Literary Scene: Three New Young Adult Novels

By Ryan G. Van Cleave | March 2022

When You Get the Chance
(Wednesday Books, January 2022)
by Emma Lord

In Emma Lord’s latest, When You Get the Chance, NYC teen diva Millie Price dreams of a big Broadway career, but she has things in her way. A worried (but lovable) single-parent dad who parents her with the help of his sister, Aunt Heather. Oliver, a drama club rival. And her own “Millie Moods,” which strike at the worst times. When Millie gets accepted into an out-of-state precollege program for the performing arts at the end of her junior year of high school, her dad says no. They live walking distance from Broadway! Why should she ever leave home?

The solution is finding the perfect ally to convince Dad to sign off on the precollege program. Who better than her absent mom, because one of the few things Millie knows about her is that she LOVES musical theater. Now Millie just needs to find her. Thankfully, a tech nerd buddy is able to give her three leads from a long-ago LiveJournal post her dad wrote. The potential moms: a social worker; an executive assistant of a famous Broadway agent who’s also a struggling actress; and a very talented dance teacher. 

Which one is Millie’s mom? And will she turn out to be all Millie hoped for?

It’s a very sweet book that will keep readers smiling and rooting for Millie, who’s a very likable character. The relationship between her and her father, too, is well wrought (says this father of two teen daughters). Lord is a New York Times bestselling writer for good reason, and this book demonstrates that in full. It’s a fun read.

Ryan’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5
www.emmalordwriting.com

Spin Me Right Round
(Bloomsbury YA, January 2022)
by David Valdes

There’s no more apt way to say it—David Valdes’ new novel, Spin Me Right Round, is an LGBTQ+ retelling of the classic 1980s movie Back to the Future. In this version, all Luis Gonzalez wants is to attend prom with his boyfriend, but the school isn’t as progressive as it appears to be. And there’s the always-there story of Chaz Wilson, a gay kid who died on prom night back when Luis’ parents were in high school.

A BONK on the head zips Luis back to 1985 where he meets Chaz himself. But the past is treacherous—homophobes are in charge, and one of them is Gordo…Luis’ estranged father! Maybe there’s a chance for Luis to save Chaz, which just might have cause/effect ripples through history that could change the present so he can go to prom with his partner. Or he might bungle it and make everything worse.

It’s hard to capture teenspeak authentically, but Valdez gets a lot right. Ultimately, this story is far more amusing than one might expect given the seriousness of the themes, with a dash of silliness along the way. And Luis is a gay Cuban character with a big, big heart who deserves to go to prom with whomever he chooses.

Ryan’s Rating: 4 out of 5

www.davidvaldeswrites.com

Anatomy: A Love Story
(Wednesday Books, January 2022)
by Dana Schwartz

Dana Schwartz’s new novel, Anatomy, is set in Scotland 1817. Hazel Sinnett simply yearns to be a doctor—and that’s outlandish in this place and time since the proper role for women is marrying men, having babies, and caring for children. For Hazel, that’s the worst future possible. So, she puts on her dead brother’s clothes and becomes “George” to attend medical lectures. When she’s finally caught, she’s given one chance to pass the Physician’s Exam or she’ll be booted from the profession for good. All she needs are dead bodies to practice on, and she’s just met Jack Currer, a resurrection man who digs up corpses for a living. 

There are plenty of other plot elements in play here because Jack’s friends are disappearing, the Roman Fever has struck again after a thousand years of dormancy, and there are secrets buried in the cemeteries. If anything, there might be too many things going on at once such that we don’t get as much of Hazel’s or Jack’s backstory as some readers might desire.

Yet make no mistake—this YA historical gothic tale has mystery and thrills aplenty. You also get a lot of interesting information on the history of surgery, body snatching, and Edinburgh the city. It’s a good, fast read that has a hint of romance, though beyond a little smoochery, the primary romance is between Hazel and her career. 

If you like gothic historical fiction, alternating points of view, Scotland, and/or murder mysteries, this book is likely to put a smile on your face.

Ryan’s Rating: 4 out of 5

www.danaschwartzdotcom.com