As a 40-something-year-old white woman who lives in a gated, upper middle-class neighborhood in the heart of suburbia and listens to nothing more hood than "Ice, Ice Baby" every so often, I'm the first to admit that I am so not the target audience for books like On the Come Up.  Still, I appreciate this novel and others like it for helping to expand the reaches of YA lit to include depictions of teenagers of all races, faiths, ideologies, cultures, etc.  That being said, I personally found On the Come Up a bit difficult to read, particularly because it uses strong language (F-bombs in every other sentence) and lots of rap/hip hop terms and related lingo that I didn't always understand.  Beyond that, though, On the Come Up features a strong, likable heroine who's trying to both accept the hand she's been dealt and rise above it by following her dreams.  Though flawed, her friends and family are likable, authentic characters as well.  Plotwise, the novel is compelling but also wordier than necessary.  Overall, though,
it's an intriguing read that teaches some important lessons about family, friendship, racism, standing up for yourself, and forgiveness.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of SLAY by Brittney Morris)

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irritated me for a lot of reasons.  People's opinions seem to really vary on this one—it would make for a lively book club discussion! 

The War Between the States was in full-swing when the country got the shock of its young life—its dead soldiers were not remaining dead.  They were rising up, hungry and rabid.  With shamblers turning everyone in their paths, war was derailed and desperate Americans had to learn to fight the growing zombie menace.  An enterprising government came up with a brilliant solution.  To create an army of monster-slayers, it passed the Native and Negro Reeducation Act, which required every Native and Negro child to attend combat school starting at 12 years old.  While certain cities have since been declared shambler-free, these "throwaway" children still have plenty of fighting to do in order to keep their betters from being bitten.

At 17, Jane McKeene is in her third year at Miss Preston's School of Combat for Negro Girls in Baltimore.  Despite being the daughter of one of the wealthiest white women in Haller County, Kentucky, Jane's mixed-race ethnicity destines her for a life of servitude.  Although her fondest desire is to return home to check on her family—from whom she has heard nothing—she's making the best of  her situation.  She's training to be an Attendant, a combination chaperone/bodyguard for rich white girls.  While such a career will hardly give her the freedom she craves, it beats harvesting cotton or slaving away in a hot kitchen.  Besides, she's a skilled fighter.  If she can just manage to keep her mouth shut and her manners in check long enough, a secure future will be hers.

When local families start to vanish, Jane's skeptical of the official "shambler attack" explanation.  Something else is going on, something much more disturbing.  Not one for leaving well enough alone, she launches her own investigation into the strange disappearances.  Before she knows it, she's embroiled in a plan more sinister than she ever could have imagined.  With her bright future, not to mention her very life, on the line, she has to escape and find her way back to Kentucky.  The shamblers aren't the only monsters Jane encounters as she fights for survival in a grim, violent world that considers her—and others like her—very much expendable.

I've been dying to read Dread Nation, a debut novel by Justina Ireland, ever since I heard about it.  I was thrilled, then, when I won a copy of it from YA author Mindy McGinnis (if you like book giveaways, you have to check out her blog).  The story gripped me from the very first page with its intriguing blend of horror, adventure, alternate history, and humor.  Jane's impossible not to like.  She's tough and sassy, but also compassionate and loyal.  It's easy to root for her as she struggles to make her way in a grisly world where her life is valued only for its sacrificial power.  With plenty of action to keep readers turning pages, Dread Nation is an entertaining novel so engrossing you almost don't recognize its allegorical nature.  Ireland definitely has some messages—about race, about individual worth, about the value of all life—that she's trying to get across.  And she succeeds without breaking the story's stride in the least.  In short, I loved this book.  I can't wait to see what happens next to the intrepid Jane McKeene.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of the Ashes trilogy [Ashes; Shadows; Monsters] by Ilsa J. Bick)

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If this were a movie, it would be rated:

The Ribkins Family has always been a "blessed" lot, even if their particular talents aren't all that impressive.  During the Civil Rights Movement, members of the African-American clan tried to use their skills to save the world.  That endeavor didn't go so well, so Johnny Ribkins and Franklin, his much younger half-brother, turned their sights on more practical matters—making money.  With Johnny's ability to map anything and Franklin's Spiderman-like climbing skills, they formed a successful burglary venture.

With the glory days behind him, 72-year-old Johnny Ribkins runs an inherited antique shop, where he sells the spoils from his former exploits.  He's not making enough, however, to pay off the $20,000 debt he owes a formidable "businessman."  Johnny's got a week to pay off the debt or he'll be sleeping with the fishes.  With two henchmen following his every move, the thief sets out on a road trip to dig up the treasures he's buried all over northern Florida.  Along the way, he acquires an unexpected passenger—not Franklin, who's since died of a drug overdose, but his brother's 13-year-old daughter, Eloise.

Eloise never knew her father, so it's up to Johnny to show her the Ribkins' dubious legacy.  As the duo drive from hidey hole to hidey hole, visiting family along the way, Johnny encourages his niece to embrace her own talents and use them to do good.  Realizing the irony of his advice, the elder Ribkins must take a hard look at his own behavior.  How far has the great Johnny Ribkins fallen?  Very far, indeed. 

As his deadline quickly approaches, Johnny has to decide if he's got the guts to take one last, desperate shot at redemption.  With armed thugs hot on his tail, a young girl to protect, and his reputation as a Ribkins to uphold, it's time for Johnny to put his money where his mouth is in order to save himself, his family, and the last shred of his dignity.

The plot summary for The Talented Ribkins, a debut novel by Ladee Hubbard, makes the book sound like a zany comedy about a road trip gone hilariously wrong.  Not so.  The story's a much more thoughtful one than its premise implies.  There are some funny parts, sure, but overall, The Talented Ribkins is a serious, contemplative tale about retrieval and reparation.  It's about remembering who you are at your core.  It's about acceptance, loyalty, and love.  It's about making things right, even if it's too little, too late.  While I found the novel to have surprising depth, in the end, it was just an okay read for me.  I didn't adore it, but I did find it a compelling, satisfying read.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't really think of anything, although the jacket copy says the book is inspired by an essay called "The Talented Tenth" by W.E.B. Du Bois.)

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