Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

Pages: 387

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Contemporary / Crime mystery

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language, violence, and mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Mary B. Addison killed a baby. Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? She wouldn’t say.

Mary survived six years in baby jail before being dumped in a group home. There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary’s fate now lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But does anyone know the real Mary?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This book received a starred review in School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and ALA Booklist.

What’s good?

Mary is an intriguing character. Jailed at the age of nine and now in a group home at 15, she’s a quiet, unassuming girl with hopes of getting an education and living a normal life. It’s clear that no one knows the full story of the events that sent her away, and it’s equally clear that she was denied the love that should have been afforded her as a young girl. The pace is steady and wrought with tension, suspense, fear, and a palpable danger. Who can she trust? Ted, the boy she’s falling in love with? Her unpredictable roommates? The incompetent women running the group home? Perception is a major theme, while justice, survival, mental health, racism, and childhood trauma all play an important part in Mary’s story. The end was…sad.

Best Part: Mary. (And the cover, it's haunting!)

What isn’t good?

The chapters were long. Chapter three was 60 pages! This slowed the pace a little, but it managed to stay steady for the most part. I didn’t like how Mary/the author used the word “fat” as a derogatory term so often – her fat fingers, her fat mouth – like anything fat was bad. Also, I found it hard to believe that so many people wanted to convict a nine-year-old. There was no compassion, presumably because of racism.

Worst part: Even I was scared of Kelly.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☻ (4/5)

This book was disturbing, and I’m not sure who I would recommend it to, but it was definitely well written. The need to know what really happened kept me reading, and, of course, I wanted to see if real justice would be served. This is a story about survival, lies, and perhaps most of all, betrayal. It was powerful and affecting, but terribly unsettling.

Jackson, Tiffany D., Allegedly. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2017.

Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke

Pages: 416

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Contemporary / Mental Health

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language, under-age drinking, sexuality, and other mature content.

The Inside Cover

Recently expelled from high school, Jane Sinner grudgingly enrolls in community college, a situation made slightly more bearable when she joins a student-run reality show. House of Orange is her chance to start over—and maybe even win a car (used, but whatever)—and no one there knows what she did in high school. What more could she want?

Okay, maybe a family that gets why she’s rather turn to Freud than to Jesus. But she’ll settle for using HOO’s growing fanbase, and whatever Intro to Psych can teach her, to prove to the world—or at least viewers of substandard TV—that she has what it takes to win.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The story deals with a girl recovering from a mental health crisis.

What’s good?

With a dry, self-deprecating humor, the story’s main character tackles issues of mental illness, faith, family, trust, and second chances. Jane Sinner is a cynical, sarcastic high school dropout looking for a fresh start. She narrates her venture into community college, and onto a campus reality show, in a journal format with script-style dialogue. This creates a fast pace that delivers several twists and turns. There is plenty of conflict and tension thanks to the relationship dynamics between Jane and her sister, her parents, her youth group friends, and her fellow House of Orange participants. I really enjoyed the ending.

Best Part: Dr. Freudenschade.

What isn’t good?

The story felt longer than it needed to be. While I really enjoyed the character study, nothing really happens until the second half. Alluding to Jane’s distressing event without revealing the details until well into the story was unnecessary, and made the story drag. Jane isn’t exactly likeable, or even relatable, but she’s a lovely shade of imperfect.

Worst part: Mr. Dubs, the Donz, and the McNugz Club.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

The story was odd, but in a way that I enjoyed. I appreciate that it took place in college (a rarely used setting for young adult novels), and I like that her relationships included her parents, and friends from before her “incident.” The combination of diary format and script style made it a quick and easy read. Recommended.

Oelke, Lianne. Nice Try, Jane Sinner. New York: Clarion, 2018. (Hardcover)

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Pages: 441

Intended Audience: Teens and up

Genre: Science Fiction / Romance

Notes for Parents: Contains some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn’t about to make the same mistake.

With ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the Wilds who lives under the government’s radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a trilogy.

What’s good?

The concept is interesting, the characters are likable, and there are some beautifully written moments. The pace is slow for the first half, but picks up considerably for the second half. The end was exciting.

Best part: Hana.

What isn’t good?

How do you create a world without love? I just couldn’t buy into the idea that people voluntarily get what amounts to a lobotomy to rid themselves of emotions. If there’s no love, there’s no passion, no nurturing, no comfort. There wasn’t enough world-building to make the scenario believable. A world full of indifferent people wouldn’t care about anything, including a sixteen-year-old in love, or a bunch of people living in the wild. There were gaps and inconsistencies that were just too much to dismiss. Hopefully the premise is more thoroughly explored in the other two books in the trilogy.

Worst part: The Book of Shhh

Recommendation ☺☺☻☻☻ (2/5)

I’m sorry, but I just didn’t like it. I was intrigued by the book’s description, but that was it. I couldn’t help but constantly compare this to Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies, a story way more dynamic and interesting. Delirium has its good moments, but overall, I found myself saying “that doesn’t make sense” a lot.

Oliver, Lauren. Delirium. New York: Harper, 2011.

How to Disappear by Sharon Huss Roat

Roat, Sharon Huss. How to Disappear. New York: Scholastic, 2017.

Pages: 377

Intended Audience: Mature tweens and up

Genre: Contemporary / Romance / Social anxiety

Notes for Parents: Contains some mature topics, but no violence, sexuality, or coarse language.

The Back Cover

Vicky Decker has perfected the art of hiding in plain sight, quietly navigating the halls of her high school undetected except by her best (and only) friend, Jenna. But when Jenna moves away, Vicky’s isolation becomes unbearable.

So she decides to invent a social life by Photoshopping herself into other people’s photos, posting them on Instagram under the screen name Vicurious. Instantly, she begins to get followers, so she adds herself to more photos from all over the world with all types of people. And as Vicurious’s online followers multiply, Vicky realizes she can make a whole life for herself without ever leaving her bedroom. But the more followers she finds online, the clearer it becomes that there are a lot of people out there who feel like her -- #alone and #ignored in real life.

To help them, and herself, Vicky must find the courage to face her fear of being “seen,” because only then can she stop living vicariously and truly bring the magic of Vicurious to life.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author created an Instagram account: @Vicurious. She writes, “I want Vicurious to be a place where readers can share their own fears and anxieties, and find support and kindness. However, it's important to understand that I am not a mental health professional and cannot fill that role for those who really need to talk to someone who is qualified to address their issues.”

What’s good?

This is the compelling story of Vicky, a young teen dealing with a multitude of social anxieties, that only worsen when her one and only friend moves away. We watch her cope by using the anonymity of Instagram, but she soon discovers the dangerous lure of social media as a replacement for real life. There are as many funny awkward moments as there are sad and heartfelt ones. The story touches on themes like friendship, dating, and loneliness. The plot is straight-forward and easy to read, but still manages to tackle the complexities of isolation and anxiety, treating heavy issues with a light hand without diminishing the seriousness. Vicky has a realistic relationship with her mom that makes the story even more relatable. Character growth is well-done and the ending is satisfying

Best Part: Lipton.

What isn’t good?

I found it frustrating to watch Vicky torment herself over Jenna all because Vicky didn’t have the courage to tell Jenna the truth about what she overheard. Vicky’s “suffering in silence” gets a bit intolerable after a while.

Worst part: The resolution with Jenna on the mountain felt contrived.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☻ (4/5)

Vicky is shy, nervous, and afraid of many things – I can relate! This is the kind of story that will touch a chord with anyone who has had trouble making connections with people. And it’s refreshing to read a novel that manages to be edgy and relevant without resorting to mature content. My favourite line: “I’m breathing. Some days, it feels like that’s enough.” Recommended.