Last Message by Shane Peacock
Summary: When Adam’s grandfather, David McLean, dies and leaves a quest for each of his seven grandsons to complete, Adam is torn between mourning his loss, intrigue about the quest, and bitterness about overhearing his grandfather telling his mother he will never amount to much. His trip to France to take care of some his grandfather’s unfinished business challenges Adam to prove his grandfather wrong, but he finds himself facing the same moral quandaries that his grandfather did decades before. One thing is for sure, the quests left by his grandfather will change Adam in ways he never expected.
Number of Pages: 237
Age Range: 13-15
Review: I loved Last Message by Shane Peacock. Adam is an observant yet sensitive character placed in a story that is well-paced and page-turning. I enjoyed the conflict between Adam and his dead grandfather over a misheard comment, but the best part was that Adam was ultimately trying to prove himself to himself. He needed to know that he was more than just okay, and that being okay in his case ends up being pretty great.
Plus, I’m a sucker for stories where characters end up realising and appreciating what they have. In the beginning, Adam is chasing after Vanessa because he thinks a relationship with her will make him more than just okay, except as events unfold he starts to understand that his current girlfriend and best friend are real people who care about him as he is because he is already the whole package.
Throw in a trip to France (!), a three part quest that challenges Adam to step up and make some mature decisions and some witty comments about the differences between Canadians and Americans and it’s a book you won’t be able to put down. As in Close to the Heel by Norah McClintock, David McLean proves to be an incredibly wise grandfather who knows just what his grandsons need to help them become the amazing men they are capable of being. Can’t wait to read another book from Seven the Series, and I just might put Peacock’s The Boy Sherlock Holmes series on my personal reading list as well.
Memorable Quotes:
“Over the following days, I kept up the pressure, toying with the emotions of one Vanessa Lincoln, babe of my dreams. I purposely hadn’t told her about the other two tasks. That’s because the key to telling a dramatic story is the pacing. You can’t give your listeners all the candy right off the bat. You have to dole it out bit by bit, making the payoff even better and better, until you get them to the story’s climax.” – Adam from Last Message by Shane Peacock, page 47
“It was true. And when I said it to her, it kind of shocked me. I wasn’t sure I was a very good person, though I had never admitted it out loud to myself before. I knew I was a jerk a lot of the time, but I also knew I was struggling to be the person I should be.” – Adam from Last Message by Shane Peacock, page 146
“I would never admit this to anyone else, but I knew from experience that Canadians were a lot more international in their outlook than Americans. It always shocked me when I heard my cousins really get rolling in a conversation, not only about things that were happening in their own country, but also in America (though they always called it ‘the United States’) as well as in Europe and South America and even Africa, for God’s Sake. My buddies and I back home had enough trouble keeping informed about local politics! They didn’t know anything about the Great White North, even though Canuck-land was just a few miles away over the border. I remember correcting them when they referred to Canada’s president, instead of prime minister.” – Adam from Last Message by Shane Peacock, pages 156-157
“‘But I must! Don’t you see it? Ah, it would be a marvelous twist to the end of our tale! Very European!’ His face grew serious. ‘But we shall not wish for that as our denouement. We shall do all we can to make this a happy tale, an American drama full of spills and chills with an American ending – which means a dull ending, but nevertheless, it must be done.'” – Mermoz from Last Message by Shane Peacock, pages 178-179
“And besides, he was a famous writer. How weird could he be? That seemed like a stupid question almost the moment I thought it.” – Adam from Last Message by Shane Peacock, page 182
“‘He’ll never amount to much. That might be the world’s judgement of my grandson right now, but it will never be mine. The world is often wrong. He will amount to a great deal. Someday this boy will prove it.” – Adam’s Grandfather from Last Message by Shane Peacock, page 236
“‘And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.'” – an excerpt from The Little Prince from Last Message by Shane Peacock, page 237
Last Message by Shane Peacock is published by Orca Book Publishers, (2012).
Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
Summary: Parker’s life is a mess. After showing up at school drunk and a suicide attempt, Parker is being closely watched by her school’s administration and must follow all of the rules they have set out for her if she still wants to graduate. Used to being the popular, perfect girl at school, Parker is now doing everything she can to alienate her friends and family, and it all comes down to one night and a mistake she made that she can never forgive herself for. Caught between her desire to self-destruct and others’ attempts to save her, Parker is pushed to the brink as she is eventually forced to admit her perfection is a façade.
Number of Pages: 214
Age Range: 15-17
Review: Courtney Summers is an author with teeth. The first book I ever read by her was Some Girls Are, and I remember thinking perhaps a more appropriate title for it might have been “Some Girls Are Bitches.” I couldn’t put it down. Summers’ work is complicated and devoid of happy endings, but she knows teenage angst and plunges her reader right into it every time.
Cracked Up to Be is her debut novel, showing off her writing chops from the beginning. I had trouble with the character of Parker because sometimes I loved her and sometimes I hated her, but Summers helped me to understand her which was the most important thing. I wanted to know when exactly Parker got to point where she thought she had to be perfect and how that happened, except that wasn’t the story Summers was telling. Instead, I found out what happened the one night Parker let loose, and how it will affect her for the rest of her life.
What I love about Cracked Up to Be is that when I reached the end of it, I honestly didn’t know if there was a right decision Parker should have made that fateful night. There are so many what ifs that could have played out but didn’t, and given the circumstances I can see why things played out the way they did. Ultimately, Parker’s story is one of grief and guilt so strong it causes her to sabotage her own life. It wasn’t inspiring, but it was gritty and real and I loved it.
Memorable Quotes:
“She’s superineffectual. I don’t see the point of being a guidance counselor in high school if you can’t have a gun. If you want a teenager to be open and especially if you want them to be honest, a gun to their head’s probably the best bet.” – Parker from Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers, page 18
“Even before Jessie disappeared, I never understood how I was supposed to work as a person or how I was supposed to work with other people. Something was really wrong with me, like I felt wrong all the time. I longed for some kind of symmetry, a balance I chose perfection. Opposite of wrong. Right. Perfect. Good.
I get caught up in outcomes. I convince myself they’re truths. No one will notice how wrong you are if everything you do ends up right. The rest becomes incidental. So incidental that, after a while, you forget. Maybe you are perfect. Good. It must be true. Who can argue with results? You’re not so wrong after all. So you buy into it and you go crazy maintain it. Except it creeps up on you sometimes, that you’re not right. Imperfect. Bad. So you snap your fingers and it goes away.
Until something you can’t ignore happens and you see it all over yourself.” – Parker from Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers, page 201
“That’s my cue to go, but my feet are cemented to the floor. He waits for me to move and I can’t because I want everything taken care of before I can start taking care of everything. I know that’s not the way life happens. There are no tidy resolutions. Ask me if I think it was my fault, if I think this heaviness will ever go away.” – Parker from Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers, page 213
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers is published by St. Martin’s Griffin, (2009).
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The Prince of Neither Here Nor There by Sean Cullen
Summary: Delivered to an orphanage run by Nuns as a baby, Brendan has a mysterious past. The family he is adopted into is very loving and supportive, but one day Brendan learns that he is actually a Faerie. And not just any Faerie, but a Prince with several amazing powers. Finding out his true identity changes Brendan’s life, and Brendan is put in the position of having to decide who he can trust. Raised by Humans, Brendan is in a unique position to mend the rift between the two peoples and claim his place in the Faerie world.
Number of Pages: 384
Age Range: 13-14
Review: An action-packed fantasy story about the vastly different worlds of Humans and Faeries, The Prince of Neither Here Nor There by Seán Cullen is imaginative and detailed. I especially appreciated the Narrator’s footnotes to explain all of the aspects that I didn’t initially understand. It reads as adventure, but also as kind of an encyclopedia of sorts of key fantasy genre ideas and terms. I ended up learning a lot, which added to my enjoyment of the book.
The only part that put me a bit at odds with the story though because I loved the narrator right from the start, and while the voice of the narrator is strong in the beginning, in the end it kind of disappeared. After reading The Prince of Neither Here Nor There, what I was left with more than anything was a strong desire to read a whole book specifically about the narrator. What a fantastic and witty character!
The other star of the book is Cullen’s setting of Toronto. He really uses the city to set the scene, and I loved how he uses real life places for magical scenes. It’s a longer read for younger teens, but fans of adventure and fantasy books will not be disappointed.
Memorable Quotes:
“Certainly, sometimes we are all confused about who we are. For several days last moth I was convinced I was a little French girl named Colette, but that was after a sharp blow to the head I received during a bank robbery.” – Narrator from The Prince of Neither Here Nor There by Seán Cullen, page 3
“Still, as he looked around the table at the people he’d known all his life, he couldn’t suppress a feeling that things were going to change, that his life would never be the same. Something was coming that would alter the life he had known.” – Brendan from The Prince of Neither Here Nor There by Seán Cullen, page 99
“Brendan has already gone through a great deal of struggle, but there is always more struggling to do. Life is worthless without struggle. Struggling is also a good source of cardiovascular exercise. I struggle three times a week and I’m as fit as a horse.” – Narrator from The Prince of Neither Here Nor There by Seán Cullen, page 281
“Brendan shook his head. ‘I won’t join you. I’ve lived among Humans my whole life. I know they aren’t perfect. They can be selfish. They can be cruel. They don’t always do what’s best …’ His mind was full of the trip through the lake with Oona. ‘Maybe they don’t know how lucky they are to have such a beautiful world to call their own, but they are my people even though I’m not Human myself. My parents took me in and loved me, tried to make sure I was a good person. My friends helped me when I needed them and asked for nothing in return.’ As he spoke, Brendan’s voice became stronger, more sure. ‘Humans made a mess of the Earth, it’s true. I won’t give up on them, though. They just need to be shown how to change.'” – Brendan from The Prince of Neither Here Nor There by Seán Cullen, page 353
The Prince of Neither Here Nor There by Seán Cullen is published by Puffin Canada, (2009).
Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett
Summary: In the land of Tir na nOg, Sive catches the eye of a sorcerer named Far Doirche who wants to use the power of her voice for evil. Her only defense is to escape his clutches by living as a deer, but as the seasons pass and Far Doirche continues to pursue her, Sive crosses over into the mortal world seeking protection from Finn mac Cumhail. She falls in love with him and becomes pregnant, but a cruel trick played by Far Doirche lands her in his grasp at last. Sive makes a deal with Far Doirche to protect her unborn child, but once Oisin is old enough to go and live with his father she becomes his slave, hoping one day to escape his clutches.
Number of Pages: 244
Age Range: 13-14
Review: Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett is a beautifully written story about Sive, a girl from the land of Tir na nOg who is blessed with a magical singing voice that can evoke powerful emotions in her listener. She is kind and gentle, and when she shapeshifts into an animal for the first time as a young woman, her animal form is that of a deer.
Unfortunately her kindness puts her in the sight of Far Doirche, a powerful sorcerer whom everyone knows has evil intentions but can’t be bothered to do anything about. Sive becomes his obsession, and when she transforms into a deer to escape her power, he hunts her relentlessly until he captures her.
But it’s much more complicated than that. Sive seeks help from a man named Finn mac Cumhail in the mortal world and their love results in her getting pregnant before being captured. Once she is pregnant Sive will do anything to protect her child, and to ensure his safety she gives herself up willingly to Far Doirche. She realises her mistake after she is forced to sing and put an entire kingdom under his spell, but the damage has been done.
I was able to follow the story Bennett was telling, although the end where Oisin, Sive’s son, ends up marrying his great aunt was a bit much. I enjoyed Bennett elaborating on a story from Irish legend and found her writing to be lyrical and detailed. Sive’s story was entertaining and engrossing, a lovely read for younger female fantasy lovers.
Memorable Quotes:
“The underbrush trembled, and a red doe stepped into the clearing. She froze, lifting her black nose to check Sive’s scent. Sive remained still, feeling the doe’s caution and her curiosity, feeling her thirst. After a long moment, the deer picked her way down the muddy slope to the pool. And then – Sive could not keep her heart from tripping faster in a rush of delight – a young fawn, dappled with its white baby spots, came after its mam. All spindly legs and wide brown eyes, he braced himself on the bank beside his mother and lowered his muzzle to the water, whiffling uncertainly at its cold touch.
It was a moment of pure magic, watching that fawn learn to drink. Sive was filled with joy, as though it were her own baby’s clever trick, as he stopped trying to suckle at the pool and instead lapped slowly with his tongue.” – from Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett, page 6
“‘I know,’ she said, holding up her hand to forestall his reply. ‘I know how this place looks to you. And your eyes see true. My clothes are plainly woven, the food is coarse, the house dim and clumsy. But Da’ – and now she held his eye, needing him to feel the truth of her words – ‘none it matters. I am warm and sheltered and well-fed, and now I understand the value of these things. And I am loved.’
There was no need to say more. There were, after all, few men of the Sidhe who loved with a devotion as steady as Derg’s.” – Sive from Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett, page 117
“When I understood how the Dark Man had tricked me, I was sure I would die of grief. I longed for it. But what ever all those tales of great love say, it is not so easy to die of a broken heart. The body betrays the heart and keeps it beating.” – Sive from Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett, page 140
“That’s what it was like for me, as if my heart and mind had been frozen deep in the ice and were now pulled out into the sun and thawing. But the pain of it – all those lost memories and sorrows rushing back – if Oisin hadn’t kept singing that little cradle song, don’t know if I would have had the courage to endure it. I held on to that unfurling song and let it pull me in, like a man fallen into the sea hangs on to the rope his comrades throw to him.” – Sive from Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett, Page 228
Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett is published by Orca Books, (2010).
(Buy this book: Amazon
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They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne
Summary: Until Lily enters their lives, Devon and his dad are pretty happy as a father-son pair living on their own since Devon’s dad took him away from his drug-addicted mom. Lily changes everything though, worming her way into Devon’s dad’s heart and mind while systematically changing Devon’s life. When Devon’s dad becomes seriously ill, Lily convinces him to bring Devon and come with her to Vietnam for treatment, but her true intentions are much more sinister than the restoration of Devon’s father’s health. Devon finds himself living a nightmare after Lily sells him into sexual slavery, clinging to the hope that someday he will have paid his debt and be able to go free.
Number of Pages: 191
Age Range: 15-17
Review: They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne is a story you can’t look away from. Devon finds himself evicted from his life by his dad’s new girlfriend Lily. Seeming to have Devon’s dad’s best interests at heart, she injects herself into their lives, pushing Devon to the side as she does. Before Devon knows it, Lily’s sons from Vietnam have moved into their new house and Devon’s dad needs a liver transplant. A trip to Vietnam gives Lily the opportunity to pay some debts by trading Devon to a woman named Long who caters to men who like to sleep with boys, and Devon loses his father and his freedom before he knows what is happening.
I admit it sounds far-fetched, but it worked. When Devon’s nightmare ended, Kilbourne writes a believable exploration of what coming back from such an experience would be like. She surrounds Devon with characters who are able to support him as he recovers, and he gets a happy ending after all.
It’s a roller coaster ride of a read for mid to older teens that I couldn’t put down. While I wanted a clearer punishment for Lily and an answer for whether she killed Devon’s father or not, I was still satisfied by how Kilbourne wrapped things up for Devon and gave him direction for his life.
Memorable Quotes:
“Word must have gotten out that Long had a new boy at her place because the restaurant got busier. Men came in to look at me. They walked right up and played with my hair, looked into my eyes, and examined my freckles. I felt like one of the zoo animals that we used to visit at home, and I knew right then, without a doubt, that those animals wanted to be free.” – Devon from They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne, page 95
“”For now we just need to get you home.’
Home. I couldn’t even picture home so it was a meaningless word.” – Conversation between Detective Pearson and Devon from They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne, page 131
“I thought about what Joy said, but I didn’t believe any of it. I didn’t believe anyone could really help me or that anything would get easier. When I looked forward I couldn’t see a thing – it was like looking into a deep, dark train tunnel, and it scared the hell out of me.
The cold wind made me shiver. I knew Joy would be happy to get walking again, so without another word, I turned away from the dock and pulled up my hood. I realized things hadn’t changed so much after all. I still didn’t have my own life, and in a way I was still trapped.” – Devon from They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne, page 142
“‘It seems like just a few months ago you were learning to walk,’ she said. ‘I can’t believe its been twelve years. You were the best thing that happened to me. But your father was right to take you away.’
‘You’re not angry with him?’ I asked.
‘Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes I don’t know how to feel.’
I nodded. I knew exactly what she meant and I liked that she didn’t have an answer. It made me feel as if I wasn’t so alone.” – Conversation between Devon and his mom from They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne, page 172
“In between me telling her this story, she told bits of hers. They are both sad stories, but the surprising thing was that sharing mine helped me as much as her. Since meeting Anna, I’ve told others this story too, mostly young people who arrive at the shelter and don’t trust anyone, who think they’re to blame for what’s happened to them. I like telling them because it makes them open up and then we can help.” – Devon from They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne, page 190
They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne is published by Lobster Press, (2008).
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The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor
Summary: Two stories intertwine as Pierre, an ancient vampire, retraces his journey across the ocean to come home at last and a teenage girl named Tiffany from his old community finds herself at odds with her family and herself. When Pierre rents a room at Tiffany’s father’s house, he becomes involved in her life and helps to give her some direction when things in her life go downhill. The connection between the two, though brief, is enough to set Tiffany straight and helps Pierre bring a satisfying close to a long and lonely life.
Number of Pages: 215
Age Range: 17-18
Review: What I loved about this book was that even though I was reading about a centuries old vampire and a teenager, I felt like they were both teenagers. Like somehow Pierre’s true self had been caught and frozen in the moment he became a vampire, causing him to be a homesick teenager for the rest of his existence. And from that place, Pierre is able to connect with Tiffany across the centuries to impart his wisdom to her.
He shocks her into realizing she doesn’t have things that bad. He helps Tiffany understand that she has people who love her, and in helping her clarify the fact that she does indeed want to live, Pierre finds closure for himself. It’s a complete story of character growth, and Taylor is the master storyteller.
The best part though was that even though Tiffany was a self-obsessed, whinny teenager at times, I still cared about her. I wanted her to realize what she had, and when she did it was that much sweeter. I couldn’t write her off because Taylor wrote a character I was invested in from the start. The Night Wanderer is a great, philosophical story, and I’m glad I got the chance to read it.
Memorable Quotes:
“But like an uncomfortable recollection, he held it in place. It was like a scar – you noticed it, were aware of it, it held memories, but you could ignore it anytime you wanted.” – from The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor, page 4
“‘That, my little granddaughter, is what God is about. Don’t let anybody tell you God is a man, or a person, or lives somewhere high above. God is a feeling. God is the world around you. God is life. I don’t know much, but that I do know.'” – Granny Ruth from The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor, page 110
“On the positive side, it could be a rabid bear. Or a hungry pack of wolves. Or maybe it was a pizza delivery man who psychically knew she desperately needed a mushroom, onion, and pepperoni pizza. Hopefully with some garlic bread and a diet Coke.” – from The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor, page 176
“This girl knew nothing about anything, and he was prepared to tell her so.
‘You know nothing. You are a young, self-obsessed girl who does not care about those around her. There are a hundred million more terrible and horrible things happening in this world than are happening to you. Circumstances and creatures out there that make your problems so insignificant, it’s not worth the calories to speak of them.’ He practically spit the words out.
Silence followed. Tiffany, severely depressed only moments ago, was now seething. ‘Then just go back to the basement. Go back to Europe. Just go away. My life is my life and it ain’t no concern of yours. For some stupid reason, when God decided to create this stinking world, he made it in such an undependable and insane way that it screws us all up.’
‘Such a petulant little child you are. I have not seen my family in longer than could imagine. I left them all behind so long ago, and I would give anything to see their faces one more time. So don’t whine to me. The world is far more complex than in your small, pathetic imagination. I have no time for it.'” – Conversation between Pierre and Tiffany from The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor, pages 184-185
“Even though he had seen more death and pain than a thousand doctors, he was stunned at the sheer volumes. What little humanity was left in him cried out. Such waster. Such evil. Such stupidity. However, one solider was still alive. He was missing his leg below the knee and couldn’t last much longer. Pierre could see the blood slowly trickling out the open would and soaking the already saturated ground. The solider couldn’t have been much older than nineteen. He cried out to Pierre, in French. Appalled at the devastation, but still curious, Pierre knelt down beside the solider.
Barely able to speak, the boy was asking for a priest. He knew he was going to die but wanted absolution – the last rites. He asked the man, who was dressed in black, if he was a priest. Not knowing what to say, Pierre merely nodded. Then the boy confessed his sins and the man marvelled at the pettiness of what mortals called sins. Afterward, spiritually satisfied, the boy complained of the pain and how he wished it would go away.
So Pierre took the boy’s pain away. What was one more death in a field of death?” – from The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor, pages 194-195
The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor is published by Annick Press, (2007).
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About Amy
Amy Mathers has been passionate about reading from a very young age, and hopes others will share her enthusiasm for funding a teen book award. Read more Follow Amy
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