Rivers, Karen. Before We Go Extinct.

Rivers, Karen.  Before We Go Extinct.  Macmillan/Farrar Strauss       2016    252p    $17.99   ISBN 978-0-374-30240-5  hs  Realistic fiction  VG-BN     

The tragic loss of JC’s best friend in a fall from a skyscraper causes JC to withdraw.  Sharky, as JC is known by all, spends the summer with his father on an island off the coast of Vancouver where he has to find his voice and decide whether or not life without The King can ever be normal again.    JC’s nickname, Sharky, is a metaphor for someone who “kills” his best friend.  Sharky is just as confused as he is certain that he had a role in The King’s fall from a beam high off the ground.  Would The King commit suicide just because JC was caught hugging Daff, the third member of their group?  Karen Rivers writes about pain in such a way that all readers can relate to it whether or not they themselves have ever felt such loss or heartache.  In fact, Rivers has taken two universal dilemmas, the loss of a friend and the angst over relationships, and turned them into a descriptive work that engages older teen readers beautifully.  At times, her use of similes distracts the reader from the story line, but lovers of thought-provoking examples of figurative language who read intelligently will feel the pain of JC’s loss, the frustration at his inability to talk after the accident, and the growth of a redeeming relationship with a girl he meets at the island where he must spend his summer.  The list of supporting characters includes Daffodil Blue, the dynamic teen who loves both boys and who continues to text JC throughout his struggle to accept the King’s death; JC’s father, the country bumpkin type who accepts the challenge of helping his son when they have not had a stellar relationship; Kelby, the daughter of Dad’s girlfriend who is visiting the island during summer vacation; The King, who, although absent, has a story to tell which he does eloquently in a letter written to JC that JC sees after his death.  The symbolism is powerful, the theme is universal, and the struggle to find one’s voice after a tragedy is poignant.  Readers will appreciate Rivers’ writing.

With a violent death and one passing reference to physical relations between Sharky and Kelby, this book is best for readers at the high-school level and higher.  It is a noteworthy selection and deserves a place in a high-school library.

Summary:  JC finds his lost voice after death of best friend.

Friendship-Fiction, Suicide-Fiction                                                                --Martha Squaresky

Stevenson, Robin. The World Without Us.

Stevenson, Robin.  The World Without Us.  Orca  2015  226p  $12.95      ISBN 978-1-4598-0680-1  hs  Conflict  VG 

Robin Stevenson addresses troubling themes in The World Without Us.  What do you do when a person you care about leads you into a really dark place?  How far must you go to save your friend from his destructive tendencies?  When is it okay to save yourself instead? 

Told through a series of flashbacks, Mel thinks she has found a soul mate in Jeremy, but Jeremy is tormented by his own demons.  The two make a suicide pact and meet on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to jump together.  At the last moment, Mel backs out, but Jeremy doesn’t. Even though both survive, Mel works to confront the difficult issues of suicide, survivor’s guilt, and finding reasons to live.

Because the subject of teen suicide raises red flags in many arenas, some material about support hotlines or advice for teens who are concerned about a “friend” who may be considering suicide would have been welcome additions to this volume.
     

Summary: How far do you go to save someone else before you pull away to save yourself?         

Suicide-Fiction                                                   --Hilary Welliver

Burak, Kathryn. Emily’s Dress.

Burak, Kathryn.  Emily’s Dress.     Macmillan/ Roaring Brook Press      231p $17.99 978-1-59643-736-4       2012  hs/adult      VG-BN       Realistic Fiction

Claire loses her mother to suicide, and then her best friend dies under mysterious circumstances.  The novel takes Claire through her journey to the point when she can understand both deaths, learn to trust new friends, and cope with tremendous grief.  Plots and subplots are aptly woven together in this very creative debut novel by writer Kathryn Burak.  Burak’s protagonist experiences palpable pain, creative thoughts that are expressed through her poetry, and a spontaneity to her actions that will draw the reader into her life.  

When Claire’s mother commits suicide, Claire reveals her pain to a student teacher who becomes her stepping stone to reconciling herself not only to the death of her mother, but also to the mysterious death of her best friend Richy.  In the rising action segment of the plot, Claire accidentally steals Emily Dickinson’s dress, and she and Tate, the student teacher in whom she has found a friend, must decide how best to return the dress.  How does one accidentally steal a dress that is inside a museum honoring one of the world’s most famous poets?   Actually, Claire had been sneaking into Dickinson’s house by night to find a safe haven since the death of her mother.  The connection to Dickinson is twofold: first, Claire’s mother was a Dickinson fan, and secondly, Claire writes poetry that mirrors Dickinson’s in its complexity and its tendency to teach the reader about life.  It is also the conduit to her new relationship with the student teacher.  By adding the subplot of having Claire attempt to solve the mystery of Richy’s death, Burak brings Claire the answers that help her to move from grief to acceptance.  The subplot is exciting and adds an element of mystery to a novel that is beautifully crafted.

Death–Fiction, Suicide–Fiction, Friendship-Fiction

                                                         --Martha Squaresky

Nielsen, Susin. The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen.

Nielsen, Susin.   The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen.  Tundra Books  243p     $17.95  978-1-77049-372-8     2012  ms      VG-BN       Realistic Fiction

There is no doubt about it: Susin Nielsen can write a novel that pulls at one’s heart strings, thanks to her characters, who are realistic, and her plot, which is eerily contemporary.  In this case, she creates Henry, a boy who has his life dramatically and tragically changed by the actions of his brother Jesse.  Bullied to the extreme, Jesse picks up his father’s hunting rifle, goes to school, kills his torturer, and then fires on himself.  Moving on in their current location is impossible for Henry’s family.  His mother ends up institutionalized for a mental breakdown, and Henry and his father must cope on their own after moving away.  Their new apartment is stark, Henry’s new psychiatrist is lacking, and Henry’s adjustment to his new school is slow and painful.  Instructed to write down his thoughts, Henry turns this into a “telling” of the events that led up to the tragedy that will impact him forever.  Henry is quite a character, and when he turns robotic in his actions and accusations, he is downright comical.  He is also tragic; one can feel his raw pain. 

Along the way, Henry and his father find a new life, new friends and a new relationship with Mother.  Coming together once again as a family is not the most important part of the plot.  Instead, Henry learns to fight against a new bully before things escalate to destruction.  He finds support from his friends, from the victim’s sister and from the school community in his new life.   This book provides bullied children with hope that there is a solution to the problem; in addition, it shows young readers that one can move forward after a tragedy.  The story of a family and how it copes following a school shooting needs to be told, and Henry does a stellar job of sharing the confusion, devastation and near demise of his family and of himself.  There are two errors to note:  on page 50, Legos should be capitalized, and on page 67, Gene Roddenberry’s name is misspelled.

           

School Violence–Fiction, Suicide–Fiction, Bullying–Fiction

                                                        --Martha Squaresky

Higgins, M.C. Falling Out of Place.

Higgins, M.C.     Falling Out of Place.   Saddleback  191p  $8.95 978-1-62250-021-5   2013      hs    VG          Realistic Fiction

Gabby Herrera feels like an outsider in her own family, especially in relation to her perfect sister.  She feels the family does not understand that her trying hard sometimes just isn’t enough.  Through a series of her own mistakes and poor choices, drinking and partying too much, fits of temper and outbursts, her favorite uncle’s suicide, and her own attempted suicide, Gabby learns the hard way that she is a victim of depression.

Part of the Gravel Road series of books from Saddleback, this little book will hit home with anyone who knows someone suffering from depression, or is himself depressed.  With the limited vocabulary found in many high-interest/low-level books, the author still manages to bring Gabby’s emotional turmoil to life.  This book brings to the fore a subject that is still stigmatized in our society, making the topic of depression come sadly to life for the reader.              

Depression–Fiction, Suicide–Fiction                   --Lynn Fisher