A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga

 

Over the weekend, I finished reading A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga. This science fiction novel is about Resilience, a rover that is going on a mission to explore Mars with a helicopter drone, Fly. As Res is prepared for the mission by two NASA scientists, Rania and Xander, he begins to develop human-like emotions. By the time his launch day arrives, Res is determined to find a fossil so that the scientists can receive funding to bring him back home to Earth. While he is very excited, he is also nervous, especially when he arrives at Mars and discovers that the planet is a dangerous place with dust storms and rocky terrain. Meanwhile, Rania's daughter, Sophie, begins to write to Res after her teacher, Mrs. Ennis, asks her and her classmates to write a letter to him. Although Sophie misses her mom because Rania is so busy working on Res, Sophie becomes fond of Res after she reads all about him and meets him before he is shipped to Florida for his launch. As the years pass by and Sophie grows up, Res must have determination, courage, and resilience to survive.

I loved this book from the very beginning. Res was incredibly endearing with his personality and human emotions and I enjoyed rooting for his success even though I knew he would have challenges during his mission exploring Mars. I also liked his friendship with Fly. During one of the climaxes of the story, it was amazing realizing how Res would do anything for Fly, even sacrifice his own well-being and go against the commands that he was receiving from the scientists on Earth. Additionally, I thought Sophie's letters, which were scattered throughout the book, added a nice touch to the story because they demonstrated what was happening back on Earth. Although Res's story was incredibly suspenseful and I didn't know if he would ever return to Earth, what devastated me the most was when Sophie learned that her mom, Rania, was sick. That was incredibly tough to read and I was terrified that she wouldn't survived especially because she was one of the two scientists who worked closely with Res when he was still on Earth. My other favorite character was Xander because he would talk to Res while he worked with the rover and I hoped that both he and Rania would be reunited with Res. After all the tense moments, I was pleasantly surprised at the ending of A Rover's Story. This novel is a fantastic choice for anyone who enjoys adventure, space, and/or friendship stories.

The Tryout and The Squad by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao

 

During the second half of Thanksgiving Break, I read The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao and its sequel, The Squad. These graphic memoirs are about Christina's middle school years when she tried out for her grade level's cheerleading squad with her best friend, Megan. In The Tryout, Christina has been friends with Megan ever since she moved from Dallas, Texas to the small town of Grangeview in third grade. Although they are two of the only kids of color at Venable Middle School, they desire to fit in and be accepted by their peers, which is especially tough when they face everyday racism. When the time for cheerleading tryouts comes in November, they eagerly sign up. The process is terrifying, though, and during the final round, they have to perform in front of the entire seventh grade, who will vote on the eight girls that should make the squad for the next year. With so much pressure, Christina doesn't know if her friendship with Megan will survive the competition. In The Squad, Christina has hit her stride by the second semester of eighth grade. Her best friend is still Megan, but she has also befriended Leanne, one of the other girls who tried out for cheerleading the previous year. Although it won't be easy and there's the possibility that they won't make the ninth grade squad, they decide to once again go through the process of cheerleading tryouts. Adding to Christina's stress, she learns that her parents' marriage is falling apart. As she tries to hold it together, she wonders if she can make her cheerleading dreams come true.

I absolutely adored this series of graphic memoirs. Although I never actually became a cheerleader when I was in school, I always had respect for the talent and skill that it takes to be one, especially because I was a gymnast, like Christina's best friend, Megan, and participated in a few cheer camps/clinics before I decided to completely focus on gymnastics. I thought both Christina and Megan were relatable as they tried to find a place to belong in middle school. I also loved learning about Christina's school experiences because I enjoyed her books, A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen. It was cool discovering what her interests were and how she was inspired to become an author. Towards the end of The Tryout, she participates in an impromptu speech competition and I could tell she had a gift for storytelling, even at such a young age. I also thought it was adorable how she had her first crush in The Squad. While some parts of this series were funny, there were emotional moments, as well. I really felt for Christina when her classmates would say racist things to her, especially Tobin, and her parents divorced. It definitely made me feel bad when teachers couldn't say her last name either because when you break it up into parts, it really isn't that hard to say. I definitely wanted to give her a hug more than once. While both books are amazing, I actually thought The Squad was just a little bit stronger. If you like friendship stories and cheerleading, you should check this series out!

The Golden Hour by Niki Smith

 

A week ago, I read The Golden Hour by Niki Smith. This realistic graphic novel is about Manuel Soto, a boy who was the sole witness of a school shooting before spring break. When he returns to school following the break, he is struggling with anxiety, but copes through photography. With his cell phone camera, he finds anchors to keep himself grounded. After his substitute art teacher assigns a group project, Manuel befriends his partners, Sebastian and Caysha. The three of them go to the cattle farm of Sebastian's family, where Manuel finds comfort and enjoys being around the newborn calf that Sebastian is hand-raising. Sebastian even invites Manuel to join Ag-Club. Over the next few months, Manuel not only helps Sebastian and Caysha prepare for the county fair, but decides to take photographs to submit for a photography award. As he spends time with his new friends, he begins to open up, confront his deepest fears, and fall in love for the first time.

Although this book deals with a tough topic, I truly enjoyed reading it. With all the recent school shootings in the United States, the story felt particularly important and I could understand Manuel's anxiety, especially how loud noises would trigger him. I liked that he was going to therapy and found a coping mechanism that worked for him by taking photographs. It was especially cool that he used the techniques that his art teacher, Ms. Winstone, taught him. Unfortunately, I was devastated upon learning that Manuel actually witnessed her being shot even though she survived because of Manuel's quick thinking to pull the fire alarm. The flashback was intense and difficult to read and I felt awful for both Ms. Winstone and Manuel. However, what I loved the most about The Golden Hour was the friendships that Manuel formed with Sebastian and Caysha. Even though I'm not much of a farm person myself, going to the county fair was fun when I was younger and it made me happy that Sebastian, Caysha, and Manuel each had a different contest for which to prepare so that they weren't in direct competition with each other. Sebastian had his calf, Daisy, Caysha had her fancy chickens, and of course, Manuel had photography. The other thing I especially liked was the use of color. The cover is gorgeous and I thought the night and sunset scenes were very pretty. Not to mention, the flashbacks being in black and white with yellow streaks were striking. The contrast to the other illustrations added to the fear that Manuel felt when remembering what happened. All in all, I'd recommend The Golden Hour to anyone who enjoys friendship stories that include tough topics, like gun violence.

A First Time Time for Everything by Dan Santat

 

Last week on Monday, I finished reading A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat. This graphic memoir is about a class trip to Europe that Dan went on after finishing middle school in Camarillo, California. Although Dan is a good kid and helps others at school, he's bullied sometimes and wants to be invisible. Thus, he's not really looking forward to the trip. Although he has low expectations at first because the same girls who used to make fun of him are also part of the group going on the trip, as they go from country to country over the next three weeks, he actually starts to enjoy the trip. In France, he drinks Fanta for the first time, while in Switzerland, he tries his first fondue. He even has his first girlfriend as he gets close to Amy Glucksbringer, a girl from Quincy, Illinois. Despite his initial skepticism, all the firsts he experiences while in Europe change his life.

This sincere graphic memoir was amazing and made me laugh and cry. I definitely thought Dan was relatable because I didn't always have a good time in middle school and sometimes felt moody, as well. I did think he was really lucky to go to Europe at such a young age because my first trip to Europe wasn't until this past summer. It was really cool that he went to Paris like I did, though. Unlike him and his group, I took the elevator instead of the stairs at the Eiffel Tower, but I can definitely imagine how tiring that was, although the spectacular view is totally worth it. I really enjoyed how he was able go to so many different countries on the trip even if I know from experience that sometimes you need more than just a few days to really experience a place. I also loved how he slowly fell in love with Amy because it was cute and romantic, despite the awkward and embarrassing moments. The other feature I liked in this graphic memoir were the flashbacks to the times Dan helped out his fellow classmates because it showed the kind person he truly is. A First Time for Everything reflects what it's like to be a young person with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and anyone should read it.

That Way Madness Lies edited by Dahlia Adler

Just before Thanksgiving Break, I finished reading That Way Madness Lies edited by Dahlia Adler. This story collection reinterprets fifteen of Shakespeare's most notable works, including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado about Nothing, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and MacBeth. Seventeen popular YA authors present their own takes of Shakespeare, sharing stories that are funny, tragic, and thrilling.

I read several of Shakespeare's plays when I was in high school, so I really enjoyed this story collection because I loved how the YA authors added more diversity to the stories with which I was already familiar. I also liked how not all of the stories were written in a traditional story format. There was a story told entirely through text messages, an oral history, a playscript, and a story that included letters, newspaper clippings, and journal entries. My favorites were "Severe Weather Warning" by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, "Shipwrecked" by Mark Oshiro, "Taming of the Soul Mate" by K. Ancrum, "King of the Fairies" by Anna-Marie McLemore, "Some Other Metal" by A. R. Capetta and Cory McCarthy, "I Bleed" by Dahlia Adler, "Partying is Such Sweet Sorrow" by Kiersten White, "Dreaming of the Dark" by Lindsay Smith, "Elsinore" by Patrice Caldwell, and "Lost Girl" by Melissa Bashardoust. Finally, the stories varied significantly in setting (past, present, and future) and genre (realistic, historical, fantasy, science fiction, gothic), which added appeal to the collection. I thought it was cool that some of the authors wrote notes explaining their writing process, as well. I'll have to check out the original works that I haven't read before. Overall, That Way Madness Lies is an excellent choice for teens who are fans of Shakespeare and enjoy variety.