All posts by Kasey

About Kasey

Reads things. Writes things. Fluent in sarcasm. Willful optimist. Cat companion, chocolate connoisseur, coffee drinker. There are some who call me Mom.

Review: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Monster
Walter Dean Myers
HarperCollins
Published May 1, 2001 (Orig. 1999)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Monster

This New York Times bestselling novel and National Book Award nominee from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve’s own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.

Fade In: Interior: Early Morning In Cell Block D, Manhattan Detention Center.

Steve (Voice-Over)
Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I’ll call it what the lady prosecutor called me … Monster.

My Review

I’ve had this book on my reading list for probably ten years, which feels surreal. I read On a Clear Day by Walter Dean Myers back in 2015, and after that, I looked up more of his books for my reading list. So here I am, finally circling back for Monster.

I read this book as an audiobook with a full cast, which I think helped me imagine the story as a movie. It’s a really quick read. I believe the audiobook runtime is less than three hours.

Powerful storytelling fills the pages of this book. I felt immediately connected to the characters and especially the plight of Steve as he prepares for a trial that will determine whether he spends decades in prison. It was easy to read between the lines of dialogue in the scenes, though, and feel like I understood what was going on in the characters’ heads or between the lines.

The story gives readers space to think about what makes someone a monster as each witness appears or each lawyer speaks. Though the author limits the content, keeping the story appropriate for its intended audience, he doesn’t flinch from hard truths about life in prison. The juxtaposition of Steve’s youth and inexperience against the harsh reality of prison life is shocking. I couldn’t help but think of real-life teens in similar situations as I read.

The ending really got me, too. I won’t spoil what happens, but I was impressed with the nuance and the impact of the scene in which the jury delivers its verdict. That scene will replay in my head for a long time.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in fiction about incarcerated teens, especially for younger teens.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Two uses of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
One scene very briefly mentions sexual assault. Some characters reference assault or a fear of being assaulted.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to gun violence (happened off-scene). References to and brief descriptions of fighting. Reference to domestic violence (happened off-scene). References to sexual assault. References to cutting someone with a knife (happened off-scene).

Drug Content
References to smoking cigarettes.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm by Mariama J. Lockington

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
Mariama J. Lockington
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published October 14, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

When snow falls, sparks fly in this irresistible queer romance from Schneider Family Book Award and Stonewall Honor winner Mariama J. Lockington—for fans of She Gets the Girl and Jennifer Dugan.

High school senior Lyric has always found Christmas to be the hardest season. While other kids got presents and family time by the fire, she was in and out of foster care. An up-and-coming make-up influencer and aspiring cosmetology student who loves a bold lip, Lyric definitely isn’t looking for romance—not when opening up to someone feels a lot like asking to get hurt.

Christmas is Juniper’s favorite time of year. At least, it was, until her moms’ separation. They’re back together now, and Juniper hopes they’ll stay that way. Because if they’re happy, that means Juniper can leave for her gap-year trip after graduation (the one she has yet to tell her parents about, and can’t really afford without their help).

When a chance meeting brings these two opposite personalities together, they should clash . . . only they don’t. Instead Lyric strikes a deal with Juniper: pose as her fake girlfriend in a series of holiday-themed social media posts and they can split the money from her beauty sponsorships. But soon the lines between what’s real and what’s not start to blur. Could it be that sparks are flying both in front of the camera and behind it?

Told from dual perspectives, one in prose and one in verse, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm is a cozy and modern love story from acclaimed author Mariama J. Lockington that’s perfect for the winter holidays or all year round.

My Review

This festive holiday romance hit all the right notes to start my Christmas season. I love the contrast between Lyric and Juniper as characters. Lyric is closed off and has difficulty trusting others, but she takes great care of her grandmother and works hard at her online beauty-influencer gig, saving money for her future. Juniper is sweet and more down-to-earth, though she’s quiet and reserved. She loves the holidays and romance. Her chapters appear in verse, which supports the romantic feel of her character.

Both girls have painful elements in their pasts that they don’t really want to talk about or acknowledge. For Lyric, it’s her history with her mom, who’s unwell and living unhoused. Juniper’s moms have recently reunited after a troubled relationship and separation. Both have dreams for the future that they’re not sure their families will support.

The girls begin fake dating because their photos and videos gain a lot of clicks on Lyric’s social media, generating some new sponsorship opportunities and income for both of them. They keep insisting they’re just friends and business partners, but sparks will not stop flying when they’re together, and it seems like everyone sees the relationship possibilities before they do.

I really like the balance of characters calling out issues with the main characters and the characters realizing things for themselves. Lockington leaves plenty of room for Lyric and Juniper to come to their own conclusions, but also shows the value of supportive relationships for helping us realize when we’ve missed the mark.

This is the first of Mariama J. Lockington’s books that I’ve read, but she’s won some huge awards for her other work in middle grade and young adult fiction. I’ll definitely be adding more of her books to my reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. References to sex. (Not shown on scene.)

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Lyric recalls a time when she was a small child, and she had a high fever and a seizure. Some of the things her mom did to try to address the fever don’t align with current medical advice. References to anger outbursts when Lyric was younger. In one scene, someone punches a locker and regrets it.

Drug Content
An adult references a time she got in trouble because unbeknownst to her, her date was selling drugs, got caught, and got her in trouble, too. Teenagers sipped vodka from a flask before entering a school dance. (Happens off-scene.) In one scene, two teen girls swipe alcohol from a parent’s liquor supplies and get drunk. They have a rough time the next day.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: A Time Traveler’s History of Tomorrow by Kendall Kulper

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

A Time Traveler’s History of Tomorrow
Kendall Kulper
Holiday House
Published November 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Time Traveler’s History of Tomorrow

A time-bending love story between a prickly young woman and a carefree stranger, who are tasked with saving the universe—after accidentally destroying it in the first place.

Genevieve Newhouse and Ash Hargreaves weren’t supposed to meet like this. Unless it was always meant to be . . .

Gen is a fastidious science prodigy with a chip on her shoulder, and she can turn herself invisible.

Happy-go-lucky Ash has just escaped a sheltered (read: cultish) childhood, and he can manipulate time.

The gifted eighteen-year-olds cross paths at the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair, where Genevieve’s experimental physics project causes an apocalyptic explosion. Ash tries to avert catastrophe by gallantly rewinding time a few minutes, but instead, he transports them back to 1893. The duo finds themselves trapped in an unfamiliar, unwelcoming era, with no idea how to return to their own time—or if their own time even exists. Their cataclysmic leap across decades might have destroyed the world as they know it . . .

Fate and free will intertwine in this page-turning historical romance that sets two irresistible strangers down a chaotic, potentially apocalyptic path. “Will they or won’t they” takes on a whole new meaning as Gen and Ash fight for survival while falling in love.

Hand to fans of Immortal Longings and Anatomy: A Love Story, and don’t miss companion novels Murder for the Modern Girl and A Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

My Review

I read The Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife by Kendall Kulper, which is about Genevieve’s sister Henny, two years ago, so I was excited to read this companion novel. The historical setting has the same noir feel as the other book, which I love. Most of the story takes place in Chicago in 1893, in and around the World’s Fair.

The chapters alternate from Genevieve and Ash’s perspectives, and I enjoyed both characters. I like that she is the scientist and he is the romantic, people-oriented person in the partnership. It would have been easy to write the characters the opposite way, and I like that Kulper challenged some gender expectations with these characters. Genevieve also finds a talented Black woman in 1893 who mentors her. That created some opportunities for the narrative to note the ways that misogyny didn’t only affect white women, but also women of color.

The pacing in the last quarter of the book felt so fast to me. I loved how quickly things unfolded, though I think I lost the thread of the character arcs for both Genevieve and Ash as they prepared for their big move to save the world and un-pretzel the timeline.

Despite that, I had a lot of fun reading this book. I didn’t realize that Genevieve and Henny’s older sister, Ruby, has her own novel: Murder for the Modern Girl. So I’m definitely adding that one to my reading list.

Definitely check out Kulper’s books if you enjoy a good historical novel with a bit of magical realism or fantasy elements.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used fairly infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have supernatural abilities, like traveling through time and turning invisible. At the beginning of the story, one character lives in a highly controlling religious cult community.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Two scenes include a person nearly falling to their death. Two scenes include someone nearly drowning. One person dies in the water. Someone collapses with some kind of apparent medical crisis. Reference to death in a fire (not shown on scene).

Misogynistic and racist characters restrict the ability of talented women and people of color to participate in the science field and/or receive credit for their work. References to the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893 and the Indigenous people and people of color incarcerated at the fairgrounds as part of an exhibit. The narrative also acknowledges the fact that certain cultures and people groups were excluded from exhibits on progress and science.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,

Graciela in the Abyss
Meg Medina
Candlewick Press
Published July 1, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Graciela in the Abyss

“A thrilling, action-packed journey filled with heart, bravery, and ghostly exploits.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A sea ghost, a mortal boy, and a dangerous enchanted harpoon . . . A Newbery Medalist takes us far beneath the waves in this extraordinary foray into fantasy.

In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela—once an ordinary girl—now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela’s spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family’s forge. He’s heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean’s waves—tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can.

When the harpoon is accidentally reunited with its vengeful creator, unlikely allies Graciela and Jorge have no choice but to work together to keep evil spirits from wreaking havoc on both the living and the dead. If only the answer to saving what they care about didn’t lie within the depths of the abyss . . . Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina and illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso have crafted a thoughtful tale infused with magic and high-stakes adventure that will leave readers wondering what power lies in the depths of the ocean—and inside each of us.

My Review

That this book received a starred review from Kirkus is no surprise to me. The story world is so imaginative and immersing. The characters feel so real.

I will say the opening is a little bit jarring, only because it’s unusual to open a story with the main character’s death, and especially a death by such a tragic accident. (Graciela falls off a cliff into the sea.) But it does offer a lot of insight into who Graciela is, so that as she awakens as a spirit, we’re unsurprised by some of her choices.

She really grows as a character, and it feels very organic. I love the contrast of her character in the opening scene versus in the final scene. What a transformation.

I have to talk about Jorge, too. He has such a joyless life, and yet, he still finds ways to create joy for himself. He’s kind to others, too. I love the way the story works out for him, though there were moments that I could not see how there would be any happiness at the end for him. That final scene really got me. So perfect.

This story has such a unique setup. Usually, the living human is the main character and the ghost is more of a side character. While both Jorge and Graciela tell the story in their points of view, it feels a little more weighted toward Graciela’s perspective to me. So much of the story is set in the spirit world with Graciela and her community. I love the fantasy landscape that Medina created beneath the ocean’s surface.

The back of the book has a glossary of terms related to the spirit world and the book has a map as well.

If you’re looking for something dark and unusual for your middle grade reader, check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
When someone dies in the ocean or at sea, they sleep for 100 years and then wake as a spirit, where they’re tasked with certain roles to protect the ocean or other spirits. The Almas are guardians who watch over the ocean and all the spirits.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Description of a girl’s accidental death falling from a cliff into the sea. Descriptions of a ship’s crew lost at sea. Some characters use a harpoon to hunt spirits, intending to kill them and steal their pearl teeth. Jorge’s parents are cruel, threatening him with violence (burning out his tongue, for instance) if he doesn’t do what they expect.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

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Review: The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Demon and the Light (The Floating World #2)
Axie Oh
Feiwel & Friends
Published October 21, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Demon and the Light

Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in The Demon and the Light, the hotly anticipated follow-up to Axie Oh’s The Floating World.

The battle is over, but the war is just beginning…

With the help of her friends and allies, Ren managed to topple the General’s insurrection, but the Floating World and its territories are still under threat of attack from the rival Volmaran Empire. And far worse, she was powerless to save Sunho from being overcome by the monstrous power in his blood. Now he’s gone, transformed into a feral, deadly creature that doesn’t even recognize her anymore, and her heart aches for the sweet boy she’s grown to love.

But the escalating war will not pause for her grief. Seen by some as a heavenly savior and others merely a figurehead to be manipulated, Ren must use all her courage and cunning to survive the royal court’s game long enough to find Sunho and bring him home before he loses himself to the Demon forever.

My Review

The Demon and the Light is the second part of a duology that began with The Floating World, which came out last spring. This book is a lot more focused on the romance between Sunho and Ren than I remember the first book being. Ren faces some uncertainty about her future as queen, and a powerful enemy rises to destroy her people, so she and Sunho have more going on than the question of whether or not they’ll be together. Their feelings for one another are never far from their thoughts, though, which keeps the romance a central focus.

The story also follows Jaeil, Ren’s childhood friend and now military adviser, who relates some of the political turmoil and observes Ren and Sunho’s relationship. A romance blooms between him and Ren’s adopted uncle (he’s one year older than Ren) as well.

Just like the first novel in the duology, this book is packed with Final Fantasy vibes. We learn more about the experiment that led to Sunho’s demon transformation. Ren learns more about her ancestry and her mother’s life and death. A powerful villain rises, intent on destroying the world in revenge. All we need are wild hairstyles and a super giant sword.

I remember racing through the first book in the duology, so eager to read every chapter. I enjoyed this second book a lot, too. It’s awesome that we got both books in the duology in the same year.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Ren is descended from a goddess and has some supernatural abilities. By entering a dreamlike state, she revisits her ancestors. Some characters transform into beings with monstrous characteristics and violent natures, referred to as demons.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Reference to execution. Some battle scenes.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Going Overboard by Caroline Huntoon

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Going Overboard
Caroline Huntoon
Feiwel & Friends
Published May 27, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Going Overboard

From author Caroline Huntoon comes a sparkling new middle grade novel, Going Overboard, a reverse-Parent Trap story where tweens Piper and Colton must force their parents to break up, or their lives will change forever.

Piper Shapiro has the best mom in the world: Noura, a single parent by choice who always has a plan, whether it’s for a spontaneous Saturday adventure or helping Piper navigate middle school as a nonbinary kid. They’re a package deal, and they tell each other everything. At least, they used to. But then Noura invites Piper out to dinner with her girlfriend Gwinny… and Gwinny’s son, Colton—a boy Piper knows, and doesn’t exactly get along with. Piper panics when the realization Noura and Gwinny are serious about each other. Suddenly, Piper’s life as half of a duo has an expiration date, and ze is horrified.

To put a stop to any potential wedding bells, Piper makes a plan to break up the parents and keep things the way they are—the way they should be. When Gwinny surprises everyone with a getting-to-know-each-other cruise for spring break, Piper’s game is on—and Colton is in on it. The two of them work hard to make it clear that they are not one big happy family, even though it turns out that Colton might not be so bad after all. But when things with Operation Break Up go a bit too far, Piper starts to question everything… and realize that maybe a little change isn’t a bad thing.

My Review

I read Linus and Etta Could Use a Win, another book by Caroline Huntoon, earlier this year, so when I saw a review copy of this one up for grabs, I jumped at the chance to read it. Going Overboard is the first novel I’ve read in which the main character uses neopronouns. Piper uses the nonbinary pronouns ze/zir/zem. Piper’s pronouns don’t come up as often as you’d think in the story. At one point, a salesperson in a store misgenders zem, but someone immediately corrects the clerk, and she switches to the correct pronouns. Piper’s pronouns simply aren’t the focus of the narrative beyond the support that Piper feels from zir mom and others around zem.

The real focus of the story is the attempt to break up Piper’s mom and her girlfriend, Colton’s mom. The narrative does a great job showcasing the shift in Piper’s feelings about the relationship despite the commitment to the breakup project. While Piper is certain Colton is a jerk and Gwinny is too perky, ze begins to see qualities ze enjoys and admires in both of them.

The cruise creates a close-proximity environment in which Piper really only has Colton to talk to, and an artificial deadline (return to port) in which to accomplish zir mission. Both of those things drive the story forward and keep the narrative from drifting too far from the central plot.

Piper and zir mom’s relationship is really sweet. I think it borders on maybe too enmeshed at some points, but I loved seeing a mom of a middle schooler so engaged and supportive.

Going Overboard feels like the perfect read for someone needing a slightly aged-up Alex Gino book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently (twice, I think).

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to Piper’s best friend’s crush on someone. Colton also has a crush on someone.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A group of older kids make fun of Piper and Colton, who are dressed similarly at the dance.

Drug Content
Adults drink alcohol socially on a vacation.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.