Plot Summary:  15-year-old Iris Anderson wants to help her pop with his detective agency if he would just let her.  It’s 1942 and times are hard–her mother is dead and it’s hard to be a great detective when you lost a leg at the Battle of Pearl Harbor.   Exchanging upscale digs for rooms on the Lower East Side, Iris moves from an exclusive girls school to P.S. 110.  Falling in with the hip Rainbows, Iris finds herself sneaking around to dance at the Savoy in Harlem.  When one of the gang disappears and Iris realizes he had a connection to her old school, she decides to investigate.  But one lie leads to another and soon she’s lost her friends, her father’s trust and is no closer to solving the mystery and she may have put herself, her family and friends in danger.

Critical Analysis:  This historical young adult mystery is well-crafted on several levels.  It works as a young adult novel, exploring what it is like to deal with so much–death of a parent, war, changed circumstances.  It works as mystery, with a mysterious disappearance.  It works as historical fiction with pitch perfect period details.  Adding all these elements together and something like magic occurs to give the reader a glimpse into this world that literally jumps off the page.

Some of this is due to the protagonist, Iris.  She is appealing and compelling and oh so real.  But what Haines does is surround Iris with a whole cast of characters who stand on their own, secondary perhaps in the role they play but not in how they are portrayed and developed.  Some of this is due to the setting and time period.  I really felt like I was in the public high school bathroom when Iris meets Suse, or at the teen club playing games or crammed in the back of a taxi or dancing at the Savoy or walking the streets of New York while trying to avoid friends from the old neighborhood.  The historical details, including the slang and description of clothing and hair styles adds to the richness and reality of events.

When the mystery was resolved, I was a little disappointed, but upon reflection decided that a complicated solution suited such a complex layered tale.  Just as Iris has to come to terms with the complexities of changes brought about by a world at war, she learns there are no easy answers either.  I think that teens will pick this up and enjoy the story of a girl trying to make her way in an uneasy world.  I hope that some adults might give it a try, I think they will find Iris and Haines refreshing.  I am already looking forward to book 2, The Girl is Trouble, due out later this year.

Review Excerpts: “[A] meticulously crafted slow burn. . . . Haines writes gracefully, immersing readers in Iris’s perceptive thoughts, suffering, and transformation. Nuanced relationships and a social climate shadowed by ethnic tension and war result in a compelling reflection on a complex era.”—Publishers Weekly

“. . . the compelling characters, superb setting, and myriad twists and turns will keep readers intrigued till the very end.”—School Library Journal

“Take a powder, Nancy Drew. 1940s girl sleuth Iris Anderson is on the case. A stylish, slang-filled teen noir that is as entertaining as it is absorbing.”—Kirkus Reviews

“What makes this such a standout is the cast. Sounding like they’re right out of the 1940s (well, a 1940’s movie, anyway), the characters, young and old, pop off the pages. Iris, intriguing and infuriating, captures the tension inherent in the teenage years, no matter what the decade. This joint is jumping.”—Booklist

“Iris’ story has considerable crossover appeal, enticing both mystery lovers and historical fiction fans, with a cunningly devised plot and a cast of period-specific characters. . . .”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Reviewed from public library audio book.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  Emily knows she is lucky–she leads an life many teens dream about–perfect parents, great friends and a spot at the prep school where her father is headmaster.  But why does she dream of fire and water and dying?  When oh so bad and oh so smart Del Sugar arrives, he brings a wildness and sense of rebellion that are irresistible.  When Del is expelled, Emily is left with a hard decision and a search for the truth.

Critical Analysis:  I loved Warman’s début novel, Breathless.  I was excited to see that this is a companion book of sorts but disappointed that there was not more crossover or connection between the two.  And while I did enjoy the story and I loved some of the characters, I did not find this as well crafted.  It felt much more melodramatic than the quiet intimacy of Breathless.  I also found it full of issues but less grounded.  And the handling of one issue in particular was extremely far-fetched, I don’t care how much money someone has.  And yet, some of the secondary characters and situations had that same spark.  And I know this book was not really written for me.  There are many teen girls out there who love melodrama and issue books, so I am sure they will love this.

Review Excerpts: “Emily’s story is compelling….The plot builds slowly and, for the most part, realistically. The main characters are well developed, and Emily’s thought processes…are particularly insightful and touching. Secondary characters add depth to the story.”–School Library Journal

“…Most memorable, though, are passages that show how painful realizations often arrive: through isolated flashes of intuition and experience that layer slowly into three-dimensional truths.”–Booklist

“Emily tries to deal with these issues as she is forced to quickly grow up in this well-written coming of age story that will have readers anxiously turning the pages as they and Emily’s discover the “skeletons in her closet.”–Children’s Literature

“In this dramatic, unpredictable, romance-gone-awry companion novel to Breathless (2009), Warman only improves as she revisits the boarding-school scene. Emily’s unflinching, multilayered narration and realistic dialogue capture the wishes and fears that drive teens. A page-turner to the bittersweet ending.”–Kirkus Reviews

“Warman, author of the excellent Breathless (BCCB 11/09), returns here to the boarding-school milieu she continues to depict with finesse and tantalizing detail; the hothouse intensity and ramped-up intimacy of life in Emily’s dorm is yearningly credible. A smart, sensitive melodrama.”–Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Bibliography

Plot Summary:  After the crash, Paige’s world comes crashing down around her.  One best friend playing the martyr, one losing herself in crazy diets and a boyfriend who is more distant by the day.  A mother who is concerned that Paige must keep up her image to keep her spot on the Homecoming Court and a sister who can’t stand her.  Paige finds comfort and solace in an unexpected place–creative writing class where an odd boy makes her forget and a compassionate teacher makes her think that she is more than how others see her.

Critical Analysis:  Yes, this début novel is a little on the long side, and yes, there are perhaps one or two too many subplots, and some secondary characters that are less fleshed out.  But this book is compellingly readable.  Backes has a distinctive voice and style that is quite unlike any other writing for teens today, and in Paige she creates an unreliable but completely relatable narrator.  There is a real grittiness to the characters and events, grounded in truth.  And yet  there is room for lighter moments and humor, even in the face of tragedy just as in life.  Teens do act this way, treat each other this way, talk this way.  And there are many out there who will identify with Paige as it is a rare teen who feels as though others’ perceptions match his or her true self.

Readalikes:  Princesses  reminded me of Between by Jessica Warman which also features an unreliable narrator of sorts who would be trying to keep her life together and stay in with the popular crowd if she weren’t dead.

Review Excerpts:  ”A well-executed first novel… Backes addresses guilt, deceit, homophobia, loyalty, and the burden of keeping up appearances in a brutally believable high school setting as Paige recognizes the weaknesses of loved ones and her own imperfections.”
—Publishers Weekly

“In this debut novel, Backes takes Dead Poets Society and brings it into the age of Mean Girls. Her writing style is witty while still being relatable, and the themes of acceptance and identity will ring true to teens… Backes re-creates a world that most teens already live in, with the overarching message that anyone can become more than what others perceive them to be.”—School Library Journal

“Paige’s journey out of the Mean Girls IT group won’t shock readers, but it unfolds with pleasingly realistic hesitations, as does her relationship with the new, uncool boy….But the writing is fluid, Paige is a likably unreliable narrator and the high-school setting is believably sordid. A mostly solid, if a little too long, high-school drama.”–Kirkus Reviews

Reviewed from publisher provided copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary: In 1958 Little Rock, 12 year old Marlee becomes friends with new girl Liz.  Brave and never at a lack for words, she helps Marlee overcome her fear of speaking in class.  But when Liz is gone from school, rumors swirl that she was a Negro passing for white.  Marlee realizes that isn’t what is important, true friendship is.  To stay friends, Marlee and Liz must defy their families and face integration head on.

Critical Analysis:  I want to tell everyone to read this book because it is important.  It covers in a very personal and intimate way a piece of recent history that is little known.  Everyone studies the Little Rock Nine, but there is little discussion about what happened the next school year–the governor closed local high schools to prevent integration.  Neighbors took sides on the issue, tensions were high or higher than ever before.  And the kids and teens lost out.

I want you to read this book because it is important, but you will love this book for the stories and the characters.  For the nuanced portrayal of all involved, families, neighbors, friends, teachers, leaders.  For the growth of many across the pages, for the beauty of friendship and mutual respect and the horror of hate.  From the mundane details of everyday life, and the painful shyness of Marlee to the important meetings and canvassing for votes and support and the scariness of retaliation.

Even in this supposed post racial world, there are still incidents that remind us all too well how little we have changed and how far we need to go.  What Lions of Little Rock tells us is that loving and respecting people for who they are not the color of their skin matters, and once we believe that, we have to work for change.

Review Excerpts:  ”Readers will root for a painfully shy girl to discover the depths of her own courage and find hope in the notion that even in tumultuous times, standing up for the people you love can’t be wrong. Satisfying, gratifying, touching, weighty — this authentic piece of work has got soul.” –The New York Times Book Review

“Levine’s characters fall on both sides of the integration issue, but she avoids painting them too broadly, and many of their views evolve over the course of the book. The best evolution, though, belongs to Marlee, who starts off almost pathologically shy and gradually learns to face her fears, find her voice, and speak up for what’s right.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“This engaging story, with its emphasis on the impact of friendship and on finding one’s voice when it is most important to be heard, will no doubt appeal to a broad range of readers and inspire many interesting conversations.”–Kirkus Reviews

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase

The winners, randomly selected thanks to random.org:

Kimberly H., ARC and Random Buzzers code

Candice M., ARC and Random Buzzers code

Kat W., Random Buzzers code

Jen, Random Buzzers code

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left comments.

Bibliography: Fredericks, Mariah. (2012).  The Girl in the Park.  New York: Schwartz and Wade.  ISBN: 978-0375868436

Plot Summary:  When Wendy’s body is found in Central Park, headlines paint her as a party girl.  Other girls know Wendy as the wild child who is after their boyfriends.  Some students at the exclusive Alcott School are upset and others secretly glad, maybe she got what was coming to her.  But former best friend Rain, shy and quiet because of the cleft palate she was born with, remembers the Wendy who told her to stand up and speak up.  And when Rain starts to uncover the truth and the details don’t add up, will she find the voice to speak for her friend?

Critical Analysis:  True mysteries written for teens are rare enough, and I am glad to say that Fredericks does an excellent job of creating a taut well paced novel peopled with compelling characters in an ultra exclusive setting.  Rain and Wendy are especially well drawn, contrasting with one another.  Wendy is everything Rain is not, and the reader sees that Rain both admires Wendy for being able to be so bold, so loud and feels for her as Rain knows without asking that some of Wendy’s actions are born from deep emotional pain.

The details of Rain’s cleft palate are handled with care, which makes sense since Fredericks herself was born with one.  As Fredericks notes, “For a long time, that meant I didn’t talk a lot.  But I did listen.”  Exactly the same traits she has given to Rain, and this listening and observations from the edges of events are what leads to the putting together the pieces to solve Wendy’s murder.

Oh the mystery.  I want to say I didn’t guess the ending far in advance, but I did.  But I don’t think most readers will care.  The pacing sweeps the reader along and by the time you realize who did it, you will be so involved in Rain’s story and the suspense of events and when she will tell someone that you won’t care.  This book should have high appeal for teen girls, and while there is partying and alcohol use and adult situations, I can’t see much that would keep this out of middle schoolers’ hands.

Review Excerpts: “Rain’s voice provides an authentic portrait of grief and powerlessness, while Fredericks (Crunch Time) offers profound, provocative commentary on what it means to grow up in the age of Facebook.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“[B]oth Rain and Wendy emerge as fully rounded, flawed characters that teens will recognize and connect with. A satisfying whodunit with enough clues and red herrings to keep mystery fans happy.”–Kirkus Reviews

“Fredericks has constructed a taut, suspenseful mystery with convincing characters whose actions and motives propel the plot. Rain is an unusual, compelling protagonist, a watcher who must step reluctantly out of her comfort zone. Observant readers…will find as much satisfaction in observing Rain’s personal growth as in the solving of the intriguing mystery.“–Booklist

“”The story starts off slowly, gradually building to a surprise ending. Rather than a heavy-handed explanation of Rain’s cleft palate, details are sprinkled throughout the story, building readers’ understanding of her communication difficulties and readers’ compassion for her.”–School Library Journal

“The mystery unravels amidst a sensitive exploration of Rain’s coming to terms with her own quiet, demure personality, with its flaws and its advantages measured against Wendy’s extroversion and desire for recognition and love. The crime itself offers up multiple suspects before a triumphant resolution tinged with melancholy, a conclusion that highlights the fact that while growth is certainly possible, some people, unfortunately, never make it past the slights of high school.”–The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“The very real mystery of the story is a riveting background for Rain’s self-struggle, and the plot twists make this a true page-turner. This book will find a ready audience in fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti who are looking for something a bit edgier.”–VOYA

Giveaway:  I have two advanced copies of this title to share with you.  In addition, as an Ambuzzador for this title and I have special codes you can use to sign up for Random Buzzers that will give you enough “Buzz Bucks” (points) and special privileges to be eligible for a free book.  If you are already a member, perhaps you have a friend or teen who might like to join.  If you would like to be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment below with your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.  I will accept entries until Sunday night.

Random Buzzers:   An online community for teens from Random House, Random Buzzers is a fun, safe place for readers and writers to gather and share their favorite reads, chat with authors, win books, share reviews and tons of other fun stuff!  This week Mariah Fredericks is the featured author and you can post your questions for her to reply.

Reviewed from Netgalley electronic copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase

So excited to be chosen by Random House’s Randombuzzers program to be an Ambuzzador for this title.  I found it a very compelling read.  As a part of the Ambuzzador program, I have special referral codes for anyone who wants to join the program-you’ll get 15,000 Buzz Bucks just for signing up!  Leave a comment with contact info if you want in!  Look for more to come on The Girl in the Park coming soon…

Plot Summary:  Only at Manderley Academy to please her parents, if being away from home and super hard classes were not enough, the “new girl” is faced with reminders of the girl whose place she took–Becca.  She is in Becca’s room, she has feelings for Max Holloway, the love of Becca’s life and strange hints of what might have happened to Becca who just disappeared one night.  She doesn’t want Becca’s life, regardless of what roommate Dana thinks, but what will happen if Becca comes back?

Critical Analysis:  A little contrived in places, this re-telling of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier mostly works.  Most of the contrivances take place at the beginning.  I wish the author could have figured out another way to get the new girl into the story and at the boarding school…her parents remember her 8th grade wish and apply as a surprise?  And she doesn’t tell them that she doesn’t really want to go so goes anyway for her senior year?  Hard to buy, especially since she spends so much, especially at the beginning, longing for home and family and friends.  I also found some of the re-imagining/re-telling to be a little, well, literal.  A costume party where Dana Veers convinces the new girl to wear the same costume as Becca–straight out of the original.

And yet, the whole cruelty and cattiness between some of the girls really works, as does the isolation and independence of boarding school.  As with the original, the character of Becca and the mystery of what happened to her overshadows everything–the new girl can’t escape.  And still, the new girl manages to overcome, to be herself, to like her life, her situation and to realize she is more than just some girl from Florida, or some new girl who took a popular girl’s place.  I think teens girls will really like this, and if other blog reviews are any indication, they won’t have read the original but perhaps now they will seek it out–and maybe the movie too.

Readalikes: Breathless by Jessica Warman–Katie didn’t expect to like the boarding school, she didn’t want to be away from her older brother Will.  She can just be one of the girls, and focus on swimming and schoolwork.   So why then does she tell everyone he’s dead?

Looking for Alaska by John Green–Miles “Pudge” Halter is abandoning his ordinary life, leaving for boarding school where he is surrounded by friends whose lives are everything except ordinary. When tragedy strikes the close-knit group, Pudge realizes that life is to be lived and love to be given freely.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier–the inspiration for the story, which has great teen appeal in its own right.

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced e-galley.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  Mickey Bolitar is not having a very good year.  His dad is dead, his mom is in rehab, and Mickey is forced to change schools and live with the uncle he doesn’t really know.   When his new girlfriend doesn’t show up to school one day, Mickey grows worried and with the help of his new friends decides to look for her.

Critical Analysis:  I am a fan of Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar series.  I think that he has a knack for combining quirky characters with real pathos and lots of dry wit added in for good measure.  When I heard there was going to be a young adult series about Myron and Win, I was interested but wondered how that would work, as they did not meet till college. and Win is, well, not a character you would think belongs in many teen books.  So I was glad when the series about Mickey was announced.

Mickey is actually introduced in the last Myron book, Live Wire.  The beginning of Shelter is the ending of Live Wire from Mickey’s point of view.  I have been disappointed lately in bestselling adult authors who have written young adult books just to capitalize on this growing market.  (I was going to name names, but decided most people would be able to think of at least one…)

So it is both a relief and a delight to report that this is a good beginning to what I hope will be a long running series.  (I was going to be mad at Coben if that weren’t the case.  There are not enough books in this genre being written for teens today but we don’t need poorly written ones either.)

Despite sharing a talent for playing basketball, wisecracking  and a deep love for family, Mickey is not Myron.  I bet Myron wishes he would have thought to yell “Homework” whenever his parents were giving him grief.  Perhaps it is because he is a teen, but Mickey feels things more deeply, and is trying to find the balance between being independent and taking help from others.  Mickey’s friends are great, moving beyond the stereotypes they represent as are the stereotypical jocks who have it in for him.  (Shades of Myron again who just can’t seem to keep his mouth shut around meatheads.)  The secondary storyline about the Bat Lady who says his father might still be alive is intriguing and appears to be a thread that will run through at least the first part of the series.

I hope teens find their way to Shelter, and perhaps to the Myron books as well which aside from a great deal of violence are teen friendly.

Review Excerpts: “Shelter begins one of the oddest—and most appealing spinoff series in recent years….[T]he youngster copes with some adult-sized problems, including his father’s death, his mother’s drug abuse problems, switching high schools, and his new living situation. Everything seems less pressing, however, than the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of a new girlfriend.”–Barnes and Noble

“Edgy and action-filled, the novel has interesting, likable characters, and it should fly off the shelves.”
—School Library Journal

“Crackerjack pace and multi-layered plotting…”—Kirkus Reviews

“Coben’s semi-noir style translates well to YA, and the supporting cast is thoroughly entertaining. It’s a strong start to the series.”—Publishers Weekly

“Quite satisfying and points to a good deal of potential for what might come next.”—Booklist

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Bibliography: Offill, Jenny and Nancy Carpenter. (2006).  17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Any More. New York: Schwartz and Wade.  ISBN: 9780375835964 (hc) 9780375866012 (pbk)

Plot Summary:  A mischievous little girl has a lot of seemingly good ideas but they all seem to get her in trouble.

Critical Analysis:  Books like this one make me miss being a children’s librarian and seeing new picture books and reading them at story time.  This one is so much fun, and such a marriage between the text and the artwork to tell the story, communicate the emotion to the reader.  The pictures, a combination of pen and ink drawings and digitally manipulated images on crumpled paper not only fill in some of the details, but also are the kind that children will want to examine even after the story is finished.  In addition, the text leaves room for the reader or listener to come up with their own ideas about what happens.  Or in my case, to think about other great ideas that might not turn out so well.  ”I had an idea…”

Review Excerpts:  ”Ingenious artwork–a flawless marriage of digital imagery and pen-and-ink–is indisputably the focus of this winning title….striking and subtle–real wood grain, blades of grass, the chrome-plated details on classroom furniture–all are seamlessly integrated around a winsome cast of well-drawn characters….just about picture-perfect”–School Library Journal

“The title is terrifically cheeky, and Carpenter…outdoes herself in these mixed-media illustrations….Kids will be intrigued by the pictures’ playful sense of composition as well as the heroine’s brazenness….”–Publisher’s Weekly

“Our mischievous but delightful heroine is the kind of kid who makes parents and teachers old before their time, but still makes us laugh….Carpenter combines a lively pen and ink black line with naturalistic colors and digital media….The mottled look of the paper is achieved by crumpling it and filing with an emery board; Adobe Photoshop is used to rescan and manipulate the type; bits of photo collage are added for a fresh visual look. The glue she is smilingly squeezing from the bottle on the jacket has an attractive three-dimensional quality.”–Children’s Literature

Reviewed from public library copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  Esme may be the only white Jewish lesbian teen in her Minneapolis suburb, but she has found her place with her 3 best friends performing in Sister Mischief, laying down hip hop beats and rhymes.  The girls decide to protest when the school sets a policy against any rap or associated clothing or paraphernalia.  When Esme realizes she has feelings for Rohini, part of her crew, she must come to realize that love, sex, coming out and culture can make matters of the heart complicated.

Critical Analysis:  It took me a few chapters to really get into this book, there is so much going on.  (Too much?)  It isn’t enough to have a white lesbian hip hop artist, let’s put her in Minnesota.  And make her Jewish.   And have her mom leave.  And give her a reason to protest her school administration.  And use texts and tweets and notes in a notebook to tell the story.  And then, somewhere around Sister Mischief’s first concert and meeting with the principal to protest the new policy against rap and hip hop culture, I fell for Esme and her crew.

I identified with them, I felt what it is like to be on the fringes, to be different and know it.  I felt the wonder of Esme and Rohini’s exploration of their feelings and of each other.  I felt both their pain when the romance ended.  I felt the empowerment behind their 4H meetings and their music.  I felt the love and unconditional acceptance that Esme and her dad shared.

It would be easy to say this is a good GLBTQ book for teens, which it is.  But more than that, this is a book for all teens who have ever felt like outsiders, like they were going against the stream to get to some other destination.  I just hope that those teens who need this story will wade through the beginning to settle into the rhythm that is Esme and her crew.

Review Excerpts:  ”Debut novelist Goode shows she’s as much of a “word nerd” as her characters….Goode knows her stuff. The girls have an encyclopedic knowledge and deep love of hip-hop, and Esme’s emotionally charged rhymes flow freely. If ever a book needed a soundtrack—or a beatbox—this is it”–Publisher’s Weekly

“[R]eaders will applaud heroine, Esme, and her band of friends. This debut novel is a funny and tender coming-of-age story. It reminds us to stand by our friends.”–VOYA

“Snappy dialogue, likable characters and an original concept make it hard to entirely dismiss this one, but the message overwhelms the good stuff.”–Kirkus Reviews

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.