Rutabaga's Reads 2022: Part 14

This is the third ARCs post overall. Again, what I’ve read for this post have been unfinished proofs. I will avoid providing any quotes, as nothing has been checked against final copies. The previous ARCs posts may be found here and here.

            Disclosure: I’ve NOT been asked to provide reviews by the publisher, authors or the local Children’s Librarian. All opinions are expressly my own.

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians (May 3, 2022) by Brandon Sanderson.

Previously published Feb. 16, 2016, as Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians in hardcover.

   Hayley Lazo, illustrator.

   Genre: Middle-grade, illustrated fantasy fiction

   Type: Chapter book

            He’s getting kicked out of yet another foster home, but that’s the least of his worries. The newly 13-year-old Alcatraz Smedry has met someone who claims to be his grandfather, the Sands of Rashid that arrived on his birthday have been stolen, Hushlanders (i.e. those living in the United States) and Free Kingdomers (i.e. those from Mokia and Nalhalla, etc.) are a thing, and his ability to break most anything is an impressive Talent. Alcatraz, Leavenworth (that’s Grandpa), Sing (a cousin), Quentin (another cousin) and Bastille (a Crystin, which is a Knight of Crystallia, and she’s 13) must retrieve the Sands of Rashid before they’re forged by the evil librarians and put to nefarious use. A witty, action-packed romp that’s fantastical in a real-world setting, this re-published story (for the first time in paperback) is conversational and chaotic, wily and wild. Although the story is entertaining, I did find Alcatraz’s frequent references that readers don’t know what’s really true and his recurrent interruptions to be redundant and noisome. It all grated on my nerves partway through.

            P.S. I was told that my local library used to carry the original versions of the series. Unfortunately, they didn’t circulate well and were withdrawn, but they remain available for checkout amongst other regional libraries through ILL.

For the Record (Mar. 15, 2022) by Monique Polak.

   Genre: Middle-grade, realistic fiction

   Type: Chapter book

            Two sisters live in two places, daughters of divorced parents Alain and Lisa. 12-year-old Justine feels important because her mom depends on her to watch over four-year-old Beatrice and to collect “evidence” of their dad’s neglect so that their mom can get full custody. Her mom bought her a journal and everything! Justine only details what their father does wrong, never noting how much he loves her and Bea. Justine also never records what her mom does wrong. She says her mom never does anything bad … but what about all of the times she’s blamed her for things that are her mom’s doing and not hers? Surely, most other 12-year-olds don’t feel like they have to be the ones to fix everything? In this well-written tale, Polak impresses me with her thoughtful portrayal of divorce and a jarring fictional reality that may happen. It’s one in which Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is clear early on, even if one is unfamiliar with the term, one the DSM-V now labels a form of child psychological abuse. I am also impressed by how the author writes both parents in a nonjudgmental way. Both are flawed, but both clearly love their daughters, even if their child-rearing appears clashingly different. Children of divorced parents may connect with this story, but it’s not a fun one. However, it is assertive and frank, and that works for this story.

Hazard (May 10, 2022) by Frances O’Roark Dowell.

   Genre: Middle-grade, coming-of-age fiction

   Type: Verse novel

            When you’re a star athlete, you don’t play dirty, but Hazard Stokes makes a bad hit, and Coach bans him from the team until the therapist gives the okay. Haz doesn’t believe he needs to see the therapist. Sure, his dad’s leg got blown off by an IED. And yeah, Haz and his brother, Ty, have had to temporarily move in with their grandma so their mom can be with their dad. And, okay, he feels like he’s gotta take care of Ty. But that’s it. No problems here, not with Haz. To the reader, it’s clear that Haz has things to process. There are things going on that would be overwhelming for anyone to contend with, no matter the age. In this relatively slim tale, there is a lot of anger and frustration, and it’s an uneasy path to forgiveness and understanding. The story is told through emails, documents and a couple interviews; it’s considered a novel in verse. While it may resonate with readers who’ve gone through similar experiences or like to read fiction that grapples with realistic tough stuff, I struggled with this. Despite Haz’s struggle, I didn’t like his snide, snarky attitude and so didn’t connect with him. I didn’t find the empathy that I expected that I should have. I also didn’t care for the format. All of the “emails” and “documents” make for a non-cohesive tale. But perhaps that is what the author’s aiming for. Life isn’t cohesive 100% of the time. It’s disjointed, too.

The Mirrorwood (Apr. 12, 2022) by Deva Fagan.

   Genre: Middle-grade fantasy fiction

   Type: Chapter book

            All Fable wants is her own face, but of her entire family – Da, Mum, Allegra (her twin sister), Indigo (they/them), Sonnet (a sister), Thespian (a brother) and Gavotte (another sister) – she’s the only one who’s blighted. To be blighted is to be hunted. There are blighthunters in their world, and Vycorax is one. Her dad, Telmarque, is another. When the two of them breach the thick, thorny hedge that borders the Mirrorwood, they strike a tentative agreement (that Vycorax won’t kill Fable). Eventually, they become something like friends or at least allies in ending the blight. Fable’s blighted cat, Moth, is with them, too. Moth’s blight enables Fable to hear his voice in her head, though no one can hear Moth except her. The Subtle Powers, specifically, Mirachne and the Bannon, seem to have different ideas of what Fable should go about doing. Fable and Vycorax aim to retrieve a tooth from the Withering, a creature that devours anyone and anything in its path, creating oblivion and turning that part of the landscape gray. Fable’s been told to kill the demon prince, Lyrian, but what if it’s Rylain that’s the horrible one? I like this ARC. It is riddled with magic, but it’s not big like the magic in Harry Potter or The Marvellers. This magic is quieter, but still powerful. For middle-grade readers looking for fantasy that isn’t frightful or too deep-themed, this may be a good choice. By saying it isn’t “too deep-themed,” I don’t mean that there’s no depth at all, just that the plot is straightforward and not complicated. There’s the one character perspective, not two or more, and there’s still a choice to be made that doesn’t have an easy answer.

Trigger (Mar. 29, 2022) by N. Griffin.

   Genre: Young-adult, psychological thriller fiction

   Type: Chapter book

            Somewhere on the outskirts of town lives Didi Riev and her domineering father. Even at age five, she must conduct early-morning runs around the homestead, always aiming to be faster. Her dad also decides she must learn chess and win, even against older kids and adults. To lose, to come in fourth place, means punishment from the trouble stick. The story jumps to ages eight and 11 and 15, each of the years showing Didi’s mental fragility with the only source of goodness being her kindly neighbor, Lynn Li, and her son, Devin. This story is awful, not because the author’s writing lacks brilliance, but because Didi’s everyday living with her egotistical, abusive, tyrant-of-a-father is harrowing and psychologically destructive. It is jarring and not a story for the faint-hearted. I didn’t want to keep reading it, but it takes a lot for me to stop reading a book before reaching The End. The ARC contains no trigger warning, but it should. Possibly the most disturbing part of all? The story is drawn from the author’s own experiences.