Books in Review-My best of 2018, the Young Adult Edition

Here it is, part 2 of my favorite books from 2018. These are some of the BEST YA books that I read this year (some published previously, some new this year, and some still forthcoming). I would categorize these as appropriate for grades 9 and up. All of them got a 5 star review from me on Goodreads.

Realistic

The Seven Torments of Amy and Craig by Don Zolidis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was just what I needed to read. It was a laugh out loud, read lines to my coworkers and giggle together kind of book that also called to mind A Brief History of the Girl Next Door and Why We Broke Up . As Craig says in the very beginning, this is not a story where the two people end up together. And yet, it is still a love story that ends up also being, at it's very core, a coming of age story. Featuring a wonderfully odd, self-described social outcast, this book follows Craig throughout his senior year of high school as he finally finds a girlfriend, the pretty, popular, and shoo-in for valedictorian Amy. Of course, as the title implies, they break up. Seven times. Told in a non-sequential order, each chapter features a moment during their senior year. Their 5th break-up. Their first kiss. How they met. When they meet each other's families. Throughout the year, each family also has their own dramas to deal with and Craig eventually has to face the fact that he might not know Amy (or himself) as well as he thought.

Highly recommend for grades 9 and up. There is some language, and some sexual content. Fun fact: it is set in the mid-90s, so as a reader, I loved that aspect, but I would guess that some of our current readers might not find it as funny as I did. :)

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We'll Fly Away by Bryan Bliss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. All the stars to this outstanding novel about friendship, life, struggle, redemption, and the essential question of what defines a person: a solitary moment in their life, or the rest of the days leading up to it.

I don't know how I heard about this book, but I put it on hold at the library and was surprised when it was there waiting for me the other day. I almost didn't make time for it (why would I when I couldn't remember who had recommended it or what rabbit trail led me to it), but on a whim I started it. A few hours later, I was almost finished with it and blown away. This is a raw, tension filled look at two friends and what happens when they try to convince themselves that they can save each other, no matter what.

I've already recommended it to other high school librarians I know. First purchase material, in my opinion. Recommended for grades 10-12 due to language, some sexual content, and violence.

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A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tabby and Matty have been friends since before they even were aware of each other. Neighbors, best friends, basically family. And now, as they head into high school together, Matty wonders if he will ever be able to tell her that he loves her. Of course not, because the whole "rom-com" aspect is NOT his reality. Plus, Tabby is dating Liam Branson, the one of the best guys in the school (if not THE best guy in the school). And there's no way Matty can compete with him.

You guys, this book was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. It was funny. It was sad. It was so real it hurt. The characters are people you want to know and I can't believe I didn't get more time with them. Warning: there are sad moments. So be prepared. Also, even though the characters are freshman, I'm not sure about placing this in a middle school library. There is a lot of language and mention of boners-nothing gratuitous, but something to consider. That being said, it is my early favorite read of 2018.

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After The Shot Drops by Randy Ribay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Man, this was a good book.

I have had this in my collection (a 6-8 building) for awhile, and have had VERY little traffic with it. Mainly because there is no AR test to go along with it, so many of my kiddos have no incentive to pick it up (that is a HUGE sidenote discussion I don't want to get into here, but it is a thing and Yes, it is frustrating). Anyway, the reason it finally moved up my TBR stack to defcon status is because my Scholastic Book Fair rep told me that this fall they are stocking some "mature" titles and this was one of them. There 's no way I can put this out at my fair without reading it and being able to discuss its merits with my teachers, students, admin, and parents. So, I picked it up.

Cons: there is some language in this book. Like, F-word language, more than 10 times. Not every page, and not gratuitous, but there. The other, main concern, for me, was the casual references to smoking pot. Now, this is mainly done only by one character (the other ones decline) and this character is considered to be the bad influence. STILL, this is something to be aware of if you are including this in a middle school collection.

Pros: SO VERY MANY. This is a story that makes the reader question what we owe others and if that outweighs what we owe ourselves. Do we have the responsibility to take care of someone, even when they are continuing to make bad choices? At what point are we OK with saying we are cutting ties with them? It is incredibly well-written and so, so, so good.

Bunny Thompson is a phenomenal basketball player. So, last year, when he transferred from his local high school to play for the private school across town, some of his old friends were hurt. Disappointed. Betrayed. But Bunny knows that the opportunities he has there (equipment, access, facilities, games, exposure) will pay off in the long run when he is able to go to college and maybe even the NBA, which will allow him to provide for his family. Plus, being at St. Sebastian's gives him a world-class education.

Nasir is the friend he left behind at Whitmore. Nas can't understand why Bunny would leave them all behind and doesn't want to be his friend anymore. He can't stand him. And he doesn't care about the whys, all he knows is that he got left behind. Plus now, his cousin Wallace is about to be evicted and nobody is willing to help him out. No one is pulling any strings for him, giving him any special chances, nothing. So when Wallace has an idea that would help him get ahead, and only hurt Bunny in the short-term, Nas has to decide what he is willing to sacrifice.

Highly recommend. Most likely appropriate for grades 8 and up.

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Internment by Samira Ahmed
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many, many thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own. I requested it after seeing the cover on a Booklist Webinar featuring upcoming titles and the cover (and author) were enough to hook me. Once I read the blurb for the story, I knew this had the potential to be amazing. And, spoiler alert, it is. Samira Ahmed has crafted a story that will haunt you, shake you, inspire you, and leave you with a completely unsettled feeling deep in your gut. This is a must-read, first-purchase kind of book. I shared bits and pieces of it with some of my teaching colleagues and they are all clamoring for me to lend out my copy. I can't wait to pass it along and encourage my high school counterparts in the district to order copies. It's my tentative pick for a fall book club read next year.

Layla and her parents are taken in the middle of the night to an internment camp in the middle of the desert in California. For some time now there has been rumblings that something like this could happen: first there was the rhetoric of the campaign and presidential election, then the fears about immigrants, then the restricted liberties, then the book burnings, and now the camps. Turned in by their own answers on a recent census, Layla's family is being sent to a camp with all the others who identify as Muslim. There, the situation quickly becomes real and dire. There are armed guards, the Exclusion Guard. There are camp minders, people who turn on and report their neighbors. And a Director, a man who is thriving on his unchecked power. Layla knows that they can't survive here. While her parents encourage her to keep her head down and make the best of the situation, she refuses to do so. Instead, she chooses to resist.

I can't recommend this book enough. It was incredible.

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Mystery/Thriller

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an eARC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

Holy cats, was this a good one. All the stars to this fast-paced mystery/thriller (almost slasher flick-feeling) roller coaster of a book. I picked this up because I wanted to see what McManus would do after her debut One of Us Is Lying , which is a good book on its own, but in my opinion, this is where she has really started to shine as an author. The story is tightly packed, the intrigue is there, the characters are as nuanced as you want them to be in a thriller, and you are still guessing up until the end. I can't wait to get this in my library collection and start handing it out to readers. I had originally put it on my order when I started it, but after reading over 80% of it in one night, I ended up putting more copies on my order because I KNOW it will be that popular. Highly recommend.

Ellery and her brother Ezra are heading back to Sadie (their mom's) hometown, a place she couldn't wait to escape. Partly because of how trapped she felt, but also because of the memories of her sister who was taken and never found. Years later, Sadie's favorite babysitter's daughter is also found murdered, and the town develops a dark and sordid reputation. They had all hoped it was in the past, but now there are threatening messages around town with the Homecoming princesses as the new targets.

When Lacey Kilduff was found dead, her boyfriend Declan was the main suspect, even though nothing ever came of it. Now, his younger brother Malcolm is a senior in high school and suffering from the same fate as the Homecoming draws closer and his friends, step-sister, and their circle all deal with the tension of worrying if a killer has returned, or if a new one is stepping up to take his place.

Like I said, I highly recommend this read. Give to fans of The Naturals series, or those who are ready to make the jump from April Henry to actual thrillers. Suitable for grades 8 and up (there is some language, and some kissing; there is no sex and the violence is not graphic).


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Sadie by Courtney Summers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every once in a while you read a book and it just resonates with you. The writing, the style, the characters, everything just WORKS, and you leave it feeling renewed with the sense that this is what reading is supposed to be. An escape into a world that you can both recognize and be horrified by, a descent into a story that leaves you captivated and also so very, very unsure. Courtney Summers has done that and more with this story. I loved it. This was incredibly well-done and along the lines of books I consider to be required reading for those interested in YA literature and contemporary issues.

Told in two alternating narratives (a podcast called The Girls and a first-person, present tense account from Sadie), this is the story of the search for Sadie and where she went. Sadie's sister Mattie was murdered a year ago, and now Sadie is on the road looking for vengeance. Of course, as we learn from the podcast episodes, something has gone wrong and now Sadie can't be found.

To say more about the plot line would be to give spoilers and ruin some of the experience. So, just trust me: you want to read this book. Highly recommend. For those considering purchase for classroom or school libraries: I would say this is appropriate for grades 10 and up due to language, situations, and sexual abuse content.

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Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book SOOOO MUCH. It was everything I wanted from a continuation of this series and more. I loved getting back into the world of Sector 45, and hearing from both Warner and Juliette was amazing. The twists and turns in this book were great. The only complaint I have is that the ending left me open-mouthed and speechless, searching for more pages, chapters, paragraphs, anything. And the realization that I have to wait for the next book is crushing.

Highly recommend. Suitable for grades 9 and up due to some language and sexual situations.

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Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fantastic fantasy read. I had heard a ton of hype and buzz about it before it was published and from various other bloggers and friends on social media. Then, it was chosen for Jimmy Fallon's Summer Book Read for 2018, and I finally snagged a copy of it from our local high school library. I am so glad that I did! This was a classic fantasy in that it has a girl with untapped powers, a ruling class determined to eradicate those on lower social scales, and magic. It is nontraditional in that it features many aspects of West African culture and mythology. I loved all of those additions, including the language and spells used by the main characters. The ending was a nailbiting cliffhanger and I can't WAIT for the next book. I am going to be adding this to my middle school collection as well-there is no inappropriate language, no sexual content, and no (graphic) violence. Highly recommend.

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