Book review - The Truth About Everything

 

Title: The Truth About Everything

Author: Bridget Farr

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Instructions for the End of the World by Jamie Kain

                      Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard

Rating:

 

thoughtful without becoming judgemental

Summary (provided by publisher): Gut a fish. Rewire a truck. Survive the collapse of the US government. All lessons fifteen-year-old Lark has learned during “homeschool” with her conspiracy-theorist-Doomsday-prepping parents. If only she’d also learned the fundamentals of human biology or even how to read. When Lark gets her first period and realizes how much she doesn’t know, she ignores her fears of everything outside their rural Montana farm and secretly attends school for the first time.
At high school, Lark discovers the world is very different than she has been told, from the basics of the internet to government takeovers that never happened. Lark uncovers the holes in her parents’ beliefs and realizes that she must decide her own truth. But it won’t come without sacrifices.

My opinion: There are plenty of books out there about teens learning to question their parents' views. Many of these books take the approach that adults are ignorant and teens need space to find the truth. I don't think most people will think that Lark's parents got things "right" but Farr's approach is a bit more careful than the standard "you're wrong". Lark doesn't wholesale reject what she's been taught. It's more about the opportunity to ask questions, to explore the world for herself and come to her own conclusions. Her parents, rather than backwards fools stuck in their ways, are portrayed as lost and desperate people looking for answers, doing all that they can to protect their only child. They've gone to extremes, certainly, but they are complex people with clear motivations. There are some elements of the plot that are confusing or never fully explained, but there is enough positives to this book to make it worth a read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Bird cards

 When I'm not sure what to draw on a notecard, my fallback is always birds. There's just so many out there, all so different looking, and they're generally well received when I take them to craft fairs. This weekend I drew an oriole and a house finch.

Book review - Three Strike Summer

 

Title: Three Strike Summer

Author: Skyler Schrempp

Genre: historical fiction 

Similar books: Red Menace by Lois Ruby

                      The Journal of CJ Jackson by William Durbin

Rating: 

 

an honest, realistic depiction

 

Summary (provided by publisher):When the skies dried up, Gloria thought it was temporary. When the dust storms rolled in, she thought they would pass. But now the bank man’s come to take the family farm, and Pa’s decided to up and move to California in search of work. They’ll pick fruit, he says, until they can save up enough money to buy land of their own again.
There are only three rules at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard:
No stealing product.
No drunkenness or gambling.
And absolutely no organizing.
Well, Gloria Mae Willard isn’t about to organize any peaches, no ma’am. She’s got more on her mind than that. Like the secret, all-boys baseball team she’s desperate to play for, if only they’d give her a chance. Or the way that wages keep going down. The way their company lodgings are dirty and smelly, and everyone seems intent on leaving her out of everything.
But Gloria has never been the type to wait around for permission. If the boys won’t let her play, she’ll find a way to make them. If the people around her are keeping secrets, then she’ll keep a few of her own. And if the boss men at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard say she can’t organize peaches, then by golly she’ll organize a whole ball game.

My opinion: This book provides a solid, compelling plot that does not shy away from harsh realities. Gloria's life is drastically changing. She's seen her family's way of life completely destroyed and her childhood has come to a premature end. We take a child already on the verge of realizing the complexities of life that come with adolescence and add in the cruelties of the Dust Bowl, of the death of a baby and a family thrown into abject poverty. She has the simple understanding of "fair" and "right" and is inclined to fight injustice every time she perceives it. She's learning why adults sometimes put up with indignity for the sake of a larger good. At the same time, she has a child's hopeful outlook and belief in the power of a baseball game. Not only does this book give the young reader a snapshot of the reality of life for people displaced by the Dust Bowl, it also encourages consideration of relative morality and the things worth fighting for.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: horror

 October means it's time for my annual list of horror stories. Who doesn't love a good scare in October? It's almost required to prepare for Halloween by scaring yourself silly. Here are six horror books published in the last six months.

Six new horror stories:

1. I Shall Awaken by Katerina Sardinke
2. The Clackity by Lora Senf
3. Blackwater by Jeanette Arroyo
4. Dead Flip by Sara Farizan
5. The Stars Did Wander Darkling by Colin Melos
6. Flight 171 by Amy Christine Parker

Book review - Rain Rising

 

Title: Rain Rising

Author: Courtne Comrie

Genre: verse novel/realistic fiction

Similar books: Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

                     All the Broken Pieces by Ann E Burg

Rating:

 

a good one for reflection

Summary (provided by publisher): Rain is keeping a big secret from everyone around her: She's sad. All the time. Rain struggles with her image and feels inferior to her best friend, Nara. Not even her all-star student-athlete big brother (and personal superhero), Xander, can help Rain with her dark thoughts and low self-esteem.
And when Xander becomes the victim of violence at a predominantly white university, Rain’s life and mind take a turn for the worse. But when her favorite teacher, Miss Walia, invites her to an after-school circle group, Rain finds the courage to help herself and her family heal.
Like the rain, she is both gentle and a force, finding strength to rise again.

My opinion: This is a solid plot to explore in the verse novel format. While plenty happens in the book, the primary driver of the plot is emotional growth and the acknowledgement of mental illness. We want, then, more time spent reflecting than in the details of action. Plus, the events of the book are pretty harrowing. Since we are never in the moment, since all of the events are filtered through the lens of Rain's reactions, we have a little distance to keep it from becoming too intense for young readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - After Dark with Roxie Clark

 

Title: After Dark With Roxie Clark

Author: Brook Lauren Davis

Genre: Mystery

Similar books: Killing Time by Brenna Ehrlich

                      The Violent Season by Sara Walters

Rating:

 

intriguing characters, decent twists

Summary (provided by publisher): Roxie Clark has seen more dead bodies than your average seventeen-year-old. As a member of the supposedly-cursed Clark family, most of her ancestors have met tragic ends, including her own mother. Instead of fearing the curse, however, Roxie has combined her flair for performance and her gruesome family history into a successful ghost tour. But her tour never covers the most recent body she’s seen—her sister Skylar’s boyfriend, Colin Riley, found murdered in a cornfield.
A year after the murder, Roxie’s desperate to help Skylar find closure and start to heal. Instead, Skylar becomes fixated on finding the killer. As the sisters dig into what really happened, they discover that more than one person has been lying about that night. And the closer they get to the truth, the more Roxie starts to wonder if some scary stories might be better left untold.

My opinion: I liked this book rather more than I thought I would. It's more than just a murder mystery. It's an exploration of the ties between people, of the relationships we're born into and those we choose and the circumstances that strain relationships. The plot is not especially deep and some of the twists are predictable. But the characters are dynamic, deeply flawed and believable. Roxie is self-centered stubborn - in other words, a normal teenager. It may not hold up to repeat reads but for one off entertainment that leaves you with a couple of ideas to chew on, it's a solid choice.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Living With Viola

 

Living With Viola by Rosena Fung

This book is a solid portrayal of a character living with anxiety in a way easily understood by a middle grade audience. By presenting the anxiety as a shadow person, someone who whispers terrible thoughts in the protagonist's ears, we can see how anxiety can be ever-present and at times overwhelming. Add in the interpersonal issues that come with the middle grade years, cultural shame and pressure, and perceived parental expectations and it makes for a solidly complex plot. While the narrative lacks a bit in cohesion the illustrations and plot are overall strong.