Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Pages: 371
Intended Audience: Teens, Mature Tweens
Genre: Real Life
Notes for Parents: There is some coarse language and a few mature scenes.

The Inside Cover

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.
Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying things she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Rumor has it that a sequel is in the works. Also, Disney has apparently optioned the film rights.

What’s good?

A heart-felt, provocative and poignant story of an overweight girl trying to find her place in the world. Willowdean Dickson is a sassy, relatable main character whose confidence shifts when she gets some unexpected attention. While that shift is the focus of the central plot, the story is told through the complex relationships that Will must contend with—her mom, her best friend Ellen, her new friends, and her co-worker Bo. The writing is solid, with short chapters that make it easy to read.
Best Part: “…I don’t want it to be brave. I want it to be normal.” (pg. 294)

What isn’t good?

The story moves a little slow. There’s not a lot of action, and nothing happens that’s unexpected, except, perhaps, at the end. While Willowdean is a well-drawn and relatable character, she’s not always likeable, judging the appearance of other characters and sometimes lacking the compassion for others she wants for herself.
Worst part: The love triangle!

Recommendation þþþoo

I feel like this book deserves more than three checkmarks, but the slow pace and lack of action keeps it from being a four. The author clearly understands the challenges of being overweight and creates a realistic main character. This is definitely a feel-good book and I recommend it.

Murphy, Julie. Dumplin’. New York: Balzer + Bray, 2015.

Audacious by Gabrielle Prendergast

Pages: 327
Intended Audience: Mature Teens
Genre: Book in Verse / Social Issues
Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language and mature content.

The Back Cover

Wrong hair.
Wrong body.
Wrong clothes.
Wrong attitude.
Nothing is simple for Ella. Not family. Not friends. Not school. And especially not romance. Ella can’t do anything right, except draw. But even her art is wrong—and more dangerous than she could have imagined.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This novel is written in verse. There’s a sequel called Capricious.

What’s good?

This novel, written in verse, in an engaging story about a girl who tries to reinvent herself when she starts at a new school. Beautifully written, the lyrical prose wends the story around a multitude of themes, including love, religion, self-esteem, artistic expression, censorship, eating disorders, and prejudice. The verse style makes this a fast read, but it never feels rushed. Ella is a provocative main character who searches for her identity by pushing limits and challenging norms.
Best Part: The ink of night fades into pink lemonade / A line of orange slices the horizon (p.21). The writing is absolutely stunning.

What isn’t good?

Like graphic novels, the verse format doesn’t allow for a lot of depth or backstory. I’m not sure how much it matters with this story, but I did find many supporting characters bled together, especially the school friends, and many heavy topics in the background are only touched on lightly in favor of Ella’s storyline.
Worst part: The end was a bit…odd, but I suppose that leads us into book two.

Recommendation þþþþo

I can almost give this one five checkmarks. I may not agree with several of the decisions the main character makes, but her search for self is engagingly raw and dark. Her behavior is not gratuitous, but rather the cost of getting to know herself and what she’s willing to do to be genuine. Definitely recommended.  

Prendergast, Gabrielle. Audacious. Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2013.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Pages: 419
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Paranormal / Romance / Thriller
Notes for Parents: Has graphic violence, and some drinking, drug use, and coarse language. Also, dying and becoming a vampire is strongly romanticized.

The Back Cover

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. And once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicket, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This was an Amazon Best Teen Book of the Year, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and included in Kirkus Best YA Books and YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults, and was one of the YALSA Top Ten Amazing Audio Books.

What’s good?

While this tale has plenty of the traits of a classic vampire story, there are also many new and imaginative ideas of vampirism. The plot is straight forward but the mythology is complex as the main character tries to avoid giving in to the bloodlust while falling for an ancient vampire. There are several great characters, especially supporting ones. The writing is strong and expressive, the pace is fast, and the action is intense and quite bloody.
Best Part: “If you’re proposing a duel, I believe she gets to pick the weapon. I hope she picks me.”

What isn’t good?

The idea that the world would accept and glorify vampires is inconceivable to me. I understand the appeal of “a bad boy,” but romanticizing vampires—creatures who kill violently and with little conscience—to the point where the average person is dying to be one, didn’t sit well with me at all. Likewise, the romance part of the story fell flat because I couldn’t relate to the character’s attraction.
Worst part: The romance.

Recommendation þþþoo

This was definitely more “True Blood” than “Twilight,” with lots of blood and violence. This story will appeal to readers who like their vampires broody and their stories dark.

Black, Holly. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. New York: Little, Brown, & Co., 2013.

Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis

Pages: 128
Intended Audience: Tweens
Genre: Graphic novel / Adventure
Notes for Parents: A few scenes may be too scary for sensitive readers.

The Back Cover

At Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for hardcore lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together…and they’re not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This volume one is a compilation of the first five Lumberjane comics.

What’s good?

Bold art and witty dialogue make this a fun read. The five main characters are brave, mischievous, strong, smart, and capable young women representing diverse backgrounds, with realistic body types, and each with her own unique style. The plot is simple and the girls’ adventures are filled with silly encounters with strange creatures like three-eyed foxes and giant yetis.
Best Part: “Where the Phillis Wheatley were you?”

What isn’t good?

The drawing style has lots of sharp lines and simple features. I love the bold color, but all of the main characters have small beady eyes except April, who has big doe eyes. There’s a picture at the back that has all of the main characters with more realistic eyes, which I personally like much better.
Worst part: “Then there’s a line about God, or whatever.”

Recommendation þþþþo

Charmingly feminist and delightfully diverse, this was a fun and funny introduction to the Lumberjanes series. As with most comic-style stories, there’s not a lot of depth or complexity, but it certainly accomplishes the goal of being entertaining and imaginative. For a good time, read this!

Stevenson, Noelle & Grace Ellis. Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy. Los Angeles: Boom!, 2015.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Pages: 387
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Supernatural
Notes for Parents: There is some coarse language, mild sexual content, and some graphic descriptions of injury and illness.

The Back Cover

In the middle of the 1918 influenza epidemic, Mary Shelley Black arrives in San Diego, where she hopes to be reunited with her childhood best friend—and first love—Stephen Embers. Stephen went abroad to fight in World War I, and his brother is now profiting from the grief-stricken citizens by claiming to commune with the dead through spirit photography—a practice that scientific-minded Mary Shelley believes is fraud. But the connection to the other side may be more real than Mary Shelley thinks possible…and it might be the only way to learn the truth of what happened to Stephen.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s first novel. It was a finalist for the William C. Morris Debut Award.

What’s good?

Antique photos bring an eerie realism to this ghost story set during World War I and the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak. Skillful research and a well-drawn setting encapsulates everyday life while purposeful writing and vivid images capture the fear, grief, and desperation of those troubling times. Mary Shelley is a relatable and likable character and the supporting characters are strong and interesting. The pacing is fairly steady and the plot is easy to understand with a few twists and turns.
Best Part: I can almost smell the onions!

What isn’t good?

There was so much, that there wasn’t quite enough of anything. This was a good ghost story, but you only really get a little of everything else – romance, mystery, suspense, history. We only learn a little about Mary Shelley’s dad. We learn a little about shell shock and the war. We learn a little about spirit photography. And we learn a little about the flu epidemic and the panic it caused. But it all left me wanting more at the end.
Worst part: The bird.

Recommendation þþþþo

The cover is what first attracted me to the book. It promised an eerie tale, and it delivered an authentic ghost story. It was easy to be absorbed into the bleakness of the era, to feel Mary Shelley’s grief and her aunt’s fear. It was fascinating to read about how they thought onions would ward off the virus, how coffins were stacked in front yards, and how the ambulances couldn’t respond for days because they were so busy. I found many elements of the story remarkable. The plot lacked a bit of shine, but I still recommend it.

Winters, Cat. The Shadow of Blackbirds. New York: Amulet, 2013.

Ms. Marvel: No Normal by Willow G. Wilson & Adrian Alphona

Pages: 120
Intended Audience: Teens and up
Genre: Graphic novel; superheroes
Notes for Parents: The main character disobeys her parents to go to a party where there is drinking, but she doesn’t drink herself.

The Back Cover

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City—until she’s suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she also unlocks a secret behind them. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her prove too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she’s comin’ for you, Jersey!

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This story is part of the Marvel universe which also includes The Avengers, The Fantastic Four, The X-men, and Spiderman. Kamala Khan, this incarnation of Ms. Marvel, is Marvel’s first Muslim character to headline her own comic book.

What’s good?

Kamala Khan feels different, like an outsider, probably in part because of her religion and ethnicity, but mostly because she’s just a typical, geeky, awkward girl with strict parents and a good moral code. This graphic novel is a collection of the first five comic books in the series. It has bold, expressive art with fun details and there’s plenty of action, humor, and strong, positive messages about self-acceptance. The robust supporting characters include: Nakia, a young Muslim woman who wears a hijab by choice; Bruno, the friend who wishes he was the boyfriend; and Kamala’s strict but loving parents. Kamala’s religion and ethnicity are an integral part of who she is, but it isn’t the basis of the story. Rather, it brings a good sense of diversity to an otherwise typical hero origin story.
Best Part: The winged sloth, the burkini with a fanny pack, and weaponized garbage.

What isn’t good?
Not surprisingly, there’s some stereotyping when it comes to Kamala’s Pakistani, Muslim family. Since this is an origin story, the plot was very straight forward and the story was simple. At times the story felt rushed, probably because many things weren’t explained—like the mist—because readers of the Marvel universe already know what’s going on. (Apparently the smoke is “Terrigen Mist” that has an “alien” ability to give humans superpowers).
Worst part: Having to use google to find out how Ms. Marvel gets her powers from the mist.

Recommendation þþþþo

This was a fun read. I loved Kamala. She was realistic, very relatable, and the diversity of her character was refreshing and interesting. Several things went over my head because I’m not a comic reader, but it certainly wasn’t complicated to fill in the blanks. I really liked Kamala’s parents and how they were stern but supportive, reminding her that she’s perfect just the way she is. There were great messages throughout. Definitely recommended.

Wilson, G. Willow & Adrian Alphona. Ms. Marvel: No Normal. New York: Marvel Now, 2015.

More Than This by Patrick Ness

Pages: 472
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Dystopian
Notes for Parents: There is mild language and some sexual references.

The Back Cover

Seth drowns, desperate and alone.
But then he wakes. Naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. And where is he? The street seems familiar, but everything is abandoned, overgrown, covered in dust.
He remembers dying, his skull bashed against the rocks. Has he woken up in his own personal hell? Is there more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author, Patrick Ness, has won the Carnegie Medal twice, the Costa Children’s Book Award, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Red House Book Award, the Jugendliteratur Preis, the UKLA Award, and the Booktrust Teenage Prize.

What’s good?

Inventive world-building, strong writing, and an evenly-paced plot, make this an compelling adventure mystery. The main character, Seth, is well-drawn, relatable, and easily likeable. The supporting characters have depth and purpose, except The Driver, who’s just plain terrifying. All of the characters feel genuine. The writing is descriptive and emotive, but never overdone. The plot is complex without being complicated, and short chapters keep it moving at a good speed. The story has it all – action, adventure, survival, mystery, humor, suspense, science fiction, philosophical musings, and even some romance.
Best Part: The (super creepy) Driver.

What isn’t good?

The suspense and masterful rise in action almost guarantee disappointment. Seth gets so emotional, the situation becomes so dire, and the mystery builds to such an intensity that a suitable climax was impossible. Oddly, this doesn’t take away from the fact that it was clever, engaging, and an absolute page-turner. A few incidents felt significant at the time, but didn’t really amount to anything, but even those were interesting.
Worst part: What happens now?

Recommendation þþþþo

Just about every chapter ends with a cliff hanger. It’s difficult to put down. About halfway through, I was so hooked that I knew with almost certainty that I would be disappointment regardless of how it ended. I wanted a mind-blowing ending, but knew it wasn’t possible. The end was good, but everything leading up to it was way better. Regardless, it was well-done. Definitely recommended.

Ness, Patrick. More than This. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2013.

The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb

Pages: 215
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Non-Fiction / Holocaust
Notes for Parents: There is information about the Holocaust, but nothing graphic.

The Back Cover

THE NAZI
He commanded a network that stretched across Europe, targeting and delivering millions of people to the death camps. He followed every order, and he was very good at his job. But when the war ended, he disappeared without a trace. Would Adolf Eichmann ever face justice for his crimes?
THE HUNTERS
A teenage girl. Her blind father. A secret agent. A lawyer. A man who dedicated his life to tracking Nazis. A carefully chosen team of expert spies.
Several had survived the camps. Nearly all of them lost family there. And in work spanning fifteen years, they found Eichmann on the other side of the globe.
THE MISSION
The goal was clear: Capture Eichmann and bring him to trial before the world.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The book is illustrated throughout with photographs, maps, and reproductions of documents.

What’s good?

Anticipation is intense in this exhilarating real-life spy thriller. The infamous Nazi Adolph Eichmann fled Germany to live out his days in Argentina, and it’s fascinating to discover how his whereabouts were discovered and how the plot to apprehend him unfolded. The risk is palpable as the story depicts the meticulous plan that was laid out to first confirm Eichmann’s identity, then capture and smuggle him out of the country. Several photographs give faces to the many names associated with the mission, and also include pictures of places and documents important to the cause. The adventure was well-researched and reads like a spy novel, with copious details, lots of tension, and plenty of danger.
Best Part: This is a true story!

What isn’t good?

I can understand why some might find the story boring. There are lots of facts, names, places, planning, and waiting described in the story, with only small bursts of action and sustained moments of tension that often pass without incident. There is no in-depth character development and no real exploration of the history or effects of the Holocaust.
Worst part: Even by the end, I couldn’t keep the names straight.

Recommendation þþþoo

I found it captivating that years after the end of World War II, there was still a group of people—some Holocaust survivors, some government agents—who were determined to bring the worst of the Nazis to justice. While some of the details get a little dry and I never managed to keep everyone’s names straight, I was never tempted to stop reading. Recommended for anyone who likes covert ops, spy thrillers, and seeing justice served.

Bascomb, Neal. The Nazi Hunters: How a team of spies and survivors captured the world’s most notorious Nazi. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2013. (Hardcover)

Circa Now by Amber McRee Turner

Pages: 276
Intended Audience: Tweens
Genre: Real life / Grief
Notes for Parents: The main character’s father dies. Also, there are references to child abuse.

The Back Cover

Twelve-year-old Circa Monroe has a knack for restoring old photographs. It’s a skill she learned from her dad, who loves old pictures and putting fun digital twists on them. His altered “Shopt” photos look so real that they could fool nearly anybody, and Circa treasures the clever stories he makes up to explain each creation.
One day, her father receives a strange phone call requesting an urgent delivery, and he heads out into a storm. The unimaginable happens: a tornado, then a terrible accident, and Circa never sees her dad again. Just as Circa and her mom begin to pick up the pieces, a mysterious boy shows up on their doorstep, a boy called Miles who remembers nothing about his past. The only thing he has with him is the photograph that Circa’s dad intended to deliver on the day he died.
As Circa tries to help Miles recover his identity, she begins to notice something strange about the photos she and her father retouched—the digital flourishes added to the old photos seem to exist in real life. The mysteries of the Shopt photos and Miles’s past are intertwined, and in order to solve both, Circa will have to figure out what’s real and what’s an illusion.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s second book.

What’s good?

An imaginative plot, well-drawn characters, and a hint of fantasy make this an appealing story. The writing is strong and expressive, and the plot is evenly paced. The ambiguity surrounding Miles, Captain Mann, and the Shopt photos builds a good mystery and creates an enjoyable amount of tension throughout the story. The grief that Circa and her mom experience is realistic and palpable, as is Circa’s frustration and her mom’s effort to be strong. The Maple Grove project is a touching addition to what is ultimately a sweet story about grief, acceptance, and imagination.
Best Part: The stories that went with the Shopt pictures were funny.

What isn’t good?

The target audience is quite young so the plot is uncomplicated and fairly predictable. There’s not a lot of action so some parts feel slow as the story navigates through required backstory.
Worst part: The Shopt pictures. They didn’t “look so real that they could fool nearly anybody.”

Recommendation þþþoo

It was good. The premise was original, the characters were likeable, and the storytelling was well done. It was a quick read and will most likely appeal to younger readers who want something engaging but easy.

Turner, Amber McRee. Circa Now. New York: Scholastic, 2015.

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Pages: 310
Intended Audience: Teens, mature tweens.
Genre: Mystery / Adventure
Notes for Parents: There is no coarse language or sexual content. Violence is minimal.

The Inside Cover

Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:
1.    She is not crazy.
2.    Her mother was murdered.
3.    Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.
As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believers her—so there’s no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keep his eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.
Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can’t control Grace—no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to hunt her…and if she’ doesn’t stop it, Grace isn’t the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

With her father and brother being active soldiers, and her mother dead, Grace is sent to live with her grandfather, the US Ambassador to the country of Adria. She rekindles old friendships from when she used to visit as a child, and makes a few new ones, but she remains obsessed with the fact that her mother was murdered and no one will believe it was anything more than an accident. This is the first book in the series.

What’s good?

Excellent supporting characters and an intriguing setting make this mystery adventure a quick and easy read.
Politics and diplomacy add interest without complicating the plot. The main character, Grace, is likeable and imperfect; she’s impulsive, jumps easily to wrong conclusions, and is preoccupied with a truth she can’t quite grasp. Her relationships with new friend Noah and old friend Megan feel authentic. There’s plenty of humor and wit, a fair bit of action and adventure, and some harmless bad behavior.
Best Part: No romance. Such a relief!

What isn’t good?

The first half was slow. It picks up in the second half, but the action isn’t consistent. There’s not a lot of character development, but this may be coming in subsequent books in the series. I liked Alexei, but he didn’t seem to have a purpose. I presume his intensions come later in the series as well. The revelation that comes at the end was predictable and disappointing.
Worst part: The end.

Recommendation þþþoo

This was mildly entertaining. I really wanted to like it, but it never really held my interest. I loved the friendships, but didn’t really care for the story, especially how it ended—it should have been a shocker, but was just…”Ya, that figures.” Recommended for fans of the author.

Carter, Ally. All Fall Down. New York: Scholastic, 2015. (Hardcover)

El Deafo by Cece Bell

Pages: 233
Intended Audience: Tweens and up
Genre: Graphic Memoir
Notes for Parents: There is nothing offensive in this book.

The Back Cover

Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.
Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in the school—in the hallway…in the teacher’s lounge…in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different…and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Cece Bell is a children’s book author and illustrator. This is a loose biographical account of the author’s childhood and living with her deafness.

What’s good?

Set in the 70s and poignantly illustrated using anthropomorphized rabbits (they have rabbit features but are essentially human), this is the story of a hearing-impaired girl adjusting to a hearing world. Heartwarming and humorous, the plot is straightforward and full of relatable moments. Cece is an endearing main character and has essentially the same problems as other kids, but with the added complication of being deaf and requiring a big, clunky machine to help her hear. The narration is witty and sympathetic, and her comically drawn self-portrait (Underpants – avert your eyes!) is hilarious.
Best Part: Are you death? (This is what she hears when someone asks her if she’s deaf.)

What isn’t good?

As with most graphic novels, it’s a quick read. It was over before I really felt like I got my money’s worth. There’s not a lot of depth to the characters, but there is development. The superhero idea is a good one, but it was underused. I expected a little more.
Worst part: Nothing was terrible.

Recommendation þþþþo

This was a sweet story. Cece was instantly likeable, and her story was simple yet engaging. Definitely recommended.

Bell, Cece. El Deafo. New York: Amulet Books, 2014.