As we all know by now, it’s the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Here is the first (surely not the last!) AB4T review of a book based on those events.
Kate Alcott’s historical novel encompasses both the tragedy itself and the subsequent Senate hearings, about which teens are likely much less familiar. The author did a great deal of research, immersing herself in the period, including, of course, the fashions.
Actually, Kate Alcott is a pen name. As reported in the New York Times a couple weeks ago, author Patricia O’Brien received rejection after rejection for The Dressmaker, her sixth novel — until her agent submitted it under a different name. Then it sold in 3 days. It’s an interesting commentary on the publishing world.
ALCOTT, Kate. The Dressmaker. 320p. Doubleday. 2012. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-0-385-535588. LC 2011018899.
Adult/High School–The 1912 sinking of the Titanic is the stone at the center of a ripple expanding to encompass the rest of the world in this fictionalized account of real historical persons and events. It is a layered story highlighting class differences and the public and private personas people put on as easily as high-fashion dresses, illustrating both the tragedy’s individual torment as well as a larger wave of survivor’s guilt. Multiple points of view bring many perspectives to the witch-hunt atmosphere and courtroom drama of a shocked world looking for someone to blame. By setting the story mainly in New York City, Alcott contrasts Lady Duff Gordon’s lush, glittering world of high society with reporter Pinky Wade’s tenement squalor and seamstress Tess Collins’s ambition and longing for freedom. Tess, the fulcrum of a star-crossed love triangle with two fellow survivors, a twice-divorced wealthy American and a sailor with a talent for woodcarving, never loses her integrity as she struggles to make sense of everything. These small stories stand for hundreds of others whose voices were stolen by the tragedy as survivors faced the consequences of indiscretion and quick tongues. A low hum of background action–suffragettes and union tensions–mirrors the human costs in the disaster that besets the Titanic. Teens interested in historical fiction (and love triangles) will find much to think about in this story shaped by the inherent desire to know more about one of the most documented and researched tragedies in human history.–Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI
Today, a pre-publication review of one of the most buzzed-about debuts of the fall. The Night Circus releases on September 13th, but the advanced reader copy was featured at both BookExpo and ALA earlier this summer. After reading, it was obvious that Erin Morgenstern was the perfect debut author to feature in this month’s SLJ Teen Newsletter. Enjoy the interview, which I hope reveals just enough about the book and the author’s influences without giving too much away.
And I say that because the real joy of this novel is discovering its world and the people who inhabit it. Just like walking through the gates of Morgenstern’s magical circus, opening the pages of this book begins a full sensory experience. It’s absolutely wonderful and ruining the process for the reader would be criminal. It takes a while to figure out how all the pieces fit together, and it was great fun imagining the possibilities along the way.
This world of illusion and dark magic will entrance teen readers, and I predict its fans will want to visit it over and over again.
MORGENSTERN, Erin. The Night Circus. 384p. Doubleday. Sept. 2011. Tr $26.95. ISBN 978-0-385-53463-5. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–When Celia is five, a lawyer drops her off at the New York theater where the father she has never met performs as an illusionist. Prospero the Enchanter is hardly pleased–until she shatters a teacup in her distress without touching it. She has inherited his abilities. He arranges to meet with an old rival, and a contest is agreed upon. The man finds his own player, Marco, a London orphan. Years of isolation and instruction for both children follow. Then, in the late 1880s, the Cirque des Rêves appears and disappears on the outskirts of towns and cities across the world without notice, open only from dusk to dawn. It becomes a sensation. This is no three-ring circus, less a show than an invitation to explore the tents that seem to go on and on, each a unique, immersive experience combining illusion and dark magic. In 1897, Bailey, an ordinary boy living in Concord, Massachusetts accepts a dare from his sister to sneak into the Cirque des Rêves during the day. And there he meets his destiny. The thrill and mystery of this novel is in piecing together these elements, and in discovering the talents and powers of its players. Morgenstern maintains forward momentum, pacing the revelations perfectly, even while allowing readers to pause in wonder at her creations, to experience the circus itself. When Celia and Marco finally meet face-to-face, they fall in love. Will they ever be free of their mentors, free to be together? Teens are the perfect audience for their story, especially since the circus has a strange effect on time and they seem to remain forever young.–Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
Fabio Geda presents the true story of Enaiatollah (Enaiat) Akbari’s early teen years as a novel in the tradition of Dave Eggers’ What is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng: A Novel (McSweeney’s, 2006).
In the Sea There are Crocodiles is told in the voice of its subject. Enaiat, abandoned at age 10, survives through hard work (taking often dangerous or illegal jobs), the unexpected generosity of strangers, determination and optimism. Not only does he survive, he makes his way to Europe, where he can resume a more normal life, including attending school.
This slim book was originally published in Italy, where it was a bestseller. It delivers a powerful story, one that Booklist agrees is “ideally suited for young adults.”
GEDA, Fabio. In the Sea There Are Crocodiles: Based on the True Story of Enaiatollah Akbari. tr. from Italian by Howard Curtis. 176p. Doubleday. 2011. Tr $21.95. ISBN 978-0-385-53473-4. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Geda recounts the harrowing story of Akbari’s years from age 10 to 15. In the early 1990s, Enaiatollah’s mother, fearing the Taliban, took her son from Afghanistan to Pakistan and abandoned him. So began his arduous journey to gain political asylum. Spending time in Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Greece, he was the victim of a whole host of unscrupulous men. The hardships he faced were staggering–for example, after 27 days traveling across the snowy, rugged mountains of Turkey (after being told it would take 3 days), 50 or so survivors were smashed together in the false bottom of a truck where they could not move for 3 days. Finally, in Turin, Akbari was introduced to a family who offered to foster him and help him gain asylum. Throughout his remarkable journey, though he was shown little kindness, his resourcefulness and determination did not waver. After meeting Geda at a book presentation, Akbari asked him to tell his story so that others might better understand what he suffered. Together they reconstructed his experiences and Geda retells the story as it was told to him, thus it is considered fiction. The prose is straightforward, engaging, and at times almost conversational. Teens will marvel at Akbari’s courage and resilience.–Jane Ritter, Mill Valley School District, CA
Hotwire is the ninth thriller in Alex Kava’s Maggie O’Dell series, comprised of A Perfect Evil, Split Second, The Soul Catcher,At the Stroke of Madness,A Necessary Evil, Exposed and Black Friday. Fortunately, Kava deliberately writes so that each can be enjoyed as a standalone. Hotwire happens to be of particular appeal for our audience, given that it opens with a bang — and two dead teens.
Hotwire was profiled on The Big Thrill. If you are a thriller fan, you have probably already discovered the International Thriller Writers (ITW) website. If you haven’t, take a look. Resources include a debut authors page, an author interview series (Between the Lines), and profiles of the latest thrillers of all types, from espionage to paranormal to legal to young adult.
ITW also organizes a summer conference each year, ThrillerFest, and sponsors the Thriller Awards. The 2011 awards were just announced a couple weeks ago. R.L. Stine was awarded the title of ThrillerMaster for his contributions to the genre. You have to wonder how many writers in the audience grew up reading his books!
KAVA, Alex. Hotwire: A Maggie O’Dell Novel. 305p. Doubleday. 2011. Tr $25.95. ISBN 978-0-385-53201-3. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Dawson Hayes is a teenaged cynic. He knows he’s being used by Johnny and his girlfriend for his technical expertise when he’s invited to a party deep in the woods. It’s another initiation, and Johnny wants the group to try a new way to get high. Dawson is there to make sure everyone’s trip is secretly recorded. Suddenly, in a flurry of piercing lights, the kids are ferociously attacked, leaving two dead, one bitten, and Dawson electrocuted and bleeding, wrapped in a barbed wire fence. FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell is in the area investigating mysterious cattle mutilations and now must piece together what happened–was this a human, an animal, or even alien attack? Maggie soon uncovers secrets that find her fighting for her life. Meanwhile, a seemingly unrelated crisis unfolds across the country when, after eating school lunches, hundreds of elementary students fall violently ill with a super strain of salmonella. An anonymous caller warns the CDC of other outbreaks and the threat of a bioterror attack is evident. There is much for teens to enjoy in this mystery, even if the narration is focused on an adult point of view. The teens are realistic, and the answer to what has happened to them is in question until the end. Area 51 type intrigue is appealing to many, and the explanation of how the government obtains meat for school lunches might have readers brown-bagging it from now on. YAs seeking a well-written mystery will be satisfied.—Priscille Dando, Robert E. Lee High School, Fairfax County, VA
British author Carol Birch’s extraordinary coming-of-age historical is among Christian Science Monitor’s 11 Excellent Novels for Summer Reading, which includes a few others you will be seeing here over the next couple months – Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman, The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson and The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka.
The writing, story, setting and characters make this exceptional. But I also love that Birch appropriates historical figure Charles Jamrach, who supplied exotic animals to P.T. Barnum among others, and takes inspiration from an historical incident, the voyage of the whaleship Essex (an inspiration shared by Herman Melville).
Why haven’t we heard of Carol Birch until now? This is the first of her ten books to be published in the United States. After reading the descriptions, I bet a few others would also appeal to teen historical fiction readers. Maybe Doubleday will take them on?
BIRCH, Carol. Jamrach’s Menagerie. 295p. Doubleday. 2011. Tr $26.95. ISBN 978-0-385-53440-6. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Jaffy Brown is poor and uneducated, and he has little chance for a life beyond the dirty squalor of the streets of 19th-century London until he survives a bite from the tiger in Jamrach’s menagerie. Impressed, Jamrach hires him to take care of the animals. It’s there that Jaffy meets Tim and his sister Ishbel, beginning a lifelong friendship that takes Jaffy and Tim to the wilds of Pacific Islands aboard a whaling ship in search of a mythical–yet far too real–dragon. In spite of the brutal life of a sailor, Jaffy and Tim thrive on the adventure and camaraderie. But all this takes a hard turn after they bring the dragon on board and must fight for their lives against the relentlessness of the sea. Vivid descriptions put readers in the loud streets of London with the mad scrabble of hungry kids and the tired anger of lovers and whores. Later, they will roll with the swell and puke over the edge of the ship alongside Jaffy and his shipmates, or climb aloft to search for the land where the dragon is sure to be. Later still, readers are with the survivors as they cling to life and humanity against all odds. Birch writes from Jaffy’s point of view so the language is the rough accent of the London poor. Teens may find themselves re-reading some details to get the picture at first, but once in the words flow and the images make themselves. Jaffy’s voice is true to his spirit and rich in detail and thought. Recommend this enormously satisfying novel of friendship, survival, and redemption to adept readers who enjoy being involved with their characters.–Connie Williams, Petaluma High School, CA
This is an exciting week for new releases. I’m kicking it off with what seems like a sure-fire blockbuster. After all, Dreamworks bought the movie rights before the novel was even finished, and Steven Spielberg signed on as director. It’s Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson, author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising (Bloomsbury, 2005) and How to Build a Robot Army (Bloomsbury, 2007).
In an io9 article titled “Behind the Fiction: The Science of Robopocalypse,” Wilson explains the robotics research behind the book. (He actually holds a Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon.) Realism like this only makes the fiction more entertaining. And if your teens want more detail, point them to Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku (Doubleday, 2011). It’s dense, but the “Future of AI : rise of the machines” chapter will satisfy their curiosity.
Is the book based on the movie or is the movie based on the book? Somewhere in between? “I’m over the moon about [Spielberg's movie adaptation]. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime situation, especially because I was able to talk with the screenwriter and the production designer and Spielberg himself during the course of writing the book.”–from USA Today.
In April, Doubleday launched a Robopocalypse book trailer contest. You can view the finalists on YouTube. Show them to your teens, while making this a summer reading recommendation.
Personally, comparisons to the style of Max Brooks’ World War Z (Crown, 2006)landed it on my TBR pile.
WILSON, Daniel H. Robopocalypse. 334p. Doubleday. 2011. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-385-53385-0. LC 2010043134.
Adult/High School–The Robot Wars begin in the near future when a computer scientist developing artificial intelligence decides, for the 28th time, to “kill” his seemingly underachieving program. In this instance, however, the computer anticipates its own termination and overrides the destructive command, telling the scientist that only computers can save the planet from the destructive nature of humans. The computer, named Athos, kills the scientist and launches the war that will preserve life on Earth by extinguishing humans. It begins simply enough, with cars running over their owners or diverting into head on crashes, but soon enough millions of tiny spiderlike machines scuttle toward human body heat and explode. Even smaller machines can penetrate the skin, enter the bloodstream, and explode when they reach the heart. Of course, killing humans one-by-one is not the most effective ways to achieve humanicide, but the personal nature of the attacks makes for the kind of tension that will have readers squirming on their beach towels this summer. The heroic actions of the handful of characters that first de-program the computers and then find and attack Athos’s arctic lair are told in the form of briefing reports captured after the war. This accessible format with its emphasis on survival in battle (rather than the science and philosophy of AI) and the full-throttle action will have particular appeal for reluctant readers and those who enjoy the kind of science-gone-wrong thrillers that were the hallmark of Michael Crichton’s career.–John Sexton, formerly of Westchester Library System, Tarrytown, NY
I couldn’t resist this combination, so I am offering two reviews today.
Beginning with our first cooking title, which has a great cover — is there anything teens love more than cupcakes? (Having survived a literary club student bake sale last week, I can confidently say there is not.)
Then continuing with a mysterious and haunting novel about a girl who can taste emotions in food. I added this book to our library collection at the beginning of the school year, and the first student checked it out before I had a chance to recommend it. (It was on display so I assume the cover attracted attention.) Since then word of mouth has kept it moving; at least two different readers passed it directly to friends.
I find this interesting because Lemon Cake is particularly hard to pigeonhole or describe. I re-read it as soon as I finished the first time, and decided that each reader would need to interpret events for him or herself. One student asked to discuss it a couple weeks ago; she wanted me to tell her what happened to Rose’s brother. Eventually we agreed that we couldn’t know exactly (the student had some very interesting ideas of her own), but that we really like the book anyway. How often can you say that??
SANDLER, Lori. The Divvies Bakery Cookbook: No Nuts. No Eggs. No Dairy. Just Delicious! 156p. St. Martin’s. 2010. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-312-60528-5. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Divvies, a New York bakery, was created as a labor of love for the author’s son who was born with severe food allergies. Hating the idea that her son, or any child, was excluded when it came to eating treats, Sandler experimented for years to come up with baked goods that are peanut, tree-nut, dairy, and egg free. Her approach is cheerful and positive, for as she says, two ingredients can be found in all the recipes–“a pound of patience and a heaping helping of humor.” The book begins with a listing of necessary ingredients for the pantry, the refrigerator, and the freezer. Also included are a list of equipment and some “baking basics.” Recipes are divided into four sections that focus on times when food plays an important role, including “Sweets That Make the Schoolhouse Rock” and “It’s Your Party!” Some ingredients used are dairy-free margarine, soy milk, and silken tofu. The Divvies Famous Chocolate Cupcakes (as seen on the Martha Stewart show) include vinegar, which is an egg substitute and which makes for a moist and tasty cupcake. Recipes are easy to follow. There are only eight pages of photos which seems a bit slight. Purchase where cookbooks are in demand.–Jane Ritter, Mill Valley School District, CA
BENDER, Aimee. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. 292p. Doubleday. 2010. Tr $25.95. ISBN 978-0-385-50112-5. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Rose is about to turn nine when she tastes her mother’s feelings in a practice birthday cake, a hollow, lonely, needy unhappiness. From then on, she tastes feelings in everything she eats, and even learns to sift through each ingredient until she can tell where it comes from and whether it is organic. At its heart, this is a coming-of-age story about a girl who must learn to cope with her unusual ability alone, knowing that she will never get any help from her self-absorbed family. The mother is hiding an affair. The father is mostly absent. The brilliant older brother is withdrawn. It’s hardly surprising that she develops a crush on her brother’s best friend, the only one who pays her much attention. The strangeness of the abilities (for Rose is hardly the only one in her family who suffers from one) will keep curious teens invested, but this is not a fast read. The story is intriguing, well plotted, and anchored in Los Angeles, just south of Sunset. Like all good coming of age tales, this one leaves readers hoping that the protagonist will find a way to use her unique talent in a meaningful way. As such, Lemon Cake satisfies, but it leaves a lingering taste of emptiness and nostalgia in its wake. Not all of its questions are answered, and readers will find themselves thinking about the book long after finishing it.–Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
Angela Carstensen is Head Librarian and an Upper School Librarian at Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York City. Angela served on the Alex Awards committee for four years, chairing the 2008 committee, and chaired the first YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adult committee in 2009. Recently, she edited Outstanding Books for the College Bound: Titles and Programs for a New Generation (ALA Editions, 2011). Contact her via Twitter @AngeReads.
