You're Welcome, Universe

by Whitney Gardner
Hennepin County Library hardcover 293 pages
genre: YA realistic

This one surprised me. I didn't "like" it a lot, but kept reading. The protagonist was challenging - Deaf with an attitude and a penchant for pushing people away. Graffiti / street art is not something I am passionate about . . . but I can see both sides (personal expression vs. vandalism). Julia has two moms (both also Deaf) and the books open with her being expelled because of her tagging. Turned in by her "best friend" Jordyn (who has cochlear implants), Julia is determined to never have friends again. At her new school, she has Casey as her "terp" (interpreter) and is rude toward her as she resents Casey's interference in her life and "tattling" to her moms.

I ended up really liking this story and the unfolding of the mystery about who was tagging her tags.

Page 59 - "Just because I'm brown doesn't mean I'm Muslim. Not that it should even matter. Take your hate to Chik-fil-A." Reading this made me sad. Apparently, identifying as a Christian and trying to uphold Biblical beliefs is now synonymous with hatred. Sigh. (Not that I actually know that much about Chik-fil-A . . . but I think this is where the author is going.)

Page 152 - When Mee says "Oh, . . . um . . . it's for this thing, for the shop. Trying to . . . ah . . . do some renovations." I suspected a major plot twist! What this was really about barely registered for me. It just didn't seem that big a part of the story.

Page 209 - Wow. I guess I really didn't understand Julia or the significance to her of her graffiti. She is a teenager, though, and the reputation for teen drama is well-earned.

Page 217 - The whole scene in the car with Donovan - ouch. That's a harsh way to make a statement. Again, I didn't really like Julia very much in this part of the book.

Page 281 - Ah. The happy ending. The author made the journey challenging, but worthwhile. I wouldn't call this a "coming of age" novel . . . but I almost want to know Julia more. What was her childhood like leading up to this? How will she continue to grow and change. I ended up caring about her (and YP, too!)

The Dead I Know

by Scot Gardner
YAC book PRMS hardcover 201 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

Aaron Rowe is a teenager (17ish?) who walks in his sleep and has disturbing recurrent nightmares. He goes to work for a local mortician who is hard-working, well-respected, and kind.

I liked this book, but it took me a while to get into the story. Aaron is a great kid who had a traumatic incident in his past. He also is becoming a care-giver for Mam, the responsible adult in his life, as she slips toward dementia.

Well-written in terms of character development, I don't see lots of middle schoolers enjoying this. Aaron is a very special young man and his past is a mystery until the end.

page 144 has a very powerful passage on memory loss. Again, not sure this will be a strong connect for middle school kids . . . .