I’m late to the party on this award winning book–it won the 2011 Michael L. Prinz award (go here to see more awards), but perhaps you missed it too. (original hardback cover on the left, paperback cover on the right)
Ship Breaker (Little, Brown and Company, 2010) by Paolo Bacigalupi took me into a believable future world with an age old story of kids doing what they have to to survive. I found it fascinating and, at times, heartrending.
Nailer works on a light crew stripping wires from rusting ship hulks. It’s dirty, dark, and dangerous. When he goes home, he has to be equally cautious depending on the mood of his brutal father. A hurricane in the gulf changes his luck. Or does it?
I want to know more about this world. Fortunately, there’s a companion book, The Drowned Cities, that I can read next. It came out in 2012.
I’m not sure how I missed this author–Mr. Bacigalupi writes adult and YA fiction. Check out his books on his website.
Tag: YA thriller
Tunnel Vision
I was introduced to Tunnel Vision (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2015) by Susan Adrian when I went to hear another author speak. After hearing Susan talk about her book, I had to get it.
Jake Lukin has a special power–he can identify where someone is (and more) by touching an object the person has owned. His dad has warned him what the government will do if anyone finds out, but wanting to impress a girl at a party, he shows off his skill. Now he’s being followed around by government agents; or is it bad guys…
Tunnel Vision is a fast-paced thriller that is hard to put down. There are unexpected twists in the story, romance, and sacrifice. I’d love to see it made into a movie. Oh, and the book has been nominated as a YALSA 2016 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
This is author Susan Adrian’s first book, but she’s working on a sequel! Check her website for her Tunnel Tour–she’s been traveling all over the country.
The Third Twin
It was the title that drew my attention to The Third Twin (Delacorte, 2015) by CJ Omololu. And the insides rewarded me in this fascinating book.
Told from the viewpoint of Lexie, their fun and games with “Alicia”–the made up triplet–go horribly wrong when a boy who “Alicia” escapes from turns up murdered the next night. How can Lexie not suspect her identical twin Ava of killing him when she’s shown a video of a girl who looks just like her at the scene? Lexie knows she wasn’t there. But Ava denies being there, too.
I loved the multiple twists in this story of a girl caught in a nightmare.
If you like mysteries such as the ones April Henry writes, you’ll like this one, too.
Visit the author at her site and you can find out the source of her interesting last name.
The Rules for Disappearing
The Rules for Disappearing (Hyperion, 2013 ) by Ashley Elston grabbed me and held on till the very end. Look at the opening lines to see how quickly I was hooked: “What do you want your name to be this time? We have about thirty minutes.”
Meg’s family is in Witness Protection and she’s determined to find out what her father did to put them there. After 6 moves, her little sister is not doing well and neither is their mom; Meg feels like she can’t do it again either. She sets up rules for herself, but finds it incredibly hard to stick to them. Especially with Ethan.
I zipped through this book in 2 evenings and just found out there is a sequel! It’s called The Rules for Breaking. Must get this book!
Don’t you love these covers?
Read more about author Ashley Elston here–especially take note of her other jobs and where she lives. It’ll give you some insight to at least one character in the first book.