Finally, school is out, and you’re ready to pack up and move to the beach. Or take a trip across the country. Or enjoy a beautiful stay-cation. Whatever your summer plans, I’m sure you’re lusting for some new reading to enjoy along the way. Luckily, June brings us several new titles that are sure to keep your reading muscles sustained this summer.
The Waters & the Wild by Francesca Lia Block
Francesca Lia Block is one of my favorite writers for a reason – her smart, poetic prose easily transports you to an alternate reality, layering real issues with surreal context. In her latest, we explore the possibilities of a doppelganger, as thirteen-year-old Bee has begun to see herself at night, claiming to be the real her. Turning to the weird kid at school, Haze (he’s rumored to believe he’s an alien) she discovers that she might not belong in L.A. – in more ways than one. Picking up Sarah, a street-singer with a gorgeous voice who believes she’s a reincarnated slave girl, the trio embark on a mission to save Bee, and to understand their own realities. Like Block’s other works, The Waters & the Wild is tightly written, with an ethereal feeling that leaves you feeling pleasantly disoriented. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to be enchanted.
Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog
Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are the high school couple. They’ve known each other since birth, and loved each other just as long. With a love this strong, nothing should be able to break them up. But what they don’t anticipate is right before their shared 16th birthday, Pip shows up. Pip claims to be the real son of the Brownes, stolen away by fairies at birth and traded for Cam, a changeling. But now the fairies want Cam back, and no conceivable plot can stop them. This wonderful love story is bittersweet, with characters that really come to life on the page. The reality of high school politics has never been simple, and Cyn Balog delivers a believable environment, even with the supernatural elements involved. Fans of Carrie Jones and Melissa Marr will enjoy this fun summer read.
Hancock Park by Isabel Kaplan
I can’t believe this stunning debut novel was written by an eighteen-year-old! Our heroine, Becky Miller, is an average girl with an above-average life. She goes to an elite L.A. high school, and appears to live the dream life. And, aside from her struggles with mental health, Becky is mostly okay with being average. She has her best friend, Amanda, to lean on. But when Amanda moves to New York and Becky’s parents split up, it turns out that junior year will be tougher than predicted. To make matters worse, her shrink has just gotten in trouble for prescribing Becky way too much medication. On the bright side, the Trinity – the school’s most elite clique – have their eye on Becky. Before she knows it, Becky is popular. But of course this comes with strings attached – Becky can’t be the public brainiac she used to be, or hang out with drama-geek Taylor, who might be her only real friend now that Amanda’s gone. With her self-worth dwindling, Becky has choices to make. Can she find her old self, or is the new Becky the real Becky after all? In stark contrast to the no-consequences world of Gossip Girl, Hancock Park is a strong, fulfilling addition to teen literature. I can’t recommend this enough to girls who want to read about the glam life, but don’t want to ditch the real life altogether. I’m looking forward to seeing more novels from Isabel Kaplan.
Touch by Francine Prose
This distressing, sad, but ultimately hopeful novel captured me instantaneously. Maisie’s story is unfortunately similar to things we hear of happening at high schools around the country, but what I love about this particular telling is that it captures Maisie as a person, not simply as a victim. Having spent all her life three boys for best friends, Maisie never expected these boys to betray her in this terrible way. Returning from a year out west with her mother, she’s come home hoping that her old friends will embrace her once again. But growing up changes things. For one thing, Maisie has boobs now, and the boys suddenly realize that Maisie isn’t one of them. Nothing will ever be the same – especially after they touch her on the back of the bus. Francine Prose’s non-linear narrative follows Maisie as she works through what happened – “the incident” - with her therapist, deals with her ego-maniacal stepmother, and recalls the reasons she didn’t stay with her mom in Wisconsin. Elegantly and tactfully written, Touch absolutely an important, thought-provoking book for teens, as well as a captivating read.
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