Tag Archives: amie kaufman

Destroy Your Misconceptions of YA Novels: Illuminae

27 May

illuminae

Illuminae is a rather unusual book, especially for YA. On the surface, with its bright orange cover and lettering, you might think you’re picking up a book with your typical YA story tropes and cliche characters that give it that reputation YA is known for. A glimpse at the summary might spark your interest, but even still, you might be going in thinking you’ll get something slightly edgy at best.

You would be wrong.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is one of the those books that will take all of the misconceptions you have about YA and destroy them.

Our protagonists, Kady Grant and Ezra Mason only just broke up when their home planet, Kerenza IV, was attacked. The pair are then boarded onto two different rescue ships and a series of terrifying and chaotic events begin to unfold while they try to escape the enemy ship hunting them down.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The intensity of the plot and blend of scifi-horror elements really make this book shine. The writing is flawless and the character work in this is something to behold. As the first of a trilogy, Illuminae makes a spectacular entrance.  You can read a previous review of the novel here.

Enjoy writing?  Check out this Friday’s Writing Prompt for Fresh YA Fiction!

Written by:
Lauren Lapinski
Circulation Assistant

 

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Six YA Picks from HPL’s YA Librarian

31 Aug

It’s been about a year since I started my job as the Young Adult Librarian. In that year I’ve read many YA books, some good and some not so good. Here are a few that I highly recommend.

all-amer-boys

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely

boy-black-suit

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

Before I started choosing Young Adult books for the library I hadn’t heard of Jason Reynolds. I’m really glad that that’s changed. Reynolds’ characters are real people. They talk like modern teenagers talk and you can hear their voices in your head when you read the dialog. Reynolds writes about tough, timely topics. Police brutality, death, first love, substance abuse, family dynamics; it’s all included in these two outstanding books.

illuminae

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

I was skeptical about this one. A book told through “found” electronic messages, memos and lab reports? How exciting could it be? I was wrong. When Kady and Ezra’s planet is invaded they, and the rest of the population, are forced to escape on spaceships, but that’s just the beginning. We follow along as the two teens race against time to figure out why their ships are being targeted and what kind of fatal disease is quickly spreading among their fellow passengers. This is the start of a new series.

fallout

Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond

Lois Lane has always been one of my favorite characters. Here, she’s reimagined as a teenage journalist-in-training. She and her colleagues at the student-run “Daily Scoop” news website, and an online friend she knows only as “Smallville Guy,” investigate a gang of high school bullies. Part Nancy Drew, part science fiction, this is a fun read for anyone who’s a fan of Lois Lane or light mysteries.

love-gelato

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

How can you go wrong with Italy and ice cream? Although it starts with a tragedy, the book is mostly an entertaining, light romance/mystery set against the backdrop of beautiful Tuscany. If you’re looking for a quick read with sympathetic and likable characters give this one a try.

most-dangerous

Most Dangerous by Steve Sheinkin

The Vietnam War. Watergate. Although these events were covered in school, the topics are so complicated there is always more to learn. This book, about Daniel Ellsberg and why he decided to steal and reveal the secret Pentagon Papers, provides a lot of insight into this era of American history. Although very well researched and detailed, this exciting account reads more like a spy-thriller than a history book.

-Written by Kim Iacucci, Young Adult Librarian

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