Young Adult Literature Reviews

 Young Adult Literature 

Book Reviews

Bibliography

Boulley, A. (2021). Firekeeper's daughter. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9781250766564

Plot Summary

Struggling with not fitting in with her Ojibwe tribal roots or with her French and Italian ancestry, Daunis constantly feels torn. Still reeling from the death of her father and more recently, the death of her uncle, Daunis is yet again dealing with another family tragedy. Her grandmother has suffered from a stroke. Putting off the start of her freshman year at Michigan University, which would take her away from home, Daunis decides to enroll in the community college with her best friend and help her mother, who is struggling with the loss of Daunis’s uncle and her grandmother’s declining health.


As she gets used to her “new normal”, Daunis soon begins to see her two worlds collide, two worlds she has painstakingly tried to keep apart. Jamie, a new player on her brother’s hockey team, soon becomes more than a friend but Daunis can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something. Amidst trying to figure out her new love interest, there is trouble among the Ojibwe youth. A new lethal drug has recently invaded and caused multiple deaths in her community. Daunis feels a responsibility to her Ojibwe tribe to get to the bottom of this enigma that is taking more and more lives. Before she knows it, Daunis is knee-deep in an FBI investigation and working as a confidential informant. Trying desperately to juggle her lack of identity in one world and her undercover identity in another, Daunis begins exposing truths and secrets - some of which may tear her family and community apart.

Critical Analysis

Author Angeline Boulley has created a young adult masterpiece with her novel Firekeeper’s Daughter. As a member of the Ojibwe community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Boulley has successfully integrated important aspects of tradition and values from her tribe into a gripping fictional story young adults will become enthralled with. This thriller/mystery novel incorporates many current issues young adults face such as drug use, racism, murder, sexual assault, and acceptance. Taking place in the early 2000s in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, Boulley creates a realistic main character, Daunis, who struggles with her identity and sense of belonging. Staying true to the characteristics of realistic fiction, the main character soon finds herself also dealing with death, suspicion, and local scandals and finds a way to help her community while staying true to herself. Young adult readers, and adult readers too, will find Firekeeper’s Daughter a read that they will never forget.

  

Review Excerpt(s)

• "Hitting hard when it comes to issues such as citizenship, language revitalization, and the corrosive presence of drugs on Native communities, this novel will long stand in the hearts of both Native and non-Native audiences." - Publishers Weekly

• "Boulley, herself an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, writes from a place of love for her community and shares some key teachings from her culture, even mixing languages within the context of the story. She doesn't shy away from or sugar-coat the very real circumstances that plague reservations across the country, and she tackles these through her biracial hero who gets involved in the criminal investigation into the corruption that led to this pain. An incredible thriller, not to be missed." - Booklist

Connections

For additional activities related to the book:

• Disrupting Injustices and Inequities: Design a research project to address the following: What are other acts of injustices or inequities disenfranchised and underrepresented populations face? What actionable steps can be taken to disrupt them?

• Role of Helpers: Helpers are discussed and revealed throughout the novel, and they are not exclusive to Daunis and her efforts to save her community. In an essay, discuss the various helpers seen throughout the novel, and the vital roles they serve in creating a solution to the issue of meth in the community. Cite specific examples and analyze the purpose and benefits of these helpers

**Activities can be found at: https://www.mackidsschoolandlibrary.com/teachers-guide-firekeepers-daughter-by-angeline-boulley/

Other recommended books if you liked this one: 

• Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith

• Give Me Some Truth by Eric Gansworth

• Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse 

Bibliography

Hinton, S. E. (2021). The outsiders. Viking. ISBN 9780142407332

Plot Summary

Having family and friends you can count on is all anyone could ever wish for, and Ponyboy is no exception. Despite losing his parents in a car wreck, Ponyboy knows he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop, and his best friend Johnny. An economic divide within his community has pitted two social groups against one another, the Greasers and the Socs. As things begin to heat up between the two groups, one night changes things forever…for everyone.

Critical Analysis

S.E. Hinton’s classic, The Outsiders, has been a hit among young adult readers since 1967. Having been in print for over 50 years, Hinton created a novel that has sustained appeal for generations. Hinton, influenced by the time period, successfully incorporated many aspects of the ’50s and ’60s, including clothing and lingo. Included in this novel, are relevant themes young adults can relate to today such as loyalty, love, social class status, and bullying. 

Review Excerpt(s)

• "The Outsiders transformed young-adult fiction from a genre mostly about prom queens, football players and high school crushes to one that portrayed a darker, truer world." - The New York Times

• "Taut with tension, filled with drama." - The Chicago Tribune

• "[A] classic coming-of-age book." - Philadelphia Daily News

Connections

For additional activities related to the book:

• Pre-Reading Web Scavenger Hunt: Get students interested prior to reading the book by providing them with some knowledge of the time period depicted in the book. Have students scour the internet for trends of the time, important figures from the 1960s, or even popular movies. While reading, students will see that characters in the novel are affected by the trends, norms, and even politics of the time.

• Poetry: In this activity, students will identify any words, phrases, or short lines from the text that they feel connect with who Ponyboy is. Students will then compose their poem however they see fit, but it should include at least 12 lines.

**Activities can be found at: 

https://ebacademics.com/2021/02/the-outsiders-3-engaging-activities.html

Other recommended books if you liked this one:

• That Was Then, This Is Now by SE Hinton
• The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Bibliography

Shusterman, N. (2017). Scythe. Simon & Schuster BFYR, Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781442472426

Plot Summary

Living in a perfect world seems like the best possible scenario. No hunger, disease, war, or death due to old age or ailments. But not all things are as perfect as they seem. In the world Citra and Rowan live in, the position of a Scythe has been created. A Scythe takes the lives of people they feel are necessary to control the world population. To their chagrin, Citra and Rowan have been selected to become apprentices for Scythehood. As they both begin training, they soon struggle with their consciences and the emotional toll being a Scythe takes. An unknown future awaits them both - Who will be able to make it through the apprenticeship and be selected for Scythehood? Who can bear the heavy burden of a perfect world?

Critical Analysis

Scythe, written by author Neal Shusterman, is a dystopian, science-fiction novel. Set in MidMerica (Central America) in the year 2042, Shusterman reveals to the reader the story of the futuristic life of two main characters, Citra and Rowan. Living in this world where immortality is a possibility, so too is the burden of being the deliverer of death. Intertwined in this futuristic tale are themes that appeal to young adults such as love, death, excess, compassion, and making one's own choices. Young adult readers will become captivated by the ebb and flow of uncertainty and unimaginable situations.

Review Excerpt(s)

• Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions. A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. - Kirkus

• A brilliant and gripping sci-fi thriller that acutely explores the consequences of worldwide immortality and asks readers to think critically about the nature of morality. School Library Journal

Connections

For additional activities related to the book:

• Cover: Come up with a new title for the story and change the cover art on the book. Explain your reasoning.
• Game: Create a board game based on the book. Design the layout, make the pieces, cards, and other components, and write clear instructions.

**Activities can be found at: 

http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/scythe-arc-of-a-scythe/#gsc.tab=0

Other recommended books if you liked this one:

• This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
• The Program by Suzanne Young
• The Truth App by Jack Heath