The Challenge

I am a Youth Librarian, but I run a book club for adults who like to read Young Adult fiction.  I usually have no trouble choosing books, but my club has made a request for something special.  They want the unicorn of YA fiction.  The club requested that the book we read in December be: a Stand Alone, Teen, Supernatural Mystery, with a little Romance.  To further complicate things it has to be in paperback because I have to buy 15 copies.  The gauntlet has been thrown.  Challenge accepted...Only now I'm left trying to find a book that fits the bill.  They are willing to give a little on the stand alone title part; a book in a series is okay as long as the mystery is resolved in a single book.  The supernatural mystery part of the request is a must.  I will be blogging all of the books that I read until I find The One.  (Maybe I should do brackets like in basketball.)  Here are the 1st books I am reading:

Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede
Shadowland by Meg Cabot
The New Policeman by Kate Thompson
The Season by Sarah Maclean
Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer
LuLu Dark Can See Through Walls by Madison Bennett
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Clarity by Kim Harrington
Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

I'm starting with these titles and I hope to find something that amazes me like the first time I read Nancy Drew when I was in the 4th grade.  I will be letting you know what I think as I knock out the books on the list.  If you have a favorite mystery let me know and I will add it to the list.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Click here to find this book at your library.

After Liz is hit by a taxi she wakes up on a giant ship bound for Elsewhere.   She is not alive but she’s not completely dead either.  Death is a part of life, so her life goes on in Elsewhere.  Here she must learn how to complete her journey and find a way to “live” what remains of her life. 

This story is interesting because Elsewhere is like Earth, but also different from Earth.  Everyone who dies goes to Elsewhere and ages backwards until they become babies again and are sent back to earth to be reborn.  The process of aging backwards is really interesting and the story makes some interesting points about life without hitting you over the head with it.  I would recommend this book for teen readers, 8^th grade and up, who are looking for a little something different to read. 

Guy Langman: Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk

Click here to find this book at your library.

Guy (16) and his best friend Anoop join the forensics club at school soon after Guy’s father’s death.  It is a way to keep his mind off of his dad.  Right from the start Guy makes jokes, slacks off, and is generally a pain in the butt.  To spite his behavior he genuinely likes learning the science, so when a real body turns up Guy and Anoop are determined to solve the crime.

I liked the story but I think it would have been better without the real crime.  There is enough going on with Guy, his mom, the cute girl in forensics, and Anoop that solving the mystery of the body was not really necessary.  The book is funny and sweet.  I would recommend this for guys who like to read humorous realistic stories. 

Curveball: the Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

Click here to find this book at your library. 

Pete is an all-star athlete, and he is set to make a big splash as a great baseball pitcher when ninth grade starts.  Life seems pretty easy until a serious injury leaves him unable to pitch ever again.  Now he has to figure out who he is if he can’t be the star pitcher anymore.  On top of all of that, his grandfather is acting strange and there is a new girl in class whose presence renders him speechless. 

Jordan Sonneblick is a great writer.  That is all there is to it.  He writes some of the best teen fiction I have ever read.  When I read his books all of the characters read true for their age.  This story sounds sad, but it is full of humor and a lot of teens will be able to identify with Pete and his family.  I would recommend this for teens who like realistic stories with lots of humor. 

Uglies: Shay’s Story by Scott Westerfeld

Click here to find this book at your library. 

Shay is living in Uglyville waiting for the operation that will make her pretty.  While out on her hoverboard she makes friends with some Crims and starts exploring outside of Uglyville.  What she learns makes her question if she wants to be a Pretty or not.

This is a great new addition to the Uglies “Trilogy”.  Scott Westerfeld has teamed up with Devin K Grayson and Steven Cummings to make the first Uglies graphic novel.  It’s great to see things from Shay’s perspective.  I hope they do a few more of these.