HARD WIRED by Len Vlahos

 

Playing video games and daydreaming about a hot girl, those are the things that entertain high school student Quinn. He makes his mother happy by excelling in school, and he spends time with his younger brother when he can. When he discovers videos made by his father before he died of cancer, Quinn hopes to gain some insight into who he is and where his future might take him. Recently, Quinn has been experiencing fainting spells. These spells are dismissed as stress related, but the rather embarrassing habit of passing out is starting to annoy Quinn.

Upon waking from one of these spells, Quinn makes a frightening discovery. He is not really human. Waking in a sterile lab surrounded by strangers he soon learns are his "team," it is revealed that Quinn is actually an AI - artificial intelligence. The life he has been living is really a virtual world designed by screen writers, and he has been being studied by scientists and psychologists trying to create an artificial human.

As it becomes clear that Quinn might possibly be smarter than all of his creators combined, he starts to use the technology around him to attempt to return to what he wishes was still his normal daily life. Connecting with outsiders gives him hope that he can escape the lab, but his creators may have much more power over him than he realizes.

Author Len Vlahos is the author of award winning THE SCAR BOYS and several other awesome YA novels. In HARD WIRED Vlahos takes readers on a sci-fi adventure that will blow their minds. Quinn's life and abilities will have readers questioning exactly what might be possible in the not to distant future.

PRAIRIE LOTUS by Linda Sue Park

 

Little House on the Prairie fans rejoice! PRAIRIE LOTUS is just the book you are looking for. Hopefully, author Linda Sue Park will be writing about more of Hanna's adventures in the North Dakota territory.

Hanna is half-half as her mother would say. Her Chinese mother met and married Hanna's white father in 1880 despite the California law against it. Hanna doesn't remember much about her mother other than the love she shared with Hanna's father and the amazing sewing skills she shared with Hanna. Now Hanna is fourteen and hoping to follow in her mother's footsteps to become a talented seamstress and design dresses for the women in the prairie town where she just moved with her father.

Taunted and called a Chinaman has become familiar to Hanna. She is determined to finish her schooling and earn her diploma, but some folks in their new town are just as determined to make things difficult. A supportive teacher and a new friend make it a bit easier to tolerate the open prejudice of most the townspeople. Hanna wants to keep focused on her studies and helping her father set up the new dress shop business she hopes she will one day run.

PRAIRIE LOTUS by Linda Sue Park is filled with pioneer struggles, encounters with Indians, and facing irrational hatred. Readers will be immediately charmed by Hanna and thrilled at her courage and drive. This book is perfect for upper elementary and middle grade readers or any reader looking for a glimpse into the past.

BEFORE THE EVER AFTER by Jacqueline Woodson

 

ZJ's dad was a pro football player. Wherever they went, folks asked for his autograph and recalled amazing games and plays where he was the star. That was multiple concussions ago. Now ZJ's dad is sitting out the games and spending most of his time at home.

Life for this former football star is filled with terrible headaches, medical tests and new-fangled treatments, plus moods swings and memory loss. Life for ZJ is filled with ups and downs, keeping as quiet as possible, and trying to explain to friends why it's best if they don't come over to hang. ZJ has discovered some relief in his school activities and his music, but seeing his dad's condition has him terrified to play the sport he once loved. 

In between doctor visits and treatments, ZJ's dad has good days and bad. ZJ and his mother try to make the best of the good days as they come to terms with the new normal of their lives. Only close friends and family still come to visit, and sometimes there's news about other players suffering in similar ways. It is just the beginning of football's realization of the consequences of hard hits and brain trauma. Understanding is still difficult when ZJ feels that he is losing his dad.

Award winning author Jacqueline Woodson has taken a sometimes controversial topic and given it heart and soul. She shows the unique courage of families experiencing the aftermath of athletic brain trauma and the toll it takes. Written in verse, BEFORE THE EVER AFTER is a quick yet fascinating read. 

RUNNING by Natalia Sylvester

 

Life for Mariana "Mari" has always been about politics. Her father has held state offices, served as a Senator in DC, and now he's running for president. This means that Mari and her little brother are constantly appearing at rallies to show their support for their father. It's not Mari's favorite thing to do, but according to the people running the Ruiz for Prez campaign, it's necessary.

When Mari's best friend Vivi's parents get divorced and her father sells their home to a land developer, Mari begins to see first hand how politics really works. The developer is a huge supporter of her father's campaign which didn't raise any red flags until Mari joins a school political group interested in revealing some shady dealing involving contaminated water in the Miami area.

By following the money Mari learns that her father has been working with the developer to assure the new building project can go full steam ahead despite the fact that chemicals being dumped illegally may be making people sick. It's even worse when Mari discovers Vivi's grandmother may have fallen victim to the tainted water. 

Of course, when Mari questions her father, she is told to keep quiet and step aside for the sake of the campaign. The more Mari learns, the more determined she becomes to speak up and hold her father accountable. Can she make a difference or will she ruin his chances to win the Florida primary and move on in his bid for the White House?

RUNNING by Natalie Sylvester speaks to the political atmosphere of today. Written in a straightforward, no-nonsense style, RUNNING will capture the attention of teen readers and more. Mari's decision to protest is likely to inspire readers to speak up themselves for the injustices surrounding us in today's world. 

HARROW LAKE by Kat Ellis

HARROW LAKE by Kat Ellis is perfect for horror fans. Excellent descriptions of creepy scenarios fill almost every chapter as Lola struggles to deal with a frightening attack on her father and having to live in the backwater town where he filmed one of his famous horror movies years ago.

Lola returns to the New York City apartment she shares with her father filmmaker Nolan Nox only to find him stabbed and near death. He is rushed to the hospital, and Lola finds herself shuttled off to live with her grandmother in Harrow Lake. 

Harrow Lake is where Nolan met and married Lola's mother. The then young Lorelei was enchanted to meet the well-known movie director and even more thrilled to be cast in the lead for his latest movie. The two married and had little Lola, but Lorelei left them abruptly when Lola was five. Lola hasn't seen or heard from her since.

Now Lola is living with her maternal grandmother in the town where Lorelei grew up. The town is known only for being the location for the movie. Strange things are happening in the town and strange people are becoming common place in Lola's new life. Visions that include scenes related to the movie and the mother who abandoned her begin to plague Lola both day and night. Will she get the answers she seeks? Will she survive long enough to be reunited with her father once he recovers? Read HARROW LAKE and find out, if you dare.

 

PUNCHING THE AIR by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam

 

Amal knows he is guilty of throwing the first punch, but beyond that, he doesn't deserve to be serving time because of the fight. "It was just a fight," but because of a group of black guys, one white guy ended up in the hospital in a coma. Doesn't matter that the white guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Instead, people say it was the black kids in the wrong place at the wrong time, even though the black kids never have a right place or a right time for anything.

Amal's family hired a lawyer, but since the white kid was unconscious and couldn't tell the real truth, Amal is sitting in a cell. He is trying to keep things on the down low while he waits for visitors and the news that his lawyer is able to figure out how to get his conviction overturned. Amal is working the program. He's trying to attend classes and use his time to read, write his poems, and work on his art. He definitely has talent, but keeping his frustration under control means he doesn't always do the right thing which ends in lost privileges and solitary.

Once Amal gets the routine down, he finds support from Imani who drives five hours one way to teach a poetry workshop. She recognizes his skill with words and art and encourages him to tell his truth through his art.

PUNCHING THE AIR is written by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam. Yusef is one of the Central Park Five accused of beating a white jogger. Amal's story reflects that of Yusef as he attempted to serve his time as he awaited the day he would be exonerated. Described as more that just a story about incarceration, PUNCHING THE AIR illustrates the power of the written word and the strength of artistic creation to raise the spirit and honor the truth. Written in verse that reads as art itself on the page, this powerful novel speaks to the problems of our time.

SUICIDE NOTES by Michael Thomas Ford

 

Jeff wakes up in the hospital surrounded by his parents and medical professionals. Obviously, his suicide attempt was a failure. Now he is being committed to a program for 45 days. Will they figure out what's wrong or will he try again?

As Jeff begins participating in group and individual sessions with the psychiatrist, he insists he isn't crazy. It doesn't take long for him to realize that's probably what everyone thinks in these situations. He finds one of the other teens named Sadie fun to hang out with, and he attempts to get Martha to open up a bit. 

It's Rankin that has the biggest impact on Jeff. An accidental, embarrassing encounter in the bathroom turns in some experimental sexual activity that has Jeff realizing he is probably gay. This adds another layer to his therapy and why he attempted suicide in the first place. Now he must come to terms with this new information and how he will share it with his family.

SUICIDE NOTES by Michael Thomas Ford addresses the issue of suicide and mental health using dark humor and straight forward discussion. It is a book that would definitely answer some questions for teens dealing with issues without glamorizing the topic.