Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Borrow My Heart by Kasie West

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,
Borrow My Heart by Kasie West

Borrow My Heart
Kasie West
Delacorte Press
Published June 13, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Borrow My Heart

When a girl overhears a guy getting verbally destroyed by his friends for being catfished, she jumps in to save the day—and pretends to be his online crush. A young adult romance from the critically acclaimed author of Places We’ve Never Been.

Wren is used to being called a control freak. She doesn’t care; sticking to the list of rules she created for herself helps her navigate life. But when a cute guy named Asher walks through the door of her neighborhood coffee shop, the rulebook goes out the window.

Asher is cute, charming . . . and being catfished by his online crush. So Wren makes an uncharacteristically impulsive decision—she pretends to be the girl he’s waiting for to save him from embarrassment. Suddenly she’s fake-dating a boy she knows nothing about. And it’s . . . amazing.

It’s not long before Asher has her breaking even more of her own rules. But will he forgive her when he finds out she’s not who she says she is? Wren’s not so sure. . . . After all, rules exist for a reason.

My Review

Kasie West books are kind of a go-to when I need a sweet, fluffy romance. Usually, the characters’ families are involved in the story– especially their siblings. The romance tends to be sweet (as opposed to spicy), and the stories lots of times grapple with fear, vulnerability, and navigating changing relationships. I love all of that and BORROW MY HEART hit all the notes of those things that I was looking for.

I enjoyed the relationship between Wren and Kamala. Everyone needs that no-nonsense friend in their lives who tells them the things they need to hear, even if sometimes they’re not ready to hear them. Someone who sees who you are and decides that person, warts and all, is a person whose friendship they cherish. So I loved that about those two girls and their friendship.

I also thought the scenes where Wren works at the animal shelter were sweet. While I’m not a dog person, I thought it was really cool that she loved the dog, Bean, so much and worked so hard to try to find the right home for him. I liked that he wasn’t just a misunderstood sweetheart, either, but that he was pretty spunky.

The dynamic between Wren and Asher was sweet, too. I liked the way that he didn’t pressure her to do things she wasn’t comfortable with, and anytime she communicated her discomfort, he was quick to make space for her feelings and support her in what she needed. But he also made space to let her process things and come to him when she was ready rather than pressing her to admit things she wasn’t ready to talk about yet.

All in all, I think fans of Kasie West’s other books will love the fun, fluffy romance of BORROW MY HEART. It’s a great summer read to take to the beach or read poolside.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Wren is white and lactose intolerant. Her best friend Kamala is Indian American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Wren’s older sister (who is twenty) drinks beer at a party. Wren confronts her about drinking underage and ultimately leaves the party.

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 BORROW MY HEART in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Gray by Chris Baron

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

The Gray
Chris Baron
Feiwel & Friends
Published June 13, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Gray

The Gray is a sensitively told middle grade story from Chris Baron about living with anxiety and finding ways to cope.

It’s been a tough year for Sasha―he’s been bullied at his middle school and his anxiety, which he calls the Gray, is growing. Sasha’s dad tells him to “toughen up”―and he does, but with unfortunate, hurtful results. His parents and therapist agree that a summer in the country with his aunt might be the best medicine, but it’s the last place he wants to be. He’ll be away from his best friend, video games, and stuck in the house that reminds him of his beloved uncle who died two years earlier.

His aunt is supportive, and there are lots of places to explore, and even some potential new friends. When Sasha is introduced at a local ranch to a horse coincidentally–incredibly–nicknamed the Gray, he feels he’s found a kindred spirit.

But his own Gray is ever-present. When one of his new friends disappears, Sasha discovers that the country is wilder and more mysterious than he imagined. He tries to muster enough courage to help in the search . . . but will the Gray hold him back?

My Review

I’m so excited to FINALLY get to read a book by Chris Baron. I’ve heard so many positive things, and I actually think I have his other books, but this is the first I’ve read.

From the beginning, I definitely felt pulled into Sasha’s story and his anxiety symptoms. Some members of his family are super supportive, and he has a friend who has his back. But he has other relationships that are really challenging.

I loved the descriptions of his aunt’s home and property and the surrounding area. It sounded so green and peaceful (except for the ghosts!) and I loved the relationships he formed with other kids.

For Sasha, his anxiety manifests in kind of a physical way– in which his vision goes gray and foggy. Those descriptions made what he experienced so tangible. I liked that it kind of threw a veil between him and what was happening around him and made it clear what happened as he surfaced from that space.

I also loved the connection between him and his uncle. Even though he’d passed away, his memories of his uncle and the stories he shared helped Sasha see himself in a new, more positive way. They helped him feel less alone, too. So cool.

All in all, this is definitely a book I’d recommend not only for kids with anxiety but for anyone who’s felt alone or gone through painful changes in friendships.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Sasha’s dad’s family immigrated to the US. Sasha and his family are Jewish. One minor character’s mom is in a relationship with another woman.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Rumors say that the ghost of a missing girl visits the empty buildings of what used to be a Jewish summer camp. Sasha learns about what his uncle refers to as “worlds within worlds”, something that refers to the unexpected connections that happen in life and to some of the ways he experiences anxiety and the world around him.

Sasha’s aunt shares a story of Rabbi Akiva, who learned about the power of water to carve a stone over a long period of time. She shares this story in part to remind Sasha that change takes time and patience, but it is possible, even when it seems not to be.

Violent Content
Some instances of bullying. More than once, a group of kids surround Sasha. One boy hits him.

Another boy tells Sasha about an encounter he had in which he saw evidence that someone had hurt a little kid. Sasha learns what really happened to a boy who is rumored to be violent.

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 THE GRAY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Always Isn’t Forever by J. C. Cervantes

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

Always Isn’t Forever
J. C. Cervantes
Razorbill
Published June 6, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Always Isn’t Forever

Best friends and soul mates since they were kids, Hart Augusto and Ruby Armenta were poised to take on senior year together when Hart tragically drowns in a boating accident. Absolutely shattered, Ruby struggles to move on from the person she knows was her forever love.

Hart can’t let go of Ruby either…. Due to some divine intervention, he’s offered a second chance. Only it won’t be as simple as bringing him back to life–instead, Hart’s soul is transferred to the body of local bad boy.

When Hart returns to town as Jameson, he realizes that winning Ruby back will be more challenging than he’d imagined. For one, he’s forbidden from telling Ruby the truth. And with each day he spends as Jameson, memories of his life as Hart begin to fade away.

Though Ruby still mourns Hart, she can’t deny that something is drawing her to Jameson. As much as she doesn’t understand the sudden pull, it can’t be ignored. And why does he remind her so much of Hart? Desperate to see if the connection she feels is real, Ruby begins to open her heart to Jameson–but will their love be enough to bridge the distance between them?

My Review

I feel like I’ve seen a lot of books by J. C. Cervantes, but this is the first one I’ve ever read. Since it was compared to YOU’VE REACHED SAM, I really wanted to check it out.

It took me a few chapters to get into the story and really fall in love with Hart and Ruby. I’m not sure why, but once I invested, I felt like it was really easy to enjoy the story.

Some of the mechanics of the plot do require a bit of willing suspension of disbelief. As Jameson, Hart has a super limited amount of time in which he’ll retain his memories of his life as Hart. Once that passes, he’ll have Jameson’s memories but still be Hart in spirit or soul. The rules of Hart’s exchange (his soul in Jameson’s body) state that he can’t tell anyone the truth about who he is and what happened.

There’s a bit of dancing around the edges of those rules and bending them here and there. I think it might be harder to enjoy the story if you needed the spiritual/afterlife side of it to make perfect sense and be perfectly self-consistent.

Fortunately, I found it pretty easy to suspend my disbelief because I wanted to know if and how Ruby and Hart could find one another again. I’m always up for a “Can true love conquer all?” type of story, and this one definitely delivered on that trope.

All in all, I can see fans of YOU’VE REACHED SAM or THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END liking this one. It’s a great light summer book with a sweet love story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Hart and Ruby are Latine. Ruby’s sister Gabi is in a relationship with another girl.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. Ruby and Hart agreed to wait until college to have sex.

Spiritual Content
Hart meets an angel after his death who gives him a choice to return to life with his soul in the body of someone else.

Ruby’s sister Gabi has a tarot card deck made for her by Ruby’s aunt. When she does a reading with this deck, Gabi senses her ancestors speaking to her. The readings are always insightful and accurate.

Violent Content
Vague descriptions of a drowning death. Vague descriptions of a motorcycle accident. A player is injured during a game of football.

Drug Content
Hart learns Jameson was under the influence of alcohol when he crashed his motorcycle. Jameson drank a lot of alcohol, but Hart doesn’t.

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 ALWAYS ISN’T FOREVER in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Everyone Wants to Know by Kelly Loy Gilbert

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

Everyone Wants to Know
Kelly Loy Gilbert
Simon & Schuster
Published June 13, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Everyone Wants to Know

This ripped-from-the-tabloids young adult drama by the critically acclaimed author Kelly Loy Gilbert about a girl’s famous-for-being-famous family fracturing from within as their dirty laundry gets exposed.

The Lo family sticks together. That’s what Honor has been told her whole life while growing up in the glare of the public eye on Lo and Behold , the reality show about her, her four siblings, and their parents.

Their show may be off the air, but the Lo family members still live in the spotlight as influencers churning out podcasts, bestselling books, and brand partnerships. So when Honor’s father announces that he’s moving out of their northern California home to rent an apartment in Brooklyn, Honor’s personal upset becomes the internet’s trending B-list celebrity trainwreck—threatening the aspirational image the Los’ brand (and livelihood) depends on.

After one of her best friends leaks their private conversation to a gossip site, bruised and betrayed Honor pours all her energy into reuniting her family. With her parents 3,000 miles apart, her siblings torn into factions, and all of them under claustrophobic public scrutiny, this is easier said than done. Just when Honor feels at her lowest, a guarded yet vulnerable boy named Caden comes into her life and makes her want something beyond the tight Lo inner circle for the first time. But is it fair to open her heart to someone new when the people she loves are teetering on the edge of ruin?

As increasingly terrible secrets come to light about the people Honor thought she knew best in the world, she’s forced to choose between loyalty to her family and fighting for the life she wants.

My Review

Typically I like books about intense family drama, but I will admit I struggled with this one. Maybe because the toxicity of some of the characters was so high? And the betrayals just kept mounting while people insisted their behavior was okay? I’m not sure.

I really liked Honor as a character, and thought in the context of this story about a family who framed every decision with “but what will this do to our image” kinds of inquiries, her name is pretty bold and appropriate. I loved that choice.

Her relationship with her twin brother Atticus is also a bright spot in the book for me. I like the way they balance each other, tease each other, and speak truth to one another.

It took a while for her relationship with Caden to really grow on me, but when it did, I found that I really liked him. I couldn’t tell for a bit whether he was truly emotionally closed off or whether he was keeping his distance because she asked for that kind of relationship. As the story progressed, though, and I got to know him a little better, I really liked him. He’s messy but smart. Aloof, but not cold.

Some of the secrets that came out about the family I did not see coming. I did see some things coming, though. Some of the things were dealt with in a way that felt complete and emotionally satisfying, but other things are kind of left without being fully resolved. That’s pretty true to real life, so I don’t mean that as a complaint. I sometimes struggle with stories that end with emotionally messy stuff still in an emotionally messy state.

Conclusion

I definitely feel like the author brought me directly into the center of all the Lo family drama, and I’m impressed by her ability to do that so consistently and believably, and yet, I’m also kind of exhausted. Ha! I enjoyed the book, though, especially Honor and her relationships with Atticus and Caden.

Fans of BOYS I KNOW by Anna Gracia will find a similar exploration of tension within family relationships and tenuous forays into romantic relationships.

Content Notes for Everyone Wants to Know

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Honor and her family are biracial– white and Chinese American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex and some brief/vague descriptions of hands touching and bodies pressed together.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some brief exploration of what toxic relationships and gaslighting look like.

Drug Content
One character’s mom is a recovering addict, so he and his friend group do not drink alcohol or use any drugs. In one scene (at a wedding), a bride holds a glass of champagne.

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 EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW in exchange for my honest review.


Review: Time Out by Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, and Carlyn Greenwald

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

Time Out
Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, and Carlyn Greenwald
Simon & Schuster
Published May 30, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Time Out

Heartstopper meets Friday Night Lights in this keenly felt coming-of-age story about a teen hometown hero who must find out who he is outside of basketball when his coming out as gay costs him his popularity and place on the team.

In his small Georgia town, Barclay Elliot is basically a legend. Here basketball is all that matters, and no one has a bigger spotlight than Barclay. Until he decides to use the biggest pep rally in the town’s history to come out to his school. And things change. Quickly.

Barclay is faced with hostility he never expected. Suddenly he is at odds with his own team, and he doesn’t even have his grandfather to turn to the way he used to. But who is Barclay if he doesn’t have basketball?

His best friend, Amy, thinks she knows. She drags him to her voting rights group, believing Barclay can find a bigger purpose. And he does, but he also finds Christopher. Aggravating, fearless, undeniably handsome Christopher. He and Barclay have never been each other’s biggest fans, but as Barclay starts to explore parts of himself he’s been hiding away, they find they might have much more in common than they originally thought.

As sparks turn into something more, though, Barclay has to decide if he’s ready to confront the privilege and popularity that have shielded him his entire life. Can he take a real shot at the love he was fighting for in the first place?

My Review

This is the kind of story that takes a minute to digest. From the cover copy, I knew that Barclay was going to come out at a very public pep rally and that it was going to go badly. And so, in the scenes leading up to that moment, I couldn’t help wanting to shield him somehow from the hurt that was obviously coming. But I could also really see why he wanted to do this and why he felt like it would be okay and would be safe.

And then it wasn’t. This left him not only dealing with people’s reactions to his identity but also a lot of judgment about how he came out. He was called selfish, attention-seeking, all kinds of things, and those judgments blindsided him as much as the withdrawal of support, and the surge of homophobia among the people he thought would have his back.

I felt like that emotional arc– Barclay unpacking his own motives and learning when to stand up for himself and call people out versus calling people in and helping them see him better– was the strongest part of the story.

Another thing the story addressed really well is the way that, initially, Barclay felt like he had to choose between being out and playing basketball. As he explored his boundaries and what he wanted, he began to think about what place basketball would have in his life. I liked that exploration as well.

I also thought the story was well-balanced in terms of the characters. There are some big personalities on the page, from his best friend Amy to the possible love interest and even his grandfather, Scratch, who passed away before the story began. Yet the story really remains Barclay’s. I liked that, too.

All in all, I think TIME OUT would have slipped under my radar if the publisher hadn’t sent me a copy. I’m really glad I read it. Coming out and facing homophobia aren’t exactly new stories, but I think this version brings some necessary pieces to the conversation, and it’s a well-balanced novel packed with interesting characters. I think fans of Bill Konigsberg (author of OPENLY STRAIGHT and THE MUSIC OF WHAT HAPPENS) will enjoy this one.

Content Notes for Time Out

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Barclay and another character are gay. One of Barclay’s friends is Japanese American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. Vague/brief references to sex.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
After coming out, Barclay faces an onslaught of homophobic comments. The F-slur is insinuated multiple times but only printed once. Barclay charges at a boy after he continually makes homophobic comments and threats to him and about him online. A boy punches another boy. A car slams into the back of a boy’s bicycle, injuring him. For a moment, it’s unclear whether the driver intends to hurt the bicyclist further.

Drug Content
Barclay goes to a college party with his older brother and drinks a lot of beer before making a fool of himself. He briefly references taking a friend’s CBD gummies between classes when he’s feeling stressed 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 TIME OUT in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

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

Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy #1)
Sandhya Menon
Simon Pulse
February 18, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Of Curses and Kisses

The first novel in a series set at an elite international boarding school, that’s a contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast.

Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can’t shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

My Review

I think this is one of the books I bought during the early days of the pandemic, but it’s obviously taken me a while to finally read it. After I heard another blogger (can’t remember who it was) name OF CURSES AND KISSES as their favorite YA romance, I moved it up my TBR list. The next time I found myself needing a romance as a pick-me-up after a darker book, I reached for this one.

I’m a huge fan of fairytale retellings, so I immediately loved the Beauty and the Beast storytelling in this book. I liked that there was a little bit of magic through the curse, but that it didn’t dominate the story. Another thing that I seem to generally be in favor of are grouchy boys, so I found Grey lovable right away. Despite his prickliness, I couldn’t wait to see the romance develop between him and Jaya. I think my favorite moment in the whole book, though, was when Jaya imagined telling Kiran off after receiving an email from him. I literally laughed so hard I had to put the book down.

On the whole, I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the swoony elements and the friend group around Jaya and Grey. I think readers who enjoyed BOOKISH AND THE BEAST by Ashley Poston will find similar fun and romance here.

Content Notes for Of Curses and Kisses

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Jaya and her sister are Indian royalty.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
The family lore says Jaya’s family cursed Grey’s family after his ancestor stole a ruby that belonged to the people of India and refused to return it.

Violent Content
A boy has a nightmare about falling off a mountain and a girl stomping on his hand as he tries to hold on.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at parties.

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