I decided to touch upon some new Young Adult books that I am very excited about that have just come out or are due to be released.
The Impossible Knife of Memory is Laurie HalseAnderson’s new book. Well known for writing “Speak”, Kirkus Reviews writes, “Hayley Kincain and her father, Andy, are bright, sarcastic loners plagued by agonizing memories that won’t quite stay repressed, despite their best efforts. Hayley meets, bantering boyfriend, Finn, who points some things out to Hayley in her life. Anderson is sensitive to many problems – physical recovery, grief, panic attacks and other tendencies that veterans can face when trying to recover. A characteristically honest and deeply felt exploration of the lingering scars of war.”
David Almond’s current book is The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean telt by hisself. “Billy Dean is a secret child that was born on the day bombers came to Blinkbonny. He becomes the Angel Child, one who can heal the living, contact the dead, and bring comfort to a troubled world. But there is one figure who is beyond healing, who comes looking for Billy himself,” the book jacket writes. This is a book written in phonetic spelling. I am very anxious to start reading this one. The reviewers love it.
And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard. “Emily Beam is a new student at Amherst School for Girls. She starts in January of her junior year, having left her old school to overcome a tragedy. Emily feels an affinity for her namesake, Emily Dickinson, who lived close to her new school and draws on Dickinson’s spirit.” School Library Journal’s review writes, “There is certainly something for anyone looking for a good read with a strong, believable female lead who is working her hardest to get over a catastrophe.”
Why We Took the Car by Tim Mohr is a debut novel. “Two Russian classmates Mike and Tschick take a summer adventure in a stolen car and drive all over Germany. The boys face conundrums like avoiding the police, buying gas and food when clearly underage, and vaguely seeking Tschick’s grandfather. Beginning at the end, with Mike narrating the explanation suggested by the title, this alternately wild, sad, hilarious, and tender tale chronicles the development of a strange and beautiful friendship,” writes Publishers Weekly. Sounds like a great one to me.
The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely. ”Kiely’s gutsy debut addresses abuse in the Catholic Church in the year 2001 only two months after 9/11. 16 year old Aidan’s family is falling apart. The scandal among the Boston archdiocese gets the town’s attention. This is challenging, thought-provoking material, presented in beautiful prose that explores the ways in which acts rendered in the name of love can both destroy and heal,” says the Booklist review.
Looking forward to hearing from you all and your favor reads.
