Book Review: Stateless, by Elizabeth Wein

As in some previous Wein books I have read, I found Stateless to be good, not great. As a matter of fact, I finished it weeks ago and just now realized I didn't review it. What better time than the day of the book's official release. 

As the Nazis are gaining power, an air race for European young people has been arranged in the hope that it will bring everyone together. Stella North is the only female participant, representing Great Britain. She feels a lot of pressure to represent well since no one believes in her abilities as a pilot.

She loves nothing more than flying, but it loses some of the fun when she witnesses what appears to be one plane driving another plane into a crash. Who can she trust? Tension mounts as other things start happening, and all the pilots are in danger even if they don't know it. 

The relationships among the pilots are interesting and the story is well told. I just thought it all a bit far-fetched. But true to young adult fiction, it is exciting and kept my interest.

If you enjoyed Wein's other stories, Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire, etc., you will most likely like Stateless.

Published by Little, Brown BFYR (March 14, 2023)
eArc obtained from Edelweiss+
400 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: All Your Twisted Secrets, by Diana Urban

All Your Twisted Secrets is a compelling, twisty story that kept me guessing (through most of it...)

I don't usually do this, but I'm just going to copy the blurb. It says mostly what I was going to say anyway.

What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it's a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill ... or else everyone dies.

Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they're all connected or who would want them dead. As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor's ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?

I was about 80% through when I pretty much figured out what was going on. The tension built nicely, and the characters were interesting (if a bit stereotypical.) I didn't buy that the person who did this would actually do it. But, the reader is supposed to be surprised by it, I guess.

All Your Twisted Secrets is a quick, suspenseful read that is worth the time but won't stick with me for long. But that's OK.

Published by HarperTeen, March 17, 2020
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
400 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: Stormbringers by Philippa Gregory

I like these characters, but somehow Stormbringers just didn't do much for me. Perhaps it's a "second book" issue? It has been a while since I read Changeling, the first book, but I remember there was a lot more excitement in that book.

Isolde and Ishraq are on the run after Isolde was accused of witchcraft. They are traveling with Luca and Freize while Luca continues his mission for the Order to find evidence of the End of Days.

And find evidence they do! We experience the Children's Crusade and the ensuing tsunami that ends it, which is of course considered to be a sign.  Then Isolde and Ishraq are accused of being the Stormbringers that caused the devastating wave.

Stormbringers starts out slow, which made me impatient. The tension mounts, and it does have an exciting ending. We meet the head of The Order of Darkness, which imparts a desire to continue the story. Ishraq, being part Arab, is constantly under scrutiny, and after meeting an Arab commander, the reader realizes this analysis may be justified. There is much to be curious about.

Fortunately, enough surprises and questions cause eager anticipation for Fools' Gold, the third installment of this four-book series. The fourth, Dark Tracks, has also been released. As for me, I'm not sure how enthused I am about continuing. For teens, Stormbringers is a pretty deep story, but those who enjoy interesting characters navigating the bedlam of the 1400s will certainly enjoy Order of Darkness.

Published by Simon Pulse, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
336 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Sparrow, by Mary Cecilia Jackson

Watching an extremely gifted, hard-working, driven teen girl fall into the grips of a controlling, anger-filled boy made me feel helpless and frustrated.

Savannah--Sparrow to her friends--narrates the story. She can't believe it when handsome, popular, well-off Tristan begins to have feelings for her. He is so kind and gives her gifts and wants to be with Sparrow all of the time.

Sparrow's best friend and dance partner, Lucas, has never liked Tristan. He's been bullied by Tristan since childhood, and Lucas does not believe that Tristan has changed, no matter what Sparrow says. Delaney, Sparrow's best friend, and Lucas watch Sparrow become more and more frightened of her supposed peach of a boyfriend as he controls her every move. Tristan becomes very jealous of Lucas, which makes things even more difficult. Delaney and Lucas repeatedly try desperately to help Sparrow see what Tristan has become. She refuses to acknowledge anything and sticks up for Tristan over and over. Eventually, after Sparrow suggests some time apart, Tristan blows up and beats Sparrow until she is almost dead.

This happens at about the halfway point, and the rest of the story is about Sparrow's difficult path back from potentially losing herself. She must confront not only her relationship with Tristan but other secrets about her childhood relationship with her mother, who died when Sparrow was young. Her friends and family all feel helpless as well as guilty. Her father never allowed her to talk about her mother and the abuse Sparrow suffered. Lucas feels responsible and can't hold his temper. He almost loses everything he has worked for. 

After slogging through the torturous first half of the story--part of it being described by both Sparrow and Lucas--they slowly and painfully begin to heal. Thankfully her family is supportive, and Sparrow builds a therapeutic relationship with a counselor. Lucas spends time away with his grandmother. Their eventual recovery isn't portrayed as being easy or complete. One thing that I must caution--I wouldn't want teens to think that this type of toxic relationship only happens to girls (or boys) who are abused as children. That is what happens in Sparrow's case, but I'm sure these abusive relationships happen to all kinds of "normal" teens as well. And sadly to plenty of adults.

I was put off when the POV first switched to Lucas, and he begins to relate the same events as Sparrow had. I really don't like dual POVs that repeat the same events. I feel like I can imagine the other character's perspective well enough without reading a retelling of the same story. But, this only happened the first time. After that, the switches in POVs continued the story, rather than repeating the same episodes.

Teens who are attracted to edgy, dramatic, issues books will enjoy this one. While somewhat disturbing, it may be enlightening. Give this to your Speak and Dreamland fans. I think Sparrow is going to be popular.

Published by Tor Teen, Marcy 17 2020
ARC obtained from School Library Connection
364 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus

Bent Heavens is a strangely weird, macabre science fiction story. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

Liv's father, Lee, has been missing for a couple of years after he claimed to have been abducted by aliens and returned. The reader is taken back to find out what happened after the abduction and before he disappeared.

Lee became obsessed with protecting his loved ones from aliens. He spent all his time in the shed on the back of the property making elaborate traps to catch them and weapons to defend against them. Liv and a good friend, Doug, were in on Lee's plans. Ever since Lee has disappeared, Liv and Doug go out to the woods behind her house to check the traps every Sunday. Liv just believes her father was mentally ill, but Doug believes in the aliens and takes their preparations very seriously.

Everything changes in a hurry when Liv finds an alien stuck in one of the traps.

Sooooo, I had a hard time believing what these teens did after they found the alien. I couldn't believe the lack of compassion. And that lack is what led me to figure out the twist almost immediately. The story got so gory that I had to skim those sections.

There was a big climactic event at the end, and I also had difficulty believing that Liv would do what she did. That's all I'm going to say.

A pretty gruesome, depressing story that is well written, with well-developed characters and settings. It was just the story that I couldn't get into. So, science fiction fans may enjoy Bent Heavens a lot. There's nothing wrong with the execution. I just could buy it (and really didn't want to.)

Published by Henry Holt & Co. BYR, February 25, 2020
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
304 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: The Whole Thing Together, by Ann Brashares

The Whole Thing Together is a story of family, both the good and the bad. Even though the family ties are complex, the characters are wonderfully drawn, and the story easy to follow.

Sasha and Ray live in the same bedroom, but not at the same time. Sasha's dad and Ray's mom were once married. They each remarried and gave birth to Sasha and Ray within a few months of each other. And now these families share a summer house on alternating weeks.

There are three older sisters from the original marriage, who, of course, know both Sasha and Ray. But Sasha and Ray have never met.  And then they do.

It's a complicated and compelling relationship. The three older siblings each have distinct personalities that add to the drama. And there are other secrets. And romance. As these dysfunctional parents persist in their refusal to be in the same house with each other, circumstances propel them together with disastrous results.

Brashares, as usual, unwinds this twisted tale, engrossing us in the lives of each character. I was quickly absorbed in the story and found The Whole Thing Together to be a quick and entertaining story.

Published by Delacorte, 2017
Copy obtained from the library
304 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

Although Of Curses and Kisses incorporates a familiar trope, the story of Princess Jaya and Grey Emerson is engaging. 

Jaya has been raised to be an Indian heiress, following all the protocols her parents have set in place without question.  When scandalous photos of her younger sister's escapades are exposed in the media, Jaya willingly accompanies her to a new boarding school away from the attention. When Jaya discovers Grey Emerson attends the same school she vows to avenge her sister. You see the Emersons family and Jaya's family are feuding and Emerson is the author of the vicious attack on Jaya's sister. She will compel him to fall in love with her, only to break his heart. 

The reader can see from page one where Of Curses and Kisses is going. Of course, Grey is not what he seems, and these two are destined for true love, even though Jaya is practically betrothed to a neighboring prince (to build alliances for her father) and Grey has been cursed (by Jaya's family) and will die on his 18th birthday. The group of friends (and enemies) surrounding these two are interesting and canny. There is the friend who is "in love" with a cad, and the cad is dating one of the most popular girls at school. Jaya's sister is falling for a totally unacceptable mate, in Jaya's eyes. There is something mysterious about Jaya's ruby broach -- stones keep falling out of it and Grey seems to think it has something to do with the family curse. So there are plenty of barriers to true love and many surrounding issues adding substance to this "hate to love" imagery. 

Another bizarre issue is that Menon throws in obscure vocabulary so much that at times the phrasing is awkward as if she is trying to throw in as many SAT words as possible. I kept a list of just some of them: puerile, insouciant, vitriol, imbibed, ennui, loquacious, innervating bespoke, misanthrope, disingenuous, untenable, nihilism. Some of these words were used in the dialog between the teens -- it was just awkward, and some teens may find this daunting. Of Curses and Kisses is being marketed to ages 12 and up.  I just don't see that, given the vocabulary.

The happy ending is frenetic, but everything gets tied up nicely in a bow. Nothing special, but romance junkies will probably find Of Curses and Kisses charming.

Published by Simon Pulse, February 18, 2020
ARC obtained from School Library Connection Magazine
361 pages

Rating: 3/5

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Book Review: Furious Thing, by Jenny Downham

I have mixed feelings about Furious Thing. It started out very bleak and took awhile before I felt any sense of hope. However, this may be just the right book for some teens.

Lexi has never known her father, so when her mother brings home a new man,  John, she thinks her life is looking up. And her mother is so happy--or is she? Subtle things begin to cause Lexi to doubt. John disappears and often her mother doesn't know where he is. He seems to expect her mother to ask no questions.

Lexi's temper tantrums are driving her soon-to-be stepfather mad. She vows, over and over, to be the good girl. To make her mother and John proud of her. For some reason, this proves impossible. The explosions keep happening and escalating--she really is a Furious Thing. It doesn't help that her stepbrother has gone away to college. He was the one bright spot in her life, and she wants so badly for him to return her affections. Lexi reaches John's last straw, and he requires her to see a doctor (of his choosing) and go on medication. The reader sees the issues way before Lexi or any of her family does. It is frustrating realizing that she has no one to turn to, no one to help her see how controlling her stepfather is.

While there are indications to the outside world of his nature, no one feels like they can help, and you get a sense of hopelessness and desperation that feels uncomfortable. As the wedding approaches, Lexi reaches out to one of her mom's friends who begins to help. Lexi begins to realize that her little sister (John's and her mom's child) will soon be in the crossfire and becomes a bit desperate to change something for her sake.

It takes a while for Furious Thing to begin an upward swing. And for this reason, this one might not be for every reader. However, the story is compelling and quick. Sometimes what we see from the outside looking in isn't the entire picture, and in Lexi's case, this was certainly true. Her anger seemed to be entirely illogical and entirely her fault. But abuse comes in many different forms. So while the bruises aren't visible, they are definitely present. Lexi's realization of this fact and the eventual support of some adults is the beginning of her turn-around. The reader is left with hope at the end of a very dismal story.

Recommend Furious Thing to teens who enjoy contemporary stories that are raw and a bit desolate.

Published by David Fickling, January 7. 2020
ARC obtained from School Library Connection Magazine
373 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

War Storm is a rather imposing book, but when you've read the previous three books, it's a no brainer.

Spoilers if you haven't read the series. Stop now. Cal and Mare are apart after Cal gives up Mare because he wants to be a King. But they can't be totally apart, because they have to work together to defeat Maven.

So, I don't want to spend a lot of time relaying each move -- you can read War Storm for that. They work together to get enough support to go after Maven, but Cal and Mare's relationship is strained. Especially given he is betrothed to Evangeline. But the battle seems to go their way, and then it doesn't.

The multiple points of view make the story interesting and easier to read. But this is a loooooong book. It kept my interest, and I had to finish it because I needed to know. And that's the goal of the author, right? You have to read it. But I felt a kind of resentment for dragging it out.

So, I have mixed feelings. It was well written, easy to read, and interesting. So why am I complaining? I don't know.

The Red Queen Series is one of my favorites. The characters are intriguing, and I really became attached to them. The whole Reds vs. Silvers concept is well done. I liked the world and the writing. Who cares how long the books are? (I keep telling myself that...)

If you have read the series, like I said, you have to read War Storm. If you haven't read any of them, start with Red Queen and see what you think. I think it is worth it, and teens love these.

Published by Orion, February 21, 2019
Copy obtained from the library
662 pages

Rating: 4/5

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