Diane Colson

The Russell family is splitting up. Dad, never home much anyway, is moving out for good. The eldest daughter, Jan, is headed away for her first year at Brown. So now it’s just Mom, pretty and headstrong 15-year-old Melanie and gorgeous but oblivious 16-year-old Erika. The two sisters are not friends, but on Halloween, they both attend a party with highly spiked punch. Melanie gets so wasted that she’s barely aware of coming on to Gerald, a friend who has worshipped Melanie for years. For his part, Gerald is so thrilled by Melanie’s sexual advances that he fails to notice that she’s passed out before the end. Erika is there when Melanie is found stretched out on the floor, undressed from the waist down.

Claire Needell’s debut novel explores the definition of rape through Melanie’s story: Is it rape if Melanie was too drunk to remember having sex, much less give consent? Despite the urgency of this topic, it gets a bit buried amid subplots concerning Jan’s relationship with her boyfriend, the eccentricities of Jan’s college roommate, Erika’s quirky naiveté and too-frequent analyses of each sister’s temperament. The numerous viewpoints seem to dilute the central issue rather than reveal its complexity.

Nevertheless, readers who are interested in timely issues, such as those explored in the novels by Jennifer Brown or Ellen Hopkins, will be intrigued by the important questions raised here. An author’s note further clarifies the definition of rape.

Diane Colson is the Library Director at City College in Gainesville, Florida.

As the Civil War churns through its final year, 13-year-old Samuel does his best to keep his younger brother, Joshua, out of trouble. At their Tennessee orphanage for black boys, Father Mosely teaches the boys how to read and write and pray, activities at which Samuel excels. When it seems that Joshua will be blamed for a shocking transgression, pious Samuel stands up and falsely admits to the wrongdoing. Little does he know that his punishment takes him out of the free state of Tennessee and deep into Mississippi, where everyone with black skin is a slave. Sold to a family-owned plantation, Samuel is callously dubbed “Friday.” Yet despite his loss of identity and the terrible plight of his fellow slaves, Samuel remains luminously faithful to his God. His goodness attracts the attention of Gerald, a boy near Samuel’s own age who acts as the master of the plantation while his father fights with the rebels.

In his first young adult novel, Jon Walter conjures a fresh look at the intimacy between slaves and their owners. Gerald genuinely values Samuel’s friendship, and a particularly telling scene involves Gerald’s attempt to whip a slave. Walter portrays Samuel’s pure religious faith with lovely passages that ring through his endless travails. This novel will surely become part of the Civil War literary experience, offering readers of any age much to ponder.

Diane Colson is the Library Director at City College in Gainesville, Florida.

Evan is grief-stricken after the sudden death of his father, Clifford. His estranged grandfather, the legendary Marine lifer Griff, comes to help “get things in order,” but all Evan knows about Griff is the mutual hate between him and Clifford, culminating in Clifford’s move to Canada to avoid the Vietnam draft. But there may be a hidden motivation for Griff’s sudden willingness to care for his grandson. Evan finds a book on Clifford’s desk that chronicles bizarre, fantastical events from the end of World War II. Griff is determined to get his hands on the book, so Evan intends to keep it from him, suspecting that the book implicates his grandfather in some terrible deed.

The book reveals the story of a Japanese soldier who survives a battle against the United States and finds refuge on a deserted Pacific island called Kokoro-Jima, the Heart-Shaped Island. There, mystical ghost children follow him, and zombie-like beings feast on the memories of dead soldiers that wash ashore. This incredible story alternates with—and greatly overshadows—Evan’s present-day interactions with his cold-hearted grandfather. Like Evan, the reader can scarcely wait for each installment of the tale of Kokoro-Jima.

Literary master Tim Wynne-Jones has penned another outstanding book for adventurous readers, combining history and horror to grip the imagination.

This article was originally published in the October 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Throughout the politically charged 1970s, Ror’s father had been slowly going crazy. Raging against “the man,” he insisted that his family squat on secluded Staten Island property and avoid contact with “normals.” Ror, a gifted artist, was able to live with her Dado in relative peace, trusting his vision of the world. This abruptly ends the night Dado sets a fire and burns their home to the ground. Ror and her mother and sister escape, but Dado dies in the flames. Now Ror must attend public school in New York City. The sole redemption is art class, where she meets a talented rival named Trey. There are sparks of attraction and competition between the two. Through Trey, Ror discovers the art of graffiti, and soon enough she finds herself craving the feel of a spray can in her hand.

Author Julie Chibbaro does a good job portraying the mind of an artist, but J.M. Superville Sovak’s artwork transforms the book into something exceptional. Sovak masterfully depicts Ror’s emotional turbulence. Many drawings include Ror’s Dado, where Ror is able to confront him with her grief and anger. As Ror begins to explore the world of underground graffiti art, she finds a way to express her unique spirit separate from Dado.

Readers intrigued by stories of young cult members making their way in the world, such as Karen Finneyfrock’s Starbird Murphy and the World Outside, should identify with Ror’s alienation. In addition, graphic novel fans will love the novel’s synchronization of text and image.

Diane Colson works at the Nashville Public Library. She has long been active in the American Library Association's Young Adult Library Association (YALSA), serving on selection committees such as the Morris Award, the Alex Award and the Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award.

It’s a long tumble from Hollywood darling to inmate, but Pagan Jones has done a terrible thing. While drunk, she drove her vehicle off the edge of Mulholland Drive, killing both her passengers—her father and her little sister. 

The year is 1951, and America is enjoying a postwar boom. Pagan receives a too-good-to-be-true movie offer that frees her from imprisonment and takes her across the world to the eerie streets of Berlin. But Pagan has no idea of the post-World War II divisions of the city, or the rumors of a wall that will be built around the Soviet sector. The tension builds as Pagan’s “guardian,” 19-year-old Devin Black, keeps an abnormally close watch on his charge. International intrigue unfolds as the complexity of a city divided into four parts, each ruled by a separate nation, becomes increasingly dangerous. 

The taut plotting and historical details will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity and Beth Kephart’s Going Over.

This article was originally published in the June 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Beautiful and rich, 17-year-old Grace Fontaine can charm her way into the midst of any high school clique. But Grace makes friends only to betray them. Her family—Mom, Dad and older brother Parker—comprise a team of con artists, infiltrating the inner circles of the wealthy only to steal their millions. When one job is complete, off they go to a new location, a new mark and a new masquerade.

This time, the Fontaines have arrived in tony Playa Hermanos, a California neighborhood located on a small peninsula. Grace’s role is to befriend Logan Fairchild, teenage son of wealthy Warren Fairchild. Grace, already weary of the endless cons, breaks the Fontaine’s cardinal rule by making real friends at her new school, as well as by falling for the goodhearted Logan. Her family’s downfall is foreshadowed in Grace’s introduction, but there are still surprises in this suspenseful tale of cat and mouse.

Zink, author of The Prophecy of Sisters series, creates an intriguing backstory for Grace and her criminally inclined family. Grace and Parker adopted by the Fontaines in their early adolescence, after each had spent years in foster care. As the story concludes, questions about their past and future remain unresolved. Could there be more adventures to come? A fine blend of teen drama and high-end deception, this novel should appeal to fans of Ally Carter’s Heist Society or Mary Elizabeth Summer’s Trust Me, I’m Lying.

Diane Colson works at the Nashville Public Library. She has long been active in the American Library Association's Young Adult Library Association (YALSA), serving on selection committees such as the Morris Award, the Alex Award and the Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award.