YA – Page 2 – One Chapter

They Call Me No Sam! by Drew Daywalt

5 stars Children’s Chapter Book/ Middle School

This book is so cute! It would make a great read aloud, a great bedtime book or a book for a young reader to read. As a Nana, I laughed many times and I look forward to passing this title along to others who need a great book for the younger individuals in their lives.

This book is about a dog who is now at a shelter and believes his name is No Sam. No Sam has a lot of preloaded thoughts into his head based on the life he has lived with his previous owner, Mike. Why Mike owned No Sam is a good question because Mike worked all the time and No Sam was left in the apartment by himself with the TV left on. No Sam would watch TV, believing what he saw on TV was how life was outside the walls of the apartment.

Told in diary format, Justin’s parents visit No Sam at the shelter and hope that he will make a good friend for their son. No Sam wants out of the prison he is now in and hopes he doesn’t end back with Mike.

Told from the viewpoint of No Sam, this book is hilarious at different spots. Again, No Sam has his own predetermined views of how life should be so every new activity with these new poor defenseless naked monkey-things is a new adventure. From New Sam’s new pooping rug to the beautiful drinking room, to the white treasure chest, No Sam will have you smiling.

It seemed that No Sam just cannot seem to understand the new rules. Here is a family who loves him and is showing him how much, they care for him but there’s confusion on No Sam’s part. This is not the world that No Sam knows. There are a few illustrations inside the book which complement the text. Fantastic book! 5 stars

Escape From Chernobyl by Andy Marino

4 stars YA/ Middle School

It was cover love that brought this book to me. I didn’t know that this was book one of a series and after reading this one, I don’t think I will continue with the series as the ending was disappointing to me. For me, there was no ending. As I listened to this book, I was hooked, I felt a deep connection to the characters and their fate and then, the book ended. I had been cheated. There had to be more! Was there book #2 to finish this story? No, it was over, and I felt cheated.

It’s April 26, 1986, the place Pripyat, Ukraine. This city was built for the individuals who would work at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. I liked the variety of characters as it gave a great view of what was happening around this event as it was unfolding,

It was Yuri who I fell for in this book. He was the one who had less at stake but gave the most. While those with higher titles, rattled off commands or walked among the clouds, Yuri was on the ground with his eyes open, watching and risking everything. Alina, Yuri’s relative, was just like him, but at times, her emotions got the best of her. Who could blame her, considering what was transpiring right in front of her. Yuri knows Chernobyl like the back of his hand. Yuri is a janitor at Chernobyl. They treat him better than a janitor but that’s still what they consider him to be. Yuri hopes that one day, yes one day, they’ll realize the potential that Yuri has and move him up into a more suitable title. While at work on April 26, Yuri notices something isn’t right. His eyes have been on the ground since day one but today, today is different. Today, there is no going back.

What was happening inside Chernobyl? Sofiya dad is an engineer at the power plant and getting his perspective as the day’s events spiraled downhill added an intensity to the drama unfolding. Despite everything, Sofiya tries to help the residents of Pripyat. Sofiya had a different emotional burning within her than Alina but together they show the confusion and turmoil that the residents faced as this event changed their world.

This book covers April 26, 1986. One day. I felt cheated as I wanted and needed to know what happened after this day. I felt a deep connection to the characters and as I closed the book, I was sad and disappointed that there wasn’t something to help bring me closure.

Away by Megan E. Freeman

4 stars YA/Middle School

I knew I had to read Away after reading the book Alone, as I wanted to know more about what happened to the individuals who were gone in Alone. I was ready for answers and more of the emotions and tension that had me speeding through the chapters of Alone.

In Away, this book gave me the answers that I was looking for, as an emergency relocation camp is set up for those who have been evacuated. With no warning or reason, residents in a section of Colorado had been rounded up and relocated to a temporary camp until a hazardous situation can be eliminated. The authorities keep the citizens up to date on the situation but the future of returning home starts to look hopeless. As the days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months, a group of teens at the camp start to question exactly what this “emergency” really is.

The voices of four teens Ashanti, Grandin, Harmony, and Teddy use a variety of methods including prose, diary entries, movie script, letters, poetry and newspaper bulletins to describe the camp and their investigation into the emergency. I enjoyed this variety, and I felt it helped to keep the teens’ voices separate. This was an interesting and entertaining story. This book was more like a mystery than Alone was so unfortunately, I didn’t feel the emotions and tensions that I had felt with Alone. 4 stars

Dear Manny by Nic Stone

5 stars YA

It’s coming to an end. A white, privileged male faces the hard truth of life. Now that he’s in college, running for office, he’s having to face the reality of a life that has led him to where he is today. Everything that he has learned and been instilled comes into play. What kind of a life had he really been living?

Up against the other candidates, the struggle gets real, and his awareness grows. This powerful story is a three-book series, which I have enjoyed since the beginning. I do think you should start at book one to fully appreciate this story.

Weirdo by Tony Weaver, Jr.

4.5 stars Graphic Novel Memoir

Overload. Tony is trying, I mean really trying to find a place to land. I thought the main character, Tony, acted more mature than those around him which made him different. As Tony enters a new school again, you’d think he’d be used to all the challenges being in a new environment brings. Tony even has a list of survival tips but this time, those tips aren’t working. Tony is being pulled in multiple directions the minute that he arrives at Chambers Academy. He knew that being in the high achiever’s program would be a challenge, but he was not expecting this. It’s not the schoolwork that’s dragging him under but it’s everything else. It was a tense and frustrating time for Tony and for me! Dang, Tony really stuck with it longer than he should have. Once again, Tony is facing another school, another day where he’s the new kid and learning the ropes. Hopefully, this school will be better than the last one– it has to be, right?!?!!

He made it. Tony found somewhere safe. Somewhere where he can be Tony and be accepted. Tony has a voice and with others, they learn to use them.

There’s a lot of hard topics discussed in this book(memoir). Hard topics, real topics that young individuals must deal with today. I liked the honesty and openness that the topics are discussed. The textboxes were easy to follow in this book and there was quite a bit of text to read. For mature audiences: there are mentions of attempted suicide, bullying, depression, and other mental health issues. 4.5 stars.

The Glass Girl by Kathleen Glasgow

5 stars YA mental health

I couldn’t put this book down as I needed to know the fate of these characters. The language and the subtleness of the book was whisking me away. Each puppet carried their own distinct voice and personality and value. The wolf and his comments about his teeth, the king ‘s comments about what he thought his status represented. The owl’s wisdom, the boy’s desires, and the girl’s insight. They each had a vision, a desire, and even though they knew they were puppets, they had hope.

The journey is just beginning for the puppets as they soon find themselves moving. Inside the box, the puppets feel the box moving but where they are going, they do not know. Finally at their destination, two small voices can be heard. Martha and Emma have received the box from their uncle, a box of puppets. Emma and Martha have their own hopes and desires when they see what was inside the box and it becomes one fantastic story as each of the puppets begin their own journey on their own way to fulfill their own destiny. It’s a short story but the journey is quite impressive. I really enjoyed this book.

The pressures were mounting. Issues were stacking inside her head like a Jenga tower, and she needed a release. To the outside of the world, she had it all together, at least she thought she did. The weight and tensions of the world were bearing down on her and those first few sips cooled the fires within her. She could juggle life and a couple drinks to get her through the day but then, those couple drinks began to multiple. A couple of drinks and a light buzz turned into a handful of drinks, a variety of concoctions now flowed through her veins and Bella’s life began to change.

The roles/ titles that Bella once proudly wore were no longer important. Bella: a student, a sister, a friend, a daughter, an employee, these titles took a backseat for now, what was important was where and what drink could Bella get to help her make it through the day. Bella’s situation comes to an abrupt stop when she hits bottom. Finding herself in rehab, she, like many others struggle and this book isn’t glamourous. We don’t find Bella walking out of rehab with a gold star on her chest, this book doesn’t end with a happily ever after because typically, life comes with battles. Battles make us stronger. This book is about struggles, about the push-and-pulls of addiction. Life isn’t easy and Bella shows us her struggles now and the reality that she will continue to struggle throughout her life. Addiction is real, addiction is hard, addiction is everywhere. Addiction is not just alcohol either and it affects everyone. This was an excellent audio book. 5 stars

Visitations by Corey Egbert

4.5 stars Graphic Novel

Oh,Corey. Corey looked to his mother for love and security, but she was dragging him with her. Based on the true life of Corey Ebgert, Corey had a religious upbringing in the Mormon faith. His mother was the center of his life, and he felt the need to watch over her. After his parents’ divorce, Corey and his sister would visit their father according to the arrangement they had set up. Mother would be ready when they returned home with questions about their visits and the battering that went on, mother was just looking for something, anything to “hang on” their father.

Corey and his sister’s life begin to take a drastic change one evening as they prepare to go to their father’s. According to their mother, she tells the children that they don’t have to go to their dads for a visitation and when he arrives, all three of them ignore and hide from him. Mother takes this behavior a bit further as she tells the children to pack their bags and soon the whole family is leaving the house, in their car. They are on the run. Running from everyone. The children listen to mother’s “logic” as their car becomes their home and they have nothing to cling onto but themselves and each other. As a child, I could see how their world would become confusing and scary. Mother is spiraling out of control and taking those small innocent children with her.

This graphic novel was such a powerful story about mental health, religious control, abuse, parental kidnapping and childhood trauma. I commend Corey for writing it and speaking about his own personal story as I’m sure this will help and/or bring comfort to other individuals who read it.

I was a bit confused about the angel images in the later part of the book, otherwise it was a great book for older YA readers. 4.5 stars

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

5 stars Fantasy

This book was so much fun! After reading this book, I went to the library and checked out the audiobook which I highly recommend. Putting actual voices to the characters made this book much more enjoyable and I can still hear each one of their unique personalities as Linus steps on the island so he can investigate the Marsyas Island Orphanage, home to six orphans which are supposed to be extremely dangerous.

Linus takes his job seriously, a job with the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. When summoned by Extremely Upper Management, Linus is given a top-secret mission, a job he must leave immediately for. For one month, Linus must live on the island, assessing the orphanage and report his findings back to upper management. As Linus begins his reports, he’s very structured as he writes about the six orphans and Arthur, the individual in-charge of the orphanage but as his month comes to an end, his reports become more emotional in nature.

Arthur knows exactly why Linus has arrived and he’s protective of the individuals that he’s in-charge of. They’re not just orphans to Arthur; they are his family, and you can feel the love and commitment that Arthur has to these children. Linus, on the other hand, is a character who seems rigid and is one of those by-the-book, kind of individuals when he arrives but as he gets to know the children, he begins to soften. He starts to understand them and appreciates them for who they are. He likes what they have, he likes how he feels around them, and he notices things that he has never noticed before – it’s like Linus has finally woken up. His senses have finally woken up and everything is alive.

The children are a mixed bunch, a group of extremely dangerous individuals, they say. Do these individuals really know who these children are? I can’t tell you how many times I laughed at their comments and/or the things that they would do. I admit, they were a quirky and unique group of children, but they were “magical youths.” I liked how they accepted one another, and they acted like siblings. They each knew their place and were appreciative of each other.

It was an entertaining and fun read. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this story. The world building and the characters were fabulous! 5 stars

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko

5 stars YA Middle School

A child having to act like an adult, when will he ever get those years back? Hank wore his mother’s “hat” while she worked and went out. It’s been a week now and Geri hasn’t returned. Hank and his sister Boo have run out of food, and they’ve just learned that they’re being evicted. What’s an eleven-year-old boy supposed to do with his three-year old sister when they’re all alone?

Hank finds a name listed as an emergency contact on a form, a friend of his deceased grandmother, and it’s Lou Ann, that gives Hank his only hope. Using his mom’s bus pass, Boo and Hank hunt down Lou Ann and hope that she’ll help them. When it rains, it pours, and I felt for Hank as he struggles to be strong and not lose hope when faced with so many obstacles. Lou Ann adores Boo immediately but there is some hesitation with Hank which Hank also feels but Lou Ann welcomes them. Running a daycare, Boo fits in perfectly with Lou Ann’s routine but Hank, it’s a different story. The authorities are contacted, a search for Geri has started, the children need to be reunited with their mother. Hank is introduced to a neighbor, Ray, who is a relative of one of his mom’s friends. Hank finally has another guy that he can hang out with, even though he is older than Hank, and Hank starts a new middle school.

It seems like Hank and Boo have finally gotten into a positive routine, plus and minus a few odds and ends. Boo is learning and growing at the daycare and Hank feels she’s safe and happy. Hank likes school and he’s found that he’s great at basketball. He’s making friends and for once, he doesn’t have to wear the “parent hat” and he can enjoy just being a young adult. The siblings are separated for most of the day and that takes some getting used to as with them having to relinquish control which takes time. If the book could have only continued on with their happily-ever-after story, some pieces of the story would have never been resolved yet the troubles for these two might have been over, but they weren’t. Geri waltzes into the picture and tries to take control…….afterall, she is their mom. What will the children do? What should they do? It makes sense, but life is so hard.

I really enjoyed this book. A great story about life, difficulties and choices. Hank loves his sister so much that he would do anything for her and to make sure that her needs are met. He also feels committed to his mom, even though she’s not perfect. I liked the extra characters as they helped Hank see who he was deep down inside and give him the strength and motivation to succeed. 5 stars

Ultraviolet by Aida Salazar

4 stars YA

A kaleidoscope of colors lit up his world whenever he was close to Camelia. It happened the minute she walked into his life. This bright display of color awoke something within Elio, and he knew immediately that Camelia was “the one”. She said yes when he asked her to be his girl and things changed after that. Paco, his best friend hooked up with Laurette and now, the four of them hang out as couples.

In previous years, the boy’s only group chats centered around mundane subjects. But it’s now 8^th grade and with hormones churning, the boys are chatting it up about girls. Everything about girls is being discussed. I couldn’t believe how much Elio had fallen in love with Camelia already. He was infatuated with her. I was worried about their relationship, and I started to question where things were headed. I felt that Elio was smitten with Camelia, yet she acted like she wasn’t aware of his deep feelings, or she just wasn’t concerned with how he felt.

Pops suggests a new group to Elio, a group where they can discuss “manly things and indigenous Mexican” topics. Although Elio doesn’t like the sound of it, it might be exactly what he needs. With so much happening and his emotions running high, Elio needs an outlet. Elio was with Camelia, or at least he thought he was until Chava comes waltzing into the picture. Talk about drama! What is up with Camelia, is she blind? I was getting more frustrated with Camelia the longer and Chava……I just wanted to punch him. Elio needs to let them be but he can’t and its getting out of control…… the train is coming off the track………

What a book……lots of emotions and drama happening inside this book, told in verse. Elio is in love; it’s his first love and it’s everything. Nothing is sacred as he discloses his life. He hits on the physical, emotional, and “manly” side of things, a guy who tells it like it is. For older audiences, this book hits on some mature topics. I love a book that pulls intense emotions out of me. 4 stars