How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine

How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine

Alice Lawrence’s life is a wreck—her family’s fallen apart, she’s living in a sad little apartment that smells like bologna, and, worst of all, she’s the only witness in her sister’s murder case. Claire, her sister, was everything Alice wasn’t: popular, gorgeous, and the star of the theater, while Alice was the quiet, horror-movie-loving science nerd. But they were inseparable—until Claire was killed.

Now, as Alice heads to court to testify against the man she’s sure killed her sister, something unbelievable happens. She’s attacked in the courthouse bathroom, and when she wakes up... it’s a year earlier, on Halloween night, the night Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to change the course of history and stop her sister’s killer.

This title absolutely grabbed me (and then the R.L. Stine quote made me feel strangely squeamish... just me?). I'm not big into horror movies or final girl concepts but the way it was written definitely seemed like something I could see on the screen. However... the ending?

Wait, before I go there, can I share something petty? I kept forgetting this book was basically set over a few hours (that infamous midnight deadline) because so much was happening. And I understand a lot can happen in a few hours, like in some of the horror movies mentioned in the book, but it just dragged out a lot for me. I kept wondering why, and then I realized it was the weather.

I know weather can change quickly, especially in fall and in Nebraska, but it went from being a perfect day with "all that glorious October sun" to, at the climax, "Snowflakes have begun to fall, the mushy, wet kind that are almost rain and melt the second they hit the ground."

Okay, I buy that it could start to snow on Halloween. Yet in the next paragraph, "The snow has almost covered the yard..." But didn't it melt the second it hit the ground? Because that was just said in the previous paragraph... 

I know it's petty in the scheme of things and not my biggest issue with the book, but it pulled me out of the climax to the point where I was flipping back to the front. I realize weather can change on a dime and it can go from sunny to snow in Nebraska, but explain the melting yet covering the yard.

NOW, to the juicy part. The ending. Spoilers ahead!

No Filter and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado

No Filter and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado

As a fan of the MTV show Catfish, this young adult novel of catfishing caught my attention based on the title alone. My Instagram is (thankfully) all books and writing, so I don't have to worry about filtering myself to draw in an audience. I do understand the desire to get attention for your work and talent, though, so Kat's story of being a photographer drew me in. I was a photographer long before Instagram existed so I didn't have to worry about getting likes, but that didn't make Kat's story any less relatable.

One of my favorite things about this book was how normalized everything was and how realistic that made it feel. Kat is plus-sized and so is her female love interest. Despite being unsure if she's bi early in the book, her sexuality is normalized and no one freaks out about it. I also love that her closest friends were guys and they were portrayed as humans, skipping out on stereotypes. Her trendy blond friend that she uses as her profile photo also isn't a stereotype. The unique family situation was also refreshing to read; I haven't seen one like this in a book before.

My total favorite thing about this book was that there were so many ways the story could have unraveled, and the way it happened was one I hadn't thought of! I won't share spoilers, but think about how using an anti-social media coworker's photos as your fake profile could blow up in your face! I kept thinking X would happen, or maybe Y, or Z? And then it was 3! Okay, that's just random and silly, but you get the idea.

I think the build-up to the catfishing (which her friends eventually call Katfishing) was a bit slow, though I understand the need to set the scene and make it feel imperative and natural that Kat chose to do this to her friend and coworker. But there were several places where the book lagged a bit and I wish those were cut out to keep the anxiety pumping as the reader worried about Kat's future.

Well, That Was Awkward by Rachel Vail

Well, That Was Awkward by Rachel Vail

I remember reading the Friendship Ring when I was in middle school and LOVED it. I had the tiny book versions and they were the cutest, plus Vail perfectly captured middle school awkwardness. Yet still made her characters cooler than I could ever be.

Anyway! I saw this in the YA section at the library and needed it! I was so happy to still get sucked into Vail’s awkward yet witty world. The characters were in middle school though, so I think it’s more middle grade than young adult. I read it in a day, loving the witty banter and the sweet twist at the end.

Beyond that, though, Vail absolutely killed the family vibes with this story. The dead older sister wasn’t too heavy for the book (I know, that sentence alone makes it seem like it would be!); it was handled well and came up at the right moments. I was absolutely bawling at the end, for both the parents and Gracie. SO well written.

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Overview

She’s been a different person in each of the six places she’s lived: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky... But now, in rural Louisiana, she’s decided this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken almost everything from her. For now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a terrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has been begging her dad to explain: What did he do – or see – that got them into this mess? She’s had it with all the Suits' rules and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, she’ll have to find out on her own.

But Meg didn’t count on Ethan Landry, a cute and clever Louisiana farm boy. He knows Meg is hiding something big, and it could get them both killed. As they set out on a risky journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that survival is the only rule that really matters.

My Thoughts

I wanted to read Elston’s YA books after reading her adult thriller. I love the premise of this one but felt like it was very hot and cold - a lot of mystery and then laying out the facts in one fell swoop that seemed a bit unnatural. But I was intrigued and wanted to finish the book, which is always a good sign compared to DNFs! Plus, I LOVE the cliffhanger and want to get my hands on the sequel.

Young Adult Books by Black Writers for Black History Month

I wanted to kick-off Black History month by spotlighting some of my favorite young adult books by Black authors.

The Track Series by Jason Reynolds:

Ghost, Patina, Sunny, Lu

    Since I am not the sportiest person, I wasn’t sure what I’d get out of a book about a kid joining a track team, but I should have known that Jason Reynolds would always win me over with his words. I don’t think he can write a bad book, and if you’re not reading him, you gotta pick some up.

    After Ghost, I was totally hooked by the Track series. Patina is so well-done, with characters going through things you don’t typically see in fiction, but do see in real life. It’s so refreshing to see real struggles represented in fiction.

    I think Sunny has been my favorite of the Track series so far, and that’s saying a lot. Sunny has such a distinct style, and the way everything sounded like music to him is an infectious way of thinking. Since I finished this book, I’ve been hearing beats and rhymes everywhere I go, and it’s just what I need to bring a smile to my face. Can’t wait yet am sad to finish the Track series soon...
    I’m so sad to end the Track series, so it seemed appropriate that I cried through the last few pages. This book was so good, and the whole series is so good. I love how the characters had truly unique voices and situations and experiences. I recommend this to anyone and everyone.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Powerful and emotional. Rashad is absent again today. It's spray painted on the sidewalk in front of the high school after Rashad is beaten up by a cop on a Friday afternoon. Some people take the cop's side and say Rashad was stealing, pointing to his sagging jeans as evidence. Other people take Rashad's side, saying he'd never break the law, pointing to his ROTC uniform as evidence. No matter who's side you take, the proof is in the video footage sweeping the internet: Rashad is restrained while he is being beaten, accused of resisted arrest. But how can you resist if you're already cuffed on the ground? Who knows how the case will turn out once it hits the courts, but before that, Rashad's high school classmates are hitting the streets for a good old fashioned protest, and they hope other citizens will join the cause.

Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance

These short stories of resistance are fiction, but they are incredibly realistic and could happen to anyone. The characters are diverse, in regards to skin color, religion, gender, and more. They all have some adversity in life and react in different ways, whether they quietly stand up for themselves or the underdog, or protest and push for change on a large scale. Because of the scope of the diversity and the reactions, I think all readers will feel empowered to make a difference in their daily lives, however they can. This is definitely a must-read for tweens and teens, but I think adults need to read it, too.

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

This book is AMAZING. I love YA books but YA romance is so hit or miss—it’s either over-the-top romantic or very sex-oriented. This book had just passing mentions of sex and the “love” aspect was incredibly realistic. Not to mention Dani and Prince are both fantastically real, wonderful characters. I think I’ll re-read this often, and can’t wait to read more by the author.

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

This book is AMAZING. So powerful, so necessary, and such a unique verse novel. But unfortunately, the story told is not unique - a black teenager imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. I love that YA novels are being written about situations like this so our teens will grow (or hopefully continue) to be empathetic people and anti-racists.

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

This book was so beautiful; I wish it was possible to see Jade’s art because it sounds so exquisite and meaningful. I love how relevant and powerful the story was, and recommend it to everyone. It’s a quick read but it will drag you in and squeeze your heart.

How It Went Down and Light It Up by Kekla Magoon

Loved How It Went Down! Written years before Dear Martin and The Hate U Give but tackling a similar subject of a black teen being killed by a white man. The great part of this book is that it’s so real - no one knows for sure if the teen was armed, if he threatened someone, if he was a thief - we hear from everyone involved with the main character and his city block, and nothing is certain.
    Reread 2020:  I read this book two and a half years ago and thought about it so often that I knew it was time to re-read it. It’s sadly still relevant, telling an all too familiar story of a young black man being killed by a white man who gets off unscathed. The most fascinating thing about this book is how it’s told - so many different characters who saw what happened and/or knew the main players are telling what they saw and what they know. Which, of course, is a whole bunch of conflicting information. I can’t say enough good things about this book, I’m just pushing you to read it yourself. And let’s talk about it.
    I loved How It Went Down for how concise it was in telling the same story from the points of view of a whole neighborhood. The sequel, Light It Up, tells a story about another shooting incident that is too timely - a cop somehow finds a 13yo Black girl a threat and shoots her in the back. This takes place in the same neighborhood as Tariq’s shooting, so the same characters are back. It’s nice to see what they’ve been up to, and I love how this book delves a bit more into their lives.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I love Love LOVED this book! It was really engaging - I was immediately drawn into the story and cared about the characters. No one was all good or all bad, and I really appreciate that because I feel like that can be hard to portray. I think this showed a unique side to senseless shootings - a side that needs to be heard and read and understood. Beautiful book, and I’ve heard the audiobook is amazing as well, so I might actually re-read it as an audiobook. HIGHLY recommended.

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

It took me a minute to get into this one because I couldn’t remember as much of The Hate U Give as I wished I had. When I re-read this, I’ll definitely re-read The Hate U Give to get some perspective. But once I got into the story, it was amazing, as Thomas’s writing always is. I love the world she created and how it meshed with some of Nic Stone’s characters in a very slick way.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

I think I loved this even more than The Hate U Give! Angie Thomas is brilliant at creating realistic characters that draw you into their world, and Bri is no different. I heard her raps in my head and fell in love with how her mind made rhymes from one random word jumping out at her from a train of thought. Can’t recommend this one enough!

Silhouetted by the Blue by Traci L. Jones

As someone who struggles with “blue periods” and has been in relationships with depressed people, this book really hit home. It was very well-done and on point, while keeping its finger on the pulse of the underlying issue.

Odd One Out by Nic Stone

This book is so good! Just enough drama to remind me of the fun times of high school (…now that I’m far away from them!). I like that it was told from three different voices so the reader has the insider’s scoop of what’s going on, and you keep rooting for them in your head, but of course you can’t help them, you gotta let it play out. So so good. Read it if you want a fun escape and some delightful drama.

Jackpot by Nic Stone

Nic Stone is absolutely amazing. I love how the “romance” in this book wasn’t full blown - it helped it seem more realistic, and I think it’s important for teens to know that not every romance needs to be true love or long-lasting or even sexual. But of course that was just a small part of the overall story, which was so well done and suspenseful. I’d kind of like to see the ending go the other way, but who doesn’t like a happy ending?

Dear Martin and Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

Dear Martin was phenomenal. I loved The Hate U Give and this is a great book to read along with it. I felt like this one had a bit more depth and exploration, but that might be because Justyce, the main character, was more immersed in different situations that rounded out his character quite a bit.
    I had to re-read this one so I’d be in the right frame of mind to read Dear Justyce. I think I loved it even more the second time around, though maybe that was due to the current climate? I’ve also been reading more Nic Stone books since I first read this one, and I absolutely LOVE her writing style. Her characters are always so realistic, which makes it a more emotional book than you might be expecting.

    I have to admit I went into Dear Justyce thinking “Ok, another companion novel that won’t be as good as the first.” But DAMN this one blew my mind. I absolutely loved how it was from Quan’s point of view, and the use of flashbacks was so powerful. Nic Stone is an amazing writer and her foreword and afterword absolutely made this book 10x more powerful and emotional than the story was on its own. I can’t recommend both Dear Martin and Dear Justyce enough - for teens, sure, but also I think it should be required reading for adults to (hopefully??) help us change how we see things.

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

I went down an Aaliyah rabbit hole and people were recommending this book for insight. I know it’s fiction, but it definitely rang true, especially since the author twice said in the end that it’s NOT about R. Kelly… then called for a boycott against R. Kelly in the last line. Reading Wikipedia gives enough info to clarify. It was a really good book, though I did hate the implication that Enchanted had mental illness because it seemed tacked on and almost like a potential cop-out that the author eventually decided she didn’t need, which is what I disliked about Monday’s Not Coming, the other book I’ve read by her.

Between the Lines by Nikki Grimes

I loved how this book was a mash-up of poetry and narrative. The characters were developed just enough to have dimension without being too involved or hard to keep track of. It was a very moving story that makes me wish I could re-live my high school years in this environment.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Loved this book, how the text moved with the story. Interesting subject matter, and I think it will grab a lot of young boys and reluctant readers. The ending was a little overly sentimental and dramatic, but it was a good book overall.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Interesting book about a young black man who is on trial for participating in a crime. It’s written from his point of view, as if he were writing a movie script based on the circumstances. I love that we never really know his role in the crime.

You Don't Even Know Me by Sharon G. Flake

Poems and short stories from the points of view of several different young African-American boys. Very well-done and interesting.

Truly Devious YA Mystery Series

 

I read Maureen Johnson's Little Blue Envelopes books back when they came out, so I knew her name but didn't seek out more of her books until I had a hankerin' for some mysteries. I love any type of mystery, but was on a cozy mystery kick, and wanted to see if that was a genre within YA or not. Thankfully, it is - and Maureen Johnson is amazing at it!

I first read the Shades of London series, which made me want to re-visit England and also reminded me of how obsessed I was with Jack the Ripper as a teenager. Aka the perfect series for me! I usually love books that have intense character development so I can feel like I'm living another life for a bit, but cozy mysteries don't really do that. However, with Shades of London, it was so well-written that I felt like I knew the characters well enough as-is.

The same is true with Truly Devious. The first three books take place at a boarding school, which is already enchanting enough to a former public school student. The fourth is at a spooky summer camp and the fifth is in London for a study abroad program, so basically this series had everything I dreamed of as a teenager. 

Some things I loved about this series was how I never really knew who was the culprit - though I had a good guess in the fourth book, The Box in the Woods. But not knowing never made me feel like I was kept in the dark throughout the story, as it sometimes does in suspense novels (looking at you, unreliable narrator in The Girl on the Train). Also, I used to hate reading series if I didn’t read them back to back because I’d forget so much of the action in the previous book, but Maureen Johnson adds recap sentences throughout the beginning of the book to remind readers, without being too heavy-handed about it or devoting a whole chapter to a recap. I mean, I did read these back to back, perhaps with an adult novel in between, but there was still just enough recap to remind you of the previous book. But you can also read them as standalones without missing anything.

I can't recommend this series - and everything else I've read by Maureen Johnson - enough. I was especially delighted by Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village, which cracked me up with each page. I gave it as a gift and also recommended my mother gift it to a friend who loves mysteries, so it's only natural that I recommend it to you, too!

Have you read any of Maureen Johnson's books? If I enjoyed these so much, do you have any similar recommendations for me?

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

 

My third Zevin (though I haven't written about Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, I did review The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry) and my thoughts about her are still the same. I'm not a huge fan of her gaps in time, nor the distance from the characters' thoughts and emotions. I feel incredibly aware that I'm reading a book the entire time, instead of really engaging with the world and thinking of the characters as real people. That said, her story concepts are AMAZING.

In this book, I LOVED her concept of death - the logistics, how it happens, how you realize, how you "age." I did think the love story was pretty forced. It felt like it was there just because a book "should" have a love interest (disclaimer: not my opinion) or the editor said to add it. I didn't feel anything for the characters, I didn't "ship" them. I also thought it was pretty icky - I know the ages are different on Elsewhere, but there was still a strange gap that I just couldn't get on board with.

I also didn't like the end, mostly because I wanted to experience more "life" on Elsewhere. However, I appreciate the concept of everything going full circle. (Although, spoiler alert: the newborn baby laughing? I know it's a book but that took me right out of this reality, it seemed way too cutesy and unrealistic.)

I guess this makes a pretty unsatisfactory review of the book because I'm not totally raving or ranting about it, but I do think it's worth a read. I'm glad I read it for the concept of death alone - it definitely got my imagination running wild.

Zara Hossain is Here by Sabina Khan

Thanks to @kidlitexchange and @sabina_writer for sharing the ARC of this book with me. It’s out TODAY from @scholasticinc!

Zara was born in Pakistan and moved to Texas with her parents when she was three. Now she’s seventeen, with college on the horizon. But she has to make it through her senior year first, and it seems like one classmate, in particular, has it out for her. Tyler keeps leaving racist notes and saying racist remarks when she walks by. When he graffitis Zara’s house, her dad stands up for his family. Things get twisted around and her dad ends up hurt and charged with a crime, leaving Zara’s family’s green card in the balance.

This is an interesting book based on the subject matter alone, and I especially love that it goes into detail about how the family has been waiting for their green cards for years, even though Zara’s father’s employer sponsored them. I didn’t know a lot of the ins and outs of the process, so it was very eye-opening. I think it’s easy for teens to empathize with Zara because she’s on the cusp of being “free” for college, but this stands in her way to completely throw her life off track. I especially like how it’s framed as being the only country Zara has really known, while her mother is missing her own home country, so there’s this complex pull for both of them.

This might be nit-picky, but I think the LGBTQIA aspect of the book was a little over the top. It’s fine that Zara is bi, and I know some of the focus was that her parents were more accepting of it than other parents, but all of the scenes with her girlfriend seemed rushed. I don’t think the relationship was as well-developed as it could have been. I would either prefer the relationship to step up and balance the story more, or be taken out and those words used more for the injustice behind green cards, racism, etc.

Beverly Cleary Author Study: Sister of the Bride

No illustrations because this is a young adult book. This novel has less of a "first love" plot than the previous three.

Barbara finds out that her sister Rosemary is getting married after her first year of college. Barbara gets swept up in planning her sister's wedding since Rosemary doesn't seem to care much about it. There are some issues with Barbara wondering who her wedding date will be, which groomsmen might be single, and which neighborhood boy she might marry when she's her sister's age. But these crushes aren't really explored like Cleary did in previous books, so the focus is mostly on wedding preparation.

That wedding spotlight made this book a bit lackluster for me because it felt very surface-level, and I didn't relate much to any character. That being said, it was an interesting read just to learn about the wedding and shower traditions back then compared to how they are now.

Follow Your Arrow by Jessica Verdi

Follow Your Arrow by Jessica Verdi is out TODAY from Scholastic, so grab your copy! I was able to read an ARC thanks to @kidlitexchange, @jessverdi, and @scholasticinc, but all opinions are mine.

Cece and her girlfriend Silvie practically live their lives online, earning money from sponsorships and doing livestreams together. When Silvie breaks up with Cece, Cece is stunned. Silvie was such a good actress that she didn’t know anything was wrong.

In the wake of her heartbreak, Cece tries to find herself while still posting regularly and keeping her follower count on the rise. She’s always tried to show her best side online, but that’s not the real Cece. She has to decide how to show that part of herself before someone gets hurt.

I love books about social media because I have such a love/hate relationship with it, as I think many of us do. It was especially interesting to read about how it affects what influencers post and how free they feel to be themselves...or not. This book is amazing, a must-read for ages 12 and up.

Beverly Cleary Author Study: Jean and Johnny

 No illustrations because this is another young adult book.

I don't know why the book cover has hamburgers on it because I don't remember them going out for burgers in the book, but clearly, as a burger fan, I'm here for it. They do talk on the phone so I get the phones, but hey.

This is another Beverly Cleary young adult book, but it's a bit more real than the previous two. Jean is hoping to meet her celebrity crush when an older boy from school approaches her and seems to take an interest in her. Jean is infatuated with Johnny and starts shifting her life and routine ever-so-slightly to "keep" him.

This reminded me a little too much of my first middle school crush, though Jean is 15 in the book. It's just that real, though it still seems pretty innocent compared to present-day relationships. I appreciate Cleary exploring something not as sunny as the YA books she's written before, where hurt feelings were just misunderstandings and the boy and girl were equally invested in each other.

Beverly Cleary Author Study: The Luckiest Girl

No illustrations because this is another young adult book.

Shelley feels stuck in her Oregon life, so when she has the opportunity to live her junior year with family friends in California, she jumps at the chance. Everything is so new and different that she feels confident being her real self in a way she didn’t in Oregon. On her first day of school, she meets Hartley, but she has her sights set on Phil, the tall, handsome basketball player who sits next to her in biology.

Again, this book is low stakes when compared to contemporary young adult fiction. “Quaint” is an appropriate term, but it’s a feel-good story and I think it’s worth the read for the fun of it, if not to also get a peek into how teenagers used to socialize and date.

Beverly Cleary Author Study: Fifteen

No illustrations because this is Beverly Cleary’s first young adult book. Fifteen-year-old Jane Purdy wants to find a boy to date and spends a lot of time imagining how things will play out. Jane does meet a boy and starts to date him, but has to navigate that new part of her life and how insecure it makes her feel.

There was a nice balance of Jane being young but independent with her babysitting business and being unsure of how to handle herself on a date, with how she learns by experiencing things and becomes wiser for it.

This book definitely seems pure and innocent compared to contemporary young adult - and of course, it was a different time. The writing and plot reflect that, so overall the book seems classic and graceful. The first young adult book is thought to be Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly, published in 1942. (I have this on my TBR stack to read, so I’m interested in comparing the two.) It’s also worth considering Robert Cormier didn’t start publishing “dark” young adult books until 1960. To put things even more in perspective, S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders was published in 1967 and Judy Blume’s Forever was published in 1975.

Best Young Adult Fiction Read in 2020

This looks like I picked more than 5 books, but two choices are the book and the sequel, and one is an amazing series. Since I think they should all be read together, even though each book can stand alone, I'm counting the sequels and series as one choice.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (2019). I think I loved this even more than The Hate U Give! Angie Thomas is brilliant at creating realistic characters that draw you into their world, and Bri is no different. I heard her raps in my head and fell in love with how her mind made rhymes from one random word jumping out at her from a train of thought. Can’t recommend this one enough!

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam (2020). This book is AMAZING. So powerful, so necessary, and such a unique verse novel. But unfortunately, the story told is not unique - a black teenager imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. I love that YA novels are being written about situations like this so our teens will grow (or hopefully continue) to be empathetic people and anti-racists.

The Track Series by Jason Reynolds: Ghost (2016), Patina (2017), Sunny (2018), Lu (2018).

    Since I am not the sportiest person, I wasn’t sure what I’d get out of a book about a kid joining a track team, but I should have known that Jason Reynolds would always win me over with his words. I don’t think he can write a bad book, and if you’re not reading him, you gotta pick some up.

    After Ghost, I was totally hooked by the Track series. Patina is so well-done, with characters going through things you don’t typically see in fiction, but do see in real life. It’s so refreshing to see real struggles represented in fiction.

    I think Sunny has been my favorite of the Track series so far, and that’s saying a lot. Sunny has such a distinct style, and the way everything sounded like music to him is an infectious way of thinking. Since I finished this book, I’ve been hearing beats and rhymes everywhere I go, and it’s just what I need to bring a smile to my face. Can’t wait yet am sad to finish the Track series soon...
    I’m so sad to end the Track series, so it seemed appropriate that I cried through the last few pages. This book was so good, and the whole series is so good. I love how the characters had truly unique voices and situations and experiences. I recommend this to anyone and everyone.

How It Went Down and Light It Up by Kekla Magoon (2014 and 2019). Loved How It Went Down! Written years before Dear Martin and The Hate U Give but tackling a similar subject of a black teen being killed by a white man. The great part of this book is that it’s so real - no one knows for sure if the teen was armed, if he threatened someone, if he was a thief - we hear from everyone involved with the main character and his city block, and nothing is certain.
    Reread 2020:  I read this book two and a half years ago and thought about it so often that I knew it was time to re-read it. It’s sadly still relevant, telling an all too familiar story of a young black man being killed by a white man who gets off unscathed. The most fascinating thing about this book is how it’s told - so many different characters who saw what happened and/or knew the main players are telling what they saw and what they know. Which, of course, is a whole bunch of conflicting information. I can’t say enough good things about this book, I’m just pushing you to read it yourself. And let’s talk about it.
    I loved How It Went Down for how concise it was in telling the same story from the points of view of a whole neighborhood. The sequel, Light It Up, tells a story about another shooting incident that is too timely - a cop somehow finds a 13yo Black girl a threat and shoots her in the back. This takes place in the same neighborhood as Tariq’s shooting, so the same characters are back. It’s nice to see what they’ve been up to, and I love how this book selves a bit more into their lives.

Dear Martin and Dear Justyce by Nic Stone (2017 and 2020). Dear Martin was phenomenal. I loved The Hate U Give and this is a great book to read along with it. I felt like this one had a bit more depth and exploration, but that might be because Justyce, the main character, was more immersed in different situations that rounded out his character quite a bit.
    I had to re-read this one so I’d be in the right frame of mind to read Dear Justyce. I think I loved it even more the second time around, though maybe that was due to the current climate? I’ve also been reading more Nic Stone books since I first read this one, and I absolutely LOVE her writing style. Her characters are always so realistic, which makes it a more emotional book than you might be expecting.

    I have to admit I went into Dear Justyce thinking “Ok, another companion novel that won’t be as good as the first.” But DAMN this one blew my mind. I absolutely loved how it was from Quan’s point of view, and the use of flashbacks was so powerful. Nic Stone is an amazing writer and her foreword and afterword absolutely made this book 10x more powerful and emotional than the story was on its own. I can’t recommend both Dear Martin and Dear Justyce enough - for teens, sure, but also I think it should be required reading for adults to (hopefully??) help us change how we see things.

This Is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey

Thanks to Quirk Books for sending me an ARC of this book! It will be released on February 2, 2021, and you won't want to miss it. 

“At once thought-provoking and hilarious, This Is Not the Jess Show is a timely, incisive book so masterfully-plotted you won't want to put it down.”—Tahereh Mafi, New York Times best-selling author of the Shatter Me series and A Very Large Expanse of Sea

I have a love/hate relationship with social media (as I’m sure most of us do), and I love taking a step back to try and understand how it affects everyone in different ways. For example, I cannot WAIT for the wave of memoirs written by influencer kids that is sure to come in 10-15 years! Until then, this book is as close as you can get, and I’ll take it!

Jess starts noticing things that are slightly off in her world, but no one else seems to see. Actually, others seem to see the problems, but they try to redirect Jess when she brings it up, so she starts to feel crazy. But when Jess realizes that her whole life has been faked for a TV show, she doesn’t know how to feel or what to believe. Now her mom making sure she always looks great makes total sense, and she sees how a bunch of drama in her life was created just for ratings. But this life is all Jess has ever known - can she escape? Does she even want to?

Whether you scoff at seeing moms on Instagram pose their kids in a pumpkin patch just for pics, or you think the kids are really getting something out of the experience, this book will make you think critically about reality vs social media. 

This book is billed as a “thriller”, which I don’t really agree with, but then again I read a lot of adult thrillers, so maybe I’m biased. It’s also described as having a hint of Black Mirror, which I totally agree with. It’s twisted in the best way, and the 90s references make me think readers in their 30s and 40s will love this just as much as the young adult audience it’s intended for!

Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliot

Thanks to @kidlitexchange and @peachtreepublishing for a review copy of Pretty Funny for a Girl by @rebecca_elliot_author, which is out TODAY! Grab a copy if you’re ready to kick back with a hilarious YA novel.

Haylah has always been a huge comedy nerd. She watches stand-up every night before bed, and writes down anything funny she can think of. She’s a pro at laughing off anyone who tries to put her down, which happens a LOT because Haylah is fat. So fat, everyone (even her friends) calls her Pig. But Haylah laughs it off and channels all her energy into her comedy. When Leo, a student a few years ahead of her, performs a stand-up routine in the school’s talent show, Haylah is smitten. She starts slipping funny notes into Leo’s locker, and is thrilled to be writing his jokes. Except Leo doesn’t acknowledge her in the halls at school, because he doesn’t want anyone to know he doesn’t write his own jokes. Haylah’s friends think she’s being taken advantage of, but Haylah just wants to write comedy! And kiss the boy, but hey, she doesn’t have to admit that part.

This was a quick, funny read that I really enjoyed. As something of a comedy nerd myself, I especially loved that Elliot actually wrote the stand-up bits in the book! One thing I wasn’t completely sold on was Haylah’s body image - she spends the first ¾ of the book focused on her weight, and everything implies that she is pretty big. I am ALL. FOR. THIS. I love seeing fat girls own it in YA books - I think this is so important for teens. But in the last ¼ of the book, it’s almost like Haylah’s weight melts off. She starts being described as “curvy” where the words previously used definitely implied she was bigger than that. I can understand her focusing more on a comedy show than her weight, but it was such a major part of the book that it seems disingenuous to just drop it like that. As an adult woman who still struggles with body image, I don’t buy that a teen would just shrug it off all of a sudden after it being such a major part of her life - and her comedy act! So one small strike against the overall story for me, but it was a funny book and I absolutely loved that a bigger girl who loves being funny is being spotlighted in a YA book - I wish I had this when I was younger!

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim

Thanks to @kidlitexchange and @scholasticinc for sharing an ARC of The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by @onewpc. This book is out November 10, 2020; add it to your list now so you don’t forget to grab a copy!

Anna is used to being in charge of everything; as the oldest sister, she naturally takes care of her younger brother and sister. Her dad works long hours at his restaurant, often spending the night in his office, so Anna also cooks dinner and makes sure her siblings do their homework. She even picks her little brother up from school. Anna does all this because her mother can’t - or won’t - Anna’s not entirely sure which. She just knows her mom stays in bed most of the time, and if she’s not in bed, she’s yelling at Anna for being a horrible daughter. Anna knows there’s some sort of mental illness making her mom unable to perform everyday tasks, but she doesn’t know what it is, or how to get help. She tries to lose herself in working in her father’s restaurant, where she loves to help cook… and watch Rory, the cute new delivery boy. As she gets to know Rory, Anna realizes that everyone has some sort of problem, and maybe she should ask for help with her mother. But that task seems impossible, until something happens that forces the family to take action.

This is a powerful book about mental illness and how it might be addressed and handled. I liked how Anna’s mother’s condition was discussed, but wished there was more about Rory - his illness fell a little flat for me, and I wish it had been explored more. I think it would help teens a lot more to see Anna not only dealing with her mother, but with a friend’s situation as well. Besides that, it was an interesting read, touching on typical YA tropes in a unique way and deftly balancing mental illness.

The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg

Thanks to @kidlitexchange and @scholasticinc for sharing an ARC of @bkonigsberg's The Bridge, which is out TODAY, so go ahead and grab your copy!

Aaron and Tillie "meet" when they lock eyes on the George Washington Bridge. Both teens are straddling the guardrail, ready to jump. The story is told in four different ways: Tillie jumps and Aaron doesn't, Aaron jumps and Tillie doesn't, they both jump, and neither jump. Each option is realistically fleshed out, showing how everyone even remotely involved with the teen reacted to the news.

This book is so heavy, so real, and so necessary. I hope it gets into as many hands as possible. I think showing the finality of suicide, and the reality of how it impacts others is so important. Teens (and honestly probably any age) need to see this, and it's even more powerful coming from someone who has been there. (Konigsberg has a moving explanation at the beginning of the book.) This is a hard read, depending on your mental state - aka hard for me during the pandemic, but this is probably a very crucial time for it to be read! I can't recommend this enough, and hope you recommend it to anyone you know who might be struggling, or who might need it to help those around them.

Take Me With You by Tara Altebrando

 Take Me With You by Tara Altebrando

Thanks to @kidlitexchange, Bloomsbury Publishing, and Tara Altebrando for sharing an ARC of this book! It released 6/23/2020, and I know I've been in quarantine for too long when I see that date and think "Oh good, I'll be able to review it before it's released!" ... It's mid-August, people. I need to look at a calendar.

This book is a page-turner! Four students who hardly know each other are summoned to an empty classroom after school, and no one knows why. Until they see a strange device on the teacher's desk. It's almost like an Alexa, except... it's not. When the students try to leave the room, the device says that they must take it with them. Then more rules are revealed, often after one of the teens does something wrong. The consequences seem steep, and they're scared into doing what the device asks. Meanwhile, the device is also trying to figure out its purpose, and it needs help from the four teens it has under its control.

The suspense in this book had me flying through the first 200 pages, but as soon as an explanation about the device started to come to light, it lost me. I know I'm an adult reading a YA book, but even for teen readers, I don't think the surface-level resolution will be enough. There was potential to really explore this resolution and push it to the limit, while also wrapping things up nicely, but it fell flat and still feels unresolved to me.

Dear Universe by Florence Gonsalves

Thanks to KidLitExchange and Little Brown Young Readers for sharing Dear Universe by Florence Gonsalves. This book publishes on 5/12/2020, and I love that it’s going to come out right around graduation season, since finishing high school is such a poignant plot in this book.

Chamomile is counting down the days to prom - and the window for her boyfriend to ask her is dwindling. She tries not to think about it too much, and it’s not hard, because all her friends are looking forward to the senior volunteer trip to Nicaragua. The trip isn’t really on Cham’s radar, because she hasn’t finished her college admissions essay, which is a requirement to go. Cham isn’t even sure she’ll go to college in the fall - she’s too worried about her dad, whose disease is progressing quicker than anyone thought it would.

Cham is determined to keep her home life separate from her school world. She’s constantly pleading with the universe to help her pull it off, but she knows she can’t keep it up forever.

This story makes the reader incredibly invested in Cham’s life - or lives, as she’d prefer to have it. Some of the sentences made me gasp because they capture being seventeen so perfectly - on the brink of a huge life transition, with the world ready for you, while also fearing what might come next.

Getting real for a minute: Sometimes I feel jaded when I read YA books because the romance is so hopeful and pure, it makes me roll my eyes - even though I remember that’s how it was. Or the teens have all the talent in the world if they just stand up to their parents to go after their dreams - but some real kids don’t have that, they’re just average and can’t recognize any outstanding skills in themselves. This book, on the other hand, is the most REAL YA book I’ve read in awhile, that reminds me of my (eons ago) high school self and my friends, and the teens I recently got to know at the library. There’s a bit of romance, but it’s not all happy. There’s a lot of struggle, but it’s real. There’s a lot of true uncertainty and emotion expressed honestly. And there is so much hopefulness and fear that you’ll remember being seventeen in the best way possible.