Another crop of reviews without a single fang, spell, or ghoul in sight—is interest in paranormal fading, or is it just coming in waves? You'll find readalikes for Jesse Andrews's Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl (Amulet, 2012), A. S. King's Reality Boy (Little, Brown), Blythe Woolston's Black Helicopters (Candlewick, both 2013), and Laurie Halse Anderson's Forge (S & S, 2010) on the list. HALPERN, Julie. The F- It List. Feiwel & Friends. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9781250025654. Alex's father is dead and on the night of her dad's funeral, Becca does something that breaks their friendship. The issue is soon forgotten when she discovers that Becca is battling cancer. Leo also enters the picture and Alex thinks that a good distraction can't be any harm. Or can it? There is a fair amount of humor, and the author made it clear when it was a serious time and when it was a less serious time. The characters in the book were well thought out. Alex has a tendency to blame herself for things she didn't cause and has a sassy mouth and is witty, making the reader laugh a lot at her smart remarks. Becca, except for in the beginning, cheers alongside Alex giving her the perfect advice. Leo has an interesting personality and deals with certain situations very strangely—but again is hysterical at times. I am not a huge horror movie fan so some of the information was hard to grasp. Also, the story mainly focused on Alex, though when reading the cover blurb, I assumed that Becca would have a little more spotlight then she did. Also, the romance between Leo and Alex often brings the story off its original focus. It included a lot more romance than I thought it would, and some scenes are probably intended for readers in their later teens. There is also constant use of bad language. People with a stricter comfort zone should probably stay away. This book is similar to Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl so it wasn't exactly an original concept, but I enjoyed it as the author managed to add a fun little twist of her own to the book. Alex also deals with grief and other hardships she is facing, and she overcomes all of it—which is nice. So anyone who is up for something like that, this is the book for you!—Esther L., age 12 REEDY, Trent. Divided We Fall. Jan. 2014. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780545543675. Gr 9 Up—I thought Divided We Fall was insanely good. When I picked up the book, I thought it would be a long read and it looked like the type that only boys would read. However, once I started reading, it only took me a few hours to finish the book. I loved how the story was in first person yet it also described what others are feeling too. It was very detailed yet not too wordy. It was a great book, but I was disappointed how the ending seemed so fast. It ended with "My God. I reached for my gun. They're coming." *Spoiler* When Wright admitted that he was the one who shot the first shot, I did not realize what happened until he told what really happened to others. The book sometimes includes bits of the United States Constitution and in order to follow the story better, it helps to have a pretty good comprehension of the Constitution. I would recommend this book for readers who love action, drama, tragedy, and a little bit of romance. There needs to be a sequel to this or I will cry.—Minh T., age 16 HEGAMIN, Tonya. Willow. Candlewick. Feb. 2014. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9780763657697. Gr 7 Up—Willow, an educated slave, lives just south of the Mason-Dixon line. She loves her master and her father, but resents being controlled. Cato, a free-born black, has made it his personal mission to guide as many fugitive slaves as possible to freedom. When the two meet, Willow must choose whether to accept her designated station as a slave and wife or seek to change her fate. While some aspects of the novel, such as Cato's back story, seemed a bit oversimplified, "Willow" ultimately proved to be an inspiring novel about a black girl's search for freedom in difficult circumstances. To Hegamin's credit, all of the characters feel very human—their beliefs, flaws, and courses of action are honest and allow the reader to understand the situation in all its complexity, rather than from only the protagonist's limited point of view. Willow's search for freedom and independence when both her race and gender drive her to belong to someone else constitutes the most compelling aspect of the book. Though she frequently makes errors in action and judgement, her good intentions allow the reader to identify with her and wish for her to prevail against the odds. Cato's transformation and the development of Cato and Willow's romance receive very little attention in the narrative, and their conclusions are quick to the point of being rushed. Either the idea of romance should have been introduced earlier, or the scene in which Willow and Cato kiss should have been less dramatic, as it feels abrupt and over the top. Fans of historical fiction and authors such as Jane Austen and Elizabeth Ross are likely to enjoy Willow.—Emily L., age 16