Dear Manny by Nic Stone

 

Dear Manny by Nic Stone

Jared Peter Christensen is running for president (of the Junior Class Council at his university, but still). His platform is solid—built on increased equity and inclusion in all sectors of campus life—and he’s got a good chance of beating the deeply conservative business major he’s running against.

But when a transfer student enters the race, she calls Jared out for his big-talk/little-action way of moving. Dylan’s accusations make him question just how “woke” he really is. But what’s the right way to bring about change? As the campaign heats up, feelings are caught, and juicy secrets come to light, and Jared writes letters to his deceased friend Manny, hoping to make sense of his confusion. What’s a white boy to do when love and politics collide? Will he have to choose between his head and his heart?

★ “Stone has done a brilliant job with this memorable character-driven novel. It’s beautifully written with spot-on dialogue and clever plotting. It’s great fun to read while also being thought-provoking. Dear Nic: congratulations on another great success.” —Booklist, starred review

“A concise, thoughtful narrative that challenges the concept and ideals of allyship through an unexpected lens.” —Kirkus Reviews

Infinity Son (Infinity Cycle #1)

 

A New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and IndieBoundbestseller!

Balancing epic and intensely personal stakes, bestselling author Adam Silvera’s Infinity Son is a gritty, fast-paced adventure about two brothers caught up in a magical war generations in the making.

Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers—a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures.

Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence has taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with a power to live peacefully and openly. In this climate of fear, a gang of specters has been growing bolder by the day.

Then, in a brawl after a protest, Emil manifests a power of his own—one that puts him right at the heart of the conflict and sets him up to be the heroic Spell Walker Brighton always wanted to be.

Brotherhood, love, and loyalty will be put to the test, and no one will escape the fight unscathed.

Reviews

The Official ‘Infinity Son’ Recap: Everything You Need to Know

"With Infinity Son, Adam Silvera has created an immersive, mind-bending world built around a sibling relationship that is both thoughtful and heart-wrenching." — Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes

"Adam Silvera has crafted an urban fantasy so intricate, so woven into our hyperconnected modern world and everyday issues, you'll swear the Spell Walkers of New York are real. A magical joyride with a cast full of heart." — Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Warcross

Norma's Review

First, I would like to put a quick little guide on something that initially had me confused. Like most fantasy/sci-fi worlds, there are in-universe terms and this book is no exception.

Gleamcrafters: ANYONE with magic

Celestials: Born with powers.

Specters: Steal powers form blood of magic creatures.

Spell Walkers: Celestial vigilantes.

Blood Casters: Gang of specters.

Now that that's out of the way, I'm still reading this book and currently about one third of the way through. It takes place in modern day New York where magic and creatures like phoenixes exist. The story changes POVs between  the main characters, Emil and Brighton, as well as a few other characters. It's a fun read so far and I'm loving this mash up of a magical world where modern cell phones and Instagram exist. It's not a secret society type of magic either; some of these Celestials are public figures, such as online influencers and up-and-coming politicians!

I can't spoil much myself as I'm still reading it, but I'd definitely say to give this series a try!

What If It's Us

 

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

A New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller!

Critically acclaimed and bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera combine their talents in this smart, funny, heartfelt collaboration about two very different boys who can’t decide if the universe is pushing them together—or pulling them apart.

ARTHUR is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

BEN thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them . . . ?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t nail a first date even after three do-overs?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?

What if it’s us?

Plus don't miss Here's to Us! Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera reunite to continue the story of Arthur and Ben, the boys readers first fell for in What If It’s Us.

Reviews

“Albertalli and Silvera balance cynicism and starry-eyed optimism to paint an honest, compelling picture of adolescent romance. Part feel-good, part star-crossed, this seamless blend of the authors’ styles will appeal to fans old and new alike.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Two of queer YA fiction’s best writers team up for an infectiously sweet story of young love set against New York’s bustling backdrop. Without a doubt, this is the gay rom-com you’ve been waiting for.” — Entertainment Weekly, “Must List”

“A love story that makes romance cool again. This is how a good romantic comedy should always feel.” — Los Angeles Review of Books

Only She Came Back

Only She Came Back by Margot Harrison

A chilling thriller about an unlikely friendship between a true-crime fan and a former high school classmate suspected of murdering her influencer boyfriend, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Courtney Summers.

On July 28 at 6:30 p.m., Kiri Dunsmore walks out of the desert wearing her boyfriend’s sweatshirt, covered in his blood. Dazed and on the verge of unconsciousness, she tells a cashier that he’s still out there and most likely dead. The disappearance of Callum Massey, a “survival guru” with hundreds of thousands of YouTube followers, rocks the nation. And Kiri is a prime suspect. 

Back in Kiri's hometown, true-crime fanatic Sam is completely hooked on the case—especially now that she recognizes the suspect as shy Katie from high school. Although they didn’t know each other well, that doesn’t stop Sam from reaching out to befriend her old classmate. 

But when Kiri starts to confide in her, Sam realizes there’s more to the story than she had imagined. Can she keep Kiri’s secrets even though revealing them could put her where she's always longed to be—at the center of the story?

Reviews

"A clever, twisted tale of taking lies (and influencer likes) way too far, this book has enough paranoia and red herrings to satisfy the most suspicious murderino."―Ellie Marney, author of None Shall Sleep

“Tackles consent, grooming, emotional abuse, mental illness, survivalist culture, eating disorders, and social media…A twisty thriller exploring important social topics.”―Kirkus Reviews

“Margot Harrison smartly addresses important social topics including mental health, survivalist culture, and parasocial relationships while delivering a gripping, addictive narrative full of unexpected twists and turns…this twisted thriller is both compelling and insightful.”―Shelf Awareness

I'm Not Dying With You Tonight

I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

From The Publisher

Lena and Campbell aren't friends.

Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she’s going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school.

When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together.

They aren’t friends. They hardly understand the other’s point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they’re going to survive the night.

Reviews

"A vital addition to the YA race relations canon."—Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin

"An absolute page turner, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight is a compelling and powerful novel that is sure to make an impact. "—Angie Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give

"An astounding achievement. This novel is an incendiary experience, one that does not shy away from difficult questions about privilege and violence. But Jones and Segal don’t hold our hands to provide us easy answers; this is a book meant to be devoured in a single sitting and discussed for years to come." ― Mark Oshiro, Schneider Family Book Award Winner – 2019 for Anger is a Gift

Where I Belong

Where I Belong by Marcia Argueta Mickelson

From the Publisher

An immigrant teen fights for her family, her future, and the place she calls home.

In the spring of 2018, Guatemalan American high school senior Milagros "Millie" Vargas knows her life is about to change. She has lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, ever since her parents sought asylum there when she was a baby. Now a citizen, Millie devotes herself to school and caring for her younger siblings while her mom works as a housekeeper for the wealthy Wheeler family. With college on the horizon, Millie is torn between attending her dream school and staying close to home, where she knows she's needed. She is disturbed by what's happening to asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, but she doesn't see herself as an activist or a change-maker. She's just trying to take care of her own family.

Then Mr. Wheeler, a U.S. Senate candidate, mentions Millie's achievements in a campaign speech about "deserving" immigrants. It doesn't take long for people to identify Millie's family and place them at the center of a statewide immigration debate. Faced with journalists, trolls, anonymous threats, and the Wheeler's good intentions-- especially those of Mr. Wheeler's son, Charlie-- Millie must confront the complexity of her past, the uncertainty of her future, and her place in the country that she believed was home.

Reviews

”Full of thought-provoking conversations, messy answers, and lots of heart, this novel’s a quiet knockout. Utterly compelling.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews

“In Milagros Vargas, author Marcia Argueta Mickelson has brilliantly captured a voice for our times.” —Diana López, author of Lucky Luna

“A thought-provoking book. Filled with courage, Millie will show us the way to a kinder, more compassionate way of being in the world.”—Guadalupe García McCall, Pura Belpré Award-winning author

“A great addition to YA contemporary collections, this book would also provide fuel for discussion in high school Government/Civics classrooms.” — Susan the Librarian

Book Trailer presented by the author of Where I Belong.

 

Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Copyright 2007

ISBN: 978-1595141880

Ages 14 and above

“Breakneck pace and dizzying emotion.” —School Library Journal

“[Hannah’s] pain is gut-wrenchingly palpable. . . . Asher has created an entrancing character study and a riveting look into the psyche of someone who would make this unfortunate choice. A brilliant and mesmerizing debut from a gifted new author.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review and Editor’s Choice

“Readers won’t be able to pull themselves away.” —Publishers Weekly

“Asher's ability to convey the anguish of someone who was left behind is truly remarkable.” —Book Page

Everything, Everything

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Jacket Art by Good Wives and Warriors

Copyright 2015

ISBN: 978-0553496642

Ages 13 and above

Kindness for Weakness by Shawn Goodman

Cover Art by Alexander Shahmiri

Copyright 2013

CYRM Nominee 2016-2017

ISBN: 978-0-385-74325-9

Ages 14 and above

Sometimes good kids, make poor choices.

Book List Review:

Grades 8-12. When 15-year-old James dutifully attempts to deliver drugs for his older brother, whom he idolizes, he is caught by police, convicted, and sentenced to a year in juvenile prison. In the novel that follows, Goodman offers a searing indictment of the so-called juvenile justice system, in which any attempt at kindness is perceived as weakness. Goodman is notably successful at stirring up a visceral reaction from the reader at the flagrant injustices that James encounters, and he does an interesting thing by contrasting James’ experiences with those of Humphrey Van Weyden, the protagonist of Jack London’s classic novel The Sea Wolf (1904). Will James, who perceives himself as “a skinny, friendless loser,” be able to transform himself, or will his bête noire, the system itself, prove to be his undoing? 

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Illustrations by Sarah Watts
Copyright 2015
ISBN 978-0-385-75589-4

Book Brief 02: Book Review by Mrs. Flores

Book Trailer 01:

Eleanor and Park meets Fault in Our Stars.  

Book Trailer 02:

New York Times book review:

An exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death. Every day he thinks of ways he might die, but every day he also searches for—and manages to find—something to keep him here, and alive, and awake.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her small Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school—six stories above the ground—it's unclear who saves whom. And when the unlikely pair teams up on a class project to discover the "natural wonders" of their state, they go, as Finch says, where the road takes them: the grand, the small, the bizarre, the beautiful, the ugly, the surprising—just like life.

Soon it's only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a bold, funny, live-out-loud guy, who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet forgets to count away the days and starts living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink.

This is a heart-wrenching, unflinching story of love shared, life lived, and two teens who find one another while standing on the edge.

Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Book Trailer 01:

Counting by 7's
Author Holly Goldberg Sloan
Cover Design by Mina Chung
Copyright 2013
ISBN 978-0-8037-3855-3
[Fic]--dc23
Reading Level 5.6 ATOS
Lexile Value 770L
Teaching/Learning Tools: http://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=35892&a=1

Being orphaned as a baby is something Willow doesn't remember; being orphaned again at twelve, is something she will never forget.

Willow Chance is someone I would want to know, to have as my friend.  She is a genius-- really, she is.  She is intelligent beyond her years, but she is also forced to grow beyond her years and learn to choose her own path.  She has faced disappointment, loneliness and immeasurable grief.

Willow had been adopted by amazing and loving parents and her life was full. . . until a medical supply truck, ran a red light, and took everything away from her.  This is a story of courage, endings and new beginnings.  It is about the love of family-- the family we choose to call our own and those who choose to love us.
Mrs. Flores

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author Laini Taylor
Cover Design by Alison Imprey
Copyright 2011
ISBN 978-0-316-13402-6
[Fic]--dc22
Reading Level 5.8 UG
Lexile Value 850L
Teaching/Learning Tools on Author's Blog:  http://www.lainitaylor.com/p/books.html
California Young Reader Medal Nominee for 2014-2015

Author's BookTrailer 01

Author's BookTrailer 02

Critique:
"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.  It did not end well (Taylor, introduction page)."
Seventeen year old Karou will draw you in with her numerous adventures and internal emptiness. She will impress you as a heroine and have you reading into the night to find out where her next travels will take her.  As a reader you will "see" the pages of Karou's sketchbook come alive and you will climb into them to follow her to the underworld and beyond.
Mrs. Flores  

"It's to Taylor's great credit that evil incarnate and its love match in Daughter of Smoke and Bone are such imaginative interpretations and that the worlds in which this romance unfolds are likewise so unique: Telling a tale this apocryphal requires serious outside-the-box plot work to pull off. Taylor manages her self-imposed challenge with aplomb."
-The Los Angeles Times

Legend by Marie Lu

California Young Reader Medal Nominee for 2014-2015

Author's Book Trailer

This gripping, dystopian novel tells the entire tale from two points of view.  The chapters alternate between June's perspective and Day's.  The reader senses, and waits, for their paths to cross.  The setting is the future western states, now know as the Republic, a nation at war with its neighbors. 

June is a 15 year old prodigy, born into wealth and groomed by the Republic army.  Day, on the other hand, was raised in the slums and is referred to as a criminal.  There is no real reason for their lives to cross paths, but they do; it is difficult as a reader to put the book down, sensing the meeting will happen soon.

Day is simply trying to keep his family together and survive, but he is thrust into June's world as she seeks to avenge the death of her brother, Metias.  This unlikely pair begin to unravel the mysteries of not only Metias's death, but also the evil workings of the government he was serving at the time of his death.    

The novel is fast-paced and full of twists and connections.  The alternating perspectives places the reader inside the minds of both characters in a way that brings each to life.  If you enjoy dystopian novels, like The Hunger Games series, you will enjoy this novel as well as the sequels, Prodigy and Champion.
Mrs. Flores  

Excerpt from the novel:  

DAY

"In other words the Republic has no idea what I look like.  They don't seem to know much of anything about me, except that I am young and when they run my fingerprints they don't find a match in their databases.  That's why they hate me, why I am not the most dangerous criminal in the country, but the most wanted.  I make them look bad (Lu 2)." 

Girl Stolen by April Henry - TeacherTube

Book Trailer:  Girl Stolen by April Henry - TeacherTube

As a sick Cheyenne waits in the family SUV at a pharmacy for her step-mother to pick up some medicine, the Cadillac Escalade she is waiting in is car jacked.  An unsuspecting Griffin is in for more than one surprise:  He discovers that Cheyenne is in the car and that she is blind.  This adds to the terror of her plight, both for her and the readers.  She is in no shape to fight, blind and sick with pneumonia, but she is resourceful and determined to survive.  The fact that she is the daughter of a Nike CEO adds to the intensity of the story, and the value of Cheyenne as a hostage.

The novel is suspenseful and gripping from start to finish.  Told from two different perspectives, both Cheyenne's and Griffin's, the reader really gets to know both characters.  Griffin is not like his father, who has dragged him into the mess they are in; Griffin wanted to let Cheyenne go in the dark, but as soon as his father realized through the media who she really was, he saw the girl as a way to a wealthy future.
Mrs. Flores

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

California Young Reader Medal Nominee for 2014-2015

This novel confronts the ugly reality of teens battling cancer.  It does not create euphemisms to avoid the harsh side effects of treatment or the depression often associated with this illness.  It is a raw and honest look into the lives and hearts of teenagers fighting an often deadly battle.  That being said, it is also a story of connection, hope, empathy and love.  Hazel, reluctantly falls in love with the witty and intelligent Augustus Waters.  Their connection begins in a cancer support group and follows both their relationship and the struggles and triumphs of the various members of the group.

I found the novel to be engaging and realistic.  I loved the fact that I could really gain access to the individual personalities of these characters, forcing me to read just one more chapter when I should have been asleep.  The characters were smart and well read.  There were several references to novels that I had read. The story is consuming, and although I was at times afraid to know what would happen next, I could not wait to read on and find out for myself.
Mrs. Flores

View the link below for a Book Brief podcast on this novel.

Episode 01: The Fault in Our Stars

Book Trailer