The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

Pages: 391
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Real life drama
Notes for Parents: Includes some mature scenes, description of war, violence.

The Inside Cover

For the past five years, Hayley Kincain and her father, Andy, have been on the road, trying to outrun the memories that haunt them both. They moved back to Andy’s hometown to try a “normal” life, but the horrors he saw in the war threaten to destroy their lives. Hayley watches, helpless, as her father turns to drugs and alcohol to silence his demons. And then her own past creeps up, and everything falls apart.
How do you keep your father alive when death is stalking him? What are you supposed to do when your parent stops acting like an adult? And what happens if a sweet guy who can make you laugh barges his way into your world and for the first time, you find yourself thinking about the future?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author was inspired to write this story by her nephew who served overseas, but also buy her own, deeply personal story, of growing up with her father who was haunted by his experiences in World War II.

What’s good?

Hailey has found a way to adapt to a life that is dictated by her father’s PTSD. The result is a disillusioned young girl who lacks faith in everyone around her. The story follows her fear and anger filled daily life as she parents her mentally ill father and tries to live a normal life. All of the characters are portrayed with the author’s trademark authenticity. The narrative is well-paced and easy to read, making a fairly simple story out of a very complex subject.

Best Part: The clever banter (not entirely believable for a couple of teens) between Hailey and Finn. For example:

“The warped perception of time is a hallmark of trauma,” he said. “I’ve counseled a lot of superheroes. They all struggle with it.”
“Oh, really?” My hand dropped to touch his.
“Superheroes can be a pain in the balls,” he said. “Always acting tough, pretending nothing hurts.”
“What do you do with them?”
“Most of them go to a llama farm in New Mexico to meditate and spin wool. I don’t dare send you there.” He tugged gently, pulling me closer. “You’d scare the llamas.”
“You defame me, sir,” I said. “I am a kind and gentle friend of llamas.”...

What isn’t good?

This is not the author’s best work. Though her portrayal of an ex-soldier with PTSD is done with sensitivity, it’s fairly simplistic and perhaps misses the important nuances that anyone dealing with mental illness knows well. Hailey’s abandonment issues also seem to be glossed over.
Worst part: The texting bits – who writes like that?

Recommendation þþþoo

This is a beautiful story with funny bits and sad bits and even a few scary parts, but it’s by no means as memorable as some of the author’s other works. Despite a lack of depth in spots, I still recommend this heart-wrenching story.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. The Impossible Knife of Memory. New York: Viking, 2014 (Hardcover)

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Pages: 403
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Adventure/Romance
Notes for Parents: Some mild language, violence, and mature themes

The Inside Cover

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world.
But that’s exactly what happened.
Face-to-face with dark forces, spell-binding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first in a series.

What’s good?

The beautiful and mystical country of India is the setting of this story that is rich with mythology and adventure, fuelled by an ancient curse that turned two princes into tigers. An ordinary girl is tasked with helping to break the curse and embarks on a quest with one of the tiger princes. It’s a truly original idea...and I love the cover art!
Best Part: Fanindra the Snake

What isn’t good?

Where do I begin?
The two main characters are impossible to like. Kelsey is immature and consistently annoying, while Ren is often pretentious and, at times, outrageously obnoxious.
The premise is unrealistic. What kind of foster parents would allow their ward to travel to the other side of the world with a stranger and a white tiger?
The story is pock-marked with awkward word choices, corny metaphors and similes, and clichéd moments that were downright uncomfortable to witness.
I could go on, but I think this is enough.
Worst part: Kells.

Recommendation þþooo

There was a good idea deep inside this poorly written and badly characterized story. I loved the setting, the mythology, and the promise of adventure, but I could not overlook all of the negatives. Sadly, I cannot recommend this book.

Houck, Colleen. Tiger’s Curse. New York: Splinter, 2011.

Red Thread Sisters by Carol Antoinette Peacock

Pages: 231
Intended Audience: Tweens
Genre: Real life drama
Notes for Parents: There’s nothing that should concern parents

The Back Cover

Eleven-year-old Wen has spent most of her life in a Chinese orphanage, where the only person she would call “family” is her best friend, Shu Ling. All Wen has ever wanted is to be adopted. But when Wen’s lucky day finally comes, and she is whisked off to a suburb of Boston, she realizes she had no idea what she was getting into. Learning English is hard, and using that English to make friends with the girls at school, or to tell her new parents that she loves them, seems almost impossible. But the worst part is knowing that Shu Ling remains back at the orphanage, alone. Before she left, Wen made a promise to find Shu Ling a family of her own. But promises aren’t always so easy to keep, and time is running out…

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The story is less about Wen trying to fit in and more about her desperate attempts to find Shu Ling a home in America.

What’s good?

Quick and easy to read, this is a touching story about a Chinese orphan who finds a home in America. Her attempts to fit into such a different culture from her own is compelling, as are her stories about what life was like in China. Her race to find her friend a home is a harrowing one that kept me reading. The characters are likeable and easy to care about.
Best Part: the end.

What isn’t good?

The simplicity of the story means there isn’t a lot of depth. There is enough told about the characters and situation to care, but not enough to feel truly engaged. While the problems were presented as complex, in the end, everything came together quite easily.
Worst part: nothing was terrible.

Recommendation þþþoo

The story is poignant but simple, clearly aimed at middle school readers. I enjoyed it, and recommend it to anyone looking for an easy yet emotional story.

Peacock, Carol Antoinette. Red Thread Sisters. New York: Scholastic, 2012.

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Pages: 303
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: supernatural romance/horror
Notes for Parents: mild language, some violence

The Inside Cover

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters must prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother’s death.
It’s going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder’s job is to gain Hancock’s trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock’s daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love—just as Lily starts to suspect there’s more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.
One thing’s for sure: what Calder decides, the outcome won’t be pretty.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first in a series.

What’s good?

This killer merfolk story is an intriguing tale that takes us far from the whimsical singing mermaids we’re used to. The writing is solid, the plot thickens with plenty of tension, and the climax is an action-packed ride to the end. The three cunning mermaid sisters are a wonderful contrast to Calder, their conflicted brother who dislikes the merfolk life.  
Best Part: Maris, Pavati, and Tallulah.

What isn’t good?

It wasn’t difficult to guess that this would be another “instant love” teen romance. With barely a hello, Calder was head over heels in love so much that his sister recognized it. Since the story was from Calder’s point of view, his love interest, Lily, never really developed (although I hear book 2 is from her point of view). Several elements of the ending were pretty easy to predict.
Worst part: the romance.

Recommendation þþþoo

This is essentially a vampire love story told with mermaids. The lore, though not deeply explored, is interesting and will hopefully be developed more in subsequent volumes. While the author’s choices for some scenes caused me to roll my eyes, I was never bored and read quickly to see how it would all work out. If I had the time, I would read the sequel, but it wasn’t so good that I’m willing to make the time. Good, but not great.

Brown, Anne Greenwood. Lies Beneath. New York: Ember, 2012.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Pages: 346
Intended Audience: Mature teens
Genre: Historical / War
Notes for Parents: Some mild language; graphic descriptions of abuse and neglect carried out at the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp in Germany, including medical experiments and mass murder.

The Back Cover

When ferrying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet Rose Justice is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women’s concentration camp. There, she meets an unforgettable group of women, including a once glamorous French novelist whose Jewish husband and three young sons have been killed; a resilient young Polish girl who has been used as a human guinea pig by Nazi doctors; and a female fighter pilot and military ace for the Soviet air force.
Trapped in this bleak place under horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery, and friendship of these fellow prisoners. But will hope be enough to enable Rose to endure the fate that is in store for her?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is a companion novel to Wein’s Code Name Verity.

What’s good?

This is an intensely emotional story about the depths of human cruelty that is not for the faint of heart. Characterization was key as we got to know the prisoners – victims of the Nazi regime – and witnessed their desperation. Rose’s six months seems like an eternity as the desperation of the women of Ravensbrück grows palpable. The plot is deliberate and grinding, allowing us to watch the painful transformation of a woman who was once an adventurous, confident pilot. Rose’s poetry serves as a beacon of light.
Best Part: The Rabbits

What isn’t good?
As with Code Name Verity, it has a slow start and includes a lot of technical airplane talk that adds very little to the story. Luckily, the pace picks up quickly when Rose is captured.
Worst part: The beginning.

Recommendation þþþþo

If you can stick with this book during its slow start and slog through some of the technical jargon, there is a gem to be found. This is an honest fictional account of a horrifying historical reality. Definitely recommended.

Wein, Elizabeth. Rose Under Fire. New York: Hyperion, 2013. (Hardcover)