by Andrea Engel Leslie Engel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 2015
An otherworldly setting, grounded by irresistible melodrama and an unshakeable protagonist worth rooting for.
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A Florida teen unhappy at home and tormented by bullies at school discovers a dreamlike world where she can escape and that may be more real than she knows in this YA fantasy debut.
Ever since her beloved Gramma Rose died, Sadie Myers’ life has been immersed in melancholy. Her once-cheerful parents are perpetually grumpy, and Sadie’s alienated others, including former best friend Melanie Greene. Having no friends makes her an easy target for resident bully Dave Jablonsky, who spearheads the students’ unremitting ridicule. Sadie dreams of a terrifying shadow man chasing her but takes solace in visions of her grandmother and Rose’s lost cat, Barnaby. Barnaby leads Sadie to a towering tree, whose voice the girl can hear, and a gateway to another realm, Mystashan. Sadie evidently holds the key to Mystashan, a place she soon prefers to the world she’s currently living in. Meanwhile, amnesiac Finn Montgomery awakens to foster parents who tell him his name and estimated age (13). A voice in his head tells him to play the part of a nice guy, but Finn’s prone to violence, which ultimately lands him in an institution and later juvenile hall. Plagued by visions of an unknown girl, the murderous Finn will somehow cross paths with Sadie. At the same time, Sadie’s disturbed by recurring and menacing flashes of red. Before enlightening readers about Mystashan, the authors relay a sound drama of a despondent girl and psychologically unstable boy. It’s unquestionably riveting, even if it’s hard to stomach the deplorable Dave pushing Sadie into a mud puddle or Finn’s rampant cruelty, calling his juvenile hall cellmate Beagle without learning his name. Romance for Sadie seems doomed: boyfriend Christopher has gone to New York, and the nervous heroine introduces herself to the charming Sam as Annie. But the story’s not all gloomy, as Sadie encounters fantastical characters, like Thelo, a somewhat reptilian but good-natured guide to the mysterious realm. Sadie’s link to Finn and the truth about Mystashan (is it real or only in the girl’s head?) are best left unspoiled. Suffice it to say that the Engels sufficiently resolve the story while leaving nagging questions to be tackled, presumably in Book Two.
An otherworldly setting, grounded by irresistible melodrama and an unshakeable protagonist worth rooting for.Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-61984-931-0
Page Count: 398
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Yalda Alexandra Saii ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2013
A swift fable about navigating the perils of middle school.
A bossy middle school fashionista feels threatened by the new girl in Saii’s YA novel.
Vanessa Pocker and her friends Chelsea, Adrienne and Katie are the richest of the rich in their Santa Monica, Calif., middle school, and they comprise the Sassy Divas. Vanessa leads the pack and dictates whom the divas are allowed to talk to, what they’re allowed to wear and how they conduct themselves in public. Vanessa is so domineering that it’s a miracle she has any friends at all. Had Saii endowed her with an ounce of kindness, the loyalty of her minions might be more understandable. Vanessa’s militant nature finally alienates Katie, the diva who is too much of a bookworm, according to Vanessa. Katie befriends Flo, who’s on the Sassy Diva “do not speak to” list (Flo had once refused to hold Vanessa’s purse). Excommunicated from the Sassy Divas, Katie befriends the new girl at the school, Quinn. This infuriates Vanessa, and she declares war. A power play ensues among the adversarial lip-glossed sets, with Vanessa, Chelsea and Adrienne on one side and Katie, Quinn and Flo on the other. Vanessa turns to guy friend Ryan, who offers the only voice of reason when he admonishes her for obsessing over trivialities, such as revenge and makeovers, when there are starving children in the world. He seems to be nothing more than Vanessa’s sounding board, and it’s unclear what he gets out of the relationship. At least Vanessa buys clothes and makeup for her divas, on occasion. Mired in trendy youngster lingo, Saii’s tale accurately depicts girls’ power plays and the alienation that can result from simply owning jeans without a designer label. Fashion, gossip, popularity and shopping define these characters, and any threat of competition is cause for war. Vanessa’s parents rarely make appearances, except for a poignant scene when Vanessa’s mother engages her daughter in a heart-to-heart about her selfish behavior. It’s a relief to finally hear the mother speak and lead the story to an ending marked with humor and depth. Saii’s literary chops are inconsistently displayed and improve toward the conclusion. Although the average middle school girl may not wear Jimmy Choos or form private elitist groups, young readers might find themselves curious about these affluent trendsetters. At least Vanessa learns her lesson, which raises the novel a notch above teenybopper fluff.
A swift fable about navigating the perils of middle school.Pub Date: March 1, 2013
ISBN: 9781937675080
Page Count: 155
Publisher: Lekha Publishers
Review Posted Online: March 4, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Michael Somers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 12, 2012
An intriguing, if not always emotionally engaging, story of a serious teen problem.
Somers’ debut young-adult novel follows a teenage boy from sickness to tenuous health as he battles an eating disorder and the problems that helped create it.
Nathan is a typical teen with typical problems, including an unhappy family life and romantic disappointment, but he’s got an unhealthy “solution” for dealing with them: starving and purging himself. His descent into bulimia and anorexia occurs quite quickly; it starts with Nathan taking short bike rides to get away from his domineering father and alcoholic mother, and soon he’s inducing vomiting; not long afterward, he’s admitted to an eating-disorder program, at which point the book seems to find its center. Nathan is the only boy in his unit, a fact that his status-obsessed parents find it hard to understand; in fact, as the book makes clear, boys make up 10 percent of those who suffer from eating disorders. Somers’ novel never falls into “after-school special” territory, but it has a clear message. Nathan is depicted as a smart, cynical teenager, but his trials are sometimes more informative than heart-wrenching. The short chapters, complete with bad teenage poetry, keep the story moving, and Nathan’s dad, mom and nurse all get at least one chance to tell their side of the story. But although these multiple points of view are interesting, they may distract readers from Nathan’s personal trials. Also, the novel sometimes gets bogged down in eating-disorder program protocol; for example, a plan to interrupt Nathan’s family therapy takes two pages of emails, rather than a line or two of dialogue.
An intriguing, if not always emotionally engaging, story of a serious teen problem.Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2012
ISBN: 978-0988367203
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Rundy Hill Press LLC
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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