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.

More YA titles ....

As noted in an earlier post, it seems that the new group of YA novels are rather dark and sad. That is certainly the case with The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson.  In fact, I did not think that it was an accurate portrayal of high school life, even in a privileged setting (Mill Valley, near San Francisco) which parallels New Trier.  Rather, this book seemed to be an attempt to string together vignettes – suicide, alcohol and drug use, teacher/student affair, car accident involving the family BMW, cyberbullying, cheating on the SAT, a runaway acting in gay porn films - about a group of classmates who repeatedly make poor choices and rarely face consequences.  

I cared about this group and felt that each student had a distinct, if caricatured, voice.  Most seemed to be looking for guidance and understanding, craving a listener, but the adults – both parents and teachers – were crafted in a very negative, stereotypical way. I will not be recommending this title and am frankly puzzled at the positive reviews from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.

Look instead for Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven (best-selling author of All the Bright Places).  Holding up the Universe also deals with some difficult issues of identity and self-acceptance faced by high school students. Junior Libby Strout became very obese while grieving her mother’s death and has only recently lost enough weight to return to school where she is bullied by others, including senior Jack Masselin who has prosopagnosia (face blindness). They ultimately form a bond, are not afraid to ignore peer pressure and challenge authority. Aspirational and inspirational with starred reviews from School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Voya.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Engaging, Thought-provoking, emotional, and futuristic, yet real enough to imagine the technology and the many dilemmas that would follow.  Aaron could be any teenager, and wrestles with many of the emotions, issues, and real-life scenarios that teens encounter every day.  I had such empathy for him, and yet he is so desperate to be “normal” – to be accepted by his father, to love his girlfriend, not to be accosted by strangers, and not to have feelings of suicide. The kaleidoscope of hurt feelings and self-concern prevent Aaron from seeing and using the support system around him.

   
     Leteo could be his answer.  They help to erase memories. This could be what Aaron needs – a chance to erase the horrible memories, the nightmares, and the pain.  This is a chance for a new, and better, Aaron. With any procedure, there are potential risks and side effects.  For Aaron, the opportunity to forget and to be “one of the guys” is worth it.  

    
     After reading this debut novel, I thought of the novel 1984.  Ideas that seemed so absurd and so far away, are issues of today.  Leteo may not become a real institution; however, all the ideas, questions, and circumstances represented just may sneak-up on us and become a reality we’ll have to face in time to come. Or, on the other hand, what we may encounter already.