Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: It Came From the Sky by Chelsea Sedoti

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,
It Came From the Sky by Chelsea Sedoti

It Came From the Sky
Chelsea Sedoti
Sourcebooks Fire
Published August 1, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About It Came From the Sky

This is the absolutely true account of how Lansburg, Pennsylvania was invaded by aliens and the weeks of chaos that followed. There were sightings of UFOs, close encounters, and even abductions. There were believers, Truth Seekers, and, above all, people who looked to the sky and hoped for more.

Only… there were no aliens.

Gideon Hofstadt knows what really happened. When one of his science experiments went wrong, he and his older brother blamed the resulting explosion on extraterrestrial activity. And their lie was not only believed by their town―it was embraced. As the brothers go to increasingly greater lengths to keep up the ruse and avoid getting caught, the hoax flourishes. But Gideon’s obsession with their tale threatened his whole world. Can he find a way to banish the aliens before Lansburg, and his life, are changed forever?

Told in a report format and comprised of interviews, blog posts, text conversations, found documents, and so much more, It Came from the Sky is a hysterical and resonant novel about what it means to be human in the face of the unknown.

From the author of The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett and As You Wish comes the unforgettable story of the one small town’s biggest hoax and the two brothers who started it all.

“A page-turner as engrossing as any classic Twilight Zone starring two spirited brothers who run circles around the Hardy Boys.” – Ben Philippe, Morris Award-winning author of The Field Guide to the North American Teenager

My Review

I have mixed feelings about this book. The whole situation– the explosion that leads to the alien encounter hoax– is kind of funny. I’m generally a fan of stories in which the characters land themselves in bizarre situations and then have to panic-slash-mastermind their way out of them only to have unanticipated consequences result. So this story definitely scratches that itch for me.

I just… didn’t like Gideon. I appreciated his intelligence. And I sympathized with his struggle to communicate his emotions and his aversion to sticky foods. But all of it seemed so selfish to me. He seemed so selfish. Even the idea that he could perpetrate this large-scale lie without any remorse, because it’s for science! I had a lot of trouble connecting with him.

Even though I didn’t connect with Gideon, I read the whole book because I hoped that it would have the kind of resolution that would make it all make sense and that if he really learned his lesson, it’d be worth the investment in the book.

And he does learn some things and make some changes. There’s growth. One of the things I didn’t like (and I’m going to be vague for spoilers reasons) was that toward the end, Gideon is faced with someone who has committed two different types of crimes. In my mind, one was much more personal and damaging than the other. But it felt like because the other frustrated Gideon more, he prioritized reporting it.

All in all, I thought the idea was fun, and the story was interesting, but this one isn’t for me. If you like goofy heist or prank stories, though, IT CAME FROM THE SKY is one I think you’ll want to check out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Gideon is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. References to sex between an adult and minor.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Gideon discovers an adult who is drunk and behaving unsafely.

Note: I received a free copy of IT CAME FROM THE SKY in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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

Today Tonight Tomorrow
Rachel Lynn Solomon
Simon Pulse
Published July 28, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Today Tonight Tomorrow

Today, she hates him.

It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.

Tonight, she puts up with him.

When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.

As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.

Tomorrow…maybe she’s already fallen for him.

THE HATING GAME meets NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course of twenty-four hours.

My Review

I could not put this book down. It’s funny. TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW is packed with the kind of snappy banter that I adore. It’s thoughtful. The story made me rethink my feelings on romance as a reading genre. And most of all, it’s desperately romantic.

Most of the book centers around a contest called The Howl, in which the whole senior class participates in a kind of photo scavenger hunt all around Seattle. It’s a race to win a prize of $5000, which both Rowan and Neil fiercely need. The contest gave the story a straightforward structure and high stakes. But what makes TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW really magical, though, is the relationship between Rowan and Neil themselves.

I’m kind of a sucker for enemies-to-lovers stories anyway, but this one had this perfect mix of wit, awkwardness, self-doubt, vulnerability, and passion. I cannot say this enough: I. Loved. It.

A Discussion of Romance

A brief note on the views about romance in the story: In the book, Rowan loves romance novels and has written one herself. She muses about the fact that romance as a genre centers women in a way that other media does not, and yet people often treat it with disdain. She discusses how reading romance also made her feel empowered and comfortable talking about sex.

Her love for romance is really woven into the story, so it doesn’t feel out of place or very preachy. It made me stop and consider the way media represents women. My daughter has participated in a local children’s theater group, and often the majority of the speaking roles are for male characters. I feel like this is something where, once you start noticing it, you kind of can’t stop. Ha.

At any rate, I really appreciated this part of TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW and especially the letter at the end from the author which explained some of her own evolution on those ideas.

All in all, fans of THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU by Lily Anderson really need to check this one out. If you like witty banter and enemies-to-lovers stories, put TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW at the top of your list!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Major characters are Jewish. Side characters are Korean, bisexual, and lesbian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used fairly frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. One scene shows characters discussing having sex and then briefly doing so.

Spiritual Content
Rowan’s family has Shabbat dinner together. References to bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah celebrations and communities of faith.

Violent Content
References to a man beating up a teenager and a girl getting into a fistfight. Some micro and not-so-micro aggressions against Jewish characters.

Drug Content
Neil and Rowan buy cookies with pot in them and get high together.

Note: I received a free copy of TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

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

10 Things I Hate About Pinky (Dimple and Rishi #3)
Sandhya Menon
Simon Pulse
Published July 21, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About 10 Things I Hate About Pinky

The follow-up to WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI and THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT SWEETIE follows Pinky and Samir as they pretend to date—with disastrous and hilarious results.

Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny-tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.

Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.

Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she’s made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy, Samir—who is a total Harvard-bound Mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer. As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they’ll never forget.

My Review

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY is the first book by Sandhya Menon that I’ve read. I’ve heard great things about her other books, and have meant to read them, so when I got the chance to read this one, I was super excited.

First off, if you’re unfamiliar with Menon’s books (like I was), you can read this one without having read the others. There are some references to characters from the other books, but this book stands on its own.

I think this book totally lived up to the series hype. I loved Pinky’s quirkiness and passion and Samir’s awkwardness and insightfulness. I loved the fake dating. The family relationships were great, too. I especially loved the way the story explored Pinky’s relationship with her mom and things Pinky didn’t even realize she was doing to make that worse.

Also, the dramatic opossum! I love that Pinky rescues her and names her and walks her in a harness. It was weird and adorable and just SO Pinky.

The story has a lightness to it that I definitely need in my life right now. I found myself giggling and grinning through scenes and staying up to read just one more chapter (and another and another).

I think readers who love romantic comedy with family presence will love this fun, fake dating adventure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Main characters are Indian-American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used about a dozen times.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to sex. Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
References to teens drinking alcohol.

Note: I received a free copy of 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Wicked in Rhyme by J. L. Smith

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

Wicked in Rhyme (Wicked Unearth Series)
J. L. Smith
Published February 20, 2019

Amazon | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Wicked in Rhyme

Inez Finley is just like most ten-year-olds. Her life is filled with love from her family. Mainly from Grandma Esther.

Her parents love her, too, but Grandma is the only one Inez can truly talk to about the dreams she has.

Especially after one of them comes true on the schoolyard. She is the only one who understands what Inez can see and what the woman in the old photo in Dad’s office has to do with it.

My Review

It’s not often that I review serial or short fiction, but in this case, I wanted to help out a fellow book blogger and share something about her book.

“Wicked in Rhyme” is four chapters introducing Inez Finley, a bright, empathetic girl with vivid dreams. Even in these first few chapters, Inez’s special relationship with her grandmother comes through. There’s also a really fun element of mystery and intrigue as Inez realizes her dreams aren’t just dreams. But unlocking their secrets won’t be easy.

I found myself drawn in and deeply interested in Inez’s story and her dreams. I would definitely read more of her story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Inez is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Inez has a dream that something bad happens to someone, and then it does.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of “Wicked in Rhyme” in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Girl from Nowhere by Tiffany Rosenhan

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

Girl from Nowhere
Tiffany Rosenhan
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 21, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Girl from Nowhere

Ninety-four countries. Thirty-one schools. Two bullets.
Now it’s over…or so she thinks.

Sophia arrives in Montana with the promise of a normal high school experience. But after a turbulent few years abroad with her diplomat parents, forgetting the past is easier said than done. After all, “normal” high schoolers aren’t trained in several forms of combat.

Then Sophia meets Aksel and finds herself opening up in ways she never thought she could. Except Sophia’s past is about to catch up with her, and she must confront who she really is, why she was betrayed, and what she is capable of in the name of love and survival.

Full of heart-stopping action and breathtaking romance, this cinematic debut features a girl willing to risk everything to save the life she built for herself.

Red Sparrow meets One of Us Is Lying in this action-packed, romance-filled YA debut about a girl trying to outrun her past.

My Review

My favorite part about GIRL FROM NOWHERE is the pacing. All the way through, it has this tense, cliff’s edge feeling to it. I needed to know what was going to happen to her. I loved her struggle between her instincts for protection and her desire to be a normal girl in a small American town.

The toughest part of the book, for me, is that I found it hard to buy into the idea that she’d be as knowledgeable and trained as she is and only be a teenager. Being fluent in the number of languages she was, and on top of that being an expert on weapons, combat, wilderness survival, etc. It seemed like she would have had to be older to have expertise in ALL those things. Aksel seemed like he should have been older, too.

For the most part, though, I was happy to give into a willing suspension of disbelief and follow the wild ride of the story through all its twists and turns. I think fans of GENUINE FRAUD by E. Lockhart or FLOW LIKE WATER by Mark Burley will enjoy this world-crossing, intense book.

Content Notes for Girl from Nowhere

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Most characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently. A few insults/curses in other languages.

Romance/Sexual Content – Trigger Warning
Kissing between boy and girl. References to threats of rape. (No details.) One boy presses Sophia for closeness that she doesn’t want– putting his arm around her and trying to get her to get in his car with him. He says unkind things to her after she refuses.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content – Trigger Warning
A grizzly bear starts to attack a girl. An avalanche traps two people in a car. References to kidnapping and torture. Some brief scenes showing kidnapping. A man tortures a prisoner, beating and shooting him when he doesn’t give up information.

Several gunfights in which multiple people are killed. Sophia keeps a gun under her pillow and a knife on her for protection.

A woman is forced to jump from a plane without a parachute.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of GIRL FROM NOWHERE in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: Freerunner by Kathy Cassel

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

Freerunner
Kathy Cassel
Elk Lake Publishing
Published May 16, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Freerunner

Night is Kia’s favorite time, when she freeruns to outdistance the memories of abuse she suffered as a young child. But when former reality television star Terrence Jones arrives at their school as the new head track coach, things begin to change in unpredictable ways.

Kia tries out for the team to fit in, but just as she’s gaining a new sense of normal, her abuser steps back into her life. Not only that, but being on the track team causes even more turmoil. Why does the assistant coach, Cassandra Clark, dislike Terrence Jones so much, and even more troubling, why does Coach Clark dislike her so much?

As the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together, Kia realizes she has to choose between running from her past or saving a child from the same sort of abuse she suffered. But will she have the courage to do so?

Set against the backdrop of the sport of freerunning, Kia must decide whether she will continue running or face her past abuser in order to save another child.

My Review

I feel like this is going to be a difficult review to write– not because the book was bad, but because I am still sorting through my feelings on it.

First, what I liked: the easy friendship between Thorn and Kiana was great. I loved the way they stuck up for each other and bonded over their shared love of freerunning. I liked that the story wasn’t about them developing a romantic relationship.

The family relationships are complicated (in a good way). Kiana’s mom isn’t making good choices, but she reads as a desperate woman who’s barely keeping her head above water. That’s no excuse for the things she does, but it makes her a complex character.

As I read, I felt the sinister nature of the relationship between Kiana and her grandfather. There are no graphic descriptions of him hurting anyone, but I had no trouble believing him capable of it. And the way he flipped things around to deflect blame from himself and used charm and fake innocence to avoid judgment or consequences was super creepy. Believable and creepy.

On the other side, the story raises a couple of issues that get left unaddressed. In one scene, Kiana’s grandfather leads a little girl from the church toward his car, claiming he has permission to take her home. The children’s director tells him no one is authorized to do this without having written consent from the parent first.

Not long after that, Kiana’s coach insists on giving her a ride home from the church because it’s dark out, and he feels it’s unsafe for her to walk home.

Kiana also discovers her grandfather lurking around her school and track meets, and immediately she feels creeped out by this. In one scene, her track coach finds Kiana and Thorn freerunning in a sketchy part of town.

In both of those sets of instances, both men do very similar things. Obviously Kiana’s history with them makes a huge difference in how she feels about this, but I wished that the story drew a more clear line on what’s safe versus unsafe behavior. I felt like, though his motives seemed to be pure, Kiana’s coach should not have crossed those lines.

I think having those two characters– the coach/hero and the creepy grandfather both committing some of the same actions is what made it stand out to me.

Overall, though, I enjoyed reading a story that followed a girl interested in freerunning and track. I think fans of THE THING WITH FEATHERS by McCall Hoyle will find FREERUNNER to their liking.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Kiana’s mom is white and she believes her dad is black. Her grandfather sexually abused her when she was younger.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A couple of racial slurs and references to them.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to sexual abuse. No graphic descriptions. Reference to a couple being caught having sex (not shown).

Spiritual Content
Kiana joins a church group and learns about trusting God from her track coach.

Violent Content
Multiple references to sexual abuse (not graphically described). References to physical abuse and brief descriptions of a woman killed by her abuser. Reference to a group attacking a man in prison, leaving him in critical condition. A man kidnaps a girl. Someone dies falling from a building.

Drug Content
A woman drinks beers after work.

Note: I received a free copy of FREERUNNER in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.