Category Archives: By Age Range

Review: The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

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The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

The Black Flamingo
Dean Atta
Balzer + Bray
Published May 26, 2020 (orig. 2019)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Black Flamingo

A fierce coming-of-age verse novel about identity and the power of drag, from acclaimed poet and performer Dean Atta. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds, and Kacen Callender.

Michael is a mixed-race gay teen growing up in London. All his life, he’s navigated what it means to be Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican—but never quite feeling Greek or Black enough.

As he gets older, Michael’s coming out is only the start of learning who he is and where he fits in. When he discovers the Drag Society, he finally finds where he belongs—and the Black Flamingo is born.

Told with raw honesty, insight, and lyricism, this debut explores the layers of identity that make us who we are—and allow us to shine.

My Review

Early on in the pandemic, I placed a couple of book orders with independent bookstores, and THE BLACK FLAMINGO is one of the books I ordered. Obviously it took me a while to read it, but I’m so glad I finally did.

One of my favorite things about this book is how personal Michael’s journey is. I think part of what makes that work is that he’s a poet himself, and the novel is written in verse, too. Some of the poems are meant to be his, things he has written and performs. I felt like that made the story a lot more intimate if that makes sense?

I also loved the characters, from Michael’s mom and sister, Anna, to his best friend Daisy, to Jack, the repressed construction worker. Even the characters who only appeared for a few moments seemed rich and knowable.

The story begins when Michael is a child and runs through his early time at college, so I think it’s more of a coming-of-age story than traditional young adult fiction. I liked having that long span of time to see different moments in Michael’s life and how they affected him at the time and upon reflection.

All in all, this is a powerful story about self-discovery and courage and learning how to be true to yourself. I think fans of Elizabeth Acevedo will love THE BLACK FLAMINGO.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Michael is Greek Cypriot and Jamaican and a citizen of the UK. He’s also gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. References to sex between two boys (not shown).

Spiritual Content
A couple minor characters state their belief that being gay is a sin. (Later one person apologizes for this.)

Violent Content
Older boys bully Michael into fighting another boy. Someone leaves homophobic notes in Michael’s backpack. Girls say homophobic things to him.

Drug Content
Michael smokes pot and uses an inhalant with another boy in one scene. He smokes pot and drinks alcohol in several scenes.

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

Review: Together for Never by Marilyn Kaye

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

Together for Never
Marilyn Kaye
Holiday House
Published March 14, 2023

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About Together for Never

The Parent Trap meets Mean Girls when two polar opposites are squeezed into a tiny vacation house just because their parents are dating.

Charlotte is the queen bee of her 8th grade class—popular, confident, always wearing the trendiest clothes—and judging others for what they wear. Lily is a loner who dreams of becoming a writer—and she wants nothing to do with Charlotte and her snobby crowd.

Then Charlotte’s divorced father starts dating Lily’s single mother. Neither one of the girls even notices—until the day they learn that they are going on vacation together. Worse than that, they’ll have to share a small bedroom for two whole weeks. 

When The Parent Trap meets Mean Girls , can two girls ever make peace, or will they drag their vacations—and their parents’ romance—into disaster?  Every teen girl’s nightmare becomes an entertaining, surprising and heartfelt story in the hands of seasoned middle grade pro Marilyn Kaye.

My Review

This is a super quick read at about 150 pages. I liked that the girls were so different from one another– it created a lot of opportunities for misunderstandings and conflicts. The relationships between the girls and their parents were interesting, too. Charlotte’s relationship with her mom definitely broke my heart a bit. You could really feel Charlotte’s need to connect and that plus her mom’s behavior leading to Charlotte trying to act older than she was.

When Charlotte gets involved with the older kids at the beach, I couldn’t help feeling nervous for her. There were clear warning signs that this was going to go badly, but it made sense why she persisted in hanging out with them. I loved the way Lily was strong and independent, but that her independence and not caring what anyone thought about her left her vulnerable to some mistakes, too.

Ultimately, I thought this was a cool story about divorce and blended families as well as peer relationships. For a short book, the author really packed a lot in. Every scene, every page felt essential to the story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white. A minor character is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. He’s older and in high school, while she’s in eighth grade. Lily’s mother makes a comment about needing to look “beneath the suit” to discover that Charlotte’s dad is a good person. Lily feels embarrassed at the double entendre.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A girl is injured in an accident.

Drug Content
Charlotte’s mother pressures her to drink wine with her. Charlotte pretends to enjoy it, but doesn’t like the taste or the pressure.

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 TOGETHER FOR NEVER in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Skandar and the Phantom Rider by A. F. Steadman

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

Skandar and the Phantom Rider (Skandar #2)
A. F. Steadman
Simon & Schuster
Published May 3, 2023

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About Skandar and the Phantom Rider

The Island shall have its revenge . . .

Skandar Smith has achieved his dream to train as a unicorn rider.

But as Skandar and his friends enter their second year at the Eyrie, a new threat arises. Immortal wild unicorns are somehow being killed, a prophecy warns of terrible danger, and elemental destruction begins to ravage the Island. 

Meanwhile, Skandar’s sister, Kenna, longs to join him – and Skandar is determined to help her, no matter what. As the storm gathers, can Skandar discover how to stop the Island tearing itself apart – before it’s too late for them all? 

My Review

I think I might have liked this book even better than the first one? I think the writing is stronger in this one, which makes sense. The characters and their friendships, which was one of my favorite parts of the first book, are still strong and still drew me into the story. I thought the conflicts between them and the ways they navigated them were true to their characters and made sense.

We get a lot more of the politics and structure of the island in this book, too, which was really cool. We got to see some of the clashes in leadership, and we learned more about the history behind some of the relationships– and some of the rifts in relationships– on the island, too. I absolutely loved that.

Skandar grows a lot in this book, too. I really liked the way he wrestled with how to use his abilities and how to respond to the prejudice he faced. He also learned who his allies are and how to find places he fit in even with the prejudice that was happening.

The story ends in a great place, too. It left me satisfied but also really excited for the next book in the series. I’m super interested to see where the story goes next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Skandar’s friend Flo is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity. A few mentions of passing gas.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Unicorns have magical abilities based on different elements like wind, fire, water, earth, and spirit. Spirit magic has been illegal, so Skandar and his unicorn are judged, excluded, and blamed for things because of their use of it.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some battle scenes. One character is imprisoned against their will.

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 SKANDAR AND THE PHANTOM RIDER in exchange for my honest review.

Review: This Place is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian

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

This Place is Still Beautiful
XiXi Tian
Balzer + Bray
Published June 7, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About This Place is Still Beautiful

Two sisters. A shocking racist incident. The summer that will change both of their lives forever.

Despite having had near-identical upbringings, sisters Annalie and Margaret agree on only one thing: that they have nothing in common. Nineteen-year-old Margaret is driven, ambitious, and keenly aware of social justice issues. She couldn’t wait to leave their oppressive small-town home and take flight in New York. Meanwhile sweet, popular, seventeen-year-old Annalie couldn’t think of anything worse – she loves their town, and feels safe coasting along in its confines.

That is, until she arrives home one day to find a gut-punching racial slur painted on their garage door.

Outraged, Margaret flies home, expecting to find her family up in arms. Instead, she’s amazed to hear they want to forget about it. Their mom is worried about what it might stir up, and Annalie just wants to have a ‘normal’ summer – which Margaret is determined to ruin, apparently.

Back under each other’s skins, things between Margaret and Annalie get steadily worse – and not even the distraction of first love (for Annalie), or lost love (for Margaret) can bring them together.

Until finally, a crushing secret threatens to tear them apart forever.

My Review

I love sister books. THIS PLACE IS STILL BEAUTIFUL gives us both sister’s points of view, which I absolutely loved. I’m sure there are other books that have done this, but I can’t think of any right now.

Margaret and Annalie are so different from one another, and we really get to see that in action as we go back and forth between their perspectives. But we also get to see something the girls seem (especially at first) unaware of: the way they admire each other’s strengths.

They grew up in a mostly white southern Illinois town, feeling different, and responding to it differently. We watch them reflect on moments they faced racist or prejudiced comments or behavior. We learn why they reacted so differently when someone painted a racist slur on their garage door.

Watching both girls navigate the aftermath of that night really gripped me. I think it might be easy for some readers to dismiss what happened as not serious, as some of the characters in the book do. But walking in Margaret and Annalie’s shoes gives us the chance to sidestep our own prejudices and listen. Really listen. If we do that, we hear a story that resonates with us all: two girls who have a right to feel safe, respected, and loved in their community.

Though the plot centers around uncovering the truth about the graffiti on the door, THIS PLACE IS STILL BEAUTIFUL offers so much more. It is part love story, part tribute to a rural small town, and part story about finding your voice and discovering who you want to be and what that means.

All in all, I am a huge fan of this book, and I am really excited to see what XiXi Tian writes next. I think fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s YOU’LL MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE or YOU’VE REACHED SAM by Dustin Thao will love this book.

Content Notes

Content warning for use of a racial slur, some racist comments and behavior and teen drinking.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Annalie and Margaret are Chinese on their mom’s side. Annalie’s best friend, Violet, is Filipino. Margaret’s ex-boyfriend Rajiv is Indian. Other characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene, it’s clear the boy wants to have sex, and the girl stops him because she isn’t ready. In another scene, a boy and girl kiss, collapse into his bed and the scene cuts to later, after they’ve had sex.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A racist slur appears spray-painted on the front of Annalie and Margaret’s garage. In one scene, Annalie confronts a boy who charges toward her aggressively before they are interrupted.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at a party. Annalie gets drunk. References to Margaret drinking alcohol while away at college.

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 THIS PLACE IS STILL BEAUTIFUL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Other Side of Infinity by Joan F. Smith

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

The Other Side of Infinity
Joan F. Smith
Feiwel & Friends
Published April 25, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Other Side of Infinity

THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END meets THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT in this YA novel by Joan F. Smith, where a teen uses her gift of foreknowledge to help a lifeguard save a drowning man―only to discover that her actions have suddenly put his life at risk.

It was supposed to be an ordinary day at the pool, but when lifeguard Nick hesitates during a save,
seventeen-year-old December uses her gift of foreknowledge to rescue the drowning man instead. The action comes at a cost. Not only will Nick and December fall in love, but also, she envisions that his own life is now at risk. The other problem? They’re basically strangers.

December embarks on a mission to save Nick’s life, and to experience what it feels like to fall in love―something she’d formerly known she’d never do. Nick, battling the shame of screwing up the rescue when he’s heralded as a community hero, resolves to make up for his inaction by doing December a major solid and searching for her mother, who went missing nine years ago.

As they grow closer, December’s gift starts playing tricks, and Nick’s family gets closer to an ugly truth about him. They both must learn what it really means to be a hero before time runs out.

My Review

I can definitely see the comparisons to both THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END and THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT. In TBDATE, the story carries this feeling of an inevitable march toward doom. I think this book captured that pretty well in some pivotal scenes. So I felt the comparison the most at those moments.

One of the things that was tricky about this book for me was how internal both characters are. We spend a lot of time inside December’s mind, sifting possibilities and memories and thinking through what-ifs. With Nick, we spend a lot of time diving into what it means to have dyslexia, how he experiences the world, and how he feels about it.

I liked that up-close look at what they were thinking and feeling, but sometimes it did leave me feeling disconnected from what was happening in the scenes of the story.

I think Maverick was actually my favorite character. He’s bright and silly and added a lot of pep to what is otherwise a pretty serious story. I also liked Nick and December as characters. Nick really cares about doing the right thing. December wrestled with vulnerability, which felt very easy to identify with.

On the whole, I think the premise is really engaging, and I like the inner life of both characters, but I wish I was able to connect more to them in the way they related to other characters.

I could see readers who enjoyed THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by Adam Silvera or BEFORE TAKEOFF by Adi Alsaid enjoying this one.

Content Notes for The Other Side of Infinity

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Nick has dyslexia. December’s uncle dates men. December’s grandmother has Alzheimer’s. Two minor characters, both girls, start dating.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
December can see the future in most instances. (She has some blind spots.)

Violent Content
Nick and December help a drowning man. He hit his head and then passed out in the water. They perform CPR as a team and revive him. December injures her arm on a nail and needs stitches. December knows her grandmother’s death is coming soon. An object falls, fatally injuring someone.

Drug Content
Some references to drug addiction. December has a relative who was an addict.

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 OTHER SIDE OF INFINITY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Me: Moth by Amber McBride

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

Me: Moth
Amber McBride
Feiwel & Friends
Published August 17, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Me: Moth

Moth has lost her family in an accident. Though she lives with her aunt, she feels alone and uprooted.

Until she meets Sani, a boy who is also searching for his roots. If he knows more about where he comes from, maybe he’ll be able to understand his ongoing depression. And if Moth can help him feel grounded, then perhaps she too will discover the history she carries in her bones.

Moth and Sani take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors. The way each moves forward is surprising, powerful, and unforgettable.

Here is an exquisite and uplifting novel about identity, first love, and the ways that our memories and our roots steer us through the universe.

My Review

I have fallen in love with novels in verse before, and I love that ME: MOTH allows me to add a new favorite novel-in-verse to my list. I loved the journey of the story, both in the relationship between Moth and Sani and in their road trip together.

This one I listened to as an audiobook. It’s read by the author, and I loved the way she performed the story. I think there were certain sections that would have been easier to read a paperback or ebook version of. There are some poems that are written as conversations, and I sometimes had to go back and listen again because I got confused. I think they would probably be easier to enjoy visually. But overall, I enjoyed the audiobook version.

The story focuses a lot on family and celebrating past connections. Moth was very close to her grandfather, and she remembers things he taught her about rituals and practices to honor her ancestors and celebrate life. Sani shares Indigenous history and a creation story. His father is a medicine man and talks to him about his health, too.

Moth and Sani’s relationship is bittersweet. They take a road trip together and bond over the places they go, but shadows linger over them. For Moth, it’s the deaths of her family members. For Sani, it’s his depression. But as they learn to trust one another, they find truths they didn’t realize they were missing and help one another heal.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I’m super glad I was able to read it, and really thankful to my friend Danielle, who recommended it!

Content Notes

Content warning for domestic violence and grief.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Moth is Black. Sani is Navajo.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene they undress and swim together.

Spiritual Content
Referencs to Hoodoo and Navajo traditions and celebrations.

Violent Content
One scene shows a man hit a teenage boy.

Drug Content
Sani takes medication for depression.

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