Gold Medal Summer by Donna Freitas

Pages: 231

Intended Audience: Tweens

Genre: Sports fiction (Gymnastics)

Notes for Parents: There is no content that should be of concern to parents.

The Back Cover

Joey Jordan loves gymnastics: the thrill of performing a backflip on the beam, the cheers of the audience when she sticks a landing. But even with all her talent and style, she’s never quite made it to that gold medal stand.

Now big changes shake up Joey’s life in and out of the gym. She wants to break out some daring new beam and floor routines—but she’ll have to defy her strict coach to do it. Her best friend, Alex, is thinking about quitting gymnastics for good. And an old friend named Tanner just moved back to town, and he’s suddenly gotten very, very cute. Can Joey handle all the challenges coming her way, and make her gold medal summer happen at last?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author holds a PhD in religious studies and is a frequent university lecturer, especially on topics like belonging and alienation of young women and teens. She has written a companion book to this one called Gold Medal Winter about a figure skater.

What’s good?

Strong themes and a realistic plot makes this a fun and engaging story about a teen gymnast who must make some important decisions. Despite having many angles to the storyline, the plot is easy to follow and reflects not only the many issues the average teen faces, but the unique issues of elite teen athletes. Main character Joey is instantly likable, narrating the story with sincerity in a genuine voice. Themes include friendship, tough choices, hard work, self-expression, confidence, pressure, and goal-setting. The story includes a light romance.

Best Part: Joey Jordan.

What isn’t good?

The mean girl is a little too mean and the coach is a little too stubborn, making them seem like cartoonish stereotypes. The passive support reluctantly given by Joey’s parents is strange. There are lots of technical gymnastics terms, but it doesn’t hinder the story most of the time, and there is a handy illustrated guide of some of the moves at the beginning of the novel.

Worst part: Sarah Walker.

Recommendation ☻☻☻☻☺ (4/5)

There was no grit or great conflicts; it wasn’t edgy or even particularly original, but its simple plot, heartfelt narrative, and realistic characters made this story entertaining and inspiring. It will appeal mostly to young teens, especially gymnasts and fans of the sport, but the story will be relatable to many. Recommended.

Freitas, Donna. Gold Medal Summer. New York: Scholastic, 2012.

I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest

Pages: 227

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: Adventure / Mystery

Notes for Parents: Contains some mature material

The Back Cover

Once upon a time, two best friends created a princess together. Libby drew the comics, May wrote the stories, and Princess X fought monsters, ghosts, and other assorted creepazoids from her haunted house high on a hill.

Once upon a few years later, Libby was in the car with her mom, driving across a bridge on a rainy night. When the car went over the side, Libby passed away, and Princess X died with her.

Once upon a now, May is sixteen and lonely when she sees a sticker slapped in a corner window – a figure in a gold crown, pink dress, red Chucks, and a long katana sword…

Princess X? Suddenly, May sees the princess everywhere: stickers, patches, graffiti – an entire underground world built around a web comic at IAmPrincessX.com. The more May explores the comic, the more shocking connections she finds between Libby’s death and Princess X’s adventures. And that means only one person could have started this phenomenon – her best friend, Libby, who lives.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

While she has had 19 full length books published, this is the author’s first young adult novel.

What’s good?

When May discovers though a web comic that her friend Libby, who she thought died in a car crash, may still be alive, she teams up with a neighborhood computer geek to find some answers. This is a sophisticated mystery with plenty of action and adventure. The web comic interspersed throughout the story gives it a graphic novel feel. The plot is complex but easy to follow and the pace is fast, making this a quick and effortless read. Friendship and perseverance are strong themes, the concept is creative, and the characters are interesting.

Best Part: The cover.

What isn’t good?

Pointless dialogue and unnecessary details muddy the story and distract from some of the mystery. Meanwhile, the absence of physical and emotional descriptors means the overall atmosphere of the story is a little stale. Character depth is also lacking, making it difficult to understand some of the choices that May and Trick make. I was annoyed that more than once, the characters don’t call for help because they assume the police won’t handle the situation correctly. It’s nothing but a ridiculous excuse to keep the adventure going.

Worst part: “It was the third loudest thing she ever heard.” (pg. 218)

Recommendation ☻☻☻☻☺ (4/5)

Despite some strange logistical choices, I found this story to be very entertaining. It wasn’t until after I was finished reading it and preparing to write this review that some of the plotting really started to bother me. However, for as many weaknesses it has, this story has a lot of strengths, including an engaging storyline, likeable characters, and a unique premise.

Priest, Cherie. I Am Princess X. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2015.

Lost & Found by Brooke Davis

Pages: 289

Intended Audience: Adult

Genre: Real life drama

Notes for Parents: Contains some coarse language, sexual content, and mature themes

The Back Cover

Millie Bird, seven years old and ever hopeful, always wears red gumboots to match her curly hair. Her struggling mother, grieving the death of Millie’s father, leaves her in the big ladies’ underwear department of a local store and never returns. United at this fateful moment with two octogenarians seeking their own answers, Millie embarks upon a road trip with them to find her mother. Together they will discover that old age is not the same as death, that the young can be wise, and that letting yourself feel sad once in a while just might be the key to a happy life.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author was inspired to write this novel after her mother died suddenly in a freak accident in 2007. The book became part of her PhD thesis about grief representation in literature. This is the Australian author’s first novel.

What’s good?

This is a character-driven, adventure-laden story about a little girl and two elderly people who go on a journey together. Love, loss, loneliness, the value of life, and the burden of grief are some of the themes the author explores using humor, beautiful imagery, and a range of emotions. Seven-year-old Millie’s interpretation of the world, especially her obsession with dead things, is uniquely charming. Her older companions are well-drawn and distinctively quirky. The dialogue is strong, and the author’s use of language is often breath-taking. One of my favorite lines (among many) is, “…she saw the hair in his ears, waving in the wind like the hands of drowning men.” (pg. 57). The ending, though lacking resolution, was surprisingly satisfying.

Best Part: I’M HERE MUM

What isn’t good?

The pace is uneven and several times the characters go off on wordy tangents that are unnecessary. Agatha’s rude yelling gets irritating after a while. Several situations are difficult to believe; in fact, the entire premise is highly improbable.

Worst part: The dialogue is italicized instead of placed in quotation marks, and doesn’t follow standard style.

Recommendation þþþoo

This novel is okay for mature teens, but it’s probably not appropriate for (or of interest to) younger readers. The exploration into grief and aging gets quite complex and becomes even more convoluted with the use of dark humor and mature situations. There is something captivating about the author’s style, especially in her imagery and characterization. This novel won’t be for everyone, but I look forward to future stories.

Davis, Brooke. Lost & Found. New York: Penguin, 2016. (Originally published in Australia by Hachette, 2014)

Little Miss Evil by Bryce Leung and Kristy Shen

Pages: 139

Intended Audience: Tweens

Genre: Adventure/Humor

Notes for Parents: Contains violence and some mature scenes

The Back Cover

When you live in a volcano, ride to school in a helicopter, and regularly see your dad on the news with the caption “EVIL GENIUS” underneath his picture, it takes a lot to rattle you.

Until you get a message that says: We have your father. Deliver the NOVA in 24 hours or we will kill him.

What’s a NOVA, you ask? It’s a nuclear bomb capable of turning the city into a radioactive mushroom cloud, and ever since Fiona’s dad built it, it’s caused nothing but grief. But telling him to stop building weapons is like telling Michelangelo to stop painting. And that’s why thirteen-year-old Fiona has a flamethrower strapped to her arm.

After all, who’d mess with a girl who can throw fireballs?

Apparently, these guys.

Big mistake.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The authors are a husband and wife writing team. They are engineers and live in Toronto.

What’s good?

There’s plenty of action and adventure in this story about Fiona, the unfortunate daughter of an evil genius who isn’t keen on following in her father’s footsteps. But she loves her dad despite his villainous ways and sets off to save him when he’s kidnapped by his nemesis. This is a quick and easy read with a simple plot and a few good twists. It’s charming and witty with the same light tone as Despicable Me but it maintains a fresh, original feel. Fiona is fun and likeable, the pace is swift, and the story is entertaining.

Best Part: Fiona’s birthday gifts over the years.

What isn’t good?

The authors use a lot of clichéd similes and metaphors that make it feel childish after a while. The wit gets stale too as the plot becomes more dire. The secondary characters are a bit flat, although the interaction between Fiona and the others works well. The cutesy bits disagree with the big action scenes.

Worst part: The intended audience is a bit confusing.

Recommendation þþþoo

In the end, this is a strange cross between a Saturday morning cartoon and an adult action movie. It will work for some and not for others. I think mature readers will have a hard time buying into some of the facts (Ruby is a 13-year-old helicopter pilot; Jai drives his own submarine), but younger readers will enjoy the adventure and humor. It’s quirky and fun, but has some mature violence.

Leung, Bryce & Kristy Shen. Little Miss Evil. New York: Scholastic, 2015.