Kwame Crashes the Underworld

Farmer, Craig Kofi. Kwame Crashes the Underworld. 2024. 336p. ISBN 9781250900265.

There are times twelve-year-old Kwame regrets that his grandmother immigrated from Ghana decades ago. Like when he has to visit Ghana, where he stands out like a sore thumb with his general lack of Ghanian cultural awareness, his desire for American food, and his embarrassment at wearing the dashiki his grandmother made especially for him. But he loves his grandmother, who acts as his anchor to a world he does not quite know, so her death shakes him to the core. 

It's been three weeks since her passing, and the family is traveling to Ghana to participate in a celebration of life for her. Kwame doesn't believe there is an afterlife, and he feels really lonely without her stories. On his last night before flying out to Ghana, Kwame spends the night at his best friend's house. Autumn is deaf and wears hearing aids, but the two of them usually communicate in ASL. That night, as Kwame stresses about the upcoming trip and wishes he didn't have to go, he has a strange dream of a being he recognizes as Mother Earth from Ghanan myths, and when he awakens, his hand glows a faint gold. At the same time, a strange monkey breaks into Autum's house and steals Kwame's dashiki before sprinting out again.

Chasing the monkey, which Kwame now recognizes as an aboatia, a mythical monkey from Akan, Kwame reaches the pier, closely followed by Autumn who grabbed a sword Kwame didn't know she had. When Woo the abotia (that's what Kwame named it) jumps into the water with the dashiki, Kwame does not hesitate and follows, with Autumn right behind. Which is when Kwame finds himself in the Asamando, the place where dead Ghanans travel to following their death, in the middle of an election campaign for a new Mother Earth to replace the one who died 12 years ago. There, he encounters his grandmother in a much younger form, and together they set up to unravel a divine plot by nature gods who plan to destroy humanity ...

A great immersive experience in a culture most readers are not familiar with, Kwame Crashes the Underworld is fast-paced and action-packed, and explores such issues as cultural alienation, differently-abilities, intergenerational relationships, identify, and love. 

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Part 1: Phantom Blood

Akari, Hirohiko. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Part 1: Phantom Blood, Vol. 1. 2015. 245p. ISBN 9781421578798. In the graphic novels section of the library.

When Dio Brando arrives at the Joestar's estate's new adoptive son, Jonathan, heir to the Joestar's fortune, fully expects to become best friends with him. Dio, however, has his eyes on the fortune, and he will do everything he can to undermine Jonathan in front of his father, so he can secure the title of heir. And immediately, Jonathan discovers that Dio will do anything to make him miserable.

When Dio's father came upon a broken and destroyed carriage, he hoped to secure the riches of the dead people inside, but Jonathan's father was still alive, and, to thank the man, he offered to take care of his son when he came of age, and provided him with money to educate him. A strange stone mask of the Aztec was also in the carriage when it crashed.

Over the years, Dio kills Jonathan's dog, sexually assaults his first love, and humiliates him in front of Jonathan's friends and acquaintances. As the two grow even further part, the climate at the Joestar's estate gets worse. When Dio's attempt at poisoning his adopted father is discovered by Jonathan, Dio fears there's now nothing left to do but kill Jonathan. Having read the research Jonathan did on the stone mask, Dio realizes that this might in fact be the one tool he can use to dispatch the rightful heir. Unfortunately, his plans fail when he's outfoxed by Jonathan, so Dio elects to use the stone mask on himself as he escapes the estate ...

It Happened to Anna

Meija, Tehlor Kay. It Happened to Anna. 2024. 224p. ISBN 9780593647035. 

The only time Sadie had a friend, her friend was killed in a horrific accident by the ghost that haunts Sadie. Following the tragedy, her father and Sadie left their home and the past behind, hoping to find a new leaf in the town where Sadie was born. Sadie's mother left the family when Sadie was very young, and she has only a few vague memories of her. 

Sadie clearly remembers the ghost, however. There's always seems to be a presence around her, especially when she talks with other kids her age. First, she starts getting cold. Then the room gets darker, and electric bulbs explode. That's how the ghost communicates its dissatisfaction with Sadie. But the ghost can do much more, like altering the course of a vehicle so that Anna gets run over. Now Sadie doesn't want to endanger anyone by attempting to become their friend. 

At her new school, Sadie meets Charlotte, and the school counselor soon encourages Sadie to participate in activities, To avoid going back to a therapist, Sadie agrees to attend the graphic novels club, which is led by Charlotte. The ghost is upset by this, and a door slams and a lightbulb explodes. Hoping to avoid Charlotte from now on, Sadie exits the school through the back doors, only to stumble upon another student hanging out by the dumpster. Mal is everything Sadie is not. She's daring, irreverent, and loves a good prank. Sadie is surprised that the ghost does not react when she's with Mal, so Sadie begins spending more and more time with her. But Mal has secrets. One, Sadie can never ever see her parents, as they would disapprove of this relationship. Two, they have to do things Mal's way every time. 

As the pranks gain in intensity, Sadie is both thrilled and worried that Mal is leading her the wrong path. And with the ghost still lurking, Charlotte and Sadie's other acquaintances may be in real danger ...

A fast-moving but predictable ghost story, It Happened to Anna focuses on Sadie's lack of friendships and her craving for human relations. Fans of books like Closed for the Season will enjoy this tale of danger and paranormal activity!

Virtual You: How Building Your Digital Twin Will Revolutionize Medicine and Change Your Life

Coverney, Peter and Roger Highfield. Virtual You: How Building Your Digital Twin Will Revolutionize Medicine and Change Your Life. 2023. 332p. ISBN 9780691223278.

The evolution of medical knowledge and of medical technologies has led to something unthinkable even a few years ago. It is now possible to build an exact replica of you digitally, which can then be experimented on to determine best treatment options, as well as model the impact of several decisions, such as lifestyle changes, diet improvement, or therapies that could extend your lifespan or diagnose diseases before they even occur.

Computers, machine learning, and artificial intelligence now combine to analyze and sequence your DNA, allowing the genetic code that makes you to be digitized. It is then simply a question of running your DNA through tests and scenarios to see what happens to you. Virtual You describes the process of creating a digital copy of you, from all of the intricacies of the human body to more philosophical questions, such as the impact that predictive medicine would have on people, especially in its infancy where only those who can afford it would benefit from it. One step removed will be the interaction of your digital twin with the digital twins of other people. Would you like to know you might have colon cancer in your 50s when you are 15? What your child could look like and be like based on the digital twin profile of a prospective lover? Would you change how you live based on a prediction? 

Fans of medicine and of what the future will look like will appreciate the latest scientific advances described in Virtual You, and how these will change society in the years to come.

The Talent Thief

Thayer, Mike. The Talent Thief. 2023. 288p. ISBN 9781250771025.

Tiffany and her father are neighbors of the local planetarium, and her father has been working there for years hoping to increase its popularity. They are not well off, but they have each other. The problem is that Tiffany is cursed, and anything that can go wrong will. At school, Tiffany has a habit of putting her foot in her mouth (not literally) by ruining any special moment, such as loudly farting on the cutest boy in her class on accident. As a result, Tiffany has learned to thrive in the shadows, hiding from the popular people so that they can't bully her and pick on her. And as a stage hand, being in the shadows suits Tiffany, even though she sometimes craves the limelight.

But the planetarium is in danger of closing. A lack of funding can only be solved through a large fundraiser, but if that fails, Tiffany and her father will find themselves without a home. A wealthy philanthropist is willing to donate a large sum, but only if the fundraising show's ticket sales are satisfactory. How can Tiffany help?

One night, two meteors collide over her backyard, and Tiffany finds herself with the amazing ability to steal someone's talent. Whether it be shuffling cards, dancing, or singing, Tiffany only has to touch someone's prized possession to acquire their talent for the rest of the day. She discovers this ability when she accidentally steal mean girl Candace's voice, the one she was planning to use for the musical audition, and uses it for her own. 

Soon she attracts the attention of Brady, one of the most popular boy in school, who appears to have an axe to grind. Together, they begin planning to "borrow" talents for the fundraising competition, so that they can defeat Candace, avenge Brady's humiliation, and, for once let Tiffany stand in the spotlight. But Tiffany will have to decide for herself if it's ever okay to steal someone else's talent to reach her goals.

A light and fast-moving middle school novel, The Talent Thief explores what happens when you suddenly find yourself able to keep up with the best, and the impact it can have on your life. The characters are realistic, even as the mean girl is only portrayed in one dimension. Readers who would enjoy knowing what it's like to possess someone else's talent will enjoy this story!

A Bánh Mì for Two

Nguyen, Trinity. A Bánh Mì for Two. 2024. 224p. ISBN 9781250910837. 

Lan is a dutiful and loving daughter working with her mother in their small bánh mì food stall in Saigon, Vietnam. Ever since her father died, Lan has needed to put her dreams of writing and attending university on ice. Her cousin, who lives with them, pursues his studies and works at the stall too, helping the family get by. With Lan's mother being sick, Lan feels caught and hopeless. Even her famous food blog, A Bánh Mì for Two, which is read by people all over the world and often mentioned by tourists who visit their stall, has suffered from Lan's writing block.

Vivi lives in California, and her parents are also from Vietnam. But their past lives are shrouded in mystery. For her father, it's because he immigrated when he was a toddler, and doesn't remember much about the country. For her mother, it's because dark secrets have shut down any discussion about the past and what life was like there. Vivi doesn't even know if she has relatives still in Vietnam.

When the opportunity to study abroad presents itself, Vivi jumps on it. Weary that her mother would not approve, Vivi tells her parents she's heading to Singapore for a semester, but instead she travels to Saigon. Armed with old photos she stole from her mother, Vivi hopes she can track down her relatives, try all of the places she discovered on A Bánh Mì for Two, and, perhaps even meet the writer, with whom she shared a writing contest application worth a lot of money.

Vivi's dorm is located across the road from Lan's stall, and soon Vivi discovers that Lan is her favorite writer. Vivi makes a deal with Lan. She will help her come up with ideas for the writing contest, and Lan will help her track down her family. As their relationship blossoms into love, both Lan and Vivi learn about their past, gain a better understanding of their parents, and take steps towards their own independent futures.

Fans of light romance will love A Bánh Mì for Two, with its realistic portrayal of two older teen searching themselves for a future that is hidden. The description of food and of Saigon, with its smells and tastes makes the reader salivate and wish they were in Vietnam with Vivi.

Gentrification Is Inevitable and Other Lies

Kern, Leslie. Gentrification Is Inevitable and Other Lies. 2022. 252p. ISBN 9781839767548. 

Gentrification is the process of replacing one community in a location with another. A neighborhood populated with Irish immigrants at the turn of the 20th century transforms itself into little Italy, to then welcome Ethiopian immigrants, before being swallowed by people with money who purchase buildings and land, tear them down, and rebuild expensive residences the locals cannot afford. Gentrification occurs all over the country and around the world, but the process remains filled with questions. Who benefits from gentrification? The locals? The newcomers? The city coffers? Who is most affected when a neighborhood changes?

In Gentrification is Inevitable, the author explores the truths and the myths behind this urban phenomenon, and answers some of the questions that arise out of what many consider to be an urban crisis. The truths are that the most vulnerable communities are usually the most impacted by gentrification. It causes a net loss of housing for folks who do not have the means to remain in their old neighborhood. Myths are that gentrification are inevitable, and that it contributes to a vibrant city life. Looking at gentrification through class, gender, race, and even sexuality, the author argues that gentrification is the American colonial project that continues, when locals with limited means are expelled from their land and replaced with folks that "look like us." But resistance is possible, and gentrification can be fought by citizens when they demand that the city be built for everyone, and not only for individuals with money.

In an age of soaring rents and a lack of affordable housing, readers who enjoy urban history will appreciate this volume and the steps it provides to fight off gentrification.