Ship Breaker

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010

336 pages

approximate age level: 12+

National Book Award finalist

Printz Award Winner, 2011

There are a lot of things that Nailer doesn't know: how old he is, if he's going to get enough to eat, when he's going to lose his job, if his father is going to drink and hit him again when Nailer finally makes it home to his shanty house after another grueling day. Nailer's just a normal kid but was unlucky enough to be born in a slum on the Gulf Coast in the not too distant future, so instead of going to school or doing chores, he struggles to survive as a member of a light crew, a group of kids like him that work long hours disassembling old, rusty oil takers and taking what valuable parts are left, like copper wiring. It's a rough life -- Nailer barely gets paid and will soon be forced out of his job, and left with virtually no other work options, when he grows too big to crawl through the tiny ship ducts. His only hope is for a Lucky Strike, or a windfall so good it will lift him out of his miserable life forever. Then one day he miraculously finds a giant Lucky Strike -- a wrecked clipper ship off the coast that's full of valuable treasure. But there is one problem -- the owner of the ship, a young girl, is trapped on board but still alive. She promises Nailer riches beyond anything he has ever imagined if he will only help her. But is she lying? Nailer must decide if simply a life worth living is worth killing for or if this mysterious girl really can take him farther than he has dared to dream.

Ship Breaker is a novel that undulates, mirroring the ocean, an important and ubiquitous part of the setting. Parts are full of action and and move as quickly as a hurricane, then things slow down and Bacigalupi focuses on the characters who are revealed to us one layer at a time until the climax, which is as much about a finale to the drama as a revelation of what intentions and desires many characters have been harboring inside themselves. Nailer is a plucky protagonist with shades of Oliver Twist whom the reader can't help but root for despite seemingly enormous odds. A collection of other characters, such as Nailer's friend Pima, her mother Sadna, and even, eventually, the mysterious girl from the clipper, are multifaceted, surviving by their own unique moral compasses that are neither commendable or detestable, but understandable given their lives and circumstances. The dystopian setting is described in a detailed and believable manner and is a persuasive enough future to be rather unsettling. Even with its dark moments, such as more than a few violent and unnatural deaths, Ship Breaker is an enjoyable adventure that will leave readers satisfied and hopeful. Though Ship Breaker is Bacigalupi's only YA novel, readers may also enjoy his first work, The Windup Girl.

Read-alike suggestions:

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
published by Henry Holt and Co., 2010
352 pages
approximate age range: 13+
Morris Award Finalist

Samhain Corvus LeCroix, Sam for short, is having a hard time getting his life together since he dropped out of college and took a job in a fast food joint called Plumpy's. He's barely making ends meet and has no personal life to speak of, but at least he's got the company of his friends Ramon, Brooke, and Kevin to help him get through his cringe-worthy shifts. Then, Sam's boring world changes in a flash when a terrifying man, Douglas Montgomery, comes into the restaurant and instantly recognizes something important about Sam he never even knew about himself -- that, like Douglas, Sam's a necromancer and, with the right training, he can talk to, and even raise, the dead. From there, Sam's life only gets creepier. To send Sam a message that he's in charge and doesn't like competition, Douglas has a werewolf beat Sam to a pulp and then cuts off Brooke's head and has it delivered to Sam in a box -- still talking. Now with Ramon, Kevin, and Brooke, who may only be a head, but is still her smart and sassy self, Sam has one week to discover what he can about the powers he never knew he had and face Douglas or lose everyone he loves, as well as his life.

Sherman Alexie sums up Hold Me Closer, Necromancer best with his quote from the cover: "This is a SCARY funny book OR a FUNNY scary book. In any case, it is a GREAT book. I LOVE IT." While it might seem hard for one book to straddle the line between laugh-out-loud funny and chills-up-your-spine-scary, Necromancer does so with ease and neither the funny nor scary moments seemed forced or out of place. The urban fantasy world McBride creates is creative and unique, and as readers slowly discover its secrets with Sam, we become more and more intrigued. Sam himself is a likeable, well-rounded character, as are his friends, though McBride also skillfully shifts the perspective throughout the novel, at times telling the story from a handful of different characters, such as Brid, a shapeshifter girl and fellow victim of Douglas, Sam's mom Tia, and even evil Douglas himself. Each character's voice is distinct and easily recognizable, and these different view points flesh out the story and show past events and current motivations in a way that wouldn't be possible with a single perspective. In addition, there's plenty of action -- some comedic, some creepy -- to keep even the most reluctant reader entertained. However, Necromancer does contain some violence and brief sexuality, so cautiously recommend to younger readers. Though the book winds up in a way that's satisfying, McBride leaves plenty of room for a sequel, which most enamored readers will feel can't come quickly enough.

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Read-alike suggestions:

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

The Gates by John Connolly

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

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

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)

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