MRL YA Book Club
Once a month, we'll post a review of a book. Check it out and enjoy! And don't forget--you can always submit your own book review and/or suggestion for the Book Club.We also have access to another online book club! Here's the teen page. They add a new book every week.
August's Book Club Read:
One of our L.O.L. volunteers received an Advanced Reader Copy of Kindle the Flame by Tamara Shoemaker. (Kindle the Flame was just released yesterday! There is a Goodreads giveaway here, if you want to enter to win!)
Our volunteer posted her thoughts on her Goodreads account. Here is her review!
MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.
You'll notice the patterns appear in Marcus Sedgwick's The Ghosts of Heaven. The story is told in four parts, the characters strewn throughout Earth's history, but the stories are strikingly similar.
First there is the Girl, who dreams of drawing on the cave walls like the Storyteller. Next there is Anna, whose village believes she is a witch. Then we meet Charles Dexter, a once-successful poet who now resides in a mental institution in the 1920's. Finally, we experience the life of Keir Bowman, an astronaut who wakes every 10 years to maintain the massive spaceship on which he resides, travelling to form a new habitat for the 510 Earthlings on board.
There are mixed reactions about this book. Many readers appreciate the beautiful way in which it is written. Each story is unique in its own way. They are all told from different perspectives, with different narration styles. The characters are dynamic but lonely. There is an appealing mix of introspection, madness, and danger in each of them. But the stories can be a lot to get through. This article (SPOILER ALERT!!!) defines the book as "ambitious, intriguing and frustrating." If you don't think the stories sound interesting, at least read The Ghosts of Heaven to be a part of the discussion.
To fill his time, Matt decides to get a part-time job. He expected to walk out of the Cluck Bucket with a job on the fryer, but he ends up leaving with an offer to work at Mr. Ray's funeral home. He's always known Mr. Ray as the guy who survived cancer twice and is now trying to inform others of the disease. Now Mr. Ray is looking out for him: paying him to help set up for funerals, picking him up from school, and helping when Matt's dad goes off the deep end.
The one thing Matt loves about his new job is going to funerals. He wants to see someone go through what he went through with his mom. It makes him feel better, as strange as it sounds. One of those people is Lovey. She'll be the first one to roll her eyes at any joke you have about her name. She just lost her grandma--Matt was at her funeral--and as they help each other through that pain, they realize they have more in common than they thought.
A book that was on a lot of best-of lists for 2014 features two girls with different types of "dys." Quincy and Biddy graduate from high school and are put together in a home with 61-year old Elizabeth. She needs help getting around and fixing meals, so Quincy cooks and works at a grocery store while Biddy cleans the house from top to bottom. As the three women begin to rely on each other, and they realize they're not as different as they seem.
This Song Will Save Your Life has also been optioned for the stage and screen, so we may see a Glee-style revolution in the coming years.
Title: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Copyright: 2014
Call Number: YA Fiction LU
Adelina Amouteru has been treated poorly most of her life. After the plague left her deformed, her father abused her but worshiped her sister. Adelina escapes her hometown, but not before a terrible accident leaves her wanted for murder. She runs into The Young Elites, a group of plague survivors who also have inexplicable powers.
As Adelina discovers strength she didn't know she had, she finds herself intertwined in the complicated lives of the people around her. The other Young Elites have varied histories and powers. Adelina and other malfettos--children scarred by the plague--are treated as subhuman in the city. As if her life wasn't complicated enough already, Adelina is approached by the leader of The Dagger Society, a group of government soldiers dedicated to destroying all malfettos. What can he offer her if she betrays the Young Elites?
The characters are complex, the stakes high, and the missions dangerous. Adelina becomes the antihero you didn't know you needed. Fans of The Orphan Queen, A Game of Thrones, and Midnight Thief will love the world Lu creates. The next book in the series, The Rose Society, is due in October. A sneak peek is available from Penguin Teen. (They also made the amazing chart below.)
Adelina Amouteru has been treated poorly most of her life. After the plague left her deformed, her father abused her but worshiped her sister. Adelina escapes her hometown, but not before a terrible accident leaves her wanted for murder. She runs into The Young Elites, a group of plague survivors who also have inexplicable powers.
As Adelina discovers strength she didn't know she had, she finds herself intertwined in the complicated lives of the people around her. The other Young Elites have varied histories and powers. Adelina and other malfettos--children scarred by the plague--are treated as subhuman in the city. As if her life wasn't complicated enough already, Adelina is approached by the leader of The Dagger Society, a group of government soldiers dedicated to destroying all malfettos. What can he offer her if she betrays the Young Elites?
The characters are complex, the stakes high, and the missions dangerous. Adelina becomes the antihero you didn't know you needed. Fans of The Orphan Queen, A Game of Thrones, and Midnight Thief will love the world Lu creates. The next book in the series, The Rose Society, is due in October. A sneak peek is available from Penguin Teen. (They also made the amazing chart below.)
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| via Penguin Teen |
The Young Elites is one of our 2015 Teens' Top Ten books. See a full list of books here.
Other Book Reviews
Other Book Reviews
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| via Goodreads |
Title: Vivian Apple at the End of the World
Author: Katie Coyle
Copyright: 2015
Call Number: YA Fiction COY (at North River)
When Vivian Apple goes home the morning after the supposed apocalypse, she finds two holes in the ceiling of her parents' bedroom. In fact, a lot of people turn up missing. Most of them were devout believers in the Church of America. Vivian and her best friend, Harp, never believed, and now they've been left behind.
In this first book in a series (Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle is due out Fall 2015), Vivian sets out across the country to find the truth. Where did her parents go? Was Beaton Frick, founder of the Church of America, right about the Rapture? What should she do next?
What she discovers may be more than she can handle.
Katie Coyle does an amazing job with Vivian Apple at the End of the World. It's everything you want from a book: major character progression, complex themes relevant to today's society, nice mix of comedy and action. There also ISN'T a love triangle! How rare! Coyle also offers some extras to complete your VAatEofW (that's way too long, never mind)-reading experience. She posted a road trip playlist and excerpt of the book here, and here is the official book trailer:
One of our L.O.L. volunteers received an Advanced Reader Copy of Kindle the Flame by Tamara Shoemaker. (Kindle the Flame was just released yesterday! There is a Goodreads giveaway here, if you want to enter to win!)
Our volunteer posted her thoughts on her Goodreads account. Here is her review!
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| via Goodreads |
Sarah Deloney's review
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Sarah by: Anne Tjaden
Recommended for: YA Fantasy fans
Read in May, 2015, read count: 1
This book is about two countries, of magical creatures and their trainers, on the brink of war. A power-thirsty king, named Sebastian, rules over one of the countries, building an army of unwilling people and mythical beasts. Every person is assigned to a clan and given a tattoo to signify what type of dimn (trainer) they are. The king is merciless towards uprising rebels like Ayden the dragon dimn, Kinna the pixie dimn, and Cedric the mysterious boy raised by a centaur. Ayden holds a grudge against the king for the despicable curse he first bore years ago. Kinna's tattoo will not not stay and her pixie persistently loathes her, so she rides away on horseback to unveil her murky past. Cedric seeks other humans to answer questions about his centaur mother and her crime against the others.
My favorite character is an orange haired pixie called Lincoln. He is Kinna's proclaimed protector and skilled at catching fish, normal pixie tricks, and provoking giggles when Kinna needs them. I can relate to Lincoln because he wants to help his friends and cheer them up when smiles are scarce. I also felt strong pity for Ayden when I discovered his deadly curse. Consequently, my favorite part had to be when Ayden was preparing revenge on the savage king Sebastian.
I immensely enjoyed this book because it has a twisting plot and is told by four contrasting perspectives. Little do the characters know how their destinies will intertwine. When these characters met for the first time I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for reactions, realizations, and revenge. Clashing viewpoints between the trio of rebels and the dastardly upperhand make the story exciting. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends. Anyone who searches for memorable fantasy romance has found what they need! Kindle the Flame
MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.
Title: The Ghosts of Heaven
Author: Marcus Sedgwick
Copyright: 2015
Call Number: YA Fiction SED (at North River)
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| via Goodreads |
You'll notice the patterns appear in Marcus Sedgwick's The Ghosts of Heaven. The story is told in four parts, the characters strewn throughout Earth's history, but the stories are strikingly similar.
First there is the Girl, who dreams of drawing on the cave walls like the Storyteller. Next there is Anna, whose village believes she is a witch. Then we meet Charles Dexter, a once-successful poet who now resides in a mental institution in the 1920's. Finally, we experience the life of Keir Bowman, an astronaut who wakes every 10 years to maintain the massive spaceship on which he resides, travelling to form a new habitat for the 510 Earthlings on board.
There are mixed reactions about this book. Many readers appreciate the beautiful way in which it is written. Each story is unique in its own way. They are all told from different perspectives, with different narration styles. The characters are dynamic but lonely. There is an appealing mix of introspection, madness, and danger in each of them. But the stories can be a lot to get through. This article (SPOILER ALERT!!!) defines the book as "ambitious, intriguing and frustrating." If you don't think the stories sound interesting, at least read The Ghosts of Heaven to be a part of the discussion.
 |
| via Goodreads |
Title: The Boy in the Black Suit
Author: Jason Reynolds
Copyright: 2015
Call Number: YA Fiction REYNO
It's the beginning of senior year, and Matt has already missed the first few weeks. His mom was sick--cancer--and passed away. And now Matt has to go back to school. Classes aren't bothering him--he's done well in high school, so he only has to go half a day--it's the other kids. They're looking at him like he's broken or different. And he is different; he's had to grow up fast, and now he's changed, probably for forever. His boy Chris is still trying to treat him normal, but his dad is getting lost in a bottle. Matt doesn't even want to cook anymore, since that was something his mom did with him.
To fill his time, Matt decides to get a part-time job. He expected to walk out of the Cluck Bucket with a job on the fryer, but he ends up leaving with an offer to work at Mr. Ray's funeral home. He's always known Mr. Ray as the guy who survived cancer twice and is now trying to inform others of the disease. Now Mr. Ray is looking out for him: paying him to help set up for funerals, picking him up from school, and helping when Matt's dad goes off the deep end.
The one thing Matt loves about his new job is going to funerals. He wants to see someone go through what he went through with his mom. It makes him feel better, as strange as it sounds. One of those people is Lovey. She'll be the first one to roll her eyes at any joke you have about her name. She just lost her grandma--Matt was at her funeral--and as they help each other through that pain, they realize they have more in common than they thought.
Author: Gail Giles
Copyright: 2014
Call Number: YA Fiction GILES
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| via Goodreads.com |
Title: This Song Will Save Your Life
Author: Leila Sales
Copyright: 2013
Call Number: YA Fiction SALES
Everyone hates Elise Dembowski. After her failed suicide attempt, she's a complete loner in school. Her dad doesn't know what to do with her. Her mom and step-dad are afraid of her. The only person she feels comfortable with is her younger sister. So Elise relaxes the best way she knows how--through music. At night, she sneaks out of her dad's house and wanders the streets with her trusty iPod. One night, two girls wave her down and tell her she's going the wrong way. How can she be going the wrong way when she has nowhere to go? Like Alice, she tumbles into a hidden, underground world and ends up in the middle of a warehouse party. There she falls in love with the idea of becoming a DJ.
In This Song Will Save Your Life, follow Elise through the ups and downs of becoming a DJ. She meets an interesting group of people from the club: Char, the mysterious DJ who teaches her the ropes; Pippa, the Char-obsessed British drama magnet; Mel, the bouncer who looks out for Elise; and Vicky, the confident band member who takes Elise under her wing. While her social life gets undoubtedly more active, her family life starts to suffer. She also has to deal with bullies from school when her secret life as a DJ is discovered. How will Elise juggle high school, friends, drama, family, and everything else?
Great musical references allow you to see (and hear) Elise in her world. Check out our literary playlist for TSWSYL:
This Song Will Save Your Life has also been optioned for the stage and screen, so we may see a Glee-style revolution in the coming years.
Author: Emmy Laybourne
Copyright: 2012
Call Number: YA Fiction LAYBO
Dean is riding the bus to school one morning when his world changes. His bus and the one in front of him, holding his younger brother Alex, start dodging beach ball-sized chunks of hail. Cars are swerving, people are screaming, and his classmates are freaking out. Alex's bus driver crashes into the front of a Greenway (think: Wal-Mart). Dean's bus is heading for the school bus-shaped hole in the building when their driver is hit by hail. The bus flips to its side, seats are flying off, and thick, black smoke is filling the air and Dean's lungs.
Want to know what happens next? Read the Monument 14 series by Emmy Laybourne. Monument 14 is the first book in the series, and documents how Dean and his classmates try to survive living on their own. Everything in their world has changed. The Network (Internet/phone service) is down, and the air turns black when a nearby weapons facility releases toxins that affect people different based on their blood type. They are separated from their parents, but they still encounter frightening adult strangers from the outside world.
Even though they are facing life-threatening new elements, they're still kids--six high school students and some younger children. The older guys have problems with group leadership and desperate love triangles, and the younger kids are scared out of their minds. How will they manage to stay alive when it seems like everything (the toxins in the air, manic outsiders, and their own disruptive hormones) is out to get them?
Title: Th1rteen R3asons Why (aka Thirteen Reasons Why)
Author: Jay Asher
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| Image from barnesandnoble.com |
Call Number: YA Fiction ASHER – also available in our eBook collection
A shoebox of cassette tapes contains 13 reasons why Hannah Baker took her own life. That shoebox is now traveling between the people who played a role in those 13 reasons. Some committed acts that would be punishable by law if anyone were to tell. Others did less heinous things, but still their actions contributed to Hannah’s desire to end it all. If any of them fails to pass the box of tapes on to the next person on the list they will all be exposed to the entire town for their role in a teenage girl’s suicide.
Hannah thought things would be different when she moved with her family to a new town. She thought it would be a fresh start. It was, but not for long. Soon the rumors start to fly. One boy feels the need to impress his friends with locker room talk about what supposedly happened between him and Hannah on their date. Another creates a list which rates the girls in the freshman class based on their physical body features. These acts have a snowball effect. Each character’s deeds lead to another’s actions all of which affect Hannah in some way.
Now it is Clay Jensen’s turn to listen to Hannah’s 13 reasons why. Clay has no idea how he fits into this puzzle, but he is determined to find the answer. If you want to know how Clay Jensen fits into the puzzle read Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher. You can find it at Massanutten Regional Library and in our e-book collection.
Want to suggest a book for the book club or write a YA book review? We might publish it here! Send your book reviews/book club suggestions to lmack@mrlib.org
MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.
Want to suggest a book for the book club or write a YA book review? We might publish it here! Send your book reviews/book club suggestions to lmack@mrlib.org
MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.
