Blue Spruce Award Winner and Nominees

The winner of the 2019 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award is Scythe by Neal Shusterman,  The first book in his Arc of the Scythe trilogy introduces a world where humanity has conquered death. There is no aging, no disease, no poverty, no war.  Earth is ruled by an omniscient "cloud" called the Thunderhead and to deal with overpopulation, a group of humans called Scythes randomly cull the population.  Against their wishes, the main characters, Citra and Rowan, are chosen to train to be scythes. The sequels Thunderhead and The Toll are also available for this thought-provoking and engrossing series.  The 2020 nominees are unusually heavy on historical fiction.  I will review those titles in this month's blog, as well as briefly mention the other nominees.  
Allies by Alan Gratz is a fictionalized account of D-Day, which weaves together individual experiences from six different operations in settings across Europe. The narrative covers a sea invasion, French citizens and Resistance fighters on land, soldiers arriving by air, but focuses repeatedly on Dee, a German fighting on the American side and hiding his identity from his best friend Sid, a Jewish American soldier.  The account is historically accurate, but covers a very diverse cast of main characters.  In the end all the stories come together, showing that it took a great deal of cooperation to defeat the Nazis in WWII.
Like a Love Story by Adi Nazemian is set in NYC in the 80s and examines the AIDS epidemic through the eyes of three teenage friends.  Judy, whose uncle is living with AIDS, has befriended Art and defends him  against homophobic classmates. When Reza, who is questioning his sexuality, arrives, things get complicated.  Reza pairs off with Judy, even though it's Art he's really attracted to.  When Reza finally admits he's fallen for Art, Judy is shattered.  Her uncle, who is not long for this world, helps them navigate this rift in their friendship and what it means to be part of the LBGTQ community during this devastating time. 
Lovely War by Julie Berry blends fact with fantasy. Set in a Manhattan hotel during WWII, Greek God Hephaestus catches his wife Aphrodite with his brother Ares.  To exonerate herself, she weaves a story of love during wartime, which focuses on four different characters.  Aubrey, an African American musician, Colette, a bereaved Belgian singer, Hazel, a British pianist and her lover James.  Alternating between past and present, the story finds Colette and Hazel volunteering in France, where they meet Aubrey, who quickly falls for Colette.  Meanwhile, James is on the front experiencing firsthand the devastation of war.  As the mortals' stories play out, Aphrodite is teaching her husband about the ups and downs of true love.  
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys focuses on Francisco Franco's fascist rule of Spain.  Set in Madrid 1957, the story introduces 18-yr-old Daniel Matheson, who is staying at the luxurious Castellana Hilton with his Texas oil baron dad and Spanish mother.  He meets Ana, a hotel employee, who worries about losing her job, as he pursues a relationship with her.  Trying to find a subject for his entry into a photo competition, Daniel goes out each day and captures disturbing images of local people trying to survive under Franco's regime.  He goes to Ana's village and meets her parentless siblings and becomes aware of a government and church collusion, which involves stolen children.  Ultimately he heads back to the U.S, with his parents and newly adopted sister and submits an award-winning portfolio.  Eighteen years later he returns to Spain with his sister and reconnects with Ana.  Official quotations from academic and foreign service archives are interspersed among the chapters. 
Additional Blue Spruce nominees include
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - 1st in a sci fi series about intergalactic travel
Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau - Graphic novel about about two boys who fall in love over baked goods.
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte - Fantasy about a thief and an upstanding citizen who work to solve a murder mystery, falling in love in the process.
Guts by Raina Telgemeier - Graphic novel about author conquering childhood anxieties.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell - Graphic novel about a girl in a toxic relationship with a popular girl who is using her.
A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir - 3rd book in the An Ember in the Ashes series.
To learn more about the Blue Spruce Award go to https://www.coloradobluespruceaward.org/

YA Debut authors

The new edition of my book What's New in Young Adult Novels? and Ideas for Classroom Use is now available on Lulu.com.  In looking back at 2019, I found three romances by debut authors that I haven't covered in this blog that might be just the thing to kick off 2020. Frankly in Love, by David Yoon (yes, Nicola's husband), is a William C Morris Debut nominee for 2020.  This romance focuses on a group of Korean-American teens, who call themselves "the Limbos," who are trying to bridge the gap between parental expectations and fitting in at school.  Heartstrings and Other Breakable Things by Jacqueline Firkins is a reimagining of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park that takes place in present day Massachusetts.  When The Stars Lead to You by Ronni Davis introduces an aspiring astrophysicist, whose summer romance leads to heartbreak as the young couple battle prejudice and ultimately a mental breakdown. 

In Frankly in Love, Frank Li is a second generation Korean American whose family socializes once a month with other Korean families.  The kids call themselves the "Limbos" because they are caught between two worlds.  After his sister is disowned for dating a black man, Frank enters a fake relationship with Joy, another Limbo, so that he can date his white girlfriend Brit and she can date her non-Korean boyfriend.  It seems like the perfect plan until they actually fall for each other.  Then Frank's dad falls ill, the group dynamics change and complications ensue. This complex exploration of family, identity and first love is a delightful debut that will appeal to a wide audience.

Heartstrings and Other Breakable Things, a reimagining of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, introduces Edie Price, who after three years in foster care is taken in by her wealthy aunt in Mansfield, Massachusetts.  Her two cousins Maria and Julia decide to embrace her as a makeover project. Meanwhile literary Edie is trying to secure a scholarship to college and nurse a crush on boy-next-door Sebastian Summers.When a notorious wealthy bad boy takes an interest in her, Edie finds she must put first impressions aside and get to know more about Mansfield high society and her adoptive family. She is determined to follow her late mother's advice, "If you let your heart drive, don't forget to bring your brain." Although seemingly a lightweight romance, this novel is filled with witty dialogue and includes a subtle examination of societal expectations and prejudice.  

When the Stars Lead to You follows bi-racial Devon Kearney who has been an aspiring astrophysicist since watching the stars in Yellowstone as a kid.  She prioritizes school above all else, until the summer she is 16 and she falls in love with Ashton, a wealthy boy she meets at a party at her cousin's beach resort. They spend an idyllic summer together, but on their final day together, he is a no-show.  A year passes with no word and then he appears at her school the first day of senior year.  As they reconnect, she finds that his parents disapproved of her and he caved to the pressure. Complicating matters, he has mental health issues, which threaten their future together. Devon struggles to decide whether to focus on school or her boyfriend's issues.  Astronomy facts are laced throughout the story, keeping the reader aware of all she would be giving up if she continues to let Ashton's problems dominate her energies.  The open ending is very satisfying, showing there are no easy answers when dealing with mental health issues.

LGBTQ issues in new YA Novels

Sexual identity issues have always been a problem for teens, but today's society is more tolerant and students are more comfortable discussing them. Many schools have curriculums that include counseling students about being open to diversity in people’s sexual preferences.  Reflective of this tolerance is the growing body of young adult literature that focuses on this issue or includes it in a subplot. LGBTQ characters are routinely included in new young adult novels, regardless the genre.  A wildly popular new realistic novel, Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston focuses on the bi-sexual son of the U.S. President, who falls in love with a British prince, who is a closeted gay.  Exile from Eden, Andrew Smith's sequel to the sci/fi award winner Grasshopper Jungle, finds Austin and Robby still living in the underground bunker with their son Arek and his best friend Mel. Kiersten White's new fantasy novel, The Guinevere Deception, reimagines the Arthurian legend where Lancelot is a gay female. 

In Red, White and Royal Blue Alex Claremont-Diaz, the half-Mexican son of the first female president of the United States, meets Prince Henry, backup heir to the English throne and it's hate at first sight.  After their verbal sparring at an international wedding leads to a scuffle and them falling into the wedding cake, they are required to pose as best friends on a publicity tour.  Not surprisingly, their hate turns to attraction and after their first kiss, they contrive to find ways to be together.  Of course, their bromance is eventually discovered and leaked to the press during Alex's mom's reelection campaign.  Strategizing how to handle their relationship evolves from denial to breakup to acknowledgement in this clever take on the rom/com genre.  The sexual encounters are fairly explicit, so I would recommend this for high school readers.

Exile from Eden: or, After the Hole, the post-apocalyptic sequel to Grasshopper Jungle, finds Arek, the son of Austin and Robby, crushing on his best friend Mel and living in the underground bunker with her, his two dads, mother and grandmother.  Ten-foot-tall praying mantises have wiped out most of the human population, but they are dying off. Austin and Robby set off in a small plane to find other survivors and when they don't come back, Arek and Mel go on their own RV road trip to find them.  Meanwhile in alternating chapters readers learn about earlier years in the hole, as well as the tale of a 12-year-old wild boy "Breakfast" and his chimpanzee friend, Olive.  Philosophical passages and reflection on the paintings of Max Beckmann mix with Arek's longing for Mel and his fear of his hyper-religious grandmother's threat to circumcise him. As with the first book, sexual longing is explored in detail, making this also a book for more mature readers. 

The Guinevere Deception, the first book in the Camelot Rising trilogy, alters many details in the Arthurian legend.  Lancelot is a woman, Mordred is Arthur's right hand man and Guinevere is an impostor sent by Merlin to protect Arthur.  Magic has been banned in Camelot, so Guinevere must wield her magical powers in secret, as she strives to discover threats to Arthur's well-being. Meanwhile, Arthur is out fighting battles, trying to save his kingdom. This fresh take on the Arthurian legend has a decidedly feminist twist and will appeal to fans of the original, if only to see how this very popular author changes it up. 

YA Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is defined as novels in which a story is made up but is set in the past and sometimes borrows true characteristics of the time period in which it is set.  Reading historical fiction is my favorite way to learn history!  This month I am recommending new young adult historical fiction novels.  The Downstairs Girl by Stacy Lee (Outrun the Moon) is set in the Reconstructionist South and focuses on a Chinese- American girl who anonymously writes an "agony aunt" column for the local newspaper. Across the Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood is set in San Francisco during the construction of the Golden Gate bridge and involves a young woman who aspires to become a doctor.  Enchantee by Gita Trelease is the first book in a new magical realism series set during the French Revolution. Camille uses "magic ordinaire" to disguise herself as an aristocrat, who gambles at the palace of Versailles.   

In The Downstairs Girl Chinese-American Jo Kuan lives in 1890 Atlanta with her guardian, Old Gin, in the abolitionist quarters underneath the home of the publisher of a failing newspaper. When she loses her job as a milliner's assistant, she returns to a job as a lady's maid to the cantankerous daughter of a society maven. She overhears the publisher talking about bolstering newspaper sales with an "agony aunt" column, so she begins anonymously submitting a column that offers advice on fashion, women's suffrage, and prejudice that sparks controversy and raises subscriptions.  Her sharp wit and questions about her identity are the talk of Atlanta. Subplots about Jo's parentage and her romance with the publisher's son complement her first-person narrative, which sheds light on the struggles of women and people of color in the Reconstructionist South.  The well-researched narrative raises important questions about how we understand the past, as well as the ways that understanding shapes the present. 

Across the Broken Shore is set during the fall of 1936 in San Francisco. Willa MacCarthy, who is plagued by guilt over an incident in the past, agrees to join a convent and make her Catholic family proud.  However, secretly she longs to be a doctor.  When her brother Paddy has an accident in the family bar, she hurries him to the family doctor, only to find the Dr. Katherine Winston has taken his place.  Willa, who has been reading Gray's Anatomy, jumps in to help with Paddy's treatment. Dr. Winston offers her a job and encourages her to follow her dreams.  Willa accompanies her to a field hospital to administer first aid for men working on the Golden Gate Bridge, and she also begins treating sick people in a Hooverville near the bridge. When Willa meets Sam, an ironworker on the bridge, she dares to dream of a different life.  The author says she was inspired by the history of the Golden Gate Bridge construction and by an actual female physician who practiced nearby. 

Enchantee, the first book in a new series, introduces Camille and her sister Sophie, who are struggling to survive during the French Revolution. After their ne'er-do-well brother steals their meager savings, the daring and passionate Camille uses her gift of magic to create a double identity.  As Baroness Cecile Descharlots, she games at Versailles, even as she is befriending nobility.  Her Indian aeronaut boyfriend, Lazare, and the nefarious Vicomte Sequin vie for her attention.   Meanwhile, the bourgeoisie are threatening revolt against the decadence of the French court of Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette. When Camille's double life begins to fray and Sophie disappears, she must take desperate measures to save their lives. Many realistic historical elements add to the story, including the decadent lifestyle of Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV, the outrage of impoverished Parisians, experiments with balloon aeronautics, and prejudice against queer and biracial characters.   Historical footnotes and a French glossary are included. The sequel Liberte will be released in 2020.

Stories with a Soundtrack

Just as many movies have music soundtracks, more and more young adult authors are focusing on musicians and include music references that inform the plot and the setting of their books. Whether the author is referencing real life musicians, sharing lyrics for the book's musicians, or giving the reader insights into the music industry in general, the reader learns a lot about a variety of music genres while enjoying the story that unfolds. I am recommending four such novels this month.  Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson explores hip-hop in the era of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.  Spin by Colleen Nelson focuses on an aspiring female DJ, whose estranged mom is an international star.  Love Songs and Other Lies by Jessica Pennington is about a band "Your Future Ex" which competes in a reality TV show Battle of the Bands. Finally, Impossible Music by Sean Williams introduces a young heavy metal musician, who tries to redefine himself and his music after having a stroke which causes cortical deafness. 

Let Me Hear a Rhyme  focuses on rap music and explores the impact the publication of Biggie Small's music after his death had on the music business. After their best friend Steph is murdered, Quadir and Jarrell, two teens in the 1998 Bedford-Styvesant neighborhood in NYC (where Biggie lived and died) discover his music hidden under his bed and decide to make him a rap star beyond the grave.  With the help of Jasmine, Steph's younger sister, they promote his music under the name "The Architect" and attract the attention of a powerful music label rep.  As Steph's music becomes more and more popular, the three teens struggle to keep his death a secret, as well as find out who murdered him.  The story is told in first-person from the alternating perspectives of the three protagonists and includes flashbacks to life before Steph's death.  Lyrics from Steph's songs, as well as Jasmine's own burgeoning talent, make this a lyrical read, filled with tension and mystery.  The story is very personal to the author who grew up in Bed/Sty in the 90s. She call the book "a love letter to hip-hop, to Brooklyn and my childhood..."

Spin introduces Dizzy Doucette, an aspiring DJ, who lives with her father and older brother above their used record story, The Vinyl Trap.  Her father once toured with her mother, Georgia Waters, an internationally known singer, who left the family to pursue a music career. Dizzy, who is learning to spin records from her brother's best friend, is gaining a reputation as a real talent and wonders if her mother will hear about her.  Then signs advertising a Georgia Waters performance in town appear, intriguing Dizzy.  Will her mom want to see her? Can she help Dizzy's career? When her relationship to Georgia becomes public knowledge, Dizzy's life spins out of control.  The story is told from various family members' points of view.  Although the story involves the music industry, it is ultimately a story about family.  The author prefaces the story with a letter to the reader about her research on DJing and the music she discovered in the process.

In Love Songs and Other Lies, Vee, a talented song writer and musician, goes on a reality TV show competition tour with her best friend Logan's band, "Your Future Ex."  Formerly their manager and primary songwriter, she is excited to exercise her skills in public relations, until she discovers Cameron, her ex-boyfriend, has joined their band.  Their breakup issues are unresolved; she can't quite forgive him for not telling her about a horrible accident he was involved in a year before they met.  Told in alternating points of view, the story switches between the present and two years prior when she and Cam were a duo on and off stage.  As Cam tries to win her back, the reality show producers are thrilled with the sexy subplot to the Battle of the Bands competition and spin it as a love triangle between Vee, Cam and Logan.  Vee, who is a reluctant performer, gains confidence as the band begins to include Cam and Vee duets in some of their performances.  The novel is filled with poetic band lyrics, romance and intrigue, as the reader wonders what led to Vee and Cam's breakup and ultimately roots for their reunion, as well a victory for the band. The story feels like an inside look at reality TV and how the contestants are manipulated to create drama for audience buy-in.

Impossible Music focuses on Simon, an Australian teen who suffers a stroke and wakes up with cortical deafness.  He refuses to believe his dreams of a career in music are dead.  Formerly a heavy metal guitarist in a band with his best friends, he begins to explore a new kind of "impossible music" based on the relationship between sound and silence. He creates a performance series to alter the way the audience experiences music and at the same time uses it as an audition for a music composition program at the university.  As he struggles to deal with his diagnosis, he connects with George, a girl in his Auslan (Australian sign language) classes, who is deaf due to extreme tinnitus.  As Simon moves from anger and despair to reinvention, he is supported by George and his friends and family.  This is a thought-provoking examination of sudden hearing loss and how a young musician navigates what it means for his future.  Although the author is not deaf, he, too, was interested in majoring in musical composition. He references many real life musicians and lists albums that inspired him, including Arcadian Rhythms by Brendon Moeller and Skeleton Keys by Steve Roach, in his end notes. 

Grieving Teens

Coping with the death of a friend or loved one is not easy for people of any age. For children and young adults the experience may impact who they become as adults.  Reading about how the main characters deal with death in their lives may inform the readers about coping mechanisms and support systems that enable the young person to move on from the devastating experience. Four new young adult novels that deal with grieving teens will be my focus this month.  Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, a novel-in verse that focuses on a young man seeking revenge for his brother's death, has won many awards, including the Walter Dean Myers award. How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow involves a girl who has a fight with her overprotective mother, who then dies of an aneurysm. How the Light Gets In by Katy Upperman is a ghost story about a grieving sister and The Art of Taxidermy by Australian writer Sharon Kernot is a novel-in-verse about a girl with a unique grieving process.

As Long Way Down begins, Will Holloman is consumed with grief when his older brother Shawn is shot and killed, while shopping at a store in a rival gang's territory. Adhering to "The Rules" - don't cry, don't snitch, and always get revenge - he finds his brother's gun and leaves his family's eighth floor apartment to shoot the murderer. However, as the elevator descends, it opens at each floor and people involved in the chain of violence that took his brother's life get in.  Each person - Shawn's best friend, a childhood friend caught in a drive-by shooting, his uncle who was gunned down, his father who avenged his brother's death - is actually a ghost who gives Will insight about the cycle of violence he is about to enter.  This powerful novel, which uses the poetic form for dramatic effect, will stay with the reader long after the last earth-shattering line. Additional honors include Newbery Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Printz Honor Book, the National Book Award for YA lit long list, the Edgar Award Winner and others. 

How to Make Friends with the Dark introduces Tiger Tolliver, whose loving but overprotective single mother shields her from life. She decides to take a stand when her crush asks her to a school dance. On the way to school she mentions the dance and her mother withholds her permission and hounds Tiger all day at school, blowing up her phone with calls and texts.  After ignoring her all day, Tiger finally answers the phone and says, "Why can't you f***ing leave me alone?"  Later that day, she is at the park, experiencing her first kiss, when her mother drops dead of an aneurysm.  Wracked with guilt, Tiger is thrown into Arizona's foster home system, where she is confronted with the harsh realities of many orphan's lives. Although her best friend Cake and her parents are willing to take her in, Tiger ends up with her 20-year-old half-sister, whom she hadn't previously met.  Tiger's mom left behind many unpaid bills and her "Jellymobile" business, which the girls resurrect. Needless-to-say the sister is a less than ideal parent. The trauma and grieving process are explored in effective second person reflections on Tiger's inner turmoil: "You'll look alive on the outside, but be dead on the inside." 

In How the Light Gets In Callie Ryan is still struggling with guilt and grief a year after her sister Chloe drowned.  Callie, gives up swim team, academics and her dreams for the future and spends most of her time smoking pot.  As summer nears, her parents give her the choice of going to grief camp or to her aunt's Victorian B&B renovation, where Chloe died.  When Callie arrives at the house, strange things begin to happen, giving her the feeling that Chloe is trying to communicate with her.  Although she tries to resist his charms, the landscaper Tucker Morgan breaks through her defensive attitude and helps her come to terms with her part in Chloe's death. He, too, has unresolved issues with his mother's disappearance, which is tied to the history of the house.  Together, they embark upon a journey of healing and a future together. 

The Art of Taxidermy, an Australian award-winning novel-in-verse, explores a German-Australian's girl's grieving process, as she mourns the death of her mother and sister, as well as her family's internment during WWII.  After Lottie's older sister drowns and her mother dies during stillbirth, Lottie becomes obsessed with taxidermy, which she views as an attempt at resurrection.  She begins collecting bodies of dead creatures and gutting them, which horrifies her Aunt Hilda, who is helping her dad raise Lottie. Her only friend is an Indigenous boy who bonds with her over their shared loneliness. He helps her with her collection and moving toward her dream of becoming a museum taxidermist. 

YA Novels Involving Teens from Different Cultures

The School Library Journal Virtual Book Fair's theme, Knocking Down Doors, inspired me to focus this month's blog on books about teens from different cultures.  I recently read the keynote speaker, Samira Ahmed's book Love, Hate, and Other Filters, which introduces Indian American Muslim teen Maya Aziz, who struggles to follow her dreams, yet please her traditional Indian parents. Somewhere Only We Know by Maureen Goo involves a Korean American K-Pop star, who is on the verge of stardom, but longs for the freedom of anonymity.  Don't Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno is about a Cuban American teen who is dealing with a presumed curse on her family warning her to stay away from the sea.  Finally, Love from A to Z by S. K. Ali focuses on a hijabi teen who is suspended from school for standing up to an Islamophobic teacher.

In Love, Hate and Other Filters Maya Aziz feels the conflict that many bi cultural teens feel when attending American schools.  She wants to fit in and follow her own dreams, without alienating her traditional Indian parents.  She is a budding filmmaker, who unbeknownst to her overprotective parents, has been accepted by NYU film school.  They want her to attend a school in Chicago, so she can be close to home.  She is secretly crushing on Phil, the white high school quarterback, who is beginning to respond to her interest, whereas her parents want her to date Kareem, a charming Desi boy who is suitable marriage material. Maya finally gets up the courage to tell her parents about NYU, when a terrorist attack in nearby Springfield derails her plans. The presumed terrorist is also an Aziz and Maya's family experiences hate crimes motivated by the connection.  Her parents' acceptance of her decision to go to NYU is rescinded, and they now want her to live at home and go to community college.  Maya must decide whether or not to take a stand. A brief account of a looming terrorist attack, preceding each chapter of Maya's story, creates tension about what is to come.

Somewhere Only We Know introduces Lucky, a Korean American K-Pop singer who is kept on a tight leash by her handlers. Longing for a hamburger, she plays hooky after a big concert in Hong Kong, but gets lost and is rescued by Jack, an aspiring photographer.  At first he doesn't know who she is, and they begin a flirtation as they wander through the streets of Hong Kong. When he inadvertently discovers her identity, he realizes he could sell photographs of their time together to a tabloid magazine and launch his career.  Alternating between their first-person perspectives, the story reveals two teens who are struggling with expectations that are placed on them.  Jack's parents want him to study banking and her handlers expect her to be the next big star who must protect her image at all costs.  This re-imagining of Roman Holiday is filled with witty banter and romance, and I loved reading about the Korean K-pop development system that grooms talented teens to become K-pop stars.

Don't Date Rosa Santos involves a Cuban American girl who lives in a coastal town in Southern Florida and lost her father and grandfather to the sea.  Abandoned by her mother, she lives with her abuela and is cautioned to stay away from anything involving the sea, because her family is cursed. Then Rosa falls for Alex, a sailor who works at the docks.  Hoping to study abroad in Havana to explore her family roots, she is reluctant to date him because she is leaving. He, too, has plans to go on an extended voyage at sea.  Yet the more time she spends with him, the more she wonders if he is part of her destiny.  When her mother returns to town and agrees to paint a mural for the Latin Festival, Rosa wonder if she will stick around or leave her and abuela again to fend for themselves.  The Latinx culture informs the action of the story with traditions, Cuban Spanish language and complex family relationships.  Rosa is a compelling character who readers will root for as she navigates the turbulent landscape that is her life.

Love from A to Z begins with Zayneb Malik being suspended from school over an incident with an Islamophobic teacher.  Her parents allow her to go to her aunt's home in Doha, Qatar a week before their spring break trip was to begin.  On the plane she meets Adam Chen, who is returning home from university in London. He happens to notice that, like him, she keeps a journal of marvels and oddities, inspired by a book they both read.  Adam is an artist and after a recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, which killed his mother, he has decided to drop out of school and focus on his art.  Zayneb is passionate and outspoken, constantly railing against people who are prejudiced against her Muslim faith.  Adam is calm and quiet, drawing strength from his religion as he struggles to share his news with his fragile father and sister. Although Adam and Zayneb's relationship is fraught with obstacles, they recognize a need to be together.  The story is told in alternating journal entries of marvels and oddities.  Racism, the effects of war, Muslim cultural identity and prejudice are explored in great detail, and a note from the author adds to the readers' understanding of the struggles of Muslim youth in our society.