The Truth Commision

The Truth Commission 

by Susan Juby

There is a saying that the truth will set you free, but sometimes that truth comes with a price. Normandy, Neil and Dusk (who's real name is Dawn) are art students at the Green Pastures Academy in Nanaimo, BC and they decide to ask their classmates some truth seeking questions. 

As they probe their peers, they uncover truths that they may not have been expecting, not only about their targets, but also about themselves. All of this truth seeking starts a domino effect throughout the school and  the student body comes clean in different ways with both positive and negative results. 

The hardest truth to uncover is about what happened to Normandy's famous sister, Keira. Keira, a published graphic novelist has mysteriously returned from college and has shut herself away from everyone. It doesn't help that Normandy's parents are in denial about any issues that Keira's novels have wrought upon the family - the graphic novel characters bear a striking, yet unflattering resemblance to Normandy and her parents. In trying to uncover what has happened to Keira, Normandy is forced to face some unpleasant truths of her own, but with the support of Neil, Dusk, and some unlikely allies, she develops the strength needed to carry on.

The writing style is engaging, written in Normandy's voice, in the format of her final project for class. The tales of the truth commission are dotted with Normandy's own wit and observations, often in the form of amusing footnotes to her teacher. Juby pulls you right into the story and you find yourself caring for and rooting for the characters as they find out truths about themselves and each other.

Going Bovine

by Libba Bray

Cameron, a lazy, underachieving, high school pot head is diagnosed with Mad Cow Disease. The disease is terminal, there is no cure, he's done. However, at the hospital, he is visited by a pink-haired punk rock angel named Dulcie who tells him his only chance of survival is to find Dr. X.  Thus begins the craziest road trip every conceived. 

Along with Gonzo, Cameron’s hypochondriac hospital roommate, and a garden gnome who is actually the Norse god Balder, Cameron sets off across America looking for the mysterious Dr. X. Although Cameron is initially not particularly likeable, his character grows throughout the book until you eventually find yourself rooting for this unsuspecting hero. A series of seemingly random, hilarious mishaps later, the story comes to an amazing ending, tying all these random events into a truly unforgettable climax. 

Libba Bray’s humour and wild imagination make for an amazing read filled with churches of perpetual happiness, snow globes, and countless laugh out loud moments. This social satire is well worth the read, carrying with it a clear message to live life to the fullest.  

Warning: Strong Language used. Intended for older teen audience.

Book of the Month: December - Three Dark Crowns

by Kendare Blake

In every generation on the island Fennbirn, a set of triplet queens are born. Each child has the same claim to the throne, but only one can rule. The sisters must fight to the death, until only one queen remains. 

Torn apart from each other at a young age, the queen sisters are raised by different families and have no memories of their each other. Queen Katherine lives with the Poisoners where she is being taught to withstand the effects of the deadliest poisons. Queen Mirabella lives with the Elementalists who can control the five elements at the blink of an eye. Queen Arsinoe lives with the Naturalists who have the ability to control a pack of wild lions. Each queen should be equal in strength and ability, but only Queen Mirabella appears to have any powers. The Islanders think they have found their new queen and the long reign of poisoner queens is coming to an end. But the Poisoners are ruthless people and they will do whatever it takes to maintain their hold on the island. And although the Naturalists are peaceful people, one cannot discount their wisdom and hunger for change.

The queens are coming up on their sixteenth birthday and the bloody battle for the throne is about to begin... and will not end until only one queen remains....

I first fell in love with Kendare Blake while reading Anna Dressed in Blood, and was eager to read her newest book.Three Dark Crowns did not disappoint. It is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. It is filled with likable characters and a unique story line, not to mention a cliff-hanger that will leave you desperate to find out what happens next. A highly recommended read!

The Safest Lies

by Megan Miranda

Kelsey has lived most of her life in the shadow of fear.  17 years ago Kelsey's mom escaped from kidnappers, with no memory of the year she was held in captivity. Now, terrified that the kidnappers might come back, Kelsey and her mom live in a fortress-like house - complete with electric fence and finger-print locks.  Kelsey attends public high school (in part so that the authorities aren't tipped off about the strange living situation she and her mom have) and volunteers as a tutor after school. 

Although a bit out of the ordinary, Kelsey's life is fairly quiet.  All of this changes one night when Kelsey is in a car accident and she`s rescued by the local volunteer fire department.  All of a sudden, her name and face are in the papers, and then her mom disappears.  Kelsey knows she wouldn't have just gone anywhere willingly-  her mom hasn't left the house in 17 years.  Has her mom`s worst fear come true? Have the kidnappers come back?  As the truth comes out, Kelsey learns that there's more to her mom's story than meets the eye. 

Book of the Month: November - Salt to the Sea

by Ruta Sepetys

If you're like me and love historical fiction, you must give this one a try. Salt to the Sea knocks it out of the park with its combination of interesting characters, mystery, suspense and heartbreak within the context of one of the lesser known tragedies of WWII.

Have you ever heard of the sinking of the German ship MV Wilhlem Gustoff, hit by a Soviet submarine in the Baltic Sea in 1945? Over 9000 refugees died, of which approximately 5000 were children. That is six times more deaths than the sinking of the Titanic, making it the largest loss of life in a single ship sinking in history. I'd never heard of it either - shocking, isn't it?

In this book, we follow four teens from different backgrounds as they desperately seek passage on the Wilhelm Gustoff, in hopes of escaping the horrors of Stalin's advance into Germany and their war torn lives at home. Each character has their own unique story and tragic past that they are trying to keep secret. As their lives converge, we follow them and the rest of their unlikely travel companions on a suspenseful journey to the ship, and then unfortunately, through the greatest maritime disaster the world has seen.

If you are into little known accounts of history like I am, I highly recommend Ruta Sepetys' other two novels - Between Shades of Gray and Out of the Easy. They are equally engaging and well researched. Another great historical novel for teens is A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. Happy reading!

Shadowshaper

Shadowshaper

By Daniel Jose Older

Here is an urban fantasy set in the magical city of Brooklyn. Shadowshaper follows artist Sierra Santiago during a summer of discovery. Sierra's family has been keeping a secret from her but with the help of her friends she will find out what a special soul she truly is. Sierra and her friends know the streets of Brooklyn well and Older describes the city with such colour and love that the reader feels like they have been transported. Older has brought us a diverse cast of characters with an inspiring lead in Sierra an Afro-Latina youth who speaks her mind and holds her own even when things start to get chaotic she can gather herself and take charge.
Sierra finds out that she has a family history that allows her to see the souls of the dead, she is a legacy of a supernatural order called the Shadowshapers. She has the power to connect with spirits of people who have passed through her artwork. With a swirl of paint, in some graffiti, even a simple side walk chalk drawing Sierra can bring forth and call upon the energy of the dead.
This book was recommended to me because I enjoyed some of Cassandra Clare's work. I have to say that Shadowshaper's is far superior writing with much more relatable and interesting characters. Two thumbs up from me!


Shadowshaper is available in audio format on Hoopla and e-Book on Overdrive.

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad

by M.T. Anderson

 Truth is stranger than fiction sometimes.  Sometimes, the truth is so bizarre, so out in left field, so deliciously weird that even Muldar and Scully would have to investigate.

Our tale begins with a spy-worthy journey as a mysterious microfilm makes its way from Soviet Russia to Tehran, then on to Cairo, through northern Africa, where it crossed the Atlantic Ocean, landing in Recife, Brazil, where it was picked up by a U.S. Navy plane and flown to Florida, finally landing in Washington, D.C.  What is on this mysterious microfilm?  Battle plans?  Spy reports?  Wait, what?  A symphony?  All that for a symphony? You bet!

The following pages present a multi-layered biography, not just of the composer Dmitri Shostakovich, but also of the establishment of the Soviet Union and its often bloody and terrifying history under Joseph Stalin.  A dual biography is important for context here.  It's impossible to understand Shostakovich and his works unless you understand the circumstances under which he composed.  For this particular book, M.T. Anderson uses Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony -- the Leningrad Symphony -- as the lens through which he views not only Shostakovich, but the Soviet Union.  One of the most remarkable things about the Seventh Symphony is that Shostakovich composed most of it while living in Leningrad during the brutal Nazi siege (September 1941-January 1944) in World War II.  The Seventh Symphony became synonymous with the Soviet war effort during World War II, and was key in gaining material support from Western allies.  The symphony humanized the Soviets to Western audiences and was often played as part of fundraising efforts on behalf of Soviet civilians.

Anderson presents a well-researched book about one of the most well-known 20th century composers, who wrote music under unimaginable circumstances (the Russian Revolution, the purges under Stalin, the repudiation of Shostakovich by people he considered friends). He also refuses to condescend to his intended audience, and never sugarcoats the torture under the Stalin regime or the privations in Leningrad under the siege.  Anderson doesn't dwell on it, either, but he offers more than enough detail to get the point across without gratuitous lingering over some of more gruesome aspects. Anderson is also mindful of his subject.  The Soviet Union was not a place where one could necessarily freely exchange ideas.  Every so often, Anderson reminds his readers that quotes attributed to Shostakovich might genuinely be Shostakovich's ideas, but there is a good chance Shostakovich spoke under duress.  It also wasn't uncommon for the Soviet government to allow artists to travel outside the Soviet Union, but keep their family home as "insurance" that the artist in question would not only toe the Communist party line, but return home.

Anderson provides several photographs of Shostakovich, Leningrad during the siege, and production photos from the Soviet performing arts scene of the 1920s.  He also helpfully provides maps that outline the Nazi siege of Leningrad, delineating German and Soviet held territory.  Anderson also includes an extensive bibliography of works he consulted while he wrote the book.

This book would be a great resource if you're in Social Studies 11/12, and would like a different perspective of World War II.  To be honest (and I was a history teacher for many years before I earned my library degree), the Soviet side of things is somewhat forgotten in the larger narrative of World War II.  It would be also a good idea to track down some of Shostakovich's recordings and listen to them after you've read the book.  Google "Shostakovich Seventh Symphony," and you ought to find several recordings on YouTube.  You don't have to watch the video, just listen.  Shostakovich's symphonies really are as Anderson describes them: film scores without the film.  After reading Symphony for the City of the Dead, you don't really need a film to appreciate Shostakovich's music.

M. T. Anderson is the author of the award-winning books Feed and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing.

*On a side note, if you look on a map of Russia today, you won't find a city called Leningrad.  You will find St. Petersburg, though;  Anderson traces how St. Petersburg became Petrograd, then Leningrad under Soviet rule.  It wasn't unusual for cities to have their names changed under Soviet rule, and they sometimes changed almost overnight when a new Party leader came to power.

Book of the Month - Happily Ever After

By Kiera Cass
 
Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass is a relative of the Selection Series. While this book is not part of the chronological selection stories, it does offer a behind the scenes look at some of the more prominent characters in the main series. Before picking up this book, you need to be aware that it contains spoilers and if you have not completed the Selection books before reading it, you will learn the outcome of things yet to happen. Despite having read this book while waiting for the Heir to arrive, I still enjoyed reading about the characters I had come to know, even though some information about future events was revealed.

In this book, each character has his or own chapter, and we learn a little of their back story, which helps in some cases to understand the actions of the character in the series. The Queen takes us into Queen Amberly's pre-queen days and we can see why she has an affinity for America. In The Prince lets us a little futher inside Maxon. Aspen`s story is told in The Guard and is a little longer than the others. Truth be told, I get a little tired of Aspen in the series, he unnecessarily hounds America. I really liked The Favourite, as Marlee was a good friend to America and I was saddened at her demise, so this tale gave me a little more information to lift that sadness. I did not really care for Celeste, but this chapter did help me to dislike her a little less. With The Maid,  I was happy to learn a bit more about Lucy and her chance for happiness. After the One offers a glimpse at America's mew life and there's a final chapter that wraps up the girls who remained in the selection to the end. I liked that as I often wonder what happened to those "left behind" and it was a nice way to end their stories. 

If you like this series, you might like to try this collection of short stories. It's a nice quick read, and takes you a bit further into the world of the Selection.

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

This sequel to The Diviners proved to be well worth the wait. Evie O’Neill, a girl with the ability to read peoples’ secrets, has outed herself as a Diviner, kickstarting her very own radio show as “America’s Sweetheart Seer”. Now all of 1920’s New York City knows about people with Diviner powers. Not so surprisingly, those with the power aren’t too happy to be out in the open.

The daughter of a restaurant in Chinatown, Ling Chan, is one such person. Ling is a dream walker who can talk to the dead in her dreams; she uses this power to talk to family members and loved ones who have passed on, for a small fee.  She wants to earn enough money to leave the restaurant business and study to become a scientist. Unfortunately, New York has other plans for her.

A mysterious (seriously creepy) sleeping sickness begins to spread through New York: people go to sleep and never wake up. With the help of Henry DuBois, another dream walker, the two Diviners need to find the cure to this sickness before all of NYC is infected.

The New York setting with a strong emphasis on immigrant life in the 1920s provides a fantastic backdrop for this suspenseful thriller. I could not put this book down.  If you like suspenseful, moderately horrifying books, this would be a good choice!