Boom! by Mark Haddon

Book Information
Haddon, Mark. Boom! (or 70,000 light years). London: David Fickling Books, 2009.


My Summary and Review
Boom! is a fast-paced alien teacher sci-fi spoof by Mark Haddon, author of the bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. James is having a hard time, and he is not all that interested in school. When James hears that he might be transferred to a different school, he and his friend Charlie bug the teachers' staff meeting and listen in. Instead of a regular meeting, however, he and Charlie soon hear some teachers speaking in an alien language. The adventures soon begin with a break-in, sinister brass bracelets, a cross-country motor bike trip and... space travel?

Readers will particularly enjoy the various science fiction references, from the light-bulg finger tips (E.T.?) to the aliens' strange speech and hover scooters. A funny, action-packed, breezy teen read. 

Solace of the Road

Book Information
Dowd, Siobhan. Solace of the Road. UK: David Fickling Books, 2009.

My Review
This twisting turn on the "road story" is an edgy teen read. The late Siobhan Dowd was gifted with creating complex characters, particularly Holly, who is so strong-willed, independent-minded, and so incredibly vulnerable at the same time. The fast-paced plot, the memorable characters who help Holly along her way to Ireland (and to self-knowledge), and Holly's many conflicting decisions, make this novel an incredibly gripping read. Highly recommended.


Book Summary
(from Amazon.co.uk) Memories of Mum are the only thing that make Holly Hogan happy. She hates her foster family with their too-nice ways and their false sympathy. And she hates her life, her stupid school and the way everyone is always on at her. Then she finds the wig, and everything changes. Wearing the long, flowing blonde locks she feels transformed. She's not Holly any more, she's Solace: the girl with the slinkster walk and the super-sharp talk. She's older, more confident - the kind of girl who can walk right out of her humdrum life, hitch to Ireland and find her mum. The kind of girl who can face the world head on.



So begins a bittersweet, and sometimes hilarious journey as Solace swaggers and Holly tiptoes across England and through memory, discovering her true self, and unlocking the secrets of her past.


SOLACE OF THE ROAD is a wonderful novel from one of the UK's most talented new writers for teenagers. Holly's story will leave a lasting impression on all who travel with her.

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

Book Information
Tanigawa, Nagaru. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010.

Book Summary and Review
The superpowerful, superpopular Haruhi Suzumiya is back at it in another light read from Sneaker award-winning author Nagaru Tanigawa. One confusing December day, Kyon wakes up in an alternate reality in which the superhero team "SOS Brigade" has not been formed. Who has caused this change, and how can it be fixed?

With a driven plot and manga illustrations, complete with Haruhi's usual craziness, this book is a really fast read.

Peril on the Sea

Book Information
Cadnum, Michael. Peril on the Sea. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009.

My Summary and Review
In the tradition of Pirates of the Caribbean, Peril on the Sea is a thoughtful but thrilling action/romance novel set in 1588 on the high Seas. Sherwin is a young writer/shiphand on board the "Vixen" under the notorious privateer (legal pirate) Captain Fletcher. War with the Spanish Armada looms in the distant future, though Captain Fletcher does not plan on fighting any battles. The story quickly changes after young Katherine joins the crew to safeguard a shady deal between Captain Fletcher and her father, also a captain. A small romance blooms between Sherwin and Katherine, while a Spanish warship appears, and the "Vixen" is now in dangerous waters.

This is a fast-paced read from Michael Cadnum, who was a National Book Award Finalist in 2000. Peril at Sea will be enjoyed by young adults who have a taste for history and/or romance. Sherwin is a believable idealist writer/sailor who is exposed to underhanded dealings of privateers, yet who manages to keep his morals straight. Katherine is a strong female character who knows how to drive a hard bargain. Through Captain Fletcher, Michael Cadnum has created an unreliable character of mixed allegiances. This book also has informative historical references to notable English pirates/privateers and to life on the sea long ago that fit well into developing the plot.

Checkered Flag Cheater by Will Weaver

Book Information

Weaver, Will. Checkered Flag Cheater. New York: Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2010.

My Summary/Review

Checkered Flag Cheater is a breezy teen read. With a straightforward plot, plenty of "car talk" and lots of racing action, this book will be sure to please teens who are into cars and racing. Will Weaver's many years of experience in racing add a realistic layer to this novel.

Taken by Edward Bloor

Summary

It's 2036, and there are two major industries in the United States: domestic service and kidnapping children. Charity Meyers wakes up on New Year's, 2036, to find that she has been abducted. Her parents have 12 hours to pay the ransom that should save her life. Charity spends her last terrifying hours locked into an ambulance with Dessi, a young kidnapper, who challenges her perceptions of domestic servants and the underprivileged. It soon becomes clear that, in Charity's world, all is not what it seems. Will she ever escape, and will life (as she knows it) return to normal?

Book Information
Taken by Edward Bloor. 2007. Tennessee: Random House.

My Review
Critically acclaimed author Edward Bloor takes suspense to the next level in his novel Taken. Charity Meyers is an easily likeably, naive, upright young girl who has been uprooted from her life by kidnappers, and who is already emotionally estranged from her parents. Also endearing is her captor Dessi, who becomes sympathetic during the story. The only point where this novel suffers is the ending, which is so startling and abrupt that it seems entirely implausible. On all other points, this novel is a fun, breezy read.

Aya: The Secrets Come Out

Book Information

Aya: The Secrets Come Out. By Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie. Translated by Helge Dascher. Drawn & Quarterly, 2009.

My Summary/Review

Aya: The Secrets Come Out is full of complicated romances and social change. It's the third book in the award-winning Aya series. Aya, the main character in this colourful graphic book series, is a studious African teenager growing up on the dynamic Ivory Coast of the 1970s.


In this book, Aya patiently prepares her friends Bintou, Adjoua, and Felicite for the local beauty pageant, and provides ongoing support for them throughout all the difficulties they face. The tensions in this book come to a head quickly, when Aya's father's mistress brings her children for a visit and abandons them. Added to this, Bintou's father decides to marry one of Aya's friends, and Bintou plans to leave.


Readers will find that Abouet's writing and Oubrerie's illustrations tell Aya's story in a way that is sensitive, realistic, and at times, even humorous. Additionally, the recipes, tips and glossary at the back of the book give readers a light-hearted wider view of African culture.