Young Adult Fiction: Mystery Royale by Kaitlyn Cavalancia

Welcome to the annual Door Stop Novels YA Fest! This year we are starting off with Mystery Royale, the debut novel of Kaitlyn Cavalancia. Set in an old estate, seven children are gathered together to participate in a series of deadly games, with a magical inheritance as the ultimate prize.

The Situation: Sixteen year-old Mullory Prudence has a routine: savor the mornings with a book and a gas station burrito, go to school, go to work at a crappy part-time job, and return home to take care of gran, all while ignoring the stares and whispers. Everywhere she goes, everyone knows who Mullory is: She is the girl whose mother burned their house down, before disappearing and leaving her daughter with one ominous warning, "Run if the strange finds you." When strange letters begin appearing in even stranger places - inside of her burrito, in a bag of pet food - Mullory is certain this is what her mother was talking about. But then one of the letters promises an estate and an inheritance that she could certainly use, should she win a mysterious game. And so despite her mother's warning, Mullory moves towards the strange instead of away from it.

The Problem: At Stoutmire Estate, nothing is as it seems. If Mullory is to claim the ultimate prize of the inheritance, she must play and win a game of Mystery Royale. Over the next nine days, a series of clues will be given to every participant, and the correct answer to the mystery must be declared before time runs out in order to win. But with the exception of one other person, Mullory is the only participant not related to the reclusive Xavier Stoutmire, the person whose estate and magic she is competing to inherit, and whose murder they must solve in order to win. It makes sense for Whitaker and Ellison Stoutmire to be here, the twin brother/sister duo, as well as their youngest sibling Lyric, even if he was exiled while very young. But Mullory has no ties to the Stoutmires, at least none that she knows of. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction book set mostly in the strange, mysterious, and magical estate of the deceased Xavier Stoutmire. Although there are seven participants in the game - Stoutmire relations Whitaker, Ellison, Lyric, Quinby and Martin, as well as Mullory and Mateo - only three of them serve as narrators for the reader. While Mullory provides the outsider's point of view, the uptight and orderly Ellison gives a view of what it was like growing up as a Stoutmire. She may have money and privilege, but it turns out that life as a Stoutmire was often nightmarish. And then there is Lyric, who resents his entire family because of something that happened years ago, and is determined to win the game no matter the cost. 

My Verdict: It took me a good 100 pages or so to find a rhythm and a groove with this book. At first, many aspects of the world and of the game were hazy and unclear, even while reading the chapters narrated by Ellison, who, of the three narrators, has maybe the clearest and most accessible view of what is going on. But once the games get under way and alliances begin to be made, the rules for both the Mystery Royale and the magic that runs in the Stoutmire family begin to make sense, and become vastly more interesting. And while some readers may be able to figure out the answer to the mystery, as well as how it will all end, the way it all unfolds is still a surprise, and I credit Cavalancia for giving readers a clear ending, instead of an open or vague one.

Favorite Moment: Mullory is timid and unsure of herself for most of the story, which makes sense given her background and the environment of the Stoutmire Estate. But there are moments when she makes up her mind to charge ahead and take action, come what may.

Favorite Character: Aunt Cecilia is an eerie figure who moves around the estate with a padlock around her neck, due to her ability to tell the future, and therefore potentially spoil the game. Like many of the people in this book, she speaks in riddles and knows more than she says, but she was an interesting character that I would have liked to have seen more of.

Recommended Reading: Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor is another YA story of mystery and magic, filled with characters that have strange and incredible abilities. 

Contemporary Fiction: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

There is something about a plot or setting involving a remote location that will almost always draw me to a book. Often, books that are set somewhere that is isolated fall into the historical fiction category (at least that is true for the books on this blog), but Charlotte McConaghy's Wild Dark Shore is set in the present day, on an island off the coast of Antarctica, where a family is up against time and the elements when a strange woman washes up on their shore.

The Situation: Dominic Salt and his three children live on Shearwater, an island that was once full of researchers. But with the rising sea levels and the ever worsening storms, Dominic and his family has been left to monitor the seed vault, though their time on the island is also limited. They must hold out until the next ship arrives in a few months, but without notice or warning, another boat appears during one of the worst storms the island has ever seen, and a woman washed up on the shore, unconscious and badly injured. It is clear that Rowan attempted to come to Shearwater because she is looking for something, or someone, but neither she nor the Salts are forthcoming with information, and both have plenty to hide.

The Problem: Being one of only four people on an island for an extended period of time would make make almost anyone feel a little out of it, and while it is clear to Rowan that Dominic has done his best, especially with three children to look after, she cannot shake the feeling that the Salts are hiding something from her. But then again, she has secrets of her own. Life on the island is hard, but Rowan is not afraid of hard work, and is able to find a place among the Salts, despite her misgivings. And with the rising tide, and the growing threat to the precious seeds, themselves, and the animals of Shearwater, the five of them must pull together to save what they can, or risk losing everything.

Genre, Theme, History: This book is a work of fiction, set on the fictional Shearwater Island, where Dominic Salt lives with his teenage son and daughter, Raff and Fen, and his youngest son, nine year-old Orly. In a note about the location, McConaghy explains that she based Shearwater on the real Macquarie Island, a place halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica, and the location of the Macquarie Island Research Station. While the Salts are not researchers, they do now have the responsibility of looking after the seeds and saving what they can before the vault is taken over by water. In chapters where each of them, along with Rowan, take turns telling the story, the reader encounters five people dealing with grief and uncertainty in a world where atrocities can be committed, and disaster can strike, in even the most remote locations.

My Verdict: This book hits the ground running, but does not continue to simply sprint through the story and towards the ending. Even with two big mysteries to reveal, the journey the characters take while on this remote island, while attempting to survive its harsh conditions and also relate to one another, was clearly carefully planned and thought out. Each revelation fits easily into the narrative, even the more shocking ones, which means none of them feel cheap or convenient. It is the story of five incredibly complex characters (including the nine year-old), who are doing their best in the strangest and most unforgiving of circumstances. 

Favorite Moment: There is a point when the five inhabitants have a near-impossible task before them, one that is almost certain to end in failure, but they put everything they have into accomplishing it.

Favorite Character: Dominic has his flaws, surely. And he has certainly made his mistakes as a father, many of which were guided by immense grief. But he knows he has to keep going, and he knows that sometimes it is important to try, even when the situation seems hopeless.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Walk the Vanished Earth by Erin Swan, and also The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. 

Nonfiction: Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green

Having been a fan of John Green's writing since picking up Paper Towns in 2008, I was more than curious when I received notification of the release of Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection. This is Green's second nonfiction book, after 2021's The Anthropocene Reviewed. This time, Green takes a close look at tuberculosis, going into his fascination with the disease; the people he has met who have worked to cure it, and have lived with it; and what can be done to potentially stop it.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book that is all about tuberculosis: its history, how it has spread, the stigma surrounding it, how its treated, and how it has managed to persist as long as it has. Throughout the book, Green focuses mostly on one person, and that is Henry. Henry is a young man Green met when in Sierra Leone, while visiting the Lakka Government Hospital, where Henry was being treated for TB. After wrongly assuming that Henry was much younger than he was, his small size a result of his body's long fight with the disease, Green becomes interested in Henry and his story, and ultimately, in TB and why the disease has ceased being a large concern in Europe and North America, but in poorer countries is still wreaking havoc. Medicine is helpful, but prevention and complete eradication requires a deeper look at poverty and injustice.

My Verdict: In less than 200 pages, Green lays out a compelling and fascinating narrative about TB that could easily be filled with simple (and boring) facts, figures, and dates. But he relates it all to his own personal experience and the experiences of those he has met, people whose daily realities involve TB and its effects. Green is not a scientist or a doctor, but as an author he is able to convey just how prevalent TB remains to be (and why, and where), retelling the history of an illness that can be treated, and yet many around the world still die from it every year. The book is informative, touching, heartbreaking, but also hopeful, while also providing further reading material, and ways to assist in the fight against TB.

Favorite Chapter: The chapter titled "Virtuous Cycles" offers rays of hope where there seem to be few, highlighting how the fight against TB is not a futile one.

Favorite Quote: "Tuberculosis is so often, and in so many ways, a disease of vicious cycles: It's an illness of poverty that worsens poverty. It's an illness that worsens other illnesses - from HIV to diabetes. It's an illness of weak healthcare systems that weakens healthcare systems. It's an illness of malnutrition that worsens malnutrition. It's an illness of the stigmatized that worsens the stigmatized. In the face of all this, it's easy to despair. TB doesn't just flow through the meandering river of injustice: TB broadens and deepens that river."

Recommended Reading: I recommend Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed, as well as The Icepick Surgeon by Sam Kean.

Science Fiction: Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler

Words and phrases like 'cybernetic,' and 'geopolitical espionage,' and even 'political intrigue' were used in the synopsis for Ray Nayler's Where the Axe Is Buried. Honestly, those are not normally descriptors that would cause me to pick up a book. But I was intrigued by the idea of one book being the catalyst for a revolution, to the point that even having a copy in your possession would be a punishable crime, and that the author would be exiled to a lonely wilderness. Meanwhile, the use of artificial intelligence has progressed to a point where only self-driving cars are allowed on the road, and entire governments are run by computers.

The Situation: When Lilia made the decision to return to The Federation to visit her father, she knew the risks. In London she had the freedom to go where she pleased, do what she wanted, even read what she wanted. In The Federation, activist Zoya Alekseyevna's book is banned, but when Lilia first made it to her new home across the ocean, she found the book for sale at the airport. Even so, Lilia had to visit her father one last time, and is immediately arrested after stepping off of the plane. Now, she wonders if she will ever make it back to London, and then a strange message reaches her in an even stranger way. Someone is offering her a way out, and it involves a project that made her a target in the first place.

The Problem: With The Federation currently under the rule of a President who has essentially found a way to stay in power forever, revolution and change seem nearly impossible. And in Europe, nearly every country is governed by AI Prime Ministers, and they are failing. When one continues to raise energy prices without any reason or caution, the citizens revolt, putting any remaining human officials in danger. And while Lilia is hard at work helping to potentially bring down the immortal Federation president, she fears she cannot trust the people she is working for, and wonders if this is yet another decision that will put herself and the people she loves in danger.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel set in a not-so-distant future where artificial intelligence has been allowed to replace top government officials, in-home robot caretakers are a real thing, and the ability to place ideas directly into someone's mind is no longer something found only in movies. With the advancement of AI, human beings have been replaced in many areas, except for those where having human labor is actually cheaper. And while The Federation is being ruled by a president who continues to download his mind into a new body, therefore maintaining his hold on power, Europe has come to rely on AI Prime Ministers, only for them to malfunction. There are plots within plots at work here, some to maintain things as they are, and others to create real and lasting change, and it is often difficult to distinguish between the two.

My Verdict: My fear with every science fiction book I pick up is that I will not be able to understand a thing, and that the technology used and introduce within the story will go over my head. And while that was the case some of the time while reading this book, the descriptions and contexts surrounding everything made it accessible to me, and it was all within a story that was interesting and thrilling. There are several characters whose stories are brought to the front, but each one is necessary and offers a perspective of the situation that not only adds a layer to the world, but provides a deeper understanding of our own. 

Favorite Moment: Lilia is not entirely sure about who she can trust, and even though it is unclear what the consequences will be, I appreciate one moment where she takes a chance and breaks free of a group whose motivations are unclear, but are desperate for her skills and abilities.

Favorite Character: Nikolai is the Federation president's personal physician, and all he wants is to be able to return home to his family in Italy. He knows Federation officials would rather he stay with them and continue his work of taking care of the immortal president, but he keeps his head down and does his job, even though he hates it, if it means he will eventually get to go home.

Recommended Reading: George Orwell's 1984 came to mind pretty much immediately.

Young Adult: Solving for the Unknown by Loan Le

Loan Le's Solving for the Unknown is a follow-up to her 2021 debut, A Pho Love Story. Certainly the thing I remember most about the first book is the food: It made me hungry every time I picked it up, and honestly, the actual story did not make that big of an impression. Even so, I was excited to pick up today's book, if anything expecting a light and fun read in a college setting.

The Situation: Việt is not sure what will happen at home once he goes off to college. Living on a campus six hours away means no longer having to witness the constant bickering between his parents, which has been going on as long as he can remember. Even on moving day, the fighting does not stop, and once his parents leave, Việt is suddenly living with a stranger, and on an unknown campus where he must now find his own way to new friends and experiences. Evie is in her third year at UC Davis, and is looking forward to hanging out with friends, maybe securing a job at a clinic, and being with her boyfriend Jake. It is through a clumsy accident that she and Việt meet, but they soon find themselves securing an important place in each other's lives.

The Problem: Việt's weekly calls home confirms what he has feared. His parents are still fighting, the old familiar patterns playing out even without him there. And while he has managed to make friends at college, even finding a peaceful balance with a roommate he has very little in common with, what he would really like is to be closer to Evie, who is still with Jake. But Evie struggles to admit to herself what her friends seem to see, which is that she and Jake no longer really fit. And she worries about Việt, who seems to retreat into himself and away from others when things get to be too much. But the two of them, along with their friends, continue to navigate college life, and the chaos that can come with it.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction book that takes place in and around UC Davis in California. In alternating chapters, it follows first-year student Việt, and third-year student Evie, as a third-person narrator details the events. Việt and Evie are also from the same area of California as Bảo and Linh from A Pho Love Story. In fact, Việt is Bảo's friend, and Evie is Linh's older sister. So this story's two protagonists each know what the other pair had to go through to be together. This book also deals with mental health struggles, which can become more pronounced in college, as well as family expectations, and the experience of simply wanting to be seen.

My Verdict: I always lament that there are not more books that are set during the college years as most young adult novels take place during high school, or even in that summer between high school and college. Việt's experience of suddenly having to occupy a too small space with someone you just met will be relatable for many people. Plus, there is the balance of new friends, and challenging courses, plus making space for any outside interests, all of which Le portrays well. And the relationship (or lack thereof) between Evie and Jake is clearly flawed, but the author manages to show how there can be just enough positive moments that will keep someone hanging on, despite the bigger red flags. There is more conflict and tension here, which many believed Le's first book lacked, and readers will get to follow-up on Bảo and Linh.

Favorite Moment: When Việt gets involved in a forensic science club, this mean he is occasionally presented with practice or test cases to solve, and these were definitely interesting to me, almost like fun side puzzles in the middle of the bigger story.

Favorite Character: Việt is certainly believable as a somewhat dorky and offbeat freshman student bumbling his way through his first year of college. Things get better for him once he finds a solid group of friends who refuse to simply let him go when he begins to retreat. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, also set during the main character's first year of college.

Historical Fiction: Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher

It was understood when picking up Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher that difficult scenarios would be encountered, as the bulk of the book takes place in the late 19th century in Alabama, and on a slave plantation. But the premise of an older woman visiting the descendants of a man whose family her own family used to own was too intriguing to pass up.

The Situation: It is 1943, and well-known local Red Clay resident Felix H. Parker has died. While at the funeral, his granddaughter notices an older white woman she does not recognize, and no one else seems to know either. When that same woman shows up at the house, she introduces herself as Adelaide Parker, and simply states "my family owned yours." What follows is a story of both families, one that begins just as the Civil War is nearing its end, and into Reconstruction, and the tumultuous time that was the Jim Crow era. Adelaide talks about her family, and Felix's life with them at the Road's End plantation, right there in Red Clay, Alabama.

The Problem: There are more than a few gaps in Adelaide's knowledge of Felix's story, and while Eileen and her family would love to have had all of the answers, there are simply some things that Felix did not like to talk about. Of course, being a slave at Road's End came with the expected hardships and complications, but the end of the Civil War brings with it a different era of uncertainty, apprehension, and also outright resentment and betrayal. Discerning between friends and enemies is not easy, and when secrets become currency, everyone must do what they have to for the ones they love. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel that opens in 1943, after Felix Parker has died, though most of the story details his life growing up in the late 19th century. The son of two slaves, Felix will grow up on the Road's End plantation, and remains to work there once the Civil War ends and the slaves are officially freed. Felix's family are not quite sure what to think of Adelaide when she comes to tell her story, but they invite the older woman into their home anyway. In the Afterword, Fancher speaks of his own experience of listening to stories about his great-grandfather, and finding inspiration for this book about a resilient young Black man finding his way after the Civil War.

My Verdict: This book is indeed a journey, and due to its setting near the end of the Civil War and into early Jim Crow, tensions remain high even during moments or relative joy and peace. There is always something that is about to go wrong, and always someone ready to take action against those they believe are, or at least should be, beneath them. With that in mind, there is also this deep sense of resilience and hope, even during the darkest of times and when things appear to be at their most impossible. I appreciate the attempt to explore the nebulous moment when the slaves were declared free, but no one really knew what to do exactly. And if anything, what came through to me was the importance of stories and storytelling. As someone who recently lost a nonagenarian relative, this truth probably hit home harder than it normally would have. Readers who love a good family saga will enjoy this book, and maybe become more curious about their own family's history.

Favorite Moment: Closer to the end of the book, an antagonist from Felix's early life makes a surprising and redemptive return.

Favorite Character: Jimmy becomes a long-time friend of Felix's, beginning when they are children helping to bring water to the slaves in the field. He will remain a loyal friend as the two boys grow older and learn their respective trades. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer. 

Young Adult Fiction: The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

Emily J. Taylor's Hotel Magnifique, published in 2022, introduced readers to a traveling hotel that is as magical as it is dangerous. In The Otherwhere Post, Taylor brings readers into a strange land where travel between worlds is possible, or it used to be, and the written word is powerful enough to bring joy, as well as cause untold catastrophe.

The Situation: Maeve Abenthy does not dare speak her own name. For seven years she has been using aliases, and refuses to stay in one place for too long should someone figure her out. She knows from experience that if anyone were to know her true identity, she would once again be shunned, a punishment that comes from not any crime she committed, but her father's. Because of Jonathan Abenthy, travel between the three worlds of Inverly, Barrow, and Leyland is no longer possible, at least not for the general public. And due to a devastating event, Inverly is blocked off completely and deemed too dangerous to enter. While Maeve is preparing to once again pack up and move somewhere else in Leyland, she receives a letter that was supposed to have reached her years ago, claiming her father's innocence. Finding out the truth will require her to travel to Barrow, an impossibility for everyone who is not a courier.

The Problem: Couriers are trained in the dangerous magic of scriptomancy, which is what allows them to travel to other worlds and deliver letters. But apprenticeships are highly coveted, and to gain access to one, Maeve must once again hide her true identity. Unfortunately, her new mentor is aware that she is not who she claims to be, and it seems someone else knows of her plan, and has begun to send threatening letters, encouraging her to stop looking into the past. If the mentor or this other mystery person do not stop her, the actual art of scriptomancy might, as some mistakes can be fatal. Maeve must draw on the knowledge she received from her father's instruction if she hopes to clear his name, but there is not much time, and it is near impossible to know who to trust.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fantasy novel set mostly in Leyland, a fictional world with two near-identical mirrors, Barrow and Inverly. Due to a terrible event that took place seven years ago, Inverly is no longer accessible, and travel between Barrow and Leyland is limited. Readers follow young Maeve as she must lie about her identity and essentially hide in plain sight, though it proves difficult, nearing on impossible. With no family, and an aversion to making close friends, Maeve must make decisions that serve only herself. And this is a world where words and letters hold incredible power, and being adept at any one of the five types of scribing - sense, memory, form, tracking, and travel - is a fast track to being a courier. 

My Verdict: For readers craving a fast-paced adventure in a world that has two other mirror worlds, and where the people who work for what is essentially the postal service are revered and have incredible abilities, this is the book for them. There is danger, and intrigue, and a handsome mentor, and of course, magic. If there was any one detail about this book that was irritating to me, it would be some of Maeve's actions, in particular the ones that have severe consequences for others. But desperation can be a wild motivator, and Taylor's protagonist never claims to be perfect. Despite being nearly 400 pages, this is a quick read that kept me engaged, though something about it did not leave me quite as enchanted as Taylor's previous book did. 

Favorite Moment: Because I am who I am, I enjoyed the brief description of the different libraries, and the fact that there is a 'Second Library,' but not a 'First Library,' is just so delightful. 

Favorite Character: Maeve's roommate Nan is immediately a lot to deal with, but she is determined to be helpful, as well as be Maeve's friend. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Taylor's first novel, Hotel Magnifique.