Waiting on Wednesday: Finding Lost by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Image: Penguin Random House

Finding Lost by Holly Goldberg Sloan. 208 p. Rocky Pond Books/ Penguin Young Readers, October 7, 2025. 9780593530252.

I attended a fall publisher preview with Penguin Young Readers this afternoon and my tbr list grew. There is a lot to look forward to coming from PYR this fall! However, Ever since I read Counting by 7s, I absolutely adore Holly Goldberg Sloan, so this news stood out for me.

Publisher synopsis: A stray dog leads to major change for Cordy and her grieving family in this heartwarming new novel by the beloved author of Counting by 7s.

Cordy Jenkins is searching for something that will change her life, and for the safety that vanished when her father died. She is convinced that if she just tries hard enough, she will find part of what her family lost, and that it will stop her mom from wanting to leave the small town she and her little brother have always called home. What Cordy finds is a muddy, hungry little dog with bad breath. And he’s the start of her family’s new beginning.

Holly Goldberg Sloan writes novels about family and friendship that open your heart and make you laugh out loud. You will fall in love with Cordy and her family as quickly as they fall in love with the stray pup named Lost. Full of unforgettable moments, this is a tender story of making peace with the inevitable truth that change is a constant, and that after profound loss there is still always the possibility of unexpected joy.

Middle Grade Monday: Hands by Torrey Maldonado

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Hands by Torrey Maldonado. 138 p. Nancy Paulsen Books/ Penguin Random House, January, 2023. 9780583323793. (Review of a finished purchased copy.)

Happy final Monday of the school year! Middle Grade Monday features Hands by Torrey Maldonado. The last time twelve-year-old Trev saw his stepfather was two years earlier after his mom called the police to have him arrested for assault. He threatened her as he was put in cuffs and taken away. Trev has good hands and a good heart. He's a talented artist who does well at school because that's what's going to get him a good life. With the imminent release of his stepfather, Trev wonders if he should use his hands to protect himself and his family and decides to begin training to box. The problem is, the trainers at the rec center made a promise to Trev's uncle not to train him. Once Trev starts to train himself, he finds it harder to keep up in school and keep his anger in check.

This slim book tells an intense story fast. Trev is thoughtful and likable and his situation seems dire. Thankfully, there are many in the community to help. Readers will root for Trev. Recommended! 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds

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Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds. ~10 hours. Read by Emily Lawrence. Listening Library/ Books on Tape, October, 2022. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! Did you get up to watch the lunar eclipse? It started here around 4AM and I happened to awaken at 4:15 and peeked at it through my bathroom's skylights. I up and dressed and out with the dogs an hour later and saw the last of the moon go dark. It was quite a show, with a beautifully clear sky that also featured a sparkling Orion following the setting moon.

Teen Tuesday features Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds. Shira Barbanel is a bright, driven high school junior who is unlucky in love. She's looking forward to spending her winter holidays in Nantucket at her grandparents' sprawling estate with her extended family. As luck would have it, her uncle's intern and current crush, Isaac will be there as well. She's hoping to move her crush into something more. 

As luck would have it, she shares a flight with her nemesis, Tyler Nelson and ends up sharing a cab to her grandparents' as they are also neighbors. The power is out and the rest of the family are stranded on the mainland, so Shira and Tyler make do and Shira lights a fire and the first candle of Hanukkah. While she detests Tyler for being a player only interested in hooking up, she recognizes that she needs to up her flirting game if she wants to capture Isaac's attention and asks Tyler to teach her to flirt. Tyler wants a meeting with her media mogul uncle in exchange. And so the enemy-to-lover trope plays out on snowy Nantucket where the rich residents host a slew of holiday parties, giving Tyler and Shira plenty of time to get together to practice. There's plenty of angst and humor in this fluffy concoction.

Eight Nights of Flirting is a stand-alone companion to Ms Reynolds' 2021 debut, The Summer of Lost Letters. Emily Lawrence imbued Hannah's narration with angst and self-deprecating humor. Happy reading!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

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Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~10 hours, 55 minutes. Read by Bailey Carr and multiple narrators. Listening Library, March, 2021. 9780593342398. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from the public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson. Pippa Fitz-Amobi has sworn off detective work, but hosts a viral podcast with Ravi's help, where she discusses the cold case she just solved. But when the brother of a friend of hers goes missing and the police won't investigate because he has a history of running away, Pip can't say no. Pip has definitely made some enemies and some people are quite reluctant to be interviewed by her, especially since she's podcasting her investigation in real time. 

This sequel pretty much hits the ground running. It takes up shortly after events in the first book, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Fans of the first will not be disappointed. While this installment can be read without reading the first, it is better to have the background info and avoid spoilers for book one.

The main narrator continues to keep a brisk pace and sound reasonably young. The addition of multiple narrators also keeps the story moving. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

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Family of Liars by E. Lockhart. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~531 minutes. Read by Kimberly Farr. Listening Library, May, 2022. 9780593608852. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from the public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Family of Liars by E. Lockhart. This story is a prequel to Ms. Lockhart's We Were Liars. This book is wildly popular among TMS eighth graders and was published in 2014. It contains one of the best plot twists in YA lit. While Family of Liars is a pre-quel, there are spoilers to We Were Liars, so while the book can be read as a stand alone, I'd read We Were Liars first.

Carrie Lennox Taft Sinclair is asked "What's the worst thing you've ever done?" by her son during one of his late night visits to their vacation compound. Yes, compound. The Sinclairs are very wealthy and own an island off the coast of Massachusetts. Carrie reluctantly returns to the summer of 1987 to tell her son the story. It was a year after her youngest sister drowned. She's still grieving, but the family never shows any emotion and so, Carrie is grieving alone. She's also becoming addicted to pain killers after having jaw surgery at her father's insistence. That summer she not only discovers a family secret, but also falls for Pfeff, the flighty friend of her cousin's boyfriend.

This story surprised in the best possible ways. I was pleasantly surprised by the narrator's performance, because I didn't love her narration of French Braid. Fans of the first book will WANT this book and love it. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

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The Cousins by Karen M. McManus. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~ 9 hours. Read by Sarah Skaer, Kate Reinders, David Garelik and Julia Whelan. Listening Library, November, 2020. 9781984842152. (Review of downloadable e-audio borrowed from the public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Cousins by Karen M. McManus. Milly, Aubrey and Jonah are the Story cousins and hardly know each other. Their parents are not close and they have never met their grandmother, though Milly is named for her. Twenty-five years earlier, their parents were disinherited abruptly, receiving notes saying, "You know what you did." They didn't, but they went on with their lives always wondering.

Now Mildred Story has had an apparent change of heart. Each cousin receives a type-written note, signed by their grandmother, inviting them to spend the summer working at her resort on an island she basically owns. None of the cousins want to go, but their parents make clear that they are going.

Once they finally meet the famed Mildred Story, the cousins get the distinct impression that she has no interest in a reconciliation. So why are they there? 

My students who love the mystery/ thriller genre love Karen M. McManus' books, One of Us is Lying and Two Can Keep a Secret are rarely on the shelf. (One of Us is Next came out last spring while we were in quarantine.) The Cousins is paced differently. The menace isn't quite as immediate, but mystery and secrets abound. The cousins have their secrets, as do their parents, but their grandmother might have the biggest one yet. 

The POV switches between the cousins. There are also flashbacks to the summer before their parents were disinherited, which shows they were rather spoiled super-rich kids. We learn through their rather damaged children that none matured much. All the narrators bring the unique personalities alive making this an entertaining mystery to read with my ears. I'm eager to share this with my students and learn what they think!

Waiting on Wednesday: Paper Heart by Cat Patrick

Image: Penguin Random House

Paper Heart by Cat Patrick. 288 p. G.P. Putnam's Sons/ Penguin Young Readers Group, May 11, 2021. 9781984815347.

Waiting on Wednesday features Paper Heart by Cat Patrick. This is a companion novel to Ms. Patrick's Tornado Brain.

Publisher synopsis: Tess has always understood her role in her family. She is supposed to be the "okay" one. The one no one has to worry about. But all Tess does is worry, constantly picking at her fingers every time a new worry arises. Still grieving her best friend's death, she is consumed by the fear that everything was her fault and her sadness that Colette is never coming back. Worse still, it seems like everyone else has found a way to move on, even her twin sister Frankie. When her mom decides a change of location might do her good, Tess finds herself on an airplane bound for her aunt's house in small town Wyoming and a summer vacation attending art camp.

Tess thinks she might never be able to move on from losing Colette but her quirky but determined cousin Kennedy and new friend Izzy are determined to help. When Tess becomes convinced that Colette's ghost might be haunting her, Kennedy and Izzy find new ways for Tess to make peace with the past and finally let go of the grief that has been haunting her heart.

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

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When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~ 6 hours. Read by Greta Jung. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House, January, 2020. 9780593155455. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Monday! I enjoyed the wintery sunshine this weekend and took lots of walks with Boo! I hope your weekend was fantastic.

Middle Grade Monday features When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller. Lily's widowed mother has decided to move the family of three from California to Sunbeam, Washington to care for Lily's grandmother, whose health is declining. Lily loves Halmoni, especially her stories, but she wants to stay in California for seventh grade, not start all over in Washington. Lily has a superpower though. She can become invisible - the QAG - quiet Asian girl. She's so unlike Sam, who is outgoing and can make friends anywhere.

When Lily sees a tiger at the side of the road near Halmoni's house and the tiger seems to be watching Lily, she knows Halmoni will understand the meaning. Instead, Halmoni tells Lily that the tiger is after her because she stole something from her long ago and now the tiger is back to reclaim what was stolen. Lily and her new friend, Ricky set out to trap a tiger.

Fans of magical realism will adore this exquisitely written story-within-a-story. If you loved Where the Mountain Meets the Moon or The Girl Who Swallowed the Moon, you will love When You Trap a Tiger. Warning: I was a weeping mess near the end, so make sure there are tissues handy. There has been a bit of Newbery buzz around this one and deservedly so.

The narrator's performance was well-paced and she had distinct voices for the different characters as well as for the tiger folk tale that interspersed the narrative. My only question has to do with her pronunciation of Halmoni. It sounded like Harmony and when I looked up the pronunciation online, each source pronounced it the l. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: American Royals II: Majesty by Katherine McGee

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American Royals II: Majesty by Katherine McGee. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, ~13 hours. Read by Brittany Pressley. Listening Library/ Penguin Random House Audio, September, 2020. 9780593216866. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday TMS Readers! I hope you are enjoying the break and reading a lot! I also hope that the sky is clear enough to see the last full moon of the year. The thirteenth full moon of 2020, known as the Cold Moon will rise at 4:12 and achieve full brightness at 10:30. You can also catch it as it sets tomorrow morning at 7:52. Mother Nature has not been kind to us regarding all the amazing celestial events that have been occurring lately - the lunar eclipse, the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter and the Ursids meteor showers.

Teen Tuesday features American Royals II: Majesty by Katherine McGee. Majesty is the eagerly awaited conclusion to American Royals, which was featured on a Teen Tuesday on Election Day. Any plot synopsis will spoil the ending for American Royals, so I will just say that surprises are in store for fans of the first book. Devious plans are afoot that will test the confidence of a couple of major characters. 

All-in-all, I loved the development of all the main characters, even the unredeemable ones. For a romance, these two books were nuanced as well as breezy fun. I was surprised to learn that Majesty is considered the conclusion of this series though. There were lots of loose ends that weren't so neatly tied up, in my opinion. Oh well. I enjoyed the alternate history aspect very much as well as the fast pace and tabloid fun of this book. 

Again, the narrator did a fine job maintaining the pace and tone.

Teen fans of romance and royal-watchers will find lots to like in these two books. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Dark Waters by Katherine Arden

Happy Wednesday! We made it! Winter break starts in a few hours!

Image: Penguin Random House

Dark Waters by Katherine Arden. 256 p. G.P. Putnam's Sons, August 3, 2021. 9780593109151.

Waiting on Wednesday features Dark Waters by Katherine Arden. This is a sequel to Ms. Arden's middle grade debut, Small Spaces and its follow up, Dead Voices. "Until next time," was the promise made to Ollie Cocoa and Brian after they outsmarted the smiling man. Now, it is next time. The smiling man is back and wants a rematch. Brian is ready to play.

These books are beloved by horror fans at TMS. Dark Waters is due out August 3, 2021, so you have plenty of time to read the first two books before then. I actually have to get to them myself. As you might know, I don't love horror, but read some for RA purposes. 

Teen Tuesday: Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

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Dear Justyce: a novel by Nic Stone. 266 p. Crown Books for Young Readers/ Random House/ Penguin Random House, September, 2020. 9781984829665. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Happy Tuesday! Teen Tuesday features Dear Justyce: a novel by Nic Stone. In this sequel to Ms. Stone's critically acclaimed debut, Dear Martin, seventeen-year-old Vernell LaQuan Banks, Jr. (You better call him Quan) is awaiting trial for the murder of a police officer. It's a crime he did not commit, but he was at the scene. He has an arrest record, an overworked, possibly incompetent public defender and knows he's looking at hard time in prison.

He writes a series of letters to his friend, Justyce. The two met on a playground one night while trying to escape difficult times at home. The two boys were bright, loved school and loved to read. Quan had an aptitude for math and hopes for the future despite experiencing the trauma of witnessing the violent arrest of this father when he was eleven. Justyce had a mother who expected him to excel and supported him; Quan's mother sided with the teacher who accused him of cheating on an algebra exam. As Quan began to lose hope, the school-to-prison pipeline became an increasing reality.

Dear Justyce is a difficult read. It's raw. It's sad. It's intense. It's important. You don't really need to read Dear Martin before reading Dear Justyce, but you should. Both books belong on every kind of library shelf. 

#tbt: The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

Image: Penguin Random House

Happy snowy Thursday! I hope you're warm and cozy and enjoying this first snowstorm if you are affected by this nor'easter. #tbt celebrates the 25th anniversary of one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors, The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963. This was Christopher Paul Curtis' debut novel. It won a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Honor and The Golden Kite Award.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 is narrated by Kenneth Watson and spans the time from January to October of 1963. The family lives in Flint, Michigan but must travel by car south to Kenny's grandmother's in Birmingham, Alabama because his older brother Byron is in danger of becoming a juvenile delinquent. The hilarity in this story is leavened by the racism the family experiences and the September tragedy that helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement.

Here's the cover for the anniversary edition. I'm bummed that it's not available in hard cover so I can put it in my library. 

Image: Penguin Random House

#tbt: Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson

Image: Penguin Random House

Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson. 240 p. Delacorte/ Penguin Random House, March, 2010. 9780375895920. (Own.)

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm a little late posting b/c I was prepping my turkey! I hope you all have a wonderful day! #tbt features Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson. This book was published in 2010 and was the first book of the author's that I read. After devouring it at the beach, I read My Life as a Rhombus and his debut, Red Polka Dot in a World Full of Plaid.

Saving Maddie centers around two preacher's kids, Maddie and Josh. Josh has always had a crush on Maddie, but she's been gone for five years. Suddenly, she's back in town with a reputation for being bad, so bad that she was kicked out of school. Josh is a "good boy." He also thinks that Maddie can be redeemed, even if it means lying to his parents to do so. 

Saving Maddie was named a Bank Street College Best Book in 2011.

Teen Tuesday: American Royals by Katharine McGee

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American Royals by Katharine McGee. 464 p. Random House Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Random House, September, 2019. 

It seems apropos on this Election Day to feature an alternate history. What if George Washington were made king of the newly formed United States of America instead of elected president? Teen Tuesday features American Royals by Katharine McGee. This is pure escapist fun. King George the Third and his family rule America. George's father abolished the ascendancy rule of first male as heir to the throne, so his eldest, Beatrice, will become America's first queen someday. She trains for that role with purpose and dedication. Her parents give her a file filled with eligible royal men to consider as husband material. There's a slight problem though. Beatrice has fallen for a commoner.

Meanwhile, Beatrice's fraternal twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson, are taking a gap year between high school and college. Jefferson enjoys his role as America's most eligible bachelor and Samantha is considered the family rebel.

The fast-paced narrative switches POV and keeps the action lively. The reader is treated to court intrigue and shenanigans. This is the first in a series which is sure to charm. I read this one with my ears and really enjoyed it. The narrator's breezy style matched the breezy tone of the book. The nice thing about coming to a series later is that the wait time for book two is shorter. I placed a hold on the sequel right away! Review coming soon.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

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The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~632 m. Read by Lauren Ezzo. Listening Library, March, 2020. 9780593155103. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. TMS's many fans of Ms. Lu's science fiction/ dystopian may do a double-take when they learn that this fantasy has its roots in history and veers more toward fairy tale and magic than science. It is the story of Nannerl Mozart, music prodigy and older sister to Wolferl. Their father hopes to gain the patronage of wealthy families and so, travels with his two children all over Europe. When Wolferl's talents begin to surpass his older sister's, Nannerl sees her father's attention wane and soon realizes that she will be expected to abandon music to marry and have children. She is, in fact, the more talented having turned to composing.

A pretend game the two play about an imaginary kingdom called Back comes to life and beckons both children. Here everything mirrors their own life and yet it different, slightly more sinister. A boy named Hyacinth sees into Nannerl's soul and promises her she will never be forgotten if... She must perform three tasks for him. Doing so may put Wolferl at peril. 

After a bit of a slow start, the world of 18th century Europe and the life of musical artists is brought to vivid life and infused with magic when melded with the mirror world. The complicated sibling relationship was well drawn. At times, I felt a bit of tell and not show poking through, but that might have been the narrator's fault. Otherwise, the narrator's quietly musical delivery was pleasing to hear and there was real tension and suspense. 

I'm very interested to see if the author's die-hard fans give this a go. I can't wait to share the title with my serious music students as well as fans of historical fantasy. Intriguing.

Middle Grade Monday: Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

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Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson. 268 p. Nancy Paulsen Books/ Penguin Random House, September, 2020. 9780399545436. (Review of purchased copy.)

Happy Monday TMS readers! I hope you had a fantastic weekend. Running a bit late with posts again. I'm sorry. Middle Grade Monday features Before the Ever After written by Jacqueline Woodson. This is Ms. Woodson's latest novel for middle grade and it's a verse novel, meaning the story is told in a series of mostly blank verse poems by our main character ZJ. 

Twelve-year-old Zacharaiah was named after his dad, who is a football star. ZJ gets attention wherever he goes mostly because of his dad, but he has a tight crew of friends who like him for himself. The story takes place in the early 1980s before the effects of multiple concussions was widely known. ZJ's dad has had many concussions and now he's changed. Sometimes his memory is off and it hurts ZJ when his own dad doesn't know who he is. Sometimes it's scary, like the times his dad goes into violent rages and the police need to be called. The scariest part is that the doctors don't know what's happening with his dad or whether he will be fixed. 

Woodson's poems evoke the myriad of emotions ZJ experiences in this brief, heartfelt novel in verse. If you're a fan of verse novels, then read this book. If you're a fan of football, you must read this book.

Middle Grade Monday: Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone

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Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone. 320 p. G. P. Putnam's Sons/ Penguin Random House, July, 2020.

Happy Monday TMS Readers! I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful autumn weekend we just had!

Middle Grade Monday features Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone. School Dress Codes, while well-intentioned can be tricky - open to interpretation, inconsistently enforced or worse, certain students can become targets. When eighth grader Molly and her friend were wearing the exact same outfit and the vice-principal cited only her friend, Molly knew the dress code was unfair. When another friend, Olivia was cited for wearing a tank top, the vice-prinicipal did not want to hear that she removed her sweatshirt to cover a period stain. She cancelled the eighth grade trip, as she had threatened to do. Now the entire eighth grade hates Olivia. Molly knows she has to do something. But what? She starts a podcast and interviews girls who have been unfairly singled out. At first, girls were reluctant to speak, but then some former students even returned from high school to talk about how sexist and unfair the dress code was. But what next? Molly's desire for social justice is awakened and she's going to find a way to change the Dress Code.

Firestone portrays middle school dynamics perfectly in this sharp, slyly hilarious first-person narrative. Molly is so-o relatable and persistent. She just might inspire some readers to act toward social justice in ways large and small.

Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

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Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick.304 p. Penguin Young Readers Group, May, 2020. 9781984815316. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick. Our thirteen-year-old narrator, Frankie, lives in Long Beach, a Washington State seaside town, with her twin sister in an inn that her mother runs with her boyfriend. Frankie is autistic and has ADHD. In order to avoid taking medication, she's working very hard to control her emotions. But it's difficult and she's not always successful. She recently lost her only friend, Colette, to her sister, Tess. Tess is the nice one, the easy one. Frankie can be prickly.

Ever since a tornado touched down near her school when she was five, Frankie has been obsessed with them and a show about tornado chasers. She relates to them as she feels her brain often twists around like a tornado. When Colette goes missing, Frankie learns that she may've been the last person Colette saw. Frankie is determined to follow the few clues Colette left behind even if it gets her in trouble with the police and her family.

It's sometimes hard to follow Frankie's logic and her roundabout way of speaking. Readers will grow to appreciate her tenacity as she persists in seeking answers even when the adults around her insist that she's wrong. 

Tornado Brain is available to borrow through Inter-Library Loan (ILL) and is available through ebccls in an e-book format. The e-audiobook is available to place on hold. I might reread this one with my ears because it's narrated by a favorite audiobook reader of mine. 

Fact Friday: The Red Bandanna by Tom Rinaldi

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The Red Bandanna (Young Readers Adaptation) by Tom Rinaldi. 176 p. Penguin Young Readers Group, September, 2017. (Own)

Fact Friday is featuring an older title to acknowledge the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Red Bandanna (Young Readers Adaptation) by Tom Rinaldi is the biography of Welles Crowther. On September 11, he was working on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center when the planes hit below his floor. He never came home. His parents grieved not knowing what happened. Then, his mom read an article where survivors spoke of a man in a red bandanna as their rescuer and Mrs. Crowther knew that was her son, Welles. He always carried a red bandanna in his pocket. It was his emblem ever since receiving one from his dad when he was 8 or 9. He was one of the many heroes of 9/11. 

Mr. Rinaldi produced a short film about Welles Crowther for ESPN, then wrote a biography for adults. This adaptation for young readers is an emotional read; but a beautiful tribute to a young man who made a choice to go back into a burning building to help.

Friday Memes: Layoverland by Gabby Noone

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Image: Penguin Random House

Layoverland by Gabby Noone. 302 p. Razorbill/ Penguin Random House, January, 2020. 9781984836120.

Publisher synopsis: Beatrice Fox deserves to go straight to hell.

At least, that's what she believes. Her last day on Earth, she ruined the life of the person she loves most—her little sister, Emmy. So when Bea awakens from a fatal car accident to find herself on an airplane headed who knows where, she's confused, to say the least.

Once on the ground, Bea receives some truly harrowing news: she's in purgatory. If she ever wants to catch a flight to heaven, she'll have to help five thousand souls figure out what's keeping them from moving on.

But one of Bea's first assignments is Caleb, the boy who caused her accident, and the last person Bea would ever want to send to the pearly gates. And as much as Bea would love to see Caleb suffer for dooming her to a seemingly endless future of eating bad airport food and listening to other people's problems, she can't help but notice that he's kind of cute, and sort of sweet, and that maybe, despite her best efforts, she's totally falling for him.

From debut author Gabby Noone comes a darkly hilarious and heartfelt twist on the afterlife about finding second chances, first loves, and new friendships in the most unlikely places.

First Line: You know the kind of crying where you're crying over one thing and then you think about a slightly less upsetting but still definitely upsetting thing and it makes you cry even more?

Page 56: "Well, that's too bad. I was all ready to bribe you," he says, wiggling his eyebrows slightly.

     "All right, that's it!" I say, pushing my chair back. "Actually, I'll make sure you number never gets called. Have fun eating wet slop and waring socks with sandals for the rest of eternity."

     He looks under the table at his feet.

     "Hey, how'd you know I'm wearing-"

     His jaw goes slack.

     "So you did notice me on the plane," he says.

     "No, I just noticed your shoes. Not you."