Adult Books for Teens: February 2011
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Fiction BECKETT, Galen. The House on Durrow Street. 404p. Spectra. 2010. pap. $16. ISBN 978-0553-80759-2. LC number unavailable. BRONSKY, Alina. Broken Glass Park. tr by Tim Mohr. 221p. Europa. 2010. pap. $15. ISBN 978-1-933372-96-9. LC number unavailable. CRONIN, Justin. The Passage. 784p. Ballantine. 2010. Tr $27. ISBN 978-0345504968. LC number unavailable. FORTIER, Anne. Juliet. 447p. Ballantine. 2010. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-345-51610-7. LC 2010002093. KENT, Kathleen. The Wolves of Andover. 320p. Little, Brown. 2010. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-316-06862-8. LC number unavailable. LELIC, Simon. A Thousand Cuts. 304. Viking. 2010. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-0670021505. LC number unavailable. LINDQVIST, John Ajvide. Handling the Undead. tr. from Swedish by Ebba Segerberg. 364p. Thomas Dunne Bks. 2010. pap. $24.99. ISBN 978-0-312-60525-4. LC number unavailable. MOORE, Graham. The Sherlockian. 350p. Twelve. 2010. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-446-57259-0. LC number unavailable. PRIEST, Cherie. Dreadnought. 480p. Tor. 2010. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-0-7653-2578-5. LC number unavailable. SIM, Michael, ed. Dracula's Guest: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Vampire Stories. 467p. Walker. 2010. pap. $17. ISBN 9780802719713. LC 2010004449. SKYHORSE, Brando. The Madonnas of Echo Park. 224p. appendix. Free Pr. 2010. Tr $23. ISBN 978-1-4391-7080-9. LC 2009034403. WIESEL, Elie. The Sonderberg Case: A Novel. tr. by Catherine Temerson. 192p. Knopf. 2010. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-307-272220-1. LC 2009038525. Nonfiction COOPER, Thea & Arthur Ainsberg. Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle. 306p. St. Martin's. 2010. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-312-64870-1. LC 2010021662. LEÓN, Vicki. How to Mellify a Corpse: And Other Human Stories of Ancient Science and Superstition. 308p. Walker. 2010. Tr $17. ISBN 978-0-8027-1702-3. LC 2009044773. MOORE, Wes. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates. 256p. Spiegel & Grau. 2010. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-385-52819. LC 2009041663. TISCH, Jonathan M. & Karl Weber. Citizen You: Doing Your Part to Change the World. 273p. Crown. 2010. Tr $24. ISBN 978-0-307-58848-7. LC 2009053438.
Adult/High School–This long-anticipated sequel to The Magicians and Mrs. Quent (2008) features the same older-than-she-should-be cover model, and it's a shame if that deters younger readers. While Mrs. Quent was a (perfectly executed) mashup-a little Austen (mostly Pride and Prejudice), a little Bronte (mostly Jane Eyre), and a nice dose of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell-this second volume is more original and possibly better than the first. Still full of Regency overtones, the story expands: Rafferdy continues his exploration of magic; his friend Mr. Garritt takes center stage (literally; he joins a group who weave light into plays) and also deals with his burgeoning, tender love for another young man; and Ivy finds herself vaulted to the heights of society and more deeply enmeshed in her own magical heritage and noble plotting than she might have wished, given her desire and tendency to be a bluestocking but otherwise respectable member of society. There is much here to appeal: young characters, a play on familiar tropes and texts, a thwarted romance (Ivy and Rafferdy are clearly meant to be together, but Ivy is also happily married to Mr. Quent, and it's all so polite and heart-breaking), and some really original magic. The first volume was largely overlooked, but this series (do start with the first) is great for fans from both the romance and fantasy ends of the spectrum. A good booktalk might even convince some paranormal romance fans to try something a bit more sophisticated.—Karyn Silverman, Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, New York City
Adult/High School–Sascha, 17, begins telling the story of her life by sharing her two goals: she wants to kill Vadim and she wants to write a book about her deceased mother. Just as readers wonder who Vadim might be, she charges forward with more tantalizing information about her life: the dangerous housing complex she lives in, home for many Russian émigrés to Germany; her two half-siblings; and the exploits of her beautiful but naïve mother. This, at last, brings readers back to Vadim. The book moves without breaking for chapters, swirling around past and present incidents as Sascha passionately searches for a way to assuage the grief of losing her mother, who was murdered by Vadim. Bronsky lets the story out in a great rush that envelopes many characters and situations, but is satisfyingly full and complete in the end. The novel is translated from German into an American English that will feel familiar, even if the experiences of a Russian girl in Germany are delightfully exotic. Teens who are drawn to books with a strong, offbeat narrative voice (think Rachel Cohn) will enjoy the literary ride. Also, fans of suspense novels will enjoy the many the subplots in Sascha's life that are charged with mystery and danger. For many teens, this may be a first introduction to a contemporary European voice.–Diane Colson, New Port Richey Library, FL
Adult/High School–The epic begins with Amy, who is six years old when she is abandoned by her mother and kidnapped by a government group. She is taken to the mountains of Colorado where they have gathered several death-row inmates and infected them with a virus that results in superhuman strength, increased violent tendencies, and vampirelike symptoms. Amy has a different reaction to being infected. When the original 12 virals escape the compound, she and her rescuer hunker down in an abandoned summer camp, experiencing the end of the world as readers know it through the occasional newspaper report. Skip ahead to 92 A.V. and they slowly get to know a colony of humans in California, protected by high walls and bright lights. During an expedition outside the walls, Peter is pursued by virals when Amy suddenly appears and saves him. Days later she arrives at the colony, coinciding with its collapse. A small, brave group (including Peter and Amy) flees east across post-apocalyptic America in a desperate attempt to find other survivors. The virals are monsters, completely unrelated to the romantic creatures so popular in recent literature. They do not drink the blood of their victims, they decimate them. They do not speak, they communicate soundlessly as they hunt the few remaining humans. By the end, it is clear that Amy and Peter are key to humanity's survival. But how? Cronin's confident writing, action-packed narrative, and focus on a small group of engaging survivors make most vampire fare seem insubstantial.–Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
Adult/High School–Julie is shocked when her Aunt Rose dies and leaves everything to her twin sister and arch-rival, Janice. She is even more surprised when she receives a letter sending her to Siena to retrieve a safe deposit box originally belonging to her mother. Julie hopes it will contain some kind of treasure, but instead it holds letters and texts that reveal the original 14th-century events upon which Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was based, as well as clues to finding a valuable statue. It turns out that Julie is actually Giulietta Tolomei, direct descendent of Romeo's Juliet. From here, modern-day and past stories alternate chapters. Many people are trying to prevent Julie from finding the statue, not to mention learning the truth about her parents. And the search is complicated by attractive, intriguing Alessandro Salimbeni and his godmother, Eva Maria. They are relatives of Luciano Salimbeni, the man rumored to have killed Julie's parents years before, and also descended from the original Salimbeni, an evil, powerful man responsible for the 14th-century tragedy. The Salimbenis are hoping for Julie's help in negating the curse that seems to be on both of their houses. There is natural teen appeal here, and the author certainly maintains adequate pacing and suspense to keep her audience reading. The alternation between the past and present stories might slow down more reluctant readers, but fans of the play will have a great time putting the pieces together.–Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
Adult/High School–Beheading a king makes one either a hero or a wanted man, depending on the context, and in this case, the continent. In this stand-alone prequel to The Heretic's Daughter (Little, Brown, 2009), the time is 17th-century Massachusetts, and many colonists are still loyal to self-declared Lord Protector Cromwell. Charles II has managed to retake the throne in England, vowing revenge for the beheading of his father. Mercenaries are hired to capture the regicide Thomas Morgan, but first they must locate him, a task made difficult by those loyal to Cromwell and to Thomas. One such person is Martha. Strong-minded and sharp-tongued, she is managing the house for and acting as midwife to her cousin in Billerica, Massachusetts, where Thomas is employed. A shy and deep romance develops between Thomas and Martha, who gradually learns of his past. Though she is unfailingly devoted to him, she may unintentionally be the one to betray him in the end. The rugged setting of colonial America, the opulent royal court, and the gritty streets of London act as perfect backdrops to the twisting plot; the pacing is taut throughout. From the court intrigue of Charles II to the double-crossings of the mercenaries, teens will find the richness of the plot and the strengths and flaws of each character gripping and appealing. Ultimately, this is a story of devotion and loyalty but when circumstances allow, revenge can almost be as sweet.–Amy J. Chow, The Brearley School, New York City
Adult/High School–In a British high school, a teacher opens fire on students and adults during an assembly. Detective Inspector Lucia May is assigned to investigate the case. More truthfully, she is expected to make a cursory examination of the facts, confirm that history teacher Samuel Szajkowski was the shooter, and quickly close the case. What she finds is a toxic school environment where bullying had caused more than one tragedy. In this case, Szajkowski was tormented by students from his first day on the job, while the administration and fellow teachers turned a blind eye, and at times contributed. As the only woman in her department, Lucia is no stranger to harassment, and she insists on a prolonged investigation, endangering her job. The story, which reads like a thriller, is told from multiple points of view, including Lucia, teachers, administrators, and students, both the tormented and the tormenters. Readers of Jennifer Brown's The Hate List (Little Brown, 2009), Jim Shepard's Project X (Knopf, 2004), and Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes (Atria, 2007) will find an intense, even brutal experience in these pages.–Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
Adult/High School–In this completely new twist on the zombie novel, Lindqvist presents readers with an interesting dilemma. Everyone in Stockholm who has died within the last two months is suddenly reanimating. Whether in the morgue, a hospital bed or in the grave, they have come back to life-and all they want to do is go home. Instead of being presented as anonymous, shambling masses, these zombies are loved ones who are desperately missed. Through the struggles of several characters trying to cope with their "reliving" family members, the author poses some interesting questions. If you refuse to let the government take your relative, what exactly do you do with him? Is this reanimation a prelude to something bigger? What does it mean to be alive? Though a few ends are left dangling, Lindqvist's thoughtful approach to the issue of the undead is a fresh entry into a genre with proven teen appeal.–Carla Riemer, Berkeley High School, CA
Adult/High School-This novel alternates between 1900 and 2010, with two mysterious deaths, and two amateur sleuths-Arthur Conan Doyle and Harold White-who believe that they can solve the murders simply by applying the science of deduction. Arthur recruits his friend, the not-yet-famous writer Bram Stoker, to fulfill the Watson role after becoming the target of a letter bomb. Meanwhile, Harold is proud to be the youngest member of the Holmes society, The Baker Street Irregulars, and is eager to attend the breakthrough lecture of a lifetime: Arthur Conan Doyle's famously missing diary has been discovered, and its secrets will finally be revealed. That is, until the historian who made the discovery is found murdered and the diary is missing again. Harold, along with plucky reporter Sarah, uses his own deductive logic to attempt to solve the murder and locate the diary. The convention of parallel stories is appealing as each plays off the other, with both detectives finding themselves in more dangerous situations than anticipated. Humor, especially the banter between Doyle and Stoker, is refreshing throughout. As the stories come to unexpected resolutions, the respective sleuths find their worlds irrevocably changed. Without the Sherlock references, this may not be the most compelling mystery, but any reader curious about Sherlock Holmes won't be able to resist following up with the originals. (Chapter headings feature tantalizing quotes from various Holmes tales.) Any teen who is already a fan of Sherlock Holmes will revel in this homage to the master detective.–Priscille Dando, Robert E. Lee High School, Fairfax County, VA
Adult/High School–Boneshaker (Tor, 2009), the award-winning first volume of Priest's trilogy, introduced readers (including plenty of teen fans) to an alternate 19th century in which the Civil War has lasted for more than 20 years and in which a machine run amok unleashed a yellow gas that transformed people into zombies. Dreadnought is more thoughtful than Boneshaker, with lots of meditation about war and class, but the action (which begins almost halfway though) is pulse-pounding and vivid (lots of shoot 'em up scenes, carnage, and nail-biting tension). Main character Mercy initially seems unappealing and distant-she's a Civil War nurse and a widow, and holds herself distant from almost everyone-but her youth and her cross-country journey to find a father she barely remembers (a character first met in Boneshaker) and the mystery she finds and begins to solve along the way (which readers will already have solved as it concerns zomies beginning to appear east of Seattle) will win over any readers who persevere through the slow start. The pacing is uneven and the ending feels a bit phoned in (especially the arrival in Seattle and introductions to the cast of volume one), but those who read the first book will definitely want this one and the third, also slated for publication this year. This is more sophisticated and less sexy than the recent rash of YA zombie books-the rotters are genuinely scary and survival is far from certain. Invest in the series.–Karyn N. Silverman, Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School, New York City
Adult/High School–In 22 chronologically arranged short stories, excerpts, and semi-factual accounts, Sims relays 150 years of vampire tales, years during which a motley assortment of folktales and superstitions from Eastern Europe evolved into a hugely popular literary genre. The quality of these tales is intentionally varied-the inclusion of an excerpt from Varney the Vampyre, for example, reminds us that Charlaine Harris is not the first hack to write trashy vampire novels-as are the styles and themes. Nevertheless, certain generalizations are possible. One notices, for example, that authors again and again hide their vampires beneath layers of narrators, each of whom attests to the story's truth. At the same time, one finds that almost uniformly the authors presume that their readers, their characters, or both are entirely ignorant of the vampiric tradition. This delicate balance between skeptical literary rationality and credulous superstitious belief results in vampires that are at once more myth-shrouded and more horrifyingly real than our postmodern age generally allows. For teens whose interest in vampires goes beyond forbidden romance, the menace, horror, sexuality, and death in this outstanding collection should leave them clamoring for more.–Mark Flowers, John Kennedy Library, Solano County, CA
Adult/High School-There are thousands of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles, forced to live shadow lives to avoid deportation. Without birth certificates, they cannot attend school and must accept demeaning jobs to eke out a living for themselves and their families. These interlocking stories focus on residents of Echo Park, a neighborhood that was once largely inhabited by Latinos. At the core of the collection is a tragic drive-by shooting in the mid-'80s. When Madonna's music video, Borderline, features a brief shot of El Guanaco, a local grocery store, neighborhood women and their daughters start gathering there to dance, dressed as Madonna-inspired cholas. One day, members of a local gang drive by, shooting indiscriminately and killing a three year-old girl. The short stories all stem from this incident, even if indirectly. Teens who found Donald Gallo's First Crossings: Stories about Teen Immigrants (Candlewick, 2004) intriguing may want to take a further literary plunge into the mire of poverty and racism that often accompanies the immigrant experience. Readers may also find Ha Jin's A Good Fall: Stories (Pantheon, 2009) or Chitra Divakaruni's The Unknown Errors of Our Lives: Stories (Doubleday, 2001) to be powerful accounts of immigrant communities.–Diane Colson, New Port Richey Library, FL
Adult/High School–Despite its title, Wiesel's latest work is concerned not with the trial of accused murderer Werner Sonderberg, but with Yedidyah Wasserman, the theater reporter assigned to cover the case. Alternating between first- and third-person narration that may or may not also be written by Wasserman, Wiesel presents the life of an American Jew whose life is intrinsically bound up with his Holocaust-survivor grandparents and their views of life. The eponymous trial, with its abrupt and decidedly unthrilling conclusion, is, in narrative terms, simply a MacGuffin: its narrative role is to act as a dramatic event around which to center the story of Wasserman, and its true thematic relevance is not fully revealed until the novel's final pages. Even Wasserman's life is a series of philosophical snapshots. What then is The Sonderberg Case about? As always, Wiesel is interested not in mundane topics such as legal guilt or innocence, but in larger questions: moral culpability, the importance of bloodline to identity, the essentially theatrical nature of life. For readers willing to have their expectations delayed and frustrated, the final moments of the novel are greatly rewarding, as they bring the novel's essential themes into clear relief. It's a weighty novel, but for the many teenagers who have been entranced by Wiesel's powerful voice in the perennial classroom assignment Night, it's an excellent choice for further reading.- Mark Flowers, John Kennedy Library, Solano County, CA
Adult/High School–Insulin really is a miracle drug, and anyone who doubts it need only read this book and look at the photographs included. One hundred years ago, most people with diabetes simply died within a fairly short time. Those who survived for any length of time literally starved themselves, existing on a few hundred calories a day, with fat, protein, and carbohydrates carefully monitored. Such was the case 12-year-old Elizabeth Hughes. The authors alternate between the story of Hughes, daughter of President Harding's Secretary of State, Charles Evans Hughes, and the somewhat wild and wooly account of the temperamental team of scientists and doctors who discovered and manufactured insulin. It's a gripping tale, made perhaps more dramatic than necessary by the authors' decision to invent some conversations, incidents, and motives to "illustrate" the facts. These inventions are detailed in the "Notes and Sources" section at the end of the book, but appear in the text as facts. Teens with a personal interest in diabetes and those who like medical adventures will find this book fascinating.–Sarah Flowers
Adult/High School–In breezy, studiously unserious, and extraordinarily teen-friendly prose, León alternately marvels at and gently ridicules the ancient denizens of the Mediterranean for their knowledge (or lack thereof) of the physical world. Of her 87 very loosely organized and seemingly randomly selected vignettes, some take on the construction of the Coliseum and are superb pieces of short-form. But most offer a more glancing, tangent-laden appreciation of their subjects, ranging from profound mysteries of the world to relatively minor factoids. One of her more compelling narrative techniques (one that effectively exonerates her more snarky comments about ancient ignorance) is her penchant for linking ancient superstitions and misunderstandings to modern ones-our ongoing love affair with poisonous lead products and astrology, as two examples. A more scholarly author might wish for a rigorous organization by subject matter or chronology. Such a structure would almost certainly add coherence and unity to the text, but it would also dampen the essential charm of a collection called How to Mellify a Corpse-a charm that speaks to its potential teen appeal. Encouraging serendipitous discovery over academic study, the collection presents teens with a fun, funny, eminently browsable account of the eccentricities of a culture too often encountered by teens only in stuffy textbooks.– Mark Flowers, John Kennedy Library, Solano County, CA
Adult/High School–Growing up African-American in Baltimore and the Bronx in the 1980s was like growing up in a war zone for the two boys named Wes Moore. Crime, violence, and drugs were rampant, and a hopeful future seemed impossible. One Wes Moore made choices that led to a life sentence in the penitentiary. The other one turned from crime toward a life that included a Rhodes scholarship and a successful career. The Wes Moore who escaped the fate of the criminal reflects on how two young men in similar circumstances make often thoughtless and impulsive choices that determine first their reputation and then their fate. What differentiates these two fatherless boys is that one had adults to guide, counsel, love, and discipline him through bad choices and the other did not. For much of their youth, it is not clear that this is enough to save one boy from the fate of the other. All teens are familiar with bad choices, and will find in these parallel life stories a compelling demonstration of consequences. Without being preachy or judgmental, Moore describes the divergent paths of two lives in a way that will offer hope to those who feel overwhelmed by circumstances that seem hopeless. The book includes an ample resource guide to national and local organizations that provide services to troubled youth.–John Sexton, formerly at Westchester Library System, NY
Adult/High School–Tisch brings readers up to date on the many challenges and expanding opportunities of the 21sr century's most promising antidote to pessimism: the so-called "active-citizenship" movement. With help from business and current-affairs author Karl Weber, he presents his extensive knowledge of and enthusiasm for active citizen engagement in. Citizen You, like social activism itself, is for everyone: young and old, rich and poor, post-graduate and high-school dropout, and everyone in between. The authors keep business school and other academic jargon and concepts to a necessary minimum and include fascinating, even at times gripping, stories of human achievement. By combining these accounts of active citizenship from a wide range of causes and world-wide locations with a brief, but adequately thorough, explanation of the principles behind social activism, the authors enhance readers' interest in and concern for the global effort to make the world a better place, one person, one neighborhood, one project at a time. It is all about moving past the handing over of some fish to the hungry, as important as that often is, and teaching those same people to catch their own fish, and in turn to teach others. The book concludes with a list of 52 suggestions, with contact information, on how one might do one's part to change the world. The list, like the book itself, is recommended for all readers and all collections.–Robert Saunderson, formerly at Berkeley Public Library, CA
