Category Archives: Book Review and Content

Review: Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman

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Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper: Volume Two
Alice Oseman
Hodder Children’s Books
Published July 11, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Heartstopper: Volume Two

Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie’s gay, and Charlie is sure that Nick isn’t.

But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family … and himself.

Praise for the Heartstopper series:

Kirkus Reviews Best YA Romance of 2020

“Absolutely delightful. Sweet, romantic, kind. Beautifully paced. I loved this book.” — Rainbow Rowell, author of Carry On

“You’ll smile watching Charlie and Nick open up to one another, and sigh as they tiptoe into romance… falling in love doesn’t get more charming than this.” — Ngozi Ukazu, New York Times bestselling author of Check, Please!

* “Nick and Charlie’s lighthearted and tender romance is delightful, and the genuine heart present in the characters makes for a wholesome and uplifting ride… Incredibly lovable from start to finish. ” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Realistic yet uplifting, this tale of self-discovery will make readers’ hearts skip a beat.” — School Library Journal

“The romance and realistic fiction will draw readers in to this sweet story.” — Booklist

My Review

I almost missed my spot in the library queue to borrow this book (It’s sold out on Bookshop as I’m writing up my review.), but thankfully I noticed it was my turn before the window to borrow had expired. Whew!

If you even quickly scroll past bookish spaces on social media, you’ve probably heard buzz about the Heartstoppers series on Netflix. I’ve heard a lot of positive things, so I want to check it out, but wanted a chance to read the graphic novels first. At a glance, it looks like the first season of the show mainly covers the first two novels in the book series. So, I may go ahead and start watching while I’m waiting on book three from the library.

I think I liked HEARTSTOPPER: VOLUME TWO better than volume one, honestly? Volume One focused a lot more on Charlie’s crush and his getting out of an abusive relationship. Volume Two, though, focuses a lot more on Nick and his journey to settling on an identity he’s comfortable with.

I also really enjoyed watching Nick spend time with Charlie’s friends and realize some differences in the friendships Charlie has versus his own. It pretty quickly becomes clear that Charlie has a lot of people in his life he can trust. As Nick begins to build his own network of people he trusts, it was so easy to feel that weight of isolation lifting off of him. I loved that.

I could definitely see fans of SIMON VERSUS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA loving this series. It’s adorably sweet. I’m glad I read it.

Content Notes

Content warning for homophobic slur and bullying.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Charlie is gay. Nick is in the process of figuring out his identity. Charlie has a trans friend. Nick has a lesbian friend.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used sometimes.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One boy uses a homophobic slur and some fetishizing comments. Another boy punches him, starting a brief fight.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: We Made It All Up by Margot Harrison

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

We Made It All Up
Margot Harrison
Little, Brown Books
Published July 12, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About We Made It All Up

Celeste is the talk of the town when she moves to Montana from Montreal, but the only friend she makes is Vivvy, the heir to the town’s name and a social pariah. Inspired by a passion-fueled school incident, they begin writing a love-story fan fic between the popular guy and the school stoner, one that gradually reveals Celeste’s past. While their bond makes Celeste feel safe and alive again, Vivvy keeps prodding Celeste to turn fantasy into reality. When they finally try, one drunken night on a dark mountainside, Celeste is the one who ends up kissing golden boy Joss. And Joss ends up dead.

Celeste doesn’t remember the end of that night and can’t be sure she didn’t deliver the killing blow. Could she still be that scared of getting close to a boy? Secrets are hard to keep in a small town, and even Vivvy seems to suspect her. Exploring the winding passages of the cave where Joss died, Celeste learns he had his own dark secrets, as does Vivvy. The town isn’t as innocent as it appears.

My Review

The opening pages of WE MADE IT ALL UP hooked me in immediately. Right away, I loved Vivvy and all of her glorious strangeness. It took me longer to figure out Celeste, I think because she felt very much like a person caught in their fight or flight instinct. Once I understood what was going on and why she acted that way, I found it much easier to connect with her.

In the book, Celeste and Vivvy write a love story about two boys in their town who appear to hate each other. I don’t know how I felt about that story. Like, was I supposed to judge the writing? Because it felt like something two high school kids could have written, which seems appropriate, since that is what it is? But also, it felt like… fetishizing? I’m not the right person to make that judgment call, I think. But it did give me some pause.

Beyond that, I think the focus on some of the heavier sexual content could be challenging for some readers. The story definitely gets dark in some parts.

I liked that the story has so many layers, though. It also has this winding feeling to it, where things tend to loop back around and add new information that changes what you think is happening. I love that. It reminded me a bit of WE WERE LIARS in that way.

On the whole, I liked the part of the story in which Celeste dealt with what had happened to her before she moved to her dad’s. I also thought the characters were really well developed and consistent.

Content Notes

Content warning for mentions of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse, violence, smoking, drinking alcohol and mentions of drug use.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. One minor character is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

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

See violent content for sexual violence.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One of Celeste’s teachers stalked and eventually raped her. No graphic description of the rape, but her trauma is evident.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol. Mentions of smoking marijuana. One character sells marijuana, too.

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 WE MADE IT ALL UP in exchange for my honest review.

Review: No One Is Alone by Rachel Vincent

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

No One Is Alone
Rachel Vincent
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 12, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About No One Is Alone

From bestselling author Rachel Vincent comes a gripping and heartfelt story about a girl faced with a shocking revelation when her mom dies and she’s forced to move in with her father’s “real” family.

Michaela is a junior in high school, close with her single mom. Her dad lives a few towns away and pops in and out of her life only on holidays and birthdays. They barely know each other beyond surface obligations.

That is, until her mom dies. Suddenly on her own, Michaela has to move in with her Dad . . . and learns he’s been married with kids all this time, and she was the product of an affair. Before she can even grieve her mother, Michaela is thrust into a strange house with a stepmom and three half-siblings, including new sister Emery, who is in the same grade and less than thrilled at the prospect of sharing her room and school life. Will Michaela be able to let go of everything she’s ever known-and find herself anew-with a family who didn’t ask for her in the first place?

My Review

I feel like my thoughts on this one are complicated. First, it’s the second book in a row where I didn’t really connect with the main character the way I wanted to. Which is unusual for me. It makes me wonder if I’m just… grouchy or something? So factor that possibility into this review.

I thought the beginning of the book was great. It starts off when Michaela learns her mom died, and right away, her grief throws her into a tailspin. She feels so many things. So many things change faster than she can catch her breath. It drew me in, hooked me into the story.

I loved Gabe and Cody, Michaela’s brothers immediately. Cody is so sweet and so smart. Gabe has this easygoing, funny exterior but it feels like there’s more happening underneath that cheery surface. I wanted to get to know them more. Another character I really liked is Grammie, Michaela’s step-grandmother, who lives with the family and is terminally ill. I liked the way the relationship between them helped Michaela find her place within the family and even process some of her grief. Cynthia, Michaela’s stepmom also won me over pretty quickly. She’s got her issues, but she’s so clearly trying to love and care for all the people around her the best she can.

I found it harder to connect with Michaela. She’s stubborn, which is okay. I think her character was paced really well and the way her stubbornness impacted her other relationships made a lot of sense. She also grew a lot as a result of that stubbornness. And sometimes it led her to say things that needed to be said even though they were hard things to say.

You know that feeling when you’re in the car with someone and they take too long to start braking the car, so you feel your foot trying to stomp an imaginary brake pedal? I think had the reading experience of that feeling in this book. Which I think is maybe evidence that the author did a really good job with making Michaela a flawed, consistent character. And she does grow a lot.

Aside from all of that, let me say that Michaela joins a theater production of Into the Woods, so a lot of the story centers around that and around her performing with her brother’s garage band. I loved both those elements, but the cover copy mentions neither of them. But they’re both worth knowing about.

All in all, I feel like what I’m trying to say is that I think NO ON IS ALONE is a really well-written book. I just didn’t connect with it the way I’d hoped to. I think fans of WHERE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller will like this one.

Content Notes

Content warning for death of a parent, drug abuse and overdose, teen drinking.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Reference to sex. Michaela walks in on a couple who are making out and only half-dressed. She immediately walks back out.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
References to smoking pot. A boy takes hydrocodone without a prescription. Teens drink alcohol in several scenes. Michaela drinks in at least one scene.

A girl discovers a boy unconscious and unresponsive after he accidentally overdosed on drugs.

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 NO ONE IS ALONE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Charmed List by Julie Abe

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

The Charmed List
Julie Abe
Wednesday Books
Published July 5, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Charmed List

After spending most of high school as the quiet girl, Ellie Kobata is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List—thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to riding rollercoasters, making her art Instagram public (maybe), and going on an epic road-trip with her best friend Lia.

But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of a road trip with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.

In THE CHARMED LIST, Julie Abe sweeps readers away to a secret magical world, complete with cupcakes and tea with added sparks of joy, and an enchanted cottage where you can dance under the stars.

My Review

So… somehow I missed that this book had magic in it? I went back and read the cover copy, and it does talk about there being charms and a “secret magical world”, but I guess I assumed that was metaphorical? Whoops on my part.

It isn’t a bad thing for THE CHARMED LIST to have magic. I just wasn’t expecting that when I started reading, so I felt thrown for a chapter or two. Once I understood the magic system and how it worked, I connected with the story more.

I enjoyed the fact that their families have sort of rival businesses or roles in the community. And the setup of Ellie and Jack being forced to go on the road trip together was great. I loved that.

One of the things that kind of bugged me was the history between Ellie and Jack and even her feelings about him. It felt like she made some pretty harsh judgments about him at a time when he was deeply grieving. I kind of wished they talked more specifically about that and that Ellie had more opportunity to own that perhaps she made some mistakes, too. There’s a little bit of that.

The whole premise is that she and Jack had a big falling out that she’s still nursing hurt feelings over, and I could understand her feeling hurt over what happened. What was hard to understand was that she never considered that he’d just lost his mom, whom they were both close to. I guess I felt like Ellie sometimes came across as shallow and selfish.

That aside, I enjoyed the story’s awkward flirty moments, secret magical towns, and lots of the side characters in the book. Ellie’s sister and Jack’s brother are probably my favorites, but I really liked Ellie’s best friend, too.

All in all, this was a fun summertime read with a little magic sprinkled in. I think readers who enjoy books by Sandhya Menon will enjoy THE CHARMED LIST.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are Japanese American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to make charms from recipes. They imbue things like luck to the user. Many people are unaware of the existence of the magic or places that sell magical items. Their existence is a closely guarded secret.

Violent Content
None.

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 CHARMED LIST in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Set Me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, , , , , , ,

Set Me Free
Ann Clare LeZotte
Scholastic Press
Published September 21, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Set Me Free

Three years after being kidnapped and rendered a “live specimen” in a cruel experiment to determine the cause of her deafness, fourteen year old Mary Lambert is summoned from her home in Martha’s Vineyard to the mainland to teach a younger deaf girl to communicate with sign language. She can’t help but wonder, Can a child of eight with no prior language be taught?

Still, weary of domestic life and struggling to write as she used to, Mary pours all her passion into the pursuit of freeing this child from the prison of her isolation. But when she arrives at the manor, Mary discovers that there is much more to the girl’s story — and the circumstances of her confinement — than she ever could have imagined. Freeing her suddenly takes on a much greater meaning — and risk.

My Review

Wow. I just finished reading this book, and I feel like so much of it is still running through my head. First off, I have to note that the historical setting was totally immersive. The writing style, the descriptions, the word choice, all of that felt like it belonged in the time period in which the story is set, in the very early 1800s. I felt like I could perfectly picture the island community where Mary lives.

The story has a strong sense of mystery and adventure to it. Mary, still fresh from her own trauma, journeys to a far away estate to care for a young girl. She doesn’t know much about the girl’s condition or her past, and still less about the house and staff who live there. She meets staff members with secrets and prejudices. As she begins to understand what the real situation is, Mary only becomes more desperate to help the young girl achieve her freedom and independence.

The story world captivated me, and so did Mary and the girl she at first calls Ladybird. The relationship between those two girls felt real and powerful. They are student and teacher, but so much more than that, too. I feel like this story really honors the reflective experience that happens when someone sets out to teach or give something and in return receives and learns so much more than they expected.

Another favorite thing about this book for me is the section at the back that offers historical details and context for elements from the story as well as things which inspired the book. I loved getting to know those extra bits of history and seeing how they fit into the way the story was constructed or influenced the book.

Conclusion

Readers who enjoy historical fiction will love this book. It reminded me of books like THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE by Avi. I haven’t read SHOW ME A SIGN, also by Clare LeZotte, which tells the story of Mary’s kidnapping and escape from a scientist who uses her as a “live specimen” in his experiments, but it’s now really high on my reading list!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Mary is Deaf and lives on Martha’s Vineyard, a community in which one in four people are Deaf. Several other characters are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Minor characters are Native American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Mary is a Christian and prays and quotes the Bible in several places.

Violent Content
A girl wears a chain on her ankle, tying her to the floor. Mary notices bruises and scars and guesses at the brutal treatment of a young girl. Someone attacks Mary, trying to choke her.

Several characters make racist comments against Black or Native American characters and/or show prejudice against Deaf characters. Mary is quick to condemn those behaviors and to chastise herself when she doesn’t speak up.

Drug Content
A young girl is sedated against her will or without her knowledge. Mary speaks against this forcefully.

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 SET ME FREE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Restore My Soul by Laura L. Smith

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Restore My Soul: the Power and Purpose of 30 Psalms
Laura L. Smith
Our Daily Bread Publishing
Published July 5, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Restore My Soul

The book of Psalms is full of wonderful passages that illuminate the intimate connection we get to have with our Father. Despite the chaos of our busy lives, the Father is frequently whispering to our souls to spend time with Him. Dive into the power of the Psalms and be inspired to praise God as you read RESTORE MY SOUL: THE POWER AND PROMISE OF 30 PSALMS.

In each chapter, a Psalm is accompanied by personal stories that help to illustrate and explore the verses and what they mean in our day to day lives. Practical instruction, insightful questions and journal prompts accompany each chapter.

My Review

If you’ve followed my blog for a long time, Laura L. Smith‘s name probably looks familiar to you. I’ve reviewed some of her teen novels. Last year I also reviewed her book HOW SWEET THE SOUND, a book which focuses on thirty hymns and God’s promises and comfort in them. This book might be considered something of a companion to that one. I loved HOW SWEET THE SOUND, and I definitely felt like I connected with a lot of the ideas in the book. So when I had the opportunity to read and review this book, I jumped at it.

I feel like one of the amazing strengths in this book is that it both lifts up spiritual ideas and gets pretty real about how hard life is and how heartbreaking it can be. I found myself nodding along with lots of the examples and questions the author asks or relates that she asked herself as she reads these Psalms, watches the news, or faces tough moments in her day.

Which, honestly, is why I love her books. They’ve all been like that for me!

Each of these thirty chapters contains some pretty real examples of hardship. But each one also encourages and reminds us of the truths in Christian faith. The chapters end with a brief section titled “Restore” which asks a couple questions or provides a journal prompt so readers can further soak in the ideas from the chapter.

I love how community-aware the book is, too. The author talks about her strategy for consuming the news– balancing the importance of staying informed with our mental health and stress relief needs. I loved that bit of practical, step-by-step advice. I also love that she lives a life connected to her community, which is something I’m not great at, but want to do better.

Just like her book on powerful hymns, RESTORE MY SOUL found me at the perfect moment. I’m super glad I read it, and I already want to give copies to a couple people in my life who I think would love this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The author shares stories about her Christian faith and (white middle-class) family.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to the author’s marriage.

Spiritual Content
The book focuses on thirty Psalms from the Bible, what key verses mean, and how to apply them to life in a way that deepens faith, hope, and peace.

Violent Content
Reference to a car accident, possible home intruder, and attendance at a social justice protest.

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 RESTORE MY SOUL in exchange for my honest review.