Synopses & Reviews
The first young adult book by a #1
New York Times bestselling author
Whidbey Island may be only a ferry ride from Seattle, but it's a world apart. When Becca King arrives there, she doesn't suspect the island will become her home for the next four years. Put at risk by her ability to hear "whispers"--the thoughts of others--Becca is on the run from her stepfather, whose criminal activities she has discovered. Stranded and alone, Becca is soon befriended by Derric, a Ugandon orphan adopted by a local family; Seth, a kindhearted musician and high school dropout; Debbie, a recovering alcoholic who takes her in; and Diana, with whom Becca shares a mysterious psychic connection.
This compelling coming-of-age story, the first of an ongoing sequence of books set on Whidbey Island, has elements of mystery, the paranormal, and romance. Elizabeth George, bestselling author of the Inspector Lynley crime novels, brings her elegant style, intricate plotting, incisive characterization, and top-notch storytelling to her first book for teens.
Review
Praise for Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George “George has created an interesting set of characters and plot twists that teenagers who like adventure and mysteries will enjoy.” —School Library Journal
Review
"Smith is a spiritual heir to Kurt Vonnegut”
—Booklist, starred review
"Magnificently bizarre, irreverent and bitingly witty” —Kirkus, starred review
“Fans of Smiths raunchy, profane, and provocative work will find this funny but morally serious tale deeply appealing.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Praise for Grasshopper Jungle:
“This raunchy, bizarre, smart and compelling sci-fi novel defies description—its best to go into it with an open mind and allow yourself to be first drawn in, then blown away.” —Rolling Stone
“A literary joy to behold. . . . reminds me of Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse Five, in the best sense.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“A bizarrely fascinating premise that Smith pulls off with panache. . . . Like an absurdist Middlesex. A-” —Entertainment Weekly
“I found myself saying over and over again, ‘Where in the heck is he going with this? all the while turning the pages as fast as I could. Mostly I kept thinking, This was a brave book to write.” —Terry Brooks, author of the Shannara series
“Andrew Smith is the bravest storyteller I know. Grasshopper Jungle is the most intelligent and gripping book Ive read in over a decade. Its a masterpiece.” —A. S. King, Printz Honor-winning author of Ask the Passengers and Please Ignore Vera Dietz
“Grasshopper Jungle plays like a classic rock album, a killing machine of a book built for the masses that also dives effortlessly into more challenging, deeper regions of emotion. Above all else, when its done you want to play it all over again. Its sexy, gory, hilarious, and refreshingly amoral. I wish Id had this book when I was fifteen.” —Jake Shears, Scissor Sisters
“This book is nothing short of a brilliant, hilarious thrill-ride that is instantly infectious. The deft hand by which Smith explores teenage love and sexuality . . . is truly breathtaking. In writing a history of the end of the world, Smith may have just made history himself.” —John Corey Whaley, Printz Award-winning author of Where Things Come Back
“Original, weird, sexy, thought-provoking and guaranteed to stir controversy. One hell of a book.” —Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of the Gone series
“Grasshopper Jungle, in many ways, is a book about how there might be a manual for defeating monsters that have invaded town, but theres not going to be an easy manual for everything else that weighs on the mind.” —A.V. Club
“You, too, will love Smiths bold, bizarre, and beautiful novel.”—The Boston Globe
“No author writing for teens today can match Andrew Smiths mastery of the grotesque, the authentic experiences of teenage boys or the way one seamlessly becomes a metaphor for the other.” —BookPage, Top February Teen Pick
"A meanderingly funny, weirdly compelling and thoroughly brilliant chronicle of ‘the end of the world, and shit like that...a mighty good book." - Kirkus, starred review
"Filled with gonzo black humor, Smith's outrageous tale makes serious points about scientific research done in the name of patriotism and profit, the intersections between the personal and the global, the weight of history on the present, and the often out-of-control sexuality of 16-year-old boys." - PW, starred review
"Original, honest, and extraordinary… pushes the boundaries of young adult literature." - School Library Journal, starred review
Synopsis
Vera's spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she's kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.
So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?
Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.
Synopsis
When her best friend, whom she secretly loves, betrays her and then dies under mysterious circumstances, high school senior Vera Dietz struggles with secrets that could help clear his name.
Synopsis
Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.
So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?
Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.
Synopsis
Adam Strand isn’t depressed. He’s just bored. Disaffected. So he kills himself—39 times. No matter the method, Adam can’t seem to stay dead; he awakes after each suicide alive and physically unharmed, more determined to succeed and undeterred by others’ concerns. But when his self-contained, self-absorbed path is diverted, Adam is struck by the reality that life is an ever-expanding web of impact and forged connections, and that nothing—not even death—can sever those bonds.
Synopsis
"Smith is a spiritual heir to Kurt Vonnegut” Booklist, starred review
Skillfully blending multiple story strands that transcend time and place, award-winning Grasshopper Jungle author Andrew Smith chronicles the story of Ariel, a refugee who is the sole survivor of an attack on his small village. Now living with an adoptive family in Sunday, West Virginia, Ariel's story is juxtaposed against those of a schizophrenic bomber and the diaries of a failed arctic expedition from the late nineteenth century . . . and a depressed, bionic reincarnated crow.
About the Author
A.S. King is the author of the highly acclaimed Everybody Sees the Ants, a 2012 ALA Top Ten Book for Young Adults, and the Edgar Award nominated, 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book Please Ignore Vera Dietz. She is also the author of The Dust of 100 Dogs and the upcoming Ask the Passengers. After a decade living self-sufficiently and teaching literacy to adults in Ireland, she now lives deep in the Pennsylvania woods with her husband and children.