ALAN Online

ALAN’s Picks is a monthly book review column that is compiled and edited by Dr. Pam Cole of Kennesaw State University.  Be sure to check the site often to see a preview of the latest titles in YA Lit.

Reviewed this month:

Deadly Little Lies: A Touch Novel by Laurie Faria Stolarz
The Death-Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughrean
Dragonfly by Julia Golding
The Goodbye Season by Marian Hale
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
Icecore by Matt Whyman
My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman
Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick
Possessed by Kate Cann
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Surviving the Angel of Death: The Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz by Eva Mozes Kor and Lisa Rojany Buccieri
That Doggone Calf by Bill and Carol Wallace
The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler

Deadly Little Lies: A Touch Novel by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Disney/Hyperion, 2009, 282 pp., $16.99
Relationships/Psychometry/Stalkers/Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-4231-1145-0

The story of Camelia and Ben continues in the second book in the Deadly Little Secrets series, and their relationship continues to be tenuous. It appears that Camelia is again being stalked—she is receiving frightening phone calls and photos of Ben’s dead girlfriend. Although Ben has the ability, with his psychometry skills, to help Camelia figure out who might be stalking her this time, he is reluctant to use his skills for fear of hurting her just like he hurt, and ultimately killed, his former girlfriend.

Psychometry is the ability to know the history of an object through touch. Camelia is concerned that Ben’s abilities have rubbed off on her as her clay sculptures have been showing her things about her future. Camelia remains enthralled with Ben, but she attempts to move on by dating Adam as Ben has begged her to do. Her thoughts, however, continue to return to Ben. Camelia struggles to balance all aspects of her school, personal and family life, while also trying to determine who wants her dead.

This is the perfect book for readers who enjoy series, who like a mystery with a splash of romance, and who live for books that send a shiver down their spines. Stolarz does an excellent job of creating likeable and multifaceted characters: Camelia has a girl-next-door quality and her friends are vibrant. The elements of psychometry will most likely drive readers to investigate more on this unusual ability. This is a series worth recommending to high school readers.

Reviewed by Aimee Rogers, Tucson, AZ

The Death-Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughrean
HarperCollins, 2010, 328 pp., $16.99
Identity/Adventure
ISBN: 978-0-06-183665-7

The Death-Defying Pepper Roux is a thoughtful novel and an entertaining adventure story. On the morning of his fourteenth birthday, Pepper Roux has little to celebrate. When he was born his aunt Mireille, an embittered spinster who clings desperately to religion, informed his parents that she had been visited by Saint Constantine, who assured her the child was destined to die when he turned fourteen. To guard against sorrow, his parents chose to hold him at arm’s length, and rather than call him by his birth name, Paul, referred to him only as le pauvre (“poor thing”), which his classmates mistook for “pepper.”

Rather than remain home and wait for the vanguard of saints and angels his aunt has assured him is bent on killing him, Pepper steals his alcoholic father’s naval coat, hat, and official papers, boards a ship on which his father was scheduled to sail, and passes himself off as its captain. In doing so, he embarks on a series of absurd adventures, each of which leads him to adopt a new identity in an attempt to hide from death. Over the course of the episodic narrative, he adopts the guise of a journalist, a messenger, a horse thief, and, at one point, a husband. Unfortunately for Pepper, in assuming other identities he simultaneously inherits other people’s problems and must also take on their foes. As a result, he unwittingly assembles a growing list of real-life enemies bent on harming him.

McCaughrean, who experienced considerable success with The White Darkness, once again proves that she is a talented writer with the ability to weave truly enchanting metaphors. Though the novel is recommended for readers age ten and up, it will likely appeal to a more mature audience.

Reviewed by Sean P. Connors, Columbus, OH

Dragonfly by Julia Golding
Marshall Cavendish, 2008, 390 pp., $17.99
Fantasy/Interpersonal Relations/Princess
ISBN: 978-0-7614-5582-0

Princess Taoshira, the Fourth Crown Princess of the Blue Crescent Islands and Ramil ac Burinholt, Prince of Gerfal, were pledged to be wed (with neither one’s consent) in order to create an alliance between their two countries. Princess Taoshira was horrified at the prospect of being married to an “uncouth barbarian prince” (p. 26). Ramil was equally appalled at having a “white-painted she witch as a wife” (p. 15). Determined to thwart this marriage, each responded with hostility when they met. An unexpected
abduction of the pair set them on a journey rich with conflict, catastrophes, and adventure. Impending war and the necessity for their two countries to work together, create a space for cooperation and concern. As they struggle against a common enemy, they begin to see beyond cultural stereotypes and
appreciate each other’s qualities. The trials they face, individually and together, allow rapport to develop. However, their concern for one another increases the danger as they fight to defeat the evil ruler, Fergox Spearthrower.

The plot contains multiple angles and never allows readers to predict what will happen next. Action maintains reader interest without bogging readers down in gory details. Diverse characters such as a compassionate giant and a protective war horse are two examples of the dynamic full-fledged personalities enhancing this enthralling tale.

Reviewed by Susan M. Landt, Green Bay, WI

The Goodbye Season by Marian Hale
Henry Holt, 2009, 288 pp., $16.99
Coming of Age/Grief/Historical
ISBN: 978-0-805-08855-7

In Canton Texas in 1918, the Great War may have ended, but times are tough for the Kaplan family. Mercy, the seventeen-year-old narrator of this affecting coming-of-age story, bitterly vows not to follow in her mother and grandmother’s footsteps. She will not marry young. She wants a better life than having too many children and too little money. When the crops fail, Mercy’s sharecropper father decides to leave the farm to find work. He also decides to hire Mercy out as a housekeeper to have one less mouth to feed. While she misses her family terribly, she soon falls into a comfortable routine with the Bonners until the flu epidemic sweeping the nation arrives in Canton. The Bonners send Mercy home for her own protection, but she arrives to an empty house and learns that her
mother and three siblings have died of the flu. Penniless, grieving and wondering about the fate of her father, Mercy makes her way to town in search of work, but no jobs are to be had.

While tragedy befalls Mercy in a short period, the story is saved from being relentlessly sad by the strength of Mercy’s voice. She is a survivor. She is also a keen observer of people. She finds herself heeding much of her mother’s advice as she makes her own way in the world. The writing is often quite lovely and surprisingly suspenseful as the story takes a sinister twist. There is a strong feeling of time and place, but Mercy’s desire to live her life differently from that of her parents will resonate with modern readers.

Reviewed by Brenda Kahn, Closter, NJ

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
McElderry/Simon & Schuster, 2009, 308 pp., $16.99
Fantasy/Relationships/Coming of Age
ISBN: 978-1-4169-8643-0

Cassie’s life was stable. She knew that she would become a researcher in the Artic. She knew that she would work for her dad. She knew she would fall in love with another researcher, only to live the rest of her life in the Artic wild. She was wrong.

Cassie’s life is thrown into a whirlwind of magic, talking animals, and trolls when she learns that her grandmother’s fairy tales are actually true. Now caught between the world she already knew and the wondrous world that offers surprises and intrigue, Cassie must choose between stability and love.

Sarah Beth Durst’s book is a well-written account of eighteen-year-old Cassie Dasent’s journey into the discovery of who she really is and where her family really comes from. Durst’s book is a fast read that is enjoyable for any reader, especially seventh graders and up. What can be especially appreciated by Durst’s tale is readers who are more apt to read adventure stories or love stories will enjoy it as much as fantasy readers. This book contains no profanity, and it only subtly mentions sex and a birth. It lends itself to be supplemental material for units on quests and antiheroes. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Brian Spiro, Cincinnati, OH

Icecore by Matt Whyman
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2009, 307 pp., $8.99
Adventure/Computer Hackers/Violence/Military
ISBN: 978-1-4169-8960-8

Seventeen-year-old British computer hacker Carl Hobbes is in deep trouble –and it’s not virtual; it’s real. Picked up on his way home from school and told that he is being investigated for stealing gold bars from America’s official gold reserves in Fort Knox, Carl is at once perplexed, confused, and downright petrified. Computer whiz Carl didn’t really steal gold bars, but he did penetrate Fort Knox’s security system for a laugh—a laugh that America’s Federal Government finds less than amusing. The Feds want to know how he broke in and, more importantly, how gold bars ended up in the hands of terrorists.

Carl willingly admits that he has broken the security code protecting America’s bastion of capitalism, but he vehemently denies he stole anything. The American authorities do not believe him, and in retaliation, Carl soon finds himself in Icecore, a frozen detention center located in the coldest spot on earth—the Arctic Circle. There, he is questioned, taunted and tortured—to the point of no return. Readers will shiver along as they read with fascination as young Carl tries to convince everyone—both inmates and authorities—that he is an unwitting pawn in their desperate scheme to uncover who stole the gold from Fort Knox and parlayed America’s fortune and secrets into an enemy bent on destroying the world. A great yarn for anyone who loves adventure quick, cold and topical.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kaplan, Orlando, FL

My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman
Henry Holt, 2009, 229 pp., $17.99
Relationships/Family/High School
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8950-9

Roz and Eva are sisters and a year apart in high school. They used to be best friends. That is, until Eva, the senior, decided to drop Roz in favor of her cheerleading friends. Now, when Roz could really use a sister and best friend, she has no one. It certainly does not help that Roz thinks Eva is a lesbian after finding a girl-meets-girl romance in her room and confirming her suspicions on the Ouija board. Nor does it help that the girls are both trying out for the leading role in the school play, and it looks like Roz may be the one to get it for the first time in their sisterhood history.

Told from the perspective of a seemingly authentic eleventh grader, this novel is sure to intrigue. Character, plot, and dialogue eccentricities capture reader sensibilities and keep them reading. It is hard not to root for Roz and her invented life.

Reviewed by Cynthia Mitchell, Satellite Beach, FL

Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick
Simon & Schuster, 2009, 209 pp., $16.99
Relationships/Coming of Age
ISBN: 978-1-4169-8264-7

Lauren Strasnick’s breakout novel Nothing Like You tells the story of loss, love, betrayal, and growing up. The novel begins with Holly, the protagonist, losing her virginity to Paul in what appears to be a one night stand. After all, the popular Paul Bennett is too cool to seriously consider Holly as girlfriend material, and he just so happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. Yet, the one night stand turns into many nights of love making between Paul and Holly, even though he is still very committed to Saskia. Holly initially seems okay with this setup until she gets paired up with Saskia for a history project. Holly actually becomes friends with Saskia and ends her relationship with Paul. Not only does Holly have to deal with feelings of betraying a friend, she also is dealing with her mother’s death that happened six months prior. Yet, her problems do not end when Paul refuses to let Holly go. In the end, Holly learns about real friendship, letting go, and moving on.

A quick read, Nothing Like You reveals the trials and tribulations of growing up. This book is intended for older young adults as it involves mature topics such as sexual promiscuity, death, and drinking. Strasnick does a good job of creating believable characters that the reader can relate to and care about. The plot is quick paced and an easy read.

Reviewed by Joellen Maples, Rochester, NY

Possessed by Kate Cann
Point/Scholastic, 2010, 327 pp., $16.99
Horror/Suspense/Relationships
ISBN: 978-0-545-12812-4

Filled with horror and suspense, Kate Cann’s latest novel will keep readers on their toes. Rayne, the story’s protagonist, yearns to escape suffocating relationships both at home and in her romantic life. When she learns of a live-in job opening at an isolated country estate called Morton’s Keep, she thinks it’s the perfect solution. The estate is both grand and mysterious and has a terrifying history that no one will discuss. Regardless, Rayne is happy about her new surroundings and her new circle of friends, including the alluring St. John. They all seem to take an interest in Rayne, and they have a particular fascination with Morton’s Keep.

The story develops slowly and deliberately, but as Rayne’s suspicions about her new friends’ intentions grow and the mysteries of Morton’s Keep begin unfolding, readers will find it difficult to stop turning the pages. With seamless writing and characters that are not what they appear to be, readers of all ages can enjoy Cann’s Possessed. Although a couple of loose ends are never really tied up (ex., Rayne’s relationship with her mother), it is an overall intriguing read with lots of twists and turns. As readers wrap up the final chapters, they will step off a dizzying roller coaster ride that was both terrifying and fun.

Reviewed by Crystal Leibowitz, Moriches, NY

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic, 2009, 392 pp., $17.99
Supernatural Romance
ISBN: 0-545-12326-7

When she was ten years old, Grace Brisbane was pulled from the tire swing in her backyard by a pack of wolves. Bitten and nearly killed, somehow, miraculously, she survived. Although she has no memory of her escape, Grace does remember looking deeply into the yellow eyes of one young wolf, a wolf that has continued to visit her every winter since her attack. Now, six years later, she is harboring a young man with those same yellow eyes in her house, a young man she found shot and bleeding on her porch, a young man named Sam, a young man Grace believes is that very wolf.

Told in alternating first-person voices over the course of four months, Shiver follows in the footsteps of other compelling supernatural romances like Twilight. Tender and protective of each other, both Grace and Sam recognize the near impossibility of their situation. The colder it gets, the more likely Sam is to lose his human form and return to the woods as a wolf. And, if he is correct, this may be his last year to be human. Yet, as their curiosity and desire turn to love, they struggle to find a cure and to forestall Sam’s inevitable transformation.

Teen readers will be intrigued by the couple’s experiences. How did Sam become a wolf? Why didn’t Grace? How did Grace escape? Will they find a cure? Will their love survive? Additionally, readers will find themselves engrossed in Stiefvater’s light, fast-paced writing. A much anticipated sequel, entitled Linger, is due out Summer 2010.
Reviewed by Emily Meixer, Ewing, NJ

Surviving the Angel of Death: The Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz by Eva Mozes Kor and Lisa Rojany Buccieri
Tanglewood, 2009, 129 pp., $15.95
Biography/Holocaust
ISBN: 978-1-933718-28-6

Eva Mozes Kor wanted her self-published memoir of her experiences as a survivor of Dr. Josef Mengele’s twin experiments in Auschwitz to be adapted for young adult readers. Rojany Buccieri wrote a masterful, searing, and mind-numbing account of twin ten-year-old sisters who entered the Nazi camp of horror and evil and emerged as survivors. Eva’s only goal was to keep herself and her sister alive, and her first-person narrative voice lends powerful credence to the power of the human spirit and the strength of the will to live despite incredible odds.

Eva provides details of Mengele’s experiments and camp conditions, while family pictures before and after the camp provide additional documentation. The text honors Eva and her courage and offers a compelling argument about forgiveness and tolerance. The reader will not want to stop reading. This text is a must for units on the holocaust or on survival.

Reviewed by Judith A. Hayn, Little Rock, AR

That Doggone Calf by Bill and Carol Wallace
Holiday House, 2009, 137 pp., $$16.95
Relationships/Social Issues
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2228-9

That Doggone Calf is the story of farm life told from a dog’s perspective. Life seems to have been routine on the farm until an uppity, upstart of a calf who believes he is royalty arrives. Cookie, as one of children on the farm names him, seems to test everyone and wants to dictate what happens on the farm. He thinks the other animals are beneath him, and Hoss, one of the farm dogs, is not going to have it and lets Cookie know so. Hoss has more important things to do besides constantly keeping Cookie in line—life was much easier before he came. Cookie had better shape up or he will be “gone to market.” Only one animal is in charge on this farm. There is a power struggle, not unlike what happens in Animal Farm, the dystopian novella written by George Orwell in 1945.

That Doggone Calf can be used for teaching about issues of authority, power struggle, cooperation, and conflict resolution. This book is great reading through middle school where many times young teens face these issues.

Reviewed by Ethel King-McKenzie, Marietta, GA

The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler
HarperCollins, 2010, 243 pp., $15.99
Fairy Tales/Relationships
ISBN: 978-0-06-182498-2

This story is a twist on the traditional German tale of the twelve dancing princesses who mysteriously wear out a pair of dancing shoes each night. Zahler adds a thirteenth princess to the tale, creating a unique twist. While the back story of the twelve enchanted princesses is woven seamlessly into the plot, readers will enjoy the addition of twelve-year-old Zita, the thirteenth princess, who has been relegated to the servant quarters by her dad because her mother died during her birth. Zita adores all her sisters, but she can only have a secretive relationship with them. When Zita discovers something horribly amiss with her sisters, she learns she must save them from an enchantment that threatens to slowly steal their lives. In the end, she is able to win back her father’s affection, expose the witch that cast an evil spell on her family’s castle, and attain her rightful place alongside her sisters.

Though she is everything a princess is expected to be—pretty, smart, lively—Zita also is adventurous, brave and selfless. In the end, these qualities help her unveil truths that save the day. Young teens will be thoroughly entertained by this new take on a familiar tale.

Reviewed by Elaine J. O’Quinn, Boone, NC