Adventures of a Stand-Out 21st Century Heroine

Faith, Vol. 1: Hollywood and Vine by Jody Houser. Illus by Francis Portela and Marguerite Sauvage (Valiant Comics, 2016, 112pp.)

Faith Herbert: daydreamer, pop culture geek, and plus-sized super-heroine. In a world where her superhero ex-boyfriend, Torque, makes millions with his own reality TV show, Faith quietly chooses to pay the rent as a mild-mannered entertainment blogger at Zipline. On her own time,  she takes to the skies searching for ways to help out humanity, even if it is just busting a gang of jerks trying to steal puppies from a shelter. But now someone’s kidnapping psiots, other superheroes like herself, and her determination to save them just might blow her cover.

I have to say, I was very impressed with Faith. In addition to being a real sweetie, she’s also a good role model. She knows how to stand up for herself, and seems genuinely comfortable with both her body-type and herself as a person. In other words, she’s stand-out 21st century heroine. Aside from one instance of bad language (a bad guy uses a well-known slang term for urination), there’s very little objectionable content, making this a perfect fit for teen readers, Ages 13-Up.

Well-Meaning, But Lack of Subtlety Dampens Overall Quality

Stereotypical Freaks (Forever Friends #1) by Howard Shapiro. Illus by Joe Pekar (Animal Media Group, 2012, 140pp.)

Senior class misfits Tom and Dan want to participate in their school’s Battle of the Bands. Dan plays a mean bass, and Tom is a whiz on both guitar and keyboard—but two people, unfortunately, don’t a band make. They still need a drummer and at least one more guitarist if they want a chance at beating the competition. That's when Tom reaches out to Mark, a former friend and now star athlete, for his mad guitar skills. Later, they’re joined by exchange student Jacoby, who proves to be formidable on the drums. And so is born a new band, the “Stereotypical Freaks.” As the night of the competition draws close, the four boys revel in their awesome new sound—until one of them comes forward with a heartbreaking secret. Will misunderstanding and tragedy unmoor their new-found sense of comradery? Or will it bring them closer together?

Oh, where to begin? The thing I liked most about this graphic novel were the lists of suggested songs at the beginning of each chapter. Since I was reading this as a galley on my computer, I was able to go to YouTube and listen to the songs as I read, which was really a nice touch. Supporters of the We Need Diverse Books movement will also be pleased by the inclusion of minority characters as key players in the story. Mark is black and has two mothers, while Jacoby is Inuit. However, that's where my praise ends. Although it’s a nice, well-meaning story with an important message, it also tends to suffer from preachiness and lack of subtlety. When the boys are discussing possibilities for their new band name, Tom muses: 

“The name should be unique to us...who we are, what we are. And when people look at us I think they see four, I guess for lack of a better word, stereotypes… We have a brainiac, a goof with zero social skills […], an African-American football star and a tiny and very shy foreign exchange student… To them, that is who we are. The truth is, we’re not the stereotypes they define us as. In a way we are freaks...because we're not who we’re perceived as.”

This is where, as a writer, I’m going to on my creativity high horse and point out that in a good story, readers should be able to pick up on themes by themselves. If a story requires direct intervention by the writer, then the story isn’t as strong as it could be. And unfortunately, I think that’s the case here. Recommended for older teens, ages 16-Up.

A Swift, Funny, Moving Sports Story

Ghost (Track, #1) by Jason Reynolds

Castle “Ghost” Cranshaw knows how to run from his problems. Three years ago, his dad went after him and his mom with a gun, and the two of them had to run for their lives. His dad’s in prison now, but Ghost and his mom are still dealing with the emotional fallout. Ghost is a good kid, but his past has left him angry and with an attitude problem. One day, he decides to disrupt the school’s track team tryouts by running onto the field and beating everyone’s best time. Some coaches would discipline him for the interruption—but loud-mouthed Coach Brody is impressed with Ghost’s athletic ability, and ends up giving him a shot at making the team. To his surprise, Ghost really likes the other track candidates, and adopts the group as his own. He decides he’ll do anything to make the team. But when he steals a pair of new track shoes to replace his torn-up sneakers, he comes to realize that his bad choices just might cost him everything.

Swift, funny, and moving, Ghost is a gem. While there’s some potentially heavy stuff on the story’s periphery (characters have conversations about abuse, parental drug use, and hard upbringings), Reynolds deftly handles it in a way suitable for younger teens. The first installment in a projected trilogy, it’s the perfect book for librarians to hand to students or parents seeking “clean” realistic fiction. Recommended for Grade 6-8.

A Fast-Paced Adventure Story with a Well-Rounded Female Lead

Day of Ice (Crusoe #2) by Andrew Lane (Adaptive Books, 2017, 258pp.)

Friday, an agent of the king’s royal spy ring, is in trouble. While following a suspect through the frozen streets of London, she is captured by the insidious Circle of Thirteen and spirited away to a local insane asylum for mysterious purposes. As Friday fights tooth and nail against her captors, Robin, her friend and fellow spy, defies the orders of his superiors and risks everything to rescue her. In the process, both teens learn more about the Circle’s origins and intentions, as well as uncover a bizarre conspiracy of brainwashing and murder. Andrew Lane does pretty well with his second Crusoe novel, infusing it with break-neck pacing and high-drama chase scenes. Although Robin still remains relatively flat as a character, Friday really shines through as the story’s heroine, and readers will be eager to learn more about her past as the daughter of a pirate king. A lack of mature content leads me to recommend this title to adventure fans Grades 6-8.

The Amazing Book is Not on Fire

The Amazing Book is Not on Fire: The World of Dan and Phil by Dan Howell & Phil Lester (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2015, 224pp.)

Take a walk on the silly side with Dan and Phil, a British YouTube duo who use the Internet to entertain millions with their videos. Using pictures, text conversations, interviews, and more, this pair chronicles their unusual career in a way that entertains as much as their online content. Fun stuff includes trivia, comedy sketches with stuffed lions, tips on hamster breeding, and how to make your own YouTube videos. Recommended for Grades 7-Up for some mild swearing.

A Bittersweet But Realistic Love Story

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Omaha, 1986. Eleanor is an unwieldy red-head who decorates her sweaters with fishing lure and lives with her mother, four siblings, and an abusive stepdad. Park is a comic book-loving do-gooder whose half-Korean heritage makes him a novelty in this neck of the woods. When Park lets Eleanor, the new girl, share a seat with him on the school bus, they soon find themselves bonding over comic book heroes and exchanging mixed tapes. Soon, they have embarked on an unlikely romance—however, both have personal issues that repeatedly threaten to end the relationship. The author’s admirable refusal to shy away from the painful (and frightening) subject of domestic abuse, as well as the story’s bittersweet but realistic ending, are what make this love story stand out. Recommended for Grades 9 Up for strong language.

Review: Surrounded by Sharks: A Spine-Tingling Adventure Tale (with No Character Development), by Michael Northrop

Surrounded by Sharks by Michael Northrop (2014; Scholastic Press, 2016, 224pp.)

Thirteen-year-old Davey makes the worst mistake of his life when he decides to ignore the “No Swimming” sign at the beach. Shortly after he wades in, he’s overtaken by a dangerous riptide and swept out to sea. Now he’s floating in the middle of the ocean—and about to come head to head with a hungry tiger shark! While the novel’s lack of character development brings much disappointment, the plot that accompanies the author’s spine-tingling premise does not. It’s action-packed from beginning to end, and will definitely appeal to reluctant readers in Grades 5-7.