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Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away by Ciera Burch - While her peers become obsessed with crushes and her once close brother grows distant, Olivia feels increasingly invisible
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Breakout by Christina Wyman - A girl navigates her problem skin, changing friendships, school pressure, and her parents.
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Most Likely to Murder by Lish McBride
I love a bowtie.
Normally, I'm more of a fan of the sort you have to tie but when I spotted this one, I was inspired.
Did you ever make a latch hook kit? I had a couple as a kid and remember them fondly. So when I came across one in our craft supplies I decided to finish it. There were a few problems. The paper chart was missing so I had to interpret what was printed on the fabric best as I could (sometimes the printing is crooked). And the yarn we had wasn't sufficient. There wasn't enough orange and the brown and yellow were entirely missing (though weirdly there was a whole package of gray which never appears in the image). So I had to scavenge some other yarn from my stash to complete the project. And here's how it looks finished:
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
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
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
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
