Chasing Shadows

by Swati Avasthi
Hennepin County Library hardcover 308 pages
genre: teen fiction, fantasy, relationships

Twins Corey and Holly have a girlfriend / best friend in Savitri. The three of them enjoy "freerunning" in Chicago and pushing their physical limits. Then their lives are changed in the blink of an eye. Most of the story is told from Holly's and Savitri's perspectives, with plenty of graphic novel pages thrown in to tell parts.

Liked:
- inclusion of graphic novel pages
- psychological depths in friendship and parent/child relationships
- details and descriptions
- Avasthi is a Minnesota author and I've met her!

Disliked:
- lack of clarity about Holly's delusions and future
- wouldn't get it for middle school . . . they already make careless decisions. I would hate for students to think "Hey, freerunning sounds like fun! I think I'll try it." It sounds terribly dangerous and I was surprised to learn that it's an actual sport.

Split

by Swati Avasthi
Hennepin County Library audiobook 7 discs
read by Joshua Swanson
genre: realistic fiction, abuse

I can't believe it has taken me so long to read this! I met the author at an event a year and a half ago and love to support local authors. Sixteen-year-old Jace Witherspoon drives cross-country after a major fight with his dad and shows up at his older brother's door. After not having seen one another in five years, a lot of painful ground needs to be covered. This story is very believably written and has different layers of conflict and emotion going on. Jace is a very likeable character. Swanson's vocal work is excellent.