Written in the Stars (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2015) by Aisha Saeed is a heartbreaking story that needs to be told (and read). It’s natural for teens and parents to be in strife at some level, but in this story author Aisha Saeed casts the light on parent/daughter strife that has crossed into abuse when girls are forced into marriage.
Here’s a brief introduction to the novel:
Naila in some ways is a typical American high school girl. In other ways she’s living the culture her Pakistani immigrant parents order. She thinks her parents will understand her love for Saif if they just meet him. But she can’t tell them about him as she isn’t supposed to be dating. And now that’s she’s gotten an acceptance letter to college her parents are debating about whether she can even go. Disaster strikes when she and her best friend Carla cook up a plan that lets Naila go to prom with Saif . . . and her parents find out. Not only is Naila not allowed to graduate with her peers, her parents whisk the family to Pakistan for a “visit.” Well, they’ll be visiting. Naila will be forced to marry a Pakistani man and make it her home.
The book was listed as a best book of 2015 by Bank Street Books, a 2016 YALSA Quick Pick For Reluctant Readers, and was named one of the top ten books all Young Georgians Should Read 2016. (I’d like to see every teen read it!)
Aisha Saeed is a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books™. She’s also an example of a happy arranged marriage. Read more about her on her website.
Category: YA Novels
young adult novels (for 13+ yo)
Poppy
If you, like me, enjoy historical fiction set in England, then Poppy (Bloomsbury, 2016) by Mary Hooper is the book for you. This story is set during WWI. (Gorgeous cover, too.)
It’s 1914 and fifteen-year-old Poppy Pearson is working as a servant for the de Vere family. Since the war was not “over by Christmas,” everyone has been asked to do their part. And since aristocratic Freddie de Vere could never consider a relationship with her despite the attraction between them, Poppy decides to volunteer to become a VAD, a nurse in the army’s Voluntary Aid Detachment. It’s a very tough job, but Freddie has promised to write… Who knows what might happen as their world is changing.
I didn’t want to leave Poppy and her life. Fortunately, I may not have to wait too long–a sequel called Poppy in the Field is already out in the UK. I’m hoping it will follow here soon.
On twitter author Mary Hooper lists herself as “Writer of historical fiction (and ordinary fiction) for young adults.” Reading her bio, she started out first with modern YA, but then fell in love with historical writing. She’s authored over 70 books! I’ll have to check out more of them.
the impossible knife of memory
the impossible knife of memory (Viking, 2014) by Laurie Halse Anderson is a good book for those wanting to understand PTSD. It’s told from the viewpoint of a teen girl.
Hayley doesn’t know which father she’ll have when she comes home from school each day. The one who cares about her? The one having an attack of memory? Or the dead-to-the-world-sleeping-all-day one? Will he have gone to work? Will he want dinner? Or will he be drunk or drugged? But she’s expected to deal with starting a new school as a Senior anyway. That’d be difficult enough for most kids, but for the past five years Hayley’s been home schooled in her daddy’s big rig. How can she fit in with the zombies at school and keep her dad safe?
There’s an interview of Laurie about this book in USA Today (August 2013).
Her next book coming out on October 4th is Ashes, the final in the American Revolution trilogy which includes Chains and Forge. There’s a website for the trilogy here.
Bottled
BOTTLED (Clean Reads, 2016) by Carol Riggs is a YA Fantasy that’s a modern take on a genie story.
Adeelah Naji was seventeen a thousand years ago when she was turned in to a genie. She’s still seventeen. And still imprisoned in a bottle and having to serve masters who don’t care about her. Adeelah wants to find Karim, the boy she fell in love with, but has to have her master’s permission to search for him. She’s also on the run from Faruq, although masters have a tendency not to believe he is a threat.
This book snagged my attention from the start and pulled me through it quickly. I sympathized with Adeelah and love the humor: “I must say, this guy isn’t the swiftest camel in the caravan.” The story really ramps up when Adeelah ends up with a seventeen-year-old master named Nathan.
I got to interview Carol about this story for some background info and what she’s working on next.
1. Where/how did you come up with the idea for Bottled?
From watching “I Dream of Jeannie” when I was young. I loved the magic in the show, even though the chaos of Jeannie messing everything up before she fixed it drove me nuts. At the time I wrote BOTTLED, there also weren’t any genie novels around that I knew of, so I thought it was unique. Now, there are a number of genie novels, but I still feel BOTTLED is different enough to bring a fresh slant to the subgenre.
2. What kind of research did you do into genies and the Arabian culture?
I didn’t do a TON of research since most of the novel is set in the U.S. (and a chapter or so in Kenya), but I did research the history and geography of the Arabian area, coins, insects, and foods like sage tea and al kabsa. I checked out Arabian names. I delved a little into djinns/jinns, and decided I wanted there to be a difference in Adeelah (main character) versus a “real” genie/djinn that I described as evil spirits like demons, beings that aren’t wise to be associated with.
3. How long did it take you to write the book?
I started BOTTLED in early 2011, got interrupted by life and line-edits for my debut, and finally finished the rough draft in 2013. So it was pretty stretched out due to other commitments and projects. I revised it off and on since 2013, and tightened and polished it up again just before submitting it to Clean Reads in January 2016.
4. I know you have another book coming out this fall. What’s that one about and who is publishing it?
My next book is a YA light sci-fi by my debut publisher, Entangled Teen. I wrote it in 2010-11 (right before BOTTLED), and I’m delighted it’s finally going to be released in October. Originally the title was SAFE ZONE, but my editor wanted something zippier and less “stiff” so now it has now been retitled as THE LYING PLANET. It’s the story of a teen named Jay Lawton who lives on the terraformed (made to be like Earth) planet of Liberty, and finds out everything he thought he knew about his world isn’t true. Which of course throws his life into chaos and causes lots of hopefully interesting conflict. It’s on Goodreads already but it doesn’t have a cover yet.
Keep up with Carol on her website and twitter.
In the time of the Dragon Moon
In the time of the Dragon Moon (Kathy Dawson Books, 2015) by Janet Lee Carey is full of dragons and kings and fey folk, and a young healer’s helper.
Uma Quarteney is half Euit and half English. She’s been following in her Euit father’s healer footsteps, but since she is a girl, she can’t be the future Adan. Life changes abruptly when Uma and her father are kidnapped and taken to the Pendragon King’s castle to heal the barren queen so she can have a second child. Their Euit village is held hostage. When Uma’s father dies unexpectedly, she alone has to heal the mad queen to save the people of her village and her own life.
There’s mystery and romance in this story as well as danger and intrigue.
Janet is an award winning author of fantasy and fiction and she’s created another believable world with this book. Check her website for a complete list of her books.