Alexander, Sarah. The Art of Not Breathing.

Alexander, Sarah.  The Art of Not Breathing.    Houghton Mifflin  2016  274p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-544-63388-9  hs  Realistic Fiction  VG-BN   

Written in a believable first-person voice, this debut novel by Sarah Alexander tells the dramatic, intriguing story of a girl who must piece together the truth of her brother’s drowning when so many parts of the story have been buried due to the psychological trauma.  Young Elsie is the “normal” twin; her brother Eddie is developmentally delayed.  Both love the ocean, until a swimming accident takes her brother.  The story begins when sixteen-year old Elsie is trying to survive high school.  She has a close bond with her older brother Dillon, but that is not enough to stave off her loneliness and her “misfit” status at school, where she is bullied.  When she meets Tay, her life changes.  She begins to free dive, and realizes that in the depths of the ocean she can begin to live again.  Her deep-sea experience triggers memories that she uses to piece together the events of day her brother drowned.  A wonderful cast of characters plays out various roles in Elsie’s life: her mother, a drinker who is depressed and aloof; her father, an escapist who seems unable to cope with anything more than work and survival; Mike, the owner of a new dive shop, and his son Danny, the free diver who seems to have Elsie’s best interests at heart.  But does he?  The portrait of Dillon is compelling; he is an anorexic who is depressed even before his brother’s death.  As the plot develops, Elsie makes discoveries that change her perceptions of everyone.  It is when she finds her twin’s shirt that the novel reaches a climax that will please new readers and leave them wanting more.  The words are descriptive, the plot is engaging, and the characters are inviting.  A good book forces readers to think, and Alexander’s accomplishes just that.

Summary: A family is devastated and begins to fall apart when a mildly disabled son drowns.  Elsie sets about trying to find out what happened on that fateful day.  A new young man named Tay, her brother Dillon, her mother, and others are involved, and Elsie must figure out exactly how.   

     

Twins-Fiction, Drowning-Fiction                 --Martha Squaresky

Peete, Holly Robinson. Same but Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express.

Peete, Holly Robinson.  Same but Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express.  Scholastic Press  2016  183p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-09468-9  ms/hs  Realistic fiction  VG

Most twins say they have a special bond, and Callie and Charlie are no different. Callie has always protected Charlie, who has autism, but this year will be different. She is moving on to tenth grade while Charlie repeats the ninth grade. Part of Callie loves being free of Charlie, feeling that he often is a burden, but there is no hiding the fact that she is his biggest supporter and best friend. Told from alternating viewpoints, the story is written in realistic voices by actual brother and sister RJ and Ryan Peete. Callie often struggles with caring for Charlie and resents the way that everything has to be his way all the time. Charlie’s chapters tend to be shorter and more focused, and he also wishes things were different. In the end, readers see an extremely realistic portrayal of life with a family member who has autism, as well as the perspective of the child with autism and the way he sees life.     

Summary: Twins Charlie and Callie have always had a close relationship. Callie has taken care of Charlie, who has autism. But this year she is moving on to the tenth grade while Charlie repeats ninth, and they wonder how life will be the same and yet different.

Twins-Fiction, Autism-Fiction                         --Erin Daley

Peete, Holly Robinson. Same but Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express.

Peete, Holly Robinson.  Same but Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express.  Scholastic Press  2016  183p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-09468-9  ms/hs  Realistic fiction  VG-BN   

Actress Holly Robinson Peete teamed with her twin children, Ryan and R.J., to recount the twins’ experiences growing up with R.J.’s autism. The story is told through the fictional twins Callie and Charlie. Callie recounts her struggle with feeling like the guardian of her brother and her guilt at just wanting to be a “normal” family once in a while. She is frustrated with the gluten-free diet the family has adopted, and the planning and feelings of tension that occur to accommodate her brother’s needs any time the family ventures outside of the house. Charlie appreciates his family’s concern for him, but doesn’t understand why they feel the need to monitor his social-media use and deny him the freedoms that his siblings have. Robinson Peete includes short pieces at the beginning and end of the book in which she shares a mother’s perspective, including the fears she harbors about what might happen if someone misunderstands her African-American hoodie-loving autistic son’s behavior. This book is a must-have addition to middle- and high-school collections.

Summary: One family’s experience is told in the alternating voices of twins -- a teenage girl and her twin brother, who is autistic.        

Twins-Fiction, Autism-Fiction             --Stephanie Pennucci

Jean, Emiko.  We’ll Never Be Apart.  Houghton Mifflin  2015  279p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-5444-8200-5  hs Mystery/Detective  VG     

Jean Emiko’s debut novel introduces a familiar psychological thriller formula to her young adult readers.  While the plot will not seem original to experienced readers, the mystery may be engaging to readers who are new to the genre. 

Alice awakens in a mental hospital, where it is clear everyone believes that she set the fatal fire that killed her boyfriend, Jason.  Alice knows the fire was set by her twin sister Cellie, who she believes is being held in another wing of the hospital.  Alice is convinced that Cellie plans to kill her, as well.  At her doctor’s suggestion, Alice records her memories in a journal, which forces her to confront hidden truths.  With the help of another patient, Chase, Alice is ready to seek revenge -- but has Alice revealed the whole story?  With more questions than answers, nothing is what it seemed anymore.

The reader’s enjoyment of the book hinges on the climax.  If the reader has correctly anticipated the final plot twist, there is no thrill or surprise.  Experienced readers will feel let down, as they hoped against hope for a fresh moment of surprise, but instead recognize the story’s inevitable, predictable conclusion.  Readers unfamiliar with the genre will be surprised at the outcome and will return to the genre ready for another dramatic ending.

Summary: What is the real story behind the fire that killed Alice’s boyfriend?  When she sets out to solve the mystery, Alice finds that nothing is as it seems.       

Twins-Fiction, Arson-Fiction                          --Hilary Welliver

Leaver, Trisha. The Secrets We Keep.

Leaver, Trisha.  The Secrets We Keep.  Macmillan(Farrar Strauss/Feiwel&Friends/First Second/Henry Holt/Roaring Brook/Square Fish)  2014 294p.  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-374-30046-3  ms/hs  Conflict  VG-BN    

Although they are identical twins on the outside, Ella and Maddy are very different on the inside.  Ella, the smart, quiet, artistic twin, always feels that people like Maddy better because Maddy is athletic, outgoing, and one of the popular kids in the crowd.  When Ella receives a phone call from Maddy in the wee hours of the morning, she goes to retrieve Maddy from a raging party.  On the way home, with Ella driving Maddy’s car, they get into a horrific accident, and Maddy dies.  But evidence seems to point to Ella being the one who died, because the dead girl is wearing Ella’s coat and shoes and was the passenger in Maddy’s car.  As Ella recovers from her own serious injuries, she assumes Maddy’s persona and struggles to become someone she is not. Complications arise when Ella discovers that Maddy had a damning secret that makes passing herself off as Maddy even harder.  This is a book that deals with the grief process, feelings of inadequacy, and how to right a wrong, and it maintains a somber, almost tortured mood throughout, until the last chapters in which Ella comes forward and admits her deception.  The ending wraps up a little bit too hastily, but readers will be happy that Ella is now on the path to becoming confident of her own identity and is surrounded by the love of her parents and the potential boyfriend who has always believed in her.      

Summary: Twin girls are in an automobile accident.  The surviving twin takes on her sister’s identity in an attempt to please everyone around her except her best friend.  Lies, secrets, and self-worth are at the heart of this novel of grief and identity. Gr. 7-12.      

Twins-Fiction                                                     --Lois McNicol