Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: The Year Without a Summer by Arlene Mark

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , , , ,
Year Without a Summer by Arlene Mark

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.

Review: Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg

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Honestly Ben (Openly Straight #2)
Bill Konigsberg
Arthur A. Levine Books
Published March 28, 2017

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Honestly Ben

Ben Carver is back to normal. He’s getting all As in his classes at the Natick School. He was just elected captain of the baseball team. He’s even won a big scholarship for college, if he can keep up his grades. All that foolishness with Rafe Goldberg last semester is over now, and he just needs to be a Carver, work hard, and stay focused.

Except…

There’s Hannah, a gorgeous girl who attracts him and distracts him. There’s his mother, whose quiet unhappiness he’s noticing for the first time. School is harder, the pressure higher, the scholarship almost slipping away. And there’s Rafe, funny, kind, dating someone else…and maybe the real normal that Ben needs.

My Review

I’ve had OPENLY STRAIGHT for years, but I finally read it recently. While I was looking up links for my review, I noticed that it had a sequel– HONESTLY BEN.

Lots of times when I finish the first book in a series, I’m super excited about the sequel, so I add it to my list, and even then it takes forever for me to read it. This time, though, I bought HONESTLY BEN right away and immediately started reading it. I finished it that same day.

I loved Ben’s character in OPENLY STRAIGHT, so I was really excited that not only was there a follow-up to the first book, but also that the story is told entirely from his point of view. As I read the book, though, I realized he’s kind of a hard character to write from. He spends a lot of time thinking about things, which didn’t always translate very well in a scene. Sometimes I found myself wishing there were more scenes that showed him interacting with someone else and learning stuff by doing it.

I feel like where Konigsberg’s writing really shines the brightest is in scenes with dialog. Those are always my favorite. The characters feel so real, and there’s always some deep thing being unearthed, and often it’s couched in lots of silliness and goofy fun. I love that. Same with scenes where there are arguments or conflict. I found those to be the most compelling.

That said, one of the things I liked about OPENLY STRAIGHT was that it waded into some thoughts about identity and how much or little that is a part of who someone is. How knowing someone’s sexual orientation can change how people treat that person.

In HONESTLY BEN, the story explores the tendency for people to immediately jump to a label for someone based on the current relationship they’re in and how hurtful that can be. I loved that exploration a lot, and I wish there were more books that honed in on that so well.

For Ben, sexual identity is a complex issue. He wrestles with homophobic ideas that come from his family. He wrestles with what his attraction to Rafe actually means. He’s uncomfortable rushing to a label for himself, and frustrated when people around him assume they know his identity better than he does.

I really identified with a lot of the things he went through in the story. I enjoyed it a lot.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Ben, the main character is unsure of his identity. He has dated mostly girls, but has romantic feelings for a boy. Rafe is gay and Jewish. Another friend is also gay and genderfluid.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. Kissing between two boys. Brief reference to oral sex.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Ben’s father is a domineering person who says things that cut Ben and his family members pretty deeply. Some of the boys on the baseball team make jokes about rape and say homophobic things. Ben challenges them.

Drug Content
Ben drinks alcohol and later regrets it.

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

Hello, Goodbye by Kate Stollenwerck

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

Hello, Goodbye
Kate Stollenwerck
SparkPress
Published August 2, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Hello, Goodbye

Fifteen-year-old Hailey Rogers is sure her summer is ruined when her parents force her to spend a few days a week helping her grandmother, Gigi. Although she only lives across town, she never sees her grandmother and knows little about her. But Gigi is full of surprises–and family secrets. Throw in the gorgeous boy down the street, and Hailey’s ruined summer might just be the best of her life.

Then tragedy strikes, lies are uncovered, and Hailey’s life suddenly falls apart. After unearthing clues in an old letter written by her great-grandfather, she takes off on a road trip to solve the family mystery with the only person she can trust. In a forgotten Texas town, the past and the present collide–and Hailey is forced to choose what she truly values in life.

My Review

I liked a lot of things about this book– most especially the relationship between Hailey and her grandmother, Gigi. One of my favorite things is all of the layering within that relationship and the things that it brings up for Hailey in her relationships with other people like her mom and even Blake.

I struggled with Hailey’s judgments about Bree, another girl in her grade, who, admittedly, isn’t very nice to her. Hailey sums her up with some cutting remarks about her being a busty, ditzy girl. I would have liked less of the cliché reasoning there and maybe more depth? Something that wasn’t judging the girl by her appearance and making some ugly assumptions.

One thing that I thought was cool about the story is that Hailey is a runner, but she runs cross country. I don’t really know much about running, but the only other books I can think of with a runner in them are runners who run track, and I didn’t even realize cross country was a totally different thing. So it was cool to learn more about that and what her training looked like.

On the whole, I liked the exploration of family relationships and Hailey’s exploration of new relationships and independence. I think readers who like books by Kasie West should check out HELLO, GOODBYE.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Hailey is Jewish (this comes as a surprise to her– her family attends a Baptist church). She learns that her great-grandmother was a Holocaust survivor. The “gorgeous boy down the street” is also Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. References to other characters hooking up. Reference to a girl having sent nude photos of herself to a boy, which she gets in trouble for doing.

Spiritual Content
Hailey attends a Hanukkah celebration. References to attending Baptist church.

Violent Content
A man threatens others with a gun.

Drug Content
Hailey sees other teens drinking alcohol, but she sticks with Dr. Pepper. She helps clean up a girl who has had too much to drink and is sick.

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 HELLO, GOODBYE in exchange for my honest review.

Review Love Times Infinity by Lane Clark

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Love Times Infinity
Lane Clark
Little, Brown Books
Published July 26, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Love Times Infinity

The swoon of Nicola Yoon meets the emotional punch of Elizabeth Acevedo in this breakout debut novel that answers big questions about identity, family, and love.

High school junior Michie is struggling to define who she is for her scholarship essays, her big shot at making it into Brown as a first-generation college student. The prompts would be hard for anyone, but Michie’s been estranged from her mother since she was seven and her concept of family has long felt murky.

Enter new kid and basketball superstar Derek de la Rosa. He is very cute, very talented, and very much has his eye on Michie, no matter how invisible she believes herself to be.

When Michie’s mother unexpectedly reaches out to make amends, and with her scholarship deadlines looming, Michie must choose whether to reopen old wounds or close the door on her past. And as she spends more time with Derek, she’ll have to decide how much of her heart she is willing to share. Because while Michie may not know who she is, she’s starting to realize who she wants to become, if only she can take a chance on Derek, on herself, and on her future.

My Review

LOVE TIMES INFINITY is another one of those books where I feel like the cover copy just does not do it justice. I feel like it really leaves out the emotional depth and deep soul-searching and pain that Michie wrestles with. It implies that her family issues are a simple estrangement when in fact, there’s something much darker and more complex in play.

When I started reading the book, at first, I struggled with Michie’s self-pity. I felt empathy for her because obviously a LOT in her life is a struggle, but I wanted to be like, okay but isn’t there a bright side here somewhere?

As I got to know her, though, her down-on-herself attitude suddenly made so much more sense. It became clear how over and over she self-sabotaged because she couldn’t move past a deep wound. She also holds deep beliefs in some really destructive ideas about herself.

But those ideas, her believing them, all of that made sense from Michie’s point-of-view. As the circumstances of her life and the blooming relationships around her force her to confront those ideas, Michie began to experience a transformation. I LOVED that. So many scenes had me crying because they resonated so deeply: hurt, forgiveness, new self-love. The author captured those moments beautifully and perfectly.

The story also explores some ideas about abortion. Michie has complicated feelings about the issue because she feels like lots of people would have told her mom to abort her. She wonders if her mother wishes she had. Michie’s feelings only grow more confusing when she hears rumors that a girl at school has had an abortion, and she isn’t sure how to feel about it. Michie is pretty careful to try to separate her personal feelings from legal or broad mandate ideas. She also allows readers to explore a complex issue from an interesting perspective.

Content Notes

References to rape without details. Mentions of self-harm and suicide attempt.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Michie is Black. Her best friend JoJo is Persian. Derek is Black and Latino.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to rape. Michie attempted suicide in the past.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol. References to smoking pot.

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 LOVE TIMES INFINITY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min

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

Beating Heart Baby
Lio Min
Flatiron Books
Published July 26, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Beating Heart Baby

Lio Min’s Beating Heart Baby is an “achingly romantic” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) love letter to internet friendships, anime, and indie rock.

When artistic and sensitive Santi arrives at his new high school, everyone in the wildly talented marching band welcomes him with open arms. Everyone except for the prickly, proud musical prodigy Suwa, who doesn’t think Santi has what it takes to be in the band.

But Santi and Suwa share painful pasts, and when they open up to each other, a tentative friendship begins. And soon, that friendship turns into something more. . . .

Will their fresh start rip at the seams as Suwa seeks out a solo spotlight, and both boys come to terms with what it’ll take, and what they’ll have to let go, to realize their dreams?

My Review

I had to read the first chapter of this book twice because the first time, I felt like I didn’t understand what was going on. There are some music references and names that weren’t immediately familiar to me, so I wasn’t sure at first if they were characters or pop culture references. I ended up having to put the book aside for a couple of days for other reasons, but when I picked it up, I started reading again from the beginning. The second time through, I felt like I found my feet with the opening scene, and from there, I was hooked.

Both Santi and Suwa share their points of view in the story, but instead of alternating back and forth chapter by chapter, the first half of the book is Santi only. The second half is Suwa only. I don’t know if I’ve seen that done before, but I found that for this particular story, I really liked it.

I loved all the scenes of the marching band and how they learned to work together. And what becoming part of their team meant to Santi. I also loved the development of his relationship with Suwa and the way they got to know each other and grew together.

I also loved the performance and band scenes told from Suwa’s perspective. I felt like the story really captured the magic of performing and being part of a band without letting it get repetitive or distancing us from the characters.

On the whole, I’m incredibly glad I read this book. I think music fans, band nerds, and romance lovers will find a lot to love in BEATING HEART BABY. I think fans of Bill Konigsberg will enjoy it a lot.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Suwa is trans and Asian. Santi is gay and Filipino on his mom’s side. There are other LGBTQIA side characters as well.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. A couple scenes show undressing leading up to sex.

A powerful music executive comes on to Suwa, and he feels cornered and super creeped out. One person defends Suwa, but others kind of shrug it off, like that’s just the industry. Suwa’s boss does promise to keep him away from the creep though.

Spiritual Content
Santi wears a cross necklace and touches it or crosses himself sometimes. Some references to prayer.

Violent Content
Santi gets into a fight with another boy. References to his past trouble with fighting.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol and smoke pot and cigarettes.

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 BEATING HEART BABY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor

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Long Story Short
Serena Kaylor
Wednesday Books
Published July 26, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Long Story Short

Growing up homeschooled in Berkeley, California, Beatrice Quinn is a statistical genius who has dreamed her whole life of discovering new mathematical challenges at a school like Oxford University. She always thought the hardest part would be getting in, not convincing her parents to let her go. But while math has always made sense to Beatrice, making friends is a problem she hasn’t been able to solve, so her parents are worried about sending her halfway across the world. The compromise: the Connecticut Shakespearean Summer Academy and a detailed list of teenage milestones to check off. She has six weeks to show her parents she can pull off the role of “normal” teenager and won’t spend the rest of her life hiding in a library.

Unfortunately, hearts and hormones don’t follow any rules, and there is no equation for teenage interactions. When she’s adopted by a group of eclectic theater kids, and immediately makes an enemy of the popular—and, annoyingly gorgeous—British son of the camp founders, she realizes that relationships are trickier than calculus. With her future on the line, this girl genius stumbles through illicit parties, double dog dares, and more than your fair share of Shakespeare. But before the final curtain falls, will Beatrice realize that there’s more to life than she can find in the pages of a book?

In this sparkling debut from Serena Kaylor, Long Story Short is a YA rom-com about a homeschooled math genius who finds herself out of her element at a theater summer camp and learns that life—and love—can’t be lived by the (text)book.

My Review

Witty banter is my favorite reasons to fall in love with a book, and LONG STORY SHORT has it in droves. I really enjoyed the back and forth between Beatrice, Mia, and Nolan. Also, I loved the verbal combat between Beatrice and Nik. I found it easy to invest in the characters and want them to succeed.

My only criticism is that I felt like Mia and Nolan were kind of too perfect as friends. Beatrice’s awkward inability to connect and her difficulty developing friendships got squished into an almost unbelievably short timeline. I get that the plot needed that, and I wanted to invest in the relationships, so I did. But I couldn’t help asking myself why her parents were so worried? All she seemed to need were two people who were simply willing to give her a chance.

I really liked that she had to go to a Shakespeare camp. The way those stories and quotes were used in the book added a lot of depth. Also, I enjoyed the quote match between her and Nik. I loved the way they used those quotes to trip each other up and as a whole other conversation, too.

On the whole, despite the super quick bestie plot armor, I really enjoyed reading LONG STORY SHORT. I think fans of KATE IN WAITING by Becky Albertalli will really enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Nikhil is English and Indian. Beatrice’s best friend Mia is Black and bisexual, and another friend, Nolan, is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Reference to Beatrice’s parents being sexual therapists.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A girl bullies another girl.

Drug Content
Bea and other teens drink 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 LONG STORY SHORT in exchange for my honest review.