Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Dec4

Family is important. It’s just June and Greta, the Elbus daughters. Their parents are accountants and life goes on during the late 80’s. Their uncle Finn is an artist and June’s Godfather. He’s painting a portrait of the girls and June adores all time she gets to spend with him, while Greta fidgets. Finn is sick. He’s dying.

Fourteen is too young to lose an uncle, especially to a disease that no one understands. As June’s world fades, a secret from her uncle’s past reaches out to her. There’s a man who was close to Finn, even more than June. She’s torn between wanting to know him and resenting him for all the time he received with her beloved uncle. Unable to move on from her grief, and with others pushing her towards false starts. June turns her back on practicality and takes a leap of faith where no one else is ready to believe.

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is emotional and raw. It’s been over twenty years since AIDS caused an uneducated panic and Brunt has brilliantly captured that timeline. She’s also taken the approach of a teenager who loves someone with this disease and refuses to believe where others accept the first thing they hear. June is wise beyond her years, but she does remain essentially a child. Watching her grow through trauma, grief and teenage angst is more powerful than I expected.

The symbolism used throughout the book is stunning and towards the end I was almost in tears. This is a YA crossover at it’s controversial finest. Contemporary and striking you’ll find yourself eager to get back to June. With relatable family struggles this novel will shake your core. YA doesn’t have to be supernatural and full of romance. There can also be a pure coming of age story where love transcends and Brunt has crafted a magical piece of work.

Rape Girl by Alina Klein

Dec1

Valerie was just being a normal sixteen-year-old, like all the other kids at her school. One weekend her mom went out of town. Naturally Valerie and best friend Mimi throw a party for their Mormon and non-practising Mormon friends (though neither girl believes in the faith themselves). It’s wild, loud and everyone is having fun. Val starts drinking due to her disappointment of her crush Adam not showing up, everyone’s having a great time why can’t she?

When Adam shows up, Val is ecstatic, and drunk. They excuse themselves in front of everyone and sneak off to the living room where she proceeds to throw up all over his shoes. Hung over and miserable the next morning, Val struggles to make breakfast for her six-year-old sister Ainsley. She just wants to lie on the couch and sleep off her headache. As she drifts off she realises she isn’t alone. Adam is suddenly there, everywhere. Confused over her feelings for Adam and what he has done, Val finds strength to report what’s happened. It’s only the beginning of her lifelong journey to be more than just the ‘rape girl’.

I requested this book because I wanted a different kind of YA to read. However, I was sorely disappointed but I am also conflicted with this novella. I think the premise of the book had a lot of potential, but the execution was poor. The story was rushed and there was no time to get to know Valerie, her likes, dislikes, or any kind of personality. Also, every male character except for the brother who’s away at college is written as a ‘villain’.

I understand that this is an important story to tell and that it’s also a very personal one for the author. For that Klein has done a stand out job for describing the process of standing up as a rape victim. Even as Valerie fights with her own demons she never steps down for doing the right thing. The few parts that are well written, you can tell that the author knows what she wants for her characters and what she wants to reflect to the reader. When writing about a tender subject, it can be a challenge to follow the delicate line. I praise Klein for tackling such a personal battle, but I wish that more time were spent on the narrative. Make it 300 pages and give us more in depth characters. I was always on Valerie’s side, but I knew there was more to her and I was sad to see that.

Many thanks to the publisher Namelos for providing this ARC on Net Galley!

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

Nov27

Mimi, an undergraduate student in New York has had a hellish year. Running away from her life for a bit she drives through Canada to an old house along the syne that her estranged father owns. It was supposed to be a perfect hiding place. It was supposed to be a space for her to write and work out her troubles. It became a treasure trove of secrets and fear. At nineteen, Mimi floats along on a river journey that she didn’t sign up for but she isn’t able to fight the current.

The Uninvited is full of suspense from the first page to the last chapter. As this is a mystery type book I can’t get too deep with the story, it’s best that others give it a shot. I found it a surprising mature read from Walker Books, usually known for publishing to a younger audience. It’s a delightful surprise and once I’d cracked the book (it did take a while to get into) I couldn’t put it down. I haven’t explored too much of Canada myself but the scenery is beautifully described and it made me long for days when travelling by canoe was an acceptable form of transport. I’d recommend this book for older teens looking for drama that’s got a sickening strain that begs for discussion. This isn’t your classic YA book and be prepared for uncomfortable confusing moments.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Nov24

Gabry has spent her life gazing out at the world from the safety of the lighthouse. There is no need to explore since the Return has caused the undead to stalk the living. They call them ‘mudo’ and strict precautions are taken to ensure the survival. She’s never stepped out of line, never questioned authority. Just one night is enough to change everything.

One night Gabry embarks across the barrier with her best friend Cira and her brother Catcher. It’s an opportunity for love to blossom and the mudo to attack. One night and the progression humanity has accomplished is knocked down. Now Gabry must venture past the barrier in search of her heart’s desire, but it’s only the beginning. One step turns into another and Gabry can no longer ignore the previous comfort of her life and the lighthouse.

Second books are always bit tougher to get into. I enjoyed the first book so much I didn’t want to be disappointed by expecting a lot from the second. It takes a couple of chapters for Ryan to show that this book is nothing like the second. Even with the zombie attacks there’s so much more to this world that she expands on. It’s fabulous. It got my heart racing; my hands shook as I breezed through the pages.

Slight criticism are that there is another love triangle and comes straight off of the first book it’s a bit repetitive. But then again it’s a zombie apocalypse. It’s not like finding a suitable partner is a walk in the park. I felt that the book was a bit slow, but I was pleased to learn more about this world and how people were able to successful exist. I’m holding off on the third book, I want to savour it and there are many other books I have to get through first.

Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress by Arwat Chadda

Nov20

Arwat Chadda’s not a stranger to young adult fiction and Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress is an exciting second novel. It’s got action, ancient Indian history and a fight of good versus evil between the great god Rama and Ravanna. For someone who isn’t well versed in the Indian myths and legends, it’s an excellent introduction to the fascinating culture that has shaped India.

Set in Varanasi, India thirteen-year-old Ash and his ten-year-old sister Lucky are spending the summer holiday with relatives. Initially thrilled at the idea of occupying the months surrounded by the treasures of the holy city, Ash struggles to adjust to the differences of London. After two weeks of reality he’s desperate to return home.

Dragged to an elaborate party thrown by wealthy English Aristocrat Lord Savage, Ash discovers there’s more to this millionaire’s love of historical artefacts. Surrounded by demon henchmen Ash overhears Lord Savage’s plan to find the Iron Gates. A long forgotten buried prison holding the reincarnated evil god Ravanna for over four millennia.

When trouble strikes it’s up to Ash to protect Lucky and do whatever it takes to return to England. Even if it means trusting strangers and coming to terms that demons in are in fact real. Unable to ignore his higher purpose, Ash discovers strength buried deep inside and the truth as to who he is really is. With a guide and help from the goddess Kali Ash must do whatever it takes to help the world prevail and defeat the army of demons of the Savage Fortress.

Fast paced and cleverly blended Chadda creates an exciting tale of a boy fighting for the survival of not only his sister as well as himself but also the fate of the world. Although over 300 pages the pace of the novel is perfect for eight to twelve year olds. With spirited characters and situations that the readers can relate to, the novel relays the importance of believing in oneself.

Arwat Chadda’s Ash Ministry: and the Savage Fortress is sure to strike interest for any young reader and keep them engaged until the very end. Arwat Chadda’s not a stranger to young adult fiction and Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress is an exciting second novel. It’s got action, ancient Indian history and a fight of good versus evil between the great god Rama and Ravanna. For someone who isn’t well versed in the Indian myths and legends, it’s an excellent introduction to the fascinating culture that has shaped India.

This book was supplied by The South Asian Literature Festival for an honest review, many thanks!

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Nov17

Saba lives with her twin brother Lugh, little sister Emmie and her Pa. They live a quiet life with only one neighbour across the vast but dried up Silverlake. That is, until the men came and took Lugh away, killing Pa in the process.

Saba will never stop looking for Lugh. Leaving Silverlake she travels across the death trap Sandsea hoping to find the men that have taken him. But trouble is at every turn when one-steps away from their safe haven. The rest of the world is a scary place and Saba will have to decide who to trust and where to go, because time is running out for Lugh.

Please note that one of the genres I have added, I have created myself. I’m finding that a lot of the YA I’m reading are starting to fall into the same genres. I chose ‘Endless’ because what Young has mastered is a world in a post-apocalyptic environment that hasn’t been done before: Endless areas of sand and danger at every turn. It’s our Earth after we have destroyed it. It’s written in a phonetic type style, but as our heroine Saba has never been educated to our standards, she makes up words for things that haven’t been assigned a name in her lifetime.

If you’re able to get over the writing style (it’s slightly difficult to push through but the more you read the easier it gets), you are going to be blown away like I was. Finally, Saba, a take-charge girl who will do WHATEVER it takes to get her family back together! She’s strong, resourceful and flawed at the same time. I couldn’t guess what was going to happen next but trusted Young to keep me reading. Blood Red Road really is a fantastic read (hello – there’s a girls only Amazon type power group – seriously cool). There is some romance, which brings it back to typical YA. I don’t know how the second book is going to go. There is so much in this debut novel. For an escape of the daily commute or for an engaging Sunday morning, pick this up and you’ll have difficulty putting it down.

(Just read it now and tell me what you think in the comments)