Jake Stacy isn't a typical teenage boy. He loves roller skating, musicals, volunteering at a nursing home, reading poetry, and hanging out with his beloved grandmother, his only real friend. At school, he's a target for bullies. At home, he's just as lonely, since his dad is never there and his mom struggles with debilitating depression. Then there's The Voice, which keeps up a constant monologue in Jake's head, reminding him of how weak and worthless he is, especially when he eats too much or doesn't exercise. When his loved ones finally notice how much he's struggling, Jake is admitted against his will to an inpatient facility that treats kids with eating disorders. Furious, he fights against his diagnosis (anorexia nervosa), his doctors, his therapists, and the other patients. It's only when he begins to learn how to battle against The Voice that he finally feels a flutter of hope. Can he really beat the eating disorder that is killing him? Will he finally find health and happiness? 

Louder Than Hunger by John Schu deals with some tough, heavy subjects. Not only does it tackle disordered eating, but it also addresses bullying, anger, grief, addiction, hospitalization, self-harm, and more. These matters are discussed in a raw, realistic way, informed by the author's own experience as a teen with similar issues. Because of this, the novel rings with authenticity. However, it never gets too grim for its middle grade audience. Schu infuses the story with hope and encouragement. It also helps that Louder Than Hunger is written in free verse. While the words are still powerful, they're presented in a format that feels somehow lighter and more approachable. Reluctant readers will also be glad to know that although the book looks thick and intimidating, it's actually a very quick read. The novel is not just compelling, but it also teaches some vitally important lessons about conquering negative self-talk, seeking help from trusted adults and professionals, fighting to conquer addictions in spite of setbacks, being your authentic self, and treating others with compassion. In addition, unlike many stories I've read of this type, Louder Than Hunger paints hospitalization as a positive, helpful step toward regaining health instead of as a cold, scary experience that only makes problems worse. Schu credits his own stay in a facility for helping him overcome his struggles. For all these reasons and more, I highly recommend this book to all readers. It's powerful, important, and thought-provoking.

(Readalikes: I can't think of any other middle grade books I've read about eating disorders. You?)

When 12-year-old Lauren Suszek is abandoned by her mother in an amusement park, she's not sure what to do. It's clear her mom isn't coming back and Lauren sure as heck doesn't want to go into foster care. With no other alternative, she decides to hide in the park until she can come up with a better plan. "Borrowing" a uniform and a name tag designating her as "Mouse," she sets about imitating an employee, albeit one who secretly lives inside one of the rides in Ghost Town. 

Things are going along rather swimmingly until a nosy girl starts poking around. Not only does Cat seem to know exactly who "Mouse" really is, but she's obviously determined to rat her out to the authorities. Lauren refuses to be caught. She's become an expert at hiding in plain sight. Will her camouflaging skills be enough to keep her out of trouble now, when it matters most? Or will Cat be able to trap the wily Mouse once and for all?

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live in a busy, magical amusement park? Maura Jortner has. Her debut novel,102 Days of Lying About Lauren, was inspired by a trip she took to Disney World in which she started imagining living inside the Haunted Mansion attraction. Although the park in the book is never named, it has all the sparkly enchantment of The Happiest Place on Earth. It's a fun setting for this heartfelt story. Lauren is a sympathetic heroine, but she's likable because she's hopeful, funny, and compassionate (even though dealing with other people's emotions triggers her own anxiety). She's also a giver, appointing herself as a park janitor so that she can give back to her adopted home, instead of just taking from it. Although I would have liked more details about how she survives on a day-to-day basis, there are enough there to make her situation believable. Ish. Would a 12-year-old (even one who looks like a 16-year-old) really be able to fly under the radar for so long without attracting any attention? Who knows, but it makes for a compelling story! Speaking of, there's plenty of action in the novel, which makes it a quick, exciting read. I buzzed through it in one evening. Lest you think there's no substance in 102 Days of Lying About Lauren, let me assure you that there's plenty. Both Lauren and her best park pal, Tanner, are dealing with grief and trauma that lead to anxiety, panic attacks, and sadness. They help each other cope. In the end, as part of the book's realistic but satisfying ending, trustworthy adults also step in to aid the kids.

Despite some heavy subject matter, 102 Days of Lying About Lauren is exciting, humorous, and buoyant. Because of its unique setting, likable characters, engrossing plot, and upbeat vibe, this is a book that young readers will love. I'm hardly its target audience, but I enjoyed the book immensely.

(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. You?)

To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of 102 Days of Lying About Lauren with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.

Although World War I gave Penelope Jane "P.J." Martindale a unique chance to travel and have an exciting adventure, it also stole two very important people from her. While grieving the deaths of her twin brothers, she visits London's Natural History Museum where she makes an intriguing discovery. A fossil found in a gorge near the Australian town of her birth, a place where her brothers loved to search for ancient treasures, gives P.J. a new purpose—to honor her dead siblings through the fossils they loved to collect. When P.J. returns to Australia, she's shocked to receive a frosty reception from her father, who blames her for his sons' deaths. Hoping to make peace with him and commemorate her brothers' sacrifice at the same time, she heads for Bow Wow Gorge despite warnings from the locals about its sinister reputation. Seventy years ago, an eccentric female paleontologist is said to have disappeared in its bowels under suspicious circumstances along with several of her young pupils. While wandering in the gorge, P.J. stumbles across a skeleton in a hidden cave. Thinking she's just accidentally solved an old mystery, she's stunned when the coroner announces that the unidentified corpse was the victim of a murder. Who was the deceased? What happened to them? And how did they come to lie in a cave full of priceless fossils? 

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Fossil Hunter from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at Edelweiss Plus in exchange for a honest review. Thank you!

At ten years old, Enzo knows his life is coming to an end.  He doesn't mind.  As a dog whose soul is "very human," he's pretty sure he's going to be reincarnated as a man, a prospect he's very much looking forward to.  After all, Enzo has been studying humans his whole life.  Not only has he watched a considerable amount of educational television, but he's also been observing his owner, Denny Swift, ever since the race car driver brought him home as a puppy.  With all the wisdom he's gathered, Enzo knows he'll make a stellar human.

As Enzo ruminates over what he's learned from a canine life well lived, he tells the story of Denny's life—from his career as a pro race car driver, to his marriage to Eve, to the birth of their daughter, Zoë, to how everything changed when Denny began to lose all of them.  Like all faithful companions, Enzo is there through it all to mourn with his best friend, cheer him on, and lick his wounds (sometimes literally).  Along the way, he learns some great lessons about what it means to be human.  

I'm not a big fan of stories narrated by animals, so I have given The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein a wide berth for a long time, in spite of the many rave reviews it's gotten.  I only decided to take it on because I needed a new audiobook to listen to and my library seemed to have nothing else that was immediately available.  Although it started as a reluctant listen, I ended up finding the novel compelling enough to finish.  Did I love it?  Can't say that I did.  Do I understand why it's so overhyped?  I do not.  The story moves at a glacial pace for much of the book, although it does pick up after the Big Event happens.  Problem is, I hated the direction the tale took at that point.  It wasn't what I expected or wanted.  Thus, the read just felt sad, depressing, and...ugh.  I did finish the book, like I said, but I found The Art of Racing in the Rain to be an average read at best.  Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that I don't love animal books and I have no interest in car racing; a lot of my issues, though, stemmed from a story that just didn't resonate with me.  Bummer.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  You?)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

As the wife of a silent film star, 32-year-old Mirielle West lives a luxurious life full of glitz and glamour.  Her two children are watched over by a vigilant nanny so she's free to indulge in illicit drinks, glittery parties, and whatever fawning needs to be done in order to advance her husband's career.  Despite her enviable lifestyle, Mirielle is plagued by grief and guilt after the recent drowning death of her young son.  She's managing the dark moods that so often sweep over her as best she can, while trying to ignore the fact that her husband seems to be purposely spending more time at the studio than at home.  A visit to the doctor over a minor burn is the last thing she needs, especially when her physician notices a concerning lesion on her hand.  Mirielle scoffs at his diagnosis of leprosy.  A woman like her couldn't possibly have such a dirty, foreign disease!  

Even though she's certain there's been a horrible mistake, Mirielle allows herself to be shipped off to the Carville Lepers Home in Louisiana.  She and her husband have been in the tabloids enough already—she can't allow more spurious gossip to make the papers.  Sure the stay will only be temporary, Mirielle turns up her nose at everything and everyone around her.  It's clear she doesn't belong in such depressing circumstances, dwelling among the deformed and damned.  The longer she remains, however, the more she must come to terms with her new life.  Can she create a meaningful existence in such a demoralizing place?  As Mirielle tentatively begins to reach out, she discovers friendship, hope, and love in the most unlikely of places.

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of The Second Life of Mirielle West from the generous folks at Kensington Books via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

When I was a new mom, I had a recurring nightmare about losing my baby.  In the dream, I ran from infant to infant, frantically scrutinizing each of their faces only to realize, to my utter horror, that I had no idea what my own child looked like!  How could I rescue my baby if I couldn't even recognize them?  It was a terrifying thought.  

In Until I Find You, Rea Frey takes these common parental fears to a whole new level, creating a story that is decidedly unnerving.  It centers around Rebecca Gray, mom to 3-month-old Jackson.  As a recent widow and a new mother, Bec is battling grief, exhaustion, stress, and loneliness.  To add insult to injury, she has a degenerative eye disease, which led to the dissolution of her career as a professional cellist and has now robbed her almost wholly of her vision.  Desperate to prove her independence, Bec soldiers on, but her life is not an easy one.  

Bec thinks she's just being paranoid when she gets the odd sensation that something is not quite right.  She feels as if someone is watching her.  At home, things seem to have been disturbed the slightest amount.  A friend dismisses Bec's fears, urging her to get some rest.  She does, but when she awakes and goes to retrieve her son from his crib, she finds another baby in his place.  Sure she's going crazy, Bec checks again.  Even though she's never seen Jackson's delicate features clearly, she's positive this is not him.  A mother—even a blind one—knows her own child.  Doesn't she?  Bec has no family and her friends can't be certain whether the baby is Jackson or not.  So many infants look so alike, after all.  There has been so much upheaval in Bec's life that, really, who can blame her for becoming a little...overwrought?  Not caring what anyone else thinks, Bec plunges ahead, getting the police involved in the baffling situation.  Everyone might believe she's insane, but she's determined to find her son.  No matter what.  Is the baby in Bec's house Jackson?  If he's not, who is he?  And where has Jackson gone?

Like I said, it's a chilling premise.  It leads to an intriguing mystery, which kept me turning pages, wanting to know what was going to happen next.  True, I didn't find Bec, who's whiny and victim-y, super likable.  Still, I sympathized with her.  I did see the story's big plot twist coming, which was a little disappointing.  More so is the fact that it's totally far-fetched, which made it feel less than satisfying.  All things considered, then, Until I Find You was just an okay read for me.  It's engrossing, but I didn't love the characters and the ending irritated me.  Bummer.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Remember Mia by Alexandra Burt and The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

Grief-stricken over the recent death of her marine biologist mother with whom she lived in Japan, 12-year-old Willa Twitchell is trying to adjust to her new normal.  Now residing on an island in Washington State, she shares a loud, chaotic home with her dad, stepmom, three younger step-siblings, and a baby half-sister.  The best thing about being back on Tupkuk Island is her renewed friendship with her long-time best friend Marc Mendoza, but even he is acting strangely.  With her life all upside-down, Willa finds solace in the same place her mother always did: the sea.  

While on a whale-watching trip with her dad, Willa is stunned when a humpback speaks to her.  Somehow, she can hear the creature's thoughts and hold lively conversations with the social animal who is named Meg.  The whale assures Willa that she can call on her new friend anytime for any reason—and Willa does.  She unloads all of her worries and fears
on the sympathetic humpback.  When a blue whale washes up on Tupkuk's shore, she becomes especially scared.  Willa's only a small girl.  How can she save the dying creature?  The townspeople are talking about all kinds of inhumane solutions to get rid of its body, including blowing it up or letting it rot.  Willa knows her mother would do everything in her power to save the whale; Willa intends to do the same.  With Meg's help, she puts a plan into action.  Will it work?  And what will happen when it's time for Meg to move on with her pod?  How will Willa, already wracked with sorrow, say goodbye to her friend?  

Willa and the Whale, the newest middle-grade novel by husband-and-wife writing team Chad Morris and Shelly Brown, is a gentle, hopeful novel about grief, friendship, and healing.  Filled with whale trivia, it teaches the reader about whales while also imparting greater life lessons.  Willa is a sympathetic character, although she sometimes comes off as self-centered and victim-y.  She does show growth during the course of the novel, but I still found her a little irritating.  Likewise, I found the magical realism element of this book a tad annoying.  It just wasn't convincing to me, which made the whole story fall a bit flat for me.  Add to that the fact that there's no real plot to keep the tale focused and you can see why Willa and the Whale was a like-it-didn't-love-it read for me.  I always appreciate a warm, empowering middle-grade novel; this is certainly that, even if it wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington and Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly)

A seasoned San Francisco missing persons detective, 35-year-old Anna Hart is used to dealing with the atrocities that are a daily part of her job.  Although she can steel herself enough to perform her duties, each case embeds itself deeply inside of her.  When tragedy strikes in her personal life, the emotional toll throws her over an edge that forces her to take a step back from work.  Taking a leave of absence, she retreats to Mendocino, the coastal town where she lived as a child after being taken in by a loving foster family.  It's the place she feels most at home, most at peace, making it the perfect spot from whence to lick her wounds.

Anna is supposed to be resting, but when she discovers that a local girl has gone missing, she can't just sit idly by.  The Mendocino sheriff, an old pal of Anna's, is thrilled when she offers to assist him with the case.  She's puzzled by the disappearance of Cameron Curtis, the 15-year-old daughter of a famous, wealthy actress.  The girl had been sheltered and kept separate from the local kids.  If she ran off, with whom did she go?  If someone took her, how did they get access to her?  And what have they done with her?  Cameron's case reminds Anna too much of the last time a girl from Mendocino went missing, twenty some years ago.  Is it possible the disappearances are related?  Whatever it takes from her, Anna vows to find Cameron as well as the long-missing Jenny Ledford.  Asking probing questions in the tight-knit community soon puts the detective in the spotlight—an increasingly dangerous place to be.  Can she find the answers she needs to find the missing?  Or will she be the next woman to vanish without a trace?

When the Stars Go Dark (available April 13, 2021) is a new literary thriller by Paula McLain.  Because it's more of the former than the latter, the story moves slowly (but steadily) with more emphasis on the characters and their relationships than on the twin mysteries at the novel's center.  The characters are sympathetic and likable enough; the prose is skilled, even poetic in places; and the plot is suspenseful and engaging.  The mystery part of the story is pretty straightforward, without any surprises.  In fact, I saw the "bad guys" coming from a mile away.  Usually, I hate predictability in a mystery/thriller, but it didn't bother me too much in this one since the book is really more about Anna finding herself than solving another case.  I don't know if McLain plans to write more books starring Anna Hart, but I would definitely read a series with her as the leading lady.  I enjoyed this broody, atmospheric novel overall and will be on the lookout for more stories like this one from McLain.

(Readalikes:  A million titles should be coming to mind, but I'm drawing a blank.  Help?)

After the unexpected death of her husband, Laura Evans is struggling to make sense out of everything.  She doesn't understand how her cautious spouse could have fallen at the construction site where he was working, especially after hours.  She has no idea how she's going to pay the bills while a stalled inquest halts insurance payments.  She can barely cope with Tilly, her hostile teenage daughter, who's full of grief and attitude.  Losing her husband, her home, and her struggling flower shop leaves Laura with no money, no support, and no future.  How will she and Tilly survive?

When she and Tilly are offered a place at a commune-style organics farm in the Welsh countryside called Gorphwysfa (Resting Place), Laura has little choice but to take it.  The community's charismatic leader, 27-year-old Alex Draycott, is welcoming and Laura feels herself relaxing for the first time since her husband's death.  It's not long, though, before strange things start happening to Laura and Tilly, things that make Laura question whether Gorphwysfa is a dream or a nightmare.  Tilly's happy at the commune, but as Laura digs deeper into the place's secrets, she grows more and more alarmed.  What is really going on at Gorphwysfa?  Are its gates protecting Laura and Tilly from the outside world or are they imprisoning them, barring its inmates from rescue?  Will the grief-stricken women ever find healing and peace?

Other than its Welsh setting, there's nothing very original about The Family by Louise Jensen.  It's your typical "Is this really a safe, bucolic commune for damaged people or is it a creepy, megalomaniac-led cult that will steal both your money and your soul?" novel.  Laura and Tilly are sympathetic characters, but they're not super smart ones.  Laura's actions after arriving at Gorphwysfa make little sense.  Tilly's decisions are just as dumb, but at least hers can be explained by the ignorance of youth.  Although Alex is described as charming, I found him repugnant from the get-go.  It makes no sense that all the women are in love with him.  Ick.  As far as plot goes, the story moves along at a steady pace.  While I saw most of the twists coming, a couple took me by surprise.  Enough happened in the book to keep me reading, but by the end, I was plowing through just to get it over with, really.  In the end, then, I found The Family to be a pretty ho-hum read.  I doubt I'll revisit this author.

(Readalikes:  Hmmm, I can't think of anything.  You?)

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Family with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

Ever since the tragic death of her toddler, Ellie has been spiraling.  She's drinking too much, making reckless decisions, and acting out against her billionaire father.  One night, after too many cocktails, she literally stumbles into a handsome, successful real estate developer named Martin Cresswell-Smith.  His interest and gentle kindness are exactly what Ellie needs.  After a whirlwind courtship, the two are married and headed to Martin's native Australia, where they're heading up a multi-million dollar venture to build a luxury resort at Jarrawarra Bay, New South Wales.

Ellie's excited for this much-needed fresh start, but it's not long before her fairy tale life Down Under starts to dissolve.  Not everything about Martin and his building project is what it seems.  When the developer is brutally murdered, suspicion naturally turns to his unstable wife.  Did Ellie kill her new husband?  If so, why?  

Everyone in Jarrawarra Bay thinks Ellie murdered Martin.  Detective Senior Constable Lozza Bianchi isn't so sure.  She saw evidence of Ellie's fear of Martin firsthand.  Didn't she?  Can the widow be believed or is Ellie Cresswell-Smith manipulating everyone around her, including the police?  Lozza's already on thin ice with the department, but she will not stop digging until she knows what really happened to Martin.  The truth is far more sinister than even she imagined...

I'm always down for a compelling psychological thriller and In the Deep by Loreth Anne White sounded like just the ticket.  Was it?  There's no doubt that this is an engrossing novel.  It kept me on an uneven keel throughout, making me wonder who was telling the truth, who was hiding something, and who I could trust.  While I saw some of the plot twists coming, a couple caught me by surprise.  I like a mystery/thriller that keeps me guessing—and this one did.  Ish.  However, In the Deep is dark, violent, and disturbing.  It gave me more than one nightmare.  Not gonna lie, I kept asking myself, "Why am I reading this?"  It's compelling, that's why!  Bad dreams be darned, I wanted to find out what really happened between Ellie and Martin.  Still, the characters are an unlikable bunch who pretty much get exactly what they deserve.  Lozza is the only one I cared about, so I was disappointed that she didn't get more page time.  On the whole, then, I give this book props for being an unputdownable page-turner.  It loses points (at least for me) for being full of unlikable characters and for being too dark and depressing.  If this book is any indication, White's style is just too much for me.  I'll be giving her books a wide berth in future.    

(Readalikes:  I've seen White compared to Robert Dugoni, but I've only read one book by each of them so I'm not sure how apt the comparison is.  You?)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

Everything has changed since Annie Lee Fitzgerald's father died two months ago.  Not only did the 11-year-old and her mom have to move to a tiny apartment in a rundown neighborhood, but now that her mom is working full-time as a housekeeper, Annie Lee is on her own a lot more.  Despite cutting costs in every possible way, they are still barely making ends meet.  The constant struggle just adds to the overwhelming grief that already looms between them.

Despite her father's absence, there are things that haven't changed.  The bathroom still smells like his aftershave, the radio plays his favorite music, there's stubble in the sink every morning, and the coffeemaker sometimes brews his preferred brand of coffee—even though no one buys it anymore.  Annie Lee's getting used to these strange things, so she's not all that surprised when she notices more magic while she's listening to an old man playing the piano at the mall.  It seems like a sign, maybe even from her dead father, that Annie Lee needs to go back to the lessons she abandoned long ago.  When she learns about a piano competition that pays out a significant prize, she persuades the elderly pianist to teach her.

As Annie Lee attends her clandestine piano lessons, loses herself in books, and gets to know a new friend, she starts to process her grief and even feel a little bit of hope.  When an emergency threatens to blow everything apart, however, she has to make a choice that could ruin everything.

Beginners Welcome, a new middle grade novel by Cindy Baldwin, covers a lot of territory, so it's tough to describe its plot.  In fact, the story's more episodic than tightly told, which makes it seem unfocused at time.  Nevertheless, it features warm, likable characters; an engaging storyline; and solid prose.  While magical realism, even lightly sprinkled, isn't always my favorite, it worked for me in this case, giving the story an extra punch to make it more memorable.  I also appreciate that although this novel deals with some tough subjects, it remains upbeat and hopeful throughout.  While I didn't end up absolutely loving this heartfelt novel, I did enjoy it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin as well as other middle grade grief novels, although no specific titles are coming to mind.)

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Beginners Welcome from the generous folks at HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

Later nicknamed "The Southern Titanic," the luxury steamship Pulaski left Charleston, South Carolina, bound for Baltimore on June 14, 1838.  Her passengers were wealthy, well-heeled, and wholly unaware of the tragedy they were about to be a part of.  When a boiler explosion on board destroyed the ship that night, the vessel sunk in just 45 minutes, leaving about 128 people dead.  The others were stranded on the water, forced to endure hunger, thirst, exposure, terror, and illness before being rescued.  Only 59 people survived.  In January 2018, 180 years after Pulaski sank, divers found the wreckage of the doomed ship.

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan (available March 9) brings the event to life in a dual-timeline novel that explores the sinking and its aftermath in an intriguing blend of fact and fiction.  The story features Everly Winthrop, a modern-day history professor who is asked to help curate an exhibit of Pulaski artifacts for a Savannah museum.  Still reeling from the death of her best friend a year ago, she finds purpose in studying the famous ship and her elite passengers.  She's especially intrigued by the story of a large family of passengers—some members died in the tragedy, some survived, and others' fates remain unknown.  Everly wants to change that.  As she investigates in the present, the reader taken back to 1838 where they're introduced to Lilly Forsyth, an abused aristocratic wife who's forced to make impossible decisions when Pulaski sinks, giving her an unexpected chance at freedom.  What does Lilly choose?  And how does her life change because of it?  What happens to her after the Pulaski sinks?

I had never heard of the Pulaski, so I learned a lot about the ship and its tragic end from Surviving Savannah.  The dual-timeline format is one I always enjoy.  As per usual, I found myself more invested in the past story than in the present one, although both had enough meat to keep me interested.  Even though the historical characters didn't get enough development, I still found them to be a likable, sympathetic lot.  Same goes for the present cast, although I didn't love Everly, who's just too victim-y for me.  I'm all for a sympathy-inducing lead, but I get impatient with too much wallowing—a character has to be at least a little bit selfless for me to really care about them.  Plot-wise, Surviving Savannah moves along at a steady pace, which kept me turning pages.  As for its storytelling, Callahan's prose gets heavy-handed at times (Everly's dialogue, for instance, often feels too formal and flowery). Still, I enjoyed this novel for its colorful historical backdrop, its engrossing story, its intriguing characters, and its capable (if at times overblown) writing. If you like dual-timeline novels about little-known historical events, definitely check this one out. 

Ever since her dad died three years ago, Maddy Gaines' anxiety has been out of control.  The 11-year-old sees danger lurking around every corner, even if no one else does.  She's made so many emergency calls to local authorities that they don't take her seriously anymore.  So, when she meets a mysterious boy setting booby traps in the cemetery, a boy who looks an awful lot like one who went missing six months ago, Maddy knows she can't take her knowledge to the police without proof that the kid really is Billy Holcom.  Maddy is warned off the hunt by her arch enemy, who insists the boy is just his visiting cousin.  She won't be thwarted that easily, not when she's discovered a real emergency, but she will be sure to gather proof this time.  The boy is Billy and Maddy aims to make sure he's found.  When she discovers a reason he might need to stay hidden, however, she realizes that not everything is as it seems.  Is she truly rescuing the kid or putting him in more danger?

Every Missing Piece by Melanie Conklin is a nuanced middle-grade novel that's part mystery, part family drama.  Maddy has a lot to deal with—grief over losing her dad, managing her anxiety, accepting her new, trying-too-hard stepfather, and grappling with a BFF who's leaving Maddy behind as she grows up too fast—even before she starts playing detective.  Her earnestness is appealing, making her a character who's easy to like and root for.  Plot-wise, Every Missing Piece is exciting and engrossing.  The book is also full of subtle lessons about friendship, family, and figuring out how to adapt when change rocks your safe, orderly world.  Every Missing Piece is a touching novel that I very much enjoyed.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a bit of Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins)

When Isaiah Dunn's father dies unexpectedly, it throws his family a devastating curveball.  Four months later, Isaiah's mom is drinking too much, his little sister is needier than ever, and the whole family is living in a dingy hotel room that smells like smoke.  With the constant threat of homelessness hanging over their heads, 10-year-old Isaiah knows he needs to do something.  He's trying to stay out of trouble at school and find a lucrative part-time job, neither of which is working out too well.  Isaiah's father thought Isaiah was a super hero—he even wrote stories about it—but Isaiah just feels like a failure.  How can he save his family?  He needs the super human skills of all the Avengers combined to pull this one off, but all he has is himself.  Isaiah is just a child.  How can he save the day?

Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero, a debut novel by Kelly J. Baptist, is a slim novel that packs a big punch.  It deals with some tough subjects, but it does so in an accessible, age-appropriate, and hopeful way.  Isaiah is a relatable character who's sympathetic and admirable while still feeling real.  His story teaches many lessons about being yourself, working toward goals, using your talents, and asking for help when you need it.  Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero is a poignant, touching, empowering novel that I enjoyed very much.

(Readalikes:  Um, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

After witnessing the shooting that killed her mom and left her dad with a hole in his leg, Nora's life has changed irrevocably.  Suffering from acute PTSD, her dad has become obsessed with safety, barely letting his only child out of his sight.  On the first anniversary of the shooting, Nora and her dad decide to spend the difficult day doing what they love best—hiking and rock climbing in their beloved Sonoran Desert.  When a flash flood sweeps in out of nowhere, however, what started out as a typical excursion soon turns into a desperate fight for survival.  Separated from her dad in the chaos, Nora is on her own to battle the desert's unrelenting heat, deadly wildlife, and barren landscape.  With little food and water, she has to find her dad and get them both to safety before it's too late.  They survived one tragedy, will either of them make it through this one?

As a Sonoran Desert dweller myself, I'm very well aware of the dangers posed by our unique climate and landscape.  Our local news is always full of warnings about excessive heat, staying hydrated, hiking alone, flash flooding, etc.  Many people have been hurt, even killed, by these dangers.  In fact, Dusti Bowling—who lives here in Arizona—wrote The Canyon's Edge partially in response to the tragic 2017 deaths of nine family members who were caught in a flash flood outside of nearby Payson.  These very real stories make Bowling's fictional one feel all the more harrowing and real.  The Canyon's Edge is a tense, exciting page-turner that's so compelling it's impossible to put down.  It's written in verse, using text art to create a story that is as visually interesting as it is engrossing.  I raced through the book in one sitting because it truly is that immersive and unputdownable.  The book teaches some invaluable lessons about outdoor survival while also examining intriguing themes like grief, resilience, the struggle to move on after tragedy, and rebirth.  It's an impactful novel that should appeal to even reluctant readers.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other survival novels like Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis, When We Were Lost by Kevin Wignall, etc.)