Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--There is something for everyone across these six novels in verse. Songs for the Offseason is about a young man coping with a summer of unbearable loss. Take a Sad Song (yes, that's a Beatles reference) is an inspired-by-a-true-story tale of a young girl sentenced to boarding school. The other books feature young people atoning for the mistakes of their ancestors, fighting demons, surviving a home break-in, and navigating a hostile space colony. The structure lends itself well to the rapid pace of the stories, although, some of the books feel more like prose novels with creative line breaks than stories told in verse. The titles that grapple with complex emotions like loss, identity, and shame are the strongest. The fantasy, sci-fi, and suspense are weaker, but welcome additions to the stories in this format. VERDICT Songs for the Offseason and Take a Sad Song are highlights in this series, but all are worth a try.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Quarreling sisters must work together to escape home invaders. Sisters Abby and Natalie used to be best friends, but they've grown apart because of their different personalities and interests. Abby is tentative and introverted, while high school senior Natalie is social and outgoing. After Natalie makes fun of Abby for falling while snowboarding, their parents become so fed up with the girls' bickering that they leave them behind in their borrowed cabin while they go out to dinner. The teens are alone--Natalie inside and Abby in the hot tub--when two men break in and try to kidnap Natalie. Abby rises to the occasion, stabbing one of the men with an icicle. The girls' mom is an immigrant from the Philippines, and their dad is white; Abby shouts at her sister, telling her to run into the forest, in Tagalog, a language the white-presenting intruders likely won't understand. Inadequately dressed for the snowy weather--Abby is barefoot--and with the men in pursuit, the teens need to work together and repair their relationship in order to make it through the night. This novel in verse for reluctant readers maintains a high level of tension from the opening scene on the mountain to the final showdown in the forest. Readers will connect with the realistic depiction of the various facets of the sisters' relationship. A fast-paced and accessible thriller.(Verse thriller. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
