A twisty, clever story that will undoubtedly appeal to a lot of readers but just wasn't my cup of tea. A twisty, clever story that will undoubtedly appeal to a lot of readers but just wasn't my cup of tea. ...more
What an unbelievably adorable romance story. All the heart-eye emojis for Rachel Lynn Solomon. The enemies-to-lovers trope is usually not my thing, buWhat an unbelievably adorable romance story. All the heart-eye emojis for Rachel Lynn Solomon. The enemies-to-lovers trope is usually not my thing, but the characters here were multidimensional and easy to root for, plus the whole novel is infused with a powerful feminist streak. I couldn't stop smiling. ...more
If, in ten years, this doesn't end up on every 'Best of the Decade' list, I don't know what to believe. This novel is astonishing and I hope it's one If, in ten years, this doesn't end up on every 'Best of the Decade' list, I don't know what to believe. This novel is astonishing and I hope it's one of the biggest books of 2020....more
I don't know quite how I felt about this one. I suspect it might have landed a little more in the feels if I was queer teen, but a straight, cisgenderI don't know quite how I felt about this one. I suspect it might have landed a little more in the feels if I was queer teen, but a straight, cisgender thirtysomething woman, I had a hard time empathizing with the main character, a gay teen who gives himself a more "masculine" makeover in order to appeal more to his summer camp crush who was, quite frankly, Not Worth It™. There's a lot of "Be True to Yourself" messaging in here that is certainly important, especially when it comes to queer teenagers, but it was hard for me to feel invested in it when I thought that the love interest was a jerk.
Then again, I'm not the target audience so my opinion is not the one that really matters. Though, I would be really curious to hear how this reads to any queer men out there who identify as more masculine than the protagonist....more
Inspired in part by the author's own experience, The Stepping Off Place is a beautiful and bittersweet look at grief and surviving the suicide of a loInspired in part by the author's own experience, The Stepping Off Place is a beautiful and bittersweet look at grief and surviving the suicide of a loved one. The summer before their senior year of high school, Reid's best friend Hattie goes to her family's vacation home for three months. The day before Hattie is supposed to return, Reid learns that she has drowned. The death is ruled intentional but Reid struggles to accept this fact, convinced that the Hattie she knew could never have done this.
If I am totally honest, it sometimes felt like there was a bit too much going on. The book follows how Reid copes with her complicated feelings of grief in the aftermath of the loss but it also looks at how she spent her own summer at home while Hattie was away. Always a bit socially awkward, Reid credited all of her social successes to simply following Hattie's lead, and her grieving process allows her to recognize her own strengths—which is actually a really lovely journey to follow. However, there's an almost-never ending social network that gets explored perhaps a bit too thoroughly: Hattie has at least four potential love interests; Reid herself has at least three potential love interests, a complicated family dynamic, and a separate support system at her summer job. No spoilers, but at the end of the book we see five teenagers come together to honor their grief as a unit and I feel like the emotional impact would not have been lessened if Rosenblum had trimmed that down to three.
That being said, the exploration of grief and mental illness here is spectacularly well-done. Reid's response to the trauma struck me as so realistic even if her actions sometimes felt like the kinds of things that could only happen in a YA novel. The things that Reid comes to learn about Hattie's mental health as she comes to accept the truth of the situation are all handled in a responsible way—all the side-eye to Thirteen Reasons Why for treating suicide like a tool of revenge or a response to a single action. Ultimately, the emotional resonance and the thoughtful exploration of serious topics outweighed the narrative imperfections for me and I truly came to love this book.
There was so much that I hated about this book, I don't even know where to begin. I am hesitant to flat-out trash it because I do know that writers soThere was so much that I hated about this book, I don't even know where to begin. I am hesitant to flat-out trash it because I do know that writers sometimes read these and there are others who will like something more than I did—it’s been more than three years since I’ve given out a one-star review, but this one absolutely deserves it. ...more
This was cute, but it didn't always quite work if you thought about it too hard, because the royalty aspect of the story and the modern teen aspect ofThis was cute, but it didn't always quite work if you thought about it too hard, because the royalty aspect of the story and the modern teen aspect of the story sometimes rubbed up against each other in strange ways. I think I might have like it more if she'd set it in not-the-present-day....more
This was...fine, I guess. Its message, a dystopian warning about climate change, is certainly important but it came across a little too on-the-nose foThis was...fine, I guess. Its message, a dystopian warning about climate change, is certainly important but it came across a little too on-the-nose for me to find the story particularly enjoyable. ...more
This was just....very much not for me. I loved Matthew Norman's first two books, but I couldn't get more than a third of the way through this one becaThis was just....very much not for me. I loved Matthew Norman's first two books, but I couldn't get more than a third of the way through this one because it left a sour taste in my mouth....more
My least favorite Jasmine Guillory novel to date; I think it's because the set-up involves way more suspension of disbelief than her other books. The My least favorite Jasmine Guillory novel to date; I think it's because the set-up involves way more suspension of disbelief than her other books. The romance is charming but it was hard for me to really buy into the premise. More to come. ...more
Based on the true story of a reform school for boys that trafficked in sadistic forms of punishment, The Nickel BoyHoly shit. This was something else.
Based on the true story of a reform school for boys that trafficked in sadistic forms of punishment, The Nickel Boys follows the story of Elwood, a young black man in racially segregated Tallahassee who is striving for a better future and dreaming of college when a chance encounter earns him a sentence to The Nickel Academy. The school is presented as a moral rehabilitation for delinquent youth, but is, in reality, a hellish world of abuse, corruption, and violence
A black novel that reminds me of classics like Invisible Man or Native Son, Whitehead emphasizes, on the one hand, the injustice that drove Elwood to the Nickel Academy and contrasts that against his exposure to the Civil Rights movement and Jim Crow as well as the prejudice and segregation he experiences inside school. This book is incredible and unforgettable. Every moment feels carefully thought-out in service to a bigger theme, but not in a laborious way that makes the plot feel secondary. Rather, the plot is engaging and at times gut-wrenching. The structure gives the book's twists and turns an emotional core that never feels unearned.
This will easily make its way to many Best-of Lists for 2019, including my own. It's a highly, highly recommended read that will stick with me for quite some time....more