Novel In Verse

Sync / Ellen Hopkins

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Sync
By: Ellen Hopkins
Genre: YA, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 448
Published: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Dates Read: May 10, 2024 - May 11, 2024
Format: ARC / Paperback

Trigger Warnings: Child abuse, child neglect, homelessness, mention of drug use, rape, suicide, homophobia, prison/juvie

Twins Storm and Lake have always been in sync growing up – until they get separated within the foster care system. Storm’s been through juvie but his current foster dad and his girlfriend are helping him find a normal life again – until an incident makes him lose control again. Lake likes girls, but her bible loving foster parents would immediately kick her out if they find out – so she and her foster sibling, Parker, must keep their relationship secret. Both twins have rough patches ahead and both fight to come out on the other side.

Sooo, I’ve never read an Ellen Hopkins book – at least that I can remember anyway. I did NOT keep track of books I read until I was in my late 20’s… That being said, I feel like I would remember the emotional damage that probably would have been done with her books, especially with how I feel after finishing this one.

Hopkins didn’t shy away from the hard topics. Doing so allowed me to feel every emotion alongside the twins as they were. I’ve recently really gotten into novel-in-verse books and it absolutely makes me understand how poetry can really hit your gut with just so few words; Hopkins didn’t have to go into detail about what things looked like for you to understand what was going on.

The ending was bittersweet because I didn’t want it to be over, but at the same time, Hopkins finished it beautifully without needing the words. God, this book is going to stay with me for quite some time. I’m going to think of Storm and Lake and hope they’re doing okay.

Overall, this book will grab your heart and twist it tight, absolutely leaving an imprint when it finally releases you on the last page. Even though it’s a 400+ page novel, it reads quickly and one could probably finish it in one setting. The only reason I hadn’t was because I started it super late at night and then had plans the following morning.

*Thank you Nancy Paulsen Books and BookishFirst for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Rain Remembers (Rain #2) / Courtney Comrie

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Rain Remembers (Rain #2)
By: Courtne Comrie
Genre: Middle Grade, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 272
Published: October 24, 2023
Publisher: HarperCollins
Dates Read: December 21, 2023 - December 24, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

The start of this school year has brought a lot of changes for Rain. First off, her brother Xander is off to college and now it’s just her mom and her. Secondly, she’s a freshman in high school – where there’s no Circle Group, no Dr. McMalla, no Miss Walia, and no step team. Rain is struggling with all the new things in her life, including opening up to her new counselor. But when an older boy starts to give Rain more attention than she asked for, will she be able to open up again before it’s too late?

I just really enjoy the way things like therapy and Group Circle are talked about in this book. I grew up during a time where, though it was more common for people to go to therapy, it wasn’t talked about, and was still kind of taboo.

Rain is so well written and authentic that she seems real to the reader. There’s so much of the emotional rollercoaster of adolescence that older readers will relate to her as well and they remember their time growing up.

There is also a wonderful message of making sure you always have something that you love that you can go to in dark times – mine has always been music and writing. There are some heavy parts in this novel, but as it was in the book before this, that it’s not something kids aren’t going through nowadays and none of this is anything that even younger middle school students wouldn’t be able to connect with.

Overall, I loved this book – like I knew I would as soon as I saw it was coming out. This will be highly recommended for those who want to feel and connect with the main character of the story they are reading.

Something Like Home / Andrea Beatriz Arango

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Something Like Home
By: Andrea Beatriz Arango
Genre: Middle Grade, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 256
Published: September 12, 2023
Publisher: Random House Book for Young Readers
Dates Read: October 29, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: Foster care, abandonment, parental drug use

Twelve-year-old Laura Rodríguez Colón has a plan: to do whatever it takes to live with her parents again. She’s okay with living with her aunt – but only temporarily. So when Laura finds a puppy, she begins to train him as a therapy, hoping to use his skills as an in to her parent’s treatment center. Maybe Sparrow will help her parents get better so they can all be together again.

I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for pitties so when I saw the pittie on this cover, I was immediately drawn to it. And, I love me a novel in verse. I also didn’t recognize the author until I was getting ready to read it – but Iveliz Explains It All ripped by heart out last year. As soon as I registered it was that author, I knew I was going to be in for a good book!

As with her other book, Something Like Home isn’t an easy read, but it’s a needed one. It tells a story of a young girl separated from her parents by foster care because of their drug use, who, even though they’re neglectful of her when they use, still very much love their daughter. It shows the difficulty of not only that relationship but also what that was like for the aunt (Laura’s mom’s sister).

There’s amazing growth in this story of multiple characters, but Laura’s were my favorite. She had two unexpected relationships – one with the dog Sparrow, and one with a classmate, Benson. Sparrow and Laura’s journey was adorable and cute and shows the love that happens between a pet and their owners. Benson’s relationship with Laura was very organic, especially in the sense that there was a craving for a best friend, but that was hard for both because of previous wounds.

Though this is targeted for the Middle Grade readers, I highly recommend this to all as Laura’s story is sure to tug at your heartstrings, no matter your age.

Enemies in the Orchard / Dana VanderLugt

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Enemies in the Orchard
By: Dana VanderLugt
Genre: Middle Grade, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 288
Published: September 12, 2023
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Dates Read: September 14, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

It’s October 1944 and Claire’s dad needs help with the orchard – especially since Danny’s off to fight in World War II. With no one responding to the help wanted ad in the paper, he hires a group of German POWs to help with the apple harvest. Claire wants absolutely nothing to do with the enemies, afterall, it’s men like them that are currently shooting at Danny’s overseas. But then she meets Karl, a soft-spoken, hardworking POW and her mind begins to change.

Meanwhile, Karl battles with the role he ended up playing within the lies of Hitler’s regime. After he begins working with Claire, it gives him hope that he can change and become a person he wants to be – not the one that’s been forced on him.

It still surprises me a bit when I read another novel set during WWII that showcases something I wasn’t aware had happened during that time. This one being that the United States had POW work camps on their own soil, and that the POWs would be “lent out” to local farmers.

Besides having a focus on WWII and the POWs in the United States, this also focuses a lot on Claire and her journey and fight for going against the norms for females during that time. Claire wants to continue school past an eighth grade education and her single room schoolhouse that she goes to and go on to become a nurse. Her father is very supportive of this plan, but not everyone else.

Though this book is aimed at Middle Grade readers, I can see everyone enjoying it. The writing provides readers with a compelling and easy to follow format that, even with the word count being low from it being a novel in verse, it still provides beautiful descriptions. I, myself, am going to be keeping an eye out for my own physical copy to purchase. 

*Thank you Zonderkidz and NetGalley for a digital advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Mascot / Charles Waters & Traci Sorell

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Mascot
By: Charles Waters & Traci Sorell
Genre: Middle Grade, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 256
Published: September 5, 2023
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Dates Read: September 3, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

When an eighth grade honors English teacher assigns her students a debate about their school’s mascot, they must decide if it should stay, or go. When some of the students end up getting really involved, the issue turns the DC suburb upside as everyone chooses sides.

This is a wonderful novel in verse that really showcases a diverse group of six students’ backgrounds and beliefs as they talk about the subject of their school’s mascot. With each student, we see them change and grow as they think about the mascot and what it means to them. Some change their opinion about it, while others keep what they thought in the beginning.

A lot of the reasoning why one of the kids didn’t want to change it had a lot to do with generational stuff (their parents also went to the same school and were also the mascot) and I think, as a kid, that’s all the reasoning you need to not change something. There’s more to it, of course, but I enjoyed that the novel did show so many different perspectives.

The changing of the names of sports teams and mascots have been in the news for many years. It is nice to see it written out in a way that middle schoolers would be able to understand it.

Though this aimed at middle grade, I believe those who are older would also get something out of it as well.

Alone / Megan E. Freeman

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Alone
By: Megan E. Freeman
Genre: Middle Grade, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 404
Published: January 12, 2021
Publisher: Aladdin
Dates Read: August 27, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: food and water scarcity, injury, animal death, mentions of dead animal bodies

After plans fall through for her secret sleepover with her best friends, Maddie still stays over at her grandparents’ empty apartment – but she wakes to a nightmare. Maddie’s alone. Everyone in Millerville, Colorado has been evacuated and the town has been completely abandoned.

With her only companion being a Rottweiler named George, Maddie slowly learns how to survive on her own with no power, no running water, no phone or internet access, and a town deserted. As months pass, Maddie and George survive natural disasters, ruthless looters, wild animals, and the elements of nature with stride. It’s the loneliness that is slowly getting to Maddie. Can her will to survive continue to get her through the most frightening experience of her life?

I love novels in verse stories as well as post-apocalyptic novels, and this has been a story I’ve been wanting to read for the longest time and I finally picked it up at my library. I read all of this in one setting. It was that captivating. The language is gorgeous and the breaking up of the verses really showcase and capture Maddie’s loneliness, heartache, and still – hope. 

I also loved George and the companionship he provided for Maddie <spoiler> there were TWO TIMES I thought George had passed away and BOTH TIMES I was ready to throw the book across the room in sorrow</spoiler>. Plus, you need to have a furry sidekick during the apocalypse, and a big Rottweiler named George is one of the best.

I can see audiences of middle grade readers and up enjoying this. Though, I will say there is a scene of animal cruelty <spoiler> specifically the death of a kitten</spoiler> that I do think should be taken into consideration for a younger reader. Otherwise, this was such a wonderful and captivating read (again, I read all 400+ pages in one setting). I am for sure keeping an eye out to purchase my own copy and will be giving this title out on plenty of recommendations.

Moving Through Walls / Ryan Wolf

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Moving Through Walls
By: Ryan Wolf
Genre: Middle Grade, HiLo, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 160
Published: August 16, 2023
Publisher: West 44 Books
Dates Read: July 29, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

After getting kicked from a lunch table at his new school Dennis ends up sitting at the Deadliest Poets Society’s table. There he meets a new group of friends who tell him all about talking with ghosts through knocking. But, instead of finding ghosts, Dennis finds the sludge, and it’s much worse.

This book really reminded me of Goosebumps, but simpler – which makes sense since it’s a HiLo, Novel in Verse, and for Middle Grade. Because of that, this was a super quick read for me.

I feel like younger kids will really enjoy this book – especially those who may be new(er) to the middle grade reading level. The story itself is pretty descriptive and really allows you to walk through the halls as Dennis. This is perfect for 11-13-year-olds who are seeking a bit of a paranormal mystery.

*Thank you West 44 Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Song of Us / Kate Fussner

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The Song of Us
By: Kate Fussner
Genre: Middle Grade, Novel in Verse
Number of Pages: 208
Published: May 20, 2023
Publisher: HarperCollin/Tegen
Dates Read: July 7, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

The Song of Us is a middle grade, novel in verse about love at first sight for seventh graders Olivia and Eden. Olivia is capital P, Poet and started a Poetry Club at her school, and Eden is the new girl in school who thinks she wants to be a musician. When Eden walks into the Poetry Club one day, everything changes.

Eden isn’t out and there are rules Olivia needs to follow: don’t call, don’t tell her friends, and don’t let anyone know.

But when jealousy waves its ugly head, Olivia’s words are what push Eden away. As Eden tries to find herself in this new school, Olivia begins the journey of getting back to Eden – using her most powerful weapon; her poetry.

This book is aimed for Middle Grade readers, but I’m 31 and I absolutely devoured it a single day in two settings (the curse of work).

I’m not usually one for romance stories in YA, yet alone Middle Grade, but this one was super cute and about your first crush/love. The novel even touches on the fact that they are seventh graders, and yea, most likely relationships won’t last, but it doesn’t mean the feelings being felt aren’t real. Even though the sections were shorter than your typical prose novel, the author was still able to develop both characters well and through their verses, you were able to connect with them. The pacing was good and everything felt realistic. 

Overall, this is an amazing, tender debut novel-in-verse about first love and finding the right words that I can see everyone who’s looking for a sweet romance would enjoy.

*Thank you HarperCollin/Tegen and Edelweiss+ for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Order of Things / Kaija Langley

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The Order of Things
By: Kaija Langley
Genre: Middle Grade, Novel-In-Verse
Number of Pages: 288
Published: June 6, 2023
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Dates Read: June 13, 2023 - June 14, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

11-year-old April has been best friends with Zee since they were born only a month apart. They live across the hallway from each other in their apartment building and together, along with April’s mom, and Papa Zee – the four are a family. This school year though, things are changing. Zee has gotten into the new charter school specializing in music for his violin and April is staying behind at their old school.

But, when tragedy strikes and Zee passes away, April is forced to relearn what it means to continue after losing everything she once knew.

I went into this quite blindly. I’m a sucker for novel-in-verse books, especially middle grade because they seem all the more powerful to me for some reason. I saw this one on NetGalley and immediately requested to read it without much else. That being said, after reading it, I fully read the description and I do think it needs to be changed up – it gives away 95% of the book. When I recommend this, I’m going to try and suggest they not read the description to not give anything away.

Besides the description being too much, I’m still going to be recommending this book to many others. It was beautiful and full of representation. This story talks about ways people deal with the pain of losing someone and what it means to speak up at the right time. This is all done in a way that, though a bit simplified for middle grade, it will still require some tissues.

*Thank you Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review