Beastkeeper

Reviewed by: Kelley Blue - Portland Public Library, Portland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 23, 2015

Review

Beastkeeper is a modern fairy tale that is both timeless and entirely new. Sarah is a young teen who's lived her life on the move, never settling in one place long enough to make a single friend. Her mother says they are running away from the cold, but the mood the author casts tells us she is running from something deeper, something that is casting a shadow over her parents' ability to live and love. When her mother abruptly leaves Sarah and her father, so begins a spiral into despair and ever stranger behavior (raw meat sandwich, anyone?). It is decided that Sarah will go to live with grandparents she barely knew she had, in a sagging castle full of so many curses it's hard to keep them all straight. There are true poetic moments in this tale and the author sets an alluring atmosphere. The execution of the plot is a bit meandering for such a short novel, and the characters seem slightly incomplete. There was just something off the entire read, and that kept me from being fully engaged. These aspects aside, this reviewer encourages readers to hang on until the end, where the writing turns a corner. It isn't quite happy, but seems just right. Recommended for those who will always love fairy tales and the darker elements of them.

Overall Book Score: good

About the Book

Author:

Hellisen, Cat

Illustrator: ,

Illustration Quality: very good

Publisher: Henry Holt

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: fantasy

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9780805099805

Price: 16.99

Sweet

Sweet

Reviewed by: Kelley Blue - Portland Public Library, Portland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 23, 2015

Review

Emmy Laybourne, author of the popular Monument 14 trilogy, delivers a seemingly stand-alone horror fest in the form of Sweet. Laurel is a reluctant passenger on the biggest celebrity cruise event since the last shiny object to catch our attention. She's tagging along with her BFF Viv on the Cruise to Lose, where those wealthy enough to pay the ticket price are guaranteed to drop several sizes thanks to the new miracle diet sweetener "Solu". The cruise is one big commercial for Solu's pending release to the general public, and the hype is all glitter and glitz. But something about Solu feels off to Laurel, and her anxiety only increases as the sweetener begins to have strange effects on the other passengers. Enter cruise MC and former child star Tom Forelli, who shares Laurel's concerns as the people around him go to greater and greater lengths to get just one more dose of Solu. Will these two star-crossed lovers be the only voice of reason, and do they stand a chance?

Laybourne builds tension expertly through the first 3 quarters of the book, and when the terror comes, it made me want to cover my eyes (I had to finish the book in the daylight). Gruesome details are used to chilling effect. The ending arrives like a punch line, and leaves us wondering whether or not we'll see a sequel.

Sweet is a "fun" page turner (depending on your definition of fun), but the book's criticism of our collective obsession with reality television, celebrities, quick fixes, and miracle cures is thought provoking. How different characters view and treat their bodies would generate a relevant and important discussion among teen readers.

A cruise ship is the perfect place for things to go terribly wrong. This is the second YA book I've read that will forever keep me off any and all cruise ships (the first being Matt de la Pe�a's "The Living"). DO NOT READ if you plan on sailing the high seas with 500 strangers any time soon. DO READ if you're looking for a thrilling summer diversion.

Overall Book Score: good

About the Book

Author:

Laybourne, Emmy

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends / Macmillan

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: horror

Audience: grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: excellent

ISBN: 9781250055197

Price: 17.99

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Reviewed by: Kelley Blue - Portland Public Library, Portland, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2015

Review

Sixteen year old Simon Spier knows that he's gay, he just hasn't felt the need to tell anyone yet. His only confidant is his anonymous email pen pal, Blue. His exchanges with Blue are becoming so preoccupying that the very careful and private Simon risks using a public computer at his school library one day and then forgets to sign out of his email. It just so happens that the next person to use the computer is a classmate who is desperate to get a date with Simon's magnetic best friend Abby. He's so desperate that he reluctantly blackmails Simon, threatening to release screenshots of his emails with Blue if Simon doesn't get him a shot with Abby. When Simon doesn't exactly follow through, he's outed on the school's Tumblr. What follows is the story of how Simon's coming-out impacts not just his relationship with Blue, but with each of his friends and family members. Author Becky Albertalli is a clinical psychologist experienced working with teenagers, and thus her characters feel like completely real and authentic teens. The dialog is spot-on, including the emails between Simon and Blue, which intersperse the action. This is a device that's been used before, but it's very well done here, showing the arc of their relationship, the longing, tensions, and misunderstandings. Though completely current, there is something timeless about the way that Simon experiences high school and first love. This book was a delight from start to finish, and is highly recommended for those that enjoy contemporary teen fiction with wit and heart. I would only fault it for being a little too precious at times, especially towards the end, but this doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment. A recommended purchase for general teen fiction and LGBTQ collections.

Overall Book Score: very good