The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

THE LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA by Julia Drake has a beautiful cover, doesn’t it? This young adult novel introduces the story of Sam, who has tried to kill himself, but it focuses primarily on Violet, his sister who feels guilt, remorse, anger. Well actually, she is not sure what she feels or how to react when she is sent to live with her Uncle Toby for the summer in a small, coastal town named Lyric, Maine.  Violet meets new friends (Orion, Liv, Mariah, and Felix) and develops a romantic relationship as she struggles to repair her ties with her brother (under treatment in Vermont) and parents (working in New York City).  Drake explores bisexuality in this coming of age novel that also has an element of suspense and family history due to a long ago shipwreck. I thought that THE LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA started well and was quite engaging, but it also slowed a bit in the middle (too much angst over boyfriends and girlfriends?) before resolving many of the issues (“no one thing could fix us, because no one thing was wrong. The fixing would be in keeping going, in trying.”) and chronicling some of the healing. Drake writes beautifully: “I felt the weight of my brother’s sadness in my own chest. He was a jellyfish being asked to float on land.” Loosely evoking Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, THE LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA received a number of starred reviews, including ones from Booklist (grades 10+), Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Connection, and School Library Journal (grades 8+).

Ellie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior

In ELLIE AND THE HARPMAKER author Hazel Prior uses alternating narrators - Ellie Jacobs, Exmoor Housewife and Dan Hollis, Exmoor Harpmaker – to tell a story of friendship and growth. In her mid-thirties, Ellie is out walking, mourning her father’s death, and reflecting on her life choices (“My dad once told me it’s not helpful pondering what might have been, because you can’t change that. You can only change what will be.”) She happens upon the Harp Barn and talented craftsman and nature lover Dan Hollis (whose behavior and literal interpretation of events is reminiscent of Don Tillman in Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Effect). Dan gives her a harp so that she can learn to play a musical instrument, but her controlling husband, Clive, insists that she return it. Ellie does, but she secretly starts taking lessons which furthers her own confusion and Clive’s jealousy. 

Throughout, Dan and Exmoor itself are steady poetic presences; Dan says, “The beeches cling onto their dry, coppery flakes of leaves and some of the oaks are snuggled in thick, yellow-green sweaters of moss. But all the other trees stand naked, the last grey tatters of leaves drifting about their ankles.” This debut novel is beautifully written; Ellie and Dan are appealing characters* finding their way, like the rest of us. *(here’s another Dan quote: “Luckily on my own birthday (the twenty-first of May) I am allowed to choose exactly what I want to do. And what I choose to do is nothing. Other people seldom take this option, so their birthdays are fraught with difficulty.”)  ELLIE AND THE HARPMAKER is a LibraryReads selection for August 2019.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Goodreads has been blogging about the “buzziest” YA reads so far this year. Their list includes new works by authors who should be familiar (e.g., Angie Thomas, Jennifer Donnelly) and has some titles which we have reviewed previously like Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson and Internment by Samira Ahmed.

Another title on the list is AURORA RISING by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, co-authors of the Illuminae Files series. This futuristic space adventure chronicles the team building of Aurora Legion Squad 312, comprised of an Alpha leader named Tyler, his twin sister and diplomacy-trained Scarlett, an ace fighter pilot called Cat, a gearhead named Finian, an Syldrathian fighter called Kal and a scientist geek named Zila. This group of misfits is given a seemingly routine mission, but soon learn they have a stowaway on board: Auri who was “suspended” in the Fold (space) for 200 years. Auri and the others share the narration – and what a set of dramatic exploits they have! Filled with flirtatious banter and reminiscent in part of Star Wars and other space operas, this tale traverses the galaxy while also building strong bonds within the squad. AURORA RISING is the first in a series with a bit of everything: romance, mystery and rebellion, plus starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus and VOYA.

If you are still looking for more great young adult novels once you finish this exciting sci-fi work, here’s Goodreads take on more of the most anticipated YA books to be published later this year.