Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: I’m the Girl by Courtney Summers

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers

I’m the Girl
Courtney Summers
Wednesday Books
Published September 13, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About I’m the Girl

The new groundbreaking queer thriller from New York Times bestselling and Edgar-award Winning author Courtney Summers.

When sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis discovers the dead body of thirteen-year-old Ashley James, she teams up with Ashley’s older sister, Nora, to find and bring the killer to justice before he strikes again. But their investigation throws Georgia into a world of unimaginable privilege and wealth, without conscience or consequence, and as Ashley’s killer closes in, Georgia will discover when money, power and beauty rule, it might not be a matter of who is guilty—but who is guiltiest.

A spiritual successor to the 2018 breakout hit, SADIE, I’M THE GIRL is a masterfully written, bold, and unflinching account of how one young woman feels in her body as she struggles to navigate a deadly and predatory power structure while asking readers one question: if this is the way the world is, do you accept it?

My Review

Books by Courtney Summers always take me a little time to sift through because I feel like she brings so much to the page for us to unpack. The story challenges its readers to dive deep into a girl who doesn’t have it all figured out. Georgia is a dreamer, and she doesn’t understand the price she’s being asked to pay until it’s being taken from her, and even then, she works really hard to rationalize what’s happened.

Georgia is the kind of character I wanted to stop from making the choices she’s making. I totally got why she did what she did. I knew she couldn’t see the danger signs. She was caught up in some other place, seeing stars and the recognition she felt she’d always been denied. It’s like those horror movies where the bad guy is hiding behind a door with an axe and you’re watching the main character opening doors without a clue what’s coming.

There was one moment toward the end, which I don’t think I can explain well without spoilers, but I’ll do my best. Georgia discovers a connection between a murdered girl and another crime operation, but the connection seemed weird to me. I think I wanted more explanation to understand what made that connection plausible. Otherwise it seemed like an unnecessary risk to the crime operation, if that makes sense?

Other than that, I feel like this is a book that grabbed my heart with both hands and squeezed, and I kind of held my breath until the end, hoping that Georgia would be okay, would learn what she needed to learn, and that she would answer the question about whether to accept a predatory power structure for herself.

It feels a little weird to refer to this book as a successor to SADIE when I feel like the whole premise of SADIE was that Sadie wholeheartedly rejects that predatory power structure, but there’s definitely a connection thematically between the two books. And both contain sisters seeking justice at any price.

I’M THE GIRL is another powerful story by an incredible author. It delves into some difficult content (listed below), so be aware of that.

Content Notes

Contains scenes depicting sexual assault, child pornography (from the victim’s perspective), references to human trafficking, assault and murder.

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Georgia and Nora are lesbians.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. Sex between two girls. References to masturbation.

Before the story begins, a man approached Georgia with a modeling scam. He tells her he wants to represent her as a model but she needs to be photographed. The photographer takes nude photos of her. Georgia thinks the photos are professional and make her look beautiful. Others in the book confront her with the truth of what these men did to her.

Two scenes depict graphic sexual assault. In one scene, Georgia finds the body of a girl who was murdered and obviously raped.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
See sexual content. A man threatens Georgia. A man attacks Georgia. Police find a man’s body after his death in an apparent suicide.

Drug Content
In one scene, Georgia’s new employer gives her a drink that he says is “virgin” but which contains alcohol. In another scene, a client coerces Georgia into drinking alcohol with him.

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 I’M THE GIRL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: It Looks Like Us by Alison Ames

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It Looks Like Us
Alison Ames
Page Street Kids
Published September 13, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About It Looks Like Us

The remote terror of THE THING meets the body horror of WILDER GIRLS in this fast-paced Antarctic thriller.

Shy high school junior Riley Kowalski is spending her winter break on a research trip to Antarctica, sponsored by one of the world’s biggest tech companies. She joins five student volunteers, a company-approved chaperone, and an impartial scientist to prove that environmental plastic pollution has reached all the way to Antarctica, but what they find is something much worse… something that looks human.

Riley has anxiety–ostracized by the kids at school because of panic attacks–so when she starts to feel like something’s wrong with their expedition leader, Greta, she writes it off. But when Greta snaps and tries to kill Riley, she can’t chalk it up to an overactive imagination anymore. Worse, after watching Greta disintegrate, only to find another student with the same affliction, she realizes they haven’t been infected, they’ve been infiltrated–by something that can change its shape. And if the group isn’t careful, that something could quickly replace any of them.

My Review

Horror isn’t usually something I read very often– it tends to get into my head too much and then revisit me at night– but I tend to really enjoy books by PageStreet, so I decided to give IT LOOKS LIKE US a try.

And I was NOT disappointed!

From the very first, I needed to know what would happen to Riley. She’s smart and anxious and I found it so easy to identify with her. I loved the way she forged relationships with others on the team and even how confrontations with the monster who appeared as her team members affected her emotionally. Those scenes exploring how she felt hearing their voices and seeing their faces as part of something she knew was trying to kill her were some of the most gripping for me.

At less than 300 pages, IT LOOKS LIKE US is a pretty quick read. Scenes from after Riley escapes frame the story, and it begins with two people she refers to as Good Cop and Bad Cop interrogating her. As she answers their questions, she takes us back into the story of what happened. We watch things unfold knowing that grim things are to come. I felt like that format heightened the tension for me, and I loved it.

So… in the story, Riley and the team go to Antarctica on a research trip arranged by a mega wealthy billionaire who has rockets that go to space and a company that makes electric cars. Named Anton Rusk. Yep. Kind of made me laugh when the story introduced him.

On the whole, I devoured this book. I loved its energy. I also loved the way cleverness and desperation and some of the relationships between characters. Though horror will never be my preferred genre, I’m really glad I had a chance to read this one.

Content Notes

Content warnings for violence and body horror. Brief alcohol use and presence of drugs.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Riley has anxiety and panic attacks and is ace.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Two people undress and climb into a sleeping back together to ward off hypothermia. One reassures the other that he isn’t trying to have sex with her, he’s trying to help her survive.

Spiritual Content
Riley and her team encounter an otherworldly monster that can shapeshift and speak to them.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of violent death. The monster shapeshifts in very unsettling ways, sometimes melting from one shape to another. Sometimes its bones seem to crack and shift. Mouths open up in strange places.

Drug Content
In one scene, after a confrontation with the monster, Riley and her friends drink gin they’ve found. In another scene, Riley discovers weed among one of her team member’s things. The two people who interrogate Riley pump her full of some types of medications that prevent her from experiencing the pain and trauma of her injuries while they question her.

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 IT LOOKS LIKE US in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, and Evelyn Skye

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Three Kisses, One Midnight
Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, and Evelyn Skye
Wednesday Books
Published August 30, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Three Kisses, One Midnight

New York Times bestselling authors Roshani Chokshi, Evelyn Skye, and Sandhya Menon craft a spellbinding novel about discovering the magic of true love on one fateful, magical night in THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT.

The town of Moon Ridge was founded 400 years ago and everyone born and raised there knows the legend of the young woman who perished at the stroke of twelve that very same night, losing the life she was set to embark on with her dearest love. Every century since, one day a year, the Lady of Moon Ridge descends from the stars to walk among the townsfolk, conjuring an aura upon those willing to follow their hearts’ desires.

“To summon joy and love in another’s soul
For a connection that makes two people whole
For laughter and a smile that one can never miss
Sealed before midnight with a truehearted kiss.”

This year at Moon Ridge High, a group of friends known as The Coven will weave art, science, and magic during a masquerade ball unlike any other. Onny, True, and Ash believe everything is in alignment to bring them the affection, acceptance, and healing that can only come from romance—with a little help from Onny’s grandmother’s love potion.

But nothing is as simple as it first seems. And as midnight approaches, The Coven learn that it will take more than a spell to recognize those who offer their love and to embrace all the magic that follows.

My Review

I read a pre-release version of THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT. I loved the stories and the ways they connected together. The formatting was a little strange, but I feel like that’s something I’m hesitant to assume is the way the published version of the book will be.

The story gives us the point of view of Onny, Ash, and True, but each in turn. So the first third of the book is Onny’s story. Then Ash’s. Then True’s. I recently read another book written that way, and I really enjoyed it, so it was fun to read another book written with the point of view split up that way.

I wish each section had individual chapters, though. Each point of view section is probably close to 100 pages. In the ARC, each point-of-view uses scene breaks (little stars across one line), but each section reads as one long chapter. That wasn’t my favorite. It feels weird to me to stop reading at a scene break instead of a chapter break. I don’t know if the final version reads that way. The sample section available on Amazon shows some scene breaks but not any chapter breaks.

Anyhow. One of the big reasons I wanted to read this book is because I’ve read other books by Roshani Chokshi (pretty much an auto-buy author for me at this point) and Sandhya Menon, whose books have been so much fun! I’m not totally caught up on her backlist, but I’m sure I will at some point. The only one of the trio that I hadn’t read before is Evelyn Skye, and I’ve got a couple of her books on my To Be Read list. So I was excited about getting to read something by her, too.

THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT delivered all the things I hoped for from the authors. It’s fun and romantic, but I felt like the characters were deep, too. I loved all three stories. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, so I especially loved seeing that one in there.

I thought the party and the town’s lore about love were really great elements, too. All in all, I probably enjoyed this book more even than I expected to, and I expected it to be a fun read.

I think fans of Sandhya Menon’s other books or books by Kasie West will love the sweet tales of romance in THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Onny is Filipino American. Ash is Asian American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two men.

Spiritual Content
Onny believes in magic. She makes a love potion from a recipe her grandmother gave her. In one scene, a group of teens use a Ouija board. Some characters experience encounters with a ghost or spirit.

Violent Content
Boys steal a mannequin that True was supposed to guard. She confronts them, and the situation escalates to a physical confrontation.

Drug Content
Some jokes about the party’s punch being eventually spiked.

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 THREE KISSES, ONE MIDNIGHT in exchange for my honest review.

Review: MacKenzie’s Last Run by Gayle Rosengren

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MacKenzie’s Last Run
Gayle Rosengren
HenschelHaus Publishing
Published September 1, 2022

Amazon | Goodreads

About MacKenzie’s Last Run

Thirteen-year-old MacKenzie (Mac) Lawrence secretly blames himself for his father’s death in a mall shooting. In his grief and guilt, he has pulled away from everyone, even his twin sister Tessa. When their mother announces her plans to remarry barely two years after Dad’s death Mac is furious and runs away in an attempt to force her to break off the engagement.

Unfortunately, nothing goes as Mac plans. He ends up seriously injured, miles from home, unable to reach out for help, while clues he inadvertently left behind suggest he’s been kidnapped—possibly by Mom’s fiancé—and set his twin sister Tessa on a desperate search to find him. But she’d better hurry, because the clock is ticking, and Mac is running out of time.

My Review

The first thing I saw as I opened MACKENZIE’S LAST RUN to read it was the article from the paper reporting on his disappearance and police believed he was a victim of kidnapping. I thought it was an interesting choice from a writing perspective to start with that. So that, as a reader, I was kind of anticipating that event at some point. I worried that it would make the story anticlimactic.

But as I read, I found myself only more deeply hooked into what would happen to Mac and whether Tessa would be able to find him before it was too late.

I read the book in one sitting. I kept reading one more chapter all the way until the end, when I finally felt I could breathe again.

For me, not only could I not put the book down, but the story pulled me in despite its beginning. To overcome a reveal like that on the first page or use it in such a clever way made me feel even more like this book was worth reading.

I loved the way memories about Mac and Tessa’s dad were dropped in to critical moments in the story, and the way Mac’s adventure helped him face some of the things he’d been, well, running from. Both Tessa’s and Mac’s characters drew me in and had me rooting for them. Each chapter is told from Tessa’s or Mac’s point of view. I loved the balance that brought to the story and the exploration of their relationship as twins who’d lost their dad.

All in all, I very much enjoyed this book, and I hope the author writes lots more.

Content Notes for MacKenzie’s Last Run

Content warning for brief descriptions of gun violence. Some descriptions of injuries from a knife and a fall.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Mac and Tessa are twins whose father was killed in a grocery store shooting.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Tessa’s mom makes her and her brother attend church with her. She says Mac “needs it.” Tessa is okay with church, but doesn’t seem to feel much of a personal connection to faith. In one scene she tries to pray for Mac, but worries she’s doing it wrong because she forgot to say, “Amen,” so she starts over.

Violent Content
Some description of the shooting that killed the twins’ dad.

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 MACKENZIE’S LAST RUN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston

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Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution
Sherri Winston
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Published September 6, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution

From the beloved author of President of the Whole Fifth Grade, a story about a young Black girl who summons the courage to fight against a racist dress code-and stand up for herself.

Twelve-year-old Lotus Bloom is a free spirit with a mega-‘fro she’s affectionately named “the wooly mammoth.” A talented violinist, she just switched from her inner-city school to a fancy arts academy. Her best friend Rebel is quick to point out the funding disparities between schools, and urges Lotus to help her protest, but Lotus isn’t sure; if she’s going to be in the spotlight, she’d rather it be for her music.

But then a classroom prank – boys thinking it’s hilarious to throw wads of paper into Lotus’s hair – escalates after she reports it to the administration and shockingly finds herself facing suspension. Lotus must choose whether to stay quiet and risk everything she’s worked so hard for, or fight back. Is this school really where she belongs?

Inspired by stories of real Black girls advocating against unjust, racist school dress codes across the country, beloved middle grade author Sherri Winston introduces another memorable character who decides to speak up for what’s right, no matter what it takes.

My Review

I LOVED this book. Lotus is thoughtful and funny. She’s also a musician through and through! I loved the way she describes different events or situations as feeling like a particular instrument or sound. That felt very real and very immersive to me.

The story is really accessible, too. Even as someone who’s never played violin or been part of an orchestra, I had no trouble following the scenes showing Lotus playing or practicing with the orchestra. I loved that her dad also works as a professional musician. It created a bond between them, though he let her down in other ways.

I also really enjoyed the growth in Lotus’s relationships with her Mama and Granny. I loved the moments when both women surprised Lotus, and when Lotus surprised herself in her responses to them.

Lotus’s best friend, Rebel, also added a lot to the story. I loved her passion and her confidence. Watching Lotus navigate loving her friend and also trying to figure out how to speak up for herself and define what she wanted drew me straight into the heart of the story.

I feel like I can’t say enough positive things about LOTUS BLOOM AND THE AFRO REVOLUTION. It’s an incredible story, perfect for readers seeking their own voices in a world that wants to overlook them.

Content Notes

Content warning for bullying and two racist slurs.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Lotus is Black. One of her friends is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Lotus encounters a couple of racist slurs. One, her Granny tells her as part of a criticism. Another comes in the form of a meme that a classmate uses to bully Lotus.

Romance/Sexual Content
Lotus feels attraction for a boy at school.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Boys at school bully Lotus, throwing paper airplanes into her hair. In one scene, they throw wads of paper at her. A boy posts cruel, racist memes on his social media page about Lotus as well.

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 MACKENZIE’S LAST RUN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Year Without a Summer by Arlene Mark

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

The Year Without a Summer
Arlene Mark
Sparkpress
Published August 16, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Year Without a Summer

Explosive volcanic eruptions are cool, really, cool. They inject ash into the stratosphere and deflect the sun’s rays. When eighth grader Jamie Fulton learns that snow fell in June in his hometown because of an eruption on the other side of the world, he’s psyched! He could have snowboarded if he’d lived back in 1815 during the year without a summer.

Clara Montalvo, who recently arrived at Jamie’s school after surviving Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, has a different take all this. She is astounded–and disturbed–by Jamie’s frenzied enthusiasm for what she considers an obvious disaster. The teens’ battling arguments cause science class disruption and create academic trouble: Jamie’s headed for a failing grade in science, and may not even graduate from eighth grade; Clara’s scholarship hopes are dashed.

And school isn’t the only place where Jamie and Clara are facing hardship: as they quarrel whether natural disasters can be beneficial, their home lives are also unraveling. Uncertainty about Jamie’s wounded brother returning from Afghanistan and Clara’s unreachable father back in Puerto Rico forces the two vulnerable teens to share their worries and sadness. As their focus shifts from natural disasters to personal calamities to man-made climate changes, the teens take surprising steps that astonish them. Ultimately, through hard work and growing empathy for each other, as well as for their classmates’ distress over the climate change affecting their lives, Jamie and Clara empower themselves and the people they touch.

My Review

In reading THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER, the thing that stands out to me most is the way it models activism among youth. As Clara and Jamie learn more about natural disasters, what causes them, and as their family members experience the fallout from these disasters, they begin to wonder what they can do to help others in need. They ask questions. Do online research. Ask their friends and family members for help. I loved the way that journey is explored within the story.

I also loved that the story tied in real natural disasters, from Hurricane Maria to Tambora, the volcanic eruption in 1815. And that it explored what how people were resilient in spite of those disasters. It made for an interesting exploration of those topics.

On the whole, the only thing that disrupted my reading sometimes is that in a couple of scenes, Clara’s assessment of a complex emotional situation seemed possibly too mature. Like, I believe that her experiences would have made her grow up faster than her classmates in some ways. But there were a couple of instances where I found myself pulled out of the book because I wasn’t sure if even a mature eighth grader would think the way she did.

Other than that, though, I enjoyed the story and am really glad I read it. I love that it tackled issues but also centered the story on friendships and community.

Content Notes for The Year Without a Summer

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Clara is Puerto Rican. Jamie is white. His brother serves in the military.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Thoughts about kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Brief descriptions of the war in Afghanistan. Brief descriptions of devastation caused by a hurricane, earthquake and volcanic eruptions.

Drug Content
One character takes powerful pain meds for injuries. Jamie wonders if it’s okay for the injured person to take so many pills.

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 YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER in exchange for my honest review.