The Hate U Give

This book is a must read. For everyone. Starr is a black girl living in two worlds. Her home is in the Garden Heights area, it's where her father's store is. But her school is in a fancy, mostly white neighborhood. She has to be two Starrs to fit in. When her best friend from way back is shot and killed by the police, Starr is the only witness. She and her family must decide if she is going to use her voice to speak for Khalil or stay safe and remain quiet. This book was eye opening, relevant and heartbreaking. Its perspective is important and thought provoking. It should be required reading in every police academy. It should be required reading for everyone. Can't recommend it enough and my words won't do it justice. Trust me, take the time and then take heart. Happy reading my friends.

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Simon is gay. He is trying to decide if he wants to come out to his friends and family. He has started an online relationship with Blue- another boy at his school whose identity is a mystery. He and Blue are having similar experiences and use each other to work through problems. They finally each have someone to talk to. Simon's best friends Nick and Leah don't know about him. Leah has a crush on Nick and Nick has a crush on the newest member of their group Abby. Then there is Martin, who stumbles on Simon's emails and uses them to blackmail Simon into setting him up with Abby. When things don't go Martin's way, he makes a decision that will take away all Simon's decisions. This book is the fallout of these actions. I think this book is amazing. It is current, thought-provoking and character driven. Each character is going through their own journey- all of which resonate with today's teens. It touches on the perils of social media, bullying and the way family dynamics can impact how topics are dealt with. Simon is a lovable goofball who has no shame in his game. His interactions with his friends is genuine and his family relationships are refreshingly positive. I can't recommend this enough. It should be on every bookshelf. Loved this book. Happy reading my friends.

Valkyrie

Freya is about to go on her first reaping. She is a Valkyrie- the Reapers of  Norse mythology. She is the youngest of the Valkyrie (but still 600 years old) and she has no interest in dealing with humans. She is tired of their wars, tired of the constant fighting and drinking in Valhalla and just not excited about joining her sisters on the battlefields. As she reaps her first soldier, Tyrone, she is surprised to find that he has no interest in joining the brave soldiers in Valhalla, he just wants to find a way to help his family. He makes Freya promise to go to Earth and find his family and make sure they are ok. But leaving Asgard and going to Earth is forbidden by Odin and the consequences of getting caught are severe. Loki helps Freya cross the Bifrost and make her way to find Tyrone's family. But she is distracted by Archie, who is about to get a beatdown by bullies at his school. Freya is fuming over this treatment and decides to step in and help Archie. This sets in motion a series of events that can cause nothing but trouble for Freya even as she decides to risk everything to help these humans she thought she hated. Freya is a feisty little Valkyrie with a good heart. The novel was for a younger audience and has a nice moral. As my girl Rylee said as I was reading it, (in regards to a romance) that the author would find a way to make it work and lo and behold I think she did. I really like mythology so I enjoyed that aspect but I don't know if I'd read the rest of the series. I will recommend it to the appropriate reader though- you can never have enough tough girl characters. Happy reading my friends!

Jane, Unlimited

I was so excited to see a new Kristin Cashore book. She has written some of my favorites: Fire, Graveling, and Bitter Blue. They were filled with fantastical creatures with magical powers and characters you fell in love with. (I am still mourning the loss of Archer) This new novel is quite a bit different. It is set in the modern day with a normal teenage girl dealing with the loss of the aunt who raised her. Jane promises Aunt Magnolia if she is ever invited to Tu Reviens, the home of her tutor, she would go. So when Jane runs into Kiran and is invited to visit, she can do nothing but say yes. What happens next is really up to which path Jane decides to follow. Or more to the point, WHO she chooses to follow. Each path leads to a more fantastical outcome for Jane. Talking dogs, multi-verses, spy rings, a love story, missing paintings, stolen children- all could be a part of Jane's future. The only thing that stays the same are the characters. Sounds mind blowing- yes? What are the chances that the last two books I have picked up have been about the possibility of multi-verses? Is that some kind of sign? This book makes you think about the choices you make in life and the paths you did not choose. Who can say which is the right one or even if there is a right one? If you are ready to follow all Jane's paths- be sure and take Jasper with you- he knows what's up. Happy reading my friends!

Invictus

When Empra goes back in time and falls for a gladiator from AD 95, the consequences have the power to destroy all of time. See, she gives birth to Gaius's baby out of time, in the grid. Seventeen years later Far McCarthy's life is about to be changed forever. During his final exam to become a Corps Time Traveler, Marie Antoinette winks at him, ruining his chances to follow in his mother's footsteps and maybe even go through time and find out what happened to her. He is forced to work for Lux, jumping through time and collecting important objects and bringing  them back to the future.  He loves his job, along with his cousin Imogen, his girlfriend Priya and his technician Gram, the travelers are good at what they do. On a mission to find a book that went down with the Titanic, he is beat to the punch by none other than Marie Antoinette- AKA- Eliot. She holds him hostage as she has the book he needs to keep his crew in the air. She, however, has another task- find out if Far is the one who is causing the Fade- the eating away of time. If he is, her one job is to neutralize the threat- i.e.- take out Far and set time right. But as Eliot gets to know Far and his crew, she finds that killing him might not be as easy as she thought. This book is wonderful. Full of twists and turns and journeys into times past and future. The characters are fun, smart and willing to do the right thing no matter the cost to themselves. Every book I have read by this author have been like nothing else I have read and that is quite a feat. If you like adventure, history and maybe even a little romance, pick up this gem and find a few hours to spend traveling through time with these intrepid teens. Happy reading my friends. TU FUI, EGO ERIS!

Nemesis

Every other year on her birthday, Min is murdered. And comes back to life. She tells someone when she is little and they think she has a big imagination. She decides to stop telling them, but it keeps happening. The older she gets the more determined is to figure out what is happening to her. She uncovers notes her psychologist has taken during her sessions and she realizes something is not right. Her memories begin to come back- strange tests, inoculations, blood draws. When strange things start happening in their little isolated town, events begin to unfold quickly. Min discovers that there may be more people involved in her experiences than she can believe. People she trusted- including her mother. As global catastrophes begin to occur, Project Nemesis goes into full effect. Her entire class at school is left alone to fend for themselves. Who will take the lead? Who are the other 3 Beta test subjects? How will violence and desperation take hold of the teenagers? The answers they get are beyond anything that they can believe and more terrifying than can be imagines. Friends will have to take sides and this time death might be permanent. This book reminds me a bit of the Gone series by Michael Grant and Lord of the Flies all mixed with a technological twist. I'm sure book two will bring about more deceit and death- the cliffhanger was most definitely epic. Happy reading my friends.

Mapping the Bones

I don't like Holocaust books for the obvious reasons. I just had the chance to go to Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, so the emotions are even greater now. So why did I read this book you ask? I think I didn't read the synopsis very carefully and thought it was something else. But once I started reading, I couldn't put it down even as I knew there would be no happy ending. Chaim and Gittel are living in the Lodz Ghetto with their parents. They are twins with their own language. Chaim only speaks in 5 word sentences but writes poetry that moves to tears. Gittel is full of life and knows what her brother is thinking. When their family is called up to be relocated, their parents decide to make a run for it. They go on a dangerous mission to find the partisans who can help them cross the border from Poland into Russia. It is fraught with peril and hardship. When they reach the partisans, the kids are separated from their parents who will meet up with them later. Chaim and Gittel wind up in a work camp where they suffer from starvation, typhoid, cold and mistreatment. When a doctor arrives to help with the typhoid epidemic, the kids think they are finally going to get some help. All but Chaim, he doesn't trust the doctor with the smile that doesn't reach his eyes. The horrors they face are only made survivable through the fact that they have each other. The story is told through Chaim's eyes with inserts from Gittlel's prospective. It is heartbreaking, all the more because it happened. The power of the written word saves Chaim in his bleakest moments and their determination to live for each other gets them through the roughest of times. I wish we had all learned a lesson from this time period, but I fear we haven't. Jane Yolen has written what is sure to become a must read book for everyone. Read with your tissues near, that is my advice to you my friends. Happy reading.

One of Us is Lying

When the biggest gossip monger at school dies in detention, the only suspects are the four students in detention with him. Bronwyn- the brain, Nate- the sketchy drug dealer, Cooper- the athlete and Addy- the girlfriend of the most popular guy in school. Each of them are harboring secrets that could change their futures and Simon knew them all. Did one of them kill him to keep him quiet? If they did, it didn't work as all their secrets are revealed through the police investigation. They decide to ban together and try to figure out who killed Simon as they believe someone is setting them up. As their investigation heats up, the four of them start to become friends even as their other friends pull away. Who had the biggest motive for killing Simon? How were the four of them connected? And who is pulling the strings after Simon is dead? This is told from the four characters points of view, each revealing a little more about themselves as the story goes. There are break ups, make ups and new romances to go with the twists and turns. This was a fast paced read that touches on so many relevant problems teens are facing today. Social media, cheating, drugs, abusive relationships and family drama all play a role in this novel. There is something for everyone. Happy reading my friends!

The Fates Divide

The sequel to Carve the Mark did not disappoint! Cyra, Akos, Cisi and the rest are working to overcome their fates. Cyra is fighting her family and all their evil deeds. She faces the guilt of being their enforcer- hated by all on her planet. Her brother controlling her every move. Akos is fighting his fate, the one that says he will die at the hands of the Noavek. Does he really love Cyra or is he just succumbing to his fate. Cisi must use her gift to stop all out civil war from happening as she manipulates those around her. Will she know when to stop? And what's this- Lazmet Noavek is still alive?? When the patriarch with mind altering powers gets back on the scene, no one will be safe. Then there's  the book altering twist that is revealed by the oracles. What will this do to the fates of these characters. I enjoyed this short, two book series. The characters were interesting, a happy ending wasn't assured- I don't trust Veronica Roth after what she did to Tris! and the settings were unique and deadly. Summer has started so I plan to pick up the reading pace, turn off the tv and put down Candy Crush and lose myself in some strange new worlds. Year 27 is done my friends so enjoy your summers and happy reading!