Once again I try to encapsulate some of my reading into reviews over a couple of months. None of these are Australian, but that’s because I want to do a post for them separately.
April Releases
Sam & Isla’s Last Hurrah by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Allen & Unwin ISBN: 9781760293857
We’ve been done this road before with David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, but Sam & Ilsa’s stories are a bit darker than Nick & Norah’s, Dash & Lily’s or Naomi & Ely’s (just remembering how much I love all these ‘couples’). Here we have twins who are about to lose access to their grandma’s much adored apartment, given she’s sold it. This is their last party in the unit, and they both want it to be a success, a goodbye, a final hurrah. But the thing is, they have different ideas of what that perfect night looks like, and of course, it ends up being something neither of them expected.
Throughout the dual narrative we learn much about their backstories, and how important they are to each other. It doesn’t mean they think the other is perfect—far from it. Ilsa knows Sam struggles with perfectionism, OCD and depression. Sam knows Ilsa thinks he is the favoured child, the one who gets all the attention, and their rivalries and attempts to prove they know what’s best for the other make for amusing and unpredictable reading.
The other guests at the dinner party provide the entertainment. While the book only spans the one evening, we have many flashbacks, so the plot never slows down or becomes repetitious. We are always moving forward to a revelation, and to self-discovery, and the beginnings of the rest of their lives. It’s sobering and insightful, even though the execution is not always successful. The guy with the sock puppet is confusing, and the worry that Sam’s anxiety threatens to overwhelm him, endangers what should be a fun party.
This is very much of story about teenagers on the cusp of great change. They are very self-aware, but still young enough to make bad decisions. I appreciate that these authors write inclusive books and don’t pander to their audience. It’s a sophisticated read that I loved a lot.
More than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury Children’s Books ISBN: 9781408885079
Last year Brigid Kemmerer released Letters to the Lost, and there we met Rev, sidekick and best friend to MC, Declan. It has been excellent that we only had to wait a year to read his story in More Than We Can Tell. I read this for the first time back in October, and had to re-read it just now because, seriously that was over 100 books ago. I loved it even more this second time, and was able to absorb a lot more details, and consider the messages more carefully. This is a well constructed plot with terrific messages for all teenagers.
We knew that Rev had his secrets and a tragic backstory. Learning more about it now makes for an emotional journey for readers. He is matched by fearless Emma, his romantic interest. We are given both points of view and are happy to see them meet outside a church on a day that has been tumultuous for both of them. As strangers, they swap parts of their pain, and it’s interesting to note how astute Emma is. It’s this directness and ability to really see Rev that captures his interest. For her, it’s the way he lovingly treats her dog, and that he challenges her assumptions.
Kemmerer brings a number of different issues into each of their separate lives—Rev gets Matthew, a new foster brother, un-trusting and silent. Emma gets an online troll and a dismantling marriage. These impinge on their time and thoughts, so when they meet up, they find themselves sharing more, and caring more. It’s a lovely slow organic relationship, built over time, and with words.
I liked the way Kemmerer explored the notion of females in an online gaming community. Emma is a game designer, interacting with a diverse crowd, but she remains a flawed sixteen year old—self-absorbed and unwilling to ask for help. Her distress when everything goes pear shaped seemed a little hysterical initially, but reading it this time, I was more aware that she is unable to contact her nearest and dearest, and acts out of desperation, not selfishness.
Rev’s torturous soul is hard to watch. He lives with shame and the continual thought that he will turn into his despised father. The character of Matthew helps him realise how absurd this is, and of course, Declan is also there to keep him grounded. That bromance is such a positive representation. We need more strong male partnerships in YA, and this is not the first time Kemmerer has created generous boys who treat all people with respect. I applaud her for that. But mostly, I recommend her books because they offer strong plot lines, with real characters, and they make us think.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Hardie Grant Egmont ISBN: 9781405291460
Here is a verse novel about slam poetry, so the style of writing utterly suits and indeed reflects its subject matter. American-born, but of Dominican heritage, Xiomara and her twin brother Xavier try very hard to live an authentic life with a mother hell-bent on forcing religion and religious lives on them. While Xavier pretty much keeps his head down and hides all his secrets, waiting for a time when he can leave, Xiomara is much less passive. Her sharp tongue and biting wit ensures she is always in her mother’s sights.
This is a glorious novel of insight and power. Xio’s poems challenge our assumptions about body image and identity. Her constant questioning of the status quo is revealing and welcome. She doesn’t deserve to be treated the way she is, and she stands up for herself and eventually triumphs. I highly recommend this to both public and school libraries to be read by all teenagers.
In Search of Us by Ava Dellaira
Hot Key Books ISBN: 9781471406515
While this is a family story of mother and daughter, it’s also the stories of two girls on the brink of adulthood. Angie’s present-day story is told alongside her mother Marilyn’s, in the nineties, the same age as Angie. We see the reasons why Marilyn has made the decisions she has, at the same time we see the repercussions for her daughter. The locations are different, the social landscape different, but what remains the same is the search for meaning, for love and for connection.
The prose is beautiful, and the social commentary sharp. As the stories weave around each other, both girls capture our hearts and our sympathies. It’s a really strong novel.
May Releases
The Wonder of Us by Kim Culbertson
Walker Books ISBN: 9781406377170
This is a terrific travel story, so anyone who has traveled around Europe, or who would like to, will appreciate the way the author uses landscape and history to reflect the inner turmoil of two girls who are trying to salvage a friendship. Both want to re-connect after a year apart, but are their differences too great now?
Abby, always a quiet geeky girl, is transfixed by the history, mythology and culture she discovers when Riya brings her to Europe for their ‘grand tour’. Riya, richer and more worldly, wants more than anything to show Abby the places she has only ever read about. But she also has secrets and a stubborn streak. They are also accompanied by Riya’s older, bossier and annoying cousin Neel, and he often interrupts or distracts them from sorting our their issues. There is also a diversity of ethnicity and social status. A book is only enriched by such inclusive consideration.
This story of a crumbling friendship is helped along by the trip, and we cheer for the pair of them to start communicating more, and to find ways to compromise, rather than ways to snipe and fight. I had a good time with it.
The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green
Penguin Books ISBN: 9780141375397
In many ways, this follows a very familiar path traversed in the paranormal genre. We are situated in a country that is ruled by a fearsome and loathsome king whose brother is trying to overthrow him with serious repercussions for the general populace of all the surrounding countries. Rebels and spies are everywhere trying to infiltrate, set to betray. Luckily, our band of heroes have wide range of skills at their disposal, which they need to survive.
But in other interesting ways, it’s quite different. Our five protagonists spend the majority of the book apart, and not all totally committed to the cause. There is the beginnings of a same-sex attraction, and I can count the number of these in fantasy novels for young adults on one hand (ok, lately, maybe two). The secrets discovered are horrifying in nature, and increase the urgency of our main characters’ actions. By the end, they all have their purposes, some separate, some with another, but the set up for the next book is strong and appealing.
Some of the violence is graphic, and unfortunately, all too easily dismissed as war-time behaviour. However, I engaged with this plucky group, and was happy to travel these somewhat predictable but generally exciting paths with them.
Trish Talks Texts 