Draw the Line follows the coming out of Adrian Piper, a young comic book artist in a tiny Texas town. Adrian uses his superhero alter ego, Graphite, to cope with the stresses of high school until a violent hate crime makes him realize that not all heroes wear capes.
I really enjoyed this book! The setup is, at this point, a touch cliché: a boy in a small southern town comes out and it’s hard. While these stories are important and a part of many people’s lives, unless they are handled with care they can come across as tired. This one did not because author and artist Laurent Linn deftly combined traditional narrative with “comic book” style narrative. The story, while clocking in at over 500 pages, moved quickly and I never felt bogged down by any of the prose. All in all I would totally recommend this book to anyone who enjoys coming out stories, or any fans of the graphic novel genre!
Katie loves Violet, a girl whom she has never met nor talked to. However, the thought alone of finally meeting her in person makes her so nervous that she runs away, literally runs away. Mark loves Ryan, his best friend/sometimes boyfriend who is stuck in the closet and who only sees Mark as a friend. Mark and Katie have a Calculus class together. They have never had any interaction with one another throughout the entire semester but somehow a greater force brings them together; it is as if the universe knew they needed each other.
It only took a wild night that included dancing on a bar, phone calls to mothers begging to stay out a little later, famous photographers and a party for the rich and famous to bring them together. In just a few days, they formed an unbreakable friendship where together they discovered who they were, what/who they wanted in life and how to deal with this thing called life.
After seeing it on the shelf in the Loft and on display at nearly every bookstore I went into, I finally broke down and read this book. Boy, I’m glad I did!
Breakthrough is really two stories. One is the story of how Jack, a science whiz and probable genius, develops a cheap and effective method of detecting and diagnosing different types of cancer. Because of this test Jack reaches a level of success that is unusual for a 16 year old. The second story, however, is a bit more harrowing. It’s about coming out, overcoming depression, and dealing with both bullies and intense scholastic pressure.
I have to say I liked this book far more than I thought I would. I am NOT ashamed to admit that my eyes got a bit misty when Jack recounts his success; his enthusiasm, intelligence, and heart leaps off the page. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone because it shows how someone who is smart and capable and successful and resourceful can still deal with things that are tough and it shows how that person can feel defeated and vulnerable and alone but can overcome those things given time and heart.
The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia (co-author of Beautiful Creatures) was absolutely amazing!!! It doesn’t come out until October; I received an ARC of it from the author at BookCon. The first twenty or so people in line at Kami’s signing got one.
The Lovely Reckless follows a girl named Frankie and a boy named Marco. Frankie is a super rich girl from the Heights, and she has it all… except for a living boyfriend. Her boyfriend, Noah, was beaten to death in front of her, and she has been haunted by his death ever since. So Frankie screws up and his sent to live with her dad, an undercover cop, in the Downs, where she meets Marco. Marco is a bad-boy street racer, who Frankie feels an instant connection to.
But this book is not all contemporary romance. Who killed Noah? for example, is a prominent question that adds tons of mystery to this book. In addition, as a high schooler who has to really think critically and dig really deep into themes and the meaning behind the stories being told, I really found and identified with what I believe to be the prominent theme of the book: Is it okay to do the wrong thing for the right reasons? (We can talk more about this in detail when the book comes out in October) I also really liked the friendship and relationships within this book, not just the romantic ones. For example, I loved the relationship that Marco has with his younger sister, and I really liked the friendship that developed between Frankie and a girl from the Downs, Cruz. I also really identified with Frankie herself, and how she was a girl from the Heights, but pops the bubble of privilege to branch out into the real world that is more than fancy houses, sports cars and country clubs. As someone who goes to school in a fancy city with students who live in multi-million dollar houses with private beaches. It was really enlightening to see a girl who is very similar to the students I go to school with pop what I call the bubble of privilege. Kami Garcia did an amazing job of portraying this in a realistic and identifiable way, and she should really be proud of that. Also, I applaud the diversity in The Lovely Reckless, because we need more diversity in YA literature!
Needless to say, I loved this book! It kept me hooked from start to finish, and it is definitely one of my favorite books of 2016 with a 5/5 star rating.
(Isabella, Evanston Teen)
I have to be honest with you, magical girl stories are my jam. They’ve been near and dear to my heart ever since Sailor Moon first appeared on the scene. Yes. I’m that old. I remember when Sailor Moon was NEW.
Anyway, enough about me, let’s talk about Zodiac Starforce. This is a comic that will not disappoint you. The writing is incredible, each girl has her own voice and each of those voices is authentic and entirely genuine.
The comic opens with Emma, our main character, being attacked by a monster one evening at her high school. In order to save herself and her school she must revisit powers she hasn’t used in years. You know, I think this is one of my favorite parts about this series. This is certainly an origin story – we are meeting all of these characters for the first time and we are learning the rules of their universe – but this is not an origin story of the team. We are meeting the girls years after they have broken up as a team and have gone their separate ways. This is a refreshing way to introduce us to a magical girl universe and let me tell you something: it works.
Along with the storytelling, the art is amazing. The drawings are dynamic, the colors are candy coated, and each girl looks as strong as she is pretty. Let’s also talk about these girls for like one second. My other favorite thing about this series is the diversity among the main cast. Each girl has a unique thumbprint on the page. They each have their own body type, ethnicity, and color scheme that is resonant with the genre but also busts right through the genre stereotypes. There is a conscious choice to subvert the genre norm (namely the lack of diversity) and it is done in a way that doesn’t pander or feel disingenuous.
This series is smarter and prettier than you are anticipating and is definitely a must-read for fans of Sailor Moon,Lumberjanes, and Steven Universe.
This is my new favorite series…ever! At first, I had to be sold on the idea of a YA fantasy novel that involved faeries and such but I am so glad I stuck with it. The first book introduces you to Feyre (Fay-ruh), our illiterate heroine, who is badass and snarky and can completely hold her own. She is no delicate flower nor does she apologize for getting what she wants/needs from who/what she must. It is really refreshing to read a YA novel OR a romance novel where the girl is not some untouched pure little being that is going to be corrupted. Because this series is both – it’s YA and romance, make no mistake because the second book, in particular, is filled with HOT scenes. Really, you read the first to get to the second and, at 600+ pages, it still is not enough. I read these twice, back-to-back, because I knew there was nothing that was going to satisfy me until the 3rd book in the trilogy comes out in May 2017 except more of the first two – it is that good.
Kate DiCamillo’s effortless prose and endearing young characters shouldering heartbreak make this a beautiful book for both middle grade readers and adults. It slides along so quickly and cleanly with so much humor and good cheer, you don’ t realize at first how much you are hurting for Raymie and her friends. This is the story of how 3 small town girls meet at a terrible baton twirling class — and learn together to share each others’ burdens and loan each other strength. No question a Newbery Award contender with Pax by Sara Pennypacker. Another fine entry in 2016 that deals with the effect of poverty on children, like Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate, but more graceful. Recommended to adult book clubs as well as middle grade readers who love realistic fiction (Fans of Peggy Horvath and Eva Ibbottson will particularly like this one. Fourth Grade through Eighth Grade. MM
A wonderful collaboration between Mo Willems and Tony DiTerlizzi, the story of Diva the small dog who lives in a Parisian apartment and Flea, the large cat who fancies himself a flaneur, an urban explorer. Great for the kids who are just getting into chapter books, but delightful for anyone, especially those headed to Paris for a visit. Don’t miss this one — a savory treat based on a true story! You can’t get better than that. Kindergarten through 3rd Grade. MM
A fun and very timely story about a girl in an apartment complex in a town in India. Yasmin loves getting free books from Book Uncle who shares his private library with the people of the city by means of a stall on the street near her apartment. When the town bureaucracy shuts down Book Uncle’s stall, Yasmin makes it an election issue with the help of all the people in her school and apartment complex. A book about voting, friendship, and the love of books, originally published in India, this winsome story won the Scholastic Asian Book Award and works well as a slight step up from beginning chapter books. How lucky we are that English is one of India’s languages — may there be many more stories set in India! Kindergarten through 3rd Grade. MM
This is a very imaginative and humorous quest tale, a story about how kids can battle religious intolerance, and also a simple introduction to the medieval roots of our three major monotheistic faiths — meaty and much needed fare for adults as well as children. Throw in a frame for the story that partakes of Chaucer and 007, and you’ve really got something. As the daughter of a Christian Midrash scholar, I was very impressed with the author’s treatment of both medieval Christianity and medieval Judaism. Finally, the illustrator actually “illuminates” the text like a medieval monk to ad verisimilitude and also plenty of fun. Run and get this book and see how broad and beautiful the world can be. 3rd grade through 8th grade MM
