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229 pp.
| Philomel
| January, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-54692-1$17.99
(4)
YA
Reserved teen Iris quietly suffers living with her unstable, gold-digging mother while nurturing dangerous pyromania. When they visit Iris's dying absentee father in rural England, Iris's mother angles for his valuable art collection, while Iris is bewildered to learn that the father she's been taught to hate has always loved her. This brief family drama is intense, but the short timeline leaves characters feeling half-formed.
246 pp.
| Hyperion
| February, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4231-4714-5$16.99
(2)
YA
Thanks to an uncanny likeness, sixteen-year-old runaway orphan Chap assumes the identity of missing teenager Cassiel Roadnight and gains a seemingly loving family in the process. A dangerous game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Chap uncovers the family's secrets. Valentine has carefully crafted Chap's first-person narration in a complex psychological thrill-ride full of betrayal, loss, and ultimately redemption.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2012
218 pp.
| HarperTeen
| April, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-085071-5$16.99
(2)
YA
A stranger hands Rowan a photographic negative that turns out to be a picture of her dead brother, Jack. Readers will stick by Rowan as she builds relationships with the stranger and with Jack's secret girlfriend while acting as a surrogate parent for her little sister. Valentine's warm, graceful first-person narrative develops the characters' bonds and highlights their vulnerability.
201 pp.
| HarperTeen
| April, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-085068-5$16.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-06-085069-2$17.89
(2)
YA
The author sets in motion a dark comedy in which the two most vivid characters--London teen Lucas Swain's missing dad and Violet, who's been cremated--appear mainly in Lucas's mind. Lucas never knew Violet, but he repeatedly stumbles upon evidence that she and his father were connected. The mystery that unravels both inside and outside of Lucas's head will keep readers entertained.