(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Although Avalyn has severe asthma, the exuberant 12-year-old doesn't let it get in her way. Moving to an Arizona mountain town with clear, dry air has helped immensely. She suffers, but not nearly as much as she once did. She focuses, instead, on hanging out with her band of misfit friends, reading her beloved X-men comics, and ignoring the bullies at school as best she can. When a new boy moves to town, she senses he might be a perfect fit for her friend group of nerdy outcasts. The problem is that Adam constantly rebuffs her attempts. He insists on being a loner—a secretive, moody, intriguing loner. Avalyn longs to crack his shell. Underneath the tough exterior, she sees glimpses of a cool kid who wants to belong as much as she does.

Avalyn's never told anyone, but she's got a superpower of her own. She's always been able to sense people's emotions and Adam's are...intense. Whenever he gets angry or upset, his feelings stir up whirling dust storms, the kind that fill her lungs with grit, making it difficult for her to catch a breath. What is the cause of Adam's distress? Why is he so withdrawn? The more Avalyn learns about Adam, the more concerned she grows. What is he hiding and how can she help her new potential friend if she can't even breathe around him?

Grief-stricken over the recent death of her marine biologist mother with whom she lived in Japan, 12-year-old Willa Twitchell is trying to adjust to her new normal.  Now residing on an island in Washington State, she shares a loud, chaotic home with her dad, stepmom, three younger step-siblings, and a baby half-sister.  The best thing about being back on Tupkuk Island is her renewed friendship with her long-time best friend Marc Mendoza, but even he is acting strangely.  With her life all upside-down, Willa finds solace in the same place her mother always did: the sea.  

While on a whale-watching trip with her dad, Willa is stunned when a humpback speaks to her.  Somehow, she can hear the creature's thoughts and hold lively conversations with the social animal who is named Meg.  The whale assures Willa that she can call on her new friend anytime for any reason—and Willa does.  She unloads all of her worries and fears
on the sympathetic humpback.  When a blue whale washes up on Tupkuk's shore, she becomes especially scared.  Willa's only a small girl.  How can she save the dying creature?  The townspeople are talking about all kinds of inhumane solutions to get rid of its body, including blowing it up or letting it rot.  Willa knows her mother would do everything in her power to save the whale; Willa intends to do the same.  With Meg's help, she puts a plan into action.  Will it work?  And what will happen when it's time for Meg to move on with her pod?  How will Willa, already wracked with sorrow, say goodbye to her friend?  

Willa and the Whale, the newest middle-grade novel by husband-and-wife writing team Chad Morris and Shelly Brown, is a gentle, hopeful novel about grief, friendship, and healing.  Filled with whale trivia, it teaches the reader about whales while also imparting greater life lessons.  Willa is a sympathetic character, although she sometimes comes off as self-centered and victim-y.  She does show growth during the course of the novel, but I still found her a little irritating.  Likewise, I found the magical realism element of this book a tad annoying.  It just wasn't convincing to me, which made the whole story fall a bit flat for me.  Add to that the fact that there's no real plot to keep the tale focused and you can see why Willa and the Whale was a like-it-didn't-love-it read for me.  I always appreciate a warm, empowering middle-grade novel; this is certainly that, even if it wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington and Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly)

Tornadoes are known for causing havoc and destruction, but for 12-year-old Lexington Willow, a tornado was the thing that brought her home.  Seven years ago, the biggest storm in Nebraska's history blew her into the zoo.  She was found near an elephant enclosure, watched over by Nyah, a 20-year-old African elephant.  No one has ever come forward to claim Lex, so she has remained at the zoo in the care of Roger, her foster father.  She feels so safe and sheltered by the place's familiar boundaries that she rarely leaves.  Her days are spent doing homeschool lessons; hanging out with her best friend, Fisher Leigh, who also lives on the grounds; and voicing train tours of the zoo.  Now that she and Fisher are finally old enough to help with the care of her beloved elephants, Lex couldn't be happier.

Lex has always felt a special connection with Nyah, but when the pachyderm sends her a telepathic message, Lex is puzzled.  The elephant seems to be telling her to go outside the zoo, into the woods beyond, to find the answers to the many questions Lex has about her past.  Is she crazy to listen to the advice of an animal?  As nervous as she is to leave the safety of her precious zoo, Lex feels compelled to follow Nyah's instructions.  When Lex makes an otherworldly discovery out there, she embarks on a magical adventure involving a ghost, a treasure hunt, and a mystery, all of which promise to lead her back to her own inexplicable beginning. 

Magical realism is common in middle-grade books, but to find it combined with a mystery, a ghost story, and a tale of lost treasure?  That's something special.  The Elephant's Girl, a debut novel by Celesta Rimington, offers this enticing genre mash-up along with a unique setting, two likable heroines (one human, one pachyderm), and an exciting plot.  Not only does the book educate readers about elephants, but it also teaches important lessons about humans' responsibility toward animals, kindness, the true meaning of family, standing up for one's self, and finding courage to do hard things.  The story is predictable and I didn't always find the magical realism bits convincing, but overall, I found The Elephant's Girl to be a delightful, entertaining book.  Young animal lovers looking for a fun, magical reading adventure won't be disappointed.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling, and books by Kate DiCamillo)

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The Elephant's Girl from the generous folks at Penguin Random House as part of an awards program I'm helping to judge.  Thank you!

Minnie Miranda's single mother—an Argentine-American with no close family—labors tirelessly to support her and her two younger sisters.  Mamá is always working overtime at her menial jobs, leaving Minnie in charge.  When she is in their drafty basement apartment, Mamá is exhausted and cranky.  Despite all her hours at work, the fridge is never full, Minnie's sisters have few toys, and all of them make do with embarrassing castoff clothing.  Although the 12-year-old knows she should be grateful just to have a roof over her head, Minnie's tired of being poor, frustrated with all of her grown-up responsibilities, and especially weary of her mother's constant warnings to never let outsiders into their lives.  Mamá insists they don't need anyone's help with anything.  Minnie's not so sure.

Despite the endless hours she works, Mamá always comes home in the evenings to say goodnight to her girls.  When she fails to appear one night, Minnie hopes Mamá has just been unable to get away.  With no word from her, however, Minnie begins to fear the worst: she's been detained by ICE.  Knowing she can't confide in anyone—not even a surprising new school friend—she carries on as best she knows how, trying to keep her sisters calm, fed, and entertained.  Nothing seems to go her away, although somehow, the girls seem to be getting a bit of help from the Peques, the Argentine fairies Minnie's younger sisters still believe in.

Even the Peques can't help with Minnie's upcoming audition for Peter Pan.  Minnie knows a penniless Latinx girl has no real hope of playing Wendy, but she's desperate to try for the part.  Mamá knows how important the audition is to Minnie and promised to be there.  Is she really going to miss it?  If she could be there, Minnie knows she would be.  What has happened to Mamá?  She can't conceal her family's situation for much longer, but her mother has always insisted strangers can't be trusted.  What is Minnie to do? 

Let's be honest here, the cover of On These Magic Shores by Argentine-American Yamile Saied Méndez is...not great.  Thank goodness it came to my attention because of The Whitney Awards.  Had I seen the book in a library or bookstore, I never would have picked it up.  And that would have been a shame because there's a lot to like about this #OwnVoices middle grade novel.  It touches on a lot of tough issues—racism, poverty, fear of deportation, children with too much responsibility, etc.—in a way that is eye-opening but also approachable.  As Minnie struggles, she learns the value of friendship, forgiveness, asking for help when you need it, and being grateful for what you have even if it's not a lot.  Some of the lessons are more subtle than others, but they're all there.  Although the plot of On These Magic Shores isn't always logical, the transitions between scenes not always smooth, and the prose a little rough in places, overall the story is engaging and compelling with enough going on to keep me turning pages.  The magical realism isn't my favorite element of this novel, but it worked well enough.  Character-wise, Minnie and her sisters are sympathetic heroines.  Minnie's prickly personality makes her difficult to like, especially when she acts like a victim-y brat.  She does grow and change because of her struggles, but she's still a bit hard to take.  Others act inconsistently (Maverick, for instance), but they're still a likable lot overall.  There are enough issues with On These Magic Shores that I didn't end up loving it.  However, it is an eye-opening, empowering, empathy-inducing story.  I liked it overall.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar and Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros)

Everything has changed since Annie Lee Fitzgerald's father died two months ago.  Not only did the 11-year-old and her mom have to move to a tiny apartment in a rundown neighborhood, but now that her mom is working full-time as a housekeeper, Annie Lee is on her own a lot more.  Despite cutting costs in every possible way, they are still barely making ends meet.  The constant struggle just adds to the overwhelming grief that already looms between them.

Despite her father's absence, there are things that haven't changed.  The bathroom still smells like his aftershave, the radio plays his favorite music, there's stubble in the sink every morning, and the coffeemaker sometimes brews his preferred brand of coffee—even though no one buys it anymore.  Annie Lee's getting used to these strange things, so she's not all that surprised when she notices more magic while she's listening to an old man playing the piano at the mall.  It seems like a sign, maybe even from her dead father, that Annie Lee needs to go back to the lessons she abandoned long ago.  When she learns about a piano competition that pays out a significant prize, she persuades the elderly pianist to teach her.

As Annie Lee attends her clandestine piano lessons, loses herself in books, and gets to know a new friend, she starts to process her grief and even feel a little bit of hope.  When an emergency threatens to blow everything apart, however, she has to make a choice that could ruin everything.

Beginners Welcome, a new middle grade novel by Cindy Baldwin, covers a lot of territory, so it's tough to describe its plot.  In fact, the story's more episodic than tightly told, which makes it seem unfocused at time.  Nevertheless, it features warm, likable characters; an engaging storyline; and solid prose.  While magical realism, even lightly sprinkled, isn't always my favorite, it worked for me in this case, giving the story an extra punch to make it more memorable.  I also appreciate that although this novel deals with some tough subjects, it remains upbeat and hopeful throughout.  While I didn't end up absolutely loving this heartfelt novel, I did enjoy it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin as well as other middle grade grief novels, although no specific titles are coming to mind.)

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Beginners Welcome from the generous folks at HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When Lana Hitchcock learns her estranged father is dying, she rushes from Oahu to her hometown of Hilo on the Big Island.  Too late to make amends, she's mourning her loss at her childhood home when Pearl Harbor is attacked.  Lana is stunned by the news; even more shocking is her dad's apparent prediction of the war reaching Hawaii's shores.  According to a note he left her, Lana's father built a safe house up in the mountains near an active volcano.  When the police begin rounding up "suspicious" persons for questioning, Lana knows she must act to save her dad's beloved neighbors.  Into her car, she piles two German girls whose parents have been detained, an elderly Japanese man, his adopted teenage son, the girls' oversized dog, two nene geese, and all the food she can stack in among them.  With her heart banging in her chest, she flees to the secret house where she will hide her wards for the duration.  

Numerous surprises await the group in Volcano, including an unfinished house with a secret room, wild horses roaming the property, a nearby military camp turned into internment housing, and the handsome soldier whose attentions to Lana are dangerous for them all.  Can Lana keep the people in her care safe in spite of dwindling rations and soldiers crawling all over Volcano?  Will they be killed outright by Japanese soldiers?  Or will the lot of them be imprisoned by their own countrymen?  With danger around every corner, will Lana lose everything that's important to her?

I've read tons of World War II novels, but very few that focus on life in Hawaii after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Sara Ackerman, who was born and raised in the islands, has written several, including her newest, Red Sky Over Hawaii.  There's a lot to love about this book, from its rich, atmospheric setting, to its dip into fascinating Hawaiian folklore, to its light sprinkling of magical realism.  The fact that it's a clean read filled with likable characters is also a plus.  However, although Ackerman's story people are mostly good and honorable, they're not super rounded or fleshed-out.  I didn't feel like I really knew Lana or her leading man, which made it difficult to detect any chemistry between the two.  Similarly, the book's plot is rather lackadaisical.  Since Lana and company are basically hiding out, hoping not to get caught, not a lot happens to them.  There is never a point in their tale when the reader really has to worry about their well-being, which makes their story a little dull.  Despite these irritants, overall I enjoyed Red Sky Over Hawaii.  I didn't love the book like I wanted to, but I did like it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman and Under the Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and mild innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Red Sky Over Hawaii from the generous folks at Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Ever since the death of his wife, Rafe Torres has been disintegrating.  Inconsolable, he drinks too much, gambles too much, owes too much and parents too little.  His four daughters have had it with picking up the pieces after their dad's many mess-ups.  Desperate for escape, they try running away, only to be caught by a despondent Rafe who promises to do better.  Not long after the sisters' botched escape, Ana plunges to her death while sneaking out her bedroom window.  Her death drives Rafe deeper into despair, leaving Iridian, Jessica, and Rosa to fend for themselves. 

A year after Ana dies, the three Torres girls are living a chaotic, feral existence in a house that feels both empty and oppressive with the weight of their grief.  Seventeen-year-old Iridian is biding her time working a part-time job and dating Ana's abusive ex-boyfriend.  Iridian—a 16-year-old dreamer—reads incessantly and pours her heart out in her journal.  An old soul, 13-year-old Rosa roams the city at night, talking to birds and searching for an escaped zoo animal.  Their separate orbits collide when each of them notices strange things happening inside their home.  They hear Ana's laughter whispering through the halls, see her handwriting appearing on the walls, and smell a familiar scent lingering in the air.  Could it be Ana's ghost trying to convey a message to her sisters?  What is it she's trying to tell them?  As the girls puzzle out the clues together, they finally feel a smidgeon of hope that might just show them the way out of the deep, dark well of their grief.

I'm not sure what to say about Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry except that it's a strange, strange novel.  With its odd combination of realistic fiction, magical realism, and horror, it seems a little confused about its own identity.  Although Tigers, Not Daughters is a quick read, the story doesn't offer much in the way of plot.  Made up of vignettes told from each sister's perspective, it never feels very cohesive.  In addition, the vibe of this novel is unrelentingly sad, depressing, angry, and just ... weird.  Its depiction of the overwhelming and sometimes destructive nature of grief is on point, but the rest of the story didn't really come together for me.  I wasn't sorry to see it end.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't really think of a comparable title.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Tigers, Not Daughters from the generous folks at Algonquin in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Natalie Tan has grown up hearing fond tales about her immigrant grandmother, an excellent cook who operated one of the most successful restaurants ever to exist in San Francisco's Chinatown.  Those who knew her rave about the magic that emanated from her signature dishes, an enchantment that brought the neighborhood together to be fed, belly and soul.  Growing up with her agoraphobic mother in the apartment above her grandmother's long-abandoned restaurant, Natalie dreamed of reviving the establishment, a fantasy that led to an 8-year estrangement between mother and daughter.  When Natalie's mother dies unexpectedly, leaving her only child everything she has, Natalie is shocked to realize that she now has everything she needs to finally make her dream come true—except the mother with whom she never reconciled.

Wracked with grief and guilt, Natalie vows to reopen the restaurant, not just to achieve her own dream but also to help revive the deteriorating neighborhood she once loved.  Armed with her laolao's recipe book, Natalie tries to recapture the magic that her grandmother wielded through the food she served to her friends and neighbors.  When Natalie's best-laid plans go terribly awry, she must search her family's past for clues as to how to save the future, not just for herself but for the once vibrant neighborhood she still loves so well.

Natalie Tan's Book of Luck & Fortune, a debut novel by Filipino-Chinese author Roselle Lim, offers lots of fun story elements—tantalizing food descriptions, the promise of family secrets coming to light, a drizzle of magical realism, and some good, old-fashioned mother/daughter drama.  A very appealing mixture.  Unfortunately, though, these different story threads just aren't woven together well enough to produce a cohesive whole.  The plot slogs on without enough tension to keep it exciting, the characters are underdeveloped and bland, and Lim's prose is way more tell than show.  I agree with other reviewers who say this one is missing something.  I wanted to be completely be-spelled by this novel and I just ... wasn't.  In the end, I found Natalie Tan's Book of Luck & Fortune to be an okay read, nothing more.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and a bit of the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien [Death By Dumpling; Dim Sum of All Fears; Murder Lo Mein)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Natalie Tan's Book of Luck & Fortune from the generous folks at Penguin Random House.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

I usually craft my own plot summaries, but Never That Far, Carol Lynch Williams' newest, isn't the easiest novel to describe.  The publisher's version says everything that needs to be said in one succinct paragraph, so I'm going to go with it:

After her grampa dies, the last place Libby expects to see him is sitting on the edge of her bed.  But that's what happens the night after his funeral.  Even more surprising is that Grampa has three important things to tell her: first, that she isn't alone or forgotten—"The dead ain't never that far from the living," he says; second, that she has "the Sight"—the ability to see family members who have died; and third, that there is something special just for her in the lake.  Something that could help her and her father—if she can find it.  Libby and Grampa try to help her father heal from his grief, but it will take all of Libby's courage and her gift of Sight to convince her father that the dead are never truly gone.  

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

I read a few exceptional novels in 2017, but the one that stands out most is The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy.  Why?  Lots of reasons: it's original, it's absorbing, it's intelligent, it's well written, it's just ... magical in a lot of ways.  It's also really hard to describe, so you know what?  I'm not even going to try.  I'll just hit you with the back cover blurb:

What if the ordinary things in life suddenly…disappeared?
 
Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet, has always been a mystery: vibrant yet guarded, she keeps her secrets beyond Aila’s reach. When Juliet dies, Aila and her younger brother Miles are sent to live in Sterling, a rural town far from home—and the place where Juliet grew up.

Sterling is a place with mysteries of its own. A place where the experiences that weave life together—scents of flowers and food, reflections from mirrors and lakes, even the ability to dream—vanish every seven years.

No one knows what caused these “Disappearances,” or what will slip away next. But Sterling always suspected that Juliet Quinn was somehow responsible—and Aila must bear the brunt of their blame while she follows the chain of literary clues her mother left behind. 

As the next Disappearance nears, Aila begins to unravel the dual mystery of why the Disappearances happen and who her mother truly was. One thing is clear: Sterling isn’t going to hold on to anyone's secrets for long before it starts giving them up.

  

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence and brief, mild language (no F-bombs)

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Disappearances from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Into the Bright Unknown, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from previous novels in the Gold Seer trilogy.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.

Ever since she fled her home in Georgia, life has been one big adventure for Leah "Lee" Westfall.  The 16-year-old has survived innumerable threats, accumulated more wealth than she could ever have imagined, and found a happy home among friends who feel more like family.  Now that Glory has become a more established town, Lee's ready to settle down to a simple life with her childhood best friend and husband-to-be, Jefferson Kingfisher, by her side.  Despite all the hardships she's been through, she's more content than she's ever been. 

Of course, peace can never last in the Wild West.  The riches Lee and her friends have made have attracted the attention of a greedy, unscrupulous billionaire.  While the group from Glory is in San Francisco, he keeps a sharp, suspicious eye on Lee, making her fear that he knows her secret.  With a mysterious companion whose uncanny abilities feel very familiar, James Henry Hardwick may be an even more sinister foe than Uncle Hiram.  Several of Lee's friends have troubles of their own in The Golden City.  Can the merry band survive their woes and make it back to Glory in one piece?  After more trials and tribulations than any person should ever have to encounter, will Lee finally get her happily ever after?

It's no secret that I adore the Gold Seer books by Rae Carson.  They're clean, exciting, well-crafted, and just all kinds of enjoyable.  Into the Bright Unknown, the final installment in the trilogy, is no exception.  It wraps up the series with a smashing, satisfying conclusion.  My only complaint with it is that I'm now forced to say goodbye to these characters whom I've come to love so much.  It's been a delightful ride and I cannot wait to see what Rae Carson does next.  

(Readalikes:  Walk on Earth a Stranger and Like a River Glorious, both by Rae Carson)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, scenes of peril, mild sexual innuendo, and brief, non-graphic references to prostitution and rape

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find 

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Although she descends from a powerful, long-time magical family, Amber Sand is certainly not a witch.  The high school senior got gypped in the sorcery category.  Her "gift" is very specific and totally lame.  She has the ability to see a person's true love within seconds of gazing into their eyes.  While she's able to make a few bucks playing matchmaker at her mother's magic shop on Navy Pier, Amber's ability is pretty much useless.  She can't even discern her own true love.  How ridiculous is that? 

When Charlie Blitzman comes to Amber for help, she's confused.  Especially since he's not asking for romantic advice, but for her aid in finding his father's missing girlfriend.  Amber can't say no.  After all, Charlie's dad is the mayor and Amber's mother's best friend.  It doesn't hurt that Charlie's gorgeous and the most sought-after guy at her school either.  Although Amber can tell instantly that she is not Charlie's true love, she can't help falling for him.  As she tries to unravel both a mystery and her growing feelings for a boy who clearly isn't meant for her, Amber will have to figure out her place in the equally confusing worlds of magic, love, and high school.  

The Best Kind of Magic, a debut novel by Crystal Cestari, is a fun, light-hearted romance that highlights the everyday sorcery at work in all our lives.  While I found the rules of its magical world a tad confusing, I enjoyed the story overall.  It's an engrossing novel that will appeal to teens who like their contemporary fiction sprinkled with a little bit of magic.  With the next book in the series—The Sweetest Kind of Fate—coming out on February 13, now is the perfect time to get caught up in Amber Sand's enchanting Windy City world.  It's no Harry Potter, but the series promises to be enjoyable and engrossing.

(Readalikes:  Um, nothing is coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, and mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The Best Kind of Magic from the generous folks at Disney/Hyperion.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

If you had the ability to steal pieces of a person without them knowing it, what would you take?  Would you pull out their bad memories, their anxiety, their fears?  Would you steal a little of their sobriety, a tiny bit of their fearlessness, a little affection?  How would these thefts affect you?  How would the victims' losses affect them?  

Aspen Quick has never thought much about his ability to snatch people's most intimate possessions.  The 17-year-old just uses it to his advantage when he needs a shot of courage, a bit of help with a girl he likes, or a wave of calm to soothe his nerves.  He knows his family's unique magic is ancient and important—after all, it's what's always kept Three Peaks, New York, safe from the cliff that looms over the quaint little town.  If his family didn't perform their secret rituals to hold back the danger, everyone in the hamlet would be buried under a sea of massive boulders.  Surely, that massive effort balances out the small thefts he performs from time to time.  It's his special right, isn't it?

When Aspen meets Leah Ramsey-Wolfe, he's intrigued with the bookish loner.  He becomes even more fascinated with her when he realizes she's the only person he's ever met who's immune to his reaching.  This epiphany leads Aspen to more startling revelations about his family's magic, its true potency, and the disastrous effects of unbridled greed and unlimited power.  As Aspen's eyes are opened to the truth, he must ask himself what it really means to be a good person.  And if he's brave enough to face answers that will change everything.  

I can't remember where I first heard about Rocks Fall Everyone Dies by Lindsay Ribar, but its premise has intrigued me ever since.  Its very appealing billing—"Twin Peaks meets Stars Hollow"—drew me in even more.  From these clues, I expected to absolutely adore this quirky paranormal adventure.  That didn't exactly happen, but I did find Rocks Fall Everyone Dies an intriguing read that asks important questions about how we treat other human beings, how we wield our own unique power, and how far we're willing to go to redeem ourselves.  Aspen is a selfish, manipulative character, which makes it somewhat difficult to connect with him.  As his eyes are opened, though, he becomes more sympathetic and it's easier to root for his success.  The magical world in which he is enveloped is fresh and intriguing, definitely different than the usual YA fare.  With plenty of twists, the plot moves along quickly, making the novel a fast, engrossing read.  The teenage cast members seemed a little too world-weary for me, as did their very cavalier attitudes about sex, drinking, etc.  Maybe those outlooks stem from the fact that they never had any adult supervision whatsoever?  The story's abrupt ending also irked me a tad.  I don't know if a sequel is in the works or not, but the tale felt unfinished—at least in some ways—to me.  Bottom line on this bad boy?  I liked Rocks Fall Everyone Dies, just didn't love it like I wanted to.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of Don't You Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn and a little of Bruiser by Neal Shusterman)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, depictions of underage drinking, and mild sexual innuendo/ content

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Rocks Fall Everyone Dies from the generous folks at Kathy Dawson Books (an imprint of Penguin).  Thank you!