Category: Tween Reads

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Niles Wormwort, Accidental Supervillain – Supervillains go to summer camp?!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

niles wormwortNiles Wormwort, Accidental Supervillain, by D.M. Cunningham (Nov. 2014, Spencer Hill Middle Grade), $7.95, ISBN:9781939392374

Recommended for ages 9-12

Niles Wormwort is determined to win the science fair this year – but he blew up the school instead. His father has packed him off to Camp Mayhem – a role-playing superhero camp – much against Niles’ wishes. Things only get worse when Niles discovers he’s actually at a training camp for supervillains. What could get worse than that? Oh, just the sinister plot he uncovers while at the camp – a faction working within the camp has plans to take over the world! Will Niles go full supervillain, or will he be wiped out?

I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected to. I’m usually a sucker for a good superhero story, it’s true, and Niles Wormwart, Accidental Supervillain gave me a good laugh while drawing me in. Told in the first person, Niles’ voice is spot-on for the put-upon teen. He can’t believe what’s going on around him, and that his father just dumped him at this camp, refusing to take his calls. He’s got hero-worship issues for the local bad boy, who ends up at the same camp. He learns how to stand on his own feet and take care of himself, and I just wanted to cheer because the kid finally got it.

Middle graders will get a kick out of this book, and parents, librarians, and teachers may want to handsell this to their reluctant readers – it’s worth it.

Read an interview with author DM Cunningham here. For a bio and links to his social media, click on over here.

Posted in Fantasy, Teen

Alexandra Moni’s Suspicion – A touch of the paranormal in this mystery

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

suspicionSuspicion, by Alexandra Moni (Dec. 2014, Delacorte Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9780385743891

Recommended for ages 13+

When Imogen Rockford was 10, she lost her parents, aunt, and uncle in a fire that raged out of control. Extended members of the British upper class, they were enjoying their annual gathering at the family estate when the fire in the garden maze consumed them. Seven years later, she’s living with her guardian in New York City when the call comes in – her grandfather has been dead for three years, and her cousin-next in line for the title of Duchess-has just died . Imogen is the new Duchess of Rockford, and is immediately swept into a new life in Britain, on the same estate where her family died. There are family secrets that haunt her, especially the secret of the infamous fifth Duchess, and what she left in the maze…

I’ve got to be honest, this book was good without the addition of the paranormal details. If anything, the paranormal plot brought down the book for me, bringing me out of the story’s flow with what felt like tacked-on additions. The paranormal could have been alluded to, or done away with entirely, and it would have strengthened the rest of the book.

Posted in Fiction

Helsinki Noir – Dark, Hard Hitting Crime Fiction from Finland

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

helsinki noirHelsinki Noir, edited by James Thompson (2014, Akashic Books) $15.95, ISBN: 9781617752414

Recommended for ages 18+

When I came across the Belfast Noir e-galley on Edelweiss, I also saw Helsinki Noir, from Akashic’s Noir series. Knowing that there’s a huge interest in Scandinavian noir, particularly thanks to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I gave it a shot. Never let it be said I don’t investigate literary trends!

Whoa. Where Belfast Noir was gritty with a touch of morbid Irish humor, Helsinki Noir is brutal, and often bleak. The stories are hard-hitting, often vicious, and leave you feeling wounded when you’re done. Crime fans, gird yourselves – these 14 stories take no prisoners. Split into three parts: Deep Cuts, Broken Blades, and Winds of Violence, each author seeks to peel back the bright surface of Helsinki’s streets to show readers a darker reflection of a city we often hear only the best of: their strong economy, their health care, their low crime rate.

As with Belfast Noir, shelve this with the grown-up books – this one’s not for younger readers. But by all means, shelve it, and look at more of Akashic’s Noir series. Mystery and true crime readers will appreciate the styles from all over the world, and embrace the darkness that every culture shares – no matter how hard they try to hide it.

Posted in Science Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Star Wars fans! Tarkin gives us the origin story of The Grand Moff!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

tarkinTarkin, by James Luceno (Nov. 2014, LucasBooks) $28, ISBN: 9780345511522

Recommended for ages 14+

Who was the one guy who could keep Vader in check? Come on, not the Emperor – the one person on the entire Death Star for whom Vader had a grudging respect? That’s right. Grand Moff Tarkin. Remember that one scene in the original Star Wars (some folks call it Episode 4 these days), when Vader is force-choking Admiral Motti, and Tarkin says, “Enough! Vader, release him.” Does Vader hold up a second hand and force choke Tarkin, too? No. He says – almost bored – “As you wish.” Even Princess Leia calls it when she comments on Tarkin being the one to hold Vader’s leash.

Bottom line – Tarkin got kind of a raw deal, being (spoiler alert) blown up at the end of the first movie, along with the Death Star. Played by the immortal Peter Cushing, Grand Moff Tarkin had the potential to be a tremendous figure in the Empire. We got some glimpses here and there with the post-series novels, most notably the emergence of Mara Jade, who was, we discover, Tarkin’s – GASP! – lover before she was Luke’s wife. But what formed the man we loved to hate?

Thankfully, James Luceno gives us Tarkin’s story in the latest Star Wars novel, Tarkin. We don’t get too much of a childhood background here, and we don’t need it. We get the events of his formative years that gave him his cold, steel foundation, and then we get a brief history of his rise through the Empire’s ranks, thanks to a friend in the Senate. Named Palpatine. The meat of the novel takes readers on Tarkin’s first mission with Vader, as they look to bring down a group of insurgents and find themselves peeling back layer upon layer of conspiracy.

Star Wars fans will love this story. Old school fans will love revisiting a familiar character and filling in some background notes. Newer fans will appreciate, and be familiar with, the post-Clone Wars Separatist movement and the Empire’s struggle to cement themselves as the reigning power in the universe.

James Luceno tells a great Star Wars story – it’s no wonder, really; he’s written Star Wars novels and a dictionary. He also gives us the Emperor’s real first name, which almost broke the Internet upon its release about a month ago. Emperor’s monikers aside, Tarkin is front and center in this book. We see his true genius, his talent for making connections and inferences, and most importantly, his dedication to the structure, the law, the absolute-ness that the Empire stands for.

I loved this book, if you can’t tell. I haven’t read a Star Wars novel in a long time, but this book welcomed me right back into that magical galaxy far, far, away.

Posted in Non-Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Alice + Freda Forever looks at a shocking murder – in 1892

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

alice and fredaAlice + Freda Forever, by Alexis Coe (Oct 2014, Zest Books) $16.99, ISBN: 9781936976607

Recommended for ages 15+

The late 1800s was a buttoned-down time in America. Girls were expected to marry, but were encouraged to cultivate intimate female friendships-a practice called “chumming”-with one another. Same sex love, though? Same sex marriage? Not even entertained as a concept.

Alice Mitchell and Freda Ward were two teenage girls whose feelings for one another went beyond “chumming”. They planned to run away and marry. Alice intended to live her public life as a man, working to support her Freda, and live happily ever after. When their plot was discovered and communication forbidden between the two, Freda obeyed her mother, moving on with her life. Alice snapped.

On a cold January day in 1892, Alice slashed Freda’s throat, in public, in front of horrified onlookers. What followed was a trial that became the event of the century, that forced both legal teams to examine the supposed insanity of same-sex love.

While same-sex love became a hotly debated topic, the country was still years away from another issue that emerged during this trial – racial equality. It was never in doubt that Alice murdered Freda, but being a young, white girl from a good family. the punishment was an issue. How could you send a young woman like that to hang? Meanwhile, three black grocers, in the same jail as Alice, were dragged out and hanged by a lynch mob for defending their store from a robbery by whites.

I’d seen something about Alice and Freda a couple of years ago on a History Channel show – the name long escapes me – so when I saw this book mentioned in School Library Journal, I HAD to read it. This book is fantastic – Alexis Coe is an archivist who spent the time to collect this story in primary sources – letters, newspaper clippings, court proceedings – and her work shows. It’s nonfiction that reads like fiction, with companion drawings of evidence.

This is an amazing book for teen readers and beyond. Its historical relevance is not to be ignored, and while readers can appreciate where we’ve come as a society, they can also see where, sadly, we’ve become stuck.

All in all, Alice + Freda Forever is an unputdownable read.

 

Posted in Fiction, Young Adult/New Adult

Kami Garcia does it again with Unbreakable

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

unbreakableUnbreakable, by Kami Garcia (Nov. 2014, Little Brown Books for Young Readers) $18, ISBN: 9780316210171

I initially had some trepidation about whether or not I’d enjoy reading Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s Beautiful Creatures, having lumped it in with the sort of paranormal romance I really didn’t enjoy. I gladly ate those words, so I was thrilled when I had a copy of Kami Garcia’s Unbreakable show up on my Nook (thanks, NetGalley!).

Kennedy is a pretty ordinary teen until she comes home one night to discover her mom, dead. The doctors say heart attack, but it turns out to be something far creepier than that – a demon has it in for Kennedy, something she finds out from the two brothers that save her on the night before she’s supposed to head to boarding school under the care of her aunt.

No, the brothers aren’t Sam and Dean, fellow Supernatural fans, but MAN, do I love this book like I love a good Supernatural episode.  There are secret societies, demons, and families of demon hunters passed down through the generations to be found here. I love paranormal when it’s done well, and Kami Garcia seems to know all the right buttons to push. I’m a Supernatural fan, so I got into this book right away.

Don’t think for a minute that this is a rip-off of the CW show, though – there is a strong story here, with characters that you’ll love. Everyone is descended from a demon hunter, with their own strong story to tell. Kennedy is the main focus, because she’s the only one who hasn’t been privy to this information – something I hope we find more about as this series progresses.

There’s something for everyone here – a search that takes us through the story, good paranormal spookiness, a solid plot that promises to unfold and keep us informed and teased at the same time, strong, badass female characters, and a love triangle that doesn’t get too sappy (thank goodness).

I can’t wait to get Unbreakable on my library’s bookshelves, and I’ve already told the friends that I raved Beautiful Creatures to that they need this book. Go get it now!

Posted in Adventure, Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

The Fifth Vertex – a young warrior discovers his true power

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

fifthvertexThe Fifth Vertex, by Kevin Hoffman (Aug. 2014) $11.99, ISBN: 978-0990647911

Recommended for ages 14+

Urus is a boy born into a warrior society, but he’s failed his warrior tests and is about to branded as a public burden – until all hell breaks loose. At the same time, an orphaned girl named Cailix, who has been living as a servant among a society of monks, finds herself on the run after a strange group of men slaughters her caretakers. What follows is a hero’s journey that will reveal to both Urus and Cailix who they really are: Urus comes from a line of Sigilords, who wield the power to create using ancient symbols, and Cailix discovers more about her origins than she could have ever imagined.

This is new fantasy series, self-published by the author, that really takes the classic hero’s quest and runs with it. Urus, who is deaf, must learn to rise above his low self-esteem and take control of the gifts he possesses – gifts only recently revealed to him. Cailix discovers her own gifts possess devastating power – but if used for good, can she turn things around? The two must figure these questions out while under the gun to save their world from a group of sorcerers determined to destroy five hidden vertices that protect their world.

This was a good read and a good start to a new fantasy adventure series for teens. There is a lot of slaughter and blood here – Urus’ society is a warrior society, and they’re fighting a band of sorcerers who use blood magic, so expect a bloodbath. If that’s not your thing, then this is not your series. I have no issue with it, and I thought the way Mr. Hoffman worked Urus’ deafness into the story, interweaving his with his signing ability as a sigilord, was really well done.  We’ve got some multiculturalism in the character descriptions, a strong female lead, and a few different hidden origins and conspiracies, all laying the groundwork for subsequent books. It’s a good start for fantasy fans who want something new to read.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Teen

Sarah Cross’ Tear You Apart returns to Beau Rivage

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

tear you apartTear You Apart, by Sarah Cross (Jan 2015, EgmontUSA) $17.99, ISBN: 9781606845912

Recommended for ages 14+

Fairy tale fans who loved Sarah Cross’ Kill Me Softly, get to go back to Beau Rivage and hang out with the Cursed in the next installment of Cross’ series, Tear You Apart.

This time, we get more of a focus on Viv, who’s got the Snow White curse. Her stepmother is determined to kill her, and she’s going to try and convince Henley, Viv’s on-again, off-again Huntsman boyfriend, to do it. When Viv hides out in the Underworld, she meets her prince – but is he really her key to Happy Ever After?

I have to say, for all the little issues I had with Kill Me Softly, it was a fun read with a great premise; Tear You Apart is an even better story that I really enjoyed. We’ve got more fairy tales, including the Twelve Dancing Princesses! The amount of research Ms. Cross puts into her fairy tales is amazing, but it’s her modern-day interpretations of the curses that really blows me away. I love her world-building.

While Viv is still not the greatest heroine, she’s a stronger female character than Kill Me Softly’s Mira. Henley has resolved more of his anger issues by now, which is a huge relief. The Big Bad in this book is truly a repugnant son of a gun, and he’s so gleefully awful that I found myself digging in at all hours of the night, waiting to see what he could do next.

Tear You Apart comes out in January, and it’s worth the wait. In the meantime, queue up some episodes of Grimm and Once Upon a Time, and get ready.

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads

Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood is SO MUCH FUN – can we get a series?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

18378827Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood, by Varsha Bajaj, (2014, Albert Whitman & Co.) $16.99, ISBN: 978-0807563632

Recommended for ages 9-14

Abby Spencer has been raised by a single mom for all over 13 years, and it’s been fine – until a health scare sends her to her mom, asking questions about her dad. She finds out that her father – a college romance of her mom’s – lives in Mumbai, India, and he’s a Bollywood heartthrob! When she finally gets in touch with her dad, he sends for her – for a kid who wanted some excitement out of life, even this may be over the top!

I LOVED this book from the first page. Told in the first person, I loved the way the author gave Abby her voice. She is a fun, excitable teen who loves her family and feels conflicted about her feelings for the father she only just met over Skype. I love the way the author gives readers an eye-opening view of India, from the overwhelming spectacle of Bollywood to the families that live in squalor. Her descriptions, told through a 13 year-old’s voice, were spot-on and evoked a range of reactions for me: joy, uncertainty, sympathy, even frustration. This is one of those books that I want to buy five copies of and hand them to kids in my library, yelling, “READ THIS AND TALK TO ME ABOUT IT!”

#WeNeedDiverseBooks? You’re darn right we do, and with a biracial lead character who heads to India to see her dad on a Bollywood set, we’ve got a great one, right here. Ms. Bajaj, PLEASE tell me we’re going to see more adventures with Abby, her family, and her friends!

This book is a Cybils Middle Grade Fiction first round nominee, and I’m thrilled to have shortlisted it.

Posted in Realistic Fiction, Teen, Uncategorized

Press Play probes morality and the consequences of our choices

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

press playPress Play, by Eric Devine (October 2014, Running Press), $9.95, ISBN: 9780762455126

Recommended for ages 14+

Greg Dunsmore – known as “Dun the Ton” – wants to get the hell out of his town, and knows film school is his ticket. He’s working on a documentary about his own weight loss journey, hoping it will get him in. While he’s recording his workouts one day, he also captures a brutal instance of hazing by the upper classmen of the school lacrosse team. Now, he’s committed to exposing the truth – but as he discovers how high the conspiracy to cover the abuse up goes, the hazing continues, and he and his friends find themselves in the team’s crosshairs. Is there a point where the truth is less important than your own safety?

This is Chris Crutcher meets Robert Cormier, with moral dilemmas coming at the characters – and therefore, the readers – right and left. Greg is on a personal journey when he discovers the hazing, but he struggles multiple times with what action to take – the guys on the team are jerks – does he have personal responsibility to them? Why? He has no personal investment in this, and has so much to lose. Does he want to expose the abuse for his personal gain? And if he does, does that make him a bad person? Does it matter, as long as the story is told?

This is a brutal book. There are language and content issues that some readers may not be able to handle, but this book WILL keep you up at night, waiting to get to that next page, chapter, section, ending. Greg and his friends grow as characters and people throughout this book, but there are no black and white good guys or bad guys. And that may be both the most difficult thing to handle AND the best part of this book. Does a culture of abuse excuse the abusers, if they were once the abused? Ask yourself this as you read.

Bottom line – get this book on the shelves in your local libraries and bookstores, especially in school districts with popular sports teams. There are kids out there who need to be reading and talking about this book, whether or not they’ve ever held a baseball bat, a football, or a lacrosse stick.

Press Play is one of those game-changing books that will forever alter the way you look at things. Make sure this book is accessible to teens, and get them talking about it.

Eric Devine’s author site has links to his other books, along with a schedule for his book tour. There’s also a link to the Press Play book trailer, which I’m also featuring here.