Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: You’ve Found Oliver by Dustin Thao

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,
You've Found Oliver by Dustin Thao

You’ve Found Oliver
Dustin Thao
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Published September 30, 2025

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About You’ve Found Oliver

A new story, a new love, an impossible divide. The much-awaited companion to the New York Times bestselling You’ve Reached Sam will break your heart open.

I’ve missed you every day since you left. But I’m sure you already knew that. It’s time to let you go now. I’ll miss you all the time, Sam.

It’s been a year since his best friend, Sam, died. Even though Oliver knows he won’t get a response, he can’t stop texting Sam’s number, especially as the anniversary of his death approaches.

Then one day he accidentally hits the call button, and someone picks up.

The voice on the other end isn’t Sam—Sam’s number was reassigned and a stranger has been reading Oliver’s private and vulnerable messages for months. But Ben, an astronomy student in Seattle, won’t remain a stranger for long.

When they finally meet in person, their spark is undeniable. Everything seems perfect until Oliver discovers something strange that could keep them from being together.

My Review

I love that this story connects to You’ve Reached Sam, but is an entirely new tale, too. The story opens with a montage of scenes showing Oliver’s memories of Sam leading up to his death. He messages Sam’s number, and accidentally dials. When Ben answers, Oliver is shocked.

Right away, the two connect, their conversations easy and heartfelt. By contrast, Oliver struggles to connect with other people in his life. Their relationship is sweet from start to finish. They celebrate one another’s victories and long to see each other, even when they discover something odd happening when they do see each other.

I like that the story also gives readers a window into Julie’s life a year after Sam’s death. She’s dated a few people, but nothing serious. She seems stable, but not unaffected by her loss. There were a couple of moments where I thought she might open up to Oliver about her experience calling Sam’s phone, but it didn’t happen. She does seem to put together that the strange events Oliver experiences are connected to Sam in some way.

The story also explores some philosophical ideas about time and space, which works well with some of the components of the plot. I like some of the connections the author made there.

All in all, this is a sweet story about finding a new, unexpected love after a deep loss. It explores some questions about how much one should give up for love and how loving someone carries risks.

I definitely think fans of You’ve Reached Sam will enjoy this companion novel for its glimpse back into the people Sam left behind.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Two instances of profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Brief, vague references to an ex having cheated on someone.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Brief, vague references to a car accident death.

Drug Content
Adults drink alcohol at a fancy dinner party.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: All the Way Around the Sun by XiXi Tian

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All the Way Around the Sun
XiXi Tian
Quill Tree Books
Published September 30, 2025

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About All the Way Around the Sun

From the acclaimed author of This Place is Still Beautiful comes an evocative, achingly romantic road trip story about grief, diasporic identities, and deep-buried secrets that haunt us, perfect for fans of Past Lives and The Farewell.

Stella Chen’s life ground to a halt when her brother unexpectedly passed away a year ago. Raised together by their grandmother in the Chinese countryside before rejoining their parents in the United States, his absence destroys the connective tissue in her family. With another jarring move her senior year, from rural Illinois to unfamiliar surroundings in San Diego, she is left alone and adrift in her family’s suffocating silence and the void of unanswered questions around her brother’s death.

So when Stella’s parents force her to join her estranged childhood friend Alan Zhao for a college tour all over California, Stella dreads it. Alan is a reminder of everything Stella wishes she could be — popular, gregarious, unburdened — and a reminder of how lost she is.

As this road trip takes Stella and Alan down beautiful coastlines and through fraught family dynamics, Stella can’t help but feel the spark of why she and Alan were once so close. Before long, they find themselves pulled into each other’s orbits, forcing unspoken feelings and long-hidden truths into the light.

My Review

I loved Tian’s debut novel, This Place is Still Beautiful, which is a story about family relationships and the connection to a place. I don’t keep a lot of the books that I review (I want to, but I just do not have room, sadly), but I’ve kept that one. So, as soon as I had an opportunity to review this book, I jumped at the chance.

And, wow… this book is every bit as powerful as I expected.

There’s something really special about a book that looks straight into the face of complicated grief and offers characters that feel incredibly real facing heartbreak that feels so present. That’s what this book does, but it’s not the only thing it does.

Stella is an incredible character. I immediately loved her, and really felt for her as she tried to navigate her way through her grief and the places it intersected with her parents’ expectations and her other relationships.

Periodically, the narrative is interrupted by chapters that speak directly to Stella’s brother, Sam. These describe memories, beginning back in her early childhood, when she and Sam lived in China with their grandmother. Each chapter brings the story closer to the present, and each one made me understand Stella’s relationship with Sam and how deeply she felt his loss in a deeper way.

So many of the side characters feel realistic, too. At one point, Stella and Alan stay with a Chinese couple who are friends with Stella’s parents. Stella has a conversation with her mom’s friend and ends up learning things about her mom that she never knew. That moment begins this process where Stella starts looking at her mother in a different way for the first time. It’s the first time she gets to see her mom through the eyes of one of her peers.

The story of her relationship with her parents is really powerful, too. There’s a scene toward the end that was so hopeful. I don’t want to give anything away, but one of the things Tian does SO WELL is show loving yet messy/complex family relationships.

Okay, I’ve cried twice just writing this review and thinking about moments in this book. If you like books about messy family relationships and grief, do not miss this one. It’s amazing. There’s also a sweet, slow burn romance, so LOTS to love about this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. At one point, a drunk boy tries to kiss Stella without her consent. She manages to get away from him.

Spiritual Content
Stella recalls going to church with her grandma in China and mentions that her beliefs were a combination of Sunday School lessons and Chinese myths. As a child, she was afraid to fly from China to Illinois with her family because she thought that flying meant traveling through purgatory (which she understood as a place between heaven and hell) and that she’d have to die and come back to life in order to travel to America.

Violent Content
References to death. One scene describes what Stella imagines her brother’s death was like.

Drug Content
Reference to abuse of prescription drugs. Stella and Alan attend a party with college students. Stella sips an alcoholic drink and is accosted by a drunk college boy. She escapes him after a few moments.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar by Sonora Reyes

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The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar
Sonora Reyes
HarperCollins
Published September 16, 2025

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About The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar

From bestselling author Sonora Reyes comes a poignant and searingly honest companion novel to the multi-award-winning The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, following beloved character Cesar Flores as he comes to terms with his sexuality, his new bipolar diagnosis, and more mistakes than he can count.

Seventeen-year-old Cesar Flores is finally ready to win back his ex-boyfriend. Since breaking up with Jamal in a last-ditch effort to stay in the closet, he’s come out to Mami, his sister, Yami, and their friends, taken his meds faithfully, and gotten his therapist’s blessing to reunite with Jamal.

Everything would be perfect if it weren’t for The Thoughts—the ones that won’t let all his Catholic guilt and internalizations stay buried where he wants them. The louder they become, the more Cesar is once again convinced that he doesn’t deserve someone like Jamal—or anyone really.

Cesar can hide a fair amount of shame behind jokes and his “gifted” reputation, but when a manic episode makes his inner turmoil impossible to hide, he’s faced with a stark choice—burn every bridge he has left or, worse—ask for help. But is the mortifying vulnerability of being loved by the people he’s hurt the most a risk he’s willing to take?

My Review

I was devastated that I missed The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School when it came out, but thrilled at the chance to read this companion novel. I recently read a short story by Sonora Reyes in For the Rest of Us, an anthology about holidays, and it was one of my favorites in the whole collection, so I knew this book would have powerful, emotive writing. (It does.)

Cesar’s story pulled me in right from the first chapter. I loved the direct, intense emotions that were so easy to sense as he navigated the relationships in his life and his feelings about them. He felt so real as a character, and he’s so open that it’s impossible not to know how he’s feeling in any given scene.

This was a tough read for me because someone in my life has bipolar disorder. Though everyone’s experiences vary, so many of the things Cesar says and does reminded me of things my family member says and does. It was almost eerie at times.

In the story, Cesar has a complex relationship with his faith. It’s like, he’s looking for a kind of validation from his faith. I liked that the story made room for his exploration here. The story could easily have demonized religion or Cesar’s faith, but it doesn’t do that. Instead, Cesar learns to ask more questions about the experience he’s having in light of his diagnosis. For instance, he needs to discern whether he’s having a spiritual experience or a manic experience. That helps him determine how to respond.

He also finds community in some unexpected places, including from a family member who shares his diagnosis. The conversations between those two were really powerful, not just about mental illness but about relationships and self-care.

Conclusion

It’s a messy story, for sure. Cesar makes a lot of harmful choices. In some ways, reading the book is like watching a slow-motion train wreck. But it also helps us understand why he makes those choices and how his bipolar disorder impacts his thoughts and emotions. This novel offers an up-close, unfiltered account of a boy’s journey learning what it means to love and care for himself and others. It’s bravely written, and offers such an important perspective.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently. Homophobic comments appear a few times.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. In two scenes, characters undress, intending to have sexual contact. Both times they’re quickly interrupted. Characters reference sex a few times.

Spiritual Content
Cesar is Catholic and spends time in prayer at confession, where he asks a priest questions about his faith and identity.

Violent Content
A group of boys bullies Cesar because he’s bisexual. In one scene, several attack him at once, severely harming him.

Drug Content
Cesar’s cousin sells pot and shares her dreams of eventually opening a dispensary. Cesar and his friends drink alcohol at a party. In one instance, one character immediately vomits on another. In a different scene, a character makes choices they deeply regret.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: Busted by Dan Gemeinhart

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Busted
Dan Gemeinhart
Henry Holt & Co.
Published October 7, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Busted

When 12-year-old Oscar Aberdeen decided he would do anything to save the only home he’s ever known, he didn’t realize that anything would include theft, trespassing, gambling, a broken nose, grand theft auto, a federal prison, and a police car chase. He had no idea it would be so dangerous…or so fun. A heartfelt middle-grade romp from the New York Times-bestselling author of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise.

Oscar Aberdeen is a bit of an oddball. He’s an ace at playing bridge, loves Frank Sinatra, and attends a whole lot of funerals. He’s also the youngest resident of Sunny Days retirement home by more than a half-century―and he wouldn’t have it any other way. So when his grandpa’s suddenly served an eviction notice that threatens their place at Sunny Days, he needs to find some cash. Fast.

Enter Jimmy Deluca, a shady elderly man with a reputation for being bad news, who makes Oscar an offer he can’t refuse. He’s got the drop on riches hidden away on the “outside” and he’ll share the loot with Oscar on one condition: he busts him out of Sunny Days.

In this humdinger of an adventure, the ultimate odd couple, along with an uninvited stowaway, go from high-stakes escape to rollicking escapade as they search for the secret stash―and forge an unlikely friendship along the way. Will Oscar succeed in saving the only home he’s ever known? Or will he have to fuggedaboutit and return a failure?

My Review

Leave it to Dan Gemeinhart to put together this wacky, fast-paced adventure starring an unlikely threesome. I loved Coyote Lost and Found for its wild on-the-road adventure and its quirky characters, and this story delivers those same elements so well.

Oscar is a sweet kid. He is used to playing it safe, so the whole road trip with Jimmy is way outside his comfort zone. I like that each of the people in the car is keeping secrets about themselves. The situations that the characters face draw out those secrets. Jimmy is a fantastic character. He reads like what you might expect of an ex-mob guy, only Oscar censors his liberal use of profanity by replacing those words with “quack”. This adds some extra humor and keeps things a little more PG.

Busted takes the intergenerational friendships trope out for a whole different spin. In the stories I’ve read in which kids befriend an older person, usually the kid is the rebellious or impulsive one and the adult offers wisdom that helps steer them on a better course. Here, the situation is not reversed, because Jimmy does offer some wise words, but he is clearly the rebel, and Oscar is the one trying to keep track of the rules.

One great lesson that comes up through the story is a lesson about the difference between doing what’s right and what’s good. Sometimes those are the same thing, but sometimes they differ. When Oscar reframes the situation he faces looking for the good choice, it helps him figure out a path forward. That idea lends itself to discussion as well.

Content Notes for Busted

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Oscar doesn’t approve of swearing. If he hears some salty language, he cleverly subs “quack” in for the bad words. One character requires frequent substitutions.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some of the Sunny Days residents try to set Oscar up with a girl his age. The two joke about being engaged.

Spiritual Content
Oscar talks about witnessing people as they die and noticing them responding as if they see loved ones calling to them at the end.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Oscar gets hit in the face more than once. At one point, he and his allies steal a car. Vague references to other potentially illegal activity.

Drug Content
Jimmy smokes cigars and drinks a glass of Scotch in one scene.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: This is How We Roll edited by Rosiee Thor

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This is How We Roll
edited by Rosiee Thor
PageStreet YA
Published September 16, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About This is How We Roll

The magic of tabletop RPGs lives in the creativity of the players. Given the chance to explore gender, relationships, and queer existence across vast worlds with completely different sets of rules, queer players throughout the years have found acceptance, camaraderie, and joy by rolling the dice and kicking ass. This anthology celebrates that TTRPG rite of passage with a diverse lineup of queer authors who are just as mighty with their pens as with swords? and shields? and spells!

This collection of fourteen stories includes critically acclaimed authors such as New York Times Bestseller Marieke Nijkamp, New York Times Bestseller Andrew Joseph White, Pura Belpré Honor winner Jonny Garza Villa, LAMBDA Literary Award winner Rebecca Podos, LAMBDA Award finalist Linsey Miller, Indie Bestseller Margaret Owen, and Morris Award finalist Akemi Dawn Bowman.

My Review

My last DnD campaign (and my first as DM) fizzled out as the holidays hit and players got busy with other adventures. Reading this book made me remember all the reasons I love playing Tabletop Role Playing Games (TTRPGs) to begin with.

First off, the stories are all super entertaining. Most balance the in-game storytelling and at-the-table experience of the players perfectly. There are a couple that really only show one side of the experience, and those are so creative. They all fit perfectly into the collection.

The stories also encapsulate a wide variety of gaming experiences, from playing with longtime friends to a new group playing for the first time, or a new player joining an established group. Sometimes the story is from the perspective of a new player, and at other times, we follow the experienced player as they navigate feelings about the newbie at their table. Some groups play the game in person, while others play online. Some homebrew the experience, while others meticulously follow the rules of the game.

The players represent an inclusive group, too. In the opening story, the point-of-view character uses a wheelchair (from an injury). Some stories center queer identity and/or neurodivergence and show how creating a game character free to interact with the world sans the expectations of the people who “know” us can help people recognize truths about themselves and others.

I also like that the stories include the interpersonal challenges that can come from playing the game. In one story, a player’s character makes unwelcome romantic advances at another player’s character. It’s handled safely, but shows the discomfort and the anxiety the player feels about how to resolve the situation. In another story, a group welcomes one player’s rival as a new player at the table. One story shows a DM whose behavior threatens to extinguish the campaign, and how the players respond.

The authors also explore the circumstances surrounding the gameplay creatively, too. One of my favorite stories takes place in the far distant future in space, where a group of kids uses a “prespace” artifact (a DnD player handbook) to try out what they rightly assume was a popular game on earth. That was such a fun take.

In one story in which the characters play the game online with separate chat logs from in-game dialogue and secret character identitites, I had a hard time keeping track of who was who at first. I’m still not sure I understand all of the connections between the players. I like that the collection showcased that style of gameplay and the development of relationships between players, though.

All in all, this is a fabulous tribute to TTRPGs and people who love them. I think both people familiar with the games and those with a passing interest will enjoy this collection. It’s so much fun.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Stories include descriptions of characters’ TTRPG sessions fighting mythical creatures, using magic, etc. A couple stories include characters from Christian families with religious objections to DnD in particular, referring to the game as leading players astray from their faith.

Violent Content
Descriptions of situations of peril. One story includes a wild animal accidentally trapped indoors and the attempt to get it outside without putting the characters at risk for disease or harming the animal. References to homophobia, transphobia, and prejudicial comments about ace identity.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: For the Rest of Us edited by Dahlia Adler

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For the Rest of Us: 13 Festive Holiday Stories to Celebrate All Seasons
edited by Dahlia Adler
HarperCollins
Published September 2, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About For the Rest of Us: 13 Festive Stories to Celebrate All Seasons

Fourteen acclaimed authors showcase the beautiful and diverse ways holidays are observed in this festive anthology. Keep the celebrations going all year long with this captivating and joyful read!

From Lunar New Year to Solstice, Día de Los Muertos to Juneteenth, and all the incredible days in between, it’s clear that Americans don’t just have one holiday. Edited by the esteemed Dahlia Adler and authored by creators who have lived these festive experiences firsthand, this joyful collection of stories shows that there isn’t one way to experience a holiday.

With stories by:

Dahlia Adler, Sydney Taylor Honor winner of Going Bicoastal.

Candace Buford, author of Good as Gold.

A. R. Capetta and Cory McCarthy, authors of the Once & Future series.

Preeti Chhibber, author of Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot.

Natasha Díaz, award-winning author of Color Me In.

Kelly Loy Gilbert, Stonewall Book Award winning author of Picture Us in the Light.

Kosoko Jackson, USA Today bestselling author of The Forest Demands Its Due.

Aditi Khorana, award-winning author of Mirror in the Sky.

Katherine Locke, award-winning author of This Rebel Heart.

Abdi Nazemian, Stonewall Book Award–winning author of Only This Beautiful Moment.

Laura Pohl, New York Times bestselling author of The Grimrose Girls.

Sonora Reyes, Pura Belpré Honor winner of The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School.

Karuna Riazi, contributor to The Grimoire of Grim Fates.

My Review

At this point, I’m pretty conditioned to expect great things when I see an anthology edited by Dahlia Adler, and this one does not disappoint! I opened the book without clocking which authors had stories included, so it was a joyful experience every time I turned the page to start another story and spotted an author I love. A few of the authors included in the collection are new to me, but I’ll be on the lookout for more stories from them, too.

I love that the collection is organized as if we’re moving through the Gregorian calendar. It made me feel as if I read through an entire year upon completing the collection. The stories are well-balanced in terms of welcoming readers into the traditions and practices of each holiday while delivering an engaging story. Sometimes the stories played on the themes of the holiday, while others framed life experiences through the lens of the holiday. Some stories are funy and upbeat while others are contemplative.

One of my favorites is Sonora Reyes’ short story about Día de Los Muertos. They use the story to explore how celebrating this holiday might be challenging for families whose loved ones died in difficult circumstances. Reyes deftly brings focus to how stigmatizing people who died with mental illness can further isolate and shame people. Their story shows the power of finding ways to cherish the good things about a lost loved one, even when it’s painful or complicated.

Readers who are curious about other holiday celebrations or eager to see their own traditions celebrated on the page will enjoy this collection.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. One scene implies a sexual encounter happened in a break between scenes.

Spiritual Content
The collection includes cultural and spiritual celebrations, including Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, Holi, Nowruz, Eid, Passover, Juneteenth, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Diwali, Día de Los Muertos, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

Violent Content
One story contains references to death and suicide. Another includes a survivor of gun violence and a brief reference to what happened.

Drug Content
One story includes teens drinking alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.