Surely Great: P.S. Be Eleven Review

When I first heard there was to be a sequel to the wonderful One Crazy Summer, I squealed, just like Vonetta is wont to do. It is one of the most highly decorated middle grade titles of the last ten years and deservedly so. To see why I loved this book so much, click here.

P.S. Be Eleven begins on the plane, when Delphine, Fern and Vonetta are returning home to New York after spending ‘one crazy summer’ with their free-spirited activist mother. But one can never come home again, as Delphine discovers that things have changed in her absence over the summer. Delphine is surprised to find that her beloved father has a girlfriend and can’t make heads or tails of her uncle’s strange behaviour.

This book is as close to bottled adolescence as you can get. Delphine’s instant love for The Jackson Five and her unmitigated glee when they come on the radio is so charming and realistic I can barely stand it. I want to reach through the pages and squeeze her cheeks. Just as authentic is her distrust of Miss Marva Hendrix, her father’s love interest, and her deep love but disappointment in her loved Uncle Darnell who is back from Vietnam and not the man he was before.

The classroom scenes are my favourite. They are vividly and hilariously rendered. Group dynamics, especially among children, can be extremely hard to convey but RWC does this with ease. It helps that every single student and their teacher have such distinct personalities, even in the brief, shining glimpses we get of them.

While in no way a history lesson, Rita Williams-Garcia* is able to bring history to life through vivid, imperfect but lovable characters who readers can relate to, despite having little (or no) historical context. Fiction is a great means to learn history. Case in point, I have read exactly one work of nonfiction on WWII but have read innumerable fictional novels set in the era. Williams-Garcia touches on Vietnam, civil rights, racism, drugs, poverty and feminism without ever straying from Delphine’s hilarious and unforgettable voice.

P.S. Be Eleven can be read as a standalone, but do yourself a favour and read One Crazy Summer first. One can never have enough Delphine in her life. Fans of Susin Nielsen, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Gordon Korman and my books (ahem) will love reading about these unforgettable sisters.

P.S. Be Eleven is available in hard cover from HarperCollins.

*Rita Williams-Garcia is all kinds of awesome. Check out this great Q&A from the Indigo Kids Blog.

New Book Announcement: SUMMER DAYS, STARRY NIGHTS

I am thrilled to announce a new book, Summer Days, Starry Nights, due out June 1st! This is my love letter to summer, the 1960s, and growing up. Pretty much all of my favourite bookish things in one novel! I am beyond thrilled with this gorgeous cover, which captures the essence of the novel beautifully.

Summer Days, Starry Nights is the story of 14 year old Reenie Starr, who loves her family’s summer resort, Sandy Shores, more than anything else on earth. The resort falls on hard times the summer of 1962, so the Starrs decide to hire a young dancer from the city to come up and run an entertainment program. When 17 year old Gwendolyn Cates arrives, Reenie is starstruck by her glamorous looks and exciting lifestyle. But Gwendolyn is not exactly who she seems to be, and her arrival sets off a series of events that will change Reenie’s life forever.

Hmm, you’re thinking. That sounds kind of like the movie Dirty Dancing.

I have been known to describe the book as ‘Dirty Dancing without the Dirty.’ There are some similarities in that it takes place on a summer resort during the same time period and is very much about the music and culture of the 1960s, however Reenie is significantly younger than Baby (aka Frances) and Summer Days, Starry Nights is more about friendship and family than romance. But there is some romance. And secret letters. And missing persons. And campfires. And late night dance parties…

Summer Days, Starry Nights will be available in June, 2013. Just in time for summer reading! You can pre-order on Amazon, Indigo, or visit your local bookstore. I will also be throwing a super-fun 60s style launch party in Toronto, which you are all invited to! More details to come.

I can’t wait to share this book with you!

 

Meet the FitzOsbornes, The Crawleys of YA: FitzOzbornes in Exile Review

Downton Abbey fans you need to be reading this series! The FitzOzbornes in Exile is the second in an unique YA trilogy about a group of young royals from a fictional island nation off the coast of France in the 1930s and early 1940s. Told in diary form from the perspective of sensitive and observant Princess Sophia, it has a distinctly Downtown-esque vibe and is the kind of YA adults of all ages can also (thoroughly) enjoy, which is why I included the series in my Top Ten Under-Sung Series post .I am so thankful for Shelf Elf, who loves this series and convinced me to read it.

Warning! This review contains some spoilers.

After narrowly escaping the bombing of their beloved home by Nazis, the FitzOsbornes are thrown into society life, Sophie and Veronica preparing for the first season in London. Sophie is thrilled at first, but the presence of Veronica’s would-be-assassin Rebecca, the arrival of orphaned Basque children, and trouble brewing in Europe keep her attentions divided.

Author Michelle Cooper seamlessly weaves the fabricated history of Montmaray with real historical events and people to the point where I found myself thinking wait, IS there such a place as Montmaray? Is my memory of world geography just that bad? But no, there are helpful notes in both books that clarify what is true and what is fictional. Veronica, a ferocious feminist and loyal subject and one of my favourite YA characters, is forever immersed in history and politics and I found myself enjoying her political debates with Simon Chester, illegitimate son of the King and her chief rival. I don’t normally go in for heated political debates about Spanish history and communism versus fascism  but Cooper imbues her characters with such passion and clarity of speech that one can’t help but be equally fascinated.

It is gratifying to see how Sophia matures, getting over a girlish crush on Simon and taking interest in a quiet young aspiring veterinarian, having her first piece of writing published. and coming to Veronica’s rescue in innumerable ways. Veronica is a formidable character but instead of standing in her shadow, Sophia is finally learning to stand apart while still loving and admiring her cousin. She learns a few hard lessons about love and marriage, and this book is particularly feminist in its approach to women’s issues and politics, but in a way that seems plausible. At the end of the book both Veronica and Sophie have amazing, character-defining moments that made me want to stand up and cheer. Alas I was reading in my office and despite working in publishing that sort of thing is generally frowned upon.

I am fascinated by how Sophia approaches and accepts her brother Toby’s preference for men, which feels progressive for the time and yet is a bit reserved in a way that seems natural. In fact she approached all matters of sex and relationships with this curious open-mindedness that is refreshing and distinctly contemporary.

The language is this book is period without feeling complex or too flowery and even in dire situations there is so much hope and humour in Sophia’s voice that you are laughing in life or death situations. How does the author do this? Genius, methinks. Veronica and Aunt Charlotte, who reminds me very much of the Dowager Countess, have some fantastic one-liners.

This book is heavier on the politics than the first, which makes sense as it leads into WWII, but it also features a number of assassination attempts, a few parties featuring some amazing dresses and jewels, a bit of mystery, and a cross-country train race that elevate the series even more. Fans of historical fiction,war novels, and books such as Code Name Verity, Anne of Green Gables or I Capture the Castle will eat this series up. I cannot wait to see what Cooper does in The FitzOsbornes at War. I have a feeling no matter what happens, I will be sobbing at the end.

Hey BBC, miniseries please?!

The FitzOsbornes in Exile is available now in paperback.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Under-sung Series

Nothing breaks my heart more than a truly outstanding series that for whatever reason does not achieve the success it deserves. As a busy reader and writer, I rarely get to sequels or subsequent books in a series. When I do, I know the series is a winner. And so I present to you ten series that are worth your consideration!

For the purposes of this post, the term series refers to at least two sequential books, and under-sung means that while most of these series are critically regarded, they exist just below the mainstream. Let’s see if we can change that!

Kiki Strike & The Bank Street Irregulars 

If you’ve been reading this blog you KNOW I cannot get enough of these five delinquent girl scouts who solve international mysteries while also experiencing life, love and friendship in New York. (Proof here and here). If you have EVER enjoyed a Nancy Drew book, if you like a healthy dose of sass in your reading, or just love NYC, for GOODNESS SAKES pick up this series!

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place

Maryrose Wood lovingly pokes fun and also celebrates the “governess and her cheeky charges” trope in a delightfully old-fashioned yet never dry style. There is something a bit Snicket-ish in her tone, particularly in the way Wood plays with language, puns, and definitions. It doesn’t hurt that the books include spot illustrations by the unstoppable Jon Klassen.

The Montmaray Journals

This sweeping, epic saga is exactly the kind of series I like to sink into on a Saturday afternoon, only to emerge when my tea is cold or gone. Witty teenage royal Sophie observes the odd lives of her family, the royals of Montmaray. Think I Capture the Castle meets Downton Abbey. If you have a female tween, teen, or adult who loves historical YA in your life, be a hero by gifting them this series.

Real Mermaids 

With the exception of Ariel, I’ve never been a big mermaid fan. That being said, Canuck Helene Boudreau‘s series has always been more about relationships, puberty, and identity  (that middle grade trifecta) than mermaids. Her humour is light and the keystones of growing up (first period, first crush, first dance, etc) are spot on.

The Mary Quinn Mysteries

Another wonderful Canadian author adds some spice to the Victorian era by imagining a secret society of female spies. Mary Quinn’s mixed heritage and mysterious youth adds depth to what would otherwise be a simple mystery series.  Y.S. Lee’s background ensures the historical details are rich and accurate.

Spud

Thirteen year old boys can be tough customers when it comes to reading, but I have yet to meet a boy who didn’t howl with laughter over this boarding school series from a young South African author. A great blend of heart, gross-out comedy, and fun.

The Casson Family series

I have a weakness for British middle grade, and no one does it better than Hilary McKay. The off-kilter Casson family get into all sorts of wacky drama. You’ll be so busy laughing you don’t see the emotional moments coming. Saffy’s Angel is widely considered the best of the series, but Permanent Rose is number one in my heart.

The Stanley Family Series

Zilpha Keatley Snyder was one of my favourite childhood authors. What I loved best about these books is that they always had a mysterious or supernatural conflict that ends up having a perfectly rational explanation. They are not quite issue books, although divorce, blended families, and sibling rivalry all play big parts in the plots of this quartet, but Snyder is able to combine said issues with warmth, wit, and the possibility of magic.

The Ingo Chronicles

I don’t read a ton of fantasy but when I do, I like rich writing, plausible worlds, and character development. Enter Helen Dunmore. This series about one family’s connection to the undersea world of Ingo will make you want to pack up your bags and head to Cornwall. Hmm….despite a previously stated indifference to mermaids I appear to have TWO mermaid-esque series on the list…re-evaluating my stance on merfolk now.

The Guests of War Trilogy

This feels a little like cheating. Kit Pearson‘s classic Canadian series featuring Nora and Gavin, who are sent from England to spend the duration of the war in Canada, is multi-award winning, best-selling and beloved: not exactly under-sung. But in my opinion you can not talk about this series enough.  Like the best middle grade, Pearson uses a greater conflict (WWII) to heighten the coming-of-age moments in life. Historical, emotional, evocative and lovely, this is a study in character development at its finest.

Have you read any of these series? What are your favourite under-sung series?

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Friday Society Review

I was in desperate need for something fun and fresh, and this cheeky YA novel from Canadian Adrienne Kress fit the bill.

You know I love a good girl power (ugh how I wish I could find a cooler term) novel. Case in point, my love of Kiki Strike, The Red Blazer Girls, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks. When I first heard of the concept- three girls who are apprentices to powerful men join forces to create a sort of secret superhero society in Victorian (or is Edwardian?) London- it felt so perfect I couldn’t believe no one had attempted it before. Kress’  love of all things steampunk combined with a sassy attitude make her the perfect writer for this story.

This book is a fine balancing act. It is at times silly, inspiring, fun, feminist, but it never feels like too much of one thing. It’s easy to visualize and would make an excellent movie, a sort of Charlie’s Angels meets Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. I appreciated the inclusion of Michiko, a young Japanese woman trained in the samurai arts. So often ‘Victorian’ translates to ‘British,’ and  diversity in YA is always welcome.

There is some romance here, but thankfully Kress avoids making the story revolve about boys, which is a nice change of pace in the often romance-saturated YA. Instead, the girls are discovering that they, too can be proactive and make a difference, much aided by their new-found friendships. Kress includes a few conversations about women’s rights but she never feels preachy nor does she stray too far from her fun, adventure-seeking plot. Fans of Y.S. Lee’s Mary Quinn mysteries, Kiki Strike, Lesley Livingston, or anyone looking for a fun, empowering book for teens will love The Friday Society. Let’s hope Kress has more under her steampunk belt!

The Friday Society is available now in hard cover from Dial, and distributed in Canada by Razorbill Canada

A Gothic Masterpiece: Splendors & Glooms review

Be prepared- this review contains spoilers and incessant gushing.

A Drowned Maiden’s Hair remains one of my favourite contemporary middle grade books and I could not wait to read Schlitz’s next book Splendors and Glooms, which seemed perfectly Victorian and gothic and creepy. The wait was worthwhile, and this book has vaulted into my best books read in 2012 list (post coming soon!)

Clara Wintermute is lonely. After a cholera outbreak takes the lives of her four brothers and sisters, she is the sole child left in a sad, mourning household. But Clara is determined to have a good birthday, and so she begs her father to allow Gaspare Grisini to put on a puppet show for her guests. Clara is enchanted by the puppets, but also by the two children who work with the puppeteer, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall. She hopes to befriend them. Little do the three children know that Grisini has a dark past steeped in magic and horrors involving a curse and a series of kidnappings.

Set in London and Northern England in the 1860s, this is a masterful gothic fairytale from one of my favourite contemporary writers. Something about the tone and structure of this novel reminded me of  old-school fairytales, particularly The Snow Queen. It is dark in the same way fairytales are dark, which is to say there is an element of fantasy or disbelief employed that keeps the reader from crying throughout the whole book. We believe we are reading a fable and therefore we are affected but not traumatized by the story. There are many people who disagree with me, especially on Goodreads, where I made the mistake of browsing some of the reviews and came across a number of angry adult readers who found the book too disturbing for children.

Schlitz and I share a love of prickly protagonists. Maude (from A Drowned Maiden’s Hair) and Flory (from The Night Fairy) have a lot in common with Parsefall the pickpocket-turned-puppeteer. Orphans and fairies tend to be sympathetic, hard-done by, sweet characters, but not so in Schlitz’s work. All three of these characters are independent, selfish, conflicted, and damaged, but not so far-gone that they can’t experience transformation.I have a friend in social work who finds a lot of children’s literature frustrating because the protagonists seem untouched by the horrible and often traumatic situations they have to deal with (Harry Potter comes to mind. There is a kid who in the real world would need some serious therapy). I think she would appreciate Schlitz’ s work, which is more realistic in terms of the psychology of her troubled characters.

Parsefall, for example, is impulsive, selfish, and slow to trust others,  but his loyalty to Lizzie Rose and especially to Clara, when she is turned into a puppet, is touching. Lizzie Rose’s desire to be good no matter what is heartbreaking and inspiring.  The combination of complicated characters and truly striking prose is what makes Schlitz stand apart from the crowd.

This book has an interesting denouement, which is bit longer than most middle grade or even YA novels. It’s very spiritual and cleansing in a way, and Schlitz takes great pains to explain the actions of her villains, if not exonerate their guilt completely. The children’s goodness and forgiveness lightens the heavier aspects of the book and I finished the book with a sense of catharsis that happens to rare these days. A true masterpiece.

Splendors and Glooms is available now in hardcover from Candlewick Press, distributed by RandomHouse in Canada.

All That Jazz: The Diviners Review

I never know what to expect when I pick up a Libba Bray novel, other than YA genius. Where content or style is concerned, there is very little in common between the Gemma Doyle trilogy, Going Bovine, Beauty Queens, and The Diviners. Bray has the ability to slip between styles like no other YA author. Although I loved Beauty Queens (read more about this weird and wonderful feminist novel here), the historical/magical world of Gemma Doyle is what captured my heart the most. Until I read her latest offering, The Diviners.

1920s New York City is buzzing with life, opportunity, and murder. A serial killer has struck, a mysterious man calling himself Naughty Jack, modeling his murders after an unusual scripture. We are introduced to a strange brew of characters, including the charming and devious Evie, a wannabe flapper with a strange gift for clairvoyance; handsome numbers-runner Memphis who will go to great lengths to protect his younger brother; Sam, a wise-cracking but handsome pickpocket; Theta, a glamourous but aloof follies girl running from her past, and many more.

I don’t know a single person who could walk by that cover and not be intrigued. It’s dark, gorgeous, mysterious, and evocative- just like the novel. Someone give that book designer an award! Bray fully immerses the reader into her world, not just painting a vivid portrait of NYC but also giving us glimpses inside the heads and lives of Naughty Jack’s victims. I don’t read much adult historical fiction or high fantasy because I don’t like getting bogged down in details, but Bray manages to be detailed without straying too far from the plot, which unfolds at the perfect pace. There were a few moments in the beginning in which the story felt unwieldy, as if there were too many disparate strains for Bray to effectively keep control of, but any concerns I had mostly dissipated by the end of the novel.

This book is mostly about Evie, a bratty, fame-hungry and self-centered social climber, who I found extremely annoying for the first 80 pages or so. I had some difficulty swallowing her constant stream of jazz-era slang, which may be in character, but I found distracting. Not enough that I wanted to put the book down, but even at the end, after she witnesses some horrible things and truly comes into her own as a far more palatable person, I still found Evie irritating. She was the most “stock-y” of the characters in this novel and I found myself wishing Bray would focus on some of the more interesting characters (Mable, Jericho, Theta).

What I appreciate the most in this novel is Bray’s ability to conclude what is clearly book one of a series in a satisfying way but still introduce enough questions that the reader is desperate for book two. I call these kind of books door-openers (instead of cliff hangers). A cliff hanger is such an easy way to entice a reader, but Bray is too smart for that. The major plot comes to a (seeming) conclusion, but some of the secondary characters (Memphis and Jericho) for example are set up to have bigger story-lines in book two. I ,for one, look forward to hearing more about the mysterious Jericho and his Frankenstein-ish past.

Fans of Bray (of which there are legions), The Name of the Star (Maureen Johnson), Strings Attached (Judy Blundell) and YA lovers of all ages will gobble this up. Anyone who enjoys books set in New York or during the jazz era will also appreciate the sense of time and place in the novel. The moody atmosphere and supernatural content screams fall, making The Diviners a truly satisfying post-Halloween read.

The Diviners is available now from Little Brown.

 

Friendship & Espionage: Code Name Verity Review

When I was 12 all I wanted to read were stories about WWII. I was fascinated by the incredible feats of survival and bravery the average person was able to accomplish and couldn’t wrap my head around the scope and horror of the war. I wasn’t alone; many children gravitate to books about war, which parents can sometimes find unsettling or worrisome. There is still a lot to be learned from the war (and other wars) and if a child is interested in reading more about the subject I say let them!

My interest in WWII, particular the role of women in the war, has subsisted into adulthood and some of my favourite  adult books (Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy, Coventry by Helen Humphreys, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society come to mind) are WWII novels. Code Name Verity is not just top-notch YA, but grade A WWII fiction.

Warning: this review contains spoilers!

In the first half the of the book we are reading Verity’s confession, which she has traded for her clothes and a very small amount of dignity from her Nazi interrogators. Even at the brink of exhaustion, malnourished, and the victim of torture, Verity is high-spirited, feisty and a survivor. She sidetracks her interrogators with the story of Maddie, a young female pilot and her best friend. The second half of the book is told by Maddie herself, who we have been lead to believe died in a bad landing. Maddie is very much alive and well and has become a member of the resistance, dedicated not necessarily to the war effort, but to bringing her dear friend Verity home.

This book is a gorgeous story of friendship and the lengths people go for each other. Maddie and Verity seem to be opposites in every way, including their upbringing, abilities, and outlooks on life. They both go to great lengths for each other and rhapsodize about each other’s qualities in a way that is endearing and authentic. Don’t we all want to be a little bit like our friends?

For readers who like to know how things happened there is excellent insight into the lives of young pilots (especially female pilots), resistance workers, and life in general during the war. The friendship is the heart of this story but the details and the exceptional plotting are what kept me obsessively reading. Author Elizabeth Wein is a pilot and her firsthand experience makes the flight scenes that much more believable.

Pay attention as you read, because everything- and I mean everything- is important. I was incredibly impressed with how Wein drops hints and clues all the way through Verity’s confession that don’t seem important until you get to Maddie’s narrative. Writers could learn a lot about plotting from her!

There was a lot of hype surrounding this book and I’m happy to say it lived up to my incredibly high expectations. Code Name Verity is an impeccably plotted and heartbreaking novel of espionage and friendship. Fans of What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell, Tamar by Mal Peet and any WWII fiction will cherish Code Name Verity again and again.

Code Name Verity is available now in hardcover from Doubleday Canada.

YA Trends: Victorian Vicissitude & Steampunk Sass

As a subgenre, steampunk is not new, but it has remained a fairly niche market in YA. However, there are a number of steampunk-ish novels featuring feisty females coming down the road, which makes me think that this speculative genre is poised to take over mainstream YA in a big way.

The Mary Quinn mysteries by Y.S. Lee seem to be the first to really popularize the Victorian female heroine. These are historical mysteries and there is nothing really steampunk about them in the traditional sense, unless you consider the very premise (young female orphans trained to be elite spies) speculative. These witty, well-written mysteries are drenched in historical details and feature an engaging and capable heroine. A good gateway drug to more potent steampunk fare.

Masque of The Red Death (Bethany Griffin)  is more traditional steampunk. A lush and addictive retelling of an Edgar Allan Poe story of the same name, Griffin creates a crumbling city reminscent of New Orleans that is divided into the masked elite and the decrepit poor. Araby, the daughter of a valuable scientist and member of the elite, is drawn to the dark, seedy debauchery clubs, seeking to forget the pain of her twin brother’s loss.  These midnight trips lead her to two very different men, from different sides of the tracks, who open her eyes to both the reality of the poor and a dangerous rebellion. This is a world of plague, masked balls, airships, and glamour. I am DYING to read the sequel, Dance of the Red Death.

The Friday Society (Adrienne Kress) is due out this fall from and promises to capture the smart-alecky, butt-kicking spirit of the author’s middle grade novels Alex and the Ironic Gentleman and Timothy and the Dragon’s Gate but Kress has graduated to a YA audience. This novel features three very different heroines who are assistants to powerful men (a magician, a member of parliament, and a martial arts guru) and band together to solve a mystery after a murder at a ball.

Like Masque of the Red Death, Megan Shepherd’s twisted and fascinating The Mad Man’s Daughter (HarperCollins 2013) is a re-telling, this time of the creepy Island of Doctor Moreau. Juliet is the daughter of disgraced Dr. Moreau, who disappeared and was presumed dead, leaving her destitute after his mysterious work was brought into question. When she discovers that her father is still alive, conducting his strange experiments on a remote island in the pacific, she sets across the ocean to be with him, never expecting the horrors that await her. Victorian London? Check. Damsel in distress who must learn to defend herself? Check. Supernatural or speculative element? Check. Odd science/clockwork? Check.

So why all the interest in feisty Victorian ladies? I suspect this is a response to all the dystopian fiction out there. Kick-ass female heroines are definitely en vogue and rather than imagine dystopian futures, these authors have re-invented the past. Class and hierarchy are major issues in both dystopian fiction and in this particular flavour of steampunk. The Victorian era was a rather bleak period for women, and there is something satisfying and exhilarating to revisit this period and give voice and action to the women who were so downtrodden by the era. I’m not anti-Austen, but even her most proactive and formidable female characters are undone (or saved) by a man.

I for one am enjoying this Ladies of Steampunk trend. I love a good costume drama, and a costume drama in which the female lead kicks ass in petticoats? Even better.

True Crime, Real Ghosts, Great Read: Mister Death’s Blue-Eyed Girls Review

“Mary Downing Hahn has written about fictional ghosts in acclaimed books such as The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall, The Old Willis Place, and Wait Til Helen Comes. Now, in this compelling young adult novel inspired by a true crime, she writes of real-life ghosts who have haunted her for most of her life.”

If that back cover copy doesn’t make you want to pick up the book I don’t know what will. Maybe that cover- I *adore* that cover. I have always been a big fan of Hahn’s ghost stories, and when I read about this book and caught sight of that gorgeous cover (I can admit to being swayed by a cover) I immediately added it to my must read list*. This is a departure for Hahn, but she employs her excellent pacing and atmospheric writing to this fictionalized true account of a small town murder. In her afterword, Hahn discusses the origin of the novel, which is based on the shooting of two girls in her home town. The facts of the case are similar, but Hahn is careful to point out that the characters and their responses are fictional.

The majority of this book is written from the perspective of Nora, a sensitive and curious girl who s worried about a lot of things: her height (too tall), religion (she is not as enamoured with God as perhaps a Catholic should be), boys (will any ever like her?), and her future (her parents can’t afford the art college she dreams of attending). After her friends Cheryl and Bobbie Jo are shot on their way to school, the tone of her worrying changes completely.

Mister Death’s Blue-eyed Girls is not a traditionally structured narrative. While it feels like Nora’s story most of the time, it is really a collective examination of the aftermath of a horrific event. Hahn includes chapters from the perspective of the killer, the accused boyfriend, and diary entries from victims Cheryl and Bobbie Jo, and Charlie, Nora’s maybe love interest. The result is a creative case study of a how murder effects a group of teens, only not nearly as clinical as that sounds. The book is full of nuggets of wisdom and truth, wrapped up as big life lessons and small life lessons. In some cases, Nora’s moments of enlightenment stem directly from the murders, but other moments are the kind of thing that occur to all teenagers at some point (how far should I go with my boyfriend, my parents aren’t perfect, maybe my best friend and I are growing apart, etc). For these reasons, it is a near perfect coming of age story (which readers will know is my all-time favourite category).

Hahn’s sophisticated but accessible prose is well-sculpted and brings 1956 Maryland vividly to life. I love this time period and Hahn does a great job making this bygone- and at times more innocent- era relevant for contemporary readers. Some people may find Nora too earnest, but that didn’t bother me. Some of Nora’s thoughts were so personal and honest I found myself cringing, because I remember having those feelings (or writing them in a diary) many years ago and the thought of someone reading them makes my skin crawl. YA narrators tend to be jaded/edgy or earnest/naive, and truly earnest YA narrators are harder to come by. It feels at times that YA novels are praised for being edgy when there are plenty of readers out there who appreciate a quieter, less rebellious narrator. This is not to say that Nora’s actions or thoughts aren’t controversial or without a streak of rebellion, but at her core, Nora is an average girl thrown into an unfortunate and difficult situation.

Despite the tragedy and Nora’s depression, which Hahn so convincingly depicts, I did not find the book too heavy or without hope. There are lots of moments of friendship, first love, parties and dances. The balance between the happy and sad parts is what makes the book so effective.  I think this is a remarkable work from an author who I may have previously pigeon-holed as a great ghost story writer.  While there are certainly scary bits, Mister Death’s Blue-eyed Girls does not fall under the ‘scary-as-escapism’  category (ala The Old Willis Place or Wait til Helen Comes, both Hahn books that I love) but is a psychological exploration. Readers who enjoyed The Miseducation of Cameron Post (emily m. danforth), Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson), and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)will enjoy Mister Death’s Blue-eyed Girls. This is a special book and I thought it was a sophisticated and beautiful way to pay homage to the young victims in Hahn’s past.

Mister Death’s Blue-eyed Girls is published by Clarion Books and will be available in Canada from Thomas Allen & Son in April 2012.

*Many, many thanks to Heather at Thomas Allen Canada for the review copy.