Reader: Ruby F.
Age: 13
Title: Being Sloane Jacobs
Author: Lauren Morrill
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pub Date: 01/07/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: Being Sloane Jacobs was a great book, but I don't think it's one I could read over and over again without getting bored. In the book there are two girls with the same name- Sloane Jacobs - and I thought that was a little too much of a coincidence, but the story was never boring and it was full of unexpected twists. I think both of the Sloane's mature and develop a lot throughout the book, but I think that parts of the story line didn't fit in. The plot is how two girls, both named Sloane Jacobs, switch places at a skating camp. One for figure skating, one for hockey. They didn't get caught until the very end of the story, and I just thought to myself- that wouldn't really happen! I did enjoy reading the book overall, but I'd safely say that it's more of a feminine book.
Memorable or Forgettable: Well, I'd never read a plot like this book before. It was a very interesting and unique story line. I also liked the character's attitudes, and how they changed throughout the book.
Cover: Actually one of the main reasons I decided to choose the book was because of the cover. That being said, I don't really think it was a reflection of the book. Very pretty with pastel colors, but I just didn't relate the cover to the actual story.
Age Range: 12 through 13
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
tags: coming of age / identity swapping / alternating view points / ya lit
Reader: Ella O.
Age: 13
Title: Monstrous Affections: An Anthology of Beastly Tales
Author: Kelly Link and Gavin T. Grant
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pub Date: 09/09/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: I can't exactly narrow it down since there were several stories, but I thought that they all had fairly good plots. The dialogue was more mature in some stories than others, but is well round over all.
Memorable or Forgettable: I loved all of the stories - some more than others - but I did find their uniqueness enjoyable. I liked seeing the authors' points of view on tales about vampires, kraken and other lore.
Cover: I loved the cover. I liked the art and, while I don't think it reflected much of the contents, it gives you the right idea of it being a book of beastly tales. Others might disagree, but I hope the cover stays the same.
Age Range: 14 through 15
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments:
I don't normally like short stories because I feel they end too soon, but these stories were longer than others and a bit scarier so I enjoyed them more.
Annotation: A collection of about 15 different stories that are long enough to not have a lack of details but short enough to only consist of around a dozen pages per story.
tags: anthology / short stories / monsters / ya lit
Reader: Courtney D.
Age: 17
Title: Grasshopper Jungle
Author: Andrew Smith
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pub Date: 2/11/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: This book is weird, but a good kind of weird. It starts out as a coming of age story. You get to learn a lot about the characters. The main character, Austin, is telling the story as if it’s a history book for future civilizations. This makes the book very interesting because he is funny and tries to include everything, including all of his embarrassing or inappropriate thoughts. Part way through the book, science goes wrong and the book changes from a coming of age story into a science fiction story. I found myself screaming “what the heck??” many times in my head because of the weird details, but I was interested the entire time. I would recommend this to teenagers 16 or older who like science fiction.
Memorable or Forgettable: There are many aspects that make this book memorable. It managed to mix two genres of writing brilliantly. It was so much different from any of the books I have read before. The narrator was funny and did not leave anything out, no matter how weird the details were. The book also has a great ending that I will always remember because of how unique it is.
Cover: Someone recommended the book to me. I then saw the cover which made me really want to read it. It is simple and unique but still manages to tell a lot about the book.
Age Range: 16 through 18 and up
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: Austin is a 16 year old who is dealing with normal high school problems: he's confused about his religion, friends, and sexuality. Oh, and giant praying mantises have taken over Iowa so it's almost the end of the world.
tags: realistic science fiction / coming of age / GLBT / ya lit
Reader: Claire W.
Age: 13
Title: The Vault of Dreamers
Author: Caragh M. O' Brien
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pub Date: 09/16/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I thought the plot was great and fairly unique. I felt like I was really in the book living her life.
Memorable or Forgettable: The reality TV show concept isn't super original but the whole idea was unique.
Cover: I loved how the cover was someone's multicolored eye. It looks super duper cool.
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: Rosie has been accepted into a reality show where artists go to school and are filmed. But suddenly she finds a secret about the game show that could derail the whole system.
tags: psychological thriller / science fiction / dystopian / reality TV / ya lit
Reader: Solvi W.
Age: 15
Title: The Falconer
Author: Elizabeth May
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Pub Date: 05/06/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: If you like steampunk/fantasy, mystery, lots of gory action, romance, or the Mortal Instruments/Infernal Devices, this is your type of book. The protagonist and all her allies are very deep, dark, and likable, and have many clever lines throughout the book.
Memorable or Forgettable: I really liked the characters, the action, and the romance. The book was a very lush page-turner, and ended on an amazing cliffhanger. I want to read more!
Cover: The cover consists of a red-headed woman in a blue dress, holding a knife. I figured I was going to be reading something very dark and mysterious, and I was right.
Age Range: 14 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments:
You can sort of tell that this is unedited, but I will recommend it to others when it comes out in bookstores!
Annotation: A young woman living in a steampunk version of Scotland finds that she has the power to kill fairies. She plans to use her gifts to avenge her mother's death and save the world.
tags: fantasy / romance / action / steampunk / Scottish lore / ya lit
Reader: Courtney D.
Age: 17
Title: Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines
Author: Paul Fleischman
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pub Date: 09/23/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I would recommend this book to people who like nonfiction or are interested in the environment. It goes into deeper detail about what is really happening to our environment, what the causes are, and reasonable things we can do to help it (or what will happen if we don’t). The book is not all propaganda, but instead tries to accurately inform people on what is happening to our world. It does this in a way that is easy for the average person to understand.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book was memorable. It was not the most interesting book, but it taught me a lot of new information. It is nice to learn more than what the media tells us. I will definitely try to make an effort to do some of the simple steps from the book that can help our environment.
Cover: The cover interested me because it has a girl who is protesting something and is surrounded by police officers. She has a sign that says “no fracking.” I had no clue what that was, but I knew it had something to do with the environment. This enticed me to read the book to find out more about this and other environmental problems.
Age Range: 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
tags: nonfiction / climate change / global warming / environmental issues / ya lit
Reader: Claire W.
Age: 13
Title: Love Letters to the Dead
Author: Ava Delleria
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pub Date: 04/01/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: This book has a fantastic character. She develops amazingly throughout the book. But also shows that sometimes it takes longer then people might think to recover from tragedy. The plot was well crafted and greatly executed.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book made me cry and feel immensely happy at the same time. It was extremely memorable because I have read no books similar.
Cover: I loved the cover of the book. It was related to the book and was pretty.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: Lauren is still grieving for her sister. She was so close to May and has fallen apart at her death. She moves schools to the school her sister used to go to. She gets to start anew. As the school year goes by, she thinks she has recovered from her sister's death because of a relationship with a boy named Sky.
tags: contemporary / realistic fiction / ya lit
Reader: Perrin S.
Age: 16
Title: Mafia Girl
Author: Deborah Blumenthal
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Pub Date: 03/01/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The characters in this book fell flat and weren't emotionally deep or interesting. The plot was hardly ever backed up by good reasons and most things seemed to happen because "the plot Demands it." The love story was painful - two characters with no chemistry were pushed together in such an awkward way that I cringed when they were together. Also the author has an annoying tendency to explain things way too much, and never lets the story tell them.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book lacked interesting plots or ideas. A large part of the story had no action or emotionally interesting scenes. Although the concept of the book is intriguing, it needed more work before it should have been published.
Cover: No. It didn't tempt me. What tempted me was the title and the cover didn't really have anything else to offer. Though it does look well done and reflects the story well, it really had no impact on whether I read the book or not.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 2Q Needs more work
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
tags: coming of age / high school drama / mafia / ya lit
Reader: Aiden J.
Age: 14
Title: Tabula Rasa
Author: Kristen Lippert-Martin
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub Date: 09/23/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: Overall, this book was very entertaining and has a good plot line. Once I started the book I couldn't put it down. The imagery in the book was very well done.
Memorable or Forgettable: The book was memorable because it has an amazing mix of action, mystery, and adventure.
Cover: The cover of the book made me want to pick it up, but it doesn't reflect the contents.
Age Range: 12 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
tags: science fiction / dystopian / action / suspense / ya lit
Reader: Veronica K.
Age: 13
Title: Barbarian Lord
Author: Matt Smith
Publisher: Clarion Books
Pub Date: 07/01/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The characters were not relatable. They seemed to just exist, not really have a life and personality. The plot was very good at not existing in any way. The dialogue did not work. Not very well done.
Memorable or Forgettable: This was really just stupid. There was no real life to this book. It really went in one eye and out the other.
Cover: It was there. Yeah.
Age Range: Under 12
Quality: 2Q Needs more work
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
Additional Comments:
This, if published, will probably earn a few points because it is by Matt Smith.
tags: graphic novel / sword and sorcery / Vikings / Nordic lore / ya lit
Reader: Rayna Grace C.
Age: 15
Title: Lockwood & Co., Book 2 The Whispering Skull
Author: Jonathan Stroud
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pub Date: 09/16/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: “WELL [JONATHAN STROUD] SURE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE AN IRRITATINGLY PERFECT CLIFFHANGER, NOW DOESN’T HE? UGH. I AM SO DISGUSTED RIGHT NOW.” - Me, said to an empty room at 3:00 AM after finishing The Whispering Skull
I am not sure if I have been living under a rock or accidentally joined some sort of cult that banned British authors, but I had never heard of Jonathan Stroud until about a month ago. After reading the first two installments of the Lockwood & Co. series, I am definitely adding all his works onto my "To Read" list.
Now, my only disclaimer for potential readers is this: If you like ghost stories that make you so afraid that you keep the lights on at night for three weeks straight, these are not really the books for that. I would compare this series more to a mystery/crime novel, where ghosts just so happen to be both the victims and perpetrators of crimes, rather than the nail-biting campfire tale you might expect.
I admire this series because it is not just about this crime-solving trio and their slowly changing relationships with one another, or the impossible situations awaiting for these unsuspecting heroes once they walk into each haunted house, or even about the strangeness of each ghost and the story surrounding their death; this series combines all of those elements and builds a multi-faceted story with them. I cannot stress enough how important it is for any sort of book, YA or otherwise, to combine and emphasize all literary elements equally.
Also, I really dig the fact that Lucy is more protective of George in this book than in the first, describing him more like an actual human being and less like a pile of spoiled sausage. Even though every time Lucy made a rude comment about her comrade in The Screaming Staircase I laughed really hard, I always silently pitied George because I relate to his awkwardness, mismatched clothes, unfortunate face and all. Furthermore, this character development proves that even though Lucy is quick to judge and slow to trust, once she decides to befriend an individual she is completely loyal to them. In other words, this tells the reader that a) George is not, in fact, a pile of spoiled sausage and b) Lucy is a kind person, despite the aggressive way she describes herself.
I really am not sure where I should end this since I have no cons to list in this review, so I will just say I will be happily waiting for the third book in this series (hopefully I will see it in the collection room..?) and in the meantime I will be trying to find other novels like it.Memorable or Forgettable: This book was memorable for me personally because it was the first book in a series I have found in the collection room that I have wholeheartedly enjoyed. This book had very detailed descriptions and realistic characters, yet was surprisingly laid-back in the delivery of the plot development (I mean this in the most endearing, lovable way possible). This meant the reader could feel engaged and intrigued while reading the book, but if they were forced to set the book down for dinner it would throw them into a white-hot rage (do not think this is a ridiculous occurrence in my household, I have gotten myself into more than one argument because I was interrupted while reading). The Whispering Skull was one of the only books I have liked where I did not feel as if I was being held hostage by suspense, which was one of the most uniquely relaxing book experiences ever. Overall, this series is just really solid from every angle and I respect that. Keep doing what you’re doing, guys.
Cover: I like the cover for this book generally speaking, considering it was the main reason I checked the book out in the first place (skulls and green smoke are definitely promising when looking for a creepy fantasy/mystery novel.) However, I want the cover of this book to be created by the same artist (or someone with a similar style, if they are too busy or something) as the first novel because as strange as it sounds, three days before I checked out The Whispering Skull from the collection room in the Metropolitan State Library, I had ordered The Screaming Staircase from my local library after hearing about it on Tumblr (I had to repeat the title and author in my head as I was walking to the library since I could not find a pen, so I had the facts ingrained in my mind) and yet when I checked out The Whispering Skull, I had no idea that it was the sequel to the book I had just ordered. Now, I like to think that I am not a complete blubbering idiot when it comes to making everyday connections like this, but the cover threw me off so much I did not even consider the brother novels to be related. If anything, they looked like second cousins. This needs to be fixed, soon, because this seemingly small change can greatly impact this book’s return audience and overall earnings.
Also, artist-drawn covers will always scream quality to me as a reader, since almost every successful YA Fantasy novel I have personally come to adore (ex. The Fablehaven series, Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series, 13 Treasures Trilogy,, etc;) has an amazingly intricate artist-drawn cover.
So, in short, all publishers need to give all their most promising YA Fantasy books artist-drawn covers because that decision shows that someone actually took the time to read a scene in the book, care enough about it to scrape up the motivation to create their own detailed and accurate rendition of said scene, and put their heart and soul into something that other people will see.
I am sorry this section became so lengthy, I just cannot advocate enough for artist-drawn book covers and this novel gave me the proper opportunity to so.Age Range: Under 12 through 17
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments:
Also, just want to throw this out there: kudos to making a female protagonist that is not gorgeous. Thank you for not making Lucy’s beauty (or lack thereof) necessary for her to be accepted by her peers or respected by her superiors. Thanks for creating a character that does not fret about her physical features day in and day out, even if society thinks she should. This is important. Thanks.
Annotation: Anthony, George, and Lucy are back in the daily grind, fighting ghosts/solving crimes for the city of London. However, life for Lockwood & Co. becomes a little less ho-hum when the ominous skull in a jar at the crew's home speaks after months of silence, and better yet, he seems to have a personal connection to the group's newest case.
tags: ghost story / mystery / action / Lockwood & Co. series / ya lit
Reader: Veronica R.
Age: 15
Title: Playing for the Commandant
Author: Suzy Zail
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pub Date: 10/14/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: I liked the romance, it was cute.
Memorable or Forgettable: I thought it was interesting how the Commandant's son was upset that everything was happening the way it was, while all the people in the camp were actually suffering.
Cover: The cover did not tempt me to pick up the book, but the cover was a good visual of the storyline.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 2P Only for special interest
Annotation: Playing for the Commandant by Suzy Zail is about Hanna Mendel and her family being taken to concentration camps. Hanna, because she plays the piano, was chosen to be in the Commandant's orchestra. She didn't expect to fall in love with the Commandant's son.
tags: historical fiction / Holocaust / ya lit
Reader: Ella O.
Age: 13
Title: Dorothy Must Die
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Pub Date: 04/01/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: I like the character development of the main character Amy and how she uses her past to help her. I also like the dialogue because it works with the story and the characters, and it's not to a point where it's too vulgar for some readers.
Memorable or Forgettable: Well the ending FOR SURE made it memorable for me and the storyline was well written so that made it memorable as well.
Cover: The cover did tempt me and it does reflect the contents perhaps even by giving people the false security of the old Dorothy and not the monster she has become.
Age Range: 14 through 15
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments:
I look forward to the next book and hope it can be as good as the first.
Annotation: The story of Oz after Dorothy and when she comes back. There's a new girl in Oz.. from Kansas! Amy is a nobody in Kansas but in Oz, she's a hero.
tags: dystopian fantasy / Wizard of Oz / revisionist writing / ya lit
Reader: Jarod D.
Age: 15
Title: Firstborn: A Novel
Author: Lorie Ann Grover
Publisher: Blink
Pub Date: 01/28/14
Galley: No
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: This book highlights racism and prejudices within a society,and how they affect interaction. It showed how conquered civilizations survived. Overall,the book best represented the effects of differing religions within a society. Based off of this, the characters in the story were realistic and believable, but there was very little character development throughout the story.
Memorable or Forgettable: I found the rejection the main character, Tiadone, received for being different in race,gender,and religion the most memorable part of the book.
Cover: The cover is appealing, and very well matches the content in the book. It successfully reflects the story's tone.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
tags: fantasy / ya lit
Reader: Guanani
Age: 18
Title: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
Author: Leslye Walton
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pub Date: 03/25/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The title says it all. This is a generational tragedy about a very odd family plagued with bizarre deaths, lost loves, and one sibling who gets turned into a parakeet. The use of magical realism and very lyrical prose drew me in, but I only got about halfway through. I kept waiting for the story to get to Ava Lavender herself, a girl born with wings, but a majority of the book is about her tragic and magical lineage. At the point where I stopped, the story of Ava’s mother had gotten too soap-opera-y for my taste, so I put the book down and never came back to it. It would have been nice to have other plot points besides death, abandonment, and wallowing, which became repetitive.
Memorable or Forgettable: Even though I couldn’t get to the end, this book is still memorable because of its unusual style. It had several main characters, all women, with interesting tales about immigration, inherited weirdness, and isolation. It’s the first YA book I’ve read that covers a whole family instead of a single main character, and the prose was indeed beautiful.
Cover: This cover is lovely. The contrast between the thatched blue background and golden lines of the feather looks great and got my attention. I always prefer covers that aren’t photoshopped pictures, and having an original graphic works really well. I guess the feather is there because Ava has wings.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 3Q Readable
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
tags: fantasy / magical realism / ya lit
Reader: Guanani
Age: 18
Title: Love Letters to the Dead
Author: Ava Dellaira
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Pub Date: 04/01/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I wish I had been able to read this book the summer before going into high school. The basic story has been told before: a lonely girl arrives in a bewildering new place and learns to navigate it. What makes this book stand out is the use of Laurel’s letters to various dead people she admires (especially Kurt Cobain) to tell the story of her grief and explorations of high school life. Laurel makes good and bad decisions, struggles with a family gone cold and distant since the death of her sister, and eventually finds solace. The prose is beautiful, believable, and doesn’t shy away from intense emotion.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book was memorable for me mostly because of the main character’s voice and the sense of longing you get from reading her letters. I especially liked the idea of a teenager reaching out to dead people as a way to feel connected. The only thing I didn’t like was that this book came a little late for me, since I’ve already finished high school. I think it would be much more powerful and meaningful for younger teens (so go forth and pick this up, high schoolers to be!).
Cover: The cover does a wonderful job of reflecting the overall feel of the book. Laurel is precariously balanced on the word “DEAD”, a little writing speck in a huge purple sky. The cover is aesthetically pleasing while already giving you a taste of the story and the main character.
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
tags: contemporary / realistic fiction / ya lit
Reader: Simon D-S
Age: 14
Title: Midnight Thief
Author: Livia Blackburne
Publisher: Disney- Hyperion
Pub Date: 07/08/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: Overall, the book was a good fantasy read. It's plot was fast moving and there seemed to be an endless amount of twists. As soon as you think you know where the book is going, it changes. This was good at some points in the book, but I felt like it was too much sometimes. The imagery was very good, I wouldn't be surprised if this was made into a movie. I could see the main character scaling roofs and could hear the sword fighting. The characters were average, in not being quite real, but not entirely fictional either. The main character had a recurring theme of doing something stupid and unadvised then apologizing to her friends that she had done it.
Memorable or Forgettable: I will always remember this book for the heists and assassins guild. I love the idea of there being an assassins guild. It's just so COOL!
Cover: I liked the cover, it really matched the genre and title.
Age Range: 12 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
tags: fantasy / action / adventure / ya lit
Reader: Courtney D.
Age: 17
Title: Egg & Spoon
Author: Gregory Maguire
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pub Date: 09/09/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: Never have I ever been transported into a story while reading as much as I have in this. The author managed to tell the story in a way that made you feel like he was there, and he managed to do it without using excessive detail that bored you into skimming sections. I was always interested in what I was reading. The author also created a great narrator who managed to make me laugh and find myself smiling often while reading the book.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book was memorable because of the spectacular storytelling. It was a fun story that anyone could enjoy, but also brought up and questioned aspects of human nature in a creative way that all ages can understand.
Cover: The cover featured 5 different sections that look like they are made out of paper. This was very intriguing. As I read, I discovered that each section is a scene or plot point from the book. This made me appreciate the book more after I finished.
Age Range: 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Annotation:
Elena is a poor peasant who has to scavenge for food, and Cat is a wealthy school girl who literally has everything handed to her on a silver plate. Due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the girls switch places. But unlike your typical switching places story, people notice that they are not who they say they are. Now the girls have to try to survive in each other’s life, and also try to discover why the world is becoming completely off balance.
tags: fantasy / Russian folklore / ya lit
Reader: Brooke H.
Age: 16
Title: Welcome to the Dark House
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Publisher: Hyperion
Pub Date: 07/22/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I thought that the beginning of this book was kind of slow, and it was hard at first to keep track of each character's name and personality. Once I got about half way through, however, I got really into it and I couldn't stop reading. The plot got really intense and creepy, and it was easy to love the characters with their distinct personalities.
Memorable or Forgettable: What was most memorable for me was the horror aspect. The book was pretty creepy, even scary at times. I also loved how we got to see all six of the characters' points-of-view and to watch how they dealt with and faced their fears.
Cover: I really liked the cover of the book. The background picture of the merry-go-round provided some mystery and it did reflect the contents of the book. I also liked that the title took up the whole cover and the font gave the perfect spooky touch.
Age Range: 12 through 17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
tags: horror / ya lit
Reader: Sarah R.
Age: 12
Title: One Death, Nine Stories
Author: Marc Aronson and Charles R. Smith (Editors)
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pub Date: 08/26/14
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: The strong elements of this story include strong character development and stellar feelings and disappoint throughout the story.
Memorable or Forgettable: It was memorable because it grabbed my attention and made me cry along with the characters. It had a strong grip on me.
Cover: The cover made me want to read it: the coffin, rose and font were mysterious.
Age Range: 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments:
I said ages 12-18 because it's sad and powerful but may be too much for a younger reader. I am almost 13 and believe it would be completely fine for mature 12 year olds.
Annotation:
Kev is the first kid their age to die and his story had touched lives in many ways. This story reveals nine people's perspectives like childhood friends,ex girlfriend and best friend. This shows their sadness from a death communicated by a Facebook post.
tags: short stories / teenage suicide / ya lit
