Good Reads & Views

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson
YA Fiction

What it’s about: The Agathas is a captivating mystery set in small-town coastal California. The story is told from two different points of view. The first person’s point of view is Iris (written by Glasgow), a hard-working, financially struggling teen eager to elude a complicated and perilous home life; the second person is rich girl Alice (written by Lawson), who is struggling to deal with the relationship between her former best friend, Brooke, and ex-boyfriend, Steve, as well as the consequences of her own social fallout.

Is it for you? If you like reading brilliantly developed and authentic characters who deal with their pains and problems in realistic ways, then you should read this book.

You might also like: You’re so Dead by Ash Parsons

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Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
YA Fiction

What it’s about: A hard-hitting novel about a black teenage boy who just wants to do right by his family. Maverick Carter is 17 years old. He has friends, a girlfriend, a strict, but supportive Mama, and a Pops in prison. His life turns upside down when a paternity test reveals he’s the father to a 3 month old baby boy, and he witnesses his cousin, Dre, get shot and killed. Maverick needs to decide what is the best way to support and do right by his family, while navigating his gang ties and personal relationships.

Further reading: Evolve with Maverick Carter and his family in The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

About the Author: Angie Thomas was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. Though her current claim to fame is being an author for young adults, she is also a former teen rapper.

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Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
YA Fiction

What it's about: This book is about the blossoming relationship of Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana, two boys who fell in love. It picks up right where Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe left off, summer before their senior year of high school. Ari is learning how to open up to his friends, parents, and sisters, by having honest conversations about his father’s involvement in the Vietnam War, his imprisoned brother, the AIDS epidemic, and coming out. And Dante is preparing for the birth of his new baby brother or sister. Together, they navigate and chart their lives together, as Ari and Dante.

From the Author: “It took me five years to write a book I never intended to write. Aristotle and Dante came from somewhere inside me and I thought I was finished with them. But they were not finished with me. I came to feel very strongly that I had left too many things unsaid … this was the most difficult book that I have ever written.”

Reviewers say: “There’s an unhurried quality to the author’s wistful, tender prose that feels utterly intimate. Messily human and sincerely insightful” (Kirkus Reviews).

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Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh
YA Fiction

What it’s about: This is a coming-of-age book about a girl named Ada. She’s had a troubling past and has messy relationships with both of her parents, the church, and her own body and sexuality. The main narrative focuses on the time after her high school graduation and her first semester of college, though we do get flashbacks into her primary years. It’s the first time she’s living on her own, miles away from her family, and she is struggling to find her rhythm in both her classes and the day-to-day lifestyle of a college freshman. One day she wanders into a dance studio and peeps on a young woman expressing herself through movement that captivates her. They become friends, and Ada finally starts to build confidence.

Why you might like it: This novel is written in free-verse, making it a quick read despite its 400-page length. The way the words fall on the pages really fits Ada’s mood and tone. The reader falls in love with her and the relationships she builds. This is Candice Iloh’s debut novel, and I’m excited to read more from her!

Other free-verse books: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, and Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai.

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Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks

What is it? This is a fun, well-written, and quirky comedic graphic novel about best friends who work together every fall in a pumpkin patch. Deja and Josie have worked together at the Succotash Hut for four seasons. They both share a love of the season and all things autumn. It’s their last shift before they both head to college, and Deja finally convinces Josie to go talk to his crush, Marcy, who he has been infatuated with since freshman year orientation over 4 years ago. Deja hilariously refers to her as Elmer Fudge, Cornelius Fudge, Fudge Judy, or Fudge Ripple, because she works in the, you guessed it, Fudge Shoppe. The remainder of the novel follows Deja and Josie as they race through the pumpkin patch to find Marcy, all the while reliving memories and contemplating their future together.

What sets it apart: Graphic novels are becoming more and more prevalent in library collections. There are good ones and there are bad ones. There are original stories and there are retellings. Many times it is hard to develop a character in images and speech bubbles. Rainbow Rowell, who is a fan-favorite among my generation, does a great job giving these characters a back story, and moving them forward throughout the book. And Faith Erin Hicks’ illustration style fits perfectly for Rowell’s bouncy writing style. Dare I say it, this is a perfect graphic novel that you will absolutely finish in one sitting and will be thinking about for a long time.

Book Buzz: Pumpkinheads won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Graphic Novels & Comics in 2019.

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Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
YA Fiction

What it’s about: Amy Gumm lives in Kansas with her deadbeat mother and their pet rat, Star. Her mom goes through waves of depression, in and out like her hand in her bag of Bugles. She is usually found on the couch, but the night of the storm she found her way out to a tornado party. While she is away, Amy gets swept up in the tornado, and lands in Oz. But this isn’t Oz like she remembers. Nothing is cheery. Nothing is bright. She wanders, accompanied by Star, meeting up with a munchkin, Indigo, who has swirling, twirling tattoos, and Ollie, a wingless-winged monkey. She quickly learns you can’t trust anyone in this version of Oz and winds up training with the wicked to kill Dorothy. Will she succeed?

Is it for you? If you have an emotional attachment to the angelic, doe eyed, rosy cheeked, Judy Garland version of Dorothy Gale, might I suggest a different title? But if you like gruesome, and sometimes macabre retellings of classic stories, give this one a go.

Look for: Book 2 in this series: The Wicked Will Rise.

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Lighter Than My Shadow by Katie Green
YA Nonfiction

What is it: This is a story of recovery. Katie Green grew up in a typical family with typical friends. However, the people in her life always seemed to make a big deal about how much she did or did not eat. Her friends would stress and worry about their bodies, pinching at their extra skin, and complaining about boys. Saying things like, “I wish I could be anorexic… to be able to just not eat, if I wanted to” or “I’d do anything to be skinny like Katie” (68). Katie was naturally thin but being surrounded by toxic self-talk and being scrutinized about her body at every turn led her down the road to an eating disorder. At first, she skipped meals, became obsessed with counting her calories, and counting her ribs. Eventually she stopped eating altogether and landed herself in a hospital bed. The remainder of the graphic novel depicts her various routes of treatment and her struggles with recovery and relapse.

Why it’s significant: According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, hospitalizations for eating disorders in children under the age of 12 has increased by 119% between 1999 and 2006. It’s so important for young people to be made aware of these diseases and their lifelong implications. The way Katie Green illustrates the fog of her eating disorder, always looming over her every decision and every mouthful, is a powerful image. Its accuracy is spot-on. The feelings she depicts are spot-on. And I think anyone who has ever felt unsure about their body should pick up this title.

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Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash
YA Nonfiction

What is it: A graphic novel memoir about Maggie Thrash and her coming of age while at an all-girl summer camp. During this one poignant summer, she comes to terms with her sexuality, confesses feelings for another female, shoots her distinguished expert at the rifle range, and performs in drag as Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys.

Who it’s for: The references to boy band rivalries are amusing if you grew up in the late ‘90s, early 2000s. The summer camp activities and topics of conversation are spot on and will bring back memories for former campers. Thrash also just tells a beautiful story. It’s sad, and you’re left with a great sense of longing… but doesn’t every first love story end that way? 

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The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz
YA Fiction

What it’s about: The coming of age of Salvador Silva. Adopted at a young age by Vicente, a homosexual artist living in Texas, Salvador struggles with his identity. Just before his senior year of high school, he receives a letter from his deceased mother and starts becoming more aggressive at school. He wonders about his biological father, and if these feelings of anger are coming from a man he has never met. Intertwined with these feelings of self-discovery are his relationships with best friend Sam, a misunderstood classmate Fito, and his beloved grandmother, Mima.

Why you might like it: Saenz, having published poetry before publishing novels, writes in a way that makes reading enjoyable. His characters are complex but also universal. Everyone in this world can relate to feelings of anger and doubt, uncertainty and hopelessness, but also closure and pure joy. He conveys such emotions effortlessly.

Further reading: If you liked this, you will absolutely love Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, also by Benjamin Alire Saenz.

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Goliath by Tom Gauld
Nonfiction

What it is: A retelling of the classic David and Goliath story, with a twist. In this graphic novel, Goliath keeps a low profile as the Philistines bookkeeper, doing mainly paper pushing for the king, and has no interest in fighting. He gets forced into provoking the enemy camp across the valley simply because of his size. After 40 days, he meets David.

Why you might like it: Most people know how Goliath is portrayed in the bible, but if you’re looking for a new perspective that will make you feel and care for the Giant, this is for you.

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