Naked

Trombley, Stacy. Naked. 2015. 345p. ISBN 978-1633750074. Available at FIC TRO on the library shelves.

Anna Rodriguez ran away to New York City from her suburban life at thirteen. She quickly fell in love with Luis. Their relationship evolved until she became Exquisite, a teen prostitute and he became her pimp. Three years later a personal tragedy leads to her arrest.

Sarah, her social worker, helps her return home. Nothing has changed in her relationship with her overbearing father and his dominated trophy wife, however. Anna’s integration at the local high school is even more difficult as she is quickly recognized as that girl from the missing posters still visible around town. Speculations abound as to where she was and what she did. Fortunately there’s Jackson, a normal teen boy who likes her for whom she is, and not for the sex she can offer. Lurking in the shadows, however, is someone who knows she was Exquisite and who could reveal her past to the entire school.

Trombley does an excellent job portraying the devastating impacts prostitution has on participating teens through Anna’s first hand account. Anna’s fears and loss of normalcy makes her reintegration back to school and to her family is portrayed realistically, as are the reactions of those around her as they spread rumors and react to her reappearance. Fans of hard hitting fiction and personal tragedy such as Kiss of Broken Glass will clamor for this title, but the explicit language, the vivid descriptions and the subject topic make it more appropriate for older students.

The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea

Junger, Sebastian. The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea. 1997. 248p. ISBN 9780393337013. Available at 974.4 JUN on the library shelves.

For centuries people have been attracted by the sea. Sailors, mariners, and adventurers have all tempted fate in an unforgiving environment where any mistake could be deadly. But only one breed of humans return to the sea over and over again: the fisherman.

The Perfect Storm discusses one storm that happened in October 1991. A confluence of two major weather fronts and the remnants of a hurricane, it created the worst meteorological conditions ever recorded on the East Coast. The swordfish fishing fleet from Gloucester, Mass, was out on the Grand Banks at the time, and barely survived the storm. But one boat, the Andrea Gail, was caught full on and sank with all hands on board.

Junger set out to write about difficult jobs, but the more he heard and researched the circumstances that led to the sinking of the Andrea Gail, the more the story took a life of its own. Meticulously researched from all angles, Junger weaves not only the lives of people on the boat and those left ashore, but also others who were caught in this storm, from large cargo ships and sail boats to their rescuers who themselves has to be rescued. This is a true story that accurately depicts the fight of man versus nature and how, despite our technology and best equipment, we cannot assume that we can survive a devastating natural encounter.

Though the ending is known right from the beginning, Junger is able to build a suspenseful and thrilling narrative. Readers who enjoyed Into the Wild or Hatchet will relate to the struggle in The Perfect Storm. The extraordinary story of a B-17 bomber crew lost in the Pacific for 22 days, as recounted in Lost in the Pacific, 1942, is also a great story of survival against the forces of the ocean. For a fictional sinking, read The Living by Matt de la Pena.

Shattered Glass

Toten, Teresa. Shattered Glass. 2015. 256p. ISBN 978-1-459806719. Available at FIC TOT on the library shelves.

As an orphan, Antoinette Royce knows nothing about her birth parents. When, at sixteen, a fire destroys the Benevolent Home in Hope, Ontario, Toni quickly finds herself moving to Toronto. This is the second fire that she survives, and every night she has recurring nightmares of being pushed by her mother through a window glass. She sports the scars that proves this event did happen. Armed only with her mother’s name, a hospital release form, and pamphlets from restaurants, she must make a new life for herself while trying to discover who she really is.

Finding a room in Lady Grady’s house, Antoinette quickly secures employment in a club where she meets brooding Ethan and attractive Cassidy. The big city is filled with secrets, however, and not everyone Toni meets has her best interests at heart. One of the smartest orphans at the home, her education ill prepared her for real life. Can Toni tame the demons that have been haunting her dreams?

Taking place in 1964, each chapter is titled after one of the songs of that summer. Toni’s relationships are awkward, and she is often clueless as to what goes on around her. The setting is fascinating, and the dynamics of suddenly moving from a small town to a big city are well explored. Fans of romance and mystery will appreciate this book. Small Bones is also part of this series.

Curtsies and Conspiracies

Carriger, Gail. Cursties and Conspiracies. Book 2 of the Finishing School series. 2013. 310p. ISBN 9781907411601. Available at FIC CAR on the library shelves.

Following the fiasco that was her sister's coming-out ball in Etiquette and Espionage, Sophronia is back at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing School for Young Ladies of Quality. In training to be a spy, Sophronia solved the mystery of the guidance valve and was able to stick it to Monique, her nemesis onboard the floating school.

Now, however, the stakes are higher. A Frenchman has managed to fly through the Ether, greatly reducing the time required to travel between places. The Picklemen, the vampires, and the British government are all extremely interested in securing this new technology, and at the center of their conspiracy are her dear friend Dimity and her brother Pillover. As the daughter and son of the inventors of the valve, their very lives could be in danger.

So, Sophronia continues her habits of sneaking around and gathering as much information as she can. There are plots to organize against teachers. Monique must be dealt with again. The announcement of a trip to London and the arrival of a group of boys from the Evil school throws the floating school in turmoil. And, to top it off, Sophronia is now being courted by Lord Felix Mosley. Her heart is now thorn between Mosley and Soap, the dreamy soothy who works in the bowels of the ship.

With her training and her wits, can Sophronia survive the coming-out season, save her friends, and manage to gain control over her heart without making a social faux pas?

The story continues in Waistcoats and Weaponry.

Black Cat, Vol 8

Yakubi, Kentaro. Black Cat, Vol 8. 2000. 216p. ISBN 978-1-4215-0610-4. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Continuing from Black Cat, Vol. 7, Chronos has finally tracked down Creed and his Apostles of the Stars to a remote castle. Number I assigns Cerberus to assault the castle. Composed of Nizer, Beluga and Jenos, this team is accompanied by Rinslet, who will act as bait for Creed.

With Rinslet inside the castle, it’s time for Cerberus to act. The three Numbers storm the castle. Meanwhile, Train, Sven and Eve receive information indicating Creed’s possible location, but when they arrive the battle is already engaged and the front of the castle has been blown away.

It’s an epic fight, and someone will not survive... The story continues in Black Cat, Vol. 9.

Space Probes

Kerrod, Robin. Space Probes. 2004. 48p. ISBN 978-0-8368-5708-9. Available at 629.43 KER on the library shelves.

With the first satellite was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, humankind had managed to escape the bonds of gravity. And with this ability came the desire to explore the rest of the solar system.

This book presents the many space missions that have been launched from Earth. From the Mariner probes to Voyager 1 and 2, each mission is described in details and their findings are reported. Each mission enhanced our understanding of the space around us, and provided more information to launch ever more ambitious missions. Missions to every planet save Pluto are explained, along with several passes with comets.

Space lovers will enjoy both the vivid description of the missions as well as the gorgeous pictures included in this book.

Loot

Watson, Jude. Loot. 2014. 272p. ISBN 9780545468022. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Alfie McQuinn is one of the most accomplished cat burglar. With his son, 13-years-old March, they have travelled the world, stealing riches and fencing them. Sometimes life is a feast, with vacations and plenty of money. At other times, life is a fast, with canned food and not enough sleep. But always, life is exciting.

So when Alfie falls from the rooftop of an Amsterdam building with March looking on in horror, life changes for the worst. With the cops on their way, and his life ebbing, Alfie has barely enough time to tell his son to find jewels. March barely manages to escape. With no plan, he returns to their hotel room and retrieves his father’s day pack. In it are strange items along with the more mundane. But one thing is clear. Alfie was trying to steal the seven moonstones, presently scattered around the world.

Then March makes an extraordinary discovery. He has a twin sister, named Jules. That’s who Alfie was talking about. An acrobat, Jules performs in an act with their aunt, Blue. But just as they meet, they are shipped to a foster home. There they meet Darius and Izzy, other teens also at the foster home. And they are threatened by not one but two people, one an eccentric old woman, a millionaire who offers them a fortune to retrieve the moonstones March and Jules’ father stole from her ten years ago, and the other an old cop, now the star of a reality detective show, who wants the money for himself.

Since both twins have grown apart, they don’t share the same goals. But they do share many of the same skills, and together with Darius and Izzy, they will attempt to get their hands on the stones. But with other professional thieves hunting the stones, the teens are in it for a wild ride of a crime spree that could cost them their very lives…

Short chapters and intense action make this a great book for adventure seekers, and even reluctant readers will appreciate the ease of reading and the pacing.

A Living Nightmare

Shan, Darren. A Living Nightmare. Book 1 of the Cirque du Freak series. 2000. 266p. ISBN 9780316603409. Available at FIC SHA on the library shelves.

Darren and his friends are always seeking thrills. And when they spot a poster advertising the Cirque du Freak, they are intrigued. Steve, Darren’s friend, manages to score two tickets to the circus. To be fair, he throws the other ticket in the air, and of the three kids there, the ticket lands in Darren’s hands.

The mysterious freak show takes place in an abandoned theatre. Mr. Tall, the master of ceremonies, introduces the freaks one after the other. The wolfman bites a spectator woman’s off, much to the dismay and the fascination of Steve and Darren. More freaks go by, until Mr. Crepsley appears on the scene, accompanied by a giant spider. Suddenly, Darren is engrossed. He loves spiders.

Mr. Crepsley’s spider is trained, and performs many acts, all while Mr. Crepsley plays a tune on his flute. Darren wants the spider, Madam Octa. At the end of the show, Steve tells Darren to move on, while he confronts Mr. Crepsley. Darren decides to stay, however, and discovers that Mr. Crepsley is a vampire!

Despite the risk, Darren comes back a few days later and steals Madame Octa from Mr. Crepsley. But the spider has a mind of its own, and owning a vampire’s pet can be lethal to one’s health...

The story continues in The Vampire Assistant.

Mir Space Station

Bernards, Neal. Mir Space Station. 2000. 32p. ISBN 1-58340-049-4. Available at 629.44 BER on the library shelves.

One of the most impressive accomplishment of the space age has been the building of the International Space Station. But the lessons learned in the first space stations were critical to ensure the success of the ISS. The Mir Space Station, built by the Soviets in 1986 and expanded upon by the Russians until 1997, was the first long-term space station built, until it crashed back to Earth in 2001.

Beginning with one module, the station grew until it could accommodate three crewmen and provide support for numerous scientific experiments. The station was also prone to a number of accidents and technical glitches, such as disabled showers, loss of power and climate control, internal fires, and was even rammed by a spaceship once.

This short book is a great introduction to humankind’s first permanent structure in space, and features gorgeous photos. Space explorers will enjoy reading about one of the most intriguing piece of spacial history.

Etiquette & Espionage

Carriger, Gail. Etiquette & Espionage. Book 1 of the Finishing School series. 2013. 307p. ISBN 9780316190084. Available both as an eBook on Overdrive and at FIC CAR on the library shelves.

Sophronia Temminnick loves to tinker and explore, but it is frowned upon for girls from reputable families to be involved in such frivolous activities as climbing, exercise, and education. As the youngest girl in her family, she’s a bother to her mother, who only wishes that Sophronia would settle down long enough to learn some proper etiquette, become a proper young lady, and marry a wealthy individual.

Faced with such an impossible task, Lady Temminnick desperately enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality, hoping that her daughter will return a proper lady, fit to be married off.

Everything goes wrong from the start, however, as Sophronia and her escort are attacked by armed flyway men looking for “the prototype.” The Finishing School is in fact an assassin and espionage outfit where proper young ladies get trained in the deadly arts as well as the more mundane ones with the hope that they will be both lethal and regal, young ladies of quality. Sophronia has been sponsored by someone, and now she’s hoping to learn as much as she can, as this type of education is more adapt to her skills.

The flyway men return to the school, threatening an assault if the prototype is not turned over to them. Unfortunately, Monique, the agent who failed her test when she impersonated Mademoiselle Geraldine to collect Sophronia, has hidden it somewhere. Now it’s up to Sophronia and her hodgepodge of friends to discover its location to prevent the school’s destruction.

A great steampunk tale in the style of The Mark of the Dragonfly, Leviathan, The Inventor's Secret, or Worldshaker, readers will enjoy the mechanical and magical creatures that populate this Victorian England universe. Sophronia's story continues in Curtsies and Conspiracies. For more historical spying, consider Palace of Spies.

Dead-Tossed Waves

Ryan, Carrie. The Dead-Tossed Waves. 2010. 416p. ISBN 9780385736848. Available as FIC RYA on the library shelves.

In The Forest of hands and Teeth, Mary managed to escape the confines of her village and found both the ocean she had been craving her whole life and a living city. The Dead-Tossed Waves picks up two decades later.

Gabry has always known the safety of Vista, her hometown, protected by thick walls on three sides and the ocean on the last side. Living in the lighthouse with her mother Mary, Gabry has no interest in the world beyond the wall, and is the opposite of courageous. Her friends all dream of the Dark City, the capital of the Protectorate, and often leave the safety of town for the thrills of the amusement park a short distance beyond the wall.

Catcher, the boy she has always liked, entices her to come with them to the amusement park, and everything goes wrong. They are attacked by zombies, and several of the teens are killed. Catcher is injured, but manages to profess his love for her. The others are captured by the militia, but Gabry manages to escape back to Vista. Unfortunately, Catcher was not with the other teens. Now, he’s out there, alone and dying.

Gabry scales the wall again, but before she finds Catcher she encounters Elias, a broody fighter who’s out beyond the safety of the town, looking for someone. With Catcher dying, and Elias lurking, Gabry is unsure of what to do. When her mother hides back in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, Gabry must now decide between safety and a boring life away from Catcher and Elias, or the freedom and dangers that dwell in the Forest. Can Gabry escape her past and gain a new future?

I Am Princess X

Priest, Cherie. I Am Princess X. 2015. 256p. ISBN 9780545620857. Available at FIC PRI on the library shelves.

When May met Libby in 5th grade, they didn’t have much in common aside from a love of stories. Being exempt from PE together, they spent a lot of time in the recess yard. When Libby drew a princess wearing red sneakers and a crown, May suggested adding a sword. Princess X was born, and thousands of stories written by May and illustrated by Libby. Princess X participated in countless adventures fighting dragons, storming castles, and protecting the weak.

A few years later, however, Libby died in a car accident when the car her mother was driving fell off the bridge. Libby’s body was found a few days later, bloated and disfigured. May’s world ended that day. She got herself together and went back to Libby’s house to retrieve the stories, but her grieving father had already sold the house and donated everything to Goodwill. Soon May’s parents split up, and May went to live with her mother in Atlanta.

Now it is the summer following her junior year, and May is back in Seattle spending a few weeks with her father. Wandering the streets of Seattle, she makes a startling discovery. On the outside of a display window is a sticker that looks very much like Princess X, only Princess X is grown and no longer looks like a child. Confused, May begins to see Princess X stickers, patches, and t-shirts everywhere. Princess X lives, but only one other person aside from May knew she existed.

Then May stumbles upon IamPrincessX.com, a website where new illustrated adventures of the Princess are published regularly. The whole phenomena started about six months ago. May is now convinced that Libby is not dead, and that she needs help. But she obviously doesn’t want to be easily found. It’s up to May to figure out what is going on and how she can rescue her best friend. Can she be as courageous as Princess X?

Manga-style drawings telling many of the tales of Princess X are interspaced throughout the story, adding an illustrative element to the narrative. The city of Seattle features prominently in the plot and several famous locations directly influence the main characters. The characters are all well-defined and the mystery moves along at a rapid pace, keeping the reader on edge the entire time. Even when it’s clear Libby is still alive, the motivations keeping her away from May remain hidden until the reveal at the end of the book.

Zom-B Fugitive

Shan, Darren. Zom-B Fugitive. Book 11 of the Zom-B series. 2015. 196p. ISBN 978-0-316-21409-4. Available at FIC SHA on the library shelves.

In Zom-B Bride, B learned the secret location of the Schlesinger-10 virus that could destroy humanity. Now, she must run away from Mr. Dowling as fast as she can. Still hurt from her battle with the evil clown, she makes her way through the tunnels under London. She retrieves the vial and heads back to County Hall and the Angels.

Unfortunately the mutants are hunting her through the tunnels, and when she is confronted by two of them B knows the game is up. But suddenly the baby she helped a while back is there to fight on her behalf, and soon both mutants are dead. Holy Moly tracked B down, but not to turn her in to the clown.

When she arrives at County Hall the whole building is under assault by Mr. Dowling and the mutants. Many Angels are slaughtered. Not know what to do, B heads back out towards her old flat where she plans on ending her days. On her way there she encounters the twins, who reveal that Dr. Oystein had foreseen this assault and had moved the Angels away from County Hall. Leaving her in a brewery they get help.

Dr. Oystein is pleased that B survived her ordeal. But B comes across information that makes her rethink her entire zombie existence. Suddenly, B has nowhere to turn, and nothing is safe. Scariest of all, B is the only one who can save the human race!

This series conclude in Zom-B Goddess.

Deep and Dark and Dangerous

Hahn, Mary Downing. Deep and Dark and Dangerous. 2007. 187p. ISBN 9780-618-66545-7. Available at FIC HAH on the library shelves.

When Claire and Dulcie were young, they used to travel to Maine during the summer to spend time at their grandparents’ cottage on the lake. But something happened and ever since they haven’t been back.

At the beginning of March, Ali discovers a box left over from her grandmother’s passing five years ago. In it, along with old books, she discovers an aged photograph. On it are both her mother Claire and her aunt Dulcie, but the photo has been torn and someone is missing from it. All that can be seen is a hand. On the back are the names of her mother and aunt, as well as T. The rest of the name is torn.  Who is that person? When she brings the photo to her mother, her mother panics and she throws the photo out, telling Ali she doesn’t remember that day at all.

When her aunt Dulcie and her five-years-old daughter Emma come and visit, Ali brings up the photo again, much to her mother’s disapproval. Dulcie also says she doesn’t remember this T person nor that specific day. But she has a proposition for Ali. Dulcie had the cottage fixed, and she wants to spend the summer there doing art. Would Ali come with her to babysit Emma? Despite Claire’s reluctance, Ali enthusiastically agrees to go.

Within the first few days, Ali and Emma meet Sissy, a scrawny girl wearing a faded bathing suit. Sissy is mean and vicious, yet Emma really likes her and tries to emulate her. There is something creepy about Sissy, but Ali can’t put her finger on her. Then Sissy brings up Teresa, a girl who drowned in the lake the last summer Claire and Dulcie spent at the lake. Teresa’s body was never found, and Sissy implies that both Claire and Dulcie were responsible for her murder. But why is Sissy so angry? And what lurks at the bottom of the lake?

Fans of Closing for the Season will enjoy this ghost story.

Black Cat, Vol 7

Yakubi, Kentaro. Black Cat, Vol 7. 2000. 207p. ISBN 978-1-4215-1036-1. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Rinslet meets Jenos, who has been sent by the Numbers to recruit her. She is tasked with finding Creed so the Numbers can end the threat the Apostles of the Stars pose to the world order. Meanwhile, Train, Eve, and Sven apprehend a mad bomber. Even continues her training, as she considers herself a rival of Train. Train, meanwhile teaches a young child a lesson in killing, something he himself learned a long time ago … vengeance is never sweet.

The story continues in Black Cat Vol. 8.

The Chocolate War

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. 2004. 267p. ISBN 9780375829871. Available on the library shelves at FIC COR.

Jerry Renault is a new student at Trinity, a private catholic school for boys. In ninth grade, Jerry joins a highly organized and regimented social order controlled by the Vigils, a secret society made up of upperclassmen. The Vigils dictate assignments to students, such as all coughing at the same time in a class, or performing a series of actions when a specific word is used. No one dares oppose the Vigils, not even the teachers.

Jerry does most of the activities that students do at school. He joins the football team and tries out as the quarterback. He makes a few friends. Life is not good, since his mother died and his father and himself now live in a small apartment.

Life is about to get much more difficult, however. Every year, Trinity conducts a fundraiser which consists of selling boxes of chocolates. This year, Brother Leon has overextended himself and has purchased over 20,000 boxes of chocolates. This is 50 boxes of chocolates per student at the school! He needs the Vigils’ help in getting this accomplished. Unfortunately for Jerry, however, he has received the assignment from the Vigils of refusing to sell chocolates for ten days. Ten whole days during which, at roll call, he must tell Brother Leon that he refuses to sell chocolates. For ten days Jerry’s life is made miserable. But on the eleventh, when Jerry is finally free to accept chocolates, he refuses again. This simple act of defiance suddenly becomes a challenge to the Vigils, and the chocolate war breaks out. Can Jerry resist the pressures to conform and accept the sale of chocolates, or is something more important than this fundraiser now at stake at Trinity?