It's Not Me, It's You by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Pages: 275

Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens

Genre: Romance / Humor

Notes for Parents: Some mature content

The Back Cover

There’s no suitable summary on the back cover so this is from the author’s website:

Avery Dennis is a high school senior and one of the most popular girls in her class. But a majorly public breakup with the guy she's been dating causes some disastrous waves. It is right before prom and Avery no longer has the perfect date. She runs the prom committee, how could she not show up with somebody?

Post-breakup, Avery gets to thinking about all of the guys that she has ever dated. How come none of those relationships ever worked out? Could it be her fault? Avery decides to investigate. In history class she's learning about this method of record-keeping called "oral history" and she has a report due. So Avery decides to go directly to the source. Avery tracks down all of the guys she's ever dated, and uses that information along with her friends, family, and even teachers’ thoughts, to compile a total account of her dating history. Avery discovers some surprises about herself and the guys she's spent time with just in time for prom night.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The story is written in an unconventional format, in what the author (or rather, the main character) describes as an oral history. It’s almost like a script (but with no description of action).

What’s good?

Avery Dennis is a surprise. At first she seems like the stereotypical dumb blonde or self-obsessed mean girl as she introduces an oral history project that focusses on – no surprise – herself! However, while Avery is popular, pretty, and rich, she is also driven, confident, smart, and nice to everyone (even her nemesis, Bizzy). After her breakup right before prom, she sets out on a journey of self-discovery and learns about herself through the observations of her friends, family, and teachers as they weigh in on her distinguished list of relationships. The plot itself is nothing new, but the format gives it a fresh feel, and the well-drawn characters are an absolute delight. The unusual format makes it easy to read, and the rich vocabulary and countless pop culture references makes it a ton of fun.

Best Part: The secondary characters are fantastic, especially Coco and Hutch.

What isn’t good?

I knew how it was going to end about 30 pages in. Character growth is definitely given more attention than plot development. But even so, there wasn’t much depth to the characters either. The main character, Avery, definitely goes through a transformation as the story progresses, but we don’t get a sense of her or anyone’s history beyond the superficial.

Worst part: All. The. Periods.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

It was cute. This is a light, humorous, romantic story. The writing is good, the characters are great, but the story is predictable. Tons of young adult novels are also great reads for adults, but this isn’t one of them. I think to appreciate the problems of this particular teenage girl, you probably have to be a teenager, so I’m going to highly recommend this to any teens looking for a quick and witty read.

Strohm, Stephanie Kate. It’s Not Me, It’s You. New York: Point, 2016.

George by Alex Gino

Pages: 195

Intended Audience: Tweens

Genre: Drama / LGBTQ+

Notes for Parents: Some mature content

The Back Cover

Be who you are. When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she’s not a boy. She knows she’s a girl.

George thinks she’ll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte’s Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can’t even try out for the part…because she’s a boy.

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte—but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Author Alex Gino is transgender, more specifically genderqueer (a term used to describe a person who feels that his/her gender identity does not fit into the socially constructed "norms" associated with his/her biological sex. ~urbandictionary.com). The author wrote George to fill a hole in children’s literature.

In a September 24, 2015 interview with Kiera Parrott of School Library Journal, the author said: “When I started writing George, there wasn’t really mainstream trans literature for children of any age. The few gay and lesbian books that did exist were focused on picture books for children with LGB adults in their lives and young adult novels about high school students first coming out.”

What’s good?

The real charm of this story comes from the very simple style with which the author introduces the 10-year-old girl whom everyone else sees as a boy. The complex issue of being transgender is treated in an admirably uncomplicated way. George is not kicking and screaming about the world’s injustices, but rather lives with a quiet determination to get to know herself and eventually become that person. The adults of her world don’t seem ready to deal with George’s true self, and instead of making demands, she simply shows them how she feels. There is certainly a great irony in wanting to play a “girl” part when she feels like she’s been playing a “boy” part. It was interesting to realize how often gender comes up on a daily basis (using the bathroom, lining up for recess, trying out for a play). This was a fast, easy read with plenty of heart.

Best Part: Kelly and her dad.

What isn’t good?

I had a few issues with the use of gender stereotypes (all girls wear dresses and makeup). I can only guess that they were used to simplify George’s feelings and give Kelly a method of helping George experience her true self. I don’t think it was a harmful choice, but there are probably better choices out there.

Worst part: None.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

At its core, this is a sad story, but it’s hopeful and ultimately heartwarming to see George gain the confidence to acknowledge Melissa. While it’s easy to say “Be who you are,” it’s much more challenging when your authentic self is someone who doesn’t conform to society’s norms. George is about courage and honesty, and fortitude. 

Gino, Alex. George. New York: Scholastic, 2015. (hardcover)

Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel

Pages: 341

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Drama / Adversity

Notes for Parents: Some mature content

The Back Cover

When Maisie Winters wakes up, she’s in the hospital.

The last thing she remembers is running through the hills of her neighborhood one misty morning. Slowly, she puts the pieces together: Before she could make it home, a storm gathered. Lightning hit a power line and sparks rained down, the hot-burning electrical fire consuming her. Destroying her face. Where her nose, cheeks, and chin used to be, now there is…nothing.

Maisie’s lucky enough to qualify for a rare medical treatment: a face transplant. At least, everyone says she’s lucky. But with someone else’s features staring back at her in the mirror, Maisie looks—and feels—like a stranger. The doctors promised that the transplant was her chance to live a normal life again, but nothing feels normal anymore. Before, she knew who she was—a regular girl who ran track and got good grades, who loved her boyfriend and her best friend. Now, she can’t even recognize herself.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The author was inspired to write the story after reading an article in 2012 about a man who received a full face transplant. A face transplant is a medical procedure to replace all or part of a person's face using tissue from a cadaver. The world's first partial face transplant on a living human was carried out in France in 2005. The world's first full face transplant was completed in Spain in 2010.

What’s good?

Maisie defined herself by her ability to run and took her good looks, good friends, and good grades for granted. But after an accident alters her life, she struggles to figure out who she is and who she wants to be now that everything has changed. Maisie is a strong, realistic character, who’s search for identity amid adversity is a lesson in perseverance and resiliency. The medical information is fascinating, and thankfully presented in a way that’s easy to understand. Maisie’s unique situation is given perspective when she joins a support group and meets other who understand her many obstacles. The plot is fairly simple, with a few twists, and the pace is even. There’s a bit of romance, some humor, and plenty of emotion.

Best Part: Maisie’s friend Serena.

What isn’t good?

It felt like there was something missing. Or perhaps someone. She had her friend Serena, her boyfriend Chirag, and her parents, but why weren’t there more people rallying around her. Where were all her friends, classmates, teachers, teammates, neighbors? What about the media? The lack of attention, good or bad, felt like a missing element. Also, the ending didn’t resolve anything. It wasn’t terrible, but it felt unfinished.

Worst part: The “lucky” theme was annoying.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

It was good. I liked Maisie, the plot was interesting, and the story was a quick and easy read. The pace was steady, but my no means fast, and there wasn’t a lot of action. But the whole premise was intriguing and the problems Maisie came up against kept me engaged. Recommended.

Sheinmel, Alyssa. Faceless. New York: Scholastic, 2015.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling

Pages: 280

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: Script / Fantasy

Notes for Parents: Some violence and mature content

The Back Cover

The year is 1926 in the city of New York…

A time and place where the actions of a handful of people…and creatures…will determine the fate of the many. Magizoologist Newt Scamander, newly arrived in town, intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when Newt’s magical case is misplaced and some of his fantastic beasts escape into the city, it spells trouble for everyone…

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is J.K. Rowling’s screenwriting debut. Set in the Harry Potter universe (but about 75 years before Harry), this is the original screenplay for the movie of the same name that was released in November.

What’s good?

Enchanting supernatural beasts, magical spells, disquieting villains, and a delightfully eccentric hero make this new addition to the Potterverse and absolute joy to read. While this is not a Harry Potter novel, it has the same fantastical feel of the Harry Potter series. The plot is simple—very simple, in fact—and the characters are curious and charming. There’s plenty of action, adventure, waving wands, creature chaos, and dark, devious evil lurking in the shadows. The story is both fun and funny, with everything you would expect from a J.K. Rowling story. The book itself is beautifully designed with elaborate drawings and flourishes.

Best Part: The Niffler.

What isn’t good?

The only negative thing I can say is that the story loses a little to the screenplay format. We don’t get the mood-generating imagery, or the world-building descriptions that made the Harry Potter books so visual. However, the movie gives you all of that and more, so the script is more of a companion to the film than a stand-alone book.

Worst part: There were absolutely no “worst parts”!

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☻

For those who were disappointed with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, this is redemption. Despite the different format, this has all of the elements that made Harry Potter so entertaining – eccentric characters, fantastical beasts, humor, adventure, tense moments, and an everyday hero. Definitely recommended.

Rowling, J.K. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay. New York: Arthur A. Levine, 2016. (Hardcover)

Facing the Mountain by Wendy Orr

Pages: 136

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: Adventure / Survival

Notes for Parents: Some mature content

The Back Cover

Raven is hiking in the Rockies with her family. But when she gets to the top of her first mountain, the world tilts. She finds herself falling, riding a wave of rocks. Her sister and stepfather are trapped by the avalanche. Now Raven faces wild animals and treacherous terrain as she goes for help. Can she survive long enough to save her family?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This book was shortlisted for the 2013 Diamond Willow Awards in Saskatchewan and for the 2011 Speech Pathologists Book of the Year in Australia. It was also name a Children’s Book Council of Australian Notable Book in 2012 and commended as one of the Best Books for Kids and Teens by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre in 2012. In Australia, the book is called Raven’s Mountain. The author was born in Australia and raised in Canada.

What’s good?

Raven has to find a way down the mountain on her own after her sister and stepfather are trapped by a rock slide. She battles the elements and the wildlife, finding an inner strength she didn’t know she had. Raven is a strong, likable character, and her adventure and adversities are realistic and exciting. The story is short and the plot is simple, so this is a quick and easy read. While her physical journey is perilous, her psychological journey is just as engaging.

Best Part: The white bear and cubs.

What isn’t good?

Not surprisingly, Raven’s adventures are predictable. Despite getting a bad sun burn, bee stings, a ton of mosquito bites, and having little to drink or eat, the reader isn’t given a real sense of her discomfort – instead the story focuses on the dangers and her disorientation. It’s disappointing, but understandable in a short book.

Worst part: Nothing was terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

It was a good, quick, and easy read. This is no literary masterpiece, but Raven’s journey was entertaining, and the themes of strength and courage were thought-provoking. The ending was convenient and tidy, as expected. Recommended for those looking for a good adventure story.

Orr, Wendy. Facing the Mountain. Toronto: Scholastic Canada, 2011.