Gail's Studio

There are so many things I loved about this book that it's hard to know where to start. The main character, Drea, is a teenager who's tired of being defined by her acronyms... ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome. I've read a few YA novels with main characters on the autism spectrum, but this is the first one that explores that voice from a female point of view, and it does so beautifully. If you enjoyed Marcelo in MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD, I think you'll also fall in love with Drea because both charac...more There are so many things I loved about Tara Kelly's YA debut that it's hard to know where to start. The main character Drea, is a teenager who's tired of being defined by her acronyms... ADHD and AS, or Asperger's Syndrome. I've read a few YA novels with main characters on the autism spectrum, but this is the first one that explores that voice from a female point of view, and it does so beautifully. If you enjoyed Marcelo in MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD, I think you'll also fall in love with Drea; both characters are so three-dimensional, defined by a whole host of characteristics and gifts, rather than just by their labels. Like MARCELO, HARMONIC FEEDBACK is a coming of age story with a beautifully drawn, unique protagonist.

The secondary characters are pitch-perfect, too. There's Drea's loving but imperfect mother, who is begging her to get along with her grandmother, since Drea and her mom have been forced to move in with her for now. There's Justin, the cute-but-keeping-secrets boy who falls for Drea at her new school. And there's Naomi, Drea's first friend in years, who is so full of energy and spirit and so painfully flawed that my heart absolutely ached for her from the minute I met her. The characters in this book feel real through and through, and their journeys are believable and compelling. Teens who love music, especially, will be drawn into Drea's world.

I can't share much about the ending without running the risk of spoilers, but let's just say that I cried. And then I cried again. And it was just perfect. Don't miss this one, due out in May from Henry Holt. You can read more about it at http://harmonicfeedback.com

This YA novel takes place over a mere 24 hours, but what a 24 hours it is. It's the day when everything changes for Lucy, a girl whose mother is a compulsive hoarder. For years, that fact has shaped her life. She's worried about the smells of her family's kitchen following her out of the house, worried about friends who invite her to sleep over when she can never reciprocate, and worried that someone would learn her family's dirty little secret. In the early pages of this novel, a tragic turn fo...more Book by book, I'm reading and recommending my way through the fantastic ARCs I picked up at NCTE. I had been looking forward to C.J. Omololu's YA novel DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS for two reasons. First, I know Cynthia online and had read about her book sale. And second, my Walker editor  Mary Kate is also the editor of this book, and I know how excited she is about it. I read DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS in a single sitting -- on the plane home from NCTE, actually -- and it kept me turning pages long after I should have been sleeping.  

It's a great, compelling read. This YA novel takes place over a mere 24 hours, but what a 24 hours it is. It's the day when everything changes for Lucy, a girl whose mother is a compulsive hoarder. For years, that fact has shaped her life. She's worried about the smells of her family's kitchen following her out of the house, worried about friends who invite her to sleep over when she can never reciprocate, and worried that someone will learn her family's dirty little secret. In the very early pages of this novel, a tragic turn forces Lucy to make a decision about how to handle her mother's hoarding...and her own future.

Powerful and page-turning, this book would be a great choice for literature circles in grades 7 and up, particularly because it has an ending that will get readers talking in a big way. I still can't stop thinking about it. Highly recommended.

My editor was kind enough to send me an early copy of MAGIC UNDER GLASS by Jaclyn Dolamore, and I finished this book so recently, I can still hear the ticking of the clockwork automaton in my brain. It's a story that will stay with me for a long time, set in a world that was pure delight to visit.  I can't wait to buy a few more for my classroom. I already have a mental list of students who are going to love it.

The world created in MAGIC UNDER GLASS is one firmly grounded in social classes and politics, yet it still swirls with spirits and fairies that are completely believable. The main character, Nimira, is a dance-hall girl who finds herself taken into the home of a wealthy sorcerer, where she's commanded to sing with a clockwork automaton who plays the piano. It turns out, though, there's more to him than cogs and gears, and that "something more" captures Nimira's heart and mires her in a seemingly impossible plot to save him.

I love the strength of the girl characters in this book, not only the charming, clever Nimira, but also the supporting characters, right down to the maid who pulled out a move that had me cheering near the end of the book.

While the book is officially being labeled as YA fantasy, it's also perfectly appropriate for younger advanced readers who appreciate fantasy and romance. MAGIC UNDER GLASS a beautifully written story that somehow has the feeling of being completely fresh and a classic all at once. Highly recommended...especially if you need a last-minute gift for a tween or teen girl.  MAGIC UNDER GLASS comes out this Tuesday, December 22.

Note: This is the UK cover, which I think I might like even better than the US cover above.  They're both gorgeous, though, befitting a beautifully written book.

Current temp: -3 F I like to think this is nature's way of making up for our cold hands...