STAY DEAD by April Henry

 

It's been a while since I picked up a book and read it in a day. STAY DEAD is definitely "a can't put it down" read. I'd say April Henry at her best!

Milan has been kicked out of her third boarding school. Now she's headed home to Portland at least for a short bit until her Senator mother finds another school for her. Since her father, the first Senator Mayhew, was killed in a car accident, Milan has been shuffled around. Feeling guilty that she may have been responsible for the accident has Milan acting out and making poor choices that might be her way of getting her mother's attention.

Now Milan is boarding a private plane with her mother and her staff. It probably isn't the attention she wanted, but it is what it is. Shortly after takeoff, over mountainous terrain, one of the plane's wings explodes. The aircraft crashes in the forest and Milan is the only survivor. Just before she dies, her mother warns her she is in danger, and she must promise to "stay dead" and deliver some evidence to a family friend. What follows is an action-packed journey to outwit those out to destroy the evidence and Milan. 

Author April Henry uses her wits and her talents to research everything her characters experience to weave a truly suspenseful tale. Readers will be rooting for Milan as they turn pages holding their breaths to the very end.

THE COLDEST WINTER I EVER SPENT by Ann Jacobus

 

Living with Aunt Fran in San Francisco has been the best thing for Delilah "Del." Her suicide attempt 18 months ago was a wake-up call for everyone. Del had been dealing with anxiety and depression for a while, and when it turned into alcoholism and drug addiction, her downward spiral happened fast.

With her mother dead and her father living in London, Aunt Fran stepped up to provide the stability Del needed. Working part-time in Aunt Fran's art gallery, volunteering for the suicide prevention hot line, and attending AA meetings, keeps Del busy and hopefully on the straight and narrow. She's planning to start college in the fall and hoping to get closer to longtime friend Nick if he gets the scholarship that will bring him to SF.

All this smooth sailing is cut short when Aunt Fran's cancer returns. The diagnosis is more serious this time, and when chemo treatments fail, Del finds out just how strong she is as she takes over Fran's care full-time. Can she deal with her aunt's disease and pain without losing her own way?

Author Ann Jacobus focuses on suicide and death and dying in THE COLDEST WINTER I EVER SPENT. Readers will quickly become connected to Del and Fran as they follow the months following Del's recovery and Fran's deteriorating health. Their story will stay with readers long after the final scene.

GENESIS BEGINS AGAIN by Alicia D. Williams

 

Genesis keeps a list of the things she dislikes about herself. That list is long and getting longer. When she arrives home from school to find everything they own sitting on the front lawn for the fourth time, she is fed up. What is wrong with her father? Why doesn't he pay the rent? Will she and her mother have to go stay with her bossy grandmother again or will they have to stay in someone's basement again?

After staying with her grandmother once again, Genesis is thrilled when her father shows up to take them to see the house he has been able to rent from a friend at his work. It's in a suburb called Farmington Hills, and it is amazing. Her father also tells them he is getting a promotion that will give them the chance to have everything they have always wanted.

Now all Genesis has to do is fix the things about her that she hates. Most of all it is her dark skin. She hates having her father's dark skin and broad nose and lips. Why can't she look more like her mother? She reads about ways to lighten her skin, but nothing seems to work. The kids at her new school are just like the kids in her other schools. They call her names like Charcoal and Burnt.

When her father starts disappearing for days at a time and is drunk when he comes home, Genesis blames herself. She knows he must hate her because she isn't light skinned and pretty like her mother. It isn't until she discovers she has a talent for singing that she believes there's hope for her to prove her worth to her father. Hopefully, he'll stop drinking and work harder to help them keep the most wonderful house they've ever had.

Author Alicia D. Williams explores the prejudice of colorism as she introduces readers to a topic most don't understand. Family pressures and disfunction join up with bullying to make this a story that will open readers' eyes as they witness Genesis try to beat the odds to discover her true worth.

SUNRISE NIGHTS by Jeff Zentner & Brittany Cavallaro

It is the summer before junior year. Florence and Jude are at an arts camp along the shore of Lake Michigan. Florence is a dancer and Jude is into photography. Neither of them have met until this last night of camp. 

At the final bonfire, Florence and Jude meet as they are toasting marshmallows. Jude suggests Florence might want to try carefully toasting the sweet treats instead of incinerating them. This conversation begins a night together.

The last night of camp is known as Sunrise Night. The campers are given the freedom to roam the town as long as they check in at designated times throughout the night. Florence and Jude get to know each other as they wander the town.

They agree to meet again the following summer on Sunrise Night. It is also agreed that they won't communicate at all until they meet again. Can a friendship or more be created in this way? Florence and Jude both hope so. 

Authors Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro collaborate using a combination of prose and verse to create this unique story.