Deposing Nathan by Zack Smedley

Deposing Nathan by Zack Smedley is such an intense and engaging novel.  It grabs your attention from the first pages and doesn't let go until Nate tells us his whole story.  This is a story that deals with so many important topics like identity, self-acceptance, friendship, family, and trauma.  Smedley has given us a unique story that will leave you gasping as the truth is finally revealed.

Nate has been stabbed.  Cam was arrested and charged with the crime.  But the story of these best friends and what led to the events is far from clear.  Now Nate must tell his story in a deposition for the case.  As he goes back to the beginning of his friendship with Cam, he gives us the details of their friendship, their love, and most often their arguments.  But in telling his story, Nate starts to come to grips with his reality and what it means to accept who he really is.  

From Amazon:


For sixteen years, Nate was the perfect son―the product of a no-nonsense upbringing and deep spiritual faith. Then he met Cam, who pushed him to break rules, dream, and accept himself. Conflicted, Nate began to push back. With each push, the boys became more entangled in each others' worlds...but they also spiraled closer to their breaking points. And now all of it has fallen apart after a fistfight-turned-near-fatal-incident―one that's left Nate with a stab wound and Cam in jail.

Now Nate is being ordered to give a statement, under oath, that will send his best friend to prison. The problem is, the real story of what happened between them isn't as simple as anyone thinks. With all eyes on him, Nate must make his confessions about what led up to that night with Cam...and in doing so, risk tearing both of their lives apart.

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

In Look Both Ways we get another fantastic story from Jason Reynolds.  As you would expect from Reynolds, he gives us a story that is both entertaining and thought provoking.  Look Both Ways is told in a unique way, which is not surprising from a risk-taker like Reynolds.  This one is told in a series of different stories, one block at a time.  Told as school is let out for the day, we meet all kinds of different characters and get a peek in to each of their lives.  We see the distractions they each face in their lives as they navigate their way home.  And through the difficulties they each face, the reader is also able to revel in their triumphs.  We get to see the good they are each putting in to a world that often seems against them.  As a reader, we get to see each one of them answer the question, "How you gon' change the world?"

From Amazon:

A National Book Award Finalist!

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019!

From National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes a novel told in ten blocks, showing all the different directions a walk home can take.

This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy—

Talking about boogers.
Stealing pocket change.
Skateboarding.
Wiping out.
Braving up.
Executing complicated handshakes.
Planning an escape.
Making jokes.
Lotioning up.
Finding comfort.
But mostly, too busy walking home.

Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.

The Year We Fell From Space by Amy Sarig King

If you have read any of my posts before, I'm sure you are well aware of my deep admiration for Amy Sarig King (A.S. King).  She is an incredible author and even better person.  She writes the stories that people, especially young people, really need.  She isn't afraid to hit on the hard topics and finds a place where readers can really connect.  Her newest middle grade novel, The Year We Fell From Space, is no exception.

King has given us a beautiful story about loss and grief, mental health, hope, and self discovery.  She has shown us that we don't always have to look at things the way we are told.  We can discover new pictures in the map of our lives.  We can create our own stories and don't always have to follow what others expect of us.  Liberty Johansen shows us that we all have the ability to own our lives and create of them beautiful pictures.  

From Amazon:

Liberty Johansen is going to change the way we look at the night sky. Most people see the old constellations, the things they've been told to see. But Liberty sees new patterns, pictures, and possibilities. She's an exception.

Some other exceptions:

Her dad, who gave her the stars. Who moved out months ago and hasn't talked to her since.

Her mom, who's happier since he left, even though everyone thinks she should be sad and lonely.

And her sister, who won't go outside their house.

Liberty feels like her whole world is falling from space. Can she map a new life for herself and her family before they spin too far out of reach?

The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow and David Ostow

The Devil and Winnie Flynn written by Micol Ostow and illustrated by David Ostow, was such a fun read.  If you are looking for an engaging and entertaining horror story, you can't go wrong with this one.  This story hits on so many of the classic horror tropes, while being self-aware that it is doing just that.  This one was lots of fun.

The Devil and Winnie Flynn tells the story of a young girl who has recently lost her mother to suicide.  Her estranged Aunt Maggie swoops in soon after the death and takes Winnie away to New Jersey so that she can assist in Maggie's horror reality TV show, Fantastic, Fearsome.  Winnie doesn't believe in ghost or the supernatural, but the people involved in the show are determined to change her mind, especially Maggie.

As the show focuses on the history of the Jersey Devil, Winnie's family history starts to reveal itself to her.  And what she discovers is that her family is more closely entwined with the lore of the Jersey Devil than she ever could have imagined.  As she learns more about her secret history, she starts to realize her mother's death may not have been what everyone thought it was.  Accepting her place in the legends may be the only thing that helps her escape New Jersey alive.  

From Amazon:

"A love letter to all your favorite horror movie classics . . . Micol Ostow's razor sharp writing and David Ostow's wonderful illustrations combine for an unforgettable reading experience."
—Courtney Summers, author of This Is Not a Test and All the Rage

Winnie Flynn doesn’t believe in ghosts. (Though she wouldn’t mind a visit from her mom, explaining why she took her own life.) When her mysterious aunt Maggie, a high-profile TV producer, recruits Winnie to spend a summer working as a production assistant on her current reality hit, Fantastic, Fearsome, she suddenly finds herself in the one place her mother would never go: New Jersey.

New Jersey’s famous Devil makes perfect fodder for Maggie’s show. But as the filming progresses, Winnie sees and hears things that make her think that the Devil might not be totally fake after all. Things that involve her and her family. Things about her mother’s death that might explain why she’s never met Aunt Maggie until now.

Winnie soon discovers her family’s history is deeply entwined with the Devil’s. If she’s going to make it out of the Pine Barrens alive, she might have to start believing in what her aunt is telling her—and find out what she isn’t.

Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner

I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of Gae Polisner's upcoming novel, Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me.  As I am sure you know, I am a huge fan of Gae and her work.  She has written some incredible stuff, and this story is no different.

JL Markham, 15 years old, has her whole life in front of her.  But these first 15 have not always been easy.  Her once unbreakable friendship with Aubrey has fallen apart, her father has been in California for work for way longer than he was supposed to, and her mom is suffering from a sometimes debilitating mental illness in his absence.  The bright spot in her life is Max Gordon, her nineteen-year-old boyfriend.  A senior at 19, Max is often misjudged, but JL feels like she knows the real Max, a kindhearted, smart, and well-read kid.  But Max is graduating and he is leaving for California.  JL now has to decide if she is going with him.  With her dad already there, her mom spiraling deeper into her illness, and no real relationship with Aubrey, what does she have keeping her home?  JL must figure out who she is and what she wants out of this life.  And in the end she may discover she isn't as fragile as she once believed she was.

Gae Polisner has given us a beautiful coming of age story about friendship, love, self-discovery, and probably most important, resilience.   In JL's character, we have a young girl who is trying to navigate a world where she has lost her closest friend, but has also fallen in love for the first time.  A girl trying to find a balance between her boyfriend and her crumbling family.  A girl who discovers the strength that has been hiding deep inside.  We see a character who eventually realizes that she can withstand much more than she ever thought possible.  I think this is a story that will stick with the reader long after the last page has been turned. 

From Amazon:

"Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me is an absolutely real, raw and emotional read, and it's a book that touched my heart with every page." - Katie McGarry, critically acclaimed author of Only a Breath Apart

Fifteen-year-old JL Markham’s life used to be filled with carnival nights and hot summer days spent giggling with her forever best friend Aubrey about their families and boys. Together, they were unstoppable. But they aren’t the friends they once were.

With JL’s father gone on long term business, and her mother suffering from dissociative disorder, JL takes solace in the tropical butterflies she raises, and in her new, older boyfriend, Max Gordon. Max may be rough on the outside, but he has the soul of a poet (something Aubrey will never understand). Only, Max is about to graduate, and he's going to hit the road - with or without JL.

JL can't bear being left behind again. But what if devoting herself to Max not only means betraying her parents, but permanently losing the love of her best friend? What becomes of loyalty, when no one is loyal to you?

Gae Polisner’s Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me is a story about the fragility of female friendship, of falling in love and wondering if you are ready for more, and of the glimmers of hope we find by taking stock in ourselves.

The Benefits of Being an Ocotpus by Ann Braden

Zoey is a middle-schooler who has more on her plate than any 12 year old should.  She is taking care of her three young siblings while her mom works as a waitress at the Pizza Pit.  They may not have much, but they have a roof over their heads thanks to Lenny, mom's newest boyfriend.  As Zoey begins to slowly come out of her shell at school, she starts to find her voice and take action.  She no longer wants to see her mom abused by Lenny, even if he does give them a place to stay.  And when her best friend Fuchsia needs her, Zoey is there for her.  She learns that just below the surface is a strength that we all have that allows us to do what is right in the face of adversity. 

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden was a wonderful novel dealing with the difficulties of poverty, the effects of domestic violence, and most importantly finding your voice and strength when things are hard.  It is a story about finding that strength that lives just below the surface, the strength to do what is right, even when it is the hardest thing in the world to do.  

From Amazon:

NPR Best Book of 2018, Bank Street List for Best Children's Books of 2019, Named to the Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher List, Maine's Student Book Award List, Louisiana Young Reader's Choice Award List, Rhode Island Middle School Book Award 2020 List, 2020 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award Nominee

Some people can do their homework. Some people get to have crushes on boys. Some people have other things they've got to do.

Seventh-grader Zoey has her hands full as she takes care of her much younger siblings after school every day while her mom works her shift at the pizza parlor. Not that her mom seems to appreciate it. At least there's Lenny, her mom's boyfriend—they all get to live in his nice, clean trailer.

At school, Zoey tries to stay under the radar. Her only friend Fuchsia has her own issues, and since they're in an entirely different world than the rich kids, it's best if no one notices them.

Zoey thinks how much easier everything would be if she were an octopus: eight arms to do eight things at once. Incredible camouflage ability and steady, unblinking vision. Powerful protective defenses.

Unfortunately, she's not totally invisible, and one of her teachers forces her to join the debate club. Even though Zoey resists participating, debate ultimately leads her to see things in a new way: her mom’s relationship with Lenny, Fuchsia's situation, and her own place in this town of people who think they're better than her. Can Zoey find the courage to speak up, even if it means risking the most stable home she's ever had?

This moving debut novel explores the cultural divides around class and the gun debate through the eyes of one girl, living on the edges of society, trying to find her way forward.

Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson

I was fortunate enough to do another review for ALAN Picks.  The following is my review of Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson:


After the death of their older brother, Adam Moynihan and his brother Jeremy find themselves dealing with not only that loss, but also the separation of their parents.  Their mom and dad couldn’t deal with the grief associated with Greg’s death and have decided to deal with it separately.  Now Adam is staying with his dad every other weekend and he isn’t pleased.  But when he visits his dad’s apartment for the first time, he meets Jolene, a girl who is also on the every other weekend plan with her dad.  Jolene is witty, spunky, creative, and passionate, but unfortunately is stuck in the middle of a nasty relationship between her parents.  But Adam and Jolene have found each other amid the chaos.  Their friendship is sometimes the only thing holding Jolene together as she struggles to find the self confidence to pursue her dream.  As Adam’s family begins to heal, Jolene worries what will happen to her friendship if he is no longer visiting the apartment twice a month.  Through the bond they have built, Adam is able to help her through her worries and save her when she most needs saving.  Can the future they have envisioned have a chance to become reality? 

Every Other Weekend is a beautiful novel about the healing power of friendship and love.  It reminds us that there is someone there for us, even when loneliness seems overwhelming.  It is a novel that will touch the reader’s heart as they navigate the immediate friendship and growing love between Adam and Jolene.  This story will have you wishing for a continued future for these two characters as they deal with the grief and tragedy that these two have already encountered.  And most importantly it will fill the reader with hope in the belief that these two are well on their way to a beautiful life.  
 


From Amazon:

Adam Moynihan’s life used to be awesome. Straight As, close friends and a home life so perfect that it could have been a TV show straight out of the 50s. Then his oldest brother died. Now his fun-loving mom cries constantly, he and his remaining brother can’t talk without fighting, and the father he always admired proved himself a coward by moving out when they needed him most.

Jolene Timber’s life is nothing like the movies she loves—not the happy ones anyway. As an aspiring director, she should know, because she’s been reimagining her life as a film ever since she was a kid. With her divorced parents at each other’s throats and using her as a pawn, no amount of mental reediting will give her the love she’s starving for.

Forced to spend every other weekend in the same apartment building, the boy who thinks forgiveness makes him weak and the girl who thinks love is for fools begin an unlikely friendship. The weekends he dreaded and she endured soon become the best part of their lives. But when one’s life begins to mend while the other’s spirals out of control, they realize that falling in love while surrounded by its demise means nothing is ever guaranteed.