(2) YA In a fantasy world inspired by Norse sagas and Beowulf, Frey and her pack of mercy-killers bring a death-of-choice to the old or ill. Upon learning that a bloodthirsty beast is decimating a distant jarldom, they leave the "death trade" to destroy the monster. Tucholke writes in unadorned prose, with plenty of physical description and visual language. Frey's earnest voice creates a strong sense of female solidarity.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(1) YA Sora, seventeen, has ALS--"an old man's disease"--and knows he's going to die in a few years. First, however, he'll become a "vegetable." After Sora meets Mai and Kairo online and the three become inseparable, he asks them to help fulfill his dying wish: to die before he becomes helpless. Benwell's story is remarkably unsentimental, and her setting--contemporary urban Japan--adds unique appeal.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2015

(4) YA Sisters Mary and Kate, brought up in a conservative Christian family, face difficult choices after their father dies suddenly. They're left to care for their mother, in a persistent vegetative state for years. Despite stiff writing and some flat characters, Stork deserves credit for candidly presenting the provocative scenario of a religious family struggling with the issue of euthanasia.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) YA Writing the Critical Essay series. Each volume presents previously published articles arguing different viewpoints on the title issue. Three content questions precede each piece, and two surface-level analysis questions follow. The books then provide model essays for students, with sidebar comments (some helpful) explaining the writing process. Many photographs and charts of varying usefulness illustrate the texts. Websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Writing the Critical Essay titles: Euthanasia, Gangs, and School Shootings.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) YA Hot Topics series. Offering facts and opinions from opposing viewpoints, these books present the title issues from cultural, legal, moral, and religious perspectives. The subjects' complexities are further explored through famous cases including Kevorkian and Schiavo (Die) and the Rosenbergs (Penalty). Discussion questions and organizations to contact are appended. Relevant photographs illustrate the texts. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Death Penalty and The Right to Die.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) YA Issues on Trial series. This series gathers primary and secondary source documents (court decisions and dissenting opinions, journal articles, etc.) to look at different sides of these divisive issues. Bias-free case overviews and short introductions to each document aid understanding, but the dense text blocks and legal jargon are tough to slog through. Euthanasia includes a list of related websites. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Issues on Trial titles: Homosexuality and Euthanasia.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett

(4) YA Point-Counterpoint series. This series uses a debate format to explore contemporary issues. For example, one chapter in the book on euthanasia argues for state bans on physician-assisted suicide, and the following chapter argues that such a ban prolongs patients' suffering. The writing is solid but dense; personal stories and some photographs enliven the textbooklike presentation. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Point-Counterpoint titles: The Right to Die and Prisoners' Rights.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) YA Face the Facts series. Double-page spreads discuss different kinds of euthanasia, relevant terms (e.g., "suicide tourism"), medical and ethical arguments for and against euthanasia, and different cultures' attitudes toward it. Brief case studies enhance the even-handed text. Unfortunately, the book's layout overwhelms readers with a collision of text, sidebars, photos (some lost in the gutter), and brightly colored backdrops. Directory, reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA Hot Pro/Con Issues series. This lucid and evenhanded if sometimes repetitive look at the divisive subject of doctor-assisted suicide covers both the expected territory--Dr. Jack Kevorkian, Karen Ann Quinlan--and less-trodden ground, including the disability-rights movement's dissent and how good hospice care might alleviate much patient suffering. Color photos of activists on both sides of the issue appear throughout. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA Issues in Focus series. These books look at opposing sides of present-day social issues: right-to-die advocates vs. anti-euthanasia proponents; hunters vs. animal rights activists; freedom of information vs. right to privacy; teen rights vs. parental authority. Except for Hunting, the books are basically topical overviews, acknowledging but not delving very deeply into the conflicting viewpoints. A sprinkling of black-and-white photos illustrate the texts. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(2) YA Born with cerebral palsy and unable to communicate, Shawn is presumed to have the mental age of a three-month-old. Bright, funny, occasionally sarcastic, and astonishingly optimistic, Shawn longs to make contact with others. This fascinatingly horrifying premise evokes one of our darkest fears and deepest hopes--that a fully conscious being may be hidden within such a broken body, as yet unable to declare his existence.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2000