Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe, by Preston Norton ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Child Abuse, Contemporary Fiction, Drug Abuse, High School, Homophobia, Humor, Religious Fanaticism, Suicide, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 5th, 2018

400 Pages

Synopsis: Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he’s so enormous—-6’6” and 250 pounds to be exact. He has no one at school and life at his trailer park home has gone from bad to worse since his older brother’s suicide.

There’s no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there’s only one person who can help: Neanderthal.

To his own surprise, Cliff says he’s in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS—-Cliff feels like he’s part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn’t as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they’ve completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined.

Neanderthal Opens the Door To The Universe is one of those books that took me by surprise in regards to how much I liked it. While some of the dialogue is a little awkward and it’s intentionally filled with high school cliches, because of the well-rounded and relatable characters, interesting plot, and positive message, it has a certain charm to it that I think will appeal to a wide audience. The story tackles many social issues: suicide, drug abuse, religious fanaticism, homophobia, bullying, and child abuse. But it never devolves into an annoying after school special/soap opera. This is partly due to the dry humor that pervades the story, but also because the darker themes are balanced by the inspiring responses from the teenage characters.

In the end, Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe is quite uplifting and it’s a story I won’t forget anytime soon. Because of the colorful language involved and dark topics, I wouldn’t recommend this for older teens. I think it’s a wonderful choice for high school classrooms, forthcoming summer reading lists, and book discussion groups.

The Most Dangerous Place On Earth ~ By Lindsey Lee Johnson – 2.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Cyberbullying, High School, Relationships

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

288 Pages

Synopsis: In an idyllic community of wealthy California families, new teacher Molly Nicoll becomes intrigued by the hidden lives of her privileged students. Unknown to Molly, a middle school tragedy in which they were all complicit continues to reverberate for her kids: Nick, the brilliant scam artist; Emma, the gifted dancer and party girl; Dave, the B student who strives to meet his parents expectations; Calista, the hippie outcast who hides her intelligence for reasons of her own. Theirs is a world in which every action may become public postable, shareable, indelible. With the rare talent that transforms teenage dramas into compelling and urgent fiction, Lindsey Lee Johnson makes vivid a modern adolescence lived in the gleam of the virtual, but rich with the sorrow, passion, and beauty of life in any time, and at any age.

The most dangerous place on earth is… middle school and high school? I’m not sure I can argue with that. Anyway, this book is divided into three sections: 8th grade, Junior year, and Senior year in high school. Set in wealthy Mill Valley (Marin County) CA, the  story begins with a case of cyber bullying which could be taken straight out of the headlines. Unsurprisingly, what happens ends in tragedy. The second part picks up three years later and looks at each of those who were involved and how their lives have changed in the ensuing years. It’s told in the third person by each student as well as their new idealistic teacher, Molly Nicholl. While I don’t generally mind stories told in the third person, I think this story would have been served better by use of the first person POV. Because of the story switching between several characters, it’s informative but there’s no real emotional connection. As each kid’s backstory is revealed, we get to see a different side to them but we’re told this, rather than shown it. Adding to this is the sheer unlikability of most of them. They are for the most part representative of your stereotypical high school cliques. There are only a couple of characters that I felt any sympathy for whatsoever. It also felt like the author spent a lot of time researching the absolutely worse cases of cyber-bullying, the perils of social media, and the prevalence of alcohol and drugs and threw them all in. There’s the victim of bullying who commits suicide. The vulnerable girl preyed upon by a sexually predatory teacher. The bully, who’s abused at home. The Asian-American who’s put under incredible pressure by his perfectionist parents to excel. The list just goes on and on. To be honest, the whole thing came across as manipulative. What really got to me though are the way the teachers and parents are portrayed. They’re the worst kind of caricatures and no one comes out looking good, even Molly in the end. Despite the negatives, I will admit this was a quick read and I finished it in one sitting. Overall, though I think The Most Dangerous Place On Earth has a fantastic premise, but is filled with missed opportunities. While there are some interesting aspects, there is a lack of clarity as to what exactly Johnson was hoping to accomplish, which for me, overshadowed any positives. There are many Goodreads reviewers as well as professional publications such as Publishers Weekly and the Chicago Tribune who have given this positive reviews, so as always I encourage you to check them out if you’re on the fence about trying this. One last thing I do want to say is that several reviewers have called this a YA book. I respectfully disagree with this even though the majority of characters are teens. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone under the age of sixteen, and the way it’s written, I’ll go a step further and say this is written more for an adult audience. 

Dead Ringer ~ By Jessie Rosen – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Coming-of-age stories, High School, Mystery, Suspense, YA Fiction

I received this e-book from NetGalley and Full Fathom Five Digital in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: From the moment Laura Rivers steps foot into Englewood High, she notices the stares–and they aren’t the typical once-overs every pretty new girl endures. The students seem confused and …spooked. Whispers echoing through the halls confirm that something is seriously off. “That new girl looks just like her”, they say.

It turns out that Laura has a doppelganger, and it isn’t just anyone–it’s Sarah Castro-Tanner, the girl who killed herself by jumping into the Navasink River one year ago.

Laura is determined not to let the gossip ruin her chances of making a fresh start. Thanks to her charming personality and California tan, she captures the eye of Englewood’s undisputed golden boy, Charlie Sanders, and it’s only a matter of time before they make their relationship official.

But something is making Charlie and his friends paranoid–and Laura soon discovers it has to do with Sarah Castro-Tanner.

What really happened to Sarah? Why is Charlie unraveling? And how does Laura Rivers fit into it all?

After all, she’s the dead ringer for a dead girl.

This is one of those books that while I had a couple of issues with it I think teens will absolutely love it.

One of those issues concerns the characters which in the beginning seem pretty one-dimensional and stereotypical. You’ve got the mean girl, her bestie/follower, the golden boy who everyone worships, and his best friend/jock, and the mysterious new girl whose arrival throws everyone into a tizzy. When I first started reading I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish.I kept plodding along though and after reading the first few chapters I had one of those “Aha!” moments as I began to see what the author was trying to accomplish. Because the book is told from three different perspectives you get much more insight into what makes them tick, and you discover there’s more to them than what meets the eye. This also allows you to connect with them in a way you didn’t think you would at the beginning.

If I was going to pick a central theme for this book it would be deception. Just about everyone is hiding secrets which all come back to the main mystery: What really happened the night Sarah died? The answer is oh so slowly revealed, but not in a bad way. This is a mystery that isn’t quick to give you the answer. It teasingly drops clues like breadcrumbs and drags out the suspense until its cliffhanger ending which for me was the biggest surprise of all. Usually books like this are standalone ones that tie things up in a neat little package. By the end of the story, while the central mystery is solved, there’s a whole new host of problems in store for the characters. 

Dead Ringer is a combination of Pretty Little Liars and the tv series Revenge, with a sprinkle of Veronica Mars, which are all guilty pleasures of mine. A tad melodramatic at times, it’s still a fun sudsy story which I think will have many readers clamoring for more. 

 

The Merciless ~ by Danielle Vega – 3.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, High School, Horror, Peer Pressure, YA

 This is just one of a few YA books that are generating alot of buzz out there. Here’s my thoughts:

Sofia Flores is used to be the new kid in school. Since her mother is an Army medic they move frequently and now they’ve landed in Friend, Mississippi. She’s shocked when the most popular girl in school, Riley, takes her under her wing. Even better, a sweet, good looking boy named Charlie takes interest in her. What could go wrong? Unfortunately plenty. Riley, along with her two minions Alexis and Grace have decided that a former member of their group Brooklyn is possessed and needs their “help”. Will Sofia be able to prevent a tragedy, or will she play whatever game it takes to be popular? So, first the cover. Loved it! I mean it’s pink with an upside down pentagram and crucifix. Brilliant design! I also liked the plot. It was kind of Mean Girls/The Craft meets the Exorcist. It also kept me guessing throughout most of the book about whether or not Brooklyn was really a demon. The best part of the book was the ending which truly lived up to the promised “twist”.  I finished it in two hours because I couldn’t put it down. My poor husband would wander into the room wanting to talk and I couldn’t even look up. I just kept waving him out. The violence is extremely explicit but I’m a Stephen King fan so except for an incident with a cat near the beginning this wasn’t an issue for me. So, what was the problem? Really weak and unlikeable characters. Riley is a religious psychotic and Grace and Alexis are her sheep. Sofia does nothing but wring her hands and remain undecided about whose side she’s on. And then there’s the attraction between her and Charlie. I believe there can be love at first sight, but the way this was written just didn’t work for me.  It seemed as though the author or her editor thought “Oh! YA fiction. Must throw a romance in there.” There are several loose threads. Like what exactly were the circumstances behind Sofia’s grandmother’s stroke and why is her mother so anti-religion? Are they connected to what happened at Sofia’s previous school? There’s a bunch of things that are thrown in or alluded to and then dropped. This may be because this is the first book in a series. I’m not sure. I will say that despite the fact that it drove me a little crazy at times, I’m intrigued enough that I want to read the next book. And yes. There’s already a movie in the works. By the people behind Pretty Little Liars no less. 

Rising Tide: Dark Innocence – by Claudette Melanson ~ 5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, High School, Paranormal, YA

Rising Tide is the first book in the Maura DeLuca Trilogy.

I thought I was finished with vampire books at least for awhile until I picked up Rising Tide and it immediately sucked me in. 16 year old Maura has never been part of the popular clique at school. Add to this a missing father who her emotionally distant mother refuses to tell her about, and a severe aversion to sunlight that makes her physically sick, Maura (Mink) should be miserable, but she makes the best of things. Now suddenly her mother Caelyn announces they’re moving to from their home in Pennsylvania to Vancouver and Maura couldn’t be happier. Less sun and a chance to remake herself? What’s not to be happy about? But as moving day approaches, she suddenly not only attracts the perfect boyfriend, but also kids who want to be friends with her. Unfortunately this comes along with strange physical changes that her mother persists in ignoring. What is the mystery behind all this, and should Maura start a relationship with someone she may never see again? Obviously the reader knows a lot of what’s going on with Maura. But Claudette puts enough twists in the storyline to still keep you guessing. She has a beautiful, smooth way of writing that keeps you entranced, which is probably why I finished this in one day. Maura is a wonderful heroine who is sweet, courageous, and loyal without being annoying. Her protectiveness towards her mother is incredible given that she doesn’t get much in return. YAs will relate to this book with it’s themes of relationships and bullying. It does end with a cliffhanger, so the second book can’t come out soon enough!