Format: Fiction

Katzenjammer

KatzenjammerKatzenjammer by Francesca Zappia
Published by Greenwillow Books on June 28, 2022
ISBN: 0063161656
Pages: 304
Genres: Horror, Psychological thriller, Suspense
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

High school student Cat and her classmates live in a school they can’t escape from. The school is a living entity, constantly shifting and changing, and its influence is manipulating the bodies of some of the students. Cat and her best friend Jeffrey set out to solve the mysterious and brutal death of their class president and must reach out to the different cliques that have formed as a necessity for survival.

Katzenjammer is told in short chapters that alternate between the current nightmare landscape and memories that are trickling back to Cat and helping her make sense of how she and her friends (and enemies) came to be trapped. Cat is a talented artist and the book is sparsely but effectively illustrated. Just look at that cover! It is impossible to put down until the very end and then it is absolutely gutting.

Without spoiling it, the book missed explicitly listing an important trigger in its content warning. Even without the devastating twist, the last quarter of the book descends into a downright Dostoyevskian exploration of cruelty, humiliation, collective guilt, and violence. It’s well written and creative and has good character development. Unfortunately, for all of the book’s accomplishments, it’s so bleak and troubling that I don’t know how I could recommend it to anyone, which accounts for the lower star rating.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

 

three-stars

The Whispering Fog

The Whispering FogThe Whispering Fog by Landra Jennings
Published by HarperCollins US on November 30, 2022
ISBN: 0358674557
Pages: 240
Genres: Adventure, Fairy Tale, Supernatural, Suspense
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This updated version of the fairy tale Rose Red and Snow White features Rose, an outspoken, popular, tennis player and Neve, her 11-months younger sister. Both are in seventh grade and have just moved to a new town as a result of their parents’ separation. Neve has been content to let Rose call  the shots her entire life, and Rose, feeling protective of the quieter Neve, has been content to do so. So, when Rose vanishes into a malevolent, swirling fog, Neve is on her own to do what she thinks is right for the first time.

This is an entertaining story with (mostly) likable characters and a good message. While the characters are in middle school it could appeal to younger kids who can handle some creepiness. Fans of the Small Spaces series would like this, as would fans of fairy tale retellings.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

The Daredevils

The DaredevilsThe Daredevils by Rob Buyea
Published by Delacorte Press on August 9, 2022
ISBN: 0593376145
Pages: 240
Genres: Adventure, Realistic Fiction
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

School is out for the summer and twins Waylon and Loretta are preparing to start middle school. Loretta feels the need to toughen up her brother as she won’t be with him all day to offer the protection she thinks he needs. The duo starts sneaking out in the middle of the night (with their new friend, Louie) to complete rites of passages that will help them grow spiritually and physically.

The book is narrated by both Waylon and Loretta and, while it could have been a touching story about growing up and growing apart, it becomes a slow-paced and out-of-touch (an adult bully is repeatedly described in fat-shaming ways; a grieving, depressed woman is made the center of one of the rites of passage; the visits to the woods revolve around one act of cultural appropriation after another) tangle of issues.

Not recommended for classrooms or libraries; The Daredevils feels dated when so many new books are doing such a great job moving ahead with diversity and inclusivity.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

two-stars

Show Us Who Your Are

Show Us Who Your AreShow Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on October 25, 2022
ISBN: 0593562992
Pages: 304
Genres: Psychological thriller, Realistic Fiction, Suspense
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Twelve year-old Cora is neurodivergent  and feels isolated from most people, especially after losing her mother to an illness. She meets and immediately becomes best friends with Adrien who has ADHD. Adrien’s father works as a CEO for a company called The Pomegranate Institute which is creating a virtual program that will allow grieving people to visit holograms of their lost loved ones. Cora is taken with the project, and in particular, the scientist developing it, Dr. Gold. It takes a tragedy for Cora to find out why Adrien is so apprehensive about it.

This book is terrific and has wide appeal. Elle McNicoll is neurodivergent and has created a novel in which neurodivergent readers will feel represented and neurotypical readers will develop further understanding of neurodiversity. All readers will be wrapped up in the tense unraveling of the clandestine AI eugenics being performed at Pomegranate. Recommended for middle grades but could also be enjoyed by older readers.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

The Last Mapmaker

The Last MapmakerThe Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
Published by Candlewick Press on April 12, 2022
ISBN: 1536204951
Pages: 368
Genres: Adventure
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

From author Christina Soontornvat, “The Last Mapmaker” is a tale of adventure and self-discovery. Sai is a twelve-year-old assistant mapmaker in the country of Mangkon (based off of Thailand); she is clever, ambitious, and resourceful, but she worries about her upcoming thirteenth birthday when everyone will learn that she has no noble ancestors (in this world, ancestry is extremely important). When she is tasked to go on a nautical adventure with the mapmaker, she hopes to prove herself worthy to the kingdom. Adventures ensue and Sai must decide who she really is, and who she can truly trust.

Themes of self-reliance and identity are clear in this seafaring adventure, brought to life by excellent world-building by Soontornvat. Difficult topics, such as poverty, class system, and overusing natural resources are part of the story, but are handled well. Recommended for readers age 9 – 13, this book is a must-buy for your middle grade fantasy collection.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

Gideon Green in Black and White

Gideon Green in Black and WhiteGideon Green in Black and White by Katie Henry
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on May 17, 2022
ISBN: 006295573X
Pages: 384
Genres: Mystery
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

“Gideon Green in Black and White” by Katie Henry is a humorous YA mystery where the title character, Gideon Green, navigates high school while helping his former best friend investigate a mystery that she has discovered while working for the school newspaper. A former boy detective (similar to Encyclopedia Brown), Gideon seems to be coded as neurodivergent, but it is never explicitly stated in the book. He is very literal; often misunderstands people; prefers his routine of going home and hanging out in his room and watching old noir films to socializing; experiences emotion, but displays them differently than most of the other people in his life; and doesn’t like change.

We follow Gideon as he helps his former friend, Lily, attempt to solve a series of crimes in their town, while trying to understand why their friendship ended, and how to let his father know that he is also suffering after the death of his mother (even if he doesn’t show it in neurotypical ways). The themes of friendship and family are shown throughout the book, amidst funny send-ups of noir and mystery tropes. Teens and adults who enjoy mysteries and like comedy will find this book full of laughs and heart.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

four-stars

The Little Bad Book

The Little Bad BookThe Little Bad Book #1 by Magnus Myst, Thomas Hussung
Published by Delacorte Press on June 28, 2022
ISBN: 0593427610
Pages: 128
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Humor
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

The Little Bad Book is the interactive story of a book that has aspirations of being truly evil and needs a young reader’s help to achieve its goals. The choose-your-own-adventure setup leads the reader through puzzles, stories, riddles, and peer pressure. It’s an emotional roller-coaster that provides encouragement on one page and trickery on the next.

Some kids will love this but the target audience is a little unclear; the humor is coarse and the challenges and riddles would be difficult for the age group that would appreciate the grossness of the jokes and stories. There is a lot going on and could be overwhelming for young readers. If there are choose-your-own-adventure fans in your library they’ll most likely enjoy this but others will have a hard time finding their footing with it.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

 

two-stars

Moonwalking

MoonwalkingMoonwalking by Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Zetta Elliott
on April 12, 2022
ISBN: 0374314373
Pages: 224
Genres: Fiction in Verse/Poetry
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This verse novel tells the story of two classmates who become unlikely friends in alternating poems of various styles written by two authors. It is set in the 1980s against the backdrop of the air traffic controllers strike, Poland’s Solidarity movement, and punk rock. Pie, an African/Puerto Rican-American is an aspiring artist who experiences discrimination and has to take care of his younger sister when his mother is unable. JJ and his family are forced to move into the basement flat of his Polish grandparents after his father loses his job. He too feels out of place as one of the only white students in his school. Raises interesting questions about discrimination and profiling, for example, Pie’s stepfather mistreats Pie because Pie’s father is African and JJ is placed in honors classes seemingly because he is white in a mostly black school.

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham

four-stars

Only a Monster

Only a MonsterOnly a Monster (Monsters, #1) by Vanessa Len
Published by HarperTeen on February 22, 2022
ISBN: 0063024640
Pages: 416
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

While Joan is spending the summer with her beloved Gran and other relatives, her world is turned upside down when she realizes that not only is her family made of monsters that travel through time by stealing time from humans’ lives, her crush is a mythical hero whose entire purpose is to brutally eradicate her kind. After her first accidental time travel, Joan has very little time to learn the family secrets before her family is slaughtered. She bands up with a surviving monster from a rival family to try to travel through time, unlock the secret to changing an allegedly fixed timeline, and prevent the fight that takes her family from her. 

I like the premise of this book but the book itself had some issues. About halfway through I realized I had absolutely no idea who Joan is. The character is underdeveloped and, as a result, it’s had to get too invested in what happens to anybody. The minor characters are also undeveloped and all seem to be there just to advance the plot (although, a few of them start to get a little more well-rounded in the last quarter of the book). The other, bigger, issue for me was that, given that this will be a trilogy, it’s clearly heading in a love triangle direction between Joan and two other main characters. Neither one of them are decent options, and the romance between her and the hero/crush borders on violent. Joan can do better and it would have been so much more interesting to have her focus on her newly discovered power rather than her love life.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

three-stars

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised FreshmanRequired Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman by Kristen R. Lee
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on February 1, 2022
ISBN: 0593309154
Pages: 336
Genres: Cultural / African American, Realistic Fiction
Format: Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
Reminiscent of Netflix’s Dear White People, this book highlights black students’ experiences at a predominantly white Ivy League university. Savannah works hard, with the support of her mother, to get the grades and gain acceptance into Wooddale with a full scholarship. The first in her family to attend college, she knows she has a real chance at pulling out of poverty and finding meaningful ways to give back to her community.

Then she finds herself looking at the defaced statue of the school’s first black president. After watching the reaction of her fellow classmates, a kernel of activism begins to develop, and soon she is leading an anonymous social media campaign to denounce racism and call for change. 

The more Savannah and her friends learn about Wooddale and its history, the more they realize they are up against. Legacy families buying their children’s way in, reports of hate crimes swept under the rug, and a general mentality of white supremacy have stained the culture of the school for generations.

Is there anything that can actually be done? And at what cost to black students’ safety and educational experience?

Reviewed by Kristi Favaloro, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta

four-stars