I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter was a National Book Award Finalist and has been on basically every list for Best of the Year books.  It is one that I have read nothing but great things about.  I really enjoyed it.

This is the story of Julia, the daughter of Mexican immigrants now living in Chicago.  Julia is not the perfect Mexican daughter.  She does not want to just stay at home and be with her family.  She doesn't care about learning to cook or even make tortillas.  When she graduates from high school she wants to go to college, not stick around and take care of her parents.  She is not the perfect daughter, but her older sister Olga was.

Olga was just what her mother wanted her to be until a tragic accident claimed her life.  Now as her death as so heavily impacted her family, Julia starts to learn that maybe her sister wasn't as perfect as everyone thought.  And as Julia learns more about who her sister was , she really begins to learn who she is. 

This is a beautiful story about family and culture and self discovery.  It is a novel about the obligations we have to our family, but maybe more importantly the obligation we have to ourselves, to follow our own dreams. 

From Amazon:

National Book Award Finalist!
Instant New York Times Bestseller!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian meets Jane the Virgin in this poignant but often laugh-out-loud funny contemporary YA about losing a sister and finding yourself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican-American home. 
 
Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart was a really fun book.  I loved Lockhart's last book, We Were Liars, so I was really looking forward to reading this one.  It didn't disappoint.

This story was told in a really interesting way, in reverse order.  It starts with Chapter 18 and then works backwards down to Chapter 1.   As the story begins, the reader meets Jule and Imogen and we have an idea of who these girls are.  But as the story line works its way backward, the mystery of who they really are unfolds in a beautiful way. 

If you are a fan of E. Lockhart, this one will definitely satisfy you as a reader. 



From Amazon:

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! LENA DUNHAM AND JENNI KONNER OF GIRLS TO PRODUCE MOVIE!

From the author of We Were Liars, which John Green called "utterly unforgettable," comes a unique novel that showcases E. Lockhart’s unmatched ability to play with style and deliver a perfectly plotted, well-written novel with a surprise twist.

Be among the first to meet Imogen and Jule!

"Compulsively readable." —Entertainment Weekly

Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat.
Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete.
An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two.
A bad romance, or maybe three.
Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains.
A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.
A girl who refuses to be the person she once was.

"You will devour it." —Gayle Forman, bestselling author of If I Stay
“Fans of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars will love this . . . and definitely won’t see the ending coming.”  —HelloGiggles.com

“Tangled secrets, diabolical lies and, ultimately, a mind-blowing outcome are crafted with the plotted precision we expect (and love!) from E. Lockhart.” —Justine Magazine

“Moves at a breakneck speed.” —Marie Claire

“As with E. Lockhart's previous novel, the best-selling "We Were Liars," [readers] will likely finish the last page and flip right back to the beginning to search for clues they missed.” —Chicago Tribune

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson

Wow!  What an incredible story.  Shaun David Hutchinson has given us another great novel with The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza.  I am a huge fan of We Are the Ants (a previous novel of his) and this was just as enjoyable.

This novel tells the story of Elena Mendoza, a teenage girl who was born of a virgin mother (look it up, it's called parthenogenesis).  While her life has been pretty normal to this point, things are about to get much stranger.  When the girl that she has a crush on is shot in the stomach outside of Starbucks, the voices that she has heard all of her life tell her that she has the ability to heal this girl.  When she does just that, her life takes a major turn.

The voices tell her that through her ability to heal, she is the only one who can save humanity from the coming apocalypse.  But each time she heals someone, it comes with a cost to strangers all over the world.  What Elena has to figure out what her role in all of this is and if using her newfound ability is really for the benefit of all.

This is an intriguing story line that brings in the ideas of free will and choice and what role those choices play in not only our own lives, but the lives of those around us.  It deals with consequences and our understanding of what those consequences mean.  It tackles the questions that we face in our daily lives about how we are living and if we are truly making our planet a better place for all.  This is a book that is going to make you think.

This novel won't be released until February 6, 2018, so if you want to read it, let me know and I can get you mine. 

From Amazon:

From the critically acclaimed author of We Are the Ants and At the Edge of the Universe comes a mind-bending, riveting novel about a teen who was born to a virgin mother and realizes she has the power to heal—but that power comes at a huge cost.

Sixteen-year-old Elena Mendoza is the product of a virgin birth.

This can be scientifically explained (it’s called parthenogenesis), but what can’t be explained is how Elena is able to heal Freddie, the girl she’s had a crush on for years, from a gunshot wound in a Starbucks parking lot. Or why the boy who shot Freddie, David Combs, disappeared from the same parking lot minutes later after getting sucked up into the clouds. What also can’t be explained are the talking girl on the front of a tampon box, or the reasons that David Combs shot Freddie in the first place.

As more unbelievable things occur, and Elena continues to perform miracles, the only remaining explanation is the least logical of all—that the world is actually coming to an end, and Elena is possibly the only one who can do something about it.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

 In Dear Martin, Nic Stone has given us a powerful story about our country's continuing struggle with racism.  Our main character, Justyce McAllister is a black teen who is working hard to succeed in life.  He is an elite Prep school, is near the top of this class, captain of the debate team, and he is headed to an Ivy League school after he graduates.

He has it all until the racism that has always been out starts to creep in to his own life.  He begins a project studying Dr. Martin Luther King and begins to write letters to him.  He is always asking the question, "What would Martin do?"  But as his experiences pile up he starts to wonder if maybe he wasn't asking the right question. 

This powerful debut novel helps the reader to explore the issues of race in our country and maybe find ways to start the process of discussion and eventually healing.  This one is definitely well worth your time. 

From Amazon:

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Raw and gripping." —Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling coauthor of All American Boys

A must-read!” —Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give

Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.

Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.

This Darkness Mine by Mindy McGinnis

Previously reading The Female of the Species, I guessed that author Mindy McGinnis is not someone you would want to mess with.  After reading her latest novel, This Darkness Mine, I am now sure she is someone you would never want to cross (Okay, so she really is a great person and one that has recently said that she "really liked Kansas").

 This Darkness Mine is the story of Sasha Stone, the perfect girl who has everything going for her.  She is the soon to be valedictorian.  She is the leader of the school band.  She has the perfect boyfriend.  Her college plans are all in order.  She has it all....until one day things start happening that she has no recollection of.

The dark truth that she discovers is that she was once a twin, but that twin died before she was ever born.  Sasha comes to believe that she absorbed her twin while in the womb.  Sasha believes that Shanna, her twin, still lives inside her and is now trying to live the life she never had a chance to live.  The problem is that Shanna is not the good girl that Sasha always has been. 

Mindy McGinnis has brought us another powerful and thought provoking novel that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat until the very end.   
 

From Amazon:

Mindy McGinnis, award-winning author of The Female of the Species and A Madness So Discreet, returns with a new dark and twisted psychological thriller—perfect for fans of Gone Girl and Fight Club.

Sasha Stone knows her place—first-chair clarinet, top of her class, and at the side of her Oxford-wearing boyfriend. She’s worked her entire life to ensure her path to Oberlin Conservatory as a star musician is perfectly paved.

But suddenly there’s a fork in the road in the shape of Isaac Harver. Her body shifts toward him when he walks by, and her skin misses his touch even though she’s never known it. Why does he act like he knows her so well—too well—when she doesn’t know him at all?

Sasha discovers that her by-the-book life began by ending the chapter of another: the twin sister she absorbed in the womb. But that doesn’t explain the gaps of missing time in her practice schedule, or the memories she has of things she certainly never did with Isaac.

Armed with the knowledge that her heart might not be hers alone, Sasha must decide what she’s willing to do—and who she’s willing to hurt—to take it back.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Wow!  What a beautifully written story.  Long Way Down is an incredible story, told in verse, about a young man (just 15 years old) whose brother has just been murdered.  Will is planning on following the rules that have been passed down in his family, in his neighborhood for years.  Rule #1: No crying.  Rule #2: No snitching.  Rule #3: Get revenge.

Armed with his brothers gun, he takes the elevator down from the seventh floor with the plans to go and kill the man he is SURE killed his brother.  At each floor someone new steps on the elevator, someone who has passed away, someone who has a connection to Will.  Each tells their story, making Will have to decide if he is really going to do what he says he is going to do.

This is a novel that is super fast paced and one that, due to it being told in verse, you will read in a very short time.  But you will also be blown away by the way that Reynolds so beautifully puts his words to paper.  I really cannot say enough good things about this one!

From Amazon:

Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature

An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestseller Jason Reynolds’s fiercely stunning novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother.

A cannon. A strap.
A piece. A biscuit.
A burner. A heater.
A chopper. A gat.
A hammer
A tool
for RULE

Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator? Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.

And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.

Told in short, fierce staccato narrative verse, Long Way Down is a fast and furious, dazzlingly brilliant look at teenage gun violence, as could only be told by Jason Reynolds.

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King

For those of you who regularly take a look at this blog and what I am reading, I am sure you are fully aware that I a HUGE fan of A.S. King.  She is an incredible writer and an even more incredible person.  The Dust of 100 Dogs was her first novel and they just recently re-released it.  And I am so glad they did, because if not I probably never would have known about it and therefore never read it, and believe me when I say I am so glad that I read this one.

This book was so much fun!  It tells the story of a modern day young woman who is fighting to get back to her past.  A past that goes back to the 1600s and her life ans a famous teenage pirate, Emer Morrisey.  As she was trying to escape this dangerous lifestyle, an old nemesis comes back to kill her and curse her with "The dust of 100 dogs."  A curse that will cause her to live the lives of 100 dogs before she can come back to her contemporary form....with all of her memories still intact.

This book beautifully weaves the stories of both the former Emer Morrisey and the present day Saffron Adams, jumping back and forth between the pirate tales of the late 1600s and the present day search for the treasure she buried many, many years ago.  In between these tales, we get tips from our narrator about dogs and why they do the things they do (remember, she lived the lives of 100 dogs, so she has a bit of insight).  This book is full of twists and turns and is another amazing story from the incomparable A.S. King.  

From Amazon:

The first book from LA Times Book Prize and Printz Honor winner A.S. King--a witty, snarky tale of love and family, revenge and reincarnation, and pirates.

In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with "the dust of one hundred dogs," dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body-with her memories intact.

Now she's a contemporary American teenager and all she needs to escape her no-good family and establish a luxurious life of her own is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica...

In Sight of Stars by Gae Polisner

I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reader Copy of Gae Polisner's (author of The Memory of Things and others) upcoming novel In Sight of Stars.  While heartbreaking at times, it is a beautiful story about the things that tear us apart in our lives, but also about the things that help to put us back together.

This story is filled with wonderful characters that help teach Klee, whose father has recently committed suicide, that the world doesn't always have to be working against us.  They teach him that we get to choose who we will become.  They teach him about forgiveness.  And maybe most importantly, they teach him that when we encounter a chute in our lives, there is always a ladder there waiting for us to climb back up.

This novel will not be released until March 13, 2018, but if you are interested I can pass it on to you.

From Amazon:

"An achingly fierce exploration of the way the world wounds us and heals us. If you love exquisitely written coming-of-age stories that will leave you breathless, In Sight of Stars is for you." - Jeff Zentner, William C. Morris award-winning author of The Serpent King and Goodbye Days

Seventeen-year-old Klee’s father was the center of his life. He introduced Klee to the great museums of New York City and the important artists on their walls, he told him stories made of myths and magic. Until his death.

Now, forced to live in the suburbs with his mom, Klee can’t help but feel he’s lost all the identifying parts of himself―his beloved father, weekly trips to the MoMA, and the thrumming energy of New York City. That is until he meets wild and free Sarah in art class, with her quick smiles and jokes about his “brooding.” Suddenly it seems as if she’s the only thing that makes him happy. But when an act of betrayal sends him reeling, Klee lands in what is bitingly referred to as the “Ape Can,” a psychiatric hospital for teens in Northollow.

While there, he undergoes intensive therapy and goes back over the pieces of his life to find out what was real, what wasn’t, and whether he can stand on his own feet again. Told in alternating timelines, leading up to the event that gets him committed and working towards getting back out, Gae Polisner’s In Sight of Stars is a gorgeous novel told in minimalist strokes to maximal effect, about what makes us fall apart and how we can put ourselves back together again.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I had heard about The Hate U Give for a long time, had seen it at #1 on the NYT YA Bestseller list forever, but I hadn't yet picked it up and read it.  I finally decided to give it a read.

This is a story about so many things.  It is a story about racism in our country and the ugliness that comes with it.  It is a story about bravery and being willing to stand up when things are tough.  It is a story about families and the support they give one another when it is most needed.  It is about community and being proud of where you came from.   It is so many things, and Angie Thomas does a masterful job of making these points through the character of Starr Carter and all those characters who are a part of her life. 

I'm glad I finally picked this up, just disappointed it took me so long. 

From Amazon:

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston

Okay, it has been a long time since I've completed one of these.  Life got busy in July and school was starting up in August.  Combine these two things and not much reading gets accomplished.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear is a title that has been on my radar for a long time.  I finally started it in July and just finished it this weekend.  Exit is the story of a girl entering her senior year of high school, and maybe more importantly for her, her senior year of cheerleading.  Just before the school year starts, Hermione Winters is drugged and raped on the last night of cheer camp.

Over the course of the novel we see her as she is dealing with the emotional, mental, and physical fallout that comes with such a traumatic event.  More importantly, we see the support that she receives from those around her, some more reluctantly than others.  While this book is centered around the tragic event of her rape, it is a book that ends with a hope for the future, a chance at not letting this horrible event define who Hermione is in the end.
 

From Amazon:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author E.K. Johnston comes a brave and unforgettable story that will inspire readers to rethink how we treat survivors.

Hermione Winters is captain of her cheerleading team, and in tiny Palermo Heights, this doesn’t mean what you think it means. At PHHS, the cheerleaders don't cheer for the sports teams; they are the sports team—the pride and joy of a small town. The team's summer training camp is Hermione's last and marks the beginning of the end of…she’s not sure what. She does know this season could make her a legend. But during a camp party, someone slips something in her drink. And it all goes black.

In every class, there's a star cheerleader and a pariah pregnant girl. They're never supposed to be the same person. Hermione struggles to regain the control she's always had and faces a wrenching decision about how to move on. The rape wasn't the beginning of Hermione Winter's story and she's not going to let it be the end. She won’t be anyone’s cautionary tale.


"This story of a cheerleader rising up after a traumatic event will give you Veronica Mars-level feels that will stay with you long after you finish."—Seventeen Magazine

Because of the Sun by Jenny Torres Sanchez

Because of the Sun is a novel that took me a little while to get into, but once I did, I was quickly engrossed in this beautiful novel. It is a story about family. It is a story about accepting and understanding the past. It is a story about forgiveness. And it is a story about resilience. It is a beautiful story.

Dani is a young girl who has to deal with the brutal death of her mother at the hands (or paws) of a bear. Her mother was not always, or even very often, a decent mother. When an aunt who she never even knew existed agrees to take her in, she has to learn to deal with the past that continues to haunt her, and the bear that continues to chase her. With the help of her aunt and a new love interest, she comes to understand the past while accepting her future.

From Amazon:

“An absorbing page-turner, equal parts light and dark, and filled with the sweetest, swooniest ache. Everyone needs to read Jenny Torres Sanchez. Now.” —JENNIFER NIVEN, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe

From the backyards of suburban Florida to the parched desert of New Mexico, Because of the Sun explores the complexity of family, the saving grace of friendship, and the healing that can begin when the truth is brought to light.

Dani learned to tolerate her existence in suburban Florida with her brash and seemingly unloving mother by embracing the philosophy Why care? It will only hurt. So when her mother is killed in a sudden and violent manner, Dani goes into an even deeper protection mode: total numbness. It’s the only way she can go on.

But when Dani chooses The Stranger by Albert Camus as summer reading for school, it feels like fate. The main character’s alienation after his mother’s death mirrors her own.

Dani’s life is thrown into further turmoil when she is sent to New Mexico to live with an aunt she never knew she had. The awkwardness between them is palpable. To escape, Dani takes long walks in the merciless heat. One day, she meets Paulo, who understands how much Dani is hurting. Although she is hesitant at first, a mutual trust and affection develops between them. And as she and her aunt begin to connect, Dani learns about her mother’s past. Forgiving isn’t easy, but maybe it’s the only way to move forward.

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

Allegedly is a dark and gritty novel that will keep you turning the pages in search of answers.  What really happened to little Alyssa on that tragic night?  If Mary is innocent, why didn't she speak up sooner?  How can a mom do that to her little girl?  Is Mary really as innocent as she thinks she is?

All of these haunting questions will keep you reading until the very end.  I highly enjoyed this debut novel by Tiffany D. Jackson.  She brought us true to life characters and a story that will stick with you long after you finish the last page.  

From Amazon:

Orange Is the New Black meets Walter Dean Myer’s Monster in this gritty, twisty, and haunting debut by Tiffany D. Jackson about a girl convicted of murder seeking the truth while surviving life in a group home.

Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it?

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary’s fate now lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But does anyone know the real Mary?

Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy

This book was so much fun!  It was funny and thought provoking and intense and heart-warming all at the same time.  Learning to Swear in America is Katie Kennedy's debut novel, and she really knocked it out of the park.

Our narrator, Yuri, is a 17 year old genius from Russia who was brought to the United States to try and help stop an asteroid that is hurtling towards California and threatens its very existence.  Because his theories on antimatter haven't been fully explored, nobody will listen to him.  Along the way he meets Dovie, a 16 year old girl who will teach him what being a teenager and having friends is all about.  Being a boy genius, he has never quite lived like a normal kid, but he is about to start dipping his toes in that water.

Will he help stop the asteroid in time to give himself a chance at some normalcy, or will his life be over before he ever has the opportunity to learn some American swear words?  Kennedy's wonderful debut will keep you flipping the pages as you try and figure all of this out? 

From Amazon:

An asteroid is hurtling toward Earth. A big, bad one. Maybe not kill-all-the-dinosaurs bad, but at least kill-everyone-in-California-and-wipe-out-Japan-with-a-tsunami bad. Yuri, a physicist prodigy from Russia, has been recruited to aid NASA as they calculate a plan to avoid disaster.

The good news is Yuri knows how to stop the asteroid--his research in antimatter will probably win him a Nobel prize if there's ever another Nobel prize awarded. But the trouble is, even though NASA asked for his help, no one there will listen to him. He's seventeen, and they've been studying physics longer than he's been alive.

Then he meets (pretty, wild, unpredictable) Dovie, who lives like a normal teenager, oblivious to the impending doom. Being with her, on the adventures she plans when he's not at NASA, Yuri catches a glimpse of what it means to save the world and live a life worth saving.

Prepare to laugh, cry, cringe, and have your mind burst open with the questions of the universe.

The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

I'll be honest.  When I first started The Smell of Other People's Houses, I didn't think I was going to like it.  I had heard good things about it and it was a finalist for the Morris Award (given to the best debut YA novel), so I was excited to read it.  After the first 25 pages or so I was not too excited about it.  But I kept reading and I am very glad I did.

This beautiful story is told through 4 different narrators, each having their own individual story.  These worlds eventually collide and as it all comes together, it will leave you wanting more. 

This was one of those books that I would often times catch myself smiling at, excited about how the book was working and happy for the incredible characters that Hitchcock developed during the story.  

From Amazon:

“Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock’s Alaska is beautiful and wholly unfamiliar…. A thrilling, arresting debut.” —Gayle Forman, New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay and I Was Here

“[A] singular debut. . . .  [Hitchcock] weav[es] the alternating voices of four young people into a seamless and continually surprising story of risk, love, redemption, catastrophe, and sacrifice.” —The Wall Street Journal

This deeply moving and authentic debut set in 1970s Alaska is for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, and Benjamin Alire Saenz. Intertwining stories of love, tragedy, wild luck, and salvation on the edge of America’s Last Frontier introduce a writer of rare talent.

Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger.

Four very different lives are about to become entangled. This unforgettable William C. Morris Award finalist is about people who try to save each other—and how sometimes, when they least expect it, they succeed.

The Call by Peadar O'Guilin

The Call was a thrilling ride that will keep you turning the page until the end.

This is the story of Ireland and the country's fight for survival.  Their future relies on the youth, but unfortunately they are all slowly dying.

At the age of 10, kids are sent off to Survival College to learn all about their country's past and learn how to survive when they eventually get "the Call."  Many years ago, the Sidhe were banished to the other world and now they are doing everything they can to become part of the natural world again.  Their way of taking over involves calling out the youth of the country one at a time.  Nobody knows when they will be called, but when they do, they have 3 minutes to survive.  Can the youth survive when their time is called and give the country some hope for the future?

This is a fun story and one that I am sure many of you will enjoy!

From Amazon:

THREE MINUTES

You wake up alone in a horrible land. A horn sounds. The Call has begun.

TWO MINUTES

The Sidhe are close. They're the most beautiful and terrible people you've ever seen. And they've seen you.

ONE MINUTE

Nessa will be Called soon. No one thinks she has any chance to survive. But she's determined to prove them wrong.

TIME'S UP

Could you survive the Call?

A genre-changing blend of fantasy, horror, and folkore, The Call won't ever leave your mind from the moment you choose to answer it.

A List of Cages by Robin Roe

This is my favorite book of 2017!  It is raw and emotional and will definitely stick with you when it is all said and done.   It is a story of friendship and family and most importantly resilience. 

It is the beautiful story of two boys who were once like brothers.  Adam and Julian become reunited when Julian begins high school.  After struggling through the first month, he becomes "assigned" to Adam by the counselor.  This becomes something that both boys need, especially as the past, and now the present soon come in to focus for Adam.  He soon realizes what is really going on with Julian and the friendship that they share becomes of the utmost importance. 

I just can't praise this book enough.  It is an incredible story that will leave you thinking of it long after the last page. 

From Amazon:

FIVE STARRED REVIEWS! #1 BESTSELLER! 

"I love this book with my whole heart."--Jennifer Niven

"Remarkably gripping and moving."--Emma Donoghue

"Triumphant."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Beautiful and brilliant."--Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"Emotional, visceral...heartbreaking...and beautiful."--School Library Journal (starred review)

When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he's got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn't easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can't complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian--the foster brother he hasn't seen in five years.

Adam is ecstatic to be reunited. At first, Julian seems like the boy he once knew. He's still kind hearted. He still writes stories and loves picture books meant for little kids. But as they spend more time together, Adam realizes that Julian is keeping secrets, like where he hides during the middle of the day, and what's really going on inside his house. Adam is determined to help him, but his involvement could cost both boys their lives.

One of the Boys by Daniel Magariel

I read this novel at the suggestion of author Andrew Smith. I completely understand why he was promoting this novel. It was a wonderful, but truly heartbreaking story of two young boys who must bond together to survive the emotional, mental, and physical abuse form their mean-spirited, yet charismatic father.

Through their father's manipulation, they leave Kansas, and their mother, to start a new life in New Mexico. So eager to gain the approval of their dad, the boys are willing to endure the abuse, until they finally realize that they can no longer do it.  It is a gripping story that will surely have you reaching out to help these two boys, only to understand that because they have each other, they may just be able to make it.

From Amazon:

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
A “gripping and heartfelt” (The New York Times Book Review) story about two young brothers contending with the love they have for their abusive father, One of the Boys is a stunning, compact debut by a major new talent.

The three of them—a twelve-year-old boy, his older brother, their father—have won the war: the father’s term for his bitter divorce and custody battle. They leave their Kansas home and drive through the night to Albuquerque, eager to begin again, united by the thrilling possibility of carving out a new life together. The boys go to school, join basketball teams, make friends. Meanwhile their father works from home, smoking cheap cigars to hide another smell. But soon the little missteps—the dead-eyed absentmindedness, the late night noises, the comings and goings of increasingly odd characters—become worrisome, and the boys find themselves watching their father change, grow erratic, then dangerous.

Set in the sublimely stark landscape of suburban New Mexico and a cramped apartment shut tight to the world, One of the Boys conveys with propulsive prose and extraordinary compassion a young boy’s struggle to hold onto the pieces of his shattered family. Tender, moving and beautiful, Daniel Magariel’s masterful debut is a story of resilience and survival: two foxhole-weary brothers banding together to protect each other from the father they once trusted, but no longer recognize. With the emotional core of A Little Life and the speed of We the Animals, One of the Boys is among the most remarkable debut novels you’ll ever read.

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas

I read Kara Thomas' debut novel, The Darkest Corners, last summer and loved it, so I was really excited to get to read her second novel a little early (even though I have had it since November). This title won't be released until July 25 so if you want to read it before then, let me know.

And just like her first novel, I really enjoyed this one. It is a fun story full of suspense. It will keep you guessing from very early on and you won't want to put this one down. After reading this novel you won't be sure who you can trust.

Thomas has quickly become a must read author for me.

From Amazon:

For fans of Pretty Little Liars, Little Monsters is a new psychological thriller, from the author of The Darkest Corners, about appearances versus reality and the power of manipulation amongst teenage girls.

Kacey is the new girl in Broken Falls. When she moved in with her father, she stepped into a brand-new life. A life with a stepbrother, a stepmother, and strangest of all, an adoring younger half sister.

Kacey’s new life is eerily charming compared with the wild highs and lows of the old one she lived with her volatile mother. And everyone is so nice in Broken Falls—she’s even been welcomed into a tight new circle of friends. Bailey and Jade invite her to do everything with them.

Which is why it’s so odd when they start acting distant. And when they don’t invite her to the biggest party of the year, it doesn't exactly feel like an accident.

But Kacey will never be able to ask, because Bailey never makes it home from that party. Suddenly, Broken Falls doesn’t seem so welcoming after all—especially once everyone starts looking to the new girl for answers.

Kacey is about to learn some very important lessons: Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes when you’re the new girl, you shouldn’t trust anyone.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Here is another book I wish I hadn't waited so long to read.  It was published several years ago, but I just now got around to it and I'm not exactly sure why.  I am a big fan of A.S. King, but haven't read much of her earlier works. 

Let's first say that I just loved this book.  It was a a wonderful story about a girl whose (former) best friend has recently died under mysterious circumstances.  She may know more about what happened, but it takes a journey of self-discovery to help her realize what she really knows. 

But most importantly along that journey she helps her dad discover who he really should be and their relationship blooms into something beautiful. 

Vera Dietz soon goes from invisible to invincible. 

From Amazon:

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.

In the Path of Falling Objects by Andrew Smith

As usual, Andrew Smith does not disappoint.  Although In the Path of Falling Objects is one of his first novels, I just now read it.  I'm disappointed it took me this long. 

This novel is grimy and gritty and unforgettable.  It is the story of two brothers, Jonah and Simon, who are leaving home in search of their older brother, or maybe their dad, or maybe anyone who can help them figure it all out.  They are picked up in a beautiful car by a strange and dangerous young man and a beautiful young girl. 

The road trip quickly becomes dangerous and violent and the boys will soon have to figure out who they can trust during this journey. 

This is a beautiful story of self discovery, trust, love, and the incredible bond between brothers.  It may take an improbable path to get there, but these two young boys must figure out how important it is to love one another and know that they must always have each others back. 

If you have every read and enjoyed anything by the amazing Andrew Smith, you will love this one just as much. 

From Amazon:

Two brothers leave home looking for their father, and find themselves hitching a ride with a violent killer – here is a road trip from hell.

Jonah and his younger brother, Simon, are on their own. They set out to find what's left of their family, carrying between them ten dollars, a backpack full of dirty clothes, a notebook, and a stack of letters from their brother, who is serving a tour in Vietnam. And soon into their journey, they have a ride. With a man and a beautiful girl who may be in love with Jonah. Or Simon. Or both of them.

The man is crazy. The girl is desperate. This violent ride is only just beginning. And it will leave the brothers taking cover from hard truths about loyalty, love, and survival that crash into their lives.

One more thing: The brothers have a gun. They're going to need it.

Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick

Marcus Sedgwick is a Printz Award winning author and multiple time Printz nominee.  I have never read any of his novels because he writes primarily fantasy, and fantasy is generally not a favorite of mine.  All of that being said, Saint Death was a wonderful novel.

Set in the border town of Juarez, Mexico, this novel deals with the dangers of growing up among the gangs and violence, especially the violence coming from the cartel.  For young people, the lure of the gang life is often too much.  It promises a life away from the poverty and the destitution that can be a part of so many lives.

When Arturo's long time friend comes to him needing help in escaping a dangerous situation involving the gang that has helped bring him a better life, Arturo does whatever he can to help his friend.  This not only puts Arturo in a quite dangerous situation himself, but it also helps him discover who he truly is and what it means to grown up and make the most difficult decision of his young life.

I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend this to anyone who will listen.   

From Amazon:

A propulsive, compelling, and unsparing novel set in the grimly violent world of the human and drug trade on the US-Mexican border.

On the outskirts of Juarez, Arturo scrapes together a living working odd jobs and staying out of sight. But his friend Faustino is in trouble: he’s stolen money from the narcos to smuggle his girlfriend and her baby into the US, and needs Arturo's help to get it back. To help his friend, Arturo must face the remorseless world of drug and human traffickers that surrounds him, and contend with a murky past.

Hovering over his story is the unsparing divinity Santa Muerte, Saint Death―and the relentless economic and social inequalities that haunt the border between Mexico and its rich northern neighbor. Crafted with poetry and cinematic pace and narrated with cold fury, Saint Death is a provocative tour de force from three-time Printz Award honoree Marcus Sedgwick.

This title has Common Core connections.

Universal Harvester by John Darnielle

I have to say that I was not as impressed by Universal Harvester as I expected to be.  Based on the synopsis that I had read, I was expecting more of a horror type story.  While there were some creepy elements to it, it was not as much of the story as I hoped.  It was kind of dense and at times hard to get through.  It was okay, but definitely won't be in my end of the year top 10. 

From Amazon:

New York Times Bestseller
“Brilliant . . . Darnielle is a master at building suspense, and his writing is propulsive and urgent; it’s nearly impossible to stop reading . . . [Universal Harvester is] beyond worthwhile; it’s a major work by an author who is quickly becoming one of the brightest stars in American fiction.”
―Michael Schaub, Los Angeles Times

“Grows in menace as the pages stack up . . . [But] more sensitive than one would expect from a more traditional tale of dread.”
―Joe Hill, New York Times Book Review

“The most unsettling book I’ve read since House of Leaves.”
―Adam Morgan, Electric Literature

Life in a small town takes a dark turn when mysterious footage begins appearing on VHS cassettes at the local Video Hut. So begins Universal Harvester, the haunting and masterfully unsettling new novel from John Darnielle, author of the New York Times Bestseller and National Book Award Nominee Wolf in White Van

Jeremy works at the Video Hut in Nevada, Iowa. It’s a small town in the center of the state―the first a in Nevada pronounced ay. This is the late 1990s, and even if the Hollywood Video in Ames poses an existential threat to Video Hut, there are still regular customers, a rush in the late afternoon. It’s good enough for Jeremy: it’s a job, quiet and predictable, and it gets him out of the house, where he lives with his dad and where they both try to avoid missing Mom, who died six years ago in a car wreck.

But when a local schoolteacher comes in to return her copy of Targets―an old movie, starring Boris Karloff, one Jeremy himself had ordered for the store―she has an odd complaint: “There’s something on it,” she says, but doesn’t elaborate. Two days later, a different customer returns a different tape, a new release, and says it’s not defective, exactly, but altered: “There’s another movie on this tape.”

Jeremy doesn’t want to be curious, but he brings the movies home to take a look. And, indeed, in the middle of each movie, the screen blinks dark for a moment and the movie is replaced by a few minutes of jagged, poorly lit home video. The scenes are odd and sometimes violent, dark, and deeply disquieting. There are no identifiable faces, no dialogue or explanation―the first video has just the faint sound of someone breathing― but there are some recognizable landmarks. These have been shot just outside of town.

In Universal Harvester, the once placid Iowa fields and farmhouses now sinister and imbued with loss and instability and profound foreboding. The novel will take Jeremy and those around him deeper into this landscape than they have ever expected to go. They will become part of a story that unfolds years into the past and years into the future, part of an impossible search for something someone once lost that they would do anything to regain.

“This chilling literary thriller follows a video store clerk as he deciphers a macabre mystery through clues scattered among the tapes his customers rent. A page-tuning homage to In Cold Blood and The Ring.”
―O: The Oprah Magazine

“A stellar encore after the success of [Darnielle’s] debut novel, Wolf in White Van . . . Beneath the eerie gauze of this book, I felt an undercurrent of humanity and hope.”
―Manuel Roig-Franzia, The Washington Post

“[Universal Harvester is] so wonderfully strange, almost Lynchian in its juxtaposition of the banal and the creepy, that my urge to know what the hell was going on caused me to go full throttle . . . [But] Darnielle hides so much beautiful commentary in the book’s quieter moments that you would be remiss not to slow down.”
―Abram Scharf, MTV News

“Universal Harvester is a novel about noticing hidden things, particularly the hurt and desperation that people bear under their exterior of polite reserve . . . Mr. Darnielle possesses the clairvoyant’s gift for looking beneath the surface.”
―Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal

“[Universal Harvester is] constantly unnerving, wrapped in a depressed dread that haunts every passage. But it all pays off with surprising emotionality.”
―Kevin Nguyen, GQ.com

“Darnielle writes beautifully . . . He builds a deep sense of foreboding by giving pieces of the puzzle in such a way that you really can’t see the solution until that final piece is in place.”
―Salem Macknee, News & Observer

Bang by Barry Lyga

This was a really powerful novel.  It is a story that leaves you wracked with emotions.  One minute you are happy at the good things that are starting to form in Sebastian's life, the things that are taking him away from the knowledge that when he was just 4 years old he shot and killed his infant sister.  In this next moment you are pleading with him to fulfill the terrible destiny he has decided he deserves.  And in the end, you are filled with a hope that the healing has begun and the future very well may be bright for this young man.

This is definitely a worthwhile read.  It is fairly short and is a quick read.  But when you pick it up, know that you will be jumping on to an emotional roller coaster.   

From Amazon:

This is Where it Ends, Hate List, and Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock readers will appreciate this heartbreaking novel about living with your worst mistake from New York Times bestselling author Barry Lyga.

A chunk of old memory, adrift in a pool of blood.

Sebastian Cody did something horrible, something no one--not even Sebastian himself--can forgive. At the age of four, he accidentally shot and killed his infant sister with his father's gun.

Now, ten years later, Sebastian has lived with the guilt and horror for his entire life. With his best friend away for the summer, Sebastian has only a new friend--Aneesa--to distract him from his darkest thoughts. But even this relationship cannot blunt the pain of his past. Because Sebastian knows exactly how to rectify his childhood crime and sanctify his past. It took a gun to get him into this.

Now he needs a gun to get out.

Unflinching and honest, Bang is the story of one boy and one moment in time that cannot be reclaimed, as true and as relevant as tomorrow's headlines.

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

Goodbye Days is the second novel from Morris Award winning author, Jeff Zentner.  It tells the story of a young man, Carver Briggs, as he deals with the death of his three best friends.  A death he may have caused by sending the driver a text, knowing he would respond.  As time moves on, Carver ends up spending one last day with each of the families remembering their lost loved one, a "goodbye day."  Each of these days is wildly different from the last as Carver helps the families to understand the side of their child that they did not know.  In doing so, Carver learns about his own role in the accident and how he needs to introduce himself to his own parents before it's too late.

Goodbye Days was an emotional and deeply moving read about dealing with grief and learning to live.  It is a book that I would definitely recommend. 

From Amazon:

“Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately life-affirming,” says Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also A Star, of this novel about finding strength and hope after tragedy. Perfect for fans of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and Looking for Alaska and for readers of author Jeff Zentner's own The Serpent King, one of the most highly acclaimed YA debuts of 2016.
 
Carver Briggs never thought a simple text would cause a fatal crash, killing his three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake. But now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident and even worse, a powerful judge is pressuring the district attorney to open up a criminal investigation.

Luckily, Carver has some unexpected allies: Eli’s girlfriend, the only person to stand by him at school; Dr. Mendez, his new therapist; and Blake’s grandmother, who asks Carver to spend a “goodbye day” together to share their memories and say a proper farewell.

Soon the other families are asking for their own goodbye day with Carver—but he’s unsure of their motives. Will they all be able to make peace with their losses, or will these goodbye days bring Carver one step closer to a complete breakdown or—even worse—prison?

"Jeff Zentner, you perfectly fill the John-Green-sized hole in our heart." —Justine Magazine

“Evocative, heartbreaking, and beautifully written." —Buzzfeed

"Masterful." —TeenVogue.com

“One of the most stunningly heartfelt, lump-in-your-throat novels I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Hold on to your heart: this book will wreck you, fix you, and most definitely change you.” —Becky Albertalli, author of Morris Award winner Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

“Tender, honest, moving, and lyrical. His characters live and breathe. Ahh, lucky me. Lucky us. Zentner is the real thing.” —Benjamin Alire Sáenz, winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and Printz Honor winning author of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer

Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer was an enjoyable read.  When you look at the premise of this book, high school kids spontaneously blowing up for no good reason, it's hard to imagine it being funny or heart-warming.  But that's just what this is.  Our narrator, Mara, is a kid who is trying to figure out her place in all of the chaos.  She gives us an honest assessment of all the carnage in her world, while at the same time trying to figure out what her future holds. 

And what does she discover?  She learns something that we should all remember in our daily lives: go out and live!  None of know when our time is coming to an end, so why sit around waiting for that moment.  As Mara puts it near the end, "Of course, I know it's impossible to say with any certainty what comes next.  I could die in a few minutes.  Hell, so could you.  Leaving a whole lot of "if only" in our wakes."  Enough of these "if only" moments.  It's time to go out there and live. 

From Amazon:

"Aaron Starmer skillfully welds sharp humor, deep loss, and roaring escapades. Truly the smartest and funniest book about spontaneous combustion you will ever read." —John Green, #1 bestselling author of The Fault In Our StarsA TIME magazine Top 10 YA & Children's Book of 2016!
An ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults selectionWith all the perfectly lovely young adult novels out there, you decided to check this one out? It’s got spontaneously combusting teenagers in it, dude. Not the slow burning type either. We’re talking the randomly exploding variety. Seniors in high school just walking along, heading to class, whistling Beyoncé, when—WA-BAM!— they’re suddenly dripping off the lockers.

Is that really something you’re into?

Confession: I’m actually kinda into that too. So, now that we’ve established we’re both thoroughly weird and, I assume, thoroughly open-minded, we can give it shot, right? Let’s at least read the opening chapters of this bad-boy and see if it features some of the more intriguing elements such as...

-       Exploding teenagers (obviously).
-       Hallucinogenic mushrooms.
-       Pyromaniacal boyfriends.
-       Triplet toddlers in powder blue suits.
-       Amur leopards and doomsday preppers.
-       A foul-mouthed female POTUS.
-       Ashtanga yoga.
-       ­Youtube sensations.
-       Self-driving Priuses.
-       Rogue FBI agents.
-       Mad scientists.
-       Homecoming.
-       Spring break.
-       Prom.
-       And … Jennifer Lawrence.

Notice how I put Jennifer Lawrence last. She’s in the book, so it’s not cheating. And hey, if it takes America’s most beloved movie star to sell this thing, then that’s what it takes.

So, in closing: Jennifer Lawrence.

"Wildly inventive." — Entertainment Weekly "Must List"

"This comically surreal novel that will blow your mind.”— People Magazine

★ "A blood-soaked, laugh-filled, tear-drenched, endlessly compelling read." — Kirkus, starred review

★ "A wholly original YA tale of identity, friendship, love, lust, and gory, grisly death." — SLJ, starred review

"Bursting with heartache and gore, Mara’s narration appeals directly to readers’
senses of horror and humor." — Horn Book

City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson

It took me a while to get through this one.  I was kind of in a reading funk, I guess.  With that being said, I did enjoy this book.  It was a really intriguing story that I liked, but for whatever reason didn't make the time for. 

It is the story of a young girl, who years after her mother's murder, is still trying to make sense of it.  She has believed for a long time that Mr. Greyhill, her mother's employer, was the man responsible for her death, and she has spent her life since then preparing for her revenge.  But when her plan is put in to action, this master thief is caught but Mr. Greyhill's son, Michael, a boy who Tina grew up with.  She begins to question all that she ever believed, and with Michael's help, along with Boyboy, another close friend, they begin to discover the true story of her mother's past and in turn, her true history as well. 

From Amazon:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Gone Girl in this enthralling murder mystery set in Kenya.

In the shadows of Sangui City, there lives a girl who doesn't exist. After fleeing the Congo as refugees, Tina and her mother arrived in Kenya looking for the chance to build a new life and home. Her mother quickly found work as a maid for a prominent family, headed by Roland Greyhill, one of the city’s most respected business leaders. But Tina soon learns that the Greyhill fortune was made from a life of corruption and crime. So when her mother is found shot to death in Mr. Greyhill's personal study, she knows exactly who’s behind it.

With revenge always on her mind, Tina spends the next four years surviving on the streets alone, working as a master thief for the Goondas, Sangui City’s local gang. It’s a job for the Goondas that finally brings Tina back to the Greyhill estate, giving her the chance for vengeance she’s been waiting for. But as soon as she steps inside the lavish home, she’s overtaken by the pain of old wounds and the pull of past friendships, setting into motion a dangerous cascade of events that could, at any moment, cost Tina her life. But finally uncovering the incredible truth about who killed her mother—and why—keeps her holding on in this fast-paced nail-biting thriller.

Who Killed Christopher Goodman?: Based on a True Crime Story by Allan Wolf

Here is the review I sent in for the ALAN Picks website.  This is a really quick read, told from six different viewpoints (including the killer), and one that I really enjoyed.

Christopher Goodman is a good kid.  Those that know him well, like him.  Those that have only crossed his path from time to time can recognize the good and kind nature he possesses.  As the summer is ending and school is about to start, the small town of Goldsburg, Virginia celebrates the annual Deadwood Days.  Christopher enjoys the day, hanging out with new friends and speaking with casual acquaintances.  Unfortunately for Christopher, at the end of the night, his kindness may have cost him his life.

Wolf gives us a fictionalized version of a true crime from his hometown, a crime that still resonates with him and many others to this day.  Who Killed Christopher Goodman? is told through the differing viewpoints of six different characters (including the 15 year old killer), all who had crossed the path of this special young man both in the days leading up to the festival and on the actual day of his murder.  Beginning weeks before his death, and ending weeks after, the six characters tell about their experiences with Christopher and discuss the grief and guilt they each felt afterwards, each trying to come to grips with it in their own personal way. 

From Amazon:

Inspired by a tragic true event in his past, Allan Wolf examines the circumstances of one boy’s inexplicable murder and the fateful summer leading up to it.

Everybody likes Chris Goodman. Sure, he’s a little odd. He wears those funny bell-bottoms and he really likes the word ennui and he shakes your hand when he meets you, but he’s also the kind of guy who’s always up for a good time, always happy to lend a hand. Everybody likes Chris Goodman, which makes it especially shocking when he’s murdered. Here, in a stunning multi-voiced narrative — including the perspective of the fifteen-year-old killer — and based on a true and terrible crime that occurred when he was in high school, author Allan Wolf sets out to answer the first question that comes to mind in moments of unthinkable tragedy: how could a thing like this happen?