YA Pick: This Might Hurt a Bit

This Might Hurt a Bit
by Doogie honer
Simon Pulse
2019
328 pages
ISBN: 9781534427174

Kirby Burns is dealing with life, sort of. Since his sister's death a year ago, his family has moved to Upper Shuckburgh, a town so small, there's more cows than people. Kids who live on the rural route ride the bus to school, as Kirby does. Neighbors are distant, but the nearest neighbor owns three "horse dogs" which terrorize Kirby as he waits for the bus each morning.

Lucky for Kirby, two nearby boys become his friends. The three friends get into mischief and teen vandalism. One night when they are attempting to paint a farmer's cows, they almost get caught. They get away, but someone recognized Kirby.

That minor event sparks revenge and wrath unleashed on Kirby and his friends. He's so busy running from bullies, he doesn't deal with his grief. His parents give him an ultimatum: let read them read his notebook or he can read it to them. He has a deadline to decide.

When Kirby finally breaks, his grief spills out and the family begins to heal.

This Might Hurt a Bit begins as a cheerful romp of teen shenanigans and slides into bullying, fighting and assault. Finally, Kirby faces his sister's death, and the subject of grief which is beautifully handled by the author.

Kirby's friends PJ (the stealthy ninja with a mad backpack full of tricks, a la "The Goonies" and Jake, the dark goth loner kid, are memorable characters readers are unlikely to forget.

Highly recommended grade 9 and up. Profanity, teen behavior, vandalism, underage drinking, bullying, violence, death.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Sci-Fi Pick: The Rains

The Rains
by Gregg Hurwitz
Scholastic Inc.
2017
352 pages
ISBN: 9781338216486

The Rains is an exciting and entertaining science fiction YA  book that (almost) delivers on premise. A meter shower occurs and soon after even stranger things begin to happen. Plants grow in seconds and their spores infect people turning them into monster/machines. . At least all adult people. Anyone who is eighteen or over is infected with whatever "disease" or air-borne pathogen was released by the "invasion." Brothers Chance and Patrick have always been close and hard working. They have no idea how their brotherly bond will be tested over the next days and weeks.

The adults aren't just infected they are controlled  by something or someone. The men walk  in patterns: right angle, march, march, march, right angle with their eyes downcast as if they are mapping the terrain. Their eyes are no longer eyes but look like lenses or cameras. The teens don't know who is filming the terrain and what they are doing with the information.

The teens and children are able to set up camp in the local high school. Chance and Patrick see other children and teens being rounded up and put in cages by the infected adults. Whatever is in store for them can't be good. The brothers have become the leaders of the group and must decide to stay or to go for help.

The deus ex machina insertion of a "good" alien in the end was not only far-fetched but unbelievable and a tragic flaw from both the author and editor.

Recommended grade 8 and up. This book is on the middle school book fair for Scholastic Books.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Creepy Pick: The Special Ones

The Special Ones
by Em Bailey
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
2017
297 pages
ISBN: 9780544912298


Creepy, chilling,cult-like and disturbing, The Special Ones will make readers shudder. Esther lives in a farm house and is not allowed to go past the porch because it will anger him. He makes the rules they live by. He chooses the guiding word for the day, and Esther must live the day through that word. Although they have never seen him, they know he is in charge. They know he can punish them.

An old photo of the Special Ones shows four people who look like them. There is a young man with a young  woman, an older girl and a little girl standing  in front of the farm, their farm. When a new girl is collected, she must cut or dye her hair to match the girl she is in the photograph. Older girl Lucille has not been with them for some time. Fans (online followers) of the Special Ones are beginning to question her absence in the nightly chat. Henry will have to bring a new Lucille home soon. Tension mounts when a new girl arrives and causes trouble in their small house. The Special Ones cannot include this Lucille in their chats. Not yet.

Usually girls become docile more quickly. This Lucille is a real fighter. After being locked up in a stone prison for days on end, Lucille comes around and admits she is Lucille, a Special One.

Several years have passed since Esther arrived. She has lived on the farm with Henry the entire time. She barely remembers her life outside it was so long ago. Her world is turned upside down when he reveals that Henry is next to be  renewed.  Esther dreads living on the farm without Henry. A storm ruins the crops and what little they have. If they don't leave soon, they may starve. Every meal, every word, every prayer is broadcast to their followers.

Henry and Esther share a brief moment under the camera's scrutiny and Esther slips Henry a twenty dollar bill that the camera is unable to record. Esther knows though. She is sure Henry will save her.

No one knows what happens when a Special One is renewed. Someone else comes in to take the place of the old Special One. A new Henry will appear but what will happen to the Henry she knows?Esther worries about all of the girls who have left the farm.

Even a well organized plan has its cracks. The mastermind puppeteer  seems to have thought of everything, but what if his plans are ruined by one girl who won't give up? One girl strong enough to find the answers?

Readers will be caught up in the story. I could not turn the pages fast enough. This is one un-put-down-able book!

Highly, highly recommended grade 7 and up. For fans of creepy reads.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Mystery Pick: Turn Left at the Cow

Turn Left at the Cow
by Lisa Bullard
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing
2013
304 pages


Rife with witty repartee, Turn Left at the Cow is seriously entertaining! Middle grade readers will love sarcastic Travis and the acid tongue of Iz. Well developed characters and an old mystery will draw readers in and keep them reading. Lisa Bullard is spot on with her tween dialog and snarky sarcasm.

Set in rural Minnesota, city boy Travis feels out of it. There's no big city out here. There are cows. And dirt roads. And heads made out of butter. And all kinds of funky meat that's been in his grandmother's freezer for eons. The only reason Travis is in Minnesota at all is that he knows he's not wanted in California now that his mom has married Dale, his new step-dad.  Travis goes in search of his real father's roots, and runs away to his grandmother in "Old-McDonald ville."

Neighbor kids Kenny and Iz tell Travis that his father was a bank robber who stole money and hid it somewhere near the town before he disappeared. Travis wonders if his real father is alive. Maybe he went into hiding somewhere. Travis is desperate for answers and grills his grandmother for them. Speaking with her is like speaking to a brick wall; she doesn't want to tell him anything about his own father. Travis decides to go along with Kenny and Iz on their "treasure hunt." He wants to find the missing bank  money as badly as they do, hoping that it will give him answers about his presumed dead  father.

The unlikely trio start digging for clues  and are soon find themselves in danger. Someone else is looking for that money and that someone will do anything to find it first. Travis is questioned by the police when he shops at the local store. Someone is using marked money from the bank robbery, and the police think Travis found the money and is spending it. Why is that money suddenly showing up in town? Travis knows he didn't find the money, but just who did? And why are they spending it? To throw blame on Travis?

When Travis is threatened, the three kids work together to trap the real bank robber. Travis suspects his own grandmother may be involved, but he's afraid to confront her.

This book will resonate with middle grades and middle school readers and will entertain reluctant readers.

Highly, highly recommended grade 5-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)