Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Begin Again by Emma Lord

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,
Begin Again by Emma Lord

Begin Again
Emma Lord
Wednesday Books
Published January 24, 2023

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About Begin Again

As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.

But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.

But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.

Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, BEGIN AGAIN is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.

My Review

Okay, yes, it’s absolutely a Just Kiss Already! romance. Haha. I was waiting for it for what felt like ages– in a good way. I loved the close knit group of friends that forms around Andie and the way they need each other and see through each other’s masks. Also, I liked the relationship between Andie and her dad and how that unfolded. I probably cried more in those scenes than anywhere else.

There was a good balance between Andie’s past, her connections at home, and the things going on with her in the present as she formed new connections at college. Some of the big scenes didn’t surprise me at all, but I never picked up this book expecting big surprises, so I was totally okay with that.

I really liked the way the romance unfolded and the tension between Andie and Milo. I loved the bagel shop, Milo’s family, the chicken coops and outdoor tours and all of those background things that added so much to the story.

All in all, BEGIN AGAIN was a super fun read. I enjoyed the romance and the fresh, fun college campus radio show setting.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Andie’s roommate Shay is Black. Two girls enter a romantic relationship with each other.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A violent snowstorm strikes Andie’s college campus, and she’s injured when a tree falls in the storm.

Drug Content
Andie and her friends drink alcohol one night after a stressful day and again at a large 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 BEGIN AGAIN in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Seven Percent of Ro Devereux

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Seven Percent of Ro Devereux
Ellen O’Clover
HarperTeen
Published January 17, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Seven Percent of Ro Devereux

A clever, charming, and poignant debut novel about a girl who must decide whether to pursue her dreams or preserve her relationships, including a budding romance with her ex-best friend, when an app she created goes viral.

Ro Devereux can predict your future. Or, at least, the app she built for her senior project can.

Working with her neighbor, a retired behavioral scientist, Ro created an app called MASH, designed around the classic game Mansion Apartment Shack House, that can predict a person’s future with 93% accuracy. The app will even match users with their soul mates. Though it was only supposed to be a class project, MASH quickly takes off and gains the attention of tech investors.

Ro’s dream is to work in Silicon Valley, and she’ll do anything to prove to her new backing company—and the world—that the app works. So it’s a huge shock when the app says her soul mate is Miller, her childhood best friend with whom she had a friendship-destroying fight three years ago. Now thrust into a fake dating scenario, Ro and Miller must address the years of pain between them if either of them will have any chance of achieving their dreams.

Fans of Emma Lord and Alex Light will love this stand-alone contemporary novel with a masterful slow-burn romance at its core.

My Review

Okay, yes: I totally see the comparison to Emma Lord’s books with this one. It’s got big emotions, deep characters, and swoony love. All things I’ve experienced in Lord’s books, too.

And all things I loved about SEVEN PERCENT OF RO DEVEREUX.

It’s another book that made me absolutely weep. Ro grieves over the loss of a friend. She’s in anguish over the rift between her and her childhood bestie. (This is a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story.)

I loved Ro’s relationship with her dad. They definitely do not see eye to eye on how she should proceed with the MASH app and even with her life after high school, but though he has to make some hard parenting decisions, he clearly loves and supports Ro through it all, even when he’s trying to warn her of bumps in the road he sees ahead for her.

I also loved Ro’s relationships with her friends, Maren and Miller. Her memories from her childhood and the transition to the present pulled me deep into the story and had me so invested in her relationship with Miller. And I couldn’t help loving Maren. She’s awesome, too.

All in all, I’d say this one was a big win for me. It’s a debut, so an author I’d never read before, and it’ll be a strong contender for favorite of the year, I believe.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Ro’s best friend Maren starts dating a girl.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Ro remembers a boy assaulting and attempting to rape her. Kissing between two girls. Kissing between boy and girl. A boy and girl spend a night together.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A violent crowd injures a boy.

Drug Content
At 15, Ro drank alcohol at a 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 SEVEN PERCENT OF RO DEVEREUX in exchange for my honest review.


The Minus One Club by Kekla Magoon

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The Minus One Club
Kekla Magoon
MacMillan
Published January 17, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Minus One Club

From the Coretta Scott King and Printz Honor-winning author of HOW IT WENT DOWN, LIGHT IT UP, and REVOLUTION IN OUR TIME comes a moving contemporary YA novel about the bonds between a group of teens whose lives have been upended by tragedy.

Fifteen-year-old Kermit Sanders knows grief and its all-encompassing shadows. After losing his beloved older sister in a tragic car accident, nothing quite punctures through the feelings of loss. Everywhere Kermit goes, he is reminded of her.

But then Kermit finds a mysterious invitation in his locker, signed anonymously with “-1.” He has no idea what he’s in for, but he shows up to find out. Dubbed the “Minus-One Club,” a group of his schoolmates has banded together as a form of moral support. The members have just one thing in common—they have all suffered the tragic loss of someone they loved.

The usual dividing lines between high school classes and cliques don’t apply inside the Minus-One Club, and Kermit’s secret crush, the handsome and happy-go-lucky Matt (and only out gay student at school), is also a part of the group. Slowly, Matt’s positive headstrong approach to life helps relieve Kermit of his constant despair.

But as Kermit grows closer to Matt, the light of his new life begins to show the cracks beneath the surface. When Matt puts himself in danger by avoiding his feelings, Kermit must find the strength to not only lift himself back up but to help the rest of the group from falling apart.

“This evocative exploration of grief, sexual identity, and personal spirituality will be a boon to any teen grappling with these issues.” –Horn Book

My Review

It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything by Kekla Magoon (I reviewed REIGN OF OUTLAWS in 2017), so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I love stories about grief and self-discovery, especially characters wrestling with their faith, and this one ticks all those boxes for sure.

The characterization in this book felt totally spot on to me. Each character had a distinct voice, and specific connections and relationships with Kermit. I especially loved his relationship with his sister, who we meet in memories, dreams, and through her voice in Kermit’s head.

I also loved Matt, though he scared me with his drinking and some other things. He’s absolutely charming. It was easy to believe everything he said and just immediately adore him.

THE MINUS ONE CLUB is a complex story about grief, which is exactly what I expected from the title and book summary. The club didn’t feature in the book as much as I thought it might. The story really centers on Kermit and Matt and their relationship and how each of them are processing their grief.

All in all, I truly enjoyed reading this book. I couldn’t put it down. The chapters are really short, and the story seems to move quickly, so I read this one in a single sitting. It only took a couple of hours, too. I definitely recommend the book to readers who like stories about processing grief or about identity and first love.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Kermit and his sister are biracial. Kermit and another character are gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used fairly infrequently. Kermit and Matt play a game where everything they say has double meanings.

Several scenes contain homophobic statements, especially from Kermit’s Baptist church and even from his parents.

Romance/Sexual Content
At a party, boys encourage Kermit’s best friend to get his girlfriend drunk so that she will be more willing to have sex. He finds this appalling.

Kissing between two boys. References to sexual touching.

Kermit remembers his dad talking to him about sex and how to use a condom, even though he expects Kermit to practice abstinence. His dad says some misogynistic and toxic ideas about sex, which Kermit’s sister calls out as such.

Brief description of sexual harassment.

Spiritual Content
Kermit used to be deeply committed to his faith. After his sister’s death, and as he comes to terms with his identity, his faith falters. Another boy encourages him to visit a different church where his identity would be accepted.

Violent Content
Brief description of sexual harassment in a locker room at school. Kermit also witnesses what he thinks could be bullying.

One character talks about committing suicide.

Drug Content
Kermit doesn’t drink alcohol, partly because of his faith and partly because his sister was killed by a drunk driver. His friends do drink, though. One friend uses alcohol to cope with grief. One abuses prescription medicine in one scene.

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 MINUS ONE CLUB in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Heartstopper: Volume Four by Alice Oseman

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,

Heartstopper: Volume Four
Alice Oseman
Graphix
Published January 4, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Heartstopper: Volume Four

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fourth volume of HEARTSTOPPER, for fans of THE ART OF BEING NORMAL, Holly Bourne and LOVE, SIMON.

Charlie didn’t think Nick could ever like him back, but now they’re officially boyfriends. Charlie’s beginning to feel ready to say those three little words: I love you.

Nick’s been feeling the same, but he’s got a lot on his mind – not least coming out to his dad, and the fact that Charlie might have an eating disorder.

As summer turns to autumn and a new school year begins, Charlie and Nick are about to learn a lot about what love means.

HEARTSTOPPER is about love, friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie’s lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.

This is the fourth volume of HEARTSTOPPER, which has now been optioned for television by See-Saw Films.

My Review

The absolutely adorable romance between Charlie and Nick continues in the fourth volume of the series. All the books have been really quick reads, and all had me smiling at different moments. Sometimes I teared up, too. I love that while the story celebrates so many different loving relationships, it also gives space to talk about heavier issues.

In HEARTSTOPPER: VOLUME FOUR, the heavier issue explored is Charlie’s disordered eating. It’s mentioned in an earlier book, but Nick continues to be concerned and isn’t sure what to do to help his boyfriend through it. He has a couple long conversations with his mom and some panels show him doing internet research.

Ultimately, the story follows both Nick and Charlie through figuring out how to balance the intensity of their relationship and still maintain connections with others as well as figuring out how to have healthy support and boundaries with each other.

There are a couple of long passages that are journal entries from either Nick or Charlie. I thought those were a cool idea, but I wish more of the story was told in real time. Actual scenes unfolding in front of us.

I liked the attention to how to support– not save– someone who has an eating disorder, but I wonder if some readers will feel like the romance of the earlier volumes gets lost in the issue in this one.

I’m happy that I read it, and I will definitely read volume five.

Content Notes

Content warning for eating disorder, mentions of self-harm, and brief homophobic bullying.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Charlie is gay. Nick is bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. Kissing between boy and girl, and kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some brief instances of bullying and homophobia.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Science of Being Angry by Nicole Melleby

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The Science of Being Angry
Nicole Melleby
Algonquin Young Readers
Published May 10, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Science of Being Angry

Eleven-year-old Joey is angry. All the time. And she doesn’t understand why. She has two loving moms, a supportive older half brother, and, as a triplet, she’s never without company. Her life is good. But sometimes she loses her temper and lashes out, like the time she threw a soccer ball—hard—at a boy in gym class and bruised his collarbone. Or when jealousy made her push her (former) best friend (and crush), Layla, a little bit too roughly.

After a meltdown at Joey’s apartment building leads to her family’s eviction, Joey is desperate to figure out why she’s so mad. A new unit in science class makes her wonder if the reason is genetics. Does she lose control because of something she inherited from the donor her mothers chose?

My Review

THE SCIENCE OF BEING ANGRY is the third book by Nicole Melleby that I’ve read. Her books, so far, tend to address identity issues as well as some complex mental health challenges that kids face, and I love them for that. All three books point up how confusing it can be to have big feelings, whether anger, depression, or grief. They also show parents grappling with their own fears and worries without letting those things intrude into the story and take center stage.

Joey has a lot of big feelings and a really hard time articulating them. Even though no one specifically articulates what’s happening, I felt like, as a reader, watching her, I could start to see patterns in some of the things that set off her anger. I loved that those clues were there, even though the story isn’t specifically about discovering why she feels the way she feels. The story focuses on recognizing the ways in which her behavior is hurting others and also the journey she and her family face to deciding it’s time for professional support for Joey and her family.

In my own experiences with mental health, we often neglect to think about the part of the journey that THE SCIENCE OF BEING ANGRY brings into the light. We want quick fixes. Or we want to ignore an issue, hoping it will resolve on its own (sometimes they do, so that impulse isn’t always wrong). Someone’s parents can be trying as hard as they can to find the right path forward, and it can still be a messy and painful and confusing process. I feel like this book perfectly nails that experience.

And it also brings readers a lot of hope. Loving someone and continuing to look for solutions matters. Loving someone and continuing to build communication and trust matters. Without being preachy, the book points up a lot of those great strengths that a family can bring. It also addresses the importance of counseling and the positives that can come from that kind of help.

Over all, THE SCIENCE OF BEING ANGRY is another great book by an author I can’t get enough of. I’m so glad I had the chance to read it, and I hope it finds its way into the hands of all the readers who need the hope and encouragement it brings.

If you want to know more about Nicole Melleby’s books, check out my reviews of HURRICANE SEASON and HOW TO BECOME A PLANET.

Content Notes for The Science of Being Angry

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Joey has two moms and likes girls romantically.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Two girls kiss. Some descriptions of affection between Joey’s moms.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Joey pushes, shoves, and sometimes hits other kids, and her Mama.

A boy shoves a girl, hits her in the face with a piece of pizza, and calls her a rude nickname.

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 SCIENCE OF BEING ANGRY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: What Happened to Rachel Riley by Claire Swinarski

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

What Happened to Rachel Riley?
Claire Swinarski
Quill Tree Books
Published January 10, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About What Happened to Rachel Riley?

In this engrossing and inventive contemporary middle grade novel that’s Where’d You Go Bernadette? with a #MeToo message, an eighth grader uses social media posts, passed notes, and other clues to find out why a formerly popular girl is now the pariah of her new school.

Anna Hunt may be the new girl at East Middle School, but she can already tell there’s something off about her eighth-grade class. Rachel Riley, who just last year was one of the most popular girls in school, has become a social outcast. But no one, including Rachel Riley herself, will tell Anna why.

As a die-hard podcast enthusiast, Anna knows there’s always more to a story than meets the eye. So she decides to put her fact-seeking skills to the test and create her own podcast around the question that won’t stop running through her head: What happened to Rachel Riley?

With the entire eighth grade working against her, Anna dives headfirst into the evidence. Clue after clue, the mystery widens, painting an even more complex story than Anna could have anticipated. But there’s one thing she’s certain of: If you’re going to ask a complicated question, you better be prepared for the fallout that may come with the answer.

My Review

I really enjoyed both of the other books by Claire Swinarski – THE KATE IN BETWEEN and WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Both explore relationships between girls and show a lot of the complexity and the way relationships change in middle school. I love that about both those books.

And I love it about WHAT HAPPENED TO RACHEL RILEY? as well. What begins as Anna’s curiosity and perhaps a well-meaning attempt to understand why a girl has been ostracized unearths a whole mess of events that it’s clear her new classmates would rather keep quiet. She pieces events together, and then has to decide what to do about the painful truths she’s learned.

The emotional journey that Anna takes feels very real and genuine. She’s not always right. She struggles. Sometimes she missteps. But her experiences and responses to them made sense and drew me deeper into the story. I needed to know what would happen.

This is definitely the kind of book I wish I’d had in seventh grade, and one I wish my daughter had had, too. I think it’s a great resource for middle school classrooms and libraries. Readers who enjoyed UPSTANDER by James Preller or CHIRP by Kate Messner will not want to miss this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Anna’s mother emigrated to the US as a college student. Anna, her sister, and her mother speak Polish and English.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
References to crude comments about girls’ bodies.

Romance/Sexual Content
No romantic content. See spoiler section at the end.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
See spoiler section at the end.

Drug Content
None.

***

***

Spoilers

Boys at Anna’s school created a game in which they assigned point values for different girls. Boys would receive points for snapping a girl’s bra strap or slapping her butt. Some scenes show boys snapping a girl’s bra.

The story addresses this as absolutely wrong and explores how different girls feel in the moment and the ways they try to deal with it. For the most part, I love the way this topic is handled in the book. I felt like the girls’ reactions were realistic for girls at this age. Some wanted to pretend it wasn’t happening because they were too uncomfortable speaking up. Others tried to speak up but were shamed for it. Sometimes adults responded appropriately. Other times not so much.

So it felt very real. The story also didn’t feel forced to me. Things unfolded in a very organic way, and the issue didn’t overshadow the characters or their choices.

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 WHAT HAPPENED TO RACHEL RILEY? in exchange for my honest review.