"Me and Marvin Gardens" by Amy Sarig King

In a major departure from her high school level novels, Ms. King writes a sweet little book about a boy named Obe who is losing much but gains a friend in the form of an unusual creature. (And a girl.  And a teacher.)  Obe's voice is strong and the story has enough levels to be interesting.  Obe feels the loss of his family land, is bullied by his former best friend and is obsessed with the Science facts recited daily at his school about the loss of habitat.  It is readable and engaging but, for readers of Ms. King's other books, somewhat simplistic.  No matter.  The intended audience will enjoy it.  As an adult reader my only beef was that, once again, we have clear biography disguised as fiction.  While the story is supposedly set today, it reads somewhat like it was set in the 1970s or 1980s.  The author's voice comes through more often than it should and the parents are somewhat under-drawn.  Those complaints are minor and will not stand out to an Elementary reader.  A solid ecological tale which will touch the heart of any animal lover, I finished it in record time. 

"Air" by Ryan Gattis

Initially, I liked this book more than "The Hate U Give" because it is just better written.  The lead character, Grey, has a story to tell and I found that more compelling than Starr, who has a point to make.  SPOILER ALERT  The tale begins powerfully, with Grey arriving home with his brother and sisters to find his mother murdered, his estranged father covered in blood and being taken away by the police.  The family is split up and Grey is sent to live with his dowager aunt in Baltimore.  Feeling at loose ends he faces neighborhood bullies and finds a soul-mate in a young man who elevates Grey's skills with BMX bikes to illegal street acts on a dirt bike.  From there, the tale actually drags a bit.  Gattis delves into very specific details about the art of dirt bike and BMX stunts without advancing the storyline much.  There are the evil white cops who are out to get them (as black teens) which was one of the plot-points I struggled with.  I'm not saying this isn't an issue.  In Baltimore, it absolutely is (um, the main character is named Grey -- duh, the author is pointing directly at Freddie Gray), but the cops are drawn with such a broad stroke that they seem about as dimensional as the mustachioed villain of a 1920s melodrama.  Grey, who is a bright young man and stellar student, doesn't seem to be the sharpest tool in the box.  He is actually surprised when the cops show up at his school and ID him, despite the fact that his image is all over YouTube.  But the cops don't actually ID him -- they know his alias and what school he goes to but can't seem to figure out his real name or address.  It is one of several places in the book where Gattis relies on the letter of the law (schools can't give out student info to police without a warrant) but is ignorant of the reality.  If a cop shows up on campus and points at a kid and asks what his name is, a student, teacher or administrator is going to tell him the kid's name.  It creates an artificiality to the novel which doesn't need to be there.  There are powerful story-lines to explore but Gattis gets caught up in driving the tale to a specific end which feels more contrived than real.  Grey himself has many issues -- the loss of his siblings, his mother, his father's guilt, his own multiracial heritage and how that makes him feel separate from everyone.  These issues are all touched on but not really addressed in depth.  Instead, we watch Grey spiral down into bigger, more dangerous stunts until he literally risks his life.  At this point, I'm thinking I'm getting too old to be reading YA novels anymore.  Grey is acting like almost every 17 year old boy.  Instead of dealing with his feelings, understanding the repercussions of his actions, he acts on impulse and in the moment.  I found myself agreeing with his Aunt Blue's point of view more than Grey's insistence on "freedom" which seemed like a juvenile version of "I can do whatever I want and screw the laws and the cops and everyone".  I might have been able to live with it if he grew up a little and learned from his experiences at the end but the resolution (which is somewhat vague) seems to be dropping out of school, living on the run and continuing his illegal, dangerous exploits.  The novel gets snaps for heart (Aunt Blue states, several times, that she can love the kid without loving his choices) and most teens will revel in the anarchist message but I just kept wishing the guy would wear a helmet.  Oh well. 

"The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas

Titled from a Tupac Shakur quote, this novel has been the talk of the town with it's ripped-from-the-headlines tale of a black teen shot and killed by a white police officer.  SPOILER ALERT.  Told from the viewpoint of Starr, a friend of the boy and the only witness, the book is ... complicated.  The essence is excellent.  The characters and setting are tremendously real.  Starr's inner monologue and struggles are engaging and enlightening.  Structurally, however, there are significant issues.  It is clear this is a first novel, is somewhat biographical and could seriously have used a much better editor.  There isn't a lot of flow to the writing, and, from a literary standpoint, the build of the book is at times awkward.  Important parts of the tale (such as the actual shooting) are covered with light strokes while other parts (Starr's interactions with friends and her obsession with sneakers) are drawn out.  For the shooting, covered in a scant four pages, it is like snapshots.  Starr is in the car, her friend is shot, she is outside by his side, she is sitting in an ambulance.  It went by so fast I had to backtrack and re-read it.  Throughout the book, there is a tendency to present a situation which is somewhat unclear and then reveal the details many (many many) pages later.  It gives the whole thing a fuzzy feel.  The lengthy chapters also created some reader fatigue.  In many ways, "All American Boys" felt more organic to me but that book was designed to bring outside readers in.  This story is about Starr -- her choices, her role, her voice.  (I do have to admit that, as a middle-aged white woman, a great number of references were not clear to me.  Yes, I did have to look up "do the Nae-Nae" and the slang term "bougie".)


So it's not a perfect book, but I don't want to downgrade the importance of this story.  We are at a point right now when a novel like this can spur some real discussions -- discussions we don't know how to have, conversations we are afraid to have.  It is an uncomfortable book in some ways, challenging ideas that may or may not reside with those who live outside of this culture.  The book is strong enough to start us down a path of understanding and speaks to the teen world well enough (replete with lots of F words) to allow teen readers to get it.  Worth the attention and worth a read.

"The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

By a chance of fate, this is the second Nicola Yoon book I have read recently.  The woman is seriously making me rethink my hatred of Romance fiction.  I have never liked wimpy whiney gooey Romance stories which have some low self-esteem girl pining for a guy she can't have.  But that isn't what Ms. Yoon writes.  Her romances are passionate, visceral, involve so much more than love and require a kind of courage and strength by her female protagonists to survive an unkind world.  This one was even better than the last, mixing in ripped-from-the-headlines storylines about immigration and the American dream.  The premise is simple, yet not.  Can you fall in love with someone in an instant?  Daniel and Natasha have an unpredictable day where they will find out.  There is also a lot about the complicated dynamics of family, the role of fate over choice and the impact of the people who cross our path ... even briefly, and sometimes only once.  Ms.  Yoon manages a kind of grace in her literary style without being arch.  Her books are both accessible and real, yet filled with metaphor and symbolism.  Another terrific book I couldn't put down and another hearty Brava.

"Ghosts" by Raina Telgemeier

Straying from her autobiographical trilogy, Ms. Telgemeier writes a surprising and touching story.  Cat is not happy about moving to a northern California town which seems to be wrapped in fog.  The reason for the move, her sister's battle with Cystic Fibrosis, makes it even harder to accept.  The town holds a secret, however -- it is stock full of ghosts.  Cat must come to terms with her sister's mortality, facing her fear, anger and sadness in a strange new place.  Telgemeier uses the ghosts and Mexican culture to address Cat's sense of loss, with the culminating event being a huge celebration of Day of the Dead.  The mythical town of Bahia de la Luna is palpable and the artwork manages to evoke both emotion and a sense of "otherwhere".  It is another sweet yet poignant tale by Telgemeier, who seems to have a real knack at portraying the realities of family bonds and growing up.  As popular as her previous graphic novels, this one continues the tradition of making you smile, cry and feel all warm and fuzzy, all at the same time.  Brava.

"Nimona" by Noelle Stevenson

This graphic novel romp is another delightful pick for this year's Books for the Beast conference.  A popular title, I have had difficulty getting it as the book is rarely on school shelves.  It reminds me a little of Saturday Night Live -- a kind of wild improv which gets funnier late at night.  Start with:  a medieval fantasy which includes eponymously named characters in the form of a villain and a hero.  Enter:  A foul-mouthed girl who has a deep desire to be evil.  She also has tremendous powers.  Mix in:  Contemporary technology, alchemy style Science and an evil government corporation.  This isn't so much a book to take seriously as a tale to laugh out loud at (I did, many times).  It's silly and raucous and races to several unexpected places.  There is even a teensy lesson or two embedded in the crazy.  Points to Ms. Stevenson, who writes her lead character with full curves and clothing which doesn't bare, well, anything.  In fact, the only Barbie-like characters here are the men, who are tall, angular, have flowing locks of hair and impossibly thin waists.  In many ways the book feels like a deliberate parody, turning the typical tome of this type on its head.  It is for that reason, the lack of sexism, the real-world diversity, the unexpected twists and the simple yet engaging artwork that this graphic novel well deserved its placement on the National Book Award short list last year.  Thoroughly enjoyable.