In the Path of Falling Objects by Andrew Smith

Brothers Jonah and Simon head out across the desert to find their father who is about to be released from prison in Arizona. Their mother has been gone for days, weeks even, perhaps, and their older brother is fighting in the jungles of Vietnam. It is 1970.

Enter Mitch and Lilly, a mysterious pair from Texas, who pick the two hitchhikers up in a stylish and out-of-place convertible. Jonah is immediately drawn to the beautiful and flirtatious Lilly but feels wary of the unpredictable Mitch. Simon, on the other hand, is quick to please Mitch, enjoying his rakish intensity.

As Jonah struggles to put family first, he finds himself pitted against a man more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. The two boys soon find themselves hostage to a psychotic murderer and they risk their lives to save Lilly and each other.

And then, of course, there is the gun.

Andrew Smith’s In the Path of Falling Objects is an intense and nerve-wracking novel that intersperses Jonah’s account of his and Simon’s journey with letters from their older brother in Vietnam. The book begins with a shocking murder and the feeling of being trapped only increases the deeper you wade into this book. The tension is almost too much—I wish Andrew Smith had allowed for some space in the novel to breathe a sigh of relief and relax—but it all builds to a heart-stopping climax that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.

Be warned: there is much violence and death in this novel; Mitch is one of the most incredibly disturbing characters I have come across in YA fiction. Readers who like gritty, intense novels will want to give this a try. Everyone else should read this knowing it just might give you nightmares.

Smith, Andrew. In the Path of Falling Objects. New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2009. Print.

Why I Fight by J Adam Oaks

Meet Wyatt Shreaves. He’s been out of school since he turned twelve and a half—and he hasn’t seen his parents (ma and Fever) since then either. Together with his itinerant uncle Spade, a traveling salesman with questionable morals, Wyatt crisscrosses the country, weaving in and out of cities, towns, trailer parks and suburbs.

One day, uncle Spade spots Wyatt throw a powerful punch and the dollar signs in his eyes light up. Thus begins Wyatt’s life as an underground fighter. As the wins, money, and injuries roll in, Wyatt begins to feel more and more estranged from his once-admired uncle. Without anyone to talk to and without anyone who truly cares for him, Wyatt withdraws deep into himself.

Wyatt’s voice is so authentic and gritty, his story so dark and heartbreaking, it’s near impossible to put the book down. The end is despairing—yet contains hope and optimism—and the reader is left with the question: What is Wyatt going to do now?

I highly recommend this book to everyone, but be warned that it will grip you tightly and wrench your heart. Filled with complex characters and ambiguities, the book will keep readers thinking of Wyatt and his fate long after the story is finished.

Oaks, J. Adams. Why I Fight. New York: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books, 2009. Print.

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You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith

Emma Healy has never really felt like she fit in with the rest of her quirky but brilliant family of academics and professors. All her life, she’s never felt quite whole, as if something was out of place in her life. Perhaps, she sometimes thought, it was because she was out of place. It’s hard to think otherwise when your parents throw birthday parties for you at poetry readings in New York City, or the invited guests are world-renowned professors of archeology, sociology, and anthropology (all of whom are your parents’ close friends).

One day, Emma comes across a birth certificate and a death certificate, both of which changes the way she sees herself, her family, and their shared familial history. Spurred by her discovery, she decides to go on a road trip to North Carolina—the place where she might find the grave of her recently discovered twin brother. Together with her neighbor Peter Finnegan—an unlikely car thief and civil war aficionado—and a three legged dog, Emma learns that there is a lot more to a journey than a destination, that there is a lot more to a family than meets the eye, and also, that the people who love you will always there for you.

As much Peter’s story as it is Emma’s, You Are Here is a well-written tale of two teenagers searching for answers to illuminate the unknown in their lives. Despite being well-developed characters, I occasionally felt that Emma and Peter’s lines were strangely adult, making them seem somewhat like talking mannequins. I also found the slow romance between the two teens unfortunately inauthentic, but Jennifer E. Smith manages to make it work towards the end of the novel, pushing towards a moving finish.

You Are Here is an accomplished book about family, grief, and love, and there is lots to like in the book. Yet despite its eloquence, I’m not sure it is quite authentic enough to find a place in my heart. I cannot bring myself to heartily recommend the book. Readers who enjoy slower-paced novels might be better able to connect with the story, but I could not find myself completely engaged.

Smith, Jennifer. You Are Here. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2009.

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