Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Solo by Kwame Alexander

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Solo by Kwame Alexander

Solo
Kwame Alexander
Blink – Zondervan
Published August 1, 2017

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About Solo

SOLO, a YA novel in poetic verse, tells the story of seventeen-year-old Blade Morrison, whose life is bombarded with scathing tabloids and a father struggling with just about every addiction under the sun—including a desperate desire to make a comeback. Haunted by memories of his mother and his family’s ruin, Blade’s only hope is in the forbidden love of his girlfriend. But when he discovers a deeply protected family secret, Blade sets out on a journey across the globe that will change everything he thought to be true.

My Review

Even though it’s told in verse, the details and imagery are so rich, I kept forgetting I was reading poetry. Alexander has this way of pulling you into each scene, really making you feel everything as the story unfolds. I felt Blade’s sweet hopes for his relationship with his girlfriend and his bitter disappointment and anger with his dad for every broken promise, every ruined moment.

I loved the way Blade’s music appeared in the story—both as lyrics he’d written, and his own emotional experience playing the guitar. His international journey wasn’t what I expected, but I liked the way the story pursued Blade’s process of grief over his mom’s death and his father’s failures and the journey toward forgiveness and peace.

The story’s a bit grittier than others I’ve read in this line, but the writing is absolutely superb.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Blade and his family are black, and his father is a famous musician. He’s dating a white girl, the daughter of a reverend.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl and one vague reference to “exploring hands”—which Blade’s girl puts a stop to quickly enough. Blade observes another couple kissing. Blade mentions that his girlfriend intends not to have sex until marriage, but confusingly, she also claims she’ll never get married, so he wonders why she’s dating him in the first place.

Spiritual Content
Vague references to Blade’s girlfriend’s parents attending church. At one point, faced with a scenic view, Blade’s dad makes a remark like, maybe there is a God.

Violent Content
Blade breaks up a party after a boy makes some cutting remarks about his sister. A young girl vomits blood while she’s ill.

Drug Content
Blade recalls a childhood memory of a party with his dad, a rock star. He drank whiskey and tasted cocaine in an effort to get noticed by his dad, and wound up in the hospital. His father went to jail. Later, his dad promises again and again he’ll quit drinking, then Blade finds him drunk again. At one point, his father ruins an important moment of Blade’s by showing up drunk and making a spectacle. Blade’s father’s behavior also leads to Blade being forbidden to see his girlfriend, since her father assumes Blade follows his father’s ways. Blade’s dad pushes his sister to have a big party to celebrate her record release. Attendees drink alcohol.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

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

We Come Apart
Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published June 13, 2017

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About We Come Apart
Nicu has emigrated from Romania and is struggling to find his place in his new home. Meanwhile, Jess’s home life is overshadowed by violence. When Nicu and Jess meet, what starts out as friendship grows into romance as the two bond over their painful pasts and hopeful futures. But will they be able to save each other, let alone themselves?

For fans of Una LaMarche’s Like No Other, this illuminating story told in dual points of view through vibrant verse will stay with readers long after they’ve turned the last page.

My Review
I wanted to read this book after having read One by Sarah Crossan, a novel in verse about conjoined sisters, which I liked. You can check out my review here.

This book was a little darker than One. The descriptions of prejudice against immigrants in England are sharp and raw and made me want to slap some people. I felt for Nicu and the difficult situation he found himself in, caught between his family’s expectations and wanting desperately to fit into his new home. It took a little longer for me to warm up to Jess. I wanted her to be smarter about her friends (who abandoned her and let her take the fall for a shoplifting venture) and I hated that she went along with her stepdad’s cruelty, though I get that she was in a really tough position there, too. She definitely grows as a character through the story. As she begins to recognize the value and goodness in Nicu, I think I felt like there was more to her than my original expectations.

And then there’s the ending. Okay. Wow. Talk about a knife to the heart. I really wanted there to be some shining rainbow of a happy ending, and it just doesn’t go at all the way I hoped. The story definitely makes a point, and Nicu’s heroism remains true to the bitter end, which was, in its own way, so sweet. And so SAD.

Though We Come Apart isn’t as dark or graphic as some of the novels in verse by Ellen Hopkins, I can see it appealing to fans of her books as it contains some similar elements: star-crossed love, social justice issues, and mistaken judgments about others.

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Cultural Elements
Fifteen-year-old Nicu and his family are immigrants from Romania and face some severe prejudice. Nicu wants to fit in but finds it difficult to understand English language and culture. (The story is set in England.)

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Nicu brings Jess to his house and jokes that his parents will only be upset if they discover the two “making sex.” (They don’t.) Nicu’s parents have come to England to save for a bride for fifteen-year-old Nicu, who does not want to get married. At school, a girl accuses Nicu of touching her rear. At one point, Jess’s stepdad get a bit creepy, inviting her to go swimming with him. It definitely makes her feel like he wants something inappropriate from her, but she finds it hard to express why she feels that way when telling her mom later. One brief kiss between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Jess and Nicu meet at a community service project after each are separately busted for shoplifting.

Boys bully Nicu in the locker room after gym class. One boy attacks Nicu and he retaliates.

Jess’s stepdad physically and verbally abuses her mom. He makes Jess record videos of her mom doing chores he assigns her and of the times he beats her up. Jess hates it but feels powerless to stop it when her mom won’t defend herself or go to authorities.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: The Wonder of Us by Kim Culbertson

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

Wonder of Us
Kim Culbertson
Point
Published April 25, 2017

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About The Wonder of Us
Riya moved to Berlin, Germany, with her family for junior year, while Abby stayed behind in their small California town. They thought it would be easy to keep up their friendship—it’s only a year and they’ve been best friends since preschool. But instead, they ended up fighting and not being there for the other. So Riya proposes an epic adventure to fix their friendship. Two weeks, six countries, unimaginable fun. But two small catches:

They haven’t talked in weeks.

They’ve both been keeping secrets.

Can Riya and Abby find their way back to each other among lush countrysides and dazzling cities, or does growing up mean growing apart?

My Review
I worried that this story would be too light and cheesy for my taste, but I was so wrong. I loved the way the story of Riya and Abby’s friendship develops and unravels and their scrambling attempts to fix things. Though the girls are in late high school, the story is clean and sweet, definitely something to consider for younger teens just beginning their foray into young adult literature. Might be a good fit for someone who enjoyed the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Sarah Dessen’s books.

The setting rotates through major European cities, which was another really fun element. I liked that both girls had such different personalities that they experienced the cities in different ways and valued different things about them. Those differences made it easy to see why their friendship was a challenge but also why it had been so rewarding to them.

The one element I struggled with was Abby’s relationship with her mom, who had recently divorced her dad. Abby clearly blames her mom and doesn’t find a lot of resolution in her relationship through the story. While I know that wasn’t the point of the book, I would have liked to see at least a little bit of hope there or a broadening in Abby’s understanding of her mom’s decisions.

On the whole, though, I enjoyed the story a lot and think it’s a great summer read.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Riya and her cousin Neel are Indian. Abby is white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A couple brief instances of British profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
A few brief kisses.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Neel and his friend order beer (they’re of age to drink). Riya and Abby go to some teen clubs where they drink soda.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity by Kristin Elizabeth Clark

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

Jess, Chunk and the Road Trip to Infinity
Kristin Elizabeth Clark
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Books for Young Readers
Published November 8, 2016

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About Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity

The last time Jess saw her father, she was a boy named Jeremy. Now she’s a high school graduate, soon to be on her way to art school. But first, Jess has some unfinished business with her dad. So she’s driving halfway across the country to his wedding. He happens to be marrying her mom’s ex-best friend. It’s not like Jess wasn’t invited; she was. She just told them she wasn’t coming. Surprise!

Luckily, Jess isn’t making this trip alone. Her best friend, Christophe—nicknamed Chunk—is joining her. Chunk has always been there for Jess, and he’s been especially supportive of her transition, which has recently been jump-started with hormone therapy.

Along the way from California to Chicago, Jess and Chunk will visit roadside attractions, make a new friend or two, and learn a few things about themselves—and each other—that call their true feelings about their relationship into question.

My Review

My favorite part of the story was the relationship between Jess and Chunk. They had a lot of shared rituals and games—from the use of the term Black Hole to indicate a topic that must immediately be dropped, to a back-and-forth exchange of synonyms as a game.

I loved the way the author juxtaposed Jess’s insecurities about her body during her transition and Chunk’s insecurities about his weight. I felt like Jess’s experience was really easy to understand and empathize with, but she’s also a flawed character. Her self-focused thoughts and obsession over her feelings about her transition leave her blinded to the feelings of others. At first, this causes a lot of friction, but Jess does begin to recognize how cruel or thoughtless she’s been to others. There’s a lot of hope to be found here, and a lot of heart, too.

While Jess’s mom is extremely supportive of her transition, her dad withdraws and struggles much more overtly with Jess’s identity. Showing Jess’s dad’s reaction and also her feelings about his words added a much greater understanding and level of empathy to the story, because we saw not only her dad’s genuine struggle to understand why this was happening and the way his struggle made Jess feel rejected and unloved.

Overall, Jess, Chunk, and the Road Trip to Infinity is an emotional journey wrapped in a road trip and packed with all the stuff best friendships are made of and even a little romance. Fans of John Green and Emil Ostrovski will enjoy the quirky, deep friendships.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Jess is a transgender girl who has recently started hormone therapy as part of her transition. Another character comes out as pansexual, meaning he is attracted to others of any gender.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
One kiss between Jess and a boy. Jess also talks about her journey realizing she’s transgender as opposed to previously believing she was gay. At one point she briefly mentions one key moment was in paying attention to what she fantasized about—touching rather than being touched. It’s brief and only about as explicit as I just was.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Jess worries about her safety as she and Chunk travel through from California to Chicago, through some areas known to be unfriendly toward transgender people. At one point she hears a story about someone who was attacked.

Drug Content
At one point Jess drinks beer with friends she makes on the road trip.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Top Ten Reasons to Take That Crazy Perfect Someday by Michael Mazza to the Beach

Contemporary, Guest Post, New Adult 18up, News and Fun, , , , ,

For today’s stop on the Irish Banana Blog Tour, author Michael Mazza shares with us his top ten reasons to take his novel That Crazy Perfect Someday to the beach. Before I get too carried away, let me give you a little more information about the book.

That Crazy Perfect Someday
Michael Mazza
Turtle Point Press
Published June 13, 2017

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About That Crazy Perfect Someday
The year is 2024. Climate change has altered the world’s wave patterns. Drones crisscross the sky, cars drive themselves, and surfing is a new Olympic sport. Mafuri Long, UCSD marine biology grad, champion surfer, and only female to dominate a record eighty-foot wave, still has something to prove. Having achieved Internet fame, along with sponsorship from Google and Nike, she’s intent on winning Olympic gold. But when her father, a clinically depressed former Navy captain and widower, learns that his beloved supercarrier, the USS Hillary Rodham Clinton, is to be sunk, he draws Mafuri into a powerful undertow. Conflicts compound as Mafuri’s personal life comes undone via social media, and a vicious Aussie competitor levels bogus doping charges against her.

Mafuri forms an unlikely friendship with an awkward teen, a Ferrari-driving professional gamer who will prove to be her support and ballast. Authentic, brutal, and at times funny, Mafuri lays it all out in a sprightly, hot-wired voice. From San Diego to Sydney, Key West, and Manila, That Crazy Perfect Someday goes beyond the sports/surf cliché to explore the depths of sorrow and hope, yearning and family bonds, and the bootstrap power of a bold young woman climbing back into the light.

Top Ten Reasons to Take That Crazy Perfect Someday to the Beach
by Michael Mazza

  1. Booklist calls it a “[A] beach-bag must-have.”
  2. Many of the scenes take place on a beach!
  3. Read it on a beach. With the sand fleas, stinky kelp odor, and sea spray, you’ll have a truly interactive experience.
  4. It’s a conversation starter for that hunky, tropical resort bartender fixin’ up your fourth Mai Tai.
  5. It’s a story with drones, sharks, Aussie surf thugs, monster waves, bonobo apes, a Louis the XIV wedding, and celebrity wipe-outs. Who doesn’t like celebrity wipe-outs?
  6. Your mom would approve of it—wait, scratch that.
  7. It makes a great sunshade when not in use.
  8. Word is that fish love it! Sea mollusks too!
  9. It goes great with a refreshing umbrella drink.
  10. The sun gods will shine their heavenly goodness upon you for reading it. And isn’t that reason enough?

Finally, always wear sunscreen, never drop in on another surfer, and support your local indie bookstore.

About Michael Mazza

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Michael Mazza is a San Francisco Bay Area fiction writer whose stories have appeared in Other Voices, WORDS, Blue Mesa Review, TINGE, and ZYZZYVA. He is also an internationally acclaimed art and creative director working in the advertising industry. That Crazy Perfect Someday is his first novel.

Visit the Other Stops on the Tour!

6/19: Never Too Many To Read: Photo Collage

6/20: The Story Sanctuary: Guest Post (you are here!)

6/21: Here’s to Happy Endings: Q&A 

6/22: Reading Is Better With Cupcakes: Review

6/23: Quarzfeather: Review

 

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Review: Beyond Clueless by Linas Alsenas

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

Beyond Clueless
Linas Alsenas
Harry N. Abrams
Published August 18, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When Marty learns she’ll be at a different high school than her best friend Jimmy, at first she’s devastated. She fears she and Jimmy will drift apart, and his new distraction with his first boyfriend only seems to prove her right. But Marty finds the perfect solution in a school production of Into the Woods. She finds ways for Jimmy and his new friends to be involved, and even involves her new friend Xiang. But even with the play, Marty feels like everyone has a special someone except her. Then a hunky actor takes an interest in her, and Marty swoons. But Felix pushes Marty in ways she doesn’t expect, and she struggles to figure out whether she needs to catch up with everyone else on the whole romance thing. When her friends express concern, Marty realizes she may have to choose between her new flame and her friends.

I feel like I kind of had a love-hate relationship with this book. I loved Marty’s spunky voice. Her friendship with Jimmy and their shared love of musicals was so sweet. I loved following the awkward transition into high school and the way it changed the relationships in Marty’s life.

On the other hand, I wasn’t a huge fan of these fifteen-year-old kids drinking so casually, and the way older family members provided alcohol to them like it was no big thing. I had a hard time with that. I also struggled with Xiang’s character. On the one hand, she describes this sort of repressive home life where her parents are so controlling that she’s afraid to admit she likes a boy from her youth orchestra group. After all, she reasons, nothing could happen between them anyway; her parents won’t allow it. But she doesn’t seem to have any qualms at all about putting on make-up or changing into clothes her parents wouldn’t approve of once she’s out of the house. And just how is this girl getting cigarettes and keeping them (plus contraband makeup and clothes) hidden in this home where her parents are supposed to be all up in her business? I found those ideas hard to reconcile.

However, I really enjoyed the whole high school production part of the story. I liked that the story included kids participating in the production off-stage as well as the actors. I liked that Marty’s perceptions of people get challenged on a lot of levels. It’s not just her perception of Jimmy’s new friends she has to adjust, but also her beliefs about Felix, the stage manager, even her parents, too. For me, that’s what made the story most enjoyable. Learning that we’re sometimes wrong in how we perceive situations and people around us is something we all have to deal with. I thought that part of Beyond Clueless was really well-done.

If you’re a musical fan or a fan of theater, you may want to add this one to your list.

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Cultural Elements
Marty (white) befriends a Chinese girl at school. Her best friend is gay and dating his first boyfriend.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
Marty sees some affection between the boys – holding hands, brief kissing. She vaguely wonders if they’re doing more, but never asks. Her friend Xiang briefly described some of her relationship with her boyfriend—hints that they do more than kiss and at one point makes a crude comment about him.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Marty learns that one of her friends punched another boy backstage during her performance.

Drug Content
Marty and her friends (who are all fifteen and sixteen) drink beer provided by older relatives.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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