Good Reads & Views

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Fiction

What it’s about: Galadriel, or El to her friends (if she had any) is in the Scholomance, a giant school constructed in the void to trap evil magical creatures that want to snack on the students within, who are constantly in peril. El hates Orion Lake, who has everything going for him and who keeps saving her, though she wishes he wouldn’t, and hanging around, though she gives him nothing but grief about it.

Why you might like it: Hogwarts was a picnic compared to the Scholomance. El is sassy and sarcastic, scheming hard to survive the worst test of all, Graduation, where the seniors are dumped into the Graduation Hall at the base of the school and have to fight their way out.

For fans of: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Battle Royale

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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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Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston
YA Fiction

What it’s about: Ashley Poston’s Once Upon A Con romances are sweet takes on fairy tales through the lens of science fiction fandom for the fictional show Starfield. In this one, the film star villain gets to be the hero. Petulant actor Vance Rains (who plays General Sond in the movie) is sent into exile in a small town to weather a social media storm. Rosie Thorn stumbles into his secret hideaway and manages to ruin a very collectible book, so to pay off the debt she organizes his books and steals his heart in the process. Sparks flew with the General Sond cosplayer she met at the Starfield convention ... who was that guy? It couldn’t be the real star who played Sond … could it? 

Why you should read it: This retelling of Beauty and the Beast is light but still tugs at the heartstrings. Rosie has wonderful friends and a great dad, but she still misses her mom a year after her passing. Vance’s bad behavior hides his belief that he messes everything up. Can two wounded people make each other whole?

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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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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
YA Nonfiction

What it’s about: “This is not a history book,” Reynolds begins. He reworks Kendi’s book Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America for a young adult audience, laying out the history of racism in America from its beginnings to the present in a personal, conversational way that is by no means dry or dull (even though it is a history book!). Jason Reynolds also reads the audiobook.

Why you should read it: Jason Reynolds initially balked at rewriting Kendi’s book, but Kendi eventually talked him into it. This book offers a compelling and eye-opening look at how racism has shaped the United States. Dr. Kendi’s original book is a great choice for a deeper delve into the topic for adults, but this “remix” is Reynolds’ take on the subject material to make it livelier and more accessible for a younger audience.

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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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Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama
YA Fiction

What it’s about: Coco dreams of using magic, and by drawing a picture out of a mysterious forbidden book, she accidentally unleashes a spell that hurts her mother. She is taken under the wing of Qifrey, the leader of the Witch Hat Atelier, who hopes to protect her from a masked witch with unknown intentions.

Why you should read it: This is one of the most lusciously illustrated manga series I have ever seen, and Shirahama has created a gorgeous fantasy kingdom with an unusual magic system. Coco and the three other apprentices, each of whom has their own strengths, must use their talents to solve problems, save each other, and (sometimes) work together.

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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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