Review: Shadow of the Batgirl

Shadow of the Batgirl
by Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux

Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date: February 4th, 2020

Shadow of the Batgirl: A Cassandra Cain Graphic Novel by Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux is a fun, quick read, great for people new to superhero comics. If you’re someone like me, and superhero comics feel intimidating (so many volumes, so little time!), Shadow of the Batgirl is a great, no-strings-attached read that is less about fighting crime, and more about a girl finding out who she is. The authors felt it was important to represent this often overlooked hero, Cassandra, and give her her own canon. It’s exciting and heartwarming, but most notably, the art is amazing. Goux draws with a singular vision. It is graphic novels like these that demonstrate the relationship between illustration and words and how they come together to create something new. I’m excited to see what comes next for Cassandra Cain and would recommend this book to lovers of graphic novels.

Review: Sorry For Your Loss

Sorry For Your Loss
by Jessie Ann Foley

Publisher: Harperteen
Publication Date: June 4, 2019

SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS is a poignant and endearing story about grief, family, and expression. Pup Flanagan is one of eight siblings, so he’s used to being ignored. When Patrick, his older brother, dies, Pup is left to grieve while his family tries, in their own ways, to forget their pain. Lost and flunking his photography class, he throws himself into capturing the painful and miraculous things in his life through the lens of the camera.

Foley masterfully tackles the bond between loss and creation. The reader follows Pup as he forges new relationships and watches others fall apart, all the while trying to find beauty in the dissolution and idiosyncrasies in his life. Pup’s connection with his siblings is a driving force of the plot. His family acts as a barrier, safety net, catalyst, and home for Pup as he attempts to survive high school and protect his only other brother, Luke, from himself. Despite family craziness, Pup is grounded in his photography and a sweet classmate who invites him into her own life. As Pup collects artifacts of his life through his photography, we see him learn how to navigate life and come to terms with Patrick’s passing while dealing with Luke’s self-destruction. The final pages reveal Pup’s portfolio, an expression of what he holds dear and how he sees and loves the people in his life. Art provides Pup the painful revelation and the catharsis he needs. This book was very touching and insightful. The ending, especially, was very moving and profound (it might have even drawn tears). I highly recommend this book to those looking for a wonderful realistic fiction book with a focus on grief and art.

Review: Her Royal Highness

Her Royal Highness
by Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin
Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Reading HER ROYAL HIGHNESS is like being offered a glass of water on a really hot day; you didn’t know you wanted it, but it hits the spot. Refreshing, light, sweet, simple, goes down quick, and leaves you wanting more. Our endearing protagonist, Millie, leaves Texas for her senior year of high school in Scotland when she finds that her kind-of girlfriend has gotten back together with an ex-boyfriend. Mille finds herself a bit overwhelmed by the extravagance of Gregorstoun, an exclusive boarding school where the elite of Scotland reside. After meeting her snide, arrogant, bratty roommate, Millie discovers that she is the Princess of Scotland. Numerous run-ins with the princess, Flora, bring Millie into bar fights, close to expulsion, and stranded in the wilderness, yet still Millie is drawn in by the short-tempered princess. Millie develops a crush and tries her best to ignore it, scared of the side effects of dating royalty. We can probably guess what actually ends up happening. At times, the pressure of constant scrutiny from tabloids and royal family members seems too much for Millie. Was their relationship doomed from the start?


I’d characterize Her Royal Highness as a fun spring/summer read. It reads as one would expect, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. If you're looking for a sweet love story in Scotland then you’d love this book.

Review: Shout

Shout
by Laurie Halse Anderson

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 12, 2019

SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson is, in part, a sequel to SPEAK, Anderson’s critically acclaimed 1999 novel. In SPEAK, Melinda struggles to find her voice and speak out about having been raped. Melinda was a semi-autobiographical version of Anderson herself. However, SHOUT diverges from this fictional character and world, revealing Anderson’s true and heartbreakingly real experience as a girl growing into adulthood (then later, tells of the resistance she faced after writing SPEAK). Written entirely in verse, Anderson begins innocent anecdotes that, with one phrase, devolve into nightmares. Her pin-prick attention to detail and expressive prose is indulgent and gripping at the same time. One of the most moving elements of this book is her portrayal of her parents, conclusively complicated, yet loving and hopeful. Anderson describes her parents with detail and care, remembering vivid, emotional, and colorful moments in which Anderson’s childish perception and mature hindsight both play a part in revealing truth. Anderson’s personal and often emotionally raw verse is effectively moving. Throughout SHOUT, the horrors of sexual abuse and rape are laid bare to the reader. Anderson pulls no punches as she approaches the topic with fury and passion. While beautifully written and incredibly moving (more than one tear was shed), SHOUT is a vessel through which Anderson calls boys and girls, parents and teachers, to awareness and to action.

Review: Lovely War

Lovely War
by Julie Berry

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 5, 2019

LOVELY WAR by Julie Berry, author of THE PASSION OF DOLSSA, tells of the trials of true love during WWI, told through the eyes of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love. The novel begins when God of Fire, Hephaestus, catches his wife, Aphrodite, engaging in a passionate affair with the God of War, Ares. Asked to defend themselves, Aphrodite begins to tell a story of two true loves set during wartime. From there, the epic unfolds, introducing Hazel, a timid pianist from London; James, a British soldier; Colette, a war torn Belgian survivor; and Aubrey, an African-American jazz pianist for the war effort. As love brings them together and war tears them apart, Aphrodite calls in witnesses--Apollo (God of Music) and Hades (God of Death)--to illustrate each character’s painful and joyful journey. 

What most struck me about this novel is Berry’s examination of the relationships between death, love, war, and music. Aphrodite begins the story to prove that War and Love are inextricably linked. This relationship, and Berry’s method of discussion, is creative and intriguing. As the Gods and Goddesses interfere in the lives of our mortal protagonists, we see the relationship’s many nuances and come to understand it as complex. The characters are complicated as well. As a result of war or prejudice, each one faces pain and struggles to overcome it throughout the novel. Despite its relatively short reading time, LOVELY WAR seems like a saga, extraordinarily detailed and expansive. The narrative gives even minor characters life and color. This worldbuilding through character development makes the interactions in the novel dynamic and meanful. I thoroughly enjoyed this unique and captivating epic and recommend it to all who enjoy historical fiction, romance, action, or Greek mythology.

Review: A Winter's Promise

A Winter's Promise
by Christelle Dabos
Translated by Hildegarde Serle

Publisher: Europa Editions
Publication Date: September 25, 2018

A WINTER'S PROMISE by Christelle Dabos is a wildly complex and intriguing fantasy novel that follows the arranged engagement of young Ophelia to a broody and mysterious foreigner named Thorn. Ophelia is accustomed to her average life using her powers of “reading," the ability to view an object’s past, and running a museum in her homeland of Anima. When her family promises her hand to Thorn, she is forced to move to his homeland, the Pole, which is wildly different from the land where she grew up. Upon arriving at her new home, Ophelia is forced to hide her true identity as Thorn’s fiance to protect herself from his many enemies. The inhabitants of the Pole have the ability to manipulate perception and cause pain, and Ophelia must work hard to distinguish fact from fiction and form alliances with the brutal and unpredictable people she encounters.

Dabos draws her fantasy world and cast of characters in life-like, vivid detail without ever leaving the reader struggling for explanation. Dabos also never lets her heroine betray her morals or her personality. From her disinterest in romantic attachment to her practical but fearless nature, Ophelia is able to grow as a character without betraying her values. I would absolutely recommend this book to readers who enjoy well-built fantasy worlds and family and political dramas.

Review: The Agony House

The Agony House
by Cherie Priest
Illustrated by Tara O'Connor

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: September 25, 2018

THE AGONY HOUSE written by Cherie Priest and illustrated by Tara O’Connor initially attracted me because of Priest’s previous work I AM PRINCESS X. Once again I find Priest and O’Connor make expert use of integrating illustration to add dimension and mystery in duality to richly written characters and settings. Despite them being similar in that aspect, THE AGONY HOUSE is wholly its own in story and structure. Denise and her family move back to New Orleans to fix up an old, run-down house in hopes of making a small bed and breakfast with what little savings they’ve got. As they begin renovations, strange occurrences lead Denise to suspect supernatural presence. When she discovers an old manuscript for the unpublished comic, Lucinda Might, in the attic she can no longer deny the connection between her house and the comic book. Throughout the novel she acquires a cast of friends and begins to uncover the secrets within the “agony house” are far more sinister than she could have imagined.

Despite Denise’s optimistic, light, often sarcastic demeanor, the story, aided heavily by the comic drawings, is able to maintain a spooky, yet not terrifying, tone. While the narrative focuses on the supernatural mystery it also lightly explores her family's economic difficulties, race prejudice in New Orleans, and, in general, Denise’s struggle to fit in in this new, unfamiliar town. By the end you’ll feel satisfied and definitely will want to flip back to the beautifully illustrated comic pages. I’m excited to see what comes next for Cherie Priest as her first two books are simply addictive.

Review: Dry

Dry
by Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 2nd, 2018

DRY, by father and son Neal and Jarrod Shusterman, portrays an apocalyptic society where in one day water becomes a scarcity and people will do anything to stay alive. When the Tap-Out leaves Alyssa’s family and all of California without a water source, her parents set out to receive water from organized stations along the west coast. When they don’t return, she and her brother end up banding together with her geeky next door neighbor to try and find her parents and survive. As events escalate and it becomes harder and harder to stay alive, people begin to lose sense of societal morality as their need for water becomes more and more desperate. While bleak and frustrating at times, the Shustermans paint a vivid picture of hope in a sea of disparity. 

I really enjoyed this novel although not in the way I had expected. Alyssa’s story is at times excruciating-- it’s rife with false hope, deceit, and of course torture in the form of dehydration. In times of crisis, the worst is brought out in much of society. However, Alyssa and her crew, while at times dysfunctional, stick together through thick and thin despite the extreme situations they must endure. While the characters are well fleshed-out and complex, DRY imagines a vivid nightmare, which more than the characters, takes on a life of its own. Considering the reality that much of California remains in a drought, this conflict hits close to home. In between chapters, different perspectives from victims of the Tap-Out described how the Tap-Out had reached and destroyed many lives. Each person dealt with their own desperation in different and often heartbreaking ways. The effect of these interludes was a sense of realism that in other books you don’t feel as much. Instead of Alyssa and her gang facing an isolated problem, the reader sees how, while they persevere, much of California loses hope. I found this story touching, terrifying, thrilling and ultimately hopeful. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys excitement and adrenaline-filled books.

Review: Anna and the Swallow Man

Anna and the Swallow Man
by Gavriel Savit

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 26, 2016

ANNA AND THE SWALLOW MAN by Gavriel Savit is a captivating and enveloping story about a young Polish girl, who is left defenseless and alone at seven years old after her father is taken to a concentration camp by Germans in 1939. By chance she meets a fascinating man who can speak to birds and comforts her when she is lost. She follows him, having no one else to turn to, and although he initially resists, they begin to travel together through the forests and swamps of Poland, running from the impending dangers of WWII.

Everything about this story is wonderful. The situational irony of Anna’s experiences reveal horrors that Anna can’t understand, giving an interesting perspective to her experiences in the war. The story is gripping and at times heartbreaking. Although incorporating a bit of magical realism, the story is a real and moving depiction of the suffering in WWII. Each character is given extreme care by the author who carefully crafts their stories and interactions and each character grows throughout the book, often out of love for sweet, innocent Anna. The writing is beautiful and expressive, giving fascinating detail as the story slowly unfolds. This was an amazing book and I recommend it to any teens who enjoy historical fiction and a subtle yet thrilling story.

Review: Tell Me No Lies

Tell Me No Lies

by Adele Griffin

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Publication Date: June 12, 2018

TELL ME NO LIES is a story about a girl, uncertain about her future and unable to talk about her past. It’s Lizzy’s senior year and she’s set her sights on Princeton but her plans are derailed when she meets Claire, a mysterious transfer student with a secret of her own. As she gets more deeply entangled in Claire’s life and meets new people, each with their own burden to bear, Lizzy feels more and more lost. In order to connect to her new friends and to herself she must reveal her deepest secret.

Griffin does an good job of utilizing her setting: the book was set in the eighties, and many of the problems or experiences the characters have are very oriented to the time period (AIDS, Keith Haring etc.). Also, the ending, I thought, was very fitting for the story. Overall this book was a nice, moderately light read and I’d recommend it!

Review: Sam and Ilsa's Last Hurrah

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! 

Review: The Astonishing Color of After

The Astonishing Color of After
by Emily X.R. Pan

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 20, 2018

THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER by Emily X.R. Pan is a story of a girl desperate to hold on to her mother’s past. After committing suicide, Leigh’s mother has turned into a bird. When Leigh finds a note from her mom with the words, “I want you to remember” scratched out, she sets her sights on discovering her mom’s past and figuring out what it is she needs to remember. Her dad surprises her with a plane ride to Taiwan to meet her mother’s parents, whom she had never met before. Multiple visits from the bird and memories of times before her mother's death haunt her as she increasingly loses grip on reality. Frantic to hold on to her mother, she nearly destroys relationships, the most important being that with her best friend and true love, Axel. As the reader progresses through the story they follow Leigh as she discovers her grandparents’ past, learns about her culture and, while sifting through her own memories, finds herself. In the end, Leigh learns that all she can do is let her mother be free and embrace the present rather than the past.

This book is fascinating. It mixes reality with fantastic magical elements, so that the reader can’t predict whether something is real or just a figment of Leigh’s imagination. Pan incorporates compelling stories, spanning multiple generations of Leigh's family, that fit together in ways the reader might not expect. The language Pan uses is beautiful and expressive. While Leigh experiences things like the ghost festival, and eating pig's blood cake, the reader also gets to learn about the traditions of her family and heritage. Emily X.R. Pan’s debut novel is stunning.

Review: The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza
by Shaun David Hutchinson 

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: February 6, 2018

THE APOCALYPSE OF ELENA MENDOZA by Shaun David Hutchinson provides a story that deals with the rights of one to choose one’s own fate. The main character, Elena Mendoza, is a product of a virgin birth and, as the story begins, she finds that she has the power to heal by touch. The catch is that everytime she heals someone, alien forces that appear to her as voices from inanimate objects are able to “rapture” people in beams of light to who knows where. Elena struggles with the decision to save the lives of those in pain who seek her “miracles” or let them suffer and prevent any more people from being taken. The aliens claim that they are saving people from the end of the world, but there is no way for Elena to know where the people really go. 

Throughout the entire book Elena hesitates to take any sort of action. Despite advice from her best friend, the girl she likes, and her mom, she can’t make a definite choice. If the voices are right, then not healing anyone is dooming them all, but if the voices lie, then she's allowing the aliens to take innocent people without consent. Elena is frustrated that  she is forced to make choices for people she doesn’t even know. Stuck in this perfectly crafted trap it seems there is no way for her to resolve this impossible problem.

Hutchinson presents an interesting book that, despite its surface level plot, focuses on emotions more than action. Emotions such as the weight of responsibility, indecision and uncertainty (both with her situation and her love life), and the pain of not being able to help someone in need. Even with such a difficult problem, Hutchinson wraps up the story nicely and leaves the reader satisfied.

Review: Three Sides of a Heart

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. 

Review: Pretty

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.

Review: All the Crooked Saints

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.

Review: A Million Junes

A Million Junes
by Emily Henry

Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: May 16, 2017

A MILLION JUNES by Emily Henry offers a stunning imaginary world and a story with so many layers it's almost hard to keep track. June has always been interested in the Angerts. Ever since she was little her father’s only rules were “stay away from the Falls” and “stay away from the Angerts”. But now that her father is dead she’s determined to hate them- heeding her dad’s wishes. But when she meets Saul Angert, no matter how hard she tries, there's something that draws them together. As they spend more time together, Saul and June begin to learn more about each other’s pasts and the curse between their two families. As they piece the mystery together they realize they are in danger too and have to stop the curse before it's too late.

Emily Henry has managed to bring together mystery, love, and fantasy gracefully into one story. I felt the author’s writing style allows for the readers to imagine the beautifully described scenery clearly which is something that some other books don’t do as well. Her characters are well developed and the interactions they have over the course of the book impact who they are by the end of it. The love story holds the rest of the plot aloft and is very sweet and honest. The book visits the past of June’s family often which is a bit confusing because her father, grandfather, and great grandfather are all named Jack. The author still manages to differentiate them, it is just a bit disorienting. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to kids who like fantasy elements and a pure love story.

Review: Girl Code

Girl Code
by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: March 7, 2017

GIRL CODE by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser is a documentation of Andy and Sophie’s initiation into the world of coding, and their unique experiences as they created video games and lasting friendships. Andy and Sophie’s uplifting attitude during their adventures sends out a positive message about what women can achieve when they set their minds to something. The reader will find herself rooting for Andy and Sophie as they face many trials involving coding, as well as those encountered in typical teenage life. If you are interested in coding, this book is great because it discusses many different concepts and opportunities for young coders. Likewise, if you don’t know much about coding, this book is a great introduction and showcases two girls who knew nothing about coding and the ways they learned to create things they never would have imagined. The reader should keep in mind that GIRL CODE is a record of Andy and Sophie's experiences rather than a story. Therefore it doesn't have a typical climax or exposition. I found some parts of it a bit hard to follow, but overall it was a very positive message and will encourage the reader to achieve their goals.

Review: Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined

Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined
by Danielle Younge-Ullman

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 21, 2017

EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IS NOT RUINED by Danielle Younge-Ullman follows Ingrid as she treks through uncharted wilderness with other troubled youth. Haunted by her glamorous past and the drama that ended her mother's career in opera, Ingrid finds her future is drastically different than what she’d expected. All the while Ingrid chronicles her journey in letters to her mother. Younge-Ullman does a great job of keeping the reader's interest, juggling past and present, which at first seem like different life times. However, as the reader reads on, it becomes clear why and how Ingrid ended up in Peak Wilderness for four weeks.

Emotional and exciting, Ingrid’s past is revealed and by the end of the novel each piece finally falls into place, and a big secret is discovered. Each character in this book develops uniquely throughout the novel. They take their own challenges and overcome them just as Ingrid does. Ingrid’s hilarious take on her adventures at Peak Wilderness balance out with her heartfelt and sorrowful past. It’s easy to identify with Ingrid as she’s just as sarcastic and conflicted as any teenager. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Review: History Is All You Left Me

History Is All You Left Me
by Adam Silvera

Publisher: Soho Teen
Publication Date: January 17, 2017

HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME by Adam Silvera is an unexpected journey of finding love then losing it, and destroying yourself and those around you to find it again. Griffin’s life is shattered when he finds his best friend and first love, Theo, is dead. In an attempt to rediscover himself he forms a strange bond with Jackson, Theo’s boyfriend, and begins sorting through his past with Theo, relaying their story. The reader watches Griffin mourn and strike out, all the while his controlling OCD slowly worsening.

The reader might get a little confused transitioning between past and present, but it's an important aspect to this novel. The reader sees Theo live and change with Griffin, only to switch back to the present and watch Griffin push away comfort and condolences, shutting himself away from those that still love him. This book makes the reader feel with Griffin, frustration, sadness, and helplessness.