New YA Books by Jeff Giles and Todd Strasser

THE BRINK OF DARKNESS by Jeff Giles is the sequel to his The Edge of Everything; enough backstory is provided to read this new novel on its own, but readers will enjoy both and benefit from the more complete story. There is a compelling blend of dystopia, fantasy, romance, humor, and adventure with a strong female protagonist, Zoe Bissell.  Themes of friendship and loyalty plus good and evil combine with often violent action to make for an exciting tale – I finished it in about a day. The main story focuses on Montana high school student Zoe who loves X. He is a mortal/bounty hunter with certain special powers who was born in The Lowlands, a hellish place where some truly evil people are kept as punishment. Zoe and various other quirky characters (e.g., Ripper, The Ukraine, Regent) are trying to help X escape. Pick up THE BRINK OF DARKNESS for an entertaining read and watch for a likely movie! 

PRICE OF DUTY by Todd Strasser is a blatant anti-war young adult novel which I am not really recommending, despite its attempt to address important issues. The story centers on Jake Liddell, a hero to all but himself. This book presents negative views towards the military, particularly the recruitment process and JROTC. Strasser unfortunately reinforces stereotypes, saying, “for a lot of minorities, the military is one of three options. The other two being an unlivable minimum wage, or crime and incarceration.” And sadly, his writing does not portray women and girls as soldiers or even as independent partners at home. Although suspenseful and relatively short (under 200 pages), flashbacks and chapter titles (using character names who are not the narrators and locations which are not explained) made this book a bit confusing to read. 

Referring to Jake’s “crisis of conscience,” Booklist gave PRICE OF DUTY a starred review and suggested it for readers in grades 7-10, but due to this novel’s rather graphic and painful presentation of military suicide, that grade recommendation may actually be rather young. Conversely, there are certainly other, more sophisticated books (M*A*S*H, Catch-22, Yellow Birds) for our older readers. And for those who want to learn more about suicide prevention, including amongst veterans, Journalists’ Resource has links to recent studies on possible intervention. There are multiple ways to help, including this campaign promoted by the late Jason Fitch and featured on CBSNews.

Grunt by Mary Roach

Fabulous!  Mary Roach, a perennial student favorite, has done it again!  Her latest work is titled Grunt and deals with all things military.  With chapters on clothing and climate, Roach continues to surprise and fascinate readers with facts about the 22 pages of button specifications for the military or the tests on a treadmill in 104 degree heat inside the “cook box.” Continuing to appeal to reluctant readers, Roach also stays true to her modus operandi by covering the particularly bizarre, even including one chapter she herself labeled “It Might Get Weird: a salute to genital transplants.”

As her subtitle notes, she is exploring “the curious science of humans at war” and takes readers behind the scenes to the labs where tests and trials are run on “everything a soldier wears, eats, sleeps on, or lives in.” I particularly liked the section where she writes of the courage of the scientists themselves who during tests either flew blindfolded and upside down, were injected with cobra venom, or volunteered to test experimental equipment.  As Roach says, “Sometimes courage is nothing more than a willingness to think differently than those around you. In a culture of conformity, that’s braver than it sounds.”

Like those in her previous works (Stiff, Gulp, or Spook), Grunt‘s stories, stats and humor will be popular with our students.  Mary Roach’s Grunt was selected an Amazon Best book June 2016 and received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal.

Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am

     Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am is a short, easy read that flows directly into an unexpected ending.  Ben enlists in the military, and is deployed quickly to Iraq.  Soon after, he finds himself home, but with little memory of the past.  The focus of the story turns to his relationship with his brother and family members, with memories of Iraq coming to life at random moments.  Ben tries to decipher what is real versus the mix of reality and imagination. 

     In a “before” and “after” organization, Mazer and Lerangis craft a powerful and thought-provoking story, which adds a unique dimension to this genre.  It made me wonder about soldiers who are similar to Ben, and the struggles they and their families must face daily; a constant challenge for hope.