And once again, we have come to the final week of YA Fest. We have already worked our way through four great YA titles that 2018 has offered us, and today we finish it all off with Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman. The story of Citra and Rowan continues as more is revealed of the world where the occupation of Scythe is deemed necessary. And as usual with a sequel in a book series, I issue the mandatory spoiler alert to anyone who has not read the first one.
The Situation: It has been a year since Citra was awarded the title of Scythe and has begun conducting her own gleanings. Still under the wing of the Honorable Scythe Curie, Scythe Anastasia, as Citra has chosen to be called, has adopted a somewhat unorthodox method of gleaning that has both angered and intrigued the Scythedom. The attention she has received has resulted in someone making attempts on her life, and Rowan will do anything he can to save her, except he is a wanted man who must look over his own shoulder. With an inability to meddle in Scythe matters, even troubling ones, the Thunderhead must recruit someone it trusts to help where it cannot.
The Problem: Above everything, the Thunderhead wants to help. But when it comes to the Scythedom, the most it is allowed to do is watch. Even recruiting an innocent such as Greyson Tolliver to do what it cannot is a dicey move at best. He cannot be told directly what he needs to do, or why he needs to do it. And his actions will bring him a significant amount of unwanted attention from those who do not want him to succeed. Intervention from an all knowing, all seeing being is exactly what needs to happen for the events currently in motion to be stopped. But the Thunderhead is perfect. And breaking its own laws would mean it is not perfect. So does this mean it will only sit back and watch as the people it wants to protect tear themselves apart?
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult novel set in a future where death is no longer a thing, and the same is true for war, famine, and disease. In this second book, Shusterman decided to have plenty of the action take place from the (nearly) all seeing vantage point of the Thunderhead, which is essentially the Cloud we know of today, but completely aware and sentient. It takes care of everything for humankind, and the only thing it cannot meddle with is the Scythedom, which is really a shame because the organization that is left to rule itself seems on the verge of falling apart from the inside out. Corruption and politics abound, and even though she has only been a Scythe for a year, Citra has already managed to make a few enemies. In Scythe, the entries between chapters mostly came from the journal of Scythe Curie, but occasionally came from other Scythes central to the story. In the second book, the thoughts and the musings of the Thunderhead take center stage as it ruminates on humankind, the Scythes, and even its own existence. While it may be incredibly capable, it is no true god, and is not in fact perfect, though it claims to be. Thunderhead also gives us a closer look at Unsavories, the class of people drawn to criminal activity with a desire to be against authority, even if the authority is a benevolent computer program. Shusterman has already said there will be a third book, so like a true middle book of a trilogy, this one leaves many loose ends and questions.
My Verdict: Sequels can be hard on a reader. Issues that were seemingly resolved and fixed in the first book can be resurrected, while heroes readers have now become attached to can be done away with in a paragraph. I love that Shusterman opens up this fascinating future even more than he did in the first book, with an intimate look at the thoughts and feelings of the Thunderhead; an in-depth exploration of the world of Unsavories; and even travels to more locations around North America as well as a few far off islands. What I am not too crazy about is the relationship between Citra and Rowan. I have no issue with either of them, or even the idea of them together. I just do not quite believe the attraction or the chemistry for some reason. And the reason I am always wary of picking up a new series is because of the possibility of villains being overpowered and allowed to overcome ridiculous odds so they can continue to wreak havoc. In short, it is a good book, and a good sequel, but it left me sad and anxious for the third one.
Favorite Moment: When it is revealed that Texas is a charter region and the Thunderhead has decided to more or less let it do what it wants. In other charter regions, the Thunderhead has done little controlled social experiments that for the most part have been met with success. But with Texas, it has not been able to come up with a magic formula, and no real conclusion has been made. Not even an all seeing and all knowing being has any idea what to do with this great state.
Least Favorite Moment: The ending. *spoiler alert* How I felt at the end of Avengers: Infinity War is very close to how I felt at the end of this book.
Favorite Character: Greyson Tolliver is a great choice. But I also still love Scythe Faraday and his wise and gentle manner.
Recommended Reading: The Hunger Games trilogy would certainly work, as would Marie Lu's Legend series.
YA Fest continues with Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha #1), a book that managed to take that highly coveted place on top of the New York Times Bestseller List in its first week of publication. It does not hurt that its release was much anticipated with readers and author's alike excited to get their hands on it, myself included.
The Situation: Zélie is haunted by the last memory she has of her mother. On a night she wishes she could forget, her mother was dragged away to her death by the kingdom that still rules over Orïsha. Zélie and her brother, Tzain, along with their father, live a haunted and unstable existence as they must be on constant watch against the king's guards, as they receive their orders from a man who hates and fears people like Zélie. One upon a time, Orïsha was full of magic and the people who could use it. But when King Saran decided it was time to rid the land of magic, a decision that ended up costing Zélie's mother her life, the link between the Sky Mother and the maji's was severed, leaving all divîners without their magical abilities. Now that they are powerless and defenseless, the remaining divîners are objects of scorn and discrimination. Distinguished by their white hair, people like Zélie are singled out and abused. But a chance encounter with the person least likely to be a divîner's ally gives Zélie a hope she never before dared to think of.
The Problem: After witnessing her father, King Saran, in a shocking and horrible act, Princess Amari decides it is time she claimed the life of freedom she has always dreamed of. But she does not simply run away. Instead, she takes with her a scroll that seems to have the ability to give divîners back their magic. Knowing her father would not hesitate to kill her, his own daughter, for this act of treason, Amari runs for her life, and right into Zélie and Tzain's. Taking it as a sign from Sky Mother, the three of them take off for a journey to reinstate the power of magic to the divîners of Orïsha. However, close behind them is Amari's brother and heir to the throne, Prince Inan, tasked with returning the rogue princess and the scroll to his father. Giving magic back to Orïsha is already a near impossible task, but Zélie manages to hold onto hope, even as she herself entertains many doubts and fears, while also confronting her complicated feelings for an enemy.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fantasy young adult novel set in the fictional land of Orïsha. Zélie and her brother Tzain survived the night of the raids, when their mother was taken from them and killed for being a maji, which is someone who can do magic. If the connection between Sky Mother and the people of Orïsha had not been severed, Zélie would also be able to do magic, but King Saran put an end to all of that. Believing all maji's to be dangerous and evil, due to the regrettable behavior of a few, King Saran is a man who let his fear of a people group rule him into committing unspeakable acts of violence. Teaching his children to believe and act as he does, he has raised his son to believe all magic to be the source of Orïsha's problems, while he keeps his daughter locked up behind the palace walls. Throughout the story, King Saran's fear and hate will be the cause of many innocent lives lost as Zélie, Tzain, and Amari travel across Orïsha in an attempt to restore magic to the land. In the author's note, Adeyemi acknowledges that the book was written during a time when the news was seemingly flooded with stories about unarmed black men and women who were killed by police. Both the stories in the news and many of the deaths in this book happened because someone with power allowed themselves to be ruled by fear, and an innocent life paid the cost.
My Verdict: I am sure I have mentioned before that fantasy is not really my thing, but young adult literature certainly is, and that, along with the premise, was enough to get me interested in this book. It was a bit of a risk, but I could not be happier that I took it. Clocking in at just over 500 pages, Children of Blood and Bone is an almost non-stop adventure the whole way through. And it is not a matter of Zélie and her friends simply making it from point A to point B. For one, point B keeps moving and shifting. And second, there are so many potential dangers that could stop them, and while some turn out to be helpful, others are more treacherous than previously believed. Using shifting perspectives, Adeyemi gives us three different views of the action, and three different characters who have their own reasons for feeling the way they do about magic. This book is for anyone who loves YA, anyone who loves fantasy, and anyone who loves adventure. Possibly the best part about it is that it is only the first book in a series.
Favorite Moment: When Amari tells her brother she will have no issue taking him down if he stands in her way.
Favorite Character: Amari for Queen! Seriously, she is my favorite by far. I had my doubts in the beginning, as we are probably supposed to, but right before the reader's eyes she turns into the Queen Orïsha needs.
Recommended Reading: The Sea of Ink and Gold series by Traci Chee is also about officials wishing to eliminate a people whose power they are afraid of.
YA Fest continues with My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma. I have been doing YA Fest for only two years now, and even though I had five Fridays to work with, choosing which books made it in was difficult. I chose today's novel because of the intriguing storyline and my love for characters who have a singular obsession that they are committed to, even though those around them may not understand it, or even be all that supportive.
The Situation: Vaneeta "Winnie" Mehta loves Bollywood movies. She keeps a blog where she reviews them; is co-president of the film club at The Princeton Academy for the Arts and Sciences where she attends high school; is determined to chair the annual film festival; and up until a few weeks ago, was convinced she found her Bollywood move-style happily ever after romance in Raj. Winnie had always been told that she would meet her soul mate before the age of 18 - a boy whose name started with the letter 'R,' and who would give her a silver bracelet - and Raj fit all of the necessary criteria. But something changed, namely the fact that Winnie returned from a summer at film camp to find out that Raj had hooked up with another girl. Now Winnie is determined to find her own destiny since the one that she always believed in has seemingly turned against her.
The Problem: Winnie's senior year is already off to a rocky start with Raj's betrayal, but then she finds out that the film club has a new faculty advisor, and one that is intent on enforcing a rule that would remove Winnie as chair of the film festival, a position she needs for her application to NYU's film program. And then there is Dev, a guy that was there before Winnie and Raj began dating, and has now made a welcome reappearance. While Winnie may be ready to move on from Raj, her mother and grandmother are still holding onto the prophecy. With near-constant warnings that fighting destiny only ends in disaster, Winnie wonders if giving up on Raj means giving up on her happily ever after. Or will it be enough to simply follow her heart and hope that everything works out?
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in and around Princeton, New Jersey during Winnie's senior year of high school. Written from the third-person omniscient point of view, the story follows Winnie as she deals with an ugly break-up, does her best to fulfill her film club duties, bites her tongue around her family, and also works through these new feelings she has for Dev. Every chapter begins with a short review of a Bollywood film from Winnie's blog, and she is able to relate almost every situation in her life to a moment or scenario from one of her favorite movies. She even begins to dream about one of Bollywood's biggest stars, Shah Rukh Khan, in strange settings as he gives her cryptic and cosmic advice. The only subject that rivals the mention of Bollywood movies is that of destiny and fate, as Winnie constantly struggles between going with what she has always believed, or trying to forge her own path, even if that means potentially making a massive mistake. It is the ever-present destiny vs free will debate, and Winnie draws on her propensity for high drama as she navigates it.
My Verdict: This book is pure fun. And drama. But the good kind of drama that is mostly fun. At the beginning I thought there was a good chance that Winnie was going to grate on my nerves, but then Dev saved the day by quickly and astutely pointing out to her that she has absolutely no common sense. After this assurance that I was not the only one who thought this about our heroine, things immediately got better. Winnie is smart, ambitious, and determined, but also silly and dramatic. And while I know next to nothing about Bollywood, I was not lost in the constant references. If anything, I was left with an admiration for Winnie's obsession and her ability to defend it against anyone who dared to say a bad thing about it. And while Winnie is her own brand of delightful, the supporting cast of characters are not bad either, even the villains. Are there some ridiculous moments? Oh sure. But even the massive Bollywood dance scene (yes, there is one) will have most cynics smiling.
Favorite Moment: Naturally, the massive Bollywood dance scene.
Favorite Character: Winnie's best friend Bridget is incredibly patient and supportive. For me, Winnie would be hard to keep up with, but Bridget manages without being a complete enabler.
Recommended Reading: Both From Twinkle, with Love and When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon seem obvious, but I'm going to go with it anyway.
We are already at the second Friday of YA Fest and today will be all about The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold. I first decided to follow Arnold's work after reading Mosquitoland, and felt completely validated in that decision after reading his follow-up, Kids of Appetite. Arnold has a knack for portraying introspective young people attempting to deal with complicated relationships that most adults would have trouble with, but with the addition of a strange road trip, or a charismatic and troubled group of runaways, or a bizarre altered reality set to a soundtrack of David Bowie songs.
The Situation: It is the beginning of senior year for Noah Oakman, who admits to having obsessions, or what he prefers to call his "strange fascinations." There is the YouTube video of the girl who took a picture of herself every day for forty years; the photograph that was dropped in Noah's classroom by a guest speaker; the old man with a goiter that Noah sees walking every morning before school; and Noah's favorite book by is favorite author Mila Henry, Year of Me. Not listed among the strange fascinations is the life and music of David Bowie. Noah refers to himself as a David Bowie believer, and wears the same Bowie t-shirt everyday (he owns several of the same shirt, rotating between them). When not obsessing or at school, Noah spends his time with his two best friends, twins Val and Alan, and faking a back injury that keeps him off of the swim team. Future plans include everyone graduating but still staying fairly close to home, until Noah finds himself at a stranger's home, getting hypnotized.
The Problem: Ever since that night, ever since Noah followed Circuit (his real name) home, there have been some significant changes to his daily reality. Now Noah's mother has a scar on her face that was not there before; the family dog is no longer pathetic and useless; Alan is now an avid Marvel fan, when Noah has always known him to be into DC; and both twins are now talking about going to college in California instead of sticking close to home. The only things in Noah's life that appear to have not changed at all are his strange fascinations, as well as his sister Penny. Noah has no idea what is going on. Has he lost it? Or was he lost before and now things have finally righted themselves? He decides to find out, and ends up learning about himself in the process.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in and around the fictional suburb of Iverton, Illinois (though there is a real place called Riverton, Illinois). For the most part, Noah is a typical teenager in his final year of high school. He is somewhat particular about how he likes things organized, and perhaps is a bit more into cleanliness that teenage boys are generally believed to be. But he has a healthy amount of anxiety about the future, loves his friends and family, and even has a sport that he excels at, though he does not wish to pursue it. Also like most teenagers, or really most people in general, Noah has a tendency to get too caught up in his own head and look at everything only as it relates to him and his experience, which allows him to ignore the needs of those around him. According to his own description, the work of fictional author Mila Henry can be compared to that of Kurt Vonnegut, and other author's Noah appreciates include J.D. Salinger, Henry David Thoreau, and Haruki Murakami. While my experience with the work of Vonnegut is sadly quite lacking, I can definitely say there are elements of Noah's story that reminded me Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye, especially when it comes to his interactions with his sister Penny. I also found myself thinking of Murakami's work, in particular the slightly altered reality in 1Q84, as well as the feeling of isolation that is present in many of the Japanese author's work, specifically Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. Elements like these often made Noah's story a little like an Easter egg hunt. I found myself going to Google more than I normally would while reading, but it was more of a fun side quest than an annoying diversion. And if course, there are the many delightful mentions of the life and work of David Bowie.
My Verdict: When it comes to an Arnold book, there is always much more to the story than what is seen by the teen character that is telling it. Noah can only see as far as his own reality as he knows it, so the reader must go along for the ride as he tries to figure out the situation. And it certainly is a ride. As the reader, we get to go with Noah as he befriends a lonely old man and learns about his life. We also get to go backstage at a seedy local club and observe local musicians struggle to make it, while pretending that the struggle is not wearing them down. Unraveling the mystery of Noah's strange altered reality is certainly fun and entertaining, but I did have the nagging sense the entire time that I may be in for one of those 'he was dead the whole time' endings. Even so, I enjoyed gathering clues, taking notes of the small or sometimes big differences, interacting with Penny, and taking chances with Noah that he certainly would not have taken had his reality stayed what it was.
Favorite Moment: There are two. The first is when new acquaintance Sara calls out Noah for the small number of women on his favorite authors list, as well as his need to compare his one favorite female author to a male. The second is when Noah admits that of course his dream girlfriend was something he made up only his mind.
Favorite Character: I like Sara a lot, mostly for the reason mentioned above. But I also like Noah's sister Penny and her insistence on being her.
Recommended Reading: Outside of YA, I do recommend Murakami's 1Q84, and, to a lesser degree, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. And within YA, both Mosquitoland and Kids of Appetite are no brainers.
Welcome to Door Stop Novel's second annual YA Fest! Once again, the entire month of June will be dominated by young adult fiction, and I could not be more pleased that we will have five Fridays instead of four to work with. Kicking things off will be From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon. Last year I was able to read Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi, and was absolutely surprised and delighted by lovable characters and a fun storyline.
The Situation: Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell, and she hopes to someday use films as a medium to do so. She has a YouTube channel, and has put some stuff out there, but none of it has really ever gotten any attention outside of her former best friend and her grandmother. She would love it if her lifelong crush, Neil Roy, would suddenly find her worthy of his attention. Convinced that being Neil's girlfriend would elevate her status at school, and maybe even allow her to win back her best friend, Maddie, Twinkle has become fixated on the fantasy on one day ending up on his arm. But currently, she feels invisible and more than a little miserable. With a diary in hand that was a birthday present from her grandmother, Twinkle begins writing letters to famous female directors, whose steps she hopes to one day follow.
The Problem: With a little prodding from Maddie, Twinkle decides to take a huge step and work with Sahil Roy, Neil's twin brother, in making a film for an upcoming school festival. Though she is absolutely terrified that the whole thing could fail, Twinkle takes Sahil up on his offer to produce it and begins making plans. To her surprise, Sahil is actually a blast to hang out with and gets her in a way not many people do. He would be ideal boyfriend material if she was not still hung up on his twin brother. It also does not help that Twinkle has started receiving emails from a secret admirer who she is convinced is Neil. Oh, and Sahil has made it perfectly clear he would prefer it if they were more than friends and colleagues. Add in the drama with Maddie and her new not-so-friendly clique, and the last few weeks of Twinkle's junior year become more than her wallflower tendencies are used to dealing with. If she is not careful, Twinkle could end up causing the kind of pain she is used to getting from everyone else, and possibly losing out on relationships that could last well beyond high school.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set during the last few weeks of school before summer break. Most of the action is leading up to the school's Midsummer Night Arts Festival, where Twinkle will be showcasing the film she directed with Sahil as her producer. Written almost entirely from Twinkle's point of view, and through diary entries she has addressed to various female directors (Nora Ephron, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, etc.), Twinkle's story unfolds as she attempts to navigate the minefield that is high school, especially for someone who is used to not being seen, not speaking up, and not being included. Occasionally there are entries from Sahil's point of view that come in the form of his personal blog posts, or a text exchange between himself and his two best friends. Also included are the emails from Twinkle's mysterious secret admirer. Ultimately, the novel explores the insecurity rich environment that is high school, and how not everything or everyone is as they seem. While Twinkle is dealing with the very real pain of losing her best friend, she must also come to terms with her own capacity to cause pain and also not give someone a fair chance to be their best self.
My Verdict: Once again, Menon has crafted an utterly delightful and enjoyable experience through the adventures of Twinkle Mehra. At the beginning, I did find Twinkle's musings to be a bit all over the place and hard to follow, but that could easily be explained away as nervous teenage wallflower energy and being generally clueless about what to do with her daily high school reality. The longer the story went on, the better it got, the easier I could relate, and the more I liked most of the characters, though the diversity of them felt forced. It was incredibly satisfying watching Twinkle get more and more used to believing in herself as well as her own voice. And it was also nice watching her find out that people are not always what they seem when watching them from a distance. People can surprise you, for better or for worse, and no one can be judged on sight. This book is for anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy, or even just a lesson in surviving high school.
Favorite Moment: When Twinkle was hoping to have a modest number of people audition for her movie, only to end up getting a bigger crowd than she would have ever expected.
Favorite Character: Victoria Lyons is the friend we all need. She is also that person we have always known about, but did not officially meet until a good amount of time later, and immediately regret all of the days we haven't hung out together.
Recommended Reading: Obviously, When Dimple Met Rishi is a must, but Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell would also be a great follow-up.
And once again, we have come to the final week of YA Fest. We have already worked our way through four great YA titles that 2018 has offered us, and today we finish it all off with Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman. The story of Citra and Rowan continues as more is revealed of the world where the occupation of Scythe is deemed necessary. And as usual with a sequel in a book series, I issue the mandatory spoiler alert to anyone who has not read the first one. 
