Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Summary from Goodreads:

Quinton Peters was the golden boy of the Rosewood low-income housing projects, receiving full scholarship offers to two different Ivy League schools. When he mysteriously goes missing, his little sister, 13-year-old Amari Peters, can’t understand why it’s not a bigger deal. Why isn’t his story all over the news? And why do the police automatically assume he was into something illegal?

Then Amari discovers a ticking briefcase in her brother’s old closet. A briefcase meant for her eyes only. There was far more to Quinton, it seems, than she ever knew. He’s left her a nomination for a summer tryout at the secretive Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari is certain the answer to finding out what happened to him lies somewhere inside, if only she can get her head around the idea of mermaids, dwarves, yetis and magicians all being real things, something she has to instantly confront when she is given a weredragon as a roommate.

Amari must compete against some of the nation’s wealthiest kids—who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives and are able to easily answer questions like which two Great Beasts reside in the Atlantic Ocean and how old is Merlin? Just getting around the Bureau is a lesson alone for Amari with signs like ‘Department of Hidden Places this way, or is it?’ If that all wasn’t enough, every Bureau trainee has a talent enhanced to supernatural levels to help them do their jobs – but Amari is given an illegal ability. As if she needed something else to make her stand out.

With an evil magican threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.

Review:

Sometimes the best books are the ones you pick up at random, on a whim, or because the cover super appeals to you, and you impulse read it…I’ve had more impulse reads this past year than I normally do. I’m generally a HUGE advocate for book reviews. I read them all the time at my job. I read them when I’m not working. I read them because I enjoy reading them. I must have read something about this book because I purchased it for my library… But, I impulse-checked-it-out one day. And it kind of crawled to the top of my TBR pile.

Long story short, this book was AMAZING. It’s my favorite book of the year so far. I was expecting a cute family story. I got a remarkable, heartfelt fantasy, coming of age story. It’s urban fiction, mixed with mythology, mixed with suspense and mystery. The characters were great. Right away, you love Amari! I wanted to push down her racist bullies too! This book tackles topics of classism, racism, and privilege in a way I’m unaccustomed to in Middle Grade, and I hope this is just the beginning! It’s not about old magic families v new magic families. It’s about those with money and privilege v those without. And those with magic are actually seen as the bad guys….You’ll understand once you read it.

The book is also full of humor and fun. It kept reminding me of Men in Black, with all the secrets, and the agents. The author was definitely inspired by the greats: Rowling, Riordan, and more. But, this book is also solely it’s own story. There are talking elevators, boots that give kids the ability to walk horizontally across open air (aka Sky Sprints), flying ships, evil magicians, hybrid attacks, lots of sneaking out, and a mission to rescue a famous duo.

I couldn’t put this book down. I loved Amari’s best friend too. We all need friends who can come up with plans like Elsie, and make inventions like her too! I feel like the more I talk about this book, the more I’m giving away. And really, it’s so much more fun to discover all these things for yourself. Just know that it’s fun, fast-paced, humorous, action-packed, and filled with magic, lovable characters, and good stories of family and friendship. I give this a 10/10.

Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery by Ally Carter

Summary from Goodreads:

Five orphans. Two sword-wielding vigilantes. One mansion. No rules.
April thought she had her happy ending. After all, she has her new house and new friends and new guardian. But she also has a very big new secret.

The kids of Winterborne House are the only ones who know that Gabriel Winterborne—famous billionaire and terrible cook—is really a sword-wielding vigilante.
What they don’t know is that he’s not the only one.

When a masked figure breaks in, looking for something—or someone—it’s clear that Gabriel has met his match, and now no one is safe. April and her friends will have to solve a decades-old mystery in order to hang on to the most important thing in the world: each other.

Review:

This is the sequel to Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor, a book I picked up on a whim when everything went into lockdown. Book 1 was so good, I passed it along to my husband, who does not read much in the way of Middle Grade book or YA. He’ll occasionally read it, but he prefers adult books. So, as soon as I learned book 2 existed, I pre-ordered it for my library and became number 1 on the wait list. And I think my husband has been eyeing it as I’ve been reading it…which by the way only took less than a day to do. My husband and I also both attended an author Q & A with Ally Carter at a digital library conference a week or two ago. That’s how into these books we are…

That all being said, I had super high expectations going into this book! I was not disappointed. I might have even liked it more than book 1. I just finished writing my review for a YA book, where I wrote that I called literally all of the plot in advance (except for one thing). In this book, I predicted nothing. It all surprised me. There are some HUGE reveals in book 2, and all of them made my jaw drop.

The characters in this book keep getting more and more interesting. The kids just keep getting closer. They are officially a family now. They do everything together. They solve decades old mysteries together. They run away from kidnappers together. They go take boats to booby trapped islands together. They rescue each other and they rescue guardians. There’s a lot of jokes and banter amongst the hyper intelligent kids. But, I was surprised to find tears in my eyes a couple of times in this book too. When April goes into detail about her life in the foster system to Sadie, and says things like how she’d stock up on free lunch food at school, so she’d have more to eat over the summer, I was just shaken.

So yeah, a lot of asks you to suspend your belief a little, with kids doing extraordinary things. But, then the book always sort of brings you back to reality. Like yes, these kids just climbed a super high wall or avoided a boat explosion, but also, they’ve never been to a candy store because they grew up in group homes.

There’s a lot more questions that come from this book too. Like what is everyone searching Winterborne House for? Why was it so important for no one to know April’s key? What else is Gabriel keeping secret? What was Winterborne Island really created for? And so much more! Honestly, I have more questions, but I’d be spoiling things if I asked any more here.

All in all, I read the whole book in probably a few hours (one sitting). It’s so good! I love the characters more now than I did in book 1. The author herself (from the Q & A I attended) describes these books as Batman mixed with Annie. How cool is that? The suspense and twists were just the best. How long until there is another one? I give this a 10/10.

Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare

Summary from Goodreads:

The Shadowhunters must catch a killer in Edwardian London in this dangerous and romantic sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Chain of Gold, from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Iron is a Shadowhunters novel.

Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade.

But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace.

Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.

Review:

I’m so glad I pre-ordered this book for myself….I didn’t love Book 1 (Chain of Gold) as much as I usually love Cassandra Clare books. I thought maybe I was finally ready to stop reading her. A lot of the plot felt recycled. And I wasn’t connecting to the new characters as much I had to the past ones, who only made brief cameos.  However, this year was rough for me personally, and I’m sure it was for a lot of people. And it was not the year to give up on a long-loved author. The good Cassandra Clare books are almost as good as reuniting with real life friends and family (which I still won’t be able to do for a while…). That being said, this was a good Cassandra Clare book.

I was finally connecting to the characters! My heart was breaking for Cordelia. Unrequited love is just the worst, and knowing it wasn’t actually unrequited –but actually the fault of a stupid bracelet….worse than the worst. Then, I was starting to see more unrequited love everywhere. There’s closeted gay love, there’s someone else who loves Cordelia. There’s a romantic ghost story! I mean this book is just so tragic, it at times felt like the Dickens novels it was sometimes quoting. And then throw in a serial killer! And a list of dying shadow hunters! This was a book made for me.

There’s secret affairs, supernatural night clubs, shadow markets, necromancy, epic fight scenes, and really never any good moments to put this 656 paged book down!

Was a lot the plot still recycled? Yes. I pretty much called all but one plot point. And that one was a HUGE shock to me. I was like, What???? But, I didn’t seem to mind calling literally everything else this time. I guess when I start to love the characters so much, nothing else is as important. And I really started to love them. I even grew to like Grace, the awful maker of the bracelet. Seeing her childhood was just awful. I don’t necessarily love her yet, but I have a feeling I might come to later. I love Lucy and everything she does to help Jesse. I love Cordelia and her bravery and the friendship she starts with Matthew. And oh, poor Matthew and all he’s endured. Learning why he is the way he is!

Any way, as you can see, I’m invested now. And I think I have a long wait for book 3, and of course it ended with quite the cliffhanger. Don’t give up on Cassandra Clare, if you like stories with excellent characters. She’s still got that down. And of course this insane world she’s created is just too hard to let go of. I give this one a 9/10.

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Summary from Goodreads:

In kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka's teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett's family is much more complicated than that. His mom is an addict, in and out of rehab, and in and out of Jarrett's life. His father is a mystery -- Jarrett doesn't know where to find him, or even what his name is. Jarrett lives with his grandparents -- two very loud, very loving, very opinionated people who had thought they were through with raising children until Jarrett came along.

Jarrett goes through his childhood trying to make his non-normal life as normal as possible, finding a way to express himself through drawing even as so little is being said to him about what's going on. Only as a teenager can Jarrett begin to piece together the truth of his family, reckoning with his mother and tracking down his father.

Hey, Kiddo is a profoundly important memoir about growing up in a family grappling with addiction, and finding the art that helps you survive.

Review:

This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I knew it was going to be a “serious” read because of what it says on the cover about addiction. But, still there’s something so light and fun about this artist’s style that it took me a while to accept the seriousness of it all, if that makes sense. Also, as a Youth Services Librarian, I know of Krosoczka’s other, lighter stories.

That being said, I loved how the author could convey his story this way, as a graphic novel. As we go into 2021, I think we’ll start to see more nonfiction, memoirs, etc. in this format, or at least I hope we will. The author is I believe, first and foremost, an artist. His pictures are just stunning. The way he conveys how a child feels about going to school on his first day, or missing his mother, or going to Disney, all of the emotions is just so heartfelt and honest. He can truly express emotions in his work.

I also didn’t realize that the book would take place in my state, in a town I know! I may have even passed the book along to a non-graphic-novel-reading coworker who grew up in Worcester, MA…I feel like she had to read it. I want to know if she recognizes all the places or not! I can’t wait to talk to her about it.

I’m not sure I’d put this book in the hands of the typical graphic novel reader, but I would in the hands of the right reader. It’s not a light read. There were moments when I had slight tears building up. You really feel bad for Jarrett. But, also, he’s so lucky. He has such a support system in a very large family that not everyone does get. And he has his art. The strongest message throughout it all is that he has his art, pulling him through everything. And of course there’s his large network of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents too. Family is more than who you are born to.

The message is a strong one. The art is just beautiful. And I’m really glad for the bit at the end where the author explains what happens afterward. This wasn’t what I was expecting, but I did really enjoy and appreciate what this was. I give it a 9/10.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Summary from Goodreads

A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys, described by Entertainment Weekly as "groundbreaking."

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

Review:

So, this was a new take on paranormal romance! I’m a huge fan of ghost stories, and this one does not disappoint. Part YA love story, part Exorcist horror story, Part family drama about growing up and acceptance, this story had a little bit of everything a good book needs. Also, throw in some really cool details about Dia de los Muertos, magic, LGBT heroism, and a murder mystery, and well, this book had my number.

Also, this would make a fantastic CW show….The new Vampire Diaries…I would watch the hell out of this show. Even the L.A. setting and the clear racism and divides in multiple places (including the police department), make for an almost Netpune/Veronica Mars atmosphere. Half of it takes place in the cemetery and I know Joss Whedon is a sensitive subject right now, but this has classic Buffy feels too.

Anyway, tv shows aside, this was a fantastic read. I wanted to know what happened to the dead teenagers right off the bat. But more than that, I loved Yadriel. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book from the point of view of a trans character before. And while a part of me knew there must be so many struggles, I really never thought about how many. Wow. And to add all the cultural struggles and then magical ones too. Yadriel made this book what it was, and I’m so glad I got to read this because of him.

And then there’s the sweetest love story. It reminded me of Meg Cabot’s old ghost YA books from the early 2000’s, but way more progressive and just so much more sweet. The flirtation and acceptance between these characters is just everything. I haven’t shipped two paranormal characters like this in a super long time.

My only wish is that I read this one on a dark and stormy night…. All in all, I read it super quickly, and I know a lot of teens will too. It had a little bit of everything. I give it a 10/10.