Tag: friendship

REVIEW: It Started with Goodbye by Christina June

REVIEW: It Started with Goodbye by Christina June

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It starts when Tatum’s best friend asks for a ride. Before Tatum really knows what’s happening, she’s being arrested because her best friend’s boyfriend decided committing grand larceny was a terrific idea. While Tatum was only there to keep an eye on her friend because she didn’t trust the boyfriend, she now has a record, a fine and community service. And she’s completely lost the trust of her dad and step-mother.

At home, Tatum’s punishment is a loss of most of her freedom. Her step-mother checks her mileage before and after she drives to work. She also denies Tatum any chance to socialize outside of her community service hours. Her step-mom even called her own mother to stay with them for the summer to help watch Tatum while she works and manages her daughter’s dance career. And Tatum’s father leaves the country for work right after everything falls apart, leaving her at the mercy of her critical, demanding, helicopter “step-monster.”

Tatum has a lot of time this summer for contemplation. And she has a lot to consider – her relationship with the people in her house, her friendship with the “best friend” who got her into this mess, and questions of who she even wants to be. One saving factor for her summer is the graphic design business she starts. Not only is the work a nice, creative distraction that will help her pay off her fine, but it also puts her in touch with a talented, flirty musician in need of a website. His emails definitely make her summer more enjoyable!

Review

This was so sweet! I loved it. The family and friendship pieces of this Cinderella-esque tale are terrific. The dynamics between Tatum and her step-mother and step-sister are fascinating. There’s a lot to overcome here, but also some things that maybe Tatum isn’t seeing or reading correctly. There are issues with Tatum’s dad, too, frankly, but those are more in the background since he’s gone for most of the book. Tatum’s step-grandmother, though, is a breath of fresh air in a tension-filled home where control, authority and propriety are the name of the game.

But the romance is what delighted me. It’s warm and sweet and builds perfectly. I loved every moment of it! I would have read five more chapters of just the happy couple together – along with the two other potential couples from the story. They were adorable.

I have really enjoyed the books published by Blink YA in the past. I read this author’s book No Place Like Here earlier this year and loved it. But it wasn’t until I finished this that I realized No Place stars Tatum’s best friend from this book and is the third book in a collection. Now I’m going to have to read that book again to put it in its proper context. And I have to track down the second book, Everywhere You Want to Be, that stars Tatum’s step-sister. I need to get the full story on these young women!

So far, this is my favorite of the two Christina June books I have read. But I recommend both of them for readers who love contemporary YA with some romance. Obviously the books stand alone, which is good for clueless readers like me. But I am eager to read them in order to get the full picture of the teens and their lives as things develop for all three of them.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

REVIEW: Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Sawyer is still reeling from the things she discovered about her family when she, Lily, Campbell, and Sadie-Grace worked together to make sure Campbell’s father was held accountable for his crimes (Little White Lies). She finally knows who her biological father is, and it changes everything – her relationship with her mother, her grandmother, and with the rest of the family she lived with for her debutante year.

But now that it’s summer, and the family is spending time at their lake property, there’s a new distraction. The White Gloves is a secret society that takes in a select number of young women from the best families each year. And Sawyer, Lily, Campbell and Sadie-Grace have all received invitations. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Sawyer’s recent discoveries make things awkward at her grandmother’s house. Campbell’s mother is in a downward spiral after the fallout from her husband’s arrest.  Sadie-Grace knows her step-mother is faking her pregnancy, but she doesn’t know if she should confront her or let the charade play out. And Lily has her up-in-the-air relationship with Walker to figure out. The White Gloves are a perfectly timed distraction.

But the Gloves’ competition also gives Sawyer a chance to dig into one more mystery from her debutante year. Whatever happened to her mom’s best friend Ana who also got pregnant when Sawyer’s mom did – and who disappeared almost twenty years ago?

Review

This was absolutely stunning – dizzying! The twist and turns in this left me in knots – and I loved every minute of it. I couldn’t stop thinking about this for 24 hours after I finished the final page – I even had dreams about the book! When I think about where the book starts vs where it ends, it’s almost like two whole books. What a wild ride! Masterful plotting in this one!

I missed some of Sawyer’s sass and spunk from the first book. In Little While Lies, she’s an outsider; she uses her words as armor to protect herself. In this book, that edge isn’t as sharp. She’s found family to a degree, and she has her crew of friends. It’s a necessary evolution to the character, but I missed the snark. I also missed the fellas. Walker and Boone are absent for a lot of this since the White Gloves is only for the ladies. Again, necessary, but I missed them.

I love the core group of girls in this. They have distinct, fascinating personalities and family situations. And I loved seeing them as more of a team than they could be in book one.

The structure of this is similar to Little White Lies. In that book, the story starts with the girls in jail and then goes back in time around a year to fill in the story. Periodically there’s a paragraph, or a few sentences, from the jail timeline so you don’t forget where everything is headed. This time there are three timelines. This book starts again with Sawyer and a friend in some danger. Then it goes back a few months to the start of the story. The third piece is from 25 years ago, and that is also threaded into the larger story. The author does a great job of cuing where the timing changes so just watch the headings and you’ll be fine. I loved trying to figure out how the three pieces would come together in the end.

As I said, the plot of this is dizzying. I can think of six major twists/revelations without even trying hard, and I’m sure there are more. I had to write them all out when I finished the book just to help my mind take it all in. WOW! I loved it. So many great surprises. I’m not sure there are unanswered questions to prompt a third book, but if Jennifer Lynn Barnes writes one, I am here for it! She is still one of my favorite YA authors.

These books definitely need to be read in order. If you love suspense and mysteries, or if you love books with some unexpected twists, be sure to check out the Debutantes series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Shine! by JJ and Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Shine! by JJ and Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Piper’s life revolves around music, although she says she personally can’t carry a tune in a lunch box.

Her mother was a cellist and also a singer. At Piper’s age she had a full music scholarship to Chumley Prep. Piper’s dad has always dreamed of writing musicals and directing orchestras on Broadway, but he never caught a break like that. When Piper’s mom died, he started directing music at Fairview Middle School so he had a steady job to take care of the two of them.

And now, her dad’s a cappella group has won the Winter Sing-Off, beating the Chumley Prep group. It’s a huge achievement for Piper’s dad. And it gets him invited to take the director’s job at Chumley after Christmas. A “perk” is that Piper can go to the school for free. She’s less than thrilled.

At the Winter Sing-Off, Piper overheard the arrogant Chumley kids mocking her dad and his group, but she was too shy to speak up. What is she going to do now when she has to go to school with those kids every day?

Review

“The brightest stars don’t just shine for themselves.”

What a DELIGHT! This is the kind of book I want to hug. I loved this – the characters, the plot, the message. It was a treat to read!

Piper is my favorite sort of middle grade character. She’s bright and sweet and over time she gets comfortable in her own skin. She finds a fantastic crew at Chumley which offsets some of the social issues at the school. Piper’s not perfect. She struggles with the pressure to be a star at Chumley and with her expectations of herself, and that leads her to vent that frustration onto a friend. But she finds her way back, on her own, given some time and space – exactly what you hope kids can do.

The story was almost as excellent as Piper. It’s a new kid story combined with an identity story as Piper is trying to figure out who she wants to be in this new setting. As an outsider, she catches glimpses of what the pressure of a school like Chumley can be like for kids, especially kids with parents who have sky-high expectations and the money to make things happen. And while Piper puts up with some taunting and some unfair treatment, she mostly has the freedom to find her place and be herself while she figures out the Chumley system and competes for an all-school award.

This would be terrific for a classroom read aloud, for book groups, or for family/bedtime reading. Don’t miss out on this one. You can check out my reviews of some of Chris Grabenstein’s other books here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Suggested Reading by David Connis

REVIEW: Suggested Reading by David Connis

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Clara Evans has always been something of a reading fanatic. As a kid, she could only read books AT the library. Money was super tight, and her parents wanted no risk of overdue fees. When Clara found an abandoned library card, she used it to secretly check books out – and she never earned a fine!

Books were what got Clara admitted to her fancy school, Lupton Academy. They’re also what prompted her to start a nonprofit that runs Tiny Little Libraries around town and gets grants for school libraries in need. In fact, Clara’s night-before-school-starts tradition is called the “Evans Highlighter All-Nighter” which involves her staying up all night to read. And this year – before her last high school first-day-of-school – she stays up to read a new book from her favorite author. And it’s amazing.

Clara’s tired, but walking on  a post-book high when she gets to the school library for her volunteer shift. That’s when she discovers the school is puling 50 books from the library collection. And they’ve done it before. Students didn’t notice, thinking the books were just checked out when they couldn’t find them on the shelves. But now Clara is aware. And she’s ready to do something about it!

Review

This was fascinating! There have been a few other banned books/start-a-secret-library-in-your-locker sort of stories in the last couple years (Ban This Book, Property of the Rebel Librarian), but this stands in a category by itself. Part of the reason is that this is YA rather than middle grade. With the older audience, the author can explore some more mature content, reasoning and emotions. The other reason is how the protagonist is challenged and changed by this journey. At one point she feels like books – in some ways her most faithful companions through life – have betrayed her or failed her. She also wrestles with significant risk for her protest. All of these pieces made for a fantastic reading experience for me.

This would be a tremendous book for class reading or for book groups. You have all of the book related material, but you also have other teen issues like underage drinking, sexual identity, depression and suicide for discussion.

While the ending didn’t punch all the buttons I was looking for, I was pleased with how everything wrapped up for Clara and her friends. Be sure to check this one out! (Language, LGBTQ+, Trigger Warning: suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Perfect Star by Rob Buyea

REVIEW: The Perfect Star by Rob Buyea

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Eighth grade begins for the stars of The Perfect Score series.

  • Gavin is playing football after overcoming all the hassles from last year. After a summer with no coach, the team finally has one, but the unconventional choice leads to drama for the school and community.
  • Randi’s future in gymnastics is up in the air after a serious injury.
  • Natalie is leading the group once again, this time as they start up a school newscast in place of the newspaper.
  • Trevor and Natalie are still dating, but it’s causing a major rift in Trevor and Mark’s friendship.
  • Scott is enthusiastic about everything from being the weatherman on the newscast to being the stat guy for the football team. But his enthusiasm for protecting the new football coach leads to some issues.

And that’s just the beginning of an 8th grade year that is going to challenge these kids and draw them together tighter than ever.

Review

Wow. This was so good! It’s been delightful to watch these kids grow up and grow together over the three books in this series. And I LOVE this group of kids – even more than I loved the group in the author’s previous series. They are quirky and genuine and flawed and family to one another.

So much happens in this book (including at least one “suspend disbelief here” moment), but it all holds together around the idea of this core group getting older and gaining some maturity as well as compassion and empathy for others. Family, friendship, and football are major themes, but this also touches on homelessness, insurance and health care, grief, bullying, and dating (hand holding, peck on the cheeks/lips). This book is perfect for middle school readers in its richness and depth.

When I talk with readers about stories told from the perspective of several characters, I always end up talking about Rob Buyea‘s books. He writes these great, nuanced characters, and then turns them loose to tell their stories in their own ways. And I fall in love with the stories every time.

Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Friend or Fiction? by Abby Cooper

REVIEW: Friend or Fiction? by Abby Cooper

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Life was weird in Tiveda, Colorado. It was a small town, and no one every stayed there long. People there were generally passing through on their way somewhere else. For Jade, Tiveda was extra weird because her family was sticking around. That wasn’t the plan at first, but her dad’s been way too sick to move away, find new doctors, etc. And while she stays, her friends tend to come and go.

Until Zoe.

Zoe is a character Jade created. Jade’s a writer. And she writes stories about a fictional Jade and her best friend Zoe. All of the stories fit in a notebook that Jade takes everywhere so she always has Zoe with her. She can add to their adventures any time, which comes in handy when you don’t have a best friend at school any more. And Jade’s dad loves to hear any new Zoe story she writes.

When a kid named Clue takes Jade’s notebook for a “project,” she is beside herself. What dose she even do without Zoe? But the project seems to be a success because Zoe – Jade’s made up Zoe – has come to life, and she’s is living across the street from Jade and going to her school!

Review

This was great. There’s a touch of magic to the story that brings Zoe to life. But the rest is a realistic story about friendship, family and writing. And it all comes together so well.

I loved the revelations Jade encounters in the last part of the book – about her brother, about Zoe, about the kids at school, about storytelling, and about herself. There’s so much here, and it’s all so rich. Jade grows and changes so much from the start of the novel to the end. It’s a fantastic journey.

This would be great for classroom reading or a book group. This fits in the “older middle grade” category, for kids 10 and up. There are tons of friendship pieces to talk about, but so much more – cancer, grief, isolation, family. There are great pieces about writing and writers in this, too, that could have classroom connections. The fact that Jade is a writer, that she connects with a teacher at school who encourages her writing, and her dad’s enthusiasm about her stories – those were some of my favorite parts of the book. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Camelot Code: Geeks and the Holy Grail by Mari Mancusi

REVIEW: The Camelot Code: Geeks and the Holy Grail by Mari Mancusi

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

A young druid named Nimue, charged with protecting the Holy Grail, is on the run from Morgana’s soldiers. She and her sisters were taking the grail to Camelot where King Arthur is sick and in need of its miraculous powers. But Morgana struck, and now Nimue is all alone and in fear for her life. Then she spies a familiar cave – the home of Merlin. Maybe he could save her life once again!

Sadly, Merlin is on something called “Spring Break.” There’s a boy in his cave – Emrys the Excellent – who says he is Merlin’s apprentice. Desperate, Nimue asks Emrys to use some magic to hide the grail from the men hunting for her. The good news is that Emrys succeeds in hiding the grail just in time and sends off the men with nothing. The bad news is that by the time Emrys is done with it, the grail is a young, gaseous dragon, and Emrys has no clue how to change it back.

Nimue summons the Companions by reciting the Camelot Code. Which means Sophie and Stu are summoned from our time to help. Only, Sophie and Stu aren’t together. He’s at home getting some surprising news while Sophie is trying on the world’s ugliest bridesmaid’s dress with her obnoxious soon-to-be step-sister, Ashley. When Sophie responds to the distress call, Ashley unexpectedly gets dragged along to Camelot.

Review

This is a fun second adventure for Sophie and Stu. The addition of Ashley, Emrys and Nimue was a nice touch. I enjoyed the larger cast and all the things the story was able to do with more characters working on a solution.

While this is solidly a fantasy story, it also deals with family issues and friendship concerns, both for Sophie and Ashley and also for Stu. Even Emrys and Nimue to a smaller extent are dealing with family – or lack there off – issues. There’s a fun back and forth again between our world/time and Camelot. Some funny situations develop as well as lots of suspenseful ones. There are a few unanswered questions at the end to pull readers forward into a third book in the series.

You can read my review of the first book, The Once and Future Geek, here. This is a great series for kids who love King Arthur’s legends, or for kids who enjoy fantasy and magic in their reading (think Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Wings of Fire, etc.). Fans of book one should not miss this sequel!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne

REVIEW: Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Claire, Naomi, and Audrey met the day of Claire’s husband’s funeral. It was also the day of Naomi’s lover’s funeral. And Audrey’s boyfriend’s funeral. All three funerals were for the same man. That was the day the Central Park Pact was set. The three women would help each other watch out for manipulative, cheating men.

A year later, and Naomi’s fallen in love with a great guy (Passion on Park Avenue – ♥♥♥♥½). But Claire is still trying to figure out this weird new life. It’s hard to be a grieving wife when you are best friends with your husband’s mistresses – and you know he died on a “date” with someone else. But that’s still what she is – a grieving widow. How does she move forward after such betrayal?

One way is a complete overhaul of the brownstone where she and her husband lived. Scott Turner is an in-demand builder. He usually does multi-million dollar office buildings and skyscrapers. But he’s back in the city for a little while and itching to do a project that lets him work in a different sort of space. He’s pretty sure Claire’s brownstone is NOT it, though. He plans to meet his buddy’s friend, look at her project, and turn her down. Scott refuses to work with stuffy socialites. But Claire is nothing like he expects.

Review

This series has been a delightful surprise! I picked up Passion on Park Avenue from the library so I could read it before reading this one, just so I would have the characters and context in my head. I read it in a day and loved it. I jumped this one ahead in my review schedule because I enjoyed the first book so much. I was not disappointed! I read this in one sitting as well.

I love these characters! They’re complicated and compelling. The cheating jerk has impacted each of these women in different ways. Add to that their personal stories and emotional baggage, and you’ve got characters I wanted to spend time with. They’re fascinating! Then add to that some interesting guys and excellent chemistry, and you’ve got a romance series I would happily read again and again.

If you enjoy contemporary romance, don’t miss this series! Book 3, Marriage on Madison Avenue, releases in January. That will be a must-read for me. And I’ll be checking out the author’s other work because I have adored the two books in this series so far. Highly recommend! (language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Humiliations of Pipi McGee by Beth Vrabel

REVIEW: The Humiliations of Pipi McGee by Beth Vrabel

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Pipi’s humiliations are legendary. And no one at her middle school is going to let her forget them. From her kindergarten self-portrait (as a strip of bacon with boobs) shown on the first day of 8th grade to her reputation for picking her nose (an unfortunate school picture fiasco) and starting a vomiting epidemic on the school bus, Pipi can’t catch a break. If anyone touches her, they treat their hand as if they have the plague, trying to pass the “Pipi touch” to other students. But Pipi is convinced THIS will be the year everything changes. This will be the year of revenge and redemption!

Pipi has a plan to reinvent herself, undo all of her humiliations, and to strike back at those who hurt her the most when she was vulnerable. Her single-minded focus on changing her life before high school ends up causing more trouble than it fixes. In fact, her quest for reinvention could cost her the parts of her current life she actually enjoys.

Review

There are some truly delightful moments in this story. But there are also plenty of painful ones for Pipi. This is the second “revenge” story line I’ve read recently, and both were a bit painful to read. This isn’t the good-will-triumph-over-evil sort of revenge where you identify with the oppressed and cheer for them to rise up. It tends to look more like good-kid-temporarily-becomes-a-jerk-to-get-back-at-the-jerks.  And as the reader, you have to sit back and watch it all fall apart while you hope Pipi will learn from everything and find some redemption in the end.

Pipi’s family really helps offset the more awkward and painful parts of the book. They are spectacular! My favorite scene is a birthday party in the middle of the book – it’s an absolute treat. There’s also a couple brief appearances of characters from the author’s 2018 book The Reckless Club (which I ADORED). The tie in was terrific.

I am loving the publishing trend of producing books for older middle grade readers – the 10 to 14-year-olds, the middle schoolers who are ready for more complicated and intricate stories but still young enough to steer away from some YA themes. This is a perfect example of a story for that audience – complicated friendships and relationships, lessons to be learned, and identity to develop. Be sure to check out Pipi McGee! (LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Broken Strings by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer

REVIEW: Broken Strings by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy from Netgalley and Puffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Shirli Berman longs to be a performer. She dances and sings AND acts. And for her 8th grade year she’s tried out for the school production of Fiddler on the Roof. She was hoping to get the part of Hodel and get to sing “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.” Instead, she will be playing Golde, Tevye’s wife – an old Jewish woman with no solo. It was hard not to be disappointed.

It’s been five months since the World Trade Center towers fell on 9/11. Some people thought it was too soon for something as festive as a musical. But eventually the school decided it would be part of “moving forward” from the tragedy. A way to heal and get back to some semblance of normal.

Shirli’s grandfather, who she calls Zayde, has some old clothes and furniture in his attic that Shirli thinks could be useful for the musical. But when she looks through everything, she also finds an old violin and a poster for a music group. And one of the little boys on the poster is Zayde.

When Shirli shows him what she found, Zayde becomes angry, saying those things shouldn’t be in the attic. They were supposed to be thrown away years ago. What happened in Zayde’s past, and why does he want to keep it secret?

Review

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year (and I’ve read over 270 books so far)!! What a delightful surprise this was. I loved all the typical parts – the rehearsals and preparation for the musical, and the sweet middle school romance that might blossom. But there’s so much more!

Since the story takes place in New Jersey in late winter and spring of 2002, the characters are still reeling from 9/11. And there are some powerful scenes with Muslim, Jewish and Hindu characters around the events of that day. The scenes are amazing on their own, but they also address how America struggles, still today, with Muslims and other “brown” people because of the terrorists who struck that day.

But the story truly shines in the ways it addresses Jewish history through the musical and also through Shirli’s family. I can’t tell you how many times I cried as Zayde opened up to Shirli about his past. I learned things about the Holocaust I’d never heard/read before. And the authors did a masterful job of ensuring those stories impacted more characters than just Shirli.

This is a phenomenal story – delightful characters, and moving scenes about family, music and friendship. It also addresses heavy topics like 9/11 and the Holocaust in ways that are honest while also being kid-friendly. I’ve noticed a trend lately from publishers to have books targeted to older middle grade readers – 10-14 year olds. These books have excellent storytelling and meaningful plots without engaging in some of the more mature teen behavior you might find in YA books for older readers. Broken Strings is one such book.

My only complaint about this book is something I hope was fixed in the final editing process. This takes place in a Jr. High School with 8th and 9th grade students, but the book frequently refers to the 9th graders as “seniors” instead of “freshmen.” It happens so often, I forgot that Shirli is supposed to be 14 instead of 16. Hopefully that is just a factor in my early review copy.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It would be an exceptional read aloud at school or at home, and would also be a fantastic choice for a book group. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++