Aurora Rising
by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 7th, 2019
In the year 2380, Tyler Jones, star cadet of Aurora Academy, is ready to graduate and take command of his own squad. Right before the ceremony, he rescues a teen girl from an abandoned ship in space and misses the entire thing. As a result, he gets stuck with the cadets no one else wanted: a snarky diplomat, an tough-but-kind ace pilot, a quiet scientist with no qualms about shooting her squadmates with a stun gun, a alien fighter with anger issues, and a smart aleck mechanic. Then there’s Aurora, who's been stuck in suspended animation for two centuries and is the key to uncovering a deadly conspiracy.
Aurora Rising, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, is a whirlwind of a book. It alternates between the perspectives of each squad member, and really gives each one their moment to shine. There’s plenty of action, balanced with sweet scenes that build the relationships between characters, and of course, lots of sarcasm and banter. A lot of backstory is left unknown by the end, and the cliffhanger absolutely killed me. Still, I loved reading this book and recommend it for fans of sci-fi, motley crews, and epic quests.
I Love You So Mochi
by Sarah Kuhn
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: May 28, 2019
Kimi Nakamura loves fashion and designing bold, beautiful outfits. But her mom has worked hard to be an successful painter and expects Kimi to follow in her footsteps as a “Great Asian American Artist.” After they have an explosive, emotional confrontation, Kimi gets a letter from her mother’s estranged parents inviting her to visit them in Kyoto and seizes the opportunity to escape for spring break. She is dazzled by Japan’s attractions, which include Akira, a part-time mochi mascot who dreams of being a doctor. By getting to know her grandparents, Kimi learns more about her mother and herself, and sees they are more alike than she thought.
I LOVE YOU SO MOCHI by Sarah Kuhn is full of personality. Kimi’s fun and creativity really come through in Kuhn’s writing, and her vivid descriptions of Japan made me want to hop on the next plane there! Kimi’s romance with Akira is adorable. I think it is a little fast-moving, but it can be forgiven considering Kimi’s limited time in Japan. The relationships in the book are well-written, especially those of Kimi, her mom, and her grandparents. I LOVE YOU SO MOCHI is an introspective yet sweet book about love for your family, your crush, and your passion.
Leah on the Offbeat
by Becky Albertalli
Publisher: Balzer & Bray / Harperteen
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT by Becky Albertalli, a sequel to her bestselling book SIMON VS. THE HOMOSAPIENS AGENDA, follows Simon’s best friend Leah Burke through her senior year of high school as she navigates friendship, love, and life. Unlike her friends, Leah doesn’t come from a wealthy family, and lives only with her 35-year-old mother. She’s bisexual, though she’s only told her mom, and loves to draw, though she’s afraid to show people her art. Relationships begin to strain and tensions are high as Leah and her friends prepare for prom and college in their last semester of high school, especially as she becomes closer with one of them and realizes their feelings for each other are stronger than Leah knew.
This was a book I really enjoyed reading. There were so many lines that made me laugh out loud, along with some sweet moments. Leah’s inner (and often outer) voice is sarcastic, cynical, and very explicit. Although she could be uncomfortably blunt sometimes, I found her comments were usually funny and relatable. I liked that the teenagers actually spoke like teenagers, something that I haven’t found very often in the world of YA. There were some parts and plotlines that bothered me a bit, because they felt awkward and out of character. However, Albertalli’s writing fits the story’s tone so well, it keeps the reader moving and involved. This book doesn’t have one clear arc. Instead, it weaves through Leah’s experiences, in a very real way. Life doesn’t have a clear plot, and this book reflects that. It really captures the feeling of knowing that one stage of your life is ending, and everyone is going in different directions. For anyone looking for a coming-of-age book with queer romance and plenty of snark, LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT is for you.
Girls of July
by Alex Flinn
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 4, 2019
In the month of July, four girls sharing a cabin in the Adirondack mountains go from strangers to close friends. There’s Meredith, a hardworking student who may be a little stressed out; Britta, a talkative drama queen who came to get away from it all; Kate, a socialite hiding away from her family’s scandal; and Spider, an aspiring filmmaker with chronic pain who feels isolated from other teens. When Spider and her grandmother rent out rooms in their summer home to Meredith, Britta, and Kate, there’s plenty of tension between the different personalities. Over their month together, the girls learn not to judge others by their first impression and become good friends.
GIRLS OF JULY is a very character-driven book. Each girl has her own character development, for example, Meredith learning there’s more to life than perfect grades and it isn’t the end of the world to be imperfect. Accompanying the main four is a cast of side characters, with their own development and stories. They get some focus, but in a way that reflects the main characters’ development rather than distracting from it. There are some parts that feel a little tropey, such as the bonding-through-telling-deep-personal-stories-over-the-campfire, but they fit with the story and aren’t too cheesy. The girls have their individual plotlines with points of intersection that keep the book interesting without over the top drama. I wouldn’t call it groundbreaking, but it is an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable story.
The Meaning of Birds
by Jaye Robin Brown
Publisher: Harperteen
Publication Date: April 16, 2019
From the moment they met, Jess and Vivi were inseparable. Vivi helped Jess with her anger and taught her to channel it into art. Jess’s whole future was planned with Vivi. But in their senior year of high school, that all fell apart when Vivi suddenly died. Jess is lost in her grief and anger and falls into self-destructive patterns. She can’t turn to art, because it reminds her of Vivi. All that comes out is anger and pain. Luckily, Jess meets a mentor who helps her find a new outlet for her emotions. THE MEANING OF BIRDS tells Jess’s story in the present peppered with flashbacks to her past with Vivi in an emotional journey of grief and healing.
Jess has anger issues and doesn’t always make smart choices, which is exacerbated by losing her girlfriend. This is nicely juxtaposed with scenes of how Vivi helped her with those flaws, which helps the reader empathize with Jess’s loss. Their relationship was really cute and sweet, although Vivi’s character seems a little flat to me. I like Jess’s stylish and fierce best friend Cheyanne, but it bothered me how Jess doesn’t always respect her disinterest in dating. After Jess pushes Cheyanne away in anger, Jess starts to hang out with their mutual friend Levi more. He’s nice and helps her with some issues, but his character annoys me. I don’t like how Jess knowingly leads him on, but after Vivi’s death, she makes some really stupid mistakes. Overall, I did enjoy reading this. I like Brown’s writing style and the pacing of the book. THE MEANING OF BIRDS is a sad but lovely story about grief, love, and ultimately, healing.
The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project
by Lenore Appelhans
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Publication Date: March 5, 2019
Riley is a Manic Pixie Dream Boy, and that’s all he was ever supposed to be. He lives in TropeTown, where everyone is a cliche character to be used in books. After breaking the rules and going off-script, Riley is sent to mandatory group therapy with other Manic Pixies. He meets and falls for Zelda, a Manic Pixie Dream Girl also in the group. As Riley gets to know Zelda and the other Manic Pixies in therapy, they find out their trope is on the brink of being terminated and must find a way to save it. There are plenty of Manic Pixie hijinks along the way, in a book that shows the joy in being yourself.
THE MANIC PIXIE DREAM BOY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT by Lenore Appelhans is fun, quirky, and everything you expect from a book about Manic Pixie Dream Girls/Boy. Yet it is also deep and introspective. The book explores and deconstructs the Manic Pixie trope, briefly covering some other tropes as well. As a YA book that parodies YA tropes, THE MANIC PIXIE DREAM BOY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT is naturally quite self aware; Riley breaks the fourth wall multiple times. This wonderful mix of qualities make this a pretty unique and interesting book. I really enjoyed reading it, and if you like subversions of typical YA stories, you will too.
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali
by Sabina Khan
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: January 29, 2019
Sabina Khan’s debut novel, THE LOVE AND LIES OF RUKHSANA ALI, is an emotional ride about family, identity, and acceptance. Living in Seattle, 17-year-old Rukhsana Ali has worked hard to make her conservative Muslim parents happy, keeping the parts of herself they wouldn’t approve of undercover. With a few more months until she graduates and goes to Caltech, her future is looking bright... until her parents catch her kissing her girlfriend Ariana. They are furious and fearful of how the Bangladeshi community will react if word gets out. They trick Rukhsana into going with them to Bangladesh and won’t let her leave until she finds a suitable Bangladeshi boy to marry. Luckily, Rukhsana finds people who accept all of her identity and are willing to help. The book shows Rukhsana’s struggle between the two parts of her life and the importance of finding understanding and acceptance. I really liked THE LOVE AND LIES OF RUKHSANA ALI. It shows the experience of being queer and from a culture that’s generally not so accepting of it. The book does point out that not everyone raised in a culture like that will be close-minded; you can’t paint them all with one brush. There are some emotionally brutal parts that can be painful to read, so look out. But there are lighter moments that show what Rukhsana loves about being Bangladeshi and feature her happier relationships. I particularly love the relationship between Rukhsana and Shaila, her cousin who lives in Bangladesh. Despite the fact that they don’t get to see each other very often, they’re as close as sisters. If you want a realistic fiction story with a gay protagonist that’s more than just a romance, I highly recommend this book.
The Inquisitor's Tale
by Adam Gidwitz
Illustrated by Hatem Aly
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 27, 2016
A peasant girl who sees the future, a Jewish boy with supernatural healing abilities, and a half-African monk with unnatural strength go on a journey together in 13th century France. Sounds like the beginning of a joke, right? Actually, it’s the plot for Adam Gidwitz’s book THE INQUISITOR'S TALE: OR, THE THREE MAGICAL CHILDREN AND THEIR HOLY DOG. Yes, their holy dog. Did I forget to mention Gwenforte, the loyal greyhound recently back from the dead? The story of Jeanne, Jacob, and William (the peasant girl, Jewish boy, and biracial monk, respectively), is told from multiple points of view as the inquisitor seeks out them and their tale. It is a story of friendship and faith, about doing what you know is right even in the face of danger. Throughout the book, we are reminded that these characters are children in a world that isn’t always kind. Gidwitz manages to include deep messages and heavy material while keeping plenty of humor and lightheartedness. I loved this book and I highly recommend it. Gidwitz’s writing style and the wonderfully human characters, along with the interesting setting of medieval France, make this a thoroughly enjoyable read.
In the year 2380, Tyler Jones, star cadet of Aurora Academy, is ready to graduate and take command of his own squad. Right before the ceremony, he rescues a teen girl from an abandoned ship in space and misses the entire thing. As a result, he gets stuck with the cadets no one else wanted: a snarky diplomat, an tough-but-kind ace pilot, a quiet scientist with no qualms about shooting her squadmates with a stun gun, a alien fighter with anger issues, and a smart aleck mechanic. Then there’s Aurora, who's been stuck in suspended animation for two centuries and is the key to uncovering a deadly conspiracy.
