Lists: Best of 2017 Names

When I started this process, I went through my 5 stars reads on GR, and no kidding, the first four books I listed, went like this: Eliza, Jane, Ramona, Alex, and WOW, that’s a statement right there. Four of my favourite 2017 books had the name of the main character in the title. In interesting and innovative ways too.

I have reviews here for Jane, Unlimited (August) and Ramona Blue (May). Gosh they are both such good books and my reviews try to explain why I liked them so much.

I added The Names they Gave us by Emory Lord (June) here as well, because well, it fits, right? It was such a pleasure to read. This author is really capturing the spirit of a quality contemporary. It’s got layers, and flawed characters, but it also addresses topic issues well. Here is what I wrote for RSO:

Protagonist Lucy, has a fresh voice. She’s a strong believer, but finds herself questioning her faith.  Working with counsellors who have their own troubled and diverse pasts, she is challenged to confront her privilege, and some of the honest conversations in which she engages, provide insight that many teenagers will appreciate. Looking after young children who face adversity allows Lucy’s kind spirit and resourceful nature to surface, giving her validation in a time when she feels insecure and abandoned. Her transformation is a joy and a heartbreak to watch.

The majority of the book takes place over June and July and the rhythms and routines of camp life are vivid and some of the episodes—an epi pen emergency, a scrabbling sixth graders’ fight, and a shy girl needing reassurance—intertwined neatly and organically with Lucy’s weekly visits with her mother, and her own reflections about belief and the best ways to live a life.

While it deals with big issues, it is by no means heavy or dark. Lucy is an optimist, and a thoughtful girl. She faces each new encounter with empathy and kindness. She’s not perfect, but she wants to be better, and is generous and honest. There are many light moments, although eventually Lucy does confront some well hidden family secrets, and is fortunate to now have the type of friends who support her through these shocks and shifts. It concludes satisfactorily, with some aspects neatly tied up, and others left more open.

Alex, Approximately (April) by Jenn Bennett is a sweet romance perfect for summer beach reading. There are several tropes in play, and as all the reviews say, a YA version of You’ve Got Mail. MC Bailey has been virtual friends with Alex for a while, bonding over a common love of classic movies. When she moves to his town, she meets and flirts with Sexy Porter. A dilemma develops–should she seek out unknown Alex, or stick with real Porter? Predictable it might be, but it’s also full of geeky references, with lots of humour and snark, so it’s a pleasure to read. There are also a couple of swoony, smexy scenes, if that’s your thing.

Eliza and her Monsters by came out in May but I didn’t read it till October. There are very strong positive reviews about this book, and there’s reasons that. It handles anxiety and unwanted celebrity status very well. Eliza’s anonymity means she’s free from judgement or expectation, and suddenly losing that threatens her mental health. But this doesn’t happen until the end of the novel, so for the most part, we watch Eliza meet cute guy, Wallace, and slowly venture out and interact with peers socially.  These are mighty steps for her, and we gradually realise the implications of being ‘outed’ as the creator of a very popular online fantasy serial novel. It’s a book for lovers of fan fiction, and the communities that develop around online creative arts. This is another book that presents an artistic life as a genuine pathway.

So, here are my favourite list of names books. Next Wednesday I will share my list of best spec-fic picks.