Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein: The spy that made me cry

Before I begin my review, I'm placing a big fat spoiler alert on it.  As per usual, I will never intentionally drop any bombs without fair warning.  But this book has such a major gasp-inducing reveal that essentially rewrites the entire prior story, that this is your major spoiler warning!  If you fully trust my judgment that this may be one of the best, if not the best, new books I've read this year (and maybe more, it is really that great!), then just stop reading and go and get at a copy right now!
If you're on the fence with my superior judgment skillz, just keep reading, judger.  I will do my very best not to spoil the story!

Code Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein
Disney Book Group: New York, 2012
Nook Copy: ISBN-13: 9781423153252

     It is 1943 and war is omnipresent in Europe.  It is the reason a young female British operative is being interrogated after crashing in Nazi-occupied France.  By her own admission in the first lines of the book ("I AM A COWARD"), uncertain that her pilot, her best friend, has even survived the crash, she has lost hope of escape and agrees to trade her knowledge in writing to forgo being tortured any further.  While at first glance this seem solidly to be a work of historical fiction, this complex, tightly wrought story is one of the strongest portaits of female friendship short of the real thing, and has a reveal that will have readers jaws on the floor and flipping back to look for clues.  While it is marketed to a YA audience, it will do best with sophisticated readers grades 10 and up, and will find a foothold with the adult audience.  It is strongly recommended to all high school and public libraries. 

In case you have short term memory loss and have forgotten what I said earlier: this is THE best, if not one of the best things I've read all year (perhaps even longer!), in total seriousness with no exaggeration.  Behold a tweet I made upon finishing:

Yes.  I cried in public on a park bench.  And then again on the subway platform the next day THINKING about it.  Girl Scouts honor here, I am not exaggerating - people in my neighborhood now think I'm crazier than the hobo that normally occupies that bench.  It should come with a "has been known to make people cry in public" disclaimer on the cover.  This book is truly fantastic.  Get at it immediately!

It should probably also be required reading for dudes mystified by ladies and lady friendships.  At its core, it is a story of the strength and power of female friendship, and our love for our dearest friends.  The truth in this line slays me: 

Partials, by Dan Wells: You know things are bad when teen pregnancy seems like a good idea

Partials, by Dan Wells
Balzer and Bray: New York, 2012.
ISBN: 978-0-06-207104-0
(Review ARC provided by publisher)

Kira survived a civil war with the Partials (an engineered super-soldier race physically identical to humans) and a subsequent worldwide plague that ravaged most of humanity.  She lives with the other survivors on the island of Long Island, where they have created a society and even government.   However, the virus that caused the plague is so potent that no babies born have survived in the ten years since, and the government has responded by requiring all female citizens to become pregnant starting at age sixteen.   Kira, who works as a medic with the doomed babies, is not thrilled at the prospect, but when her adopted sister announces her pregnancy, Kira is determined to save the baby.  She is convinced that the DNA of the virus-immune Partials contains valuable information, if not the cure, and convinces her friends to go on an unsanctioned mission into Partial territory in the former New York City to catch one.  Though their mission goes awry, the group succeeds in bringing back a Partial with them, and Kira is assigned to study it.  A sentient being, it has information that makes Kira question her medical conclusions, her way of thinking, and eventually, her society.   A slow start ends at breakneck speed with a cliffhanger in this adventurous, high-adrenaline, post-apocalyptic, occasionally medical and political thriller. With a thoughtfully, realistically constructed world, it is recommended to sci-fi and dystopia fans, both boys and girls, grades 8-12 for some complex medical wrangling and plot-twists.  

Black Hole Sun, by David Macinnis Gill: Baby Browncoats?

Black Hole Sun
by David Macinnis Gill
Greenwillow Books: New York, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-167304-7
 

     In a distant future, humans are living on and occupying a Mars that is a perfect mashup of Star Wars and Firefly (with shades of and shout outs to other sci-fi that I’m sure I’m just not picking up on).  Our young hero, Durango (sidebar: how great is this name? I’m not sure if it’s better for a child or dog. OR BOTH.  Ima go George Foreman my future pets and children!), is a mercenary soldier in a world where soldiers pledge themselves for life to one individual, and where you’re ostracized if you’re a lone wolf.  Durango also has a bit of a secret; he had artificial intelligence implanted in his brain by his currently deposed and imprisoned father, the former governor of Mars.   Durango, and his second in command, Vienne, who he thinks is totally a babe btw, often work rescue missions in kidnapping cases, often hiring a band of unruly and hilarious misfits to flesh out their team.  Their latest underpaying offer is for protection services for a remote mining post, under attack by the Draeu (I have no idea how to pronounce this, and or how to access the correct letters for it, deal), who kind of like the Reapers of Firefly, eat people (thank gawd they don’t rape them to death, thanks for those nightmares Firefly writers), which is generally pretty gross in my opinion.  But I digress!  The Draeu want something aside from manflesh, and the miners are hesitant to disclose what it is.  What is it, and why is it wanted?  What will happen when a hot miner-girl develops a not-so-secret crush on Durango (hint: girl drama!)?  Will they all survive the Draeu? How cool are the soldiers uniforms (hint: pretty cool)? What makes the Draeu so greepy (gross+creepy) and hard to get rid of? Is this underpaying mission even worth it?   This action packed, sci-fi adventure is filled with explosions, humor, snarky banter, fun, and drama.  Black Hole Sun is strongly recommended for Browncoats of all ages, and other people of all ages (12 and up) who like to read fun, not-too-heady sci-fi.  Not sure if there will be a sequel, but it was fun and quick enough to read that I’d for sure pick up another!

Angel Burn, by L.A. Weatherly: The Girl's Guide to Road Trips with Angels and Assassains

Angel Burn
by L.A. Weatherly
Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2011.
Release date 5/24/2011, ARC reviewed.

        Willow is just an ordinary 16 year-old girl, if the definition of ordinary includes psychic powers.  Her most recent reading of a classmate leaves her with an impeding feeling of doom associated with a vision of a glorious, gorgeous man.  When the girl runs away to join the Church of Angels, Willow decides to try to bring her back.  Alex, on the other hand, is anything but an average 17 year-old boy.  Alex is an assassin working for the CIA on a secret project, Project Angel.  As it turns out, Angels are not beneficent beings, but rather creatures who feed off of the essence of our souls, leaving humans drained and sickly, but addicted and devoted to them.   Alex doesn’t kill people; he is an Angel Killer, and his newest hit is Willow.   When he senses that there is something completely unique about this her, he hesitates and decides to follow her.   They are reluctantly catapulted into each other’s company in their high adrenaline, high speed escape across the country, and forced to rely on each other and fight their growing romantic feelings to survive.  This action packed, supernatural romantic thriller is taut with excitement, anxiety, romance, and fun.  It is strongly recommended for girls in grades 7-10, and for all public libraries in time for summer!

Book Talk Hook: Honestly, the bare plot points kind of do the dirty for you on this one, especially with avid and excited readers of a certain age; all you have to do is build the tension with your performance!  I mean…heck.  The simple book talk the Candlewick people gave at a preview geared towards adults got me, hook, line AND sinker, and I was OH so skeptical.

My less than professional thoughts after the jump: