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Bang by Barry Lyga

5/23/2017

When he was four years old, Sebastian accidentally shot and killed his baby sister.
Ten years later, the guilt, shame, and notoriety weigh so heavily upon him that Sebastian plans to commit suicide in the near future.
With his best friend gone for the summer and nothing to distract him, Sebastian thinks the time is coming -- until Aneesa moves into his neighborhood, a girl with a story of her own and no knowledge of Sebastian's past.
Will Sebastian's budding friendship with Aneesa be enough to steer him off the dangerous path he's put himself on or will he give in to the voice in his head that says "It's time."?

This is a gripping quick read that looks unflinchingly at how a family deals with loss and grief and pain -- and also, surprisingly, at race in America. Raw and real.

Grades 9-12

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History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

5/18/2017

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When Griffin's ex-boyfriend and first love, Theo, dies unexpectedly, Griffin is overtaken by a tsunami of grief. Even though Theo had moved across the country for college and had a new boyfriend, Griffin always believed that they'd get back together some day.
When Griffin meets Theo's new boyfriend Jackson at the funeral, he wants to hate him -- but he knows Jackson is the only person who could understand what he's going through.
The story moves back a forth between the past (detailing Griffin and Theo's history together) and the present, until the two timelines meet up near the end of the book.

This is a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful book that explores not only the depths of grief, but also the joys and pains of first love and the possibility of healing and starting over. Silvera's first novel, More Happy Than Not, was an excellent book that has stayed with me; this one is equally good.

Grades 9-12

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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

5/11/2017

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Lazlo is an orphan raised in a monastery -- until he he escapes to the Great Library of Zosma where he gets a job and where he can read histories and fairy tales to his heart's content. His one true passion is uncovering information about the Unseen city, a mysterious, mythical city no one has visited or heard from in more than 200 years.
Sarai is a blue skinned girl who has the power to enter and control people's dreams. She lives in a floating tower with her four magical siblings, hidden from a world who would kill her and her sisters and brother if it knew they still existed.
When Lazlo has the chance to join a group traveling to the Unseen city, he seizes the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream, and he sets himself on a course destined to intersect with Sarai -- at least in his dreams.

I adored Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, and if it's even possible, I loved this book more. It's a gorgeous fantasy novel set in a richly developed world with characters you will love, admire, and root for. It takes a little while for Taylor to set the stage and for the story to get off the ground, but you'll be rewarded for sticking with it.

Grades 9-12
Book 1 of the Strange the Dreamer duology

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book reviews

Bang by Barry Lyga

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Ms. Wheaton

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