Normally, I don't include LDS authors in my Mormon Mentions, but since YA novelist Kristen Tracy no longer practices the religion (at least as far as I can tell), I figure she's fair game. Besides, she mentions Mormonism quite a bit in her newest novel, Sharks & Boys, so really, how can I resist?

If you haven't got a clue what a Mormon Mention is, allow me to explain: When I see a reference to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as the Mormons) in a book which was not written by a member of the church, I post it here. With commentary from Yours Truly. I'm no theologian, but I try to explain doctrinal issues as well as debunk myths and clear up misconceptions. Speaking of, I should probably make this crystal clear: My dad only has one wife. As does my husband. And, yes, people really have asked me those questions. Just FYI: mainstream Mormons haven't practiced polygamy for more than 120 years.

Everybody got that? Great. Let's move on ...

In Sharks & Boys, the main character has two Mormon friends, twin guys named Skate and Burr. They're high schoolers, not saints, but the way Tracy portrays them is, um, interesting. I thought so, anyway. Let's see what you think.

Even during the good times Skate and Burr were hopelessly immature. They wore stupid T-shirts with juvenile messages printed across their chests. Burr's: I'VE UPPED MY STANDARDS, SO UP YOURS. And Skate's: I CAN'T, I'M MORMON. Skate and Burr talk about being Mormon quite a bit. But they don't behave like they come from a conservative religious persuasion. Presbyterians, maybe (21).

- Personally, I think this passage is hilarious. Burr's fashion statement is a little too bold for me, but I'd totally buy Skate's shirt for my almost-teenager. It would make that whole resisting-peer-pressure thing a lot easier.

If you're at all familiar with the LDS Church, you probably know about the "I Can't"s to which the shirt is referring - no drinking (includes alcohol, coffee, even caffeinated pop), no smoking, no swearing, no sex outside of marriage, etc. Seems like a lot, but, really, it's not that bad.

Burr: "If I weren't Mormon, I think I'd own a bar."

Landon: "Yeah, I've noticed that your faith totally seems to be stifling your lifestyle."

Burr: "And my future."

Dale: "It would be awesome if you owned a bar. What would you name it?"

Burr: "The Thirsty Manatee."

Dale: "I'd drink there."

Munny: "If you don't want to be Mormon, why don't you quit? Take your life into your own hands while you're still young."

[Long pause.

Skate: "It's our heritage. It's who we are" (48)

- Plenty of people attend the LDS church simply because it's what people in their family have always done or, if they still live at home, because it's what their parents expect/demand from them. Unlike a lot of religions, Mormonism requires a whole lot more from a person than just attending a meeting every now and then. It truly is a heritage, a lifestyle, an all-encompassing, life-altering thing. That kind of committment doesn't fly with a lot of people. Mormon teenagers, especially, struggle with accepting their parents' beliefs over their own developing attitudes. That's where gaining a personal testimony of the church's doctrine comes in.

On pages 51, 52, and 53, there are references to the LDS boys drinking beer.

- Even though drinking alcohol is prohibited by a health code we call the "Word of Wisdom," lots of people (especially teens) try it. It's not something that will get you excommunicated from the church or anything like that. Still, drinking is definitely frowned upon.

Under an arm, Skate and Burr are each carrying a brown paper sack. I can't believe that they're both going to attend Brigham Young University in the fall. Maybe that's the whole point of drinking now. Once they enter Utah, they won't be getting inebriated again for quite some time (58).

- First off, there are certainly bars in Utah, so finding a drink in the Holy Land isn't as impossible as Tracy makes it sound. Second, I've said that Mormon teens have been known to try a drink or two - so, the author's description of the boys drinking is realistic, if not flattering. My problem with this passage is that, usually, the kind of kids who spend their weekends sucking down booze as nonchalantly as Skate and Burr aren't the kind that attend BYU, a college that's won the distinction of being the most "stone-cold sober" for 14 years in a row. Now, I'm not naive enough to think that no one at BYU drinks - I mean, there very well could be a huge underground drinking movement there that I don't know about (after all, lots of crazy things happen at the Y) - but the majority of BYU students really and truly are stone-cold sober.

Burr goes next and he really comes to life. He sits up straight and speaks with an energetic enthusiasm that I haven't heard come out of him in a very long time. "I want to go on a mission someplace cool. I hope I get sent to Russia."

Neither Skate nor Burr have talked that much about going on missions, but Skate sure seems jazzed about it right now. "The suits. The Missionary Training Center. The companions. The bicycle. The name tags. I'm ready for it."

Skate looks up and smiles. "Me too. Russia. France. Brazil. A faraway place. I want to learn a language" (137).

- Again, I think this is a realistic portrayal of Mormon teenage boys, especially those who've faced as much hardship as these two characters have. While they're still struggling to find themselves, still grappling with their testimonies, still figuring out what to do with their lives, they're excited about the possibility of serving church missions. If they're out boozing on the weekends, then they're not "ready" as Skate states, but at least they're headed in the right direction.

As you may or may not know, worthy (meaning they follow the rules of the church, including the no-drinking thing) Mormon boys go on missions at the age of 19. Girls can go at 21. Older married couples may also serve missions. Missionaries are sent all over the world to preach the gospel. Since missionaries represent the church, talking about God pretty much 24/7, they are required to be morally clean, spiritually-minded, and 100% committed to the church and its teachings. There's definitely a stigma involved with not going, so sure, some kids go for the wrong reasons. Some of these missionaries find their faith in the field, others stick it out to avoid the shame of coming home early, and still others return home, unable to complete two whole years (or 18 months, in the case of the women) of proselyting.

To avoid spoilers, I'm not going to give you the last quote verbatim. Let's just say it involves beer drinkers and heaven.

- Drinking alcohol is against the Word of Wisdom, therefore, most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints don't indulge. At all. However, we don't believe that drinking alcohol is a mortal sin or anything like that. In other words, a sip of alcohol won't keep you out of heaven. A keg - well, that's another matter :) Kidding, kidding. In all seriousness, problems with the Word of Wisdom are brought up with an individual's bishop (local clergy). In the case of addiction, counseling is provided via LDS Family Services.

So, interesting Mormon Mentions, right? If you've read Sharks & Boys, how did you feel about Tracy's portrayal of Burr and Skate? Realistic or not so much? Even if you haven't read the book, any thoughts on the quotes I included? BTW: They are from an ARC of the book and may have been changed in the final version of the novel.

Thoughts?

It's sort of a given that a story about storm-chasing will be exciting, and Storm Runners, the first book in a new middle grade series by Roland Smith, is most certainly that. The whole disaster-tracking thing, along with some other story elements (*ahem* circus folks), makes for a unique, interesting plot that will appeal to even reluctant readers. Smith focuses mostly on action, though, which makes for potentially complex, but ultimately flat characters as well as mediocre writing. All in all, I liked the concept, wasn't so wild about its execution. Kids will probably eat this one up, though, and I have to admit that I'm liking the series enough to keep reading. I just hope Smith fleshes out his characters a little more, spruces up his storytelling a lot more, and keeps bringing the excitement.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of the I Survived ... series by Lauren Tarshis and a little of The Storm Chasers by Jenna Blum)
Grade: C
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for intense action
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Storm Runners from the generous folks at Scholastic. Thank you!

(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for The Agency: The Body at the Tower, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from The Agency: A Spy in the House. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

After successfully completing her first assignment as an operative for The Agency, a secret, all-female detective organization, 18-year-old Mary Quinn is eager for more. Even if it means acting the part of a grimy young street urchin. To investigate the mysterious after-hours death of a bricklayer on the building site of St. Stephen's Tower, Mary will disguise herself as a boy looking for his first job as a builder's assistant. Once she secures the position, she'll lay low, work hard, and keep her eyes and ears open for any clues as to the true fate of the bricklayer. The workers may believe John Wick died at the hands of a vindictive ghost, but Mary certainly doesn't.

Acting like a boy is tough enough for Mary; getting a group of crusty laborers to trust her enough to talk freely in her presence is nearly impossible. When she spies the handsome figure of a certain engineer on the building site, she's terrified that her old nemesis James Easton will blow her cover. Instead, the two form an alliance. Once again, Mary's relying on the infuriating gentleman to help with her case. Once again, she's lying to him about who she really is and what she's really doing. As much as James sometimes irritates her, Mary hates to deceive the man who's been occupying her daydreams ever since she met him.

The more clues Mary uncovers about the bricklayer's death, the more intriguing the mystery becomes. And the more dangerous. It's not long before Mary's fighting for her own life, not to mention that of one very charming young gentleman. Can Mary survive long enough to find the killer? Or will she become the next victim?

The Body at the Tower, the second volume in Y.S. Lee's delightful The Agency series, offers another fun romp through the sordid underbelly of Victorian England. With colorful characters, a compelling mystery, and a lively romantic subplot, it's simply a good, old-fashioned tale of derring-do. After reading so much dark, depressing YA fiction, this series truly is a breath of fresh air. I'm tempted to fly to the U.K. right now, just to get my hands on the next book. Spring 2012, come soon!

(Readalikes: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee; a little like A Golden Web by Barbara Quick)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for mild language (no F-bombs) and some mild innuendo - one of which is quick, but fairly graphic (hence, the PG-13 rating)

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Body at the Tower from the generous folks at Candlewick Press. Thank you!

I loved The Last Survivors, Susan Beth Pfeffer's post-apocalyptic YA series about teenagers scrabbling to survive in a country forever changed by violent natural disasters. Blood Wounds is also YA, but it's a contemporary mystery about a teen girl grappling to understand a violent crime committed by her father. Sounds uplifting, no? Well, no. Compelling, though, right? I've been begging Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for this one for a while now - unfortunately, my pleas seem to be falling on deaf ears. *Sniff* I may have to buy this one come September 13.

You may recall me raving about Ilsa J. Bick's debut novel Draw the Dark in this post. It was such a riveting read that I cannot wait to see what the author does in Ashes, her about-to-be-released dystopian thriller. I don't know anyone at EgmontUSA, but I seriously wish I did just so I could get my hands on this one. It comes out on September 6 and I, for one, cannot wait.

How about you? Which ARCs are you dreaming of?

If this is your first time here, welcome! I'm so glad you're visiting BBB. Take a look around, leave me a comment (or two, or three, or ten) and be sure to enter my giveaway for a boxed set of Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls series. If you've been here before, thanks so much for coming back. Your loyalty means a lot to me.

Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!