Elements of Evil, by Brooke Arnold

Bernice is searching for a hero and what better way to unearth a hero but to have an evil villain on the loose?  She's ready to fit the bill of the evil genius through a series of scientific pranks.  It's been hard to be the little sister to the popular and respected Edith, but Bernice is certain that her plots will both make her mark on the world and let her nemesis sister prove her heroic qualities.

An energetic and irrepressible middle reader for the scientifically-minded.  Perfectly tuned to encourage girls into STEM fields, Bernice's enthusiasm for chemistry and science in general will interest young readers.  There's not much drama or story, but the story is packed with interesting fun scientific facts.  And what young budding scientist doesn't fantasize about flirting with evil?  Personally, I found the structure (basically, just journal entries and a few pieces of ephemera) too jumpy and impersonal, but it works and I think that younger readers will get caught up in the action.  It will play less well with readers who enjoy character development over action.

Another feature that readers will like is a wonderful secret code used throughout the book which, once you figure it out, provides hours of additional fun decoding.  (Full disclosure:  I figured out the basic principles of the code, but was too lazy to actually do the work!)

My one complaint is the design of the book.  There are lovely illustrations and a nice balance between text and ephemera, but the font used was horrible.  Cramped and weighted a too light, the type used in the book was uncomfortable and unpleasant to read.  It would be a shame for a lovely original story like this to be rejected by its potential readers because it just looked bad!

[Disclosure:  I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.  I will be donating the book to my local public library and have received no other compensation]

Suffer Love, by Ashley Herring Blake

Hadley and Sam are both experiencing families that are coming apart (or already have broken up) because of infidelity.  And this shared suffering and alienation from their parents, despite expectations to the contrary, draws them to each other.

But it is all based on a secret (one which Sam knows but Hadley does not) -- that their similar situation is no coincidence.  Against the odds, the woman that Hadley's father cheated with is Sam's mother.  Should Sam tell her?  He worries that the revelation will poison the trust that they have developed.  But what sort of trust is based upon a secret?

The result is a surprisingly effective meditation on infidelity, betrayal, trust, and forgiveness.  This is taken on in a variety of forms.  Beyond their parent's indiscretion, there are the breaks between parents and child and the break between Sam and his sister.  And, just to drive the point home, the relationships that Hadley has with another boy, his relationship with his girlfriend, and a relationship and breakup between Hadley and Sam's BFFs add more complexity.  As I started reading it, it all seemed quite random, but Blake stitched it all together nicely.  I enjoyed the way that she was about to universalize the story.

The Unexpected Everything, by Morgan Matson

Andie likes to have things planned out and to avoid surprises.  She’s got her summer all figured out, but then her father is accused of public corruption and her summer scholarship is cancelled.  Suddenly, she’s in free-fall and finds herself working as a dog walker…and she doesn’t know the first thing about taking care of pets!

But for a summer where nothing happens as expected, wonderful things are occurring:  her Dad is spending time at home and the two of them are finally getting close.  She’s falling in love.  But a life without plans is a life where everything is unexpected and that will challenge her in all sorts of ways.

It’s a very long (500+ pages) rom-com with a lot of rambling.  Obviously, some editing would have helped.  While there are no real plot surprises, the story also came with a few character surprises of note.  I usually don’t like YA parents and I’m leery of going with the middle aged guy (since I resemble him and he usually is a dweeb or an idiot or both) but Andie's father is a hilarious character and gets to have all the good scenes (Mom is, of course, dead – as so often happens in YA!).  But a few good characters does change the fact that the story is basically the typical jealousies, insecurities, parties, texting sessions (with some emojis to keep this hip), and some pretty over-the-top romantic comedy tropes (the ending is literally stolen from Notting Hill).  It’s lovely beach read stuff.

Dream Things True, by Marie Marquardt

Evan is the nephew of a US senator: a rich white kid with well-honed soccer skills and a sports scholarship waiting for him.  Alma is a smart and poised young woman who dreams of attending college and escaping her family's life of hard manual work and poor wages.  But nothing is that simple when you're undocumented.  And what Evan takes for granted in his life -- safety and security -- are the things that Alma most longs for.  It's a love story of two kids from very different backgrounds who find themselves in the middle of the immigration debate. 

Marquandt, who is herself well ensconced in the issues, has a lot to tell the reader.  Authors on a crusade tend to write pedantic and preachy books.  This novel, to its credit, more often than not avoids that curse, but it is lying there just under the surface.  And through the voices of Alma's guidance counselor and an immigration lawyer, we are treated to a earful of facts and figures.

My other complaint is the way the story ended, but that's more personal preference than an issue in the writing.  There is little happiness in the end and even less closure, as Marquardt has chosen a realistic (but not very dramatically satisfying) finale.   I accepted it, but it was frustrating nonetheless.  But perhaps that is a good thing?  This is a good story that introduces a lot of issues that sheltered readers (such as myself) will have given little thought to.  At a time when it is easy to speak of walls and simplistic solutions to complex problems, it is good to have a reminder that life is complicated and doesn't always have closure.  A related criticism is the huge swath of issues covered in the novel.  In addition to immigration itself, Marquardt also tackles sexual violence, teen pregnancy, racism and prejudice, privilege, and marital discord.  At times, these seemed distracting, but it is to the author's credit that the story has room for so much else going on (just as in real life!).

It would also be a mistake to see this as only an issues story, as the characters are multifaceted and memorable.  Alma and Evan are interesting characters, full of strong feelings and the integrity to carry through on them, but at the same time idealistic and naive enough to be plausibly adolescent.  The supporting characters (Evan's cousin, Alma's friends, and the guidance counselor in particular) play surprising roles that break free of typical YA tropes.  Finally, antagonists in this world have an uncanny ability to become heroes here.

Dream Things True then is a busy book with characters that have a lot on their minds and a story that allows them the leeway to explore most of it.  The freedom to pursue dreams is key among the themes, but the reality that the world does not always grant wishes, that so much else is going on at the same time, and that people are neither good nor evil are the means for Marquardt to create a truly multidimensional story of life.

Queen of Hearts, by Colleen Oakes

In Wonderland, Princess Dinah is counting the days until her coronation, when she will share power with her bloodthirsty father, the King of Hearts.  But Dinah has never been popular and when her father introduces his bastard daughter to the court, Dinah knows her position is threatened by her greater popularity.

Yet Dinah has friends she doesn't even know and people looking out for her.  An anonymous tip leads her to explore the dungeons for a woman driven insane by the king's torture.  And before she can even come to grips with what it all means, the stakes get raised.  As her nervous aide constantly hectors her, she is late and time is running out.  She must figure out what her father and his evil advisor Cheshire are up to, before she falls afoul of their plots.

This is part one of a series that twists the Wonderland of Alice into something entirely (and unbelievably) weirder.  It's a very dark tale and only loosely related to Lewis Carroll's world, but will amuse people who enjoy alt universes.  It's colorful and Dinah makes a pretty interesting heroine -- a bit rough and intense, but full of plotting and intrigue.  In this first part, there's a lot of exposition and things aren't yet moving along, but future installments look promising.

Forged in the Fire, by Ann Turnbull

In this sequel to No Shame, No Fear, seventeenth century Quakers Will and Susanna have now been apart for the past three years.  Will has completed his apprenticeship in London and is ready to return to Hemsbury to claim Susanna’s hand.  But plague has struck in London and separates the young lovers a bit longer.  And no sooner  do they overcome that challenge, but are set upon by the Great Fire.  Throughout it all, they and their fellow Quakers are subject to cruel persecution that threatens their existence, but not their love or faith.

I love the details and the meticulous research.  And I also love the way that Turnbull's writings mirror those of the early Quakers in tone and tenor.  Still, I wish Turnbull had offered historical notes at some point as so much of this story covers a pretty obscure era in history.    I would definitely suggest reading a well-annotated copy of George Fox’s Journal as background for this novel.

 

But any of my reservations are overruled by the sheer pleasure of reading a story that combines YA historical literature and well-researched Quaker history.  Beyond the educational angle, the romance remains hot, the characters interesting, and the story briskly paced.

The Last Boy and Girl in the World, by Siobhan Vivian

Keeley's hometown of Aberdeen has never had much going for it and most anyone with a chance of success is heading far away.  Still, when flooding threatens the town and the government moves in with plans to demolish the entire place, build a dam, and flood it, Keeley gets caught up in an effort (led by her Dad) to save the town.  But everyone has their own motivations and Keeley isn't always sure of what hers are (much less those of others).  And her friendships and alliances quickly come under strain as people start to show their true colors.

There is a tension between the tragic story of a town being literally consumed by greed and the elements and Keeley's seemingly vain search for love.  At first I (like many other readers apparently) really wanted to read the seemingly more important story of a town's survival.  The counter story about Keeley and her romantic feelings for a special guy seemed distracting and irrelevant.  But about halfway through the story, the heavy rain showers, abandoned buildings, and relocation traumas truly become less significant when compared to the human drama which is playing out.  Based on the other reviews I have read, this is the point when many readers turn to hating the novel, but I was surprised to find that it actually became far more interesting to me.  After all, what could be more interesting than the massive destruction of property?  Maybe the way that hearts can be betrayed by those we love and by our own best-intentioned acts.

The novel ends a tragedy, but one from which the characters will rebuild themselves.  And it is the seeds of hope at the ending which make this moving story worth the read.  Everything else is just window dressing.  After all, if you want to experience the trauma of a town being flooded to make a lake, look at Dorothea Lange's Death of a Valley.  But if you want to read a story about a young woman who fights with all of her heart for what she feels is right, makes terrible misjudgements and pays steeply for them (and yet comes back stronger and wiser), read this book!

Daughters Unto Devils, by Amy Lukavics

Finding herself pregnant, Amanda is terrified that she will be cast out of her family.  The boy who got her this way has fled and her religious family is certain to condemn her as a whore.  But events overtake them.  Her father announces that, after the hardship of the previous winter, he has been convinced that they should move from their small cabin in the mountains out unto the prairie where he has heard there are good homes left empty and ready to occupy.  With great hardship, the family sets out and does indeed find a great abandoned homestead that they move into.

But all is not well.  The interior of the house is covered in blood and it is obvious that something truly horrible happened there.  Their neighbors are cagey in their explanations.  Soon, strange things start to occur.  Amanda hears voices and sees ghosts.  Soon, the madness and horrors spread to other members of the family.

It's a curious combination of historical fiction and horror (one reviewer called it "Stephen King writing Little House on the Prairie").  I was more drawn to the former more than the latter, and I wonder what talents Lukavics might have in writing a novel about life on the prairie.  She has fine details and enjoys expounding on them.  The horror elements were more cursory and less developed and the ending seemed rushed and sketchy.

Thanks for the Trouble, by Tommy Wallach

When Parker steals the billfold of a platinum-haired woman named Zelda in a fancy hotel, he’s just looking to score some cash.  But what he ends up with is a life-changing encounter with a woman who claims to be immortal.  Parker, of course, doubts her story, but there is no denying her influence over people and her ability to charm just about everyone she meets, not least of which is Parker himself.

Mute and angry at the world since the death of his father, Parker could use some saving.  But Zelda has issues of her own and it is Parker who thinks he can be her saviour.  What results is a surprise to everyone.

Witty and wise, Wallach creates an original tale that mixes coming of age with a little Highlander style mystery (sans the swords and the Sean Connery).  A healthy does of fairy tale fantasy is thrown in through the inclusion of Parker’s writings.  While largely peripheral to the story, these fairy tales are good enough to not detract and mostly provide nice interludes.  I got a little bored with the restlessness  and constant traveling around town (San Francisco in this case), but the story kept me hooked and enchanted until the end.  Recommended.

The Great American Whatever, by Tim Federle

Quinn and his mother have been adrift since Quinn's sister Annabeth died in a car accident six months ago.  In Quinn's mind, he and Annabeth were bonded over their shared love for film (he wrote screenplays that she then filmed).  It was a team that was destined to join the pantheon of sibling filmmakers (like the Coens or the Wachowskis).  Since her death he hasn't written anything.  In point of fact, he hasn't done much of anything.  Skipping out of school and avoiding people, he only really hangs out with his best friend Geoff.  His mother is just as bad, loitering around the house. 

But then a chance meeting with a hot guy named Amir gives Quinn something to make him alive again.  And seeing how that can be, he starts to dream about fixing his life.  Meeting up with an old friend and inspiration (and now a successful screenwriter) also helps him see his future potential.  But he is discovering things about his sister that threaten his rosy picture of how things were.

Guy authors generally fall flat for me -- all snarky jokes and not much depth to their characters.  Federle gives Quinn lots of loving attention, but it was hard to feel much for the result. Moping characters have never really attracted much sympathy from me, and obviously cluelessless lack appeal and dramatic potential.  The relationships between Quinn and the two guys in his life never really bloomed for me (famous screenwriter friend was a throw away). The relationship with Amir lacked much spark and Geoff was just a typical sidekick.  Quinn's relationships with the female characters are even worse.  Pedestaling his dead sister annoyed me (and what was with Quinn's strong reaction to the idea that his sister could have been in a romantic relationship?).  Mom had a completely disposable role -- she was paralyzed with depression for half the book and then suddenly fixed her life.  In sum, there just isn't much here to latch on to.

Exit, Pursued By A Bear, by E. K. Johnston

During summer cheer camp, Hermione is obsessed with getting the most out of her last summer.  What she is not expecting is to get drugged and raped.  In the aftermath of the attack, she is unable to recall the details or the identity of her attacker.  Instead, she is left wondering who he is.  Was it a teammate?  Or someone from another school?  But with supportive friends, family, therapist, and community, she pushes on bravely through the ordeal of recovery.

Overall, I found this to be a nice balance between thriller and emotional drama that makes this unpleasant premise into a better than average read.  The greatest strength are the characters.  Hermione is strong and does a pretty good job of bouncing back.  But the real standout character is her BFF Polly, whose toughness and loyalty make her a great sidekick. 

But I had issues as well.  She brings up some of the indignities that rape victims endure but resolves them quickly, whether it is rumors at school, victim blaming in the media, or the ordeal of terminating an unwanted pregnancy.  All of these could have been developed further, but Johnstone skirts the issues, leaving the treatment superficial and recalling a more middle-school appropriate treatment (like an Afterschool Special).  I also didn't get the Shakespeare references, which seemed tacked on to the story (perhaps Johnstone was just dying to use the title and had to come up with a way to justify it later?).

In sum, there are not a lot of surprises or new ground here, but Johnstone gives a surprisingly upbeat story with a satisfying ending.  It will raise many questions and issues, and might stir some young minds to ask deeper questions.

Pax, by Sara Pennypacker

War is coming and Peter is being sent to stay with his grandfather for safety.  Peter's pet fox Pax, however, cannot come and so Peter is forced to abandon him (in the heart-wrenching first chapter).  Peter immediately regrets doing so and heads off on a quest to find and rescue Pax.  Along the way, Peter befriends an embittered veteran who teaches him valuable lessons about war and helps him on his way.  And, in alternating chapters, Pax meets other foxes and learns more about his own nature and the ways of humans.

Pennypacker, who I know better for her charming Clementine series, has created a unique and haunting book.  Initially, it's a straightforward adventure, but more of an allegory about war in the end.  I felt that the story was a bit dark for children and not entirely appropriate for the middle readers it is targeted towards (in much the same way that Watership Down got mischaracterized as a children's book).  I enjoyed it, especially the chapters about Pax (who ultimately proves a more appealing protagonist than the boy) and the anti-war message is soft-pedaled but well-presented.