Can't Look Away by Donna Cooner

Pages: 265
Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens
Genre: Real life / Grief
Notes for Parents: Deals with death, grief.

The Back Cover

Torrey Grey is famous. At least, on the Internet. Thousands of people watch her videos on fashion and beauty. But when Torrey’s sister is killed in an accident—maybe because of Torrey and her videos—Torrey’s perfect world implodes.
Now, strangers online are bashing Torrey. And at her new school, she doesn’t know who to trust. Is queen-bee Blair only interested in Torrey’s infamy? What about Raylene, who is unpopular, but seems to accept Torrey for who she is? And then there’s Luis, with his brooding dark eyes, whose family runs the local funeral home. Torrey finds herself drawn to Luis, and his fascinating stories about el Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.
As the Day of the Dead draws near, Torrey will have to really look at her own feelings about death, and life, and everything in between. Can she learn to mourn her sister out of the public eye?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s second book for teens.

What’s good?

Revealing flashbacks, a realistic romance, and a premise relevant to today’s social media-savvy teens makes this story about a grieving vlogger an engaging and ultimately heartwarming story. The writing is smooth with good transitions and an even pace. The plot is simple but emotional. There are great supporting characters, like cousin Raylene, Luis the undertaker’s son, and Mrs. Annie Florence. Using recollections of her sister, and a gently developing romance, we witness the main character, Torrey, change from a shallow, self-involved teen, to someone more introspective and mature. I loved the use of el Día de los Muertos traditions as a tool for Torrey to explore her grief.
Best Part: Sugar skulls and the socks with socks.

What isn’t good?

The main character is tough to take. Torrey is shallow and materialistic, clearly seeking popularity over real friendship. Though I felt she matured by the end, she never completely loses that egocentrism and this may turn off many readers. The story itself lacks movement. There’s not a lot of action and most of the good stuff comes at the end. Also, the mean girls are total clichés. It’s difficult to understand why Torrey—as shallow and self-centered as she is—would even want to be seen with them.
Worst part: Blair.

Recommendation þþþoo

By the end, this was an uplifting story about a popular online beauty blogger who is suddenly forced to deal with a life-altering tragedy. It’s tough to watch her struggle. Her identity was so wrapped up in being Beautystarz15—posting “haul videos,” checking view statistics, giving make-up tutorials—that she really doesn’t know how to deal in the real world. It’s a nice story about dealing with grief. Recommended.

Cooner, Donna. Can’t Look Away. New York: Point, 2014.

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

Pages: 469
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Fantasy / Romance
Notes for Parents: There is some mild violence and descriptions of violent deaths.

The Back Cover

Sometimes, one must do the unthinkable.
For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cecile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realizes that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse.
Cecile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time…
But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for…

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book of the Malediction Trilogy.

What’s good?

Interesting world building highlights this unique story about trolls trapped under a mountain by a curse. An engaging premise, a solid plot, and good writing making this an attractive tale filled with magic, witchcraft, spells, curses, and monsters. There is a struggle for power, a fight for freedom, and an intense romance that guides the plot with action, drama, and even some humor.
Best Part: Glass gardens.

What isn’t good?

It’s wordy. The infrequent change of point of view from Cecile to Tristan is awkward. Cecile is a weak, shallow, gullible, insecure girl. I was way more interested in the supporting characters, like Anais, Marc, and Christophe. There was too much drama and not enough action. The romance was unconvincing and the declarations of love were exhausting, melodramatic rants. Stones and sky!
Worst part: The trolls were beautiful, powerful, intelligent beings affected by iron. Doesn’t that make them fairies? Maybe this is addressed in subsequent volumes.

Recommendation þþooo

I bought the book based on a multitude of reviews that said it was amazing and unbelievable, and the best book they’ve ever read. I may have gone into it with too high an expectation, but regardless, I found very little to my liking. The main character was so weak. SPOILER ALERT: She’s kidnapped, dragged underground, and sold, but when she’s told she’ll be bonded to a troll, her biggest worry is that he’ll be ugly. Enough said. Not recommended by me, but loved by many others.

Jensen, Danielle L., Stolen Songbird. Nottingham, UK: Angry Robot, 2014.

Flunked by Jen Calonita

Pages: 242
Intended Audience: Tweens
Genre: Fantasy / Fairy Tale Parody
Notes for Parents: The violence is very mild.

The Back Cover

Would you send a villain to do a hero’s job?
Gilly wouldn’t call herself wicked, exactly…but when you have five little brothers and sisters and live in a run-down boot, you have to get creative to make ends meet. Gilly’s a pretty good thief (if she does say so herself).
Until she gets caught.
Gilly’s sentenced to three months at Fairy Tale Reform School—where all of the teachers are former (super-scary) villains like the Big Bad Wolf, the Evil Queen, and Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother. Harsh. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there’s more to this school than its heroic mission.
There’s a battle brewing and Gilly has to wonder just how good these bad guys are.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s first middle grade book and it’s the first book in a series.

What’s good?

This is a charismatic tale with an engaging premise and a fun cast of characters. Fairy tale references are tightly woven into this adventure story along with plenty of action, mystery, and humor. The main character, Gilly, is a spunky, high-spirited narrator who is easy to like, and she’s surrounded by a group delightful eccentrics. The plot is simple and straightforward, and the writing is strong and easy to read.
Best Part: Gilly’s family and their shoe.

What isn’t good?

This is, without a doubt, a middle grade novel meant for younger readers. There is no complexity to the plot, making it very predictable, and there is no depth to the characters, making them predictable. This is likely intentional, however, because this story is probably just meant to be good, clean fun.
Worst part: It’s very predictable.

Recommendation þþþoo

The best word I can use to describe this novel is “cute.” I was first attracted to the enchanting cover, and next to the promise of fractured fairy tales. The book delivered an entertaining story. This is a good start to what should be a charming series.

Calonita, Jen. Flunked. New York: Scholastic, 2015.

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal

Pages: 369
Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens
Genre: Supernatural / Mystery
Notes for Parents: There’s some mild violence and some scary situations that may be disturbing for sensitive readers.

The Back Cover

Jeremy Johnson Johnson hears voice—“strange whisperings”—so the citizens of the small town of Never Better treat him like an oddity and an outcast. When the town’s coltish, copper-haired adventuress takes a bit of a cake so delicious it’s rumored to be bewitched, she falls in love with the first person she sees: Jeremy.
In any other place, this would be a turn for the better for Jeremy, but not in Never Better, where the Finder of Occasions—whose identity and evil intentions nobody knows—is watching and waiting, waiting and watching…

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Chosen as one of the best books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Amazon, and Horn Book Fanfare. It was the California Book Award Gold Medal Winner, the SCIBA Young Adult Book of the Year, the Booklist Books for Youth Editors’ Choice for 2013, and an Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Award finalist.

What’s good?

Great characterization, a quaint setting, and an intriguing storyline make this modern story feel like a fairy tale. The inventive premise involves the very likeable Jeremy, who is the only one who can communicate with the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the famous Grimm Brothers. Jacob narrates the folklore-infused story of Jeremy, who has a plate is full of problems and no idea how to solve them. The charming town of Never Better is a picturesque setting for the adventure and mystery that Jeremy encounters. The writing is well-crafted, with a clever plot that twists and turns and a vocabulary that’s challenging but still easy to read. While the story was darker than I expected, it has an enchanting lightness, thanks to the quirky characters and delightful setting.
Best Part: Jeremy Johnson Johnson.

What isn’t good?

The pace was a bit slow. While plenty happens to keep the story interesting, there’s never a feeling of urgency in the writing or from the characters themselves. There was always a sense that no matter how bad things got, everything would turn out okay. Although I liked the end, many things felt unanswered. What exactly was the purpose of the Prince Cakes? What was up with Ginger’s grandfather? And Deputy McRaven? And what exactly is a Finder of Occasions? Did I miss the parts where the significance of all these things were explained?
Worst part: The loose ends.

Recommendation þþþoo

The start was slow, but the story always had my interest. For the last one third of the book, I was completely captivated. The writing was solid and the premise was good, I just wish there had been a bit more action and emotion. The characters are excellent, and the town and its people are wonderful. Despite the glitches, I enjoyed the story and recommend it.

McNeal, Tom. Far Far Away. New York: Ember, 2012.

All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry

Pages: 274
Intended Audience: Mature teens
Genre: Mystery / Romance / Historical
Notes for Parents: Contains scenes of violence; implications of sexual abuse

The Back Cover

Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared.
Two years later, only Judith returned.
Now, unable to speak, and ignored by those who were once her friends and family, Judith is forced to make a choice.
Continue to live in silence…
Or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This was a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten title, and was nominated for the MWA Edgar Award for YA. It was also “Best Teen Book of 2013 (Kirkus Review) and chosen one of the “Best of 2013” by School Library Journal. It was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.

What’s good?

Good flow and an even pace highlight this story about a young girl’s arduous journey to regain her voice in a repressive town that ostracizes her when she returns a mute after being missing for two years. Judith is a strong, sympathetic main character. The short, often extremely short, chapters are told in second-person point of view as letter-like thoughts from Judith to a boy in the community named Lucas. The time shifts in the storytelling make the plot fairly complex, and the writing style creates an organic and emotional atmosphere. The setting is kept vague but is historical, providing a solid base for the mystery, suspense, action, drama, and romance that the novel offers.
Best Part: The twist at the end. It’s not so much of a twist as a slow turn. Well done.

What isn’t good?

The second person point of view took a little getting used to, as did the choppy, disjointed writing style, both of which eventually won me over. The plot is intricate, shifting between past and present, and is full of mis-directions that require the reader’s attention. It’s not an easy read, nor a fast one. The story builds slowly and the journey is a difficult one.
Worst part: The end. (I liked the “twist” but not the actual ending).

Recommendation þþþoo

This is an oddly compelling tale. Had I known what I was getting into, I probably would have skipped it, but I’m glad I forged ahead. Characterization is strong, the premise is unique, and the setting is captivating. It’s an emotional story with a lingering sense of bittersweet. I’m not sure I like the end. It felt like mental instability was confused with good intentions. Regardless, if you’re up for a challenge, this is a good read. Recommended.

Berry, Julie. All the Truth That’s in Me. New York: Speak, 2013.