Book review - You Are Here

 

Title: You Are Here: Connecting Flights

Edited by: Ellen Oh

Genre: realistic fiction/linked short stories

Similar books: The Kids of Cattywampus Street by Lisa Jahn-Clough

                      Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

Rating:

 

a great experience

Summary (provided by publisher): An incident at a TSA security check point sows chaos and rumors, creating a chain of events that impacts twelve young Asian Americans in a crowded and restless airport. As their disrupted journeys crisscross and collide, they encounter fellow travelers—some helpful, some hostile—as they discover the challenges of friendship, the power of courage, the importance of the right word at the right time, and the unexpected significance of a blue Stratocaster electric guitar. 
Twelve powerhouse Asian American authors explore themes of identity and belonging in the entwined experiences of young people whose family roots may extend to East and Southeast Asia, but who are themselves distinctly American.

My opinion: An airport is a place of transition, a place where hundreds of people cross paths daily, so it's a great setting for a collection of short stories. Here we see a dozen Asian characters traveling to a variety of different places. Some are excited, others resentful. They have complex relationships with their families and with their racial identity. And all of them face some degree of racism. They respond in assorted ways. And all of them cross paths in some small way, each story contributing a small element to the next. Since they're short stories none of them are especially complex. Still, they are a solid read and contribute to a reflective conversation about assumptions and race relations.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Bookmarks

 While I'm working on a couple of larger projects, one of which I hope to have ready to share with you soon, I made a couple of quick bookmarks. I had a square of this nice creamy tan colored cardstock in my stash that made me think of a well blended latte. So of course I made one of these bookmarks coffee themed.

Book review - What Stays Buried

 

Title: What Stays Buried

Author: Suzanne Young

Genre: light horror

Similar books: Spirit's Key by Edith Cohn

                      The Mesmerist by Ronald L. Smith

Rating:

 

well balanced

Summary (provided by publisher): Twelve-year-old Calista Wynn will lose her ability to speak with the dead on her thirteenth birthday.
And with only a few weeks left, children have started going missing.
When Calista meets The Tall Lady—an angry spirit with a grudge against Calista, her family, and the entire town—she knows she’s found the ghost responsible for the disappearances.
It’s up to Calista, the only one who can see The Tall Lady, to stop her. If she doesn’t, Calista won’t just lose her powers… she’ll lose everyone she has left.

My opinion: Young has given us a solid read here. There are rules provided from the start for the psychics - who can interact with ghosts and when. Their other "gifts" are a bit more nebulous and undefined which would be my primary criticism. Now, those rules are so solid that it makes the plot a bit predictable. Or to put it more positively, the ending is inevitable. We might hope for things to work out differently but we accept the resolution because it's fair. It follows the rules. There aren't a lot of complex child characters but the ones we get are solid. It's a compelling read and a solid example of the genre.

More information: What Stays Buried releases March 7.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight: The Snowcat Prince

 

The Snowcat Prince by Dina Norlund

If ever there was a book that you should judge by the cover, it's this one. There's a lot going on in that cover image alone. We see two worlds, red toned and blue; a glowing eyed, long fanged beast; a crown that glows with power; and most importantly, a cute, large-eyed cat that radiates innocence.  All of these elements play an important role in this plot about power, family, history, and duty. The plot is strong and the art is even stronger. Even better, this is a book that you can read several times and take something different away with each read.

 

More information: The Snowcat Prince releases March 7.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Total Garbage

 

Total Garbage by Rebecca Donnelly

If I had to guess, I'd say most of us have only the barest idea of what happens to our garbage. We know that it goes to a landfill but do we really know what that means? Well, if we read this book we do. Donnelly presents the full picture of waste disposal in a clear and concise way with accessible vocabulary. None of this goes into a great deal of depth but each part of the process is presented along with benefits and concerns, both immediate and long term. And it doesn't stop with landfills. We also learn about waste water treatment and recycling. And the impacts explored are environmental, political, racial, and economical. I'd call this a must read for a family trying to better understand their individual impact on the world and the environment.

More information: Total Garbage releases March 7.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Leeva at Last

 

Title: Leeva at Last

Author: Sara Pennypacker

Genre: humor

Similar books:  Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath

                      Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts by Esta Spalding

Rating: 

 

funny, with heart

 

Summary (provided by publisher): What are people for?
That’s the burning question on the mind of Leeva Spayce Thornblossom.
Fame! says Leeva’s mom, the mayor of Nutsmore.
Money! says her dad, the town treasurer.
With the help of an orphaned badger, a risk-averse boy in a hazmat suit, and the town's librarians, Leeva sets off to discover her own answer—setting off a chain of events that will change Nutsmore forever.

My opinion: It is inevitable that this book will be compared to Matilda. The two books share the same bones, afterall. Both Matilda and Leeva are bright young girls, largely self-sufficient, who are caring and compassionate in spite of their terrible parents. Their encounters with kind townspeople allow them to bloom into more complete members of society. Pennypacker gives us a very different set of details than Dahl did and they work together just as well. At turns funny and charming, this is a pleasant read that may fit the modern sensibility a bit better than some of Roald Dahl's more dated ideas.

More information: Leeva at Last releases March 7.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He

The set-up here is a solid one. We get two perspectives. Cee is alone on a deserted island, her only companion a robot without conversational skills. She remembers little, only that she is searching for her sister. Kasey lives in a futuristic city in the sky, protected from the increasing dangers of climate change, coping with the isolation that comes with the disappearance of her older sister. As the book progresses the two narratives begin to approach one another and we get hints of the larger story that is going on in both places. 

Putting in it frankly, this story is a bit strange. It's sci-fi to be certain. Characters use stasis pods, virtual presences, brain-computer interfaces, even gravity reversal fields. But that's challenging part, I think. It's the plot. Through most of the book we are headed in a pretty clear direction. There is some exploration of privilege, social stratification, and ecological responsibility. Then, without getting into any spoilers, at a point where I thought I could see how the book was going to end, the plot shifts significantly. And the final chapters focus on an entirely different message. It was a bit jarring and means I would hesitate before recommending this book to other readers.