Here's what I've been up to lately:
ROOFTOPPERS, by Katherine Rundell tells the story of Sophie, who was found floating in a cello case in the English Channel. Presumed to be an orphan, Sophie is adopted by the kindly but unconventional Charles. When the National Childcare Agency finds this arrangement "unsuitable," and threatens to put Sophie in an orphanage, the two escape to France hoping against hope that Sophie's mother may actually still be alive. This novel is as beautifully written as it is engaging.
REALITY BOY, by A. S. King (Ask the Passengers, Please Ignore Vera Dietz) is another standout YA by one of the masters of the genre. Gerald Faust is famous for being a child reality star. Unfortunately, his defining act on TV was to take a poop on the dining room table, saddling him with the nickname Crapper. Now seventeen, Gerald understandable has anger issues, but how he learns to deal with them are both heartbreaking and wondrous.
CHAMPION, A Legend Novel, by Marie Lu, is the satisfying conclusion to a dystopian YA trilogy. Life is understandably brutal after climate change has flooded much of the eastern United States, and caused its break-up into two warring factions. June and Day have been in the epicenter of a struggle to make life better for all the citizens of the Republic. Despite a formulaic-feeling start, this trilogy becomes extremely satisfying, and this last installment caused me a couple of teary moments at the end.
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