What if it's us

By:  Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

Meet Arthur, Broadway enthusiast, glass half full optimism, and favourite person of everyone he meets. He’s in New York for the summer interning at his mom’s law firm and couldn’t be happier. 

Meet Ben, closet writer, glass half empty pessimist, and cool guy who seems not to try too hard at anything. He’s recently broken up with his boyfriend, stuck in summer school, and not all that happy with the universe right now.

After a chance encounter at the post office, Ben and Arthur think maybe the universe wants them to be together. The perfection of their meeting was just too good to be true. But then they get separated and they didn’t get any way to contact each other. Using creative social media searches, missed connections, and some good old fashioned amateur detective work, Ben and Arthur manage to be reunited! It’s clearly a sign that they are definitely meant to be.

But. Their first date is a disaster. Their second date is not nearly what they had hoped. And… their third date is not great either. Were they really meant to be or is the universe playing some kind of weird joke on them? But then again, What if it’s us?

As Arthur and Ben navigate young love, they have a relatively realistic attitude towards their relationship and don’t make nearly as many hair-tearing decisions that many Rom Com characters tend to make. Other than a moderately forced drama scene in the middle, Ben and Arthur are rational, lovable heroes of their own story with awesome best friends supporting them through a memorable summer break.

This book is full of pop culture references with a special love for Harry Potter and Hamilton. It’s got  meet cute moments, and fully realized, dynamic characters. I worry that the pop culture references will sour the book with time, but for now it’s a lot of fun and well worth a read!

Other books by Becky Albertalli include Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda, The Upside of Unrequited, and Leah on the Offbeat.

Other books by Adam Silvera include They Both Die at the End and History is all you Left Me.

The Sun is Also a Star

The Sun is also a Star covers one pivotal day in the lives of two American teenagers. 

Natasha, an illegal Jamaican immigrant has 12 hours before her and her family are deported. The thing is, this whole deportation thing is not Natasha’s fault! She’s lived in New York longer than she has lived in Jamaica – her dad made a mistake and now she has to pay for it. Determined to set things right, Natasha goes to the immigration office one last time to plead her case and stay in her home. 

Daniel, a Korean-American poet, is delaying his inevitable interview that will help him get a place in his parent’s dream school.  With the disappointment of his older, ‘golden boy’ brother’s fall from grace, the pressure on Daniel to make his family proud is overwhelming.

When these two bump into each other, Daniel falls for Natasha immediately. Natasha is not so easily convinced. Natasha is a scientific girl; she believes in facts, numbers, and data. Daniel believes in fate and he is going to convince Natasha, through science, that they are meant to be together.  Time and again throughout the day, Natasha and Daniel find themselves thrown together, be it by fate or coincidence.  

These 12 hours of Daniel and Natasha’s life swing from each character’s perspective, giving the reader a chance to get to know each character and their family.  Issues of immigration, family expectation, and racism are all covered in this romantic tale, giving it so much more depth than you’d expect from the average romance novel.  

This book gives you authentic perspectives from fully realized characters. Daniel and Natasha are flawed, relatable people that are easy to connect with. Not only do Daniel and Natasha have a voice in this story, random people that encounter them along the way also get little chapters of perspective. These interesting and touching glimpses into periphery character’s lives gives the book yet another layer that brings the story together.

If you are a bit of a romantic at heart, and believe in fate, this book is for you. The Sun is also a Star is more than a romance novel, it’s a touching story on the human condition.

Similar readers are: Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven and Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland.

Labor Day

Labor Day

By Joyce Maynard

Being the week of Labour Day I felt this title was appropriate. This is held in the Richmond Public Library adult collection but I believe this coming of age story is wonderful for young adult readers too.

Joyce Maynard has combined a young mans coming of age story with an interesting love story; not just between a man and a woman but also between a boy and a father figure. Labor Day tells the story of Henry and his single mother just getting through life until one Labor day weekend.

Henry's mother finds it difficult to leave the house, with a debilitating discomfort of other people and places. Henry is doing his best to take care of her until they meet an intriguing man the Thursday before Labor Day. While shopping at their local convenience shop Henry is approached by a man, looking a little worse for ware with some blood on his pants and a large cut on his head. Would you invite a stranger with blood on his clothes into your home? Thirteen year old Henry and his mother, Adele, did and what happens next might surprise you.
It turns out that the stranger, Frank, is an escaped convict on the run. Frank is strong and innovative, helpful and kind, even when he has Henry's mother tied up to a kitchen chair there is a safety that Adele seems to feel.

Henry learn's some of life's valuable lessons: how to make the perfect piecrust; don't put in too much water, how to throw a baseball; finger placement is the key. Henry will also learn about jealousy, betrayal, love and patience all from the mysterious Frank.

This is an adult title and has some strong language and contains a small amount of sexual content.

Also available in streaming audiobook format through your RPL Hoopla account.

The Boomerang Effect

The Boomerang Effect

By Gordon Jack

This is the first book that I have read in a really long time that actually had me laughing out loud. Let's just say the domino effect is in full force here, one bad decision can start a landslide!

Lawrence Barry is a junior and reminded me a little bit of Ferris Bueller except Lawrence's charm doesn't always hit the mark and readers end up feeling a little sorry for him rather that feeling he's "the coolest." There is a masked prankster on the lose and Lawrence is the prime suspect due to his "not-so-great" reputation. Thanks to a men-tee program Lawrence gets the chance to redeem himself showing a hidden intelligence and heart when he is forced to quit smoking pot. He's under the threat of reform school and there is nothing like threatening to take a person away from their friends to sober you up.

The Boomerang Effect is a pretty quick read and I would recommend it to the reluctant reader who, like myself, can find some books a little daunting. With a mystery, plenty of pranks and a good number of laughs the pages will fly by. With relatable characters and some silly situations Gordon Jack has created one entertaining read!

Finding Audrey

By Sophie Kinsella

 Sophie Kinsella, of the Shopaholic series fame, brings us this account of Audrey, a teen suffering from anxiety as the result of some sort of traumatic event (we don't know what) that has sent her into darkness and despair. She is unable to leave her house, or go to school, or talk to anyone, or to remove her dark sunglasses. 

The story is told from inside Audrey's head, so we have a first hand account of where she is at in her recovery and demonstrates Audrey's lack of awareness of the effect of her illness on the other members of her family. It takes some time for Audrey to realize how wrapped up in herself she has been, not being aware of anything outside of herself and her feelings.

Audrey's family is a bit quirky, Mum reads the Daily Mail and allows the crazy stories in there to influence her parenting, Dad tries to support Mum, sometimes having trouble keeping up, brother Frank is a frustrated teen (see Mum's attempts at parenting), and Audrey's anxiety keeps her hidden from the world. 

Audrey sees Dr. Sarah, who helps Audrey make progress in her recovery by trying to get her to take some steps outside of her comfort zone. One day her comfort zone is invaded by Linus, a friend of Frank, who actually seems to understand Audrey and is able to support her steps to recovery. 

This book is an honest look at Audrey's anxiety and the difficulty she faces as she tries to emerge from the darkness, written with humour and respect.

 

We Are All Made of Molecules

Stewart, the 13-year old narrator of this tale, is struggling with the death of his mother (and perhaps with his father’s complete acceptance and healing from it). He is socially inept but brilliant in academic ways. He has been in a special school for gifted children where he has excelled, and has a very close relationship with his dad. After his mom died, he still feels her molecules within their home.

Stewart`s one wish was for a sister, and it has finally come true, after his mother’s death, when his father decides to move in with Caroline—a woman he works with (who was acquainted with the recently deceased mother) and has been dating. With all of the tragic changes going on, Stewart has decided that he’d like to attempt regular public school, where he is bumped ahead a grade so that he will be challenged by the material.

Ashley, Stewart`s new stepsister, is also a narrator of this tale. In a he said/she said format similar to Flipped (Wendelin Van Draanen), Ashley tells us of the many problems of her own. Her social status at school is precariously kept in balance by the secrets she holds about her parents’s divorce. (Her father is homosexual, and she isn’t sure that she’s completely okay with that) and, due to the out of whack housing market in Vancouver, BC, he’s forced to live in the lane-way house behind their home.

This is a novel of a blended family and two teens working through school, family, and personal issues. There is content in it that may be disturbing to some, but when you read a book by Susin Nielsen you have to expect controversial issues. We Are All Made of Molecules is no different, beginning the book with a mom dying of cancer, then dead from cancer, next a grieving single dad, and his grieving son. It may be for some that the book suffers from too many issues, and the suspension of disbelief becomes difficult when the dad completely gets over the death of his wife in so little time. However, Stewart and Ashley are characters that easily grab your heartstrings and within a few chapters you`ll find yourself rooting for them.

Susin Nielsen won the Governor General’s Award for the Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen (Tundra Books, 2012), and many may remember her as both a writer for and actress in the Degrassi Junior High TV series of the 80s.We Are All Made of Molecules has been longlisted for the 2016 Carnegie Medal.

#Scandal

#Scandal

By Sarah Ockler

From the author who brought us Twenty Boy Summer and Bittersweet comes a story about what can happen when a picture goes viral, #Scandal. In this digital age a picture is worth more than a thousand words and many of those words will be negative ones. Author Sarah Ockler captures social media hazards and teens in this novel. In this day and age there are so many issues with online bullying and #Scandal brings those issues to life.
Our main character, Lucy, finds herself at the prom with her best friends man and they find themselves in a compromising position. This wouldn't be so bad because they had every intention of confessing except before they have the chance to do so a picture as evidence goes viral around the school. This one night of fun brings Lucy's whole world crumbling down. This is a cautionary tale of teen life.
There is a strong message of honesty and standing up for yourself. With confidence Lucy works hard to gain back the trust of her best friend and hold her head up high in the judging halls of her high school. Real life, romance, friendship and confidence all come together in this high school drama.

Are You Still There

by Sarah Lynn Scheerger

Gabi, a senior in high school, is an over-achiever.  She volunteers, gets straight As, and has already submitted early action applications to her colleges of choice. Things are going according to plan, until a bomb scare at her school turns her life upside down.  The cops are able to find the bomb in time, but they don’t find the bomber.

Shortly after the bomb scare, Gabi starts finding strange, threatening notes in her locker and around school campus. Could they be messages from the bomber, or someone else?  Why are so many of the notes left for Gabi?  

Meanwhile, school administrators set up an anonymous help line, and Gabi is one of the students asked to help staff the line. The students staffing the line are an unlikely group – representing all different cliques in the school, but Gabi realizes that she has more in common with some of her new workmates that she would’ve originally thought. Part mystery, part realistic fiction, this is a relatively quick read.