#tbt: Sycthe by Neal Shusterman

Image: Simon and Schuster

Scythe by Neal Shusterman. Arc of the Scythe #1. 464 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, November, 2016. 9781442472426.

#tbt features Scythe by Neal Shusterman. I was a fan of the author for a while, having read his Dark Fusion series, his Skin Jacker series and the Unwind Distology. He came to visit my last school before I left for a nearby middle school. His visit was quite memorable for several reasons, not the least being that his rental car didn't show and he had to scramble to find a new one. It made him late to us, but he was calm and unruffled. He really connected with the students, and I also loved the fact that he checked out the eighth grade LA teacher's classroom library!

I was blown away by Scythe, but hesitated to put it in the YA (grades 7 & 8) section, where the Unwind books were favorites. I opted for my 8th grade only shelf, where it too, soon became a favorite. 

It takes place in a future where death and disease are basically eradicated. One cannot even commit suicide. In order to control the population, an elite order of Scythes glean candidates. Is this a good thing? How does a Scythe choose candidates? How does one become a Scythe? Are Scythes immune from corruption?

I recently heard that a prequel, Rising Thunder, the first book of a planned series called First Blade. It's not due out until December and there is no cover yet. Still, I'm excited to revisit this incredibly realistic possible world.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Grief in the Fourth Dimension.by Jennifer Yu

Image: Tantor Media

Grief in the Fourth Dimension.by Jennifer Yu. Unabridged audiobook, ~8 hours, 45 minutes. Tantor Audio. Read by Tim Lounibos and Raechel Wong. July, 2024. Review of audiobook downloaded and borrowed from public library.

Kenny Zhou and Caroline Davison may have been classmates, but they existed in two completely different orbits. He, an introverted science nerd, worked in his immigrant parents' restaurant. She, an extroverted, popular athlete came from a life of privilege. When Kenny ends up in a stark, white room containing a chair and a huge, wall-mounted flat screen tv, any doubts that he has died are put to rest when the television broadcasts his funeral. 

Caroline, on the other hand, believes she's suffering from a fever dream, until the television shows her otherwise. Then, she believes the two are in purgatory - purgatory with a sense of humor as the room sends them cryptic notes and seems to grant them wishes. Of course, the two wish to communicate with their respective families, but communication is garbled. 

This intriguing speculative fiction made me think of a favorite book of mine called Layover Land, with its unique view of the afterlife, redemption and grief. Oh, and its snarkiness was quite amusing, but soon gave way to poignance as details unfold. 

The shifting POV between Kenny and Caroline kept me engaged and guessing. Supporting characters are beautifully rendered, especially Kenny's friend, Iris. 

Mr. Lounibos' narration gave Kenny such an achingly real vulnerability and Ms. Wong's portrayal of Caroline's journey from confident to angry to contemplative was well wrought. Many themes are explored here from privilege to mental health to justice through this story. 

Thoughtful teen fans of speculative fiction and the afterlife will adore Grief in the Fourth Dimension.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~10 hrs., 28 min. Read by Jason Geneo, Anthony Keyvan and Kyla Garcia. Quill Tree Books/ HarperAudio/ HarperCollins Publishers, October, 2022. 9780063240834. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy penultimate Tuesday of my school year! Teen Tuesday features The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera. I love Mr. Silvera's books, but rarely book talk them generally at my middle school because they are better suited for a high school audience. I particularly enjoyed his 2017, They Both Die at the End. Over the years, a fair number of eighth grade readers discovered it, which made me happy. The First to Die at the End is a prequel to They Both Die at the End and it's brilliant.

Death-Cast is about to launch and the world is divided over the "service" it will provide. The founder has discovered a way to predict the day someone will die and subscribers receive a call around midnight so that "deckers," as they have been named, can live their best life for their remaining hours. Two boys meet at a launch party in Times Square. Orion has a heart ailment and is waiting for a transplant. Valentino has just moved to New York to pursue a modelling career. He recently came out to his parents and they are not accepting. His twin sister, Scarlet is due to arrive the following day. Sparks fly between Orion and Valentino in the moments leading up to midnight when the first calls will be placed. Wouldn't you know it, one of them receives the very first call, which was placed by the founder himself.

This heartbreaking novel, while mainly centered on the first-person narration of the boys, occasionally shifts to third-person points-of-view of supporting characters and takes place in twenty-four hours. While it is not necessary to read first, fans of They Both Die at the End will be tickled to discover Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the prequel. The plot is fast-paced and absolutely riveting and the budding romance is just so sweet. Just when I thought I had figured out how the plot would play out, there was a twist that called into questions all of my assumptions.

It's a good thing I read this one with my ears. Reading through tears would've been difficult. The narrators were all new to me and each did a terrific job with pacing and voices. 

This book belongs in all libraries serving teens. Highly recommended. Happy reading. Happy Pride month.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Way Back by Gavriel Savit

Image: Penguin Random House

The Way Back by Gavriel Savit. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~10 hours, 54 minutes. Read by Allan Corduner. Listening Library/ Random House Children's Books/ Penguin Random House, September, 2020. 9780593286128. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Thursday! I hope that you are enjoying your summer break and that books and reading are a part of that enjoyment. I wish the weather would improve.

Teen Tuesday features The Way Back by Gavriel Savit. This historical fantasy feels like a dark and ominous folk tale. Yehuda Leib and Bluma are young teens who live in the tiny shtetl of Tupik in eastern Europe in the 1800s. Bluma lives in comfort over the bakery her parents run. Her grandmother, whom we meet as a girl in the beginning of the book, resides on the top floor. Yehuda Leib lives with his mother and his life is less secure. He's scrappy and an accomplished thief. He longs to learn more of his father. The entire town whispers of him, but no one will share.

Each separately have an encounter with the Messinger of Death one fateful evening and they end up in the Far Country, a parallel universe just past the graveyard where the walls between the worlds are thin. The Far Country is filled with demons, Lilith and her followers and a grotesque army of the dead. At the center of it all is the House of Death, which is both Yehuda Leib and Bluma's destination. Though each are on separate paths, they cross from time to time. There is constant danger and trickery as a variety of demons attempt to ensnare/ enslave them to do evil things.

The setting is vivid and atmospheric. Some characters are nefarious; others are harmless. All are fascinating. Danger lurks everywhere, but there are many moments of humor to lighten the load. Be patient, as the story unfolds slowly and is richly layered and filled with Yiddish sayings and proverbs. Teen readers who enjoy complex storytelling will love The Way Back.

The Way Back is available at Closter Public Library and also in e-book and e-audio formats through eBCCLS. I read this one with my ears. It was narrated by Allan Corduner, a favorite, who, in addition to narrating Mr. Savit's earlier story, Anna and the Swallow Man, also narrated The Book Thief. The Way Back was a National Book Award Finalist last fall.

Teen Tuesday and Audio Review: Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. Arc of a Scythe #2. Unabridged audiobook on one MP3 CD, hours, minutes. Read by Greg Tremblay. Brilliance Audio, April, 2018. 9781978614307. (Review from purchased audiobook.)

Happy Tuesday and first day of school for me, TMS Readers! Enjoy your lovely day off while we teachers prepare to welcome you back on Thursday! Teen Tuesday features Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. Thunderhead is book two in the Arc of a Scythe series and you definitely should read book one, Scythe, first. 

The series is set in the future when death and disease have been eradicated. Not only can one live several hundred years, but should one desire, he or she may "reset" their body to a younger age. Governments and most countries as we know it no longer exist. Crime is nearly non-existent. Life is good, if a bit boring. Everything is watched over and controlled by the Thunderhead. But the planet cannot support an unlimited population so Scythes are tasked with culling the population. Unlike the Thunderhead, Scythes are all too human, and being above the law, a faction has split off and seems to take pleasure in the killing. 

The series centers around two teens, Citra and Rowan as they are chosen to become scythe apprentices but eventually end up as political pawns. Neal Shusterman is a master worldbuilder and storyteller. He keeps the reader off-balance and guessing. The ending of Thunderhead will leave the reader panting for the next installment, The Toll, which as yet, has neither a cover nor an expected due date!

I read both books in this series with my ears and thoroughly enjoyed Greg Tremblay's narration. While his pacing occasionally lags, he manages to maintain distinct voices for the large cast of characters. I especially like that his female voices are not breathy caricatures that many male narrators tend toward.

If you are a science fiction fan, you should definitely check this series out as well as Neal Shusterman's Unwind Dystology!

Teen Tuesday: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe by Neal Shusterman. Arc of a Scythe #1. 435 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, November, 2016. 9781442472426. (Own)

Teen Tuesday features Scythe by Neal Shusterman. Scythe is book one of a planned trilogy called The Arc of the Scythe that takes place in a future when disease has been eradicated and citizens can opt to undergo a procedure called resetting, to become younger looking. Individuals can theoretically live for centuries. Is that a good thing? To prevent the planet from rampant overpopulation, individuals called scythes are tasked with controlling the population by randomly gleaning people. But there's discord in the scythed with the "new guard" demanding changes that may endanger the general population. The very best sci-fi dystopian has a plausibility that is rooted in our dystopian present. Shusterman is a master of provocative dystopian science fiction. He creates fascinating characters and unbearable suspense with whip-smart writing.  This is a page-turner. While there is a resolution of sorts, the story is far from over and readers will pant for the next installment, Thunderhead. Some student fans have already read Thunderhead and are dying for book three. 

I read this one with my ears and highly recommend it that way as well.

Blog Tour: Texting the Underworld by Ellen Booraem

319 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Group (USA) Inc., August 15, 2013. 9780803737044. (Review from arc obtained courtesy of the author/ publisher)

Conor, aka Pixie, O'Neill is a worrier. Okay, he's a scaredy cat. He's scared about everything but especially scared of spiders. He's also a rule follower. He chews his food fifteen times before swallowing not to decrease male flatulance, which is why his mother made the rule, but because he's terrified of choking to death. He lives in a duplex in "Southie," the Irish neighborhood in south Boston with his parents and ten-year-old sister Glennie, who is fearless. Grump, his grandfather lives next door. 

Grump appreciates Conor, says he has the "O'Neill spark. He also loves Conor's hand-drawn maps, especially the Land of Shanaya.  Conor loves his grandfather and enjoys his knowledge of Irish folklore. Mostly. Even though after hearing Grump's story of the kelpie, a man-eating water horse, he stayed out of the water for an entire month.

Conor's dad has no patience with Conor's worries nor with his father's stories, especially regarding banshees. So when a car alarm goes off during dinner one night and Grump announces that it's a banshee, Conor's dad is dismissive. Conor? Not so much. Later that night, while stalking a particularly gruesome spider the size of a pencil eraser, Conor  hears a sudden wail, the likes of which he never heard before right outside his bedroom window. 

     "It was as if all the sorrows of the universe had erupted
     at once. It was a car alarm from just north of hell, a jet 
     screaming into Boston Harbor, all sould lost. Subway 
     wheels shrieking on a track known only to rats and 
     zombies." (p. 18)

Conor finds himself flat on his back from the shock of it all. He looks up to see the spider scurry across the ceiling unharmed. He looks toward his bedroom window and watches a red-blond head poke through his window. She apologizes as she floats through the window, makes herself at home in Conor's Celtics bean bag, solidifies, except for her right foot and introduces herself to Conor. 

Her name is Ashling and she's a brand new banshee. She has been dead for hundreds of years thanks to a well-placed ax to the head and the Lady has given her a chance to move on. She's not about to mess this death up. Someone in the O'Neill house is going to die. It's only a matter of time. But first Ashling is intensely curious about this modern world of electric appliances, video games, Trivial Pursuit cards and middle school.

Conor needs to protect his family. Conor needs to find a loophole. Even if it kills him.

Oh, I have never laughed so hard! This is one of the funniest books I have read in a while. But while I laughed so hard that I cried, I warn you, there will be real tears shed. Someone is going to die, but what an inventive, surprising and satisfying journey this was!

As usual, Ellen Booraem (The Unnameables and Small Persons with Wings) has constructed a unique, complex story featuring fully realized and flawed characters. I loved each and every one. Grump, Glennie, Javier, even the bickering denizens of the Underworld. Even now, weeks after first reading the story, I can open the book randomly, start reading and feel like I never left. 

Ms. Booraem also weaves the death mythology of a variety of cultures, as well as Irish myth/ folklore in such a way that I would not be surprised if I met up with a banshee. I would love to meet Ashling. Lord was she a hoot! 

This is middle grade fiction at its very best. I can't wait to get it into my student's hands come September. It's definitely one for the reread pile and I'm hoping there are plans for an audiobook, maybe read by Nathaniel Parker?

Other stops on the tour:
Ellen's web site

Ellen's web page for full listing of blog stops

Charlotte's Library

Giveaway at YA Book Central
Interview at Literary Rambles