Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

 Ana Dakkar and her brother Dev are both students at an elite private school that focuses on marine science. Ana is nervous about her freshman trials that are coming up, a weekend of hands-on tests aboard a school owned ship.  As she and her fellow freshmen are on a bus  ride to meet up with the ship, their seaside school is attacked.  The teacher/advisor with them on the bus hurries them onto the ship anyway, and informs them that the attack was perpetrated by a rival aquatics school. Ana, realing from fear that her brother, her last surviving relative, perished in the attack, finds out that she is a direct descendant of the real Captain Nemo from the book, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  She and her classmates also discover that the Nautilus and all the amazing technology from that story is real, and evil people are after it.

I was excited to see that Mr. Riordan had started a new series, and one not connected to his earlier series.  Although I don't think this new series will make the kind of "splash" Percy Jackson did, it was a solid offering and one that Riordan fans will enjoy.  The story similar to Riordan's other books.  A kid finds out that they have inherited something special from unknown ancestors and is thrust into a situation where they need to save the world.  But in this book, the powers are based on science rather than magic.  The one thing that I think will hamper the book's popularity is that I don't think many kids have read 20,000 Leagues under the Sea or have even seen the old Disney version of it.  What works are Riordan's characters, each flawed, but each one discovering the best inside of themselves.  

One fun note, Ana's side kick, Gem, is a Mormon from Provo.  He scolds people for taking God's name in vein and talks about his missionary brother.  I like to feel that the inclusion of this character in the book was infomed by his visit to Provo Library back in 2012.  I had the opportunity to meet him then and chat over dinner with my fellow librarians.  I am sure someone must have talked about their missionary son, and maybe scolded someone about swearing?  (2021, 352 p.)

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

 WWII is winding down and the German army is fleeing East Prussia.  Four young adults are heading for the coast, hoping for passage out of the country.  They each have their own past, and their own secrets.  As they endure harrowing trials, they pull together, and unite with other travelers to form kind of family.  Then they board the ill fated ship, the Wilhelm Gustoff.  

This is a a riviting WWII drama unlike any other I have read.  The setting and historical backdrop are unusual.  I actually hadn't heard of the Wilhelm Gustoff tragedy before.  Nor was I very familiar with the German experience in Russia. The thing that makes the book so engaging, though, are characterizations. Each of the point of view characters, (including a forth, a German soldier, Albert) are brilliantly drawn and multilayered.  It is a teen book, so, of course, there is a romance involved, but the book isn't about the romance, it is just about what war does to people and how people get through it.  Here is another book I will be recommending a lot to teens and adults. (2016, 391 p)

Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia

 Paola's mother believes in the old Mexican mystical folklore, which is an unending source of embarrassment.  Paola tries to keep a lid on her frustration with her mother because she understands how hard it has been on her mother since her father disappeared.  But that does not keep Paola from defying her mother's injunction not to go near the Gila river because it is source of "evil magic".  Then one day Paola's friend, Emma, disappears by the river, and Paola and her best friend, Dante goes to look for her.  Strange things start to happen and Paola realizes there is more to her mother's superstitions than she suspected. 

This is another in the "Rick Riordan Presents" imprint, this one focusing on the legend of La Llorona. I have enjoyed the books about Aru Shah and Tristan Strong that are also "Rick Riordan Presents" books, but I didn't like this one as well as those others.  There were a couple of things that didn't work as well for me.  I didn't like that Pao and Dante were sometimes pretty mean to each other.  I know their squabbles were supposted to be caused by adolescent hormons, but it didn't work for me. I also didn't feel like the story gave me any new insights into Mexican culture. I thought they took the Llorona legend and stretched it all out of proportion.  I did like the little cupacabra puppy though.  Maybe if I were more familiar with the mythology I would have enjoyed it more.   (2020, 350 p)

Winning the Gentleman by Kristi Ann Hunter

 Aaron is an illegitimate son who has made a life for himself as a horse trainer and stable manager.  He has always vowed he would never inflict the liabilities of his birth on any woman by marriage. Then one day, Sophia tricks her way into his life.  She is an amazing horsewoman, and someone in need of his help and protection.  They both have walls and secrets, but with the gentle nudging of friends those walls have at least the possibility of coming down.

Yeah, Christian historical romance time again.  In this one we get to meet many of our old friends from previous Hunter novels.  In some ways this book is as much about having a supportive community of like-minded friends as it is about the two love birds. It takes a lot of encouragement and conniving of their friends to get Sophia and Aaron together at last. One thing I like about Hunter's stories is that she doesn't rush the relationships.  No Cinderella-like "love at first sight" here.  It takes time and much overcoming of bumps in the road to bring Hunter's leading men and women together, which is much more realistic than the fairytale version. (2021, 352 p.)
 

Lovely War by Julie Berry

 Hazel plays piano at a parish dance at the beginning of WWI when Aphrodite steps in and makes sure that James notices her behind the piano.  Later Collette is intrigued by the handsome Amercian soldier, Aubrey, who plays jazz in an all black army band.  The black soldiers are forbidden to associate with the white YMCA workers, but that can't keep Collette and Aubrey from sneaking out and meeting at the piano after lights out. As two romances blossom, Ares steps in and calls the men into battle, leaving the women to wonder and wait and worry if they will ever see their beautiful boys again.  

In some ways this is an odd WWI romance, but I really liked it.  Berry frames the books with the story from Greek mythology when Haephestus captures his wife, Aphrodite and his brother Eres "in the act" so to speak.  Haephestus holds a trial to convict his wife of infidelity and she uses the story of the war love affairs to defend herself and justify the importance of what she does--bringing hope and joy to young lives during the time of war. The story has a second message about racial prejudice, and many of the characters and events related to Aubrey's black regement are based on history. Berry does a great job of showing the horrors of war and how they change both the men and the women in the story.  But at the same time, the characters stay true to each other and help each other cope and heal. It is super sweet, and, remarkably clean.  Reader beware that there are some graphic depictions of battle and racial violence, but I think Berry does a good job of giving enough detail to make the reader appreciate what is going on, without being overwhelming. I am certainly going to be recommending this one to my friends and patrons. (2019, 480 p.)

P.S. this book is marketed as a YA historical novel, but I think it is better suited for middle age women. :)

Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell

Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point, and Outliers, in this book asserts that people are pretty bad at telling when strangers are lying. He talks about how people think they can tell if someone is lying by looking at their body language, but that studies show that this is not true.  He talks about why intoxication is such a complicating factor when trying to assess guilt in a date rape situation, and how Fidel Castro was able to plant multiple people as spy double agents in the CIA.  He talks about how people just don't want to believe that someone is lying and how that allows people like Bernie Madof and Adolf Hilter to deceive people quite easily. He finishes the book with a look at what happens when we don't "default to true", and how that brings its own consequenses.  

This had interesting ideas, but, like some of the other nonfiction I have read lately, it was gritty.  Gladwell describes date rape, murder, suicide and Guantamo Bay style torture. I feel like I have some new insite to human behavior, but I kind of feel like I need to go and wash out my brain with soap to clean out the nasty images. So, read at your own risk.  (2019, 400 p)

Duplex by Orson Scott Card

Ryan's dad has moved out and is converting their large house into a duplex so that the tenant income can help pay the rent.  The family that moves into the other side of the house includes Bizzy, a beautiful Romanian American girl Ryan's age.  Ryan is astonished when she befriends him, and he soon feels very attached to her.  While walking home together, a bee flies into her hair.  With preternatural speed, he gets the bee out of her hair, pops it into his mouth, and then releases it with a breath.  His swift response does not go unnoticed, and he is recruited by a club at school of kids with micropowers. He discovers that Bizzy also has a micro power, one that has made her a target of an evil group from her mother's country of origin.  Ryan's growing love for Bizzy pushes him to develop his skill so he can protect her and the others he loves. 

I started to listen to the story, and then about halfway through, when Ryan meets the kids in the micropotents club, I thought, "wait, haven't I read this before?"  Actually, I hadn't, but I realized it is the second in a series that started with Lost and Found.  It is, actually, remarkably similar to the first book.  In my review of that book I complained that Card really didn't capture authentic teen conversation.  That is true of this book as well.  It really sounds like an old guy trying to sound like a teenager.  It is also a bit preachy.  Ryan's dad gives him some meaningful "life lessons" talks that reminded me of the "To thine own self be true" talk in Hamlet.  Despite all that, I enjoyed the book. The premise is interesting and Card doesn't shy away from some hard issues.  The romance between Ryan and Bizzy is sweet and pretty age appropriate. It was a nice break after reading Talking to Strangers (review to follow).  (304 p. 2021)