Category Archives: Young Adult/Teen 12-18

Review: Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliot

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Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliot

Pretty Funny for a Girl
Rebecca Elliot
Peachtree Publishing Company
Published October 1, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Pretty Funny for a Girl

Haylah Swinton is an ace best friend, a loving daughter, and an incredibly patient sister to a four-year-old nutcase of a brother. Best of all, she’s pretty confident she’s mastered making light of every situation–from her mom’s new boyfriend to unsolicited remarks on her plus-sized figure. Haylah’s learning to embrace all of her curvy parts and, besides, she has a secret: one day, she’ll be a stand-up comedian star.

So when impossibly cool and thirstalicious Leo reveals he’s also into comedy, Haylah jumps at the chance to ghost-write his sets. But is Leo as interested in returning the favor? Even though her friends warn her of Leo’s intentions, Haylah’s not ready to listen–and she might just be digging herself deeper toward heartbreak. If Haylah’s ever going to step into the spotlight, first she’ll need to find the confidence to put herself out there and strut like the boss she really is.

My Review

Okay, so when I first asked to review this book, I had it mixed up with a different book that I’d wanted to read. Then when I got the book and read the cover copy, I realized it was not the book I’d been thinking of, and I was a little disappointed. Then.

I started reading. And I found that I really liked Haylah’s voice. She’s blunt and pragmatic and, as the title hints, hilarious. I loved her relationship with her mom and little brother. I also loved the way she leaned into her awkwardness. Her way of dealing with kids picking on her is as genius as it is heartbreaking. I wanted to stand up and cheer for her when she changed the name she wanted to be called.

Haylah wrestles with a lot of things on her journey, from finding confidence to believe she can be a comedian to wrestling with how she feels about her body and how to be beautiful in a way that’s authentically hers and stays true to her feminist values. I loved that the story tackled some of those nuanced issues in this really frank, believable way, and in a way that made me laugh out loud and cheer.

If you’re looking for a book packed with humor and personal triumph, PRETTY FUNNY FOR A GIRL needs to be on your shelf.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Haylah is a self-described fat girl. Leo is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used a few times. Some crude language used throughout.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some bullying and name-calling.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Broken Web by Lori Lee

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Broken Web (Shamanborn #2)
Lori M. Lee
Page Street
Published June 15, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Broken Web

The Soulless has woken from his centuries-long imprisonment. Now, he lurks in the Dead Wood recovering his strength, while Sirscha and her allies journey east to the shaman empire of Nuvalyn. Everyone believes she is a soulguide—a savior—but Sirscha knows the truth. She’s a monster, a soulrender like the Soulless, and if anyone discovers the truth, she’ll be executed.

But there’s nothing Sirscha won’t risk to stop the shaman responsible for the rot that’s killing her best friend. While the Soulless is formidable, like all shamans, his magic must be channeled through a familiar. If Sirscha can discover what—or who—that is, she might be able to cut him off from his power.

With Queen Meilyr bent on destroying the magical kingdoms, Sirscha finds herself caught between a war brewing in the east and the Soulless waiting in the west. She should be trying to unite what peoples she can to face their common enemies, but instead, her hunt for clues about the Soulless leads to a grim discovery, forcing Sirscha to question who her enemies really are.

My Review

I’m still running super behind on my reviews, so this is another book/author/publisher that I feel like I owe a huge apology to for not posting this closer to the publication date. But here we are.

I am really enjoying this series. It’s gone some directions that I didn’t expect, and I feel like there’s still a lot of room for twists that I don’t see coming. The characters are fascinating. The story world and magic system are really different than anything else I’ve read. It’s still got the creepiest trees ever, and I love that.

The only thing that maybe didn’t go as I hoped in reading this book is that I felt a little less connected to the characters in this one compared to the first book in the series, A FOREST OF SOULS, which was one of my favorite books that I read last year. I don’t know if it’s because it took me a long time to read BROKEN WEB, so maybe I just didn’t have that immersive experience that I usually have when I read a whole book in a couple days, or if the plot overshadowed the characters a little bit? I’m not really sure whether it was me or the way the book was written.

In either case, I still enjoyed the book a lot, and I loved the way this book set up what looks like it’ll be an amazing conclusion to the trilogy. I’m so glad I read this one, and I will definitely be reading the next book, which looks like it’ll be out next year.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Based on Hmong belief that spirits are responsible for what happens to you. Asian-coded characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
There are three races of humans. Two have magical abilities related to souls. Some can destroy souls or guide them. All require a soul in a familiar to access their magic. Usually a familiar is an animal, but in Sircha’s case, it’s another person.

Violent Content
Several scenes show battle violence. There are also trees which attack and kill people before absorbing/capturing their souls. There are some horror-esque descriptions of the trees and souls inside them.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Fever King by Victoria Lee

Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,

The Fever King (Feverwake #1)
Victoria Lee
Skyscape
Published March 1, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Fever King

In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.

Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good.

My Review

THE FEVER KING is a really intense read packed with so many things. It starts with a dark dystopian setting. The government struggles to control a deadly pandemic and uses it as an excuse to harm refugees. Add to that a hopeless but desperate love between two boys.

Noam is a hopeful revolutionary. So many times his hope and trust are pitted against pretty sinister things, and I definitely got caught up in worrying for him when it seemed like he was trusting the wrong people and worrying for him when he took reckless risks, led by his passion for his cause.

I felt like the breadcrumbs of the story were perfectly laid out so that I picked up on hints about what was going to happen and then felt a lot of suspense watching it all play out. There were crushing moments of betrayal and moments that had me cheering at a character who came through.

One thing I will say about this book, though, is that it’s pretty short on female characters. The ones that are mentioned are often rallying points for Noam’s emotions. His grief over his mother’s death. His outrage at his friend’s father who purposefully got her whole family sick, hoping they’d become Witchings. I would have enjoyed seeing more active female roles in the story.

I think readers who enjoy books by Cassandra Clare will like the forbidden romance and dark story world of THE FEVER KING. Please check out the content section below, especially the trigger warnings.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Noam is Jewish and Colombian and bisexual. His mentor is also Jewish. Another character is Brown (perhaps Iranian American) and gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty often.

Romance/Sexual Content – Trigger warning for rape of a minor.
Contains brief a brief scene alluding to sexual abuse and rape followed by someone confronting the victim about what happened to him.

Two boys kissing. One scene briefly describes them having sex.

Spiritual Content
Survivors of the virus have magical abilities. Noam touches a mezuzah before entering a home. References to celebrating Shabbat.

Violent Content – Trigger Warning for pandemic
Noam goes to a protest rally that turns violent. He stops a group of men from kicking a girl by pointing a gun at them. Noam acquires bruises from his sparring sessions with his mentor. Someone murders a prominent government official by stabbing them multiple times. Someone murders a prominent political figure by electrocuting them.

There are several scenes and descriptions of people very ill, suffering and dying with the virus.

Drug Content
Dara and his friends drink a lot of alcohol in multiple scenes. One girl does lines of cocaine. One adult character smokes cigarettes.

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

Review: #MeToo and You by Halley Bondy

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

#MeToo and You: Everything You Need to Know About Consent, Boundaries, and More
Halley Bondy
Zest Books
Published February 2, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About #MeToo and You

The #MeToo movement has changed the way many people view the world, but how well do tweens understand it? Middle-grade readers are ready to learn about consent, harassment, and abuse, as well as healthy boundaries in all their relationships.

#MeToo and You includes essential terminology, from consent to assault, from just plain yes to just plain no. Author Halley Bondy explores the nuances of emotions, comfort, and discomfort in sexually charged and emotionally abusive situations. Detailed scenarios, both real and hypothetical, provide valuable examples of what’s acceptable and what is not, along with tools to help everyone treat others appropriately and to stand up for themselves and their peers.

My Review

One of the things I really liked about #MeToo and You is how practical it is. The first chapter focuses on some simple ways to tell if a relationship you’re in is safe and healthy or if it’s toxic and potentially abusive. That checklist can be used to evaluate any relationship, and it’s very easy to understand.

Throughout the book, the author will introduce a concept, such as a way to be a good ally, and then a story follows which illustrates the concept. Bondy also includes a breakdown of each story, discussing what the people involved did well or what things that happened were wrong.

I appreciated the section that talked about reporting and what someone’s rights are as well as what the reporting process can look like. While the author doesn’t sugarcoat any of it, and while the process still felt a bit overwhelming, I think it’s helpful information to have. Understanding the overview of the reporting process might help people feel more prepared to come forward to report abuse.

In every chapter, Bondy writes with sensitivity and though she’s frank, she also tries to be encouraging and to point readers to healthy, trustworthy resources. #MeToo and You includes a list of call centers and websites for help and support.

While this book won’t be for everyone as it includes some graphic content, I think it makes a good resource for people who’ve experienced abuse or assault or are in dangerous relationships and are trying to work out what to do next. #MeToo and You also makes a great resource for anyone looking to become a better ally and wants information about how to help someone in their life who has experienced or is currently experiencing abuse.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages Readers ages 12 up could easily read the first chapter, which describes how to tell when a relationship is healthy vs. toxic or dangerous. Readers 14 up could read the whole book. (See the rest of the content section.)

Representation
The author writes to include all gender identities and sexual orientations.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content – Trigger Warning for Descriptions of Sexual Assault/Abuse
Each chapter heading has a section with any trigger warnings in it. The author encourages readers to read only the chapters they feel comfortable with. Chapters 2-6 contain some stories about people who’ve experienced sexual assault or abuse. A few of the stories give some brief graphic information. At the end of each story, the author breaks down what happened in terms of the outcome and what parts were toxic/wrong and what to do.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
See section on romance/sexual content.

Drug Content
One victim’s story involves a young girl who drinks a beer given to her by an older boy. The drink was also drugged.

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

Review: A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

A Question of Holmes (Charlotte Holmes #4)
Brittany Cavallaro
Katherine Tegen Books
Published March 5, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About A Question of Holmes

Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson think they’re finally in the clear. They’ve left Sherringford School—and the Moriartys—behind for a pre-college summer program at Oxford University. A chance to start from scratch and explore dating for the first time, while exploring a new city with all the freedom their program provides.

But when they arrive, Charlotte is immediately drawn into a new case: a series of accidents have been befalling the members of the community theater troupe in Oxford, and now, on the eve of their production of Hamlet, they’re starting all over again. What once seemed like a comedy of errors is now a race to prevent the next tragedy—before Charlotte or Jamie is the next victim.

My Review

First, I want to say this: I’m not very good at sticking to a series, much less a series with more than three books (gasp!), but I listened to most of the books in the Charlotte Holmes series this year during the pandemic, and having something energetic and fun to look forward to at the end of the day really helped me get through some stressful and difficult days. I love this series for that, and I am really glad I listened to all four books.

That said, A QUESTION OF HOLMES wasn’t my favorite book in the series. I liked the idea, and the mystery itself– the theater group, the disastrous events, the fact that Jamie and Charlotte had to figure out how to work a case when their reputations were already known to the people involved.

I think I just wanted the story to tie together some of the big rivalries and larger elements from the earlier books, and there’s a hint of that, but it didn’t feel like enough to me, if that makes sense. I wanted more of that, and instead the book kind of reads like a standalone mystery featuring some familiar characters.

Despite all that, I love that the story continues in the epilogue and we get a glimpse of Charlotte and Jamie and who they might be going forward into adult life. I thought that was a really cool way to end the series, kind of a final gift to readers.

I’m still really glad I read this one and have no regrets about spending my one monthly audible credit on A QUESTION OF HOLMES. It was a lot of fun, and I think anyone looking for a good escape read should check out the series.

Here are my reviews of earlier books in the Charlotte Holmes Series:

#1 A Study in Charlotte

#2 The Last of August

#3 A Case for Jamie

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Charlotte is from London. Jamie is white American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. They sleep in the same bed.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. A girl is missing, possibly murdered. A woman dies in a suspicious manner.

Drug Content
Charlotte and Jamie drink or pretend to drink alcohol with a group of teens who get very drunk.

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

Review: She Came to Slay by Erica Armstrong Dunbar

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

She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman
Erica Armstrong Dunbar
37 Ink
Published November 5, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About She Came to Slay

Harriet Tubman is best known as one of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad. As a leading abolitionist, her bravery and selflessness has inspired generations in the continuing struggle for civil rights. Now, National Book Award nominee Erica Armstrong Dunbar presents a fresh take on this American icon blending traditional biography, illustrations, photos, and engaging sidebars that illuminate the life of Tubman as never before.

Not only did Tubman help liberate hundreds of slaves, she was the first woman to lead an armed expedition during the Civil War, worked as a spy for the Union Army, was a fierce suffragist, and was an advocate for the aged. She Came to Slay reveals the many complexities and varied accomplishments of one of our nation’s true heroes and offers an accessible and modern interpretation of Tubman’s life that is both informative and engaging.

Filled with rare outtakes of commentary, an expansive timeline of Tubman’s life, photos (both new and those in public domain), commissioned illustrations, and sections including “Harriet By the Numbers” (number of times she went back down south, approximately how many people she rescued, the bounty on her head) and “Harriet’s Homies” (those who supported her over the years), She Came to Slay is a stunning and powerful mix of pop culture and scholarship and proves that Harriet Tubman is well deserving of her permanent place in our nation’s history.

In the bestselling tradition of The Notorious RBG comes a lively, informative, and illustrated tribute to one of the most exceptional women in American history—Harriet Tubman—a heroine whose fearlessness and activism still resonates today.

My Review

After I got my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (in April), I stopped at the bookstore to browse. One of the books I picked up was this one. I’d been thinking about the movie Harriet and how surprised I was to learn that she’d led a military expedition during the Civil War and worked as a Union spy. It really struck me that we should have learned that stuff in our history class in school. And it made me want to learn more about Harriet Tubman’s life.

So while I was browsing through the bookstore, I noticed this book, and decided to buy it. I was looking at it at home and decided to skim the first few pages just to see what the writing was like.

It only took a line or two and I was completely hooked. The writing is really conversational, so it feels like really easy reading. I don’t think it’s specifically marketed for young readers, but looking at the graphics and writing style, I think it’s perfect for middle and high school students.

SHE CAME TO SLAY has a great balance between the conversational writing and really informative content. I felt like I learned so much about Harriet Tubman’s life and what she experienced. I think it helped give me more perspective on the Civil War as well.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
The book focuses on Harriet Tubman’s life and family.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Harriet is married twice.

Spiritual Content
Harriet is a devout Christian and believes that she has visions sent to her by God.

Violent Content
Brief descriptions of torture and war injuries. Brief reference to the fact that women were raped as slaves.

Drug Content
Mothers fleeing with Harriet give their babies a drug that makes them sleepy and suppresses their appetite.

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