The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

Mike, Mel, Henna, and Jared are four relatively normal teenage kids. They tackle the usual teenage problems--family stress, unrequited love, anxiety about college and future expectations. And yet, an unusual story stays right on the periphery of their lives. Indie kids at school are disappearing and no one believes the explanations given. Strange blue lights keep showing up in the woods, but normal life keeps moving forward.

In The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Patrick Ness cleverly presents two stories side by side. In this version, the ‘chosen ones’ who fight the strange evil are on the sidelines. Instead, we focus on those ‘normal’ kids fighting their own kinds of extraordinary battles. The result is a deep look at teen issues with a hint of the supernatural on the side. Very cleverly done and entertaining.

Recommended ages--13 and up

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has lived a normal life, but never felt like she fit in. On top of that, she can hear the thoughts of everyone around her. Then she meets Fitz, a boy who can also read minds. He takes her to a new place where she does belong, but Sophie is forced to leave everything behind and start a completely new life. Some welcome Sophie, but others actually threaten her and try to force her to leave. There are secrets hidden in Sophie’s mind and many people will do anything to find out what they are.

With hints of Harry Potter and other fantasy greats, Keeper of the Lost Cities is the beginning of a fantasy series perfect for tweens and older middle grade readers. I first picked this up when my 12-year-old son devoured three of the the series in less than two weeks. He is proof that Messenger has reached her target audience with great accuracy. The stories are fast-moving and filled with adventure and magic. However, they hold a connection with the real world that keeps readers connecting to the characters.

Recommended ages--10 and up

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

Wow! I have such mixed feelings about this book. It was a hard read for me, but such a mind expanding experience. The writing was excellent and the retelling made me look at Pride and Prejudice in a new light. My struggle came with having my favorite character (Elizabeth) have so much anger and resentment toward white people (Zuri). This perspective initially put me as a white woman on the defensive and made it difficult to love Zuri. I recognize that I have no frame of reference for Zuri’s experience and feel sad that today’s political climate makes her anger justified.

Zoboi’s change of perspective made me more sympathetic toward Darius Darcy. I could relate more clearly to his discomfort in unfamiliar social situations. Pride also makes the contrast between classes more apparent to modern readers by keeping Zuri’s family less farcical than Austen’s Bennets. Even with my natural defensive reaction, I love how Zoboi crashed through my narrow views and made me think differently about one of my favorite classics.

Recommended ages--14 and up