The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten

Pages: 255
Intended Audience: Mature Teens
Genre: Real life / Mental health issues
Notes for Parents: Some mild language; deals with mature subject matter

The Back Cover

When Adam meets Robyn, he is drawn hopelessly, desperately to her almost before he can take a breath. From her soot-black-lashes to eyes the colour of an angry sky, she is every teenage Romeo’s dream come true. But when you’re almost fifteen and the everyday problems of dealing with divorced parents and step-siblings are complicated by the challenges of coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder, it’s hard to imagine yourself falling in love. How can you have a “normal” relationship when your life is anything but normal? How can you protect someone else when you can’t even protect yourself? And then there’s the small matter of those threatening letters Adam’s mother has started to receive…

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This book is the winner of the 2013 Governor General Literary Award for Children’s Text and the CBC Bookie Award. It was also named one of Quill & Quire’s Best Books of 2013.

What’s good?

This is a complex and heartfelt story with great characters, a strong plot, and an even pace. Good use of imagery and dialogue punctuate a sophisticated look at OCD and other mental health issues in teens. Themes of brokenness and bravery are explored with the help of humor, mystery, and a little romance. I like the inclusion of religion as a tool, not a cure. I also love that the story didn’t end with “a cure.” Mental health is a matter of balance and balance can be lost and gained at any moment.
Best Part: Stones and Thor.

What isn’t good?

I’m not sure the characters will be relatable to the average teen, but it certainly never hurts to step into someone else’s shoes. The romance is a little weak.
Worst part: Uh, does anyone else think Sweetie needs therapy, too?

Recommendation þþþþo

Despite the complex storyline, it was a fairly easy read. The main character was likeable and sympathetic and the supporting cast was fun. The mystery of the letters kept the story moving forward nicely and the end, while not terribly surprising, was handled well. Definitely recommended.

Toten, Teresa. The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2013.

Mouseheart by Lisa Fiedler

Pages: 313

Intended Audience: Mature Tweens & Teens
Genre: Fantasy
Notes for Parents: Despite being intended for a younger audience, there is violence and graphic scenes that may not be suitable for some tweens.

The Back Cover

Hopper is an ordinary pet-shop mouse—until he escapes. Soon he finds himself deep within the untamed Brooklyn transit tunnels and in Atlantia, a glorious utopian rat civilization.
But all is not as it seems. Hopper misses the siblings he lost in the escape. Atlantia is constantly threatened by rebels who wish to bring the city to its knees. And there are cats everywhere, cats who leave the citizens unharmed…and no one can seem to answer why.
Soon Hopper is caught in the crosshairs of an epic battle, and as the clashes rage, Hopper learns terrible, extraordinary secrets. Deadly secrets about Atlantia. Painful secrets about his friends.
And one powerful secret about himself.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:
This is the first book in a series. The story includes several drawings by children’s illustrator Vivienne To.

What’s good?

This swashbuckling, fantasy adventure is fast-paced and filled with action. It has a solid plot with some nice twists and turns, plenty of tension, and genuine emotion. While excellent writing and good characterization make this a quick and easy read, the story has surprisingly sophisticated themes that include complex ideas about courage, deception, and doing what’s right.
Best Part: Pup! (and great cover.)

What isn’t good?

The graphic violence was unexpected in a story that is clearly geared to pre-teens. (However, it’s not that graphic compared to today’s video games, so perhaps I’m a little out of touch.) I was also frustrated with how gullible Hopper was throughout the story. He constantly missed cues and misinterpreted signs that he should have picked up on considering he’s the one that so quickly figured out the subway system. It definitely affected the pacing in some places.
Worst part: Why is Pinkie so mean?

Recommendation þþþþo

I liked it! I’ve never been a fan of stories about animals with human qualities, but this one sucked me in. I liked Hopper from the start, despite his obvious meekness. Although several subplots proved predictable, the fast pace and loads of action kept me reading. Definitely recommended.

Fiedler, Lisa. Mouseheart. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2014.

My Life as a Joke by Janet Tashjian

Pages: 252
Intended Audience: Tweens
Genre: Real life
Notes for Parents: There is nothing for parents to be concerned about.

The Back Cover

[There was no description on the back cover. The following description is modified from Goodreads.com.]
Derek Fallon discovers all the angst that comes with being twelve—he just wants to feel grown up, but life gets in the way with a series of mishaps that make him look like a baby. Why isn’t being in middle school as great as Derek imagined? Thankfully, with a little help from his friends—and, ironically, a Toys for Tots fundraiser—things seem like they could start shaping up at last.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the fourth book in the My Life series, but stands on its own quite well. The illustrator is the author’s son, Jake.

What’s good?

It’s difficult not to like Derek, the main character, in this engaging and witty story of a middle school boy. Great characterization and a genuine young male voice make the story easy to read and every entertaining. The plot is simple and moves at a good pace, telling an effortless tale with a great message. I like the level of parental involvement. Most stories tend to ignore the parents or vilify them.
Best Part: Some of the illustrations in the margins crack me up!

What isn’t good?

Derek’s string of bad luck gets a little hard to believe for a time, but I like the way it all worked out.
Worst part: None.

Recommendation þþþþo

Charming, funny, and super easy-to-read. Everyone from reluctant readers to people just looking for a quick story should enjoy this. Highly recommended.

Tashjian, Janet. My Life as a Joke. New York: Christy Ottaviano Books, 2014.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

Pages: 438
Intended Audience: Tweens
Genre: Fantasy / Fairy Tales
Notes for Parents: There is nothing for parents to be concerned about.

The Back Cover

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change.
When the twins’ grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Alex and her brother Conner “fall” into a book and have to figure out the wishing spell to get back home. The author is Chris Colfer, better known as Kurt Hummel on Glee. This is his first novel.

What’s good?

Simple and quaint, this story is a modern fairy tale guest starring many characters from the classics. It’s interesting to see what fairy tale character the two main characters will meet with next. The plot is straight-forward and the language is easy. The story is imaginative and entertaining.
Best Part: Froggy.

What isn’t good?

Every problem the main characters encounter comes with a quick and easy solution that doesn’t require very much bravery or intellect. There’s no real sense of danger or difficulty. The action is slow and the story is predictable. The characters are mostly superficial and the story depends too much on dialogue and not enough on description, action, or setting.
Worst part: The sarcasm became grating after a while.

Recommendation þþooo

The concept was a good one, creative and fun, and the story had some good elements. Unfortunately, the overall result was bland. What should have been a magical and wondrous journey lacked physical and emotional description and failed to draw me in. Sadly, I don’t recommend this story.

Colfer, Chris. The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. New York: Hatchett Book Group, 2012.

The Dumbest Idea Ever by Jimmy Gownley

Pages: 236
Intended Audience: Tweens and up
Genre: Graphic novel / Memoir
Notes for Parents: There’s an off-panel kiss (♥)!

The Inside Cover

At thirteen, Jimmy was popular, at the top of his class, and the leading scorer on his basketball team. But all that changed when chicken pox forced him to miss the championship game. Then things went from bad to worse when he got pneumonia and missed even more school Before Jimmy knew it, his grades were sinking and nothing seemed to be going right.
How would Jimmy turn things around, get his momentum back, and maybe even land a date with the cutest girl in school?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

According to the author’s notes, this is based on Jimmy Gownley’s own story set in his hometown of Girardville, Pennsylvania.

What’s good?

This endearing story of a young boy pursuing his dream of being a graphic novelist comes alive with bold, colourful artwork and easy-to-follow dialogue. This is a well-structured story with a good pace that makes it a fast and fun read. The quaint settings lends itself well to the story and the characters are wonderfully likeable, especially Jimmy, the main character.
Best Part: Tony (especially after reading the Author’s Notes at the end).

What isn’t good?

I can honestly say that there wasn’t anything that I thought wasn’t good. I suppose I would have liked to know more about “the breakup” and would have liked an extended scene in the comic book store, even a little more information about how one does go about self-publishing, but everything flowed just fine exactly how it was.
Worst part:  None.

Recommendation þþþþo

This endearing graphic novel hits all the coming-of-age highlights: starting high school; making new friends; even going on a first date. Most of all, it tackles the pressures involved in following your passion and reaching for your dreams. Absolutely recommended!

Gownley, Jimmy. The Dumbest Idea Ever! New York: Graphix, 2014.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Pages: 268
Intended Audience: Teens and up.
Genre: War Diary
Notes for Parents: This is a true account and includes suffering and some discussion of Jewish treatment during the Nazi regime.

The Back Cover

In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annexe” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

At the end of World War II, Otto Frank, Anne’s father and the only surviving family member, returned to Amsterdam. Mr. Frank was presented with notebooks and papers in Anne’s handwriting that had been rejected by the Gestapo when they arrested the families. At first Mr. Frank only circulated Anne’s diary to friends as a memorial, but he was eventually convinced to make it public. Since then, it has been translated into more than 30 languages.

What’s good?

It’s so fortunate to not only have a real life account of what life was like for a Jew in hiding during World War II, but to hear it from the perspective of a young girl with an obvious talent for writing. We experience her normal teenage highs and lows (a bad relationship with her mother, a crush on a boy) mixed with the hopes and fears that bombings, gunfire, and radio broadcasts bring to her and her isolated group. As the months go by, her musings turn philosophical and she wonders about things like strength of character, religion, and diplomacy. It’s with such great irony that she dreamed of being a published writer when the war ended.
Best Part: “Surely the time will come when we are people again, and not just Jews.” (pg. 207)

What isn’t good?

Like any young girl’s diary, notations include rants, gossip, dry ruminations, and many repetitive entries. However, I think it would have decreased the value of Anne’s contribution had these parts been taken out. Without them, we wouldn’t have seen the maturation in both her observations and her writing.
Worst part: None

Recommendation þþþþo

While the story itself is by no means a “page-turner,” the fact that this is an actual account of life in hiding for Jews in Holland is fascinating. Boredom, hunger, and fear are surprisingly no more frequent than optimism, desire, and aspiration. Anne is a thoroughly capable narrator and a beautiful writer. Her story should be known by everyone.

Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Bantam, c1952, 1993.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Pages: 180
Intended Audience: Tweens and up
Genre: Dystopian
Notes for Parents: Some references to suffering.

The Inside Cover

Jonas’s world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community.
When Jonas turns twelve he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it’s time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The Giver won the John Newbery Medal for most distinguished contribution to American Literature for Children in 1994. This is the first in a series of four companion novels.

What’s good?

A slow but steady pace reveals a fascinating community of well-drawn characters. The story is an impressive, easy-to-understand interpretation of some very complex philosophies. Powerful images and disturbing practices simplify the cost of creating a community with no conflict or suffering. The title character is a typical, likeable boy who easily accepts the beliefs of his elders until his ignorance is challenged by new knowledge shared with him by The Giver.
Best Part: Gabriel

What isn’t good?

Perhaps an overly simplistic explanation is given as to why the community is as it is and no explanation is offered as to how it came to be that way. Some suspension of disbelief is required to explain the community’s acceptance of some of its more horrific customs.
Worst part:  None.

Recommendation þþþþo

A fascinating look at what a community has to give up in order to avoid suffering and live what it believes to be an ideal life. The plot moves fairly slow and there isn’t a lot of action, but the truths that are gradually revealed are fascinating. Definitely recommended.

 

Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Laurel-Leaf Books, 1993.

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Pages: 307
Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens
Genre: Steampunk
Notes for Parents: Some references to violence

The Inside Cover

It’s one thing to learn to curtsy properly, it’s quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.
Fourteen-year-old Sophronia Temminnick is a great trial to her poor mother—her atrocious curtsy is an embarrassment to the family name. So Mrs. Temminnick enrolls her daughter in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.
But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine’s, young ladies certainly learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year’s education.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first in a series, and takes place in the same world as her adult series, the Parasol Protectorate. This is the author’s first young adult book.

What’s good?

Great characters and plenty of action highlight this quirky adventure set in Victorian England with robots, vampires, and werewolves. The author’s simple writing style is enhanced with a sophisticated vocabulary (e.g. décolletage, prevaricate) and great use of metaphors and similes. The story is light-hearted and has a good pace.
Best Part: Pillover and Bumbersnoot the mechanimal.

What isn’t good?

The names of some of the characters are a bit ridiculous (e.g. Frowbritcher, Mrs. Barnaclegoose) and at times the story goes from sophisticated to juvenile quite quickly. The biggest problem, however, is the weak plot. The search for the device is dealt with very passively compared to learning curtsies and feeding Bumbersnoot.
Worst part: There was nothing terrible.

Recommendation þþþoo

This is another example of a story with great potential that falls a little short. I loved the characters and the setting was wonderful, but the lazy plot left me less than intrigued. Despite that, it was still entertaining and deserves a recommendation.

Carriger, Gail. Etiquette & Espionage. New York: Scholastic, 2013.

Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

Pages: 197
Intended Audience: Tweens and up
Genre: Graphic novel / Real life
Notes for Parents: None.

The Inside Cover

Three weeks.
Two sisters. One car.
A True Story.
Raina can’t wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren’t quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she’s also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn’t improve much over the years. But when a baby brother enters the picture, and later, when something doesn’t seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:
While this is considered a companion novel to Telgemeier’s earlier graphic novel, Smile, it is a stand-alone story.

What’s good?

As she was in Smile, Raina is delightfully goofy and very relatable. Her sister, Amara, is both annoying and deviously amusing – as any good sister should be. The colour drawings are bright and bold, and wonderfully expressive. Although it’s almost 200 pages, this graphic novel is a quick and easy read, fun, and funny.
Best Part: Mango.

What isn’t good?

For the most part, the story is very simple, with a few complications coming right at the end. I wish the author would have explored those later ideas a little more (unless, perhaps, that’s being saved for another book?).
Worst part: None.

Recommendation þþþþo

Charming, funny, and very reminiscent of my own childhood family road trips, this graphic novel is definitely recommended.

Telgemeier, Raina. Sisters. New York: Graphix, 2014

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 404
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Fantasy / Adventure
Notes for Parents: Some mild language, graphic scenes, and violence.

The Inside Cover

When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King’s Champion and be released from prison.
Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.
And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she’d have again: a friend.
But something evil dwells in the castle—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival—and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author was just 16-years-old when she published an early draft of Throne of Glass on the FictionPress website. “Many years and revisions later, Sarah is delighted to be publishing the final version of Throne of Glass as her debut novel.” This is the first book in a series.

What’s good?

Good pacing and lots of action headline this fantasy adventure. The premise is unique and quite daring – a young, female assassin is rescued from a work prison so she can be part of a competition that will determine who will be the king’s own assassin. A strong female protagonist fronts a cast of likeable characters. Mystery swirls strongly as a string of murders in the palace and the discovery of mystical symbols creates loads of tension and suspense.
Best Part: Chaol.

What isn’t good?

A few inconsistencies distracted from what could have been a crisp, original story. There are no guns (invented in the 14^th century), but Calaena plays a piano (invented in the 18^th century) and eats gummies (invented in the 1920s) and says things like “shove it up you’re a**.” The author’s habit of describing people according to how good-looking they are was annoying. But my biggest issue was the main character. It’s difficult to see 18-year-old famed and feared assassin Celaena as cold and calculating, or even capable of hurting someone, when she hardly trains, she obsesses with her appearance, and she never actually defeats anyone.

Worst part: The cover of the edition I read. (There's an alternate cover that I'll post here that's way cooler.)

Recommendation þþþoo

This story had so much potential! This could bode well for the series, but as a stand-alone story, it’s ultimately about an assassin who never actually proves herself. The romance is dry, the adventure is fleeting, and the mystery fades by the end. However, having said all that, it was entertaining and easy to read. Recommended.

Maas, Sarah J. Throne of Glass. New York: Bloomsbury, 2012.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Pages: 260
Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens
Genre: Romance/Urban Adventure
Notes for Parents: Has some mature scenes and language

The Back Cover

Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Author Rachel Cohn wrote Lily’s chapters, and David Levithan wrote Dash’s chapters.

What’s good?
An interesting premise, likeable characters, and good pacing make this a quick and fairly easy read. The writing is first-rate, ornamented with a sophisticated vocabulary and witty dialogue. The story has even amounts of adventure, romance, and humor, with a few philosophical discussions thrown in for good measure. The plot builds to a respectable climax and comes to a satisfying end.
Best Part: “…all the wood had the weight of card catalogs and the fabric seemed soaked in wine. Knee-high sculptures perched in corners and by the fireplace, while jacketless books crowded on shelves, peering down like old professors too tired to speak to one another.” (Dash describing Great-aunt Ida’s parlor, page 149-150)

What isn’t good?

Many of the scenarios felt gimmicky, the plot felt forced, and the teen voices were pretentious, especially Dash who was often arrogant and occasionally rude. The “dog in the park” incident was ridiculous.
Worst part: “She was far from a wee timorous beastie…” (page 217)

Recommendation þþþoo

It read like a book about teenagers written by adults. They were too witty, too clever, and the timing was all too perfect. Nevertheless, I was entertained. Marginally recommended.

Cohn, Rachel and David Levithan. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares. New York: Ember, 2010.

Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls

Pages: 207
Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens
Genre: Real Life / Dying
Notes for Parents: Some mature scenes.

The Inside Cover

My name is Sam.
I am eleven years old.
I collect stories and fantastic facts.
By the time you read this, I will probably be dead.
Living through the last stages of leukemia, Sam wants to know facts. Facts about UFOs, ghosts, how it feels to kiss a girl. He wants to break a world record, watch horror movies, go up the down escalator. And Sam is determined to find answers to all of the questions nobody ever answers—all of them.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This was originally published in London, England.

What’s good?

Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this story about a dying boy is written with humor and reverence. Sam is a charming and loveable pre-teen surrounded by interesting people who are dealing with imminent loss the best they can. I love Sam’s footnotes and True Facts, especially about such diverse topics as coffins and airships. His “Questions Nobody Answers” were painful to read, but his and Felix’s attempts to answer them were touching and often comical. Friendship, fear, sadness, compassion, and grief all drive this beautiful tale. Short chapters, peppered with lists and drawings, make this a quick and easy read.
Best Part: The end. You know it’s coming, and when it does—it is heart wrenchingly sad, yet beautiful.

What isn’t good?

Nothing isn’t good. There are a few British terms that may trip readers up, but overall I found nothing to complain about.
Worst part: Why do I read books about dying children?

Recommendation þþþþþ

I cried at the end. Definitely recommended.

Nicholls, Sally. Ways to Live Forever. New York: Arthur A. Levine, 2008. (Hardcover)

Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy by Elizabeth Kiem

Pages: 264
Intended Audience: Teens and up
Genre: Real life with elements of mystery, science fiction, Soviet Russia history
Notes for Parents: Has some mature moments, violence, language

The Inside Cover

Marina is born of privilege. Her mother, Sveta, is the Soviet Uniorn’s prima ballerina: an international star handpicked by the regime. But Sveta is afflicted with a mysterious second sight and becomes obsessed with exposing a horrific state secret. Then she disappears.
Fearing for their lives, Marina and her father defect to Brooklyn. Marina struggles to reestablish herself as a dancer at Julliard. But her enigmatic partner, Sergei, makes concentration almost impossible, as does the fact that Marina shares her mother’s “gift,” and has a vision of her father’s murder at the hands of the Russian crooks and con artists she thought they’d left behind.
Now Marina must navigate the web of intrigue surrounding her mother’s disappearance, her ability, and exactly who she can—and can’t—trust.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a series for this debut novelist.

What’s good?

Set in the 1980s, this story begins in Soviet Russian in the midst of the Cold War. This is a fascinating look at communist life, with its proletariat rules and government propaganda. After the main character, Marya, and her father flee their homeland, we get immersed in the lives of Russian immigrants living in Brighton Beach (Little Odessa) in New York. A complicated plot and an intricate mystery make this an intriguing tale of secrets and lies. Marya is a strong female character, the setting is unique, and the story is sophisticated.
Best Part: I love the title and the cover. It’s definitely what drew me to the book.

What isn’t good?

There’s a strange supernatural element that is completely unnecessary. The dancing and romance (with Sergei) that’s hinted at in the cover description is disappointedly minimal. The pacing slows dramatically at times, but even when things get exciting, the plot is murky. I had a hard time figuring out who (CIA, KGB, Mafia) was after what from whom. While then ending was satisfying, I’m not sure if I really liked it.
Worst part: The superfluous supernatural element.

Recommendation þþþoo

I’m torn. The mystery was good (you never really knew who to trust) but a few times the plot felt heavy and hard to follow. There were parts, especially in Soviet Russia, that I loved, but…I wanted more. I wanted more history, more danger, more intrigue, and more dancing. Overall, it was good, but it wasn’t great. Recommended, but with reservations.

Kiem, Elizabeth. Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy. New York: Soho Press, 2013 (Hardcover)

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

Pages: 231
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Real life/Survival
Notes for Parents: There are some graphic descriptions that may be difficult for some readers.

The Back Cover
Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new copilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket and she sees him struggle with a raft.
And then…she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is yet another cover that tells too much. You may as well skip the first 50 pages.

What’s good?
Short chapters keep most of the story moving at a pretty fast pace. I found the information about the Midway Atoll, the albatross, monk seals, and other ecological facts interesting. There were many emotional moments, especially near the end, and a big revelation that caught me off guard (It was a true “now I get it” moment). Although the ending itself was fairly predictable, it was good.
Best Part: I loved the Hunger Games reference.

What isn’t good?

While I like the short chapters, some of the choppy sentences meant to convey emotion didn’t work for me and felt overdramatic. The main character, Robie, was irritating. There were several odd occurrences in the storyline that made me question the author’s skills, but everything became clear when Robie revealed a secret. While the revelation fixed everything, I almost put the book down several times before that because of what I thought was inconsistencies. Perhaps I should have clued in sooner that something was amiss.
Worst part: My confusion before the big revelation.

Recommendation þþooo
I love survival stories and there were parts of this book that I liked, but ultimately I think it failed. Although Robie’s actions proved she was a strong and capable young woman, her whining and moaning made her difficult to like. The big revelation was a good idea but poorly executed. There are better survival stories out there. Sadly, I can’t recommend this book.

Bodeen, S.A. The Raft. New York: Scholastic, 2012.