Ski Weekend

Ross, Rektok. Ski Weekend. 2021. 280p. ISBN 9781684631094. 

Sam and her friends are on a trip to the Sierra Nevadas to ski and attend parties during their Christmas break. This is a Seniors tradition that dates back, so four seniors are heading from sunny Southern California to the slopes hours away. Sam is accompanied by her best friend Lilly, her boyfriend Sean, who happens to be Sam's younger brother, Hunter, a star athlete, Brittany, the school's top cheerleader, and Gavin, a boy who used to attend their school but was shipped out to private school on the East Coast following an incident where Sean got hurt in Mexico. Gavin's dog Champion is also coming on the trip.

Sam's relationship with Gavin is complicated. Gavin has always been there for her brother, but he's also let him on some pretty crazy and dangerous adventures. Sam alternates between liking Gavin and hating him. The fact that Brittany is openly pinning for him doesn't help matters.

Snow is falling heavily when they reach the mountains, and the police has blocked the main highway, forcing everyone to turn around. Gavin and Hunter remember a back road that can take them over another pass, so despite Sam's misgivings they head off at the exit, and, using GPS, begin to follow the road.

This proves to be a deadly mistake, as the SUV crashes into a snowbank on a deserted road, and the six teens and their dog find themselves stuck in the middle of the Sierra Nevada wilderness with a lot of snow still falling from the sky, no cell signal, and only half a tank of gas to see them through. Lily suffers from a concussion, and passes out. Sam, Sean, and Gavin set out to find help, only for Sean to become pinned under a heavy shelf in an abandoned gas station. With a broken ankle and a swelling feet, they return to their vehicle.

As hours turn into days, the teens soon realize that no one knows where they are. With winter raging outside, and their gas, food, water, and spirits running low, Sam and her friends will need to work together if they want to survive ...

Fans of survival stories will appreciate this book, where each character turns out to be more than they first appear. 

Flannery

Moore, Lisa. Flannery. 2016. 256p. ISBN 9781554980765.

Flannery has always been in love with Tyrone O'Rourke. They grew up together, their mothers meeting in the same breast-feeding class following their births, and for five years they lived next door to each other. Even when Tyrone moved, they still went to the same school and were inseparable. But then middle school came, and they attended different buildings. Now a senior in high school, 16-year-old Flannery still pins for Tyrone, who makes her heart flutter every time she sees him.

Flannery was born following a one-night encounter between her mother and her father, who may nor may not have been named Xavier, and who showed up in St. John's, Newfoundland, on a ship made up of recycling materials. For her first nine years, she and Miranda, her mother, were always together, despite the occasional boyfriends that came through their lives. Then Hank lived with them for three years, but moved on when Miranda, who is a struggling artist with limited capacity to earn money, would not move with him to a different province. Miranda soon found out she was pregnant with Flannery's step-brother. The family is poor, barely a step ahead of the power being turned off.

In school, Flannery's best friend Amber is barely awake. As a champion swimmer, Amber spends most of her time in a pool, and uses school as an opportunity to catch up on her sleep. They are in the same entrepreneurship class, and to pass the class they need to come up with a product to sell. Amber is paired with Gary, the guy she has had a crush on for a while, while Flannery, to her delight and horror, is paired with Tyrone, who barely comes to school. Tyrone is the most (in)famous street graffiti artist in St. John's, but his home life is rough, and he hates his step-father.

Tyrone proposes that they sell love potions. Is this a sign that he likes Flannery, or was it one of his throwaways ideas? As Amber falls under the thumb of a control freak, and as Tyrone never shows up, leaving Flannery to do all the work, Flannery is forced to reckon with her own feelings and decide what matters most for her.

Flannery is a well rounded character who is plagued with doubt, and her inner monologue is an effective mixture of hilarious and sad. All of her friends, and all of their parents are deeply flawed, making this story relatable. Fans of coming-of-age tales will appreciate Flannery's tribulations through life and will enjoy seeing her grow as she navigates the treacherous waters of senior year.

The Secret to Superhuman Strength

Bechdel, Alison. The Secret to Superhuman Strength. 2021. 240p. ISBN 9780544387652.

Famous for her comic series published for 25 years, Alison Bechdel delivers a poignant autobiographical story about her life and her relationships, both with people and with exercise. Representing a spiritual journey as much as a physical growth, Bechdel explores the impact that exercise has had on her life, and how it affected both how she views the world and how she thinks of herself.

Discussing parallels between her life and that of literary figures like Beat author Jack Kerouak, poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge, writers Henri David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Margaret Fuller, Bechdel presents the truths she discovered along the way. Inspired by buddhism and by the transcendentalism movement, exercise comes to symbolize one's independence from others just as they need others to establish meaningful relationships. 

Fans of philosophy will enjoy watching six decades of a life go by in an illustrated manner.

A Brief History of Fascist Lies

Finchelstein, Federico. A Brief History of Fascist Lies. 2020. 152p. ISBN 9780520346710.

Fascism has been in the news lately, with some arguing that the presidency of Donald Trump was the beginning of a fascist state in the United States. Fascism is associated by people to a strong man who claims to represent the people and is ready to forcibly implement what he thinks is best for those people. It also includes the violent suppression of anyone who oppose, the regimentation of life and of the economy, and the assumption of dictatorial powers. But the main characteristic of fascism, Finchelstein argues, it its ability to lie shamelessly, and, with enough repetition, let people believe the lie. 

Fascist leaders such as Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Europe, and Peron in Argentina used lies to create a mythic reality of what supposedly existed before, and then highjacked the government to make those myths reality. Donald Trump's claim of "Make America Great Again" harkened to a past that never existed. Fascist leaders were considered to be infallible. They could never make a mistake, because they represented the ultimate truth of the people. They alone possessed the solution to each of their society's problems, similar to Donald Trump's claim that "I alone can fix it." 

Most of all, being caught lying had no impact on one's standing, as the lies could convincingly be demonstrated to be true, while the truth was deemed "fake news." Exaggeration and lying are hallmarks of a fascist ideology, and when deployed can serve to convince people that their circumstances are the fault of an Other, someone who wishes them harm or wants to control them. It is up to each and everyone one of us to ensure that "alternative facts" do not become our reality.

Storm and Fury

Armentrout, Jennifer L. Storm and Fury. Book 1 of the Harbinger series. 2019. 512p. ISBN 9781335218797.

Trinity has lived her whole life inside a large compound, protected by guardians who can shape-shift into gargoyles. Trinity cannot shape-shift, but she has an even more valuable talent. She can see spirits, and she can communicate with them. This power is sought after by many, including demons who hunt down people like Trinity. Killing and consuming Trinity would grant them her power. Trinity is the balance of power between the two groups. But Trinity also has very teenage issues to confront. She's attracted to guys, but some of them are too insistent. She wants to explore the world, but can't step beyond the compound's borders without endangering everyone. Worst of all, she's going blind, and the sickness that is causing this condition is getting worse.

Visitors from another clan bring bad news. Something out there has been killing both guardians and demons. An enemy is arising, with enough reach to infiltrate the compound and attempt an attack on Trinity and her guardians. During this attack, her true nature is revealed, and Zayne, a member of the other clan, is tasked with evacuating Trinity. Both fascinating and deeply aggravating, Zayne metaphorically burrows under Trinity's skin, and she is both strangely attracted and repulsed by him.

As a supernatural war expands, Trinity soon realizes that not all demons are evil, and not all guardians are there to protect her. And every heartbeat is bringing the enemy closer to her while she loses her vision...

1620: A Critical Response to the 1619 Project

Wood, Peter W. 1620: A Critical Response to the 1619 Project. 2020. 272p. ISBN 9781641771245. 

In 2019, the New York Times released the 1619 Project, a series of documents that argued the United States' founding should not be the 1620 landing of the Pilgrims in Plymouth, but rather in 1619, when the first slaves arrived and were sold Virginia. Slavery is at the center of the 1619 Project, coloring every decision that was made since. Drawing from critical articles published by historians and other social scientists following the publication of the 1619 Project, Wood, argues that though slavery played an important role in American history, it is not the central characteristic that shaped the United States. Furthermore, Wood goes through the project and critically notes the weaknesses in its arguments. History is based on examining evidence, something that Wood mentions did not happen in the 1619 Project. 

Wood compares and contrasts several key moments in United States history and how these affected the development of the nation. The American Revolution and the battles that led to it are explored, as well as the role that Lincoln played in eliminating slavery and removing barriers to the integration of former slaves in American life. Ultimately, Wood argues that the 1619 Project was not real history, but rather a desire to rewrite large segments of American history into a reality that did not take place.

Crank Palace

Dashner, James. Crank Palace. 2020. 166p. ISBN 978-1626015678.

The Maze Runner series features a lot of memorable characters, but one of the most compelling was Newt, who eventually dies in The Death Cure. But the time Newt leaves the Berg to the time he is found by Thomas was left unexplained. Until now. In Crank Palace, Newt escapes the Berg, intent on not letting his friends see his descent into madness as the Flare begins to eat his brain. He soon meets Keisha and her young son Dante in the suburbs of Denver. They try to escape the Cranks, those who are far too gone with the Flare, and those who are infected and already showing signs of madness, but the three of them are captured by agents of the government and, despite killing one of the agents, are shipped to a place called Crank Palace, instead of being executed.

It soon becomes clear to Newt that his reputation as being one of the Maze Runners has already reached the Palace, and it seems that someone important is eager to keep him alive as long as possible. A riot at the Crank Palace forces the staff to evacuate, and the residents take the opportunity to flee. Keisha has an old cellphone that still works, and she's received word that her brother and her daughter are safe in a suburb of Denver. Newt agrees to go with them to make sure that they arrive safely. WICKED is not quite done with Newt however, and as the Flare progression gets worse, Newt will have to confront his worst enemy one more time ...

Told from Newt's perspective, Crank Palace opens a window into the mind of a Flare victim. Newt fights his demons as his mind sinks away from him, giving the reader a bittersweet opportunity to once again spend time with a beloved character. Fans of The Maze Runner must read this story to round up their view of Newt and his friends!

After The Rain

 Okorafor, Nnedi, written by John Jennings and illustrated by David Brame. After The Rain. 2021. 128p. ISBN 978-1-4197-4355-9. 

Chioma is a police officer from Chicago, but she's spending her vacation with her grandmother in a small Nigerian town. When she hears a knock on the door, she opens it only to find a boy, with half of his brains blown out. In a panic, she closes the door, but then opens it again to help the boy, and wonders how he is still alive. She touches him, and her hand suddenly ignites. She trashes about, only to realize that her hand is not burning, and the boy is gone. 

Plagued with visions and hauntings, Chioma is soon confronted by a monster that only comes out when the rain falls. As lizards follow her, and as the visions get worse, Chioma finds it difficult to sleep, until the monster finally catches up with her and transports her away from her grandmother's home. Alone and violently attacked, Chioma must dig in her spiritual and cultural reserves to confront the monster and survive her experience.

Beautifully illustrated, After The Rain is based on Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor's short story On the Road and is a quest for identity and belonging. Chioma's struggles to really find out who she is, and her repressed memories of events that happened in her past mix together to build a new and healed character. 

When You Reach Me

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. 2009. 199p. ISBN 9780385737425. Available at FIC STE on the library shelves.

It is 1979, and Miranda and her single mother live together in a rundown apartment in New York city. Recently, a homeless person has started hanging out by her apartment building, and he's perfectly crazy. He incessantly repeats the same four words: book, key, shoe, coat, and he often sleeps with his head underneath the mailbox by the building. Other things are changing as well in her life. Her best friend Sal, the boy who lives downstairs, has been distant ever since he was beat up by Marcus, a boy who lives above the garage next door, and now he doesn't want to play anymore. Her mother is in a serious relationship with Richard, and there's talk of marriage. Things at school are also different, as Miranda starts hanging out with Annemarie following the latter's fallout with Julia, and they are joined by Colin, the class clown.

Then things get weirder. Miranda finds a piece of paper in her favorite book telling her that things are going to happen to her, and she needs to be on the lookout. The letter also requests that she writes down everything that led to this moment. At first she's confused, and her mother tells her it was probably a gag or an old note left for someone else. But as more notes appear, with knowledge of future events, Miranda, whose favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time, cannot stop thinking about time traveling.

As she helps her mother prepare for her big appearance on the television show The $20,000 Pyramid, she also tries to figure what is happening and what the letters mean. Can Miranda discover in time the tragedy she is supposed to prevent?

A Newberry winner, When You Reach Me represents innocence and the growing up that invariably happens to people. Miranda is getting older, and as people change around her, so does she. Her voice is loud and clear, and she and her friends are realistically portrayed. Fans of Star Girl will appreciate the way Miranda lives in the moment but can also find nostalgia in the past, and look forward to a future she is catching glimpses of.

Jell-O Girls: A Family History

Rowbottom, Allie. Jell-O Girls: A Family History. 2018. 288p. ISBN 9780316510615.

Invented in 1897, the patent and the name Jell-O were purchased from its inventor for $450 by an industrialist from Le Roy, New York. Using powdered gelatin, sugar, and chemical colorant, the business was sluggish at first but eventually took off with the invention of the refrigerator and the parallel development of home economics classes in American high schools. Easy to make and easy to eat, Jell-O became synonymous with fun. 

For the family that controlled the brand from 1899 to 1927, however, life was not fun. Sold for $67 millions, this wealth and its attendant privileges led to a dissatisfaction with life, a high rate of suicide, many cancers, alcoholism, drug dependence, and mysterious sicknesses that seem to afflict women. Allie's mother, Mary, was born in the family in the 1940s, the second and last child of her parents, who were living in Lima, Peru at the time. 

Returning to New York, Mary quickly learned to be quiet and not voice her opinion. The family was supposed to be perfect, and this led Mary to lose her sense of identity. When her mother died at 45 of cancer, Mary found herself without anchors, and regretted not acquiescing to her mother's wishes that she not be taken away from her home at the end of her life. Plagued by regrets, Mary determined to lead a different life, but eventually built similar structures that oppressed her daughter's own life. 

The Jell-O curse, as it became known in the family, affected everyone in different ways, but contributed to make the extended family dysfunctional. Mary never gave up studying this curse, and trying to find a remedy for it. When she died, Allie inherited the book that Mary had been working on for years, and completed the project. 

Mirrored with the affliction that affected 10 teen girls from Le Roy in 2012, Jell-O Girls explores what happened to Allie and her family, and how Jell-O shaped both America and them for the better, and for the worst.

As an aside, the novel Conversion was inspired from the events that happened in Le Roy in 2012.

All the Stars and Teeth

Grace, Adalyn. All the Stars and Teeth. Book 1  of the All the Stars and Teeth series. 2020. 373p. 744 mins. ISBN 9781250307781. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Amora Montara is the first daughter and princess of the King of Visidia. Her family masters the magic of souls, and Amora and she has spent her whole life preparing to ascend the throne as the High Animancer. In this role, she will rule the islands that comprise Visidia with fairness, judging each soul on its merits. Each island is known for one type of magic, and all work together for the greater glory of Visidia.

However, not all is as it seems. The kingdom is plagued by a rebellion that seeks to overthrow the monarchy. An entire island has been laid waste, its population now starving. When Amora fails the test designed to demonstrate that she masters the complicated soul magic, her life is immediately in danger. Her father has no choice but to imprison her until the royal council can determine what to do with her. Rescued by a handsome pirate named Bastian, and accompanied by Ferrick, her fiancee and magic healer, they depart Visidia. Bastian explains that a strange magic is at work in the rebellion, where people are wielding multiple kinds of magic instead of being limited to one. 

In order to regain her name and the right to rule the kingdom, Amora sets off to stop the rebellion, only to learn that there are far more powerful secrets out in the world she was never allowed to visit ...

Polluted Waters

Stefanow, Jennifer. Polluted Waters. Part of the Green Alert! series. 2004. 48p. ISBN 978-0-7398-7016-5. Available at 363.739 STE on the library shelves.

Water is essential for life, yet in many parts of the world there isn't enough clean water available. Only 3% of the water on the planet is fresh water, and most of this is locked up in thick sheets of ice at both poles. Of the water that's left, humans have successfully managed to pollute most of it through agricultural and industrial activities. Water pollution takes several forms, from chemical pollutants like oil spills and agricultural run-offs to biological pollutants like invasive species. Some of these naturally occur, but most of them are due to human activities. Dead water zones where nothing can live have appears at the mouth of major rivers, and many lakes have been affected by acid rains, causing the plants and animals that live there to die off. As citizens of the world, it is our responsibility to ensure that our water is clean and to preserve our waterways for future generations.

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Infinitum

 Fielder, Tim. Infinitum. 2021. 288p. ISBN 9780062964083.

The political marriage between King AjA Oba and of Queen Lewa resulted in the most powerful state on the African continent. United together, Oba's military skills and his physical strength, coupled with Lewa's political savviness, led to an era of prosperity and relative peace, and their names were known throughout the ancient world, from the Olmec in Central America to the Babylonians in the east. Unfortunately, the two of them were not able to conceive, so with Lewa's permission, Oba turned to Obinrin, a powerful witch, and together they had a child. When the child aged, Oba came to collect him, but Obinrin refused to turn him over. Oba kidnapped his own son and had Obinrin killed, but she cursed him that he would survive past the death of his loved ones.

Oba and Lewa lived a long time, watching their son grow and become a powerful ruler. Whereas Lewa and everyone around him grew old, Oba remained ageless, and soon saw the death of both his wife and his son. Oba's heart was crushed and he grieved for ages as his empire slowly crumbled around him. When his kingdom finally fell, Oba realized the extent of Obinrin's curse. He would live forever, and he could not be killed. 

Oba became a pilgrim, traveling the world and lending his strength where it was needed. He assaulted Rome with Hannibal, fought imperial wars in Africa, was enslaved and went to the United States, freed slaves, fought in the civil war, went back to Europe during the First World War and the Second World War, fought in Vietnam, and in Desert Storm. Throughout all of it he met people he loved, only to watch them die. Numbed to violence, Oba turned to the stock market and became rich, playing the long game. When faster-than-light travel was discovered, Oba turned his prodigious financial resources to building a new society on a faraway planet. Unfortunately, conflicts with aliens caused more destruction, and Oba once again found himself fighting, this time for humanity's very survival.

Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gikuyu and Mumbi

Thiong'o, Ngugi wa. Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gikuyu and Mumbi. 2020. 240p. ISBN 9781620975251. 

The Gĩkũyũ people of Kenya come from nine beautiful daughters, and one crippled one. These first girls, dubbed the Perfect Nine, were strong, courageous, and energetic. The youngest could not walk, but was an expert archer. She was often left behind as her sisters adventured.

Looking for suitable suitors for their daughters, Gĩkũyũ and his wife Mũmbi consulted with God, and were rewarded with a large pool of men eager to marry the daughters. Through heroic quests, trials, and challenges, the men are slowly winnowed down until ten remain, and were married to the ten daughters. While the nine eldest traveled the world on their adventures, the youngest learned to walk and became strong in her own name. 

These two stories, those of the suitors and the nine eldest daughters, intertwine with that of the youngest daughter to create a riveting lyrical tale. A foundational myth used to explain their origins, the Perfect Nine embraces strong women and retells, through tales of adventure, how the Kenyan tribes came to be. Fans of epics will appreciate this story, filled with legends, heroes, and villains. 

Who Cooked the Last Supper? The Women's History of the World

Miles, Rosalind. Who Cooked the Last Supper? The Women's History of the World. 2001. 352p. ISBN 9780609806951.

When you look at the history of the world, you would be forgiven to think that men make up the overwhelming majority of the population. After all, most of the names mentioned in history books are males, and those of women are generally just a passing thought. Yet, women have always been there as well as men, and they have influenced the course of history just as men did. Women shaped the world we now live in, even though men have successfully manage to erase the powerful roles that women played in the development of human societies.

Drawn from archeological and ethnographic records, Who Cooked the Last Supper explains how women were relegated from their position of power and authority through a concerted series of actions conducted by males over the centuries. It recounts the struggles that women have engaged in to restore their basic rights as human beings and to be able to make all of the decisions concerning their own lives. Women are not second class citizens, even though our society has given them that role. 

Part political treatise, part feminist manifesto, and part realignment of historical realities, Who Cooked the Last Supper will generate many questions for the readers, and lead to a better understanding o f the challenges women face, as well as steps that can be taken to overcome them or, as men, to help take apart the structures that have been imposed on them.

Ball Don't Lie

de la Peña, Matt. Ball Don't Lie. 2005. 280p. ISBN 9780385734257. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Sticky has been in and out of foster care following the death of his mother. Some families find him distant, others find him difficult, so he ends up bouncing around like a basketball. Lacking stability in his life, basketball is his only love. Sticky can play a mean game of basketball, and could probably earn a scholarship to college. Sticky finds refuge at the Lincoln Recreation Center, a busy sports complex. There, Sticky can let go and do magic with the ball.  And the Rec Center provides him with the family he craves for.

But playing at the Rec can be tough. Most of the guys are African-American, and they are good. Sticky has to compete with them, but he also has to compete with himself. His obsessive compulsive disorder means that he's got to follow the same ritual, and perform the same actions multiple times. Sticky is not mental, he's just got issues, but if he can work through them he might be able to reach the top of the basketball world and move away from the name Sticky to his real name, Travis Reichard.

Told in alternating chapters with his life as a child and meeting his girlfriend, Sticky's story vividly describes basketball sequences, without overdoing it. The characters are realistically portrayed, and share relatable stories. Fans of sports literature will be cheering on Sticky as he finds his way through life.

Our Warming Planet

Puay, Lim Cheng. Our Warming Planet. Part of the Green Alert! series. 2004. 48p. ISBN 978-0-7398-7014-9. Available at 363.738 LIM on the library shelves.

Climate change has increased the average temperature around the world by more than 1º Celsius, and the raise continues unabated. Though meetings and world summits have taken place, the target of limiting the rise of global warming to 1.5º or less by 2050 appears doomed to fail. This short book explores the causes of global warming, and discusses how global temperatures are measured around the world. The carbon cycle contributes to the release of greenhouse gasses, with natural sources and human-made pollution combining to increasing the amount of carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone in the atmosphere, leading to more heat being retained. The effects of global warming on plants, animals, and the environment are explored, along with how they are affecting humans. Finally, steps that we can all take to help are presented.

The Witcher, Vol. 2: Fox Children

 Tobin, Paul and Joe Querio. The Witcher, Vol. 2: Fox Children. 2014. 136p.  ISBN 9781616557935.

Looking for transport to Novigrad, Geralt the Witcher and his dwarven friend Addario book passage on a ship heading for that city. The passengers, led by Mr. Fysh, happen to be on a secret mission. At first glance it appears they have been hired to retrieve a child that has been kidnapped by a vulpess, a fox imbued with intelligence, the ability to transform into a human, and the cunning skills of a master illusionist. Unfortunately for the group, they were unable to find the child, so instead they captured another vulpess child and are bringing that creature back to Novigrad to collect the reward. Geralt knows this is a really bad idea, but since the ship is already underway, it is too late for him and Addario to get off.

As they sail down the river, the crew soon becomes aware that the mother vulpess is trailing them. Soon the ship and its crew finds itself hopelessly lost in the swamp, and dangerous illusions begin to play havoc on the dim-witted crew members. Sometimes, however, the real monsters are not the creatures out there in the swamp, but those on the ship ... 

Because You'll Never Meet Me

Thomas, Leah. Because You'll Never Meet Me. 2015. 344p. ISBN 978-1-61963-590-6. Available as an ebook from Overdrive and at FIC THO on the library shelves.

Ollie barely survived his birth. Plagued with a deadly allergy to electricity, Ollie now lives in a cabin in the woods of the Upper Peninsula in Michigan with his mother, away from the comforts of civilization. The only other person who visits is Auburn-Stach, his doctor. It is a solitary life, but Ollie makes the most of it by reading books and enjoying strange hobbies. When, at twelve, a girl shows up on the porch to play, Ollie is flabbergasted. Soon he and Liz become friends, meeting every Wednesday on the long driveway leading to his cabin. Liz spends time with her uncle, who owns a junkyard next door, but still quite a distance through the woods.

Moritz is blind. He was born without eyes, and has gaping holes where eyeballs should be. Moritz has developed echolocation skills, and is able to "see" everything around him, including hearing heartbeats and the shifting of hair. Weak of heart, Moritz has a pacemaker that regulates his heartbeats after he died once. After leaving the lab that was built around him to study him, he ends up in a German high school with other students who are not expected to go anywhere in life.

These two are connected together by Auburn-Stach, who puts them in touch like the penpals of old. Through an exchange of correspondence, they both get to learn about the other and learn from each other. Ollie wants to explore the world, but also wants to learn more about his father, a secret his mother holds tightly. Moritz does not want the pity that he receives from people, and he wants to discover why his mother abandoned him. The two of them are deeply hurt and have large chips on their shoulders, and they hurt those who love them. But through it all, they continue their letter exchange, and eventually discover truths that change their lives forever ...

Told from each of the teen's perspectives, Ollie and Moritz offer an exploration of teen angst, love, desires, and hopes not often present in realistic fiction. Fans of coming of age stories will appreciate this dark but hopeful tale and will cheer for Ollie and Moritz as they attempt to escape the bonds that are holding them to the past.

Peril

Woodward, Bob and Robert Costa. Peril. 2021. 512p. ISBN 9781982182915.

The end of the Trump presidency was one of those consequential times in American history. After losing a historic election in 2020, President Trump stuck to discredited claims that the election has been fraudulent and that massive vote rigging had occurred. Despite winning more than 74 million votes, Trump's tally was eclipsed by that of Biden, who received more than 81 million votes. As Trump advisors and lawyers continued to unsuccessfully search for voter fraud, president-elect Biden prepared a transition of power that would be anything but smooth. 

Then January 6, 2021 happened. Stoked by claims that the election was stolen, thousands of people who were protesting in Washington, D.C., marched on the Capitol following Trump's instructions to do so. They broke into the building, assaulting police officers and causing damage to the building. Angry that their candidate has supposedly been cheated, protesters sought to reverse the American people's electoral decision through intimidation and violence. Following the deployment of the National Guard, Vice-President Mike Pence certified the election results, assuring that Joe Biden would become the 46th President.

Recounting two years in American history, Peril explores the ups and downs of an electoral campaign like no other and a chaotic presidential transition that made many people wonder whether American democracy was now in danger from authoritarianism. Fans of political history will enjoy this highly documented recent history into one of the most important times in recent American history.

Throne of Glass

Maas, Sarah J. Throne of Glass. 2012. 406p. ISBN 978-1-59990-695-9. Available at FIC MAA on the library shelves. 

Life in the prison salt mines of Endovier is harsh, even for a skilled assassin like Celaena Sardothien. For the last year, she has grown progressively weaker as violence and death are daily companions. When she meets Dorian, the Crown Prince of Adarlan, Celaena learns that the King of Adarlan, who has already conquered much of the world, seeks to appoint a Champion. To select someone who will serve as his enforcer, the King is holding a competition in which nobles of Adarlan can enter their own candidate. The most skilled following a series of tests will serve the King, bringing riches to their sponsor.

Though a year as a prisoner and slave in the mines has weakened  Celaena, the Crown Prince has no doubt that she can win this competition. Her very presence back in Rifthold, the capital, is sure to irke his father, which is a bonus. Celaena will compete under an assumed name, as no one knows that this young girl is in fact the most skilled assassin the continent of Erilea has seen in ages. Given the choice between dying in Endovier or perhaps earning her freedom if she wins the competition and serves the King faithfully, Celaena accepts the Crown Prince's offer.

Once in Rifthold, however, Celaena realizes that the competition will be deadlier than she thought. Ancient magic seems to affect the area, while Champions are killed in gruesome and inexplicable ways between tests. With every day more dangerous than the next, Celaena will need to quickly regain her strength and hone her assassin skills if she hopes to survive long enough to become the King's own assassin ...