A Taste For Monsters by Matthew J. Kirby

Evelyn must escape the merciless London streets for her survival. Hiding her disfigured face and hungering for asylum, Evelyn seeks employment at the London Hospital. The hospital has a position working for someone else hiding from the world: Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man. Evelyn is scared by the hideous being, but she grows to love and respect the childlike man inside the malformed body. After a few months, she and Mr. Merrick are visited by several female ghosts, the recent victims of the new serial killer, Jack the Ripper. These visits sap Mr. Merrick’s strength and he begins to decline rapidly. If Evelyn doesn’t resolve the final wishes of these women, Mr. Merrick will die.

Kirby’s story is a supernaturally satisfying thriller certain to keep readers up through the night as they follow Evelyn’s misadventures. Life has not been kind to Evelyn. London’s brutal streets has cost Evelyn her family, her face, and her happiness. She comes to the London Hospital hoping to hide her own pain as she helps others to heal. When Evelyn is given the position as Mr. Merrick’s maid, it turns out that her own marred looks lead to a strong friendship with the misunderstood Mr. Merrick. He teaches Evelyn that there is still hope and beauty in the world, even if people reject or shun her. This sensitivity draws the wandering Ripper victims to Evelyn and Mr. Merrick. Mr. Merrick cannot physically handle their ghostly presence and he begins his own decent to death’s door. The thought of losing her friend spurs Evelyn on to face the unforgiving London streets again. This time she is armed with insight to know who the real monsters are in her world. A rich murder mystery for ages fourteen and up.

Crown of Three by J. D. Rinehart

A prophecy tells of royal triplets who will overthrow their evil father, King Brutan. After their birth, the newborns—Agulphus, Elodie, and Tarlan—are smuggled away to three faraway kingdoms. Thirteen years later, Agulphus is a contortionist scheduled to perform in Brutan’s court. Far away Elodie is kidnapped by rebels who want her to lead their army against Brutan. Meanwhile, Tarlan is flying with his tribe of giant eagles to find his siblings. Agulphus is arrested and put into a cell with King Brutan’s oldest child and Agulphus’s half-brother, Prince Nynus. Agulphus helps Nynus to escape and returns him to his mother, Queen Magritt. But the queen takes advantage of Agulphus and uses him to unknowingly kill Brutan.

Even though the characters are middle-grade age, this story is more appropriate for young adults because of the plot complexity and the graphic, bloody scenes throughout the story. Besides the more mature content, Rinehart’s series is totally engrossing as readers follow the deadly misadventures of Agulphus, Elodie, and Tarlan. When readers catch up to the teenage triplets, each one is well established in their separate lives. However, destiny has different plans for them. For this book, each sibling learns about and accepts their leading roles in defeating Brutan. But that role cannot be fully realized when their father becomes a zombie. Any fans of The Chronicles of Prydain, The Lord of the Rings, or The Inheritance Cycle will thoroughly enjoy this series.

The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson

Eel’s life has improved since he escaped his abusive stepfather and stopped mudlarking. Eel now has food, shelter, and steady work all supplied by the owners of the Broad Street pub. However, his stability is taken away when a jealous coworker charges Eel with theft. When Eel is about to ask a neighboring tailor to prove his innocence, Eel finds that the tailor and most of his family are dying from a new outbreak of the Blue Death. With nowhere to go, Eel takes what jobs he can to secretly care for his younger brother. Dr. John Snow, who employed Eel in the past, hires Eel in proving that the Blue Death epidemic was spread by tainted water, not noxious air as most believe. Right when Eel uncovers proof of Dr. Snow’s theory, Eel is kidnapped by his stepfather and tortured to reveal the location of his younger brother.

Hopkinson’s book is a beautifully written story within the vein of Charles Dickens. Like Dickens, Hopkinson saw a need to write a novel not only revealing the destitution of London’s orphans, but also spotlighting an important historical figure few know about today: Dr. John Snow. Dr. Snow was not blinded by superstitions in treating the sick. He had to push past many boundaries to reveal the truth of how disease was spread. Eel is a similar thinker. Eel pushes past all that fate dealt him to find a happy, stable place even when the world was telling him he would never amount to anything more than a mudlark. But once Dr. Snow and Eel worked together, the two were unstoppable, even in the face of death. At the end of the book, Hopkinson highlights the true characters and places of her story. She even includes the map Snow created in recording the spread of the Blue Death. An enlightening historical-fiction read for ages 12 and up.

Nooks & Crannies by Jessica Lawson

Life for Tabitha Crum has been difficult because of neglectful parents and a harsh school bully. The two things that help Tabitha survive are taking care of her pet mouse, Pemberley, and reading the Inspector Pensive mysteries. Just when her parents are about to abandon her, Tabitha receives an invitation from the Countess of Windermere to stay for the weekend. The Crums postpone their trip hoping they can cash in Tabitha for the Countess’s fortune. However, they learn five other children have been invited as well. When all the guests arrive at the Windermere estate, they are greeted by a mentally unstable countess who carries knives in her purse.

Nooks & Crannies is a delicious read from start to finish. Lawson takes several classic story elements from some of literature’s giants—like Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Roald Dahl—to create a delectable middle-grade mystery any age group would enjoy. Readers will fall in love with young Tabitha as she rises above her sad circumstances using her intellect, positive thinking, and keen observations to help those around her. When Tabitha hears the Countess’s story of her abandoned grandchild, Tabitha immediately believes she is not the lost heir. By disconnecting herself from the Countess’s off-putting affections, Tabitha is gifted with an objective view of the house and it’s occupants that help her connect clues in solving a mysterious death, locating the kidnapped children, and revealing the true identity of the countess. In the end, her detective skills and positive thinking bless her life in ways she couldn’t even image. A must-read for any mystery lover young or old.

Loop by Karen Akins

Things are not going well for Bree Bennis. Her mother has mysteriously gone into a comma. A known felon is hounding Bree to transport illegal items into different centuries. Bree’s time-traveling midterm into the twenty-first century is botched by an awkward preteen, Finn. When she returns to the twenty-first century to fix some of her mistakes, she meets the older, attractive Finn who verbally and physically states he is her boyfriend. According to Finn, Bree’s future-self asked him to protect her while they solved Bree’s current twenty-third-century dilemmas. Trusting in Finn, and breaking even more time-traveling rules, Bree accidentally takes Finn back to her time-period.

Loop is a treat from start to finish. Bree is immediately likeable from page one. Readers discover that Bree uses her humor and determination to both maintain her sanity and hide the pain caused by her problems. When she meets her “future” boyfriend, Finn, its almost a tipping point for her mentally. She can’t handle adding another relationship into her life. She resists trusting him until he reveals some poignant truths about herself. Going on pure faith and putting the humor aside, Bree introduces Finn into her real life. In response to this introduction, Finn becomes a calming voice and shows clear direction amidst her chaotic reality. A wildly imaginative and entertaining read, Akins proves you can make a sci-fi storyline feel as comfortable as sweatpants and as natural as PB&J. Near the end, there are times when the science and the story get muddled together, but Akins pulls it back up for a refreshing finish. Part of a duology, Akins final book is called Twist.

Argos: The Story of Odysseus as Told by His Loyal Dog by Ralph Hardy

It has been many years since Odysseus left Ithaca for the Trojan War. Odysseus’s dog, Argos, maintains his promise to protect Odysseus’s family during his absence. But times are becoming desperate for Penelope—Odysseus’s wife—and Telemachos—their son. Greedy men, calling themselves suitors, take advantage of Penelope’s hospitality on a daily basis. These suitors try to pressure Penelope into admitting Odysseus is dead so she can remarry one of them. Since many suitors see young Telemachos as a threat, they plot to kill him. His life is repeatedly spared thanks to Argos’s keen intellect and boundless strength. During these troubling times, any word about Odysseus reinforces Argos’s loyalty to his master. Argos charges all seafaring birds to come to him with any information. Through these birds, Argos hears the adventures and tragedies of Odysseus’s journey.

Argos is a great introduction for young readers to a “PG” version of The Odyssey. Hardy’s canine spin on the classic Greek tale is an insightful read on the power of loyalty and family. Argos is a bear-like dog, recognized by all as the faithful “Boar Slayer” to Odysseus. When Argos is charged to protect Odysseus’s family, he goes above and beyond his call. For example, Argos takes on the fatherly role of teaching young Telemachos how to properly hunt and be brave during a fight. Argos does this because he knows Odysseus would have taught his son these skills if he were there. Later, Argos actually becomes a father and he learns, like Odysseus, how much it hurts to be tragically separated from his family. At times, the story can be a bit tedious because more than half of the book is just the retelling of Odysseus’s adventures. But Hardy does a good job at keeping the narrative fresh and unique, while he sets up suspenseful problems Argos must undergo at home. 

Above by Roland Smith

On the run since their escape from the Deep, Pat, Coop, and Kate plan to reunite in Oregon. However, their reunion is postponed when Alex Dane—Lod’s brother who helped the teens escape—shows up and tasks Kate to shadow Lod’s members that are gathering in the area. Alex, Pat, and Coop follow Kate’s trail so they can understand Lod’s next move and then notify the authorities. Kate lets herself get captured by Lod’s minions, but she tries to earn their trust so she can hide her involvement with Alex, Pat, and Coop.

This sequel to Beneath is yet another rapid-fire read full of suspense, mystery, and deception. Told from Pat and Kate’s perspectives, readers follow the break-neck pace of these teens as they chase down Lod and his demented disciples. Because there is access to Kate’s mind, readers learn more details about her upbringing in the Deep and understand how losing her parents by Lod’s hand caused Kate to turn against him. Compared to Beneath, Pat is not continually confronting his claustrophobia. However, he encounters his patterned, panic-stricken thoughts again as he is forced to enter yet another Deep. A theme Smith carries through his series is that there is no such thing as a coincidence. Smith shows that the events and decisions of a person’s past ideally places them in situations where they can conquer present dilemmas. Both Beneath and Above clearly show that Smith is an expert at crafting quality, contemporary adventures for young adults. 

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman

For five months Anne has been surviving servitude to the rich shipping merchant, Master Drummond. However, Anne secretly plans to escape to the West Indies—the location where Anne’s English father and her West Indian mother fell in love. Anne’s goal is sidetracked when she meets Master Drummond’s son, Edward “Teach”. Teach, freshly returned from a year at sea, is immediately drawn to Anne because of her strength, intelligence, and beauty. He offers her true friendship, but she hesitates not only because of their differing social classes, but because Teach is engaged to a baron's daughter. As time goes by, the pair cannot deny they have met their match in one another.

After visiting sites associated with the pirate Blackbeard, Castroman began wondering what motivated Blackbeard to become a pirate. From these musings and her research, Castroman created Blackhearts, her debut teen novel. Castroman puts forward a noteworthy piece of literature that will have readers spellbound by her two incredibly strong, leading characters: Anne and Teach. Anne doesn’t know where she belongs because of her English/West Indian background. All she knows is that she needs to escape. Teach doesn’t want to live an aristocratic lifestyle. All he knows is he needs an escape. When the two meet, Anne finds a refuge and Teach finds an equal. With Blackhearts, Castroman expertly shows that a book can still be considered a “romance” when sex is not included. Anne and Teach’s relationship is more of a meeting of minds and hearts, similar to characters like Jane Erye and Mr. Rochester. A bright literary future awaits Castroman if she creates such quality reads like Blackhearts.