Galante, Cecilia. The World From Up Here.

Galante, Cecilia.  The World From Up Here.  Scholastic Press  2016  309p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-545-84845-9  elem/ms  Realistic fiction         VG-BN

Wren Baker is afraid of everything. Her mother, who suffers from depression, must travel from their Pennsylvania home to an Ohio hospital for treatment, which means that her father must go there as well. Wren’s new-to-town Aunt Marianne and cousin, Silver, offer to care for Wren and her brother, who has Asperger’s syndrome. Silver does not appear to be afraid of anything. As the girls become close, they inspire each other, and when they climb the forbidden Creeper Mountain, they discover hitherto unknown parts of themselves and rely on each other.

This fast-paced, well-written novel is sure to thrill young readers. It is packed with suspense, and its many plot twists will engage and entertain readers. With lots of action, the story comes full circle, and all that is mysterious is resolved and explained, making it a very fulfilling read.

Summary: Wren Baker is afraid of everything, and when her mother is hospitalized in a different state and her father is required to go there also, Wren and her brother with Asperger’s syndrome are force to live with their aunt and cousin who are new to their town.  Silver, Wren’s cousin, appears to be afraid of nothing at all, and inspires bravery in Wren.      

Family-Fiction, Asperger’s syndrome-Fiction                                               --Virginia McGarvey

Bender, Aimee The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

Bender, Aimee The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
Doubleday see Random 2010 292p 25.95
978-0-385-50112-5 hs/adult VG
This novel follows Rose from age nine to adulthood. Rose can feel the emotions of the people who have made the food she eats. This gift or curse directs her life as she learns more than she wants to know about her dysfunctional family and the sadness of their lives. This novel, set in Los Angeles, follows Rose from age nine to adulthood. At the age of nine, she discovers that she is able to feel the emotions of the people who have made the food she eats. She learns that her mother is unhappy in their dysfunctional family and Rose can sense her mother’s affair. Rose’s older brother, Joseph, seems to have Asberger’s syndrome, a type of high functioning autism, yet this is never actually labeled in the book. Joseph eventually disappears under weird circumstances and Rose is the only one who knows how and what has happened. Rose ultimately learns that her brother and father, as well as the grandfather she never knew also had gifts or rather curses like she does, but she accepts them, faults and all. The characters are richly drawn, especially Joseph’s best friend George, whom Rose adores. The story meanders through Rose’s life as she reaches adulthood and one never knows what is real and what is part of Rose’s neuroses. This title concludes with a charming yet haunting ending that leaves the reader wondering what has been revealed. The writing is fluid and insightful.
This book might interest readers who like books by Alice Hoffman and will be a very good addition to high school libraries. Weinraub(2), Tina

Kelly, Tara Harmonic Feedback

Kelly, Tara Harmonic Feedback
Henry Holt/macmillan children's pub group 2010 280p 16.99
978-0-8050-9010-9 hs Realistic Fiction E-BN
When Drea and her mother move in with her grandmother, she finds that she can have real friends, in spite of her Asperger’s , and that having a boyfriend for the first time does not guarantee happiness. I was pleasantly surprised by the well-rounded characterizations Kelly created for this absorbing debut novel.

Drea is the new kid in town. Despite “a touch of Asperger’s” and ADHD, she finds herself welcomed by Naomi and Justin, who seem to genuinely like Drea. The three form a band that holds jam sessions after school. Justin becomes Drea’s first boyfriend. Naomi’s drug issues escalate to a crisis, and her friends must be deal with the aftermath of Naomi’s death.

Teens will identify with how Drea copes with being different and self-conscious. Common ground is established as everyone feels they are not part of the group at some point. It is easy for the reader to forget Drea’s Asperger’s/ADHD, since -- aside from being frank/blunt/rude -- she acts/thinks like a mainstream teenager. The focus is on friendship, acceptance, and coming-of-age. Naomi’s death is not sugar-coated.

Many references are made to a variety of contemporary (indie) bands (there’s a list of all the characters’ playlist on the Harmonic Feedback website). Teens may identify with the groups now, but it will eventually date this novel. Descriptions of Drea’s synesthetic reactions to music and color border on lyrical. However, despite the title, music is peripheral to the theme of accepting yourself for who you are.

Absorbing debut novel featuring well-rounded, believable characters. Welliver, Hilary