Hero

Hero by S.L. Rottman

Okay, if you enjoyed The Outsiders, you'll probably enjoy this book. It's very boy-centered, very realistic, and very tough. The author even has initials like S.E. Hinton! (Also, S.R. Rottman is a girl, too!)

Sean is a 15 year old who is frequently in trouble - in school and out of school. His father is absent, and his mother is an emotionally and physically abusive drunk. After getting picked up by the police for trouble-making, Sean must complete community service at a farm owned by Mr. H. On Sean's first day there, he must help Mr. H with a difficult labor and delivery of a foal - a foal that Sean names Knickers. The foal's mother instantly rejects her baby, and Knickers must be bottle fed and kept away from his mother. Sean makes an instant connection with this young horse, and his attitude about his community service begins to change. While Sean finds purpose in his work at the farm, his mother's abusiveness escalates.

At first, this felt very programmed. However, the story goes to an unexpected place in the last few chapters, and that definitely improved the story a great deal. And while this story is a great companion to The Outsiders, it doesn't capture the deft characterization that SE Hinton manages (even though she was only 15!). (Also, I must mention that sometimes SE Hinton's characterization DEFINITELY shows her youth! Like the overly detailed descriptions of physical appearance!) It also doesn't make the characters nearly as lovable. But for fans of The Outsiders, I would very much recommend this book!

Flying Lessons & Other Stories

Flying Lessons & Other Stories -- Edited by Ellen Oh

This is a great collection of short stories. When I was younger, I really enjoyed short story collections. As I've gotten older, I've moved away from them. I don't know why, since they are a perfect fit for a working parent. This collection focuses on diversity. A lot of them focus on the quiet support of an adult in the background. After you read so many YA novels, (especially anything that's not realistic fiction) you begin to wonder if there are any responsible, sensible adults around! Perhaps that's why I like Matt de la Pena's "How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium" and Meg Medina's "Sol Painting, Inc." best. In the background (but really foreground) of both stories, is a quiet, strong, supportive dad. I guess these stories are very touching to me, even though my dad could be a real talker, too, at times.

I also really loved Soman Chainani's "Flying Lessons" in which a grandmother pushes her shy, awkward grandson to bloom. "The Difficult Path" by Grace Lin was more historical fiction with a pirate twist, so as a fan of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, I took to the ending of this quickly.

Long enough to feel connected to the characters, but short enough to read in one sitting. This was really a pleasure.

Iqbal

Iqbal by Francesco D'Adamo

Iqbal Masih was a young boy living in Pakistan during the 1990s. He was sold into slavery to help pay off his debts. Through determination, he helped free himself and those who worked with him, eventually freeing hundreds of other children and  becoming a global spokesperson against child slavery.

This story is a fictionalized account told from the perspective of a character named Fatima. She narrates life with the carpet maker who holds all the children prisoner. She details the cruelty and the chains and the nightmare of being punished in "The Tomb." Through her eyes you see how dead the children are in these situations; how entirely without out hope.

For a book hat raises awareness to inhumanity, I would give this an A+. However, as a story, I would say this is of the same quality as the small books detailing the trials of homeless teenagers that groups such as Covenant House would sometimes send to my home as a teenager.

(Tragically, Iqbal was shot to death while visiting his family over a holiday.)

The Night Visitors

The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman (NOT YOUNG ADULT)

This book by the author of The Other Mother (another addictive read)  has all 43 flavors. Violence. Unreliable narrators. A young boy in danger. Ghosts and supernatural stuff. Star Wars allusions galore! Mysteries. Layered plotlines. Alternating points of view. I don't think this is great literature, but it is a fantastic read.

Escaping from an abusive partner, Alice and her young son, Oren, find themselves in upstate New York, looking for sanctuary. Mattie, a volunteer at a domestic abuse organization, is called upon to pick the two up. As you read the chapters told from Mattie's point of view, you learn that Oren reminds her of her long-dead younger brother, Caleb. From that point on, Mattie feels drawn to help Alice and Oren. As the story progresses, you learn that neither woman's backstory is as it seems. As a reader, you're constantly questioning, "Is there more to what she is saying?" "Are we finally at the truth of it?" "Can we trust her?"

As I said before, I don't think this is great literature. However, I have to hand it to Carol Goodman because this is a very complicated plot with little details interspersed that tie parts of the novel together. On the flip side, the plot is a bit fantastical and there are some scenes that just seem too improbable. (For example, when one of the antagonists breaks into Mattie's house and has time to stop and read through some of her father's old court cases! Another example are some of the supernatural/improbable things that occur. They're never explained very well and I wonder if the book could have gone without so much of it.)

Grade: B+

The Hired Girl

The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

It's 1911 and our protagonist is Joan Skraggs, a young farm girl who longs for more than what her current life can give her. Joan runs away and changes her name to Janet, a name that she imagines as a more romantic, less homely name than Joan. (Obviously, she's never seen Three's Company.)

She finds herself on the streets of Baltimore on her first day. She has no idea what she is doing, or what she should do, or where she is safe. Luckily, a young man named Mr. Solomon takes her back to his parents. Janet's one night of safe haven turns into a permanent job as a housekeeper. What makes this story interesting is that Janet's employers are a wealthy Jewish family, and Janet is clearly a Christian with a deep desire to become a full Catholic. While Janet works for this family, she gains a greater understanding of faith and family. In that vein, this book had some wonderful reflections on what it means to have faith and what it means to have respect for all faiths.

Below is my representation of the suspense and excitement I felt while reading this book. There wasn't much. This was like a Sunday car drive in the spring. Pleasant and roundabout, with a much anticipated ice cream trip at the end. 

That being said, I imagine this may be the book I feel the most satisfaction about reading this summer - including all the books I hope to read in the weeks to come. Like, I really felt good about myself for reading it AND I enjoyed it. I would give this book a solid A- and I would recommend this book to anyone who truly enjoys female-focused historical fiction. This has the self-discovery and growth evident in Call the Midwife, but also brings in that interesting intersection of the privileged and their working class servants - like Downton Abbey. 

Bird Box

Bird Box by Josh Malerman


Keep your eyes closed.

Imagine an apocalyptic event and your only defense is keeping your eyes closed. The danger in this story is unknown, for anyone who lays eyes on it dies.

After several years of living blind and afraid, Malorie decides she will leave the only home her children have known in a blind search for a safe haven she once heard about, twenty miles down a nearby river. The trip down the river alternates with recollections about Malorie's previous life before the Boy and the Girl were born. Through these flashbacks, you also learn of the journey that Malorie has taken to push her such a crazy task of rowing, blindfolded, with two young children.

This entire book felt like one held breath.

Okay, this is not a YA novel; however, I don't see any reason why it couldn't be read by a young adult. There's no sexual content and the violence is relatively minimal (considering the story line). In fact, I have to wonder if the Netflix movie version is more risque than the book. (I also have to decide whether or not I want to see the Netflix movie, too.)

 As soon as the book was over, I desperately hoped for a sequel. But then I quickly thought to myself, no. No sequel. I think as a stand alone book this is perfect. It keeps you thinking as a stand alone book. Any sequel would provide too much exposition, and ruin the suspense and wonder of this story.

Grade: B+/A- (still thinking about it)