Federle, Tim. The Great American Whatever.

Federle, Tim.  The Great American Whatever.     Simon & Schuster/ 2016  288p  $17.99  ISBN 978-1-4814-0409-9      hs/adult      Realistic fiction   E-BN           

Quinn is grieving hard for his sister Annabeth, who died in a car accident six months ago. His father left and his mother won’t leave the house, eat right, pay the bills, or move on in any way. Quinn’s best friend, Geoff, wants Quinn to get his life back and takes him to a party here Quinn meets Amir, the first man he can honestly say is his type. Throughout the story, Quinn puts some of his thoughts into screenplays, something he and Annabeth worked on together, he wrote and she directed ... but now that is gone. After being out in the world, Quinn discovers some things about Annabeth and what was really happening in her life that turn him around. Quinn and Geoff have a great relationship, as do Quinn and his mother, and the witty banter sounds genuine and heart-felt, even when people are not happy with one another. Readers will cheer for Quinn and hope for his recovery from such a tragedy.  This would be highly recommended for high-school libraries as there is language and sexual scenes, but they fit right into the story and add to it greatly.     

Summary: Quinn lost his sister in a car accident six months ago and hasn’t left the house since. His best friend, Geoff, is determined to get him back into the swing of life and starts by taking him to a college party with his sister Carly, where Quinn meets Amir, the first man he finds himself attracted to.

Grief-Fiction, Homosexuality-Fiction                              --Erin Daley

Winters, Cat. The Steep & Thorny Way.

Winters, Cat.  The Steep & Thorny Way.    Amulet see Harry Abrams  2016  321p  $17.95  ISBN 978-1-4197-1915-8     hs      Historical fiction  VG-BN

Hanalee, a biracial girl living in a bigoted town, must find a way to balance doing what is right and what is legal as she seeks to avenge her father’s murder and assist an unlikely companion in escaping persecution by the Ku Klux Klan. In the process she must decide who and what is most important in her life, and how far she will go to protect them.

Set against the backdrop of the early twentieth century, Cat Winters’s well-written and thoroughly-researched historical novel discusses several intriguing and horrifying historical reactions to topics that remain contemporary today, including interracial families, homosexuality, bigotry, and official corruption.

Things come to a head, and the resolution will likely surprise readers who are accustomed to things being neatly tied up with a last-minute twist or save.  But the ending is realistic for such a story, and although the town does not collectively reject its discriminatory practices, join hands, and sing “Kumbaya,” it is still hopeful.                  

Summary: Hanalee, a biracial girl living in a bigoted town, must find a way to balance doing what is right and what is legal as she seeks to avenge her father’s murder and assist an unlikely companion in escaping persecution by the Ku Klux Klan.

Interracial families-Fiction, Homosexuality-Fiction, Racism-Fiction                                                                             --Bethany Geleskie