Month: April 2015

The Wrap-Up List is a great YA book told from the point of view of Gabriela.  Gabriela lives in a modern-day town where one percent of the fatalities happen in a very strange way, called “departing.”  Gabriela’s group of friends is fascinated with the concept, until Gabriela receives her own death letter.

The book has an interesting mystery to explore in this alternate world where Gabriela and her friends must deal with first loves, a country going to war, and the idea of dying so young.

I recommend this thoughtful and engaging book to readers in grades 7-12.

Book review by Julie K. Marsh, Graduate Assistant

Dear Teen Me (DTM) caught me off guard in such a happy way.  I enjoy reading about writers and artists and the paths they took to where they are now.  DTM took this a step further by including advice from a group of young adult authors to their teenage selves.  The stories they share, some in narrative text and others in more visual ways, are about insecurities, first crushes, friendship, love, bullying, and everything in-between.

The letters range from heartbreaking to hilarious and truly give a glimpse into the authors’ young lives full of curiosity, passion, and teenage angst.  These glimpses offer the reader a way to hear the authors’ internal voices and the ways most of them were able to incorporate their early life trials into their creative work.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to both young and old.  I think young adults will welcome the experience of sharing their current thoughts and feelings with an adult who became a successful, creative person even though they experienced the trials and tribulations of being a teenager.  Adults will also enjoy the book and have the opportunity to reconnect with their younger selves in order to reflect on where they were and how far they have come in their own lives.  DTM truly was a wonderful reading experience, one I think we can all enjoy!