Happy Monday everyone!
This week I read four young adult books.
Price of Duty by Todd Strasser
This book follows the story of Jake Liddell who is coming home after being in the war. Throughout the book, Jake faces the decision of going back into war after his rehab or staying home. This takes a toll on Jake because of his previous experiences in war where he had severe injuries and saw his brothers die. These encounters are explained in detail in the book as well. This was not a book I would usually pick up but I am glad I did. It was a very quick read and told an intriguing story about Jake and what he is faced with when he comes home. I would recommend this book to anyone because it is a very real and deep story to follow!
Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide by Isabel Quintero
This is a short graphic novel that follows Graciela Iturbide. When there are problems in Iturbide’s youth, she turns to photography as an escape. Overall, there is not a lot I can say about this book because it was a very short read but covers a beautiful story. On top of that, the illustrations are beautiful!
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Hatchet is about a young man named Brian who gets into a plane crash after the pilot had a heart attack and died. Brian survives but is stranded on an island and must figure out how he is going to survive till he is found…if he is found. In this story, you grow to root for Brian and can feel the anxiety through the words. You also find out the Brian has problems at home which take a toll on his motivation. I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to continue with the series.
Traffick by Ellen Hopkins
Traffick is the sequel to Trick which I read a couple weeks ago. Traffick follows five teens after they have had their lives turned upside down at the end of Tricks. Some of the reasons for this were shootings, drug addiction, sex trafficking, rape, and jail time. This is a verse novel but it really allows the reader to be invested in the characters and wish they would make the right decisions (Spoiler: Some don’t..). I have always love Hopkins books but most of them cover sensitive topics that can be hard to read so tread with caution!
Happy Reading!
Rachel's Mind 
I loved Hatchet when I was younger (although I should really reread it since I don’t remember everything), and Photographic has been on my TBR list for a while! Price of Duty also looks phenomenal.
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Hatchet was the first Gary Paulsen book I’ve read and I really enjoyed him as an author!
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Price of Duty looks like a good novel. I’ll have to put that one on my Goodreads list! I have a Gary Paulsen’s Crossings as an audio book this week to cross off my BINGO check list.
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I have not heard of Crossings but Hatchet was the first book I read by him so its not a huge surprise! I am excited to see what you think of it!
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I remember EVERYONE read Hatchet when we were in school. I also reread it last year when I took a YA Lit class for my undergrad. It is a good read, especially for younger boys who may not enjoy reading.
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You make a great point! I think all Paulsen books would be great for younger boys.
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Hatchet was one of my least favorite required reads growing up. We read it as a class novel in the fifth grade, and it terrified me. Maybe I would have a different perspective picking it up now, but I’m not sure whether I will or not! Gary Paulsen isn’t my cup of tea and that’s okay 🙂 On the bright side, Photographic is going on my TBR list!
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This is the first Gary Paulsen book I’ve read and it is definitely outside my comfort zone. It isn’t necessarily a book I would pick up for fun, I mostly picked it up to broaden my horizons.
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