Tape

August 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Ameliah and Ryan are two English teens who have a lot in common. Both of them have recently experienced the loss of their parents and both are obsessed with cassette tapes. Ameliah is desperate to remain connected to her parents, and knows that they loved music, so she is trying to listen to all of their old favorites. Ryan is recording tapes so he can feel close to his mother. Ryan's world is changing fast and it's getting harder for him to recall what made his mother so special. He's having a hard time getting along with his new stepbrother and his father is preoccupied with his new marriage. On one particularly difficult day, Ryan is recording a new tape and hears a voice talk back to him. As Ameliah records a tape, she also hears a stranger's voice talking to her through her ancient tape player. After this fortuitous meeting, Ryan's and Ameliah's stories of love and loss intertwine in delightful (and heartrending) ways. The star-crossed teens' tale is touching, but overwrought. Younger teens will like the many twists and turns, but older readers will have a hard time suspending their disbelief long enough for this novel to hit home.-Morgan Brickey, Marion County Public Library System, FL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2014
Grades 7-10 What if the one person you longed for most was gone until fate (or fantasy) mysteriously reconnected you again? Camden's debut novel uses a dual narrative to explore the link between two UK teens who each pine for the ones they love. In 2013, Ameliah is mourning the loss of her mother to a tragic accident. She stumbles upon a box of old tapes while rifling through her mom's things, and when she plays one, she hears a boy's voice saying her mother's name. In 1993, Ryan deals with the death of his mom by recording a spoken diary. He recounts his troubles with his new stepmother and stepbrother and speaks about his infatuation with Eve, a gorgeous Irish teen who's staying in the house behind his. Tape follows Ryan and Ameliah as their paths intertwine through seemingly impossible circumstances. Light on romance but heavy on mystery (with a touch of sci-fi), this novel features clever dialogue, reminiscent of Nick Hornby's young protagonists, and captures the essence of wanting moretime, information, lovethan we can ever have.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)