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The Adults
In our second debut novel review of the week, Alison Espach captures an authentic teen voice coming of age. The Adults is receiving some nice attention, including a strong review in the February 23rd...
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Missing: A Memoir
This brave memoir from a young first author is, in its own way, a coming of age story. Harrison was forced to come of age under the most painful of circumstances. Missing was named one of the top ten...
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Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks
Maphead is the perfect choice for teen map nerds, and it might just be charming enough for those with a more general interest in geography. As Ken Jennings points out, the National Geographic Bee has 5...
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The Dovekeepers
Alice Hoffman’s new novel is, overall, a departure for the popular author which nevertheless retains her favorite elements. The Dovekeepers is weighty historical fiction that features strong women and...
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Medusa’s Gaze and Vampire’s Bite
Monsters are eternally intriguing, and Matt Kaplan offers a unique take on the historical possibilities of where our fears may have originated. From dragons to golems to zombies, the interdisciplinary...
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Weekly Reviews: Identity
As promised, we have our full complement of reviews for the week, all in one omnibus post. These week’s books are all about identity. In our first book, Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan, Cahalan...
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Weekly Reviews: Girls
Title Girls are all that tie these three books together. Otherwise, the combination serves as a great example of the variety of books that appeal to different teen readers. We begin with a rather...
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Weekly Reviews: Portraying the Famous (and Infamous)
Today we review three novels with famous people as their subjects. The first is Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. Teens continue to be fascinated by the Jazz Age and they read the novels of F. Scott...
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Weekly Reviews: Debut novels
Can I really call Jeannette Walls’ The Silver Star a debut novel? After all, everyone knows The Glass Castle. And Half-Broke Horses was a novel, wasn’t it? Well, yes, but it was a fictionalization of...
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Poetry Roundup
Well, it’s taken me four and a half months, but I’ve finally managed to get together another post on poetry. I’m very excited about all four of the books we have for you today. Mei-mei Berssengbrugge...
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A House in the Sky
This read was so absorbing there were times I had to wonder if I could be objective enough to review the book. There is no doubt in my mind that teens will find it appealing, but it will also push...
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Door Stoppers
I thought we’d kick off the New Year with two of the biggest books of 2013. Both couple length with accessible, engaging prose that seduces the reader all the way to the end. Donna Tartt made her name...
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Women at War
Two highly recommended historical novels today. I Shall Be Near to You is, at its heart, a compelling love story. It features a strong heroine, so in love with her husband that she disguises herself as...
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Touchstones of American History
A new novel by Alice Hoffman is always cause for celebration. The Museum of Extraordinary Things conjures up the sights and sounds of early 20th century, Gilded Age Coney Island and New York City....
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All the Light We Cannot See
I’m excited to begin the week with All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This World War II novel hinges on the U.S. bombing of St. Malo, an isolated port on the northern French coast, which...
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Detective Fiction Round-Up
Despite their obvious differences–fifth book in an ongoing series; first book in a projected series, based on a TV show and movie; standalone by a master of horror–the three books under review today...
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On the Cusp
High school is behind you, but you’re not quite an independent adult. Today’s reviews cover one book of essays and stories written during–and one graphic novel memoir written about–the college years....
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On the Road
All We Had is a road trip novel that follows a mother and daughter from Los Angeles to the East Coast. In Lucky Us, a family moves from Ohio to Hollywood, then back East to New York. There are two main...
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Historical Fiction Round-Up
I have to say I expected more World War I books this year, considering it is the Centennial of that war. We did have the fabulous poetry collection/graphic novel Above the Dreamless Dead. But other...
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