teen reads

Graham Hepburn

THE LIGHT FANTASTIC by Sarah Combs ( Candlewick $ 28) Though it might be hard for Kiwi teens to identify with a backdrop of domestic terrorism and mass shootings, this is a compelling story of US high school life revolving around seven narrators whose stories interweave. Combs’ work is aimed at older teens and she develops complex characters whose stories unfold — often through stream of consciousness — during the course of two days, building up to coordinated shootings across the US by disaffected schoolkids. Combs uses an edgy writing style that builds tension, leaving the reader wondering who is involved in the plot. SEE YOU IN THE COSMOS by Jack Cheng ( Penguin Random House, $ 21) This is, believe it or not, a charming and engaging tale of an 11- year- old boy whose father is dead and whose mother is seemingly lost to schizophrenia. Despite all this, Alex makes his own way in the world and plans to launch a rocket into space so he can communicate with extraterrestrials. With this in mind, he makes a series of recordings to explain life on Earth. His breathless and naive observations are a delight and invite readers to fill in the gaps in his understanding of his life and the world around him. A TRAGIC KIND OF WONDERFUL by Eric Lindstrom ( HarperCollins, $ 22) Told from the viewpoint of 16- year- old Mel, who suffers from bipolar disorder, this book touches on other complexities of teenage life, such as friendships, sexuality, body image and bullying. Mel is a troubled but sympathetic narrator with the dark shadow of her brother’s death hanging over her. She keeps her illness secret from her friends and shares little with family and health professionals. Lindstrom does a fine job of detailing Mel’s struggles with mental health, managing relationships and resolving her feelings about her brother’s death. WING JONES by Katherine Webber ( Walker Books, $ 19) Already a misfit at high school because of her Asian- African ancestry, 15- year- old Wing is further ostracised when her brother, Marcus, gets behind the wheel drunk and kills two people. While Marcus lies in a coma, Wing has to try to keep her family together. Webber deals with issues such as bullying, body image and financial troubles with light relief offered by Wing’s bickering grandmothers ( one Chinese, one Ghanaian). Set in 1995 in Atlanta before the city hosted the Olympic Games, this tale comes alive with Wing discovering a love of and talent for running. THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT by Ron Rash ( Text Publishing, $ 30) At the heart of this small- town tale is a developing and warm relationship between Travis, a high school dropout, and Leonard, a former teacher turned drug dealer. Leonard sees something in Travis, and teaches him about his family history in North Carolina as well as trying to get him back into education. Travis, though, is struggling to break free from his past, his domineering father and the consequences of a run- in with a nasty drug dealer. Rash is an awardwinning author and it shows in the way he skilfully sets the scene and fleshes out his nuanced characters.