Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

Image: HarperCollins

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~10 hours. Read by Imani Parks. HarperAudio, May, 2018. q. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson. This unnerving mystery portrays the lengths to which a best friend will go to get a straight answer. When Claudia returns home from her annual summer visit with her grandmother to start eighth grade, she's anxious to reconnect with Monday, who hasn't been answering her phone. The two besties are like sisters who insulate themselves to protect them from bullies at school and Monday's scary mother. But Monday doesn't answer her phone. Nor does she show up at school and Monday never misses school. When Claudia investigates, she receives conflicting stories. Her parents suggest that perhaps the friendship is over, but Claudia knows something is terribly wrong. The first-person account zig-zags, leaving the reader disoriented as Claudia discovers why Monday's not coming.

Taut writing and a fascinating community of characters keep the reader engaged and reluctant to do anything but rush to the end. The inner city social and economic dynamics are vividly portrayed as are the social skirmishes and pecking order of high school. Imani Parks delivers a performance equal to the writing. 

Monday's Not Coming is a resonant, powerful book that will stick with the reader for a long time. Highly recommended!

2019 Audiobooks

January (7)
1. Swing by Kwame Alexander and Mary Hess (1/1)
2. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okarafor (1/6)*
3. Endling: the last by Katherine Applegate (1/13)*
4. Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce (1/22)
5. The Never-ending Story by Michael Ende (1/23)
6. The Golden Tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (1/26)
7. Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds (1/30)

February (5)
8. A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi (2/2)*
9. Dumplin' by Julie Murphy (2/7)*

10.  Proud: my fight for an unlikely American dream by Ibtihaj Muhammed with Lori Tharps. 
11. The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol (2/19)*
12. The Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor (2/21)*

March (11)
13. The Wicked King by Holly Black (3/3)*
14. Dumplin' by Julie Murphy (3/5)

15. Granted by John David Anderson (3/7)
16. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (3/14)
17. The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis (3/17)*
18. Blended by Sharon Draper (3/17)
19. The Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta (3/24)
20. Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes (3/24)
21. Leah on the Off Beat by Becky Albertali (3/27)
22. The Bridge Home by Padma Ventkatraman (3/30)
23. Angel Thieves by Kathi Appelt (3/30)

April (9)
24. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (4/6)

25. Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez 4/11)
26. Fatal Throne by M.T. Anderson, et al (4/14)
27. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli (4/14)
28. Love & War by Melissa de la Cruz (4/17)
29. The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (4/21)
30. The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin (4/26)
31. SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson (4/28)*
32. Slam by Nick Hornby (4/28)

May (7)
33. All for One by Melissa de la Cruz (5/7)
34.  A Crack in the Sea by H.M. Bouwman (5/12)*
35. The Lovely War by Julie Berry (5/18)*
36. Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan (5/21)*
37. The First by Katherine Applegate (Endling #2) (5/25)*
38. Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor (5/26)*
39. Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French (5/27)*

June (10)
40. Internment by Samira Ahmed (6/2)
41. Slacker by Gordon Korman (6/2)
42. Where the Heart Is by Jo Knowles (6/8) 
43. Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe (6/9)*
44. City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab (6/11)*
45. The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor #1) (6/16)*
46. Sweeping Up the Heart by Kevin Henkes (6/16)
47. Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt (6/20)
48. Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (6/25)*
49. Aru Shah and the Song of Death by Roshani Chokshi (6/29)

July (8)
50. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (7/5)
51. There's Something about Sweetie by Sandhya Menon (7/10)
52. Becoming by Michelle Obama (7/13)*
53. Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly (7/18)*
54. Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama (7/20)(41)
55. Damsel by Elana K. Arnold (7/20)*
56. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (7/22)
57. Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert (7/28)

August (12)
58. The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan (8/3)
59. Twice Magic by Cressida Cowell (8/3)*
60. Ask the Passengers by A.S. King (8/6)*
61. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (8/7)
62. Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson (8/8)
63. Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus (8/10)
64. How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox (8/14)*
65. The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen (8/17)
66. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanthi (8/19)
67. Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith (8/24)
68. The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson (8/26)*
69. Superman by Matt de la Peña (8/31)

September (6/75)
70. We are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson (9/2)
71. The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie (9/7)
72. The Unteachables by Gordon Korman (9/11)
73. Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1) (9/20)
74. To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer (9/23)
75. Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich (9/28)

October 8/83
76. Catwoman: soul stealer 9Dc Icons) by Sarah J. Maas (10/2)
77. The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris (10/5)
78. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott (10/8)
79. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (10/11)
80. Batman: nightwalker (DC Icons) by Marie Lu (10/16)
81. I Have a Right To by Chessy Prout (10/21)
82. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (10/25)*
83. How High the Moon by Karyn Parsons (10/30)

November 8/91
84. Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (11/2)
85. Spy School by Stuart Gibbs (11/2)
86. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga (11/3)
87. Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West (11/9)
88. I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberley Jones and Gilly Segal (11/10)
89. Furthermore by Tahareh Mafi (11/17)
90. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (11/22)
91. Educated by Tara Westover (11/27)*

December
92. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman (12/10)*
93. Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds (12/16)
94. The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes (12/27)
95.  Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson (12/30)

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones

Image: Sourcebooks

I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, ~5 hours. Read by Brittany Presley and Channie Waites. Recorded Books, September, 2019. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by Gillie Segal and Kimberly Jones. This dual narrative is a taut, present tense narrative of one scary night that started at a high school football game, then ended on the streets of Atlanta. Two senior girls are thrown together after a racial slur prompts a fist-fight, which devolves into chaos once the police arrive. Lena is a confident alpha girl with a strong sense of fashion and Campbell is newly arrived at the school and just trying to get through senior year unnoticed. The two girls from very different backgrounds, one white, one black, must rely on each other to survive the night of rioting.

If the sequence of events seem a tad improbable, the quibble is soon lost in the intensity of the interaction between the two main characters. The authors vividly describe the chaos danger of the fighting, riots and looting. Also timely are the assumptions each girl has about the other. This fast, compelling read should spark conversations about race relations and  white privilege.

The pacing and performances of both narrators were pitch perfect, adding to the suspense of the story.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

Image: Penguin Random House

Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys. Unabridged audiobook on ten compact discs. ~ 12.5 hours. Read by Maite Jáuregui with five others; author's note read by the author. Listening Library/ Penguin Audio, October, 2019. (Review of audiobook borrowed from the public library.)


Teen Tuesday features The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys. Weighing in at over 400 pages, this historical fiction set in 1957, Franco-ruled Spain will require a patient reader. Fans of the author's Between Shades of Gray and its companion, Salt to the Sea, know to expect - intriguing characters, lovely writing and meticulous research into lesser known historical events. 

The Fountains of Silence is all about secrets. Seventeen-year-old Daniel Matheson, visiting from Texas with his parents has them. His parents have a few themselves. But it is Ana, who works as a maid at the American hotel Daniel is staying at who has the most to lose if her secrets are revealed and she has been receiving threatening notes. The world did not know what life was like for citizens of Spain under the dictatorship of Franco, especially if they had opposed his rule as Ana's parents had. American tourists experienced only the lush beauty of Spain. But Daniel, a budding photojournalist observed something deeper and attempted to capture those moments with his photographs - an act that could mark him with danger. This layered and complex novel is slow to unfold, but is harrowing and beautifully told. A lengthy author's note, read by the author provides insight into the story and and the time period.

I enjoyed this narration. Whenever there are bits of another language sprinkled into a narrative, I prefer to read with my ears to experience fluent speakers. The narration was measured and nearly unbearably slow. New-to-me narrator, Maite Jáuregui spoke English well, but had a curiously inconsistent way of pronouncing some words. I was listening in my car, so didn't make notes; but hotel was one that stuck out for me. Sometimes it was "ho-TELL," and sometimes it was "ho-till." I found it quite distracting. Once the secrets began to unfold and the suspense built, I was less aware of them. 

I was fully immersed in the first part of the book. Then, the story flashes forward eighteen years. Though I loved it, it felt rushed and a tad incomplete. I guess I didn't want to leave the characters just yet, even after 12.5 hours of listening (or over 400 pages if reading.) Also, I could stare at that gorgeous cover forever.

I'm in a middle school. Though I usually have at least one advanced, mature and eclectic reader each year, I am not sure that a middle school student is the audience for this book. Definitely a must-read for high schools. I also anticipate hearing the title announced come awards time. 

Teen Tuesday: Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

Image: Penguin Random House

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu. DC Icons #2. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~9 hours. Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, January, 2018. 9780525525561. 

Teen Tuesday features book #2 of the DC Icons series in which popular YA authors imagine the teen years/ coming-of-age of four popular DC superheroes. Batman: nightwalker was written by Marie Lu, whose "Legend" trilogy is a TMS favorite. 

Billionaire Bruce Wayne is about to turn eighteen and will inherit his family's wealth. A terrorist organization called the Nightwalkers is targeting Gotham City's wealthiest citizens to murder and electronically steal their fortunes. The Gotham City PD captured Madeleine Wallace and imprisoned her in Arkham Asylum but she is not talking - except to Bruce Wayne, who happens to be doing community service for interfering with a police investigation. The police brass enlist Bruce's help. But can he trust either side?

This was perhaps the most intriguing of the four DC Icons books I read. Still, it felt a bit juvenile, cops and robber-ish, as in, improbable coincidences and plot holes. The new-to-me narrator was engaging and paced his performance well. The action was nearly non-stop making this plot-driven book appealing to those readers who crave page-turners. 

Teen Tuesday: Catwoman: soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

Catwoman: soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas. DC Icons series #3. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~10 hours. Read by Julia Whelan. Random House/ Listening Library, August, 2018. 9780525595427. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library. Own hc.)

Teen Tuesday features Catwoman: soul stealer by Sarah J. Maas. This is the third book of the DC Icons series in which popular YA authors imagine DC superheroes as teens. All is relatively quiet in Gotham City. Batman's away and his teen protege, Batwing, aka Luke Fox is keeping an eye on things. Enter one Holly Vanderhees, a rich socialite with a penchant for fundraisers. The only problem is that Holly is really Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, newly returned to Gotham City with a secret.

As someone who is not a superhero aficionado, I almost feel as though I should not weigh in on any of these books in the series. My experience with Batman was with the 1960s television show featuring Adam West as Batman. Robin was his sidekick. Catwoman was played by Julie Newmar. Who is this Batwing? Is this a new creation or have I missed something? Catwoman and Batman always seemed to have a thing. Why Batwing?

And, I have never read anything written by Sarah J. Maas! The worldbuilding was bleak, bleak, bleak as Gotham City is. The story flashes back to slowly inform readers of Selina's backstory. She's fierce. She's a survivor. She loves only her sick sister and will do anything to keep her safe. Redeemable qualities and yet...

I wrote on GR that I thought the book "curiously slow and bland." Thinking back now, that might've been partly the narrator's fault. Whelan's delivery had a measured, almost blasé coolness to it and there was a tremendous amount of detail. I'm glad I no longer give stars on GR; because I think I liked the book more than I thought. 

Middle Grade Monday and Audio Review: The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris

Image: LBYR

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris. The Magic Misfits series #1. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~ 4 hours. Read by the author. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers/ Hachette Audio, November, 2017. 9781478990796. (review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Own hc.) 

Middle Grade Monday features The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris. The Magic Misfits is book one of The Magic Misfits series. If you're a fan of The Mysterious Benedict Society mysteries or love magic or humorous stories or fast-paced adventure, you need to check out The Magic Misfits.

Carter runs away from his only family - an uncle who took him in when his parents disappeared. His reason for running? His uncle uses Carter and his talent for magic to scam unsuspecting people and Carter has had enough; so he hops a freight train to start a new life. After a brief brush with a nefarious carnival owner, he falls in with five illusionists who have chosen their own family.

Neil Patrick Harris narrates with his usual understated aplomb. The story moves swiftly. The characters are a varied lot. Readers who like a fast-paced, humorous adventure will find much to like here. 

I finally, finally got to this! The upside? I don't need to wait for the sequels! I bought all three when Harris appeared at a local Indie. 

Fact Friday and Audio Review: Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson

Image: Penguin Random House

Just Mercy: a true story of the fight for justice (Adapted for Young Adults) by Bryan Stephenson. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~ 7 hours. Read by the author. Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, September, 2018. 9780525635932.

Fact Friday features Just Mercy: a true story of the fight for justice by Bryan Stephenson. Stephenson adapted his best-selling memoir for a young adult audience. He was a Harvard Law student who signed on for an internship helping to defend a capital punishment case in Georgia. It was then that he realized that the criminal justice system in the United States was not a fair one - that people of color, the poor, uneducated and the most vulnerable members of society received unjust prison sentences and were often wrongly accused. Upon graduation from Harvard, Stephenson founded The Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama rather than pursue a lucrative law practice. 

He highlights several notable cases in detail and the reading is compelling, even heartbreaking. This book cogently explains the concept of mass incarceration to a young reader interested in the criminal justice system. 

I read this with my ears, which was a good thing since I was frequently moved to tears by the narrative. Stephenson narrates in a measured, thoughtful performance. There's no flash here. He's a humble man with a mission to right as many wrongs as he can. 

I was reminded of another book I read with my ears awhile back, The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater. In this book, the criminal received a harsh sentence. He did commit an unspeakable act; but his prosecution was strident despite the fact that the victim's family asked for just mercy.

The average middle school student might not gravitate toward a book such as Just Mercy, but I am going to hand-sell it like crazy. It's important. It's eye-opening. We need more people like Bryan Stephenson in the world. 

Middle Grade Monday: The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~6 hours. Narrated by a full cast. Balzar + Bray/ HarperAudio, January, 2019. 9780062885289. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Own the hc.)

Middle Grade Monday features The Unteachables by Gordon Korman. What happens when a burnt out teacher, who is basically phoning it in until early retirement is assigned to Room 117 by a superintendent who wants the guy gone? Room 117 houses "the unteachables." All are academic failures for one reason or another. Gordon Korman takes the improbable and makes it both humorous and (somewhat) believable. His fans will not be disappointed.

I was a bit though. Admittedly, I am not the intended audience. I felt the premise was a bit shaky and the adults tended toward cardboard stereotypes. 

Fact Friday: I Have the Right To: a high school survivor's story of sexual assault, justice and hope by Chessy Prout with Jenn Abelson

Image: Simon & Schuster

I Have the Right To: a high school survivor's story of sexual assault, justice and hope by Chessy Prout with Jenn Abelson. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~11 hours. Read by the author. Simon & Schuster Audio, March, 2018.  9781508246046. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Own hc.)

Fact Friday features a tough but important read for mature teens. I Have the Right to is Chessy Prout's autobiography. She recounts her happy childhood living in Japan with her loving parents and her two sisters - one older and one younger. She was thrilled to be accepted to St. Paul's School in New Hampshire. It was the boarding school her father attended when he was young. Her sister would be a senior when she arrived for her freshman year. The year went fairly well- Chessy made the volleyball team, she was managing her anxiety, she was fitting in and she was dealing with the sometimes unwanted attention of the boys on campus. There was a not-so-secret competition among the upperclassmen. In the final week of her freshman year, Chessy was assaulted by a popular senior. With the support of her family, she decided to press charges only to have school officials attempt to shame her into silence. Chessy's memoir is searing and honest. She recounts her attack in detail. She faced her attacker in court. She also endured backlash and sometimes feared for her life. 

Mature teen readers, both boys and girls, who have read Speak or SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson will want to read this and contemplate consent and boundaries. It's an uncomfortable but important conversation to have both at home and at school.

Chessy Prout narrates her work. It must have been painful to constantly revisit her attack, not only through testimony but also through the writing process. And then, to read it aloud! Her emotion is authentic. So is her resolve. She is a brave young woman.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott

Image: Simon & Schuster

Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook. ~7 hours. Narrated by Joy Osmanski and Corey Brill. Simon & Schuster Audio, November, 2018. 9781534437357. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Own hc.)

Stella is a high school senior who has CF, cystic fibrosis. She has managed her disease like a champ, even going so far as to develop an app to schedule her many meds and has achieved some online fame as a YouTube vlogger. She's also on the transplant list. 

Enter new patient and CF bad boy, Will, whose b-cepacia infection has knocked him off the transplant list. Now he's counting the days till his eighteenth birthday when he will cease all treatment and walk out of the hospital to live a little before dying. 

We all know where that's heading, don't we? I purchased this book as requested by a student. I had no idea this was a screenplay turned into a book. Teens who love sick lit like, The Fault in Our Stars (which I did not), and are not overly concerned with medical inaccuracies* (which drive me bonkers) or the use of tired romantic tropes will love this book. To be fair, my teenaged self would've loved this. I'm sure the movie had its fans who failed to notice the medical goofs and plot holes thanks to photogenic actors, swelling music, a cool soundtrack and lots of close-ups.

*OMG! The medical inaccuracies! These three were the most egregious among many. 

Girl with 27% lung function flying up four flights of stairs w/o O2? In what universe?

Girl with 27% lung function has infected g-tube and manages to keep it hidden from her doctor and nurses? Not a chance. 


Girl with 27% lung function undergoes surgery with general anesthesia and survives? Okay probable, but is transferred totally loopy from recovery to her room in a WHEELCHAIR? Patients are never released from the recovery room in a wheel chair or as out of it as this character was. 

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Superman by Matt de la Peña

Image: Penguin Random House

Superman: Dawnbreaker by Matt de la Peña. DC Icons series #4. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~ 7 hours. Narrated by Andrew Eiden. Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, March, 2019. 9781984832610. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Own hc.)

Teen Tuesday features Superman: dawn breaker by Matt de la Peña. This is the fourth book in the DC Icons series where YA authors weigh in with origin stories of sorts of well, four DC superheroes. Superman: dawn breaker tells of high school senior Clark Kent's coming of age. He always knew he had powers that none of his peers had, but now his strength is scaring him. He's afraid that he will do more harm than good when he's called upon to use them because he has trouble harnessing his power. At the same time, immigrant workers are disappearing and a corporation has been buying up the area farms. de la Peña cleverly blends contemporary immigration issues as well as other ethical dilemmas here. The thoughtful parts are punctuated with actions scenes that should keep fans of the the superhero engaged. 

Eiden was a new-to-me narrator when I listened to his performance of The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle. My Goodreads note said I was delighted with the performance. I didn't love his growly delivery in this one and his female character vocalizations were annoying. 

Teen Tuesday: Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith

Image: Books on Tape/ Listening Library

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~8 hours. Read by Anthony Mark Barrow and Karissa Vacker. Listening Library/ Books on Tape, March, 2019. 9781984843128. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

In this dual narrative, the POV shifts between Hugo and Mae. Hugo is one of a famed sextuplet living in Surrey, England. He is often overshadowed by his siblings and seeks to strike out on his own. The problem is that they all have a scholarship at a local university and his parents aren't in the position to pay for Hugo to go elsewhere. Besides, he loves his sibs. 

A more pressing problem happens when Hugo's girlfriend dumps him shortly before their planned train trip across the United States. He'd still like to go, but all the tickets and hotels were booked in Margaret's name and are non-transferable. So, Hugo advertises in search of another Margaret Campbell who would be willing to step in and share the trip.

Mae's full name is Margaret Campbell. She lives in upstate New York with her two dads. She's a budding filmmaker and is going to be heading to LA for college anyway, so she answers the ad after her beloved grandmother encourages her to live a little.

The two make an instant connection, but all is not smooth training.

This one was fun, as all Jennifer E. Smith romances are. Romance is definitely not my genre. But I don't mind reading Smith's because the romances are smart, featuring characters that are usually endearing and relatable. I've always wanted to go on a cross country train ride, so that was a draw as well. 

The two mc's were so interesting, especially Hugo. His family, especially his sibs, were a hoot. There were some holes that distracted, like Mae's dads easy agreement to send their daughter off on a train to college. I was all about moving my (4) kid(s) in when they went off—not hovering—just moving them in, scoping the situation out and saying goodbye. Were I going to say goodbye at a train station, I'd insist on meeting this roommate she's apparently going off with. Still.

I expected the audiobook to add to the charm since Hugo is a Brit and the narrator is as well. And it did. Mostly. It's just that his American accent for Mae was an utterly atrocious mix of Boston and Brooklyn. (Picked Brooklyn for the alliteration, I don't know from borough accents.) It was a generic and mildly insulting New York accent with some Bostonisms thrown in. And she's from somewhere upstate - Hudson Valley, a totally different New York accent. So, no, that got annoying and distracting. And it certainly did not reflect Mae's narrator voice at all. She did a passable job with her British accent when voicing Hugo.

I definitely recommend reading this one with your eyes. I have a ton of Smith fans and romance fans at my school, so I don't expect this to sit. Nor should it. Your romance fans will gobble it up.

Middle Grade Monday: Twice Magic by Cressida Cowell

Image: Hachette Book Group

Twice Magic by Cressida Cowell. The Wizards of Once series #2. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~6 hours. Read by David Tennant. Hachette Book Group, November, 2018. 9781478999461. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Purchased hc.)

Middle Grade Monday features Twice Magic by Cressida Cowell. Book two picks up where The Wizards of Once left off. Xar the Enchanter's son is imprisoned and Wish, daughter of the Warrior queen is locked in a cupboard in the castle. That won't stop the evil that Xar unwittingly unleashed. No one has escaped the magical prison, but Xar is determined. Someone has to save the kingdom! 

I just reread my review and saw that I promised myself to read the second installment with my eyes because I found the sound effects jarring. Oops. Well, I'm glad I read with my ears because Tennant is such a delight. I am also happy to report that there seemed to be fewer sound effects. The world building is wonderful and Cowell's characters are vibrantly alive!

As in Wizards of Once, there are lots of laughs along with lots of action. Secrets are revealed, but all is not solved. And, who is our narrator?  Readers will eagerly await book three, Knock Three Times, due out mid-October. Check this week's "Waiting on Wednesday" post for deeds.

Teen Tuesday: The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~12 hours. Narrated by Rebecca Soler. Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins Publishers, June, 2019. 9780062938640. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen. Seventeen-year-old Emma Saylor Payne barely remembers her mother, who died when she was ten. While she has a good relationship with her dentist father, he's tightlipped about her mother except to acknowledge her addictions and how they contributed to their marriage failing as well as her death. It also probably contributes to her tendency toward anxiety and perfect behavior. Otherwise, she knows nothing and none of the relatives on her mother's side. All that changes when her father remarries and his plans for Emma to stay with a friend for the three weeks of their honeymoon fall through. She is sent to North Lake to stay with her grandmother and her extended family. 

North Lake is a resort community divided by class—a rich country club resort on one side of the lake and more modest hotels on the other. Emma's mom came from the poorer side. Emma's dad from the other. Her relatives are all strangers to her, but they seem to know all about her and definitely know a ton about her mom.

As with any Sarah Dessen book, the pace is quite leisurely and the reader really gets to know the characters. Her heroines tend to be exceedingly self-deprecating, nice, anxious and over-analytical. In other words, at once relatable and annoying. She and her characters are like that perfect friend you have that occasionally drives you to mad, jealous, petty tirades that ultimately make you feel guilty because they are just so nice. My teen self would've eaten this up and asked for more. My old-as-dirt self gets a bit impatient. Still, teen fans of Dessen's will eat this breezy, leisurely novel up and ask for more.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

Image: Listening Library

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~10 hours. Read by Sophie Amoss and Kirby Heyborne. Listening Library, January, 2019. 9781984829092. Review of audiobook borrowed from public library. Hard cover courtesy of publisher.)

Twins, Ellery and Ezra, move in with their grandmother while their mother is in rehab. They hardly know her or the town in which her mother grew up. Maybe it's because their mom is an actress and they live in L.A. or maybe it's because twenty years earlier, Ellery's mother was a homecoming queen and her twin went missing. Five years ago, a homecoming queen was murdered at a horror-themed amusement park. No one was ever charged. 

As homecoming approaches, threatening grafitti, spray-painted in blood red is popping up all over town accompanied by grotesque hanging dolls. Then, one of the homecoming queen nominees goes missing. Adding to the tension, is also the unsolved mystery surrounding the hit and run death of a popular science teacher. 

Echo Ridge keeps its secrets but everyone has opinions. Circumstantial evidence points to Malcolm, the kid brother of the prime suspect from five years ago. Ellery, whose addiction to true crime reality television shows makes her rather fluent in detective-speak, has her own list of suspects.

The present tense dual narration ratchets up the tension in this suspenseful thriller. Know that I don't like the thriller/ mystery genre but force myself to read them for my students who do. I enjoyed this one as well as the author's debut, One of Us is Lying. Well placed red herrings, likable narrators and an atmospheric setting add to the enjoyment. 

The present tense worked. Mostly. There were a few moments when I was taken out of the story. Color me mostly riveted though a tad disappointed by a late reveal. 

Narrators Moss and Heyborne paced their performances perfectly. The audio was a real pleasure. I listened over two days of prolonged, mindless choring. 

One of Us is Lying is a favorite at my school. I'm sure Two Can Keep a Secret will keep fans happy. 

Middle Grade Monday: City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Image: Scholastic

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab. 290 p. Cassidy Blake series #1. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., August, 2018. 9781338111002. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab on this penultimate Monday of summer vacay. My fans of horror know that I'm am a scaredy cat when it comes to the genre. But this book is so consistently checked out and student after student have told me that I MUST read it, I put on my big-girl pants and finally got to it. Wowsers! So good!

Cassidy Blake's parents are famous writers and "ghost hunters." They are more interested in studying the history behind the stories and the people who believe than believers themselves though. They are totally unaware that their own daughter can "cross the veil" and that her best friend, Jacob is "corporeally challenged." Cass has had this ability since her near-drowning the previous year. Now, she and her parents are headed to Edinburgh to film a television show about their work and little do her parents know, there are ghost all around them in this 900 year old city.

This suspenseful page-turner teems with atmosphere and tension. Thank goodness there's a good bit of humor to relieve the suspense. Cassidy and Jacob charm as best buds. The Raven in Red terrifies. The setting is so vivid, I want to visit Edinburgh now. And, I can't wait for Cassidy's next adventure. Check in this Wednesday to find out more.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson

Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson. Unabridged e-audiobook. ~5 hours. Narrated by Katie Koster and Christian Barillas. Scholastic Audio, June, 2019. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

When I opened the hard cover of this epistolary novel, my heart sank a bit to find that it is told entirely in text messages. I don't love texting irl and my digital-immigrant eyes have trouble following long strings of text. Still, the premise intrigued. Luckily, I found it while browsing new e-audio additions in Libby. It was delivered to my phone after a brief hold. I found it quite entertaining. 

High school senior, Haley receives a text from a classmate in her AP history class regarding an upcoming assignment. He identifies himself as Martin Nathaniel Munroe II. The only problem is that there are two Martin Nathaniel Munroe IIs in her class and she hates one of them. Believing she is talking to the one she doesn't hate, Haley answers his question. He responds and the two begin to banter. Soon the bantering turns into full-fledged honest conversations as the two open up. Is it time to meet irl?

This was kind of fun. It was like eavesdropping. The challenge of the text format is that the only clues we have to these characters are what they say type to each other. There is no interior dialogue, no setting, and few extra characters weighing in to add dimension. All have is two smart teens getting to know each other in all its messy glory. 

Another challenge when texting or reading texts is the absence of emotional clues. Sure, we have emoticons, of which I am not fluent; but it can become tricky. The performance of these two new-to-me narrators helped with that. Haley was snarky and anxious and often hilarious. Martin was earnest. But then, perhaps the audio turned the book into a series of phone conversations? 

Either way, Technically, You Started It was an amusing experiment. I'm eager to book talk it when we return to school. I think my teens will love it. Not sure I'd jump into another text-only novel very soon, but interested in reading more from this debut author.