Shadows on the Moon

Shadows on the Moon by Zoë Marriott. On what should have been a celebration of her fourteenth birthday, Hoshima Suzume witnesses the murder of her beloved father, who has been accused of treason. Suzume miraculously manages to elude the pursuing soldiers although her cousin is killed while fleeing right next to her. She hides in the family kitchens with the help of an aged servant. Eventually the soldiers leave and Suzume's mother and a family friend find her. It is soon apparent that Suzume's mother and Terayama-san are lovers who plan to marry and erase all memories of the Hoshima family. Suzume also discovers that Terayama betrayed her father. In her grief and anger, Suzume starts to harm herself. Her only friend is the kitchen servant who hid her, Youta, who also tells her that she is a shadow weaver; this is how she was able to escape from the soldiers. He begins to work with her to develop her gift. Despite his concern and support, Suzume realizes that eventually Terayama-san will kill her. Her mother, now preoccupied with the birth of twins, either doesn't notice the threat or doesn't care. Suzume's story becomes one of assuming various identities to hide from Terayama while she plans her revenge. These plans are complicated by the distracting presence of Otieno, a foreign visitor who is also a shadow weaver. Suzume is eventually confronted with an agonizing choice--continue to plot to avenge her family by training to become the chief courtesan of the Moon Prince or travel to Athazie, the home of the man she loves. Suzume is a resilient and talented heroine. The setting reflects the author's research on ancient Japan, with detailed descriptions of dress, language and culture. Elements of romance, psychological pain, superhuman talents and moral dilemmas combine to make this a very satisfying read.

A Confusion of Princes

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix. Prince Khemri is born into a system where all Imperial Princes are treated as presumptive heirs to the Empire. Their natural abilities are enhanced psychically, mechanically, and biologically with the core elements of Imperial technology: Psitek, Mektek, and Bitek. Princes can read and communicate through thoughts; they also possess superhuman strength and can repair their own injuries. They need all of these capabilities to stay alive, because although any prince can theoretically become Emperor, all princes are also vulnerable to attack from their fellow princes (there are ten million of them) who are competing for the highest honors and powers when the current Emperor abdicates. Princes can and do die, and many are reborn if deemed worthy by the Imperial Mind. Princes never know their parents and [should] trust no one. A Confusion of Princes is Khemri's story of being thrown into this life and death struggle of princes after 16 years of being told he is special and deserves to be Emperor. He must draw on all of his training and powers to outwit and outfight other candidates, priests, assassins, and mysterious challenges devised by the current Imperial government. In the midst of this chaos he must also examine who he is, where he comes from, and what he believes. Loads of fun-recommended.

Don't Cry Tai Lake

Don't Cry Tai Lake: an Inspector Chen Novel by Qiu Xiaolong is both an absorbing detective story and an environmental expose of the dark side of industrial growth in China. Chief Inspector Chen of the Shanghai Police Department finds himself on an unscheduled vacation, as a senior party official insists that Chen take his place at a luxury resort on the shores of Tai Lake. It isn't long before Chen becomes involved in a murder investigation. The director of one of the major chemical factories that dumps pollutants into the lake is murdered. A local environmental activist is being held for the crime, but Chen, attracted to a beautiful environmental engineer named Shanshan, who is also fighting the factory's deceptive polluting practices, decides to do his own private investigation. The more he learns about the destruction of the once beautiful lake, the more determined Chen is to find the murderer and to expose the corruption that is destroying Tai Lake. Chen has no authority in Wuxi, but Sergeant Huang of the local police and a big fan of Chen's agrees to "play Dr. Watson to Chen's Sherlock Holmes." Don't Cry Tai Lake is the most recent of a series of Inspector Chen mysteries. The author has also written two books of translations of traditional Chinese poetry as well as one book of his own poems. Poetry appears throughout the book, adding beautiful interludes as Chan both woos Shanshan and describes the struggle over the lake's future through verse. Recommended.

The Diviners

The Diviners by Libba Bray is both an entertaining and annoying book. It is entertaining because it is suspenseful; an assorted cast of characters, many with special psychic gifts, become involved in the imminent appearance of the Beast. There are only a few weeks, then days, then hours before the depraved actions of [presumably long dead] Naughty John lead to his transformation into something far worse than a serial killer. Bray sets the story in New York in 1926. Transportation, clothing, parties and the theater are all depicted with realistic historical detail. Sometimes Bray tries too hard to recapture the era. Her main character, youthful teen flapper Evie, fresh from Ohio and now staying with her Uncle Will, talks constantly in cliches. "She is the elephant's eyebrows," "Must be the duck's quack to be famous," and so on. Over 500 pages of such dialog is definitely tiresome. Each character also has a back story that relates somehow to the psychic world. Evie desperately misses her older brother, killed in Europe in WWI, and dreams about him constantly. Streetwise Sam, who flirts with Evie and picks pockets, has a more serious side--he is trying to trace his mother who disappeared when he was a child. Uncle Will has own secrets, as do numbers runner Memphis and his true love, Theta. The narration jumps around from one character to another and threatens at times to leave the reader behind. That said, The Diviners a very compelling story and worth the effort. Paramount has purchased the movie rights, so get ready for a thriller.

Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein is a suspenseful story of two young women involved in British spying during World War II. One of the women, Queenie, is captured by the Gestapo after parachuting into occupied France. In order to avoid further torture by her captors, she must write up an account of her experiences in special operations, identifying airfields, airplanes, secret codes and anything else that SS Hauptsturmfuhrer von Linden might find useful. If she hesitates, she is burned and threatened with even more grisly tortures. As she writes, Queenie agonizes over the decision she has made to betray her country. She compares her own cowardice with the screams of a young Frenchwoman, also held at Gestapo Headquarters, who will not break and inform on her co-conspirators in the French underground. She also grieves for her dearest friend, Maddie, who was piloting the plane that ferried Queenie into France and who [she believes] died when the plane crashed. The suspense builds as Queenie eventually reveals to von Linden that she is an interrogator herself. We also learn that Maddie is still alive and hiding with French commandos. Can Queenie stay alive long enough to be rescued? Will Maddie find her friend before she is either executed or sent to a concentration camp? How can either bear the loss of the other? This is a compelling tale of courage and friendship set in the larger story of the power and evil of the Nazi war machine and of the largely unheralded but critical efforts of female civilian pilots, commandos and spies to fight back.

The Peculiars

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry. Upon receiving on her eighteenth birthday two envelopes from the mysterious father who long ago abandoned her and her mother, Lena Mattacascar determines to use the money left in one of the envelopes to track him down and learn why he left and what he truly is. If he is part goblin as she suspects, what does this mean about her? She already has goblin-like, oversized hands and feet; has she also inherited her father's temperament and character? In an alternative world that resembles the 19th-century American West, goblins and other "peculiars" are scorned as uncivilized and soulless. There is a movement afoot to find peculiars and exile them to the northern territory of Scree, where they can be monitored and put to work for the government. Lena's efforts to get to Scree are fraught with complications: most of her money is stolen; she starts to work for Dr. Beasely, a rich and eccentric inventor who may be involved in illegal and inhumane trafficking with peculiars; she is torn between her attraction to Marshall Thomas Saltre, who needs her help to investigate Beasely, and Jimson Quiggley, a student of evolution who doesn't believe in goblins. She is also constantly aware of her own hands and feet and worries about being identified and persecuted as a peculiar herself. McQuerry has written a coming-of-age story filled with adventure and romance, with a strong central character. Recommended.

Art of Fielding

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach takes the prize as the most satisfying, entertaining novel of the summer [so far]. The setting is a small, Wisconsin school, Westish College, whose baseball team, the Harpooners, has suffered for years from mediocrity. That is, until phenomenally gifted shortstop Henry Skrimshander joins the team. Henry is first recruited and then mentored by team catcher Mike Schwartz. The Harpooners start winning, and the team looks like it will go all the way to a national championship. Then Henry inexplicably sends an errant throw into the Harpooner dugout, where it hits his friend and roommate Owen in the face. As a horrified Henry's life starts to unravel so do the lives of Westish College's president, Guert Affenlight, who falls in love with Owen, Mike, who can't figure out how to fix Henry's problems or his own, and Guert's daughter Pella, who finds herself caught between Henry and Mike while struggling to rebuild her life following a failed marriage. Harbach pokes fun at academia and college sports, but also shows great affection for his many flawed and complex characters. Highly recommended.

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green has provided one of the most satisfying reads so far this summer. Teen Hazel Grace, diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer, confronts issues of life, death and love. Hazel meets cancer survivor Augustus Waters at a group therapy session which her mother forces her to attend. Attraction is mutual and immediate. Hazel's narration of their developing relationship is loaded with witty dialog and dark humor as well as explorations of what it means to die unremarked or forgotten. The plot turns around Hazel's need to contact the reclusive author of her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, which is about a young girl who dies of cancer. The books ends abruptly, leaving exasperating questions about what happened to Anna's mother, her friends and her hamster. Hazel, with Gus's help, is determined to discover the answers, even though the author now lives in Amsterdam and has never acknowledged her many letters. Although Green emphasizes that the book is fiction, it nonetheless thoughtfully explores what life for a teenager dealing with cancer can be like. It is both serious and light-hearted: "Hazel GRACE!" he[Gus] shouted. "You did not use your one dying Wish to go to Disney World with your parents. . . . I can't believe I have a crush on a girl with such cliche wishes."

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman is a complex tale of political intrigue, struggle with identity, and of tests of love and loyalty. It is set in a world, the kingdom of Goredd, which is populated by both dragons and humans who are divided by suspicion, bigotry and a history of armed conflict. Seraphina Dombegh is the musically gifted daughter of an esteemed lawyer, tutored by a saarantras, a dragon in human form. When barely into adolescence, she begins to experience changes in her body and mind that reveal a terrible secret--her mother, whom she never knew, was a dragon and Seraphina is a half-breed. For her this means leading a life of deception and self-loathing, for there are people in Goredd who would gladly destroy such "misshapen, miscengenated abominations." Although her father commands her to stay silent and hidden, Seraphina loves music and accepts a position with the royal court as assistant to the music director. She becomes increasingly involved with the affairs at court following the assassination of popular Prince Rufus and the impending visit of the dragon Ardmagar to renew the tenuous peace between dragons and humans. She uses her special insights into dragon history and behavior to help compelling, attractive Prince Lucian, Captain of the Guard, solve the mystery of Prince Rufus's death and to help protect the Ardmagar. This is an entertaining tale of adventure seasoned with Seraphina's personal challenges of self-acceptance.

The Book of Jonas by Stephen Dau tells the story of a 15-year-old from an unnamed country in the Middle East who comes to America after his village and family are destroyed in a U.S. military attack. Jonas struggles to deal with his past--he has buried his memory of events deeply, but is obviously haunted by what has happened. Through his therapist, he meets the mother of a soldier who was declared missing in the same operation. Rose, too, is seeking answers. What happened to her son? Does Jonas hold the key? While the ending is somewhat predictable, the descriptions of what war does to individuals on all sides--non-combatant victims, soldiers and parents, are compelling.

Kill Switch by Chris Lynch is story with many themes: it is a quest to find a safe place for Daniel Cameron's grandpa, Da, who is losing his mind to Alzheimer's and becoming increasingly unpredictable; a loyalty test for Daniel as he struggles to understand why Da's former employers from the Department of Agriculture are tracking them; and a labor of love to keep Da focused on the present. It is easy to get caught up in Daniel's dilemmas, but increasingly troubling to see the consequences of the choices that Daniel feels he is forced to make. Newly graduated from high school, Daniel takes on the full time job of caring for his grandfather, determined to enjoy their remaining time together before he must leave for college. Listening to Da's rants, Daniel starts to suspect that Da's past was not simply one of a paper-pushing government bureaucrat. It also seems obvious that former co-workers are concerned about Da's failure to maintain secrecy about his past and want him silenced. Even Daniel's parents and sister have lost patience with Da. After Da has been put under observation to avoid prosecution for car theft, Daniel decides to take matters into his own hands. It is tragic to see the ravages that dementia wreaks on a proud individual, his family and society. Both Daniel and his grandfather are complex, challenging characters and the path they have chosen leads them into danger, violence and betrayal. Kill Switch is riveting and thought-provoking.

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

Bacigalupi, author of Shipbreaker, continues his exploration of a dystopian future in which major American cities have been flooded and turned into jungles. Gangs of armed children roam the ruins and surrounding countryside looking for enemies and vulnerable civilians to impress as slaves. Two children have managed to survive the violence, although Mahlia has lost a hand and Mouse is soon captured by a rebel band, with whom he must actively participate in killing and torture or be executed himself. Despite her desire to escape the violence, Mahlia chooses to return to the Drowned Cities to find and rescue her friend. She has one thing in her favor, she doesn't travel alone. Tool, a combination of man, dog, tiger and jackal, has escaped from his masters who first created and then used him as a killing machine. Tool owes Mahlia a debt--she stole medicines to heal his wounds and save his life. Still, he can't really figure out why he doesn't either abandon her or eat her. Tool and Mahlia face constant danger in their quest to find and save Mouse. Meanwhile, Mouse's captors are turning him into Ghost--an armed and ruthless soldier like themselves.The story unfolds with visceral violence and unending suspense.

Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Elle is a 15-year-old girl in serious trouble. She has been evicted from her home; her mother has a new boyfriend and Elle is in the way. The apartment her mother finds for her is far enough away to isolate Elle. She has to start a new life, without her mother, whom she fights with anyway, friends or a familiar school. Her only support is a one-eyed cat that is scared to death of her, a friendly neighbor named Frank, whom Elle is immediately attracted to, and some kids at the new school, who all seem to be "different," which Elle finds unnerving and embarrassing. Cutting off her hair the day before school seemed like a satisfying act of rebellion against her mother and her mother's brand of beauty, but the new look is "gay" and Elle quickly becomes a target at school. Members of the GLBTQ community reach out to her, but Elle isn't sure how she feels about her own sexuality, much less anyone else's. In Jumpstart the World Elle is forced to confront her prejudices as they are personalized through her friends and her much loved neighbor Frank. Hyde creates a believable world in which vulnerable teens risk losing family and friends in order to be true to themselves. Recommended.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

This novel recreates the suffering of a family deported from Lithuania to Siberia during World War II. The Vilkas family has been arrested because the father is an educator and Lithuanian nationalist. Stalin targeted members of the intelligentsia because he wanted to destroy possible sources of protest in post-war Soviet society. The novel reads much like a book on the Holocaust. Indeed, millions of Eastern Europeans were subjected to slave labor, starvation and for some, summary execution. Only recently have their stories and the breadth of Stalin's purges come to light. Whether the persecution of national and ethnic groups rose to the level of the mass extermination of Jews is a subject of debate--as is the current view that Lithuanians and others were victims of the Soviets as opposed to collaborators with the Germans. Nonetheless, the struggles of Lina, her brother Jonas, their mother and other Lithuanians is a compelling one. The reader is reminded of the human capacity for courage and endurance as well as cruelty. Recommended.

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson

While the reader learns in the very beginning that humans survive the attempt at mass destruction of their species, as orchestrated by a secretive and technologically dominant artificial intelligence, the retelling of the crisis is fraught with suspense. The author creates characters and then puts them in life-threatening situations as they are confronted by a variety of robots (think Star Wars on steroids) who are deadly, unrelenting in pursuit of humans, and increasingly adaptable to terrain and counter-strategies. They can repair and redesign themselves, control communication centers and satellites, and surgically modify human prisoners to make them more useful and less free. The author, a specialist with a PhD in robotics, has described a world in which modern automobiles take over city streets by running over pedestrians and destroying their human occupants in horrific crashes, formerly passive "house" robots become killers, and military hardware with automated systems becomes, well, you can imagine. The book reads like a video game, with viewpoints shifting from former military and police to creative civilians--hackers, building demolition experts, and a young girl with heightened awareness of AI communications. The story isn't deep, but it's fun (and a little gory). Recommended.