Charlie was found in a hospital parking lot wrapped in a sheet with deep cuts all over her body. Sadly, she was responsible for the damage to her body. Charlie cuts herself to relieve the pain of the abuse, drinking, homelessness, and all the other horrific things she has witnessed in her short life. Her suicide attempt lands her in a mental health facility, and just when she is starting to find her way out of the darkness, she is forced to leave. There is no money to pay for her stay. Luckily, Mikey, a boy she has loved forever, invites her to stay in his home in Tuscon, Arizona. Leaving Minnesota for the heat of Tuscon where she only knows one person is scary, but Charlie is desperate to get her life back on track. As she gets a job, finds her own place to live, works on her art, and falls for a beautiful but damaged man, Charlie will have to fight to put herself back together, or she will get so broken she can't be put back together again. This lyrical and painful novel of falling apart and putting yourself back together again will leave you transformed. You can't help but root for Charlie as she fights for her life amidst countless setbacks, terrible poverty, and shocking tragedy. This is an honest look at the desperate lives some teens face, and it is a book I won't be able to stop thinking about. Highly, highly recommended!
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Charlie was found in a hospital parking lot wrapped in a sheet with deep cuts all over her body. Sadly, she was responsible for the damage to her body. Charlie cuts herself to relieve the pain of the abuse, drinking, homelessness, and all the other horrific things she has witnessed in her short life. Her suicide attempt lands her in a mental health facility, and just when she is starting to find her way out of the darkness, she is forced to leave. There is no money to pay for her stay. Luckily, Mikey, a boy she has loved forever, invites her to stay in his home in Tuscon, Arizona. Leaving Minnesota for the heat of Tuscon where she only knows one person is scary, but Charlie is desperate to get her life back on track. As she gets a job, finds her own place to live, works on her art, and falls for a beautiful but damaged man, Charlie will have to fight to put herself back together, or she will get so broken she can't be put back together again. This lyrical and painful novel of falling apart and putting yourself back together again will leave you transformed. You can't help but root for Charlie as she fights for her life amidst countless setbacks, terrible poverty, and shocking tragedy. This is an honest look at the desperate lives some teens face, and it is a book I won't be able to stop thinking about. Highly, highly recommended!
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American Panda by Gloria Chao At age 17, Mei Lu is already a freshman at MIT, on her way to fulfilling her parents' dreams of her becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, Mei is terrified of germs and is nearly certain that becoming a doctor would kill her. However, she is even more terrified of what her Taiwanese family would do if she chose another major. Her older brother, who is attending medical school at Dartmouth, has already been disowned because he fell in love with a Taiwanese girl her parents didn't approve of. Mei knows admitting her true feelings about becoming a doctor may produce the same result. She can't even imagine their reaction if she told them that she also has a crush on a cute Japanese American boy. Mei loves her parents and her brother, but the rigid traditions that control their lives are destroying her. This Taiwanese/American girl will have to find her voice to fight for her dreams and rebuild the family she loves. Chau's debut novel made me aware of the rigid expectations that the kids of some first generation immigrants still have to follow today. I also appreciated how she pointed out that this was one girl's experience and that all families are different. There is not a single story for all Taiwanese immigrants. Although I got as stressed as Mei as she was being destroyed by her parent's rules, the second half of the book was a breath of fresh air as Mei found her voice to fight for her dreams. An important new story in our expanding diverse literature renaissance. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi Orisha was land created by the gods. Some humans were gifted with powers and called magis; each magi's gift depended on the powers (air, wind, etc.) of the god who bestowed it. For generations, magi used their powers to help humanity, but when the Orishan king became frightened of the magi's power, he decided to wipe them out. On the day known as "The Raid," every living magician was murdered, and the connection to magic was severed completely. Now the children born with magic potential, known as diviners and born with white hair that is impossible to hide, are called maggots and constantly fear for their lives. Zelie's mother was a Reaper, a magi who controlled death. At age six, she watched the king's guards murder her mother during "The Raid." Born a diviner, Zelie has no rights and must constantly work to control her anger as she watches the repression of her people. Zelie is strong and outspoken, which always gets her in trouble. When a young girl with the key to unlocking magic begs her help, she knows it is dangerous but doesn't hesitate to protect her. The girl happens to be the king's daughter, Amari. Her theft sends them on a dangerous journey to bring back magic, with Amari's brother, Prince Inan, hot on their trail. The prince abhors magic, and he will stop at nothing to please his father and eradicate magic. With the future of magic in her hands, Zelie cannot afford to make mistakes. However, decisions are not black and white, especially when the human heart is involved. Not only is Children of Blood and Bone the best new fantasy of 2018, it is also a groundbreaking addition to teen fantasy. Just like the recent Black Panther movie, this book is written by an African American author, telling an African story, with all black characters and themes that tie to the continued violence against black young men, and everyone will be enthralled by its superb storytelling. Every teen fantasy fan needs to read this phenomenal novel. Adeyemi's characters are unique, strong, yet flawed, and you cannot help cheering for them as the struggle to make their world a better place. Zelie and Amari are stunning as they grow to become the warriors of their destiny. The magic is powerful and fantastical, and Adeyemi's writing makes it feel authentic. As a fantasy fan and a supporter of diverse literature, I have been waiting and waiting for this book to be written, and now that it is, I just can't wait for the next one in the series. Highly, highly recommended! Sythe by Neal Shusterman Neal Shusterman's stunning novel, Scythe, is set in future world where they have cured death. If you get a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, they can cure you. If you get hit by a bus, they can put you back together. Whatever happens, they can bring you back. Of course, with no one dying and everyone having babies, the world would quickly become overpopulated. Therefore, the world's leaders came together and created scythes. These are people who decide who is to be killed and not brought back. The scythe's live by a set of commandments very different from our own. #1: Thou shalt kill. #2: Thou shalt kill with no bias, bigotry, or malice aforethought. #3: Thou shalt grant an annum of immunity to the beloved of those who accept your coming. (This means if you do not resist your death, your family will have one year of protection from death.) #4. Thou shalt kill the beloved of those who resist. (If you fight death, the scythes will kill you and all you love.) This is the story of teens who have been chosen to be trained as scythes. As they get deeper in their training, they discover that when humans play god, bad things happen. I read this book over a year ago, and somehow, I never blogged about it even though it was one of the best books I had read in ages. Shusterman is the Willy Wonka of the teen literature world as he creates innovative plots in a world where there tends to be a lot of repetition. Prepare to be shocked and spellbound as you are sucked into this futuristic world where getting our greatest wish, a freedom from death, causes even greater suffering. The sequel, Thunderhead, was just published, and it has received rave reviews from my students. My students devour Scythe like candy and beg for more. I join them in saying, "Neal Shusterman, please, please keep writing your amazing novels!" Highly recommended! The Radius of Us by Marie Marquardt After getting attacked, Gretchen is so afraid of the world that she barely leaves her house. When she first meets Phoenix, a boy who reminds her of her attacker, she runs from him. Not wanting to blame an innocent boy for the actions of another, Gretchen vows to befriend him when they meet again. Phoenix recently fled El Salvador with his brother to protect them both from the gangs that control their town. Now his brother is in a detention center, and he is living with a lawyer working to get them both legally in the country as refugees. He is shocked when this beautiful girl talks to him. No one predicted Phoenix and Gretchen would be friends, but their relationship begins to heal both their scars. When their past terrors come back to haunt them, will they be brave enough to fight for their love? This unique romance reminds readers of rewards of fighting prejudice and the power of love to transform us. It was thought-provoking and swoon-worthy. Highly recommended! Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry Ever since Drix got out of the Second Chance program, he has refused to play the drums. He may not have committed the crime that landed him in the program, but his out-of-control lifestyle was leading him to big trouble. The drums remind of being out of control, and Drix wants to turn his crazy life around. When he saves a gorgeous girl at a carnival, he has no idea that she is the real danger. Elle, the daughter of the govenor who created the Second Chance program, dreams of a day that she can be herself instead of the in control girl her parents require. Even as her dad is using Drix to tout the success of the program, she knows her parents would never allow her to date him. However, their connection is too strong to be denied. As their secret phone calls become secret visits, they will have to decide how much they are willing to risk to save each other. Once again, Katie McGarry delivers and unforgettable romance filled with real yet unique characters that you can't help but cheer for. I am really, really hoping this book will be the first installment in a series that will feature Drix's friends and family, but she has not announced it is a series yet. Highly recommended! This Is Our Story by Ashley Elston After a night of excessive partying, five boys go into the woods to go hunting. Only four make it out alive. They tell everyone that it was an accident and that they have no idea who fired the deadly shot. No one really believes their story, but there is no evidence to prove it isn't true, especially since the boys are presenting a unified front. Kate, who works for the prosecuting attorney for the case, has a secret reason to want to discover the killer. Utilizing her skills as a photographer, Kate vows to do whatever it takes to uncover the killer. As Kate becomes the killer's next target, she must find out the truth quickly, or she too will become an "accident." A modern version of the who-done-it mystery, this book is full of red herrings and plot twists. Mystery fans will devour it. Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu What is a Moxie girl? A Moxie girl speaks up when the women around her are facing sexist actions and fights the system for her rights. Vivian's mom, an outspoken feminist, would have been a Moxie girl when she was in high school, but Vivian has always been to o scared to speak out against the obvious sexist actions of the staff and students at her high school. When the attacks on her friends grow unacceptable, Vivian turns to her mother's old zines, homemade magazines, for inspiration. She creates a zine called Moxie and secretly distributes them around the school. Vivian is not sure if her words and ideas will make a difference, but she quickly learns that she is not the only girl sick of the sexist words and actions of male staff and students. As the Moxie girls unite, their actions are threatened with expulsion from the administration. Vivian will have to decide once and for all if she is a Moxie girl or not. I loved this fresh book about girl power in the 21st century. Speaking as a woman during Vivian's mom's era, I remember reading Sassy magazine, a magazine for smart, fashionable and feminist girls, and being proud of the fact that girls were finally becoming doctors, lawyers, and cooperate executives. However, the battle, which I had hoped was over, continues today with the #me too movement and our continued fight to have control of our bodies. This is a fun and thought-provoking read for any teenage feminist. Moxie girls fight back! Highly recommended! |
AuthorMs. Smith has been the librarian at Washington HS in Sioux Falls, SD, since 2005. She enjoys reading, watching K-Dramas, Harry Potter and hanging out with her family. Archives
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