When Life Gives you Mangos by Kereen Getten

 

Disclaimer:  I listened to the audiobook.  The narrator was AMAZING.

Clara lives on an island in a little community called Sycamore.  Everyone knows everyone and their business.  You can't get away with anything.  Her family has been here forever.  Her uncle lives in the big house at the top of the hill and he is pretty much an outcast and they call him a witch doctor.  Clara's best friend Gaynah is starting to get on Clara's nerves and Clara is sick of her.  She feels Gaynah doesn't treat her right and puts her down because Clara can't remember what happened last summer.  A new girl is coming to the island, Rudy.  Clara begins to make friends with Rudy-from-New-York and in doing so becomes a little more adventurous.  

I LOVED this book.  I laughed and cried and became invested in Clara.  I knew her.  The author (and narrator) did a great job describing Clara so we could know her.  She also kept me reading to find out what happened that Clara forgot and it does have a twisty ending with a little mystery.

Flying Over Water by Shannon Hitchcock and N. H. Senzai

 

Noura Alwan and her family are granted asylum in the United States as they are refugee's from Syria during Syria's civil war.  They land in Tampa, Florida in 2017 when there are restrictions placed on muslims entering the country.  She is befriended by Jordyn, who chose to be Noura's school ambassador and help her get acclimated.  As Noura tries to navigate a new country, school, and life, she realizes she is being judged unfairly by her appearance.  Jordyn tries to help Noura acclimate, but she is dealing with her own anxiety after her mom had a miscarriage.  The two together help each other.

Great book for understanding refugee's and helping with acceptance and being non-judging.  I really enjoyed the story and am so glad the two author's worked together to give such authentic voices to Noura and Jordyn.  

Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte

 Mary Lambert lives on Martha's Vineyard in the early 19th century.  She is deaf along with many of her neighbors.  They have a high population of deaf and it has caught the attention of a scientist, Andrew who has come to study the colony to discover why the deaf population is so high here.  Mary and her best friend Nancy begin to suspect Andrew is up to no good, so they spy on him.  As Mary's dad refuses to participate in Andrew's study, Andrew decides to leave the island. Mary tries to get back the map that her brother created from a book Andrew has, and ends up getting kidnapped to become his "live specimen" to take back to the mainland.  

Based on a true story of the Martha's Vineyard deaf population, Wampanoag people, and the sign language used by the community, LeZotte created a fictional story sharing a lesser known bit of history.  The book was fairly slow until her kidnapping, but by then I just wasn't interested.  If you love history and/or strong disabled girls, you may enjoy this book.  

 

You Were Never Here by Kathleen Peacock

 Mary Catherine, Cat, hasn't been to Montgomery Falls, Canada, since she was 12 years old.  She is now 17 and her dad has sent her to stay with her aunt for the summer.  She had something happen in New York that he wants her away from.  As she arrives in town, she finds out her former friend Riley has gone missing.  He was the one friend who knew what she could do, which is when she touches someone she can see their fears or desire.  He helped her that summer figure out what was going on, but once they kissed, he never talked to her again.  As Cat stays with her Aunt, she becomes friends with some local teenagers, but Riley's brother, Noah, ropes her into helping him investigate what happened to Riley.  Rachel, a local teen, is found unconscious by the river and somehow Cat knows it is all tied together.  The more she digs into things, the more she becomes a target.

Would probably recommend this for 8th and up for language, violence, stalking, and murder.  I liked the book, but it wasn't a can't put it down until towards the end kind of book.  

Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston

Disclaimer:  I listened to the audiobook.

 Cerys is the royal gardener's daughter.  When she was young, the prince, princess and her along with a royal guard went into the Wild Woods and as an Ancient attacked, her mother came in to save her.  Only she and Princess Arwen made it out alive and Cerys is wood cursed and her blood can grow flowers.  Now many years later the King has died and Arwen is being crowned because the Crown helps keep the Wild Woods at bay from taking over the kingdom.  On the Coronation day, Seren (the royal guard), shows up and curses the whole  assembly with wild seeds that attach and take over the people and turn them into Bone Eaters.  Arwen tells Cerys to grab the crown and not to let her or anyone get it.  As Cerys runs from the kingdom, she puts the crown on to try to fight off Seren, but the crown overtakes her and her pet fox helps save her.  The fox and Cerys run into the Wild Wood to escape, but are followed by the Bone Eaters and Seren.  The two of them, along with a sweet bear continue on their way to find Voryn to see if they can find the Lady of the Wild to help them break the curse.  

Told in two voices of Cerys and Fox, this is a fast paced adventure and good vs. evil story.  The book has closure, but leaves you wanting so much more.  Has some language, self-harm, etc, so would recommend for 8th and up. 

Of Salt and Shore by Annet Schaap

 Lampie (Emelia), is the lighthouse keepers daughter.  He pretty much makes her light the lighthouse every night and put out the light in the morning.  Her mother passed away and her dad is dealing with the grief, and not necessarily well as he should and sometimes takes his grief and anger out on Lampie.  One night a huge storm rolls in to the island and Lampie forgot to get matches.  Her mistake ends up getting a ship wrecked on the rocks and she and her dad punished for it.  He is locked into the lighthouse by himself and Lampie is sent to serve at the Admiral's house.  As she arrives, weird things are happening like a funeral, weird noises, the sound of animals (possibly) roaming the halls. As she discovers what is locked in the tower, she finds a boy who is kept away from everyone and in turn strikes out at everyone.  Lampie befriends him, even though he doesn't want to be friends and helps him discover his true identity.  

The cover, I mean, LOVE IT!  The story however was just okay for me.  It is a good fairy tale, similar to The Little Mermaid.  Story is well developed in characters, setting, and theme.