The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

Pages: 229
Intended Audience: Tweens
Genre: Adventure
Notes for Parents: Some violence and tense situations.

The Back Cover

In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He’s got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day.
But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals. And treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from.
So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan. A plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier. Even if it’s the last thing he ever does.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s first middle grade book.

What’s good?

Sentenced to more suffering after yet another cancer diagnosis, 12-year-old Mark is an endearing main character who decides to live or die on his own terms. A good pace, and a solid yet simple plot, make this adventure quick and easy to read. Mark’s motives are plausible, but troubling, and his journey is filled with danger and tension, but also moments of kindness and compassion. The supporting characters are strong and he meets interesting, sometimes disconcerting, people along the way. The story is moving and the ending is bittersweet.
Best Part: The dog, Beau.

What isn’t good?

Is it right to put that much responsibility on a friend? Is it okay to put your parents through that kind of worry? Is it fair to put your little dog through that? As much as I liked Mark and understood his motives, his actions were ultimately selfish and cruel. He’s 12, and angry, and afraid, so I get it. But I didn’t like it.
Worst part: Jessie’s chapters seemed pointless.

Recommendation þþþoo

I loved the characters and liked the premise, but I have to admit that I didn’t really enjoy the story. It was sad, disturbing, sometimes tense, with an underlying feeling of hopelessness throughout. I wanted him to make his goal but at the same time I wanted him home, safe and sound, so his parents, and friend, and I, could stop worrying. This book probably deserves four checkmarks for the strong plot and great characterization, but it was more bitter than sweet for my taste.

Gemeinhart, Dan. The Honest Truth. New York: Scholastic, 2015.

Chloe by Design: Making the Cut by Margaret Gurevich

Pages: 380
Intended Audience: Tweens and up
Genre: Real life / Fashion
Notes for Parents: I found nothing for parents to be concerned about.

The Back Cover

For fans of Project Runway comes a series that puts fashion at the forefront. Sixteen-year-old Chloe Montgomery has always loved everything to do with fashion. Clothes, accessories, designing—she knows it all. And when she finds out a new reality series for aspiring teenage designers is holding auditions in her town, she’s desperate to win a spot on the show. She knows this is her chance to finally get her designs noticed. But before Chloe can realize her dreams, she has to survive the competition.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

I’m a bit confused. It appears that Making the Cut was originally released as four separate books (Design Diva, The First Cut, Unraveling, Design Destiny) and that the sequel, Balancing Act, due out in September, may also be first released as four smaller books (Intern Ambition, Design Disaster, Runway Rundown, Fashion Week Finale). I couldn’t find any real clarification on the subject.

What’s good?

A steady pace, a loveable main character, and fabulous illustrations make this follow-your-dreams adventure a fun and easy read. The competition is exciting and I couldn’t wait to see what the next design challenge would be so I could see what the designers came up with. Chloe is a strong protagonist with realistic levels of both confidence and self-doubt. The supporting characters are positive role-models who prove success is often a team effort. The romance is light and adds nicely to the story.
Best Part: Brooke Hagel's illustrations!

What isn’t good?

I don’t believe I’m going to say this, but it could have used more drama. I was expecting more competition, backstabbing, and thicker tension. Nina, the supposed villain, was weak and barely provided enough conflict to sustain the story. I also think the pacing struggled a bit when too much time was spent on long explanations of sewing and design techniques. In all, the plot was fairly predictable.
Worst part: The end came too quickly and easily.

Recommendation þþþþo

I loved this book – and that shocks me. I have no interest in fashion or competition, yet this was tons of fun and very engaging. I wonder, however, if I would have enjoyed it as much if it didn’t have the illustrations. Sadly, I think not. It lacked depth and could have used a little more edginess, but was nonetheless entertaining. Recommended.

Gurevich, Margaret. Chloe by Design: Making the Cut. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Young Readers, 2015. (Hardcover)

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Pages: 383
Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens
Genre: Dystopian / Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Notes for Parents: Contains some violence.

The Inside Cover

Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood—those with red and those with silver. Mare and her family are lowly Reds, destined to serve the Silver elite whose supernatural abilities make them nearly gods. Mare steals what she can to help her family survive, but when her best friend is conscripted into the army she gambles everything to win his freedom. A twist of fate leads her to the royal palace itself, where, in front of the king and all his nobles, she discovers a power of her own—an ability she didn’t know she had. Except…her blood is Red.
To hide this impossibility, the king forces her into the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons.
As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks her new position to aid the Scarlet Guard—the leaders of a Red rebellion. Her actions put into motion a deadly and violent dance, pitting prince against prince—and Mare against her own heart.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s first book, and the first in a series.

What’s good?

This dystopian, sci-fi/fantasy adventure has a lot to offer. There is a good flow (once you get past the first 100 pages – see “What isn’t good?”), and the main characters are well-drawn. The plot is simple but has twists and turns that keep things fast-paced and engaging. There are a lot of great action sequences and tension is kept taut throughout. There is plenty of romance, betrayal, danger, and adventure to make up for the fact that it’s a bit predictable.
Best Part: The twist near the end. I did not see that coming!

What isn’t good?

The cover description tells too much of the story so the first 100 pages or so are boring because the reader already knows what’s coming! I would have liked to see more world building, more character development, and more attention paid to the revolution, but perhaps these are coming in subsequent novels. There were many of the usual dystopian tropes (rich vs. poor, oppression, prince choosing bride, love triangle, etc.) which made the overall story a bit predictable, but the elements were used well enough.
Worst part: Kilorn. I felt no connection to him, or between him and Mare.

Recommendation þþþoo

Consider this three and a half checkmarks. If you mixed The Hunger Games, Divergent, Selection, Red Rising, Mean Girls, X-Men, and Game of Thrones in a pot, you would get Red Queen soup. While there’s nothing original here, it still manages to be well-paced and entertaining. Recommended.

Aveyard, Victoria. Red Queen. New York: HarperTeen, 2015.

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Pages: 223
Intended Audience: Tweens and up
Genre: Real life / Narrative
Notes for Parents: Rose’s dad drinks consistently; the word “retard” is used in a derogatory way a few times.

The Inside Cover

Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She’s thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein) which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is very special. Not everyone understands Rose’s obsessions, her rules, or the other things that make her different—not her teachers, not other kids, and not her single father.
When a storm hits their rural town, rivers overflow, roads are flooded, and Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now, Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:
Rose has high-functioning autism. The story is not so much about her searching for her dog, but rather about how she deals with the break in her routine when the storm hits and her dog goes missing.

What’s good?

This is a tender story about a girl named Rose who has to adapt to her less than perfect situation. She has no mother, and ineffective father, ill-equipped teachers, and a mild type of autism that makes it difficult for her to make connections. Rose is an excellent narrator and interprets the complex situations around her in simple statements and short chapters that resonate with emotion even though Rose herself doesn’t recognize it. Since Rose isn’t really capable of analyzing the motives of others, what we know about the secondary characters is based solely on Rose’s austere observations. The pacing is good, the relationships are realistic, and the end is bittersweet.
Best Part: Rain and Uncle Weldon.

What isn’t good?

The sentences are intentionally choppy—reflecting the thought process of a 12-year-old mildly autistic girl—which take a while to get used to, as do all the homophones in brackets. 
Worst part: In the beginning, Rose explains the difference between homophones and homonyms, then proceeds to misuse the word homonym through the entire book.

Recommendation þþþþo

It only took a few pages to get used to the awkward writing style because Rose is such a charming and unforgettable narrator. Dog lovers and anyone who appreciates honest and emotional storytelling will enjoy this simple story. Definitely recommended.

Martin, Ann M., Rain Reign. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2014. (Hardcover)

Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman

Pages: 321
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Real Life / Social Issues
Notes for Parents: Includes cyberbullying, attempted suicide.

The Back Cover

Lara just got told off on Facebook.
She thought that Christian liked her, that he was finally going to ask her to his school’s homecoming dance. They’ve been talking online for weeks, so what’s with the sudden change? And where does he get off saying horrible things on her wall? Even worse—are they true?
It’s been a long time since Lara’s felt this bad, this depressed, this ugly. She’s worked really hard to become pretty and happy—and make new friends after what happened in middle school.
Bree used to be best friends with overweight, depressed Lara, but constantly listening to Lara’s issues got to be too much. Secretly, Bree’s glad that Christian called Lara out. Lara’s not nearly as amazing as people think.
But no one realized just how far Christian’s harsh comments would push Lara. Not even Bree.
As online life collides with real life, things spiral out of control, and not just for Lara. Because when the truth starts to come together, the backlash is even more devastating that anyone could have ever imagined.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author writes, “I was inspired to write Backlash after reading news stories about several cyberbullying incidents and the online vigilantism that occurred in the name of making the bullies “pay.”

What’s good?

This is a sadly realistic, cautionary tale of what can happen as a result of cyberbullying. Using multiple viewpoints, the reader witnesses how one calculated act of revenge can affect many people and how its consequences often extend far beyond what is imaginable. The pace is even, the chapters are short, and the plot is though-provoking without being too preachy. Characterization is strong, but disconcerting when you appreciate how realistic these characters and their situation really are. There were no great revelations in the end, but that was fitting because the answers to life’s problems are rarely wrapped up in a nice little bow.
Best Part: Liam and Sydney

What isn’t good?

I found it difficult to relate to most of the characters in any meaningful way. While I believe the portrayals are realistic (on a small scale), I couldn’t muster much compassion for anyone but Liam and Syd. The story brings together so many issues relevant today (cyberbullying, the stigma of mental illness, butterfly effect, etc.) that the story gets overwhelmed by them at times.
Worst part: Monster Mom

Recommendation þþþoo

This is a disturbing look at life in a global community. Instant communication and anonymity provide the tools to act impulsively and without compassion, and with few formal consequences. I didn’t enjoy the topic, but I liked the authenticity of the storytelling. While there is a moral message in the end, it doesn’t fail to prove that we live in a world that lacks empathy and compassion. The story is good, not great, but still recommended.

Littman, Sarah Darer. Backlash. New York: Scholastic, 2015.