil, as well as war. Diana chooses to try to end the line of Warbringers by venturing into the World of Man, despite her place on Themyscira.
I enjoyed reading WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER, and would highly recommend it. However, there were a few things I felt could have been done better. The story starts with Diana entering a race against her sisters, but Diana diverts from the race in order to save Alia. When we learn what the race meant to Diana, we learn that she is only seen as the queen’s daughter, not a fellow warrior. I could not help but feel a bit sad for Diana when she so easily abandoned her goal to view a shipwreck. I feel it would have been more appropriate to see how Diana does in the race, so we would get a better view of who she is and what she can do a bit earlier on in the story. At the end of the book, when Diana returns to Themyscira, we see a brief glance at the aftermath of Diana’s adventure. However, I really wished that they would have extended the aftermath a bit more. Throughout the book, Diana wonders how her actions would affect her family, and how they would treat her when she returned, but when she actually does return, she has little interaction with any Amazons.
The story itself is very good and has a diverse cast with an excellent plot twist. While reading, I was trying to predict what the plot twist would be (the seemingly simple task made me certain that there would be one), but I was completely surprised by what it turned out to be.
As a side note, I was a bit surprised that the author chose to call the inhabitants of Themyscira “Amazons,” and not “Amazonians”. While these terms have usually been exchanged without much explanation, I expected “Amazonians”. Those who are at least acquainted with the Wonder Woman comics or the recent Wonder Woman movie will easily be able to understand how the politics work on Themyscira. While one may think it is an adaption of the movie (due to its recent release), the book is completely its own canon, and not based on any comic book storyline that I am aware of.
