Cranse, Pratima. All the Major Constellations. New York: Viking, 2015. 978-0-670-01645-7. 336 p. $17.99. Gr. 9 and up.

Andrew is a misfit in his own family. His parents obviously favor his older, jock brother and basically ignore him.  He has found an alternate support system with Sara and Marcia while lusting after the mysterious Laura, a devoutly religious peer. Andrew and Laura have nothing in common other than living near each other and going to the same high school, but when Sara is severely injured in a car accident, Laura reaches out to him. Andrew misinterprets her gesture and proceeds to engage with her religious group, but is he exploring his spirituality or maneuvering to get close to Laura? In the meantime, Sara is declared brain dead and on life support, and Andrew’s brother is accused of rape. THOUGHTS: Andrew’s character is not sympathetic.  His “love” for Laura is irritatingly superficial, and his spiritual quest without credibility; this novel deserves C+ at best.

Realistic Fiction       Annette Sirio, Barack Obama Academy of International Studies

 

Redgate, Riley.  Seven Ways We Lie.  New York: Amulet Books, 2016. 9781419719448. 342p.  $18.00. Gr. 9 and up.

Everyone has something to hide.  For these seven students at Paloma High School each one is hiding a dark secret hoping no one will ever know the truth.  When the principal receives an anonymous tip that a teacher is romantically involved with a student the whole school is turned upside down.  Juniper Kipling is a golden child, successful at everything she does with the highest achievement never out of reach.  Matt Jackson spends most of his days stoned, only thinking of when he’ll be able to smoke again.  Kat & Olivia Scott are identical twins who haven’t spoken to each other since their mom walked out on the family years ago.  Claire Lombardi is the overachieving, over-involved queen of popularity trying to keep it all together despite her growing insecurities.  Lucas McCallum still feels like the new kid in school even though he’s been in Paloma for over a year.  Valentine Simmons just wants to be left alone…or does he.  All seven are brought together by one person who is the center of the school’s biggest controversy.  Thoughts: I admit I didn’t like this all that much while I was reading it, but I couldn’t put it down.  I am not a fan of changing narrators every chapter and would have to flip back to make sure I knew who was narrating when.  Redgate does take an interesting position on the all too-present topic of teacher/student romances.  I would recommend Seven Ways We Lie to students who want a quick easy book that doesn’t involve any thinking at all.

Realistic Fiction    Laura Ward, Fox Chapel Area High School

 

Benway, Robin.  Emmy & Oliver.  New York: HarperTeen, 2015.  978-0-06-233059-8. 343 p.  $17.99.  Gr. 8 and up.

Emmy and Oliver were born in the same hospital on the same day and live right next door to each other.  They were destined to be friends forever until one fateful day when Oliver was kidnapped by his own father.  Now, ten years later, Oliver has been located and has returned home.  Emmy is unsure whether or not she and Oliver will be able to pick up where they left off, but it doesn’t take long before they’ve not only rekindled their friendship but have even started to build a romantic relationship.  Not everything is as simple as it seems, however.  Emmy’s parents have been extremely overprotective ever since the day Oliver disappeared, and Oliver struggles to rebuild a relationship with his mother and assimilate back into his old life.  Likewise, their close friends, Caro and Drew, are dealing with their own problems throughout the book.  Heartfelt and honest, this book focuses on several issues that will be relatable to today’s teen: friendship, romantic relationships, homosexuality, familial relationships, college decisions, and much more.  THOUGHTS: As a new mother, I actually enjoyed this title for its rather detailed focus on parent/child relationships which is often missing from young adult literature.  This, along with other themes like friendship, sibling relationships, and homosexual relationships, will definitely enable most teens to relate to Benway’s characters.  While there is one instance of underage drinking, most of the book is fairly conservative.  Fans of Sarah Dessen, Jandy Nelson, or Heather Demetrios will enjoy this title.

Realistic Fiction     Julie Ritter, Montoursville Area High School