Young Adult Fiction: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

It seems I may be a tad late to the party when it comes to discovering the work of Talia Hibbert, the author of this week's DSN, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute. Though to be fair, while I love young adult fiction, I have never been big on romance. But the premise interested me: two ex-best friends must now work together as they compete for a grand prize.

The Situation: Celine Bangura knows who she is and what wants out of life, and she even has the Steps to Success board in her room to prove it. If all goes according to plan, she will study at Cambridge, become a top corporate lawyer, and show her absentee father what she managed to do without him around. And when an opportunity comes up to compete for a full scholarship in a program put on by one of her lawyer heroes, Celine is determined to come out on top. But she was not planning on having to deal with her arch-nemesis, Bradley Graeme, while camping and hiking in the woods, and proving herself to be a capable and hard-working leader. The two of them used to be best friends, before Brad decided he would rather be with the popular kids...or at least that is how Celine remembers it.

The Problem: Brad has his own reasons for wanting the scholarship. If he does not have to worry about finances while in college, then he will not need to have a roommate, something that would greatly benefit his obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD. But being so close to Celine while competing for the top prize has added a entirely new set of issues to the competition. If either of them want a real shot at winning this thing, then they will have to work together, and manage to have conversations without it breaking out into an argument. At some point, Celine starts to wonder when Brad became so considerate and thoughtful. And Brad knows Celine is annoying, but was she always this cute? The expedition is only the beginning for Celine and Brad as they look back on their past, and consider what their future may hold.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in present-day England. Celine and Brad are seniors who are starting to consider college and their future careers. The book explores a fairly well-known pattern of ex-best friends/enemies rediscovering each other and potentially moving their relationship into romantic territory. Both Brad and Celine have their reasons for why their friendship ended the first time, and they each have hang-ups that could easily stop them from ever being close again. And beyond that, Brad has his OCD, and Celine has her desire to prove to her father just how worthless and unnecessary he is to her life and its direction. The book is a YA romance against a backdrop of academic and familial pressures that many high school seniors have faced.

My Verdict: Many times with books with two narrators, I find myself much more drawn to one over the other, and end up speeding through the parts narrated by the one I like the least. Fortunately, that did not happen with this book, and I was able to stay invested in both storylines. And while I found myself immediately annoyed by Celine in the very beginning of the novel, the growth and development of her character over the following 300 pages was so well done and believably well-paced that I was weirdly proud of her. Brad and Celine remained the central focus of the story, but some of the side characters were also exceptionally well-rounded, even when given a short amount of time on the page, such as Celine's sister Giselle, and Brad's good friend Jordan.

Favorite Moment: When Brad stands up for Celine against one of his 'friends,' even though their truce at the time was only supposed to be temporary.

Favorite Character: Celine's roommate on the trip, Aurora, is shy but perceptive, as well as clever and smart.

Recommended Reading: Author Nicola Yoon also writes YA romance that focuses on people of color. My favorite of hers is 2016's The Sun Is Also a Star. 

Classic Fiction: After Dark by Haruki Murakami

A new year means a new novel by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami for me to review. This time, I have selected After Dark, initially published in 2004, with the English translation being published in 2007. A young girl reading alone in a diner is approached by a young man who remembers her and her sister. From there unfolds a night of unlikely adventures and connections.

The Situation: When unassuming and somewhat serious 19 year-old Mari is reading alone at at Denny's, she is recognized by the awkward, lanky, but earnest Takahashi. The two of them once hung out at a pool together years ago, along with Mari's sister and her then boyfriend. It is just before midnight, and the two strike up a conversation while Takahashi eats, before he heads out to band practice. The encounter seems mundane enough...the two of them catch up, though they did not really know each other well enough to have much to catch up on. Other than Mari's sister and that one day they spent at the pool together, the two of them do not have a lot of common ground. But Mari and Takahashi will see each other a few more times before the night is over, as their stories intertwine without a few others in the city.

The Problem: After Takahashi leaves and Mari spends a little more time reading at the diner, she is sought out by the manager of a nearby hotel, Kaoru. She learned from Takahashi that Mari knows Chinese. Turns out there is a young Chinese girl in trouble, and Kaoru needs Mari to help translate. This unusual situation gives Mari a few other places to spend her time as she waits for daylight, as well as a few more opportunities to meet and talk with Takahashi, whom she eventually feels comfortable enough with to reveal a secret about her sister, Eri. On the surface, it seems that Eri is simply asleep in her own bed, but it is slowly revealed that something somewhat strange, maybe even sinister, is going on.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction, set in modern-day Tokyo in the middle of night. Each chapter and section is time stamped, with the book starting at 11:56pm, and ending around 6:52am. The narrator often addresses the reader directly, and sometimes describes the viewpoint as being a camera that moves around rooms, throughout the city, and even through television screens to get to the image on the other side. This brings me to the other common themes found in Murakami's works, and using a Google image of a 'Murakami Bingo' card as reference, players would be able to blot out mysterious woman, something vanishing, cats, old jazz record, parallel worlds, and Tokyo at night. And instead of simply following one character, the reader gets to follow and check-in with several characters as the night progresses.

My Verdict: This is certainly one of my favorite of Murakami's books that I have read in recent years. While I am sure it has its own loyal following, I do not think it is as beloved as maybe Norwegian Wood, or The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. As the book is on the shorter side (not quite reaching 250 pages), I recommend anyone making their way through Murakami's works to pick it up and not skip it. It is intriguing, it is haunting in places, and it is a story I will not easily forget, and I cannot say the same for every Murakami novel that I have read. This one was accessible in a way that is hard to explain. It still contained many of the elements the can make Murakami's novels seem like something just outside of our reality, but I had the sense I could access it if I really wanted to.

Favorite Moment: There is a moment where Kaoru, the hotel manager, holds her ground against a member of the Chinese mafia.

Favorite Character: Korogi works at the hotel that Kaoru manages, and there is only one chapter in which the reader has a chance to get to know her and her story. But she is encouraging and helpful to Mari in a way, but also someone with her own issues and life to work out.

Recommended Reading: I still say my favorite of all of Murakami's works is A Wild Sheep Chase, but a better follow-up for After Dark may be Norwegian Wood. 

Contemporary Fiction: Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

While the work of writer Kevin Wilson has been well known to many readers for quite some time now, his most recent novel, Now Is Not the Time to Panic, was my first experience with his writing. I was intrigued by the idea of a small town reacting to the sudden appearance of a strange poster being put up in public areas and not knowing where it came from. The possibilities for the aftermath of such a thing are nearly endless, and I was curious as to which way the author would take it.

The Situation: It is the summer of 1996, and 16 year-old Frankie Budge is escaping the heat by hanging out at the local pool where she meets Zeke. He seems nice enough, and also just as awkward as she is, and the two of them strike up an unlikely friendship that makes sense in a weird way. She likes to write, and he likes to draw, and together they come up with an idea to create something together...her the words, him the picture. The result is a poster that, with the help of an old copier that Frankie's older, chaotic triplet brothers had stolen, they are able to make copies of and post all around Coalfield. Everywhere the townspeople go, they are greeted with the strange saying "The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us."

The Problem: Naturally, people are confused. And then curious. But things quickly spiral out of control when a few ridiculous rumors and theories as to the poster's origin begin to circulate, leading to fear and panic. Soon, Frankie and Zeke are not the only ones making copies of the posters and putting them up. Eventually, the image has gone beyond Coalfield, Tennessee and is making headlines across the country. Events occur that neither Frankie nor Zeke could have predicted, and their effects will follow Frankie well into adulthood. She has managed to keep what happened that summer all to herself, until a journalist calls her, asserting that they know she was the source of the poster. Now the well-crafted life Frankie built is in danger of falling apart. 

Genre, Themes, History: This novel is fiction, and is set largely in Coalfield, Tennessee during the summer of 1996. Sixteen year-old Frankie lives with her mother and her older triplet brothers, with her dad having moved on with his new wife and child. Zeke is also without his father, at least for the summer, due to the revelation that he has been cheating on his mom, giving him something else in common with Frankie. The poster that the two of them created leads to the kind of series of events that people would maybe read about later in a Mental Floss article. It is also a depiction of the power of art, as well as the power of mass panic, and how sometimes, obsessions can be hard to shake, even when they are not good for us, and especially if we feel like they are all we have. 

My Verdict: This is an easy and fascinating read, and since it is just under 250 pages, it is worth picking up and enjoying the brief but often wild ride. I love the idea of two teenagers creating something strange but uniquely them out of boredom on a Tennessee summer day, and then posting it around their small town - at the gas stations, movie theater, school, office buildings, you name it. And seeing how different people view the poster and react to it is beyond interesting. This is the kind of book I could see some of my instructors in college using as an illustration of the power of art, and comparing the events that unfold with similar events in history. And seeing the long-term effects of everything on Frankie, and how she feels about that summer 20 years later, definitely led me to consider what past events I feel are still a part of me, even decades later. 

Favorite Moment: There is a point when the town's curiosity officially switches to panic, and it is depicted so well and explains just how easily a small and easily contained situation can lead to chaos. 

Favorite Character: Frankie's mom is a hard-working single mother doing her best with a set of incredibly rowdy triplet boys, and awkward and somewhat withdrawn Frankie. With everything she has to deal with, she is the real hero of this story.

Recommended Reading: Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow also involves two younger people joining forces to create something. And I want to mention an episode of Daria (yes, the MTV cartoon show from the 1990s) called "Arts 'n' Crass" that deals with an image with a message that ends up causing problems for the creators. 

Young Adult Fiction: Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell

Beginning a new book by Rainbow Rowell is always exciting, even if the book is a collection of short stories and not a full-fledged novel. Scattered Showers is Rowell's first short-story collection, filled with new characters, as well as a few her readers will recognize from her previous books. 

Genre, Themes, History: This gathering of nine short stories includes a young girl hiding from her best friend on New Year's Eve in order to avoid a repeat of certain events; a couple of college kids who find commonality through break-up songs; two Star Wars super fans who camp out in front of a movie theater; a prince and a troll; and several of Rowell's characters from three of her previous novels (Fangirl, Attachments, and The Simon Snow Trilogy). The short and easy description for this collection would be 'love stories,' but the characters range in age and maturity, as well as situation and circumstance. Some are grounded in the reality we know, others are creatures from fantasy, and one guy is even imaginary.

My Verdict: As is the case with most short story collections, there are some I connected with much more than others. But the ones I did connect with were incredibly compelling. When looking for a book to read, a romantic storyline is not one of the elements I check for, so I did not expect to be too enthralled with a book of love stores. Even so, of the nine stories that Rowell offers up, two of them I found to be absolutely charming, one of them included characters from my favorite of all of her books, and one of them devastated me in a way I was not expecting. Habitual readers of love stories and romance books may be left wanting more after some of these, and really, they can find it in many of Rowell's other novels.

Favorite Story: I loved "Winter Songs for Summer." Not only is it a wonderful story, but I will always maintain that there are not enough books out there written about the college experience.

Favorite Quote: Mason: You get a lot of mail? I don't get any mail.

Reagan: I'm a homeowner with a retirement plan.

I felt this couplet of dialogue way more than I care to admit. It is just so true.

Recommended Reading: My favorite of all of Rowell's books remains to be Fangirl, though Pumpkinheads is a fantastic graphic novel, and Attachments is a great book for adults. 

Historical Fiction: A Map for the Missing by Belinda Huijuan Tang

Today's book is a historical fiction novel that takes place mostly in China, but also partly in the U.S, as a young man returns home to find his missing father. A Map for the Missing by Belinda Huijuan Tang follows Yitian as he returns home, unsure of what he will find or the reception he will receive.

The Situation: It is 1993 and Tang Yitian is living in America when he receives a frantic call from his mother back in China, telling him that his father has gone missing. It has been nearly a decade since Yitian left, and when he did, he was not on the best of terms with the man he is now looking for. In fact, his father would barely acknowledge his presence, refusing to even speak to him before he left for college in Beijing. Upon returning, things are both as Yitian remembered them and completely different. Using what little information he receives from his mother, Yitian sets out on a quest to find his father, but the search forces him to confront events that took place nearly two decades ago.

The Problem: Yitian's search for his father will not be the quick and simple task he was hoping it would be. But his trip home offers him another opportunity, and it is the chance to reunite with a childhood friend. When he first moved to America, Yitian did attempt to keep in touch with Hanwen. As kids, the two of them dreamt of attending college, both studying rigorously for the gaokao, the standardized college entrance exam held annually in China. Only Yitian would receive the opportunity to attend college, and later leave for America, while Hanwen stayed in China, eventually becoming a bureaucrat's housewife. Their reunion means an examination of the past, as well as where everything stands now that they are adults. Questions of what might have them become nearly impossible avoid, as Yitian looks for a father he is not sure will be happy to see him.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set mostly in China, but also briefly in the U.S. where Yitian is a professor. There are two stories being told at once, that of Yitian, the second son of a small farming family living in a small village in China, and also Hanwen, who was one of the "sent down" youth from Shanghai who was to help in the fields. The narrative moves around throughout the 1970s, 80s, and early 90s, explaining the relationship between Yitian and Hanwen, as well as how they relate to their family members, and the people they ended up marrying as adults. There is also plenty of historical information offered up about China during a time when the gaokao has just been reinstated, causing China's youth to become excited once again about the prospect of attending college. 

My Verdict: At the beginning of the book, I was intrigued. I wanted to fully dive into Yitian's history and the dynamics of his family. I was eager to learn more about China in the 1970s and the intense political climate the people were living under. But something happened while reading the first chapter that focused on Hanwen's side of the story. For whatever reason (I cannot quite figure it out), I was much less interested in her experience than I was with Yitian's. I do not think it was the character, but maybe her story arc as a whole. And neither storyline felt fully complete to me by the end of the book, though it left like more attention was paid to Yitian over all. There are parts of the book that were still engaging and interesting, but other parts felt like something was left out.

Favorite Moment: There is a part where Yitian attempts the impossible while attending university. Everyone at the school told him it was impossible, but he tries anyway, a few times. As someone who works at a university, I could appreciate both sides of the interactions: The university officials are frustrated that a student would try such a thing after having the rules clearly laid out for them. And I also recognize the desperation Yitian displayed as the student, despite knowing the futility of his request.

Favorite Character: Yitian's wife Mali does not have much of a presence on the page, but her place in Yitian's life is apparent and clear, even as he is often unsure if the life they have together is what he wants. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim. 

Young Adult Fiction: If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

The premise for Ann Liang's If You Could See the Sun was enough for me to pick it up: A young girl who attends an elite boarding school in Beijing begins to turn invisible. But then the book was listed as one of the best YA dark academia books of 2022. And then, it was nominated for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction for the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards. So yes, I have been excited to talk about this one.

The Situation: It is not enough for Alice Sun to simply try her best. When it comes to anything related to school work or academics, Alice must be the best. She already feels incredibly inadequate, nearly invisible, when it comes to her classmates. Because Alice attends the prestigious Airington International Boarding School in Beijing, her classmates are wealthy, privileged, well-traveled, and completely unaware of what it means for someone like Alice to have to work so hard for something they can simply buy...or have their parents buy for them. Alice is the only scholarship student among her friends, and it is not even a full scholarship. Her scholastic awards and accomplishments are what make Alice feel seen, until she literally begins turning invisible.

The Problem: Despite Alice not being able to at all control her new...power? affliction? burden?...she believes she has found a way to make the most of a weird situation. Since her parents have dropped the news that they can no longer afford the school fees that her scholarship does not cover, meaning the illustrious future that is promised by an Airington education is now no longer guaranteed, Alice has been attempting to think of ways to secure her place at the elite school. And being able to turn invisible means access to the secrets of some of China's richest and most powerful teens, and their families. But it does not take long for the requests to become borderline unethical, even crossing over into the criminal. Soon, Alice must evaluate what she wants for herself, and consider what she is willing to do to get it.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in modern day Beijing at an international boarding school. The vast majority of the students at Airington are incredibly wealthy, with Alice being an exception. Having earned the nickname of 'Study Machine,' Alice is proud of her reputation for being an intense top student, but nothing takes away that feeling faster than the image of the effortlessly attractive, smart, rich, and likeable Henry Li, her main competition in everything academic. At the core of Alice's story is her constant struggle to not only be the best, but to simply exist in a space where those around her have to do very little for the same results. Alice was already tired and angry before the events in the story, so when she receives news that she will not be able to stay at Airington, things become even more manic, tense, and desperate. 

My Verdict: What I expected was a somewhat cutesy story of a young girl discovering she can become invisible, and using those powers to her advantage until things get predictably out of control. Shenanigans ensue, and maybe there is a love interest thrown in there somewhere. What I did not expect was to be genuinely affected by Alice's situation of being the only scholarship student (and again, not even a full scholarship) at an elite boarding school, where the other students have no idea about her situation...in fact, many of them cannot even fathom what it takes for someone like Alice to be at a school like Airington. Alice is indeed as her classmates describe her - one young man described her as shrill and intense - but she is also relatable. Despite her many mistakes (so many), I wanted her to win, whatever that meant.

Favorite Moment: At one point, the usually nonconfrontational Alice calls out one of her teachers for essentially being fake, and I was here for it.

Favorite Character: Alice's roommate Chanel is the definition of the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover." She is rich, beautiful, an influencer, and somewhat clueless, while also being loyal to Alice and genuinely wanting to help.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus. 

Nonfiction: A Coastline Is an Immeasurable Thing by Mary-Alice Daniel

Let's be real: Today's title caught my attention because of the cover. It happens. But the description was also interesting. A Coastline Is an Immeasurable Thing: A Memoir Across Three Continents by Mary-Alice Daniel is exactly that. Daniel chronicles her experience of moving from Nigeria, to England, and finally to the U.S, while never quite settling into one place for too long. It is the type of memoir I am often drawn to, where the author describes a place I am not incredibly familiar with, while also telling their story.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book in which Daniel begins her story in Nigeria, the place she was born, but has a complicated relationship with as far as her identity. While Daniel's family will leave Nigeria while she is still a young girl, she will return to the place she refers to as 'Back Home' a few times throughout her life. After moving to England, Daniel describes the feeling of not belonging in either of the two places she had lived, and that feeling only grows after moving once again, but this time to the U.S. Daniel also contributes several chapters of intricate knowledge of the Nigerian tribes of her father and mother. Included are also lessons on the history of Nigeria, religion, superstition, language, and the convention of naming. But at the center of everything is the idea of identity, and what we must all take into consideration when someone asks us who we are and where we are from.

My Verdict: I can certainly say my expectations were met. I was hoping to learn more about Nigeria as a country, and read about the experience of someone who saw themselves and their family as willing nomads, always moving from place to place. This book provides all of this to its readers, and a little more. Much like the concept of identity that Daniel explores, there is a lot to unpack in this book. Although events are told in a mostly linear fashion, Daniel often looks back at the places she has lived before, making connections to how they have contributed to where she is now. While some of the narrative became difficult to follow, and some of the history lessons were confusing, the book provides overall clarity to issues the country of Nigeria still faces, as well as how Daniel feels about her own history and identity. 

Favorite Moment: When Daniel describes the different ways her and her siblings handled their move from England to the U.S. I found the difference between how her and her brother handled it, as opposed to how her older sister handled it, incredibly believable. Looking back, the same was also true between my older brother and myself when our family encountered a significant change. 

Favorite Quote: "Although these movies were a decade out of date by the time I put their lessons to use, it's lucky that so many blockbuster movies in the '80s dealt specifically with curious circumstances that find one freakish character trying to fit in despite some flagrant obstacle or abnormality." 

Recommended Reading: The Impossible City by Karen Cheung is a memoir that explores the city of Hong Kong and the author's struggle to settle in a place whose history is incredibly complicated.