Listen with Me

 

Some of Us Are Brave by Saadia Faruqi

At first, this book is pretty much exactly what I expected. We have three kids from different backgrounds, kids who either never interact or don't get along, thrown together by a natural disaster. Each kid comes into the situation with fears and motivations, aspects of their life that no one else knows about. Unsurprisingly, their journey to safety brings their secrets into the light and forces them to confront their fears. There's a point late in the novel where this has happened, where each kid has faced their fear and the group has reached safety. A lesser author would wrap up the novel there. Not Faruqi. Instead we get several more chapters as the characters continue to confront their pasts and deal with the way their lives have changed. It doesn't rest in simple solutions but shows us characters continuing to struggle and work towards change. This is no simple survival story. Absolutely a book worth reading, sharing, and discussing.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Lies We Tell About the Stars

 

Title: Lies We Tell About the Stars

Author: Susie Nadler

Genre: realistic fiction

age range: teen

Similar books: Looking For Alaska by John Green

                    Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Summary (provided by publisher): Celeste Muldoon is alone when the Big One finally hits, because, for the first time ever, her best friend stood her up after school. Nicky and Celeste share a birthday, matching tattoos, an obsession with the upcoming Mars mission, and pretty much everything else. So why did he ghost her on the day she needed him most?

As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.

But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.

When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off.

What I liked: This is more than just a book about the hunt for a missing person. In many ways, looking for Nicky is secondary to the plot of Celeste's avoidance of pretty much everything in her life. So this isn't a quest novel in the traditional sense. It is very much a tale of internal growth. As such, Celeste is a strong, dynamic character. She's quite often not likeable but she's relatable.

What I didn't like: The plot takes some slightly fantastic turns, points that stretch the bounds of believability a bit. It never goes too far though. And there is an element of privilege that the book briefly recognizes but never fully comes to terms with.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Listen with me

 

Some of Us are Brave by Saadia Faruqi

This tale of kids surviving in Houston during the floods of Hurricane Harvey promises both physical and emotional turmoil. 

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Magic of Someday Soon

 

Title: The Magic of Someday Soon

Author: Michelle Lee

Genre: realistic fiction/magical realism

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Stars of Whistling Ridge by Cindy Baldwin

Summary (provided by publisher): Zoe longs to one day put down roots. Since her dad’s death, twelve-year-old Zoe September has drifted from place to place with her artist mother, the Up-cycle Magician. Then a new art project for her mom brings them to Maravel, Florida—her dad’s hometown. In Maravel, she discovers a delicious, enchanting secret among the sweet brews of her grandmother’s tea shop. But how will Zoe ever leave when her mom wants to get back on the road?

Teddy dreams of the day she can save her past. Twelve-year-old Teddy Martin has a mission: restore her great-grandparents’ legacy, Fossil Gardens, a theme park of artistic recreations of prehistoric animals. Desperate to rescue the last remaining sculptures, Teddy enlists the Up-cycle Magician’s help before they disappear forever. But with sinkholes threatening to swallow the decaying fossils, is Teddy in over her head?

Never underestimate the magic of someday soon. Things bubble and steam between Zoe and Teddy when they team up. But in working together to save Fossil Gardens, the girls discover something even more special—the possibility of your deepest wishes coming true in unexpected ways and a friendship that feels like home.

What I liked: Both Zoe and Teddy are strong characters, outside of the typical depiction of young girls. There's no boy-crazy or image obsessed characters here. These are girls struggling with their place in the world, with figuring out who they are. And their emotions are strong enough to make for quite compelling reading

What I didn't like: There's not much I don't like about this book. There are perhaps uncomfortable moments in the plot but they are never without purpose. Each moment is chosen to further the plot and it's emotional impact.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

 What are you currently reading?

Lies We Tell About the Stars by Susie Nadler - A teen searches for her missing best friend who disappeared during an earthquake.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Magic of Someday Soon by Michelle Lee - A girl always on the move with her artist mother and one desperate to hold onto the world as she knows it work together to save a pair of crumbling statues.

What do you think you'll read next?

Here for a Good Time by Kim Spencer

Godzilla

 I spotted this image while scrolling one day and was immediately inspired. I really wanted to make a plush Godzilla of my own. As luck would have it, I also had some fleece pajama pants that were wearing out that begged to be turned into something fun. I love the combination of the monstrous Godzilla with the playfulness of the reindeer fleece. And I was able to make the arms and legs jointed.

Book review - When Tomorrow Burns

 

Title: When Tomorrow Burns

Author: Tae Keller

Genre: realistic fiction

Age range: middle grade

Similar book: The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd

Summary (provided by publisher): Once there was a tree. For two hundred years, there was a tree. There was a tree. There was a tree. Until the tree fell in a forest--and then there was a book.

When best friends Nomi, Vi, and Arthur were younger, they discovered a book of prophecies. It was so very comforting to know what was coming. But as the kids grew older, they forgot about the book.

Until the final prophecy started coming true.

Now, as seventh grade tests their friendship and wildfires threaten Seattle, the final prophecy promises fire and destruction. Nomi tries everything to prevent calamity. The only problem? She needs help...but Vi's acting strange and Arthur stopped talking to her.

Vi can't tell Nomi, but she's been texting the coolest boy in school, and it's going well--until that boy makes an unexpected request, and she must decide who she wants to be.

Meanwhile, Arthur joined the cross-country team, but he can't outrun the real reason he ended his friendship with Nomi. The best he can do is try to hide it.

As the prophecy escalates, past and present intersect, fate and friendship collide, and secrets spread like wildfire. Together, Nomi, Vi, and Arthur must face the future...even, and especially when it's so uncertain.

What I liked: We're dealing with an excellent cast of characters here. The primary characters, of course, but secondary characters as well. Each one has a distinct, often complex, motivation and approach. While not always likeable, they are realistic. And while this isn't always a comfortable read, the messaging is important without being heavy-handed.

What I didn't like: There are brief scenes from the past that introduce the perspective of trees. While these moments add to the whole narrative, they break up the pacing in a way that can become tiresome.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley