Young Adult Fiction: The Weight of Everything by Marcia Argueta Mickelson

It appears that we have reached the end of the month of June, which also means the end of YA Fest. For this final Friday of the month, I have chosen The Weight of Everything by Marcia Argueta Mickelson. I was fortunate to be able to hear from and meet Mickelson at this year's San Antonio Book Festival in mid-April. Mickelson is a San Antonio based author of several YA books, including the Pura Belpré Honor Book, Where I Belong.

The Situation: It is the beginning of junior year, and if the first day of school was not stressful enough, things are made slightly worse due to Sarah also starting out at a new high school. Her old school, the Austin Performing and Fine Arts Academy, was a boarding school, and a fraction of the size of San Antonio's Richards High. But this is not the only thing making Sarah nervous. She risks having her phone out during first period Physics just in case her dad needs her. She also takes care of her eight year-old brother Steven, as well as the cooking, the cleaning, and the majority of the bills. Things were not always like this, of course. A year ago, Sarah's life looked completely different. But her mother was also alive then.

The Problem: Though she is only 17, Sarah has become the adult and caretaker of her little family, since her dad has turned to taking solace in alcohol and his favorite history documentaries. The pressure is intense, and Sarah only has time for schoolwork, making sure Steven stays fed, and the small Etsy shop she runs to bring in extra money. The last thing on Sarah's mind is dating, at least that is what she tells herself, no matter how often David Garza insists she let him help and support her. Memories of her mother become a source of comfort and pain, but it is a school art assignment that causes her to explore her Guatemalan roots and tell her mother's story. Sarah finds herself once again wanting to create art, while also realizing she was never meant to carry as much as she has. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in and around modern-day San Antonio. Sarah is a junior in high school who was forced away from her previous school, mostly due to her father's alcoholism. Without a dependable parental figure in the house, Sarah becomes the adult overnight, and is now the one to make sure her little brother Steven is fed and clothed. While her dad has embraced alcohol as his way of dealing with grief, and Sarah ignores her own needs in order to focus on everyone else's, her little brother has turned to numbers and memories. When she receives an art assignment and looks into her mother's research, she also discovers a moment of Guatemalan history not many are aware of, despite the major part the U.S. played in it, and decides to continue her mother's work.

My Verdict: From the beginning, this story presents a feeling of injustice that everyone is familiar with, for one reason or another. While not every reader will have personal experience with what it is like to live with someone with an addiction, nearly every reader does know those moments when life feels unfair, and things are not as they should be. Sarah's situation is immediately clear, and the author does not have to spell everything out for us to see it. When David enters the picture, Sarah's hesitance to let him in is understandable, but he is insistent, something I found to be unlikeable about his character, even though he is presented as a genuinely good person. And Sarah's rediscovery of her mother's love of Latin American art and her desire to explore Guatemalan history is a wonderful direction for the story to take, allowing readers to learn something while watching Sarah heal.

Favorite Moment: Steven's love of sports stats and figures is a quirk, but a healthy one, and honestly not a bad way to deal with and work through unexplainable grief. His moments of intense focus on whatever sport he is watching, or his baseball cards as he stacks them, are both endearing and engaging, even for non-sports fans.

Favorite Character: Despite the schedule she keeps, Sarah manages to find a new friend in Makaila, a science-minded student at Richards who wears fun STEM-related graphic shirts with slogans like STEM is the New Black written on them. 

Recommended Reading: Roxy by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman tells the story of two siblings and their struggle with addiction. It is a creative, but also haunting story. 

Young Adult Fiction: Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas

Hard to believe it has been six years since The Hate U Give was published, and basically took over the New York Times Best Seller list. After two other novels, as well as being one of six contributing writers in both Blackout and Whiteout, Angie Thomas has written Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy. For the first time, Thomas has given readers a middle-grade protagonist to follow as she learns more about her own history, and the magical world the has opened up for her. I am excited to present this book for the fourth week of YA Fest, especially since it is slightly different from what I usually cover.

The Situation: Nichole 'Nic' Blake is now 12 years old, which means it is finally time for her father to teach her to use the Gift so she can be a powerful Manifestor like him. For a few years now, he has found a reason to delay this teaching, each time declaring that the Gift is nothing to play with, and that there can be real consequences, or that she could hurt herself or someone else. While this all may be true, Nic believes she is ready. Sure, the little hellhound she received as a birthday present is nice too, but Nic wants to learn to use what she had always been told is already inside her. She has spent her life learning about what it means to be a Remarkable, while moving from place to place, for reasons that her father was never ready to mention.

The Problem: When Nic decides to sneak out with her best friend and neighbor, JP, to see their favorite author at a book signing, she has no idea it will put her on a journey like she never imagined. When Nic's father is accused of a crime she cannot bring herself to believe he committed, her only choice is to attempt to clear his name, despite being only 12, and despite not knowing how to use the Gift. With JP by her side, as well as her new friend Alex, Nic will encounter hungry shapeshifters, desperate demons, terrifying visions and prophecies, and other powerful Remarkables focused on bringing her and her father to justice. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult, or middle-grade fantasy novel, the first in what will be a trilogy. Nic Blake is a 12 year-old girl currently living in Jackson, Mississippi, a Remarkable living in the Unremarkable world. Using both African American history and folklore, Thomas tells the story of a young girl who only wants to learn to use the power she has spent her life learning about from her father. Thomas weaves African American history into the Remarkable world using historical figures like John Henry, Harriet Tubman, Emmet Till, and many more. Nic's adventures even begin to mirror the adventures from her own favorite book series, a realization that becomes even more important the further the story goes. 

My Verdict: This story wastes no time getting started, beginning with Nic's attempt to capture a hellhound of her own. From there, the story continues to reveal the world that Nic inhabits, with both its Remarkable and Unremarkable traits. Nic is smart, curious, resilient, and remains incredibly courageous in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances. And Thomas weaves in African American history in a way that is nearly seamless, while also mentioning present-day issues, and relating them to Nic's current adventures and struggles. This novel will satisfy those readers who long for fantasy stories that take place in our world, instead of perhaps some far off fictional world we will never have access to. And the fact that there are two more books to come will give cause for many to be excited.

Favorite Moment: I love trains, and Bertha is a train Nic and her friends must use more than once during their adventures, and it just happens to move along the Underground Railroad. 

Favorite Character: JP is Nic's best friend and neighbor, a 12 year-old preacher's kid who wears button-down dress shirts and bow ties...by choice.

Recommended Reading: For more fantasy, I recommend The Reader by Traci Chee, the first in a trilogy centered around a highly sought-after book in an illiterate society. 

Young Adult Fiction: The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher

It is now the third week of YA Fest, which will focus on The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher. The unique premise is what drew me in to this one, specifically the setting of a Renaissance faire and a protagonist who has spent her life on the ren faire circuit. 

The Situation: Madeline Hathaway says she does not believe in fate, and honestly, who can blame her? It certainly has not been kind, and since her mother's death, she has decided she needs to take more control of what happens around her. So she helps her father sell books on the ren faire circuit, while also making and selling her mother's jewelry designs; is careful to maintain her one, and only one, friendship she has ever truly had; and is doing her best to keep a detailed tally of things she has noticed about her life. Oh, and she is determined not to give a family heirloom any power...one that her parents insisted decided their fate at many crucial life moments...a coin that has already managed to let Madeline down.

The Problem: Madeline's carefully organized plans are interrupted when the young bard of the Stormsworth Faire sees her looking out over the moat, which doubles as a lazy river for floating. His name is Arthur, and he soon insists that Madeline should be the princess for the remainder of the faire, something that she is absolutely not interested in doing. But Arthur is persistent, his dads are able to work magic with makeup and clothes, and when Madeline finds herself being presented to the Stormsworth crowds as their princess, she makes herself force down her insecurities about her body, her grief about her mom, and her general anxieties about life, and play the part. Arthur may be annoying, and dramatic, but Madeline soon realizes she is having fun. Her only hope is that the fate she does not believe in does not somehow get in the way.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel that takes place over one summer at the fictional Stormsworth Renaissance Faire in Oklahoma. Madeline has practically grown up on the ren faire circuit with her parents, touring the country in their RV and homeschooling their only child. This year will be different though, as it has been nearly a year since Madeline's mother died of cancer, and Stormsworth was her favorite of all of the faires. Madeline is still working through her grief, even attending weekly virtual sessions with a therapist. And in her mind, the last thing she needs is a meddlesome bard insisting she break out of herself. Over the summer, Madeline must confront her complicated history with fate (and a coin that she has come to believe knows what is best for her), her complicated feelings about her body, her grief, and eventually, her feelings about a certain bard who does not know when the give up.

My Verdict: I certainly was not disappointed in the setting of the ren faire, or in the protagonist of the story. I do love a story that has the main character live in a somewhat unconventional home, and Madeline's RV that she lives in full-time with her father as they tour Renaissance faires across the country certainly checks that box. And then there is Madeline herself, who is plus-sized, and not at all concerned with clothes and makeup, and is simply attempting to navigate the ren faire world she loves, but without her mother. Something I had a hard time getting past, especially in the beginning, was the character of Arthur. Pushy, insistent, often obtrusive, and sometimes creepy as he follows Madeline around, I was not sold on him as a likeable character. And honestly, even now that I have finished reading the book, I am still not a big fan of his. I am almost certainly in the minority on that one, but Arthur was not for me. Other than that, it is a delightful read.

Favorite Moment: There is a moment early on in the book when it is revealed that the jousters will be using camels instead of horses. Apparently this is more common than I thought...but still...

Favorite Character: I like Madeline because she comes through as a real person. Yes, she is a teenager who was homeschooled and raised in an RV because her parents tour the Renaissance faire circuit. I understand that sentence looks ridiculous when written that way, but I believed the character and enjoyed getting to know her.

Recommended Reading: I recommend The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen. 

Young Adult Fiction: Chaos Theory by Nic Stone

We have reached the second week of the DSN YA Fest with Nic Stone's Chaos Theory, the first book I have read by this author since 2020's Dear Justyce, the follow-up to the wildly popular Dear Martin. In Chaos Theory, Stone is once again addressing issues that affect many young people (as well as people in general) with the same brand of honesty and sensitivity.

The Situation: It is senior year and Shelbi Augustine is sticking to the plan: do not make any friends during her short time at Windward Academy, and things should work out just fine before she heads off to college after the summer. Past experience has taught her that people cannot hurt her if they do not know her, or anything about her. She briefly breaks that rule when she reaches out to Walter 'Andy' Criddle after seeing him in a terrible situation. She figures she is only returning his wallet, but what follows is something she could not have predicted, even with all of the science knowledge that she loves to collect. 

The Problem: Even though Shelbi likes hanging out with Andy, and is enjoying the unlikely friendship that has developed between them, she is terrified that the past will repeat herself. She even draws up a friendship agreement that Andy must sign in an effort to protect herself. And while Andy signs on the dotted line, he does not do so confidently. While Shelbi is doing her best to keep her own feelings, habits, and patterns in check, Andy is dealing with his own destructive behaviors, as well as a difficult situation at home. These two are clearly drawn to each other, but they also have every reason to pull apart, which could possibly destroy them both.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult novel set in a small city in Georgia. The story begins during the spring semester of Shelbi and Andy's senior year of high school, moving through graduation and into their summer before college. The novel opens with a letter from the author, briefly outlining the intense and potentially triggering subject matter of the book. Chaos Theory has been called Stone's most personal work yet, as many of the issues that are explored and stories that are presented come from her own personal experience. Readers will encounter mentions of self-harm, suicide, depression, grief, guilt, and alcoholism, and are encouraged by the author to proceed with caution.

My Verdict: I adore this book and adore the author for writing it. With the same wit and honesty that she presented Dear Martin, Stone gives us a young adult novel with more of a romantic element, while still addressing hard topics. Shelbi is smart, funny, quirky, and incredibly self-aware (and as a result, very protective of herself since she knows what can happen), while Andy is also smart, but is working his way through grief in one of the worst ways. The pacing of the story is quick, but not so quick that the reader will feel lost, and the relationship between Shelbi and Andy is fun and endearing, but it also made me very afraid of what could happen between these two teenagers that are dealing with incredibly difficult things. I will say that ultimately it is worth it, and many people would benefit greatly from reading this book.

Favorite Moment: Shelbi's cousin Becky may be the one person who knows her better than she knows herself. And this comes in handy when Becky refuses to let Shelbi believe her own nonsense.

Favorite Character: Andy's dad has experienced a fair amount of tragedy, and he is able to admit how he feels about it (angry, sad, terrible, all the things) and keep moving forward, while also being there for his son. 

Favorite Quote: I actually will not post the quote here, instead I will let it be a delightful surprise for readers of this book. And the quote is almost a throwaway line, as it has nothing to do with the primary subject-matter of the story. But it is about slavery, and almost made me spit out my tea...you will know it when you read it.

Recommended Reading: Dear Martin is certainly worth a read, but I will also recommend Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert. 

Young Adult Fiction: Five Survive by Holly Jackson

We have once again come upon another YA Fest here at Door Stop Novels. Hard to believe it is already June...like how? How are we already at June of 2023? Regardless, this month brings with it five Fridays, which means five young adults novels will be covered before the 30th, starting with Holly Jackson's Five Survive. When six kids head out for Spring Break in a borrowed RV, getting a flat tire in the middle of nowhere becomes the least of their problems.

The Situation: Eighteen year-old Red Kenny is taking a road trip for spring break with her best friend Maddy. Also along for the ride are Maddy's brother Oliver; his girlfriend Reyna; Simon, a friend from school; and Simon's friend Arthur. The six of them will be meeting up with a bunch of others down at the Gulf Coast. It will be a week away from Red's dad, the unpaid bills at home, and maybe even the guilt behind the terrible tragedy that took Red's mom. When the RV gets a flat tire after the kids get lost in the dark somewhere in South Carolina, the hope is that a simple tire change will fix everything and get them back on track. And then the gunshots start...

The Problem: It does not take long for the kids to realize that the RV breaking down was a planned accident. Someone on the outside wants information, and no one leaves the vehicle - or at least no one leaves the vehicle alive - until whoever has the gun gets what they want. One of the six spring breakers has a secret, but who is it? While it is clearly dangerous to be outside, things get steadily worse inside, as the group struggles to survive the next eight hours until daylight. Personalities clash, suspicions mount, secrets are revealed, and accusations get thrown around, along with more than a few threats. Even if the group does manage to survive each other, there is still a threat out there, and at least one person may not make it.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult suspense thriller, with nearly all of the events taking a place inside of a broken down RV in middle of nowhere South Carolina. While the title may give away somewhat of a crucial detail, the events that lead up to the conclusion make it a guessing game. Red may be the focus, but she is not the narrator. Through her perspective, the reader learns some of the history behind her situation, the guilt she feels about her mom, and why the group chose to drive an RV to the coast from Philadelphia, while the rest of their friends chose to fly. As the situation gets more desperate, dangerous personality traits start to surface, and then nothing about the situation feels safe.

My Verdict: There is a reason why this book has spent so long on the New York Times best seller list. Six characters are trapped in an RV while a sniper outside waits for them to make a wrong move. When things almost immediately start to break down on the inside, this story becomes a ride that almost never stops. Tensions remain high; almost every chapter ends in a cliffhanger (so you just have to keep reading); and the story gets more surprising and engaging as each bit of information is revealed on the page. Some people scream at the TV when a character makes a terrible decision; I was screaming at the book for every bad idea, or something not said, or when someone failed to stand up for themselves. Thriller lovers of all ages would appreciate this book. It is certainly popular for a reason.

Favorite Moment: Hard to say...a lot of terrible things happen on these pages. I suppose I will pick a moment when Red proves so be more useful than even she believes herself to be when she shares her intimate knowledge of walkie-talkies. 

Favorite Character: She is somewhat of a dark horse in the novel, but I choose Oliver's girlfriend Reyna. Their relationship may look perfect on the outside, and she may appear to be completely on his side in every way, but there is much more to her and her story, and she proves to be useful at a critical moment in the plot.

Recommended Reading: Almost anything by Karen M. McManus would be a good follow-up to this one. Possibly her most popular book is One of Us Is Lying, but I also like The Cousins.