All Your Twisted Secrets

All Your Twisted SecretsAll Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban
Published by HarperTeen on March 17, 2020
ISBN: 0062908219
Pages: 390
Genres: Horror, Mystery, Romance
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

WOW this first novel is truly amazing, the plot is rooted in pain and teen angst.  Just as the title indicates the story line is full of slowly revealed twisted secrets and relationships.  Amber struggles to be normal but truly has only one friend.  This character is so well portrayed, her secrets are deeply hidden but her heart is on her sleeve.  As a musician she can put on the earphones and escape reality until everything changes. Each character is introduced in their own time so that they become truly necessary to the story.  The genius of this book is the way past secrets are revealed leaving readers waiting for more.

Assuming this was influenced by the escape entertainment movement it may go a little to far.  All Your Twisted Secrets is recommended for HS media centers and public libraries but it may be challenged due to the group and individual behaviors during the last 30 minutes.  It is also a good read for adults who enjoy mysteries and thrillers.  Looking forward to seeing more by this new author.

Submitted by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian in Scarborough, ME

four-stars

Coo

CooCoo by Kaela Noel
Published by Greenwillow Books on March 3, 2020
ISBN: 0062955977
Pages: 432
Genres: Animals, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

If there was a genre called charming fantasy, Coo would be the first novel on the list.   A girl rescued and raised by pigeons seems to be an unlikely plot, but then again, why not?  Readers will be delighted with the story line as they learn about pigeon lifestyle and human compassion.  Noel gently introduces readers to a wild child with descriptive words that express Coo’s loyalty and exposes her heart of gold. What is intensely interesting is that Coo cannot speak a word of English and therefor is unable too communicate with humans. Another central character is equally treated well in the text; Tully’s love of birds is well defined and her understanding of human behavior saves the day.

Although 407 pages are daunting the large font accounts for easy and fast reading for grades 4-6 students.  This title would make a wonderful family read aloud for younger readers and is recommended for parent/child book groups.  Librarians will want to place this new author’s work on the shelves of public and intermediate school libraries.   As a first novel this is a memorable read that is sure to lead to future titles.

Submitted by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian in Scarborough, ME.

four-stars

The Easy Part of Impossible

The Easy Part of ImpossibleThe Easy Part of Impossible by Sarah Tomp
Published by HarperTeen on April 21, 2020
ISBN: 0062898280
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

High school senior Ria is feeling lost after getting kicked off her diving team. Benny, her coach, refused to keep her after she had an accident at her last meet and refused to dive. We learn through Ria’s interactions with Benny that he has been physically abusing her. She struggles to get to a place where she can acknowledge that what he’s been doing is wrong. She eventually finds a way to cope with all her feelings by getting to know and going caving with Cotton, a childhood classmate. Cotton, with issues of his own, and Ria help each other deal with their fears. It’s incredibly uncomfortable to follow Ria along this journey, as the reader seems to realize the abuse before she does. It’s a grim look into the relationship between a coach and an athlete. The author showcases just how difficult it can be to get out of an abusive relationship or situation. Ria and Cotton get a hopeful ending, leaving the reader feeling good overall.  Best for ages 14+.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

four-stars

The lightness of Hands

The lightness of HandsThe Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin
Published by Balzer + Bray on April 14, 2020
ISBN: 0062382896
Genres: Adventure, Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Life is not all glamour when you and your Dad work parties and bars as magicians.  Ellie manages to schedule performances and attend HS online as she struggles to live with her bipolar issues.   Her story is well depicted and exposes the truth about living with mental illness.  The story is far from gentle but offers a real presentation of a teenager’s life on the road in an RV.   Both Ellie and her Dad are well drawn characters who possess flaws but are resilient.    An online BBF and recently found boyfriend add interest while balancing Ellie’s life to a more manageable and normal existence.

Teens dealing with mental illness will find hope and satisfaction in this story.  A strong dose of family love is written into this book which should find a home on all HS media center shelves.  Public libraries who collect YA fiction must add this to their next book order.

Reviewed by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian, Scarborough, ME

four-stars

Narwal on a Sunny Night (Magic Tree House #33)

Narwal on a Sunny Night (Magic Tree House #33)Narwhal on a Sunny Night (Magic Tree House, #33) by A.G. Ford, Mary Pope Osborne
on January 7, 2020
ISBN: 0525648364
Genres: Adventure
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

How does one adequately review another addition to one of the most popular series for elementary children? Number 33 in the series, Osborne gives up another hit for fans. Here we meet Lief and Eric the Red in Greenland. 

Many curricula and interest links, as with all of the books in this series. 

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Retired Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

five-stars

Knights vs. The End (of Everything) #3

Knights vs. The End (of Everything) #3Knights vs. the End (of Everything) by Matt Phelan
Published by Greenwillow Books on February 11, 2020
ISBN: 006291099X
Pages: 192
Genres: Adventure
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

King Arthur’s knights are back at it; trying to work with each other and the evil forces that threaten them and the kingdom. With humor and chance and sometimes skill, they eventually triumph. If you haven’t read the first two in the series, they each provide a base for the subsequent volume, especially since new characters are introduced in each.

Like the other titles of this series, this has wide spacing of text and occasional black and white sketches of characters and events. 

Purchase to complete the set; purchase the set for your middle elementary King Arthur fans. This would make a great read aloud for younger and older youngsters, too.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Retired  Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

three-stars

What I Carry

What I CarryWhat I Carry by Jennifer Longo
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on January 21, 2020
ISBN: 0553537717
Pages: 336
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Having spent her entire life moving from one foster home to another, Muir has learned to pack light and carry only essentials. Now, months from aging out of the foster system, she finds herself in one last foster home on an island off the coast of Washington. What she doesn’t expect is to actually like the place and the people. She doesn’t expect to want to stay.

This book has so many things going for it — family, love, nature, friendship, trust in oneself and in others, and so much more. Throughout the book, Muir describes the few “extra” things she carries and what significance they have in her life. Each piece brings some memory, emotion, or life lesson with it. This is a heart warming story with a little romance thrown in. Recommended for students 8th grade and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Clique Bait

Clique BaitClique Bait by Ann Valett
on April 28, 2020
ISBN: 0062918087
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Debut Wattpad author Valett has brought us a tale of  revenge without redemption.  High school senior Chloe is starting off her year with a plan for revenge against a group of 6 “level one” students who rule the school and harass the student body.  We find out that something happened to Chloe’s best friend Monica in the previous year and that Chloe  blames the level ones for it happening.  Chloe’s plan starts off by blackmailing her way into the group so that she can dig up their secrets and take them down.  Over the span of a few months, Chloe exhibits the very behavior she is supposedly standing against, from bullying to actually breaking several laws (breaking and entering, blackmail, and stealing emails).  While there’s no doubt that the rich are powerful, this school goes as far as to have the teachers walk away and pretend they don’t see the level ones bullying the fellow students, which is incredibly unrealistic.  The characters are finally humanized at the very end, but it’s too late to make the story any better.  Chloe predictably falls for Will, the level one she blackmailed, and at the end has absolutely no consequences for her horrid behavior.  This book has the building blocks of something good, but it doesn’t get there.  Best for ages 14+.

Reviewed by Kara Reiman, Maine State Library

three-stars

The Magnificent Monsters of Cedar Street

The Magnificent Monsters of Cedar StreetThe Magnificent Monsters of Cedar Street by Ethan Aldridge, Lauren Oliver
Published by HarperCollins on February 11, 2020
ISBN: 0062345079
Pages: 348
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

It’s the end of the 19th Century, and Cordelia Clay and her father secretly take care of, heal, and save magical creatures in their Boston home. One morning, Cordelia wakes up to find her father and nearly all the creatures gone. She only has a few clues and a ragtag crew of magical creatures to help her find her father and the missing creatures in a world that doesn’t support them or the work they do.

This book was, overall, an entertaining read, but there wasn’t anything overly captivating about it. It has good messages about friendship and feelings of isolation. It was well written and the plot was easy to follow. It did feel, however, that everything wrapped up very rapidly and too easily. An additional middle grade purchase for larger libraries.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

three-stars

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and SnakesThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0) by Suzanne Collins
Published by Scholastic on May 19, 2020
ISBN: 1338635174
Pages: 517
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

What an ambivalent delight it was to return to the cruel world of Panem. In this prequel to Collins’ best-selling trilogy, readers return to the reaping and the brutal preparations for the Hunger Games on the very first page. Set years before Katniss enters the arena, a teenage Coriolanus Snow is a mentor in the Hunger Games; ironically, he is assigned the female tribute from District 12. There are many other such blatant nods to the trilogy, which readers will either love or find trite. Overall, this book explains how Snow becomes a ruthless dictator. There is not as much action as in the original books, but there are many themes to ponder. Readers who are interested will find references to the philosophical themes of Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau to consider (all of whom are quoted in the epigraph). This book is a must purchase for libraries serving tween and YA readers.