I have to say that I could not think of a more timely book than The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah.

Set in Australia, Abdel-Fattah looks at the impact that the political opinions of adults have on the lives of teens. The narrative alternates between Michael and Mina, schoolmates at a prestigious high school. Any relationship between them is stressed due to the opinions of Michael’s family, who lead an organization that protests refugees and queue jumpers that come into Australia and “put strain on the system” and, as it happens, Mina, from Afghanistan, falls into the first category.

As the novel unfolds, the reader is introduced to the stresses and strains of two adolescents being exposed to a broader argument as they come in contact with a world that demands that they see multiple points of view. Abdel-Fattah illustrates the buildingsroman truthfully and allows the reader to feel sympathy for the characters as they struggle against an obstacle that is at once invisible and ugly. At the core is the question of how we respect others when their views so diametrically oppose our own; or even if they deserve our respect. Layered on top of this are the struggles of life that teens go through on a daily basis, social ties, homework, activities and family.

The Lines We Cross introduces the reader to the people who use the rhetoric that we are hearing more often to justify political opinions that would previously been questionable not too long ago. With the rise of nationalistic views being expressed increasingly in the mainstream media, Randa Abdel-Fattah provides a voice to the young people stuck in the middle of divisive ideologies. She provides a twist to the traditional coming-of-age and boy-meets-girls stories that are often found in the Young Adult sections and suggests that getting to know yourself also involves actively investigating the world around you by searching for ways to align yourself with a set of political beliefs, not just falling in to the opinions of others because they are convenient.

The Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen was, admittedly, my first step into young adult fiction in quite a while. I purposely picked something up from the comedy genre to see if I could relate to it in any way and due to my time as a librarian.

I have to admit, Knudsen does a very good job at taking the subjects of friendship, young romance and teen drama, setting them against the background of a demonic invasion, and maintaining a readability throughout the book. While some would descend into an over the top, campy story, Evil Librarian remains lighthearted and a page-turner, while celebrating the teenage years.

The arrival of Mr. Gabriel, the new school librarian sets Cynthia Rothschild’s world into a whirlwind. Instead of being angsty, sharing secrets with her best friend, Annie, and crushing on her dream-boy, Ryan, she must save her school from a demonic invasion. Cynthia and Ryan find out that Mr. Gabriel is a demon of power, capable of making their worst fears come true, including involving Annie in a creepy, demonically influenced relationship that he needs to pursue his goal of becoming the demon-king.

I found myself rooting for Cynthia, cheering for her to get her friend back by vanquishing the demon, while finding success in the area of romance. The characters are all likable and the junior/senior involvement of Annie and Mr. Gabriel is handled tactfully. There are certainly enough twists and turns to keep the plot or the action from getting staid and stale. The humour definitely works, though there were few parts that I found myself laughing out loud at. That said, it probably speaks more to the age of the reader than the effectiveness of the humour.

Considering all of the above, the sequel, Revenge of the Evil Librarian, is on order and I will be first in line to see how Knudsen manages to continue the characters and if she maintains the freshness that this series brought to my reader’s catalog.