Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

A book review by Madeline Soucie

Taking place in the '80s, Eleanor & Park is about two high school students who both stand out and as a result become an unlikely couple. It's a sweet story.

     

Eleanor's new to the high school. She's big and has crazy, unruly red hair. Plus she doesn't try to fit in -- she dresses outside the norm.

     

Park is Asian and isn't quite at the bottom of the social ladder where he gets picked on so survives when others are targeted instead of him.

     

When Eleanor needs a seat on the bus and the only one available is Park's, the two will slowly bond over comic books and music and come  to share a love story neither thought they'd be able to have.

Find it in APL TEEN Fiction YA FIC Rowell, R.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A book review by Madeline Soucie                

Based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd, who died before she could write a story, this was finished by Patrick Ness. A Monster Calls is like Miss Peregrines's Home for Peculiar Children if anyone has read it. It's not like most books and has events that could be real or happen to anyone but has a fictional twist to it.

Conor has nightmares about his mother that have been going on ever since she got sick, and he has been waiting for them to come to life. So when a new monster comes to visit one night, it's not what Conor was expecting. This monster is worse; he wants the truth -- something Conor won't admit.

Conor is haunted by a monster who won't stop until he gets the ultimate truth that in the end will put Conor at peace with himself.

Find it in APL TEEN Fiction YA FIC Ness, P.