Falmouth High School Library

Derting, K. (2010). The Body Finder. NY: Harper. 329 pages.

Violet Ambrose has always had the supernatural ability to detect dead bodies, and the ones that have been murdered call to her in “echoes.” Generally these murdered bodies are victims of nature – birds, squirrels, etc. Not only do bodies emit unique echoes, but that same echo is imprinted on the killer. So when her cat kills a mouse, Violet might hear the same screeching sound, taste the same terrible flavor, or see the same strange light coming from both the dead mouse and her cat. When she was eight, she found the body of a murdered girl, and the killer was never found. Now Violet is sixteen and someone is kidnapping and murdering girls in her county. Violet is determined to help, but must keep her ability secret. The only people who know what she can do are her family and her best friend, Jay. As Violet begins her hunt, the killer realizes that she is onto him, and suddenly, she becomes his prey.

This book is the first in a series, and I cannot wait to read the next one. It reminded me a lot of Lisa McMann’s Wake series, which I also loved. The subplot of Violet & Jay’s potential romance is sweet – almost a little too perfect – but I found myself hoping they would get together. Violet’s friends are funny… a little stereotypical, but they made me laugh. If you are looking for an intriguing read about a strong girl with a really strange ability, you should check out The Body Finder.

Collins, S. (2010). Mockingjay. NY: Scholastic Press. 390 pages.

Mockingjay is the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I don’t want to give anything away to those who haven’t read the first and second books, but I will say that this book is a lot different from the first two. The first two books are both set in the arena and a season of the Hunger Games is played out. In this book, the time for games is over. Katniss is in District 13 and they are waging war against the Capitol. I would say more, but it would ruin the first two books. This is definitely worth reading if you are a fan of the first two books, but it was my least favorite in the trilogy. Also, I would recommend re-reading the first two if it’s been a while… I didn’t, and I regretted it quite a bit because I couldn’t remember a lot of details from the first two and there are not many “flashbacks” to remind the reader of what went on.

Updale, E. (2003). Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? NY: Scholastic. 233 pages.
After being released from jail, prisoner 493 takes on two identities: Montmorency – by day – an upper-class gentleman who stays in a hotel and attends the opera, and Scarper – by night – a cunning thief who uses the newly installed sewer system under London to disappear quickly after he commits lucrative robberies. The story, the first in a series, is brilliantly written with a double characterization of the same physical person. Scarper is a static character who is sheisty throughout the novel, while Montmorency transforms by giving back some of the things that he took from people – not so much material things, as those have been sold, but sentimental items. Although this is the only book I have read of the series, the rest are definitely in my TBR pile. The thing I really like about this book is that it is appealing to both boys and girls. The cover art is really cool/scary looking.

Ryan, C. (2009). The Forest of Hands and Teeth. NY: Delacorte. 310 pages.

Wow, I could not put this book down. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where an infection has turned hordes of people into “Unconsecrated,” the main character Mary is struggling to figure out where she fits in. Her village is surrounded by a high-reaching chain-link fence, which is designed to keep the Unconsecrated out – because the Unconsecrated hunger for human blood. Both of Mary’s parents have been infected, and her brother does not allow her to live with his family; instead, she must join the Sisterhood (basically like a convent). When Mary’s childhood friend suffers from an infected broken leg, he is moved into the cathedral that the Sisterhood occupies because it is like the village’s hospital. Mary falls in love with Travis as he spends months there recovering, even though Travis has been pledged to be married to Mary’s best friend Cassie, and Mary herself is pledged to Travis’s older brother Harry. Mary dreams every day of traveling to the ocean that her mother told her about; she dreams of breaking free from the village and basically an arranged marriage, but there is no way past the fence and the Unconsecrated – until, one day, a mysterious young girl appears from beyond the fence. This gives Mary hope that the ocean really does exist and that she might travel there one day. When a horrible breach happens and the Unconsecrated take over the village, Mary, Harry, Travis, Cassie, and Mary’s brother manage to survive and leave the village, only to find themselves in a maze of fences. This is a story of adventure, love, desolation, and what to do when all hope seems to be gone. I really enjoyed the plot twists and unexpected storylines. Ryan’s writing is beautiful and detailed. Highly recommended.

Abrahams, P. (2009). Reality Check. NY: HarperTeen. 330 pages.
Just when Cody Laredo thinks that life doesn’t get much better – he is the quarterback of the varsity football team and is dating the prettiest girl in the school – his life gets all messed up. He tears his ACL during a game, which means he is out for his junior year season. His dreams of playing football in college go out the window pretty quickly. Then his girlfriend’s parents decide to send her to boarding school across the country. When his girlfriend mysteriously disappears in the Vermont mountains, Cody decides that it is up to him to figure out what happened to her. This book is fast-paced and interesting, and will especially appeal to boys. It has a lot of football talk, fights, broken bones, etc. The ending is a bit deus ex machina, and seems a little rushed, but otherwise this is a great book for younger YA readers.

Birch, B. (2006). Rift. London: Egmont. 284 pages.
This was quite an interesting/slightly confusing book. The protagonist is Ella Wilson, a 14-year-old girl from England whose older sister, a journalist, has gone missing in the mountains of Africa. Also missing are a few students who are on a class trip to an archaeological dig site. Ella’s sister is her only family, so Ella flies to Africa to try and help find her sister and the missing students. The minor protagonist is Joe Wilson, also 14, who was part of the missing party but was found, and he can’t remember the circumstances of why the group went missing or where they might be. There is quite a bit of text involving archaeology, ancient legends, and ancestry. I wish that more of the story had been told from Ella and Joe’s points of view, rather than focusing on the investigator who has been assigned to the case. I wish that Ella and Joe’s relationship had been developed more. There were some loose ends that, as you know, are not my favorite. This book is recommended for readers in grades 6-9.