The Truth Commission

The Truth Commission

By Susan Juby

As the subtitle explains, this is the story of "how three intrepid art students got to the bottom of one unexpectedly dark secret." Normandy Pale is a student at a prestigious art high school in Nanaimo,  Everyone has secrets, and rumours are everywhere.  Normandy and her two best friends decide to find out the truths behind some of the rumours, to varying degrees of success. Along the way discover more than they bargained for. Told as a work of creative non-fiction (complete with footnotes), this is a quirky, funny yet serious story about family, friendship and the realities of dealing with secrets.  

Book of the Month - August - Red Queen

Red Queen

by Victoria Aveyard

For 17-year-old Mare, life is determined by the colour of your blood.  Silvers have money, prestige, and special abilities.  Reds have nothing, and are destined to a life of servitude and military service, fighting a war that never seems to end.  Mare is a Red, and spends her days pickpocketing to earn a living,  When her best friend is conscripted to fight in the on-going war, Mare is determined to find a way out. But a twist of fate leads her to discover an ability she never knew she had.  

A Red with abilities?  How can this be?  In order to hide the truth from everyone, the king disguises Mare as a long-lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his sons.  Of course things aren't simple - not everyone has Mare's best interests at heart.  Who can she trust?  And what about the family she left behind? What will become of them?  As she lives at court, secrets, lies and romance bloom.  

A nice mixture of fantasy, dystopia and romance. 

Other books like Red Queen:  Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo; Graceling by Kristin Cashore; Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi; The Selection by Kiera Cass

I Was Here

by Gayle Forman

18-year-old Cody's world is shaken to the core when her best friend, Meg, commits suicide while away at college. Cody and Meg were so close that they grew up like sisters, so it is no wonder that Cody's grief is amplified by the fact she had no idea her best friend was suicidal. They had grown a bit distanced during their first year apart, but still, how is it that Cody saw zero of the telltale signs of depression?

When Meg's parents send Cody to pack up their daughter's dorm room, Cody finds that her best friend has kept secrets from her she never would have expected. She also uncovers something strange: deleted emails and encrypted files on Meg's computer. With the help of some new friends, she sets out to discover the truth about the seemingly suspicious circumstances surrounding Meg's suicide. 

This was an uncomfortable read for me, with a side romance that I just couldn't get behind. However, I can see how many readers will love and connect with this story. Gayle Forman tackles some heavy issues with stark realism and there's no doubt that she packs a punch here.

Antigoddess

Antigoddess

By Kendare Blake

Antigoddess is the first installment in a new series by Kendare Blake, acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood. This first in the Goddess War series. We are in a world where gods and goddesses live among us undetected. They always thought they were immortal until one day when they all start getting sick. Athena and Hermes are now on the search for the cause and a cure. They are led to a teen, Cassandra, who may be the key to a cure. This was an interesting read. I found that I learned a lot about Greek Gods while reading this. I enjoyed the idea that these interesting immortals could be wandering the earth among us. Watch this book trailer and you will be hooked. The trailer was what got me to grab this book from the shelves, once I started reading I could not put it down.

Book of the Month - July: All Our Yesterdays

By Cristin Terrill

Em is being held prisoner on a secret military base. All that keeps her going is the voice of the boy in the cell next door and a list of instructions she finds inside the drain, written in her own handwriting. It appears that she and the neighbouring prisoner have made multiple attempts to stop the creation of a time machine that will destroy the world, but every visit back in time has landed them right back to this moment: trapped and tortured in a cell by the man known as "the doctor".

Meanwhile, Marina, an insecure private school girl has fallen in love with James. Not only is James handsome, sweet and shy, but he is also an incredibly gifted science prodigy from an esteemed family. When a tragedy causes James to lose it all one night, Marina is fiercely protective and will do anything to support him in his time of need. But as the hours pass, James' behaviour becomes increasingly erratic.

The instructions on the note are clear: Em has only one thing left to do, and this is her last chance...until Em and Marina's stories intertwine in a way that leaves both of them reeling.

Time travel is a concept that has always fascinated me, and while at times there are some real brain benders trying to figure out the logistics of how everything goes down here, it is worth the ride! 

Other books like All Our Yesterdays: The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer,  The Here and the Now by Ann Brashares, Obsidian Mirror by Catherine Fisher, and Hourglass by Myra McEntyre.

Denton Little's Death Date

By Lance Rubin

In the world Denton grows up in, everyone knows what day they are going to die, thanks to tests run at birth.  For some people, that day is when they are very old, and for others, it is when they are quite young.

Denton is one of the people with an early death date.  In fact, his death date is in just 2 days, the same day as his senior prom. Denton's last couple of days alive are filled with an array of dramatic firsts - first hangover, first love triangle, first time giving a speech at his own funeral.

Laugh-out-loud funny, and a bit raunchy at the same time, this was a great read.  

Book of the Month - June: I'll Give You the Sun

I'll give you the sun

by Jandy Nelson

Jude and Noah are fraternal twins and absolutely inseparable. They both love art, live carefree lives, and know that they have each other. But one day something happens and their relationship falls apart. Jude no longer wants her awkward brother around, and Noah doesn't recognize his boy crazy sister. And when something imaginable happens their shaky relationship breaks and their lives are changed forever. Jude and Noah must learn to be true to themselves in order to find their way back to each other.

The book is told in alternating perspectives and time lines (Noah's chapters take place when they are 13 and Jude's when they are 16). Reading the two perspectives, at different times in their lives helps piece the story together. The writing is beautiful and the story told is unforgettable.

This book is amazing and I wanted to climb right in and enjoy every moment. Jandy Nelson is also the author of The Sky is Everywhere which is equally as good!

Other books like I'll Give You the Sun: Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz, All the bright places by Jennifer Niven, Kissing in America by Margo Rabb, and Blackswangreen by David Mitchell.