Shadowshaper

Older, Daniel José. Shadowshaper. 2015. 297p. ISBN 978-0-545-59161-4. Available at FIC OLD on the library shelves.

Sierra Santiago leads a busy life. With school done, she’s looking forward to working on a mural, spending time with friends, and also taking care of her elderly grandfather, who’s losing more and more of his memories. Working on the mural, she notices that the other painting across the street has faded overnight and seems sadder than she remembers it. That night, she attends a party with her best friend but they are attacked by a strange zombie-like guy who relentlessly pursues her.

Sierra discovers that she is one of the Shadowshapers, people who have the power to connect with spirits through paintings, music, and art. These spirits are then willing to do the Shadowshaper’s bidding. This small group is very secretive, and as Sierra investigates she discovers that her grandparents were part of it, but her parents wanted nothing to do with this paranormal power and denied it even existed. Her brother Juan has been introduced to the Shadowshapers by her grandfather. Holding an old photo of her grandfather and his friends, Sierra sees that members of the group are slowly vanishing.

Through the helpful assistance of a librarian at the University, Sierra ascertains that one of her grandfather’s colleague, anthropologist Dr. Jonathan Wick, has used the powers of Shadowshapers to conjure spirits that have been pursuing his own evil plans, including animating the corpses that have been threatening Sierra and her friends. As Wick seeks to become the only one who can control this power, Sierra is the only one who can stop him, but in doing so she will discover information about her family’s past and present she may not be ready to learn.

Well, That Was Awkward

Vail, Rachel. Well, That Was Awkward. 2017. 314p. 375 mins. ISBN 978-0-670-01308-1. Available at FIC VAI on the library shelves and as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Gracie can never be mad, or sad, or angry. Not to her friends, not to herself, and especially not to her parents. Gracie had a sister she never knew. Brett died at the age of 7 when she was hit by a car while playing in the street. After her death her parents moved from Boston to New York, and a few years later Gracie was born. Gracie has always felt the weight of Brett’s absence. The perfect child, Brett was everything Gracie was not. As the new child, Gracie tries to emulate Brett, but it’s hard to live up to her parents’ expectations. Not wanting to disappoint them, she tries to be happy all the time.

When the subjects of death, sisters, or siblings comes up, Gracie always try to steer the conversation away from the topic. It’s during one of those conversations that Gracie notices that A.J. has become extremely good looking, enough to stop her from breathing. What happened? Lovable A.J. has turned into the most attractive boy at her school, and now Gracie is completely smitten. Unfortunately, she quickly discovers that A.J. is more interested in Sienna, her best friend, than in her. Disappointed, Gracie is nonetheless happy to help Sienna begin a texting relationship with A.J. Helped with best friend Emmett, they manage to get the two of them together.

But sometimes, being the supportive friend who’s always second is not good enough. And this is one of those times. As Gracie gets ready to turn 14, twice as old as Brett, she’s feeling the winds of change. It’s time for Gracie to face the music, and realize that she has the right to be angry and sad sometimes, and that she always deserves happiness, even if that means being her own awkward person and not someone else.

Pretty

Sayre, Justin. Pretty. 2017. 222p. ISBN 978-0-448-48417-4. Available at FIC SAY on the library shelves.

At thirteen, Sophie has already experienced more abuse and worries than most kids. Her parents are divorced. Her White father is French and lives in Paris. Janet, her Black mother lives with Sophie in Brooklyn, and is a fashion editor. But she’s also a drunk, and for years Sophie has suffered in silence as Janet drinks herself into oblivion every night. Some nights Janet makes it to bed okay. Most nights Janet passes out before landing in her bed. Sometimes Janet gets violent and hits Sophie. Always Janet berates Sophie for not being good enough. Sophie lives in fear of the bad days and counts her blessing every time her mother makes it by herself to her bed. Sophie always manages to escape early in the morning and makes her way to school with her friend Ducks.

Following a particularly violent encounter, Sophie attends school and hangs out with her friend Allegra, who’s very interested in boys, especially Brian. Ryan, Brian’s friend, shows some interest in Sophie, but she’s not sure how to reciprocate or even whether she’s actually interested. When she returns home that night, she finds that her aunt Amara, a successful university professor, has moved in and Janet has left on a trip for an undetermined period of time. Suddenly Sophie doesn’t have to worry about her mother passing out, or hitting her. But her aunt also has expectations. She wants Sophie to tell her about her school day. She supervises homework. She takes Sophie to church. And as restrictive as her aunt’s way of parenting feels, it also feels comforting.

With a more stable home environment, Sophie can now fully focus herself on her school life. It’s complicated with Allegra, who seems to hold against Sophie the fact that she is pretty. She’s not certain whether she likes Ryan, but he sure talks about himself a lot and never asks questions about her own life. Her friends Ellen and Ducks are there for her, but is she there for them? Through Janet’s absence, Sophie will discover what it means to be true to herself.

The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily

Cohn, Rachel & David Levithan. The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily. 2016. 215p. ISBN 978-0-399-55381-3. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

New York City teenagers Dash and Lily have been dating for nearly a year, ever since last Christmas. Lily loves Christmas, and every year she drives the celebrations at her house. This year, however, Lily’s not in the mood at all. Her grandfather had a stroke, and now he needs help even with mundane tasks. Lily is happy to assist him, for she wants to delay his move into an assisted living facility. She loves Dash, but Dash has never told her he loves her. Really close to her parents, Lily is also worried that once grandfather is out of the house they will be moving to Connecticut where her father is now the head of a private school.

For his part, Dash loves Lily too, but her focus on her grandfather has tarnished their relationship. With divorced parents, Dash has never really liked Christmas (too much drama!), but he’s put up a good front for Lily last year. When Langston, Lily’s brother, approaches Dash, Dash knows that there is trouble afoot, for the two of them do not get along. Langston tells him that something must be done to bring the old Lily’s happy Christmastime spirit back. Dash agrees to take on the challenge. But with only twelve days left before Christmas, can he figure a way to bring back Christmas’ magic and help Lily realize that this is as much a part of her as helping her grandfather?

A light hearted tale following the famous Christmas song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” Dash and Lily will work hard to rekindle the spirit of Christmas and find each other again.

Lair of Dreams

Bray, Libba. Lair of Dreams. Book 2 of the Diviners series. 2015. 613p. ISBN 978-0-316-12604-5. Available at FIC BRA on the library shelves.

When Evie O’Neill and her friends solved the ritualistic murders that were taking place in New York City in 1926, she proclaimed to all who would listen that she was a Diviner, one of the folks who possess rare talents such as being able to divine the future, or, in her case, tell the past through holding an object. Her public announcement caused a rift between herself and her uncle Will, but led to her hiring for a radio show. As America’s Sweetheart Seer, Evie parties hard and manages to spend a few days in each hotel before being evicted for being loud, inconsiderate, or simply not the type of customer the place wants.

Meanwhile, things are still gloomy at the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult. Sam Lloyd is still searching for answers on Project Buffalo, and he’s convinced that Will knows more than he lets on. Jericho struggles with Evie’s rejection and Mabel’s obvious interest and is unsure of his next step as the only man-machine combination. Memphis continues to be tormented by his ability to heal while he watches his younger brother Isaiah develop his ability to predict the future.

Theta Knight and Henry DuBois IV pursue their musical careers, but Theta’s fear of losing control of a secret power she wields forces her to distance herself from her relationship with Memphis. Henry, for his part, continues to search for his lover. In a dream, he meets Chinatown resident Ling Chan, who, like him can travel in other people’s dreams. The daughter of a Chinese man and an Irish woman, Ling lost the partial use of her legs due to sickness and now must walk about on crutches. In her dreams, though, she does not have to.

A mysterious disease begins to spread through New York City, first in Chinatown, then elsewhere. People fall asleep, and cannot be woken up. Eventually, boils appear on their bodies and they die, seemingly burned from the inside out. In their dreams, both Henry and Ling encounter a Chinese girl coming to the United States to marry a rich husband in New York. As more and more people succumb to the sleeping sickness, the Diviners realize that this girl is somehow involved. In the shadows, a mysterious government agency is attempting to find all the Diviners. And in the background, the man with the black stovepipe pulls the strings. Can the Diviners stop the sleep sickness before it strikes one of them?

The Diviners

Bray, Linda. The Diviners. Book 1 of the Diviners series. 2012. 578p. ISBN 0-316-12611-X. Available at FIC BRA on the library shelves.

It is 1926, and the world of jazz and exuberance has come on the scene. In Ohio, seventeen-year-old Evie O’Neill has the uncanny ability to obtain very personal information about a person from an object. The more personal the object, the more she knows about its owner. When she reveals that the town’s golden boy has gotten a girl pregnant, she is faced with a choice: apologize publicly for her “inaccurate” statement, or get exiled to New York City to live with her uncle until things die down back in Ohio. Thrilled at the possibility of heading to the Big Apple and spending time with her best friend Mabel, who lives in the same building as her uncle, Evie agrees and departs on the train.

Once in New York, she is skillfully robbed by a young man named Sam Lloyd who wakes her up to the dangers of life in the city. Meeting her uncle Will, who is the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult, she is introduced to Jericho, with whom Mabel is enamored. Evie can see why. Tall and blond, Jericho is her uncle’s assistant and was adopted by him years ago.

In Harlem, Memphis and his younger brothers both have talents of their own. Memphis used to be able to lay hands and heal, but hasn’t summoned his ability since the death of his mother. His younger brother, Isaiah, can divine cards and see in the future. Abandoned by their father after their mother’s death, they live with their aunt Octavia. Memphis is a hustler for the local crime lord, but he really wants to be a poet.

And in an old abandoned mansion, a shadow grows. Naughty John, a prophet of the Breathens, was executed for the murder of the mansion’s former owner back in the 1850s. His spirit is back, however, and seeks to complete a ritual involving eleven sacrifices that will release the Beast. The Beast will inflict evil on the world, but will then be banished by the Breathens, leading to paradise on Earth. As Naughty John moves closer to his goal and gets stronger from every sacrifice, Evie, Memphis, and a cast of unforgettable characters get caught in a deadly intrigue of occult and paranormal. Ritual murders plague the city as Solomon’s comet approaches Earth. With only a few days left, can Evie and her friends stop Naughty John?