Graceling by Kristin Cashore


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Their mismatched eyes identify Gracelings whose accentuated abilities range from mind reading, to predicting storms, to exceptional cooking, and everything in-between. The king takes them into his service so he can use whatever unusual talent to better his position. Katsa’s grace is killing; the king sends her when some ‘muscle’ is needed. Katsa hates what she has to do and forms an underground movement to look out for the populace.
On one particular case, Katsa encounters another Graceling. Po has one gold eye and one silver eye. They undertake a particularly dangerous mission in Monsea, the kingdom of Lech. The story takes many twists and turn while continuing to keep the reader attached to the likeable characters. Cashore creates a tangible environment complete with fantastic powers, romance and excitement.
The dénouement is a bit drawn out but will not put you off anticipating the sequel.

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American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang



In American Born Chinese, Yang interweaves three seemingly unconnected stories: the main plot about a young Chinese-American boy, Jin Wang; a subplot about an all-American Anglo teenager, Danny, and his exaggeratedly-Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee; and the legend of the Monkey King. All three stories explore the very human need to fit-in and be accepted in society. This is not only true for minority groups but for us all especially teenagers. People who refuse to accept others and differences always make it harder for individuals.
The illustrations in this graphic novel are vibrant in color and jump off the page. There is plenty of humor and pathos to keep you interested and entertained. The message is clear and understandable, but sometimes we have to read and reread that it is OK to be ourselves.

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Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This novel explores the impact the Iraqi War has on a young American soldier.

When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, he's honored with a Purple Heart - the army's medal for those wounded in battle. But he doesn't feel like a hero. He can't quite remember what happened in the Baghdad alley where he was hurt. Matt has suffered a traumatic brain injury and must slowly work to recover his memory and full brain function. The first half of the book deals with Matt’s struggle with his injury, his feelings of isolation and later guilt. The second half follows Matt as he returns to his squad to patrol the streets of Baghdad and how he deals with those realities.


Matt tries to remember just exactly what happened. As events of the attack begin to come back to him, he realizes he may have been responsible for something terrible. Tension builds and he becomes confused about interpretations of the truth and what to tell superiors. Friendship, bravado and juvenile antics counteract the soldiers' guilt, paranoia and unease around Iraqis, whom they are told to befriend but who often prove to be their enemy. McCormick raises questions and will have readers examining not only this conflict but the nature of heroism and war.

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Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Dogs are Dead! That was Ellie's first thoughts are. They should be barking and racing to greet her, instead they lie covered with flies. She races into the house - there is no sign of life. No dirty dishes in the sink, no TV blaring or radio talking. Only silence. Where is everyone?
Ellie and six friends had been camping in the Australian outback for a few days. As they rush to each house they find the same desolation - families gone, pets and livestock dead. Panic rises in the teens. There is no power, no phones, what should they do?
Was the country invaded? What were all those planes that roared overhead while they camped? and why did they have no lights?
Now the teens have to decide whether to run back to the bush, give themselves in, or stay and fight/

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Mathilda Savitch: A Novel by Victor Lodato


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Filled with grief, guilt, and confusion, young Mathilda Savitch is preoccupied with finding the cause of her 16-year-old sister's death. Having hacked into her sister Helena's email, Mathilda finds a secret world and begins to unravel the mystery. We see Mathilda change from child to young woman as she uses her feminine wiles to gather information. What could she have discovered that leaves a family so desolated. Lodato masterfully depicts an early teen's maschinations about boys, death, parents, love, sex, and humor. A deeply psychological book that leaves the reader with a clear knowledge of who Mathilda Savitch really is.

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Inside Out: Portrait of an Eating Disorder by Nadia Shivack


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nadia Shivack’s heartbreaking true story is about her lifelong battle with anorexia and bulimia. The book is unflinching honest; the raw, graphic drawings convey the depression, anxiety, despair, and self-loathing that characterized her life. It is hearth wrenching to read Nadia's words and see, through her drawings, the extent of her inner turmoil. Although we know the hard clinical facts about the aspects of eating disorders, this book make the emotional side hit.
Told with a mixture of text and pictures drawn by Nadia, her preoccupation with food began when in her troubled household when she was in her pre-teen years. She likens her daily routine as a teen to a perilous climb up a steep, jagged mountain. Her dizzying downward spiral is sobering indeed, as her bulimia takes over her life and she becomes suicidal. This is a very sobering account of a life out of control, desperate for control and help. It gives us a glimpse of the emotional and chaotic thinking endured by bulimics. Statistics about eating disorders are found throughout the book, which concludes with a list of resources.

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Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Marji tells of her life in Iran from the age of 10, when the Islamic revolution of 1979 reintroduced a religious state, through the age of 14 when the Iran-Iraq war forced her parents to send her to Europe for safety. It is told in graphic format with simple, but expressive, black-and-white illustrations. The story combines the normal rebelliousness of an intelligent adolescent with the horrors of war and totalitarianism. You get a glimpse fo how stressful it was to live in Iran at this time. Marji had a strong belief in freedom and equality, and her education gave her a strong faith in God. The girl's independence, which made her parents both proud and fearful, caused them to send her to Austria. From this autobiography readers will learn much of the history of this important area and will identify with young Marji and her friends.
Once you have become attached to Marji you can go on to reade Persepolis 2: the story of a return.

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