American Gods

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
published by William Morrow, 2001
480 pages
approximate age level: 16+
Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker award winner

Shadow is a guy down-on-his luck, but as he nears the end of his 3 year prison sentence, he is hoping things will turn around. He's got a job lined up, a beautiful wife to go back to, and a best friend who's throwing him a party. Yet, before he's even out of the big house, Shadow learns his wife's dead, she was having an affair with his friend who was going to hire him, and he's dead too. Then, on a plane caught in a sudden violent storm tearing across the United States, Shadow meets Mr. Wednesday, a mysterious gentleman who has one eye, knows more about Shadow than a stranger possibly could, and wants him to be his bodyguard. When Shadow eventually accepts, one unplanned rental-car road trip later, he learns that Mr. Wednesday is a neglected god, fading from the consciousness of modern America – but not quietly. Mr. Wednesday is preparing for a great battle between the old gods and new ones, those born of humanity's love of technology -- a showdown that will probably result in complete annihilation of both. A storm is definitely brewing, and Shadow is standing right in its path.

American Gods, companion novel to Anansi Boys (Mr. Nancy being the connecting character), is a fantastical road trip and compelling mystery. Sure to appeal to older teenagers, especially boys, American Gods is a darker and more mature read than Anansi Boys and, unlike the latter, does include some rather explicit sex scenes and violence, so recommend to younger readers or groups with caution. Despite the many mythological and folklore aspects, readers don't need to know all the references to enjoy the book (for those that are curious, the American Gods Wikipedia page helps make many of the connections between characters and myths). While enjoyable overall, some readers may feel that sometimes that the plot gets a little dull as it meanders through all the road trip stops when the main mystery is sidelined since Shadow's character isn't nuanced enough to maintain reader interest alone. However, Gaiman's use of real-life attractions to play host to marvelous events is pretty neat and sure to make you want to take a road trip of your own. Shadow reappears in Gaiman's short story "The Monarch of the Glen," found in his collection Fragile Things.

Read-alike suggestions:

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

Sandman graphic novel series by Neil Gaiman

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me edited by Kate Bernheimer

Bad Girls Don't Die

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
published by Hyperion Book CH, 2009
352 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Alexis is a high school outsider with pink hair, a slacker attitude, a crusade against a group of mean cheerleaders, and only a camera for a best friend. Life's not great, but she can handle it, until she notices a strange light moving around her house and her little sister Kasey starts acting very odd. First Kasey's love of dolls turns into an obsession, leading her to break her friend's arm when she harmlessly tries to touch one. Then Kasey starts to act even stranger, speaking in old-fashioned diction and losing her memory of periods of time; her eyes even change color – from blue to green. When doors start to open and close and appliances turn on and off on their own, Alexis finally has to admit what's happening, as unbelievable as it sounds – her sister is possessed. But the spirit isn't content with parlor tricks and Alexis needs to save Kasey before whatever is controlling her carries out its evil plans that put Alexis and her whole family in serious danger.

Bad Girls Don't Die is a legitimately frightening mystery and Alender is an expert at creating a chilling atmosphere while also writing believable characters and situations. Alexis is a stellar narrator with a very appealing smart, sarcastic tone and independent spirit. Despite her misfit actions, she's a positive role-model for teenage readers, especially as she constantly stands up for herself and grows and recognizes her mistakes and prejudices. The ghost story is somewhat formulaic, but still compelling, and the way it slowly builds is a real page turner. There is a bit of romance, but it stays to the sidelines, though I was pleased to see that the object of Alexis' (eventual) affections is not your stereotypical prince charming – he's a fully formed character in his own right, and is as realistic as she is. A sequel, Bad Girls Don't Die: From Bad to Cursed, which finds Alexis investigating a new supernatural mystery, is set to be released in June 2011.

Read-alike suggestions:

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor and Jim DiBartolo

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Leviathan

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
published by Simon Pulse, 2009
448 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Alek is an orphaned prince who is on the run and hiding from powers that want him dead. Deryn is also hiding, pretending to be a boy in order to fulfill her dream of joining the Royal Air Navy. In any other time, Alek's and Deryn's paths would never cross, but something terrible is happening in Europe that will change everyone's lives - World War I has just begun. Yet, this isn't the same war you've read about in the history books, as it's not only a war between countries, but one between different branches of science – fabricated beasts vs. steam-powered machines, Darwinists vs. Clankers. When thrown together under dire circumstances, natural enemies Deryn, a Darwinist, and Alek, a Clanker, must put aside their differences and work together, or risk losing everything.

Leviathan is an alternate-history steampunk adventure that pits fantastical, genetically created, living beast-machines against technologically advanced, steam-powered metal mechanisms. While some of these creations may be hard for readers to imagine, plenty of detailed illustrations pepper the story, helping to both explicate scenes and add some visual interest. Deryn and Alek are strong, well-rounded characters who grow and change throughout the book and their dual narratives provide a draw for both male and female readers. An interesting afterward by the author connects Leviathan to the real life events during WWI. Westerfeld spins a riveting, action-filled tale, but the rather abrupt ending may leave readers unsatisfied and anxious to continue the story. Luckily, sequel Behemoth is already available.

Read-alike suggestions:

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (Printz Award winner)

The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

Anansi Boys

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
published by HarperTouch, 2005
416 pages
approximate age level: 14+
Alex Award recipient

Charlie Nancy is a rather banal young man. He has a mundane job, a passionless relationship with his fiance, and has no desire or ambition to improve his circumstances. Then his crazy, flamboyant father suddenly dies, with his hands on a buxom blonde while singing karaoke, and Charlie discovers his life isn't quite what he thought. First, his father was not just a strange eccentric, but was Anansi, the African trickster god. Second, he has a brother, Spider, who is everything Charlie is not – outgoing, lucky, charismatic, and in possession of god-like powers. When Spider decides to meet Charlie, and, unasked, takes over the spare room in his apartment, as well as a few other things, Charlie finds that his uninteresting life is over and he must come to terms with everything wild and mysterious he has been trying so hard to avoid, or face devastating consequences.

Companion novel to American Gods, Anansi Boys is a fun and original adventure that never takes itself too seriously. In this tall tale that expertly weaves African folklore into a modern plot, Gaiman is at the top of his game creating likeable, well-rounded characters, crazy scenes, and propelling the story forward with a fast moving, page-turning plot. This is an adult novel, but doesn't contain any content that should dissuade you from recommending it to teens. Gaiman is a big name in both adult and YA/children's lit (known by many as the "rockstar writer") and I think it would be easy to get teens interested in his works if they aren't already. Anansi Boys is also a recipient of the 2006 Alex Award.

Read-alike suggestions:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Alex Award recipient)

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

Sandman graphic novel series by Neil Gaiman

The Gates by John Connelly

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Going Bovine by Libba Bray (Printz Award winner)

Dust City

Dust City by Robert Paul Weston
published by Razorbill, 2010
304 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Henry Welp has had a tough life. His mom is dead, his dad is in jail, and he's locked away in a reform school outside of town. Oh, and one more thing - he's the son of The Big Bad Wolf – yes that wolf, cold-blooded killer of Little Red Riding Hood and her Granny. When Henry's therapist dies under mysterious circumstances and his best friend Jack hightails it out of school with the help of some magic beans, Henry decides he, too, needs to escape to nearby Dust City, a gritty metropolis that's not so magical ever since the fairies vanished years ago. But when Henry discovers that his dad may have been framed by crime bosses who monopolize a black market of extra-potent fairy dust, Henry's life becomes a lot more dangerous.

Dust City is both a fractured fairytale and a dark romp through a seedy urban underbelly. While populated with a fantastic cast of characters, including ravens, wolves, nixies, and elves, the story touches on topics that are relatable to teens such as racism and drug use. Though at times the plot seems hurried and some situations feel more like ways to advance the story rather than believable events, even within the make believe world Weston has created, Dust City is still an enjoyable and quick read. Narrator Henry is very likeable and all the action and plot twists make it a hard book to put down. Teens will also like seeing their favorite fairy tale characters reborn into such a serious, mature setting. While rather mild in terms of content compared to other YA lit, there is some violence, including a torture scene, and the fairy dust use is equatable to drug use, though it is not promoted by either Henry or the plot.

Read-alike suggestions:

Gentlemen by Michael Northrop

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Fables graphic novels series by Bill Willingham

The Monstrumologist

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
published by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, 2010
464 pages
approximate age level: 12+
Printz Honor Book

12 year old orphan Will Henry is the assistant to Doctor Warthrope, a scientist in a small New England town in the late 1800s. But Will isn't learning about physics or chemistry as his master is a monstrumologist – a studier of monsters. When one night a grave robber stumbles upon the corpse of a hideous beast and brings it to Warthrope, Will finds himself suddenly preparing for a battle that pits the Doctor against a group of Anthropophangi, headless monsters with stomachs full of thousands of razor sharp teeth and a taste for human flesh. But the Anthropophangi have never before been seen in North America, so how have they appeared in the Doctor's town – and why?

The Monstrumologist is a beautifully written horror and mystery that teems with tension and abounds in creepiness. There is enough action to keep those with short attention spans entertained, but Yancey pays plenty of attention to characterization, setting, and language, making this a pleasing read for more discerning readers. Will is a great narrator, and by seeing the events through his eyes we are not only drawn into the story through our attachment to him as a character, but we also share his emotions and reactions – confusion, fear, surprise, terror – making for quite an intense and riveting reading experience. Don't be surprised if the hair stands up on the back of your neck and you find yourself looking over your shoulder more than once while reading. Boys will love the gross-out gory scenes (of which there are plenty), but the eerie mystery is also a big draw that will keep teens turning the pages. Fans will want to follow up with the sequel, The Curse of the Wendigo.

Read-alike suggestions:

The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey

The Last Apprentice Series by Joseph Delaney

The Enemy by Charlie Higson