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: Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

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Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

Bad Things Happen Here
Rebecca Barrow
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published June 28, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Bad Things Happen Here

I KILLED ZOE SPANOS meets THE CHEERLEADERS in this haunting mystery about an island town with a history of unsolved deaths—and a girl desperate to uncover the mystery behind it all.

Luca Laine Thomas lives on a cursed island. To the outside world, Parris is an exclusive, idyllic escape accessible only to the one percent. There’s nothing idyllic about its history, though, scattered with the unsolved deaths of young women—deaths Parris society happily ignores to maintain its polished veneer. But Luca can’t ignore them. Not when the curse that took them killed her best friend, Polly, three years ago. Not when she feels the curse lingering nearby, ready to take her next.

When Luca comes home to police cars outside her house, she knows the curse has visited once again. Except this time, it came for Whitney, her sister. Luca decides to take the investigation of Whitney’s death into her own hands. But as a shocking betrayal rocks Luca’s world, the identity Whitney’s killer isn’t the only truth Luca seeks. And by the time she finds what she’s looking for, Luca will come face to face with the curse she’s been running from her whole life.

My Review

I own a couple other books by Rebecca Barrow, but BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE is the first one I’ve ever read. Right away, I felt hooked into the story. The relationship between Luca and Whitney is so real. I loved the small town, closed circle feel of the group of friends they shared.

As Luca learns that everyone has been keeping secrets, my interest in the story only deepened. I kept coming up with my own theories of what happened and then hanging on as the story pivoted new directions. I couldn’t stop reading. Things happened so fast that I kept wanting to read one more chapter all the way until the very end.

I have thoughts about the end, but I don’t want to give anything away. I think I can safely say that the way it ended felt both true to the character and also not what I expected. It both closed the story and yet left me yearning for more in a good way.

I think it’s hard to tell a story from the perspective of a narrator like Luca, someone who’s grappling with so much grief and betrayal and trauma and not only keep them an engaging narrator but walk the balance between them doing things that feel totally in character but also give the reader the experience we need from a story– to feel like there’s some growth and conclusion. Rebecca Barrow does both and does it all beautifully. I loved this book and can’t wait to read other books she’s written.

I think readers who enjoyed WHITE RABBIT by Caleb Roehrig or LITTLE & LION by Brandy Colbert will want to read this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Luca is Black and Latinx. She’s also a lesbian and deals with some mental health issues.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. One scene briefly shows masturbation.

Spiritual Content
Luca believes there’s a curse on her island that’s causing girls to die.

Violent Content
References to sexual assault and murder. One murder happens on scene. Luca briefly describes seeing the bodies of two people after they were found murdered.

Drug Content
Luca drinks alcohol with her friends. References to smoking pot. Some characters have a history of using hard drugs.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

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Openly Straight
Bill Konigsberg
Arthur A. Levine Books
Published May 28, 2013

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Openly Straight

Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He’s won skiing prizes. He likes to write.

And, oh yeah, he’s gay. He’s been out since 8th grade, and he isn’t teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that’s important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.

So when he transfers to an all-boys’ boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret — not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate break down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn’t even know that love is possible.

This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate feeling different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.

My Review

This book has been on my reading list for a LONG time, but once I realized it’s by the same author as THE MUSIC OF WHAT HAPPENS, I really wanted to read it.

OPENLY STRAIGHT explores elements of identity not often explored in the YA I’ve read. It’s not just about coming out or how we sometimes distill a person’s identity down to one thing. The idea that sometimes parts of us that feel incongruent with other parts of ourselves resonated with me. Like we can’t be both those things in the same room with people in the same way at the same time.

For Rafe, mainly this had to do with how he felt other guys perceived him as an out gay kid. When he had an opportunity to connect with other boys without them knowing he was gay, he had a different experience, one that had value in a different way. I liked that as he explored that, he realized while there was a barrier between him and other guys if they knew he was gay, not telling them also created a barrier, too. Anyway, there were a lot of great ideas in and around that conflict that were definitely worth reading.

I also, of course, loved Rafe and Ben. I loved the way their friendship developed, and the fact that they had this beautiful emotional closeness. Rafe’s roommate and his best friend were lots of fun, too. I really enjoyed the banter between them.

Rafe is a messy character who’s learning a lot about himself. He has some selfish attitudes and doesn’t always do right by his friends, but the way things play out shows he’s beginning to turn a corner and pursue healthier ways to relate to people. And healthier ways to think about himself.

Conclusion

All in all, I liked this book. As I put together the links for this review, I realized that OPENLY STRAIGHT has a sequel! And it’s Ben’s point-of-view! So, I will absolutely be reading that book which is called HONESTLY BEN.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Rafe is gay and Jewish. One minor character is Black. Rafe’s best friend, Claire Olivia is Latina. Other minor characters are gay or possibly bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. References to sex. References to sexual touching.

Spiritual Content
Brief references to Rafe being Jewish.

Violent Content – Content warning for homophobia.
At a PFLAG dance, Rafe sees some boys who repeatedly use a homophobic slur. He witnesses another closeted gay boy being harassed and mocked.

Drug Content
Rafe and his friends drink alcohol. Rafe mentions having been high on pot once.

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

Review: The Loophole by Naz Kutub

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

The Loophole
Naz Kutub
Bloomsbury YA
Published June 21, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Loophole

Your wish is granted! This YA debut is equal parts broken-hearted love story, epic myth retelling, and a world-journey romp to find home.

Sy is a timid seventeen-year-old queer Indian-Muslim boy who placed all his bets at happiness on his boyfriend Farouk…who then left him to try and “fix the world.” Sy was too chicken to take the plunge and travel with him and is now stuck in a dead-end coffee shop job. All Sy can do is wish for another chance…. Although he never expects his wish to be granted.

When a mysterious girl slams into (and slides down, streaks of make-up in her wake) the front entrance of the coffee shop, Sy helps her up and on her way. But then the girl offers him three wishes in exchange for his help, and after proving she can grant at least one wish with a funds transfer of a million dollars into Sy’s pitifully struggling bank account, a whole new world of possibility opens up. Is she magic? Or just rich? And when his father kicks him out after he is outed, does Sy have the courage to make his way from L. A., across the Atlantic Ocean, to lands he’d never even dreamed he could ever visit? Led by his potentially otherworldly new friend, can he track down his missing Farouk for one last, desperate chance at rebuilding his life and re-finding love?

My Review

For some reason I thought this book was going to be a romcom type of story? The cover copy makes it sound like this light, fun romp around the world for love, and it is those things. But it’s also got some heavy stuff in it that I wasn’t expecting. The scene where Sy’s dad beats him with a belt. Reggie’s clear and heartbreaking alcohol addiction.

I really liked Sy. He’s messy and flailing and desperately trying to figure his life out. The one thing he knows for certain is that he loves Farouk. That love is his guiding star, and I loved that element of the story. I loved that he learns so much on his journey and finds confidence in his independence.

There are two notes the story didn’t hit that I wished it did. So, Farouk left on this glorious world-traveling trip. Sy stayed behind because he was afraid. The cover copy tells us that much. But then we learn that Sy is seventeen. And has an abusive dad. And eventually we learn the circumstances surrounding Farouk’s request for Sy to come with him, but that’s spoiler-y, so I won’t clarify that. It didn’t help how I felt.

I think I wish that Sy had paused to examine what was happening there and ask whether it was actually reasonable for Farouk to expect him to come with him. Or whether it was reasonable to lay the blame for their breakup on Sy for not going. Or whether it was more complicated than him simply being afraid.

Another thing that I wish the story addressed is Reggie’s alcohol addiction. Sy seems to think he can manage her addiction by distracting her with his friendship. I wish that there had at least been some mention of her getting professional help or recognizing that rescuing someone from addiction is not a burden that a friend can carry.

All that makes it sound like I expected every issue to be fully examined and processed by Sy before the end of the story, which I know isn’t reasonable. I guess I tend to struggle with that in the books that I read. It’s pretty realistic for some things to be left unexplored by the hero. It also leaves a lot of space for readers to examine things and draw their own conclusions.

Anyway, I still loved a lot of things about THE LOOPHOLE, especially the way Sy grows and builds his friendship with Reggie. I loved the scenes in Istanbul especially. Fans of THE MUSIC OF WHAT HAPPENS by Bill Konigsberg or ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Sáenz should check this one out.

Content Notes for The Loophole

Content warning for homophobia, Islamophobia and abuse.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Sy is Indian American, Muslim, and gay. Farouk is Pakistani American and gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. In one scene, they go skinny dipping together. Sy’s dad has a second family in India.

Spiritual Content
Sy visits a mosque and prays. His family believes being gay is a sin.

Violent Content
Sy’s dad beats him with a belt because Sy is gay. Sy reveals this isn’t the first time his father has done this. Sy learns of a terrorist attack in London. At an airport, officers detain Sy and threaten him with a strip search. Sy and Reggie hit an officer while trying to get through a police barricade.

Drug Content
Reggie drinks alcohol almost constantly. Sy drinks alcohol a couple of times.

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

Review: Funny Gyal by Angeline Jackson and Susan McClelland

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Funny Gyal: My Fight Against Homophobia in Jamaica
Angeline Jackson and Susan McClelland
Dundurn Press
Published June 7, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Funny Gyal

“Instead of remaining silent, she chose to speak out…that’s the power of one person.” — Barack Obama

The inspiring story of Angeline Jackson, who stood up to Jamaica’s oppression of queer youth to demand recognition and justice.

When Angeline Jackson was a child, she wondered if there was something wrong with her for wanting to kiss the other girls. But as her sexuality blossomed in her teens, she knew she wouldn’t “grow out of it” and that her attraction to girls wasn’t against God. In fact, she discovered that same-sex relationships were depicted in the Bible, which she read devoutly, even if the tight-knit evangelical Christian community she grew up in believed any sexual relationship outside of marriage between a man and woman was a sin, and her society, Jamaica, criminalized homosexual sex.

Angeline’s story begins with her traumatic experience of “corrective rape” when she is lured by an online predator, then traces her childhood through her sexual and spiritual awakening as a teen — falling in love, breaking up, coming out, and then being forced into conversion therapy.

Sometimes dark, always threadbare and honest, FUNNY GYAL chronicles how Angeline’s faith deepens as a teenager, despite her parents’ conservative values and the strict Christian Jamaican society in which she lives, giving her the courage to challenge gender violence, rape culture, and oppression.

My Review

This book blew me away. I kind of expected that, to be honest. I was interested in reading more about Angeline Jackson for her activism and her experiences, but I’ve also read EVERY FALLING STAR by Sunju Lee and Susan McClelland. It’s been years since I read that book, but I still think about it, so I had high expectations for another memoir with Susan McClelland assisting in putting it together.

FUNNY GYAL drew me in from its early pages and didn’t let me go until the end of the book. I loved reading a queer, faith-positive story that continually challenged the idea that a person much choose between different aspects of who they are: faith or identity. Over and over Angeline Jackson returns to the idea that she can be, and is, both a person of faith and a lesbian, and that those two ideas aren’t in competition with one another.

I won’t lie– some parts of the book are hard to read. She describes some encounters with homophobic people. She also describes the trauma of rape, and the fears and doubts about the police taking the case seriously. Through her shared experiences, though, she reveals how the prejudices against LGBTQIA people leave them vulnerable as victims of violent crime. She shows incredible resilience and love, not only for herself, but for her country and her people.

She speaks frankly about the continual pain that it causes her for her family to choose a “love the sinner, hate the sin” kind of relationship with her. And how that makes her feel as though she can never fully be herself with them.

All in all, FUNNY GYAL is a rich, bold and vulnerable memoir about courage and resilience and finding your people. I loved this book. If you’re still looking for a good memoir to add to your Pride TBR this month, definitely check out this book!

Content Notes

Content warning for rape, homophobia, and abuse.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Angeline and her family are Jamaican. Angeline is a lesbian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Two men rape Angeline and her friend at gunpoint. The event itself isn’t graphically described, but her trauma is.

Two girls kissing. Mentions of sex between two girls. Mention of oral sex between a boy and girl. At one point, Angeline (a teenager) enters into a sexual relationship with an adult who has had a position of authority over her.

Spiritual Content
Angeline is raised in a devout Christian home and church where she’s taught that same sex attraction or relationships are a sin. She points out that other Christian churches believe differently, and some are LGBTQ+ affirming. Angeline herself remains a Christian.

Violent Content
See sexual content. At times people say homophobic things to Angeline or others.

Drug Content
References to drinking alcohol. Reference to drugs slipped into a person’s drink. Angeline also attends a party and drinks alcohol.

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

Review: Defending Orcas: No More Captivity by Captain Paul Watson and Tiffany Humphrey

Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Defending Orcas: No More Captivity
Captain Paul Watson and Tiffany Humphrey
Groundswell Books
Published January 31, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Defending Orcas

This book provides an educational and sobering look at the conditions orcas face by being captured or born into captivity. Young people will learn how orcas (who are part of the same biological order as whales) thrive at sea and have highly evolved forms of communication that are unique to each orca family.

The book delves into the history of capturing orcas for sale to marine parks that then attempt to tame and train the orcas to provide entertainment to park visitors. Readers will find stories about individual orcas―some of them world famous―and discover how difficult it is for them to adapt to captivity.

My Review

Several years ago, I watched the documentary Blackfish. I was pretty shocked about some of the information contained in the film. When I received an opportunity to review DEFENDING ORCAS and learn more about what’s happening to Orcas and how to help protect them, I knew I wanted to read the book.

The author of DEFENDING ORCAS also the founder of the group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, whose mission is to protect all marine wildlife. The book discusses the organizations efforts with regard to Orcas and their goal to return all Orcas to the wild or, where that’s not possible, to enclosures which more closely mimic the spaces in which they naturally live.

Reading this book, I learned a bit about where different Orca populations live and some facts about Orcas in the wild. Much of the content of the book is devoted to discussing how damaging captivity is to the wild populations and to the animals who are in captivity themselves. There are also brief biographies of some of the Orcas at different marine parks and what has happened to them.

All in all, I really appreciated reading this book. It affirmed a lot of what I already believe about Orcas belonging in the wild. It gave me some new information about Orcas as well. Some details about Orcas being injured or dying due to circumstances of captivity might be tough for sensitive readers. However, I think it’s a compelling book that makes a powerful case for no more captivity for Orcas.

Readers interested in conservation will also enjoy MAKING WAVES by Albert Bates, which explores the effect of pollution on marine life.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 to 14.

Representation
The book is about Orcas.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
The book shows several images of orcas caught in nets, lying dead on beaches, with harpoons sticking out of them. There are also some descriptions of injuries and deaths of orcas in captivity.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg

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

Breaking Time
Sasha Alsberg
Inkyard Press
Published June 14, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Breaking Time

Fate brought them together. Time will tear them apart.

When a mysterious Scotsman appears out of nowhere in the middle of the road, Klara thinks the biggest problem is whether she hit him with her car. But, as impossible as it sounds, Callum has stepped out of another time, and it’s just the beginning of a deadly adventure. 

Klara will soon learn that she is the last Pillar of Time—an anchor point in the timeline of the world and a hiding place for a rogue goddess’s magic. Callum is fated to protect her at all costs. A dark force is hunting for the Pillars, to claim the power of the goddess—and Klara and Callum are the only two standing in the way. Thrown together by fate, the two have to learn to trust one another and work together…but they’ll need to protect their hearts from one another if they’re going to survive.

My Review

I think I was hoping for a SEEKER vibe from this book. Long tradition of people trained to protect a magical portal or something. Time travel to stop the bad buy from stealing the magic. Something like that. BREAKING TIME isn’t that story, not exactly. Which is okay. I made assumptions from the cover copy that turned out to be inaccurate.

At the beginning of the story, Klara doesn’t know she’s anybody important. She doesn’t believe in spiritual stuff– she’s much more comfortable with things being explained by science. Then a sixteenth century Scotsman pretty much tumbles into her life, and suddenly her scientific explanations come up empty.

I liked the story and the tension between Callum and Klara. I wish that some questions would have been answered, though. Like, Callum travels in time, but how? The story didn’t explain that. Also, it seems like someone else killing Klara (or maybe even her doing that herself) would have also resolved the magical problem they faced, but that idea never came up, either. I wouldn’t have wanted that to happen, of course, but it seemed weird that the whole magic system that’s set up left that loophole wide open and no one ever addressed it.

BREAKING TIME ends in a whirlwind followed by a pretty steep cliffhanger, so I expect there will be a follow-up novel. Initially I’d assumed this was a standalone, but judging from the ending, I think it’s not.

On the whole, I liked Klara and Callum’s relationship and some of the historical details, but I wish there had been more explanation holding the pieces of the story together. I enjoyed reading it, but I’m not sure I would continue the series.

Fans of The Falconer series by Elizabeth May might enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Both main characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Lots of kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters are able to travel in time or manipulate time. Klara and Callum have encounters with monsters, spiritual beings, and a goddess. Some references to pagan or druid traditions.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle scenes with some gory descriptions.

Drug Content
References to drinking alcohol. One character appears to be drunk in one scene. Klara remembers her grandmother smoking a joint.

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