Teen Librarian Recommendations

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

Description: A queer Appalachian thriller that pulls no punches--following a trans autistic teen who's drawn into the generational struggle between the rural poor and those who exploit them. On the night Miles Abernathy--sixteen-year-old socialist and proud West Virginian--comes out as trans to his parents, he sneaks off to a party, carrying evidence that may finally turn the tide of the blood feud plaguing Twist Creek: Photos that prove the county's Sheriff Davies was responsible for the so-called "accident" that injured his dad, killed others, and crushed their grassroots efforts to unseat him. The feud began a hundred years ago when Miles's great-great-grandfather, Saint Abernathy, incited a miners' rebellion that ended with a public execution at the hands of law enforcement. Now, Miles becomes the feud's latest victim as the sheriff's son and his friends sniff out the evidence, follow him through the woods, and beat him nearly to death. In the hospital, the ghost of a soot-covered man hovers over Miles's bedside while Sheriff Davies threatens Miles into silence. But when Miles accidently kills one of the boys who hurt him, he learns of other folks in Twist Creek who want out from under the sheriff's heel. To free their families from this cycle of cruelty, they're willing to put everything on the line--is Miles? A visceral, unabashedly political page-turner that won't let you go until you've reached the end, Compound Fracture is not for the faint of heart, but it is for every reader who's ready to fight for a better world. Hand this story to teens pushing for radical change.

Why I want to recommend it:

So, I have tried to write this review roughly eight times. Compound Fracture is a complex novel, with a ton of intersecting storylines. The description above catches what I suppose are the key ones, but neglects a few things that I found fascinating and compelling. First, the soot-covered man who stands not far away from Miles’ hospital bed continues to visit him throughout the rest of the book, and it doesn’t take Miles long to recognize the man as Saint – unable to speak due to the horrific nature of his execution (a railroad tie driven through his mouth and neck through the back of his head). Miles’ relationship with Saint is not the average great-great-grandson to locally famous great-great-grandfather. Miles has done as much research on the Twist Creek Calamity as is possible, irritating local archivists until he was able to gain access to pictures and documents that he puts in an album. As his time being gazed at by Saint increases, and he feels the pressure of that gaze to take actions over which his personal and political values might not agree. When first going through opioid withdrawal after his surgery, Miles walks with Saint to the site of his execution, and awkwardly says, “Guess I’m not the descendant you expected, huh?” referring to the fact that he’s trans. But Saint gives him a funny look, and then shows Miles his own binder. Though Miles isn’t able to accept this confession immediately (thinking it's the withdrawal), he later realizes the truth that he isn’t the first trans Abernathy while looking at an old picture of Saint holding his daughter Lucille, standing with another miner. No one was ever able to determine who her mother was – Saint had left the mine for a time and come back with Lucille. Miles smiles at the picture,knowing the truth, and feeling even more love for his ancestor. 

Additionally, Miles’ relationship with Dallas, who had been a close childhood friend, and Dallas’ family, is also important to Miles’ story. Dallas had been very badly burnt in the car accident caused by Sheriff Davies, but had survived after many grafts and a long time in the burn unit. After his recovery, his family moved away. Miles reconnects with Dallas when, sneaking away from a therapy group his mother has made him go to, he quite literally bumps into him in the alley outside the new anarchist restaurant/community center Dallas’ brother and sister-in-law have started in the other town in Twist Creek County. While Miles struggles with a somewhat uncomfortable romantic/sexual relationship with his other childhood friend Conor (who had brought Miles’ dying body to the hospital after the beating), his relationship with Dallas, who is non-binary and aromatic, blossoms beautifully into a queer platonic relationship much healthier than the awkward relationship he had with Conor. 

Compound Fracture is without doubt an intense read, with much more happening that I have managed to relay here. Its intensity is both violently physical and unrelentingly emotional. It pulls no punches, something I love. 

Northranger by Rey Terciero (also known as Rex Ogle), illustrated by Bre Indigo

Northranger is a graphic novel in black, white, and sepia tones, which reflect the rural Texas setting. The book follows Cade, a horror movie loving teen living a lonely closeted life in Abilene, Texas, as he spends the summer unhappily pressed into work as a ranch hand with his step-father Dale. Aiming to make some money for the family, the two travel to rural Texas to work for cold, intimidating Brigadier General Tyler, Dale’s old army friend. Cade is generally appalled at everything he finds at the ranch, whether it be sharing a room with snoring Dale, the horse poop everywhere, or the 4:30 am daily start time. As his eyes roll and his muscles ache, Cade’s horror-infused mindset accompanies him everywhere. When he’s shown the garage, home to tractors, Cade sneaks a peak, and thinks, “Garage? More like murder barn.”

As hard as the summer’s work is, Cade is increasingly happy to have met Henry, General Tyler’s son and trusted ranch manager. Not only is Henry ruggedly handsome, he also likes horror movies. As their attraction grows, Cade is frequently assigned to work with Jon, something of a drunkard with an animus for the Tylers. On every available occasion, Jon, his lips loosened by liquor, implies terrible things about the Tyler men, accusing them of murdering multiple people. 

Cade is infatuated by the secrets that the Tyler men seem to be keeping – seeming to change the subject whenever the topic of Henry’s mother comes up, and avoiding any conversation of Henry’s older brother who has left the ranch. His imagination becomes even more inflamed when the entire group visits the Tyler Lake house – Northranger, a somewhat creepy big old house where Henry’s sister Henri insists upon making new good memories. Half of Northranger is off limits, and no one will discuss the deaths of Henry’s grandmother and mother, which occurred there. When no information is available, Cade fills in the gaps with horror-tinged, poorly informed (i.e. Jon) imaginings. Cade begins to fear for his life. Will the truth come out? Will Cade’s fears about Henry ruin the sparks that have been flying between them? Read this fun graphic novel to find out!

p.s. If you like Jane Austen, this book will be even more fun for you, as it is inspired by Northanger Abbey.

The Collectors edited by A.S. King

Description:

From David Levithan's story about a non-binary kid collecting pieces of other people's collections to Jenny Torres Sanchez's tale of a girl gathering types of fire while trying not to get burned to G. Neri's piece about 1970's skaters seeking opportunities to go vertical-anything can be collected and in the hands of these award-winning and bestselling authors, any collection can tell a story. Nine of the best YA novelists working today have written fiction based on a prompt from Printz-winner A.S. King (who also contributes a story) and the result is itself an extraordinary collection.

Why I want to recommend it:

I am a librarian – you’d think I would be able to read tons of books all the time. Unfortunately, as much as I love to read, that simply isn’t the case. I go through phases… when I devour books, when I devour graphic novels, and when I struggle to read. I don’t know why this happens, and it is tremendously frustrating. But life is life. I start with all of this because I have been experiencing one of those periods, and the first book I have started AND finished in too long is The Collectors. In total frankness, it can be easier to read short stories when one is having trouble reading. No, it can be easier to read GOOD short stories when one is having trouble reading. That brings me to why I am really recommending the book. This book is chock full of short stories that are, while very different from each other, thought-provoking, empathy-inducing, and sometimes beautifully, agonizingly strange. Just as it is rather difficult to give a clear definition of “collection”, these stories explore radically different forms of collecting, for meaningfully different purposes. 

In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee – a graphic memoir

Description:

A debut YA graphic memoir about a Korean-American girl's coming-of-age story—and a coming home story—set between a New Jersey suburb and Seoul, South Korea. Ever since Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee emigrated from South Korea to the United States, she's felt her otherness.For a while, her English wasn't perfect. Her teachers can't pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes—especially her eyes—feel wrong.In high school, everything gets harder. Friendships change and end, she falls behind in classes, and fights with her mom escalate. Caught in limbo, with nowhere safe to go, Deb finds her mental health plummeting, resulting in a suicide attempt.But Deb is resilient and slowly heals with the help of art and self-care, guiding her to a deeper understanding of her heritage and herself.This stunning debut graphic memoir features page after page of gorgeous, evocative art, perfect for Tillie Walden fans. It's a cross section of the Korean-American diaspora and mental health, a moving and powerful read in the vein of Hey, Kiddo and The Best We Could Do.

Why I want to recommend it:

This graphic memoir explores family relationships and expectations, the weirdness and sense of profound isolation when you finally have a close friend who then seems to abandon you to spend time with other friends, and the destructive power of depression. However, it also captures how surprising and liberating life beyond the confines of depression can be. In Limbo is the perfect title for this book – Deb is in a powerful sense stuck between two spaces, as a Korean-American in a super-white American town, as a shy kid who doesn’t fit in in high school, and as a child of a mother who makes no sense to her. She seems trapped in this Limbo (which if you know anyone who is Catholic, is a horrid place where unbaptised babies go), but finds her way out with a modicum of help and an enviable sense of determination.

Last Pick (Volumes 1 and 2) by Jason Walz – graphic novels

Description:

In this first volume of Jason Walz's dystopian graphic novel trilogy, the kids last picked are humanity's last hope. Three years ago, aliens invaded Earth and abducted everyone they deemed useful. The only ones spared were those too young, too old, or too "disabled" to be of value. Living on Earth under the aliens' harsh authoritarian rule, humanity's rejects do their best to survive. Their captors never considered them a threat--until now. Twins Sam and Wyatt are ready to chuck their labels and start a revolution. It's time for the kids last picked to step into the game. ... In the second volume of his graphic novel series, Jason Walz pairs vivid world-building and fast-paced adventure in a beautiful story of bravery, sacrifice, and sibling devotion. Four years ago, aliens kidnapped most of mankind, leaving behind those they deemed unworthy--the "last picked." The future for Sam is bleak and unthinkable. A galaxy away from her twin brother, she is a pawn in the aliens' bloody civil war. But with her new friend Mia, Sam has found a way to resist her captors and hold onto her humanity. Back on Earth, Sam's twin, Wyatt, is leading a resistance of his own. With a ragtag army of the old, the young, and the disabled, he has a plan to bring the fight to his alien captors. But to defeat the aliens, Wyatt may need to befriend one.

Why I want to recommend it:

So I read each of these in a day. They are a super quick read, with underdog adventure up the wazoo. More than just that, these books take on bias against the neurodiverse with gusto! The story’s central characters are a set of fraternal twins: Sam, a badass and loving sister to Wyatt, brilliant autistic brother who  thinks himself dependent upon Sam’s help. But at the end of the first book, Wyatt and Sam are separated – they turn sixteen and the aliens return for Sam, but not Wyatt, since they see him as sick and useless. Of course, while the separation is traumatic for both of them, it also strengthens them both, as their different forms of intelligence, quick wit, and common determination lead them to outwit the murderous aliens on different planets, countless miles from each other. 

The Strange Ones by Jeremy Jusay – graphic novel

Description:

Filled with visceral and engaging prose, this graphic novella offers a nostalgic look at two young misfits who manage to find belonging and heartbreak in each other's friendship. Anjeline walks with an open heart, but alone, through a world that consistently rejects her; Franck, another loner, never smiles. After the hand of fate literally shoves them together in the roiling mosh pit at a Midtown rock concert, they bond over the long commute back to Staten Island, and begin a friendship that makes the world a little better for them both. Together, this strange pair turns the sharp-edged, gloomy New York City into their playground...even as pain and heartbreak await around the corner.

Why I want to recommend:

One thing to note: it took Jeremy Jusay a long time to write this graphic novel. He started it in 1993, and didn’t publish until 2020. It should thus come as no small surprise that its setting runs from 1993-1994. Admittedly, this might be part of why it appeals so strongly to me  – I was a teen during this period, and while the setting isn’t familiar to me since I am not a New Yorker, the feel of the story is. That said, I don’t think my generational familiarity with the setting of the book and the styles rocked by the main character are why I enjoyed this book so much. Rather, I want to celebrate first and foremost the characters and story. Anjeline and Franck are people I wish I knew. They are a bit strange – not existing within mainstream culture of the 90s and not really caring that they don’t. While outsiders, they are both kind in their own authentic ways. Franck, despite the fact that his smile comes with difficulty, is genuinely funny as well as curious and beautifully aware of the world around him. Anjeline’s smile is quick, but never fake, and while we as readers are witness to the pleasure she takes from becoming friends with Franck, she never seems to be TRYING to make him be her friend. Their time together – in parts of New York they show to each other, on the Staten Island Ferry (I LOVE that they both live in Staten Island and have no weird hipster self-consciousness about it), or just walking down the street, is engaging and enviably fun. I also recommend this book because it is about friendship, and not romance. It would have been so easy and annoying to have Anjeline and Franck “fall in love” and blah blah blah. The book is so much better as it is. If you know me, you know I’m not an artist. But I dig both the art and layout of this comic.