The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman YP FIC HAUTMAN

June and Wes have one class together and walk the same way home, but never seem to connect. June and Wes have a shared orbit of school and a mutual friend, Wes has known for years and June dates out of a mix of pity and convenience. Until, one day June’s and Wes’s worlds and heads collide in a convenience mart and their lives are forever altered in this funny, sad, and meaningful look at first love and its relationship to the final and unavoidable destruction of the entire universe.

This is one of the saddest, sweetest romances I have ever read that didn’t involve vampires, werewolves, or ghosts! Nobody dies or kills anyone for love, but this story rings truer and deeper than most any other teen romance out there. June and Wes are fully fleshed out characters that exist for reasons other than to be part of a star crossed pair. Hautman has written two very distinct and interesting characters that really mesh. The story is told from their dual lives and you get to know both halves of the pair apart well before they are together. This makes their romance both more believable and affecting. Hautman also did a splendid job building the secondary characters in their orbits, so June and Wes don’t seem like the stars of a movie about their life and feel like real teens. The highs and lows of the relationship are handled realistically and make for plenty of drama without resorting to melodrama. This is one of my favorite relationship books I’ve read and highly recommend it to anyone that likes realistic Young Adult novels about love. If you enjoy it, definitely check out How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford YP FIC (STANDIFO).

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan is the first book of a new steampunk trilogy written by young adult, sci-fi writer, Scott Westerfeld. Steampunk is a genre of science fiction writing that encompasses a unique mix of past and future. The first steampunk novels were written by H.G. Wells (War of the Worlds) and Jules Verne (Journey to the Center of the Earth). Originally, steampunk was set in the Victoria era with futurist possibilities, like flying machines, computer-like contraptions, and weapons. The genre eventually evolved to include sub-genres known as clockpunk (16th Century) and dieselpunk (WWI era).

Westerfeld’s new series begins in 1914 with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which was the event that sparked World War I. Instead of accurately retelling the events of WWI, Westerfeld creates an alternate history, where countries are divided by science and warfare. Countries, like Germany and Austria, known as Clankers, have highly developed war machines. Other countries, such as England, have trusted Darwinists scientists, who developed living war machines and new animals through cross breeding DNA. The Leviathan is part whale, part airship, and it is the pride of the Air Service.

At the beginning of the story we meet young Aleksander (Alek), son of the assassinated Archduke, who is forced to flee his homeland. He is being chased by the Germans and Austrians because he is a threat to the Austrian Empire. The story also introduces Deryn, a young girl who is passing as a teen boy in order to join the British Air Service. She is a talented airman, but women aren’t allowed to fly.

The two cross paths at the start of the war. Alek and his men, who escaped to Switzerland, encounter Deryn and the Leviathan crew when the airship crashes after a German air assault. This book starts an around the world journey and a clash of thinking on man, machine, and science.

Watch this:
Leviathan Book Trailer

Scott Westerfeld has written a number of novels and many of them are available at the library. You may be familiar with the previous series, Pretties, Uglies, Specials, and Extras. Vampire enthusiasts may be familiar with Peeps and The Last Days.

Ever by Gail Carson Levine

Ever, the latest book from Gail Carson Levine, is told in two voices. Kezi, a well-to-do mortal girl from the city of Hyte, and Olus, an Akkan god of the winds, tell the story of how they met, fell in love, and the challenges they faced coming from two different worlds.

Olus leaves the mountain of the Akkan gods, to live among mortals. At 17 he is the youngest of the gods by hundreds of years and is often lonely. While living disguised as a herder, he falls in love with Kezi, a beautiful dancer and rug weaver, who is cursed to an early death to her god, Admat. The two meet and fall in love, which is when the story’s pace quickens.

In order to be together, Kezi must become immortal and Olus must become a champion. The power of their love provides each the strength to face fears and fight fate. If they pass, they will have all eternity to be together. If they fail, Kezi will lose her life and Olus will lose his true love.

Levine has created another fantasy tale that is sure to charm younger teens. Although the book does question faith in religion, it is done so in an intriguing, intelligent a manner.

Gail Carson Levine is also the author of Ella Enchanted, which received the Newberry Honor award. She has also written a number of books, which are available at the library. Ever is available in the Young Adult books section in print and audio.