Summaries for the 15 2013/2014 Missouri Gateway Readers Award nominees
Here are my brief summaries/teasers for the 15 nominated young adult novels that are on Missouri's Gateway Readers Award list for 2013/2014. High school students who read at least three of the novels can vote for the statewide winner March 2, 2014.
All these things I've done by Gabrielle Zevin: Anya Balenchine is 16 and the heir to a chocolate empire, which means she could be the head of the mafia family since chocolate and caffeine are illegal in 2083. But Anya has her own problems, including being charged with attempted murder of her ex-boyfriend after he ate poisoned chocolate. Anya falls for Win, the new kid at school who also happens to be the assistant district attorney's son. Anya needs all her wits as the New York media, her family's enemies, and even her own family seem to be after her.
Anna dressed in blood by Kendare Blake: Cas Lowood took up killing ghosts after his father, another ghost hunter, was killed by a spirit he was seeking to quiet. Cas longs to avenge his father's death by tracking and killing the spirit that offed his father, but in the meantime Cas travels the country listening to folklore and local legends seeking out other ghosts to quiet. Typically, Cas only puts to rest the ghosts who can still harm humans. He uses his father's athame, a special knife for his trade. In the Pacific northwest, Cas searches out a spirit named Anna Dressed in Blood, who is unlike any spirit he's fought before, and Cas finds he needs the help of a few friends to finish what he came for.
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick An EMP, or electromagnetic pulse, wipes out all electronic devices, kills billions and turns many young adults into zombies. But a mysterious handful survive. Alex, a 17 year old with a terminal brain tumor, as well as Ellie, an eight year old whose grandfather was killed in the pulse, and Tom, a soldier fresh from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, band together on a quest for survival in the new post-apocolyptic world. Be prepared to get the sequel as soon as you're done, as this one ends on the ultimate cliffhanger.
Ashfall by Mike Mullin Alex thought that not going with his family on their weekend trip to the farm a couple hours away meant he'd have the house all to himself. But then the supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park exploded hundreds of miles to the west, and everything changed instantly. Alex decides it'd be best to be with his family just over the river in Illinois, but getting there proves almost impossible in the thick volcanic ash that has stopped all traffic and sent humanity devolving into violence. Along the way Alex meets Darla, another teen willing to help him in his journey. The sequel, ashen winter, is available.
Au Revoir, crazy European chick by Joe Schrieber It's prom night, but Perry has his sites set on his band's first big gig in Manhattan. However, it looks like he won't be there since his mom is forcing him to take their hideous, embarrassing Lithuanian exchange student Gobi to the prom on her last night in the country. Perry plans to dump his date and still make the gig-- until Gobi turns into a trained assassin with plans of her own for her final night. A funny, fast-paced adventure you won't want to put down.
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys Fifteen year old Lina leads an ordinary life in Lithuania, enjoying her friends and painting or drawing as often as she can. But then Russian (Soviet) NKVD soldiers charge into her family's house and separates the family. Her father and younger brother are sent to work camps in Siberia while Lina and her mother are forced to endure the cold and horrible conditions of other camps. Lina uses her artistic abilities to add clues to her drawings, which she hopes can make their way to the other half of her family. This is the rarely-told tale of Stalin's Russian genocide, in which Sepetys estimates a third of the Baltic States population was killed.
Bitter end by Jennifer Brown When the hot new superstar athlete Cole turns his attentions to Alex, she can't believe she's found someone who finally understands her and wants to be with her. However, Cole becomes increasingly possessive, and Alex begins alienating her two best friends when they rarely see each other-- even to plan their dream trip to Colorado. However, Alex starts to get concerned as Cole starts putting her down, and pinching her, then hitting her. She can't seem to find a way to break it off, despite the voice of reason screaming at her to end the abuse.
Daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor Seventeen year old Karou is an art student in Prague, working for the mysterious Brimstone in his wish shop. Brimstone sends her all over the world through a special door, and she trades with murderers and others for the human teeth that Brimstone needs for his work. Karou doesn't know what that work is, but she launches a quest for the truth after meeting a real angel and after being trapped after one of the doors she comes though does not re-open for her return. The gorgeous writing and well-rounded characters will draw you in. The sequel, Days of Blood & Starlight, is already published.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver Lena is looking forward to the relatively simple brain operation that cures love. The government requires the surgery, claiming that so many of life's troubles are caused by the pain of love. However, just weeks from her scheduled operation, Lena meets a boy and begins having feelings that she isn't sure she wants to end. The first of a planned trilogy, Pandemonium is already published and Reqium is scheduled for release March 5, 2013.
Divergent by Veronica Roth The skyscrapers of Chicago still stand in this post-apocolyptic novel, but the civilization is much different than our own. Here, children grow up with their family in one faction-- but at sixteen they get to choose one of five they will spend the remainder of their lives with. Each faction lives by a particular virtue: honesty, bravery, intelligence, selflessness, peacefulness. Beatrice Prior and her brother have their choosing on the same day, and despite the expectation that both will stay with their family faction, both make surprising choices. Action-packed and fast-paced, this is the first of a trilogy. Insurgent is already published as book two.
Everybody sees the ants by A.S. King Lucky Linderman is anything but lucky. His parents bicker constantly. His chef father-- who Lucky views as a turtle always retreating into his shell-- ignores the family and spends most of his time at the restaurant. His mother, the squid, spends her days swimming laps at the local pool where Lucky is bullied. After a particularly harsh round of bullying that leaves Lucky's cheek scraped raw, his mom takes him for lengthy visit to his aunt and uncle in Arizona. Lucky's grandfather was a soldier in Vietnam, and his body was never recovered. Under the stress of bullies and bickering parents, Lucky often dreams of rescuing his missing-in-action grandfather. A great book that stands on its own--without a series of sequels.
I'll be there by Holly Goldberg Sloan Sam and his asthmatic, possibly autistic, little brother Riddle have been on the run with their dad for a decade. Their dad, a small-time thief who is constantly paranoid about being caught, essentially kidnapped the kids when Sam was in second grade and neither boy has seen a school since. Emily Bell was forced into singing a solo at church of the Motown song "I'll Be There," and by chance Sam happened to have wandered into the church that morning, a chance encounter that eventually wound up changing both of their lives.
The probability of miracles by Wendy Wunder Cam Kelly's to-do list (not a bucket list) is a bit different than most teenagers. The things she has dreamed up to do before she dies are more urgent, since she will likely not see her next birthday thanks to a nasty breed of cancer she's been battling for several years. After doctors have exhausted all their tricks, Cam's mom decides to move the family from Disneyworld (where her mom is a Hawaiian dancer at the Polynesian hotel) to the mythical town of Promise, Maine. The rumor is that Promise has magical healing powers, and Cam's mom hopes that her daughter might not only heal physically, but find a new emotional beginning as well.
Sheter by Harlan Coben Mickey Bolitair's world seems to be crumbling around him. He witnesses his father's death, and his mother is in rehab. Mickey goes to live with his strange and mysterious uncle Myron, and is forced to switch schools. However, it is there that Mickey meets Ashley and he finally feels that his luck might be changing--until Ashely disappears. Mickey is unwilling to let another important person in his life slip away, and begins following clues to try to find her. This fast-paced young adult novel is similar to Coben's adult thrillers (many of which feature the mysterious Myron Bolitair) that readers won't be able to put down. The sequel, Seconds Away, is already published.
Shine by Lauren Myracle Seventeen year old Patrick Truman was badly beaten and left for dead at his convenience store job late one night in a small North Carolina town. The perpetrators taped a gas pump nozzle inside Patrick's mouth, seemingly as a statement about Patrick's sexual orientation. Sixteen year old Cat has been a kindred spirit to Patrick since they were little, and Cat is certain that someone in their backwards, closed-minded town is to blame for the horrific hate crime. Cat launches her own investigation when the local cops want to blame the deed on out-of-towners passing through.
All these things I've done by Gabrielle Zevin: Anya Balenchine is 16 and the heir to a chocolate empire, which means she could be the head of the mafia family since chocolate and caffeine are illegal in 2083. But Anya has her own problems, including being charged with attempted murder of her ex-boyfriend after he ate poisoned chocolate. Anya falls for Win, the new kid at school who also happens to be the assistant district attorney's son. Anya needs all her wits as the New York media, her family's enemies, and even her own family seem to be after her.
Anna dressed in blood by Kendare Blake: Cas Lowood took up killing ghosts after his father, another ghost hunter, was killed by a spirit he was seeking to quiet. Cas longs to avenge his father's death by tracking and killing the spirit that offed his father, but in the meantime Cas travels the country listening to folklore and local legends seeking out other ghosts to quiet. Typically, Cas only puts to rest the ghosts who can still harm humans. He uses his father's athame, a special knife for his trade. In the Pacific northwest, Cas searches out a spirit named Anna Dressed in Blood, who is unlike any spirit he's fought before, and Cas finds he needs the help of a few friends to finish what he came for.
Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick An EMP, or electromagnetic pulse, wipes out all electronic devices, kills billions and turns many young adults into zombies. But a mysterious handful survive. Alex, a 17 year old with a terminal brain tumor, as well as Ellie, an eight year old whose grandfather was killed in the pulse, and Tom, a soldier fresh from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, band together on a quest for survival in the new post-apocolyptic world. Be prepared to get the sequel as soon as you're done, as this one ends on the ultimate cliffhanger.
Ashfall by Mike Mullin Alex thought that not going with his family on their weekend trip to the farm a couple hours away meant he'd have the house all to himself. But then the supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park exploded hundreds of miles to the west, and everything changed instantly. Alex decides it'd be best to be with his family just over the river in Illinois, but getting there proves almost impossible in the thick volcanic ash that has stopped all traffic and sent humanity devolving into violence. Along the way Alex meets Darla, another teen willing to help him in his journey. The sequel, ashen winter, is available.
Au Revoir, crazy European chick by Joe Schrieber It's prom night, but Perry has his sites set on his band's first big gig in Manhattan. However, it looks like he won't be there since his mom is forcing him to take their hideous, embarrassing Lithuanian exchange student Gobi to the prom on her last night in the country. Perry plans to dump his date and still make the gig-- until Gobi turns into a trained assassin with plans of her own for her final night. A funny, fast-paced adventure you won't want to put down.
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys Fifteen year old Lina leads an ordinary life in Lithuania, enjoying her friends and painting or drawing as often as she can. But then Russian (Soviet) NKVD soldiers charge into her family's house and separates the family. Her father and younger brother are sent to work camps in Siberia while Lina and her mother are forced to endure the cold and horrible conditions of other camps. Lina uses her artistic abilities to add clues to her drawings, which she hopes can make their way to the other half of her family. This is the rarely-told tale of Stalin's Russian genocide, in which Sepetys estimates a third of the Baltic States population was killed.
Bitter end by Jennifer Brown When the hot new superstar athlete Cole turns his attentions to Alex, she can't believe she's found someone who finally understands her and wants to be with her. However, Cole becomes increasingly possessive, and Alex begins alienating her two best friends when they rarely see each other-- even to plan their dream trip to Colorado. However, Alex starts to get concerned as Cole starts putting her down, and pinching her, then hitting her. She can't seem to find a way to break it off, despite the voice of reason screaming at her to end the abuse.
Daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor Seventeen year old Karou is an art student in Prague, working for the mysterious Brimstone in his wish shop. Brimstone sends her all over the world through a special door, and she trades with murderers and others for the human teeth that Brimstone needs for his work. Karou doesn't know what that work is, but she launches a quest for the truth after meeting a real angel and after being trapped after one of the doors she comes though does not re-open for her return. The gorgeous writing and well-rounded characters will draw you in. The sequel, Days of Blood & Starlight, is already published.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver Lena is looking forward to the relatively simple brain operation that cures love. The government requires the surgery, claiming that so many of life's troubles are caused by the pain of love. However, just weeks from her scheduled operation, Lena meets a boy and begins having feelings that she isn't sure she wants to end. The first of a planned trilogy, Pandemonium is already published and Reqium is scheduled for release March 5, 2013.
Divergent by Veronica Roth The skyscrapers of Chicago still stand in this post-apocolyptic novel, but the civilization is much different than our own. Here, children grow up with their family in one faction-- but at sixteen they get to choose one of five they will spend the remainder of their lives with. Each faction lives by a particular virtue: honesty, bravery, intelligence, selflessness, peacefulness. Beatrice Prior and her brother have their choosing on the same day, and despite the expectation that both will stay with their family faction, both make surprising choices. Action-packed and fast-paced, this is the first of a trilogy. Insurgent is already published as book two.
Everybody sees the ants by A.S. King Lucky Linderman is anything but lucky. His parents bicker constantly. His chef father-- who Lucky views as a turtle always retreating into his shell-- ignores the family and spends most of his time at the restaurant. His mother, the squid, spends her days swimming laps at the local pool where Lucky is bullied. After a particularly harsh round of bullying that leaves Lucky's cheek scraped raw, his mom takes him for lengthy visit to his aunt and uncle in Arizona. Lucky's grandfather was a soldier in Vietnam, and his body was never recovered. Under the stress of bullies and bickering parents, Lucky often dreams of rescuing his missing-in-action grandfather. A great book that stands on its own--without a series of sequels.
I'll be there by Holly Goldberg Sloan Sam and his asthmatic, possibly autistic, little brother Riddle have been on the run with their dad for a decade. Their dad, a small-time thief who is constantly paranoid about being caught, essentially kidnapped the kids when Sam was in second grade and neither boy has seen a school since. Emily Bell was forced into singing a solo at church of the Motown song "I'll Be There," and by chance Sam happened to have wandered into the church that morning, a chance encounter that eventually wound up changing both of their lives.
The probability of miracles by Wendy Wunder Cam Kelly's to-do list (not a bucket list) is a bit different than most teenagers. The things she has dreamed up to do before she dies are more urgent, since she will likely not see her next birthday thanks to a nasty breed of cancer she's been battling for several years. After doctors have exhausted all their tricks, Cam's mom decides to move the family from Disneyworld (where her mom is a Hawaiian dancer at the Polynesian hotel) to the mythical town of Promise, Maine. The rumor is that Promise has magical healing powers, and Cam's mom hopes that her daughter might not only heal physically, but find a new emotional beginning as well.
Sheter by Harlan Coben Mickey Bolitair's world seems to be crumbling around him. He witnesses his father's death, and his mother is in rehab. Mickey goes to live with his strange and mysterious uncle Myron, and is forced to switch schools. However, it is there that Mickey meets Ashley and he finally feels that his luck might be changing--until Ashely disappears. Mickey is unwilling to let another important person in his life slip away, and begins following clues to try to find her. This fast-paced young adult novel is similar to Coben's adult thrillers (many of which feature the mysterious Myron Bolitair) that readers won't be able to put down. The sequel, Seconds Away, is already published.
Shine by Lauren Myracle Seventeen year old Patrick Truman was badly beaten and left for dead at his convenience store job late one night in a small North Carolina town. The perpetrators taped a gas pump nozzle inside Patrick's mouth, seemingly as a statement about Patrick's sexual orientation. Sixteen year old Cat has been a kindred spirit to Patrick since they were little, and Cat is certain that someone in their backwards, closed-minded town is to blame for the horrific hate crime. Cat launches her own investigation when the local cops want to blame the deed on out-of-towners passing through.
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