The Last Fallen Star

Riley Oh has always wanted to be a healing witch like the rest of her family, but she is adopted and has no magical ability.  She's part of the Gom clan of healers who are themselves part of the larger secret organization of magical Korean Americans living in Los Angeles.  

Despite her frustrations, Riley is happy to see her sister, Hattie, initiated into the clan and become an official member of the healing community.  Then Hattie gets an idea.  What if she casts a spell to share her magical power with Riley?  Then they can be initiated into the clan together.  

It sounds like a great idea until everything goes wrong, and Hattie's life hangs in the balance.  The girls have violated the laws of the Godrealm, and now Riley must complete a seemingly impossible task, or her sister's life will be forfeit.

Riley's task is to find the "last fallen star," but she doesn't even know what that is, let alone how to find out.  She will have to team up with her enemies and face off against terrifying magical creatures, but she won't stop until she finds a way to save her sister.

This entry in the Rick Riordan presents imprint by Graci Kim is based on Korean mythology and is a beautifully told fantasy that explores the nature of family and the consequences of holding onto old prejudices.  This is one of my favorite entries under the Rick Riordan umbrella so far.  Highly recommended!

Curses

Merit Cravan's mother arranged a marriage for her daughter to a prince, but he was not the prince of any girl's dreams.  When Merit refused to marry the much older man, a fairy godling cursed her into the form of a beast.  Now she must marry a man her mother approves of by her eighteenth birthday or be cursed to live as a beast forever.

Tevin Dumont is a con man in a family of cons.  His usual scam is convincing rich girls to fall in love with him so their parents will pay him off.  His parents are the least responsible members of his family, and when his mother crosses the beast, she decides her handsome son will be a good trade for her freedom.

Merit doesn't want a prisoner, but she does want recompense.  She and Tevin make a deal.  He and his friends will go undercover as wealthy guests to help her determine which of her many suitors would be the best match.  What better judge of character is there than a con man?

But there is more going on in this political game of matchmaking than either of them knows, and the more time Tevin spends with Merit, the less he wants her to marry any of the options her mother approves.  

Lish McBride's gender swapped Beauty and the Beast tale is a fun romantic adventure.  One of the most questionable parts of the traditional story is removed since Tevin is not kidnapped and held as a prisoner.  He is simply paying off his mother's debt, and it is clear he could leave at any time.  Even though he is less inclined to do so the longer he stays.  I loved the support group for cursed people, and I really think McBride should do a sequel with the diamonds and toads sisters.  There is also plenty of LGBTQIA representation across the spectrum of secondary characters.  Highly recommended.

When the World Was Ours

Leo, Max, and Elsa are best friends in Austria in 1936.  They spend hours playing together including one perfect day that ended with a Ferris wheel ride and a photo taken by Max's father that captures their joy.  But the world is a dangerous place in 1936, and Hitler's army soon invades Austria.

Elsa's family quickly decides to leave the country in the hope of finding safety else.  It is not good to be Jewish in a country controlled by the Nazis.  They hope Prague will be safer, but it isn't long until Hitler's army follows them there, too.

Leo's family decides to say in Vienna, but life becomes increasingly difficult for them as his father loses his photography business and his family is stigmatized for their Jewish heritage.  But that stigma quickly leads to something more dangerous and terrifying.

Max's father always hated his son's Jewish friends, and he becomes a rising star in Hitler's army.  His rhetoric of hate and violence quickly takes root in Max's heart, and he begins to wonder if his father was right about his friends all along.

Through the years, the three friends are separated, but they each hold onto the memory of that perfect day on the Ferris wheel even as they struggle through harrowing events.

Liz Kessler's story is inspired by her own family history of escape from the holocaust.  It is a thoughtful and heartbreaking exploration of friendship and memory set against the background of one of history's greatest atrocities.  Some parts, especially in Max's sections, are difficult to read as you watch his turn from a loving friend to an adherent of Naziism.  There are definite parallels to circumstances in our modern world as we see people turn to extremism and hate when faced with adversity.  The story is beautiful, painful, and perfectly written.  Highly recommended.

CeCe Rios and the Desert of Souls

CeCe lives in Tierra del Sol, a remote village in the desert.  Every year, the village prepares for the criatura months, the time when dangerous magical creatures roam the area outside of town.  No one wants to be captured by a criatura!  Brujas are the only people who consort with spirits.  They trap the criaturas and force them to do their will, but brujeria is dangerous and illegal so it's best to follow the rules and stay safe.  

But CeCe has never been good at following the rules.  When she wonders into a dangerous area, her older sister Juana follows to retrieve her, but Juana is captured by El Sombreron, a powerful dark criatura.  The only way to get her back is for CeCe to become a bruja herself.  

She must study in secret because her parents would never let her study brujeria, not even to get Juana back.  She must learn to trap and master her own criatura in order to train.  Lucky for her, the legendary Coyote has a soft spot for humans and agrees to help her.  

CeCe will have to win a dangerous competition fighting against experienced brujas who control powerful criaturas to prove she is worthy to enter Devil's Alley and fight El Sombreron for her sister's soul.

Kaela Rivera's fantasy is full of colorful characters and Mexican folklore.  This adventure really comes to life with vivid characters and snappy dialogue.  CeCe is strong character who refuses to back down but also someone with compassion, even toward the criaturas who should be her enemies.  I love the story, and I love CeCe.  I can't wait for book two!  Highly recommended!

Hide and Seeker

Justin's best friend has returned after being missing for a year, but he is not the same.  He looks frightened all the time, and he can't carry on a conversation with anyone.  Zee's mom wants to believe everything is fine, so she invites some of the neighborhood kids over for a welcome home party.  

The kids decide to play a game of hide and seek while they wait for Zee to appear, but things go horribly wrong, and the kids start disappearing one by one.  They broke the rules of the game, and now there are consequences. 

They find themselves trapped in a place called Nowhere where a creature called the Seeker forces them to relive their worst fears over and over again.  Suddenly all of Zee's strange warnings make sense.  Everything in Nowhere is designed to keep kids alone, but Justin and his friends quickly realize they will have to work together if they have any hope of escape.

This new thriller from Daka Hermon is a real treat for horror lovers!  It has a diverse cast with a truly frightening villain.  Justin is a well-developed character who is still struggling with grief and anxiety following his mother's death.  Plus, bonus points for an awesome cover!  Highly recommended.

The Shape of Thunder

Cora and Quinn used to be best friends.  They did everything together.  They are even next door neighbors.  That all changed the day Quinn's older brother took a gun to school. When Cora's older sister died, so did her friendship with Quinn.  Cora misses Quinn, but she has to be loyal to her sister.

Quinn has been grieving for the past year, too.  Her parents never talk about what happened or how things got to that point, and they don't seem to understand that her life is ruined, too.  She has to find a way to fix this.

On Cora's twelfth birthday, Quinn leaves a birthday gift on her doorstep.  Quinn believes she's found a way to travel back in time and stop her brother, but she needs Cora's analytic mind to make it work.  Is it really possible to go back in time to prevent this tragedy and fix everything that went wrong?

Jasmine Warga's follow up to Other Words for Home is an emotional and heartbreaking exploration of grief, friendship, forgiveness and the devastating effects of violence. Highly recommended.

The Great Destroyers

Jo lives in a world where nuclear weapons were never created.  Instead, nations learned to build mechas, giant robotic suits of armor, to fight their battles and end WWII.  Now mecha fighting is a popular sport around the world, and nations come together every four years for the Pax games to see whose fighters are the best.  

Jo lives in San Fransisco with her father and younger brother in a repair shop that usually pays the bills.  They never talk about her mother who was Chinese and left when her brother was a baby.  All Jo remembers are the bad times, and it's better for people not to know she's half-Chinese since many people are openly racist against them.  

Jo dreams of fighting in the Pax Games, but people don't take her seriously because she's a girl.  The United States has never sent a female fighter to the games, but the Soviets have.  Two of the highest ranking fighters in the world are sisters from the Soviet Union, and the tensions of the Cold War make them the team American's hate.

Everything changes for Jo when Senator Appleby knocks on her door.  One of the American fighters for the games is injured, and his spot is Jo's if she wants it!  Before she knows what's happening, she's in a plane headed for Washington, D.C.  Jo loves mecha fighting, and she wants to be the Soviets and win, but she also knows the winners get endorsements from corporations, endorsements that would go a long way to helping her family get financial security.  

But the games have barely begun when fighters start to die in the arena.  Is this some kind of sabotage?  When the blame is directed at Jo, she knows she has to figure out the truth if she doesn't become a victim in the process.

Caroline Tung Richmond has another alternate history for fans to enjoy.  Even readers who don't know the real details of this period in history will enjoy the political plotting, robot battles, and mystery.  Maybe this book will encourage them to do some research and see how the events in the book compare to real life.  Hand this one to historical fiction and Hunger Games fans alike!  Recommended.

Ten Thousand Tries

Golden believes if he can be perfect at anything if he practices 10,000 times.  That's how he's going to become a soccer superstar like his hero Lionel Messi.  Soccer is important to the whole family.  His dad used to be a professional player, and now his dad coaches the high school team where his sister plays, and his mom coaches Golden's middle school team.  Golden really wants to be team captain, so he's working on becoming a better player and trying to think like a captain.

There is one thing in his way.  His dad was diagnosed with ALS, and things are getting worse.  It seems like every day he loses more control over his muscles.  This puts a strain on everyone in the family, but while Golden's mother and older sister are trying to accept the changes, Golden is convinced his father can beat the disease if he just tries hard enough.

In his desire to work hard and be the best, Golden is losing sight of his relationships and the pain of the people around him.

I really like this book!  Golden is a very realistic middle schooler in his single-mindedness and the way he ignores the needs of everyone around him.  He was pretty annoying for a while, but it makes the ultimate realization that he can't control everything more powerful.  This book is a gut punch in the best way possible.  Highly recommended!

Turtle Boy

Seventh grade is turning out to be as much of a disaster as Will Levine thought it would be.  The kids call him turtle boy because of a deformity in his chin and jaw.  That's nothing new, but things are getting worse, and the doctor says he will need braces and surgery to correct the problem.  He hates hospitals because his father died unexpectedly after a routine surgery when Will was little.  

Also, he kind of is a turtle boy since he's obsessed with herps.  He spent his summer sneaking into the wooded area behind the school collecting turtles which he now keeps in aquariums in his bedroom.  Then his former science teacher finds out and tells him he has to return all the turtles to the wild.   

Plus, his act of service for his bar mitzvah is going to visit a sick kid in the hospital.  And, oh yeah, Will hates hospitals!  At first, he's only doing the bare minimum and sneaking out as soon as possible, but it's not long before he actually starts to like hanging out with RJ.  That's when RJ shares his bucket list with Will:  ride a roller coaster, go to a dance, go to his favorite band's concert, swim in the ocean, etc.  It's a great list, but RJ is never getting out of the hospital.  He begs Will to help him out by completing the list for him.  

Will has always been the quiet kid, never wanting to draw attention to himself.  He hates his chin and the way it makes eating difficult.  Plus, he has acne.  Completing even one of these tasks will take him way out of his comfort zone, but it might be worth the risk for a friend.  

This new novel by M. Evan Wokenstein is a story of friendship and developing self-confidence.  RJ manages to become a real character rather than just an "inspirational sick kid," and the two boys develop a real and believable friendship.  Will's struggles with social and medical anxiety also feel realistic.  Information about turtles is well integrated into the plot.  Ultimately, readers will cheer for Will while they mourn for RJ and the end of a brief but beautiful friendship.

Gold Spun

Nor was just trying to make a little money to feed her brothers when she came across the bandits in the forest.  Everyone knows faeries are not to be trusted.  They are the enemy.  But she feels sorry for the bedraggled creature who is now subject to the whims of two brutal bandits.  In a split-second decision, she decides to help him escape.  In return for her help, the faerie, Pel, offers her a reward.  He fashions a gold bracelet and places it on her wrist.  He also creates gold thread that could buy food and shelter for her family for months.  

But Nor is a con artist; she doesn't have a choice.  Her parents died in the last war, and she and her brothers were left to fend for themselves.  They could use the gold to buy a few meals, but they could also use it to make a little more coin first.  Unfortunately, Prince Casper catches her in the act and is determined to punish her for her deceit.  

Casper is recently returned home after his older brother's death and is determined to establish himself as a strong leader.  He vows in front of the crowds that he will marry Nor if she can actually spin a room full of straw into gold.  The consequences of failure are unacceptable.  In her despair, Nor calls on Pel for assistance.

But now that she has completed the challenge there are consequences.  She is betrothed to a prince she doesn't know and doesn't particularly like.  She will have to learn how to navigate the court intrigues and figure out how to survive this new life among people who have never had to struggle to survive.  

With each passing day, her feeling for Casper change.  He is kinder than she first gave him credit for, and she begins to see a future with him.  But Pel isn't completely out of the picture.  The faeries are creeping ever closer and launching attacks on human villages.  Pel swears he is different, but Nor isn't sure she can trust him.  She is playing a dangerous game with her heart and her secrets.

This retelling of Rumplestiltskin by Brandie June starts out well.  The author makes Casper a more sympathetic character with some back story, and the set up with Pel works, too.  Once Nor is installed in the castle, the pace starts to slow, and the love triangle is a bit strained since she only meets Pel two or three times.  Nor starts as an active character but quickly becomes passive with only brief moments of temper.  She may have an opportunity to be more active in the second book.  This is an interesting read for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings.

The Kingdom of Back

Nannerl Mozart is a child prodigy.  She can play better than most men with more training and practice.  She has her father's attention as long as she is young and the best at what she does, but she knows everything will change as she gets older.  She can already feel the world restricting her because she is a girl.  She can bring glory to God and money to her family during her performances as long as she is perfect and still considered a child.

She and her younger brother, Wolferl have a close bond even though they are four years apart.  Wolferl is small for his age, but he, too, is enamored with the world of music.  His talent is obvious from an early age, and Nanerl sees the way her father's time and attention quickly shifts to her younger brother.  She sees her her change to be a musician and to be remembered slipping away.

Then one day a mysterious stranger appears with an offer to make her most beloved wish come true.  Nannerl will be remembered.  Hyacinth offers her entry to a magical world of fairies and other magical creatures.  He seems sincere if a bit dangerous.  He only wants her to complete a few tasks in exchange.  

Hyacinth may be able to grant her immortality in the guise of her music, but the cost may also be more dear than she could have ever imagined.

This work of historical fantasy by Marie Lu addresses the very real disparities between the treatment of men and women over time.  How many women, like Nannerl Mozart were silenced because of their gender?  Lu does an excellent job of balancing Nannerl's feelings of love for the boy who would become Mozart.  She loves him dearly, but she is often overcome with feelings of jealousy and despair at what she fears will be her fate.  Their father is set up as the true enemy here, and young Wolfgang becomes a would be collaborator with his older sister.  The parallel fantasy story set in the Kingdom of Back has all the hallmarks of a traditional fairy tale, and readers may realize the truth before Nannerl does.  This is an interesting story.  It's a bit slow in the beginning the but worth the attention in the end.  Recommended.

Follow Your Arrow

CeCe Ross and her girlfriend, Sylvie, are #relationshipgoals.  The have thousands of followers online and their social media accounts are so linked they might as well be joint accounts.  They are even headlining the Pride parade in a few months.  That's why CeCe is devastated when Sylvie breaks up with her out of the blue one day right after a live video where everything seemed fine.

CeCe is completely blindsided, but it seems like Sylvie has been ready to move on for a while.  She's kept CeCe in the dark about major projects, and it seems like only minutes before she's letting their fans know the relationship is over.  

CeCe's life is now publicly upended.  But now that she has all this extra time to think, she can't ignore the increasing anxiety she's felt about being her true self online and public.  When she first started her account she was a champion of deserving causes and shared her opinion on controversial and political topics.  Now she second guesses herself before she posts anything.

While she's still struggling to get over Sylvie, she meets Josh.  He's a brilliant street musician who barely goes online and doesn't have a single social media account.  She's known she was bi since it even occurred to her to think about it, but Sylvie is the only relationship she's ever had. She feels an almost immediate connection with Josh, and it's not long before the two of them are beginning a relationship.

Her online life is still a mess thanks to her public breakup, and Josh is not into social media, so she decides to just keep quiet about that part of her life.  When her online life catches up to her new real life relationship, everything implodes, and CeCe may lose everything that's important to her.

Jessica Verdi's novel has several interesting layers.  It's a breakup story, and while Verdi tries to keep Sylvie from being the villain, some of her behaviors do seem questionable.  It's also a love story with an attraction and eclectic love interest.  But it's also a meditation on the power of social media for good and ill.  Recommended for the social media obsessed and as LGBTQ representation.

Luck of the Titanic

Valora Luck is determined to leave her life as a servant in London behind.  Her English mother died when she and her twin brother were young, and her Chinese father finally died from his addiction to alcohol and lingering grief over his wife's death.  Now Valora is on her own and she's ready to make a new life for herself.

Her plan is simple.  Her brother Jamie has been working on passenger ships for two years.  She knows he's on the ship her employer planned to take before she unexpectedly died.  The tickets are already purchased, and Valora is getting on that ship one way or another.  She doesn't think she will have a problem since she has a ticket, and she can just tell the truth, that she is a maid to one of the wealthy ladies on board.  She doesn't count on being turned away at the gangway because she's Chinese.  

Now she has to stow away and spend half her time wearing a heavy veil and pretending to be a rich widow and the other half of her time pretending to be a boy and meeting Jamie's tight knight group of Chinese sailing friends.  Her real plan is even more complicated.  She wants to convince her brother to perform the acrobatic skills they learned from their father for a circus owner who just happens to be on the ship.  

Then the unthinkable happens, and the Titanic hits an iceberg.  Now, it's a race for survival as many of her friends will perish before the night is over.  Will Valora survive and have the chance to make her dreams come true?

Stacey Lee's new book is another willing tale from history, highlighting the prejudices against Chinese people and their struggle to work and survive.  Valora is a strong character with plenty of spirit and ingenuity.  Through the novel, she learns to see the world through perspectives outside herself and take advantage or opportunities (or make her opportunities!) when they appear.  Recommended.

Thanks a Lot, Universe

Brian has always struggled with social anxiety, but when his dad disappears to avoid going to prison from his secret criminal life, everything gets worse.  His mom goes into a depression and has to be hospitalized, and now Brian and his younger brother are in foster care.  He doesn't feel like he has anyone to talk to, and the pressure of his father's expectations to "man up" coupled with everything else has him on the edge.

Ezra has always been popular.  It's easy for him to make friends, and he's always included in social activities.  Lately, things have been changing.  His best friend has been hanging out with different guys and saying things that are not cool, things that are racist or homophobic.  There's also Brian.  He's never really been much of a talker, but he seems even more removed than ever.  Ezra wants to help him, but he's afraid if he does, the other guys on the team will realize he has a crush on Brian, and he's not sure they will continue to accept him.

Things come to a head when Brian and his brother run away from foster care.  Even though their friendship is in the beginning stages, Ezra may be the person who knows him the best.  And he may be the only one Brian is willing to reach out to in his distress.

This novel by Chad Lucas was a surprising gem.  Both boys are written with sensitivity and honesty.  Many people write off thirteen year old boys as having no depth, but these characters feel real.  The reactions of Lucas's friends when he comes out are realistic.  Some are accepting, but other are not.  Both Brian and Ezra realize they need to be honest about their feelings and accept help when it is offered.  Highly recommended.

The Blackbird Girls

Valentina and Oksana have never been friends.  In fact, Oksana has often tormented Valentina for her Jewish heritage even though her family is not religious.  The one thing they have in common is both of their fathers work at Chernobyl, the nuclear power plant in their town.

In 1986, disaster strikes, and Chernobyl explodes, the two girls find themselves together on a journey across Russia to stay with Valentina's grandmother, a woman she's never met before.  Both girls are grieving, but they will need to overcome their dislike of each other to survive.  Oksana has always been taught Jews are dirty cheats.  Now this Jewish girl is her only hope.  Valentina only sees Oksana as a spoiled rich girl, but there are painful secrets in her family.

In 1941, Rifka is on her own fleeing the German invasion.  She must hide her Jewish identity because Russians and Germans alike will kill her for it.  Leaving her mother and younger brothers behind is the hardest thing she's ever done, but she will discover new strength as she journeys across Russia in search of safety.  

The girls in both time periods must learn how to trust and find hope in the darkest moments of their lives.

Anne Blankman's novel of resilience links two disasters of the past, the German invasion of Russia and the Chernobyl explosion, with skill and Grace.  This is a powerful novel of friendship that will appeal to many readers.  Highly recommended.

Millionaires for the Month

Benji and Felix aren't friends, and Felix is horrified he has to spend their class field trip tied to Benji the troublemaker instead of enjoying the museum.  When the boys find a lost wallet in the park belonging to the uber-rich Laura Friendly, they want to return it, but they also think it might not be so bad to borrow $20 to buy lunch first.  Felix isn't so sure about the borrowing, but Benji thinks Laura Friendly is so rich so she won't even notice.  

Unfortunately, she does notice, but she makes the boys a deal.  If they can spend a little over five million dollars in thirty days, she will give them each $10 million to keep!  But there are some rules. They don't get to keep anything they buy in the thirty days, they can't donate to charity or give money to anyone, and they can't tell anyone, not even their parents.

What starts out as fun quickly turns into a complicated mess as the boys try to spend money at a furious pace.  Plus, their parents are upset and confused by their spending habits.  Benji's parents want him to invest, and Felix and his mom can barely pay the rent.  

Does more money mean more problems?  Felix and Benji are about to find out!

Stacy McAnulty's newest book is another unusual tale of unusual friends.  This is fun ride for the boys, and readers will surely by plotting how they would spend the money themselves.  Like Felix, I was really stressed the whole time about not telling their parents about the deal.  I don't think that would work out in reality, but this book is pretty much a fantasy with a realistic setting.  The boys overcome their differences to become friends and learn that money really doesn't solve everything.  Though, especially in Felix's case, it can solve a lot of things.  Recommended!

Ground Zero

Brandon isn't that upset when he gets suspended and has to go work with his dad.  He's upset he disappointed his dad, but Windows on the World at the top of the north World Trade Center tower isn't a bad place to spend the day.  

It turns into the worst day of his life when an airplane hits the north tower.  It's September 11, 2001, and no one in the World Trade Center knows what is going on yet.  His dad is at the top of the tower, and Brandon is several floors below in an elevator.  What follows is a harrowing journey to try and contact his father and escape the tower before it's too late.

Eighteen years later, Rashmina is a girl living in modern Afghanistan.  Her country has been a war zone for her entire life.  She wants to become a teacher, but education for girls is difficult due to the increasing influence of the Taliban.  Her twin brother used to be her best friend, but lately he's been listening to extremist views, and she fears she is going to lose him.  

After an attack in her village, she discovers a wounded American soldier.  Her customs and her conscience tell her to help him, but this act of kindness puts her family and her village at risk of retribution from the Taliban.

Well, Alan Gratz has done is again.  Savvy readers will recognize his winning formula, but the story is still engaging and heartfelt.  Honestly, I have avoided consuming media directly relating to the September 11 attacks because it still feels like a traumatic experience even though I was miles away in Texas.  This book is sad, and it will bring back the feelings of shock and horror we all had that day for those who are old enough to remember.  For younger readers, Gratz brings the events of that day into focus and connects them to ongoing instability in Afghanistan.  One of the most telling scenes in the book is when the soldier talks to Rashmina and her family about September 11, and they have no idea what he's talking about.  Her entire village is suffering the consequences of an act they know nothing about.  Highly recommended.

The In-Between

It's been three years since his dad left, but Cooper is still struggling to make sense of things.  How could his dad just abandon his family to start a new life with a new family somewhere else.  His mom is working and going to school, so a lot of the responsibility for his younger sister and her diabetes falls to him.  He loves Jess, but he finds himself increasingly frustrated for no reason.  He's even been pulling away from his friends.  

Plus, there's a new girl who moved in to the house next door, and all she does is sit in the front yard swing and stare at him.  It's annoying and a little creepy.  

When Jess tells him about a historical unsolved mystery, his interest peeks.  After a terrible train accident, there were two unidentified bodies, both children, and no one ever claimed the bodies.  The only clue to their identity was a crest on their shirts.  It's the same crest on the creepy next door neighbor's jacket.

They dig into their research even more and discover that symbol tends to show up after a disaster on unidentified bodies.  Is this girl some kind of sign that disaster is coming?  Maybe she's there to cause a disaster?  Cooper and Jess aren't sure, but they do know something bad is about to happen.

Rebecca Ansari's book is a perfect blend of fantasy and mystery with a historical twist.  Cooper is a relatable character struggling with his feelings about an absent father and taking responsibility for his younger sister.  The mystery of the neighbor's true identity and purpose is engaging, and the ending is open for a possible sequel.  Recommended.  

Bump

MJ has been struggling since her father died.  They had to move because her mom can't afford their old house anymore, and her mom works all the time.  She wasn't actually too upset about the move until she found out she'd still be attending the same school.  

MJ has done gymnastics for years, and she's actually pretty good, but the other girls on the team bully her constantly.  That's why she decided to quit this year.  Her mom doesn't get it, and MJ doesn't want to explain.

The only thing she's interested in right now is watching Lucha Dominion videos.  Everyone, including her mom, thinks wrestling is fake and a waste of time, but MJ is a little obsessed.  When she discovers her new next door neighbor, Mr. Arellano, actually owns a wrestling school, she can't believe her luck!

Her new mission is to join the school and train to become a wrestler, but it won't be easy.  She's the smallest person there by far, and her mom is not enthusiastic about the plan.  Just as MJ is starting to find her place at Victory Academy,  an inspector for the state athletic association shows up determined to ruin everything.  But MJ isn't going to just give up her new family so easily.

Matt Wallace's new book explores the world of wrestling from a different perspective, and it's an enjoyable read even if you have no interest in the sport.  The climax is a little ridiculous and the epilogue is a bit didactic, but this one will definitely find fans.

The Wide Starlight

When Eli was a little girl, her mother took her out onto the glacier near her Norwegian home, whistled to the Northern Lights, and disappeared.  Search parties never found any trace of her.  Her father even lost a few fingers to frostbite in his search efforts, but Eli's mother was just gone.

Now Eli is sixteen and living in Cape Cod with her father who is continuing his work as a marine biologist in Massachusetts.  She loves her father and her best friend, but she's been aching for her mother all this time.  The stories her mother told her about the North Wind and three treacherous princesses are always with her.  When she hears the Northern Lights will be visible in Cape Cod for one night only, she knows she has to take a chance.  To her surprise, it seems to work, and a cold and wispy version of her mother returns.  

Eli knows she has to keep her mother's return a secret, but then strange things start happening like a group of narwhals showing up in Cape Cod and meteorites falling in her front yard.  When her mother disappears again, Eli finds a note telling her to she will find her mother in the place she last saw her.  It's time to return to the arctic home she knew as a child and uncover the truth once and for all.  

Nicole Lesperance's novel is infused with folklore and magical realism, and it is sometimes difficult to know what is real.  The histories of mother daughter relationships are told through these fairy tales as well the mental health struggles of Eli's mother and grandmother.  This book is beautifully written, but it was a stressful read for more as Eli continues to make more and more dangerous decisions as the book progresses.  The language is beautiful even if the story and the folklore are dangerous.  Recommended.

Hold Back the Tide

Everyone knows what happened to Alva's mother all those years ago, but no one can prove it.  That's why her father is still allowed to walk free, but it's also why they are pariahs.  Alva knows the truth.  She saw her father fire the gun that night, and she's lived every day since in the knowledge her father is a murderer.  

Now that she's old enough, she has plans to run away and make a life in another place.  She's saved money from her job doing transcriptions for the monks, purchased the things she needs, and even secured a job.  She's ready to be rid of her judgemental village and her isolated life on the loch with her murderer father, but just as she's on the verge of freedom, a scream rings through the night and changes all her plans and everything she thinks she knows.

This is a short blurb for Melinda Salisbury's new book, but I don't want to spoil the twist!  I went into this one knowing nothing, and I'm so glad I did.  There are so many things I enjoyed about this book.  Salisbury wrings suspense from almost every page, and the remote Scottish village adds to that feeling.  The two characters who become Alva's greatest allies are boys, but the story never devolves into a love triangle which is refreshing.  There are several scenes of violence and descriptions of horrific injuries and deaths.  It starts a little slow, but once you reach the twist, things get wild!  Recommended for 8th grade and up.

Friend Me

Roisin thought moving to the United States from her home in Ireland would be a great adventure, but it's turned out to be the opposite.  She hasn't made a single friend since arriving in Massachusetts.  Even the one potential friend, the daughter of her mom's new boss, seems to be ghosting her.  Plus, mean girl Zara seems determined to make Roisin's life miserable.

Her older brother has the bizarre ability to make friends with everyone immediately, her mom is always at work, and her dad is still in Ireland finishing a project before joining the rest of the family.  That leaves Roisin alone to deal with all her problems.  

Zara is bad enough in person, but her bullying takes on a whole new life online.  Roisin has no escape from the cruel memes and hateful comments.  Then she connects with Haley online.  They have so much in common, and Haley has survived a bully of her own.  Soon Roisin is spending all her time chatting with Haley online.  They even begin to jokingly talk about how the world would be better without Zara.

When Zara is in a terrible accident, Roisin is worried the police will suspect her because of the chats with Haley.  Roisin wants Haley to delete all the chats, but when she tries to meet with her best friend in real life, Haley is nowhere to be found.  Has Haley been lying about her true identity?  Who is Haley, and what if her comments in the chat were more than just jokes?  

This fast-paced story by Sheila Averbuch will appeal to middle grade grade readers.  Zara is a truly heinous bully for readers to hate, but they should also be suspicious of Roisin's online friendship with Haley.  The tech aspect is an interesting twist even if some readers will see it coming.  This book also deals with some of the more realistic perils of online friendship without being preachy.  Recommended.

It's My Party and I Don't Want to Go

Ellie Katz only has a few months until she turns thirteen and has to face her greatest fear, her bat mitzvah.  The idea of standing in front of a hundred people to recite her haftorah and Torah portions as well as making a speech is horrifying.  She can't even imagine having the nerve to light the candles on her cake!  But she's also too anxious to tell her parents and older sister Hannah she doesn't want the big party Hannah enjoyed a few years ago.

Instead she decides to sabotage her own bat mitzvah behind the scenes.  She enlists her best friend Zoey to be her lookout and general assistant.  She's relieved when her first few efforts seem to be working, but then everything backfires and she's more the center of attention than she was before.  She knows she will never survive this party or live beyond her thirteen birthday.

Ok, I think this is a great idea for a book.  Anxiety and panic disorder are definitely relevant topics for middle grade readers, but this book is just too ridiculous.  It's difficult to have sympathy for Ellie when she never really considers anyone else or the consequences of her actions.  Her best friend's beloved pet could be dying, but Ellie can't even pause for a moment to show concern, and her efforts to sabotage her party could have lasting financial and emotional impacts on other people, but she only stops just short of horrifying behavior.  Plus, it's difficult to believe a girl who can't talk to her supportive and low key parents would be able to do things Ellie does to avoid the party.  For middle grade books about anxiety, I would recommend The World Ends in April by Stacy McAnulty, The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead, or Guts by Raina Telgemeier. Guts is the best of the three; it's accessible, entertaining, and affecting.  

The Year of the Buttered Cat

Thirteen years ago when Lexi was a baby, something happened that left her with almost no control over her body.  Her brain is fine, and she's happy to have parents and older siblings who treat her like a regular person and find ways to communicate with her, but it's frustrating to not have her own voice.

Her best means of communication is by moving magnetic letters on a cookie sheet.  She can't get all her thoughts across, but it's relatively effective.  Now that she's thirteen she wants to undergo a risky brain surgery that could help her gain some control over her body and her voice, but it could also take away some of the control she already has.  Everyone, even people who don't really know her, has an opinion about the surgery, but Lexi insists it's her decision.

As Lexi and her parents wait through the hours leading up to the surgery, she thinks back to when she was five years old and so many things became clear to her.  

Lexi is convinced if she can just figure out what her gifts are, she will gain control of her body.  She believes her body is just slow coming in, like some kids take longer to learn to talk or read.  This is also the year she meets to new friends, sisters in her homeschool French class who accept Lexi and have the patience to communicate with her.  It's also the year a mysterious letter shows up, and she knows it has something to do with her.  And we can't forget about the family cat who also disappeared during this time.  Well, it's more her therapy dog's cat than a regular family cat, but that's a long story.  

This is a fictionalized memoir written by Susan Haas with assistance from Lexi Haas to tell the story of life with a physical disability.  Lexi comes across as intelligent and strong willed and her mother as a champion for her daughter who also struggled in the beginning to accept help.  The cause of Lexi's disability is finally revealed, and an afterword goes into greater detail.  This book is a great reminder that difficulty in communicating does equal a lack of intelligence or understanding.  Recommended.

Lupe Wong Won't Dance

Lupe Wong is determined to be the first female pitcher in the MLB, but she has to make it through seventh grade first.  When her uncle promises to arrange a meeting with Mariner's pitcher Fu Li, Lupe is dedicated to making all A's.  Fu Li is Mexinese like Lupe, half Chinese and half Mexican, and she looks up to him.  She's putting in the work in all her classes and on track to meet her idol.

She never thought P.E. would be the problem, but that all changes when the coach announces they are starting a square dancing unit, and everyone has to participate.  Lupe is usually the best at sports; she even pitches for the boys' baseball team, but dancing is not on her agenda.  She also has a history of fighting for a good cause, and this seems like a perfect candidate for her next campaign.  Despite her best efforts, square dancing is commencing.

Even if she hates it, she's determined to be one of the best in class to get her A and meet Fu Li.  She's got her best friends Andy and Niles to support her, but she also has some enemies in the class, and sometimes it seems like the whole system is working against her.  

Guadalupe Wong is a charming grump of a character, and the book is full of humor and quirky characters.  Lupe embraces both her Chinese and Mexican heritage and lobbies for more cultural diversity in her school.  Author Donna Barba Higuera deftly navigates Lupe's lingering grief over her father's death as well as incidents of racial insensitivity and bullying.  This will appeal to sports fans in particular and readers in general.  Recommended.

Gone to the Woods

The boy understands what it is like to be alone.  With his father a vague memory gone to war and his mother only using him to get attention from men at bars, he's learned how to look out for himself.  His world changes in an instant when he is sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the Canadian wilderness.  For the first time, he feels like he's found a place where he fits.  

He learns how to fish, hunt, and appreciate the beauty of nature.  Sig and Edy also welcome him in a way that feels like he has always belonged with them.  But eventually, his mother returns and takes him to a war-ravaged Manila to live with a father he barely recognizes.  The drinking and fighting begin immediately, and the boy learns to survive and explore the streets where he learns about the kindness of strangers and the dehumanizing effects of war.

Back in the United States as an adolescent, he works odd jobs to buy food for himself as he hides from his angry and drunken parents in the cellar of the building.  The streets are even worse with bullies ready to inflict violence to get anything they can.  He dreams of running away and living in the woods using the lessons he learned from Sig in his childhood.  

His only respite is the library.  He's hesitant, but it's so cold outside, and the library is warm.  It doesn't take long before he has an unlikely friend in the librarian who shows him the world of reading and books.  He devours the pages and comes back for more, and it isn't long before she explains he can write down his own stories.

After a brief stint in the army, he discovers violence isn't for him.  He's learned how to fight to defend himself, but he doesn't want to live a life of violence.  Instead, he picks up a pencil and begins to write once again.

This powerful new memoir by Gary Paulsen delves deeper into his difficult past showcasing some of the best moments of his childhood contrasted with some of the worst.  This is marketed as middle grade, but it has references to prostitution, STDs, extreme violence, and war atrocities.  Paulsen doesn't go into a lot of detail most of the time, but this may not be the book for more sensitive readers.  There are parts of this book I really loved and parts where things slowed down too much.  There are sections of truly lyrical prose describing both the beauty and the horrors of the world that will live with me for years to come.  Recommended.

My Life in the Fish Tank

Zinny's world is turned upside down when the phone rings in the middle of the night to inform the family that her older brother Gabriel has been in an accident.  He isn't seriously injured, but his college roommate and friends report he's been acting odd and not going to classes.   In the aftermath of the accident, Gabriel is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Now their parents are going back and forth to the hospital all the time, and even when they are home, they aren't really there.  Her dad spends all his time at work, and her mom quits her teaching job to fight with insurance companies to get appropriate care for Gabriel.  Her older sister Scarlet is angry and frustrated none of the siblings have been able to see him, and her younger brother Aiden is left to his own devices when it comes to homework and everything else.  

Her parents say they should keep this a private matter.  They want to respect Gabriel's privacy and not talk about the problem to people outside the family.  In Zinny's mind, this means it's a secret, and she refuses to discuss anything with her two best friends.  This causes friction in the group, and Zinny finds refuge in her science teacher's classroom and an upcoming animal studies project.  Even when the guidance counselor invites her to join Lunch Club, she doesn't open up about her feelings of frustration and fear.  

With all these secrets, it seems like her family will never get back to normal.  And she may have lost her best friends forever.

Barbara Dee's new novel tackles how mental illness affects everyone in the family and the stigma that still surrounds many disorders.  Zinny follows her mother's lead in this, but it becomes clear through the story that many other people don't see the need for secrecy.  Gabriel is largely absent from the story, but when he eventually gets to have his say, he is not ashamed and approaches bipolar disorder like any other illness.  He is confident he can manage the disorder with medication and move forward with his life.  The book also has flashbacks to times when looking back, Zinny realizes she and other family members may have missed the signs that something was wrong and the guilt they all feel for this.  This is an engaging story and an important book to help remove the stigma of mental illness.  Highly recommended. 

The Memory Thief

Rosie has been taking care of herself for as long as she can remember.  Her mother just doesn't have whatever it is that makes mothers love their children.  She does data entry from home in the small attic room overlooking the ocean, but Rosie is the one who takes care of the house and orders groceries.  She's used to it, but she also longs to have a mother who loves her.

After a fight with her best, and only, friend Germ, Rosie burns all her stories.  She doesn't want to be a child who relies on fairytales.  She could never know that one act would change her life forever.  Now Rosie can see the ghosts who live in her home, and the mystery of her mother's past is slowly coming into focus.  

A ghost boy named Ebb, shows her a hidden book about her mother's years as a witch hunter, and she begins to realize the truth about her mother.  One of the witches, the Memory Thief, stole her mother's memories and her very essence of self.  Now that Rosie has the sight, she is on the Memory Thief's radar, too. 

But the sight also reveals wondrous things she could never imagine:  sentient clouds, a moon goddess who is an aloof opposing power to witches, and a ladder to the heavens where the brave can seek her help.

Using the Witch Hunter's guide and the help of Germ and Ebb, Rosie prepares herself for the quest of a lifetime.  She wants to battle the Memory Thief to save her mother and protect herself from becoming the next victim.  

I absolutely loved this new book by Jodi Lynn Anderson!  It's lush and atmospheric with lyrical prose and a heartbreaking premise.  Anyone with a loved one who has memory loss would go on a quest to restore those memories.  The notes of encouragement Rosie posts in her room and pretends are from her mother are bittersweet and her friendship with Germ is beautiful and realistic.  Highly recommended!

Scritch Scratch

Claire is a scientist.  She likes things that can be tested and proven.  She is completely embarrassed by her dad's obsession with the paranormal.  He's written a successful book and does a haunted tour of Chicago every night.  She hates all this!  But the truth is she's also scared.  She believes in science and numbers, but sometimes that doesn't really matter when you are alone in a dark alley.

When her dad's normal assistant has a family emergency one night, Claire is roped into being his assistant.  She doesn't have to do much besides hand out flyers and make sure the bus doesn't get towed when her dad is taking tourists on a walk of haunted locations, but Claire absolutely does not want to go.  What if someone from school sees her and uses this information to torment her?  It's humiliating.

When she notices a small sad looking boy in old-fashioned clothes at the back of the bus, Claire gets a strange feeling.  Then he disappears and no one else has any memory of his.  Claire tries to brush it off as just her imagination, but it soon becomes clear that something from the haunted tour has followed her home.  There are strange sounds in the night, flooded dresser drawers, and cryptic messages on the bathroom wall.  Who is this ghost, and what does he want?  Claire and her older brother Sam race to uncover the truth before the ghost's frustrations lead to violence against her!

Middle school readers will love this creepy ghost story rooted in a real historical tragedy from Lindsay Currie.  All the events and places on Claire's dad's ghost tour are real and could lead to further inquiry from readers, and the ghost from this story is based on the Eastland disaster of 1915 where a real ship sank killing hundreds of people, many of whom were children.  Claire also works through a misunderstanding she has with her best friend and a new girl at school.  Plus, it's refreshing to see a supportive sibling relationship.  I will definitely recommend this ghostly chiller to my students!  Highly recommended.

Love and Olives

Liv Varankis is going to Greece to spend ten days with her father.  Her mom isn't really giving her a choice despite Liv's own plans to go on a senior trip with her boyfriend and his friends and the fact that she hasn't seen her father in nine years.  So...yeah, she has no desire to spend time with a man whose only contact has been the occasional postcard.

She never even talks about her dad.  It's too embarrassing to tell people her father abandoned her to search for the lost city of Atlantis.  She's spent the last nine years transforming herself from Olive, the sad little girl who misses her father, into Liv who is stylish and has a cute boyfriend.

Things go wrong right from the beginning.  Her dad is not even there to meet her at the airport.  Instead, it's some guy she's never heard of named Theo with a motorbike.  When she finally does see her dad it's super awkward.  Plus, his big surprise is a documentary about Atlantis.  Atlantis!  She never wants to hear that word again.  Finally, Theo and her dad convince Liv to join the crew and they begin filming.  

But her dad keeps disappearing without real explanation leaving Liv and Theo to work alone.  Why did he even want her to come if he wasn't going to spend time with her?  Plus, her boyfriend back home won't text or call because he's still mad about her last-minute change of plans.  

Theo is very attractive.  Liv has to keep reminding herself she has a boyfriend!  But he's also kind of annoying.  He acts like he knows her father and her relationship better than she does and he keeps pushing her to get over her anger with her father.  But he also pushes her out of her comfort zone and into taking some risks and having a little fun, and every day she questions her relationship with her controlling boyfriend even more.  

Will Liv find love in Santorini? And will she be able to mend her damaged relationship with her father?

This is the third book in Jenna Evans Welch's series about love and adventure.  Each book is really a stand-alone, this one even more so than the others.  However, this is my least favorite of the three as it really stretches credulity.  First of all, Liv has terrible taste in boys.  Her boyfriend Dax is controlling and withholding, but Theo has his own problems.  He acts like he understands the situation with her father completely even though he knows nothing about her life.  He may have more details about her father's current situation, but it's not his life.  Then there is her father.  No matter the reason, a father can't drop out of a child's life for nine years and expect everything to be perfectly fine when he decides to reappear, but all the characters seem to expect Liv to just roll with it.  Every time she does stand up for herself, she is proven "wrong" and ends up shamed for her feelings even though her father did abandon her for nine years, and he is lying to her when they finally see each other again.  I really enjoyed the first and second books in this series, but I could have passed on this one.

The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez

Nestor Lopez is sick of moving.  It's his tenth first day of school, and he's only in the 6th grade.  His dad is in the army, and they've always had to pack up and go every time the military says so.  This time is different, though.  It was his mom's choice to move this time.  New Haven, Texas, is his dad's hometown, and Nestor loves his Abuela, but he did not want to move again.  He doesn't even bother to unpack anymore.

New Haven is a tiny town, and Nestor is sure it will just be a blip in his life on the way to the next move.  Abuela's house does back up to the woods which is cool for Nestor since he has the ability to talk to animals.  He's never met anyone else with this talent, but it's easier to make friends with crows and deer than people sometimes.

Animals are disappearing in New Haven, and no one knows why.  There are rumors about a mysterious creature who lives in the woods.  When Nestor's grandmother is seen in the woods at night, she becomes the prime suspect, and Nestor decides to investigate and clear her name.  With help from his two new friends and the worst bully in the 6th grade, they begin searching for the real culprit.

The truth is worse than anything they could have imagined, and Nestor's special skills will be vital if Nestor and his friends want to save the animals and the town.

The new middle grade novel by Adrianna Cuevas is perfect for middle school and upper elementary readers.  It's got mystery, suspense, fantasy, action, humor, and a twist on Latin American folklore!  Readers with parents in the military will identify with Nestor's struggle of always being the new kid and missing his dad.  His animal friends all have fun personalities, including a crow who drops "white lightning" on Nestor's enemies.  Highly recommended!

Poisoned

Sophie's stepmother is a cruel queen who rules the land with an iron fist and spreads fear in the hearts of her subject.  She has always told Sophie she is too kind, too weak to rule, and now that Sophie has come of age to rule, she hopes to marry her off to a strong prince who will follow the queen's powerful lead.  

But the queen has an ill kept secret.  Everyone believes the magic mirror is about vanity, but the voice in the mirror is actually an advisor of sorts.  He's helped her survive this far, and she's not going to doubt him now.  When the King of Crows tells her Sophie is the greatest threat to her crown, she acts decisively.

Sophie isn't concerned when the huntsman leads her into the dark forest.  She has no reason to believe he would harm her, but his fear of the queen is greater than his love of the princess, and Sophie is left dying on the forest floor, her heart in box making it's way back to the castle.

At the last moment, seven mysterious men find her and build a clockwork heart to replace her flesh and blood one.  There are two problems.  The heart feels emotions too strongly.  If Sophie was too kind before, now she feels love for everyone and everything she sees.  Her compassion is completely overwhelming at times.  The other problem, a clockwork heart won't last forever.  

Despite warnings from the seven brothers, Sophie sets out on a quest to retrieve her stolen heart from it's hiding place in the dark castle of the King of Crows.   She will have help from a faithful hound and a young man with problems of his own, and this journey will reveal the true devastation of her stepmother's reign.  Sophie has always believed she was too weak to rule, but what if her compassion is actually her greatest strength?

So...I really wanted to love this book.  I absolutely adore Stepsister, and I was primed for more.  I just felt like it took too long for Sophie to grow a spine and take charge.  The first half of the book is slow paced with too much time hanging out with the seven brothers while the plot stagnates.  I absolutely loved the last third of the book when things start moving and the mythological elements are revealed.  One of the greatest strengths of Stepsister was the battle between Fate and Chance, and it took too long for their counterparts to be fully realized in Poisoned.  I really liked the King of Crow's sister, whose true identity isn't revealed until near the end of the story.  Pain portrayed as a withered, half-mad woman who continually says, "sometimes I help," is both disturbing and thought provoking.  I needed more of this in the story and a stronger Sophie who often comes across as whiney instead of kind.  I would still recommend it, and I would love to talk about it!

The True Definition of Neva Beane

Neva Beane's summer is not exactly shaping up the way she was hoping.  She's missing her musician parents who are on a European tour, and she loves her grandparents, but sometimes their ideas are just too old-fashioned.  Take the way they talk about Michelle, an older girl who moved in across the street.  She's beautiful and wears clothes to show off her figure.  Neva is mesmerized by Michelle's confidence, but her grandparents call the older girl fast and tell Neva's older brother to stay away from her.

Clay is another problem.  They used to be close, but now he's never home.  He's either working as a lifeguard at the pool or volunteering with community outreach.  Plus, he also saw Neva admiring her own new figure in the mirror, and she's just waiting for him to embarrass her.

Then there's her best friend Jamila who is upset about Neva's interest in Michelle.  Jamila should know she and Neva are best friends, so why is she acting like this?  When Neva finds out Jamila's family is going away for the summer she feels lonely and jealous.  

She decides to take an interest in community organizing and the upcoming March, but how much of that interest is real, and how much is about her new friendship with Michelle and her frustrations with Jamila?  This is definitely not the summer she had in mind.

This new book by Christine Kendall is about a girl on the cusp of growing up and seeing the world beyond her own little world.  Neva's obsession with the dictionary and her vocabulary words is fun, and she feels like a real person.  I just wish the book had started with something other than her obsession with Michelle's physical appearance and comparing herself to the older girl.  It's not really a big part of the story, but I think it could put off some readers.  It's a bit misleading as to the direction of the plot.  This is a good pick for upper elementary and middle school readers.

Show Me a Sign

Mary Lambert is one of many deaf residents of her village on Martha's Vinyard.  Her grandfather was the first English settler on the island, and many of his deaf friends in England soon joined him.  Now, most of the families are a mix of deaf and hearing and everyone on the island is fluent in their particular sign language.

Mary's family is still grieving her brother's sudden death when a stranger comes to the island.  Andrew Noble is a scientist who has come to study the deaf population and discover the cause.  Mary is immediately skeptical of Andrew who only addresses the hearing people in the room and treats the deaf members of the community as less intelligent.  

Her suspicions are confirmed when Andrew attacks and kidnaps Mary as a "live specimen" for his experiments.  In Boston, no one knows sign language, and Mary feels isolated.  How will she ever find her way home if she can't communicate the truth with anyone?

Ann Clare LeZotte's tale of a deaf girl from a real community that existed on Martha's Vinyard is interesting.  The author herself is deaf so this is a good addition to the small list of middle grade books with deaf protagonists.  The plotting is a little strange with the first half of the book plodding along until Mary is violently kidnapped.  Then once she is rescued, things drag out again.  There are a few too many chapters at the end, in my opinion.  I do feel like the author did a good job of handling the relationships in a real deaf community that existed on land that once belonged to the Wampanoag people.  While Mary and her father are sympathetic and friendly to freed black and Wampanoag characters, many of the other characters are not.  Mary's mother and best friend display casually racist attitudes.  LeZotte's focus is on deaf history, but she did a good job of showing the uncomfortable attitudes of the time period.  Some readers may struggle to stick with the story, but it's definitely worth adding to the collection for the representation of deaf characters.  

A Pho Love Story

Bao Nguyen is an average dependable guy.  He's not really a standout at anything; even at his parents' restaurant, he's only their fifth favorite employee.  It's his senior year, and his parents are worried about what he is going to with his life since he doesn't really have a plan for college.

Linh Mai is an artist with every ounce of her soul, but her parents want her to become an engineer.  She wants to tell them the truth, but she also can't bear the thought of her parents dashing her dreams.  Plus, she basically works full-time at the family restaurant when she's not at school.  They always just expect her to fill in when anyone else misses work.  She barely has time to do anything else.

The Nguyen and Mai families have been enemies forever as far as Bao and Linh know, and their parents both forbid any contact between the two.  This means that despite being part of a small and tight-knit Vietnamese community and working in restaurants across the street from each other, they've barely had any contact since they were toddlers.  

All that changes when Bao witnesses a moment of weakness from Linh and decides to step in and help.  It was supposed to be a one-time thing, but they can't seem to break their connection.  When they are paired on an assignment for the school paper, things change for both of them.  Bao may finally find something he's passionate about, and Linh may find a bigger outlet for her art.  Their creative work draws them together, and they can't deny their feelings for each other, but secrets from the past threaten to tear them apart.  Can they convince their families to reconcile, or is their relationship doomed from the start?

Loan Le's book is not the cute romance I was expecting.  Sure, there are cute dates and quirky characters, but family backstories delve into the traumas of their immigrant parents.  The story has a slower pace that may put off some readers, but it is full of food scenes that will leave you hungry for your local Vietnamese restaurant.  I would suggest this book for more mature readers because of profanity throughout including within the first few pages, but Bao and Linh's relationship never goes beyond kissing and holding hands.  

One Way or Another

Paige Collins is constantly paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong decision.  Sure, things could go well, but there are also a million ways they could go wrong, and her brain makes sure she shuffles through all those possible negative consequences for every decision.  Paige has also been in love with her best friend, Fitz for years, but she's too afraid to do anything about it.  Fitz always has a girlfriend.  Everyone is in love with him, and Paige totally understands why.  He's charming, thoughtful, and sweet.  That's why she loves him, but she also knows he's not in love with her.  

After his girlfriend breaks up with him, Fitz invites Paige to spend the week after Christmas at his family's cabin in the mountains.  She's never seen snow, and her mom always works extra shifts at the hospital around the holidays, so it seems like the perfect escape even if she's doubting her ability to keep her crush a secret in such tight quarters. 

Then her mom surprises her with tickets to New York for Christmas.  It's something they could never afford on her mom's nursing salary, but she won a drawing at work.  Paige has dreamed of traveling for as long as she can remember.  Her bedroom walls are plastered with photographs from travel magazines.  This seems like a dream come true, but what about Fitz?  Could she be missing out on an opportunity by going out of town when he's single?

Once again, Paige can't decide what to do.  All she can see are the possible negative consequences of each choice.  Then she slips on a wet floor at the grocery store and bumps her head, and both fates play out.  In one, she spends Christmas with Fitz and his family, and in the other, she flies to New York.  In both options, there are opportunities for romance and for Fitz to finally find out her true feelings for him, but which is the true reality?  

I have to be honest.  I did not enjoy this book.  I found Paige and her indecision to be tedious.  I am not trying to belittle people with anxiety, but her anxiety is cured in about five minutes in the end, so it's not really about anxiety in my opinion.  Also, if her lifelong dream is to travel, go to New York.  That seems like an easy decision to me.  She's in high school, and it's for one week.  It's not like the stakes are super high.  The main problem is that Paige doesn't really grow as a person in either timeline.  I'm a big fan of the movie Sliding Doors, and I was expecting something more along those lines where the character has the opportunity to grow and change in either timeline through positive or negative experiences, but this book never goes beyond the surface. 

City of the Plague God

Sik is closing up the family deli for the night when he is attacked by demons, absolutely not a normal occurrence for him.  Nergal, the god of plagues and war has become infested with flies and disease, and he is convinced Sik's family has the secret of eternal life.  Sik has no idea was the god is talking about.  As the demons begin trashing the family deli, Sik is pretty sure he's about to die.  Good thing a ninja shows up to save him.  Yeah, a girl dressed all in black with a killer sword.

That ninja turns out to be Belet, adopted daughter of Ishtar, the goddess of love and war.  It seems that all those characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh are real, including the gods.  Mesopotamia was one of the first civilizations on earth, so these guys have been around for a long time.  

Sik's older brother Mo would have loved this.  He was obsessed with Gilgamesh and all his exploits.  It just makes Sik miss him even more.  He's been grieving his older brother since he died in a motorcycle accident.  Mo was always taking trips back to Iraq and sending cuttings and seeds from strange plants back to his family in New York.  

A strange disease is spreading across the city, and it seems like Sik's parents are the first victims.  Nargal is spreading a plague across the city, and Sik, Belet, and Ishtar are the only ones who can stop him with a little help from Gilgamesh himself.  

Oh, there's one other thing.  It turns out Sik is actually immortal.  He discovers this in a pretty unpleasant way.  This could come in handy while he's trying to outwit a vengeful god and a city full of demons!

This new offering from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint by Sarwat Chadda explores the stories of ancient Mesopotamia and the style and humor readers have come to expect from these books.  This book is interesting as it grapples with how a practicing Muslim can hold his faith and still accept the existence of mythological creatures and gods.  Sik's grief over his brother's death is also very grounded in reality while also side-stepping into the mythological world.  This is another strong offering from the imprint, and Rick Riordan fans won't be disappointed.  Perhaps it will even stir interest in the original stories about Gilgamesh who may not be as familiar to young readers.  Highly recommended.