It’s probably true that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover – but we couldn’t resist choosing these from the recent SORA Sweet Reads 2022 collection – based entirely on looks!
‘The Sky is Mine’ by Amy Beashel – well this book had to be read! It has more prize stickers on its bright yellow cover than my favourite bottle of wine does. I was gripped from the first page by this shocking, compelling page-turner that addresses rape culture in teens and domestic abuse in families. The writing is excellent, and despite the subject matter, is often humorous. Izzy, the main character, is just great and the book is a hopeful call for young teens to tell their stories to the world.
The only part of the book that I found disappointing was the unfortunately predictable bit where Izzy forms a romantic relationship with her rower friend and saviour – which almost nixes all the empowering, good bits of the book. Apart from this, the book is sure to be enjoyed by older teens.
‘The Obsession’ by Jesse Q Sutanto – This book has a very striking red cover with stick figures entwined by wool – and the caption: “Boy meets girl, Boy stalks girl, Girl gets revenge”, was enough to get me started. And the book is a great fast-paced YA thriller, set in the exclusive boarding school, Draycott Academy. The story is extreme and dark with dead bodies and a shocking twist at the end. Once I’d finished the book (which I did very quickly), I did think that it was a bit of a ridiculous plot – but it kept me reading right to the end.
Another book by the same author, ‘The New Girl‘ – with a cover that I loved too! Also set in Draycott Academy and with another over-the-top storyline. This time the ending was a slight letdown as it was a bit obvious. There is a lot of teen drama, bullying, cheating, a corrupt teacher – and at least one dead body in this YA mystery thriller. I thought the depiction of bullying at the school through an app, Draycott Dirt, was horrifying and realistic.
‘Minus Me’ by Ingelin Rossland – I chose this book because of the Norwegian author, thinking it might be a bit of teen Scandi Noir, or at least have descriptions of the beautiful Norwegian landscapes. But I was disappointed on both fronts. The book turned out to be a bit odd with religious stuff in it that wasn’t for me. The main character, bratty 13-year-old Linda, draws up a bucket list when she learns that she has a rare heart condition and might die soon. The book follows her, and her new weird friend, Zak, on their adventures as they tick off items on her list. Some young teen girls might identify with Linda and enjoy reading this.
Sora Sweet Reads is OverDrive’s annual reading programme running May 4 – August 17, 2022. Juvenile and young adult ebooks (as well as select audiobooks) are available to participating schools through the Sora reading app.