The Maze Cutter

Dashner, James. The Maze Cutter. Book 1 of the Maze Cutter series. 2022. 328p. ISBN 9798985955200. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

At the end of The Death Cure, Thomas and the remaining survivors of WICKED's Maze escaped to an island, away from the Flare apocalypse that had devastated the rest of the world. Seventy-three years have gone by, and the memories of the Flare and of the Cranks is nothing but urban legends in the eyes of the island's residents, especially its teenagers like Sadina and Isaac. Not many old folks remain who were there during the Maze, but Old Man Frypan regales the youths of his village with tales of the Gladers and the evils of WICKED. The Book of Newt also serves as a repository of stories from this time.

When a ship shows up on the shores of the island, the inhabitants realize that their safety has finally been wrecked. The only surviving person on board the ship admits she killed the rest of the crew so that she could complete her mission, which is to take some of the Islanders back to America, for they are the only ones who can prevent a tragedy of immense proportions.  

Meanwhile, up in Alaska, the Godhead has put in place a plan to fore the next evolution of humanity. In the east, the Remnant Nation has armed orphans on its borders, with orders to shoot anyone who crosses the line. An orphan, who has named himself Minho in a small act of rebellion, escapes the Remnant Nation and heads west, towards Alaska.

Sadina, Isaac, and even Old Man Frypan agree to return to the mainland and help out. They soon find themselves chased by the Godhead and the Remnant Nation, as they realize that Cranks and the Flare are still very much plaguing the world. Will the islanders have enough time to figure out why everyone wants to capture them before it's too late?

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses

O'Neal, Kristen. Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses. 2021. 382p. ISBN 9781683692348. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive. 

Priya had her whole life planned. She was going to complete her pre-med program at Stanford, before entering medical school. Then she was going to become a doctor who did serious research. When she falls sick, she blames it on a cold, then on the flu, but eventually must face the fact that she's not getting any better. A delayed diagnosis of Lyme disease identifies her disease, but does not restore her energy. Always fatigued, Priya returns home to her parents in New Jersey, and is forced to take incompletes for her classes.

In pain, with no energy, and seeing her dreams fly away before her eyes, Priya turns to her support group, a Discord channel dedicated to people with chronic illnesses. There she meets Brigid, who lives an hour away in Pennsylvania. The two of them hit it off, and they soon become fast friends. During a weekly meeting of the channel, however, Brigid does not show up, which is unlike her. Worried, Priya, despite the pain, borrows a car and drives to her friend's house, only to be attacked by a large dog inside Brigid's home. 

Calling animal control, Priya is soon joined by Spencer, a twenty-something animal control officer. Searching the home, they find a naked Brigid in the bathroom, and no trace of the dog. Only, Priya is pretty sure that Brigid was the dog. Her suspicions proved correct the next day when Brigid confirms that her chronic illness is that she turns into a werewolf every month. With Spencer's help, and Brigid's reluctant support, Priya sets out to find a cure for Brigid. In the process, she and her friends will discover truths about themselves and what it means to be "normal."

Fans of new adults stories will enjoy Priya's tale that mixes the very real chronic illnesses that are debilitating and prevent people from reaching their dreams, and the lycanthropy that afflicts Brigid. The story is humorous and entertaining, the characters are deeply flawed and realistic, but the plot holds well together. Readers who enjoy light paranormal with a hint of romance will appreciate this story.

Infectious Disease Prevention: Protecting Public Health

Mooney, Carla. Infectious Disease Prevention: Protecting Public Health. Part of the Understanding Infectious Diseases series. 2022. 64p. ISBN 978-1-6782-0158-6.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought infectious diseases back to the fore of public health policy. Infectious diseases easily spread to a population, are hard to control and prevent, and do significant damage to the organisms they infect. In order to ensure public health is protected from infectious diseases, scientists and governments take many steps, some of which are controversial, while others are not. 

Though probably currently the best known infectious disease, Covid-19 competes with diseases that continue to make people sick in the United States, but which can be deadly in less developed countries. Diseases such as polio, e. coli, and sexually transmitted infections afflict many, and can cause death. Other more exotic diseases, such as Zika or Ebola, continue to present challenges in infection avoidance. Infectious diseases can be waterborne, transmitted through food, through the air, by person-to-person contact, or through animal vectors.

In an era where international travel means any disease is potentially less than a day away from any point on the globe, it is essential to understand how infectious diseases are spread, and what we can do to stop them.

Bloom

Oppel, Kenneth. Bloom. Book 1 of the Overthrow series. 2020. 313p. ISBN 9781524773007. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

What if an alien invasion of Earth was done by plants? Petra is allergic to water. She breaks out in hives and is in danger of dying anytime water hits her skin. Imagine being a teenager and not being able to swim, or even to take a shower. Anaya has wicked asthma, and can barely breathe. She's always been sick, or on the verge of being sick. Seth has gone through more foster families than he can remember. In his dreams, he has wings and can fly. It's a persistent dream that never goes away.

All of them live on an island on Canada's west coast when a black rain comes from the sky. That rain strikes everywhere around the globe at the same time. Petra is hit by some of the water as she rushes into the car, but notices that she is not hurt. In fact, the water feels pleasant. Petra bottles some of it, and uses it to take her first bath in forever. Anaya's asthma clears up, and she can now breathe. Life for both girls, who used to be friends, is now looking up.

Except that the next day, strange seeds start to sprout everywhere, rising up as black vine plants that twine around trees and houses. These are difficult to cut, grow insanely quickly, and smell of petroleum when burned, causing toxic fumes. Reports come from around the world that more and more plants are spreading around. The plants bloom, releasing a pollen that is deadly to some people. They also form pods that resemble Venus flytraps, except that they like to consume humans through dissolving them in acid. 

But Anaya, Petra, and Seth appear to be immune to the toxic plants. They can still get grabbed, they can still get hurt, but the pollen does not affect them, nor the plant's digestive acid. Why would three Canadian kids be immune to a plant no one has ever seen before? With time ticking as the plants spread and cause destruction, these three high schoolers must discover a solution to save Earth before it is too late ...

Fans of suspense and of end-of-the-world stories will appreciate this fast-moving tale of destruction and despair as Petra, Seth, and Anaya navigate treacherous high school waters as well as attempting to save the world!

Extraordinary Means

Schneider, Robyn. Extraordinary Means. 2015. 324p. ISBN 978-0-06-221716-5. Available at FIC SCH on the library shelves.

Lane's comfortably completely laid out life plan has just collapsed on itself. A senior in high school, Lane was looking forward to taking the SATs, seeking and receiving early admission to Stanford, then move on to graduate school before getting married and having an amazing career. He is smart, driven, but didn't take into account that tuberculosis could stop him in his tracks. Now sick, his family has sent him to Latham House, a sanatorium where teens who have contracted the incurable strain of tuberculosis are being treated while scientists continue their research into discovering a cure.

Since incurable tuberculosis is, by definition, incurable, most teens sent to Latham House don't expect they will ever leave this place. As a school, the academic demands are minimal. As a hospital, everyone is focused on wellness and ensuring that patients don't overexercise their brains or their muscles, thus triggering a coughing fit. Lane expects to come to Latham House, continue his studies, and recuperate quickly enough to be sent home so he can apply to college.

On his first day there, he is stood up by his guide, and he has to go to the dining hall by himself. When Lane discovers that his guide in fact died in the night, it hits him that for many people Latham is the last place they will live. In the dining hall he recognizes a girl he was attracted to during a summer camp experience three years ago when they were both thirteen. The Sadie he knew was an awkward and shy girl. Not this Sadie. She is outspoken and wears her passion on her sleeves. Lane immediately finds himself even more attracted to her. Sadie, however, remember summer camp and the fact that Lane stood her up at the camp dance.

Finally able to resolve this misunderstanding, Lane joins Sadie's group of misfits and troublemakers, and soon learns that living life doesn't need to mean the journey is already all planned. All of the teens at Latham House have learned the hard way that you need to live in the moment.

As Lane and Sadie fall in love, he realizes that sickness could take it all away. Lane, Sadie and their friends dare to break rules. Some rules, however, are meant to protect them from themselves and from becoming sicker. When one of their own dies, they are forced to re-evaluate their lives.

Told from Lane and Sadie's perspective in alternating chapters, Extraordinary Means continues the exploration of teens finding themselves afflicted with incurable diseases. Fans of Quarantine: A Love Story will appreciate the realistic portrayal and the feelings shared by two teens in love.

The Gross Science of Bad Smells

Mooney, Carla. The Gross Science of Bad Smells. Part of the Way Gross Science series. 2019. 48p. ISBN 978-1-5081-8165-1. Available at 612.88 MOO on the library shelves.

Of all the human senses, smell is the one that influences us the most. From disgusting smells that identify rotting foods, to the sweet smell of cinnamon, smells influence us in many ways. But what is the chemistry behind smells? Smells are molecules that are perceived by millions of olfactory receptors in the nose that immediately transmit this information to olfactory bulbs and thence to the brain itself. Unlike the other four senses, smell is transmitted directly to the brain from the olfactory bulbs, and the information is not mediated in the cortex beforehand. The human nose is able to distinguish over twenty thousands smells, but that is nothing compared to cats, who are an order of magnitude better, and dogs, whose nose is even more sensitive.

This book explains how chemical information is processed by our smell organs, and why some smells are more offensive than others. It describes two different smell processes, as well as diseases that affect one's sense of smell. Filled with informative texts and illustrations, this book is a wonderful guide to learn more about how our sense of smell works!

The Gross Science of Bad Breath and Cavities

Shaw, Jessica. The Gross Science of Bad Breath and Cavities. Part of the Way Gross Science series. 2019. 48p. ISBN 978-1-50818162-0. Available at 616.31 SHA on the library shelves.

One of humanity's most insidious disease capable of crippling one's social life is halitosis, also known as bad breath. Caused by bacteria in the mouth, bad breath can be affected by medicine like mouthwash and changing one's eating habits, but cannot be cured. Bad breath is often linked to poor oral hygiene. Things like cavities can also affect bad breath. This short book explores the history of dentistry, from the Egyptians' use of fillings such as linen dipped in cedar oil to numb the pain, to the invention of the toothbrush in 15th century China when hog hair were embedded in a wooden handle. The appearance of the dental hygienist and new modern techniques to clean teeth much improved oral hygiene. The gross science behind cavities and bad breath is explored, and various myths are taken apart.

Fans of the weird and disgusting will love reading about the causes and treatment of cavities and bad breath, and will never look at their mouth's ecosystem in the same way!

The Gross Science of Sneezing, Coughing, and Vomiting

Gluckstern, Rachel. The Gross Science of Sneezing, Coughing, and Vomiting. Part of the Way Gross Science series. 2019. 48p. ISBN 978-1-5081-8174-3. Available at 612.2 GLU on the library shelves.

The human body is a marvelous machine, carefully balancing many functions at once to ensure that everything works normally. But there are times where things stop working so well, and suddenly the body is sick, or is out of balance. Three of the grossest bodily functions we frequently encounter are sneezing, couching, and especially vomiting. Though these are unpleasant to witness, and even more annoying to experience, they all have the important purpose to make us feel better.

Sneezing helps remove foreign particles from the airways, allowing more oxygen to flow to the lungs. Even on normal days, the body produces over a liter of snot a day, and sneezing helps dislodging snot and other foreign objects that have accumulated inside the body. Coughing serves a similar function, loosening the lungs and projecting matter out. Wet cough generally moves mucus out of the lungs, while a dry cough is often related to environmental causes such as a dusty environment or asthma. Finally, vomiting is the body's way of removing bad or spoiled food from the gastro-intestinal track, though it can sometimes be related to motion sickness.

While we all suffer from these and experience unpleasant sensations, the purpose of sneezing, couching, and vomiting is the same: forcing something inside the body out. Full of information about these three gross bodily functions as well as instructions on how to take care of one's body, this book is a wonderful guide to learn more about how our body works!

Little monsters: The Creatures that Live on Us and in Us

Marrin, Albert. Little monsters: The Creatures that Live on Us and in Us. 2016. 200p. ISBN 978-1-51810598-2. Available as an ebook on Overdrive.

They may be very small, and for many invisible to the naked eye, but parasites of all kinds dwell on us and in us, making us sick, and in some cases, killing us. Some of the most disgusting critters, parasites have always existed, and afflict us in different ways. Even parasites have their own parasites. This book explores several parasites that continue to be the bane of humans, including bedbugs, fleas, mosquitoes, and lice, which all cause itching and irritation. Other parasites, such as worms and leeches, can seriously incommodate humans. Deadlier still are diseases that are transmitted through these parasites, such as malaria and the plague.

This short book describes the impacts that parasites have had on humans, from providing some healing in the case of maggots which eat dead skin, to the death of billions from diseases. It explains how parasites attack us, what their effects are, and how we can get rid of them. Images show each parasite. Fans of medicine and those who enjoy being creeped out will appreciate the content of this book. For everyone else, you're better off not knowing.

Zac & Mia

Betts, A. J. Zac & Mia. 2014. 289p. ISBN 9780544331648. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Zac has had leukemia for a long time. Enough to have undergone several rounds of treatment at a specialized hospital in Perth, Australia. Back in the oncology ward for marrows transplant, Zac has nothing but time on his hands as he can’t leave his room for 28 days. A man of statistics, Zac knows that the odds of his survival are low, less than 50%. But he’s a trooper, and he doesn’t want to disappoint his family. So he soldiers on. He knows everyone’s routine, and has met most of the patients on the ward.

When a new patient moves in Room 2, six centimeters from the wall that separates his Room 1, Zac is mildly interested. When he discovers that it is a girl about his age, he becomes intrigued. She blasts Beyoncé through her speakers, and, after the thirty-ninth time, Zac has enough. He pounds on the wall, and is surprised when she knocks back. Soon the two of the develop a relationship through Facebook, knocks, and exchanged messages. The end of her treatment means she gets to go home, while Zac stays at the hospital. Upon her return, he learns that her name is Mia.

Mia, for her part, discovered a localized tumor on her ankle. She receives chemotherapy treatments which are ineffective and she eventually loses her leg below the knee. She had been looking forward to a formal dance with her friends and her boyfriend, but now she’s bitter and lost. Who could possibly love a cripple and cancer survivor like her?

As they both try to move on from their most recent experiences, they can’t forget each other. As they navigate recovery, they realize that they mean more to each other than friends, but that facing truths about the odds of survival and the impact of cancer will be the greatest battle of their lives. Fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars will appreciate Zac and Mia’s special relationship and the measures they take to fight against their disease.

A Taxonomy of Love

Allen, Rachel. A Taxonomy of Love. Amulet/Abrams. 2018. 336p. ISBN 978-1419725418. Available at FIC ALL on the library shelves.

Spencer suffers from a mild form of Tourette’s Syndrome. Though he has ticks and verbal outbursts, he considers himself lucky because none of them are swears. Unfortunately, living with a mild case of Tourette still marks him as different than the other kids. Spencer’s older brother, Dean, is handsome and comfortable around girls and has many friends. Spencer, not so much. Spencer is pleased Hope Birdsong moves in next door with her family before the beginning of 7th grade. He is immediately smitten by Hope, who’s also going into 7th grade. But Dean, who is a few years older than Spencer, notices Hope too, and Spencer is afraid she will succumb to his charms like every other female.

Hope’s older sister and best friend, Janie, is amazing and travels all over the world. Hope really looks up to Janie, who has a calming and centering effect on her younger sister. When tragedy strikes and Janie dies, however, Hope is left without a center of gravity, and Spencer is just not enough to fill it. Lost, Hope loses sight of Spencer and they drift apart. Despite multiple sabotage attempts on their friendship, Hope and Spencer still hope to themselves in the end, but a tragedy and life might just get in the way.

Over the course of middle and high school, Spencer and Hope’s relationship experiences the ups and downs of trying to figure out if there is more to this friendship than being good neighbors who listen. Spencer loves taxonomy and organization, and he categorizes everything, including his relationships. Each section of the book represents another year in Spencer’s life and features a visual taxonomy of how he perceives his life at that moment. Hope and Spencer are realistically written and experience events most teens live through at one point or another. Like two orbiting planets, they are drawn to and repulse each other as they age and mature. Fans of Highly Illogical Behavior will appreciate the two characters’ attempt to reach each other despite everything that happens over the course of six years.

Going Bovine

Bray, Libba. Going Bovine. 2009. 480p. ISBN 978-0-375-89376-6, Available at FIC BRA on the library shelves and as an eBook on Overdrive.

During a trip to Disney World when he was 5, Cameron Smith jumped out of the It’s a Small World ride to join the land of the Innuit. At the time, he and his twin sister Jenna were best friends and did everything together. That trip was the highlight of Cameron’s life. Now at sixteen, Cameron is a loser. He’s failing school, he’s high at least once a week, he has a lame job at Buddha Burger, he doesn’t have a girlfriend and he has no prospects whatsoever, and his sister Jenna hates him. She’s one of the popular and smart kids at school.

His parents are concerned about him, but the only thing that lights Cameron up is the Great Tremolo, a Portuguese singer who uses a recorder. The music is so bad Cameron can’t get enough of it. When Cameron begins to see hallucinations, he first ascribes it to the drugs he’s doing, but soon the fire giants that haunt him feel more real. A series of medical tests later, Cameron is discovered suffering from Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, otherwise known as mad cow disease. Always fatal, Cameron now finds himself in a hospital bed with no hope.

That’s when Dulcie shows up. An angel he saw at Buddha Burger, Dulcie tells Cameron that he must leave the hospital and take a road trip to find Dr. X. Dr. X discovered how to travel to other realities, and he unwittingly unleashed the fire giants on this world. Only Dr. X can provide Cameron with a cure. Accompanied with Gonzo, a high school acquaintance who occupied the hospital bed next to him, Cameron must now cross the United States looking for random events that seem out of place. Chased by men of the United Snow Globe Corporation, Cameron and Gonzo will rescue a Nordic god named Balder currently caught in the body of a lawn gnome, discover great music, find religion, meet the love of their lives (at least, they think), all the while with the fire giants and the Wizard pursuing them. Can Cameron find Dr. X before it’s too late?

A humorous and sometimes confusing book, Cameron never seems to know whether he is still hallucinating in the hospital or whether he is in fact traveling on the road. Fans of King Dork will appreciate the musical references and the contemporary language Cameron uses to explain away his mediocrity and his disease.