The Way Back to You written by Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: In this poignant novel, two teens, Cloudy and Kyle, embark on a spontaneous road trip across the Southwest to connect with the recipients of their late friend Ashlyn's donated organs. Following Ashlyn's tragic death in a bike accident, Cloudy and Kyle struggle with their grief while navigating a complex relationship filled with unspoken feelings. As they visit the organ recipients, they confront their shared loss and slowly begin to heal. Through alternating chapters, the story beautifully captures their emotional journey, exploring themes of love, loss, and renewal. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Some programming ideas can be created to focus on themes of grief, empathy, and the significance of organ donation. Book discussions can encourage students to reflect on personal experiences with loss and the importance of connection. Collaborating with health educators to discuss organ donation and its impact can further enhance students' understanding of the subject matter, fostering a compassionate school community. The road trip aspect adds an element of adventure, allowing readers to experience different places and meet new people through the characters' interactions.  It's an emotional book, so there might be some tears.

Pulse (Pulse, 1), written by Patrick Carman, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary:  This book is the first book in a 2013 series called Pulse (also the title of the first book).  I am not sure why it was hidden for so long and why it did not get reviewed before today.  But I read it and it is definitely worth putting on a reader's radar, especially if they are into dystopian books.  This story takes place in the year 2051 and our main characters are Faith Daniels and Dylan Gilmore.  Faith is realizing she has really strong telekinesis power and she has to learn how to use it better.  There is a war coming and she might be the key to winning.  I think more of these details will come in the following two books.  There is a nefarious organization simmering within the story line and those people knew the power that was within some of the characters.  There is some violence, lots of action and a bit of romance.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  Even though this book was written in 2013, there is somehow an even more relevant connection to teens being glued to their “tablets” in the story, like they are today.  The government monitors what people watch, who they communicate with and they definitely have the ability to track your location.  With this being a dystopian story, there are a lot of sad elements like the main characters having lost their parents and the violence of living on the outskirts of society.  But I like how there is a focus on friendships and creating a family from the people you surround yourself with.  I’m partial to the part of the story where trees are flying through the air because of telekinesis (I mean, who wouldn’t want that power?)  I’ll put this on my shelf in the high school library and purchase the other 2 books in the trilogy to recommend to students who are into dystopian books.  The author has also written a lot of other books, so it would be a good introduction to his work.