Tag: head trauma/concussions

REVIEW: I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (Graphic Novel) by Lauren Tarshis

REVIEW: I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (Graphic Novel) by Lauren Tarshis

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lucas is a football player. But after a significant concussion – his third in 2 years – his parents decide he shouldn’t  play any more for his own safety. But Lucas decides to appeal to his “Uncle” Benny. Benny is Lucas’s dad’s best friend at the firehouse. Benny stepped up and helped Lucas’s family when his dad was hurt in a fire. He got Lucas into football in the first place. So Lucas cuts school on the morning of September 11, 2001 to talk to Benny.

While Lucas and Benny are near the firehouse, talking, the first plane hits the World Trade Center. As the firefighters head to the site and Lucas watches the news at the firehouse, the second plane hits. Lucas is alone at the station. He can’t get a call out to either of his parents. What should Lucas do next?

Review

This is excellent! The story is full, giving context to Lucas being in the city on a school day as well as giving football book-ends to the more serious pieces of the story. The basics of 9/11 are covered honestly, straightforwardly, with details that are appropriate for young readers.

The author includes her 9/11 story, told in comic panels at the end of the book. Other information about 9/11 and the aftermath is included in the backmatter. The artwork is stellar! Easy to follow, conveying the details of the scenes well.

September 11th, 2001, changed everything. And kids today were born into that changed world. They have questions about what happened that day. With the 20th anniversary coming up, this will be a great resource to answer some of their questions. I highly recommend this one for graphic novel fans, fans of the I Survived series, and kids curious to know more about this significant historical event.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BONUS REVIEW: Snapped by Alexa Martin

BONUS REVIEW: Snapped by Alexa Martin

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Elliot “Elle” Reed is living her dream. She is the strategic communications manager for the Denver Mustangs. And she could only have been happier if her father had lived to see it. She loves football, and loves the Mustangs. And she’s thrilled to be part of the PR staff, helping the team and players with messaging and image.

Quinton Howard Jr is the Mustang’s star quarterback. The Denver team put him on their roster after he led another team to the championship  in his first year off the bench. And Quinton has decided to use his notoriety and his platform to speak up for issues in the league and in the world. So he takes a knee during the National Anthem. And Elliot is sent to manage the story – and Quinton.

After a few rocky conversations, Elle and Quinton eventually find a tenuous working relationship. But he’s brittle and abrasive. And she’s still trying to hold back her personal grief. Yet when a drunken kiss upends the fragile peace between them, it also just might be what they need to get them to open up to one another. But forces are at work that want to silence Quinton and put Elle in her place. Will they stand together or be torn apart?

Review

This is book four in the Playbook series after Intercepted (♥♥♥♥), Fumbled, and Blitzed. While I haven’t yet read book 3, right now this is my favorite book in the series.

The “Lady Mustangs” and Elle’s friends shine in this book. I adored the community Elle builds with her school friends and her new Mustangs-adjacent friends. They made for almost all of my favorite moments in the book. (Donny was in several of the others. What a hoot!) As always, the writing here is sharp and smart, and I loved it. Sections begged to be read aloud, and I laughed often in the first two-thirds of the book before things got more serious.

The piece that set this story apart for me was the focus on race, racial identity for Ella as a bi-racial woman, and racism both in some of the characters and also in the football league as an institution. The book raises excellent questions. And the author takes readers along as voices are raised and issues are spelled out. No miracle solutions are offered, but readers will enjoy excellent storytelling with a realistic bite. I loved the author’s note up front about the impetus for this story.

Series fans should not miss this one! And I think newcomers will be able to start here without any issues. This is a fantastic story that will stand on its own. The football pieces to this are not heavy handed, so if you aren’t a fan or don’t understand the game, it won’t be an issue. But once you meet the Lady Mustangs, you are going to want to pick up the rest of the series! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½= Loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Fumbled by Alexa Martin

REVIEW: Fumbled by Alexa Martin

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When Poppy was a teenager, she got pregnant. When she told her boyfriend TK, his mom gave her money and told her to end the pregnancy. Keeping the baby cost her everything – TK, her parents, her home, and her life in DC.

Thankfully, Aunt Maya welcomed her into her home in Denver. Now it’s just Poppy and her son, Ace, but they are living a contented life together. He has always been the light of her life. They don’t have much money, but they get by. Sure, she has a crappy job as a waitress at the Emerald Cabaret. She has to wear a corset and ridiculously high heels every day. And occasionally she has to deal with sleazy customers who think they can touch as well as look. But Ace is worth any amount of hassle.

Poppy has always felt pretty lucky that the club doesn’t cater to a professional football clientele. Because TK is on the Denver Mustangs football team these days. And she does NOT need him stumbling back into her life. He has no idea Ace even exists. And Poppy is happy to keep it that way.

And then one night, the Mustangs show up at the Emerald Cabaret.

Review

This was so fun! I loved the first book in this series, Interception. The intersection of real life, romance and football is a great fit for me as a reader. In the first book, the main character needed to find her voice and her agency  over her own life (a theme I love in books). In this one, Poppy already knows who she is and what’s most important to her. The story in this one focuses on Poppy figuring out if TK belongs in her life at all.

This story is terrific! Poppy finds a fantastic circle in this book – football wives and other friends who care about her and about Ace first – before the Mustangs or TK or anything else. I also was thrilled at the honesty of the story – no secrets (other than Ace early on), no lies. Poppy speaks her mind and holds firm to her boundaries as a mom. She tells herself she can walk away from TK if he is not on board with what she has to say. The story also deals with contemporary issues in football, including concussion protocols and CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).

This is a must-read series for me – I love the sass and strength of the female characters and the happy endings in this series so far. I can’t wait to see what happens in book 3, Blitzed, due out before the end of the year! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥