Young Adult Fiction: All Better Now by Neal Shusterman

What I love about Neal Shusterman's books is that they attempt to answer a seemingly impossible question, or maybe even a question we hope to never have to answer. His Arc of the Scythe series falls into the former category, as it asks what would life on earth be like if humans could live forever. His novel Dry falls into the latter category, as it asks what would happen if the state of California ran out of water. For his most recent book, All Better Now, and the third novel for this year's DSN YA Fest, Shusterman asks what would happen if another pandemic were to take place in the near future, only this time, the survivors of the disease experience utter contentment. Would people risk the odds of being one of the 4% of the population that is guaranteed to die from it for a chance at true happiness? And would the world fall apart as a result? 

The Situation: The name they have chosen this time is Crown Royale. That is the name of the virus that is known to kill at least one out of every 25 people who contracts it. But here is the thing: The other 24 people, the ones who survive, have the long-term effect of being utterly content with their lives. Billionaires who only served their own interests before are now giving up their fortunes and disappearing to live their lives in peace and with generosity. Both small and large communes and collectives are popping up everywhere to take in anyone who needs help, whether sick or healthy, recoveree or uninfected. While there is a race to develop a vaccine, most recoverees are ready to argue against the need for one, seeing the virus as more of a savior than a scourge. And this divide is the beginning of a much larger war.

The Problem: Mariel is used to a life on the streets, with only her mother to trust, but when they unknowingly check into an Airbnb that is managed by Rón Escobedo, the son of one of the world's richest men, the two teens are started on a path that will put them at the center of the fight. There are those who wish to spread the virus as far and as fast as they can, and those who will do whatever it takes to stop it, no matter how questionable. Those with the most to lose from a virus that can eliminate jealousy and greed will live and act out of fear, claiming to help humanity while possibly dooming it as well. Families will be split, friendships will be tested. But both sides believe they are right. And both sides insist they are saving the world. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of young adult fiction set in different locations all over North America and other parts of the world. At the center of the story are Mariel, a tough young woman who has been living on the streets with her mother for quite some time; Rón, the youngest son of a very rich man for whom contracting the virus may mean a slightly higher risk of death; and Morgan, a smart and shrewd young woman who has been chosen to help find a vaccine, even though her benefactor has had a change of heart. This novel brings up many of the questions and arguments that were brought forward during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, only this time the recoverees experience a happiness and joy that some are eager to embrace and willing to risk death for, while others find the need to shut it down as soon as possible. Greed, fear, ambition, joy, and even pity (on both sides, for the opposing side) are all there.

My Verdict: When Shusterman asks an impossible question like this, he carries it out through all of the difficult moments and takes the reader along for the ride, showing his work along the way. Every characters' motivations are clear, and both the villains and the heroes of this book (if there truly are any) remain three-dimensional. Even those who recover from Crown Royale, who no longer feel anger or resentment or the need for revenge, are not immediately good (or even better) people. They are simply different, with new goals and reasons for what they do. My only real gripe is with the ending, which does make sense considering the impossible question Shusterman is trying to answer. But with a book that is already over 500 pages, a few more chapters would have been nice, if only for clarity.

Favorite Moment: There is a moment when the selfish and almost monomaniacal Morgan is face to face with her worst fear, and is shown that she is not as secure behind her money and masks as she thought.

Favorite Character: Dame Havilland is a recoveree who was once a very rich and spiteful old woman. She will spend the entire book attempting to fix one of her biggest mistakes, and is as delightful in her new life as she was hateful and vengeful in her old one. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Dry, also by Shusterman, and for me, it is his most terrifying book thus far. 

Young Adult Fiction: Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

For the second week of YA Fest, I picked up Channelle Desamours' Needy Little Things. A young girl with the ability to hear the needs of others races against time when a close friend goes missing. But when her ability to hear people's needs refuses to go quiet, and others learn about what she can do, it becomes difficult to stay focused and follow the clues, especially as time seems to be running out.

The Situation: Seventeen year-old Sariyah Bryant's most useful possession might be her noise-canceling headphones. They may not provide complete protection against the needs of those in close proximity to her, but they do offer some relief. Sariyah has the ability to quite literally hear the needs of others around her. Usually it is small things like a hair tie, lip balm, marker, or nail file, and sometimes the need allows the receiver to do something silly, or even wasteful. The only needs Sariyah cannot hear are those of the people closest to her, which is both a relief, and infuriating. And when her friend, Deja, goes missing, what Sariyah needs is to be able to put all the clues together and find her, soon.

The Problem: Deja's disappearance mirrors two previous cases of a young girl going missing in her town. And while Sariyah wants to remain hopeful, those other cases did not end in the young girls being found alive. With other people's needs continuing to intrude, Sariyah and her friends Malcolm and Jude are not only doing what they can to keep Deja's disappearance at the front of everyone's minds via social media, but they are trying to figure out what exactly happened to her. Could she have run away? Who would want to hurt her? What was her life like at home? And then Sariyah does the thing she was always warned against, which is use her ability to make some quick cash, therefore drawing attention, and potentially making herself the next target.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in and around modern-day Atlanta. Told exclusively through Sariyah's point of view, the book touches on several topics, such as depression, grief, guilt, caring for a sick sibling, and of course, the disappearance of young girls. Years earlier, Sariyah's friend, and Malcom's twin sister, Tessa, went missing, and the two of them cannot help but see similarities between that situation and this one. Malcolm is particularly focused on keeping awareness on Deja's disappearance, while acknowledging how difficult that may be since she is a minority. And then there is Sariyah's ability to know what those around her need. Unfulfilled needs have her playing the 'what if' game, but sometimes, what she gives people leads to a chain of events that has her questioning if 'need' is the right word.

My Verdict: This is a fast-paced and interesting story that does not take long to get into the action, while also taking the time to introduce characters, describe the settings, and build out the world and the relationships. Before Deja's disappearance, it is clear that Sariyah already struggles with her ability, and that there is some history when it comes to missing girls. After the disappearance, the urgent need for action can be felt coming off of the page, along with the sense that not everything is as it appears, and many people (most of them, actually) are not telling everything they know. The grand reveal of what exactly happened seems a little bit confusing and convoluted, while still managing to be tense and troubling.

Favorite Moment: At one point, Sariyah has to get someone away from her, quickly, and she manages to do it by essentially out-crazying them.

Favorite Character: Josiah is Deja's little brother, and while he lives with sickle-cell anemia, he is bright and funny and clever and full of energy, and also incredibly perceptive.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson, another YA thriller concerning a missing young girl. 

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.