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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Who killed Brooke Donovan? It's the biggest mystery of the summer, and everyone in Castle Cove thinks they know what happened. But they're wrong. Two unlikely friends come together to solve the case in this fast-paced, fun, modern Agatha Christie inspired thriller. "Part Agatha Christie, part Veronica Mars, and completely entertaining." -Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Of Us Is Lying PEOPLE MAGAZINE BEST BOOK OF SUMMERwas , at least. But now, another one of Steve's girlfriends has vanished: Brooke Donovan, Alice's ex-best friend. And it doesn't look like Brooke will be coming back. . .

Last summer, Alice Ogilvie's basketball-star boyfriend Steve dumped her. Then she disappeared for five days. She's not talking, so where she went and what happened to her is the biggest mystery in Castle Cove. Or it

Enter Iris Adams, Alice's tutor. Iris has her own reasons for wanting to disappear, though unlike Alice, she doesn't have the money or the means. That could be changed by the hefty reward Brooke's grandmother is offering to anyone who can share information about her granddaughter's whereabouts. The police are convinced Steve is the culprit, but Alice isn't so sure, and with Iris on her side, she just might be able to prove her theory.

In order to get the reward and prove Steve's innocence, they need to figure out who killed Brooke Donovan. And luckily Alice has exactly what they need-the complete works of Agatha Christie. If there's anyone that can teach the girls how to solve a mystery it's the master herself. But the town of Castle Cove holds many secrets, and Alice and Iris have no idea how much danger they're about to walk into.

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Amazon.com: The Agathas (An Agathas Mystery Book 1) eBook : Glasgow, Kathleen, Lawson, Liz: Kindle Store

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This is the first of three young adult novels from New York Times best-selling author Mackenzi Lee that explores the untapped potential and duality of

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FINALIST FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATUREA debut YA novel-in-verse by Amber McBride, Me (Moth) is about a teen girl who is grieving the deaths of her family, and a teen boy who crosses her path. Moth has lost her family in an…

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Fire. Flood. Ice.
In the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, Akira and her horse struggle to escape a massive wildfire.

In Churchill, Manitoba, Owen and George flee starving polar bears that have been stranded on land by melting sea ice.

In Miami, Florida, Natalie fights to keep her head above water-and save her neighbor's dog-as her city drowns in a hurricane.

Though they live thousands of miles from each other and face disparate challenges, Akira, Owen, George, and Natalie will come to understand they are more deeply connected than they ever could have imagined-and in ways that will change them and, possibly, the world.

Four different kids. Three different threats. Two degrees of temperature rise. One single cause: Climate change.

Scholastic | October 4, 2022 | Ages 8 and Up

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Fire. Flood. Ice. In the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, Akira and her horse struggle to escape a massive wildfire. In Churchill, Manitoba, Owen and George flee starving polar bears that have been stranded on land by melting sea ice. In Miami, Florida, Natalie fights to keep her head above water-and save her neighbor's dog-as [...]

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Matt is counting down the days until he turns sixteen .

He's been living with his foster parents in Yukon River valley in their isolated cabin. His plan is to leave and never come back. He is done with the harsh lifestyle and helping his abusive foster dad, Dan, run the traplines so he can make money selling animal furs. He can't wait to start a new life on his own in the city. But when Matt discovers a big and valuable gold nugget, everything changes. What seems like a dream come true and an easy way out quickly turns into a nightmare that will test Matt's wilderness survival skills to the fullest.

This high-interest Orca Anchor title is written specifically for teens reading below a grade 2.0 level.

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Amazon.com: Trapped (Orca Anchor): 9781459828612: Brouwer, Sigmund: Books

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Born and raised in New York City, Tina Cane serves as the Poet Laureate of Rhode Island

where she is the founder and director of Writers-in-the-Schools, RI. Her poems and translations

have appeared in numerous publications, including The Literary Review, Spinning Jenny,

Tupelo Quarterly, Jubliat and The Common. She also co-produces, with Atticus Allen,

the podcast, Poetry Dose.

Cane is the author of The Fifth Thought (Other Painters Press, 2008), Dear Elena:

Letters for Elena Ferrante, poems with art \by Esther Solondz (Skillman Avenue Press, 2016),

Once More With Feeling (Veliz Books, 2017) and Body of Work (Veliz Books, 2019).In 2016,

Tina received the Fellowship Merit Award in Poetry, from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.

She is also a 2020 Poet Laureate Fellow with the Academy of American Poets and the creator/curator

of the distance reading series, Poetry is Bread.

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Amazon.com: Alma Presses Play: 9780593121146: Cane, Tina: Books

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As each new decade begins, the Sun's power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the chaotic Obsidian gods at bay. Sol selects ten of the most worthy semidioses to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all―they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body melted down to refuel the Sun Stones, protecting the world for another ten years.

Teo, a seventeen-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of the goddess of birds, isn't worried about the Trials . . . at least, not for himself. His best friend, Niya is a Gold semidiós and a shoo-in for the Trials, and while he trusts her abilities, the odds of becoming the sacrifice is one-in-ten.

But then, for the first time in over a century, the impossible happens. Sol chooses not one, but

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The Sunbearer Trials (The Sunbearer Duology, 1)

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Amazon.com: The Sunbearer Trials (The Sunbearer Duology, 1): 9781250822130: Thomas, Aiden: Books

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Notes From Your Bookseller

With star-crossed lovers, whimsical magical realism, and a blending of Chinese mythology and Romeo and Juliet, Emily X.R. Pan's sophomore novel is a brilliant story that will have you lingering on every moment. Hunter and Luna will capture your heart as they navigate their growing attraction, their families' hostility, and the effects their relationship has on everything around them.

Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology in this magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After.Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He's sick of being haunted by his family's past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents' expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.As Hunter and Luna navigate their families' enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love...but time is running out, and fate will have its way.
An Arrow to the Moon, Emily X.R. Pan's brilliant and ethereal follow-up to The Astonishing Color of After, is a story about family, love, and the magic and mystery of the moon that connects us all.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:

9780316464055

Publisher:

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication date:

04/12/2022

Pages:

400

Sales rank:

113,157

Product dimensions:

5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.50(d)

Age Range:

14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Emily X.R. Pan lives on Lenape land in Brooklyn, New York, but was originally born in the Midwestern United States to immigrant parents from Taiwan. Her debut novel, The Astonishing Color of After, was a New York Times bestseller, winner of the APALA Honor and Walter Honor awards, a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize, longlisted for the Carnegie Medal, and featured on over a dozen best-of-the-year lists. She received her MFA in fiction from the NYU Creative Writing Program, where she was a Goldwater Fellow and editor-in-chief of Washington Square. She was the founding editor-in-chief of Bodega Magazine, and went on to co-create the FORESHADOW platform and anthology. An Arrow to the Moon is her second novel. Visit Emily online at exrpan.com, and find her on Twitter and Instagram: @exrpan.

Put on your rain gear and head to the bookstore to pick up the latest whimsical tales of hotels that ensnare its employees, star-crossed lovers blended with Chinese mythology, murder and secrets, explorations of female friendships, dark fantasies full of vampires, and a queer ode to Legally Blonde. There's a little something for everyone in this batch of new Young Adult releases this month, and we can't wait for you to read them!

Editorial Reviews

02/14/2022

Pan ( The Astonishing Color of After) twines Chinese folklore-the story of Houyi and Chang'e-and Romeo and Juliet to deliver a unique contemporary novel about two star-crossed lovers. Luna Chang and Hunter Yee, both 17 in 1991 America, feel pressured by their Taiwanese emigrant parents: Luna's supportive folks expect her to attend Stanford; Hunter's tense family expects perfection following his father's past mistakes. Both born on a night during which a star fell "in reverse," then cracked in half before landing, the teens' initial encounter seems clearly destined, leading quickly to budding attraction. But as they learn about their families' feud, and subsequent meetings reveal that their physical interactions cause inexplicable phenomena, the strange appearance of fireflies, a supernatural wind, and an ominous crack that spreads across Fairbridge only bring them closer together, much to the horror of their parents. Expansive, third-person chapters-including some from the adults' perspectives-and snippets of lore create a contemporary telling with an otherworldly, age-old feel in this cleverly conceived novel. Ages 14-up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 05/01/2022

Gr 8 Up-Chinese folklore, star-crossed lovers, identity, and filial piety come together in Pan's latest novel. Luna Chang comes from an affluent family; Hunter Yee from a struggling one. Their families are constantly at odds, and their realities couldn't be more different in their small Asian American community in a largely white town. Luna is on an upright trajectory to Stanford. She's a free spirit, but a goody-two-shoes. Fireflies keep following her, even in the dead of winter. Hunter is the troubled eldest Yee boy, always disappointing his parents, and the latest insult is losing his private school scholarship. He has a special connection with the wind, and an impossibly accurate aim with his bow and arrow. Luna and Hunter don't like each other, can't stand one another even, until it all changes. However, Hunter's family is hiding, afraid of a threat, a man who has been looking for them. Can a hexagonal-shaped rock contain the answers to their problems? Seamlessly weaving Chinese lore, elements of fabulism, and family dynamics, this story takes readers on an enchanted tale of love, loss, expectations, and identity, including a compelling exploration of Taiwanese and Chinese heritage. VERDICT A first purchase for all high school collections, especially for libraries serving AAPI communities. This novel is a work of art.- Carol Youssif

School Library Journal

2022-01-26
A tale of two star-crossed young lovers that ends with an unexpected twist.

When Hunter Yee is expelled from his prep school and transfers to Fairbridge High, he is drawn to Luna Chang, another senior, who was born on the same day as he was 17 years ago. They share more than a birthday; both have overbearing immigrant parents from Taiwan with high expectations of their offspring. In Hunter's case, it is to be a perfect, trouble-free eldest son, while in Luna's, it is to get into Stanford. The two fall in love before realizing that their parents have been engaged in a long-standing feud. As Hunter and Luna navigate their illicit relationship, mysteries abound: Why is the earth cracking open so frequently? Why is Luna being followed by fireflies? Why do their parents despise each other so much? And what is it that Hunter's parents fear so greatly that the entire family must live fearfully, always trying to stay under the radar? Answers come in a reveal that is rooted in Chinese lore. Alternating third-person narration is skillfully deployed throughout the novel, allowing immersion into each protagonist's painful struggles, such as Hunter's worries about his family's financial vulnerability or Luna's discovery of her mother's secret. The switch in tone at the book's end is abrupt, bringing about a surprising and bittersweet (if perhaps too swift) resolution.

A lovely, lyrical exploration of how a poignant Chinese myth might play out in a contemporary setting. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

An IndieBound Bestseller An NPR Best Book *" In lush prose, Pan retells both the Chinese legend of Chang'e and Houyi and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The seemingly ordinary setting of "1991, in Fairbridge, Where We Lay Our Scene" opens up to a world full of mystery and magic."-Horn Book, starred review

"... intricately woven tapestry of first love, intergenerational struggles, and the joys and heartaches of growing up. "-BCCB, starred review

"An effortless fusion of myth and realism, coming of age and fairy tale, t his haunting love story rises on gossamer wings, but cuts bone deep."-Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood

"This story really comes alive through Emily X.R. Pan's prose. Every sentence feels imbued with an ethereal magic. The two protagonists bond as they discover their family's secrets, navigate their futures and seek to understand the mysterious forces that surround them."-NPR's Books We Love

Praise for An Arrow to the Moon: " An Arrow to the Moon is a beautifully crafted blend of mythology and modern love story, full of stunning prose, characters who feel achingly real, and magic lurking just behind the ordinary. One of my new favorites!"-Hannah Whitten New York Times bestselling author of For The Wolf)

"An extraordinary debut from a fiercely talented writer."-Nova Ren Suma, bestselling author of The Walls Around Us

"Magic and mourning, love and loss, secrets kept and secrets revealed all illuminate Emily X.R. Pan's inventive and heart-wrenching debut."-Gayle Forman, bestselling author of If I Stay and I Was Here

"A lyrical love story infused with Chinese mythology."-TIME Magazine

" ... a brilliant story that will have you lingering on every moment. Hunter and Luna will capture your heart..."-B&N Reads

"... story that glows with ethereal magic."-NPR

"A lovely, lyrical exploration of how a poignant Chinese myth might play out in a contemporary setting." -Kirkus

"As anyone who read The Astonishing Color of After can tell you, Emily X. R. Pan's writing is, well, astonishing, and this story, pitched as Romeo and Juliet meets Houyi and Chang'e, solidifies that fact." -Buzzfeed

"Like Pan's's debut, An Arrow to the Moon will blend romance, emotional storytelling, Chinese mythology and fantastical elements for an unforgettable combination."-Bookpage

"A young adult novel that crafts a bittersweet narrative of love, family, and culture."-The International Examiner

"Expansive, third-person chapters-including some from the adults' perspectives-and snippets of lore create a contemporary telling with an otherworldly, age-old feel in this cleverly conceived novel."-Publishers Weekly

"Emily X.R. Pan beautifully depicts grief in all its complexities: the numbing sadness, the rage, the confusion, and, most hauntingly, the joy."-Bustle.com

"Through Leigh's emotional, illuminating first person narration, Emily X. R. Pan peels back the layers of her grief to expose the heart at the center. The result is a novel as lyrical as it is earnest."-Tor.com

"... intricately woven tapestry of first love, intergenerational struggles, and the joys and heartaches of growing up."-BCCB

Praise for The Astonishing Color of After: A New York Times bestseller
An IndieBound bestseller
Bustle Best of YA Books of 2018
A Paste Magazine Best Young Adult Novel of 2018
Winner of the Walter Honor Award
Winner of the APALA Honor Award
An LA Times Award Finalist

"Emily X.R. Pan utterly transported me to a world reminiscent of Isabel Allende. Haunting at every turn, this is a glorious debut."-Renée Ahdieh, bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn

"This beautiful, magical journey through grief made my heart take flight."-Holly Black, bestselling author of The Cruel Prince and The Darkest Part of the Forest

"The Astonishing Color of After works a delicate magic. Its portrayal of grief is deeply felt, and so too is its deliciously tricky romance. I loved this book."-Marie Rutkoski, bestselling author of The Winner's Curse

"My heart has never been more pleasantly devastated. A raw and brilliant debut."-Roshani Chokshi, bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen

"lyrical and suspenseful"-The New York Times Book Review

"In this dazzling debut, author Emily X.R. Pan has created a spellbinding narrative about love, family, and what it means to grieve."-Bustle

* "Dynamic, brave Leigh emerges vividly in Pan's deft hand, and her enthralling journey through her grief glows with stunning warmth, strength, and resilience."-Booklist, starred review

* "Pan's emotionally charged debut is a compelling exploration of grief and the insidiousness of depression."-Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Pan's debut novel is not to be missed."-School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

08/01/2022

Gr 9 Up-Pan melds east and west in a hybrid fantasy/reality novel inspired by two sets of star-crossed lovers: China's Houyi and Chang'e (the Archer and the Moon Goddess) and Romeo and Juliet. In 1991, Hunter Yee and Luna Chang are 17-year-old seniors at Fairbridge High. Both are children of Taiwanese immigrants, their families hiding a vitriolic rivalry unknown to the teens as sparks fly. Both families have elevated expectations: Hunter's unforgivably expect perfection; Luna's (just) presume Stanford. Love isn't allowed. Secrets revealed will explain-but also devastate. The unbalanced cast take uneven turns: Natalie Naudus as Luna is too often overwrought, Shawn K. Jain as Hunter is more convincing, David Shih reliably moonlights as parents and strangers. VERDICT Following the bestselling success of Pan's The Astonishing Color of After debut, demand will be high for her sophomore effort. Libraries will want multiple formats.

School Library Journal - Audio

Two star-crossed lovers erase their parents' bitter rivalry in this audiobook performed by Natalie Naudus, Shawn K. Jain, and David Shih. Steeped in Chinese culture and mythology, this contemporary fantasy seamlessly weaves multiple points of view. Luna Chang and Hunter Yee are two of a kind; each possesses a magical ability and a damning family secret. In resolving the Yees' secret, Luna and Hunter alter their destinies, along with the histories of both families. The narrators maintain raw energy as Hunter helps his family evade a longstanding enemy, and project emotion as Luna stands up to her controlling parents. This magical moonlit journey will linger long after it is finished. S.D.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2022 - AudioFile

Two star-crossed lovers erase their parents' bitter rivalry in this audiobook performed by Natalie Naudus, Shawn K. Jain, and David Shih. Steeped in Chinese culture and mythology, this contemporary fantasy seamlessly weaves multiple points of view. Luna Chang and Hunter Yee are two of a kind; each possesses a magical ability and a damning family secret. In resolving the Yees' secret, Luna and Hunter alter their destinies, along with the histories of both families. The narrators maintain raw energy as Hunter helps his family evade a longstanding enemy, and project emotion as Luna stands up to her controlling parents. This magical moonlit journey will linger long after it is finished. S.D.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2022 - AudioFile

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Customer Reviews

Alex Cross must face the world's most dangerous agents, criminals, and assassins. The fate of the world rests in his hands.

In broad desert daylight, a mysterious platoon of soldiers evacuates the

Discover the Women's Murder Club's most terrifying case ever in this New York Times bestseller. As a terrible series of fires blazes through California, the heat begins to rage too close to home.

A

THE BEACH...
A breathtakingly beautiful supermodel disappears from a swimsuit photo shoot at the most glamorous hotel in Hawaii. Only hours after she goes missing, Kim McDaniels's parents receive a

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Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology in this magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After.Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being...

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An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

If I Stay meets Your Name in Dustin Thao's You've Reached Sam, a heartfelt novel about love and loss and what it means to say goodbye.

Seventeen-year-old Julie Clarke has her future all planned out-move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city; spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes.

Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his belongings, and tries everything to forget him. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces memories to return. Desperate to hear him one more time, Julie calls Sam's cell phone just to listen to his voice mail recording. And Sam picks up the phone.

The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam's voice makes Julie fall for him all over again and with each call, it becomes harder to let him go.
What would you do if you had a second chance at goodbye? A 2021 Kids' Indie Next List Selection
A Cosmo.com Best YA Book Of 2021
A Buzzfeed Best Book Of November
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Book

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Product Details

ISBN-13:

9781250762030

Publisher:

St. Martin's Publishing Group

Publication date:

11/09/2021

Pages:

304

Sales rank:

6,625

Product dimensions:

5.65(w) x 8.55(h) x 1.25(d)

Age Range:

12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Dustin Thao is a Vietnamese-American writer based in Southern California. He graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Political Science, and is in a PhD program at Northwestern University. He writes contemporary young adult fiction. You've Reached Sam is his YA debut.

The pools are opening, beach season is beginning, and the last day of school is right around the corner. With May bringing all these fabulous things, it's no surprise that the month is also providing us with YA titles from big names and debut authors alike. Fraught family relationships, murder, romance, and friendship are interwoven [...]

When it comes to things no one really wants to talk about, death and grieving are often at the top of the list. Very few people want to sit in the uncomfortable realization of our own mortality, especially with kids who are supposed to have a long life ahead of them and shouldn't have to [...]

Editorial Reviews

10/04/2021

In Thao's uneven debut, white high school senior and aspiring writer Julie Clarke must find a way to navigate her future after the death of her Japanese American boyfriend, Sam Obayashi, a big dreamer and music lover who died tragically one night while on his way to pick her up. After skipping his funeral and getting rid of most of his things in an attempt to move forward, she calls his phone one last time-and is stunned when he answers. Though Sam only knows that he's "somewhere," he is sure that if he ever calls Julie and she doesn't pick up, their connection will end forever. Thao smartly keeps the logistics vague, effectively depicting Julie's grieving process and her attempts to balance staying connected to Sam while being present for friends for whom his death is final-including Sam's cousin Mika and best friend Oliver. While some secondary story lines-one exploring Julie's mother's paranoia and another involving Sam's younger brother-are underdeveloped, the unique premise and authentic depiction of grief holds plenty of appeal. Ages 12-up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

11/01/2021

Gr 9 Up-When Sam dies in a car crash during his senior year of high school, his girlfriend, Julie, finds her life and the future plans they were supposed to share completely upended. She tries to forget Sam by avoiding his funeral and many memorials, and even goes as far as to throw away everything she had that was related to him. In a moment of desperation and regret, she dials his phone number, hoping to hear his voice on his outgoing message. But Sam answers the call. He is still dead, but because of a mysterious connection between their phones, they are able to speak to each other. As the story progresses, Julie buries her grief as she refuses to let go of Sam. It isn't until she realizes that she is hurting her friends and Sam's family by pulling away that she considers that the connection may not be entirely a good thing. Although an interesting exploration of grief, the slow pace and ambiguity of the situation, as well as the time it takes Julie to grow, make the story drag. Sam is Japanese, and cultural references and anti-Asian sentiment are incorporated deftly and sensitively. Secondary characters are diverse and unique, but there may have been too many for Thao to manage successfully. VERDICT While this is an interesting take on a person's struggle to let go of a lost loved one, there are better examples of books dealing with grief. An additional purchase.- Erica Deb, Matawan Aberdeen P.L., NJ

School Library Journal

2021-08-16
Technology prevails over death, giving a teenage couple a second chance at goodbye.

High school senior Julie is paralyzed with grief over her boyfriend Sam's death in a car accident. She avoids his funeral and throws away every reminder of him. They had planned to leave their small Pacific Northwest town together, and she now faces an uncertain and empty future. But one night she impulsively dials his cell, and, inexplicably, Sam answers. This is the first of many long conversations they have, neither understanding how or why this is happening but relishing the chance to say goodbye as they could not in life. However, Julie faces a difficult choice: whether or not to alleviate the pain of Sam's loved ones by allowing them to talk to him, though it could put their own connection at risk. Yet, letting go and moving on might be just what she needs. The emotional tenor of the book is even throughout, making the characters feel remote at times and flattening the impact of momentous events-such as Julie and Sam's first conversation-that are often buried in minor, day-in-the-life details. The time skips can also be difficult to follow. But the concept is a smart one and is sure to intrigue readers, especially those grappling with separation, loss, and mortality. Sam is cued as Japanese American; Julie defaults to White.

A rambling tale about grief that will appeal to patient, sentimental readers. (Fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews

"I knew full well that I was signing up for a tragic love story, and that's exactly what I got. So now I am here to warn you: This book will absolutely make you cry. Make sure you've got a box of tissues handy, and I mean a full box."
-NPR.org

"This young adult novel's enthralling premise and gorgeous, manga-style cover art promise an emotional ride. Thao does not disappoint. You've Reached Sam punches directly in the chest during countless moments that hit right on target." -Associated Press

"You've Reached Sam is a hauntingly remarkable debut. Dustin Thao gently weaves grief, regret, second chances, and the honestly beautiful moments we carry from a first love. Every tear you will shed reading this book will be worth it." -Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions

"If you like your contemporaries with a tiny piece of magic, this emotional YA is perfect for you." -BuzzFeed

"Thao skillfully marries a quiet, elegiac novel about grief with a provocative sf conceit. A poignant and moving read." -Booklist

"Have your tissues at the ready when you dive into Dustin Thao's emotional novel You've Reached Sam."
-PopSugar

"The writing is captivating and beautifully done, immediately drawing readers into imaginative and well-developed scenes. [A] beautifully written exploration of grief... You've Reached Sam is an impactful debut. The question at the center of the book and the paranormal premise combine to create a narrative full of heart." -The Young Folks

"A heart-breaking story of grief and loss, You've Reached Sam is a YA magical realism read about healing and moving on." -Young Adult Books Central

"...this debut novel will draw readers in and shatter their hearts in the best way." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A heartfelt story about love, loss, and grief, Dustin Thao's bittersweet novel You've Reached Sam will likely make you shed some tears." -Culturess

"A touch of magic, first love and loss, this is the story of romance and heartache." -SheReads

"You've Reached Sam is a quiet exploration of grief and the ways in which we cope with losing the ones we love too soon. If you're in need of a good, cathartic crying session, this one's for you!" -The Nerd Daily

From the Publisher

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Customer Reviews

Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling, TikTok sensation Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been

This Barnes & Noble exclusive edition includes ONE HAWTHORNE NIGHT, a never-before-seen short story featuring the Hawthorne brothers, a puppy, leather pants, and karaoke.

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This Barnes & Noble Exclusive Deluxe Hardcover Edition includes gorgeous full-color stenciled edges, embossed foil jacket, foil stamped case, ribbon bookmark, bonus epilogue, new letter from the

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An Instant New York Times Bestseller!If I Stay meets Your Name in Dustin Thao's You've Reached Sam, a heartfelt novel about love and loss and what it means to say goodbye.Seventeen-year-old Julie Clarke has her future all planned out&#8212...

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Amazon.com: Traitor: A Novel of World War II: 9780374313524: McCrina, Amanda: Books

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From the New York Times bestselling authors of All the Bright Places and Every Day comes a story of hope, siblinghood, and finding your home in the people who matter the most.Subject: You. Missing. Ezra Ahern wakes up one day to find his…

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The Hate U Give meets Internment in this pulse-pounding thriller about an impenetrable dome around Baltimore that is keeping the residents in and information from going out during a city-wide protest.

Jamal Lawson just wanted to be a part of something. As an aspiring journalist, he packs up his camera and heads to Baltimore to document a rally protesting police brutality after another Black man is murdered.

But before it even really begins, the city implements a new safety protocol...the Dome. The Dome surrounds the city, forcing those within to subscribe to a total militarized shutdown. No one can get in, and no one can get out.

Alone in a strange place, Jamal doesn't know where to turn...until he meets hacker Marco, who knows more than he lets on, and Catherine, an AWOL basic-training-graduate, whose parents helped build the initial plans for the Dome.

As unrest inside of Baltimore grows throughout the days-long lockdown, Marco, Catherine, and Jamal take the fight directly to the chief of police. But the city is corrupt from the inside out, and it's going to take everything they have to survive.

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Amazon.com: Survive the Dome: 9781728239088: Jackson, Kosoko: Books

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"Welcome to the Arcadia. Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States--a leftover piece of a fractured USA. For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. It is a world of extreme haves and have-nots, gangs and make-shift shelters. Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Ben is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all. When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever"--

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The Stranded - Daniels, Sarah (Sarah M.), - "Welcome to the Arcadia. Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States--a leftover piece of a fractured USA.

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The Stolen Heir: A Novel of Elfhame (The Stolen Heir, 1)

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Amazon.com: The Stolen Heir: A Novel of Elfhame (The Stolen Heir, 1): 9780316592703: Black, Holly: Books

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I was born in New York City in 1964, and moved to England when I was 3. I started school there. We lived practically in the shadow of Alderley Edge, the setting for several of Alan Garner's books and for my own first book The Winter Prince; that landscape, and Garner's books, have been a lifelong influence on me.

My father, who worked for the New York City Board of Education for most of his life, was sent to England to do teacher training at what is now Manchester Metropolitan University. He helped organize the Headstart program there. When I was six he was sent to the University of the West Indies in Jamaica for three years to do the same thing in Kingston. I loved Jamaica and became fluent in Jamaican patois (I can't really speak it any more, but I can still understand it); but in 1973 my parents separated, and we ended up back in the USA living with my mother in Harrisburg, PA, where her parents were. When she died in a car accident in 1978, her wonderful parents took us in and raised us.

I went to Yale University, spent a work-study year back in England, and then spent seven years getting a PhD in Folklore at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. While I was there I learned to ring church bells in the English style known as "change ringing", and in 1991 I met my future husband there at a bell ringers' dinner-dance. He is English, and in 1995 I moved to England with him, and then to Scotland in 2000.

We share another unusual interest--flying in small planes. My husband got his private pilot's license in 1993 and I got mine ten years later. Together we have flown in the States from Kalamazoo to New Hampshire; in Kenya we've flown from Nairobi to Malindi, on the coast, and also all over southern England. Alone, most of my flying has been in eastern Scotland.

We have two children.

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Amazon.com: Stateless: 9780316591249: Wein, Elizabeth: Books

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The author of the visionary New York Times bestseller Dread Nation returns with another spellbinding historical fantasy set at the crossroads of race and power in America.

It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided-between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology-otherwise known as Mechomancy-not the traditional mystical arts.

Laura disagrees. A talented young queer mage from Pennsylvania, Laura hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage's license and becoming something more than a rootworker.

But four months later, she's got little to show for it other than an empty pocket and broken dreams. With nowhere else to turn, Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane's Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism so that Mechomancy can thrive. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past, who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice.

As they're sent off on their first mission together into the heart of the country's oldest and most mysterious Blight, they discover the work of mages not encountered since the darkest period in America's past, when Black mages were killed for their power-work that could threaten Laura's and the Skylark's lives, and everything they've worked for.

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Amazon.com: Rust in the Root: 9780063038226: Ireland, Justina: Books

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The Race of the Century: The Battle to Break the Four-Minute Mile (Scholastic Focus)|Hardcover

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Highly acclaimed author Neal Bascomb brings his peerless research and fast-paced narrative style to a young adult adaptation of one of his most successful adult books of all time, The Perfect Mile, an inspiring and moving story of three men racing to achieve the impossible — the…

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An original YA novel based on the hit Netflix series, Outer Banks, written by New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel, featuring JJ and John B in a brand-new, high-octane adventure is it abandoned? It doesn't take long for the three teens to realize they may not be alone. . . .

It's spring break in the Outer Banks, and the islands are swarming with rich tourists. The last thing JJ and John B want to do is spend their week watching Kooks in action, so they plan a fishing getaway to the notoriously dangerous Frying Pan Shoals-nicknamed "Graveyard of the Atlantic" for good reason.

Turns out they aren't the only adventure-seekers at sea. Soon after they set sail, the friends run into the captivating Savannah, who hitches a ride aboard the HMS Pogue when the weather worsens and her boyfriend leaves her stranded. As a violent storm sets in, the three realize the only place to safely ride out the squall is a creepy, abandoned hotel on the shoals' lighthouse platform. Or

Further complicating the life-or-death adventure is a mounting attraction between JJ and the secretive Savannah-the closer JJ gets to her, the more he realizes he's playing with fire. Even if they get out of the shoals alive, can a Pogue-Kook romance survive the high-stakes shores of the Outer Banks?

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Outer Banks: Lights Out - Kindle edition by Sheinmel, Alyssa. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Outer Banks: Lights Out.

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Amazon.com: NerdCrush: 9780762480685: Emrich, Alisha: Books

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Gr 8 Up-Chilling stories tell about generations of a Cherokee family's encounters with the supernatural and violence. Beginning on the Trail of Tears, when Ama is turned into the Undead, and continuing through 2039, the stories of Ama's various family members and descendants are told. Each chapter can be read as a standalone short story; the entries are tied together by characters from one story appearing in later ones. Ama is featured in many of the chapters, appearing to help and guide her current family members through various trials and tribulations. The stories from the 1800s are odes to European horror. In the 1900s, ghosts, werewolves, and revenge are the main topics, and during the 2000s, most of the characters are dealing with violence-dating, gun, and domestic. Traumatic events are primarily alluded to, then described in detail. Most chapters end without a clear understanding of what happened to the various characters. The narrative incorporates Cherokee history, words, and customs. One section focuses on Deer Woman, a Cherokee myth, who avenges women and children. The themes throughout are family love and tribal ties. Each chapter begins with the name of a family member, date of the event, and a white illustration on a black background. Family trees are provided at the beginning, and a glossary of Cherokee words written in English and in Cherokee syllabary are provided at the end. VERDICT Full of familiar tropes and new ideas, these stories are the right balance of suspense without too much horror. A strong first purchase.-Tamara Saarinen

[STAR]"A chilling story collection following a sprawling Cherokee family through many generations... Rogers' grounded, smooth writing style―juggling first-, third-, and even second-person points of view― makes magical elements (from milder hauntings to monsters like vampires, werewolves, and zombies) as threatening as human villains. The stakes remain high: The short story format means any character one meets could later die. Exquisite white-on-black line art from Cherokee artist Edwards sets the eerie mood. The use of the Noto Sans Cherokee typeface and Edwards' hand-drawn Cherokee syllabary beautifully integrates written language into the book's design. A creepy and artful exploration of a haunting heritage."

―Kirkus (starred)

[STAR] "Startling...Will leave readers―adults as well as teens―unsettled, feeling like they have caught a glimpse into a larger world, and like there is a wider one still, just out of sight."―Booklist (starred)

[STAR] "Spine-tingling...artfully tackles themes of colonialism and its effects on entire generations, for a simultaneously frightening and enthralling read."―Publishers Weekly (starred)

"Teen and adult readers looking for a taste of the gorgeously gruesome should snap up this dark, engrossing jewel."― Shelf-Awareness

[STAR] "This stunning collection of short stories follows a Cherokee family through two centuries, beginning with something akin to a vampire attack and ending with zombies... Rogers has a rich authorial toolbox as she effortlessly swaps between narrator points of view, story length, and writing styles to best tell each story in a way befitting of its protagonist and rooted in a specific time and place... Generational trauma is present here, but this is not a collection of tragedy and victims, and there is room for revenge, for defiance, and for resilience even among literal and metaphorical monsters closing in all around this sprawling family."― Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred)

"Rogers's story collection follows one extended Cherokee family across centuries. Each story elicits chills in different ways, while also feeling incredibly grounded and intoxicating. From vampires to the Vietnam War; they vary in genre and style while Cherokee artist Jeff Edwards illustrates each story. A haunting and stunning book for you to enjoy." ― Buzzfeed

"Man Made Monsters is a brilliant and expansive journey across time, seen through a Cherokee lens, written by the brilliant and essential voice of Andrea Rogers. This collection is full to the brim with voice and breadth, including but not limited to magic, horror, and fantasy. The book is fun, funny, and dead-serious. It is beautifully written, and it is full of monsters."

―Tommy Orange

[STAR] "Many of these stories sound as if they were passed down as family histories. It may read like speculative fiction, but it feels like truth."― Horn Book (starred)

"Dazzling, diverse, often terrifying."―Buffalo News

"Sometimes the only way to grapple with a monstrous past is through horror. Andrea L. Rogers offers up more than a dozen linked stories, tracing an extended Cherokee family from the Trail of Tears to the present. Along the way, we meet a German vampire hiding his bloodlust along a violent frontier, a mixed-race student of science trying to bring a young boy back to life, and werewolves, ghosts, zombies and the Deer Woman. The book's rich illustrations incorporate the Cherokee syllabary, hinting at the layers of history beneath each tale." ― Minneapolis Star Tribune

Best of the Year, Bank Street College

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Amazon.com: Man Made Monsters: Man Made Monsters: 9781646141791: Rogers, Andrea, Edwards, Jeff: Books

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A new hilarious novel from the author of The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever and Stranger Things Have Happened .

Rod's life doesn't suck. If you ask him, it's pretty awesome. He may not be popular, but he and his best friends play in a band that has a standing gig. Yeah, it's Monday night and they don't get paid, but they can turn the volume up as loud as they want. And Rod's girlfriend is hot, smart, and believes in their band―believes in Rod. Aside from a winning lottery ticket, what more could he ask for?

Answer: A different cousin. When Rod's scheming, two-faced cousin Blake moves in for the semester, Rod tries to keep calm. Blake seems to have everyone else fooled with good manners and suave smile, except Rod knows better. Blake is taking over his room, taking over his band, taking over his life! But Rod's not about to give up without a fight. Game on. May the best prankster win...

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Amazon.com: How You Ruined My Life: 9781492662020: Strand, Jeff: Books

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Carl Deuker was raised in Redwood City, California, the son of Jack Deuker and Marie Milligan Deuker. As a young boy, he spent many hours in the creek behind his house and in the wooded area west of his house. Mainly he kicked around with his friend Paul G., looking for frogs and lizards and the occasional snake.

Once he started school, Carl continued to wander about in the woods above his house but, as he grew older, he participated in sports. He was good enough to make most teams, but not good enough to play much. He describes himself as a classic second-stringer. "I was too slow and too short for basketball; I was too small for football, too frightened to hang in against a good fastball. So, by my senior year the only sport I was still playing was golf."

Carl attended the University of California, Berkeley during the heady days of student protest over Vietnam. He participated in many of those protests, but looking back is not so sure how he feels about those days. "Yes, we students were right about Vietnam. It was a waste. But I'm not sure we understood much of what was happening. I thought I knew everything back then, and I cringe to think how little I actually knew."

Carl was an English major at Berkeley, spending many hours reading the classics and writing bad poetry and slightly better stories. He participated in intramural sports in those years as well, and was somewhat surprised to find out that he was, in fact, a decent athlete. Being free from coaches and fans allowed him to enjoy the games more. During his time at Berkeley, he especially enjoyed volleyball.

As an adult, Carl has worked primarily as a teacher, though he also has had some time in the newspaper business. He played basketball and taught volleyball for many years, but one-too-many sprained ankles forced him to give up both games. Carl still loves playing golf early on Sunday mornings at Jefferson Park, a classic old public golf course located on Beacon Hill in Seattle. Jefferson is the course on which Fred Couples learned to play. (Yes, Fred Couples learned the game on a public golf course.) Carl's handicap is around 10--not bad for an old guy. Now that he is retired, Carl goes to the gym every morning to do some light weightlifting and spend some time reading books while on the stationary bike.

Married and the father of Marian, Carl taught EAP for many years in the Northshore School District outside of Seattle. He misses his students, but not the crazy amount of paperwork/testing that is plaguing the teaching profession . . . and students. He is the author of ON THE DEVIL'S COURT, HEART OF A CHAMPION, NIGHT HOOPS, PAINTING THE BLACK, HIGH HEAT, RUNNER, GYM CANDY, PAYBACK TIME, SWAGGER, and GUTLESS (9/​2016). ON THE DEVIL'S COURT was YA book of the year in South Carolina; HEART OF A CHAMPION was named book of the year in Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee; NIGHT HOOPS won in Nebraska; and HIGH HEAT also won the Golden Sower award in Nebraska. GYM CANDY was book of the year in Iowa.

Since Carl grew up in the Bay area, he is a long time Giants fan. His all-time favorite players are Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and especially Juan Marichal. These days, as a long-time Seattle resident, he follows the Mariners, Seahawks, and UW Husky teams closely.

Carl Deuker welcomes fan letters and will always write back. He prefers e-mail because he replies more quickly. cdeuker@​gmail.com

He will eventually get to regular mail, but that usually takes him longer. M.D.

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Jimmy Winter is a born star on the baseball field, and Seth Barnam can only dream of being as talented. Still, the two baseball fanatics have the kind of friendship that should last forever. But when Seth experiences an unthinkable loss, he's forced to find his own personal strength--on and off t...

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Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, #1 Publishers Weekly and #1 IndieBound bestselling author of Isle of the Lost and Return to the Isle of the Lost as well as many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. Her books have also topped the USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and have been published in more than twenty countries.

A former fashion and beauty editor, Melissa has written for the New York Times, Marie Claire,Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, the San Francisco Chronicle,McSweeney's, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and Fox News.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from the Convent of the Sacred Heart. At Columbia University, she majored in art history and English. Today she lives in Los Angeles and Palm Springs with her husband and daughter.

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Amazon.com: Going Dark eBook : de la Cruz, Melissa: Kindle Store

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The Davenports (Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Edition)|BN Exclusive

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This Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Edition features an exclusive cover and an Q&A with the author!The Davenports delivers a totally escapist, swoon-worthy romance while offering a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked.“A fresh, utterly…

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A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp like water rot, in this chilling debut supernatural thriller for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Rory Power.

La Cachette, Louisiana, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide.

This tiny town, where seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World-and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey's best friend, disappeared six months earlier.

Grey can't believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something-her grandmother Honey; her childhood crush Hart; and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave.

When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou-a stormy-eyed boy with links to Elora and the town's bloody history-Grey realizes that La Cachette's past is far more present and dangerous than she'd ever understood. Suddenly, she doesn't know who she can trust. In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, and where a murderer is on the loose, nobody can be presumed innocent-and La Cachette's dark and shallow lies may just rip the town apart.

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Amazon.com: Dark and Shallow Lies: 9780593403969: Sain, Ginny Myers: Books

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ISBN-13:

9780358006459

Publisher:

HarperCollins Publishers

Publication date:

08/11/2020

Pages:

384

Sales rank:

317,521

Product dimensions:

5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.40(d)

Age Range:

14 - 18 Years

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 01

PROSPECTIVE CONTESTANT: RIVER ADAN

AGE: 17 HEIGHT: 6'0"

EYES: BLUE HAIR: DARK BROWN

STUDENT, ONLINE EDUCATION, CLALLAM COUNTY, WASHINGTON

EMERGENCY CONTACTS:

JAMES IRWIN, UNCLE

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

ELEANOR IRWIN, GRANDMOTHER

TUCSON, ARIZONA

PARENTS DECEASED, ACCIDENTAL DEATH/CAR ACCIDENT

SECOND-ROUND INTERVIEW (EXCERPTS)

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY SUPERVISING PRODUCER GREGORY HITCHENS

HITCHENS: Now is the time in our interview when you can ask any nagging questions you might have for us. RIVER: How much longer will all this take? I figured since you guys came to me, asked me to apply, there wouldn't be this whole process. HITCHENS: Well, there's another interview, and the psych eval, and if you're selected you'll have the wilderness survival training. Though you hardly need it, you'll have to participate in the training if you're selected. Liability and all that. It's fundamentals-fire starting, shelter building, that kind of thing. Should be a piece of cake for you. Otherwise, the selection process is variable. So, I'd guess another week and then we'll do some paperwork. RIVER: My uncle is the one who really wanted me to do this. I'm not so sure. HITCHENS: He told us you'd be perfect for this when we spoke to him. And I have to say, your application is the best of the bunch. It's good stuff, River. You're not second-guessing, are you? RIVER: I don't know. We're on camera the whole time? HITCHENS: That's right-our Skym cameras will follow your entire journey on the show, transmitting the whole thing in 3-D on a virtual-reality platform. RIVER: So they're, what, like a drone camera? HITCHENS: Yes, but much more sophisticated. The Skym recognizes your face, your clothes, it zooms in and out with changes in your expression, and it's programmed to stay with you at all times, no matter what. RIVER: And the cameras are self-sustaining? HITCHENS: They require very little maintenance. You only need to change out the solar battery chargers once a day, and charge the supplemental battery. They do the rest of the work. RIVER: That contract said something about the show possibly taking a year. It's a lot to think about. HITCHENS: Yeah, there's no set time frame. We're not a traditional television show, we don't have a network to answer to. We plan to stream on every media platform for as long as you kids stay out there surviving. And it'll be hard, but think of the payoff. Not just the money-you'll have great exposure. You'll be famous. RIVER: I don't care about money. My parents had insurance. And I don't want to be famous. HITCHENS: I won't lie, River. We want you on the show. But you're right, it's a commitment, and you need to figure out if it's what you really want. You filled out the application, and you've come this far in the process. Why do all that? You must have your reasons. RIVER: Why kids? HITCHENS: Why what? RIVER: Why kids? Everyone you recruited is under eighteen. HITCHENS: Well, you're not kids, exactly, are you? You'll be eighteen in less than a year. But it's part of the experiment. To observe what happens when young people are removed from civilization. Not only from the comforts and conveniences of the modern world, but also from the difficulties that society, and older people-people like me-created. Also, while the content of the show will be available traditionally, on televisions and computers, the audience also has the option of streaming the show on our new virtual-reality platform. The technology we'll implant in the contestants means that their brain waves-yours, if you're selected-will be transmitted through our new app. The audience won't just be able to watch the show, they'll be completely immersed in the experience-they'll see what you see and hear what you hear, with our special cameras that record everything in 3-D. Frankly, the technology is most effective with a certain plasticity in the brain. The younger the recipient, the better it works. We cast young contestants, but only those mature enough to give it a go by themselves in the wilderness. RIVER: Transmitting my brain waves sounds . . . invasive. HITCHENS: It's completely safe, nothing to worry about. Once you tap out, the ions will be neutralized. What they do, however, is give the audience a fully immersive experience. Your visual and auditory perception will be transmitted, through our 3-D application, into our Cut Off Experience visors. People wear these things, and let me tell you, River, it's amazing. They get so caught up in the experience, they actually start thinking they can touch the world around them. It's a real trick of the brain. We're also expecting that a young audience is more likely to adopt our new technology, really live with it, you know? Your experience out there, in the wild, it'll make them feel like they're living it too. Groundbreaking stuff, River. So what are you thinking? RIVER: Can I do it alone? HITCHENS: Of course. Other contestants will end up working together, probably. It'll give them an advantage. But there's nothing that says you have to, if you don't want. RIVER: Yeah. I work better alone.

END RECORDING

EVALUATION: River Adan is thoughtful, but reserved. That's where the risk in casting him lies. He's not forthcoming, and unlikely to share his journey with the viewers in a way that allows them to emotionally connect. Honestly, his interaction with the Skym will likely produce more dead air than anything. Our observations and psych profile, however, suggest something interesting beneath the surface that we're hopeful will come out in the tense conditions the show will produce. The death of his parents has led him to become isolated. When he encounters other contestants (and of course we'll ensure he will encounter others, despite his desire to work alone), we envision some entertaining outcomes. Otherwise, he's extremely competent. With his skills, there's a better chance of him keeping the show going than some of the other contestants we've chosen so far. I'd put money on him sticking it out for the long haul. He is genuinely interested in the wilderness experience and will be an asset both as a contestant in the game and, with the right influences called into play, as a driving narrative force. Recommendation: Accept and advance to final interview screening. -G. Hitchens

The frigid water of the ocean seeped into River's bones, dragging him down. He'd made a string of bad decisions, and now here he was, sinking. It was his own fault. He should have changed the Skym battery yesterday. One minute it had been fluttering high above the water, then it had dropped several yards from shore, splashing like a stone. He'd instinctively plunged after it. Within minutes the Skym had floated out of reach, and a rogue wave crashed on top of him. He was in over his head, and had no idea which way was up. He'd been overconfident. He was weak, tired, pretending the past few weeks of sparse diet and sleepless nights weren't affecting him. For the first time, he regretted the deal he'd made with Uncle Jim: stick it out on the show until the end, or at least six months, and Jim would give it a rest about the military academy and pay for a year of travel. This time next year, River expected to be backpacking the Appalachian Trail, taking as long as he liked. No cameras, no audience, no show. Just him, alone. It was a good deal. He knew a lot about wilderness survival. He just hadn't bargained on electronic contraptions tumbling from the sky. If only he hadn't left his camp across the bay. It was solid and dry, tons of fish. A blue plastic barrel had washed up on his beach after that earthquake three days ago, and he'd used it as a giant bobber, fixing trotlines to it and letting it drift in the currents where trout gathered. His arms felt heavy, as if weighed down with lead, but he also had the odd sensation that gravity had become a spent force. The ocean had swallowed him up, and he thought perhaps he was drowning. Images of home flitted past his eyes: his parents laughing on their rambling front porch; hiking the trails behind the house with his best friend, Terrell; everyone grilling fresh-caught perch over a fire. He swam and reached the floating Skym. Tendrils of seaweed grazed his body, and tiredness spread through his limbs. He felt no desire to spend the last of his energy making it back to shore. Maybe he could float for a while, bob along on the waves like the dead Skym. If he could just rest for a bit, not worry about anything . . . His mother, in front of a campfire, picking the tiny bones from a perch. She made a face. It wasn't her favorite fish. Work it out, River. It was like when she'd wake him in the morning to mow the lawn. Leave me alone. I'm tired. Get over it. Swim. She was right. He probably shouldn't die like this. It would piss her off. He summoned a last reserve of strength, grabbed the Skym, clipped it to his belt, then struck for shore in the distance. How had he gotten so far out? He swam, arms aching, and when he finally touched ground, he couldn't take a single step. All that struggle in the water had been for nothing; it'd be just as easy to die here as in the ocean. He was wet and cold, had no fire or dry clothes. Too late to do anything about it now. He dropped onto the sand, and his last thought was that the tide would pull him back out again and his bones would become coral. When he opened his eyes, he found he wasn't dead, so there was that. The sun was too bright, and birds circled overhead. They dove in and out of his line of sight, swooping for fish. The sound of crashing water was distinct from the rushing noise in his head. So the ocean was on his right. The Skym was grounded to his left, green light gleaming and pointed directly at him. His Skym was recovered and charged. He somehow was still alive. And he was, it seemed, naked. Which wouldn't have been a big deal, except for the Skym staring at him. His next thought was that something was on fire, he was on fire. Smoke cloaked his lungs, and he gasped himself upright. He shivered as a Mylar blanket slipped from his chest. A fire roared in a pit beside him. His jacket, shirt, pants, and socks hung from a nearby branch like a string of dead fish. His boots hung upside down on two stakes pointed toward the fire. It looked comical, as though someone had been buried in the dirt with their feet sticking up. He shivered again and pulled the blanket around his shoulders, then looked for a clue to what had happened, who had built the fire, who had saved his life. He hadn't anticipated what a pain the Skym would be. The producers said he'd get kicked off the show if he couldn't keep it going, so he'd had to do that, even if it meant taking risks he knew he shouldn't. The lady producer had asked, "How comfortable are you with operating the Skym?" He'd shrugged like it was no big deal, he could handle it. He remembered the way her eyes had narrowed and she'd jotted a note in her clipboard. She'd been right to doubt him. The Skym made everything harder in the wild. Lugging the batteries, making sure they stayed charged, the low-grade buzz as it followed him like a giant bug. And now he'd almost died rescuing the thing, and it was all on display for . . . how many people watching? Each one strapped into an overpriced visor, mouth hanging open in a trance? River couldn't remember the number he'd been old. It'd been in the millions. Everything else he could deal with, even the lousy weather. That was the easy part of the whole thing: surviving. It was the show, apparently, that was going to kill him. He wasn't dead yet, though, for whatever reason. River checked his clothes, hanging from the branch, damp but warm from the fire. He put them on and crouched close to the flames until he felt like he was being cooked, his skin tightening and tingling with heat. He retrieved the canteen from his pack and discovered that the dried trout he'd been carrying was missing. Only the neatly wrapped leaves he'd stored it in remained. Now that he didn't have any food, a pang of hunger clenched his stomach. Worse than the cold and hunger, he felt lost and confused. His fingers, still stiff, fumbled with the screw-top lid of the canteen until he cursed and threw it into the trees. Even before it hit the ground, he forced himself to take a breath. If he were sitting at home watching himself on the live stream, he'd know that an outburst like that was the first indication of a contestant who wouldn't last. Not if he couldn't keep his cool, get his bearings. A voice behind him said, "Guess you're awake." Out of instinct, River reached to his side for his knife. Of course it wasn't there, and he immediately felt foolish. What was he going to do with a knife, stab another contestant? He needed to settle down. The guy was more than a head shorter than River and wore a hoodie that he'd probably filled out better when the show started and he'd weighed a few more pounds. His lank, straw-colored hair fell over his ears, and his pale green eyes darted in every direction. He held two cups, and handed one to River, then poured steaming water from his canteen into each. "Thanks," River said, sitting on a log. The water burned his throat, but he took two more sips before stopping to blow on the surface. "I ate your fish. Sorry about that." "It's okay." "I figured it was payment for saving your waterlogged self, but to be honest, I was just hungry." "I can get more." "Oh yeah? So you're, like, one of the real survivalists? A mountain man or whatever?" "Not so far." The clouds over the mountain now blocked the sun, and the air chilled. It was late afternoon. He'd been out for longer than he realized. "Right. Well, I totally saved you, didn't I? I remembered what they said about water, about hypothermia and all that. I fished you out, whipped your clothes off. Sorry about that, too, but it's what the book said, so I did it. It is what the book says, right?" River nodded. The boy gave a lopsided grin and winked. "I like your tattoo. There some kind of special meaning to it?" River had gotten the star compass on his left shoulder blade last year, the first anniversary of when his parents died. It was based on the Mariner card deck he and Terrell used to pack when they camped. It reminded him of when things were different. When he'd had friends-a best friend, even-and had actually liked spending time with them. That wasn't the case now. He'd been lousy about answering texts or showing up. He hadn't talked to Terrell in ages, let alone gone on one of their monthly backpacking trips. He felt bad about it, but he wasn't good company nowadays. He was too in his head, too lost. The image of the compass was meant to remind him to find his way back again, no matter where he was. It was wishful thinking. River didn't tell the boy all that, however. He'd already shared enough with him, not to mention the rest of the world. The guy seemed unconcerned with River's silence and kept on chattering. "What's your name, anyway? I saved your life-I should at least know your name." River shifted position on the log. "River." "River." The boy sat on a large rock near the fire. "Like 'cry me a river'?" "Just River." "Your parents hippies or something?" "No." Even through the fog still clouding his mind, he could tell that the guy's jittery eagerness meant he was waiting for something from him, so he finally asked, "What's your name?" "Are you kidding?" The boy rubbed a hand on his cheek, his eyebrows jumping high enough to raise his hairline. River had asked the wrong question. "I mean, I guess I look kind of ragged from being out here so long, but seriously, you don't recognize me?" "Sorry." River used a stick to push another log into the dying fire. "ThreeDz?" "Three-D? That's your name?" "No, man, my name's Trip." "Trip? Like falling down?" "I prefer 'What a long strange Trip it's been.' Or 'Trip the light fantastic.' Ever hear that one?" He studied River's face, which remained politely unruffled, for a reaction. "But yeah, like falling down, too. Come on, are you serious? Internet-famous computer whiz kid? I was on the Today show. You've never heard of ThreeDz? The ThreeDz app? I created that." River shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about." "You're something else, River. I mean, you go for a morning dip in icy water and nearly kill yourself, and now you tell me you don't know about ThreeDz?" "So, what is it?" River asked, trying to keep irritation from his voice. River had never given much thought to whatever the latest tech gadget or app might be, and he certainly didn't care what happened on the Today show. His parents had built their home on the edge of 1,500 square wilderness miles. He could bring a walkie-talkie into the woods for weeks at a time. What did he need a smartphone for? He didn't need to check e-mail in front of a campfire. What it meant, however, was that sometimes it felt like everyone was speaking a language he'd never wanted to learn. The language Trip was speaking now when he lifted his arms high and spread them wide. "ThreeDz, man! It made all this possible. The live stream, the Skyms-that's ThreeDz tech." "So why's it called Three-D?" "Three Dz, Three Dz. It's a three-D camera stream. That camera you almost died for this morning? You made the right call. It's worth more than your sorry ass." "You invented the Skyms?" River said, impressed. They were small and flat, like a frying pan about eight inches around, with five separate, detachable camera lenses and a tiny screen in their center. He could tell they embodied a complex system, the way they tracked the contestants, how the lens zoomed in and focused on minute detail and slight movements as if propelled by instinct. When in the air, they split apart into five minicameras, capturing every angle of the environment to transmit a 3-D image, then joined together again. A week into the show, River realized he'd started imagining the Skym was some kind of intelligent alien creature. He'd had to remind himself that while it was a smart machine, it was mindless. Skyms had movement trackers, recognition data, motion sensors, and facial-expression readers, but they weren't alive. They couldn't think. "Nah, I didn't invent the Skyms," Trip said. "But I did design the app that streams the three-D VR content. Without me, those things are useless." "It's pretty useless to me. You should have invented a battery that lasts longer." River regretted the comment when Trip grimaced, as if his feelings were hurt. "Sorry." "No, it's cool. You're not a tech guy, I get it." He held his own cup up to River, toasting him in the air. "I'll still share dinner with you. Nothing fancy, just snails from the rocks." He nodded to where water lapped the shore. Pebbles rustled as waves rolled them out again, and the ocean rippled with foam and strips of seaweed. River welcomed the offer. Having something in his stomach, even the little pile of snails, would take some of the chill away. Trip gestured to his temporary shelter. "My real camp is over the ridge. I didn't mean to be gone this long, but I didn't want to ditch you, you know? You're the first person I've seen in weeks. Anyway, this is all I put together for tonight. Not bad, though, considering." River surveyed the ramshackle lean-to. It was wobbly, and if it rained tonight it wouldn't offer any cover. River inhaled the cool, salty air. They hadn't been told where the show was filming, but the landscape reminded him of the Pacific Northwest, where he'd grown up. What Trip had said earlier wasn't exactly true: he hadn't saved River's life. If any of them got into real trouble, they'd be rescued. The show wouldn't let anyone die. But getting doused in freezing water, with no fire or dry clothes, River would have had to tap out, and the deal with Jim wouldn't fly after only a few weeks as a contestant. At least Trip had saved him from that. River looked out at the bay, wondering if he'd caught any fish on the line of his blue barrel. He'd never make it back to his own camp before dark, however. He could afford to stick with Trip for a while. They weren't a team-River didn't want a team. He'd camped for days at a time by himself, and he'd never missed the sound of someone else's voice, had never wanted company badly enough to trade the security of having only himself to worry about. But after listening to the other boy yammer for the past hour, he realized he could use a break from his own thoughts. He dug in his pack for a length of rope, pulled on his boots, and set to work reinforcing the roof of the shelter while Trip kept up a steady chatter about apps and celebrities and tweets and what seemed like a million other things River didn't care about. He'd stay with Trip until tomorrow at most, get the guy safely back to his own camp, and then he'd head out on his own again. No harm done.

They started hiking early the next day. The sun brightened and grew warmer as they walked, but once they entered the trees, only patches of light filtered through the forest. Late morning, they found a path that River identified as a game trail, which made him cautious. He had no desire to confront whatever wild animals lived in the area. He followed the trail anyway. The hike would be easier, they'd get to Trip's camp faster, and then he'd be on his own again. In the trees, it was a different world from the ecosystem of the shore, where River had been spending most of his days. He'd trek into the woods to forage, but otherwise the ocean provided everything he needed. The forest made him think of his home and of wandering for hours through his own little plot of wilderness-except his home was much less mountainous, and also quieter. Here he was accompanied by Lawrence Johnson III, otherwise known as Trip, founder of the ThreeDz app, millionaire whiz kid who occasionally halted their hike to narrate to the Skyms. He talked about hunger; he talked about being sick of hiking; he talked about the three cars he owned back home, the yacht he'd bought his mom, and the flying lessons he'd been taking for the past few months. At times the narration was about River himself, and Trip made him sound like some kind of modern-day Grizzly Adams, only without the beard, and those times were particularly irritating. Although Trip didn't seem like someone who could survive by himself in the wilderness, he was at ease wielding his machete when they whacked through a tangly stretch of the trail. He was skinny, but wiry, confident in his body. The hike was uphill, and they stopped for a water break in a flat, sunny spot, sitting on a fallen tree free of moss. River felt the warmth of the sun absorbed by the tree's smooth bark. His fully assembled Skym hovered overhead. Trip's had broken apart, like segments of an orange, so five minicameras swarmed above them. "Look at that," Trip said, pointing to them. "What?" River asked. "They know we're together, so your camera is getting a straight-ahead shot, and mine is getting the three-D shot." River took in the way the cameras surrounded him and Trip. "How do they do that?" "They're smart. Without anyone telling them, they talk to each other, figure out how to get the best content for the show." River nodded without really understanding. He was more comfortable with real, solid things. He trusted his hands to solve problems, and he didn't like dealing with the misty abstractions of high tech. Sometimes he felt like he'd grown up in a different century. "Impressive," he said. Trip let out a yelp when a spider the size of an acorn landed on his shoulder. He jumped from the log and slapped it away. River looked at him blankly until Trip shrugged. "I hate spiders. Most bugs, really. God, why are there so many here?" "There's nothing wrong with spiders. They eat mosquitoes." Trip shuddered dramatically. "They're tiny monsters. Too many legs." River shook his head. "They have eight. That's how many they're supposed to have." He couldn't understand Trip. Why come on a show like this if you jumped at everything that moved? River foraged for mushrooms and edible greens as they hiked, without finding anything really substantial. He still felt the effects of his near drowning the day before. Everything remained a little askew, like he'd not gotten enough sleep. Once they reached the top of the ridge, River took in the view. It revealed the wider area in a way that had remained hidden when down in the bay. He oriented himself and surveyed the south, which disclosed another bay beyond his own. Another mountain, higher than the one they were on, rose to the east, and to the north the land curled into the ocean. Nearby, just below them along the shore, what looked like an immense swarm of bees drifted up into the sky. He focused, shielding his eyes from the sun. It wasn't bees. It was smoke, and a lot of it. Too much for a campfire. "Trip." River pointed down the side of the ridge. Trip's eyes widened. "Damn. That's my camp." "Well." River gauged the rising plume. "It's on fire."

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Warcross meets Lost in this haunting young adult sci-fi thriller in which teens compete to survive in the wilderness for one million dollars on a new virtual reality show. When something goes horribly wrong and the contestants realize no one is coming to save...

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characters and characteristics in literature

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young adult fiction / fairy tales & folklore / adaptations

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young adult fiction/fairy tales & folklore - adaptations

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fairy tale retelling; black girls fantasy; lgbt fantasy; gay fantasy; diversity; lgbt books for teens; patriarchy; feminist; feminism ya; strong female characters; strong heroine; strong women characters; injustice; we need diverse books; overthrow the kingdom; enchanted; adventure; romantic; african american fiction; own voices; ya lesbian romance; cinderella retelling; queen; black queer fantasy; intersectional fantasy; dystopia; queer dystopian fantasy; kingdom

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fairy tale retelling; black girls fantasy; lgbt fantasy; ya lesbian romance; gay fantasy; diversity; lgbt books for teens; patriarchy; feminist; feminism ya; strong female characters; strong heroine; strong women characters; injustice; we need diverse books; overthrow the kingdom; enchanted; adventure; romantic; african american fiction; own voices; cinderella retelling; queen; black queer fantasy; intersectional fantasy; dystopia; queer dystopian fantasy; kingdom

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young adult fiction / fairy tales & folklore / adaptations

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young adult fiction/fairy tales & folklore - adaptations

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Amazon.com: Cinderella Is Dead (9781547603879): Bayron, Kalynn: Books

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From New York Times bestselling author Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton comes the first book in a ferocious YA fantasy duology featuring ancient magic, warring factions, and a romance between the two people in the world with the most cause to hate one another. Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House Dragon, but she knows she owes her life to both the power of her Chaos Boon and House Kraken for liberating her from the sewers where she spent her childhood. So when her adoptive Kraken father is captured in battle, Darling vows to save him-even if that means killing each and every last member of House Dragon.Talon Goldhoard has always been a dutiful War Prince for House Dragon, bravely leading the elite troops of his brother, the High Prince Regent. But lately his brother's erratic rule threatens to undo a hundred years of House Dragon's hard work, and factions are turning to Talon to unseat him. Talon resists, until he's ambushed by a fierce girl who looks exactly like the one his brother has painted obsessively, repeatedly, for years, and Talon knows she's the key to everything.

Together, Darling and Talon must navigate the treacherous waters of House politics, caught up in the complicated game the High Prince Regent is playing against everyone. The unlikeliest of allies, they'll have to stop fighting each other long enough to learn to fight together in order to survive the fiery prophecies and ancient blood magic threatening to devastate their entire world.

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Amazon.com: Chaos & Flame: 9780593353325: Gratton, Tessa, Ireland, Justina: Books

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Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray: 9780593405680 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

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"Rich in magic and mythos, Beasts of Prey is a feast for all the senses." -Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful "The hunt for your...

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" Any Sign of Life is a heartbreaking story filled with courage, friendship, and personality. Paige Miller is the perfect team-up buddy in an apocalypse. I was with her when she lost everything, and stood right next to her when she took it all back." - Wesley Chu, #1 New York Times- bestselling author of the War Arts Saga

"The mechanics of coping bloom into much more in this deeply humanizing near-future survival thriller . . . Basketball player Paige Miller, 17, barely remembers getting sick. But when she wakes up emaciated from a six-day flu, she finds a grim scene: carrion birds, power outages, and her family dead in a world gone silent . . . Carson tempers a grim, death-laced future with pragmatism, an athlete's awareness of bodily limits, and an uplifting belief in people's capacity for good. Fans of Megan Crewe and Susan Beth Pfeffer will relish this timely update to classic postapocalyptic YA." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"High school senior and WNBA hopeful Paige wakes up from a coma to find herself the only living person in her Columbus, Ohio, neighborhood. . . . [A] smart, suspenseful thriller. . . . Paige's tenacity is appealing, and her relatable first-person narration shines when observing tiny details of her surroundings and matter-of-factly processing topics like privilege, menstruation, and reproductive rights. . . . Totally un-put-down-able." - Kirkus Reviews

"Carson steeps her writing in the physicality of bodies and societies breaking down . . . [ Any Sign of Life ] mines the very real fears seeded by COVID for tension . . . [and] it's almost a relief, then, when the plot takes a marked turn into science fiction and focuses on the adrenaline rush of surviving a direct violent attack and not an insidious pathogen. While the immediate threat is eventually vanquished, there's no guarantee of long-term safety, a disquieting situation readers may recognize." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"As soon as Paige Miller wakes with a pulsing headache and parched mouth, she knows something's wrong. . . . Eventually, Paige comes across other survivors, Trey and Tanq, and they follow a lead to Sandusky for answers. The truth, however, about why they survived, where the virus came from, and what the future holds may not be something they're ready for. Carson has created a terrifying postapocalyptic world marred by the scent of rotting flesh and a threatening new entity. . . . Stories such as this are sure to have readers thinking about their own purposes, impacts, and legacies." - Booklist

"Ohio high school senior Paige wakes up from what she thought was just a bout of flu to discover that the sickness she has lived through seems to have killed off everyone else. . . . Carson delivers a solid end-of-the-world thriller full of vivid imagery and strong emotions. . . . Small details . . . and a clear sense of place bring the story to life. Identity issues are naturally incorporated into the narrative, showing that race and sexuality . . . still matter even as humanity is struggling to survive." - Horn Book Magazine

"Carson has crafted an apocalypse so real it could happen tomorrow . . . With high stakes and a fast-paced survival plot line, sharp prose carries the novel . . . Vivid and well-crafted." - School Library Journal

Rae Carson is the author of two bestselling and award-winning trilogies, as well as the acclaimed stand-alone novels Any Sign of Life and The Empire of Dreams . Her debut, The Girl of Fire and Thorns , was named a William C. Morris Award finalist and an Andre Norton Award finalist. Walk on Earth a Stranger was longlisted for the 2015 National Book Award and won the Western Writers of America Spur Award. Her books tend to contain adventure, magic, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. Originally from California, Rae Carson now lives in Ohio with her husband. www.raecarson.com

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Amazon.com: Any Sign of Life: 9780062691934: Carson, Rae: Books

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I write mysteries and thrillers. I live in Portland, Oregon with my family.

When I was 11, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He took it to lunch and showed it to the editor of a British children's magazine - and she asked to publish the story! (For no money, which might have been a warning about how hard it is to make a living writing.)

My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years - when I wrote a book a year, worked full time, and had a baby - are now thankfully a blur. Now I'm very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written 26 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have been on the New York Times bestseller list, won the Anthony Award, gotten starred reviews, been chosen for IndieNext, translated into eight languages and won awards in a dozen states.

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Amazon.com: Girl Forgotten: 9780316322591: Henry, April: Books

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What do you stand for, when you're one of the last left standing? , a high-tech prototype spaceship. But when the apocalypse arrives months ahead of schedule, First Daughter Leigh Chen and a handful of teens from the tour are the only ones to escape the planet. This is the new world: a starship loaded with a catalog of human artifacts, a frozen menagerie of animal DNA, and fifty-three terrified survivors. From the panic arises a coalition of leaders, spearheaded by the pilot's enigmatic daughter, Eli, who takes the wheel in their hunt for a habitable planet. But as isolation presses in, their uneasy peace begins to fracture. The struggle for control will mean the difference between survival and oblivion, and Leigh must decide whether to stand on the side of the mission or of her own humanity.
"Utterly absorbing, and packed with heart, action, and questions that lingered long past the final page. I read it in a single day."--Amie Kaufman, author of the Aurora Cycle and the Elementals trilogy

The year is 2072. Soon a volcanic eruption will trigger catastrophic devastation, and the only way out is up.

While the world's leaders, scientists, and engineers oversee the frantic production of a space fleet meant to save humankind, their children are brought in for a weekend of touring the Lazarus With aching poignancy and tense, heart-in-your-mouth action, this enthralling saga will stay with readers long after the final page.

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Amazon.com: Alone Out Here: 9781368064729: Redgate, Riley: Books

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National Book Award WINNERBESTSELLER!
Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature WINNER
An INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES
An INSTANT INDIE BESTSELLER!

" All My Rage is a love story, a tragedy and an infectious teenage fever dream about what home means when you feel you don't fit in." - New York Times Book Review New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir comes a brilliant, unforgettable, and heart-wrenching contemporary novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a sweeping story that crosses generations and continents. Lahore, Pakistan. Then. Juniper, California. Now.
Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Clouds' Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.

Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding.

Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah's health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle's liquor store while hiding the fact that she's applying to college so she can escape him-and Juniper-forever.

When Sal's attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth-and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.

From one of today's most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness-one that's both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.

(Cover may vary)

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Amazon.com: All My Rage: A Novel: 9780593202340: Tahir, Sabaa: Books

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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Hot on the heels of the New York Times bestseller s The Twin and The Lake , another pulse-pounding read from the undisputed queen of YA thrillers!

They said goodbye to their friends and family for the weekend. They weren't counting on forever.

Jagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich-or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley-social media influencers with millions of followers-have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. They'll make posts and videos for their channels and report every second of their VIP treatment.

When the teens arrive, they're stunned: the resort is even better than they'd imagined. Their hotel rooms are unreal, the park's themed rides are incredible, and the island is hauntingly beautiful. They're given a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend.

But soon they'll discover that something's missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.

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Amazon.com: The Island: 9780593481493: Preston, Natasha: Books

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A twisty YA thriller about a girl who revels in leading ghost tours, but discovers that even she can be spooked when a chilling murder hits closer to home. An Indie Next pick!

Roxie Clark has seen more dead bodies than your average seventeen-year-old. As a member of the supposedly-cursed Clark family, most of her ancestors have met tragic ends, including her own mother. Instead of fearing the curse, however, Roxie has combined her flair for performance and her gruesome family history into a successful ghost tour. But her tour never covers the most recent body she's seen-her sister Skylar's boyfriend, Colin Riley, found murdered in a cornfield.

A year after the murder, Roxie's desperate to help Skylar find closure and start to heal. Instead, Skylar becomes fixated on finding the killer. As the sisters dig into what really happened, they discover that more than one person has been lying about that night. And the closer they get to the truth, the more Roxie starts to wonder if some scary stories might be better left untold. Brooke Lauren Davis offers another thought-provoking and eerily satisfying tale, perfect for fans of Kara Thomas and Cruel Summer .

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Amazon.com: After Dark with Roxie Clark eBook : Davis, Brooke Lauren: Kindle Store

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11/09/2020

Sixteen-year-old Isabel Vance isn't the wallflower everyone assumes her to be. While avoiding her overbearing boyfriend one afternoon, she unwittingly walks into a Chicago comedy club, where she ends up performing at an open mic. The challenge proves liberating: "I realize it then, with equal terror and boundless relief: they don't know me.... So I can be anything I want." Isabel's improvised stand-up set doesn't exactly kill, but the teen, who has an auditory processing disorder, earns her first laughs-plus a trio of new friends. The catch? Her comedy chums think "Izzy V." is a 20-something college student just like them. Izzy gets a crash course in joke writing and learns to shut down heckling and harassment, onstage and off, but her lies eventually catch up with her. Henry's ( Let's Call It a Doomsday) background as a playwright shines through the banter between Izzy and her fellow comics. It's a credit to the novel's realism that the teen's internal monologue and off-the-cuff remarks are often funnier than her scripted material-showing how, as a budding performer, she's still honing her stand-up persona. Though Izzy is at times painfully naive, readers will enjoy watching her undergo the process of self-transformation, one punch line at a time. Ages 13-up. Agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Like any good comedy, this novel deals in truth. Like any great comedy, it also nails the difficult job of infusing nuance." - Booklist (starred review)

"Isabel is achingly and sympathetically flawed and her growth, realistic; readers will undoubtedly connect with her journey. Honest truths delivered with humor and heart." - Kirkus Reviews

"Henry's background as a playwright shines. Readers will enjoy watching [Isabel] undergo the process of self-transformation, one punch line at a time." - Publishers Weekly

"There are some bracing truths here, and Henry puts into words what her readers perhaps cannot, offering understanding and compassion in a world often too demanding of their growing up." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Praise for Let's Call It a Doomsday: "Henry writes witty dialogue, creates complicated characters, and treats different religious beliefs with sincerity and respect... This one's a gem." - Kirkus Reviews(starred review)

"A rare YA novel in its approach to religious faith as a life-giving, if complicated, aspect of a young adult's life... Ellis is a protagonist to root for." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A whip-smart and compelling protagonist who grapples with deep questions about the nature of belief, identity, and control... One of the few YA titles with a Mormon protagonist... Humorous dialogue and richly developed supporting characters add to the appeal." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"As Ellis learns to consider the hopeful alongside the negative scenarios, the story rushes toward its intriguing, suspenseful conclusion... A too-rare, well-rounded portrayal of a religious adolescent, from the author of Heretics Anonymous." - The Horn Book

"Henry treats Ellis' faith with respect and sensitivity while still realistically depicting her struggles to find love and acceptance of herself in a community that is not always supportive of LGBTQ+ individuals... the final few chapters send the reader on a satisfying rollercoaster." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Praise for Heretics Anonymous: "With a page-ripping plot and realistic character development, Henry's funny, heartwarming tale of unlikely rebels soars: an auspicious debut." - Kirkus Reviews(starred review)

"Most impressive here is Henry's multifaceted take on religion. Come for the arch first-person narrative and puppy love, stay for the examination into belief." - ALA Booklist (starred review)

"In addition to being a frequently hilarious comedy with its share of complicated romance, the story presents a thought-provoking look at faith, questioning but ultimately respectful of Catholicism and other beliefs." - Horn Book Magazine

"The story adeptly asks readers to question what they believe and why, without being preachy, judgmental, or dismissive. Humor interlaced with more serious ideas make for an interesting and enjoyable read. Highly recommended, especially for teens who are passionate about a cause." - School Library Journal

"In this entertaining coming-of-age story, five free-thinking students launch a clandestine campaign against their school's rigid policies and practices, with unanticipated consequences. Snappy dialogue sparkles throughout this skillfully crafted debut." - Publishers Weekly

"Genuine and heartfelt doctrinal questions arise in between the pranks and the conversations Michael has with his new friends, allowing both believing and nonbelieving readers to find their way into this exploration of the way feelings about family and faith intersect. A balanced perspective of possibilities of faith and skepticism." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

11/01/2020

Gr 8 Up-Sixteen-year-old plant enthusiast Isabel Vance has trained herself over the years to be agreeable and keep her true thoughts to herself-even if it means being the butt of jokes, missing conversations due to her auditory processing disorder, or rationalizing her boyfriend Alex's increasingly isolating and controlling behavior. An attempt to avoid Alex one afternoon results in Isabel accidentally signing up for an open mic comedy show. One rocky set later, Isabel finds herself lying about being in college and exchanging numbers with college senior and aspiring stand-up Mo. Isabel, or "Izzy" as she is now known to her new college friends, starts to blossom within the stand-up scene, slowly gaining the courage to speak rather than just think. Eventually, it becomes harder for Isabel to convince herself that everything is OK while keeping her worlds separate. Henry delivers a complex coming-of-age narrative of a teenager gaining the courage to be her true self. Comedy nerds and novices alike will enjoy Isabel's introduction to the stand-up scene, but the story's core value lies in Isabel finding her voice and coming to terms with her abusive relationship. Readers unfamiliar with the insidious cycle of emotional abuse will gain insight as they witness Alex's toxic behavior and the ways Isabel rationalizes it. Isabel is white, and the supporting cast is of various races and backgrounds. VERDICT An engaging take on stand-up comedy grafted together with an important look at toxic relationships. Recommended.- Pearl Derlaga, York County P.L., VA

School Library Journal

2020-10-12
A lost and timid high school junior finds her voice through stand-up.

Sixteen-year-old Isabel Vance feels like the odd one out in her own family: Her successful, professional parents are preoccupied, and her 18-year-old siblings' forceful personalities shut her out. Now that the twins are off at college, Isabel's parents fail to see her loneliness and count on her to fulfill her family role as the kid who causes no trouble. Her alpha-male boyfriend, Alex, says he loves Isabel, but he cuts her off from her best friend and closely monitors her movements. Although Isabel fears angering Alex, she tells herself that he genuinely needs her. A series of misunderstandings results in her performing an impromptu stand-up routine at an open mic event and meeting new friends who believe she's in college, too. Events quickly spiral out of control: Isabel relishes her secret life as comedian Izzy V., exploring the power of standing on stage, boldly and hilariously speaking her truth. As a straight, White, upper-middle-class girl, her new friendships with a Persian lesbian, a wealthy Black boy, and an Asian transracial adoptee offer glimpses of a world beyond the narrow confines of her prep school. Naturally, the deception cannot continue indefinitely, and Isabel/Izzy must apply the courage of her stage persona to her offstage relationships. Isabel is achingly and sympathetically flawed and her growth, realistic; readers will undoubtedly connect with her journey.

Honest truths delivered with humor and heart. (Fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews

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The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel comes to high school in acclaimed author Katie Henry's coming-of-age YA contemporary about a girl who accidentally falls into the world of stand-up comedy. Perfect for fans of John Green and Becky Albertalli!Sixteen-year-old Izzy is used...

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4.75 stars

The Peach Rebellion takes us back to 1947 California and into the lives of three girls from disparate backgrounds: Ginny Rose-the mature-beyond-her-years Okie who finally has a more permanent home, Peggy-the peach farmer's daughter, and Lisette-the banker's daughter. It's the summer before their senior year of high school and, with Peggy as the nexus, the three girls form-what from the outside appears as-an unlikely bond.

This coming-of-age story is well done. Told from the perspectives...more

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4.75 stars The Peach Rebellion takes us back to 1947 California and into the lives of three girls from disparate backgrounds: Ginny Rose-the mature-beyond-her-years Okie who finally has a more permanent home, Peggy-the peach farmer's daughter, and Lisette-the banker's daughter.

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Lauren I can't be sure, but the Yukon territory borders on Alaska. Given the fact that they took a helicopter from Alaska to Jess' location and it didn't tak…more I can't be sure, but the Yukon territory borders on Alaska. Given the fact that they took a helicopter from Alaska to Jess' location and it didn't take too long, it's a safe bet to say this takes place in the Yukon territory in Canada. (less)

Community Reviews

·  6,259 ratings  ·  1,320 reviews

Start your review of I Am Still Alive

**4.5-stars**
Alternating between Before and After timelines, I Am Still Alive follows teenager, Jess, who has moved to Canada to live with her survivalist, off-the-grid father. A man she has been estranged from for years.

Battered, bruised and grieving, Jess has recently survived a car crash in which her mother was killed.

Like losing your mom isn't hard enough. Like losing the strength in your own body isn't hard enough. Now Jess has to leave the only life she has ever known behind and move to th
**4.5-stars**
Alternating between Before and After timelines, I Am Still Alive follows teenager, Jess, who has moved to Canada to live with her survivalist, off-the-grid father. A man she has been estranged from for years.

Battered, bruised and grieving, Jess has recently survived a car crash in which her mother was killed.

Like losing your mom isn't hard enough. Like losing the strength in your own body isn't hard enough. Now Jess has to leave the only life she has ever known behind and move to the wilderness to live with a virtual stranger.

Y'all, you can tell from the very start that this story is going to take you places. Those places aren't going to be great, but what is great is the writing, pacing and format of this YA Survival Thriller.

After a shocking event, which is revealed slowly over the course of the story, Jess ends up alone.

The cabin where she had been living burned to the ground, leaving her, her dog Bo and a few meager supplies to try to survive on their own.

Jess is still in a lot of pain from her accident. Her muscles atrophied in one leg fairly severely; as in, she was in therapy, training herself to walk again prior to moving to the wilderness.

Because of this, even small tasks are literally exhausting for her. Her physical limitations present mental challenges as well. She truly must learn to listen to her body.

This is a true survival story. Marshall does not shy away from pain, hunger, thirst, desperation and anguish. It is all on page and at times, an agonizing read.

There's also some fairly painful issues involving family, guilt and grief. All handled extraordinarily well.

Reminiscent of Hatchet, the first survival story I ever loved, I really enjoyed reading this. I really enjoyed reading it, even though it tore my heart out and I legit cried like a baby at the end.

This is not a comfortable read, but it's definitely a challenging, thought-provoking, adventurous read; not for the faint of heart.

I will absolutely be reading more from this author!

Trigger Warning: (view spoiler)[animal injury and death (hide spoiler)].
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I feel like three stars always look a little weird, so let me clarify that this is a positive three-star rating. This is a compelling survival story that is marketed as a revenge story and I just… didn’t get exactly what I was hoping. But let’s be real, this was still entertaining.
So, my main thought about this is that this is very well-written, but it's essentially just a survival story and doesn't go much beyond.

Maybe my main problem was that… I just didn’t get exactly what I wanted? The rev
I feel like three stars always look a little weird, so let me clarify that this is a positive three-star rating. This is a compelling survival story that is marketed as a revenge story and I just… didn’t get exactly what I was hoping. But let’s be real, this was still entertaining.
So, my main thought about this is that this is very well-written, but it's essentially just a survival story and doesn't go much beyond.

Maybe my main problem was that… I just didn’t get exactly what I wanted? The revenge element is there, but it’s very low on intrigue and definitely not the main plot point. We don’t even see the lead plotting revenge until like page 200, and in a book where the marketing that caught me was Revenge, this was disappointing.

But on a counterexample, it was the plot that kept me reading - survival stories are always fun for me. I binged this in a day. And yeah, as survival stories go, it didn’t do anything new, but it didn’t have to. Survival stories are great and always have been and always will remain so, so who really cares?

I mean, I guess it made the book a little less entertaining for me. I did not find the main character, Jess, particularly compelling on her own, which is something that tends to really set survival stories apart for me. Jess has a disability and the narrative does a really good job with it!! But that was kind of… the whole list of everything that set the story apart.

But... it was still an interesting, quick read. I wouldn't rush to recommend but I'm certainly not going to tell you to take it off your TBR if you like survival stories.

TW: (view spoiler)[parent death. on page. parent dead bodies feat. body horror. guns. anddddd the dog dies. (hide spoiler)]

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Great survival story. Would recommend to anyone who loves that genre. There is ABSOLUTELY ZERO ROMANCE for those looking for that in a book.
Audiobook: Loved it, would recommend this format.

Disability rep: The character has a new to her disability at the start of the book. She often refers to herself as "broken" but a later scene does show her checking her own thoughts about disability. Her father shuns physical therapy and he makes no accomodations for her disability, has a mindset of "nature wi
Great survival story. Would recommend to anyone who loves that genre. There is ABSOLUTELY ZERO ROMANCE for those looking for that in a book.
Audiobook: Loved it, would recommend this format.

Disability rep: The character has a new to her disability at the start of the book. She often refers to herself as "broken" but a later scene does show her checking her own thoughts about disability. Her father shuns physical therapy and he makes no accomodations for her disability, has a mindset of "nature will cure you." She stands up to this every time.

tw: a LOT of animal hunting and field dressing described in detail (character is a former vegetarian, often expresses her regret for hunting, hunting is ONLY used for survival), injury of a pet, parent death and PTSD reliving parent death, murder, near drowning, being stranded in extreme cold weather, thoughts of dying, unhealthy foster care situation.
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A very well written survival book!

First, Jess's mother is killed in the same car accident that injures her leg. Then, Jess is sent to live up north with her father, an extreme survivalist. Despite herself, Jess learns how to survive out in the wilderness. Her experiences and many mistakes help her grow as a person. Her enormous love for her dog Bo was the heartbreak romance in this novel.

This novel is action-packed and filled with riveting descriptions of the rugged but beautiful wilderness - "
A very well written survival book!

First, Jess's mother is killed in the same car accident that injures her leg. Then, Jess is sent to live up north with her father, an extreme survivalist. Despite herself, Jess learns how to survive out in the wilderness. Her experiences and many mistakes help her grow as a person. Her enormous love for her dog Bo was the heartbreak romance in this novel.

This novel is action-packed and filled with riveting descriptions of the rugged but beautiful wilderness - "a place that does not love me and that I do not love. But we don't expect love from each other, the wild and me. We only want to survive..."
Respect!

Jess had no choice but to fend for herself in order to survive, and as the title of the story confirms: "My name is Jess Cooper, and I am still alive." I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
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This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I liked this book well enough. I decided to read this book because the premise sounded rather interesting. Having never read this author before, I really didn't go into the book with too many expectations. I found it to be a pretty easy read that I did enjoy. I did feel like there was something missing from the story that could have taken it to the next level for me but I am glad that I took a chance and decided to read this one.

Jess
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I liked this book well enough. I decided to read this book because the premise sounded rather interesting. Having never read this author before, I really didn't go into the book with too many expectations. I found it to be a pretty easy read that I did enjoy. I did feel like there was something missing from the story that could have taken it to the next level for me but I am glad that I took a chance and decided to read this one.

Jess has not had it easy lately. She was recently in an automobile accident with her mother. Her mother did not survive the accident and Jess sustained some pretty serious injuries. She has spent time in the hospital recovering and was eventually placed with a foster family. Eventually she is sent to be with her father who has not played much of a role in her life and lives off the grid.

There is no way that Jess could have prepared herself for living with her father. He lives in a tiny cabin in the middle of the woods in Canada along with his dog, Bo. He has very few connections to the outside world and lives off of the land. When Jess arrives, he starts to show her some of the skills she will need to know in her new home. Jess really doesn't have a lot of interest in learning the things her father is trying to teach her and is mad at the whole situation.

The book is written as Jess's journal and starts out with alternating chapters of before and after which I thought worked really well. It becomes quite obvious that this have taken a wrong turn very early in the book but it does take some time to find out exactly what did happen. This is a story of survival. Jess finds herself alone in the woods with no shelter, few supplies, and not a lot of skill with only a dog as support. I did like Jess as a character. I felt so bad for Jess and her desperation feels very authentic. She has a lot of small victories and quite a few set backs, all of which could prove to be fatal.

I would recommend this book to fans of survival stories. Jess is a tough character that is working hard to survive in a nearly impossible situation. I wouldn't hesitate to read more of Kate Alice Marshall's work.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Viking Books for Young Readers via First to Read.

Initial Thoughts
This was 3.5 star read for me. For now, I am going with 3 stars but I may bump it to 4 after I can think about it for a bit more. This was really a survival story. Jess must learn to live off the land with only a dog for help and support. The first part of the book is set up with alternating chapters of before the event that left her all alone and after as she is trying to survive.
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Jul 09, 2018 Juli rated it it was amazing

Jess is alone. She is angry, hurt and struggling to stay alive. First she lost her mother in a car accident that left her injured and facing months of physical therapy. Then she was shipped off to live with her father in the Canadian wilderness. She barely remembers her father and she doesn't want to live with him in the middle of nowhere. No radio. No electricity. No nothing. Soon after she arrives, her dad is gone too and Jess is left to face the wilderness alone. Can she survive?
I love this b
Jess is alone. She is angry, hurt and struggling to stay alive. First she lost her mother in a car accident that left her injured and facing months of physical therapy. Then she was shipped off to live with her father in the Canadian wilderness. She barely remembers her father and she doesn't want to live with him in the middle of nowhere. No radio. No electricity. No nothing. Soon after she arrives, her dad is gone too and Jess is left to face the wilderness alone. Can she survive?
I love this book! Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I had to find out what happens! I binge read the entire thing. The story is suspenseful and compelling. Jess is stronger and more capable than she believes at first. As she struggles to learn how to hunt and keep herself dry and warm, she comes to learn just how intelligent and resourceful she is. She not only takes care of herself and her dad's dog, Bo, but she prepares for a showdown with the people who took her father away. She knows they are coming back....but she's going to be ready for them. It's quite the showdown in the end! Great book!

I have a weakness for suspense thrillers set in the wilderness. This book was just what I love! I'm definitely going to read more by this author. The story was well-written and the pacing kept the suspense going from beginning to end! I don't binge read books very often...but this one I just could not put down.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Penguin via First To Read. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
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Every time I read a book like this I realize how very dead I would be if I ever got lost in the woods! Put me up in the wilderness of Canada or Alaska and throw me in complete darkness and snow - and forget it - I MIGHT last 5 minutes.
Jess is alone. Her mother dies in a car crash, severely injuring here and now she's got no-one. She's only 16, and is in turn, forced to go live with her estranged father who she hasn't seen in about 12 years. Dad is a homesteader, and off-the-grid, he hates the go
Every time I read a book like this I realize how very dead I would be if I ever got lost in the woods! Put me up in the wilderness of Canada or Alaska and throw me in complete darkness and snow - and forget it - I MIGHT last 5 minutes.
Jess is alone. Her mother dies in a car crash, severely injuring here and now she's got no-one. She's only 16, and is in turn, forced to go live with her estranged father who she hasn't seen in about 12 years. Dad is a homesteader, and off-the-grid, he hates the government, and is living off the land. They are out in the middle of nowhere in the rough Canada wilderness, and this life she's dumped into, is a harsh shocking reality. But then something goes horribly bad. Her father is dead. And Jess is alone. Cue me freaking out!

We read through journal entries Jess writes about her life with her mom - before. Her brief time with her dad - before. And then we reach - after. Where Jess has no-one but a loyal dog-wolf hybrid, named Bo, and her own sheer willpower. Will she survive the winter in Canada? How will she eat, stay warm, and even just survive walking through the wilderness when her body is still hurting and broken. And who killed her father?

This was an easy breezy read that had me sucked in front start to finish. The writing is really good and I enjoyed the suspense and found myself rooting for Jess (and Bo!) to survive. A really good book.
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Nov 16, 2021 Hilly ♡ rated it liked it

Why is it always the dogs???? 😔
This wasn't the book I expected. And that ruined things a little because I actually wasn't in the mood for this kind of book. There's survival, yes, but the main focus is the relationship between a daughter and her estranged father. It's first of all a revenge plot (you might say, duh it’s in the synopsis you idiot, and you’d be right *sigh*) and it's told from the main character's personal journal. Plus it has lots of flashbacks which I historically don't like in
Why is it always the dogs???? 😔
This wasn't the book I expected. And that ruined things a little because I actually wasn't in the mood for this kind of book. There's survival, yes, but the main focus is the relationship between a daughter and her estranged father. It's first of all a revenge plot (you might say, duh it’s in the synopsis you idiot, and you’d be right *sigh*) and it's told from the main character's personal journal. Plus it has lots of flashbacks which I historically don't like in a book if they so heavily break the narrative structure.

KAM's writing is raw and emotional, while being quick at the same time, and I adored it. I also liked that she included a disabled main character and didn't sugarcoat her struggles, both mental and physical. I liked Jess but not enough to get emotionally attached to her. As she's the one and only character you follow for most of the book, it was difficult not to feel neutral towards the story. I loved the dog though.

KAM definitely has a great voice, I just need to find the right book of hers that will mesh better with me.
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I love a good survival story but this story felt like a non-stop pity party from start to finish. I got so tired of listening to Jess cry and feel sorry for herself. It was just way too much. I seriously found myself having more sympathy for the dog, then I did Jess. It definitely needs more action and suspense and less whining!
*I received this ARC from First to Read in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I love a good survival story but this story felt like a non-stop pity party from start to finish. I got so tired of listening to Jess cry and feel sorry for herself. It was just way too much. I seriously found myself having more sympathy for the dog, then I did Jess. It definitely needs more action and suspense and less whining!
*I received this ARC from First to Read in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

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Feb 18, 2022 jenny✨ rated it liked it

3 solid stars!
this was not the sort of heart-wrenching storytelling that i encountered in kate alice marshall's rules for vanishing, which thoroughly wormed its way under my skin (and which still makes me shudder deliciously to this day).

and yet KAM's clear, engaging writing holds true. though i prefer her supernatural lore to survival stories, this was nonetheless a book made all the more enjoyable by the author's knack for non-clichéd prose that keeps you flipping pages.

buddy read with sheena
3 solid stars!
this was not the sort of heart-wrenching storytelling that i encountered in kate alice marshall's rules for vanishing, which thoroughly wormed its way under my skin (and which still makes me shudder deliciously to this day).

and yet KAM's clear, engaging writing holds true. though i prefer her supernatural lore to survival stories, this was nonetheless a book made all the more enjoyable by the author's knack for non-clichéd prose that keeps you flipping pages.

buddy read with sheena! 🥰
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This was brutal. A modern, grown-up, gritty HATCHET. I loved it.

Jul 21, 2018 Taschima rated it really liked it

Holy shit this book was good.
It kind of reminded me of The Martian (I mean, duh, it is a survival book) though instead of space Jess is stuck in the middle of nowhere in Canada.

Which to me makes it 100 times scarier because I may never make it to Mars but I can sure as hell get lost in the middle of the forest (might be able to get lost in my own backyard--though I'd deny it). And you know what, I can't say I would be as resourceful or strong or patient or just pretty fricking ballsy as Jess is
Holy shit this book was good.
It kind of reminded me of The Martian (I mean, duh, it is a survival book) though instead of space Jess is stuck in the middle of nowhere in Canada.

Which to me makes it 100 times scarier because I may never make it to Mars but I can sure as hell get lost in the middle of the forest (might be able to get lost in my own backyard--though I'd deny it). And you know what, I can't say I would be as resourceful or strong or patient or just pretty fricking ballsy as Jess is in this novel. And with a bad leg to boot? Raise the stakes and made me love Jess even more.

In the beginning, after her mother dies and Jess is forced to live with a father she barely knows, Jess was a bit moody and ANGRY. And she had every right to be! She is like every single one of us--couch potatoes who can't go 10 minutes without checking the internet. Now take a 16 year old, kill her mother, take away everything and anything that is familiar to her and throw her into the woods with her nature loving father...

You can say she was a little pissed off.

But after everything goes down and Jess is made to survive... that is when the story gets real good and the character development flourishes. Kate Marshall doesn't shy away from the ugliness of survival either--Let's just say during the whole novel I didn't know if Jess would survive or not. I was legitimately scared for her. Some pretty disturbing shit goes down as well that is morbidly fascinating, and some other things were just downright depressing (but in a good way? What am I saying?!)

The way the relationship with the father is portrayed is so complicated and precious and absolutely fantastic. I felt Jess' anger to the core towards this man who abandoned her and her mother. It is interesting seeing the two characters interact and brings a spark to the story. Yeah, give me conflict!

I also enjoyed how the story is told in "before" and "after" chapters. The only thing I found distracting about it, is that the novel is supposed to be Jess' telling of her story. Jess is writing down her story in a notebook so whoever finds it knows she was there and what she went through. So you are reading her story and you would be firmly set in the "before" story line flow when "present" Jess interrupts the flow by making a comment. It would have been helpful if her "present" comments were italicized or something to distinguish them better and give your eyes a visual cue. That is all. Not that the comments deterred from my enjoyment of the novel, not at all.

(view spoiler)[It also bothered me when Jess digs up her father's grave (gosh, It may be creepy of me but I LOVED how the author WENT there) that she didn't think to take her father's coat/boots. I mean, yeah, you are dealing with a corpse but Jess was WAY past the giving a shit phase. Me thinks that Jess not seeing her father's coat as a way to keep warm didn't align with where she was at, plus it kind of gave me a hint that she would be finding proper clothing pretty soon. (hide spoiler)]

I would have, for sure, died like 20 different ways out in that wilderness and it just always amazes me how these characters manage to rise above and laugh in the face of certain death. One thing is for sure, if you plan to take a trip to the wilderness bring this book with you just in case. It might actually save you, or at the very least keep you entertain until a bear mauls you to death.
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May 12, 2020 Jiny S rated it really liked it

I can see this book turning to a movie, and it will be fast paced and action packed, just the kind that might inspire a weekend fishing trip in the wilderness. Or, if you are in the mood for something adventurous on a cold day, this novel can scratch that itch without making you leave the comfort of your own home.
The prominent theme of this book is survival. A young girl is thrust into the cold Canadian wilderness when her mother died in a car crash and she has to live with her father, a mountai
I can see this book turning to a movie, and it will be fast paced and action packed, just the kind that might inspire a weekend fishing trip in the wilderness. Or, if you are in the mood for something adventurous on a cold day, this novel can scratch that itch without making you leave the comfort of your own home.
The prominent theme of this book is survival. A young girl is thrust into the cold Canadian wilderness when her mother died in a car crash and she has to live with her father, a mountain hermit.

The main character is very inspiring for getting a pilot licence at such a young age. She is precocious, impressively so even if it’s made to be by the extenuating circumstances. She is determined and spirited, a fire in the frigid snow.

The relationship between the protagonist and her father is worth mentioning. At first I didn’t like it: he is weird and forceful at times. Relationships are not perfect because people are not perfect. After awhile, we come to sympathize with the father because of the small details. When the bad guys came in the end, it somewhat vindicated the gravity and mysteriousness of his decisions.

The action in the end is quick and easy (even with the small turning point). Some might judge it unfavourably because the lack of realism. Succeeding in what the protagonist meant to do is not an easy feat, and the probability of that accomplishment is infinitesimal unlikely in the real world. But who cares, which action movie ever made on the big screen is ever realistic? Who doesn’t enjoy watching a little girl kicking a bunch of evil, greedy grown man’s sorry behinds?

Overall, a quick read and an interesting turn of events. The plot is simple enough, and the characters are good.
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i've now officially read all of KAM's novels!! my least fave of hers unfortunately but still liked it.
BUDDY READ WITH JENNY <3
i've now officially read all of KAM's novels!! my least fave of hers unfortunately but still liked it.
BUDDY READ WITH JENNY <3
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4.5/5
This was tense, thrilling, and compelling! A 16 year old girl is stranded in the Alaskan wilderness for months on end with no survival knowledge. She has no parents, no guide, no mentor, and no help. And winter is approaching swiftly. This book kept me on my toes for its entirety, and I didn't want to set it down. Not sure why I didn't wanna give it a 5, but a 4.5 is still a highly respectable rating in my opinion.
4.5/5
This was tense, thrilling, and compelling! A 16 year old girl is stranded in the Alaskan wilderness for months on end with no survival knowledge. She has no parents, no guide, no mentor, and no help. And winter is approaching swiftly. This book kept me on my toes for its entirety, and I didn't want to set it down. Not sure why I didn't wanna give it a 5, but a 4.5 is still a highly respectable rating in my opinion.
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May 13, 2020 Paulina rated it did not like it

This doesn’t even deserve a star. Read this wishing I was dead not alive at all. I was bored and just waited aimlessly for hours for something exciting to happen but it never came. I liked the dog though he was cool but I like dogs anyway so there you get a star because you had a cool dog.
P.s never finish a book you can’t stand.

Jan 05, 2022 Lisa rated it liked it

[3+] My son and I wanted a break from our heavy buddy reads and this adventure featuring a young woman surviving in the Canadian wilderness was entertaining and fast paced. The amount of tragedy in her life did seem excessive for this genre.

This book grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. I stayed up WAY too late finishing it, even though I have a toddler and knew I'd be up at 6 am and hating life the next day. It was seriously that good.
With elements of Winter's Bone and Into the Wild, it's a harrowing tale of a girl stuck in the wilderness who just can't seem to catch a break—but holy crap, this character has heart! Even when everything seems to be going against her, she manages to find some new way of thinking or innovat
This book grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. I stayed up WAY too late finishing it, even though I have a toddler and knew I'd be up at 6 am and hating life the next day. It was seriously that good.
With elements of Winter's Bone and Into the Wild, it's a harrowing tale of a girl stuck in the wilderness who just can't seem to catch a break—but holy crap, this character has heart! Even when everything seems to be going against her, she manages to find some new way of thinking or innovative solution to keep herself and her trusty sidekick Bo (a half-wild dog and wonderful character in his own respect) alive. The ending is heart-pounding, lump-in-your-throat thriller action. Not for the faint of heart! But SO good.

I was consistently impressed with Marshall's ability to keep me engaged (like, edge-of-my-seat, don't-come-near-me-I'll-bite-you engaged) for chapters on end with no supporting characters and no dialogue. This is a single character's stream of thought, and it's riveting.

I'll enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who'll listen for the fascinating wilderness details, clever and nuanced protagonist, and roller-coaster pace. The writing is crisp and immediate. I can't wait to see what Marshall does next!
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First off, I know this is random but this book's cover and the title is a MOOD. I had a lot of fun today carrying it around my homeschool groups while wearing all black, black nail polish, and holding it up every time someone asked me how my week was. 😂
It was amazing.

Secondly, this was a decent read. I don't have many praises or complaints, it wasn't bad but it didn't blow my mind.

I do wish Jess had a few tougher moments because she went on about being stronger but we never saw a /whole/ lot o
First off, I know this is random but this book's cover and the title is a MOOD. I had a lot of fun today carrying it around my homeschool groups while wearing all black, black nail polish, and holding it up every time someone asked me how my week was. 😂
It was amazing.

Secondly, this was a decent read. I don't have many praises or complaints, it wasn't bad but it didn't blow my mind.

I do wish Jess had a few tougher moments because she went on about being stronger but we never saw a /whole/ lot of character development.

I also think this book tried to be like Hatchet by Gary Paulsen but fell really short compared to it.

An okay read at most.
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12/2020: I loved this story so much that it demands a reread
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4.5 stars

I was hooked and tore through this in no time. I was also reminded that I probably would not survive in the wilderness on my own.

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Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...

I thought I knew what I was getting into when I picked up this book from Penguin Teen but I was wrong. What a roller coaster of a thriller!

Short recap: Teenager Jess (aka Sequoia) has had a very roug
12/2020: I loved this story so much that it demands a reread
------------------------

4.5 stars

I was hooked and tore through this in no time. I was also reminded that I probably would not survive in the wilderness on my own.

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Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...

I thought I knew what I was getting into when I picked up this book from Penguin Teen but I was wrong. What a roller coaster of a thriller!

Short recap: Teenager Jess (aka Sequoia) has had a very rough life. Her dad left when she was very young and her mother was recently killed in a car accident. That same car accident left her with a disability that makes it difficult for her to walk, or even run. Forced to live with her estranged dad, who happened to relocate to very remote Canada, Jess will discover who she really is and what she is truly capable of.

If you want a stellar read about survival and finding inner strength, this will be the book for you. This absolutely blew me away. I read this from cover to cover in a matter of hours. I was so hooked on this story and so involved in Jess’ survival that I couldn’t put this down for anything. It also made me realize that I probably wouldn’t survive in a situation like this. I might last a few minutes but that would be it. I’m far too soft. 😦

The entire story is told from Jess’ perspective and split into Before and After. The Before chapters are from her life with her Mom and back when she was happy. The After chapters take place after the loss of her father. That’s right – her father is killed and Jess is forced to find a way to survive in the middle of absolute nowhere with nothing but her small knowledge of wilderness survival and her father’s dog, Bo. Are you interested in reading yet? I’ll continue.

What Jess doesn’t know about her father is the reason he left her and her mom – he got caught up in some truly terrible things. These terrible things ended up costing him his life, and could possibly take her life as well. The main question I had throughout the entire story was who killed her dad and why? Who would want to take out her father who was living off of the radar in the most remote part of Canada? He was nowhere near phones or even civilization. If her dad couldn’t grow it, hunt it, or make it, it wasn’t necessary.

Do I have you interested in this now? This was a quick read and it was outstanding. The writing was fluid and I loved it. The suspense was heart pounding and had me on the edge of my seat. My only complaint is that I took so long to finally read this.
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Sep 28, 2018 Jay G rated it liked it

Want to see more bookish things from me? check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
3.5/5 Stars

Jess Cooper is left alone in the middle of nowhere after witnessing the murder of her father and the cabin she was living in burn to the ground. With Bo, her father's dog as her only companion, Jess must survive winter while waiting for the men to return.

Although entertaining at times, I found this story to be a bit slow for my liking. There were some points that were fast-
Want to see more bookish things from me? check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
3.5/5 Stars

Jess Cooper is left alone in the middle of nowhere after witnessing the murder of her father and the cabin she was living in burn to the ground. With Bo, her father's dog as her only companion, Jess must survive winter while waiting for the men to return.

Although entertaining at times, I found this story to be a bit slow for my liking. There were some points that were fast-paced, but most of it was just Jess complaining about her situation... which given the circumstances is understandable... but it got rather repetitive after a while. The best part of the story was Bo, he was so trusting and loyal and the way the author wrote his character was great. He almost seemed human in his mannerisms. I also really loved Griff, he was so pure and I wish we had seen more of him. I did really like the writing style and found it very easy to read. I enjoyed the alternating timelines between 'before' and 'after' and found it interesting how the story eventually merged together to be in the present time. I did feel like the ending was a bit anti-climactic and was a bit disappointed by that. I do think this would be a great read for anyone who enjoys survival stories and I am definitely willing to pick up more of this author's work in the future!
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I Am Still Alive is a book that was on my radar in 2018 but I never got around to reading. And there never really was a lot of buzz for it. But I fell in unabashedly in love with with Marshall's sophomore novel Rules for Vanishing last year. I love her writing so much, Marshall earned a spot on my insta-buy list! So when I saw this book on Book Outlet a couple of months ago, of course I snatched it up!
This book made me feel things, friends. It's evocative, tense, and compelling and made my heart
I Am Still Alive is a book that was on my radar in 2018 but I never got around to reading. And there never really was a lot of buzz for it. But I fell in unabashedly in love with with Marshall's sophomore novel Rules for Vanishing last year. I love her writing so much, Marshall earned a spot on my insta-buy list! So when I saw this book on Book Outlet a couple of months ago, of course I snatched it up!
This book made me feel things, friends. It's evocative, tense, and compelling and made my heart hurt so much while reading it. But there's also a lot of hope and Jess' grit to survive no matter the setbacks also filled my heart.

"They think I'm wounded, but there is a difference between a wound and a scar. I’m done bleeding. I’m tougher now."
I love the main character Jess so much. She's had such a hard time and things only get worse as the book progresses, but despite everything she doesn't lose hope. She doesn't succumb to the despair of the situation, but she also does her best to not push herself and her injuries too far.
This book has disability representation and challenges the "just do things to get better" mentality of her ableist father. She was injured badly in the car accident that killed her mother and lead to her needing to move in with her survivalist father.

"The air hums and shivers with the sound of the engine. It works it’s way down into my breastbone and speeds up my heart until it beats like a hummingbirds wings."<?i>
Marshall is a master with words and a self-proclaimed genre magpie, the latter phrase I totally get now. This book and Rules for Vanishing are completely different genres, but she's able to craft tension filled narratives and paint pictures for all of your senses. I was anxious as hell. But with the tension, the sense of isolation and loneliness that Jess experiences oozes from the page.
I really enjoyed the narrative structure of the book. It's told in two timelines: before and after, woven together in alternating chapters until she catches up with the present around a third of the way into the book. This structure contributed to the anxiety because you don't know what exactly happened to leave her stranded in the middle of the wilderness.

Overall, I Am Still Alive is a stunning debut novel that more people should read. Marshall is an incredibly talented writer whose place on my instant buy list is secured.

Content warnings: Animal death, death of a parent, hunting and related survival activities, murder

Initial thoughts: I’m going to need a freaking minute to recover.

Blog | Twitter | Pinterest
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Feb 17, 2020 Amanda rated it really liked it

I didn't have any expectations going into this book. It pleasantly surprised me. It was like a modern day update of Hatchet, with a female protagonist.
Teenage Jess had recently been debilitated in a car crash that killed her mother, put her in the charge of foster care, and set her to live with her father whom she hadn't lived with (or seen but once) since she was six months old.

Jess had no idea her father would be a survivalist, living so off-the-grid that he had no neighbors and the only way t
I didn't have any expectations going into this book. It pleasantly surprised me. It was like a modern day update of Hatchet, with a female protagonist.
Teenage Jess had recently been debilitated in a car crash that killed her mother, put her in the charge of foster care, and set her to live with her father whom she hadn't lived with (or seen but once) since she was six months old.

Jess had no idea her father would be a survivalist, living so off-the-grid that he had no neighbors and the only way to his cabin in the remote Canadian wilderness was by sea plane. In their short time together, she found out that (view spoiler)[her father ended up having to work for some very bad men by way of blackmail (hide spoiler)]. Now Jess has to fight for survival with few resources and only her father’s dog for company.

This book was a combination of an adventure and thriller. Since the protagonist was a 16-year old, I'm giving it more leeway as a thriller than I normally would.

Trigger warning: harm to animals, both for survival purposes and intent to kill
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Jul 26, 2018 Aura rated it it was amazing

"I am still alive" is Jess' mantra as she finds herself in the middle of the Alaskan or Canadian woods. She is in not sure exactly where she is. Everyone she loves is dead and no one is looking for her except maybe some bad guys. This is one of my favorite YA novel so far this year. I like that Jess has physical limitations and she is really not experienced on how to survive in the wilderness by herself. Yet, she perseveres even though she has many setbacks and nearly dies 10 times over. I loved "I am still alive" is Jess' mantra as she finds herself in the middle of the Alaskan or Canadian woods. She is in not sure exactly where she is. Everyone she loves is dead and no one is looking for her except maybe some bad guys. This is one of my favorite YA novel so far this year. I like that Jess has physical limitations and she is really not experienced on how to survive in the wilderness by herself. Yet, she perseveres even though she has many setbacks and nearly dies 10 times over. I loved reading this novel as an adult and I think teens would love this novel too. I received an ARC e-book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I think this was a fast exciting book that will appeal to all readers. I loved it and I cant wait to read more from Kate Alice Marshall ...more

Jul 09, 2018 Amanda rated it really liked it

4.5 stars
**I received an ARC from Penguin in exchange for honest review**

YA Suspence/thriller/survival story
TW: blood & animal deaths

Full review on my channel : https://youtu.be/lnF2dJ58L2Y
4.5 stars
**I received an ARC from Penguin in exchange for honest review**

YA Suspence/thriller/survival story
TW: blood & animal deaths

Full review on my channel : https://youtu.be/lnF2dJ58L2Y
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This is beautiful??? I'm crying real tears. This is beautiful??? I'm crying real tears. ...more

MY RATING⇢ 3.75 ✰STARS✰
BOOK TAGS⇢
SURVIVAL/OFF THE GRID ⁝ WITH A SIDE OF REVENGE ⁝ AN AWESOME DOG...IS THERE ANY OTHER KIND??? ⁝ CRINGE-WORTHY SCENES OF FIELD DRESSING ⁝ THE END MADE ME CRY
MY THOUGHTS⇣

At its heart, this is a survival story, but it also has a subplot consisting of revenge.

Jess, is 16 (turns 17 during the course of her survival/revenge tour), and she is like most teenagers these days...whiny and not always thinking of the big picture, or even able to learn from her mistakes. She a
MY RATING⇢ 3.75 ✰STARS✰
BOOK TAGS⇢
SURVIVAL/OFF THE GRID ⁝ WITH A SIDE OF REVENGE ⁝ AN AWESOME DOG...IS THERE ANY OTHER KIND??? ⁝ CRINGE-WORTHY SCENES OF FIELD DRESSING ⁝ THE END MADE ME CRY
MY THOUGHTS⇣

At its heart, this is a survival story, but it also has a subplot consisting of revenge.

Jess, is 16 (turns 17 during the course of her survival/revenge tour), and she is like most teenagers these days...whiny and not always thinking of the big picture, or even able to learn from her mistakes. She also just lost her Mom, in a car accident that left her with a serious leg injury, which in my book, gives her reason to whine. Doesn't mean I want to listen to it...but hey...either way, the narration by Amy McFadden is excellent, and I definitely recommend this in Audio format. She makes the whining and complaining more bearable.

Overall, a compelling story, not always completely believable, but what do I know about surviving off the grid, other than I probably wouldn't have survived something like this, myself. There is a dog in this, Bo, and he is the Hero of the book because without him Jess wouldn't have survived...and I'll just say the ending killed me a little bit.

BOOK DETAILS⇣

AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ AMY MCFADDEN
NARRATION RATING⇢ 5/5
BOOK COVER⇢ IT WORKS PERFECTLY WITH THE STORY
SETTING⇢ A DESOLATE AREA OF CANADA
SOURCE⇢ LIBBY AUDIOBOOK (LIBRARY)
AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 8 HOURS, 31 MINUTES

BREAKDOWN⇣
Plot⇢ 4/5
Characters⇢ 3.7/5
The Feels⇢ 4/5
Pacing⇢ 4/5
Addictiveness⇢ 4/5
Theme or Tone⇢ 3.7/5
Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 4/5
World-Building⇢ 4/5
Originality⇢ 4.5/5
Ending⇢ 3/5

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When Jess and her mother are in a car crash which leaves her mother dead and her with a pile of physical limitations and injuries, she's sent to live with the father she's never known in Alaska. Or at least, she believes it's Alaska. She's picked up by a man working for her dad and deposited with him, and that's when we learn that the cabin they're sharing will be burned down and Jess will be left to survive on her own in this remote area.
Told in a before-after format for part of the book, Mars
When Jess and her mother are in a car crash which leaves her mother dead and her with a pile of physical limitations and injuries, she's sent to live with the father she's never known in Alaska. Or at least, she believes it's Alaska. She's picked up by a man working for her dad and deposited with him, and that's when we learn that the cabin they're sharing will be burned down and Jess will be left to survive on her own in this remote area.
Told in a before-after format for part of the book, Marshall's debut is an excellent, compelling survival adventure novel. It's well paced, and the setting depicted is rendered exactly how it feels to Jess: desolate, alone, desperate.

Jess's voice is excellent. It's the perfect blend of snark and grief, sadness sprinkled with moments of hope that what she leaves behind in her journal will help someone piece together her story when she's gone.

Note: there's a dog and the dog will die. It's sad, but for the plot, it makes sense and doesn't feel manipulative. There are also some men who die, but that's not really sad because they deserved it and that also does not feel manipulative.
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I read Rules for Vanishing by the same author last year and really enjoyed that one. This one sounded like something that would scare me in a different way and it actually did. I did very much enjoy this and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. But ffs that ending fucked me up. (view spoiler)[Why? Why Bo? Tell me, Kate. WHY?! (hide spoiler)] I read Rules for Vanishing by the same author last year and really enjoyed that one. This one sounded like something that would scare me in a different way and it actually did. I did very much enjoy this and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. But ffs that ending fucked me up. (view spoiler)[Why? Why Bo? Tell me, Kate. WHY?! (hide spoiler)] ...more

This was a fast read. A story of survival and one that you will fly through to find out if this tough as nails little girl makes it.
This was my first book by Marshall but I hope tp read some more by her soon.

Kate Alice Marshall is the author of young adult and middle grade novels, including I AM STILL ALIVE, RULES FOR VANISHING, and THIRTEENS.
She lives outside of Seattle with her husband, two dogs named Vonnegut and Octavia, and two kids. They all conspire to keep her on her toes.

News & Interviews

As dedicated readers already know, some of the best and most innovative stories on the shelves come from the constantly evolving realm of...

“To survive you need to learn to hold contradictory things in your head at the same time. I am going to die; I am going to live. There is nothing to fear; be wary of everything.” — 9 likes

“They think I’m wounded, but there is a difference between a wound and a scar. I’m done bleeding. I’m tougher now. And if these scars sometimes make things stiff, make it a little harder to move smoothly through a conversation or the routines of normal life, they just keep me from forgetting.” — 0 likes
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After Jess is alone. Her cabin has burned to the ground...

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A new YA fantasy duology from New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep. Seventeen-year-old Fable is a dredger-a freediver who excavates raA new YA fantasy duology from New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep. Seventeen-year-old Fable is a dredger-a freediver who excavates rare gemstones from the coral reefs that fill The Narrows. For the last four years, she's been trying to get off the island of Jeval, find the father who abandoned her there, and claim her mother's place on his trading crew. But when she finally makes it off the island, she discovers it may have been the safest place for her. ...more (less)

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Nenia ✨️ Socially Awkward Trash Panda ✨️ Campbell

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A new YA fantasy duology from New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep. Seventeen-year-old Fable is a dredger-a freediver who excavates raA new YA fantasy duology from New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep. Seventeen-year-old Fable is a dredger-a freediver who excavates rare gemstones from the coral reefs that fill The Narrows.

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DNF @ 41%

Welp, first DNF of the year!

This book actually started off pretty strong. In the beginning I was into it, and excited about the space aspect. I love space books! Sadly, while the concept was awesome, the delivery was pretty awful. When I saw how bad the reviews were, I was worried; but I was still hopeful, because almost all of the negative ones were audio (which apparently is very robotic, yikes) and I tend to be the black sheep anyway. Unfortunately, it's actually just the book. I mea...more

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DNF @ 41% Welp, first DNF of the year! This book actually started off pretty strong. In the beginning I was into it, and excited about the space aspect. I love space books! Sadly, while the concept was awesome, the delivery was pretty awful.

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I picked this up as part of a secret project, but honestly having finished this book i have very little desire to actually talk about the experience that I had while reading this book.

I don't know what I'm gonna do with some of the footage I already have of me discussing this book...

I have a hard time telling other people that they should pick it up. Not because I don't think that Jackson can string together a compelling sentence, but there's a lot to unpack with what's not in the sentences... W...more

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I picked this up as part of a secret project, but honestly having finished this book i have very little desire to actually talk about the experience that I had while reading this book. I don't know what I'm gonna do with some of the footage I already have of me discussing this book...

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Read 1,867 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. It's been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my...

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“A critical, heart-wrenching, and hopeful book that not only shows how and why the seeds of hatred grow into a destructive force, but als...

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Hi Miriam. I have OCD and my "theme" (or the topic of my obsession) was cancer when I was in high school, just like the author of this book. My compulHi Miriam. I have OCD and my "theme" (or the topic of my obsession) was cancer when I was in high school, just like the author of this book. My compulsions (the actions I took to reduce anxiety) were very different than hers, though, and mostly consisted of checking things. OCD manifests in very different ways depending on the individual, but so far I haven't found anything in the book that doesn't ring true as an OCD experience. I hope to write a review, and I think the only thing I wish Allison Britz had done differently is to make it VERY clear that people with OCD (at least that I know of) don't hear literal voices, because I feel like that gets a little fuzzy in her narrative at times. It's more like you hear your own interior monologue or your conscience, if that makes sense, the way you might say to yourself, "Well, that was a foolish thing to do." Honestly I find this book refreshing because it breaks the stereotype that all people with OCD are neat freaks. On the contrary, OCD can result in unclean hoarding behavior like the author experienced with her lunches. Kimberly Essenburg...more (less)

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Hi Miriam. I have OCD and my "theme" (or the topic of my obsession) was cancer when I was in high school, just like the author of this book. My compulHi Miriam. I have OCD and my "theme" (or the topic of my obsession) was cancer when I was in high school, just like the author of this book.

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A powerful, gripping YA novel about the insidious nature of racism, the terrible costs of unearthing hidden truths, and the undeniable po...

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The Door of No Return [Alexander, Kwame] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Door of No Return

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17 and up. It's a book about a group of teens, but everything involving them is much above what I would want my 12-year-old reading. I'm an adult, wit17 and up. It's a book about a group of teens, but everything involving them is much above what I would want my 12-year-old reading. I'm an adult, with an adult child (he'd love this btw), and I find parts of it harsh. I can't stress TRIGGER WARNINGS enough for this book. Use caution when purchasing for YA. Sally Mander...more (less)

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17 and up. It's a book about a group of teens, but everything involving them is much above what I would want my 12-year-old reading. I'm an adult, wit17 and up. It's a book about a group of teens, but everything involving them is much above what I would want my 12-year-old reading.

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I desperately wanted something fun, so I dug into my 2020 ARC stash and this did NOT disappoint. Sports Romances in YA that contain actual sports are so rare, and this is one of the most knowledgeable ones I've read so far, which is no surprise given the author. On top of that, I really love the way it balances not just romance but all these great family moments and friendships. This was just everything I love about light contemporary romance. (CW: Homophobia, in the first chapter)

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Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell

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I desperately wanted something fun, so I dug into my 2020 ARC stash and this did NOT disappoint. Sports Romances in YA that contain actual sports are so rare, and this is one of the most knowledgeable ones I've read so far, which is no surprise given the author.

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Mars is a queer, gender fluid teen who is dealing with their twin sister's recent death. They had grown apart in recent years and decide to investigate her time spent at the Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy with the Honeys, the group of girls named for the beehives they maintain. I've never been to summer camp IRL but after reading The Honeys, I feel like I have this summer. The less you know, the better. It gets weird and I loved it. Do yourself a favor and go in blind. Buzz Buzz Bitch! Thanks ...more

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Mars is a queer, gender fluid teen who is dealing with their twin sister's recent death. They had grown apart in recent years and decide to investigate her time spent at the Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy with the Honeys, the group of girls named for the beehives they maintain.

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Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

First Thoughts:
BREAK MY HEART. Thank you kindly.

Second Thoughts:
Yardley is an icon who deserves her own novel.

Final Thoughts:
This was not quite as traumatising as its prequel, We Were Liars, for me personally, but still displayed a focus on a wide array of issues, interspersed with scenes of summer fun and how the white and wealthy live. There is something so compelling about reading about the genuinely hard-hitting and the eye-roll worthy 'woe betide me' side-be-side.

O...more

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Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell

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Actual rating 4.5/5 stars. First Thoughts:BREAK MY HEART. Thank you kindly. Second Thoughts:Yardley is an icon who deserves her own novel. Final Thoughts:This was not quite as traumatising as its prequel, We Were Liars, for me personally, but still displayed a focus on a wide array of issues, interspersed with scenes of summer fun and how the white and wealthy live.

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I was soooo excited for this book and I'm so glad I wasn't disappointed! This was everything I wanted and more. Rich in Japanese culture, I was totally transported alongside Izumi as she learns she is actually a princess. She comes to know her father and also assume the role in a monarchy and culture that she is still learning about. She has to deal with the scrutiny of the press, and with a blooming romance between her and her guard. This was fun, light, fluffy, and heart warming, and just so d ...more

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Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell

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I was soooo excited for this book and I'm so glad I wasn't disappointed! This was everything I wanted and more. Rich in Japanese culture, I was totally transported alongside Izumi as she learns she is actually a princess. She comes to know her father and also assume the role in a monarchy and culture that she is still learning about.

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Amazon.com: Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle): 9781524720964: Kaufman, Amie, Kristoff, Jay: Books

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OVER 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD OF THE #1 BESTSELLING SERIES!

Don't miss this New York Times bestselling "impossible to put down" (Buzzfeed) novel with deadly stakes, thrilling twists, and juicy secrets-perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out . The games continue in The Hawthorne Legacy, The Final Gambit, and The Brothers Hawthorne

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why-or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.

To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch-and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

** !

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The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, 1)

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Amazon.com: The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, 1): 9780759555402: Barnes, Jennifer Lynn: Books

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What a beautiful story! I loved the plot, the pacing, and the characters. The fact that this is also a sports-themed story made it even more perfect for me. My soul is deeply moved. This book will haunt me in a good way forever. One of my favourite reads of all-time!

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What a beautiful story! I loved the plot, the pacing, and the characters. The fact that this is also a sports-themed story made it even more perfect for me. My soul is deeply moved. This book will haunt me in a good way forever. One of my favourite reads of all-time!

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There are two secondary sapphic characters who end up together, several (very minor) nonbinary characters, one character in a M/M marriage, and a brieThere are two secondary sapphic characters who end up together, several (very minor) nonbinary characters, one character in a M/M marriage, and a brief discussion of trans people existing and being fully accepted. It seems to be a queernorm world, aka one without queerphobia. ...more

The MC and her love interest are both coded as demisexual, as well.(less)

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There are two secondary sapphic characters who end up together, several (very minor) nonbinary characters, one character in a M/M marriage, and a brieThere are two secondary sapphic characters who end up together, several (very minor) nonbinary characters, one character in a M/M marriage, and a brief discussion of trans people existing and being fully accepted.

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I could not put this book down! Sex, lies, and fighting back against racism - this book is a wild ride, with an incredibly powerful message. A heart-racing and twisty thriller that grapples so much more than a simple mystery; ACE OF SPADES explores being both queer and Black, and the sinister, destructive nature of white supremacy and racism.

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Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell

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I could not put this book down! Sex, lies, and fighting back against racism - this book is a wild ride, with an incredibly powerful message. A heart-racing and twisty thriller that grapples so much more than a simple mystery; ACE OF SPADES explores being both queer and Black, and the sinister, destructive nature of white supremacy and racism.

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➵ the cuteness meter did not hit a hundred; how sad am I for not liking the main character but tbh, some scenes were genuinely cute and devin was easily my favourite. rtc.

↣ listened to the audiobook on scribd ↢

➵ have begun listening to this on a gloomy afternoon because the cover has bright vibes- hoping for the cuteness meter to hit a hundred....more

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➵ the cuteness meter did not hit a hundred; how sad am I for not liking the main character but tbh, some scenes were genuinely cute and devin was easily my favourite. rtc.

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A supernatural thriller about one girl’s hunt for the truth about her mother’s disappearance. Sophia’s first memory is of drowning. She ...

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The latest chilling frightfest from horror master K. R. Alexander . . . this time centering around a spooky hotel where guests do NOT check out the way they check in.

When Jasmine moves to Gold River after her mother's death, she finds herself powerfully drawn to the Carlisle, an abandoned hotel on the edge of town. It appears in her nightmares and calls to her during the day.

It's a local tradition in Gold River for kids to try to stay a night in the Carlisle without being scared away. When Jasmine hears about this, she convinces her friends to join her. How hard can it be to stay up all night in an abandoned old building?

Only... the building isn't abandoned. There are plenty of people staying there -- dead people. And once you walk into the hotel, they will do everything possible to stop you from checking out.

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Vacancy [Alexander, K. R.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Vacancy

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There's a near rape, involving a middle aged man and a 13 year old girl. The book also mentions girls getting topless, the 13 year old showing off herThere's a near rape, involving a middle aged man and a 13 year old girl. The book also mentions girls getting topless, the 13 year old showing off her butt to boys on purpose and wearing a wet white t shirt etc etc etc. ...more (less)

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Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies

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There's a near rape, involving a middle aged man and a 13 year old girl. The book also mentions girls getting topless, the 13 year old showing off herThere's a near rape, involving a middle aged man and a 13 year old girl.

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I love this book! Aside from good writing, intriguing plot, etc., what I found the most compelling thing about this book is that Charlie West is a good kid.
There's so many books out there for teenagers where the main characters have, to put it bluntly, lives that stink.
These authors write these books that are full of angst and the main characters have family problems, drug problems, problems at school, etc.
and these books get praised because "they're easy to relate to".
I hate books like that.
Now...more

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The Last Thing I Remember (The Homelanders, #1)

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I must admit, reading this book was an experiment - the one I didn't expect anything positive from. I am not a fan of contemporary books by Christina Lauren, but when authors of adult books write YA books, I am always a little bit curious as what will they bring from the other genre and what will they take from this genre. The House turned out to be a rather successful experiment and ultimately I am glad I read this book.

It is a horror/thriller YA - somewhere on the fringe between these two
...more

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I must admit, reading this book was an experiment - the one I didn't expect anything positive from. I am not a fan of contemporary books by Christina Lauren, but when authors of adult books write YA books, I am always a little bit curious as what will they bring from the other genre and what will they take from this genre.

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I don't plan to read that book. But right now I'm watching the movie...

Here's a few things I noticed...

(1) The male lead is one of the most unattractive male leads I have ever seen in any YA movie.

(2) Of course we get a "new student in a new school" setting.

(3) Of course there's a pretty, sweet blond girl, a handful of bullies and a bullied geek in this new high school. TOTALLY ORIGINAL.

Plus, since the main character is a boy instead of a girl, so we got a Pretty Blond Girl instead of a Prince...more

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I don't plan to read that book. But right now I'm watching the movie... Here's a few things I noticed... (1) The male lead is one of the most unattractive male leads I have ever seen in any YA movie. (2) Of course we get a "new student in a new school" setting.

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Read 48.1k reviews from the world's largest community for readers. My disease is as rare as it is famous. It's a form of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, ...

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Read 75.5k reviews from the world’s largest community for readers. For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to esc…

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simon & schuster books for young readers

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juvenile fiction / action & adventure / general

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juvenile fiction / social issues / death & dying

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young adult fiction / action & adventure / general

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young adult fiction / science fiction / general

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young adult fiction / social themes / death

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young adult fiction/action & adventure - general

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young adult fiction/science fiction - general

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first in a series; series; national book award; utopia; perfection; perfect; dystopia; disease; immortality; professional serial killer; serial killer; celebrity; rock star; killer virus; plague; chaos; pruning; superior race; master race; dark; thriller; adventure; morality; morals; michael j. printz award; printz honor; nyt bestseller; new york times bestseller

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young adult fiction / action & adventure / general

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young adult fiction / science fiction / general

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young adult fiction / social themes / death

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young adult fiction/action & adventure - general

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young adult fiction/science fiction - general

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Two teens must learn the "art of killing" in this Printz Honor-winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those...

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The Enemy has 17,645 ratings and 2,016 reviews. Laura said: "We can't lose all we believe in. Our sense of right and wrong, said Maxie. Just to survive....

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I know what I saw. Nothing ever happens on Kasia's street. And Kasia would know. Her illness keeps her home for days at a time, with lit...

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Bulls Eye is similar to the units of short stories that Ms.Aguda is teaching. Its about a girl who finds out that her aunt is her mother and that her mother is her aunt. And throughout the story she tries to locate her father.

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Bulls Eye is similar to the units of short stories that Ms.Aguda is teaching. Its about a girl who finds out that her aunt is her mother and that her mother is her aunt. And throughout the story she tries to locate her father.

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Gossip Girl meets Mad Max in this breakneck thriller where the line between rich and poor is the line between life and death.You can't buy your way out of the end of the world in this edge-of-your-seat adventure from an internationally bestselling author.

Rich vs. Poor. Life vs. Death.

When Skye Rogers and her twin brother, Red, move to Manhattan, rumors of a coming global apocalypse are building. But the ultra-wealthy young elites at their prestigious school keep partying like there's no tomorrow--while the city around them starts to fall apart.

Then Skye and Red are invited to join the Secret Runners, an exclusive group that has access to horrifying truths about the future. Can that insider information save them? Or is this the only time even one-percenters can't buy their way to safety?

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Amazon.com: The Secret Runners: 9780593125809: Reilly, Matthew: Books

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Sometimes you don't wake up. But if you happen to, you know things will never be the same. Three lives, three different paths to the sam...

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PERSONAL RESPONSE
This book is incredible. It shows the struggle and hardship of playing football. It really describes how challenging it is to get good at it, and become a star athlete. Once someone is there, it is easy to do stupid things to stay there.

PLOT SUMMARY
Mick Johnson was an excellent football player, and so was his father. His father started practicing with Mick when he was really young. Going from pee wee football to high school football, Mick found challenges, but still loved the g...more

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PERSONAL RESPONSEThis book is incredible. It shows the struggle and hardship of playing football. It really describes how challenging it is to get good at it, and become a star athlete. Once someone is there, it is easy to do stupid things to stay there.

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Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Rampling

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When the World Was Ours book. Read 274 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. From the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wi...

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It is a very good book. Where euphoria is very wild, it is quite opposite- it is mild. There is not a lot of sexual scenes and more of a book on how aIt is a very good book. Where euphoria is very wild, it is quite opposite- it is mild. There is not a lot of sexual scenes and more of a book on how a family member of an addict feels. It is a nice and a very comfortable read and I would definitely recommend it. ...more (less)

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It is a very good book. Where euphoria is very wild, it is quite opposite- it is mild. There is not a lot of sexual scenes and more of a book on how aIt is a very good book. Where euphoria is very wild, it is quite opposite- it is mild.

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This book was really hard to read as it is to review. First of all, take the trigger warnings here seriously in this book- they happen on and off page. This is an intense book about serious issues.

This book follows Dani who can see and communicate with ghosts. After meeting and bonding with a ghost named Sarah over mutual trauma, they become very close. But Dani has a secret, and that he is trans, and knows this won't go over well with Sarah. When Dani and Sarah discover more ghosts, they get...more

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This book was really hard to read as it is to review. First of all, take the trigger warnings here seriously in this book- they happen on and off page. This is an intense book about serious issues. This book follows Dani who can see and communicate with ghosts.

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"The world breaks little girls. It stomps out our will, our joy, our curiosity-and replaces them with disdain, cynicism, and the need to fit into neat and tiny boxes. I learned that young, in kindergarten, when the other kids called Stella a show-off for raising her hand during class, or when the boys in first grade said I was bossy for leading a reading circle. When Stella and I would overhear the other moms at the Elite Youth Runner's Club: The Steckler sisters are just a little much. That's how we were described while the boys were sprinting around the playground kicking and screaming, breaking and biting. The world doesn't celebrate girls who take up space, who demand to be heard, who are just a little much."

More quotes...

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"The world breaks little girls. It stomps out our will, our joy, our curiosity-and replaces them with disdain, cynicism, and the need to fit into neat and tiny boxes. I learned that young, in kindergarten, when the other kids called Stella a show-off for raising her hand during class, or when the boys in first grade said I was bossy for leading a reading circle.

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EL is just one of those reliable authors who never disappoints with their storytelling.

i knew this story would deliver in terms of immaculate world-building with lush mythology, easy-going writing that expertly tells intriguing legends, and strong characters who are worth rooting for. as anticipated, this is a really well-rounded story that lives up to expectations on every front.

the only downside is i thought seryu the dragon was the most interesting character in the entire thing and he got s...more

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Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes, #1)

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EL is just one of those reliable authors who never disappoints with their storytelling. i knew this story would deliver in terms of immaculate world-building with lush mythology, easy-going writing that expertly tells intriguing legends, and strong characters who are worth rooting for.

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Race to the Bottom of the Earth book. Read 33 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A nonfiction book for young readers chronicling two...

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Playing with Fire book. Read 186 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. When a fire cuts off a popular trail in the Oregon forest, a sma...

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Something was missing. Either not enough character build up or description. Never read such a story a new narrative but is bland the right word? So I slept on it and I think the second book of the college years and him turning pro. What happens in college life? How are the deal put together, does he go Web.com or international. Who is the new caddy?

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Something was missing. Either not enough character build up or description. Never read such a story a new narrative but is bland the right word? So I slept on it and I think the second book of the college years and him turning pro. What happens in college life?

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Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews

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Mary B. Addison killed a baby. Allegedly. She didn't say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only ...

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Fifteen-year-old Will, immobilized with grief when his older brother Shawn is
shot and killed, slowly comes to mull The Rules in his head. There are three: don't
cry, don't snitch, and "if someone you love / gets killed, / find the person / who

Spanning a mere one minute and seven seconds, Reynolds' new free-verse novel is an intense snapshot of the chain reaction caused by pulling a trigger. First, 15-year-old Will Holloman sets the scene by relating his brother's, Shawn's, murder two days prior-gunned down while buying soap for their mother. Next, he lays out The Rules: don't cry, don't snitch, always get revenge. Now that the reader is up to speed, Will tucks Shawn's gun into his waistband and steps into an elevator, steeled to execute rule number three and shoot his brother's killer. Yet, the simple seven-floor descent becomes a revelatory trip. At each floor, the doors open to admit someone killed by the same cycle of violence that Will's about to enter. He's properly freaked out, but as the seconds tick by and floors count down, each new occupant drops some knowledge and pushes Will to examine his plans for that gun. Reynolds' concise verses echo like shots against the white space of the page, their impact resounding. He peels back the individual stories that led to this moment in the elevator and exposes a culture inured to violence because poverty, gang life, or injustice has left them with no other option. In this all too real portrait of survival, Reynolds goes toe-to-toe with where, or even if, love and choice are allowed to exist.
killed / them and / kill them." So Will locates Shawn's gun, leaves his family's
eighth-floor apartment, and-well, here is where this intense verse novel becomes

After 15-year-old Will sees his older brother, Shawn, gunned down on the streets, he sets out to do the expected: the rules dictate no crying, no snitching, and revenge. Though the African-American teen has never held one, Will leaves his apartment with his brother's gun tucked in his waistband. As he travels down on the elevator, the door opens on certain floors, and Will is confronted with a different figure from his past, each a victim of gun violence, each important in his life. They also force Will to face the questions he has about his plan. As each "ghost" speaks, Will realizes how much of his own story has been unknown to him and how intricately woven they are. Told in free-verse poems, this is a raw, powerful, and emotional depiction of urban violence. The structure of the novel heightens the tension, as each stop of the elevator brings a new challenge until the narrative arrives at its taut, ambiguous ending. There is considerable symbolism, including the 15 bullets in the gun and the way the elevator rules parallel street rules. Reynolds masterfully weaves in textured glimpses of the supporting characters. Throughout, readers get a vivid picture of Will and the people in his life, all trying to cope with the circumstances of their environment while expressing the love, uncertainty, and hope that all humans share. This astonishing book will generate much needed discussion. (Verse fiction. 12-adult) -- Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW ―

Fifteen-year-old Will's big brother has been shot and killed. According to the rules that Will has been taught, it is now his job to kill the person responsible. He easily finds his brother's gun and gets on the elevator to head down from his eighth-floor apartment. But it's a long way down to the ground floor. At each floor, a different person gets on to tell a story. Each of these people is already dead. As they relate their tales, readers learn about the cycle of violence in which Will is caught up. The protagonist faces a difficult choice, one that is a reality for many young people. Teens are left with an unresolved ending that goes beyond the simple question of whether Will will seek revenge. Told in verse, this title is fabulistic in its simplicity and begs to be discussed. Its hook makes for an excellent booktalk. It will pair well with Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and Reynolds's previous works. The unique narrative structure also makes it an excellent read-alike for Walter Dean Myers's Monster. VERDICT This powerful work is an important addition to any collection.\ -- School Library Journal *STARRED* ―

Will, 15, is following his neighborhood's well-established rules-don't cry, don't snitch, but do get revenge "if someone you love/ gets killed"-when he leaves his apartment, intent on killing whoever murdered his older brother, Shawn. He's emboldened by the gun tucked into his waistband: "I put my hand behind my back/ felt the imprint/ of the piece, like/ another piece/ of me/ an extra vertebra,/ some more/ backbone." As Will makes his way to the ground floor of his building, the elevator stops to accept passengers, each an important figure from his past, all victims of gun violence. Are these ghosts? Or is it Will's subconscious at work, forcing him to think about what he intends to do and what it will accomplish? The story unfolds in the time it takes for the elevator to descend, and it ends with a two-word question that hits like a punch to the gut. Written entirely in spare verse, this is a tour de force from a writer who continues to demonstrate his skill as an exceptionally perceptive chronicler of what it means to be a black teen in America. -- Publishers Weekly *STARRED REVIEW ―

The newest work for teens by Jason Reynolds (author of
a gripping drama, as on each floor of the descending elevator Will is joined by yet
another victim or perpetrator in the chain of violence that took his brother's life.
Shawn's best friend Buck gets into the elevator on seven; Dani, Will's friend from
childhood, gets in on six; Will and Shawn's uncle Mark gets in on five, in a cloud
of cigarette smoke. And so it goes, each stop of the elevator adding to the chorus
of ghosts (including Will and Shawn's father), each one with his or her perspective
on The Rules. The poetry is stark, fluently using line breaks and page-turns for
dramatic effect; the last of these reveals the best closing line of a novel this season.
Read alone (though best aloud), the novel is a high-stakes moral thriller; it's also a
perfect if daring choice for readers' theater. -- The Horn Book **STARRED** ― July/August 2017 HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A noisy buzz always surrounds this critically acclaimed author's work, and the planned tour and promo campaign will boost this book's to a siren call. -- Booklist Online, STARRED REVIEW ― July 1st, 2017 7/15/17 July 2017 July 31, 2017 2017 Indies First spokesperson) begins with 15-year-old William speaking directly to the reader: "I haven't/ told nobody the story/ I'm about to tell you./ And truth is, you probably ain't/ gon' believe it either/ gon' think I'm lying/ or I'm losing it,/ but I'm telling you,/ this story is true."

The day before yesterday, Will's older brother, Shawn, went to the other side of their largely black neighborhood--purportedly crossing rival lines--to get their mother special soap for her eczema. Shortly after Shawn left, Will and his friend, who were talking outside, heard shots. They immediately did what they had been trained to do: "Pressed our lips to the/ pavement and prayed/ the boom, followed by/ the buzz of a bullet,/ ain't meet us."

Afterward, Will says, "me and Tony/ waited like we always do,/ for the rumble to stop,/ before picking our heads up/ and poking our heads out/ to count the bodies./ This time/ there was only one": Shawn. "[I]f the blood/ inside you," Will tells the reader, "is on the inside/ of someone else/ you never want to/ see it on the outside of/ them."

Now, two days later, Will is heartbroken and desperate as he abides by "The Rules" he's been taught all of his life; he won't cry and he won't snitch. And, most importantly, he plans to follow through with the third rule: "if someone you love/ gets killed,/ find the person/ who killed/ them and/ kill them." He finds a gun in Shawn's dresser--one bullet under a full clip--and sets off to kill the person who killed his brother.

With the gun tucked into the waistband of his pants, Will gets on the elevator at 9:08:02 a.m. The next 200-plus pages of action take place between the time Will enters the elevator and when it reaches the lobby a moment later, at 9:09:09 a.m. As Will takes the long trip down, a new person boards at every floor. Each new person is a friend or loved one from Will's past; each new person is dead, a victim of gun violence.

As the ghosts of those killed congregate in the elevator to tell Will their stories, their interconnected tales are untangled and Will begins to see how the things he thinks he knows may not be true at all, and that The Rules just perpetuate the cycle of violence and keep everyone down.

Will's trip between floors and through time is powerful and painful. Reynolds's work is rich with symbolism, the verse lending a feeling of immediacy to the 300-page, 60-second journey. Long Way Down is an intense read with a beautifully ambiguous ending that highlights the humanity of those who are regularly touched by and contribute to gun violence. -- Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness Shelf Talker: Will is visited by the ghosts of victims of gun violence as he prepares to kill someone himself in Jason Reynolds's thoughtful and captivating Long Way Down . -- Shelf Awareness ― September 6, 2017 October 2017

In this free-verse novel, it's been fewer than two days since narrator Will witnessed the shooting death of his older brother, Shawn. Now, according to the "rules" passed from father to son, brother to brother, revenge is the next order of business, and Carlon Riggs, a member of the Dark Suns gang, is in Will's crosshairs. Taking the gun jammed into Shawn's dresser, Will heads to the elevator on the seventh floor of his apartment building and presses the "L" button (which he and Shawn used to pretend stood for "loser" rather than "lobby") at 9:08:02 am. Before he reaches the lobby at 9:09:09, six ghosts will enter the elevator-victims, perpetrators, or both, entangled in a chain of murder, misidentification, and revenge that led to Shawn's death; together they challenge Will's perspective on the killing and on his role in vigilante justice. The ghosts all know one another as confederates in death, and all history that might have once made them enemies is now overshadowed by their detachment from mortal issues; they can share cigarettes and a mildly sardonic view of the absurdity of their collective backstory. The spirits, particularly Will's uncle, father, and brother, have Will's interest at heart; they won't tell Will what to do, but they break through his anger and pride and point him to a place where he can allow himself to grieve and reconsider. Will's voice emerges through free-verse poems that are arresting in their imagery and convincing in their conversational cadence. Gripping and lightning fast, this will be a strong recommendation for discussion, particularly within groups of varied reading interests and abilities. -- BCCB *STARRED REVIEW ―

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Amazon.com: Long Way Down: 9781481438254: Reynolds, Jason: Books

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Personal Response: I personally feel like this book is very powerful and inspirational. The theme itself talks about faith and god. When Tebow was stuck mentally after he was let loose from his former football team, he had learned to overcome certain obstacles that were blocking his goal for reaching Quarterback one day. I think its an overall powerful message being let out. The simple fact to not give up when you are at your lowest because you never know what great can come out of something so...more

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Personal Response: I personally feel like this book is very powerful and inspirational. The theme itself talks about faith and god. When Tebow was stuck mentally after he was let loose from his former football team, he had learned to overcome certain obstacles that were blocking his goal for reaching Quarterback one day.

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The Last Cuentista book. Read 79 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more tha...

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Notes From Your Bookseller

Ruta Sepetys is a masterful historical fiction author, and I Must Betray You is no exception. Set in the not-too-distant past - 1989, to be exact - I Must Betray You follows 17-year-old Cristian Florescu in Communist Romania as he grapples with his newfound position as an informant for the secret police. This page-turning step into the past will give readers insight into a time many know little about.

#1 New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal!

A gut-wrenching, startling historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.

Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren't free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.

Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He's left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves-or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.

Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?

Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys is back with a historical thriller that examines the little-known history of a nation defined by silence, pain, and the unwavering conviction of the human spirit.
Praise for I Must Betray You:
"As educational as it is thrilling...[T]he power of I Must Betray You [is] it doesn't just describe the destabilizing effects of being spied on; it will make you experience them too." -New York Times Book Review

"A historical heart-pounder...Ms. Sepetys, across her body of work, has become a tribune of the unsung historical moment and a humane voice of moral clarity." -The Wall Street Journal

* "Sepetys brilliantly blends a staggering amount of research with heart, craft, and insight in a way very few writers can. Compulsively readable and brilliant." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Sepetys once again masterfully portrays a dark, forgotten corner of history." -Booklist, starred review

* "Sepetys's latest book maintains the caliber readers have come to expect from an author whose focus on hidden histories has made her a YA powerhouse of historical fiction...Sepetys is a formidable writer, and her stories declare the need to write about global issues of social injustice. For that reason and her attention to detail, this is a must-read." -School Library Journal, starred review

* "Cristian's tense first-person narrative foregrounds stark historical realities, unflinchingly confronting deprivations and cruelty while balancing them with perseverance and hope as Romania hurtles toward political change." -Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Sepetys keeps readers riveted to this vivid, heartbreaking and compelling novel, locked into every meticulously researched detail. I Must Betray You demands a full investment from its audience—through poetic writing, sympathetic characters, revolutionary plot and pacing, it grips the heart and soul and leaves one breathless." -Shelf Awareness, starred review

"A master class in pacing and atmosphere." -BookPage

Product Details

ISBN-13:

9781984836045

Publisher:

Penguin Young Readers Group

Publication date:

05/02/2023

Pages:

336

Sales rank:

5,396

Product dimensions:

8.10(w) x 5.40(h) x 1.20(d)

Age Range:

12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Ruta Sepetys (www.rutasepetys.com) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Sepetys is considered a "crossover" novelist, as her books are read by both teens and adults worldwide. Her novels Between Shades of Gray, Out of the Easy, and Salt to the Sea have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes, and are included on more than sixty state award lists. Between Shades of Gray was adapted into the film Ashes in the Snow, and her other novels are currently in development for TV and film. Winner of the Carnegie Medal, Ruta is passionate about the power of history and literature to foster global awareness and connectivity. She has presented to NATO, to the European Parliament, in the United States Capitol, and at embassies worldwide. Ruta was born and raised in Michigan and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @RutaSepetys.

Read an Excerpt

1
Unu
Fear arrived at five o'clock.

It was October. A gray Friday.

If I had known? I would have run. Tried to hide.

But I didn't know.

Through the dim half-light of the school corridor I spotted my best friend, Luca. He walked toward me, passing the tedious sign shouting from the concrete wall.
New Men of Romania: Long live Communism-the bright future of mankind!
At the time, my mind churned on something far from communism. Something more immediate.

School dismissed at 7:00 p.m. If I left at the right moment, I'd fall into step with her-the quiet girl with the hair hiding her eyes. It would feel coincidental, not forced.

Luca's tall, thin frame edged in beside me. "It's official. My stomach's eating itself."

"Here." I handed him my small pouch of sunflower seeds.

"Thanks. Did you hear? The librarian says you're a bad influence."

I laughed. Maybe it was true. Teachers referred to Luca as "sweet" but said I was sarcastic. If I was the type to throw a punch, Luca was the type to break up a fight. He had an eagerness about him, while I preferred to evaluate and watch from afar.

We paused so Luca could talk to a group of loud girls. I waited, impatient.

" Hei, Cristian," smiled one of the girls. "Nice hair, do you cut it with a kitchen knife?"

"Yeah," I said softly. "Blindfolded." I gave Luca a nod and continued down the hall alone.

"Pupil Florescu!"

The voice belonged to the school director. He lingered in the hallway, speaking with a colleague. Comrade Director shifted his weight, trying to appear casual.

Nothing was ever casual.

In class, we sat erect. Comrade Instructor lectured, bellowing at our group of forty students. We listened, stock still and squinting beneath the sickly light. We were marked "present" in attendance but were often absent from ourselves.

Luca and me, we wore navy suits and ties to liceu. All boys did. Girls, navy pinafores and white hair bands. Embroidered badges sewn onto our uniforms identified which school we attended. But in the fall and winter, our school uniforms weren't visible. They were covered by coats, knitted mufflers, and gloves to combat the bitter cold of the unheated cement building.

Cold and dark. Knuckles aching. It's hard to take notes when you can't feel your fingers. It's difficult to concentrate when the electricity snaps off.

The director cleared his throat. "Pupil Florescu," he repeated. "Proceed to the office. Your father has left a message for you."

My father? My father never came to school. I rarely saw him. He worked twelve-hour shifts, six days a week at a furniture factory.

A slithering knot coiled inside my stomach. "Yes, Comrade Director."

I proceeded to the office as I was told.

Could outsiders understand? In Romania, we did as we were told.

We were told a lot of things.

We were told that we were all brothers and sisters in communism. Addressing each other with the term "comrade" reinforced that we were all equal, with no social classes to divide us. Good brothers and sisters in communism followed rules.

I pretended to follow rules. I kept things to myself, like my interest in poetry and philosophy. I pretended other things too. I pretended to lose my comb, but really just preferred my hair spiky. I pretended not to notice when girls were looking at me. And this one-I pretended that studying English was a commitment to my country.

"Words are weapons. I'll be able to fight our American and British enemies with words, not only guns."

That's what I said.

Our weapons course was called Preparing Youth for Defending the Country. We began training with guns at age fourteen in school. Is that old or young compared to other countries? I remember jotting that question in my secret notebook.

In reality, my desire to speak English had nothing to do with fighting our enemies. How many enemies did we have, anyway? I honestly didn't know. The truth was, English class was full of smart, quiet girls. Girls I pretended not to notice. And if I spoke English, I could better understand song lyrics that I heard illegally on Voice of America broadcasts.

Illegal, yes. Many things were illegal in Romania-including my thoughts and my notebook. But I was convinced I could keep everything hidden. After all, blankets of gloom are thick and heavy. Good for covering things, right?

I proceeded down the dark hallway to the office.

I was an idiot.

I just didn't know it yet.
2 Doi
I

entered the school office. The old, brittle secretary glanced at me, then looked to her lap. No eye contact. She pointed a shriveled finger toward the director's office.

My stomach curled, tighter.

A windowless box. Smoke-stained ceiling. The stale, suspended tang of moldy paper. Hanging above the director's plain, blocky desk was a portrait in a golden frame. Identical portraits decorated all of Romania-classrooms, train stations, stores, hospitals, and even the front of books.

Him.

Nicolae Ceauşescu.

Our beloved leader. Our hero. Maverick of the grand Communist Party of Romania and vampire to the necks of millions. Illegal metaphor? Absolutely.

The new portrait depicted our hero with blushing cheeks and wavy, thick brown hair. He and his wife, Heroine Mother Elena, had guided the country of Romania for twenty-four years. I didn't linger on the picture that showed a much younger version of our leader. Instead, my eyes pulled to the stranger seated below the portrait.

Mid-thirties. Unbroken line of an eyebrow. More scalp than hair. Hands each the size of a tennis racket and shoulders extending well beyond the width of the chair.

"Close the door," instructed the man.

I closed the wooden door but did not sit. I was not told to.

The stranger peeled through a file in front of him. A photo clipped to the upper edge of the folder showed a young man with messy dark hair and pale eyes. And that's when the floor of my stomach collapsed.

Sitting a meter away was not just a hulking man with one eyebrow and paddles for hands.

No.

This man was executioner, black rider, and spy. He was an agent of the Securitate, Romania's fearsome secret police. Within his grasp sat a file and a photo.

Of me.

"They say there's one Secu per every fifty Romanians," my sister Cici once warned. "There are twenty-three million Romanians. Do the math. Securitate agents, they're everywhere."

We called them "the blue-eyed boys." Nickname aside, they were generally easy to spot. In Romania, if your family was lucky enough to afford a car and could wait five years until one became available, you knew what you were getting. There was only one brand of car-Dacia. They came in a few colors like white, blue, or green. But the secret police, they drove black Dacias. A young man in our apartment block drove a black Dacia. I watched him from our balcony. I was intrigued from afar.

The man in front of me drove a black Dacia. I was certain of it. But I was not intrigued.

I was scared.

The agent leaned back, bullying the metal chair he sat upon. His eyes drilled silent holes through me, splitting the walls of my confidence. He waited, and waited, allowing the holes to fill with fear.

His weight suddenly shifted. The front legs of the chair clapped to the floor. He leaned across the desk, exhaling the dead nicotine that lived on his pasty, yellow tongue. His words still haunt me.

"You're Cristian Florescu," he said. "And I know what you've done."
3 Trei
H

e knew what I had done.

What had I done?

The truth was, most Romanians broke the rules someway or another. There were so many to break. And so many to report that you had broken them.

A songwriter wrote negative lyrics about life in Romania. He was committed to an insane asylum.

A college student was discovered with an unregistered typewriter. He was sent to prison.

Complaining aloud could get you arrested as a "political agitator." But I hadn't complained aloud. I did most things quietly. Secretly. So what had this agent discovered?

Was it my homemade radio antenna? The jokes I composed? Was it the travel guide?

I bought English language stuff on the sly, through a neighborhood trader named Starfish. Reading English contraband bolstered my vocabulary. My last purchase was a handful of pages torn from a travel guide printed in England. Foreign travel guides and maps were often confiscated from visitors. Reading those pages, I learned why:

Abysmal conditions in Romania.

Nicolae Ceauşescu. Ruthless leader. Megalomaniac. Everyone under surveillance.

Worst human suffering of any country in the Eastern Bloc.

And this one-

Romanian people are intelligent, handsome, and welcoming, but forbidden to interact with foreigners. Imagine a madhouse where the lunatics are running the asylum and the workers are punished for their sanity. Best to avoid Romania. Visit Hungary or Bulgaria instead, where conditions are better.

The note about surveillance-it was true. Everyone was a possible target for surveillance. She, Mother Elena Ceauşescu, even decreed that balconies of apartments must remain fully visible. The Communist Party had a right to see everything at all times. Everything was owned by the Party. And the Ceauşescus owned the Party.

"Nice for them. They don't have to live in a block of cement," I once sneered.

"Shh. Don't ever say that aloud," gasped my mother.

I never said it again, but I wrote about it in my notebook.

My notebook. Wait. Was this about my notebook?

The agent motioned for me to sit. I sat.

"Do you know why you are here?" he asked.

"No, Comrade Lieutenant."

"Comrade Major."

I swallowed. "No, Comrade Major, I don't know why I'm here."

"Let me enlighten you then. You have an impressive stamp collection. You sold a vintage Romanian stamp. The transaction was with a foreigner and you accepted foreign currency. You are now guilty of illegal trafficking and will be prosecuted."

A chill flashed across the back of my neck. My brain began to tick:

The old stamp.

The U.S. dollar bill.

That was two months ago. How long had they known about it?

"I didn't sell the stamp," I said. "I gave it to him. I didn't even find the-"

I stopped. It was illegal in Romania to say the word "dollar."

"I didn't find the . . . currency . . . until several days later when I opened the album. He must have slipped it in without me seeing."

"How did you come to interact with an American teenager in the first place? Interaction with foreigners is illegal. You must report any contact with foreigners immediately. You are aware of that."

"Yes, Comrade Major. But my mother cleans the apartments of two U.S. diplomats. That is on record."

But there were things that were off record. At least I had thought so. I had met the son of the U.S. diplomat while waiting for my mother. We became friendly. We traded stamps. We talked. I glimpsed a peek at his notebook-and decided to start a notebook of my own.

"Your mother cleans the apartments of U.S. diplomats. How did she get that job?"

"I think . . . through a friend?" I honestly couldn't remember. "I met the American while waiting for my mother. I often walk her home. My mother has a hard time seeing in the dark. It's frightening for her."

"You're claiming you engaged in illegal currency activity with an American teenager because your mother is afraid of the dark? Your mother's handicap has nothing to do with your crime. But punishment will extend to your entire family."

A crime? My entire family?

But I had never accepted the dollar. It just . . . appeared.

How did he even know about it?

The pleading refrains of my mother and sister appeared in chorus.
Don't tell anyone-anything.
Remember, Cristian, you never know who's listening.

Please, don't draw attention to our family.

I stared at the agent in front of me. A shivery sweat glazed my palms and an invisible moth flapped in my windpipe. In Romania, the Securitate carried more power than the military. This man could destroy us. He could put our family under increased surveillance. He could ruin my opportunity to attend university. He could have my parents fired. Or worse.

The agent leaned forward, placing his massive flesh rackets on the desk.

"I can see you've absorbed the severity of the situation. I'm told you're a strong student, talented, an observer among your peers. I'm feeling generous today."

He was letting me off with a warning. I exhaled with gratitude.

" Mulţumesc. I-"

"You're thanking me? You haven't heard my proposal yet. It's simple and, as I said, very generous of me. You will continue to meet your mother and walk her home. You will continue your interactions with the son of the American diplomat. And you will report details of the diplomat's home and family to me."

It was not a proposal. It was an order, and one that compromised all principles of decency. I'd be a rat, a turnător, secretly informing on the private lives of others.

I could never tell my family. Constant deception. I should refuse. But if I refused, my family would suffer. I was sure of that. And then, amidst the silence, the agent made his final move.

"Say, how is your bunu?"

Şahmat. Checkmate. The simple mention weakened me.

He knew about my grandfather. Bunu was a light, full of wisdom and philosophy. Bunu knew of my interest in poetry and literature. He encouraged it. Quietly.

"They steal our power by making us believe we don't have any," said Bunu. "But words and creative phrases-they have power, Cristian. Explore that power in your mind."

The stamp collection was Bunu's treasure. It had been our secret project for years.

We had other secrets. Like Bunu's leukemia. It stormed upon him so quickly.

"Don't tell anyone," begged our perpetually nervous mother.

We didn't have to. Anyone could see that an energetic, healthy man had suddenly turned gray and shriveled. He lifted the frying pan and his wrist snapped.

Paddle Hands cleared his throat. "It's a generous proposal. We'll work together. You give me information and I give you medicine for Bunu. He won't suffer."

And that's how it began.

I was Cristian Florescu. Code name "OSCAR."

A seventeen-year-old spy.

An informer.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1 New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal!A gut-wrenching, startling historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea</i...

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Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they're both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There's an app for that. It's called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure-to live a lifetime in a single day.

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Nic Stone wrote realistically, painfully so, transmitting all the feelings and hurt. Quan who I didn't like all that much in Dear Martin, carved a special place in my heart. Being able to see the world through his perspective, his narrat...more

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Marissa Meyer writes an atmospheric reimagining of Rumpelstiltskin set in Germany, an enchanting gothic fairytale world firmly rooted in the nightmare horror end of the genre. 18 year old miller's daughter, Serilda, lives with her father, bestowed with her golden wheeled eyes and talent for deception, she is shunned by most locals as cursed, untrustworthy and a born liar.

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About Nnedi Okorafor

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Aaaand Nnedi's novel Who Fears Death has been optioned by HBO and is in development as a TV series with George RR Martin as executive producer!

Why readers absolutely love Akata Witch:

3 recommended reads from my vacation! 1. AKATA WITCH by Nnedi Okorafor. While reading it, my fitbit thought I was exercising bc of my pulse.

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It's a certified page-turner.

Reading Akata Witch by @Nnedi Okorafor. Fascinating MG fantasy based on Nigerian myth & folklore. More complete report later.

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It's a beautiful addition to diverse fantasy.

The magical elements are unlike any other fantasy you've read.

The author addresses real life issues even though it's set in a fantasy world.

Because feminism. YES.

Can't wait to dive in? Read the first two chapters of Akata Witch below!

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Throw Like a Girl book. Read 76 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. The evidence is overwhelming: sports help girls grow into strong ...

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I'm a middle school librarian and I think this book is appropriate for middle school. Even though there is some mature subject matter involving teen pI'm a middle school librarian and I think this book is appropriate for middle school. Even though there is some mature subject matter involving teen pregnancy, it is only the result of the pregnancy that is discussed in any detail in the book. There may be some sensitivity to the concluding chapters as well for some students, but I believe my seventh and eighth graders, as well as my mature sixth grade readers would be fine with the book. I do agree that "Children's" is a misleading label, however. ...more (less)

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I'm a middle school librarian and I think this book is appropriate for middle school. Even though there is some mature subject matter involving teen pI'm a middle school librarian and I think this book is appropriate for middle school.

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(forgive me for my bad poetry skills)

And this book was so badddd
it hurt my brain
I wish I could
write something better
but I cannot
with its angst
and its woman hating
female lead
it tried to tell me
that I was wrong
it tried to put
femininity into a box
and I just couldn't
take it any more
but it didn't get better
for the love interest
was just as crappy
he was the worst best friend ever
and gave excuses
and then became a man-whore to cope
with what was ultimately his decision
he didn't listen to what she had t...more

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Camila (previously the opinionated Catruler)

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(forgive me for my bad poetry skills) And this book was so baddddit hurt my brainI wish I could write something betterbut I cannotwith its angstand its woman hating female leadit tried to tell methat I was wrongit tried to putfemininity into a boxand I just couldn't take it any morebut it didn't get betterfor the love interestwas just as crappyhe was the worst best friend everand gave excusesand then became a man-whore to copewith what was ultimately his decisionhe didn't listen to what she had t...more

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The book is not at all sexual, but it does get quite violent. There is a series of bombs that go off throughout the school, so as you could imagine, tThe book is not at all sexual, but it does get quite violent. There is a series of bombs that go off throughout the school, so as you could imagine, there is some death and gory details. The book also has quite a bit of swearing, but honestly nothing I would deem as inappropriate. There is also talk of suicide and gun violence. The book is very interesting and I really enjoyed it, so I definitely recommend you read it. I would rate the book 12+, due to the violence part. ...more (less)

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The book is not at all sexual, but it does get quite violent. There is a series of bombs that go off throughout the school, so as you could imagine, tThe book is not at all sexual, but it does get quite violent.

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Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court

I Picked Up This Book Because: Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Im not sure what I was expecting. I knew Kareem was a basketball player and I knew I would be hearing about his life. I was surprised to learn what a deep thinker he is. How educated and well read. How he lived and dealt with the civil unrest going on in the country while trying to build a professional career.

I think hearing this in Kareems voice made it feel so much more...more

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Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court I Picked Up This Book Because: Seemed like a good idea at the time. Im not sure what I was expecting. I knew Kareem was a basketball player and I knew I would be hearing about his life.

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Hockey history is filled with larger-than-life icons from its early years through the modern game. This title explores the achievements of hockeyÕs greats, their seemingly unbreakable records, greatest triumphs, and the pioneering efforts of women to grow the sport into a game truly for everyone. The title features exciting stories, engaging photographs, informative sidebars, a glossary, and an index.

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GOATs of Hockey (Sports Goats: the Greatest of All Time) [Anthony K. Hewson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. GOATs of Hockey (Sports Goats: the Greatest of All Time)

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Read 76k reviews from the world's largest community for readers. I have a curse I have a gift I am a monster I'm more than human My touch is lethal My to...

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Erik is preparing for his first-ever hunting trip when he learns that his parents are being deployed to Iraq. A few days later, Erik is s...