Grieving Teens: In the Wild Light, Where It All Lands, and Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town.

 Having just lost a close friend in a head-on car collision, I find myself drawn to stories of grieving and loss right now.  Reading about others coping with grief informs me in my own process of dealing with his death. Jeff Zentner's (The Serpent King) latest book, In the Wild Light chronicles a teen grieving his grandpa's death by expressing himself through poetry.  Where It All Lands by Jennie Wexler opens with a unexplained funeral followed by a story told in a dual timeline revealing who lies in the casket. Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock (The Smell of Other People's Houses) is a collection of nine linked stories about small-town teens.

In the Wild Light introduces Appalachian teens Cash Pruitt and Delaney Doyle who have been best friends since childhood, having bonded over their parents' struggles with addiction.  When Delaney discovers a new mold with antibacterial properties in a local cave, she is offered a scholarship to a Connecticut science prep school. She agrees to go only if Cash is admitted, too.  Cash, whose beloved grandfather Papaw is dying from emphysema, is hesitant to go, but Delaney and his grandparents convince him to embrace this opportunity.  At first, they are fish out of water, but as they develop friendships and Delaney immerses herself in the science department and Cash discovers a passion for poetry, they begin to blossom.  As Papaw's condition worsens, Cash is more and more fretful about being away.  He pours his grief and homesickness into his poetry, which catches the attention of his poetry teacher, who becomes a trusted mentor.  His eloquent poems about love, family and grief, which are peppered throughout the text, are lyrical delights.  Although Cash and Delaney's relationship is threatened by differing challenges, they ultimately find their way back to each other. Perhaps I just read this book at the right time, but it is my favorite book so far this year. 

In Where It All Lands a coin flip creates a dual timeline, chronicling what happened for each outcome.  The story begins with a funeral, following a car accident, but the reader is kept in the dark as to who died.  Shane and Drew are neighbors and  best friends, who have both recently lost their dads.  Shane father succumbs to an illness and Drew's dad, a high powered music executive, has left his family behind for a new life. When Stevie Rosenstein moves to town and joins their school marching band, they both fall for her and flip a coin to see who gets to ask her out.  They all have a passion for music. Stevie plays the saxophone, Shane is a talented drummer and Drew is the lead singer in a rock band, but he picks up the trumpet to prove to his dad that he is a serious musician.  The first half of the book finds Drew winning the toss and entering a passionate relationship with Stevie, even though she and Shane are bonding over preparing for a music competition that may help her get a college scholarship.  The second half of the book ponders what would have happened if Shane won the coin toss.  Ultimately, the boys realize that have no control over Stevie's choices and the consequences.  The mystery as to who dies in the car accident creates suspense and the different timelines reinforce that there is more to love than initial attraction.

Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town is a story collection of nine linked third person narratives that take place in small towns from Alaska to Colorado. The common thread throughout involves a devastating wildfire and the disappearance of a young girl.  Gina is grieving her dead mother; Kelsey feels out of sync with her basketball obsessed community; Delia is looking for revenge on a pedophilic priest; other characters experience heartbreak and healing, but all are connected by the wildfire and missing girl.  Although some of the stories are stronger than others, all have a strong sense of place and relatable characters, who experience the suffocating social expectations of small rural communities.  Readers will enjoy recognizing overlapping locations and secondary characters, as well as solving the mystery of the missing girl. 

YA Beach Reads: The Rest of the Story, Fame, Fate and the First Kiss, Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee, When Summer Ends

Summer is here and it's time for beach read recommendations.  Several popular authors have new books out, including Sarah Dessen (Once and For All 2017), one of my all-time favorite authors.  Her latest, The Rest of the Story, focuses on a young teen, who finds herself staying with her deceased mother's family, whom she hasn't seen for years, at their low budget lakeside motel. Fame, Fate and the First Kiss by Kasie West (Love, Life and the List) follows Lacey Barnes, an aspiring actress who has just been cast opposite a teen heartthrob in a new zombie film. Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner (The Serpent King) introduces Josie and Delia who host a public access cable TV show featuring hokey horror movies. Finally, When Summer Ends by Jessica Pennington (Love Songs and Other Lies) explores the relationship between Aiden, a star pitcher who is losing his vision, and Olivia, an aspiring journalist with an absentee mother, as they work together at his family's boat rental business for the summer. 

In The Rest of the Story  anxiety-ridden Emma Saylor Payne is thrown for a loop when she is sent to stay with her dead mother's family on North Lake, while her dad is on his honeymoon with his new wife and her paternal grandmother is on a cruise.  Emma's parents met on North Lake when he was teaching sailing lessons at Lake North, the ritzy side of the lake.  Her mother, who grew up on the working-class side of the lake at her family's low budget motel, was a beautiful, but troubled woman.  She had never gotten over the accidental death of her best friend Chris, and after years of struggle with addiction, died of an overdose. Emma, who is called Saylor by her mother's family, finds herself enjoying working at the motel and flirting with Roo, Chris's son who was her childhood friend. As she gets to know her cousins, she realizes that the class conflict between the kids on the two sides of the lake hasn't changed much since her parents were there.  Learning about her mother's wild teenage years and the time she herself spent at the lake before her mother died, Emma enjoys a summer of self-discovery, uncovering family secrets and experiencing first love.  This terrific addition to Dessen's repertoire of books exploring social class, family relationships and budding romance is a must read this summer.
Fame, Fate and the First Kiss introduces Lacey Barnes, who gets a shot at stardom, when she is chosen to co-star with action-hero Grant James in a zombie movie. Grant, whose last film received vicious reviews, is looking to redeem his reputation with a solid hit.  Lacey moves to LA to live with her dad, who is not as supportive of her career as she would like.  He hires Donavan Lake, a straight-laced judgmental peer tutor, to make sure she is doing her homework.  Meanwhile, her onscreen chemistry with Grant is lackluster. (Could it be all the zombie makeup she has to wear?) and someone on the set seems to be sabotaging her on social media.  When she tries to figure out who it is, she turns to Donavan for help finding the saboteur.  Her female co-star Amanda, who is coaching her on kissing techniques, tells her to imagine kissing someone she likes when shooting scenes with Grant, and much to her dismay Lacey finds herself thinking about Donavan. Excerpts from the Dancing Graves movie script are peppered throughout the story to give the reader insight into the film.  This fun romantic comedy, filled with West's trademark witty repartee between Lacey and Donavan, is sure to be a hit with fans of wholesome teen romance. 
Josie (Rayne) and Delia (Delilah) are the hosts of Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee, a public access cable TV show in Jackson, Tennessee, which features hokey horror movies, interspersed with the girls' humorous banter and silly skits. Josie, who hopes to pursue a career in television, has an opportunity to take an internship with the Food Network, but struggles with her feelings of loyalty to Delia. Delia is passionate about resurrecting the old horror movies she watched with her absentee father as a kid.  She secretly hopes he will someday see the show and reconnect with her.  When Lawson, a young MMA fighter, guest stars with his beagle on the show, Josie finds herself falling for him.  The three head to Orlando for the ShiverCon festival, where they plan to meet with legendary horror host Jack Devine, who might help them gain a wider audience. Delia also hopes to find her father, who is supposedly in Orlando.  Written from alternating perspectives, the novel paints a picture of two colorful characters, whose witty banter and heartfelt angst about the future makes them an unforgettable pair.
Told from dual first-person perspectives, When Summer Ends follows the lives of high school star pitcher Aiden, who is secretly dealing with a vision impairment, and aspiring journalist Olivia, who did not get the summer newspaper internship she was hoping for and is nursing her first heartbreak.  Securing a job at his family vacation boat rental store on Lake Michigan, Olivia begins to heal as she and Aiden work side by side and begin an innocent flirtation.  Then her absentee mother arrives in town, just as her custodial aunt tells her they are moving to Arizona for her senior year.  Aiden, who quit the baseball team at the end of their junior year without any explanation, confides in Olivia that he is losing his vision, which puts an end to his pitching aspirations. He now is focusing on his passion for art, but his high school teammates, including Olivia's ex, who are unaware of his diagnosis, won't stop pestering him about rejoining the team.  Olivia and Aiden decide to live summer by chance, using coin flips and rock, paper, scissors to make important decisions. They begin to fall in love as they each explore new possibilities, including a life together.  These two sympathetic characters will keep readers engaged and rooting for them until the very last page. 

Keepin' It Real: Pin Drop, The Smell of Other People's Houses, and The Serpent King

I recently finished a new book Pin Drop by Roz Monette, whom I met at the CTLC conference, and was intrigued when the main character meets a Denver librarian who has a "Keepin' It Real" shelf for teens, filled with young adult novels with "darker subject matter."   Pin Drop, which is about a 17-year-old homeless girl, who is living on the streets of Denver, certainly belongs on this self.  I am also excited about two debut novels that fit this category as well.  Bonnie Sue Hitchcock's The Smell of Other People's Houses explores the lives of four teens looking for second chances in Alaska 1970, and Jeff Zentner's The Serpent King narrates the tale of three rural teens whose enduring friendship helps them to deal with small minded abuse from the people in their town. All of the books deal with difficult topics and are recommended for mature readers.

Mo Perez, a 17-year-old in the Bounce Back alternative high school program, is know as "Pin Drop" to her classmates.  She is a girl of few words, but when she unleashes her caustic wit, she silences all around her.  Left to fend for herself in Denver when her 21-year-old sister and legal guardian moves to Nevada, Mo decides homelessness is better than going back into the foster care system.  She leaves school and navigates the challenges of living on the street by spending time in the library, where she devours books from the "Keepin' It Real" shelf, fishing coins out of the mall fountain, and occasionally getting a meal and bed at the Denver rescue mission.  When she gets romantically involved with Derek, a young cop in the K-9 training program, she tries to hide her homeless status, which is tough when she is always carrying a heavy backpack filled with everything she owns.  Mo's snarky sense of humor and fierce independence make her a character you want to embrace.  The author paints a vivid picture of what it's like to live on the streets of Denver and ultimately what services are available to kids in need.  Although much of what happens in Mo's life is tragic, her perseverance ultimately allows her to carve out a new life for herself that is filled with hope.

In The Smell of Other People's Houses four teenagers' lives intertwine over the course of a year in Alaska in 1970.  Ruth, who lives with her strict grandmother after her father's death and her mother's breakdown, is sent to a convent when she finds herself pregnant.  Dora, who is taken in by a loving family after her abusive father is sent to jail, comes into some luck that may be her downfall.  Alyce, a talented dancer who spends summers on her father's fishing boat, longs to try out for a dance scholarship, but doesn't want to abandon her father.  Finally, Hank and his brothers, who stow away on a boat after running away from their mother and her abusive boyfriend, find themselves in a world of trouble after one of them goes overboard.  As the title indicates the author uses sensory details to paint a picture of teens trying to find their places in a difficult world. Her lyrical prose evokes a time and place not frequently explored and leaves the reader with an emotionally honest view of kids experiencing domestic trauma.

Told from three different points of view, The Serpent King chronicles the lives of Dill, Travis and Lydia, three Tennessee teenage outcasts, who are going their separate ways after high school graduation.  Dill, the only son of an incarcerated snake handling Pentecostal minister, struggles to fend off bullies and hide his love for Lydia. His only solace is the music he writes and performs.  Travis, a gentle giant obsessed with a literary fantasy world, lives in online chat rooms to avoid abuse at home. Lydia, a highly successful fashion blogger dreams of heading to NYC to pursue a fashion career and wants the boys to dream, too.  The three navigate their last year together hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.  This debut author, a musician himself, eloquently portrays these sympathetic teens' aspirations, fears and enduring friendship.  Tough topics, including child molestation, homophobia, bullying and brainwashing, make this a high school read.