BAGGOTT, Julianna. Fuse. 416p. Grand Central. Feb. 2013. Tr $25.99. ISBN 9781455503087. Adult/High School–After the final revelations in Pure (Grand Central, 2012), the mission to end the tyranny of the Dome becomes newly urgent for Pressia and Partridge. Along with Bradwell, Pressia unlocks the black box found in the charred remains of the farmhouse, which reveals more about the original Seven. This sets Pressia off on a quest to discover if there are other pockets of rebels in [...]]]>

BLOCK, Francesca Lia. The Elementals. 320p. St. Martin’s. 2012. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1-250-00549-6. LC 2012028277. Adult/High School–Block’s latest is a perfect example of the “new adult” trend. While she is best known for Weetzie Bat (Harper, 1989) and its sequels, which won her the Margaret A. Edwards award, she has also written adult novels throughout her career, and this book straddles both age groups. Ariel and her friend Jeni had planed on attending UC Berkeley together, but when Ariel can’t [...]]]> FICTION

BLOCK, Francesca Lia. The Elementals. 320p. St. Martin’s. 2012. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1-250-00549-6. LC 2012028277.
Adult/High School–Block’s latest is a perfect example of the “new adult” trend. While she is best known for Weetzie Bat (Harper, 1989) and its sequels, which won her the Margaret A. Edwards award, she has also written adult novels throughout her career, and this book straddles both age groups. Ariel and her friend Jeni had planed on attending UC Berkeley together, but when Ariel can’t go on a college visit due to her mother’s illness, Jeni goes without her and promptly disappears. Ariel decides to head to Berkeley anyway, as much to locate Jeni as to further her education. Once there, her search for her friend at first overtakes her life but then leads her to a beautiful mansion and the three older students who live there. Despite warnings from classmates and her own conscience, she can’t seem to stay away. Many of Block’s common themes are present–California as a place of ethereal mystery, damaged girls, slightly magical creatures, and unusual familial arrangements, complete with a baby. Most of the book reads very much like a young adult novel, and there are just a few instances of erotic sex that probably pushed the publication from teen to adult.–Jamie Watson, Baltimore County Public Library, MD

 DEBORDE, Rob. Portlandtown: A Tale of Oregon Wyldes. 384p. Griffin: St. Martin’s. 2012. pap. $15.99. ISBN 978-1-250-00664-6.
Adult/High School–This paranormal Western features an undead man searching for his gun, a book of spells whose author is trying to retrieve it, the possessor of the book who is gradually succumbing to its power, a marshal who is digging up graves but can’t remember why, and the psychically skilled Wylde family. These characters come together in a story that is as creepy as it is enjoyable. The Hanged Man is an outlaw who was hung for his crimes and buried, but he didn’t die thanks to a curse from the wayward spell book.  With the assistance of a man also bound by the curse, he makes his way out of the grave. They head to Portland, determined to retrieve the Hanged Man’s legendary gun that never misses and never needs reloading. This sets in motion a series of paranormal events coinciding with the Portland rain festival, which is relying on some otherworldly elements of its own. The rain festival turns into something bigger, wetter and more terrifying than anyone could have imagined; the dead are rising as quickly as the waters. This skillful blend of Old West, mystical activity, and other disparate elements works well. Though the ending leaves open the possibility of a sequel, this is still a satisfying novel. Fans of paranormal fiction will appreciate Portlandtown‘s innovative storytelling, a refreshing change  in a genre that often lacks originality.–Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, CA

GREAVES, C. Joseph. Hard Twisted. 304p. Bloomsbury. 2012. Tr $25. ISBN 978-1-608-19855-9.
Adult/High School–Lottie Garrett, 13, is not ignorant of the ways of the world as she has been hoboing around  dustbowl era Texas with her alcoholic father, but certainly by today’s standards she is naïve and an innocent when she meets Clint Palmer, who is in his late 30s. Lottie is forced via coercion or rape into Clint’s web, his bed, and ultimately his murderous crime spree. The remarkably accurate historical voice, including trial excerpts that start each chapter, will draw teens into this beautifully written fictionalized account of real western murders. Readers will hunger to know more of Lottie’s motives and thoughts as she seems relegated to the background of her own story, which seems appropriate to the ways in which girls and women were seen at the time. So, too, will the use of racial slurs jolt at first, but ultimately the language enriches the feeling of being there, in the West of the 1930s. The story crosses from Texas and Oklahoma to New Mexico and Utah. Lottie becomes pregnant and loses a baby, and Clint goes from somewhat charming to ever more scary and dangerous, and readers will hang on to the bitter end, trying to figure out exactly what happened and what will become of Lottie.–Jake Pettit, American School Foundation, Mexico City

MCEWAN, Ian. Sweet Tooth. 304p. Nan A. Talese. 2012. Tr $26.95. ISBN 978-0-385-53682-0.
Adult/High School–In 1972, young English women had restricted opportunities in the professional world. Thus 22-year-old Serena Frome, a new MI5 recruit, is intrigued when she is plucked from lower-level clerical work for a role in a secret operation. Serena has three important qualifications for the job: She is beautiful, intelligent, and a voracious reader. Her role is to find a promising young writer and offer a fake grant from a fake foundation that will allow the writer to concentrate on producing a book. The underlying intention of the operation is to sway popular culture away from communist influences, still a vital threat in the continuing Cold War. Serena selects writer Tom Haley as her mark, after obsessing over his wonderful and strange short stories. Their first meeting ends in Serena’s bed, beginning a passionate love affair always overshadowed by the truth of Serena’s covert mission. McEwan immerses readers in this bleak era of English history, replete with its inherent anxiety over Cold War fears, the stubborn oil crisis, and escalating violence in Northern Ireland. His extraordinary storytelling, nuanced with secrets and twists aplenty, blends wit and literary allusions without pomposity, making it accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Although the espionage element makes this novel an excellent recommendation for Tom Clancy fans, there are also strong currents of mystery, historical fiction, and romance. Offer this one to sophisticated teens looking for an absorbing, literary novel.–Diane Colson, Palm Harbor Library, FL

MATHIS, Ayana. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. 243p. Knopf.  2012. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-0-385-35028-0. LC 2012010779.
Adult/High School–In 1925, Hattie, 17-years-old and newly transplanted from rural Georgia to Philadelphia, loses her babies, twins, to pneumonia. This early tragedy combined with her disappointing marriage to August, the country boy she only dated to spite her mother, changes Hattie. The remaining chronological chapters read like connected short stories, each one introducing one or two of Hattie’s nine living children, all touched by her anger and distance. Floyd, a trumpeter, fears his homosexual tendencies when he sees the vicious treatment others receive. Six, physically scarred by a fire, becomes a tent preacher after he is sent south at age 15 to escape prosecution for almost killing another boy. The focus never shifts far from Hattie. In one chapter, she finds love with another man, and tries to run away with him. Bell, a teenager scarred by knowledge of her mother’s affair, later exacts a revenge that doubles back and almost kills her. In the next chapter, Hattie prepares for the ultimate sacrifice–giving her youngest daughter away to her sister Pearl and a more comfortable life down south. Although most of her children’s issues originate in their youth, in reaction to their mother’s harsh treatment, their concerns are largely adult. However, even as adults they struggle to find their way. Each chapter focuses on moments of transition, momentous decisions, or actions that determine their ultimate fate. This book is recommended to teens for its accessible writing, the author’s skill at juggling multiple dramatic stories and characters within a transparent structure, and for what these (never didactic or cliché) stories reveal of growing up poor and African American in 20th century America.–Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City

ROORBACH, Bill. Life Among Giants. 333p. Algonquin. 2012. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-1-616-20076-3. LC 2012016965.
Adult/High School–When 17-year-old David “Lizard” Hochmeyer’s parents are gunned down in front of him, it is only one link in a chain that connects his family with that of the neighbors across the way in the palatial “High Side”: a famous (now-dead) rock star named Dabney and his ballerina wife, Sylphide. Moving back and forth between his teenage years in 1970s suburban Connecticut, his stint as a professional quarterback, and his post-football career as a restaurateur, Lizard narrates this tale of con artists, greed, love affairs, insanity, revenge, and exquisite cooking. Both Lizard’s and his sister Kate’s lives are dominated by the fact of their parents’ deaths, and by their respective obsessions with the residents of High Side. Lizard finds it difficult to have a permanent relationship because he is still fixated on Sylphide. Kate is certain that she knows the truth of a conspiracy behind their parents’ and Dabney’s deaths; Lizard is less certain, until the day his father’s former boss and the man Lizard recognizes as the shooter walk into Lizard’s restaurant together. When he discovers that the shooter is connected with Dabney and Sylphide, he ecomes involved in a scheme to get revenge and find out the full truth about his father’s life and death. Full of memorable characters, this is an intriguing mystery as well as a moving coming-of-age story, comically absurd at times and touchingly tragic at others. Recommend it to older teens who like John Irving or Richard Russo or are just looking for a well-written, character-driven novel.–Sarah Flowers, formerly at Santa Clara County Library, CA

VILLALOBOS, Juan Pablo. Down the Rabbit Hole. tr. from Spanish by Rosalind Harvey. 75p. Farrar. 2012. pap. $12. ISBN 978-0-374-14335-0. LC 2011048052.
Adult/High School–Tochtli is the motherless child of a Mexican drug lord.  Because his life is circumscribed by the walls and guarded gates of a villa compound in the mountains, he has met few people and has no friends. He spends his time almost entirely on his obsessions: a collection of hats, the honor of Samurai warriors, his dictionary, the Liberian pygmy hippopotamus he wants for his zoo, and the ways bodies become corpses.  He is also a keen observer of his father, Yolcaut, and the henchmen, prostitutes, and corrupt politicians who populate his home.  A precocious innocent coming of age is insulated within a world of violence, corruption, wealth and death, and Tochli remains unaware of the psychopathy that envelops him.  He only knows that certain words from his dictionary fit his experience: “pathetic,” “disastrous,” “sordid,” “devastating.” While this novella details the illegal procurement of hippos for Tochtli’s exotic zoo, it is also an allegory about the impact of the drug war and its public violence on Mexico–the names of the characters derive from Mexico’s indigenous language, Nahuatl (Tochtli means ‘rabbit’ and Yolcaut means ‘rattlesnake’).  Villalobos dispatches simple words with the precision of a marksman to create a powerfully disturbing novella that teens will find accessible, dark, humorous, and provocative.  Teachers will discover a literary tool that expands the discussions of perception versus reality in the context of the drug war that continues to plague Mexico and its people.–John Sexton, Greenburgh Public Library, NY

WRIGHT, Camron. The Rent Collector. 288p. Shadow Mountain. 2012. Tr $22.99. ISBN 978-1-60907-122-6.
Adult/High School–In a contemporary story of hardship and hope, guilt and forgiveness, 29-year-old Sang Ly lives with her devoted husband, Ki, and her sickly baby, Nisay, at Stung Meanchey, an enormous municipal waste dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  Sang Ly and Ki are trash pickers, eeking out an existence by salvaging recyclables.  The couple dreads the monthly visit of Sopeap Sin, the drunken, ill-tempered rent collector.  But when Sang Ly discovers that Sopeap can read, she asks to learn and a tenuous friendship develops. Hoping to give her son a better life, she studies her lessons intently. As she works with her unpredictable but motivating teacher, Sang Ly uncovers Sopeap’s improbable past as a teacher and lover of literature and as a traumatized victim of the Khmer Rouge 1970′s reign of terror.  When Sopeap disappears, Sang Ly’s understanding of Sopeap enables her to find the dying rent collector and to help her find redemption. Metaphoric dreams, fables, proverbs, and literary references are effectively woven into Sang Ly and Sopeap’s dual stories of salvation.  Sopeap opens Sang Ly’s eyes to the heroes and positive aspects of her wasteland home. And, Sang Ly brings Sopeap face to face with a family that has haunted her life. Inspired by the lives of real people living in Stung Meanchey, Wright infuses this story with cultural nuance and authenticity.  Initially, Sang Ly’s eloquent narration seems inconsistent with the limited realities of her life, but her engaging voice gains credibility as her compassionate, literary relationship with Sopeap unfolds. Through Sang Ly and the rent collector, readers will discover a wealth of insights:  the lingering ravages of war, the common bonds of humanity, and the uplifting power of literature.–Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham School of the Arts,  NC

NONFICTION

LE GUIN, Ursula K. Finding My Elegy: New and Selected Poems. 196p. Houghton. 2012. Tr $22. ISBN 978-0-547-85820-3. LC 2012016363.
Adult/High School–The author of the “Earthsea Cycle” and of highly regarded works of science fiction began publishing poetry in 1959. This volume collects 70 selections from 6 earlier books and provides 77 new ones, including the title poem. Many teens should appreciate these sentiments: “My elegy, your clothes are out of fashion./I see you walking past me on a country road/ in a worn cloak. Your steps are slow, along/a way that grows obscure as it leads back and back./In dusk some stars shine small and clear as tears/on a dark face that is not human. I will follow you.” The poems about nature are sure to please observant readers. Anyone who has been lucky enough to watch pelicans diving will especially appreciate “Pelicans.” “They’re awkward, angular, abstruse,/the great beak on a head so narrow,/a kind of weird Jurassic goose/lurching into the modern era./But the blue arc of sky lets loose–/ look, now!–the brown, unerring arrow!/ and see how beautiful, how grave,/the steady wings along the wave.” Unfortunately, the poems written about war seem timeless. The Curse of the Prophetess begins, “Hear my curse on the nation of Israel and the nation of Palestine/ May the generals of your armies/ be little, heavy-burdened donkeys,/ and your leaders be patient, old sheep.”  And continues, “Let the day come, let it come now,/when the name warrior will be a name of folly/and the word victory mean a vain thing.” Young adults will discover beauty and creativity in the poetry of an author whom they may already admire.–Karlan Sick, formerly at New York Public Library

PULLMAN, Philip. Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm. 405p. bibliog. Viking. 2012. Tr $27.95. ISBN 978-0-670-02497-1. LC 2012027181.
Adult/High School–In his introduction, Pullman describes some of the essential characteristics of fairy tales: they contain “conventional stock figures” with “little interior life”; they are fast-paced; there is practically “no imagery”; and the tone is “serene and anonymous.” So it is somewhat strange to find that almost all of the changes Pullman introduces to the tales (and he introduces many) move them away from these characteristics, creating motivations and inner lives, adding color to the imagery and tone, and generally slowing the pace. But of course Pullman is following in the footsteps of no less a forebear than Wilhelm Grimm himself, who immediately began making the stories more literary, starting with the second edition of 1819 and running through the final and most familiar seventh edition of 1857. In fact, Pullman’s changes–which include adding dialogue, re-arranging events, and even finishing incomplete tales–are so extensive that this volume should not truly be seen as a new translation at all; it is closer to an eighth edition, expanding on Wilhelm’s project. What readers make of these changes depends on their attitude toward the original 1812 tales and their need (or lack thereof) for a strict translation of the Grimms, for which readers should always turn to Jack Zipes’s The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Bantam, 2003). Setting that question aside, though, readers are left with what is certainly the most accessible, best-written version of Grimm available. Add to that Pullman’s indispensable notes on each tale and this is surely an edition that lovers of fairy tales everywhere should read.–Mark Flowers, John F. Kennedy Library, Vallejo, CA

Adult/High School–In cleverly constructed verse that echoes (without mimicking) Coleridge, Hayes presents the tale of a 21st-century explorer who has ridden the high seas in search of (illegally hunted) whale bone for scrimshaw. He has been sucked into the swirling mass of garbage in the north Pacific (see Rachel Hope Allison’s I Am Not a Plastic Bag by [Archaia 2012]) and eventually comes to a London park bench to [...]]]>  HAYES , Nick. The Rime of the Modern Mariner. illus. by author. Viking. 2012. Tr $32.. ISBN 978-0-670-02580-0.

Adult/High School–In cleverly constructed verse that echoes (without mimicking) Coleridge, Hayes presents the tale of a 21st-century explorer who has ridden the high seas in search of (illegally hunted) whale bone for scrimshaw. He has been sucked into the swirling mass of garbage in the north Pacific (see Rachel Hope Allison’s I Am Not a Plastic Bag by [Archaia 2012]) and eventually comes to a London park bench to regale a businessman who has just signed his own divorce papers and will not be swayed to consider any concern beyond his own polished life’s. Faux block print style artwork abounds with textures–the tangles of old fishing nets, the plaids of shirts, the curly head of the mariner, the woodsy grotto where he is nursed to health–all washed in a gentle blue. With just a line or two on most full-page spreads, some passages are told only visually; Hayes has plotted the panels and isolated full-page moments in elegant harmony with the rhyme itself. This is stellar sequential art, offering the juxtaposition of human greed that has remained a species-signature across the centuries with the environmental mess this greed and selfishness has wrought. It also offers access to Coleridge’s original by showing the bones of symbolism he employed.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA .

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The following titles are reviewed in the January 1 print issue. Visit Book Verdict for the full reviews.

Fiction

ALEXIE , Sherman. Blasphemy: New and Selected Stories. 480p. Grove. 2012. Tr $27.00. ISBN 978-0-8021-2039-7.

ATWELL , Mary Stewart. Wild Girls. 288p. Scribner. 2012. Hardcover $25. ISBN 9781451683271.

DRAKE , Jocelynn. Angel’s Ink. 1. 352p. (The Asylum Tales Series). Harper Voyager. 2012. pap. $14.99. ISBN 9780062117854.

ERDRICH , Louise. The Round House. 336p. HarperCollins/Harper. 2012. Tr $27.99. ISBN 978-0-06-206524-7. LC 2012005381.

MCKILLIP , Patricia A. Wonders of the Invisible World. 288p. Tachyon, dist. by IPG. 2012. pap. $14.95. ISBN 9781616960872.

MORTON , Kate. The Secret Keeper: A Novel. 463p. Atria:S.& S. 2012. pap. $26.99. ISBN 9781439152805.

OTTO , Whitney. Eight Girls Taking Pictures. 352p. photogs. Scribner. Nov. 2012. Hardcover $25. ISBN 9781451682694.

Nonfiction

AL-MARIA , Sophia. The Girl Who Fell to Earth: A Memoir. 288p. HarperPerennial: HarperCollins. 2012. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199975-8.

CAHALAN , Susannah. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. 288p. Free Pr. 2012. Tr $25.. ISBN 9781451621372.

CROTHERS , Tim. The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl’s Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster. 224p. photogs. Scribner. 2012. Tr $26.. ISBN 9781451657814.

Graphic Novels

PHAM , Thien. Sumo. 105p. First Second. 2012. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-581-0.

Preschool to Grade 4

AHLBERG , Allan. The Goldilocks Variations . illus. by Jessica Ahlberg. Candlewick. p. 74.

BROWN , Don. Henry and the Cannons . illus. by author. Roaring Brook. Jan. 2013. p. 89.

BRYANT , Jen. A Splash of Red . illus. by Melissa Sweet. Knopf. Jan. 2013. p. 89.

HALPERIN , Wendy Anderson. Peace. illus. by author. S & S/Atheneum. Jan. 2013. p. 92.

HELQUIST , Brett. Grumpy Goat. illus. by author. HarperCollins/Harper. Jan. 2013. p. 78.

JEFFERS , Oliver. This Moose Belongs [...]]]>

Henry and the Cannons (Brown), ©2013 illustration by Don Brown

Preschool to Grade 4

AHLBERG , Allan. The Goldilocks Variations . illus. by Jessica Ahlberg. Candlewick. p. 74.

BROWN , Don. Henry and the Cannons . illus. by author. Roaring Brook. Jan. 2013. p. 89.

BRYANT , Jen. A Splash of Red . illus. by Melissa Sweet. Knopf. Jan. 2013. p. 89.

HALPERIN , Wendy Anderson. Peace. illus. by author. S & S/Atheneum. Jan. 2013. p. 92.

HELQUIST , Brett. Grumpy Goat. illus. by author. HarperCollins/Harper. Jan. 2013. p. 78.

JEFFERS , Oliver. This Moose Belongs to Me. illus. by author. Philomel. p. 80.

JENKINS , Steve & Robin Page. My First Day. illus. by Steve Jenkins. Houghton Harcourt. Jan. 2013. p. 92.

MARKEL , Michelle. Brave Girl. illus. by Melissa Sweet. HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray. Feb. 2013. p. 93.

MERCHANT , Natalie, adapt. Leave Your Sleep. illus. by Barbara McClintock. Farrar/Frances Foster. p. 94.

MOORE , Eva. Lucky Ducklings. illus. by Nancy Carpenter. Scholastic/Orchard. Feb. 2013. p. 82.

VIVA , Frank. A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse. illus. by author. Toon Bks. p. 87.

WERNER , Sharon & Sarah Forss. Alphasaurs and Other Prehistoric Types. illus. by authors. Blue Apple. p. 96.

GRADES 5 & UP

BLACKWOOD , Sage. Jinx . HarperCollins/Harper. Jan. 2013. p. 101.

BOLDEN , Tonya. Emancipation Proclamation . Abrams. Jan. 2013. p. 130.

CHADDA , Sarwat. The Savage Fortress . Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. p. 102.

FRADIN , Judith Bloom & Dennis Brindell Fradin. The Price of Freedom . illus. by Eric Velasquez. Walker. Jan. 2013. p. 132.

HALLIDAY , Ayun. Peanut . illus. by Paul Hoppe. Random/Schwartz and Wade. Jan. 2013. p. 137.

NIELSEN , Susin. The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen. Tundra. p. 122.

ROSEN , Michael J. Sailing the Unknown. illus. by Maria Cristina Pritelli. Creative Editions. p. 124.

SPINELLI , Jerry. Hokey Pokey. Knopf. Jan. 2013. p. 126.

STONE , Tanya Lee. Courage Has No Color. Candlewick. Jan. 2013. p. 134.

TIMBERLAKE , Amy. One Came Home. Knopf. Jan. 2013. p. 128.

Adult Books 4 Teens Blog

HAYES , Nick. The Rime of the Modern Mariner . illus. by author. Viking. (Nov. 21, 2012, post)

Multimedia

DVD

The Dustbowl. PBS Dist. p. 58.
Henry Clay and the Struggle for the Union. TMW Media. p. 58.
Planet Dinosaur. Warner Home Video. p. 57.

AUDIO

Anna Hibiscus. By Atinuke. Recorded Books. p. 60.
The Fire Chronicle: The Books of Beginning, Book 2. By John Stephens. Listening Library. p. 61.
The Mighty Sky. NewSound Kids. p. 68.
The Monster’s Valentine Ball. Family Arts Theater. p. 68.
Pete Remembers Woody. CDBaby.com. p. 69.
Son. By Lois Lowry. Listening Library. p. 65.
Splendors & Glooms. By Laura Amy Schlitz. Recorded Books. p. 66.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase: The Wolves Chronicles. By Joan Aiken. Listening Library. p. 67.
Zero the Hero. By Joan Holub. Spoken Arts. p. 67.

Bringing together the best reading of the year among 17 book reviewers resulted in a wonderfully varied group of titles that combines excellence and appeal to young adults. All of these books were originally reviewed on SLJ’s Adult Books 4 Teens blog, which can be found at blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/adult4teen. There were a few trends in addition to the plentiful coming-of-age fiction and nonfiction memoirs. We ended up with three powerful debut novels about modern war–The Yellow Birds, Billy [...]]]>

Bringing together the best reading of the year among 17 book reviewers resulted in a wonderfully varied group of titles that combines excellence and appeal to young adults. All of these books were originally reviewed on SLJ’s Adult Books 4 Teens blog, which can be found at blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/adult4teen.
There were a few trends in addition to the plentiful coming-of-age fiction and nonfiction memoirs. We ended up with three powerful debut novels about modern war–The Yellow Birds, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, andThe Book of Jonas–and three titles that use the western canon as a basis–The Song of Achilles (The Iliad),Goliath (The Bible) and Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes (the works of James Joyce). It was exciting to find a trio of important global nonfiction titles here: Behind the Beautiful Forevers (India), Escape from Camp 14 (North Korea) and The Distance Between Us (Mexico). Surprisingly, The Age of Miracles is the only dystopian novel (might the tide be turning?).
Many thanks to reviewers Amy Cheney, Diane Colson, Priscille Dando, Vicki Emery, Mark Flowers, Sarah Flowers, Paula Gallagher, Francisca Goldsmith, Charli Osborne, Laura Pearle, Carla Riemer, Jane Ritter, John Sexton, Karlan Sick, Jamie Watson, and Connie Williams.

Fiction

ABBOTT, Megan. Dare Me. Little, Brown. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-316-09777-2.
This brilliant thriller tackles the mythology of high school cheerleading. Squad captain, Beth, loses her power when a new coach arrives, until a suspicious death renews her opportunity for dominance. (ow.ly/fpKiL)

BRUNT, Carol Rifka. Tell the Wolves I’m Home. Dial. Tr $26. ISBN 978-0-679-64419-4.
June, 14, is devastated when her uncle Finn, a famous artist, dies of AIDS. Then Finn’s longtime secret partner, Toby, approaches her, with an offer of friendship. (ow.ly/fpPIf)

DAU, Stephen. The Book of Jonas. Blue Rider. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-0399158452.
Jonas, a 15-year-old boy rescued by an American soldier in an unidentified Muslim country and taken to the Pittsburgh area as a war refugee, is overwhelmed by the guilt of what it took to survive the war that claimed his family and his home. (ow.ly/fpKKC)

DOIG, Ivan. The Bartender’s Tale. Riverhead. Tr $27.95. ISBN 978-1-59448-735-4.
Rusty and his single father, Tom, “the best bartender who ever lived,” reside in companionable contentment in their rural Montana town until “that year of everything, 1960,” when Zoe, the daughter of the new café owners, and Proxy, an unsavory “friend” of Tom’s from the old days, arrive in town. (ow.ly/fpKZK)

FOUNTAIN, Ben. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. Ecco. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-06-088559-5.
It is surreal to go from a firefight in Iraq to the 50-yard line at Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, making it difficult for Billy Lynn to feel like the hero that he is acclaimed to be in this satire of war. (ow.ly/fpLab)

GAULD, Tom. Goliath. Drawn & Quarterly. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-77046-065-2.
In this graphic novel, the Biblical David and Goliath story is told from the giant’s point of view with humor and good will. (ow.ly/fpLqk)

KEESEY, Anna. Little Century. Farrar. Tr $26. ISBN 978-0-374-19204-4.
Orphaned at 18, Esther moves from Chicago to Oregon and takes up homesteading. She finds herself in the middle of a feud between an idealistic sheepherder and her cousin, an established cattleman. (ow.ly/fpLEh)

MCCLEEN, Grace. The Land of Decoration. Holt. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-8050-9494-7.
Judith McPherson, 10, and her widower father John are mercilessly bullied as they fervently try to adhere to their apocalyptic religious beliefs in this debut novel about faith and imagination. (ow.ly/fpLNU)

MCCULLOCH, Derek. Gone to Amerikay. illus. by Colleen Doran and José Villarrubia. Vertigo. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1-4012-2351-9.
Three intertwined stories reveal both individual and generational experiences by disparate immigrants to New York City from Ireland, in 1870, 1960, and 2010. Doran and Villarrubia’s images provide views of tenement housing, thieves’ dens, an unsettled ghost, and modern jet-set trappings. (ow.ly/fpM1d)

MILLER, Madeline. The Song of Achilles. Ecco. Tr $25.99. ISBN 9787-0-06-206061-7.
Patroclus retells the events of The Iliad, focusing on the all-too-short life of his companion, Achilles. By concentrating on these two young men and their tragic lives and love, the author rejuvenates the epic legend for a contemporary audience. (ow.ly/fpMcc)

O’MALLEY, Daniel. The Rook. Little, Brown. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-316-09879-3.
In this funny, cool, inventive speculative fiction, Myfanwy Thomas wakes up in a body and a life she doesn’t recognize and assumes the job of protecting England from bizarre supernatural manifestations while trying to find the traitor who stole her (host body’s) identity. (ow.ly/fpMmw)

POWERS, Kevin. The Yellow Birds. Little, Brown. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-316-21936.
Private John Bartle’s attempt to honor his promise to bring his combat buddy Murph home safely leads him to commit and cover-up a crime in this powerful novel that alternates between the war in Iraq and Bartle’s homecoming. (ow.ly/fpMt4)

RASH, Ron. The Cove. Ecco. Tr. $26.99. ISBN 978-0-06-180419-9.
Living deep in the isolated mountains of Appalachia just after World War I, Laurel believes her loneliness may be finally over when a mute young man suddenly appears in their dark, secluded cove. (ow.ly/fpMDD)

SIEGEL, Mark. Sailor Twain: Or the Mermaid in the Hudson. illus by author. First Second. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-636-7.
In 1887 Captain Twain is in charge of a steam vessel plying New York’s Hudson River when he rescues a wounded mermaid. Their story in this graphic novel collides with those of a reclusive British author and the shipbuilder’s lothario brother in a fantasy combining history, geography, mythology, and the timeless human concerns with love. (ow.ly/fpMOS)

WALKER, Karen Thompson. The Age of Miracles. Random. Tr $27. ISBN 978-0-8129-9297-7.
Just before Julia’s 12th birthday, scientists announce that the Earth’s rotation is slowing. The unraveling of life on the planet is told from the perspective of one girl living in an ordinary California neighborhood. (ow.ly/fpN2f)

WILSON, G. Willow. Alif the Unseen. Grove. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-8021-2020-5.
Alif is a hacker whose exploits are guided by an ethical dedication to a greater good. His ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend, the all-powerful head of state security, is fiercely determined to destroy him. Alif’s narrow escapes are a romp through the contemporary, historic, and mythical Islamic world. (ow.ly/fpNfx)

Nonfiction

BOO, Katherine. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity. Random. Tr $28. ISBN 978-1-4000-6755-8.
Abdul, 16, has been accused of driving his neighbor to suicide. Abdul and a one-legged woman are just two of the many people readers meet in the Annawadi slum behind the Mumbai airport and hotel district where 3000 squatters live with poverty and corruption. (ow.ly/fpNpc)

GRANDE. Reyna. The Distance Between Us: A Memoir. Atria. Tr $25. ISBN 978-1-4516-6177-4.
After losing their parents to “El Otro Lado”–the United States–Grande and her siblings lived in grinding poverty with their hateful grandmother. Finally their father took them to Los Angeles with the help of a Coyote, where they began new lives, and Grande became the first college graduate in her family. (ow.ly/fpNBK)

HARDEN, Blaine. Escape from Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West. Viking. Tr $26.95. ISBN 978-0-670-02332-5.
In North Korea, more than 100,000 people are held in prison labor camps. Shin Dong-hyuk was born in one. This is the account of his life in the camp and his escape into China at age 23. (ow.ly/fpPTi)

IVERSEN, Kristen. Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats. Crown. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-307-95563-0.
Iversen’s memoir combines life within a dysfunctional family and the investigation of a nuclear weapons program cover-up that took place in her own backyard. (ow.ly/fpOdR)

KLEON, Austin. Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told you about Being Creative. Workman. pap. $10.95. ISBN 978-0-7611-6925-3.
Kleon offers engaging, inspiring and practical advice on becoming a successful artist, beginning with the premise that “nothing is original.” He encourages readers to study what they love and embrace outside influences. (ow.ly/fpOtX)

MCGILL, Jerry. Dear Marcus: A Letter to the Man Who Shot Me. Spiegel & Grau. Tr $22. ISBN 978-0-8129-9307-3.
The author was 13, living in the inner-city, when he was shot in the back while walking home late on New Year’s Eve. What happened to him after that unfolds in letters to his assailant, who was never found. (ow.ly/fpOKQ)

PHELPS, Carissa. Runaway Girl: Escaping Life on the Street, One Helping Hand at a Time. Viking. Tr $26.95. ISBN 978-0-670-02372-1.
Preferring the freedom of the streets to a life with her family, 12-year-old Carissa was taken in by a pimp, and eventually landed in a detention center. She turned it around with the help of mentors, education, and work as a youth advocate. This memoir shines a personal light on the issue of sex trafficking. (ow.ly/fpOXi)

ROSS, Richard. Juvenile in Justice. Richard Ross. Tr $29.95. ISBN 978-0-9855106-0-2.
Photographer Ross spent more than 5 years speaking with 1000 youth confined in juvenile detention facilities in 31 states. The result is a profound visual narrative, accompanied by provocative quotes and statistics. (ow.ly/fpP78)

STRAYED, Cheryl. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Knopf. Tr $25.95. ISBN 978-0-307-59273-6.
With her life out of control and burdened with the unresolved grief of losing her mother to cancer, the author writes of her solo journey on the Pacific Crest Trail in this searingly honest and brilliantly humorous memoir. (ow.ly/fpPgH)

TALBOT, Mary M. Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes. illus. by Bryan Talbot. Dark Horse. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-1-59582-850-7.
The Talbots collaborated on this graphic dual biography of James Joyce’s daughter, Lucia, and Mary Talbot herself, whose father was a Joyce scholar. Both daughters suffered their fathers’ disappointment, one destroyed by it, the other ultimately triumphant. (ow.ly/fpPp6)

ABBOTT, Megan. Dare Me: A Novel. 304p. Little, Brown. 2012. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-316-09777-2. LC 2011051323. Adult/High School–Abbott takes the mythology of cheerleading and stands it on its sharpest edge. There’s not much bubbly or perky about these girls–they are hard in mind and body. Accustomed to the inherent privileges of being worshipped and feared from afar, the actual cheerleading has become incidental. For them, there hasn’t been much in life beyond practice, binge-drinking, [...]]]> fiction

ABBOTT, Megan. Dare Me: A Novel. 304p. Little, Brown. 2012. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-316-09777-2. LC 2011051323.
Adult/High School–Abbott takes the mythology of cheerleading and stands it on its sharpest edge. There’s not much bubbly or perky about these girls–they are hard in mind and body. Accustomed to the inherent privileges of being worshipped and feared from afar, the actual cheerleading has become incidental. For them, there hasn’t been much in life beyond practice, binge-drinking, hook-ups, and managing their eating disorders. Beth made the rules as captain, and the squad ruled the school. Then Coach arrives and brings with her a whole new Darwinian order. The unthinkable happens. Beth is no longer captain and her hold on the girls is gone. Her “lieutenant,” Addy, narrates the events. Coach brings discipline, integrity, and technique to the squad and in so doing becomes Addy’s obsession. She and the rest of the squad, in cultlike fashion, live for the smallest bit of attention from their leader. Coach lets the girls into her personal life while simmering in the background is Beth, and Addy knows Beth always gets the upper hand no matter the cost. A sudden, suspicious death brings with it Beth’s opportunity for dominance. The psychology of the relationships creates a singularly dark atmosphere that goes way beyond Mean Girls. Brilliantly sharp writing raises this work to a level above typical expectations. Whether it’s the description of life-threatening stunts or the inner logic of a teen desperate for connection, Abbott’s prose creates a compelling and unsettling read for mature teens.–Priscille Dando, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

ANDERSON, Howard. Albert of Adelaide: A Novel. 225p. Twelve. 2012. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1-4555-0962-1. LC 2011045203.
Adult/High School–One thing Albert knows for certain: Living encaged in a zoo is no life at all. He has heard rumors from other zoo animals of a place known as Old Australia, where things haven’t changed and animals still run free. So, like any platypus that yearns for the rush of river water and the company of mates, he quits the zoo, taking with him only a soda bottle filled with water. His journey soon becomes one of swashbuckling adventure, as Albert finds himself in the middle of turf wars and long-standing enmities amid the animals living in the Australian Outback. As distinctly drawn as Albert’s own earnest and brave character are those of his new friends, Jack the embittered wombat and American-born TJ, a thieving raccoon of honor and courage. While the arc of the story is simple–young platypus grows in self-understanding as he experiences the good and evil of the world–the setting is fabulously exotic. The landscape of the Northern Territory, and, more importantly, the extraordinary native animals, increase the book’s fantastical mystique. It’s tempting to compare this novel to others that feature talking animals, but it’s really more closely related to shoot-‘em-up-westerns or war stories. For most teens, this will be an out-of-the box recommendation. Adventurous readers will appreciate the quirky pretext for a hearty coming-of-age story Down Under.–Diane Colson, Palm Harbor Library, FL

CHEN, Pauline A.. The Red Chamber. 400p. Knopf. 2012. Tr $26.95. ISBN 978-0-307-70157-2. LC 2012005050.
Adult/High School– The Red Chamber follows the story of three members of the wealthy Jia family in 18th century Beijing. Daiyu, Xifeng, and Baochai live within a tightly knit closed society that allows them only limited access to life outside their splendid mansion. Their only power is contained within their closed chambers, and the story centers on their many complex relationships. Xifeng, the childless wife of the head of the family, rules with an iron fist over the other women. Daiyu, a young orphaned cousin newly arrived from the south, hopes to find comfort with her extended family but instead finds it difficult to enter their world. She befriends another young cousin, Baochai, but when they discover that they both love the same man, their friendship breaks down. Just as there are many servants, concubines, children, parents, and cousins living in household, there are many characters in this story and many side plot lines that create a unique view of life and politics in the Beijing of the 1700’s. The three women’s lives intersect not only within their chambers, but each must survive as the winds of politics change their sheltered lives. Inspired by a literary classic of the 18th century, this important piece of Chinese tradition gives Western readers insight into a fascinating culture. With so many characters and events, it’s difficult to follow at first but perseverance will open up this engaging story, and as each character unfolds, the story compels further reading. Recommend this to teens who love history, Asia, romance, and complex story lines.—Connie Williams, Petaluma High School, CA

FISHMAN, Zoe. Saving Ruth. 304p. Morrow. 2012. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-0-06-205984-0. LC 2011275350.
Adult/High School–After her first year of college in Michigan, Ruth Wasserman returns home to Alabama 35 pounds lighter but still carrying around all her old insecurities about her looks. She is met at the airport by David, her athletic, smart older brother who evades her questions about his own life in college. As Ruth meets up with old friends, soothes her parents’ fears about her new ultra-skinny look, and starts dating David’s old best friend, Chris, she returns to work alongside David as a lifeguard at the local pool. When David gets high just before work one day and a young black girl slips underwater, it is up to Ruth to be clear-headed and save her. Ruth begins to realize that things are not as they seem. Not only do David’s lies about his soccer scholarship begin to unravel, but she suspects problems in her parents’ relationship. When she is hired to help a young girl lose weight, she finally confronts her own issues so that she can help her young charge avoid a similar path to an eating disorder. This is a well written, quick read with wide teen appeal. Ruth is believable, and her dialogue with David is in true sibling form. The characters are not stereotyped, and the complicated racial tensions, along with Ruth’s concern about beauty and conformity, convey the unique culture of one small southern town.–Connie Williams, Petaluma High School, CA

GRANT, Mira. Blackout. Bk. 3. 574p. (Newsflesh Trilogy). Orbit. 2012. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-84149-900-0. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Readers who have followed this trilogy from the beginning will be relieved to find that Georgia Mason is 97% resurrected and back in action. In this final book, set in 2041, death by zombie is less a threat for the After the End Time bloggers than death by assassination by the Center for Disease Control. The pace picks up with Georgia and Shaun Mason alternating narration as each one uncovers parts of the horrific conspiracy that keeps the Kellis-Amberlee virus alive and deadly. In each of the three books, the tension has a different timbre: Feed (2010) is bloody and edgy, while Deadline (2011, both Orbit) is darkly taut. Blackout has the spiraling, out-of-control terror of an impending collision. The “Newsflesh Trilogy” has tremendous appeal for older teens who enjoy a combination of science and action, with an overlay of forbidden romance throughout. It’s possible to start with the final volume, despite the many resolutions to the storyline. Most likely it will whet readers’ appetites for more. Fortunately for fans, Grant published a prequel novella, Countdown (2011). It takes readers back in time to the earliest developments that led to the virus and introduces characters who figure largely in the trilogy. There is always the chance that more bits of the story will yet emerge from Grant, as readers will certainly wonder what happens to these familiar characters next.–Diane Colson, Palm Harbor Library, FL

GREENSLADE, Frances. Shelter. 400p. Free Pr. 2012. pap. $15. ISBN 978-1-4516-6110-1. LC 2011028539.
Adult/High School–Maggie and Jenny are living in rural British Columbia in the 1970s. They are 10- and 12-years-old when their father dies, and not much older when their mother leaves them at the home of an older couple they barely know. For a few years, they hear from her occasionally, but eventually she disappears forever. Maggie narrates the story, struggling to understand something about who her parents were, why her mother left, and why she and Jenny didn’t try to find her. Maggie is bright, thoughtful, and independent, while Jenny is charming and outgoing like her mother. Maggie, more cautious like her father, approaches life warily, albeit with great resourcefulness. When Jenny becomes pregnant, Maggie decides that she must find out what happened to their mother. Not a lot goes on in this novel, but readers are nevertheless drawn inexorably forward by Maggie’s longing for a real family, by her loyalty to Jenny, and by her few close friendships. The setting is so clearly drawn as to be almost a character in its own right. This is a quiet but deeply felt book, for readers who liked Bobbie Ann Mason’s In Country (Harper, 1985) or Kent Haruf’s Plainsong (Knopf, 1999).–Sarah Flowers, formerly at Santa Clara County Library, CA

KEESEY, Anna. Little Century. 336p. Farrar. 2012. Tr $26. ISBN 978-0-374-19204-4. LC 2011046308.
Adult/High School–Newly orphaned following the death of her mother, 18-year-old Esther Chambers lands in Century, Oregon with few options. Her only remaining relative, distant cousin Pick, has offered to set her up as a homesteader on land adjoining his ranch. But what does a girl from Chicago know about frontier living? Esther must learn to farm, care for her horse, and, most importantly, become a part of the community. The cattlemen of Two Forks Ranch are at odds with the sheepherders over grazing rights on parched, arid land. Esther finds herself making alliances on both sides as she struggles to understand a feud rife with unconscionable behavior. To complicate matters, she finds herself with a pair of suitors–handsome and established cattleman Pick, and magnetic Ben Cruff, an idealistic young sheepherder. Esther’s choice and its consequences will keep readers transfixed. Teens will be drawn in by an intelligent and independent heroine who follows both her head and heart as she comes of age and takes charge of her life. Compelling and engaging, Little Century explores the everyday struggles of pioneers in an approachable context. Keesey does a superb job fleshing out the secondary characters who populate Century, including an eccentric shopkeeper with a lending library and a love of nature, and the fiery, welcoming schoolteacher who teaches Esther to split her skirts to make more practical riding attire. Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s prairie tales will happily fall into this page-turner.–Paula Gallagher, Baltimore County Public Library, MD

LOCKE, Kate. God Save the Queen. 368p. maps. glossary. Orbit. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-19612-3. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–In a reimagined Great Britain, a mutated form of the bubonic plague has taken root among the nation’s royalty, causing the infected to acquire certain abilities and sensitivities. The plague first appeared in the 1700’s; by the time of this story, Queen Victoria, an immortal vampire, is 175 years into her reign and the aristocracy consists solely of vampires and werewolves. The rest of the population consists of halvies, the offspring of vampire “aristo’s” and human courtesans; goblins, the greatly feared offspring of one were and one vampire parent; and humans, who don’t hide their hatred of the other groups, and are generally kept at a distance. In this first volume of the Immortal Empire series, readers meet Alexandra Vardan, daughter of an aristo vampire and a human mother. As a member of the Queen’s Royal Guard, Xandra is completely loyal to the crown and is indeed sworn to protect it. But a search for her missing sister changes everything. It starts with a trip underground to meet with the goblin prince and ends up with everything Xandra believes about her family, England’s social structure, and even herself being turned upside down. Locke’s rich detail draws readers into this fascinating world, making the journey with Xandra thrilling, frightening, and shocking. Her romance with a sexy aristo werewolf adds spice but never detracts from the action. This paranormal/political thriller mash-up (with a light sprinkling of steampunk) is sure to engage teens who enjoy exciting, genre-blurring stories.–Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, CA

RATNER, Vaddey. In the Shadow of the Banyan. 336p. S & S. 2012. Tr $25. ISBN 978-1-4516-5770-8. LC 2011033320.
Adult/High School–Seven year-old Raami’s world is forever changed when the Khmer Rouge drive her family from their home. Her father is a Cambodian prince, her grandmother a queen, but in the eyes of the black-clad young soldiers, they are merely citizens to be rounded up in the name of the revolution. Forced to flee with little more than the clothes on their backs, they have nothing but one another. But no one can foresee the events to come, as one by one those closest to Raami are taken from her. Ratner’s evocative, lyrical prose transports readers to the Cambodia of her childhood, a land of contemplative Buddhist temples abruptly outlawed and jewel-toned clothing forcibly dyed black. The novel is an utterly engaging portrait of familial love and sacrifice, a bleak story that manages to retain a sense of warmth and optimism through the eyes of precocious young Raami. Teens who enjoy dystopian fiction may be surprised to find a historical novel with familiar themes of violence, destruction, and cruelty in the name of a so-called better society. The Organization promises to provide and take care of its citizens, but it does not. Survival depends on the kindness of strangers. The author carefully balances harsh realities with the touchstones of hope that Raami holds near. Traditional stories of the Buddha comfort her, and her beloved father, she believes, watches over her in the form of the moon. Accessible and profoundly moving, In the Shadow of the Banyan is destined to become a classic.–Paula Gallagher, Baltimore County Public Library, MD

SCALZI, John. Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas. 320p. Tor. 2012. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0765316998; spiral $11.99. ISBN 978-1429963602. LC 201009383.
Adult/High School–As even casual fans of Star Trek know, any time redshirt-wearing extras go off the ship with Kirk, Spock, McCoy, or one of the other big stars, they don’t come back alive. Scalzi’s latest novel takes that idea and runs with it wildly and hilariously, adding the metafictional conceit that the characters of the book are the real-life counterparts of characters on a poorly written basic-cable TV show from some 400 years earlier, and that whatever happens on the show happens to them. A new group of ensigns on the Universal Union (“Dub U”) flagship Intrepid begins to notice odd things: new crew members have a very high mortality rate; whenever Captain Abernathy or Science Officer Q’eeng appears, the rest of the crew mysteriously disappear to fetch coffee, inventory the stock room, or go on an urgent errand; a mysterious “box” comes up with solutions to problems just in the nick of time; and a strange bearded guy who seems to know something about what he calls “the Narrative” lurks in the maintenance tunnels. Ensign Andy Dahl and his friends set out to figure out how they can use the Narrative to keep themselves from being killed off, and their discussions along the way are, as the characters themselves note, as existential and metaphysical (and funny) as late-night dorm-room conversations. Fans of Jasper Fforde’s “Thursday Next” novels and those who enjoyed Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One (Crown, 2011) are natural audiences for this one.–Sarah Flowers, formerly of Santa Clara County Library, CA

SEMPLE, Maria. Where’d You Go, Bernadette. 336p. Little, Brown. 2012. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-316-20427-9. LC 2011040639.
Adult/High School–Bee Branch’s eighth-grade Galer Street School report card describes her as a pure delight, and the same can be said for Semple’s smart, funny novel. As a reward for years of perfect grades, Bee’s parents grant her request for a family trip to Antarctica over the Christmas vacation. Unfortunately, her mother, Bernadette, disappears two days before their scheduled departure. Bee’s narrative of events is interspersed with letters and e-mails between various players–of special note, Bernadette’s correspondence with Manjula Kapour, her too-good-to-be-true virtual assistant in India, who arranges the trip to Antarctica, reservations for Thanksgiving dinner, and anything else Bernadette requires, all for seventy-five cents an hour, and the exchanges between two Galer Street mothers (Bernadette calls them The Gnats) who share their horror and frustration at Bernadette’s lifestyle and choices. A portrait of Bernadette slowly emerges as a recluse who rarely leaves the house. She is devoted to her daughter, dismissive of life in Seattle (which she skewers mercilessly), and increasingly distant from her superstar workaholic Microsoft executive husband, Elgin. When Bernadette gets wind of Elgin’s plan to have her committed, she flees. In the aftermath of her disappearance, readers learn of Bernadette’s surprising, hidden past. It all comes together when Elgin and Bee travel to Antarctica alone, where Bee is stubbornly certain she will find her mother. The denouement is both wacky and moving. Part witty social satire, part family drama, part warning against the perils of stifled creativity, this novel is highly recommended. Even though she mostly addresses adult concerns, Semple’s humor and humanity-filled storytelling will appeal to young adult readers, too.–Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City

NONFICTION

GRANDE, Reyna. The Distance Between Us: A Memoir. 336p. photos. Atria. 2012. Tr $25. ISBN 978-1-4516-6177-4. LC 2012001634.
Adult/High School–When Grande was two years old, her father left her family in Mexico to go to “El Otro Lado,” the United States, where he could find work and send money back home. Two years later, El Otro Lado took her mother also; and the author, her sister Mago and her brother Carlos were sent to their grandmother, Abuela Evila. Her abuse and neglect, along with grinding poverty brought near starvation, deprivation, and little love to the children. With no electricity, no running water, no source of healthy food, they lived in Cinderella fashion while their grandmother took the money from their father and bestowed it on her cousin. When news reached them that their parents had a new baby, Grande was certain that they were forgotten. Soon their mother returned with news of her divorce and told them that their father had a new American wife. When their father briefly returned, they begged to go back with him. He grudgingly agreed and they traveled to Los Angeles with the help of a Coyote, enrolled in school and began new lives striving to become American citizens. It wasn’t easy but Grande stuck with it to become the first college graduate in her family. She never flinches in describing her surroundings and feelings, while her resilience and ability to empathize allow her to look back with a compassion that makes this story one that everyone should read.–Connie Williams, Petaluma High School, CA

ROSS, Richard. Juvenile in Justice. photos by author. 98p. photos. notes. 2012. Tr $29.95. ISBN 978-0-9855106-0-2. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Award winning photographer Ross spent more than 5 years speaking with 1000 youth confined in more than 200 juvenile detention facilities in 31 states. The result is a profound and provocative visual narrative, accompanied by stark facts. Portraits are accompanied by a quote from the youth or staff or a short narrative explanation. Each young person (anonymous for legal reasons) is captured in haunting and thought provoking ways. Statistics such as “Nearly 3 of every 4 youth confined … are not in for a serious violent felony crime” or “Black youth are 9 times as likely to be sentenced to adult prisons as white youth” are presented one to a page. The ironies and contradictions inherent in the system unfold perfectly with the visuals of facilities and accompanying text. For example, “The state of California spends $224,712 annually to house a juvenile in the new “green” Oakland facility. Oakland spent $4,945 on the education of a child in the Oakland public school system” is accompanied by a sign proclaiming the use of pepper spray (not exactly “green”). Montages of themed images such as food trays, “time out” rooms, and restraining devices tell the story in a way nothing else can. Considering that over 70,000 youth spend the night in lockdown facilities across the country every night, this book is of intense interest to teens. Reluctant readers will be jostling each other to get a glimpse, drawn into the visual story, and motivated to read for a deeper understanding. The preface, forward, afterword, and notes provide additional insight and empowerment for all teen readers.–Amy Cheney, Alameda County Library, Juvenile Hall, CA

WEDDAY, Nasser, ed & Sohrab Ahmari. Arab Spring Dreams: The Next Generation Speaks Out for Freedom and Justice from North Arica to Iran. 235p. Palgrave Macmillan. 2012. pap. $17. ISBN 978-0-230-11592-7. LC 2011040448.
Adult/High School– Since 2005, the American Islamic Congress has sponsored an essay contest for young writers living in Arab nations. The entrants can select from a variety of questions, and write in English, French or Arabic; more recent contests also include a video option. Compiled here are some of the best essays from the last several years of the contest. By nature of the contest and the AIC, the essays support a basic political ideology – that of more civil rights in their region. To assist readers unfamiliar with the political nuances and history of the Arab nations, each essay has an introduction that sets the stage. The essays often echo Civil Rights struggles familiar to Westerners. Gay rights: the first entry in the book is a fictionalized account, written by an Egyptian woman, of a gay man trying to meet other men online; Women’s rights: “A Persian Grandmother in Tokyo” is by a young Iranian woman who witnessed the world through the eyes of her grandmother when they visited Japan together; Religious rights: “The Shredded Exam Card,” also from Iran, is about the fierce persecution against those of the Bahai faith, who are not even allowed to attend college. There are also essays regarding race discrimination, whether between Arabs and black Africans, or Arabs of different descent. Many of the entries were submitted anonymously, out of fear of persecution. However, some are not, including the Egyptian Dalia Ziada, who now runs the AIC office in Cairo which sponsors the Cairo Human Rights Film Festival. These essays make an excellent real-life companion to current Arab studies.–Jamie Watson, Baltimore County Public Library, MD

GRAPHIc NOVELS

DE HEER, Margreet. Philosophy: A Discovery in Comics. tr. by Emma Ringelberg and Dan Schiff from Dutch. illus. by author. 119p. NBM. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-56163-698-3. LC 2012938931.
Adult/High School–Colorful, clever, and bouncy cartoons provide an educated philosophy scholar-cartoonist with the method for engaging and informing casual readers about the why and how of Western philosophy’s foundations and development.  De Heer opens the discussion by providing an admirably direct and charming exploration of her own philosophical mind, from preschool aged wonders and questions, through her journey through academia and into the comics field. While brevity of panel count forces her to hit only the highest highlights of the likes of Aristotle and Spinozaa–along with the other dozen or so specific “big names” she treats–the narrative frame she uses allows readers to understand that there are reasons for these particular individual thinkers to be called out as important and where to look for more by any one of them.  Book colorist Yiri Kohl stands as his wife’s interlocutor during the narrative, suggesting where her first run at an explanation needs help and demonstrating how discussion aids clarity of thought. A final section offers the personal philosophies of four of de Heer’s friends, an added invitation to readers to think on their own. The panels throughout, besides being beautifully watercolored, are full of movement and energy as their enclosed concepts unfold and cycle from and around other aspects of philosophy’s history. All in all, this is an accessible and fun primer on a topic that too often is considered to be musty and shrouded in academic argot.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA

GERALD, Kelly, ed. Flannery O’Connor: The Cartoons. illus. by Flannery O’Connor. 141p. illus. notes. Fantagraphics. 2012. Tr $22.99. ISBN 978-1-60699-479-5. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Best known for her highly ironic and iconic short stories, O’Connor began her creative life when she was a preschooler; during her youth and college years she developed increasingly in the visual arts, rather than through writing. This beautifully produced retrospective of her linoleum block cartoons, along with some sketches and drawings, shows the incisive, witty and genuinely original “voice” of an excellent observer, just as her later fiction (A Good Man Is Hard to Find, Wise Blood) demonstrates. Moser’s brief introduction gives readers unfamiliar with block-print techniques enough information to understand the flexible attitudes of O’Connor’s chosen printing medium, while Kelly Gerald’s essay and captioning serves as eloquent and substantive discussion of the artist’s interests as expressed in these cartoons. O’Connor’s viewpoint as a college student during the early years of World War II at an all-female Southern institution adds another layer of texture, too, for contemporary teen artists and observers of places and situations that fall outside popular media’s scope.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA

MCCOOL, Ben. Nevsky: A Hero of the People. illus. by Mario Guevara. 128p. illus. appendix. IDW Pub. 2012. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1613771815. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Alexander Nevsky is a legendary figure informing Russian identity, holding a role not dissimilar from that of Robert the Bruce for the Scots or Hercules for the ancient Greeks. When Soviet Russian film writer and director Sergei Eisenstein created his 1938 masterpiece Ilya Muromets,based on this 13th-century hero, he used the epic cinematography then in vogue to display artfully and artistically foreshadowing of the rise of the Third Reich without letting the modern encroachment of the Germans compromise the sanctity of a legend of Nevsky as Russia’s saving warrior. McCool and Guevara have united in this retelling to capture a coherent and exciting narrative of Nevsky’s triumph against the invaders with beautifully colored and richly detailed spreads that echo Eisenstein’s cinematography. Character development–including that of a Russian queen, a Teutonic spy, and a brave peasant girl warrior, as well as Nevsky, of course–is rendered quickly and solidly. All manner of political realities can be identified in the tale, from those of the 13th and 20th centuries to the role a true hero could take as a model today. Much added matter in the volume makes this a viable text for students interested in aspects of European history, military science, and legends as ripe for presentation through a variety of media, including film and comics.– Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA

YORFUJI, Bunpei. tr. from Japanese by Fredrik Lindh. Wonderful Life with the Elements: The Periodic Table Personified. illus. by author. 208p. charts. diags. illus. index. No Starch. 2012. Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-1-59327-423-8. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–This clever and effective little book could have the power to make chemistry literates of students, and their parents. While curriculum design in history has moved away from brute memorization of the raw material of dates and place names, the entryway to learning the Periodic Table continues to be, for most, learning the printed pattern and what the various Latin abbreviations and corners of each element block signify, rather than what any of this means. The unique, humorous and diligently complete treatment found here, however, turns that flat code collection into meaningful properties, attributes, and connections. Each element is depicted with a particular hairstyle, body type and clothing type–not chosen at random, but as representative of stability, weight, and usage in our daily lives. Each element is then treated to a page of depiction, references through smaller drawings to everyday items in which it occurs, and a paragraph of discussion that provides up-to-date context such as Vanadium’s possible contribution to lowering blood pressure and Tantelum’s use in mobile phone technology. Additional chapters discuss the elements related to diet, human anatomy, and current depletion due to modern mining and production of modern material culture. The art is both sweet and clear, with brown and yellow cartoons on uncluttered pages that pack a wallop of information which, indeed, brings the Periodic Table to life and meaningfulness.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA

Preschool to Grade 4

ASIM, Jabari. Fifty Cents and a Dream. illus. by Bryan Collier. Little, Brown. Dec. 2012. p. 110.

ASTON, Dianna Hutts. A Rock Is Lively. illus. by Sylvia Long. Chronicle. p. 111.

BANKS, Kate. The Bear in the Book. illus. by Greg Hallensleben. Farrar/Frances Foster. Oct. 2012. p. 88.

BARRETT, Judi. Santa from Cincinnati. illus. by Kevin Hawkes. S [...]]]>

The Monsters’ Monster (McDonnell)
Illustration by Patrick McDonnell.

Preschool to Grade 4

ASIM, Jabari. Fifty Cents and a Dream. illus. by Bryan Collier. Little, Brown. Dec. 2012. p. 110.

ASTON, Dianna Hutts. A Rock Is Lively. illus. by Sylvia Long. Chronicle. p. 111.

BANKS, Kate. The Bear in the Book. illus. by Greg Hallensleben. Farrar/Frances Foster. Oct. 2012. p. 88.

BARRETT, Judi. Santa from Cincinnati. illus. by Kevin Hawkes. S & S/Atheneum. Oct. 2012. p. 78.

BISHOP, Nic. Nic Bishop Snakes. photos by author. Scholastic. Oct. 2012. p. 112.

BOYNTON, Sandra. Christmas Parade. illus. by author. S & S/Little Simon. Oct. 2012. p. 79.

DORÉMUS, Gaëtan. Bear Despair. tr. from French. illus. by author. (Stories Without Words Series). Enchanted Lion. p. 94.

DUNREA, Olivier. Little Cub. illus. by author. Philomel. Nov. 2012. p. 100.

HENKES, Kevin. Penny and Her Doll. illus. by author. HarperCollins/Greenwillow. p. 96.

MCDONNELL, Patrick. The Monsters’ Monster. illus. by author. Little, Brown. p. 100.

WILLEMS, Mo. Let’s Go For a Drive! illus. by author. (Elephant and Piggie Series). Hyperion/Disney. p. 110.

GRADES 5 & UP

AVI. Sophia’s War. S & S/Beach Lane. p. 123.

DOCTOROW , Cory. Pirate Cinema. Tor. Oct. 2012. p. 130.

ELLIS, Deborah. My Name Is Parvana. (Breadwinner Series). Groundwood. Oct. 2012. p. 130.

GIDWITZ, Adam. In a Glass Grimmly. Dutton. p. 134.

GRIFFIN, Adele. All You Never Wanted. Knopf.Oct. 2012. p. 134.

HOOSE, Phillip. Moonbird. Farrar. p. 157.

JOHNSON , Rebecca L. Zombie Makers. Millbrook. Oct. 2012. p. 157.

KING, A. S. Ask the Passengers. Little, Brown. Oct. 2012. p. 139.

LEAVITT , Martine. My Book of Life by Angel. Farrar/Margaret Ferguson. p. 140.

PREUS , Margi. Shadow on the Mountain. Abrams/Amulet. p. 148.

SHEINKIN , Steve. Bomb: The Race to Build–and Steal–the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon . Roaring Brook/Flash Point. p. 159.

STEPHENS , John. The Fire Chronicle. Bk. 2. (The Books of Beginning Series). Knopf. Oct. 2012. p. 150.

STIEFVATER, Maggie. The Raven Boys. Bk. 1. (The Raven Cycle). Scholastic. p. 151.

WALKER, Sally M. & Douglas W. Owsley. Their Skeletons Speak. Carolrhoda. Oct. 2012. p. 160.

Adult Books 4 Teens Blog

ABBOTT, Megan. Dare Me. Little, Brown. (Aug. 20 post)

KEESEY, Anna. Little Century. Farrar. (Sept. 4 post)

RATNER, Vaddey. In the Shadow of the Banyan. S & S. (Aug. 27 post)

ROSS, Richard. Juvenile in Justice. Richard Ross. (Aug. 13 post)

DVD

Light Bulb Conspiracy. Video Project. p. 55.

Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct. Weston Woods. p. 56.

Kuffle Bunny Free. Weston Woods. p. 57.

Fever of ’57. Amazon.com. p. 58.

Private Tutor: Your Complete SAT Critical Reading Prep Course. Private Tutor SAT. p. 59.

AUDIO

About Average. By Andrew Clements. Recorded Books. p. 59.

Dreamland Lullabies. Lullaballads.com. p. 68.

Little Pig Joins the Band. Live Oak Media. p. 64.

Make Believers. AV Café. p. 69.

Rapture: A Fallen Novel. By Lauren Kate. Listening Library. p. 66.

Seraphina. By Rachel Hartman. Listening Library. p. 66.

Three Times Lucky. By Sheila Turnage. Penguin Audio. p. 67.

Wonderful Wizard of Oz. By L. Frank Baum. Listening Library. p. 68.

BRUNT, Carol Rifka. Tell the Wolves I’m Home. 368p. Dial. 2012. Tr $26. ISBN 978-0-679-64419-4. LC 2011027932. Adult/High School–June Elbus, 14, begins her story in late December 1986, as her mother drives her and her older sister, Greta, to their Uncle Finn’s Manhattan apartment so he can continue painting their portrait. Finn is a famous artist dying of AIDS, and June is in love with him. She treasures their every moment together, especially their trips to The Cloisters. He even [...]]]> Fiction

BRUNT, Carol Rifka. Tell the Wolves I’m Home. 368p. Dial. 2012. Tr $26. ISBN 978-0-679-64419-4. LC 2011027932.
Adult/High School–June Elbus, 14, begins her story in late December 1986, as her mother drives her and her older sister, Greta, to their Uncle Finn’s Manhattan apartment so he can continue painting their portrait. Finn is a famous artist dying of AIDS, and June is in love with him. She treasures their every moment together, especially their trips to The Cloisters. He even understands her favorite thing–walking deep into the woods, slipping on an old Gunne Sax dress and the boots he bought her at a medieval festival, and pretending she lives in the Middle Ages. After Finn dies, June is approached by Finn’s “special friend,” Toby. She never even knew he existed until the funeral, where her mother bitterly referred to him as the man who killed Finn. Now he wants to spend time with June. She is wary but cannot resist learning more about Finn’s life. Her parents are distracted by work and Greta is in rehearsals for the school musical, so June easily keeps their fragile friendship a secret. Much of this accessible, sensitively told, and heartbreaking story revolves around the jealousy inspired by the love between these characters, and the misunderstandings that result. Greta is jealous of June’s time with Finn. Their mother is jealous of Toby’s relationship with her brother. June is jealous of Toby’s relationship with Finn, and hurt that he hid so much from her. Teens will identify with June, her awkwardness and self-doubt, her need for escape, her conflicts with her sister and mother, and her sadness at losing the one adult who truly understood her.–Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City

FORD, Richard. Canada. 432p. HarperCollins. 2012. Tr $26.99. ISBN 978-0-06-169204-8. LC 2012013939.
Adult/High School–Ford’s quietly beautiful novel is structured around two life-changing events for Dell Parsons, the narrator. Although he mentions both in the first sentence, it takes him almost half of the novel to get around to recounting his parents’ robbery of a bank in small-town North Dakota, and most of the rest to describe the double murder he witnessed mere weeks later. Indeed, writing from the perspective of 50 years later, Dell approaches these events not with the drama and shock they seem to deserve but with contemplative dispassion as he attempts to understand how they affected the rest of his life. The question he struggles with most is whether or not criminals like his parents inevitably commit their crimes and can somehow be identified as criminals even before acting. And while Ford is fascinated by this question as well, he simultaneously asks the much deeper question of how a person is affected by obsessing over such a question for 50 years. With its narrator’s dual perspective as teen and old man and its focus on a single dramatic summer, Canada has much in common with Mal Peet’s Life: An Exploded Diagram (Candlewick, 2011) and David E. Hilton’s Kings of Colorado (S & S, 2011). And though Ford’s novel is more contemplative and less immediate than either, teens who enjoyed those novels should find much to love here, especially since it compensates by being by far the most beautifully written of the three, particularly in Ford’s gorgeous descriptions of the barren landscape of the Northern U.S. and Saskatchewan.–Mark Flowers, John F. Kennedy Library, Vallejo, CA

HOWREY, Meg. The Cranes Dance. 373. Vintage. 2012. pap. $14.95. ISBN 978-0-307-94982-0. LC 2012001331.
Adult/High School–Kate Crane moved to New York City as a teenager to join a prestigious ballet company. The following year, her even-more-talented younger sister, Gwen, followed, and they have both moved steadily up the ranks ever since. Kate begins her story on the night she throws out her neck during a performance of Swan Lake. In a tour-de-force introduction to her sense of humor, Kate breaks the fourth wall and addresses her reading audience, narrating the plot of the ballet in spectacular smartass fashion. Unfortunately, that night also begins her descent into Vicodin dependency. She starts using to control the pain, then to make it through performances, and eventually to avoid her feelings. Three weeks earlier, she had called her parents to take Gwen back to Michigan, fearing she would do herself harm. Only days later, Kate’s boyfriend asked her to move out. Now she’s living in Gwen’s apartment, living “with the knowledge of what she had done, what she allowed to happen. All alone.” And despite being cast in role after coveted role, Kate knows that her remaining seasons are numbered. Even her friends cannot convince her to look past her fear. What will she become when the strain on her body is finally too much? Days full of classes and rehearsals followed by evening performances, never eating enough, never getting enough sleep or enough emotional support–it all adds up until Kate seems to be following her sister’s self-destructive path. This novel will appeal particularly to readers interested in any type of high-performance art or athletics. Kate’s voice is one that teens will immediately identify with, as it wavers between hilarious and heart-breaking.–Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City

KOSMATKA, Ted. The Games. 356p. Del Rey. 2012. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-345-52661-8. LC 2011042718.
Adult/High School–Kosmatka’s debut novel is a slow-building, technological thriller that revs up like a racecar with a dose of bad attitude and steadily creeping horror. In the future, the Olympic gladiator contest sets the bar for world technological domination. The competition has one rule: no human DNA is allowed in the creation of the gladiators. Evan Chandler, an emotionally barren spatial genius, has designed the Bannin, a computer so advanced that it only operates in VR. Tasked with creating the next U.S. gladiator, the computer’s single directive is that the gladiator “Survive the competition.” The creature is so alien that Silas Williams, the head of biodevelopment, is full of misgivings and completely in the dark about its capabilities. Told through multiple points of view and with a hefty dose of technical genetic jargon, this is speculative fiction at its best, reflecting moral, philosophical, and ethical questions, set in a highly politicized arena. It all comes down to money, sponsorships, and greed, encapsulated in a humanitarian “good for the future” mentality. At its heart, The Games is a cautionary tale of what happens when man oversteps his bounds and takes his chances at playing god. Kosmatka has left the ending wide open for a sequel. Teens who enjoy the karmic boomerang of authors like Michael Crichton or Preston and Child should eat this up.–Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI

MCKAY, Ami. The Virgin Cure. 336p. HarperCollins/Harper. 2012. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-06-1140327. LC 2012015994.
Adult/High School–“The Virgin Cure” refers to a popular myth of the late 1800s in which a man infected with disease could be cured by having intercourse with a virgin. This created a vast market in delivering young girls to wealthy “gentlemen” for deflowering. Escaping the cruelty of the gentlewoman to whom her mother sold her, 12-year-old Moth comes to the attention of Miss Everett, a Madame who specializes in creating young whores who could satisfy a gentleman’s lust for a young conquest. Unable to avoid what she assumes will be her fate, Moth joins Miss Everett’s band of girls. Miss Everett has strong rules and an eye to making money from these girls as she trains them. But Moth has an ally in Dr. Sadie, a doctor who dedicates her life to helping young women who fall prey to establishments of shaky repute. McKay brings 1871 New York’s Chrystie Street alive with all its chaos, smells, hunger, and neglect. Moth is filled with the desire to live a better life than she could reasonably expect. However, when an opportunity presents itself, she discovers that not only can she create her own future, but she also has friends who will help. Dr. Sadie is based on the author’s great-great grandmother, who worked to relieve the plight of women and children. Moth’s story exemplifies the few choices available to young women of poverty and the cruelty placed upon them by those with wealth. This is a terrific choice for teens interested in history; the rights of women; and a determined, feisty character.–Connie Williams, Petaluma High School, CA

OLMSTEAD, Robert. The Coldest Night. Bk. 3. 287p. (Coal Black Horse Trilogy). Algonquin. 2012. Tr $23.95. ISBN 978-1-61620-043-5. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Seventeen year-old Henry Childs is preceded by generations of courageous men. His great-grandfather, Robey, introduced in Black Horse Coal (2007) fought in the Civil War,  and his grandfather, Napoleon Childs, led a search to capture Pancho Villa in Far Bright Star (2009, both Algonquin). Henry is a solitary boy when Mercy, daughter of a local judge, bursts into his life with a fierce desire to make him her own. To escape her disapproving family, the pair runs off in a doomed effort to create a life together. After Mercy is violently reclaimed by her family, Henry joins the Marines, arriving in Korea just in time to take part in the terrible battle at the Chosin Reservoir. Olmstead writes with a distinct masculine voice, using terse dialogue and little overt emotional affect. Emotional tension, however, burns just beneath the surface. It is his descriptive writing that takes center stage, particularly during Henry’s time in Korea. The bloody fighting, set in the stark winter landscape, creates a searing visceral experience for readers. Teens who appreciate the sparse dialogue and vivid, violent images of Cormac McCarthy’s writing will find this novel compelling. The focus on the Korean War is a big draw for military history buffs as well. This final volume of the trilogy stands entirely on its own, although captivated readers will surely want to go back and pick up the first two books.–Diane Colson, Palm Harbor Library, FL

TOYNE, Simon. The Key. Bk. 2. 448p. (Ruin Trilogy). Morrow. 2012. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-06-203833-3. LC 2012007666.
Adult/High School–At the end of Sanctus, the Citadel of Ruin survived a bomb attack, the Sacrament was released from its prison, Kathryn Mann and Eve were in the hospital, and Gabriel Mann was in jail. This second book in the trilogy keeps the pace and action of the first and furthers readers’ knowledge of the Prophecy. With the Sacrament gone, the Sancti are dying and the internal rule of the Citadel of Ruin is in shambles and the remaining leadership is struggling to figure out how to assign control. Brother Athanasius hopes to modernize the Citadel, but his plans are derailed first by the emergence of a mysterious disease that destroys the Citadel’s garden and then by a flesh-eating bacteria that attacks those working there. The Vatican is concerned, particularly  Cardinal Clementi, the secretary to the Pope and manager of the Vatican’s bank, because disarray in Ruin could reveal hidden truths (like the Sacrament’s existence). The survivors of the bomb attack must be silenced. There’s a Mirror Prophecy that leads a reunited Gabriel and Liv from Ruin to New Jersey, back to Ruin, and then to Iraq in search of Eden (yes, the Eden of the Old Testament) even as they try to outrun the Vatican’s assassin. There’s also the mysterious Ghost who may or may not be working to help the Americans in their oil exploration and the Vatican in its search for ancient relics. The ending leaves readers wondering what can possibly happen next. The Key will appeal to teen fans of action-adventure and conspiracy books.–Laura Pearle, Venn Consultants, Mt. Carmel, NY

WALKER, Karen Thompson. The Age of Miracles: A Novel. 269p. Random. 2012. Tr $27. ISBN 978-0-8129-9297-7. LC 2011040664.
Adult/High School–Just before Julia’s 12th birthday, scientists announce that the Earth’s rotation is slowing. Bit by bit, the days and nights increase in length. Gravity takes a greater hold on the planet, making it hard to run, or kick a soccer ball. As this is happening, Julia struggles with the betrayal of her best friend, ominous cracks in her parents’ relationship, and Seth Moreno, a gorgeous yet distant boy in her math class. The enormous drama of Earth’s inexplicable behavior intrudes on every aspect of her young life, changing the way Julia and her peers think about their lives and their imaginable future. Like the adults, the sensation of impending doom casts a shadow of reckless abandon over ordinary events. When Julia falls in love, she falls completely. While the plot elements of the novel may seem familiar, particularly in light of the current flood of dystopian literature aimed at the young adult audience, readers will find themselves swept wholeheartedly into Julia’s story. The writing elegantly focuses on the unraveling of life on Earth from the perspective of one girl living in an ordinary, even tedious, cul-de-sac in a California neighborhood. But from this perspective, Walker portrays the horror and pain of an entire civilization facing extinction. Like Shirley Jackson, Walker blends the blandness of the everyday with the encroachment of something very terrible. Teen fans of dystopian literature should go for this one. However, the novel is multi-dimensional enough to appeal to readers of romance and mystery as well.–Diane Colson, Palm Harbor Library, FL

WILSON, Daniel. Amped: A Novel. 288p. Doubleday. 2012. Tr $25.95. ISBN 978-0-385-53515-1. LC 2011052318.
Adult/High School–Amped touches on similar themes found in Wilson’s successful novel Robopocalypse, and will appeal to the same audience of teen readers. Advancements in medical technology mean that common conditions and accidents can be compensated for as easily as vaccines prevent disease today. Born in poverty or exhibiting a learning disability? A brain implant–identified by a temporal nub–boosts mental acuity. Damaged limbs are replaced by robotic prostheses. Soon implanted individuals, or “amps,” are outperforming unenhanced humans both intellectually and physically. Senator Joseph Vaughn begins a campaign of prejudice declaring that amps don’t deserve equal rights because they take away jobs from “real” humans. Meanwhile, 29-year-old Owen thought he had a medical implant to control seizures and is shocked to discover that his military-grade version makes him a Zenith, the most powerful soldier ever developed in a secret government program. He travels to small-town Oklahoma in search of answers, just as tensions between amps and humans boil over and rumblings of an insurgent amp uprising begin. Precisely choreographed action scenes bring the danger Owen faces to a pulse-tripping reality. Teens will respond to the socially conscious narrative of an everyman who finds himself at the center of chaos. Wilson’s vision of the consequences of unharnessed technology combined with politics and the desire for power will also resonate with readers. Those intrigued by Mary E. Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Holt, 2008) will appreciate exploring what it means to be human in the brutal future depicted here.–Priscille Dando, Robert E. Lee High School, Fairfax County, VA

Nonfiction

GRYLLS, Bear. Mud, Sweat, and Tears: The Autobiography. 416p. index. Morrow. 2012. Tr $26.99. ISBN 9780062124197. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Grylls’s love of nature and adventure to the max comes out full-force in this autobiography. The author is known to many through his television series Man vs. Wild. He grew up in a loving and supportive family with hardy and adventuresome role models, including his great-grandfather who was a British officer in World War I. He details the beginnings of his life in the wild when he and his father, a Royal Marine, went on high adventures together. He spends several chapters talking about surviving the grueling selection process for the British Army’s Special Air Services, which gave him the skills, confidence, and stamina to join an expedition to scale Mount Everest. As one of the youngest ever to accomplish that feat, he enjoyed a certain celebrity that led to commercial deals and, ultimately, his TV show. Grylls writes in a straightforward manner using short sentences and chapters to show his strong, engaging personality. He comes across as a regular person who figured out a long time ago that he was a risk-taker, but not a stupid one. He is all about careful preparation for his adventures. With each episode leading to one more exciting than the last, Grylls’s account will hook adventuresome readers as well as those whose idea of adventure is reading an exciting book.–Vicki Emery, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Fairfax County, VA

LEWIS, Ricki. The Forever Fix. 323p. photos. notes. St. Martin’s. 2012. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-312-68190-6. LC 2011038193.
Adult/High School–The history of gene therapy was littered with false steps and shattered hopes that threatened to keep this promising medical technology from becoming “the forever fix” for some of our most vexing genetic medical conditions–until the success in treating the hereditary eye disorder in Corey Haas. In 2008 the eight-year-old was the recipient of gene therapy in one eye that cured him of the disorder, enabled him to see, and obviated the need for additional treatment. It was a much needed success after a series of setbacks. The author explains in detail the science behind gene therapy, some of the problems that needed to be overcome, the heartbreaking failures, and where this medical cutting edge technology is headed. She also talks about the hard work of parents in raising funds and advocating for their children as well as some of the talented doctors and researchers who have worked on gene therapy for many years. Students today already learn about work leading up to it, such as DNA sequencing and genetic testing, which is necessary in identifying specific genes implicated in genetic diseases. This technology was the stuff of science fiction not too many years ago. This carefully researched and readable book will be interesting to teens who hear about these issues in the news or in their biology classes, and especially for those who may want to pursue a career in this field.–Vicki Emery, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Fairfax County, VA

PHELPS, Carissa & Larkin Warren. Runaway Girl: Escaping Life on the Street, One Helping Hand at a Time…. 296p. Viking. 2012. Tr $26.95. ISBN 978-0-670-02372-1. LC 2011038441.
Adult/High School–Phelps was 12 when her mother dropped her off in the lobby of the Fresno, CA, Juvenile Hall and told the man behind the counter that she couldn’t control her daughter. Her memoir touches on complex issues, including covert threats of sexual abuse, what it means to for a child to feel safe and cared for, and a bi-racial Latina identity that was not acknowledged. Like Rachel Lloyd’s Girls Like Us (HarperCollins, 2011) and Jaycee Dugard’s A Stolen Life (S & S, 2011), Runaway Girl demonstrates a great amount of insight and maturity. Crisp writing and perfectly chosen events highlight the story of what happens to the majority of 12 year olds on the street–Phelps was picked up within 48 hours and sexually trafficked. Her book is unique in its details and her focus on both post traumatic stress and self-esteem issues. Her ability to connect with and reach out to strangers along the way–counselors, teachers, and a woman who was, for once, a selfless and caring person helping a child in need–saved her life. Each small yet steadfast act of kindness and encouragement made a difference. By the time the author turned 30, she had both a law degree and an MBA from UCLA. With not a trace of victimhood or unplaced drama, this is a terrific addition to all collections.–Amy Cheney, Alameda County Library, Juvenile Hall, CA

TERRY, Kayte. Paper Made!: 101 Exceptional Projects to Make Out of Everyday Paper. 288p. Workman. 2012. pap. $16.95. ISBN 978-0-7611-5997-1. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–This visually appealing book offers 101 projects, with an emphasis on the use of recycled or repurposed scrap paper. Papers include newspaper, books past their prime, paint chips, cardboard, maps, and mail order catalogs. The first two chapters provide clear information on techniques, tools, and materials, including suppliers and blogs for inspiration. The following chapters present projects for home, fashion, wrapping and writing, and parties. Each project has a level of difficulty, from 1 to 5, as well as a list of materials needed. The clear directions are enhanced by photos and drawings. Clever titles and witty text make this a fun book to read and pore over. There is much to appeal to teens, including “Ring Around the Rosy Vase,” which uses rolled strips of magazine pages to cover a vase, “(Not Exactly a) Full Deck Lamp Shade” made of playing cards sewn together, “That’s a Wrap Bangle,” which is one of the easiest projects, a “Signed, Sealed, Delivered Accordion Book,” made of envelopes to create a scrapbook, and “Do Me a Favor Box.” The author is great at creating hip and attractive products. A welcome addition to any collection.–Jane Ritter, Mill Valley School District, CA

Graphic Novels

FETTER-VORM, Jonathan. Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb. illus. by author. 154p. charts. diags. illus. map. bibliog. Hill & Wang. 2012. LC number unavailable.

Adult/High School–Fetter-Vorm, in his debut sequential artwork, combines accessible atomic science with political, military, and science history. Using primary-source material from many of the players in the story of the development and deployment of the atomic bomb that putatively ended World War II, he has fashioned a clear narrative, using images to portray both scientific processes and the array of interpersonal relations among scientists and government officials as the bomb was conceived and then developed. The various personae, including the general in charge of the multi-location effort and the various scientists whose impetus for building the bomb centered more around discovery than weaponry, are distinguishable by face and posture; the words spoken by any of these historic individuals Fetter-Vorm has tried to document as accurate. The increasing tensions of both war and the scientists’ painful ambivalence about the destructive power of the bomb receive evenhanded treatment, making this small volume an excellent introduction to the many nuances of human ingenuity meeting up against military strategic planning. Teens interested in political history, as well as science, will find this insightful. The format evokes quick engagement with a complex piece of history.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA

ANGELELLA, J. R. Zombie. 352p. Soho. 2012. pap. $15. ISBN 978-1-61695-088-0. LC 2012003803.

Adult/High School–High school freshman Jeremy Barker lives his life according to the rules of survival he’s learned thanks to his obsession with zombie movies: avoid eye contact; keep quiet; forget the past; lock and load; and, most important, fight to survive. Whether dealing with the casual violence inflicted by bullies at his Catholic school, his father’s nightly disappearances, or his estranged mother’s addiction to painkillers, he always [...]]]> Fiction

ANGELELLA, J. R. Zombie. 352p. Soho. 2012. pap. $15. ISBN 978-1-61695-088-0. LC 2012003803.

Adult/High School–High school freshman Jeremy Barker lives his life according to the rules of survival he’s learned thanks to his obsession with zombie movies: avoid eye contact; keep quiet; forget the past; lock and load; and, most important, fight to survive. Whether dealing with the casual violence inflicted by bullies at his Catholic school, his father’s nightly disappearances, or his estranged mother’s addiction to painkillers, he always calls on his rules. During one of his father’s absences, Jeremy discovers a bizarre, disturbing video of a man being prepped for a strange ritual that looks a lot like surgery. Knowing about his father’s “work” in Vietnam as a torturer specializing in cutting out prisoners’ tongues, and knowing this video was given to his father by a priest from his school, Jeremy is compelled to investigate. He is drawn into situations in which his zombie survival code helps, but eventually it is not enough. Zombie is a brass-knuckle book, reminiscent in tone to Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club (Norton, 1996). Jeremy’s relationships with his friends and family are twisted and difficult, making this book disturbingly intriguing. The setting and social situations will resonate with many teens. Zombie is a great choice for readers who are excited by stories with offbeat characters and somewhat nonlinear plots. Jeremy’s list of top the zombie movies of all time, complete with production credits, is an added bonus.–Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, CA

BARNES, Steven & Tananarive Due. Devil’s Wake. 288p. Atria. 2012. Tr $15. ISBN 978-1-4516-1700-9. LC 2011033779.

Adult/High School–The zombie apocalypse is upon us, once again overwhelming society before anyone can figure out how to fight it. A teenager left alone after the rest of her family is picked off one by one, a group of teens from a juvenile detention camp, and a young national guardswoman are thrown together as they try to outrun the epidemic. Eventually all media goes down except for radio broadcasts by a self-proclaimed preacher who claims to have created a safe haven. As the teens try to reach it, their journey is peppered with zombie attacks and ambushes by pirates–feral people who are just as dangerous as the zombies. Barnes and Due bring a fresh approach to their take on the zombie apocalypse with a few interesting twists. First, the cause is known; people who’ve taken a new diet mushroom and gotten a specific type of flu shot are suddenly turning. Also, the zombies are not all the same. They vary in speed, level of hunger, and, most terrifying, in their ability to seem uninfected. Although this book is clearly laying the groundwork for a series, there is enough content, and the characters are well enough formed, to make this a satisfying story. There are also intriguing hints of what may happen in the upcoming volume. This book will speak to teens: the protagonists are young adults and the catastrophe is seen from their point of view. Diverse characters, often missing in this genre, add to the book’s appeal.–Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, CA

BOCCACINO, Michael. Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling. 320p. Morrow. 2012. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212261-2. LC number unavailable.

Adult/High School–Charlotte Markham has seen the Black Man all her life: at the death of her mother, the death of her father, and at the fiery death of her husband. So it’s no surprise to her when, in her new role as governess to the Darrow boys, the Black Man is seen at the gory death of the boys’ nanny. Charlotte takes over as nanny and continues the boys’ daily visits to their mother’s grave. One day on their way back home, they wander into a fog and emerge at a strange house, where their mother appears. At first horrified and then curious about this house, called Darkling; its owner, Mr. Whatley; and the world of The Ending, Charlotte agrees to continue to take the boys back to visit. Slowly, events turn more sinister and, in true gothic horror fashion, the boys are used as pawns in an internal The Ending war. There are keys and pictures that lead into other places and worlds, people who look human but clearly aren’t (and some who look nothing like humans), and a room with vials containing human deaths, all of which add to the atmosphere of Something Very Wrong in the House of Darkling. The bedtime stories Mrs. Darrow tells her sons will stick with readers long after the book ends. This is a perfect read for teens who enjoy gothic atmospheres, and a great companion to Bronte’s Wuthering Heights or the works of Victoria Holt and Daphne du Maurier.–Laura Pearle, Venn Consultants, Carmel, NY

FERRARIS, Zoe. Kingdom of Strangers. 368p. Little, Brown. 2012. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-316-074247. LC 2011046158.

Adult/High School–In this novel of secrets, Ferraris’s skillful pacing maintains an intense narrative as each character is forced to make life-changing decisions. The rules of decency in Saudi Arabia require extreme caution, and men and women risk public humiliation, torture, and even beheadings should they be found in violation of them. In the throes of a serial-killer investigation, Inspector Ibrahim Zahrani discovers that his lover, an underground activist for immigrant housemaids, has gone missing yet he cannot openly investigate as charges of adultery are a death sentence. He requires a surrogate and enlists Katya, a forensic lab technician, to gather evidence in exchange for including her in the case. Readers will remember Katya and her fiancé, Nayir, from previous books, and it’s when they become involved in the two investigations that the story becomes electric. Kingdom of Strangers is appealing to teens on several levels. There is the horrific discovery of the burial site of 19 murdered women, all with their hands missing, and the seemingly impossible task of bringing anyone to justice. There is the inside look at the investigative process and what it reveals about both the investigators and the suspects as pieces come together for a satisfying conclusion. Most of all teens, will be drawn to the unique constraints that are present in this setting, the depiction of life for women in this culture, and the agonizing choices facing each well-developed character.–Priscille Dando, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

GREY, Juliet. Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow: A Novel of Marie Antoinette. 448p. bibliog. glossary. Ballantine. 2012. pap. $15. ISBN 978-0-345-52388-4. LC 2012009048.

Adult/High School–The bitterly cold weather in France has caused the river to freeze, stopping the shipment of grain. Without it, there is no bread and thousands of people are starving. The downfall of the French market causes unemployment to rise. Naïve and unable to grasp the reality of their populace, Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI consistently make poor decisions in response to the grave problems facing their nation, giving the people cause to chant for liberty and equality. Marie’s story, begun in Becoming Marie Antoinette (Ballantine, 2011), continues here as she and her new husband ascend to the thrown in 1774, after the death of King Louis XV. As Queen, Marie’s job is to provide an heir, but Louis suffers from a medical condition that makes intercourse painful. Gossip and the extreme dictates of the French Court surround Marie until she feels compelled to always stay one step ahead regardless of the cost. She is kind and good hearted, with an overwhelming need and desire to please others, but her inability to see beyond her own pampered, regulated world sets the stage for her demise. Each action she takes in good faith is observed to be thoughtless, self-serving, and reckless. This book stands on its own, but teens may want to read Marie’s story from the beginning. Readers will shake their heads in disbelief at the excesses of the French Court even as they sympathize with the young royal. They will also fear for her, knowing that the fall of the Bastille spells the imminent collapse of all she has known.–Connie Williams, Petaluma High School, CA

WILSON, G. Willow. Alif the Unseen. 320p. Grove. 2012. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-8021-2020-5.

Adult/High School–Alif is a grey hat, the kind of hacker whose computer-coding exploits and manipulations, while often self-serving, are guided by an ethical dedication to a greater good. Anonymous online except for his screen name, Alif possesses a reputation as a genius at foiling state security and nimbly avoiding the surveillance of its all-powerful chief, known as The Hand. When his girlfriend leaves him for a wealthy new boyfriend, a jealous Alif hacks her computer and installs code that will track her online presence but mask his own from her.  He is unaware that her new boyfriend is none other than The Hand, who learns of Alif’s program and uses it to ferret out and imprison the hackers who threaten the stability of the emirate. The Hand is fiercely determined to find and destroy Alif. With the help of a chador-clad and devout Muslim friend, a formidably frightful djinn, and a wise but weary imam, Alif avoids his enemy. His narrow escapes are a sometimes manic romp through the contemporary, historical, and mythical Islamic world as he tries to solve the puzzle of an ancient mystical text he is sure will either save or destroy humanity. What he learns is that the answer to the puzzle lies in his clueless heart. In her first narrative novel, graphic novelist Wilson displays the world-building imagination of William Gibson and the creative whimsy of Neil Gaiman in a setting that evokes the Arab Spring. Teen readers will be captivated by this unique and rich novel.–John Sexton, Greenburgh Public Library, NY

Nonfiction

*  IVERSEN, Kristen. Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats. 432p. Crown. 2012. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-307-95563-0. LC 2011045902.

Adult/High School–National security has always trumped transparency, but Iversen’s well-researched, firsthand account of the effects of growing up a few miles from Rocky Flats near Denver is a bombshell. The author’s parents chose the subdivision of Bridledale as the perfect place to raise their family as did many others in the rapidly growing Denver suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s. Most had no idea that plutonium triggers for nuclear bombs were being made just a few miles away. They preferred to believe that the plant was making household cleaners. Besides, the plant was a source of many high-paying jobs for the area. How could it be bad? As Iversen grew up, her family became more and more dysfunctional, which she weaves in, out, and around her discoveries of what was really going on at Rocky Flats. Think Jeannette Walls’s The Glass Castle (Scribner, 2005) with massive nuclear contamination and government secrecy. Ultimately, Rocky Flats was closed but the land is so contaminated that parts of it will remain unusable forever. Following in the tradition of Rachel Carson in her Silent Spring (Houghton, 1962), Iversen has bravely shown us things that we cannot ignore. Teens interested in environmental causes will be amazed at the enormity of this issue and its implications for the future.–Vicki Emery, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Fairfax County, VA

KEAN, Sam. The Violinist’s Thumb: An Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code. 416p. Little, Brown. 2012. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-316-18231-7. LC 2012007029.

Adult/High School–Kean begins this fascinating, witty, informative book with a disclaimer: “This is a book a about DNA… and yes, I’m writing this book despite the fact that my father’s name is Gene. As is my mother’s name. Gene and Jean.” But genes have never been more fascinating than here, where the author gives the basics of genetic theory but spends most of the time telling stories. Readers learn about geneticists, from Gregor Mendel and Barbara McClintock to the “fly boys” who named fruit-fly genes for their characteristics, including names like groucho, smurf, tribble, armadillo, and ken and barbie (mutants with no genitalia). Readers also learn why not to eat polar-bear liver, how DNA permanently changed our view of Neanderthals, all about the Russian scientist who was convinced that he could breed chimps with humans and create humanzees, and why crazy cat ladies may in fact be hooked on a parasite that creates dopamine. Kean looks at “retrodiagnoses” from what caused the violinist Paganini’s super-flexible fingers, the artist Toulouse-Lautrec’s short stature, and John F. Kennedy’s tanned skin to the connection between porphyria and the Dracula legend. Any teen who has had basic biology will know enough science to follow Kean, and even those who still struggle with understanding DNA will find the stories worthwhile.–Sarah Flowers, formerly at Santa Clara County Library, CA

Graphic Novels

LEMIRE, Jeff. The Underwater Welder. 224p. Top  Shelf Productions. 2012. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-60309-074-2. LC number unavailable.

Adult/High School–Lemire offers a tightly knit story with few, but deeply realized, characters. Jack, a father-to-be who lives in a Nova Scotian coastal village, becomes haunted by visions and memories of his own father, a drunken treasure hunter who drowned trying to recover a watch when Jack was 10.  His dedicated but anxious wife and his mother stand at the forefront. Shading and perspective are telling throughout, and many panels–even pages–neither have nor need additional words to express the adult Jack’s growing obsession and the boy Jack’s hopes turned to disappointment in the face of his father’s broken promises. Scenes are sketched loosely but evocatively so that readers grow familiar with Jack’s underwater experiences, his wife’s efforts to get their small cottage prepared for the baby’s arrival, his mother’s simple but tidy home, his father’s junk shop, the local bar, and the shoreline. Although Jack is in his early 30’s, his need to cope with both his past and his present will resonate with teens who are beginning to understand how imperfect families can both haunt them and be hurdles that can be bested.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA

SKELLY, Katie. Nurse  Nurse. unpaged. Sparkplug. 2012. pap. $15. ISBN 978-0-9854150-0-6.

Adult/High School–In a future in which humans have inhabited other planets in the solar system, a nurse named Gemma finds herself bouncing around the galaxy where she is charged with caring for human colonizers suffering from contagious diseases, environmental ills, and injuries from battle. However, her story isn’t hardcore adventure or suspense, but rather a funny, sweet, and sly ramble expressively regaled in heavily inked black cartoon sketches and dialogue suited to a television sitcom. For example, contagious disease is the result of a freak butterfly experiment, while the battle injury suffered by a pirate leads him to kidnap Gemma because he needs extra help replacing his bionic leg. There are nasty girlfriends, households run by robots, and Gemma’s omnipresent, fresh-faced ingénue attitude. The story is paced just right for its wackiness and the story-within-a-story; the TV show “Nurse Nurse” adds one more layer of good-natured humor. A fun read that may inspire teens to try their own storytelling efforts on a book-length sequential art narrative.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA

*  ZETTWOCH, D. Birdseye Bristoe. illus. by author. 64p. charts. diags. illus. maps. Drawn & Quarterly. 2012. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-77046-066-9. LC 2012452076.

Adult/High School–With surprising lyricism for a visual story about commercial corruption in a rural American community, Zettwoch immediately pulls readers into a richly plotted and subplotted story that features intriguing and mostly sympathetic characters and a fully detailed catalog of how a variety of mechanical structures actually work. The elderly fellow who gives his name to the book’s title is ostensibly just a live-bait farmer, circa 1998, hosting a summer vacation visit from his great grandniece and -nephew. Through the two teens’ eyes, readers move from observing the sublimely inventive homemade fixtures and appliances of the family homestead to the decidedly ominous meetings held to announce that a cell-phone tower project is in the works. Zettwoch, who has a proven talent for drawing detailed and accessible cartoons showing how various mechanical and natural structures work integrally, combines a rousing good tale of political shenanigans with provocative insights on what makes–and breaks–a community when the local porn shop (for truckers passing through on the highway, of course) is literally overshadowed by greedy outsiders. Far from being heavy-handed, this fully packed visual and narrative experience offers fresh air and a sardonic eye twinkle on its way to implosion. Zettwoch’s pages are packed with loopy black-ink cartoons on a yellowed newsprintlike ground, pencil-colored to highlight ice-cream soda mustaches, a light-bulb joke, and the settings of scenes depicted against floorboards or grass-mowing patterns.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA