Category Archives: Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Review: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

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The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

The Marrow Thieves
Cherie Dimaline
Dancing Cat Books
Published May 22, 2017

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About The Marrow Thieves

In a futuristic world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America’s Indigenous people, and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world.

But getting the marrow, and dreams, means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a fifteen-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones and take refuge from the “recruiters” who seek them out to bring them to the marrow-stealing “factories.”

My Review of The Marrow Thieves

I picked up this book without reading the back cover copy, so I was not prepared for the story at all. In a way, I think that was really good because it allowed me to feel the full force of my shock as I took in what was happening in those opening scenes. THE MARROW THIEVES isn’t an easy read, and it’s not supposed to be.

The writing is really beautiful though, if that makes sense. It’s not overly poetic or lyrical necessarily, though it does drift that direction especially in its descriptions of nature and the natural world. It’s raw and gripping and there’s a desperateness about it that made me feel like I needed to keep reading.

The characters are really well-crafted. I felt like I knew them and could picture them, and sometimes even predict what they were going to do. I loved Miig so much. And Rose, Wab, and Minerva! Such great characters.

I think the only thing that felt weird to me was how little French thinks about his brother, who’d been captured. At first he thinks of him a lot, but then not so much for the rest of the story. I didn’t expect that, especially with how much the story focused on family and those left behind.

Besides that, though, this book totally gripped me. It’s dark and a bit grim, but also threaded with hope and strength and courage. I think readers who liked THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy or maybe THE FEVER KING by Victoria Lee would definitely enjoy this one.

Content Notes for The Marrow Thieves

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
All central characters are Indigenous.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. One scene shows some intimate touching. References to sex. Kissing between two men. Two men in the story are married.

Spiritual Content
Shows some beliefs and traditions of Indigenous people.

Violent Content – Trigger warning for gun violence and violence against women and children.
Situations of peril. Multiple scenes showing violent capture or fighting. More than one woman shares her story which involves brutality against her. A child is murdered. Those who’ve escaped the schools or recruiters often have horrible scars.

Drug Content
A couple characters smoke tobacco. One character gets high on some kind of pills.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

You Can Go Your Own Way
Eric Smith
Inkyard Press
Published November 2, 2021

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About You Can Go Your Own Way

Adam Stillwater is in over his head. At least, that’s what his best friend would say. And his mom. And the guy who runs the hardware store down the street. But this pinball arcade is the only piece of his dad that Adam has left, and he’s determined to protect it from Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul, who wants to turn it into another one of his cold, lifeless gaming cafés.

Whitney Mitchell doesn’t know how she got here. Her parents split up. She lost all her friends. Her boyfriend dumped her. And now she’s spending her senior year running social media for her dad’s chain of super successful gaming cafés—which mostly consists of trading insults with that decrepit old pinball arcade across town.

But when a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney suddenly find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cut off from their families, their worlds, and their responsibilities, the tension between them seems to melt away, leaving something else in its place. But what happens when the storm stops?

My Review

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is the nostalgic feel of Adam’s chapters. It’s a contemporary novel, set in the present day (minus covid), but Adam has a lot of love for bands his dad loved and for the vintage pinball machines his dad was obsessed with before he died. I haven’t played a lot of pinball in my life, but I felt like the descriptions of the game play and the machines made perfect sense and was really engaging. I also couldn’t help connecting with Adam and his complex, unresolved grief with all his nerdy amazingness.

Whitney is super different than Adam is. She’s sleek, cool, and incredibly driven, and yet I felt an instant connection with her, too. I really appreciated her wit and tenacity. She is definitely one of those characters who acts tough and has a soft heart underneath, and I love those!

In addition to all of that, there are some very fun social media situations and conversations, plus a community of indie business owners who all show up for each other. If you know me, you know community is another thing that I tend to adore in the books I read. It just feels so real, and makes the characters feel like part of a real world, you know?

YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY is the first book by Eric Smith that I’ve read, though I’m pretty sure I own his others! Reading this made me really want to read everything he’s written. I felt like the relationships were super real and the characters were really easy to connect with. I think readers who enjoy contemporary romance will have a lot to love in this book.

I suppose my only complaint is the ear worm that constantly happens to me every time I read the title. Every. Time. I guess I can live with a little music in my head. Ha!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Adam’s dad is Sicilian and his mom is Palestinian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to making out.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Adam tries to clean up glass from a broken pinball game and cuts his hand. A storm breaks some windows, causing some damage.

Drug Content
Whitney attends a party at her boyfriend’s house where kids are drinking alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Story of More by Hope Jahren

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The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here (Adapted for Young Adults)
Hope Jahren
Delacorte Press
Published November 2, 2021

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About The Story of More

Hope Jahren, acclaimed geochemist and geobiologist, details the science behind key inventions, clarifying how electricity, large-scale farming, and automobiles have both helped and harmed our world.

Jahren explains the current and projected consequences of unchecked global warming, from superstorms to rising sea levels, resulting from the unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases being released into our atmosphere. The links between human consumption habits and our endangered existence are very real, with consequences leading to a crossroads of survival and extinction.

Still, Jahren maintains that our ever-broadening science-based knowledge can help us counter this dilemma. The eye-opening information provided in THE STORY OF MORE will help readers understand the path we must take. If we collectively make informed choices now, Jahren reassures us, our future can be as bright as we imagine it can be.

This young adult adaptation of acclaimed geochemist and geobiologist Hope Jahren’s highly respected nonfiction work is the perfect book for those interested in learning about climate change and how they can contribute to creating a more sustainable future.

My Review

One of the cool things about this book is that it doesn’t strictly talk about climate change in terms of the effects we see today and the industrial causes. I like that the author kind of zooms out and gives a chapter by chapter overview of things. She discusses things like the way human population has changed over thousands of years or the ways in which farming has evolved. Each topic is discussed in only a few pages but paints a much more complete picture of how we got to where we are with carbon levels, food waste, and pollution.

I also like that the book takes time to focus on what individuals can do to make a difference. The issue of Climate Change can be really overwhelming because it feels like the most significant changes have to be made at an industry or government level in order to make a real impact. This doesn’t address how to make those changes specifically. It does look at what meaningful things individuals can do and how making those changes can cause ripple effects across our lives and the lives of others.

One of the most shocking things that the book discussed that I hadn’t heard before actually had to do with the Winter Olympics. The games need a specific environment to be played– snow slopes for instance. The number of places which have the ability to host the games has shrunk considerably since the games began. That was something I hadn’t really specifically thought about before.

I think readers who enjoy books about environmental issues will definitely want to check this one out. If you liked TRASHING THE PLANET or GIRL WARRIORS, then be sure add THE STORY OF MORE to your reading list!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
The author is a white woman in her 50s.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE STORY OF MORE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Lies My Memory Told Me by Sacha Wunsch

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Lies My Memory Told Me
Sacha Wunsch
Inkyard Press
Published October 19, 2021

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About Lies My Memory Told Me

Enhanced Memory changed everything. By sharing someone else’s memory, you can experience anything and everything with no risk at all: learn any skill instantly, travel the world from home, and safeguard all your most treasured secrets forever. Nova’s parents invented this technology, and it’s slowly taking over their lives. Nova doesn’t mind—mostly. She knows Enhanced Memory is a gift.

But Kade says Nova doesn’t know the costs of this technology that’s taken the world by storm. Kade runs a secret vlog cataloging real experiences, is always on the move, and is strangely afraid of Nova—even though she feels more comfortable with him than she ever has with anyone. Suddenly there are things Nova can’t stop noticing: the way her parents don’t meet her eyes anymore, the questions no one wants her to ask, and the relentless feeling that there’s something she’s forgotten…

My Review

This book was a tough one for me. I like the concept a lot. I think I was expecting vibes a little more like The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? My favorite thing about that movie is the way they took the concept and examined it from many different angles. I feel like LIES MY MEMORY TOLD ME has a little bit of that in that it touches on several different ways Enhanced Memory technology could be corrupted or used to cause harm.

I had a hard time getting into the pacing, though. It felt like some elements to the story emerged really late– like the idea that there might be more to Nova’s history than she remembers. I think I wanted her to collect information and form a plan of attack a lot sooner than she did, and even when she did, her plan felt like, “I guess I’ll just go down this weird hallway and say I’m lost!” While I think that fit her quirky, compulsive character, I felt like it sapped some of the tension for me.

For most of the story, I felt like Nova’s emotional landscape stayed mostly in the sad/angry spectrum. I loved the relationship between her and Kade– and loved the way Kade brought her out of her grim feelings.

On the whole, I still think the concept of LIES MY MEMORY TOLD ME is really cool. I wish that I’d had deeper connection with the characters and the pacing of the story. I think readers who enjoyed THE FEVER KING by Victoria Lee might enjoy this one for its sci-fi thriller vibes.

Content Notes for Lies My Memory Told Me

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Nova’s best friend Andie is transgender.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kiss between boy and girl. At one point Nova sees a holographic movie preview to a pornographic memory.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of LIES MY MEMOERY TOLD ME in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Woman All Spies Fear by Amy Butler Greenfield

Biography, Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life
Amy Butler Greenfield
Random House Studio
Published October 19, 2021

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About The Woman All Spies Fear

Elizebeth Smith Friedman always had a penchant for solving riddles. It was this skill, and a desire to do something with her life that led her to become one of the top cryptanalysts in America during both World War I and II. She originally came to codebreaking through her love for Shakespeare when she was hired by an eccentric billionaire to prove that Shakespeare’s plays had secret messages in them and were written by Frances Bacon.

Though she came to the conclusion that there were not any secret messages in the plays, she learned so much about coding that she went on to play a major role in decoding messages during WWI and WWII and also for the US Coast Guard’s own war against smugglers. Elizebeth and her husband, William, became the top codebreaking team in the US, and she did it all at a time when women weren’t a welcome presence in the workforce.

Amy Butler Greenfield is an award-winning historian and novelist who aims to shed light on this unsung female pioneer of the STEM community.

My Review

Elizebeth Smith Friedman overcame a LOT in her lifetime. She faced opposition to her education from her own father, opposition to women in the workplace, significant wage gaps, and people assuming she relied on her husband’s abilities to break codes. Yet she stayed focused on her work and consistently put aside her feelings because she believed in the job she was doing.

My favorite story about her from the book is about one of the trials she testified in against someone accused of smuggling. The defense lawyers relentlessly called her translation of the coded messages into question. She finally asked the judge if there was a blackboard she could use. There was, so she proceeded to use it to teach a lesson on code breaking right there in the courtroom. She was so obviously knowledgeable and communicated her methods so well that the prosecutors credited her with securing a conviction in the case.

Though the book is largely about her, there are several chapters devoted to her husband’s career and life. That makes sense at some level because sometimes his career intersected hers or created challenges for her personally or professionally. But, I found it interesting that the book made the point of how she faced being overshadowed by men in her accomplishments. And often by men taking credit for her work or assuming her husband had done the work himself. Then the book spent so much time talking about her husband.

Conclusion

On the whole, the book does a great job creating a full picture of Elizebeth Smith Friedman in her career and personal life. I learned a lot about her life and about code breaking. I also learned a bit about the way different government agencies operated between World War I and World War II.

Readers looking for an in-depth biography about Friedman or interested in the history of code breaking will find this book insightful and useful.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
William Friedman was Jewish. The book discusses antisemitic attitudes in the government and military during his life.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some reference to threats against Elizebeth for her work helping to disrupt smuggling operations and testifying against smugglers.

Drug Content
Some reference to drinking alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE WOMAN ALL SPIES FEAR in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Where We Go From Here by Luca Rocha

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Where We Go From Here
Lucas Rocha
Translated by Larissa Helena
Push
Published June 2, 2020

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About Where We Go From Here

Ian has just been diagnosed with HIV.

Victor, to his great relief, has tested negative.

Henrique has been living with HIV for the past three years.

When Victor finds himself getting tested for HIV for the first time, he can’t help but question his entire relationship with Henrique, the guy he has-had-been dating. See, Henrique didn’t disclose his positive HIV status to Victor until after they had sex, and even though Henrique insisted on using every possible precaution, Victor is livid.

That’s when Victor meets Ian, a guy who’s also getting tested for HIV. But Ian’s test comes back positive, and his world is about to change forever. Though Victor is loath to think about Henrique, he offers to put the two of them in touch, hoping that perhaps Henrique can help Ian navigate his new life. In the process, the lives of Ian, Victor, and Henrique will become intertwined in a story of friendship, love, and stigma-a story about hitting what you think is rock bottom, but finding the courage and support to keep moving forward.

Set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this utterly engrossing debut by Brazilian author Lucas Rocha calls back to Alex Sanchez’s Rainbow Boys series, bringing attention to how far we’ve come with HIV, while shining a harsh light on just how far we have yet to go.

An absorbing debut novel about three gay young adults in Brazil whose lives become intertwined in the face of HIV, perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Bill Konigsberg.

My Review

I think it’s really hard to write an issue-driven story and have it read really authentically with facts and information presented in a natural way. This book does a pretty great job of that, though.

The premise had me intrigued already– the author wrote WHERE WE GO FROM HERE in part to address some misinformation and prejudices about HIV and AIDS. So judgments and myths do come up in the story as the characters face either their own diagnoses or their prejudices about people who’ve been diagnosed as HIV positive.

Splitting the story into three points of view, three characters all having different experiences or at different places in their experience helped the conversations feel organic. It allowed people to be in different places in terms of what they knew or understood. It allowed them to be in different places in their emotional journey, too.

Ian might have been my favorite character, but I loved Henrique, too. Both had a vulnerability that drew me into their stories. I thought the relationships they had– in particular Henrique and Eric’s relationship– were great. I liked that each relationship was different and handled things in different ways, but all of them showed love and support.

One of the issues the story explored was about the right to privacy versus the openness that comes with intimacy. Victor is really upset that he learned about Henrique being HIV positive after having sex with him. He has to wrestle a LOT with that issue. At first he doesn’t feel that Henrique has a right to privacy at all, even if he took precautions to protect Victor. I think in particular the way the story explored that issue, showing both sides and the broad range of emotions the situation triggered, made this a deep read.

Conclusion

The only thing that kind of tripped me up a bit was that some of the dialogue was a little stilted and awkward, probably just from being translated. (Which has to be an incredibly challenging job!) Other than that, I enjoyed reading the book, and it really made me think.

The cover copy above says readers who enjoy Bill Konigsberg or Adam Silvera should check this book out. I agree. I think it would appeal to those readers for sure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
All characters are Brazilian. The three main characters are gay men. One has a roommate who is a drag queen.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. References to sex and oral sex.

Spiritual Content
A couple characters examine whether they believe that being HIV+ is God’s judgment against them for being gay. They decide it isn’t.

Violent Content – Trigger warning for homophobia.
A couple characters have been cast off by their families because of who they love. There are some brief recollections of the hurtful things they’ve said. One character is outed by someone online and receives awful messages on social media and via spray paint on his building.

Drug Content
Several scenes show characters drinking alcohol. All the characters are of legal drinking age (at least 18) in Brazil.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of WHERE WE GO FROM HERE in exchange for my honest review.