The Transatlantic Conspiracy

Falksen, G.D. The Transatlantic Conspiracy.  Soho Teen, New York: 2016.   240 pages Tr. $18.99 ISBN 9781616954178
Reviewed from galley obtained via School Library Journal

Plot Summary
Rebellious American, Rosalind or Rose as she is known by her friends, has been enjoying the London season only to be called home early to assist with the family's latest business venture, the first train to cross under the Atlantic Ocean, traveling from Germany to New York. Rose is to be a passenger on the inaugural voyage representing the family's interests. Rose's friend Cecily and her brother Charles, insist on accompanying Rose upon learning that she will be traveling alone. Everything seems to be going according to plan until Charles disappears at the train station in Germany.  Cecily is less than concerned that her brother has gone missing, until Rose discovers Cecily dead in her stateroom.  Now as the prime suspect, Rose must work to uncover the true murderer and clear her name.

Critical Review
The Transatlantic Conspiracy is a swiftly paced mystery. While the settings and characters could use more development, the story was very enjoyable. The plot is swiftly paced, keeping the reader engaged in the mystery.  A great book for reluctant readers or those who have difficulty becoming engaged in a story.

Genre 
Science Fiction
Historical Fiction
Steampunk
Mystery

Reading/Interest Level
Grades 7 and up

Similar Books:
The Finishing School Series by Gail Carriger

Author's Website
http://www.gdfalksen.com/

A Corner of White and The Cracks in the Kingdom

Moriarty, Jaclyn. A Corner of White.  Arthur A. Levine Books, New York: 2013.  373 pages Tr. $17.99 ISBN 9780545397360

Plot Summary
Madeline Tully used to be a rich girl, living all over the world, but now she and her mother, Holly, live in a little flat in Cambridge where Madeline is homeschooled with her friends Jack and Belle.  Madeline misses her old life and she is concerned that her mother might be seriously ill.  One day Madeline finds a note sticking out of a broken parking meter and decides to respond by writing a letter about her troubles.  In the Kingdom of Cello Elliot Baranski finds Madeline's note in broken T.V. set.  Right away Elliot realizes that Madeline is writing from the World and that he has found a crack between Cello and the World.  Curious Elliot responds to Madeline, telling her about Cello, beginning a strange and wonderful friendship between two teen from different worlds.

Critical Review
A Corner of White is a lovely tale of a friendship between two teens.  Both Elliot and Madeline face enormous challenges and tragedies in the story and in part persevere because of their shared correspondence.  Moriarty's novel is both funny and sad, at once entirely real and completely magical.  A charming a fantastical novel, I loved every page!

WARNING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Moriarty, Jaclyn. The Cracks in the Kingdom.  Arthur A. Levine Books, New York: 2014.  480 pages Tr. $18.99 ISBN 9780545397384 
Reviewed from electronic galley obtained via Netgalley.com

Plot 
The Cracks in the Kingdom is the second in The Colors of Madeline series by Jaclyn Moriarty.  The book opens with Elliot having just been made a member of the Royal Youth Alliance, which is actual a front for a group led by the Princess Ko to find the missing members of the Cello royal family.  A year earlier all the members of the royal family were kidnapped and taken to the World except for Princess Ko, who has been running the country and simultaneously hiding the disappearance of her family from the country.  Elliot's assignment is to convince his friend in the World, Madeline, to help locate the missing monarchs and to find a way to cross over to the world.  While he and Madeline work on breaching the crack they continue to growing closer, confiding in and relying on each other's presence.

Critical Review
A fabulous follow-up to A Corner of White!  Moriarty has upped the suspend with the kidnapping of the royal family and provided Elliot and Madeline a reason to continue their correspondence, which they were on the brink of ceasing.  Moriarty character development is masterful; giving her characters very realistic obstacles and human flaws.  Cellos is a remarkable place, full of Colors, magic, and ever changing seasons; if only I could find my own crack!  The Cracks in the Kingdom is a charming fantasy and just as touching and beautiful as A Corner of White.

Genre
Fantasy

Reading/Interest Level
Grades 7 and up

Author's Website
http://www.jaclynmoriarty.com/

These Broken Stars

WARNING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Kaufman, Amie and Spooner, Meagan.  These Broken Stars.  Hyperion Press: 2013. Tr. $17.99 ISBN 9781423171027 ebook ISBN 9781423187783 Reviewed from electronic galley obtained via Netgalley.com

Plot Summary
These Broken Stars  is a science fiction romance tale of star crossed lovers, rich girl Lilac LaRoux and war hero Tarver Merendsen.  Tarver first meets the beautiful socialite Lilac aboard the luxury space liner the Icarus, owned by Lilac's father, not knowing Lilac's identity her approaches her only to later be haughtily dismissed by the spoiled rich girl.  Lilac knows exactly who Tarver is, a poor boy grown into a war hero famous throughout the universe, a boy her father, the richest and most powerful man in the universe, would never approve of.  When tragedy strikes and the Icarus crashes on an unknown planet, Tarver and Lilac find themselves the only survivors and must overcome their differences if they are to escape from this strange planet without going mad.

Critical Review 
These Broken Stars is a survival tale as much as it is a romance and science fiction novel.  Tarver and Lilac traverse the planet in hopes of finding people or a sign of civilization and a way to signal for help.  After a few days being stranded the couple begins to realize that there is something strange about the planet the have landed on; not only does it seem to have been terraformed for colonies, yet there are no people, Lilac is haunted by strange whispering voices and visions.  Readers are constantly kept in suspense about the truth of the planet and whether the mysterious voices mean the couple harm or have intentions to help.  The romance between Tarver and Lilac unfolds gradually, as they go from finding each other obnoxious to not being able to imagine life without one another.   A highly readable novel that teens will love.  My only qualm was at the end when Lilac blackmails her father to protect Tarver and her father responds by destroying the planet, thus erasing all evidence and negating Lilac's threat.  This new challenge is not addressed as the book ends just after the planet is destroyed.

Genre
Science Fiction
Romance

Reading/Interest Level
Grades 8 and up

Similar Books
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Marr

Author's Website
http://amiekaufman.com/
http://www.meaganspooner.com/

Idenpendent Study

Charbonneau, Joelle. Independent Study. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston: 2014. 310 pages. Tr. $17.99 ISBN: 9780547959207 *

Plot Summary:
Independent Study is Charbonneau's follow up to The Testing.  Independent Study begins with Cia receiving her placement in the University.  Cia is particularly talented in mechanical engineering and hopes to be placed in that school and is disappointed to learn she has been placed in the government school, while her boyfriend Tomas has been placed in the bioengineering school.  Cia does not have her memories of the testing, but she does has the recordings she made before the testing officials wiped her memories, but she is afraid to believe that these recordings could be true.  Could the university really be responsible for the deaths of so many students?  Would they really send students into unrevitalized area with the intention to kill one another?  As she tried to excel in her new area of study, Cia can no longer ignore the things she sees and the terrifying recordings she made.  Determined to uncover the truth of the University and Dr. Barnes program, Cia puts herself in more danger than she realizes trying to gather information for the rebels.

Critical Review:
While The Testing was a bit derivative of  other dystopian novels, such as The Giver and Divergent, Independent Study is wholly original.  Charbonneau has created a future that  seems peaceful and prosperous, but underneath is terrifying.  Charbonneau not only explores the idea of government control, but also the value of education to society as a whole.  Dr. Barnes believes only the best and most determined students should receive an education at the university and go onto be the future leaders of the country creating a group of followers to take over the government.  Cia sees the value of education to everyone and how it can be used to improve the lives of those in the colonies.  The last book in the trilogy promises action and rebellion on behalf of the students that is hinted at in Independent Study.

Genre:
Science Fiction
Dystopian

Reading/Interest Level:
Grades 6 and up

Similar Books:
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

Author's Website:
http://joellecharbonneau.com/

Book Website:
http://www.hmhbooks.com/thetestingtrilogy/

*Book to be published January 2014, review of advance copy.

Curtsies and Conspiracies

Carriger, Gail. Curtsies and Conspiracies. Little Brown and Company, New York: 2013. 310 pages. Tr. $18.00 ISBN 9780316190114 

Plot Summary
Sophronia has been attending Miss Geraldine's Finishing School for six months now and is doing splendidly, in fact she is at the top of her class!  During her six month review Sophronia discovers a device that looks very much like the communication device she retrieved for the school months earlier, only this version is much smaller.  Ever aware of what might turn out to be valuable information, Sophronia pockets it and takes it to her friend Vieve, a precocious ten year old inventor and niece of Professor Lefoux.  School is further complicated by the arrival of several guest students from Bunson's Academy for Boys and several attempted kidnappings of Sophronia's friend Dimity and her brother Pillover..  Once again Sophronia much use all her skills as an intelligencer to save  her friends, her professors, and her school from a malicious vampire hive and the ever villainous Picklemen.

 Critical Review
It is rare for a sequel to be as entertaining and as engaging as the original, but Carriger has a knack for keeping the interest of her readers throughout a series.  Curtsies and Conspiracies is a clever and intriguing, steampunk spy story.  Sophronia is a wonderful heroine, at once intelligent and loyal to her friends, however, in Curtsies and Conspriacies, Sophronia will be tested in new ways while keeping of a promise to a friend. While it is the second in the Finishing School Series, it could easily be read as a stand alone.  Old fans of Carriger will be delighted with continued appearances from character from Carriger's previous series The Parasol Protectorate, including a cameo from everyone's favorite dandy vampire, Lord Akeldama.

Genre
Science Fiction
Historical Fiction
Steampunk

Reading/Interest Level
Grades 7 and up

Similar Books:
The Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter
The Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel

Author's Website
http://gailcarriger.com/

Champion

Lu, Marie. Champion. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York: 2013. 369 pages. Tr. $18.99 ISBN 9780399256776

Plot Summary:
Champion is the long awaited conclusion to Marie Lu's Legend Trilogy.  It has been six months since reader left June and Day in Prodigy with the knowledge that Day is slowly dying and June embarking on a political career.  The two are reunited when the Colonies threaten to break the cease fire unless the Republic can provide a cure to the latest plague outbreak in the colonies.  In order to develop a cure the Republic needs to run tests on Day's brother Eden, the one thing Day will not allow is for his brother to fall into the hands of the Republic again.  Eden is no longer a child and has his own ideas about the situation, especially after Day's dear friend Tess falls ill.  While June deals with the political end of the war, Day goes back to the streets to rouse the people and lead a guerrilla front against the Colonies, all the while battling his own illness and increasing weakness. 

Critical Review:
Like Legend and Prodigy, Lu has again written a fast-paced, page turner full of action, adventure, and a little bit of romance.  June and Day battle with their feelings for one another, while being thrown into the turmoil of their country, they must push aside their own desires for the good of family and country.  Champion keeps readers guessing and challenges them to ponder the destructive forces of war.  Champion is indeed a stunning conclusion to an excellent series.  I can't wait to see what Marie Lu comes up with next!

Genre:
Science Fiction
Dystopian

Reading/Interest Level:
Grades 8 and up

Similar Books:
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

Author's Website:
http://marielu.org/

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba

Engle, Margarita. (2010). The Firefly Letters: a Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 151 pages. $16.99 ISBN: 9780805090826

Plot Summary:

Cecilia is a young slave girl who is owned by Elena’s family.  When Fredrika comes to stay with Elena’s family Cecilia is sent to serve as Fredrika’s translator for the duration of her stay since Cecilia’s English is better than Elena’s.  Elena is twelve and very sheltered, her days are spent inside embroidering linens for her future marriage.  Meanwhile Cecilia and Fredrika become fast friends, sketching and releasing captive fireflies together about town.  Soon Fredrika asks Elena’s father to find her and Cecilia a place to stay in the country because she is concerned for Cecilia’s health.  Cecilia is pregnant and the city air has given her a severe cough.  Elena misses the friendship of the older girls while they are away, finding Fredrika’s influence has caused her to rethink her future and immediate goals.  When Fredrika and Cecilia return to the city Elena shares with Fredrika a plan she has been developing; a plan she believe Fredrika will not only approve of, but willingly assist in. 

Critical Review:

The Firefly Letters is beautifully written in verse.  The story is based on the letters of Swedish suffragette Fredrika Bremer, who visited Cuba in 1851.  Cecilia really existed and served as translator to Bremer during her stay in Cuba, but the author notes that Elena is fictional.  Engle’s verse and imagery make it easy to imagine the lush island’s warm evenings lit by the glow of fireflies above.   Engle also describes the practice of slavery as it existed on Cuba at the time.  This story is touching, written from three the viewpoints of three very different young women: independent Fredrika, sheltered Elena, and slave Cecilia.  All three lead very different lives and yet all become true friends.  Cecilia is the only one who is literally owned, but in a way all three are captives of their gender.  Because they are women they automatically have fewer rights and less say in their futures and the futures of their children.  Cecilia realizes this as she wonders about what kind of future her baby will have.  Elena wonder what kind of future she will have with the man her father chooses for her to marry when she turns fourteen in two short years.  Fredrika refused to be trapped by marriage in Sweden and leaves to travel the world.  Engle’s story was brief, under 150 pages, but it conveyed a world of feeling and emotion.  This is a true gem.

Genre:

Poetry

Historical Fiction

Interest Level:

Grades 7 and up

Similar Books:

The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle

Subjects/Themes:

Cuba

Slavery

Poetry

Women’s Suffrage

Awards/Honors:

Pura Belpré 2011 Honor Book

ALA Notable Book 2011

ALA Amelia Bloomer List 2011

Annotation:

The Firefly Letters tells the story in verse of three girls contemplating their futures in a world ruled by men.

Book Talking Ideas:

The Firefly Letters is an historical novel written in lyrical verse.  The story follows Swedish suffragist Fredrika Bremer as she visits Cuba in the 1850’s.  Fredrika is an independent, free thinker who refused to be tied down by marriage, deciding to travel the world instead.  In Cuba Fredrika meets Cecilia and Elena and changes their world and future by just being their friend. 

Why I chose to include this Book:

I included The Firefly Letters because I was blown away by the beautiful, lush verse and vivid descriptions in the novel.