All the Water in the World by Karen Raney

ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD by Karen Raney is a debut novel told through two voices, Maddy and her mom, Eve. Maddy is just sixteen and has cancer so both are coping with quite a bit. Eve is a single parent and Maddy has never met her dad, Antonio, which is also central to the story. Teens will like Maddy who is adventuresome, artistic and courageous with a variety of coping mechanisms. For example, she says, “I imagine wrapping myself in some big, thick, material until everything is muffled and distant. Then I imagine I am being observed by someone I can’t exactly picture, who knows everything I’m thinking and loves me anyway.  It makes me feel I can do all kinds of difficult things.” Due to all of the chemo treatments, she is home-schooled by a wise teacher: “if you go straight for an answer, you get something you already know. If you go the crooked way back, you have a chance of getting something more interesting.” With her teacher’s encouragement, Maddy gets involved in the environmental movement and that leads to time with Jack, another student who becomes her boyfriend and colleague on the campaign. When Maddy is down, she turns to her grandparents and mother for support. However, Eve comes off as very self-centered and Maddy has to worry about her, too. Maddy tries to choose independence and resilience, thinking, “Nowadays that was my motto: Keep going and see what happens.” This is a well-written and multi-layered, if sad, book. ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD received a starred review from Booklist. 

Critically Acclaimed New Novels

All three of these titles were highlighted at a recent Bookstall presentation on new Spring and Summer titles by publisher representatives.  

A PLACE FOR US by Fatima Farheen Mirza is a thought-provoking debut which deals with the intergenerational relationships and personal lives of a Muslim family in America. Parents Rafiq and Layla are from India. They struggle to impart their values, language, and religious traditions as the children (daughters Hadia and Huda and son Amar) become young adults, all working to balance expectations with their own doubts and daily realities.  A PLACE FOR US is the first novel from Sarah Jessica Parker's new imprint and it received a starred review from School Library Journal. The novel is told from different perspectives and that helps define and build empathy for the characters, particularly the troubled and rebellious nature of Amar. I liked the establishment of this story very much, but felt it then became fairly slow and repetitive. Perhaps that was a result of frequently changing perspective and time periods? Or a feeling that readers needed more explanation to understand the characters?  By the midpoint, I preferred more action and less description which in turn could have also contributed to a shorter book. A PLACE FOR US, with its focus on family dynamics, assimilation, and social messages, could work as a text for Junior Theme, but its roughly 400 page length will be a deterrent to some students. Publishers Weekly called Mirza “a writer to watch” and I hope to read more of her work. This link leads to a helpful discussion guide. 

THERE THERE by Tommy Orange is a novel profiling twelve individuals and their reasons for attending the Big Oakland Powwow in California. Again, there are multiple perspectives which is a big plus in trying to describe the cultural identity and overall complexity of the Native American experience. However, the emotional anger really seems to dominate, making this a surprisingly difficult book to read. The author intertwines the historic occupation of Alcatraz with brutal current day Urban Indian violence and critical issues like fetal alcohol syndrome, domestic abuse and addiction. Other reviewers used phrases like “jangling energy,” “a rush of intensity,” and “devastating” to describe this debut storytelling work. THERE THERE received multiple starred reviews (from Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly).  Discussion guide here. 

THE GIRL WHO NEVER READ NOAM CHOMSKY by Jana Casale is yet another debut novel, this time focusing on a character named Leda and a myriad of details as she transitions from college to living in San Francisco, to marriage, to the lingering competition of motherhood and eventual old age. Throughout, there is a tension about pretending to be someone she’s not, supplemented by explorations of forming memories about inconsequential encounters with people like the cable guy and crying at sad commercials. The cover is unfortunate and needs more “oomph,” but this is a quiet, reflective book which has been quite popular with 20-somethings. Starred reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus (“So much fun, so smart, and ultimately profound and beautiful”), with an accompanying discussion guide.

More Young Adult Fiction ...

The list of ABE nominees are here (in a pdf) and this year Susan sponsored students who were reading and voting on selections for the list – that was exciting, especially when they were recognized by the Board of Education for their efforts!  As a group, the Librarians at New Trier will be talking about these books in the next few weeks and I am sure some more reviews will appear here.  In the meantime, here’s a mix of recent Young Adult titles, some of which might appear on the ABE list in the future:

Don’t you love the cover of THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS by Ashley Woodfolk (March 6; Random House; SLJ: Grade 9 up)? The story is also multi-faceted, being told from three perspectives by racially diverse characters: Autumn, Shay, and Logan each of whom have lost someone they loved (a best friend to a car crash, a twin to leukemia and a boyfriend to apparent suicide). They, too, need to rebuild and reform their lives and get beyond the shocking situations, the panic attacks and the self-medicating with alcohol. Debut author Woodfolk weaves a darker and very emotional tale as these three try to cope with grief, saying at one point, “Lying is the new language we speak. It’s the only way we can talk at all.” Gradually, though, they begin to rely on new friendships and a shared interest in music. THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS received a starred review from School Library Journal. 

A GIRL LIKE THAT by Tanaz Bhathena (February 27; Farrar, Straus and Giroux; SLJ: Grade 8 up) has another very compelling cover and insightfully explores some heavy themes. This story, told from multiple viewpoints, offers a look at life in Saudi Arabia for a young orphan girl named Zarin Wadia. Her aunt criticizes and restricts her actions constantly and, as Kirkus says, there are “graphic descriptions of assault and sexual abuse.” Zarin has difficulty establishing friendships (unlike her Muslim school mates, she is Zoroastrian) and she rebels, acting out by smoking cigarettes and sneaking around with male friends. Readers will feel compassion for her and anger at her difficulties coping with such a controlling and often sexist society. A GIRL LIKE THAT received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal. Read an excerpt here.

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE by Cori McCarthy (April 1, 2018; Sourcebooks; SLJ: Grade 8 up) is an unusual blend of present day movie making and a fantasy story.  As it begins, Iris Thorne (17) and her young brother Ryder are arriving in Ireland to observe the filming of their grandmother’s fantasy epic named Elementia. Iris has a trust fund established by her grandmother and is clearly privileged.  She doesn’t seem to recognize this and spends an inordinate amount of time sulking and bemoaning her in loco parentis role as well as obsessing over the strained relationship she has with her father. Good for her that there are several supportive cast members and an empowering, feminist-leaning director. Seemingly on a quest herself and experiencing romance for the first time, Iris does an amazing amount of maturing in just over a week or so as the filming zigs and zags from one crisis to another. 

Although not too realistic, NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE is ultimately an uplifting, hopeful story and I have two favorite quotes:  “My ma has a saying.  It’s a life policy, really. Do something that scares you every day.” And…   “Say that the book is a sculpture. You can walk around the story.  You can touch it. You can view it up close or far away.  That is why people love books.  The stories interact with your memories, your experiences.  They are personalized.  Movies? Movies are a picture of that same statue.  The parameters are set. The characters have defined faces. The scenes artistically rendered to one person’s vision.” Can’t wait to use that description in my next booktalk!  In the meantime, hope you find a book that speaks to YOU.