THE ASSIGNMENT, by Liza Wiemer ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Anti-Semitism, Contemporary Fiction, Education, Homophobia, Racism, The Holocaust, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 25th, 2020

312 Pages

Synopsis: In the vein of the classic The Wave, and inspired by a real-life incident, this riveting novel explores discrimination and antisemitism and reveals their dangerous impact.

Senior year. When an assignment given by a favorite teacher instructs a group of students to argue for the Final Solution, a euphemism used to describe the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jewish people, Logan March and Cade Crawford are horrified. Their teacher cannot seriously expect anyone to complete an assignment that fuels intolerance and discrimination. Logan and Cade decide they must take a stand. As the school administration addresses the teens’ refusal to participate in the appalling debate, the student body, their parents, and the larger community are forced to face the issue as well.

The situation explodes, and acrimony and anger result. What does it take for tolerance, justice, and love to prevail?

Author Liza Wiemer with Jordan April and Archer Shurtliff, the two teens who inspired the upcoming The Assignment.

Many people find it difficult to take a stand against the majority, no matter what the issue, and for teens, it’s nearly impossible when faced with peer pressure. In 2017, two teens, Jordan April and Archer Shurtliff took a courageous stand when their teacher gave their class the assignment of debating the Nazis Final Solution. For the pro side, students were asked to promote the slaughter of Jews. For those arguing against genocide, they were supposed to instead argue for forced sterilizations, ghettos, and concentration and work camps. The idea behind this exercise is that would foster critical thinking. Neither Jordan or Archer is Jewish, but they found the assignment morally reprehensible. If you’d like more on this story, please follow this link: https://www.newyorkupstate.com/schools/2017/04/oswego_teens_give_new_york_a_lesson_on_nazi_holocaust_assignments.html

THE ASSIGNMENT is inspired by these two teens and I found it very thought-provoking. Liza Wiemer has said she was originally going to write this from a third person omniscient perspective, but decided to switch to multiple povs after hearing from several agents. This was the best decision she could have made because it allows the story to pack an even more powerful punch. The chapters primarily alternate between Logan and Cade so you’re privy to their innermost thoughts. You also get glimpses into what other characters are thinking including the teacher, which lends even more nuance to this complex story. There are a couple of things which prevent me from giving this a perfect 5 stars. First, I found the dialogue formal and stilted a few times and it didn’t sound like teens talking to each other. And second, while I really connected with Cade due to the amount of detail about his personal life, unfortunately there wasn’t that same level of detail in regards to the other characters, not even Logan who I’d have liked to know more about.

As someone with Jewish heritage and a distant cousin who barely survived the death camps, I have very strong feelings regarding this. For me, there are certain things, no matter how well-intentioned, that should never be debated. An assignment requiring students to reenact Hitler’s Wannsee Conference to debate the Final Solution is one such topic. By opening this up for debate, you’re allowing for an argument to be made that the Holocaust was justified. Students can be taught about these events and the mindset behind anti-semitism without lending credence to these abhorrent beliefs. In her author’s note Liza Wiemer, in addition to relating her own experiences with anti-semitism as a child, gives some examples of other jaw-dropping school assignments that have been given out in recent years. These include a slave auction where white students bid on their black classmates, and an exercise where students were asked to write down “three good reasons and three bad reasons for slavery.” There are other examples as well, so it’s imperative that you read this section as well. Despite the couple of flaws I found, I highly recommend THE ASSIGNMENT for classrooms, libraries, book discussion groups, and community reads. 

 

 

 

Surrender Your Sons, by Adam Sass ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Conversion Therapy, Homophobia, Humor, LGBTQ, Physical & Emotional Abuse, Religious Fanaticism, Romance, Suicide, Violence, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: September 15th, 2020

392 Pages

Synopsis: Connor Major’s summer break is turning into a nightmare.

His SAT scores bombed, the old man he delivers meals to died, and when he came out to his religious zealot mother, she had him kidnapped and shipped off to a secluded island. His final destination: Nightlight Ministries, a conversion therapy camp that will be his new home until he “changes.”

But Connor’s troubles are only beginning. At Nightlight everyone has something to hide from the campers to the “converted” staff and the cagey camp director, and it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe. Connor plans to escape and bring the other kidnapped teens with him. But first he’s exposing the camp’s horrible truths for what they are—and taking this place down.

Before I review Adam Sass’s excellent Surrender Your Sons, I have first share my complete and utter revulsion that conversion/reparative therapy is still allowed in the majority of states in this country. As of July 1, 2020, there will be only 20 states banning this reprehensible and THOROUGHLY DEBUNKED practice. The majority (including my state of Alabama), still allow parents to approve this “treatment” for their minor children. The Human Rights Campaign has a lot of information if you want to check it out here:

https://hrc.org/resources/the-lies-and-dangers-of-reparative-therapy

And there’s more at The Trevor Project at:

https://thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/trevor-advocacy/50-bills-50-states/about-conversion-therapy/ and https://thetrevorproject.org/category/advocacy/conversion-therapy/

Surrender Your Sons is a story you should go into as blind as possible so I’m going to go even out of my way not to include any spoilers than I usually do. Adam Sass states in his Author’s Note (which you should definitely read), “I want to acknowledge that you’ll find queer pain in this book. However, it’s not about queer pain. It’s about what queers do with pain. This is what drives the entire novel. The plot itself is dark, issue-driven, yet has moments of levity to lighten things up. There are a few themes that could pose a problem for some readers so here are my trigger warnings: Severe homophobia, physical & emotional abuse, graphic violence, sexual content, and suicide. The characters, beginning with Connor are so well written they seem to jump off the pages, and I feel as though I know them all personally, both the ones I liked and the ones I wanted to strangle with my bare hands. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing right up until the end, but to be honest, I really kept reading because I became so emotionally invested in Connor and his friends. There are a couple of sections around the middle of the book where things slowed down a bit, and I think this could have been trimmed. Otherwise, Surrender Your Sons is a noteworthy addition to LGBTQ+ fiction that I unhesitatingly recommend for anyone 15 and up. It’s dark and brutal at times and will elicit some strong emotions, but it also leaves you with hope at the end. 

 

The Blade Between, by Sam J. Miller ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Homophobia, Horror

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: December 1st, 2020

384 Pages

Synopsis: Ronan Szepessy promised himself he’d never return to Hudson. The sleepy upstate town was no place for a gay photographer. But his father is ill and New York City’s distractions have become too much for him. He hopes that a quick visit will help him recharge.

Ronan reconnects with two friends from high school: Dom, his first love, and Dom’s wife Attalah. The three former misfits mourn what their town has become—overrun by gentrifiers and corporate interests. With friends and neighbors getting evicted en masse, and a mayoral election coming up, Ronan and Attalah craft a plan to rattle the newcomers and expose their true motives. But in doing so, they unleash something far more mysterious and uncontainable.

Hudson has a rich, proud history and, it turns out, the real estate developers aren’t the only forces threatening its well-being: the spirits undergirding this once-thriving industrial city are enraged. Ronan’s hijinks have overlapped with a bubbling up of hate and violence among friends and neighbors, and everything is spiraling out of control. Ronan must summon the very best of himself to shed his own demons and save the city he once loathed.

As someone who’s not overly fond of the small town I was born and lived in until a couple of years ago, the premise of The Blade Between, immediately piqued my interest. And while I hadn’t read any of Sam Miller’s previous books, he’s been on my radar since his Nebula Award nominated Blackfish City came out in 2018. After finishing this in two days, I can honestly say that this gave me a completely unique reading experience unlike any other.

Ronan, a forty-year-old recovering crystal-meth addict, is planning on getting revenge on the people taking over his town by setting up a fictitious online persona, looking for blackmail material, and pining after a lost love who is now married to a woman. What could possibly go wrong! It has to be said that while Ronan is a brilliant photographer, emotionally, he’s a hot mess. Yet, he’s also sweet, and surprisingly funny and likable at the same time. He’s quite complicated, which is my favorite type of character.

The story itself is equally complex, and beautifully explores the good, the bad, and the downright ugliness, of revisiting your past, while blending in intriguing supernatural elements. It’s incredibly fast-paced and I was glued from the first page and couldn’t tear myself away until I had finished it during the wee hours of the morning. One minor spoiler: It has whales!

Going home is something most of us will have to deal with at some point in our adult lives. For some it will be a positive experience filled with happy nostalgia, for others, a nightmarish revisiting of traumatic memories that have long simmered under the surface. The Blade Between will have widespread appeal for its thoughtful treatment of what can be an emotional time of life. As you can guess, I absolutely LOVED it and it’s no doubt going on my list of top reads of 2020. This is the first book I’ve read by Sam J. Miller, and it’s left me determined to read his others. I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone who’s looking for a completely unique tale with flawed yet endearing characters.

 

The Degenerates, by J. Albert Mann ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Child Abuse, Downs Syndrome, Eugenics, Historical Fiction, Homophobia, Miscarriage, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Atheneum Books For Young Readers, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 17th, 2020

288 Pages

Synopsis: In the tradition of Girl, Interrupted, this fiery historical novel follows four young women in the early 20th century whose lives intersect when they are locked up by a world that took the poor, the disabled, the marginalized—and institutionalized them for life.

The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded is not a happy place. The young women who are already there certainly don’t think so. Not Maxine, who is doing everything she can to protect her younger sister Rose in an institution where vicious attendants and bullying older girls treat them as the morons, imbeciles, and idiots the doctors have deemed them to be. Not Alice, either, who was left there when her brother couldn’t bring himself to support a sister with a club foot. And not London, who has just been dragged there from the best foster situation she’s ever had, thanks to one unexpected, life-altering moment. Each girl is determined to change her fate, no matter what it takes.

The setting for Degenerates was actually an institution in Massachusetts which operated from 1888-2014. Sadly, the eugenics movement during the 1920s was big in my hometown state and the appalling conditions at places like the Fernald State School and the Belchertown State School in my opinion remain a blight on the state. I won’t go into the history of the movement and schools, but there’s a wealth of information to be found online.

As for Degenerates, Mann has done a thorough job researching what it was like for these unfortunate children and adults who were locked up in these despicable places. Seen through the eyes of four girls: Maxine, her sister Rose, Alice, and London, it gives the reader an up close and personal look at what life was like for these prisoners. While the four of them come from disparate  backgrounds, they find they have much in common as they do their best to survive in this hellhole. Although the majority of secondary characters are pretty much stereotypical caricatures, it doesn’t really matter because in just the first few chapters you can’t help but be totally invested in the main characters and what they’re subjected to.

I have to be honest and say this isn’t the easiest book to read. In addition to the overall disgusting and despicable conditions at the school, there are difficult scenes, most notably, fourteen-year-old London having a miscarriage after being severely beaten by policemen. The ableist language used by the school staff and unfair testing on the residents had me despising these so-called medical professionals. Keeping all this in mind, Degenerates is a thoughtful exploration of what life was like for victims of the eugenics movement, and it’s a book I highly recommend for older YAs and adults. 

 

 

 

 

 

Suggested Reading, by David Connis ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Attempted Suicide, Book Banning, Homophobia, LGBTQ, Mental Health, YA Fiction

Thanks to Edelweiss and Katherine Tegan Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 17th, 2019

304 Pages

Synopsis: In this hilarious and thought-provoking contemporary teen standalone that’s perfect for fans of Moxie, a bookworm finds a way to fight back when her school bans dozens of classic and meaningful books.

Clara Evans is horrified when she discovers her principal’s “prohibited media” hit list. The iconic books on the list have been pulled from the library and aren’t allowed anywhere on the school’s premises. Students caught with the contraband will be sternly punished.

Many of these stories have changed Clara’s life, so she’s not just going to sit back and watch while her draconian principal abuses his power. She’s going to strike back.

So Clara starts an underground library in her locker, doing a shady trade in titles like “Speak” and “The Chocolate War.” But when one of the books she loves most is connected to a tragedy she never saw coming, Clara is forced to face her role in it.

Will she be able to make peace with her conflicting feelings, or is fighting for this noble cause too tough for her to bear?

I finished Suggested Reading a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve been saving my review for this week, because a story about fighting against the banning of books is obviously perfect for Banned Books Week. 

Clara is a complex character who both annoyed me and made me want to hug her. She’s a rabid reader, so that in itself earns her major points. She’s also very focused and determined to stand up to injustice. However, at times these same qualities can get her into trouble, especially in regards to making assumptions about other people. After a near tragedy occurs, the Clara that emerges at the end of the book is much wiser and likable than the somewhat immature and self-absorbed teen that’s introduced in the beginning. The other characters, from Clara’s best friend LiQui, to some of the smaller characters, are well-rounded and relatable. 

What I love the most about this book though are the multiple themes that run through it that present perfect opportunities for discussion. First and foremost of course is what impact books have on our lives and how they can inspire us and make us think, but in addition to this there are other topics explored such as: not being so quick to judge others, mental health, and homophobia. 

While not perfect, Suggested Reading is a quick moving read with a relatable heroine and intriguing narrative. It’s a book that I believe should be in every public and high school library and it’s perfect for classroom discussion. With censorship continuing to rear its ugly head not only in this country but around the world, we need to share timely stories such as this.

Only Mostly Devastated, by Sophie Gonzales ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Death, Fat-Shaming, Homophobia, Humor, LGBTQ, Romance, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 3rd, 2020

272 Pages

Synopsis: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets Clueless, inspired by Grease.

When Ollie meets his dream guy, Will, over summer break, he thinks he’s found his Happily Ever After. But once summer’s ended, Will stops texting him back, and Ollie finds himself one prince short of a fairytale ending. To complicate the fairytale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school—Will’s school—where Ollie finds that the sweet, affectionate and comfortably queer he knew from summer, isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, closeted—and to be honest, a bit of a jerk.

Ollie has no intention of pining after a guy who clearly isn’t ready for a relationship. But as Will starts ‘coincidentally’ popping up in every area of Ollie’s life, from music class, to the lunch table, Ollie finds his resolve weakening. 

The last time Ollie gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him, trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust him with it again.

Right?

Right.

Only Mostly Devastated is an adorable read that as advertised combines elements of Grease, Clueless and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Love Simon was the film adaptation.) When I first began this I was a little worried that it would be too derivative, especially of Grease, but I’m very happy that while similar to the Sandy, Danny, the Pink Ladies, Sophie Gonzales does a fantastic job having her characters stand out on their own. Ollie, who has been out since he was thirteen, and received acceptance from his family and friends, is understandably hurt and bewildered when Will, who hasn’t come out, is reluctant to acknowledge their relationship. Their actions, and feelings are both understandable and relatable. The other characters: Juliette, Lara, and Niamh who form this modern day incarnation of the Pink Ladies are much more diverse and complex than their predecessors. I especially loved Lara (Rizzo), who initially comes off as a callous you-know-what, but the more you find out about her, the more you can’t help but love her.  As much as I loved Ollie’s and Will’s rocky romance, the eventual friendship between Lara and Ollie also captured my heart.

The only reason why I’m not giving giving this a full 5 stars is because a few of the secondary characters needed some development but instead they came across as rather pointless. While there are some touching scenes with Ollie and his ailing aunt, and some humorous ones with his young cousins, I wish I had a better sense of his relationship with his parents. They’re obviously close and supportive, but we’re told this rather than shown this. At the end of the book I really knew nothing more about them and their relationship with their son than I did in the beginning. Overall though, Only Mostly Devastated is a wonderful novel that deals with serious issues like the death of a loved one, homophobia, and fat-shaming, in a thoughtful manner, and balances these with sweet humor. It’s a book I’d recommend to YAs and adults who are looking for a cute fun read that will make them smile.

Swipe Right For Murder, by Derek Milman ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Homophobia, Humor, LGBT, Romance, Suicide, Terrorism, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to JIMMY Patterson Books for providing an ARC in exchange for and honest review.

Release Date: August 6th, 2019

336 Pages

Synopsis:

On the run from the FBI.

Targeted by a murderous cult.

Labeled a cyber-terrorist by the media.

Irritated by texts from his best friend.

Eye contact with a nice-looking guy on the train.

Aidan has a lot to deal with and he’s not quite sure which takes top priority.

Finding himself alone in a posh New York City hotel room for the night, Aidan does what any red-blooded seventeen-year-old would do—-he tries to hook up with someone new. But that lapse in judgement leads him to waking up next to a dead guy, which sparks an epic case of mistaken identity that puts Aidan on the run from everyone—-faceless federal agents, his eccentric family, and, naturally, a cyber-terrorist group who will stop at nothing to find him. 

He soon realizes the only way to stop the chase is to deliver the object that everyone wants, before he gets caught or killed. But for Aidan, the hardest part is knowing who he can trust not to betray him—-including himself.

It’s only halfway through 2019, but I already know that Swipe Right For Murder is going to be one of my favorite books of the year. An ingenious ode to Alfred Hitchcocks North by Northwest and a poignant coming-of-age story, it tackles some serious issues such as: terrorism, homophobia, an inappropriate relationship between an adult and a teen, and suicide. At the same time it displays a wry sense of humor that had me laughing out loud several times. While Aidan is immature at the beginning, his personal growth expands by leaps and bounds as the story progresses. He’s someone you want to shake and hug at the same time. The plot itself is absolutely crackers, but it’s so much fun that it’s easy to suspend disbelief and just hang on for the wild ride. 

I loved Derek Milman’s first book, Scream All Night, and honestly wondered if his sophomore effort would live up to his debut. I’m thrilled to say that I think it actually surpassed it! Both books blend the world of classic film, with contemporary coming-of-age themes, sympathetic and relatable main characters, and over-the-top (in a good way) storylines. I can’t recommend this author highly enough to both teens and adult fans of YA fiction, and fans of classic films in general. I can’t wait to see what this incredible author comes out with next!

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.

It Looks Like This ~ By Rafi Mittlefehldt – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Family Relationships, Gender Identity, Homophobia, Self-Acceptance, Suicide, YA Fiction

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

336 Pages

Synopsis: A new state, a new city, a new high school. Mike’s father has already found a new evangelical church for the family to attend, even if Mike and his plain spoken little sister, Toby, don’t want to go. Dad wants Mike to ditch art for sports, to toughen up, but there’s something uneasy behind his demands.

Then Mike meets Sean, the new kid, and “hey” becomes games of basketball, partnering on a French project, hanging out after school. A night at the beach. The fierce colors of sunrise. But Mike’s father is always watching. And so is Victor from school, cell phone in hand.

I have to admit my feelings are a little all over the place about this novel. From the very first chapter, which was two pages long, I was completely hooked. It made me smile, it made me angry, and it made me cry. Before I get to the good stuff though, I want to warn you that there are no quotation marks used for dialogue. Some readers may not mind this, but it did drive me a little crazy. There were times that I found it hard to differentiate between a Mike’s inner thoughts and actual conversations. In a way, I think because the rest of the book was so well-written, that this was even more jarring to me. So, speaking of the good stuff, lets begin with the amazing characters. Mike is your quintessential underdog. He has a few friends, but is the victim of frequent bullying. He’s an introvert, and a lot of the story focuses on his inner thoughts about school, family, friends, and his struggles over his sexuality. Making matters worse is that his family is extremely religious, particularly his father and grandmother. This leads to some of the more tragic moments of the book. I absolutely loved how Mike and Sean’s first meeting is sweetly awkward. This definitely isn’t a case of insta-love, which made it even more believable. Instead, their relationship slowly develops as they work on a school project together. Oh God. Just thinking about them again is making me teary, and I finished this 5 days ago! I also LOVED the relationship between Mike and his eleven-year-old sister Toby. She is absolutely adorable and funny, and wise beyond her years. She understands and supports her big brother more than anyone else in their family. What makes this story so compelling is that you know there are a multitude of versions of this playing out in the real world. While there are more than a few tear-jerking moments, this book is also filled with hope and inspiration. I have to be honest though and say there’s some tough topics in this including homophobia, conversion camps, and suicide. It’s not done in an “after school special” kind of way though. While there are many YA novels out there that focus on how acceptance of LGBTQs is becoming more prevalent, let’s face it. There’s still a lot of work to be done before we can say that this community is treated with respect and considered equal. There were moments that even shocked me as an adult, so while I highly recommend this, I’d say this is more for older teens and adults. It Looks Like This would lend itself beautifully to book discussion groups and family reads. I’m certainly going to be on the lookout for future books by Rafi Mittlefehldt.

The Steep & Thorny Way ~ By Cat Winters – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Anti-Semitism, Eugenics, Historical Fiction, Homophobia, Ku Klux Klan, Mystery, Racism, Supernatural, YA Fiction

Thank you to NetGalley and Amulet Books for providing this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

Synopsis: A thrilling reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Steep & Thorny Way tells the story of a murder most foul and the mighty power of love and acceptance in a state gone terribly rotten. 

1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man. She has almost no rights by law, and the Ku Klux Klan breeds fear and hatred in even Hanalee’s oldest friendships. Plus, her father, Hank Denney, died a year ago, hit by a drunk-driving teenager. Now her father’s killer is out of jail and back in town, and he claims that Hanalee’s father wasn’t killed by the accident at all but, instead was poisoned by the doctor who looked after him–who happens to be Hanalee’s new stepfather.

The only way for Hanalee to get the answers she needs is to ask Hank himself, a “haunt” wandering the roads at night.

Cat Winters is a well respected author who I’ve been meaning to try for quite some time, but The Steep & Thorny Way is the first book I’ve read by her. All I can say is that her reinterpretation of Hamlet and combining it with an incredibly dark time in America’s history is a compelling read and leaves me wondering why it’s taken me this long to read one of her books.

The 1920s in the U.S. wasn’t just the era of flappers, and the beginning of the jazz age. It was also a time where racism, homophobia, and anti-Semitism were rampant, as was distrust of Catholics, and of course Prohibition. All of these are on display in the fictional small town of of Elston, Oregon. As the child of an African-American father and a white mother, Hanalee’s future prospects for an kind of a meaningful life are pretty much nonexistent. At the age of sixteen she knows that if she’s to have any kind of future, she’ll have to leave her hometown and strike out for the bigger cities who are far more accepting of those who are “different”. When the story opens though, she’s about avenge her father’s death on Joe Adder, the young man just released from prison for his killing. She discovers though that things are definitely not as they seem, and she winds up embarking on a quest to discover the truth with the very person she’s blamed and hated for the past year. Hanalee is someone teens can relate to even though this story is set decades ago. She’s not perfect, she makes mistakes, but despite the hate and prejudice aimed at her she remains pretty open-minded toward other people, which I thought was amazing.

While Hanalee is clearly the main character of the book, Joe is equally important and his story at times overtakes the main mystery. This isn’t a bad thing though. What is done to him and his desperate desire to also escape had me just as emotionally invested in him as I was with Hanalee.

There is no real romance in this book which I think was a wise decision on the part of the author. Instead, there’s a tentative friendship between Hanalee and Joe which flourishes into something quite beautiful. The rest of the characters aren’t quite as well fleshed out, but they still successfully serve to further the story, particularly Laurence, Hanalee’s old childhood friend who’s loyalties are divided.

I did think the central mystery concerning the death of Hanalee’s father could have used a little more development. All the answers are basically provided to her by his ghost. It would have been nice to have a little more sleuthing on her part. But honestly, this wasn’t enough to detract from my overall fascination with this book. Cat Winters does a magnificent job spinning her tale, and I was completely spellbound while reading it. A true measure of it’s impact is the amount of time I’ve spent researching some of the topics it brought up, especially eugenics (forced sterilization of people belonging to certain groups), which much to my surprise and disgust was still happening as late as 1981.

I believe it’s especially important for people to read books like The Steep & Thorny Way given what’s happening in the world right now. For anyone who thinks that hateful idealogy is a thing of the past, pick up a newspaper or turn on the tv. All the same prejudices and bigotry are still very much a part of our society, and stoking the flames are politicians who claim they have their country’s best interests at heart. This is a perfect book for discussion, whether in a high school classroom, a book group, or at home. The best way to combat hatred is to start with our young people and I fervently believe this is something we must do if we are to prevent history from repeating itself.