Husky
by Justin Sayre
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Publication Date: September 22, 2015
In Justin Sayre’s debut novel HUSKY, Davis is a teen who’s in the final days of his last summer before high school, and worries about what he'll be perceived as (if he'll be known as “husky”), as well as whether the friendships he’s had since he was young will hold strong as they grow up. Davis loves opera, his mom, and by the end of the novel, you’ll love Davis. He feels like a genuine kid you’d want to be friends with, and protect at all costs. The humor in HUSKY stems from Davis’ one-hundred-percent authentic voice, which makes you feel like you’re being told a story by a close friend, rather than reading a novel. If you’re looking for a sweet, coming-of-age story, and a protagonist that you’ll want to root for the entire time, HUSKY is right up your alley.
Meet Cute
edited by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
MEET CUTE, a romantic anthology with contributions from top YA authors, tells the stories of 14 different couples, starting and ending at their beginnings. From the classic to the creative, each author takes his or her own spin on the infamous "meet-cute", or the way in which two people meet. A wide range of settings and characters are represented, including sci-fi worlds, typical high school environments, unlikely pairings, and several LGBTQIA+ relationships. The outcomes faced by the couples differ from romantic to sorrowful, as many of the authors are aware of the cheesiness and impossibility of actual meet cutes, and choose not to have a happy ending, which is surprisingly refreshing and grounding. New twists on old tropes make these stories exciting and unique, and there are definitely a few shocks in store.
I really enjoyed this short story collection, and would highly recommend it to any YA reader. There wasn't one story that I didn't like, and they were diverse enough to stay interesting. The only problem I had was with how short some of them were and how abrupt the endings could be, but that was the premise of the collection (in a way) so I was already expecting that to be the case. I'm a big anthology fan in general, and this one was no exception. Even the stories that didn't have the most fairytale type endings were still uplifting, making this a perfect light--yet still meaningful--read.
Batman: Nightwalker
by Marie Lu
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
BATMAN: NIGHTWALKER is about young Bruce Wayne who's just turned 18 and received access to his trust fund. After an accident on the night of his birthday, he is sentenced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, where he meets a mysterious inmate. Bruce must extract information from her in order to solve the mystery of an anarchist group named the Nightwalkers.
I really enjoyed BATMAN: NIGHTWALKER. Like the other books in this DC Icons series, the origin story of the hero is retold and remade. While not straying too far from traditional Batman lore, we see some elements taken from different continuities of Batman, as well as some original elements. One aspect that I really enjoyed was the Easter Eggs hidden in the book. While rarely referencing it directly, certain phrases give a nod to Batman lore. Those who are not too familiar with Batman will likely not understand the references, but will not lose anything as the references do not do not contribute much to the story. Also like other books in the DC Icons series, this book takes place in what seems to be present day (2017) which presents some interesting changes to the character, mainly how Wayne Enterprises has been renamed to “WayneTech,” which focuses on futuristic technology by today’s standards.
I really liked this book and would recommend it to any Batman fan, or to someone who just wants a quick hero story to read.
The Cruel Prince
by Holly Black
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
THE CRUEL PRINCE by Holly Black tells the story of Jude, a young girl whose parents were murdered while she and her two sisters were whisked away to the High Court of Faerie. Yet despite this, Jude still wants nothing more than to fit into this mysterious world. But many of the Fey despise humans, and none more than prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest prince. To prove her place among the Fey, Jude must defy him and prove her worth all while navigating through royal conspiracies and a kingdom approaching civil war.
When I first began this book, I thought it was slow and wanted to put it down. But boy was I wrong. Both the characters and the plot develop so much during the course of this book and it was for the better. The book ends in a way that you don’t at all expect, and frankly the title does this book wrong. This book is such a great example of showing instead of telling. Everything had great detail and many layers; at times you think one thing would happen, but something else entirely is going on. Several YA cliches are at play in this book, yet the author finds a way to twist them in new ways. I loved the way that Mrs. Black wove in the magic of this world with our world to give a depth to things that we might not have previously thought about. Many books featuring magic often dismiss many things about the real world, yet she does not shy away from it.
If you are looking for a magical tale of political intrigue filled with great characters and an ever-changing plot, you won’t be let down with this book. If you can last through a slow beginning, you will be happy that you stuck with it. I would recommend this book for older readers because of a few scenes of violence. I can’t wait for book two!
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.
In Justin Sayre’s debut novel HUSKY, Davis is a teen who’s in the final days of his last summer before high school, and worries about what he'll be perceived as (if he'll be known as “husky”), as well as whether the friendships he’s had since he was young will hold strong as they grow up. Davis loves opera, his mom, and by the end of the novel, you’ll love Davis. He feels like a genuine kid you’d want to be friends with, and protect at all costs. The humor in HUSKY stems from Davis’ one-hundred-percent authentic voice, which makes you feel like you’re being told a story by a close friend, rather than reading a novel. If you’re looking for a sweet, coming-of-age story, and a protagonist that you’ll want to root for the entire time, HUSKY is right up your alley.
