Tag: friendship

REVIEW: The Trouble With Hating You by Sajni Patel

REVIEW: The Trouble With Hating You by Sajni Patel

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing/Forever in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Liya thought she was having dinner with her parents. Not her favorite activity thanks to her father’s constant disapproval. But she expressly told them she was not in the market for a husband. She wanted no part of some matchmaking dinner engineered by her parents.

Then Jay and his mom came to the door.

In her fury, Liya ended up slamming right into Jay, knocking them both to the ground, as she tried to escape. He probably thought she was rude – or crazy – but his opinion doesn’t matter. She’s not going to have to see him again.

But she does. When she should be celebrating a new promotion at work, she discovers her company is going under. They never mentioned the lawsuits or other issues during her interview. And the lawyer who’s been brought in to determine if the company can be saved? Jay.

And he’s furious that Liya ran out and was so disrespectful to his mother. He’s heard all sorts of rumors about Liya at church. She’s sassy and hard headed. Almost impossible to get along with. And she clearly wants nothing to do with him. So why does his heart race like that when he gets in verbal sparring matches with her?

Review

Tons of rich, emotional content in this contemporary enemies-to-lovers romance! Liya is a complex, complicated character. She’s fun and loyal with her friends, protective of her mother, and respectful of Jay’s mother. But at the same time she has no patience for gossipy aunties. And she’s openly hostile to the trash-talking men at her church. Her hostility is a shield, but Jay sees through some of that when he finally starts really paying attention.

Liya doesn’t make a very good first, second, or third impression with Jay. And he’s willing, after all that, to write her off. But his true character comes through when she’s too vulnerable to be hostile or protective. And that gives them a chance.

The author has a note right at the front of the book that indicates there are references to sexual assault in the book. Sensitive readers should know that going in.

Both Jay and Liya bring significant baggage into the story. And those situations are huge enough to derail the healthiest couple. There’s a lot for them to work through. And I was here for all of it. The final conflict in the story – and the subsequent wrap up – was an emotional powerhouse. My heart was racing, and I was hanging on every word. I though the ending was faithful to real life – no miracle endings. It was satisfying, although I would have happily taken an epilogue to see how things played out later. (Some language, CW: sexual assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

REVIEW: What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Peachtree Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Maisie and her mom are off for the winter holiday. Her dad is working instead of going to the beach. Maisie’s best friend, Anna, is coming along on the trip which is perfect timing. (She recently caught her boyfriend cheating.) Anna’s mom is going away for the holiday, so Anna was going to be alone.

Maisie is excited to be getting away, even if she does have to do a journal writing/self-discovery assignment for school over the break. The family is going where they always go for vacation. Which means Sebastian will be there.

Maisie and Sebastian’s parents have been friends for ages. The two teens have grown up together. And while Sebastian has gotten hotter as the years have gone on, Maisie has only gotten more awkward. And this trip is no different. If anything, the awkward is dialing up a notch or two.

And through it all – the trip, questions about her parents’ marriage, her feelings for Seb, his new relationship, the arrival of Maisie’s “perfect” older sister and her new girlfriend, and Maisie’s entry into a beauty pageant, she’s journalling her thoughts and feelings for school. Who knows what she might discover about herself by the time the vacation is done?

Review

This was so good! I really enjoyed Maisie’s evolution through the story. While it covers about a month of time, a LOT happens for Maisie, her family, and her friends.

The central story is really Maisie’s self-acceptance. As a plus-sized young woman, Maisie feels self-conscious. She won’t wear a swimsuit on the beach. She’s been hurt by others who have judged her by her weight – including people in her own family. And she’s developed a protective response of assuming the worst to defect against her fear of rejection. The pageant pulls all of that to the front of Maisie’s awareness and forces her to deal with some of it.

The other major piece of this is Maisie’s crush on Seb. When he starts dating someone else, Maisie pretends to herself – and to others – that she doesn’t care. She misses the signs that there might be someone interested in her because she thinks her size makes that impossible. While parts of this plot line were predictable, at least to me, I still loved watching it play out.

There’s a lot to enjoy here –  a romance, a body-positive thread, some amazing characters (Leila is my favorite), and tons of family and friendship pieces. Be sure to check it out. (Language, sexual references, underage drinking)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Chirp by Kate Messner

REVIEW: Chirp by Kate Messner

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Mia and her family are moving back to Vermont after two years in Boston. Two years Mia would love to forget. But now they’ll be close to her grandmother again and get to do all the things she remembers from when she was younger.

Mia’s parents are requiring her to choose two summer activities to keep her busy. They are quick to point out the gymnastics spot near her grandmother’s cricket farm. But Mia wants nothing to do with gymnastics these days. But she does sign up for a Warrior Camp nearby as well as a Launch Camp for Young Entrepreneurs. Mia thinks Launch Camp might help her come up with ideas to help the cricket farm.

Because the farm is in trouble. Gram is convinced someone is sabotaging her business – letting seagulls in, turning of the breakers to the freezers, etc. Mia’s parents think it’s more a run of bad luck – and a sign Gram should get out of the business. But Mia’s noticing weird things at the farm, too. And she’s determined to do whatever she can to help her grandmother.

Review

This was so good! There’s a TON of great stuff going on in this story. The cricket farm and the pieces on insects as a protein source for humans is fascinating (and creepy, in my opinion). Then there are the two camps Mia attends, the friends she makes there, and the things she learns at both. It’s obvious something happened at Mia’s gym back in Boston, and it feels bigger than just her broken arm. But it takes awhile for Mia to get to a place where she’s ready to address it, even in her own mind, much less tell an adult about it. And finally there’s the sabotage mystery. All of those pieces are woven together beautifully and seamlessly. Everything fits like an intricate jigsaw puzzle.

There are so many ways I could see teachers (and homeschooling parents) use this book in the classroom. It would be a great read-aloud and would also work for book clubs and reading groups. Kids could learn more about insects as food or about real cricket farms. They could learn about maker spaces or visit some. Students could learn about Warrior camps or business plans or a whole host of things that come up in the course of the novel.

In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with a novel by Kate Messner. I believe she does a masterful job of addressing serious and important topics (in this case harassment and boundary issues) in age-appropriate ways. Her books give kids an opening to talk about real life issues and give them language for difficult topics. Be sure to check this one out – for older middle grade readers (10+).

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: What I Carry by Jennifer Longo

REVIEW: What I Carry by Jennifer Longo

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Muiriel is 17. One more year and she ages out of the foster care system. She’s learned to pack light – to LIVE light – with the goal of getting to 18, beating the odds, and living healthy and free on her own.

Her social worker begs her to settle in for this final year of high school. Her eyes are on college for Muiriel, and she knows a strong senior year is important. Joellen has always been there for her, and her request seems simple enough for Muir to agree.

Muir’s new home across the Sound from Seattle seems too perfect. Too many signs of the few things she anchors her life to – her namesake John Muir, the wilderness, and independence. But it’s also all wrong. She’s the only placement in the house, so she can’t hide in the chaos of other kids. Her foster mom, Francine, lives on five acres of land out in the middle of nowhere, so there’s no city noise but tons of quiet. And Joellen is a ferry-ride away, so she can’t call for a quick escape. Even if she did, there were no other placements that would take her.

But maybe this last placement will give Muir something she’s refused to let herself hope for – a sense of home.

Review

“Not being perfect is for people who have families; you can screw up and they still keep you.”

This book was amazing! Excellent! Stupendous! I don’t know that I have an adjective for how much I loved this book. I’ve always had a soft spot for foster care stories, but this is so much more than that!

Muir is one of the best characters I’ve read in awhile. There’s a thread of her “packing light” philosophy that runs through the whole book and is brilliant. Her gradual shift from living out of her suitcase to setting things ON the dresser before putting something IN the dresser was a glorious way to SHOW how she’s feeling about her placement. The trinkets she carries from foster home to foster home illustrate her experiences and show why she has built these protective walls around herself.

The other characters are just as amazing. And there are fantastic tidbits about John Muir, as well as a sweet romance, and a skewering commentary about racism woven into this bigger story that is fantastic.

When I step back from the story I loved and think about how the author built it – her understanding of the out-of-home care system, her excellence in conveying Muir’s thoughts and feelings, the layers to the story itself and the characters – I appreciate the book even more. Do not miss this AMAZING story! (Language, off-page sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: The Queen Bee and Me by Gillian McDunn

REVIEW: The Queen Bee and Me by Gillian McDunn

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Bloomsbury Children’s Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Meg has lived in Willow Pond her whole life. She knows what to expect from her family, her school, and her neighborhood. She’s been best friends with Beatrix since kindergarten.

As they’ve gotten older, Meg and Beatrix’s interests have started to change. Beatrix is into dance and sets the standard for most things at school with their peers. If Beatrix thinks something is great – or lame –  everyone usually falls in line with her opinion.

Meg loves science. In fact, she’s one of only four 7th graders invited to do a science experience at her school. Meg is thrilled, except it means telling Beatrix she won’t be doing dance. Meg’s never been great at dance anyway. But Beatrix has expectations. If Beatrix didn’t care, it would be fine. But she has a way of punishing people who go against her. She “froze” Meg out for a week last year, and it was miserable.

Hazel is new in Willow Pond. From the way she dresses to her fascination with honey bees, she stands out. Beatrix knows all the tricks for drawing negative attention to Hazel, while still seeming “nice” to adults, or avoiding teacher attention. But Meg, and Hazel, know the truth. Beatrix doesn’t like Hazel and she’s determined to make her miserable.

Meg’s mom encourages Meg to befriend Hazel. She moved a lot as a kid, and she knows how it feels to be new. But her mom has no idea that it can be just as hard to be with the kids you’ve known forever when your place in your social circle is in jeopardy.

Review

I enjoyed this middle school friendship story filled with bee information. The author does a good job linking the bees to the larger story. As Meg learns about bee behavior in the hive, she makes connections to her situation at school with Hazel and Beatrix.

Beatrix is a classic mean girl “villain.” I suspect her strong reaction to Hazel comes from (a) seeing that Hazel marches to the beat of her own drum and likely wouldn’t yield to Beatrix and (b) fear of losing Meg who always gives in and does what Beatrix wants. She’s catty and manipulative and pretty unlikable all the way through the story. She will give readers lots to think and talk about.

The emphasis on science – and the creativity in science – is great. I learned a lot about bees, just like Meg does.

I loved all the ways Meg grows through the story. This season in her life changes how she thinks about bees, how she sees her relationship with Beatrix, her relationship with her mother, and her understanding of herself. This would be a good class read aloud or book group choice. It’s full of things to prompt great discussion and interaction.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O'Shaughnessy

BONUS REVIEW: The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Maybelle Lane lives in Louisiana with her mom. Not in Baton Rouge where they used to live – where Maybelle had a best friend and a more comfortable life. Now they’re in Davenport. Maybelle is alone a lot while her mom works two jobs to make ends meet. And instead of friends, she has a gang of boys to avoid whenever possible. They’re bullies at school, and they tease Maybelle because her mom went on a date with the art teacher. Maybelle’s mom called off the relationship with her when Maybelle asked, but apparently word got around anyway.

Maybelle is about to be even more on her own than usual. Her mom has a job singing on a cruise ship for a month. It’ll pay really well, and they need the money. And it could open doors for her mom for the future. So Maybelle will stay with a neighbor.

Just before her mom leaves, Maybelle discovers her dad is a radio DJ in Nashville. Her mom is adamant that there’s no place for him in their lives, but listening to him on the radio makes Maybelle feel a little less lonely.

When her father announces a singing contest in Nashville where he will be one of the judges, Maybelle knows she has to go. Her mom loves the idea of Maybelle performing – of course, Maybelle left out all mention of her father. So Maybelle and her neighbor head out on a road trip that could change Maybelle’s life forever.

Review

This was lovely. I adored the traveling trio on their summer road trip to Nashville. Maybelle was sweet, determined and afraid. There was just the right amount of introspection and self-discovery and awareness in this. A perfect balance of outward living and internal processing. Tommy and Mrs. Boggs were delightful – and did their own growing along the way. I got a kick out of Maybelle’s collection of sounds, something that threads through the book. There are also pieces in here about anxiety and panic attacks that are handled well. The book also looks at grief and evidence of child abuse.

I’ve read other road trip stories with secret or semi-secret treks to meet a relative or a personal hero or to dream an impossible dream. What makes this one special is the ensemble on the journey. I was thrilled to find an epilogue in this that shows a quick view of the next year in the characters’ lives. It’s a satisfying wrap up to the larger story as well as the individual journeys of the main characters. Be sure to check this one out.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Break in Case of Emergency by Brian Francis

REVIEW: Break in Case of Emergency by Brian Francis

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Toby was a kid, growing up with her mom, she was fascinated hearing her mom talk about her absent father. It didn’t happen often. She showed Toby one picture of them together, and she talked about his singing. She said he was “magic.”

Toby’s mom cycled through dark moments and neutral ones. The voices would become incessant and drive her to the quiet of her locked bedroom. When Toby was 10, she came home from school and found her mother dead by suicide.

Now, at 15, Toby lives with her grandparents. Her grandparents rarely speak about Toby’s mother. And her father is a non-factor in her life. Toby fights her own darkness. She has to force herself out of bed in the morning. She’s convinced everyone will be better off when she is gone. She’s almost ready for her plan.

Then, out of the blue, her father calls. He’s going to be in the area. He wants to meet Toby.

Her grandparents don’t want him to come. Toby’s not sure she wants him to visit either. Where has he been all this time? He didn’t even come for her mom’s funeral. And when she hears more about him – that he’s gay and a drag performer – she’s even more confused than ever. Her plan is postponed for the moment – she’ll wait to check out this “father” who wants to meet her. But the darkness still stalks her.

Review

This is heartbreaking. The early chapters were dark and sad. Toby’s depression and her struggles are so well described it was almost hard to read.

Really, the whole story has a dark edge to it, but the heart develops alongside the darker pieces, and I was captivated by the story. There’s so much pain here. Toby’s loss is tragic, and she’s never been able to talk to anyone about it. Her father never felt at home in the community. His family turned him away. Toby’s grandparents carry their own grief. The pain of it all was raw and conveyed so well.

The mental illness pieces of this are well-written. I do wish there was more therapeutic follow up for Toby. Her needs were not going to just magically clear up. But I did enjoy the ways Toby starts to grow from her experiences – the new ways she sees her mom, her dad, her friends, and her experiences.

This needs an intense trigger warning for suicide and depression. I would caution readers to be in a good, safe, and healthy emotional place before reading this one. This left me in tears multiple times. Toby’s emotional state and her suicidal plans are well described and sensitively handled. But this could be triggering for some readers. (Language, sex, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith

REVIEW: Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Divya is known as D1V in Reclaim the Sun, a space exploration video game. She streams her game play which builds her list of followers and secures her sponsors. The sponsorships are helping her and her mom cover rent and food. Divya’s dad bailed on them. Her mom works two part time jobs while finishing graduate school. Divya doesn’t want to see her mom quit when she is so close to being done. But those part time jobs aren’t close to enough to keep them afloat.

Aaron is a writer and a gamer. His dream is to write the scripts for video games. He’s even done some of that for a small local company called ManaPunk – although they still haven’t paid him for his work. He loves exploring Reclaim the Sun with his friends (they tend to destroy eachother a lot, though), recently discovering a Level 4 planet and letting his little sister name it Planet Butts.

The majority of gamers are good people looking for a fun experience or a diversion. But just like in social media circles, there are trolls, people who target others because of their gender or race or some other reason. They harass those folks until they get scared or fed up and leave the game. A group of trolls calling themselves The Vox Populi have Divya in their sights. But she’s not giving up Reclaim the Sun, her streaming channel, and the life she’s built without a fight.

Review

Grrr, the trolls in this are infuriating! I loved Divya and her friend Rebekah, and I hated the garbage they went through just to have equal access to a game they loved.

Aaron is sweet. I enjoyed his relationship with his little sister. It’s pretty standard in gaming stories like this for there to be a teen who wants to work in gaming and a parent who thinks it’s a bad idea. And Aaron’s mom covers that part of the story. I liked that Aaron and his friend Ryan were involved with gaming, but not on the coding side like you find in a lot of books like this. These guys are involved in the writing and the art side, which made this feel a little different and fresh.

One of my favorite parts of this were the kids – many of them girls – in Divya’s “Angst Armada.” I was hoping in the end that Divya, Rebekah, Aaron and Ryan would build a game for these girls – a safe, fun place to play where they didn’t have to deal with the likes of the Vox Populi. Ugh, those guys were the worst.

I thought it was odd that the Vox Populi didn’t have a stronger motive than general dislike, at least not one they articulated. But I think it’s likely on purpose. No matter what their motive, it’s all based on hate and fear. Divya had something – notoriety, fame, a following, sponsorships – that these guys felt they deserved, and they tried to shut her down. I was thrilled when she chose to stand up to them. The ending was great – so satisfying! If you enjoy gaming stories (like Ready Player One), and stories of teens who fight back against the trolls (like Slay) be sure to check this one out. (Language, TW: assault, harassment)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Finding Mr. Better-Than-You by Shani Petroff

REVIEW: Finding Mr. Better-Than-You by Shani Petroff

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Swoon Reads in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Camryn Roth has her heart set on Columbia for college. Her boyfriend, Marc, is a legacy, and they made a pact to attend together. Then Cam meets with her school counselor. Cam has been so focused on Marc and her friends, she’s neglected her extracurriculars. As things stand at the start of her senior year, she doesn’t have enough on her applications to get her into somewhere like Columbia. And there’s really no other school on her list.

That meeting with the counselor was bad. It threw Cam off and left her brain spinning. But she was going out that night with Marc. He would help her brainstorm some ideas to get back on track.

Only, he didn’t. He dumped her. Publicly. Not over the college thing, but because he wanted “some space.”

Cam is devastated. Marc is dating again in no time, eager to move on. But Cam’s whole life – her free time, her class schedule, her future plans – all revolved around Marc.

But with her best friends by her side, some new friends on her team, and a plan, Cam is going to get her life back on track. And she’ll show Marc what a huge mistake he’s made.

Review

This had a rough start for me. I did NOT like Cam. I felt there were huge, flashing “DANGER” signs in her thinking about Marc and their relationship. She hounded her counselor for the whole summer because she *had* to have at least one class with Marc her senior year. The activities she did as a freshman dropped off so she could focus on Marc. And it wasn’t because Marc made her drop those things. He wasn’t abusive or demanding. That was just what Cam thought it meant to be in a relationship – ignoring her ideas or her interests to focus solely on him. Every new glimpse into their relationship dynamic made me feel even more uncomfortable.

I do not enjoy characters and stories like that. I like strong, sassy characters who don’t put up with anyone’s guff. Cam seemed to be giving herself up for this relationship that started when she was 14 or 15. A lot can change about a teen from freshman year to senior year. And that’s often a good thing. But not for Cam. The big drama, the big feelings and the desperation were a turn off to me. If I had not committed to reading this, I probably would have stopped after a couple chapters.

Once I pushed through those initial feelings, I started to think that I was supposed to be uncomfortable with how Cam was acting. This whole book is about her finding herself again outside of this relationship. Cam kept sacrificing her wants and her options for guys – it didn’t just happen with Marc. And her head was so far in the sand of these “romantic” relationships, she missed out on some amazing friends until the break up set her on a new course.

It takes awhile, but Cam starts to listen to her own heart again. She prioritizes the things that have always mattered to her – having fun, being a little wild (like, school mascot wild), her friends – but got lost when she put other people’s preferences over her own. There’s still more of an emphasis on dating through the last half of the book than I would have chosen, but it’s probably more realistic this way. Cam needs time to realize what she’s doing in these relationships and start making her own choices again.

This is really NOT a romance, although it looks and sounds from the title like it might be. It’s really about Cam finding herself outside of a relationship and being okay with that, and with herself, for the first time in awhile. This could be a powerful story for teens exploring co-dependent relationships or  trying to figure out where their own romantic relationships fit in the balance of their lives.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

 

REVIEW: Diana, Princess of the Amazons by Shannon and Dean Hale

REVIEW: Diana, Princess of the Amazons by Shannon and Dean Hale

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Diana, princess of the Amazons, is lonely. It’s hard to be the only kid on Themyscira. She’s too old for her dolls and other things she used to play with. And she’s too young for warrior training or to be included in her mother’s work running the Paradise Islands.

While playing with some clay, Diana fashions a friend the way her mother formed her. She doesn’t expect magic to happen – like with her own “birth.” But it would be awfully cool!

Then her creation, Mona, comes to life. At first, it’s everything Diana hoped it would be. She has a friend to play with, someone her age. But Mona doesn’t want Diana to tell anyone about her. And some of her choices lead Diana to do things she’s never done before – like lie, steal and rebel.

When one of Mona’s “great ideas” puts everyone on Themyscira – and the world – in danger from monsters, Diana has to rethink her choices and her new friendship.

Review

This was great! I loved this new look at young Wonder Woman. Poor Diana is struggling as the only kid on the island. Add to that the fact that all of the Amazons are strong and perfect. How can a young girl live up to all that? And when the business of the islands consumes her mother’s attention, Diana is set to take a fall.

I think kids will see the trouble Mona is up to before Diana does. And there’s lots to talk about and think about in her manipulations.

The wrap-up is perfect – there’s a happy ending, Diana takes responsibility for her actions, AND the adults actually listen to her concerns and ideas and take action. I loved it.

The art work in this graphic novel is lovely. Kids are going to adore this. Mythology fans (and Percy Jackson or Kate O’Hearn fans) will see some familiar references here. And kids who haven’t moved to Percy Jackson yet will find a place to launch their mythology journey here.

Librarians and teachers should stock up on this one. It’s going to be a hot commodity in your schools and libraries!

DC graciously sent me some pictures of the art for this one that I wanted to share with you so you can see how great it is.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥