A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

Pages: 319

Intended Audience: Teens and up

Genre: Real world from a dog’s perspective

Notes for Parents: Some mature content

The Back Cover

Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey’s search for his new life’s meaning leads him into the loving arms of eight-year-old Ethan. During their countless adventures, Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog.

But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey’s journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders—will he ever find his purpose?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This was made into a movie and released in January 2017.

What’s good?

This is a simple story about the importance of relationships and every living creatures need for purpose. Told from a dog’s perspective, it’s an emotional tale filled with sadness, suspense, excitement, and plenty of incidental humor as the dog interprets human behavior while trying to figure out his reason for being. While thought-provoking, the plot is straightforward, and the characters are uncomplicated. With this being the dog’s narrative, the writing is unpretentious, but it still includes some beautiful imagery. While there are plenty of moments to laugh and cry about, the author manages to avoid being overly sentimental until just near the end. The end was expected, but heartwarming and very satisfying.

Best Part: I love how the dog only really understood a few human words (e.g. “car ride”) but often correctly deduced what was happening based on the actions and emotions of the humans around him.

What isn’t good?

I’m sure there are all kinds of things critics could point out as lacking in this story – it’s not sophisticated, the narrative voice is childlike, the plot is simplistic, etc. But none of those things bothered me. In fact, I found it made the story stronger. This is not great American literature; it’s a sweet little story that offers an explanation as to why we can connect with dogs so deeply.

Worst part: None.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☺ (5/5)

This is not a book I would recommend to everyone, but I couldn’t find fault with anything so I had to give it five out of five. It’s emotional, perceptive, exciting, funny, and very easy to read. This book doesn’t suggest that dogs are like people – but maybe they’re better, more in tune with emotion, more resilient, more perceptive, more open to love, more trusting. If you’ve ever loved a dog, then you should read this book. Even if you just believe we have something to learn from our animal friends, consider giving A Dog’s Purpose a chance.

Cameron, W. Bruce. A Dog’s Purpose. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2010.

Velocity by Chris Wooding

Pages: 325

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Post-apocalyptic action/adventure

Notes for Parents: Violence and scenes of graphic violence, drinking, corruption.

The Back Cover

Cassica and Shiara are best friends. They couldn’t be more different, but their differences work to their advantage—especially when they’re racing. Cassica is fearless and decisive, making her the perfect driver for daring, photo-finish victories. Shiara is fiercely intelligent, able to build cars out of scrap and formulate gutsy strategies from the passenger seat.

Now they’ve set their sights on the Widowmaker: the biggest, deadliest race of the year, a three-day off-road rally through bombed-out cities and irradiated wastelands. The winners get a pass to a life of luxury and fame. The losers, more often than not, die in fiery explosions. And even if Cassica and Shiara survive to cross the finish line, their friendship might be roadkill along the way.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The story is described as the author’s “blistering vision of the future” where he “re-imagines NASCAR by way of Mad Max and The Hunger Games.”

What’s good?

Copious amounts of race action, scary creatures, and suspenseful moments thrust this post-apocalyptic adventure into overdrive. The main characters—Cassica, the ambitious, daredevil driver, and Shiara, the reserved, genius mechanic—are well-drawn, with strong personality traits that develop throughout the story. Their friendship is a key theme that becomes tumultuous as their situation becomes dire. The pace is fast and furious, the plot is simple but exciting, and the end is very satisfying.

Best Part: The end.

What isn’t good?

I was confused by the premise that Shiara can’t open her own shop because she’s a woman, but she’s completely accepted as a racer. Or the rule that says you can’t use weapons against the other competitors but you can still kill them. Lots of small but significant inconsistencies bothered me throughout the story. And I loved the ending, but I totally saw it coming.

Worst part: Editing mistakes.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

This story was dark, violent, and fast-moving, but the small contradictions and general predictability were distracting. The writing was a bit weak and the world-building could have been stronger, but regardless, it was exciting, easy to read, and I enjoyed it. If you find the book’s description enticing, then go for it.

Wooding, Chris. Velocity. London, UK: Scholastic, 2015.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Pages: 449

Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens

Genre: Fantasy / Fairy Tale

Notes for Parents: Some violence and scary scenes.

The Inside Cover

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is intended as a prequel to the classic Alice in Wonderland, telling the story of Catherine, the possible future Queen of Hearts. It also incorporates the story of Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, and Poe’s poem, The Raven.

What’s good?

The author has created a prequel with a wonderful balance of the classic story and new, imaginative elements. It also seamlessly blends Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater and Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven into the Wonderland lore. Characterization is strong, especially with charismatic Jest, and the delightfully impish Cheshire Cat. Heartless retains the “nonsense” tone of the original story (magic hats, talking animals, hatter’s tea party) but includes some scenes with action, violence, and dark, creepy moments. Both the dust jacket and the cover of my hardcover copy were beautiful.

Best Part: the Cheshire Cat

What isn’t good?

The plot is odd, but simple and easy to understand, but becomes predictable after a while. Unfortunately, the story takes a long time to unravel which dilutes the limited action scenes and makes for many drawn out chapters. I found the protagonist, Cath, to be likeable but weak, and Peter Peter sadly underutilized as an antagonist. The end was sudden and dark, not reflecting the lighter, less bloody tone set in the rest of the novel.

Worst part: The pace.

Recommendation ☺☺☺ ☻☻ (3/5)

This book can’t seem to decide whether it’s a whimsical romance or a dark adventure. However, this is not a bad book. The writing is clean; the setting is fun; the characters are well-drawn; and the story is quite enchanting. The slow pace and lack of action robbed it of its full potential.

Meyer, Marissa. Heartless. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2016. (hardcover)

The Secret Language of Sisters by Luanne Rice

Pages: 336

Intended Audience: Mature Tweens and Teens

Genre: Real Life

Notes for Parents: Some mature content

The Back Cover

When Ruth Ann (Roo) McCabe responds to a text message while she’s driving, her life as she knows it ends. The car flips, and Roo winds up in a hospital bed, paralyzed. Silent. Everyone thinks she’s in a coma, but Roo has locked-in syndrome—she can see and hear and understand everything around her, but no one knows it. She’s trapped inside her own body, screaming to be heard.

Mathilda (Tilly) is Roo’s sister and best friend. She was the one who texted Roo and inadvertently caused the accident. Now, Tilly must grapple with her overwhelming guilt and her growing feelings for Roo’s boyfriend, Newton—the only other person who seems to get what Tilly is going through.

But Tilly might be the only person who can solve the mystery of her sister’s condition—who can see through Roo’s silence to the truth underneath.

Somehow, through medicine or miracles, will both sisters find a way to heal?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Luanne Rice is a New York Times bestselling author of over 30 adult novels, many of which have been made into television movies. This is her first young adult novel.

What’s good?

This story begins as a cautionary tale about texting and driving, but at its heart is a story about two sisters dealing with the aftermath of the accident. The narrative alternates between Roo, thought to be comatose but actually suffering from locked-in syndrome, and her younger sister Tilly, who was the one who sent Roo the last text before her accident. The two lead characters are strong and likeable, and the secondary characters are well-crafted. The plot is simple, easy to follow and includes a few subplots and side stories that make it interesting.

Best Part: The dog.

What isn’t good?

It was slow, and many parts felt contrived. The outrage people felt toward Tilly felt forced, and the way the newspapers reported about Roo’s condition seemed unlikely. It was also odd that the doctor said the patient didn’t feel emotion when normally loved ones are encouraged to talk to a patient in a coma. It was disappointing that the reader wasn’t given more information about “locked-in syndrome.”

Worst part: The pace was slow.

Recommendation ☺☺☻☻☻ (2/5)

The premise and character development probably deserve three smiley faces, but the plot moved so slow that I was relieved to get to the end of the book. The story explored some interesting ideas, but lacked the kind of action or emotion that’s necessary to sustain a young adult book. 

Rice, Luanne. The Secret Language of Sisters. New York: Point, 2016.

Irena's Children: A True Story of Courage by Tilar Mazzeo (adapted for young readers by Mary Cronk Farrell)

My copy looked like this but included
"Young Readers Edition" under the title
and "adapted by Mary Cronk Farrell"
under the author's name.

Pages: 243

Intended Audience: Mature Tweens and up

Genre: Biography / Holocaust

Notes for Parents: Some mature content and disturbing scenes

The Inside Cover

This young readers edition of Irena’s Children tells the incredible untold story of Irena Sendler, a courageous Polish woman now nicknamed “the female Oskar Schindler” who saved the lives of 2,500 children during one of the worst times in modern history. With guts of steel and unfaltering bravery, Irena smuggled children out of the walled Jewish ghetto in Warsaw. She put them in toolboxes and coffins, snuck them under overcoats at checkpoints, and slipped them through the dank sewers and into secret passages that led to abandoned buildings, where she convinced her friends and underground resistance network to hide them.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Except for diplomats who issued visas to help Jews flee Nazi-occupied Europe, Sendler saved more Jews than any other individual during the Holocaust. In 1965, she was recognized by the State of Israel as righteous among the Nations. Late in life, she was awarded the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest honor, for her wartime humanitarian efforts. In 2007, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

What’s good?

This is a gripping true story filled with heart-stopping moments, painful failures, and poignant victories. Irena Sendler and her network (aided by the underground Polish resistance) smuggled money, information, forged papers, food, and people (especially children and babies) in and out of the Warsaw Ghetto at great risk. The dangers were mindboggling and the depth of their courage was inconceivable. This remarkable story reads like a novel, is well-organized, and has a good pace. The historical details are kept to a minimum, but the read can clearly see the Nazi’s methodical oppression, segregation, deportation, and eventual extermination of the Jewish race. The story is both shocking and mesmerizing.

Best Part: The inclusion of photographs makes it even more real.

What isn’t good?

There were some editing issues, like missing words, that should have been easily caught before publication.

Worst part: Nothing.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☺ (5/5)

This book was exceptional. The adaptation makes this intense and disturbing story accessible to students. However, it contains mature content that will be difficult for some sensitive readers. This is an important story, especially now, as we witness a resurgence of politically-led bigotry, racism, and xenophobia. Despite the harsh realities, this story is ultimately about friendship, determination, and the extraordinary audacity of one woman who, at great risk, led a group on a humanitarian mission that saved over 2000 people. 

Mazzeo, Tilar J. Irena’s Children: A True Story of Courage. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2016. (Young Readers Edition adapted by Mary Cronk Farrell)