The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

"I was thinking, what if the world was like that?  What if we only saw one surface of it, the outside, but there was all kinds of other stuff going on, too?  All the time.  Underneath.  But we just don't see it, even if we're part of it?  Even if we're in it?  And what if you had a chance to see a different layer, like flipping a channel or something?  Would you want to look?  Even if what you saw looked like hell?  Or worse?" 


I think this passage from The Marbury Lens sums it all up pretty perfectly.  It was a wild journey from beginning to end.  It was a story that not only makes the main character question what is real, but will make the reader do the same as well. 

This was the first novel of Andrew Smith's that I have read that was written before Winger.  Much like everything else I have read by him, this one is going to stick with me for a while.  It was haunting and beautiful all at once.

From Amazon:

Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury.

There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys.

Conner is there, too. But he's trying to kill them.

Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he's losing his mind.


Conner tells Jack it's going to be okay.

But it's not.

Andrew Smith has written his most beautiful and personal novel yet, as he explores the nightmarish outer limits of what trauma can do to our bodies and our minds.

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

     "A few seconds later, he shot up from under the water in a big, loud splash.  "Did that just happen?" he yelled, wiping water out of his eyes."

     "That just happened," Clark said." 

This is exactly how I feel after finishing this book.  That just happened.  I love the writing of John Corey Whaley, and this novel shows exactly why.  Highly Illogical Behavior is as beautiful as his first two novels were.  His characters become so real that every happiness, every hurt, and every ounce of hope they feel, the reader feels along with them.  My only complaint is that it was over too soon and who knows how long I am going to have to wait to read something from John Corey Whaley again. 


Here is the book trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rgqZescdT8

From Amazon:

Teen and adult fans of All The Bright Places, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and Everything, Everything will adore this quirky story of coming-of-age, coming out, friendship, love...and agoraphobia.
Sixteen-year-old Solomon is agoraphobic. He hasn’t left the house in three years, which is fine by him.

Ambitious Lisa desperately wants to get into the second-best psychology program for college (she’s being realistic). But how can she prove she deserves a spot there?

Solomon is the answer.

Determined to “fix” Sol, Lisa thrusts herself into his life, introducing him to her charming boyfriend Clark and confiding her fears in him. Soon, all three teens are far closer than they thought they’d be, and when their facades fall down, their friendships threaten to collapse, as well. 

A hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age perfect for readers of Matthew Quick and Rainbow Rowell, Highly Illogical Behavior showcases the different ways in which we hide ourselves from the world—and the ways in which love, tragedy, and the need for connection may be the only things to bring us back into the light.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

What a great read!  While this is a book that has basketball in it, it is so much more than a basketball book.  This is a book about family, and growing up, and loss, and so much more.  Kwame Alexander tells his story in such an incredible voice, through the power of poetry.  It won't take you long to read it, but you will enjoy the ride for a long time to come.

From Amazon:

"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I’m delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander.

   Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.

With Malice by Eileen Cook

With Malice was definitely a fun read.  If you like a good mystery, check it out.  It is the story of an 18 year old girl who awakes one day to find herself in the hospital.  She has no idea of how she got there and no memory of the last few weeks, not even of the trip she took to Italy.  But something terrible happened while she was there, and she, and everyone else, are trying to figure out if it was just an accident, or did Jill commit murder.

As the reader, you will begin to put the pieces together, just as Jill is trying to do as well.  If you read Girl on the Train or We Were Liars, you will enjoy With Malice.

This has a release date of June 7, so if you want to read it, come find me.  

From Amazon:

For fans of We Were Liars and The Girl on the Train comes a chilling, addictive psychological thriller about a teenage girl who cannot remember the last six weeks of her life.

Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron's senior trip to Italy was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime. And then the accident happened. Waking up in a hospital room, her leg in a cast, stitches in her face, and a big blank canvas where the last 6 weeks should be, Jill comes to discover she was involved in a fatal accident in her travels abroad. She was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care. Care that includes a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident...wasn't an accident. Wondering not just what happened but what she did, Jill tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life.

Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach

What a great read!  There were many times that I just had to stop and really appreciate what I was reading.  This was beautifully written and a book I think I will remember for a long time. 

It is the story of Zelda and Parker, two teens who improbably meet up in a hotel restaurant, and change each others lives forever, in the span of just a few days.  Parker is a kid who hasn't spoken a word in 5 years, since his dad died in a car accident.  Zelda is a silver-haired teenage girl who claims to have been born in 1770.  As they get to know each other, they realize they are the best thing that has ever happened in their respective lives. 

From Amazon:

Tommy Wallach, the New York Times bestselling author of the “stunning debut” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) We All Looked Up, delivers a brilliant new novel about a young man who overcomes a crippling loss and finds the courage to live after meeting an enigmatic girl.

“Was this story written about me?”
I shrugged.
“Yes or no?”
I shrugged again, finally earning a little scowl, which somehow made the girl even more pretty.
“It’s very rude not to answer simple questions,” she said.
I gestured for my journal, but she still wouldn’t give it to me. So I took out my pen and wrote on my palm.
I can’t, I wrote. Then, in tiny letters below it: Now don’t you feel like a jerk?

Parker Santé hasn’t spoken a word in five years. While his classmates plan for bright futures, he skips school to hang out in hotels, killing time by watching the guests. But when he meets a silver-haired girl named Zelda Toth, a girl who claims to be quite a bit older than she looks, he’ll discover there just might be a few things left worth living for.

From the celebrated author of We All Looked Up comes a unique story of first and last loves.

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

It's been a while, but I finally finished Challenger Deep.  This is a story about a boy's fight against mental illness, as often told through the story of him being on a ship heading for the Marianas Trench, the deepest point on earth.  As his illness continues to unfold, we start seeing the characters from the ship for the people they are in his real life.  The pieces slowly start coming together for the reader, but more importantly the pieces come together for Caden.  This is a powerful book that gives us and in depth and real life look at the struggle to live with a mental illness.  Not always an easy read, but definitely a worth while one. 

Here is the book trailer: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u6uk18bKtpw

From Amazon:

A captivating novel about mental illness that lingers long beyond the last page, Challenger Deep is a heartfelt tour de force by New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman.

Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.

Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.

Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images.

Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.

Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.

Caden Bosch is torn.

Challenger Deep is a deeply powerful and personal novel from one of today's most admired writers for teens. Laurie Halse Anderson, award-winning author of Speak, calls Challenger Deep "a brilliant journey across the dark sea of the mind; frightening, sensitive, and powerful. Simply extraordinary."

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

My beautiful wife was gracious enough to be a guest writer on the blog after she finished reading Dumplin' by Julie Murphy.  Here are her thoughts on this novel I have heard so many good things about:

Being a teenager is hard all on its own.  But if you are overweight and the daughter of a former beauty queen/present beauty pageant director, forget about it!  In Dumplin' we see Willowdean come to realize that the person you are on the inside is what makes us lovable.  Along with a motley crew of misfits, Willowdean shows us some relationships cannot be outgrown and no matter how big or small or pretty or not, we all deserve the chance to compete.  If you know what it feels like to not be good enough, this is the book for you.  


From Amazon:

For fans of John Green and Rainbow Rowell comes this powerful novel with the most fearless heroine—self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson—from Julie Murphy, the acclaimed author of Side Effects May Vary. With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . .  until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.