Other books I have read

Young Adult Historical Fiction novels I've read in the last twelvemonth....
(in no particular order)

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
Gruesome and bizarre story of the French Revolution. Too bloody for my tastes but I couldn't put it down!

Climbing the stairs by Padma Venkatraman  
Set during the days of the Indian freedom movement, this book deals with the coming of age of a young Indian girl. This book has also gotten excellent reviews but it didn't wow me. Indian culture isn't really my thing anyway but I picked it up because I enjoy heroines who dare to be different. It was slow and dragged on in the beginning and the ending went too quickly and was summarized.

Sovay by Celia Rees  
I loved Pirates and Witch Child and expected a lot more from this lengthy book. Sovay wasn't a particularly likeable heroine and the story turned out to be more about the French Revolution than about a spunky young woman. I also disagreed with Sovay's romantic choice. 

Juliet's Moon by Ann Rinaldi
I used to love Ann Rinaldi's novels but her last few have been short and depressing. This one is no exception. It is about the women related to Quantrill's (Rebel) Raiders during the Civil War. It's bloody, violent and sad. Juliet was too young and innocent to be an appealing heroine. She very passively allows things to happen to her and doesn't take much control over her own life as the war gets longer and bloodier.



The Letter Writer
Another depressing story from Ann Rinaldi. This one is about a young girl who unknowingly helps precipitate Nat Turner's violent slave rebellion. The subject was really awful and the details incredibly gory and distressing to read. The writing is good but not her best. I didn't enjoy this one as much as some of her previous novels. 


The Ever-After Bird by Ann Rinaldi- YA Historical Fiction
Well-written but seriously sad coming-of-age story set in the antebellum South. The major theme is the horrors of slavery and Rinaldi's knowledge is vast and each book about this subject is different. I didn't really care for this book much. It was too serious and sad for me. If you like this subject, read Come Juneteenth, which is also a sobering look at slavery.

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix - YA Historical Fiction
This is a novel about the Triangle Shirtwaist strike and fire of 1909-1911. It is told from the point of view of three young women trying to make their way in the world. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I really got to know and identify with each of the three main characters and I just had to know what happened to them. The story is rather dark and very sad but I really liked it. I learned a lot about labor history and the Triangle Factory fire. It made the stories of the women and men who died in the fire very personal.

Remembrance by Theresa Breslin
This is a powerful novel of how WWI affects two families, one upper class and one working class. Young men dream of war and of peace; two young women must figure out whether their destinies lie with the traditions of their families or somewhere greater. Though this book was sad, I really liked the coming-of-age stories of the two young women and the honest portrayal of war.

Tomorrow, the River by Dianne Gray
In 1896, fourteen-year-old Megan leaves her frontier home and joins her unconventional sister and family on their steamboat for the summer riding up the Mississippi River towards St. Paul, Minnesota. Megan learns a lot about life on the river and life beyond her small hometown and comes to discover her true calling.

 

A Heart for Any Fate : Westward to Oregon, 1845 by Linda Crew
Based on the true story of the King family, Seventeen-year-old Lovisa King and her family head west on the Oregon Trail. It's a coming of age story as well as an Oregon Trail novel. Lovisa's father is forward thinking and feels prepared for arduous journey and trusts their guide will get them to Oregon before winter but the usual and some unusual perils occur. This story is far more graphic than most Oregon Trail novels and rather sad at times. The author carefully researched the King family and their wagon trail to recreate their journey. Also included are photographs of the Oregon Trail and King descendants.

Copper sun by Sharon M. Draper
Powerful novel of two teenage girls, one enslaved and one indentured, on a North Carolina plantation in the mid 18th century. The story is told from alternating viewpoints and describes how each of the girls came to be in such a terrible position and how they take control of their own fates as their situations worsen. This is a very intense novel that doesn't hold back from the horrors of slavery or the difficulties of indenture. I found it slow to start off but then couldn't put it down, despite the many terrible situations described in detail. I also learned a lot about pre-Revolutionary race and class relations.


The Miner's Daughter by Gretchen Moran Laskas
I was somewhat reluctant to read this book because I feared it would be predictably sad, but I was curious because my uncle was a coal miner in West Virginia. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. It's uplifting rather than depressing as Willa struggles to take care of her family and figure out what she wants out of life. I especially liked how roles for women were portrayed and how Willa learn about life through books.


Two girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein
Two cousins: one a Southern Belle and one a bookish Yankee, come of age during the Civil War. This book takes too long to get to Gettysburg but the story is an interesting look at how two young women react to adversity. I could really identify with Lizzie and I was anxious for her to make the choices I would have made and was glad she did. I didn't like Rosanna as much but as her grew in strength and character, I liked her better.



Red Moon at Sharpsburg by Rosemary Wells
Another coming-of-age during the Civil War novel. (A particular favorite of mine). 13 year old India Moody is the favorite of her father, the son he always longed for. While her mother wishes her to learn about ladylike pursuits, her father teaches her about astronomy and how to shoot and other things proper young ladies shouldn't know. She is determined to study Biology and Chemistry from her handsome neighbor in order to prepare for college. When the men go off to war, India must keep the family together and protect those closest to her. This is a wonderful novel that doesn't hold back from describing how people in Virginia were torn in their loyalties and how both the Union and the Rebel soldiers committed terrible actions.

Together Apart by Dianne Gray
Set on the Nebraska Prairie just after the blizzard of 1888, this story is told from the view points of 14 year old Hannah and 15 year old Isaac. Both teenagers were caught in the terrible blizzard together and spent the night in a haystack, causing Hannah's reputation to be questioned and Isaac to be shunned by the community. Hannah is the only surviving child of those of her siblings that were caught in the blizzard. As a consequence, Hannah's father is very distant towards her and mistrustful and she feels the burden intensely. Isaac must deal with an abusive stepfather and unkind stepbrothers. Both teens long for a better life than the ones their parents have planned for them. This story tells about how they both found the courage to leave home and discover themselves. I really liked the eccentric Widow Moore and felt she was a great role model for Hannah. I also enjoyed the final, moving scene of the play Hannah and her friends perform for the community.


Firehorse by Diane Lee Wilson
Fifteen year old Rachel likes nothing better than to race her horse through the Illinois countryside, much to the disapproval of her parents and the townspeople, who do not feel she is ladylike enough for their Victorian sensibilities. Rachel's father relocates the family to Boston, where he writes a series of newspaper articles on the inadequacy of the Boston Fire Department in relation to a recent series of fires. Rachel volunteers to nurse one of the FD's horses who was badly burned in a fire and through her friendship with the local Vet and her bond with the horse, Rachel learns her true calling is to be a "Veterinary." Rachel must face up to the perscribed gender roles of the day and learn to stand up for what she believes in. Set against the backdrop of the Great Boston Fire, the story's thrilling conclusion kept me awake wanting to know what happened to Rachel and her horse. I couldn't put this one down even after I had finished. Rachel is a wonderful, appealing heronine for those readers like me who like spunky females who dare to be different.