All These Monsters, written by Amy Tintera, reviewed by Terry Wahrman

Summary:  Sci-Fi adventure with scaly monsters with knife like fingers springing up from the ground and attacking humans, predominantly in the location of Asia and Europe.  To defend against these monsters, defense classes are taught in US high schools.  US civilians are taking up arms and signing up for active duty overseas with private companies.  17-year-old runaway Clara signs up to fight the “Scrab” monsters just to get away from her abusive father. She’s placed on a team with other teens from diverse backgrounds.  Together they practice and hone their skills and become a strong fighting team.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  This is a very realistic story (barring the monsters) about being invaded and civilians answering the call to fight the enemy.  This could happen in today’s society, substituting monsters for another country or race.  The most important message to take away is Clara is deserving of more than her abusive household and she takes the opportunity to change her circumstances.   Cheers for Clara for breaking away, identifying signs of abuse, and being strong enough to spot and reject it in another person.  The team learns to work together and acknowledge each other’s strengths & weaknesses. Friendships are made, confidence is built, and future aspirations are dreamed.   This book will do very well in a high school library.