Fiction
ANGELELLA, J. R. Zombie. 352p. Soho. 2012. pap. $15. ISBN 978-1-61695-088-0. LC 2012003803.
Adult/High School–High school freshman Jeremy Barker lives his life according to the rules of survival he’s learned thanks to his obsession with zombie movies: avoid eye contact; keep quiet; forget the past; lock and load; and, most important, fight to survive. Whether dealing with the casual violence inflicted by bullies at his Catholic school, his father’s nightly disappearances, or his estranged mother’s addiction to painkillers, he always calls on his rules. During one of his father’s absences, Jeremy discovers a bizarre, disturbing video of a man being prepped for a strange ritual that looks a lot like surgery. Knowing about his father’s “work” in Vietnam as a torturer specializing in cutting out prisoners’ tongues, and knowing this video was given to his father by a priest from his school, Jeremy is compelled to investigate. He is drawn into situations in which his zombie survival code helps, but eventually it is not enough. Zombie is a brass-knuckle book, reminiscent in tone to Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club (Norton, 1996). Jeremy’s relationships with his friends and family are twisted and difficult, making this book disturbingly intriguing. The setting and social situations will resonate with many teens. Zombie is a great choice for readers who are excited by stories with offbeat characters and somewhat nonlinear plots. Jeremy’s list of top the zombie movies of all time, complete with production credits, is an added bonus.–Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, CA
BARNES, Steven & Tananarive Due. Devil’s Wake. 288p. Atria. 2012. Tr $15. ISBN 978-1-4516-1700-9. LC 2011033779.
Adult/High School–The zombie apocalypse is upon us, once again overwhelming society before anyone can figure out how to fight it. A teenager left alone after the rest of her family is picked off one by one, a group of teens from a juvenile detention camp, and a young national guardswoman are thrown together as they try to outrun the epidemic. Eventually all media goes down except for radio broadcasts by a self-proclaimed preacher who claims to have created a safe haven. As the teens try to reach it, their journey is peppered with zombie attacks and ambushes by pirates–feral people who are just as dangerous as the zombies. Barnes and Due bring a fresh approach to their take on the zombie apocalypse with a few interesting twists. First, the cause is known; people who’ve taken a new diet mushroom and gotten a specific type of flu shot are suddenly turning. Also, the zombies are not all the same. They vary in speed, level of hunger, and, most terrifying, in their ability to seem uninfected. Although this book is clearly laying the groundwork for a series, there is enough content, and the characters are well enough formed, to make this a satisfying story. There are also intriguing hints of what may happen in the upcoming volume. This book will speak to teens: the protagonists are young adults and the catastrophe is seen from their point of view. Diverse characters, often missing in this genre, add to the book’s appeal.–Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, CA
BOCCACINO, Michael. Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling. 320p. Morrow. 2012. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-0-06-212261-2. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Charlotte Markham has seen the Black Man all her life: at the death of her mother, the death of her father, and at the fiery death of her husband. So it’s no surprise to her when, in her new role as governess to the Darrow boys, the Black Man is seen at the gory death of the boys’ nanny. Charlotte takes over as nanny and continues the boys’ daily visits to their mother’s grave. One day on their way back home, they wander into a fog and emerge at a strange house, where their mother appears. At first horrified and then curious about this house, called Darkling; its owner, Mr. Whatley; and the world of The Ending, Charlotte agrees to continue to take the boys back to visit. Slowly, events turn more sinister and, in true gothic horror fashion, the boys are used as pawns in an internal The Ending war. There are keys and pictures that lead into other places and worlds, people who look human but clearly aren’t (and some who look nothing like humans), and a room with vials containing human deaths, all of which add to the atmosphere of Something Very Wrong in the House of Darkling. The bedtime stories Mrs. Darrow tells her sons will stick with readers long after the book ends. This is a perfect read for teens who enjoy gothic atmospheres, and a great companion to Bronte’s Wuthering Heights or the works of Victoria Holt and Daphne du Maurier.–Laura Pearle, Venn Consultants, Carmel, NY
FERRARIS, Zoe. Kingdom of Strangers. 368p. Little, Brown. 2012. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-316-074247. LC 2011046158.
Adult/High School–In this novel of secrets, Ferraris’s skillful pacing maintains an intense narrative as each character is forced to make life-changing decisions. The rules of decency in Saudi Arabia require extreme caution, and men and women risk public humiliation, torture, and even beheadings should they be found in violation of them. In the throes of a serial-killer investigation, Inspector Ibrahim Zahrani discovers that his lover, an underground activist for immigrant housemaids, has gone missing yet he cannot openly investigate as charges of adultery are a death sentence. He requires a surrogate and enlists Katya, a forensic lab technician, to gather evidence in exchange for including her in the case. Readers will remember Katya and her fiancé, Nayir, from previous books, and it’s when they become involved in the two investigations that the story becomes electric. Kingdom of Strangers is appealing to teens on several levels. There is the horrific discovery of the burial site of 19 murdered women, all with their hands missing, and the seemingly impossible task of bringing anyone to justice. There is the inside look at the investigative process and what it reveals about both the investigators and the suspects as pieces come together for a satisfying conclusion. Most of all teens, will be drawn to the unique constraints that are present in this setting, the depiction of life for women in this culture, and the agonizing choices facing each well-developed character.–Priscille Dando, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
GREY, Juliet. Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow: A Novel of Marie Antoinette. 448p. bibliog. glossary. Ballantine. 2012. pap. $15. ISBN 978-0-345-52388-4. LC 2012009048.
Adult/High School–The bitterly cold weather in France has caused the river to freeze, stopping the shipment of grain. Without it, there is no bread and thousands of people are starving. The downfall of the French market causes unemployment to rise. Naïve and unable to grasp the reality of their populace, Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI consistently make poor decisions in response to the grave problems facing their nation, giving the people cause to chant for liberty and equality. Marie’s story, begun in Becoming Marie Antoinette (Ballantine, 2011), continues here as she and her new husband ascend to the thrown in 1774, after the death of King Louis XV. As Queen, Marie’s job is to provide an heir, but Louis suffers from a medical condition that makes intercourse painful. Gossip and the extreme dictates of the French Court surround Marie until she feels compelled to always stay one step ahead regardless of the cost. She is kind and good hearted, with an overwhelming need and desire to please others, but her inability to see beyond her own pampered, regulated world sets the stage for her demise. Each action she takes in good faith is observed to be thoughtless, self-serving, and reckless. This book stands on its own, but teens may want to read Marie’s story from the beginning. Readers will shake their heads in disbelief at the excesses of the French Court even as they sympathize with the young royal. They will also fear for her, knowing that the fall of the Bastille spells the imminent collapse of all she has known.–Connie Williams, Petaluma High School, CA
WILSON, G. Willow. Alif the Unseen. 320p. Grove. 2012. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-8021-2020-5.
Adult/High School–Alif is a grey hat, the kind of hacker whose computer-coding exploits and manipulations, while often self-serving, are guided by an ethical dedication to a greater good. Anonymous online except for his screen name, Alif possesses a reputation as a genius at foiling state security and nimbly avoiding the surveillance of its all-powerful chief, known as The Hand. When his girlfriend leaves him for a wealthy new boyfriend, a jealous Alif hacks her computer and installs code that will track her online presence but mask his own from her. He is unaware that her new boyfriend is none other than The Hand, who learns of Alif’s program and uses it to ferret out and imprison the hackers who threaten the stability of the emirate. The Hand is fiercely determined to find and destroy Alif. With the help of a chador-clad and devout Muslim friend, a formidably frightful djinn, and a wise but weary imam, Alif avoids his enemy. His narrow escapes are a sometimes manic romp through the contemporary, historical, and mythical Islamic world as he tries to solve the puzzle of an ancient mystical text he is sure will either save or destroy humanity. What he learns is that the answer to the puzzle lies in his clueless heart. In her first narrative novel, graphic novelist Wilson displays the world-building imagination of William Gibson and the creative whimsy of Neil Gaiman in a setting that evokes the Arab Spring. Teen readers will be captivated by this unique and rich novel.–John Sexton, Greenburgh Public Library, NY
Nonfiction
* IVERSEN, Kristen. Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats. 432p. Crown. 2012. Tr $25. ISBN 978-0-307-95563-0. LC 2011045902.
Adult/High School–National security has always trumped transparency, but Iversen’s well-researched, firsthand account of the effects of growing up a few miles from Rocky Flats near Denver is a bombshell. The author’s parents chose the subdivision of Bridledale as the perfect place to raise their family as did many others in the rapidly growing Denver suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s. Most had no idea that plutonium triggers for nuclear bombs were being made just a few miles away. They preferred to believe that the plant was making household cleaners. Besides, the plant was a source of many high-paying jobs for the area. How could it be bad? As Iversen grew up, her family became more and more dysfunctional, which she weaves in, out, and around her discoveries of what was really going on at Rocky Flats. Think Jeannette Walls’s The Glass Castle (Scribner, 2005) with massive nuclear contamination and government secrecy. Ultimately, Rocky Flats was closed but the land is so contaminated that parts of it will remain unusable forever. Following in the tradition of Rachel Carson in her Silent Spring (Houghton, 1962), Iversen has bravely shown us things that we cannot ignore. Teens interested in environmental causes will be amazed at the enormity of this issue and its implications for the future.–Vicki Emery, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Fairfax County, VA
KEAN, Sam. The Violinist’s Thumb: An Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code. 416p. Little, Brown. 2012. Tr $25.99. ISBN 978-0-316-18231-7. LC 2012007029.
Adult/High School–Kean begins this fascinating, witty, informative book with a disclaimer: “This is a book a about DNA… and yes, I’m writing this book despite the fact that my father’s name is Gene. As is my mother’s name. Gene and Jean.” But genes have never been more fascinating than here, where the author gives the basics of genetic theory but spends most of the time telling stories. Readers learn about geneticists, from Gregor Mendel and Barbara McClintock to the “fly boys” who named fruit-fly genes for their characteristics, including names like groucho, smurf, tribble, armadillo, and ken and barbie (mutants with no genitalia). Readers also learn why not to eat polar-bear liver, how DNA permanently changed our view of Neanderthals, all about the Russian scientist who was convinced that he could breed chimps with humans and create humanzees, and why crazy cat ladies may in fact be hooked on a parasite that creates dopamine. Kean looks at “retrodiagnoses” from what caused the violinist Paganini’s super-flexible fingers, the artist Toulouse-Lautrec’s short stature, and John F. Kennedy’s tanned skin to the connection between porphyria and the Dracula legend. Any teen who has had basic biology will know enough science to follow Kean, and even those who still struggle with understanding DNA will find the stories worthwhile.–Sarah Flowers, formerly at Santa Clara County Library, CA
Graphic Novels
LEMIRE, Jeff. The Underwater Welder. 224p. Top Shelf Productions. 2012. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-60309-074-2. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Lemire offers a tightly knit story with few, but deeply realized, characters. Jack, a father-to-be who lives in a Nova Scotian coastal village, becomes haunted by visions and memories of his own father, a drunken treasure hunter who drowned trying to recover a watch when Jack was 10. His dedicated but anxious wife and his mother stand at the forefront. Shading and perspective are telling throughout, and many panels–even pages–neither have nor need additional words to express the adult Jack’s growing obsession and the boy Jack’s hopes turned to disappointment in the face of his father’s broken promises. Scenes are sketched loosely but evocatively so that readers grow familiar with Jack’s underwater experiences, his wife’s efforts to get their small cottage prepared for the baby’s arrival, his mother’s simple but tidy home, his father’s junk shop, the local bar, and the shoreline. Although Jack is in his early 30’s, his need to cope with both his past and his present will resonate with teens who are beginning to understand how imperfect families can both haunt them and be hurdles that can be bested.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA
SKELLY, Katie. Nurse Nurse. unpaged. Sparkplug. 2012. pap. $15. ISBN 978-0-9854150-0-6.
Adult/High School–In a future in which humans have inhabited other planets in the solar system, a nurse named Gemma finds herself bouncing around the galaxy where she is charged with caring for human colonizers suffering from contagious diseases, environmental ills, and injuries from battle. However, her story isn’t hardcore adventure or suspense, but rather a funny, sweet, and sly ramble expressively regaled in heavily inked black cartoon sketches and dialogue suited to a television sitcom. For example, contagious disease is the result of a freak butterfly experiment, while the battle injury suffered by a pirate leads him to kidnap Gemma because he needs extra help replacing his bionic leg. There are nasty girlfriends, households run by robots, and Gemma’s omnipresent, fresh-faced ingénue attitude. The story is paced just right for its wackiness and the story-within-a-story; the TV show “Nurse Nurse” adds one more layer of good-natured humor. A fun read that may inspire teens to try their own storytelling efforts on a book-length sequential art narrative.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA
* ZETTWOCH, D. Birdseye Bristoe. illus. by author. 64p. charts. diags. illus. maps. Drawn & Quarterly. 2012. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-77046-066-9. LC 2012452076.
Adult/High School–With surprising lyricism for a visual story about commercial corruption in a rural American community, Zettwoch immediately pulls readers into a richly plotted and subplotted story that features intriguing and mostly sympathetic characters and a fully detailed catalog of how a variety of mechanical structures actually work. The elderly fellow who gives his name to the book’s title is ostensibly just a live-bait farmer, circa 1998, hosting a summer vacation visit from his great grandniece and -nephew. Through the two teens’ eyes, readers move from observing the sublimely inventive homemade fixtures and appliances of the family homestead to the decidedly ominous meetings held to announce that a cell-phone tower project is in the works. Zettwoch, who has a proven talent for drawing detailed and accessible cartoons showing how various mechanical and natural structures work integrally, combines a rousing good tale of political shenanigans with provocative insights on what makes–and breaks–a community when the local porn shop (for truckers passing through on the highway, of course) is literally overshadowed by greedy outsiders. Far from being heavy-handed, this fully packed visual and narrative experience offers fresh air and a sardonic eye twinkle on its way to implosion. Zettwoch’s pages are packed with loopy black-ink cartoons on a yellowed newsprintlike ground, pencil-colored to highlight ice-cream soda mustaches, a light-bulb joke, and the settings of scenes depicted against floorboards or grass-mowing patterns.–Francisca Goldsmith, Infopeople Project, CA