The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle

~Spoiler Alert~

Do not read if you do not want to know how the book ends!

"The word normal had never described her, even now. All she had done for the last month was sleep, eat, and read. She obeyed every order. She was their perfect puppet. Her mind was in a rut like a song stuck on repeat. She was getting so sick of it she wanted to curl up and die. Had she felt like this her entire life, or did she only notice now because the situation was more intimate?" -- The Breakaway

Naomi Jensen is kidnapped and held captive, yet her captors are likable characters and start to treat her as if she were family. How do you react to that when all you've known your whole life revolves around parents who care more about their careers than their daughter? Naomi is torn between how she should feel and react in this situation. She even falls in love with one of her captors, Jesse, but is this just a residual effect of Stockholm Syndrome? Well you must read this book to decide for yourself.

As for me, I absolutely loved this book! I couldn't put it down, but of course had to as I have a 10 month old daughter and got distracted constantly! If I had had the chance this book would have been read in one sitting. It had a way of captivating me, Michelle's writing flows and is so lyrical and descriptive that I literally felt a part of the book.

Naomi's character was one that I hated and loved all at the same time...yet I understood how she reacted to being kidnapped. She felt weak and helpless and that she wasn't a brave person at all, but really who would be in that situation? I even found myself liking her captors right down to the end of the book, and was sad when they were caught. Yet, technically I shouldn't have felt that way, who wants a kidnapper to go free? Or better yet, who wants the kidnapper and kidnappee to fall in love? I did! I wanted her to stay with them. I loved this line in the book and perfectly describes how Naomi felt once free..."Jesse was right. She was free now, but what was freedom without happiness?"

I loved that Michelle combined kidnapping, cooking, good food, classic literature, suspense, drama, and romance in this novel. At times I almost could smell the food they were cooking and eating in the book. It read more like poetry and I loved that!

A great young adult book that I would highly recommend for high school students and even adults!

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

What a fascinating and insightful novel about the Spanish Inquisition during the 1500’s. The story follows 16 year old Estrella deMadrigal and her family during the time when fellow town’s folk are persecuted, tortured, and even killed for being secret Jews.

Estrella and her best friend, Catalina, find their friendship isn’t what it used to be, and Estrella feels she no longer knows, nor can, trust Catalina. Estrella finds out who she really is as the story unfolds, her family has a secret that they are to tell no one about, but when that secret gets out Estrella becomes stronger and knows what she must do to save what she has left.

This novel read like poetry, and wove a wonderful plot and story that kept me reading and reading! I normally don’t like historical fiction, but found I learned a lot about the Inquisition that I had not known before. What a great story to use to teach students about this time period and even comparing it with other historical fiction books about the Holocaust.

I would recommend this book for grades 6 and up.

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

This book is a haunting portrait of a high school senior, Keir, who feels that he is a good guy, that no one would think him capable of doing anything horrible. He contradicts himself by crippling another football player during a game, vandalizing a local statue, pulling embarrassing pranks on the soccer team, and date raping his friend Gigi. Although all of these events happen, he still feels that somehow he can never accept that he is a part of these; they all are “inexcusable” acts. He uses the word “inexcusable” multiple times during the book, describing things that shouldn’t be done, but in actuality he does do inexcusable things. His father allows him to drink alcohol with him and doesn’t seem to mind that he is out all night long. He gets along well with his father, but their relationship to me felt more like they were brothers. He never seemed to get any real discipline, and when it was attempted he would lash out.

Reading the story from Keir’s point-of-view was a bit disturbing, because you found yourself wanting to believe him, that he was “good” and that he really didn’t mean to do the things he did. He turned out to be the opposite of what he felt he was, and even came to the realization of that at the end of the book.

Overall it was a very powerful novel that really got into the mind of a teen that has a lot of issues with drugs, alcohol abuse, and family problems. I would highly recommend this book for high schoolers and maybe even mature 8th graders.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Feeling like she just can’t wake up from a dream, Liz, doesn’t want to accept the fact that she has died and has moved on to live in Elsewhere. Elsewhere is a place where the recently dead go once they have passed away. Elsewhere is like any other town in the world only you age backwards from the time you arrive, so instead of growing old you grow young. Non one dies on Elsewhere and no one is born on Elsewhere. Once people age back to 7 days old they are sent back to earth by floating down the river and are reborn to live another life on earth.

Liz is greeted by her Grandma Betty, whom died before she was ever born. Liz doesn’t want to focus on the now, she wants to find a way back to earth to finish out her life. She wants to finish school, go to college and get married. She doesn’t want to accept where she is and she spends all her time at the observation decks, where you put tokens in the binoculars to watch loved ones back on earth. Liz finally learns to love her Grandma and enjoys being on Elsewhere. She takes an avocation counseling pets that have recently passed and arrived in Elsewhere and helps find them new homes. She even meets someone and experiences love firsthand.

A great book that read and flowed with ease! I loved the concept of the story and think kids too will like the fantasy aspect of the book, and may even get them contemplating death and an afterlife! I could see middle school ages and high school aged kids really getting into the story and the frustrations Liz has with death and leaving her family. The book can be related to dealing with death of loved ones and pets and maybe even help kids cope with their own tragedies. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

What happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles

A very quick and easy read, but a very dark one! I don't know that I loved this book, but it held my interest. Cass McBride is kidnapped and buried alive. With a walkie talkie taped to her hand, and a small airhole, the reader experiences the horrific sensation of being buried alive. Giles gave a very detailed description of her feelings and fear, that make you feel almost claustrophobic while reading it. You hear Cass's version of the story, along with Kyle (the one who buried her), and the police officer investigating the dissappearance of Cass. Each chapter alternates with these characters. I can see why teens would find this book intriguing, I didn't really find it scary per say, but just a bit disturbing. It has some language in it not appropriate for young readers, and would probably be best recommended for high school grades 9-12.

A Curse dark as gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

What a wonderful book!!! I loved this book. I was drawn to it because it is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. But it doesn't have anything to do with a King, becoming a Queen, and it doesn't even mention the name Rumpelstiltskin. It is cleverly set in the 1700's on a running mill. Charlotte Miller and her younger sister are left to run their fathers mill after he dies. Everything imaginable happens and then come close multiple times to losing the mill. Charlotte is certain that the mill has been plagued by a curse, a curse that is the culprit of the disasters that have been happening. She bargains with a mysterious man named Jack Spinner, but ends up getting in too deep. 

A page-turning adventure and I loved Bunce's take on this classic fairytale! She writes beautifully, and combines magic and historical fiction together very well. Historical fiction isn't my favorite genre, but the story is captivating and intriguing at the same time! I would highly recommend this book, especially for 9-12 grades. I think some 7th and 8th graders may like it, but it might have a bit more depth to it than usual middle school reads.