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Analyn "Apple" Yengko and her mother moved from The Philippines to Louisiana eight years ago.  Eight years.  So, why does Apple's mother still insist on cooking weird Filipino foods, speaking in Cebuano, and acting so different, so un-American?  All 12-year-old Apple wants is to be like the other kids.  Isn't it enough that she has brown skin and black hair when everyone else is white and blonde?  Does her mom have to emphasize the fact that they're not born-and-raised Americans?

Apple already feels like a misfit, but when she lands on the Dog Log—a list of the ten ugliest girls in her middle school—things go from bad to worse.  No one in Louisiana can understand her humiliation, so she turns to the only people who can make her feel better: the Beatles.  Escaping into music (Apple wants to be a songwriter) is helpful, but what she really needs is to escape for real.  She already has an exit plan, one that involves busking in the Big Easy.  All she needs to live out her dreams is a guitar.  As soon as she can convince her mother to buy her one (ha!), Apple will leave Chapel Spring forever.  And she'll never feel out of place again.

Of course, dreams are never that easy to achieve.  There will be some major bumps along the way.  Also, some new friendships that just might change everything for a lonely Filipino girl who just wants to belong ...

Back in the Stone Age (the 90s seem so long ago!), I spent my junior year of high school as an exchange student in the southern Philippines.  That year abroad changed me—it broadened my view of the world; introduced me to a place marked by awe-inspiring beauty, loving people, and stark poverty; and gave me experiences I couldn't have gained anywhere else (yes, eating dog was one of them).  The Philippines will always have a special place in my heart because of my year there.  Thus, I'm always excited when I come across a book about the country and its culture.  There aren't many, so I was thrilled to hear about Blackbird Fly, a debut novel by Erin Estrada Kelly, who is, herself, Filipino-American.  The story echoes her experience growing up in Louisiana as one of very few Asian people.  Apple's tale is heartbreaking, but ultimately hopeful as she finds acceptance and comes to terms with her complex culture and identity.  As Kelly says in a blog post on the subject, "Otherness is universal."  Kids will empathize with Apple because they understand feeling different.  They will root for her because they long for acceptance, too.  Through Apple they will learn valuable lessons about empathy, inclusion, and celebrating the differences that define each of us.  For all these reasons, I enjoyed Blackbird Fly.  It's an important book, one that will strike a chord with anyone who's ever felt "other"—and, really, who hasn't?

(Readalikes: Reminds me of other culture clash middle grade/YA novels like Just Like Me by Nancy J. Cavanaugh; The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods; Black Boy White School by Brian F. Walker; Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim; Sell-Out by Ebony Joy Wilkins; When the Black Girl Sings by Bil Wright; etc.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), and mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Blackbird Fly from the generous folks at Harper Collins.  Thank you!

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In the ten years journalist Lo Blacklock has worked for Velocity, a travel magazine, she's gone exactly nowhere.  Both literally and figuratively.  So, when Lo's pregnant boss passes on the opportunity to sail through the Norwegian fjords on a brand new luxury liner, Lo is thrilled to go in her place.  A little R&R is just what she needs after a break-in at her apartment that has left her shaken and paranoid.  Plus, the experience should be just the thing to give her lagging career a much-needed boost.

From the moment Lo steps on the boat, she's captivated by its opulence.  From the glittering chandeliers to the glamorous guests, the small ship is everything it's been advertised to be.  On her first evening at sea, something strange occurs—a tipsy Lo witnesses a body being thrown overboard.  At least she thinks she does.  Although she spreads her concern to the crew and passengers, no one believes her as everyone on board is accounted for.  Lo might not be sure exactly what she saw that night, but she knows there was a living, breathing woman in Cabin 10.  Even if the room has always been vacant.  Lo borrowed makeup from a real person.  Where is that person now?  

As Lo tries to convince her fellow travelers—and herself—that something sinister has happened, she comes to realize just how cut off she is from the outside world.  She knows something's not quite right aboard the Aurora Borealis.  But what is it that's off?  And how can she prove that something fishy is going on?  Especially when she can't quite persuade herself.   

I love the premise behind The Woman in Cabin 10, Ruth Ware's sophomore thriller.  It's intriguing, it's chilling, it's a conundrum that kept me flipping pages to find out what was going to happen.  The creepy, atmospheric setting added to the novel's claustrophobic vibe making it an even more intense mystery.  While its plot could definitely have been more complex, The Woman in Cabin 10 tells an exciting, engrossing story.  I didn't find it quite as compelling as In a Dark, Dark Wood, but I still enjoyed the read overall.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, sexual content, and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Woman in Cabin 10 at Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

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Nora Shaw hasn't spoken to her childhood best friend, Clare Cavendish, in ten years.  A reclusive crime writer, Nora avoids social interaction with just about everyone.  Which is why she's so shocked when she gets an email from Clare's new BFF inviting her to Clare's upcoming hen party.  Not having received a wedding invitation, Nora was unaware of the looming nuptials.  The last thing she wants to do is spend a long weekend with someone she hasn't seen in a decade, but feelings of both curiosity and guilt convince her to accept the invite.  

The party venue—an isolated glass house in the English countryside—does nothing to relieve Nora's anxiety about the hen weekend.  Nor does its hostess, a nervous, eager-to-please woman named Flo.  The other party guests—virtual strangers to one another—seem almost as ill-at-ease as Nora.  As the gathering gets going, things soon go horribly awry.  When Nora wakes up in the hospital with only fractured memories of what has occurred, she must connect the fuzzy dots to figure out how someone in the glass house ended up dead.  And why she's being accused of murder.  

In a Dark, Dark Wood—a debut novel by Ruth Ware—has gotten a lot of buzz since its publication in 2015.  Inevitable comparisons to The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl made psychological thriller fanatics (like Yours Truly) take notice.  Naturally, I jumped at the chance to read an ARC of the book.  Although its big finale was a little predictable, on the whole, I was not disappointed with Ware's freshman effort.  The author excels at creating a spooky, unsettling atmosphere that gives a shivery vibe to the whole story.  Plotwise, it's a tense, taut tale that's twisty enough to keep the reader on edge.  The big reveal at the end isn't all that surprising, true, but the book's still engrossing and suspenseful.  Dark, yes.  Disturbing, yes.  Depressing, yes.  And yet, overall, I enjoyed this addicting page turner.  It kept me reading in a dark, dark bedroom way, way past my bedtime.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, blood/gore, and depictions of illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of In a Dark, Dark Wood from the generous folks at Simon and Schuster via those at NetGalley.  Thank you!)

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If you have elementary school-aged kids, you're probably familiar with the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis.  The author has written about the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the sinking of the Titanic, the Hindenburg disaster, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and many other true events in fictionalized, eye witness accounts.  These short, action-packed volumes teach kids about significant historical moments while entertaining them with a tense, exciting story.  After helping with the reading program at my kids' elementary school for years, I can tell you with absolute authority—these are very popular books.  

I've read several of the books in the sereis, but it wasn't until Tarshis published the newest installment that I could finally say, "Hey, I survived that, too!"  Technically, of course, I survived the attacks on September 11, 2001, as well as the Japanese tsunami and the Joplin tornado (both of 2011), but I wasn't anywhere near where those disasters occurred when they did.  The eruption of Mout St. Helens, though, is a different story.  On May 18, 1980, I was living in a small town in Washington State that sits only about 168 miles from the volcano.  Although I was only four, I remember seeing ash on the roads after the eruption.  Not much of a survival story, I know, but the fact that I had even a smidgen of experience with the event made I Survived: The Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980 more real to me.  I also related a lot to the book's main character because, like her, I grew up in the shadow of a quiet, majestic mountain.  Gazing at Mount Hood still brings me feelings of serenity, contentment, and awe.  Lurking under its facade, however, is a volcano that scientists say could blow at any time.  As is demonstrated in Tarshis' latest (and many of her other books), growing complacent in the face of nature's vast, destructive power can be very dangerous indeed.

I Survived: The Eruption of Mount St. Helens tells the volcano's story through the eyes of 11-year-old Jessie Marlowe, who happens to be Tarshis' first female protagonist.  Naturally, she's on the scene when St. Helens blows and has to fight her way out.  Her survival story is full of danger and daring, which will appeal to readers of both genders.  Those who enjoy learning about volcanoes will also like this tale, which contains plenty of facts that are explained succinctly enough to be interesting without bogging down the book's fast-paced plot.  This novel, along with the others in the series, are perfect reads for reluctant readers as well as non-fiction lovers who yearn for "real" stories.  Kids love these books and, you know what?  I do, too.

(Readalikes:  Other books in the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis; also the Who/What Was _______? series by various authors; and the Dear America series by various authors)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for scary situations and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find