We’ve been enjoying reading our way through the rest of the young adult titles in the Sora Sweet Reads collection over the past couple of weeks. These titles will be available for simultaneous use for all members of the Book Village digital library from 5thMay – 20th August.
Two of the books in the collection gave me some insights into events in history that I didn’t know too much about, and I really enjoyed reading them:
In the book, We are Not Free , the author Traci Chee was inspired by her own family history to create a story of the experiences of 14 Japanese American teenage friends, forced from their homes into incarceration camps following the bombing of Pearl Harbour during WW11. The book is beautifully written in the style of interconnected short stories, and I think most young adults and adults will find it very interesting and moving.
I could not put Girls on the Line by Jennie Liu down. Set in China in 2009 it is a fascinating story told from the alternating perspectives of two girls, Luli and Yun. The girls leave the orphanage they grew up in when they turn 16 to work in an electronics factory winding up cables (in case you’ve ever wondered how this was done). It describes how limited their options are when Yun gets pregnant with her bride trafficker boyfriend, and how they are trapped in a system that controls all aspects of their lives. This book is a great page-turner for older teens and adults.
The next two young adult titles will appeal to older teenage girls, and if I’m honest I quite enjoyed reading them too!
Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally is an easy to read, well-written high school romance. The book is narrated by Lulu with flashbacks from her friends, and describes four class trips taken over four years of high school. Lulu and Alex start their relationship on the first class trip and the story progresses through the break ups and re-kindling of the romance over subsequent trips. Lulu has a full house of fashionable interests – she is a vegan eco-warrior, has a gay best friend and is a talented graphic comic book author. I’m sure many teen girls will enjoy reading this book over the holidays.
In The Year Shakespeare Ruined my Life by Dani Jansen, Alison Green– desperate to be the valedictorian, thinks that agreeing to produce the school play of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will help her achieve this. There are some funny moments and complicated teen misunderstandings and lesbian and pansexual relationships. Overall it is an easy “ beach” read – or in our case, a “tucked up under the blankets because it’s cold and we can’t go out because we’re isolating” sort of read.
Next time we will review the Sora Sweet Read titles selected for children in senior primary school.