I Crawl Through It

I Crawl Through It by A.S. King is the story of four teens who are trying to deal with too much.

Stanzi is obsessed with biology. To calm herself she dissects frogs. The order of the insides calms her. For the last few weeks at school there has been an almost daily bomb threat. They are having most classes outside now. And when Stanzi gets home, a note says her parents are in bed, to make a frozen dinner and turn out the lights.

Gustav hasn't been to school in a long time. He spends all of his time building a helicopter in his garage - an invisible helicopter that he will use to fly himself and Stanzi away from their town.

Lansdale Cruise is a liar. She tells a lies all of the time. Her long hair grows each time she lies, like a hair-Pinocchio. She lies so much she doesn't remember how to stop.

China Knowles has turned herself inside out. Something bad happened that she is not talking about, but everyone knows. She mostly communicates by writing poetry, but has found a friend in an online support group and is thinking of running away to be with him.

King is a brilliant writer who writes weird book that make people think. Her characters are great and readers never know if they are going crazy or making a breakthrough. If you are a fan of reading, read something by A.S. King. It will be worth it and you will remember the book forever.

[I Crawl Through It will be released on September 22, 215.]

King, A.S. (2015). I Crawl Through It. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

The Impossible Knife of Memory

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson is a book about dealing with the past.

Hayley Kincain lives with her father. They just moved into his mother's house that he inherited. For the last few years Hayley was home schooled - or more accurately, she and her father lived in his semi and they drove all over the United States. Now Hayley is in a normal high school for her senior year.

Hayley's father is a retired soldier. He liked to keep moving to try to outrun the memories, but felt like Hayley needed stability. He uses different methods to try to cope with the terrible things he saw and the people he lost. And Hayley does what she can to help while keeping an eye on him to see if he is going to fall apart.

Anderson's look at the damage done to those who experience war, and the people who love them, is a compelling story. This is an important book by an author known for dealing with serious subjects.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. (2014). The Impossible Knife of Memory. New York: Viking.