The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Pages: 434

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Dystopian

Notes for Parents: Contains body-shaming, cruelty, and some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orleans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orleans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orleans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land.

But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orleans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide: save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles, or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a series. It is a Hugo Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Book (Lodestar Award) (2019), Locus Award Nominee for Young Adult Book (2019), and was a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2018)

What’s good?

In a world where appearances are revered above all else, Camellia possesses the ability to physically manipulate people and things to make them more beautiful – and beauty is what everyone wants. The setting is potently assembled with rich imagery and lush descriptors that illustrate a Victorian-like society of magic and mystery. But the lavish world of parties and teacup animals is a thin veneer that hides a darkness that threatens the future of Orleans. The pace starts slow but picks up significantly in the last half and the plot is simple but strong.

Best Part: The world-building.

What isn’t good?

The obsession with beauty became tiresome quickly. It took a long time to get to the meat of the story where we finally feel like not everyone thinks appearances is most important. Character development is weak –Sophia is awful, but why? And what makes Camellia different? Why is the Queen so powerless? Why are Camellia and Amber friends? And I want to know more about Edel. The romance is unconvincing too since Auguste is not very likable. What does Camellia see in him?

Worst part: The novel ended with a lot of unanswered questions – presumably to be addressed in future books of the series.

Recommendation ☺☺☺(3/5)

I have so many books to read, I rarely continue with a series, so for me this story was just getting good when it ended. If you’re likely to stick it out for the long haul, this will probably be a good series, but as a stand-alone, Belles is a disappointment.

Clayton, Dhonielle. The Belles. Los Angeles: Freeform Books, 2018.

The Quintland Sisters by Shelley Wood

Pages: 387

Intended Audience: Adults

Genre: Historical

Notes for Parents: Contains some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Emma Trimpany is just seventeen when she assists at the harrowing birth of the Dionne quintuplets: five tiny miracles born to French farmers in hardscrabble Northern Ontario in 1934. Emma cares for them through their perilous first days, and when the government removes the babies from their francophone parents, making them wards of the British king, Emma signs on as their nurse.

Over six thousand daily visitors come to ogle the identical “Quints” playing in their custom-built playground; at the height of the Great Depression, the tourism dollars and endorsement deals pour in. While the rest of the world delights in their sameness, Emma sees each girl as unique: Yvonne, Annette, Cecile, Marie, and Emilie. With her quirky eye for detail, Emma records every strange twist of events in her private journals.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is a work of fiction based on the real-life story of five girls born to an impoverished French-Canadian family.

What’s good?

While Emma Trimpany is a fictional character, the Dionne Quintuplets and their story are very real. With a mix of truth and fiction, the story is told through Emma’s eyes using a mix of diary entries, letters, and newspaper articles. The surreal world of the Quints is given a new perspective as Emma watches the five little girls become a global phenomenon. The story is full of heartbreaking truths, interesting antiquated practices, and an unprecedented amount of government interference. The pace is steady, and the plot is captivating.

Best Part: Corn Syrup

What isn’t good?

The last quarter of the novel was confusing. The first part of the story is so full of detail and description, so the last part is sparse and rushed in comparison. There was some time jumping that I found difficult to follow and the end left a lot of questions. Also, I was disappointed that the Dionne parents were made out to be such villains; it felt like an unfair portrayal.

Worst part: The end.

Recommendation ☺☺☺ (3/5)

While this is by no means a source for facts about the Dionne Quintuplets, it’s still interesting and offers a unique perspective of how things might have been. Emma is a thought-provoking character and the story is a respectable introduction to a remarkable story. Recommended.

Wood, Shelley. The Quintland Sisters. New York: William Morrow, 2019.

Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen

Pages: 311

Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens

Genre: Contemporary / Social Issues

Notes for Parents: Contains some mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Eight weeks of survivalist camping in the desert. Eight weeks to turn your life around. Year, right.

3:47 a.m. That’s when they come for Wren Clemmens. She’s hustled out of her house and into a waiting car, then a plane, and then taken on a forced march into the desert. This is what happens to kids who’ve gone so far off the rails, their parents don’t know what to do with them anymore. This is wilderness therapy camp.

The Wren who arrives in the Utah desert is angry and bitter, and blaming everyone but herself. But angry can’t put up a tent. And bitter won’t start a fire. It looks like Wren’s going to have to admit she needs help if she wants to survive out here…

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Wild Bird has been nominated for the Evergreen Teen Book Award (2020) and the Rebecca Caudil Young Readers’ Book Award (2020).

What’s good?

Wren is a believable protagonist who starts the story as an angry, lonely, impassive girl who deals with life using drugs and alcohol. Forced to examine her life, she reflects on her relationships and the choices that led her to the present. The chapters are short – they average about 5 or 6 pages each – and the pace is steady, making this a quick and easy read. The plot is simple, yet engaging, and the characters are well-drawn (though I would have liked to know more about the secondary characters). There’s raw emotion and introspection touching on themes like self-respect, honesty, loneliness, choices, and personal growth. Despite the tough subject, the story always remains hopeful.

Best Part: “…she cuts me open with the things I’ve told her and leaves me alone to bleed.” (pg. 186)

What isn’t good?

The story was predictable, and the ending was tied with a nice little bow, but to be fair, there’s only a couple of ways this could have gone, and I would have been disappointed if it had ended differently.

Worst part: Nothing terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺ (4/5)

I stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish this novel even though I was pretty sure I knew how it would end (and I was right). Wren had a vulnerability that made me really care about her and I wanted to see her through to the end. This was an easy read and very enjoyable. Author has a lovely writing style and crafts metaphors like a boss. Definitely recommended.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Wild Bird. New York: Ember, 2017.

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich with Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, & Justin Paul

Pages: 358

Intended Audience: Teens

Genre: Contemporary

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language, violence, and mature scenes.

The Inside Cover

When a letter that was never meant to be seen draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family’s grief over the loss of their son, Evan is given the chance of a lifetime to belong. He just has to pretend that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan isn’t invisible anymore—even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy’s parents have taken him in like he’s their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his “closest friend.” As Evan gets pulled deeper into the family’s swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he’s doing can’t be right, but if he’s helping people, how wrong can it be?

No longer incapacitated by anxiety or hiding from the disappointment in his mother’s eyes, this new Evan has a purpose. And confidence. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face-to-face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the novelization of the Broadway musical of the same name.

What’s good?

Evan is a loner who feels invisible to his classmates. Connor is a troubled young man with a bad reputation. A chance encounter between the two leads to a misunderstanding that Evan allows to get out of control. Evan is a sympathetic, relatable teen whose lies, while detrimental, are never perpetrated maliciously. The plot is simple, but thought-provoking as Evan responds to a mother’s desperate attempt to connect with her dead son and inadvertently injects himself into the lives of the grieving family. While there’s a light romance that threads through the story, the more prevalent themes are grief, truth, friendship, isolation, family dynamics and the struggle to belong. The pace is steady, and the writing is good. I liked the ending.

Best Part: Chapters written from Connor’s point of view.

What isn’t good?

The story unfolds…awkwardly. It’s not terrible, but I have a strong feeling that the story translates much differently (better) in its original stage musical form.

Worst part: Nothing is terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺ (3.5/5)

The story is strong, the characters are well-drawn, and the themes are relevant. And yet there’s something still lacking. As a novel, it doesn’t seem to gain the same momentum as the stage show. Having said that, this is still a beautiful story that deftly showcases a lonely teen’s longing to connect with the people around him. Recommended.

Emmich, Val, with Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, & Justin Paul. Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel. New York: Poppy, 2018.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Pages: 306

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Novel in Verse

Notes for Parents: Contains some coarse language, violence, and mature scenes.

The Inside Cover

Sixty seconds.

Seven floors.

Three rules.

One gun.

Will’s older brother, Shawn, has been shot. Dead. Will feels a sadness so great he can’t explain it. But in his neighborhood, there are THE RULES:

No. 1: Crying

Don’t.

No matter what.

No. 2: Snitching

Don’t.

No matter what.

No. 3: Revenge

Do.

No matter what.

But bullets miss. You can get the wrong guy. And there’s always someone else who knows to follow the rules.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Long Way Down won a 2018 Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Author Honor, and Michael L. Printz Honor. 

What’s good?

This is a short but powerful story. As Will travels down the elevator, on his way to kill his brother’s murderer, he’s reminded of the people and events of his past that have influenced the person he has become. His anger and grief and desire for justice – and, not to mention, the rules – are juxtaposed with his desire for change. Authoritative and eloquently crafted, this is a well-paced, timely story of one boy’s personal struggle.

Best Part: The end.

What isn’t good?

I find it difficult to find fault in this story. If I have to find something, it would probably be that some readers won’t be able to identify with the sheer volume of tragedy Will has experienced in his short life. But this shouldn’t be a deterrent since it is by no means an unrealistic representation of life for teens in vulnerable communities.

Worst part: None.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺(4.5/5)

This was a complex story stripped down to it’s bare essentials, told in an easy to read, difficult to ignore format. It exposed the impossible choices faced by those who live with violence every day. It’s a story that shouldn’t be disregarded. Highly recommended.

Reynolds, Jason. Long Way Down. New York: Atheneum, 2017.