Learning to Swear in America

by Katie Kennedy

An asteroid is hurtling towards Earth, and NASA has amassed a group of scientists to figure out how to stop it before it destroys North America.  Yuri is a 17-year-old Russian physics phenom who NASA has recruited to be part of the team.  Yuri’s colleagues in Russia are used to his youthfulness, and (most of them) don’t make fun of him anymore.  Not so in California, though – he feels alone and awkward, and the other scientists don’t really believe Yuri knows his stuff, especially since he’s advocating using untested theory of antimatter to make the asteroid smaller.

Enter Dovie, wild, pretty and slightly unpredictable, with a crazy but close-knit family, who teaches Yuri what it really means to be alive.  When Yuri discovers that NASA might not let him return to Russia, Dovie and her brother help hatch a plan to help save him.   

Will Yuri and the NASA team be able to stop the asteroid before it makes impact? Will Yuri be able to make it back to Russia?  Read this quirky story to find out!

The House of the Scorpion

By Nancy Farmer

In a future world that feels very "old world", the USA and Azatlán (formerly known as Mexico) have struck a deal to curb illegal immigration. Along the length of the border, a new country named Opium has been established. The thousands of miles of drug fields are owned by a handful of very powerful, corrupt families, and are heavily guarded by security, making crossing the border nearly impossible.

Matteo Alacrán ("scorpion" in Spanish) is a young boy living in Opium, in a small isolated shack among the poppy fields. His caretaker, Celia, is the only family he has ever known. For some reason unbeknownst to him, he is strictly forbidden from ever leaving the shack. Matt's life changes dramatically when his hiding place is discovered by the rich kids playing on the property, and he is brought inside to the mansion. Matt is informed that he is in fact a genetic clone of the most powerful drug lord in the country and patriarch of the Alacrán family, 142-year-old El Patrón.

The problem is, clones are actually despised by humans; seen as nothing more than filthy, unintelligent animals. Upon his introduction into the mansion, Matt is treated with disgust and contempt by everyone around him, with the exception of a couple of special friends and El Patrón himself. Being the clone of a highly respected and feared man, Matt enjoys a certain amount of luxury and protection unheard of for clones. But why exactly is Matt so important to El Patrón, and what will become of him when El Patrón is no longer around? 

This award-winning book was published over ten years ago but it is one of my favourites, and still holds its own in the world of teen dystopian fiction. Don't miss out on this one or its sequel, The Lord of Opium.

Book of the Month: August - Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

By Katie Alender

The story opens in Paris, the apartment of a beautiful, 19 year old, up-and-coming French model, Gabrielle. She has just arrived home from a chic party and is getting ready for bed. Admiring herself in the mirror she notices a dark smudge on her arm. She tries to wash it off but no matter what it would not wash away. As she leaves her wash room she notices that, strangely, all of the lights are on. She calls out to see if anyone is home but there is no-one. Just then she feels like someone is watching her, she turns and there in front of her is a strange woman in a strange costume. Gabrielle is surprised, the woman just stares coldly at Gabrielle. The woman then hisses "Are you from the Rou family?" in French. Then without warning the mirror behind this frightening stranger shatters and a large piece of the mirror comes flying directly at Gabrielle's neck. Then Gabrielle's head falls to the floor.

With an opening like this Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer had me hooked. I love a good murder mystery and this one takes place in the beautiful and magical city of Paris, France. I decided to listen to this one through Hoopla. This eAudio book is read by Erin Spenser and Elea Oberon. The story is written in two parts; readers follow Colette Iselin as she takes a trip to Paris with her French class. The other part is written from the point of view of the poor murder victims; there is a serial killer on the lose in Paris. While Colette is trying to enjoy her tour of Paris she finds herself seeing the strange apparition of a beautiful woman dressed in 18th century garb, showing up in historic locations around the city. What does this all mean? With clues popping up all over the city Colette might be the key to understanding and solving the mystery.

Author Katie Alender takes readers are whisked away to Paris as they follow Colette on her path to understanding her family history, tours the city, brushes up on her French, learns about true friendship and maybe even falls in love.

I like listening to these Hoopla eAudiobooks while I walk my dog in the morning. It is easy to stream them on any device and it is free with your library card. Set up an account today and check out Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer for yourself.

Looking for more books like this? Check out my YA murder mystery book list in our Library Catalogue.