White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick

Pages: 262

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: gothic horror

Notes for Parents: Includes murder, cruelty, suicide and lots of darkness. For mature teens only.

The Back Cover

Two lives, two centuries apart. But they walked the same paths, lived in the same house, became obsessed by the same question.

When city girl Rebecca steps into the quiet streets of Winterfold that relentlessly hot summer, her uneasy friendship with strange, elfin Ferelith sets in motion a shocking chain of events.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The present-day story of Rebecca and Ferelith is interspersed with the 18^th century diary of the town’s former priest.

What’s good?

The slow, churning pace creates an intense, almost stifling atmosphere, as it follows the unbalanced friendship of Rebecca and Ferelith. Adding to the tensile mood are the disturbing journal entries of the town’s former priest, detailing his and Dr. Barrieux’s horrific experiments.

The writing is dark and lyrical, the characters are vibrant, the shifting points of view are effective, and the ending is shocking and unexpected.

Best Part: The town, a decrepit and dying village, is itself, a stunning character.

What’s isn’t good?

Ferelith is an unsympathetic character who lacks depth. She is thoroughly creepy, which lends much to the story, but I didn’t like or care about her, especially by the end. The questions about God, angels, and life after death are thought-provoking, but the heinous experiments and Ferelith’s deluded laments skew any real philosophical debate.

Worst part: Ferelith.

Recommendation þþþoo

Normally, this is not the type of book I would choose to read, but I was attracted by the sticker that read “Shortlisted for the Cilip Carnegie Medal 2011.” It was dark, creepy, and quite gory – not my cup of tea – but will likely be devoured by those who like a well-written, gothic thriller.

Sedgwick, Marcus. White Crow. London: Orion, 2010.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Pages: 348

Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens

Genre: Supernatural

Notes for Parents: Scenes of violence.

The Inside Cover

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

And a strange collection of very peculiar photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine’s children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

I can’t figure out exactly why, but the description on the cover feels a bit deceptive.

What’s good?

This is a quirky, mysterious, time-travel adventure interlaced with strange, vintage photographs and particularly peculiar characters. Jacob is an angst-ridden teen pulled into the bizarre past of his dead grandfather. The premise is clever, the plot ebbs and flows with unpredictability, and the overall effect is sufficiently creepy.

Best Part: The photographs.

What isn’t good?

The photographs. As much as I enjoyed looking at the photographs, I felt yanked out of the story every time I turned the page and saw a photograph. The author’s attempt to insert the pictures into the narrative was awkward and interrupted the flow of the story. I would have preferred a more in-depth development of the characters rather than the weak descriptions based, for the most part, on the photographs.

Worst part: By the end, the peculiarity felt too campy.

Recommendation þþooo

The first third or so of the book was fantastic. The author knows how to get out of the gate. However, the choppiness and lack of character development made this little more than an eccentric tale by the end. It’s a wonderful premise that, for me, fell short of expectations.

Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Philadelphia: Quirk, 2011. (hardcover)

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Pages: 374

Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens

Genre: Science Fiction

Notes for Parents: Some violence.

The Back Cover

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is empty.

But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home…wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in the Maze Runner trilogy.

What’s good?

The story is driven by a train of mysteries confounded by intense action. The characters are interesting and well-drawn, and they survive their baffling world in a believable, age-appropriate way, reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. The Glade is an excellent setting, the pacing is even and suspense-filled, and the grievers are satisfyingly fear-provoking.

Best Part: Chuck.

What isn’t good?

I didn’t like the main characters, especially Teresa, whose personality irritated me. While I sympathized with Thomas and his situation, I was more interested in the other boys and cared more about their survival than Thomas’.

Worst part: The swear words – klunk, shank, shuckface.

Recommendation þþþoo

I was motivated to read the other two books in the series by the grand mystery behind all the action and adventure. I have no regrets. However, I would recommend Michael Grant’s Gone series before this one.

Dashner, James. The Maze Runner. New York: Delacorte Press, 2009.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Pages: 216

Intended Audience: Teens and tweens

Genre: Historical fable

Notes for Parents: Allusions to acts of cruelty

The Inside Cover

The story of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some clues about the book on the jacket, but in this case we think that would spoil the reading of the book. We think it is important that you start to read without knowing what it is about.

If you do start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy called Bruno. (Though this isn’t a book for nine-year-olds.) And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence.

Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope you never have to encounter such a fence.

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

Well, it doesn’t tell you much. So, in keeping with the philosophy of the description, I won’t tell you much more than it’s a story about a boy whose father gets a promotion that moves the family to a new place where Bruno meets a boy living on the other side of the fence wearing blue striped pajamas.

What’s good?

The author deliberately avoids details to heighten the suspense as we traverse the story guided only by the perspective of a very naïve child. However, unless you live in a bubble, you will know the who, what, when, where and why of this story. As a 9-year-old sheltered from the truth, however, Bruno doesn’t understand it, so we watch as he navigates the horrors around him with a child’s innocence. This is a haunting fable that ends with a cruel twist of karmic fate.

Best part: The end, even though I totally saw it coming.

What’s not so good?

Accepting the premise may be a difficult pill for some people to swallow. This book asks you to tolerate knowing more than the main character for the entire story. This stifles the pace and makes for a daunting read.

Worst part: The beginning. It’s halfway through the book before we even meet the boy in the striped pajamas.

Recommendations þþþþo

Ultimately, this book must be viewed as a fable – a story with a message – rather than a historical novel in order to be enjoyed. Picky readers will hate the naivety, the inconsistencies, and all of the questions that arise from the actions and non-actions of the supporting characters. I enjoyed it and I recommend it. 

Boyne, John. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. New York: David Fickling Books, 2006

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Pages: 390

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Supernatural Sci-Fi

Notes for Parents: Some mature themes.

The Back Cover

The cold.

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn’t know why.

The heat.

Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace…until now.

The shiver.

For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it’s spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human – and Grace must fight to keep him – even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

What the Back Cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first in a trilogy.

What’s good?

It has a different take on werewolf lore and I always admire when someone is courageous enough to step outside the box. The author’s use of language is beautiful. The story had the feel of a classic romance with a supernatural twist.

Best Part: Wolves. I love wolves.

What’s not so good?

I have to admit that I didn’t particularly like the characters. It felt a little too Twilight to me. While I admire the outside-the-box thinking when it came to the werewolves, I didn’t like what she came up with. Also, the romance bloomed too quickly, relying on that mystical I-love-you-deeply-even-though-we-barely-know-each-other emotion (a la Twilight), which I find juvenile. A convincing relationship should have, at least, a little time to develop. It all seemed a little campy.

Worst part: Some of the poetry is very cheesy. (Although, some of it is quite good.)

Recommendations þþooo

I think this is one of those love it or hate it kind of books. I didn’t like it, but then, I didn’t like Twilight either.

Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver. New York: Scholastic, 2009