What YA' Reading: Finding your own truth
Get lost in stories with characters who question themselves, their abilities and where they come from. How will they define themselves? How will they distinguish fact from fiction, dream from reality? Check out my recommendations for books exploring all this and more.
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
A wall of thorns, a castle of darkness, a kiss of life.
All her life Becca’s grandmother Gemma told her the story of Briar Rose: a princess on the brink of death rescued by a strange prince from a treacherous castle. But as Gemma’s life comes to an end, she shocks the now-grown Becca with the claim, "I am Briar Rose." Gemma makes Becca promise to find the “castle in the sleeping woods” and claim it as her birthright.
The first chapter of this book hooked me in with the cozy descriptions of Grandmother Gemma’s talcum-lemon smell, the family reciting the story of Sleeping Beauty together, and the cryptic revelation Gemma gives on her deathbed. The unwinding of Gemma’s past kept me reading as Becca and her friend Stan uncover pieces of truth in Gemma’s version of Briar Rose. The reality Becca finds is both horrifying and healing, as she comes to understand Gemma and her origin better. I’ve always loved Jane Yolen’s fantasy writing and this book was a gorgeous reimagining.
Fans of Escaping Mr. Rochester, Wicked and Jojo Rabbit will enjoy exploring a new perspective on a familiar tale in Briar Rose.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
In a world of ordinary humans and Gracelings with abilities of all kinds, Katsa is Graced with killing. Katsa grows up under the thumb of her tyrannical uncle, King Randa, and is unwillingly put into service as his brutal enforcer. But Katsa is clever as she is lethal. She leads an underground Council of rebels against the king. Katsa soon finds out that her kingdom is not the only one in trouble.
Enter Prince Po: the smug, pretty Prince of Lienid whose grandfather Katsa recently rescued on a Council mission. Katsa is suspicious of Po, and most men. However, Po is Graced with fighting so she doesn’t mind keeping him around as a sparring partner while they try to uncover who was behind his grandfather’s kidnapping. Katsa and Po’s investigation leads them to truths both freeing and horrifying as they realize far more than Po’s grandfather has been at risk.
I have loved this book since I read it the first time. Katsa’s confidence and unwillingness to compromise felt like something to aspire to, while Po’s gentle self-assuredness felt both unnerving and comforting. The twists of this story keep you turning the page to see where the characters end up next.
This is the first novel of the Graceling Realm series. Each novel is set in the Graceling world but centers on another character. I recommend reading Bitterblue next, it truly fleshes out the mysteries just beginning to be unearthed in Graceling.
Fans of The Sin Eater’s Daughter, Throne of Glass and The Legend of Korra will love the fierce determination of Katsa in Graceling.
Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries
Earth has been left behind and humanity has worked hard to rebuild on the planet Meridian. But the journey to Meridian came with an unexpected passenger: exposure to a substance known as “Ghost Dust.” Ghost Dust causes most of the offspring of the passengers to be born with superhuman powers.
Unfortunately Oberon Afolayan is an exception born without powers. Oberon is a recent panic-attack-induced college dropout struggling to find his place in the world and in a family of “Ghost” siblings. He spends a lot (too much) of time sleeping and finds solace in his dreams, until they start to spring to life. Oberon would be more terrified if he hadn’t been dreaming about Kon, his high school crush, who materializes before him. But is there more to Kon than a pretty face? Will Oberon be able to fight off nightmares when they crash into reality? Is any of this even real? Follow Oberon on his journey of self-discovery and find out what it means to help yourself.
Just like Oberon I have absolutely struggled with feeling out of place, out of my depth and with finding my path forward. I am IN for a story that explores all these things, set in the future, with superhuman characters! I loved this graphic novel. The illustrations are beautiful and in full color. The use of darkness and negative space gave emotional weight to powerful moments in the story, and reminded me of Japanese manga styles I love. I especially appreciated the inclusion of so many gender nonconforming characters, people of color and characters portraying authentic mental health struggles.
Fans of the stories of Magical Boy and Dead Endia and the surreal colorful aesthetic of Bee and PuppyCat will love Strange Bedfellows.
