British author Rosamund Lupton’s much-anticipated second psychological thriller has even more potential teen appeal than her first. Lupton is a master at both plotting and characterization, using close family relationships to ratchet up the suspense.
Her debut, Sister, made several “best of” lists last year; our own AB4T review was enthusiastic. The paperback cover (pictured here) is more likely to catch the teen eye than the hardcover image, so if you haven’t added Sister to your collection yet, now’s the time.
In Afterwards, a teenage girl and her mother spend the novel outside their bodies, after being injured in a terrible fire. Unlike Lovely Bones, however, they find ways to take action. For the multitude of teens who love Sebold’s book, this is a good read-alike recommendation.
Library Journal has published a Q&A with the author which I found interesting for its insight into Lupton’s process. She plots “obsessively” before she begins writing. Considering her propensity for twists and turns, it makes sense!
LUPTON, Rosamund. Afterwards. 400p. Crown. 2012. Tr $25. ISBN 987-0-307-71654-5. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Grace Covey and her teenaged daughter Jenny are badly injured in an arson fire, and both lie unconscious in the hospital. Despite outside appearances, both are well aware of what’s going on around them and are taking steps to understand what happened. Grace, suffering from a head injury that leaves her in a coma, and Jenny, badly burned, are both able to leave their damaged bodies. They can speak to each other, hear all the conversations going on around them, and can even hitch rides in cars as police and family members inspect the scene and question those involved. As Grace gets new information and Jenny is able to remember more details about the events around the fire, they realize the danger isn’t over. They are the only ones who have all the pieces of the mystery but they can only communicate with each other. In the end, they must make difficult choices in order to protect the ones they love. Afterwards touches on similar themes to Lupton’s Sister (Crown, 2011)–family connections, manipulative relationships, and a twisting search for truth–but the story unwinds and reweaves in a very different way. Teens will find the mystery compelling but will also connect with Jenny’s difficulty in getting Grace to accept that she’s not a child anymore. The book will be enjoyed by fans of suspenseful, character driven thrillers with no shortage of dramatic twists and turns.–Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, CA
Nancy Bilyeau features a nun, actually a young novice, as the main character in her first novel, an historical thriller set in the Tudor period. This is another great recommendation for teen fans of Philippa Gregory, notable for taking readers beyond the royal court and into another important realm of the time — the monastery. You might also consider suggesting it to fans of Dan Brown.
Bilyeau is on a virtual book tour for The Crown through March 19th, and is currently working on the second Joanna Stafford novel (according to a Q&A available on her website, which also features a reading group guide and excerpt from the novel).
BILYEAU, Nancy. The Crown. 405p. Touchstone. 2012. Tr $24.98. ISBN 978-4516-2685-8. LC 2011003384.
Adult/High School–Joanna Stafford is a novice in 1535 England, when her dearest cousin is sent to be burned at the stake for fomenting rebellion against Henry VIII, the self proclaimed head of the new Protestant Church of England. Defying the Rule of the Order, Joanna slips out to see the burning and support her cousin. On the way, she is accosted by two ruffians. Saved by the constable, Geoffrey Scovill, the altercation brings them to the attention of the royal magistrate who, upon learning that Joanna came in support of the criminal being burned at the stake, charges her with rebellion and throws her in the Tower. Thus begins Joanna’s journey into the darkest politics of the time. The dismantling of the monasteries and churches of the time forced a change of monumental proportions and created a dark and terrible history as each religion wrestled for supremacy. In order to save her father from torture for his Catholic faith, Joanna is forced to find an important relic believed to be hidden in her monastery. She faces obstacle after obstacle while searching for the lost crown suspected to hold great power for the owner. Geoffrey Scovill reappears just when Joanna needs him most to complete the search for the mysterious crown. This first novel has lots to recommend to teens who love history, mystery, adventure, and a touch of romance. Joanna is believable as the impetuous novice who is seeking spiritual balance as her religion, its history, and traditions are crumbling around her. The ending hints at possible sequels with other mysteries for Joanna to solve.–Connie Williams, Petaluma High School, 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
Emily Arsenault’s sophomore effort (following The Broken Teaglass, Delacorte, 2009) is a psychological mystery with hints of the supernatural. The publisher description compares Rose Notes to the work of Laura Lippman, Tana French, and Jennifer McMahon. Terrific shoes to fill!
ARSENAULT, Emily. In Search of the Rose Notes. 384p. Morrow. Aug. 2011. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-06-201232-4. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Nora was only 11 in 1990 when she became the last person to see her babysitter alive. Rose left Nora at her house and continued up the road into terrible oblivion. Sixteen years later, Nora finds out from her best friend, Charlotte, that Rose’s bones have finally been found. Pulled back to the small town of her childhood, Nora relives the innocent days before the teen’s disappearance, when Rose, Nora, and Charlotte could spend hours perusing volumes from a Time-Life series on the supernatural. All of the mysterious, hidden elements of the universe seemed revealed in those pages. After Rose vanished, there continued to be an aura of supernatural influences surrounding her absence. Readers discover that something terrible happened during Nora’s high school days that cast doubt on her ability to accurately describe the past or the present. Enigmatic poems (written by whom?) and scribbled entries in Rose’s school notebook both blur and reveal the truth. Teens who like psychological thrillers will enjoy figuring out the puzzle. As the book circles around the events preceding Rose’s disappearance, the high school years of Nora and Charlotte, and the discovery of Rose’s bones in 2006, readers are continually challenged to sift through myriad strands of information, guarded conversations, and misleading perceptions. This is a great book for long summer days; once started, it’s very hard to put down.–Diane Colson, New Port Richey Library, FL
Are you claustrophobic? If so, you might think twice about reading the latest from Joseph Finder — or maybe it will thrill you all the more.
Buried Secrets is the second Nick Heller novel, after Vanished (St. Martin’s, 2009). This is Finder’s first attempt at a series, something he avoided for a long time.
For the many, many Jack Reacher/Lee Child fans out there, Amazon includes a fun feature on its Buried Secrets page.
FINDER, Joseph. Buried Secrets. 390p. St. Martin’s. 2011. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-312-37914-8. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Being buried alive is surely one of the most terrifying circumstances imaginable, but teenager Alexa is a severe claustrophobic and no one could have devised a more horrible fate for her. The scenes from her point of view, buried alive in a metal coffin beneath 10 feet of earth in an abandoned field, are effectively chilling–especially her slow and horrible understanding of what has happened to her. Alexa has a will to survive and clings to the knowledge that her multi-billionaire father is good for whatever amount the ransom demand may be. However, as private investigator Nick Heller frantically works to track down Alexa’s location, it becomes clear that mere money is not the only objective and the investigation generates more questions than answers. How is the senator’s daughter involved? Who is the man with eyes tattooed on the back of his head? And was the incident a few years ago when Alexa was kidnapped, driven around for hours, then released without any demands related? The shifting point of view between Alexa in the coffin, Nick’s investigation, and the captor’s mysterious motivation keeps this plot-driven thriller moving. A page-turning plot line that doesn’t demand too much thought combined with a likable hero, a depraved villain, and a steady dose of action makes for an entertaining summer read for thriller-inclined teens.–Priscille Dando, Robert E. Lee High School, Fairfax County,VA
This is the first in a new series by Harlequin author Andrea Kane, and much of the fun is the interaction between members of the Forensic Instincts, a team of private investigators. Did I mention that one of them is a dog? A retired FBI Victim Recovery dog, that is. You can learn more about him on Andrea Kane’s blog.
KANE, Andrea. The Girl Who Disappeared Twice. 400p. Mira. 2011. Tr $24.95. ISBN 978-0-7783-2984-8. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Kane, known for her historical romances, has written her second romantic thriller. A brilliant team of renegade investigators, the Forensic Instincts, has been hired to find the kidnapped five-year daughter of a high-powered couple with plenty of enemies. Hope Willis, a family court judge and mother of Krissy, not only has to suffer the anguish of her daughter’s kidnapping, but she also must relive the kidnapping of her twin sister 32 years prior. Casey, the charismatic and intuitive leader of the investigative team, which includes a techno-wizard and a former Navy Seal, is a likable character who has a sizzling relationship with Hutch, one of the FBI agents on the case. There are countless leads, including a mob connection, a disgruntled former employee of Judge Willis, some sleazy clients of Hope’s husband, the gardener and his wife, characters from the former kidnapping, and countless others. Though there are some coincidences that stretch credulity, this is a fast- paced, engaging story. Teens will respond to the tension, the smart characters, the non-stop action, the twists and turns, and the ultimate outcome. No doubt there will be more Forensic Instincts novels to follow.–Jane Ritter, Mill Valley School District, CA
It is always a huge pleasure to find a fabulous thriller with teen appeal. Spiral is receiving rave reviews all around; comparisons have been made to Michael Crichton at his best. Film rights have been optioned.
And the author knows his science. Paul McEuen is the Goldwin Smith Professor of Physics at Cornell University and director of the Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science (from the bio on his website). His writing is based on what he knows — Spiral’s main character is a professor of nanoscience at Cornell, and the World War II strand of the plot connects to McEuen’s fascination with his grandfather’s tour of duty in the Pacific. Not to mention that all of his principal character names are based on those of his and his wife’s dogs!
MCEUEN, Paul. Spiral: A Novel. 312p. Dial. 2011. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-385-34211-7. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Generations ago, the cutting edge of science in warfare focused on who had the larger weapon, tank, or arsenal. As brilliantly depicted in Spiral, gaining the upper hand today is all about how small you can get–the combination of nanotechnology and the most devastating of biological weapons is almost impossible to defend against. Cornell science icon Liam Connor is found dead in a suspicious suicide. At first, his physicist colleague Jake Sterling is confused as to why someone would steal the MicroCrawlers–robotic miniature spiders–that he loaned to Liam for cultivating his thousands of fungi specimens. Then a madly wailing student dumped in the middle of Times Square is found with a top-secret strain of a deadly fungal infection in his bloodstream. The demand is simple: release an old World War II war criminal or the MicroCrawlers will be programmed to spread the deadly bioagent, creating an unstoppable chain reaction that will infect all humankind. Jake enlists Maggie, Liam’s granddaughter, to help him discover Liam’s connection to this biological weapon and find a way to counter it. What raises this above other suspense novels is the effortless infusion of science. The heavier stuff of biology and physics permeate the story without being condescending or overwhelming. Some blood and violence, a pitch-perfect narrative style, and plot complications that seem impossible to resolve without tragedy make for an extremely entertaining and blood-chilling thriller. McEuan’s gripping storyline and realistic characters are impossible to forget. Give this to science-oriented teens or suspense fans, and book talk it as a fictional, more modern companion to Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone.–Priscille Dando, Robert E. Lee High School, Fairfax County, VA
Wessel Ebersohn writes thrillers that illuminate the society and culture of South Africa. The October Killings is his first book based in the new, post-apartheid South Africa.
The October Killings also marks the first appearance of character Abigail Bukula, who will be central to a continuing series of novels. Her partner in this novel, Yudel Gordon, prison psychologist, was the principal character in a series of previous novels, beginning with A Lonely Place to Die (Pantheon, 1979).
While this is an adult thriller with adult characters, its teen appeal lies in its global setting and the fact that the book’s events originate in Abigail’s teen years.
EBERSOHN, Wessel. The October Killings: A Novel. 336p. Minotaur. 2011. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0-312-65595-2. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Wessel Ebersohn wrote political fiction in South Africa in the 1980s that was frequently banned by the government and eventually lead to a self-imposed exile. He has returned to writing with The October Killings, a sharp and provocative mystery set in the modern post-Apartheid era. Abigail Bukula heads the gender desk of the South African Department of Justice. With an impressive title but little autonomy, she finds that the daily bureaucratic frustrations are approaching the breaking point. Then Leon Lourens comes to her in desperation. She last saw him 20 years ago when they were teenagers and she was living with her parents, African National Congress activists. He was a member of a team of white soldiers sent to invade her home. When things went horribly wrong, Leon defied orders and saved her life. Now the soldiers making up that team are being murdered one-by-one in identical fashion each year on the anniversary of the raid. Leon is one of only two left alive, with the target date just five days away. Complex ideas and characters are made relatable through a taught and suspenseful plot. Teens will be absorbed by the underlying message that there are no easy answers to many political dilemmas, even when the motive is simply to do the right thing. No previous knowledge of South Africa is necessary to appreciate the drama, but readers may be inspired to move on to a deeper exploration of its past and present through the writings of J.M. Coetzee.–Priscille Dando, Robert E. Lee high School, Fairfax County, VA
One of my favorite books, Finding Nouf (Houghton Mifflin, 2008), I only discovered when it won a 2009 Alex Award. I use it regularly for booktalks and it was a hit with the student bookgroup. Then it became a favorite with the faculty/staff bookgroup as well. (I have been raiding the Alex Award lists for adult bookgroup choices for years. Anyone else?)
City of Veils is one of those rare sequels that surpasses the original.
What appeals to teenagers about these books? It seems to be the peek into life in a Muslim culture, and particularly the way men and women are expected to interact within it, that intrigues them. And the thriller/murder mystery/forensics aspect doesn’t hurt.
FERRARIS, Zoe. City of Veils. 389p. Little, Brown. 2010. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-0316074278. LC 2009047439.
Adult/High School–In this follow-up to Finding Nouf (Houghton Mifflin, 2008), Ferraris reveals an even deeper inside view of the interactions of men and women in Muslim society, this time adding an American couple living in Saudi Arabia. Miriam hated living in Jeddah from the start, but it is only when her husband Eric disappears that she understands the full extent of her vulnerability. Despite his utter discomfort with testing the Muslim edict not to be alone with women, Nayir (desert guide extraordinaire) finds himself helping Miriam. And he also cannot resist when Katya, assistant in the medical examiner’s office, asks for his aid with an investigation into the murder of a Saudi journalist in her early 20s, Leila, who was involved with a scholar researching early versions of the Quran. (This idea is blasphemy, as Muslims believe that the Quran is printed exactly as revealed to the prophet Mohammed, the true words of Allah.) A wonderful tension between Nayir and Katya runs throughout. The pacing is perfect, fast enough to keep readers engaged, but allowing the fascinating cultural details to be clear. Elements such as the introduction of a bluetooth burqa and an intense desert sandstorm rescue will appeal to teen readers. In fact, despite a lack of teenaged characters, this book is likely to be at least as appealing as Finding Nouf. The inclusion of an American woman’s perspective adds an irresistible new layer to the mix.–Angela Carstensen, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
We all know that nonfiction is more popular than fiction with certain teen readers. The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival has been gathering strong buzz and reviews since its release in late August. Turns out it also has teen appeal, and is a strong recommendation for fans of Sebastian Junger and Jon Krakauer. Young adults concerned with the environment and animals are also natural readers for this title, and you could even hand it to readers of fictional thrillers.
That The Tiger is in the works to be a movie starring Brad Pitt bodes well for its future.
VAILLANT, John. The Tiger: A True Story of Vengance and Survival. 352p. Knopf. 2010. Tr $26.95. ISBN 0307268934. LC 2010004068.
Adult/High School– In a region of Siberia so remote that it was left untouched even by glaciers during the Ice Age, a 1997 hunt for an enormous man-killing Amur tiger becomes a fascinating tale of the conflict between two of the most powerful and intelligent predators atop the food chain–humans and Siberian tigers. Vaillant provides a thrilling and horrific account of hunters being stalked, attacked, and eaten while he deliberately constructs the reasons–historical, economic, political, biological, psychological, ecological–that intersect to upend an otherwise cautious respect between man and tiger. The result is deadly for both. The Tiger, like Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild (Villard, 1996), introduces readers to a part of the world where the hardships of wilderness make basic survival an unimaginable challenge. The vengeful intelligence of its stalking beast and the fear and obsession evoked in men echoes Melville’s Moby Dick. Yet, like C.S.I., the book has the compelling components of a forensic mystery. The narrative might seem digressive to less-patient readers and leave some teens wishing for more of the gory detail promised by the cover, but teachers across the curriculum will find something of interest for their students here.–John Sexton, Westchester Library System, NY
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.
The paperback cover (pictured here) is more likely to catch the teen eye than the hardcover image, so if you haven’t added Sister to your collection yet, now’s the time.
