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Review: Funny Gyal by Angeline Jackson and Susan McClelland

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Memoir, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
Funny Gyal by Angeline Jackson and Susan McClelland

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: Before Takeoff by Adi Alsaid

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Before Takeoff
Adi Alsaid
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published June 7, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Before Takeoff

The Sun Is Also a Star meets Jumanji when two teens meet and fall in love during a layover-gone-wrong at the Atlanta airport in this thrilling new novel from the author of Let’s Get Lost!

James and Michelle find themselves in the Atlanta airport on a layover. They couldn’t be more different, but seemingly interminable delays draw them both to a mysterious flashing green light–and each other.

Where James is passive, Michelle is anything but. And she quickly discovers that the flashing green light is actually… a button. Which she presses. Which may or may not unwittingly break the rules of the universe–at least as those rules apply to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta.

Before they can figure up from down, strange, impossible things start happening: snowstorms form inside the B terminal; jungles sprout up in the C terminal; and earthquakes split the ground apart in between. And no matter how hard they try, it seems no one can find a way in or out of the airport. James and Michelle team up to find their families and either escape the airport, or put an end to its chaos–before it’s too late.

My Review

The first book by Adi Alsaid that I read is WE DIDN’T ASK FOR THIS. I loved that book, so I knew as soon as I saw this one that I really wanted to read it. Between that and the comparison to Jumanji, I built pretty high expectations for this story.

And… those expectations were met one hundred percent! I loved the weirdness of the airport and all the bizarre things that kept happening. I loved James and Michelle and the way their relationship developed.

The story is told in an omniscient point-of-view, where the narrator zooms in and out of different characters and situations. Normally I’m not a huge fan of that style, but I feel like Alsaid uses it SO WELL in his writing. That feeling of zooming in and out and following different characters all feels perfectly timed and adds so much depth to the storytelling. I love it.

If you’re looking for a book that takes a sideways look at humanity, or dives into the weird ways people react in a crisis, or simply a sweet, unexpected romance that blooms in the center of chaos, this book is absolutely not to be missed. I love so many things about it. This is definitely one that I’m going to pester my friends to read so I have someone to talk about it with!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
James is Latino. Michelle is Asian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene they remove their shirts.

Spiritual Content
Strange events take place at the airport. Snow and rain fall. Fissures open. It’s unclear what governs those events.

Violent Content – content warning for racism.
Some people trapped in the airport become violent. A man confronts another man, using slurs and threatening him.

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 BEFORE TAKEOFF in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer

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

Forging Silver Into Stars
Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury YA
Published May 3, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Forging Silver into Stars

When ancient magic tests a newfound love, a dark fate beckons . . .

Magic has been banished in the land of Syhl Shallow for as long as best friends Jax and Callyn can remember. They once loved the stories of the powerful magesmiths and mythical scravers who could conjure fire or control ice, but now they’ve learned that magic only leads to danger: magic is what killed Callyn’s parents, leaving her alone to raise her younger sister. Magic never helped Jax, whose leg was crushed in an accident that his father has been punishing him for ever since. Magic won’t save either of them when the tax collector comes calling, threatening to take their homes if they can’t pay what they owe.

Meanwhile, Jax and Callyn are astonished to learn magic has returned to Syhl Shallow — in the form of a magesmith who’s now married to their queen. Now, the people of Syhl Shallow are expected to allow dangerous magic in their midst, and no one is happy about it.

When a stranger rides into town offering Jax and Callyn silver in exchange for holding secret messages for an anti-magic faction, the choice is obvious — even if it means they may be aiding in a plot to destroy their new king. It’s a risk they’re both willing to take. That is, until another visitor arrives: handsome Lord Tycho, the King’s Courier, the man who’s been tasked with discovering who’s conspiring against the throne.

Suddenly, Jax and Callyn find themselves embroiled in a world of shifting alliances, dangerous flirtations, and ancient magic . . . where even the deepest loyalties will be tested.

My Review

It felt so good to be back in Emberfall and Syhl Shallow! FORGING SILVER INTO STARS has some cameos by some of my favorite characters from the Cursebreakers series— Rhen and Harper, Grey and Lia Mara… and especially Tycho. Yay! Also, Nakiis, Iisak’s son! I love that he was part of this, and I’m super intrigued to see where the plot concerning him goes next.

So the story is told from three points of view: Jax, Callyn, and Tycho. I loved getting to see Tycho’s point of view after watching him as a minor character in the other series. He’s all grown up now and kind of caught between loyalties. I loved him immediately.

It was also really great to see different sides of Rhen and Grey. I loved the scenes with Rhen especially. (Still Team Rhen!) I also liked the way that Tycho’s history with each of them impacted what he decided to do, and the way his relationship with each of them changed how he thought about the other. Hopefully that makes sense.

In terms of the story itself, I loved the intrigue and the pursuit of figuring out the plot against the crown. I’m intrigued by some of the minor characters. I feel like there’s lots of story for the rest of the series to explore. I hope the next book has a lot more of Callyn in it, because I feel like she kind of got overshadowed by Jax and Tycho a little bit, and I liked her a lot.

On the whole, I feel like this book lived up to all the expectations I have for the story world. I am definitely going to be reading the rest of the series. I already can’t wait to see what happens next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Two boys are in a romantic relationship. Jax’s foot was amputated after his leg was crushed by a carriage.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content – Content warning for rape.
Kissing between two boys. In one scene there’s a brief mention of some sexual touching. Kissing between a boy and girl. One scene shows sexual touching.

There’s also reference to a boy who was raped by soldiers. There’s no description of the events, but the trauma he feels is pretty clear.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to use magic.

Violent Content – Content warning for abuse and miscarriage.
Situations of peril and battle scenes. References to and brief descriptions of torture.

Jax’s dad is a violent alcoholic who attacks him in multiple scenes.

One character who has been pregnant loses her baby. It’s not exactly *violent* per se, but I wanted to include it here because I know if you’ve had a miscarriage, reading about them can be difficult.

Drug Content
Tycho and Jax drink wine together. Jax’s dad is an abusive alcoholic.

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 book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West

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

Places We’ve Never Been
Kasie West
Delacorte Press
Published May 31, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Places We’ve Never Been

A sweet and swoony contemporary Young Adult novel about a cross-country family road trip that puts one girl and her childhood best friend on an unexpected road to romance!

Norah hasn’t seen her childhood best friend, Skyler, in years. When he first moved away, they’d talk all the time, but lately their relationship has been reduced to liking each other’s Instagram posts. That’s why Norah can’t wait for the joint RV road trip their families have planned for the summer.

But when Skyler finally arrives, he seems…like he’d rather be anywhere else. Hurt and confused, Norah reacts in kind. Suddenly, her oldest friendship is on the rocks.

An unexpected summer spent driving across the country leads both Norah and Skyler down new roads and to new discoveries. Before long, they are, once again, seeing each other in a different light. Can their friendship-turned-rivalry turn into something more?

My Review

PLACES WE’VE NEVER BEEN is the second book by Kasie West that I’ve read. I’m a huge fan of her sweet storytelling, sibling relationships, and of course, the romance.

This book had all the things I love and expect from a Kasie West novel. Norah has an older brother, and Skyler has an older brother and younger sister. There were lots of scenes showing goofing off, hassling, and teasing between siblings, which I really enjoyed.

I also loved watching the relationship between Norah and Skyler unfold. The moments where they tentatively explored the possibility of a connection between them, but where distrust and miscommunication disrupted things felt very real to me. So did the giddiness of falling in love.

The family road trip elements were really fun, too. I’ve never been on a trip like that one, but I have done road trips with my family, and I felt like the road trip vibe in the book was exactly like my memories of those trips are.

I had a lot of fun reading PLACES WE’VE NEVER BEEN. This is a week in which I definitely needed a light, romantic read, and I’m so glad it happened to be this book. I think West fans will not be disappointed with this one, and fans of romance and summer trips will find a lot to love here.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. Norah’s best friend is Black. Skyler’s older brother is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to bullying.

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 PLACES WE’VE NEVER BEEN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth

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My Mechanical Romance
Alexene Farol Follmuth
Holiday House
Published May 31, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About My Mechanical Romance

Opposites attract in this battle-robot-building YA romance from the NYT best-selling author of THE ATLAS SIX.

Bel would rather die than think about the future. College apps? You’re funny. Extracurriculars? Not a chance. But when she accidentally reveals a talent for engineering at school, she’s basically forced into joining the robotics club. Even worse? All the boys ignore Bel—and Neelam, the only other girl on the team, doesn’t seem to like her either.

Enter Mateo Luna, captain of the club, who recognizes Bel as a potential asset—until they start butting heads. Bel doesn’t care about Nationals, while Teo cares too much. But as the nights of after-school work grow longer and longer, Bel and Teo realize they’ve made more than just a combat-ready robot for the championship: they’ve made each other and the team better. Because girls do belong in STEM.

In her YA debut, Alexene Farol Follmuth, author of THE ATLAS SIX (under the penname Olivie Blake), explores both the challenges girls of color face in STEM and the vulnerability of first love with unfailing wit and honesty. With an adorable, opposites-attract romance at its center and lines that beg to be read aloud, MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE is swoon-worthy perfection.

My Review

My favorite part of MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE is how unapologetically weird Bel is. I loved her sense of humor and the funny way she would put things. I also liked that she keeps that same off-beat weirdness through the whole story– it’s just who she is, and not something she ever really tones down to try to fit in.

Teo had to grow on me. At the beginning, he’s kind of a jerk. Really focused in on himself and not very able to see things from anyone else’s perspective. I liked the way he began to see things in a new way and that his journey had a lot of layers. It was important for him to recognize Bel’s giftedness and expertise, but I feel like if the story had stopped there, he would still have been a pretty shallow guy. Instead, he has to go a lot further to think about how his behavior and views impact the rest of the team and when those things, even if they’re well-intentioned, cause harm to the rest of his team.

I really enjoyed the team and competition aspects of the story, too, which surprised me. Robotics isn’t something I’ve ever been personally interested in, but I loved reading how Bel and Teo worked together to problem-solve different parts of their designs. And I had a great time reading the scenes describing the competitions. I felt like those really put me on the edge of my seat. They were so great!

All in all, this one was a big win for me. I love that it celebrates women in STEM and romance at the same time. Both those elements worked well together and made the story twice as enjoyable.

I think fans of TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW by Rachel Lynn Solomon will enjoy this smart, funny book.

Content Notes for My Mechanical Romance

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Bel is Filipino American. Teo is Mexican American and Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
References to praying before dinner.

Violent Content
Robots battle each other in competition.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at a party at Teo’s house.

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 MY MECHANICAL ROMANCE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

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Love Radio
Ebony LaDelle
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published May 31, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Love Radio

Hitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this witty and romantic teen novel about a self-professed teen love doctor with a popular radio segment who believes he can get a girl who hates all things romance to fall in love with him in only three dates.

Prince Jones is the guy with all the answers—or so it seems. After all, at seventeen, he has his own segment on Detroit’s popular hip-hop show, Love Radio, where he dishes out advice to the brokenhearted.

Prince has always dreamed of becoming a DJ and falling in love. But being the main caretaker for his mother, who has multiple sclerosis, and his little brother means his dreams will stay just that and the only romances in his life are the ones he hears about from his listeners.

Until he meets Dani Ford.

Dani isn’t checking for anybody. She’s focused on her plan: ace senior year, score a scholarship, and move to New York City to become a famous author. But her college essay keeps tripping her up and acknowledging what’s blocking her means dealing with what happened at that party a few months ago.

And that’s one thing Dani can’t do.

When the romantic DJ meets the ambitious writer, sparks fly. Prince is smitten, but Dani’s not looking to get derailed. She gives Prince just three dates to convince her that he’s worth falling for.

Three dates for the love expert to take his own advice, and just maybe change two lives forever.

My Review

I really enjoyed LOVE RADIO. It’s not easy to write in a way that’s both really natural and really emotive, but this book is very much both. I found it very easy to get lost in the story. The writing makes it feel as though you’re sitting down with someone, listening to them tell the story directly. It’s both entertaining and heartfelt, and I loved following both Prince and Danielle’s stories. I loved their families and friend groups, too.

LOVE RADIO celebrates music and literature and how both inspired Prince and Danielle. I loved the way both of those passions were woven into the story. Danielle writes letters to some of her favorite writers as part of processing some things that happened to her. I loved that as Prince and Danielle got to know each other, they each found ways to celebrate things the other person loved. They also respected each other’s commitments to family and friends and the boundaries they set with one another.

I loved this sweet, playful romance that celebrates music and literature as well as treating one another well. I’m super glad I read it, and I can’t wait to see what Ebony LaDelle writes next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Danielle and Prince are Black. Prince’s mom has Multiple Sclerosis. His younger brother has ADHD. One of Danielle’s friends is Muslim.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content – content warning for sexual assault.
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. In one scene a girl and boy take their shirts off together.

A college boy kisses and touches a girl after she repeatedly tells him no. He rips her dress. She runs away from him.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
See sexual content section.

Drug Content
Danielle and her friend drink alcohol at an apartment where college boys are hanging out.

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 book in exchange for my honest review.