Publishers Weekly Review
Nine perspectives interweave in a novel composed of divergent, unsettling stories from authors that include Brandy Colbert, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, and Stephanie Kuehn. A group of delinquent teens is sent to Zeppelin Bend, an outdoor education program that dumps them in the wilderness to teach lessons about hard work and connection. There, they take turns recounting maybe-true stories in an effort to win a promised $100 from Hutchinson's character, who guides readers through their haphazard three-day trip. A gay teen obsessed with film legends gets appropriately cinematic revenge after being spurned in Tim Floreen's story, while Robin Talley's eerie "Look Down" immerses readers in classic summer-camp fare: pranks, romance, and ghosts. Marieke Nijkamp's character, Jenna, hits on the deeper truth of these interconnected stories: "If hope is a thing with feathers... then secrets are things with talons." The kids are considered "human garbage," as Hutchinson's character puts it, but their choices and situations are born of sharp, complicated moments and realities. Though the voices are distinct, it's the overall experience of disparate people finding common understanding that lingers. Ages 14-up. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. |
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Ten troubled teens share campfire stories that reveal clues about the path that led them to Zeppelin Bend, an alternative camp for juvenile offenders. Each story is written by one of several young adult fiction authors, including Tim Floreen, Marieke Nijkamp, and Suzanne Young. The pretext of bonding in the wilderness allows for the transition of one tale to the next as the teens cook a meal, strategize the next leg of their hike, or weigh in on what they've heard. Hutchinson takes on the role of Geo the narrator, egging on his peers, whose stories vary in length, style, and degree of believability. Some are sobering, such as Cody's revenge plot on his first love, a college boy who only wanted a collection of nude selfies from the boys he charmed, then dumped. Others resemble traditional ghost stories; Georgie recounts haunting voices that tormented her at an all-girl's camp where her best friend-turned-mean girl was found dead in the woods. Jaila's (possibly drug-induced) tale of being trapped between two worlds and helped back to the present by a coyote spirit-man is a ruse to make her story sound romantic and mystical, and not a glimpse into meso-American spirituality. Lucinda's account of a school protest gone wrong is a relatable story of individualism-perhaps the overriding theme of the collection. Raw language and sexual situations in some selections will steer this to YA shelves. VERDICT Edgy stories showcase the depth and breadth of styles in a new crop of writers for young adults. A good purchase for most libraries serving teens.-Vicki Reutter, State University of New York at Cortland © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |