Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Title: Scythe

Author: Neal Shusterman

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult 

In a world where people have overcome death through mastery of resurrecting people no matter how they may have died, the world changes in many ways. Age becomes a number. They develop a way to "reset" people so that they can look the age that they want to, even hundreds of years in. Family structure is different, as parents can have generations of their own children. But this also leads to a population explosion, so society realizes that death is still necessary, even if they know how to over come it. Scythes are chosen who are given the task of killing people according to the statistics of how often people died in past societies. Can you imagine being chosen, as a teen, to be the one to kill people for the rest of your life? Even worse, in this story, two teens are chosen to be trained for a singular position, forcing them to compete for a job neither of them are convinced they want! But when death is what your are training in, and death awaits the loser, it is pretty good motivation to excel no matter the cost.

- Katrina

Check out Scythe by Neal Shusterman @ the library!

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Title: What Moves the Dead

Author: T. Kingfisher

Genre: Gothic, light sci-fi, horror 

An interesting and engaging update to Edgar Allen Poe's Fall of the House of Usher. While the overall plot doesn't stray too far from the original the fresh, or more accurately mouldy, additions to the story only add to the atmosphere. The protagonist Alex Easton is highly likeable thanks to a good sense of humor and common sense to spare. Kingfisher (pen name for accomplished writer Ursula Vernon) paints a vivid and uncomfortable picture of the Usher house and it's inhabitants. Something is affecting everything from the walls, to the pond, to the local hare population (oh boy, those hares). The physically unwell Madeline and her equally as mentally unwell brother Roderick are clearly doomed from the start. While the culprit is really no secret, there is one final revolting twist that will leave you squirming in your seat. Following along with the mini language lesson in the beginning only serves to make the reveal even worse.It's an easy read in the sense that it's under 200 pages, but the overall grimy vibes may have you pausing to wash your hands or do a little deep cleaning...

- Kate 

Check out What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher @ the library!

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Title: Where She Went

Author: Gayle Forman

Genre: Young Adult; Contemporary Fiction

This  book is a sequel to If I Stay. I try to refrain from recommending a book that is a sequel, but there is something incredibly special about this book that both brings me back to read it again, and to tell others about it. Where She Went is about meeting someone who once was the very center of your existence after they have faded out of your life for an extended period of time. Adam and Mia were high school sweethearts, and depended on each other to get through every hardship that life threw their way - and these hardships were considerable! 

Inexplicably, as both teens move on into life after high school, Mia slowly cuts off all communication with Adam. Adam is left to pursue his dreams of musical stardom without Mia by his side, and he is still able to find fame and share his art, but his own dreams seem to stutter and falter.  

One night, by pure coincidence, Adam discovers himself outside of a concert hall where Mia is currently performing. He can't resist strolling in - but what happens when you go looking for the answers that someone else is so reluctant to provide? This story is an incredible exploration of love, and grief, and family, and just what it means to include someone else when building your own life's purpose.

- Katrina

Check out Where She Went  by Gayle Forman @ the library!

Steelheart (The Reckoners Series #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Steelheart

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Genre: YA, Supervillians, Fantasy, Science fiction

I began listening to this book in audiobook format but wasn't in the car enough to listen to it so I HAD to check it out! The premise of the book (and the other 2 of the series) is that 10 years ago, there was a red burst in the sky which resulted in ordinary people developing super powers. The people that got powers were called Epics and those that didn't ended up falling to the whims of the Epics. How could balance be restored to humanity? Meet the Reckoners, the only true resistance to the power of the Epics.

This was such a well written series definitely worth the time investment.

- Gina

Check out Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson @ the library!

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Title: The Great Alone

Author: Kristin Hannah

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Set in 1970s Alaska, this story is a unique exploration of the pioneering spirit set in a world many of us recognize. This isn't the 1840s, in a world that is so different from our own that it is tricky to imagine ourselves inside of it. Leni and her parents leave a world with TVs and electricity, indoor plumbing and refrigerators, and head to a property so remote that you need boat or air access to get there. Only 13 when she arrives, Leni finds a world different than what she has known. But she learns skills she never imagined she would need, while facing some family secrets - and scary relationships - that force her to redefine what love means. This is a world on the edge of the wild places where few venture, filled with dangers both unknown and so familiar that we all would struggle with questions over how to overcome them. Come explore a community where everyone relies on their neighbor for their very survival, and dark secrets can take a while to come to light.

- Katrina

Check out The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah @ the library!

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Title: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Genre: Fiction

I absolutely loved this novel about two friends who design video games. It follows Sam and Sadie, who first bond over games in a hospital as children. When in college, they meet again and begin collaborating on their own game. They become successful, though Sadie resents that her contributions are often minimized in an industry with few women designers. This beautiful story of friendship, ambition and the creative process made me laugh and made me cry. This stands out as one of my favorite reads in a long time.

- Sarah

Check out Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin @ the library!

Not My Father's Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming

Title: Not My Father's Son: A Memoir

Author: Alan Cumming

Genre: Memoir

This was a fascinating look at Alan's story of how he became the man he is, how he fell in love with acting, and the familial relationships that played a role in all of it. He faces a situation which truly causes him to reflect on the meaning of family, and the role that DNA and biological connections can play as he learns to embrace his own identity.

- Katrina

Check out Not My Father's Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming @ the library!