The Impact of Missing Fathers

 The impact of a dead or missing father on a child's sense of identity and well-being is explored frequently in young adult novels.  In Jandy Nelson's (I'll Give You the Sun) new novel, When the World Tips Over, the Fall kids' father mysteriously disappears, affecting each of the three children differently. Then a rainbow-haired girl comes into their lives, saving each of them in a variety of ways. For She is Wrath by Emily Varga is a Pakistani-inspired retelling of The Count of Monte Christo. Dania is imprisoned for a crime she did not commit. When she escapes and finds her father was killed for defending her, she seeks revenge with the help of a friend and some magical zoraat seeds. Nothing Like the Movies, the sequel to Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter, picks up when Wes and Liz head off to UCLA, only to have him drop out and break up with her when his father dies unexpectedly.  

The Fall kids' father mysteriously disappears in When the World Tips Over, leaving behind a shattered family.  Twelve-year old Dizzy reads romance novels, sees ghosts and longs to be reunited with her estranged best friend Lizard. Seventeen-year-old Miles is supposedly the smart, athletic, and handsome "perfect one," but he struggles with his sexuality and lack of connection with his siblings. Nineteen-year-old Wynton is a violin prodigy, who causes trouble wherever he goes.  Their mother runs a restaurant and longs for her absent husband, leaving a gourmet meal out for him each night.  Enter the rainbow-haired girl, Cassidy who saves each of them when she meets them - two from accidents and Miles from himself.  Cassidy has had her own issues with abandonment, which are explored in a parallel plotline. When the kids go in search of Cassidy, catastrophe strikes and the secrets of the Fall family curse begin to surface, giving all of them an opportunity to rewrite their futures.

For She is Wrath focuses on two female prisoners, who escape from prison and reclaim a cache of zoraat seeds and powerful djinn magic which allow them to establish themselves as wealthy women in the city of Basral.  Both Noor and Dania are seeking revenge against the power-hungry emperor Vahid, who came to power himself using djinn magic.  Dania's father, an esteemed sword maker, was killed when he tried to defend her.  She, an expert swordsman herself, disguises herself using the zoorat seed magic, and executes an elaborate scheme to hurt her betrayers, including Mazin, the lover who betrayed her. But seeking revenge becomes complicated as the magic threatens to overtake Danai, Noor disappears, and her feelings for Mazin reemerge despite his betrayal.  Dania ultimately learns the power to destroy her enemies comes with a price.  

In Nothing Like the Movies, tragedy strikes after Liz and Wes start their freshman year at UCLA.  Wes's dad dies of a heart attack, and he must go back to Nebraska to support his mom and sister, leaving Liz behind.  Deciding she is better off without him, Wes breaks up with her and begins to work on getting his life back together.  Fast forward two years and Wes is back playing baseball at UCLA, but Liz wants nothing to do with him.  Unfortunately, her internship with a production company has her focusing on the baseball team, throwing them together constantly. She enlists the help of her camera man Clark to pretend to be her boyfriend, but Wes will not give up on getting her back.  Each chapter begins with a quote from a popular romcom and an extensive playlist of romantic songs is woven throughout the narrative. 

New YA Beach Reads

 Summer is right around the corner and it's time to recommend summer beach reads. With my love of the movies, I can't resist recommending Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter.  Liz Buxbaum, whose deceased mother used to be a rom/com screenwriter, is looking for her own happily-ever-after, but finds it in an unexpected love interest. My Epic Spring Break (Up) by Kristen Rockaway (How to Hack a Heartbreak) introduces Ashley Bergen, a coder who has always been focused on academics. When she is rejected for a summer internship by ZigZag, a popular social media platform, she decides to refocus on her social life with unanticipated results. It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story by Lauren Morrill (Meant to Be) finds Beck Brix, the infamous Pizza Princess who was born on the bathroom floor of Hot n' Crusty Pizza, struggling to escape her notoriety and move on. In Sunkissed by rom/com favorite Kasie West (Lucky in Love), Avery Young is heading off to a summer vacation with her family in an homage to Dirty Dancing. 

Better than the Movies introduces Liz Buxbaum, who loves romantic comedies. After losing her mother, who was a rom/com screenwriter, Liz draws comfort from the soundtracks, the happy endings and the connection she feels to her mom when she watches them.  Her senior year is ripe for rom/com moments, but she finds herself missing her mom more than ever.  When Michael, her childhood crush, moves back to town, she decides going to prom with him with be the perfect happy ending.  She enlists the help of her arch nemesis Wes Bennett, her next-door neighbor, who has driven her crazy since they were kids. He agrees to help her attract Michael, in exchange for her giving him the prize neighborhood parking spot for the rest of senior year.  Like the best rom/coms the story is filled with witty dialogue and there are twists and turn in the path to true love.  Each chapter starts with a quote from a classic rom/com and they are peppered throughout the text, as well. 

In My Epic Spring Break (Up) mathlete Ashley Bergen has always been focused on academics and is sure she is a shoe-in for  a summer internship at ZigZag, a popular social media platform.  When she is rejected, she is devastated and decides to focus on her lack of a social life over spring break.  In addition to competing in a coding hackathon, she is going to pursue her crush, popular Walker Beech. To her surprise he seems to reciprocate her interest, and she finds herself involved in risky behavior and paying the price.  Meanwhile Ashley's lifelong friend Jason, who seems to be a better match, tries to convince her Walker is bad news.  As the hackathon approaches, she finds out the ZigZag team will be judging the contest and the prize will be a summer position in Silicon Valley.  Inviting Jason to join her team, she vacillates between her growing attraction to him while practicing for the competition and trying to please Walker. Making one misguided choice after another, she struggles to find the right path for her romantic, as well as STEM future. The author is a former programmer and has a real sense of a female navigating the IT world.

It's Kind of a Cheesy Love Story focuses on Beck Brix, who is known as the "Pizza Princess" or "Bathroom Baby" after her notorious birth on the bathroom floor of Hot 'N Crusty Pizza.  The restaurant manager has given her free pizza for life and a guaranteed job when she turn sixteen, but she is mortified by the attention she receives from the media and the pizza palace every birthday. When she falls in with the popular crowd, she is determined to shed her infamy, but ends up taking the job and finding her true comfort zone with the pizza crew. Although she has a crush on Mac, a popular football player, she finds herself attracted to Tristan, the moody delivery guy at Hot "N Crusty, and her workmates are obsessed with the same vintage Sci/Fi show that she and her dad love. When disaster strikes the restaurant, her status as Pizza Princess gives her a unique opportunity to help.  Her self-deprecating personality and predictable rom/com disasters, makes this a enjoyable summer romp. 

Kasie West's latest book Sunkissed is an homage to the classic film Dirty Dancing.  Avery Young's family summer vacation finds her at a remote resort in the California woods, where she is trying to recover from her best friend's betrayal in kissing Avery's boyfriend.  Cautious by nature, Avery decides she is going to spend the summer stepping out of her comfort zone.  She agrees to help Brooks, a handsome staff member, write songs for his band and ends up singing with the band when the lead singer is injured.  Of course, campers fraternizing with staff is against the rules, so her outgoing sister, who is a video blogger hoping to do a piece on the band, helps her sneak around to spend time with Brooks.  Although Avery has a great voice, she has stage fright and is reticent to sing with the band at an upcoming competition. Coupled with her parents' disapproval. her growing attraction to Brooks leaves her struggling find herself in this predictable but satisfying YA romance.