Hello, My Name Is Ruby by Philip Stead
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Adult/YA Crossover (an Alex Award winner)
This stunning coming of age novel tells the story of Jean Patrick Nkuba,
a young Rwandan who dreams of running in the Olympics. He is a
kindhearted and slightly naive boy, but as he grows older he becomes
increasingly aware of the stark ethnic divide in his country and the
challenges his Tutsi heritage will present to achieving his dream.
Gripping and frequently distressing—this is one of the few novels that
has made me cry—Running the Rift is nevertheless a story of hope,
love, and perseverance. Benaron does not shy away from the escalating
violence that eventually leads to the Rwandan genocide, but the story is
not sensationalistic in any way. Instead, through the fictionalized
account of Jean Patrick, it brings a relatable voice to an unimaginable
tragedy and shows that there is much more to the country and its people
than can be surmised from political reports and news stories. In
contrast to the unflinching portrait of violence and moral complexities
are Jean Patrick’s genuine love of his sport, his country, his family,
and a young woman for whom he would do almost anything.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
Set in the real-world dystopia of North Korea, this Pulitzer
Prize–winning novel takes readers on a weird and wonderful journey along
with its anti-hero protagonist. Jun Do begins life with the unlucky
reputation of being an orphan—although in actuality he is not—and
through a series of strange circumstances and fateful choices he finds
himself filling unlikely roles, from professional kidnapper to national
hero to romantic rival of the Great Leader himself. Set in a world where
the “story” is so much more important than truth—where the story becomes
truth—Jun Do seizes opportunities to reinvent himself over and over,
and yet the nature and politics of North Korea can easily take him on a
detour that will rewrite his story all over again. Perhaps because the
world it explores is so very alien, I must admit that I initially found
this book a bit difficult to connect with. I also wonder whether my
occasional dissatisfaction might be related to the audio format. There
are multiple voices and frequent interruptions from propagandist
loudspeakers that perhaps did not translate well in this audio
adaptation. But while it becomes a bit tedious at times (whether due to
format or subject matter), The Orphan Master’s Son is also frequently brilliant, fascinating, and surprising.
The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
In this intimate and poignant book, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist
creates a extraordinary portrait of India’s urban poor. By focusing on
Annawadi, one of dozens of tiny slums that exist alongside the modern
new airpo
Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci and Sara Varon (Illustrator)
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Audience: Adult
In this intimate and poignant book, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist
creates a extraordinary portrait of India’s urban poor. By focusing on
Annawadi, one of dozens of tiny slums that exist alongside the modern
new airpo