Review of Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans

Written and illustrated by Don Brown
Call Number: YA Brown Graphic (also available as a downloadable ebook)
2015

This is an amazing young adult graphic novel about the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and how it affected New Orleans.  The drawings were created with pen and ink and digital paint.  The artwork reflects the seriousness of this event by using dark colors in muted tones.

What I loved about this graphic novel was that it’s a great way for adults and teens to learn about the terrible effects of Hurricane Katrina in a clear, simple manner that is not overly upsetting.  There are descriptions of how people died and also illustrations of people who have drowned, but this is important to have since the book is trying to paint an accurate picture of what actually happened.  The author tells the story of tragedy with a lot of empathy and also tries to explain the political and scientific reasons behind it.

Reading this as an adult, there were still a lot of things I learned that I hadn’t previously known, such as the route the storm took on the way to New Orleans and the other areas it impacted.  It really shows how the problem got out of control, with police abandoning their posts and provisions not being delivered.  Because this book is illustrated, instead of just being a narrative, the reader gets a much better idea of what it would be like to experience it.

The novel also touches on the reactions of political figures, such as George W. Bush and Mayor Nagin.  While it documents the responses of these political figures, which were mostly negative, and the reactions of the people to these responses, it doesn’t get overly political, and lets the reader draw their own opinions.  It also makes a point of following the storm from its very beginnings, to the devastation afterwards, and finally the rebuilding of the city.  Because it’s told in the form of a story, it’s much more interesting and engaging than just reading articles about the storm.  This is especially important for younger and struggling readers.

While a lot of the novel focuses on the horrific events and terrible living conditions after the storm, the author also makes it a point to also show the bravery of the rescue workers and how much people helped each other, from regular citizens with their own boats to animal lovers that rescued more than 15,000 animals.  Pointing out the lengths people went to help each other really helps balance the sadness of the rest of the book.

Another thing I really loved about this book was that it really helps readers understand how the storm affected people who didn’t have the economic means to evacuate.  It emphasizes the fact that people such as the poor and elderly had a much harder time because of their situation.  I think it’s important for readers to see how socio economic status and other factors can make a disaster even more difficult to deal with.
If more historical events were written in the form of graphic novels, I think that people would be much more eager to learn about them.

Books That Will Make You Cry

Who doesn’t love a book that moves you to tears?  Crying can be cathartic and surprisingly, has a lot of health benefits.  If you’re in the mood to read something that will make you cry, these are some great books we have here at HPL.

 

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Call Number: Hosseini LP (in the Large Print section) (Also in Audio)

Amir grew up in Kabul with his best friend Hassan, but during their childhood Amir betrays Hassan.  Amir, who is living in America find out that Hassan has been killed and goes back to Kabul to look for his son.

 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Call Number: Miller

Achilles, who is the son of a king in Greece, befriends a banished prince.  When Achilles must go to war to save Helen of Sparta, the prince goes with him, not knowing that their friendship will be tested.

 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Call Number: Backman

Ove is a bitter, grumpy old man and makes a terrible neighbor.  But when a young couple and their two daughters move in next door everything changes and friendships start to develop.

 

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Call Number: Ozeki

16 year old Nao lives in Tokyo and has decided to kill herself, but decides that first she must document the life of her great grandmother.  Ruth, who lives across the Pacific, finds a washed up lunch box and is intrigued by what happened to Nao.

 

We the Animals by Justin Torres
Call Number: Torres

The youngest of three brothers, who are of white and Puerto Rican descent, finally breaks away from his family.  Although the brothers were often wild, he misses the closeness of his family and feels alienated on his own.

 

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Call Number: Kidd (Also in Paperback and Large Print)

Sarah, who is the daughter of a wealthy family, is given a slave, Hattie, to be her handmaid.  Inspired by the life of Sarah Grimke, who was an abolitionist, this book follows thirty five years of both Sarah and Hattie.

 

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
Call Number: Harbach (Also in Large Print)

Henry is a baseball star at a small college and destined to become pro.  But things suddenly change and the lives of five people go off course.

Review of The Three by Sarah Lotz

Call Number: Lotz
2014

When four planes crash simultaneously in different areas of the world, and only three children survive, people begin to question if there is something supernatural going on.  When the children start to display strange behavior, such as talking through a robot or curing a sick grandfather, religious cults begin to form around them.  This novel is not only about the children themselves, but also about the effects the events have on the world.

The Three is written in the same style as World War Z, with many different characters dictating their own personal stories of the events to a reporter who then compiles it into a book.  I think this worked very well for this book.  It can be hard to focus on one event for an entire novel, but by giving dozens of different perspectives the author is able to keep the reader engaged.

Because the novel takes place in several different countries, the reader is taken from one interesting setting to the next, and also gets an idea of the different cultures, especially Japan.  Although the book seems to take place in the present there are several hints that it may be slightly farther in the future, such as the humanoid robots the father of one of the surviving children creates.

One of the best things about this novel was the characters.  There was a range of interesting characters, from the mundane and relatable, to the bizarre and comic.  Pastor Len, who creates the a doomsday cult, and his followers are so strange and narcissistic that they are comical, as I believe the author intended.  But because they come across as comical, the author seems to be pointing out how absurd religion can be, and how hypocritical some of those who practice it can be.  The women who follow Pastor Len are often backbiting and horrible to each other, although they claim to be best friends.  On the other hand, these characters are not completely one dimensional.  Their behaviors are often justified by their previous experiences and their lives in general.

The three creepy children are very interesting.  Although the book revolves around them, we don’t see very much of them.  The creepiest relationship, and my favorite, is between Jess, one of the three, and her Uncle Paul, who takes her in.  We see Paul go from a doting uncle and a really likable character, to a paranoid alcoholic who fears his own niece.  It’s really interesting to see the most normal characters question themselves and descend into madness, when really they are the ones who are closest to the truth.  While Jess doesn’t even do anything very sinister, her constant happiness and strange comments make her pretty scary.

This is classified as a horror novel, and although there was creepy scenes, there were not enough of them for it to really come across as scary.  It is more of a supernatural mystery, especially because it is more focused on the characters and their lives than it is on supernatural events.  The ending of the book was slightly disappointing because the mystery of the three is never really explained.  There are vague hints as to what is really going on, but nothing concrete enough for the reader to be sure.  Though the reader doesn’t get a lot of answers to their questions, the book is still really enjoyable because of the characters and their lives.  We really get to see them from several different perspectives, their own, and often their friends and enemies, which gives them a lot more depth as characters.  A really fun read.

Review of Nimona

Written and Illustrated by Noelle Stevenson
2015
Call Number: YA Stevenson Graphic

Lord Ballister Blackheart, who was designated an evil villain when he was kicked out of hero school, is not doing too great a job at being a bad guy, until he meets Nimona. Nimona is a teenaged girl who has the ability to shapeshift, and desperately wants to be Blackheart’s sidekick.  Together they , infiltrate ‘The Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics’ and create a plot to out the agency’s hoarding of powerful magic.  Blackheart is a mad scientist with a twist; he doesn’t actually want to hurt anyone. Nimona on the other hand, doesn’t have as big a problem with this, and doesn’t understand why Blackheart isn’t more ruthless.  

The setting is a strange mix of medieval culture and technology that really works, and allows the author to do a lot more with her characters and plot than if it was strictly medieval.  Although it’s set in medieval times and the characters dress accordingly, Nimona has a partially shaved head and several piercings.  She also wears a short, modern looking dress, with medieval accessories, such as boots and gauntlets.  Both her attitude and her looks prove that she’s not your average stereotypical girl, and I think a lot of female readers will be able to relate to this.  It was also refreshing that she was drawn to have a real body that she isn’t ashamed of.

Towards the middle of the book, the focus shifts from Nimona to Blackheart, as Blackheart begins to question Nimona’s ruthless plans.  The plot then becomes less about Blackheart and Nimona’s relationship, which is starting to develop into a true friendship, to Blackheart’s relationship with Ambrosius Goldenloin.  Ambrosius is a knight of the Institution who was once Blackheart’s best friend, but betrayed him when Ambrosius fights unfairly and causes Blackheart to lose his arm.  This relationship helps to engage the reader even further and keeps the plot moving as the reader discovers what really happened between the two knights and watches as they both come to terms with their emotions and try to repair the friendship.  This also makes the book more about the characters, whom the reader really comes to love, instead of just the exciting, fast paced plot.

There is a really surprising twist towards the end of the novel that was unique and surprisingly non cliche.  It really gets the reader thinking about what makes someone good or evil and how these classifications can really be forced on people.  The novel really tries to make the point that people aren’t purely good or evil, but a mix of complex emotions.  It does a great job of getting this message across without being preachy or condescending.

I really loved this graphic novel and was surprised by how funny it was.  The writing in graphic novels is just as important as the drawings, and Stevenson does an amazing job creating humor, depth, and excitement.  This novel is based on the web comic and has been nominated for several awards.  You can read the first three chapters on Noelle Stevenson’s website and explore some of her other comics.  http://gingerhaze.com/  

YA Books for Reluctant Readers

Everyone knows a reluctant reader.  Someone, for whatever reason, who just doesn’t like to read.  These are some teen books that are great for reluctant readers.  Most are quick and easy to read and have exciting plot lines and interesting characters that encourage the reader to want to keep reading.

Click on the picture to see the book in our catalog

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Call Number: YA Alexander

This is a novel in verse about two twin boys, Josh and Jordan, who both love basketball.  Their dad used to play professionally but doesn’t anymore and refuses to coach, and Josh discovers the secret reason why.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
Call Number: YA Carroll Graphic

This is a graphic novel that contains five scary and mysterious stories about journeys into and out of the woods.

How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Call Number: YA Magoon

Sixteen year old Tariq, who is black, is shot and killed by a white teen.  Tariq’s family and friends try to describe what really happened in their own words.

Ms. Marvel volume 1 by G. Willow Wilson
Call Number: YA Wilson Graphic

This is a graphic novel about Kamala Khan, who’s just a regular girl from Jersey City.  She discovers that she has superhuman powers that may be dangerous and has to learn how to wield them.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Call Number: YA Shusterman

Connor, Risa, and Lev are all teenagers that have been chosen to be killed, or unwound. They decide to run away and come to a camp for unwinds where they learn specific skills.

The Compound by S.A. Boden
Call Number: YA Boden 

Eli lives in an underground compound with his family after a nuclear attack.  But he becomes bored and starts to wonder if he should leave the compound.  He then finds out a secret that will change everything.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre (The Razorland Trilogy)
Call Number: Aguirre

Deuce is a fifteen year old huntress in a post apocalyptic world that is filled with tunnel monsters.  She lives in a protected underground enclave but must learn to survive when she and her partner, Fade, are exiled.

Review of The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

Call Number: McMahon
2014

Good horror novels can be really hard to find, but The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon really pulls you in from the very beginning.  It’s told mostly from Ruthie’s perspective, who is a teen and lives off the grid in Vermont with her mother and little sister. But Ruthie’s story is interspersed with the diary of Sara Harrison Shea, who lived in the same area in 1908, and tells a haunting story of how she discovered that people can be brought back from the dead.  When Ruthie’s mother suddenly goes missing, Ruthie must figure out what Sara’s story has to do with her own life.

While this novel isn’t outright gory, there is a creepiness that pervades the story of every character, from Sara Shea’s husband, who can’t figure out why his daughter’s severed braid is hanging where he put the pelt of a slain fox, to Katherine, who creates miniature scenes of her dead husband’s last moments.  The mysteries themselves are just as well written and complex as the horror elements and will leave readers guessing until the end. I was so convinced that the mystery of Sara Shea’s murdered daughter was committed by one specific character that I was completely thrown off (in a good way) when it turned out to be something entirely different.  McMahon definitely knows how to construct mysteries that will mislead and surprise you.

The characters, while not always entirely likable, fit the setting and story very well.  Ruthie is tough and independent, mainly because she has been forced to live off the grid and because of her mother’s insistence that she be self reliant.  Although she is tough, she also cares deeply for her little sister, and is terrified when her mother disappears, which gives her a more three dimensional feeling.  Sara Shea is also a tough but loving character, and is all the more real for her obsession with her daughter, and other subtle flaws.  I was especially fascinated by Katherine, who is a side character, but complex enough for the reader to really care about.  Katherine is trying to find out what happened to her husband and why he was in West Hall Vermont on the day of his death.   We see her torn between grief and anger at her husband, emotions which often come out in her bizarre art.  We see more of her strange behavior as the book progresses, which she often justifies as ‘the right thing to do.’

Another thing I loved about this book was that it revolved mainly around female characters, all of whom are strong and independent.  The reader sees very few male characters, and they are often used mainly as plot points.  The one male character we see is Martin, Sarah’s husband, who is interesting because of his feelings of inadequacy and his conflicting emotions of love and jealousy of his daughter and wife.  Because of his conflicted character, it’s difficult for the reader to know what to think of him, making the mystery of his possible involvement with the death of his daughter even more suspenseful.

The novel loses a little of it’s momentum towards the end of the book as the reader realizes that many of the mysteries are human based instead of supernatural, but it still pulls you along as Ruthie slowly gathers the pieces of the puzzle.  The end ties together really well, with all of the characters tied into the mysteries in some way.  And while everything ties together, the ending is in no way pat, and ends with the characters continuing to deal with the consequences of Sara’s decision to raise the dead.

Short Story Collections Pathfinder

Sometimes, if you’re not in the mood to read an entire novel, short story collections are perfect.  They come in all different genres and sometimes focus on a theme and sometimes are just a collection from one author.  Whether you read the whole collection, or just pick and choose specific stories, these collections can be just as satisfying as reading a novel.

Click on the pictures to see these books in our catalog

Different Seasons by Stephen King
Call Number: King LP (in the Large Print section)

A collection of four novellas by the famous author, including several that were turned into movies, such as “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” and “Apt Pupil.”

Collected works: Wise blood ; A good man is hard to find ; The violent bear it away ; Everything that rises must converge ; Stories and occasional prose ; Letters by Flannery O’Connor.
Call Number: Y L616 Oc5c

A collection of the short stories by Flannery O’Connor, who is known for realistic and sometimes shocking writing.  It also includes one of her novels and personal letters.

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Call Number: Doyle Classic

This book contains four full length Sherlock Holmes novels and 56 short stories.  You can follow this famous character as he meets his sidekick, Watson, and solves all different types of crime.

Where the God of Love Hangs Out by Amy Bloom
Call Number: Bloom

All of the short stories in this collection focus on love, whether it’s about married friends who risk it all, or about someone haunted by the murder of a loved one.

Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders
Call Number: Saunders (Also in Large Print)

A collection of all kinds of stories, from stories about creative abduction attempts to stories about a suicidal cancer patient who saves a life.

Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro
Call Number: Munro

These stories focus on the the moments that define a life and show how strange and interesting life can be.  All of the stories take place in the towns and countryside of Lake Huron.

21 Essential American Short Stories edited by Leslie M. Pockell Pockell
Call Number: Pockell

A collection of stories from the earliest days of America to the twentieth century.  Some are considered classics, such as “Rip Van Winkle”, and others are lesser known stories that are waiting to be discovered.

Adult books for Teens

These books are great for older teens who want to read adult books.  Often these books deal with real world problems, but have teen protagonists.  These books cover a variety of topics and genres, from science fiction to novels about bullying, and are perfect for teens who are looking to transition to adult fiction.  

The Fever by Megan Abbott
Call Number: Abbott

Deenie’s best friend suddenly has a seizure during one of her high school classes. Rumors soon start to spread about an outbreak of contagion and the quiet suburb is soon in chaos, with several secrets soon coming to light.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Call Number: Brown

Darrow is a laborer working to make Mars a habitable planet.  He is part of the Red group, which is the lowest caste of laborers.  When his wife is killed he tries to infiltrate the Gold group to avenge her death.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
Call Number: Henriquez

Alma and Arturo come to Delaware from Mexico, seeking a better school for their daughter Maribel, who is suffering from brain damage.  Maribel begins a friendship and then a relationship with a man who is the son of a Panamanian.  

Lock In byJohn Scalzi
Call Number: Scalzi (Also in Large Print)

This novel explores a future in which an epidemic makes people consciously aware, but unable to move physically.  The FBI begins an investigation into the research of the epidemic, which is being influenced by greed.

Lock Step by Karl Schroeder
Call Number: Schroeder

Toby has been lost in space and in deep hibernation for 14,000 years.  He finally wakes when he gets to a planet in the Lockstep, which is a civilization that sleeps for most of their life.  He soon discovers that his siblings rule the civilization and are not happy he’s alive.

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Call Number: Shepherd

Sixteen year old Juliet runs away from London to join her estranged father on an island where he is working on scientific experiments.  Montgomery, her father’s assistant, and Edward, a stowaway, go with her.  Based on The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells.

Hyacinth Girls by Lauren Frankel
Call Number: Frankel

Callie, who is thirteen years old, is accused of being a bully.  But everything is not as it seems, and Callie has bullies of her own.  Her guardian, Rebecca, reflects on her own childhood growing up in the same town with Callie’s mother, and is determined for Callie to have a better life.

Review of A Head Full of Ghosts

by Paul Tremblay
Call Number: Tremblay (in the New Books Section)
2015

This is an interesting and intense book that may not appeal to everyone.  When the book starts we encounter a grown up Merry, who is telling the traumatic story of her childhood to a reporter.  As she tells the story, we learn that when she was eight, her older sister Marjorie became mentally ill, probably with schizophrenia, but we’re not told this outright.  While their mother wants to treat the illness through a psychiatrist, their father becomes obsessed with religion and is certain that Marjorie is possessed by a demon.  The family then decides to have a reality show of Marjorie’s possession and exorcism taped in their home, mostly due to monetary problems.  

This is classified as a horror novel, but it’s definitely not a classic horror novel, and it has less to do with demons and the supernatural than it does with the scariness of mental illness, and the powerlessness that children have in their own homes.  I was expecting a novel that started out to be about schizophrenia, but then added a supernatural twist.  This was not the case.  Instead, the terror that Merry experiences is due mainly to her sister and how she manipulates Merry.  We also see how terrifying it is to live with someone who’s mentally ill when the rest of the family is breaking down also.

The creepiest parts of this novel were the conversations between the two sisters.  Majorie holds power over her younger sister by telling her awful stories, which Merrie partially believes.  What makes these conversations so upsetting is not only their realism, but also that the reader can relate to how Merry feels about her older sister.  The author does an amazing job of reminding the reader how strange childhood can be and that children have an entirely different way of looking at things.  While Merry is an extremely realistic eight year old, with a charming and energetic personality, the reader starts to wonder if she, like Marjorie, has inherited some mental illness.

The reflections on Merry’s childhood are periodically interrupted by a blog post about the reality show, which we later find out is written by the adult Merry.  This is interesting because we get a glimpse into what the grown up Merry is like, or at least one aspect of her, since she has created a fake name and persona.  This makes us question how much she is traumatized by her youth, and how much she is exploiting her own family’s tragedy. While Merry is not a completely unreliable character, it’s hard to know just how much of the truth she’s telling, which keeps the reader guessing to the end.

There were really two endings to this book.  The climax during the exorcism, and a separate scene months later.  The second ending, which was enthralling and had an unexpected twist, also seemed like it had less to do with the book than the first ending, which was focused on the exorcism.  It was also an homage to Shirley Jackson, whom the author is a fan of.  While I love Shirley Jackson, I felt like this second ending should have been completely unique, like the rest of the book.  On the other hand, this second ending does emphasize that the book is split between the falseness of the reality show, and the reality of mental illness.

This is definitely one of those horror novels that, while upsetting, is very hard to put down.  More fascinating than actually enjoyable.  

Review of The Quick by Lauren Owen

2014
Call Number: Owen (Also in Audio Book)

This is a vampire book that takes place in England in the late 1800s.  James and Charlotte grew up in the country on an estate that is slowly crumbling.  Then James goes away to school and their relationship becomes strained.  James decides to stay in London to become a writer, but he desperately needs a roommate, and one of his college friends suggests an aristocratic acquaintance.  Everything is going well when James suddenly disappears, and his sister must go to London to find him.  There she discovers that her brother has been turned into a vampire, and must capture and cure him with the help of two new friends.  There is also the added danger of Doctor Knife, a killer that both humans and vampires fear.

I usually don’t like vampire books, but I really enjoyed this one.  It starts out very slow paced, but this pace matches the setting and the tone of the beginning chapters.  At first this novel seems like it’s just a Victorian novel, and while it moves slowly, we really get to know the characters and how they feel about each other.  The author could have shortened this to just a few pages, but if she had, the reader wouldn’t have felt the impact of upcoming events.  The Victorian setting and the mundane lives of Charlotte and James in the beginning really made this novel feel authentic and well researched.

The pace of the book quickens when strange things begin to happen, and continues to quicken as Charlotte meets strange new people in her quest to rescue James.  The character of Adeline, who is a retired tightrope walker, is one of the most interesting characters.  We learn her backstory, which is sad and fascinating, and experience her strange relationship with Shadwell, the father of her dead fiance.  She was such a unique character that I wished she was the heroine instead of Charlotte, who was a likable character, but somewhat bland.  Because this story switches between different character perspectives, we get to see myriad views of them.  This was interesting because when we encounter Mould, the antagonist of the story, for a while we believe he’s a good person and what he’s doing is right, because he believes this.  But we slowly begin to understand that he’s crazy and has evil intentions.

This novel is much more a story of relationships than it is about vampires.  Because James was turned against his will, as an experiment by Mould, we see his suffering as he fights the need to drink blood, and how much his sister empathizes with his suffering.  In the beginning of the book, James has a sexual relationship with his roommate Christopher, and the author descriptions allow the reader to understand how important they are to each other, and also how dangerous their relationship is, in a time in which this was not accepted.  It was very interesting to see a gay relationship portrayed in Victorian England, and how that society reacted to it.  It definitely gives the reader an alternate perception of a time that is often idealized.

Because this is the author’s first novel, it’s not perfect, but it’s a really interesting read with suspenseful scenes interspersed with beautiful Victorian description.