Review: Boys I Know by Anna Gracia

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Boys I Know by Anna Gracia

Boys I Know
Anna Gracia
Peachtree Teen
Published July 5, 20222

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About Boys I Know

*A high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of Asian American identity and teen sexuality.*

June Chu is the “just good enough” girl. Good enough to line the shelves with a slew of third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet literally any of her Taiwanese mother’s unrelenting expectations or to get Rhys to commit to anything beyond a well-timed joke.

While June’s mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister’s footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship to Northwestern (to study pre-med), June doesn’t see the point in trying too hard if she’s destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys “official.” But after her methodically-planned, tipsily-executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who’s not allergic to the word “girlfriend.”

But as the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she’s going to live her life—even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.

My Review

I had so much fun reading this book. It’s like all the best things and also most cringe-worthy things about high school romance told in a heartbreaking but also often wry and comical way. The relationships totally hooked me, especially June’s relationship with her mom, with Candace, and with Rhys.

I love that June grows so much and the ways that growth impacts her other relationships. I loved the humor woven all through the book. It’s in the antics between June and her friends. The banter between her and her sister. Even the tense exchanges between June and her mom have wit and fun mixed in.

June’s mom is constantly quoting Chinese proverbs to her to remind her about different things or reinforce her rules and ideas. At one point, June learns that one of the proverbs her mom quotes all the time has a second half she wasn’t familiar with. The meaning of that second half completely changes her understanding of the part her mom always quotes. It also starts June thinking about her relationship with her parents in a different way. I loved the way the proverbs were used, but I especially loved that moment where learning the second half of the proverb changes June’s perception. I thought that was a really cool moment and probably one of my favorite scenes. (My other favorite scene is the last one with Rhys, which kind of brought the whole story together. I loved it.)

All in all, I loved the relationships in this book and the growth that June experiences. I think fans of YOU’VE REACHED SAM by Dustin Thao will like this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
June is Taiwanese American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Reference to touching over clothes. A girl plans to engage in oral sex with her boyfriend. Some references to sex and oral sex. One scene shows sex.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
June and her friends sometimes smoke pot and drink alcohol.

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 BOYS I KNOW in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman

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

Heartstopper: Volume One
Alice Oseman
Graphix
Published May 5, 2020 (Originally published in 2018)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Heartstopper: Volume One

Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn’t think he has a chance.

But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.

My Review

I haven’t watched Heartstopper on Netflix yet (here’s the trailer), because I wanted to read it first, so I borrowed this volume from the library. (It’s backordered so many places right now.)

I really liked how sweet Charlie is and his wild, goofy hair. The friendship that develops between him and Nick feels genuine and beautiful. I loved the way the panels show such a broad range of emotions, from embarrassment to confusion to hurt to attraction… there’s a lot of storytelling that happens strictly in their faces. I loved that.

Because it’s a graphic novel, HEARTSTOPPER: VOLUME ONE is a pretty quick read. I think it took me about an hour? Maybe less? I probably would have jumped immediately into the second book if I’d had it at the time. As soon as it’s my turn at the library, I’ll catch up on the next volume.

If you have already read and loved HEARTSTOPPER, you might like ESTRANGED by Nathan Aldridge. It’s fantasy, so obviously different, but has a sweet, slowly unfolding romance and is a graphic novel.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Charlie is gay. There are other characters who are queer but don’t specifically label themselves. Charlie’s friend is Asian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content – content warning for assault
Kissing between two boys. In one scene, a boy kisses Charlie without his consent, while Charlie yells for him to stop.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content – content warning for assault
In one scene, a boy kisses Charlie without his consent, while Charlie yells for him to stop. In one scene, a boy grabs another boy and shoves him, threatening to beat him up.

Drug Content
None.

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Top Ten Tuesday: 2022 Summer Reading List

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Top Ten Tuesday: 2022 Summer Reading List

School has been out where I live for almost a month, so we’re nearly halfway through with summer here. A few weeks ago, I posted this list of 25 new summer releases that I can’t wait to read. Lately, though, I’ve been finding myself reaching for some of backlist titles. Since most of my lists feature upcoming books, I don’t get a lot of chances to talk about backlist titles that I’m reading or longing to. So, today I’m giving those books the spotlight. Here are my top ten backlist titles at the top of my 2022 summer reading list.

Note: Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions my own.

Top Ten Books I’m Reading This Summer

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: This is one of those books I can’t believe I haven’t read. A young girl under a terrible curse. An oddball sorcerer with secrets. A magical castle. Sounds like loads of fun!

Release Date: April 1986

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Wallflower has been a pretty constantly challenged book in high school libraries but also hailed as something of a cult classic. I already had it on my TBR list and lately a friend recommended it. I’m expecting a wild, angsty story, and I’m ready for it.

Release Date: February 1, 1999

Ironhand (Stoneheart #2) by Charlie Fletcher

Amazon | Goodreads

What you need to know: I really liked STONEHEART, the first book in this series. For a while now I’ve been wanting to finish out the trilogy. I love the story– a London full of living statues, a quest to save the world from evil. A boy and girl trying to understand the magic inside them. Good stuff.

Release Date: October 1, 2007

The Heartstopper Series by Alice Oseman

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: HEARTSTOPPER is a series of graphic novels that follows Charlie and Nick through falling in love and some trials and challenges to their relationship. I haven’t watched the series on Netflix yet, because I wanted to read the books first, but once I catch up, I can’t wait to check it out. The final installment in the series is due out next year, so my goal is to read books 1-4.

Release Date: 2018-2023

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

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What you need to know: From Goodreads: “Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing New York Times-bestselling novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.” I loved WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH, so I can’t wait to read this one.

Release Date: March 6, 2018

City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake #1) by Victoria Schwab

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Ever since her near death experience, Cassidy has been able to see ghosts. In fact, her best friend is one. I think this one has been on my reading list for so long that I thought it was a standalone because only one book was out when I put it on my TBR list. I want to read the whole series, but I’ll start with this one.

Release Date: August 28, 2018

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A novel in verse about a boy exploring his identity as a mixed-race gay teen and drag artist. I’ve heard so many incredible things about this book.

Release Date: August 8, 2019

Of Curses and Kisses (St. Rosetta’s Academy #1) by Sandhya Menon

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in a remote Colorado boarding school. I can’t remember who, but one of the bloggers I follow listed this as her favorite romance novel, so I’m definitely interested in reading it!

Release Date: February 18, 2020

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl investigates her cousin’s murder, relying on her magic, wits, and ferocity to unmask the town’s secrets. This is another book that I’ve heard incredible things about. I definitely need to read it ASAP.

Release Date: August 25, 2020

We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The breathtaking conclusion to the Sands of Arawiya Duology. I loved the first book in this series, and I’ve been desperate to know what happens to Nasir, Zafira, and Altair.

Release Date: January 19, 2021

What are you reading this summer?

Are there any books you hope to read this summer? Have you read any of the books on my 2022 summer reading list? Let me know! I’d love to know what you think and what you’ll be reading this season.

Review: Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

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Bad Things Happen Here
Rebecca Barrow
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published June 28, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Bad Things Happen Here

I KILLED ZOE SPANOS meets THE CHEERLEADERS in this haunting mystery about an island town with a history of unsolved deaths—and a girl desperate to uncover the mystery behind it all.

Luca Laine Thomas lives on a cursed island. To the outside world, Parris is an exclusive, idyllic escape accessible only to the one percent. There’s nothing idyllic about its history, though, scattered with the unsolved deaths of young women—deaths Parris society happily ignores to maintain its polished veneer. But Luca can’t ignore them. Not when the curse that took them killed her best friend, Polly, three years ago. Not when she feels the curse lingering nearby, ready to take her next.

When Luca comes home to police cars outside her house, she knows the curse has visited once again. Except this time, it came for Whitney, her sister. Luca decides to take the investigation of Whitney’s death into her own hands. But as a shocking betrayal rocks Luca’s world, the identity Whitney’s killer isn’t the only truth Luca seeks. And by the time she finds what she’s looking for, Luca will come face to face with the curse she’s been running from her whole life.

My Review

I own a couple other books by Rebecca Barrow, but BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE is the first one I’ve ever read. Right away, I felt hooked into the story. The relationship between Luca and Whitney is so real. I loved the small town, closed circle feel of the group of friends they shared.

As Luca learns that everyone has been keeping secrets, my interest in the story only deepened. I kept coming up with my own theories of what happened and then hanging on as the story pivoted new directions. I couldn’t stop reading. Things happened so fast that I kept wanting to read one more chapter all the way until the very end.

I have thoughts about the end, but I don’t want to give anything away. I think I can safely say that the way it ended felt both true to the character and also not what I expected. It both closed the story and yet left me yearning for more in a good way.

I think it’s hard to tell a story from the perspective of a narrator like Luca, someone who’s grappling with so much grief and betrayal and trauma and not only keep them an engaging narrator but walk the balance between them doing things that feel totally in character but also give the reader the experience we need from a story– to feel like there’s some growth and conclusion. Rebecca Barrow does both and does it all beautifully. I loved this book and can’t wait to read other books she’s written.

I think readers who enjoyed WHITE RABBIT by Caleb Roehrig or LITTLE & LION by Brandy Colbert will want to read this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Luca is Black and Latinx. She’s also a lesbian and deals with some mental health issues.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. One scene briefly shows masturbation.

Spiritual Content
Luca believes there’s a curse on her island that’s causing girls to die.

Violent Content
References to sexual assault and murder. One murder happens on scene. Luca briefly describes seeing the bodies of two people after they were found murdered.

Drug Content
Luca drinks alcohol with her friends. References to smoking pot. Some characters have a history of using hard 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 BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

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Openly Straight
Bill Konigsberg
Arthur A. Levine Books
Published May 28, 2013

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Openly Straight

Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He’s won skiing prizes. He likes to write.

And, oh yeah, he’s gay. He’s been out since 8th grade, and he isn’t teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that’s important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.

So when he transfers to an all-boys’ boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret — not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate break down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn’t even know that love is possible.

This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate feeling different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.

My Review

This book has been on my reading list for a LONG time, but once I realized it’s by the same author as THE MUSIC OF WHAT HAPPENS, I really wanted to read it.

OPENLY STRAIGHT explores elements of identity not often explored in the YA I’ve read. It’s not just about coming out or how we sometimes distill a person’s identity down to one thing. The idea that sometimes parts of us that feel incongruent with other parts of ourselves resonated with me. Like we can’t be both those things in the same room with people in the same way at the same time.

For Rafe, mainly this had to do with how he felt other guys perceived him as an out gay kid. When he had an opportunity to connect with other boys without them knowing he was gay, he had a different experience, one that had value in a different way. I liked that as he explored that, he realized while there was a barrier between him and other guys if they knew he was gay, not telling them also created a barrier, too. Anyway, there were a lot of great ideas in and around that conflict that were definitely worth reading.

I also, of course, loved Rafe and Ben. I loved the way their friendship developed, and the fact that they had this beautiful emotional closeness. Rafe’s roommate and his best friend were lots of fun, too. I really enjoyed the banter between them.

Rafe is a messy character who’s learning a lot about himself. He has some selfish attitudes and doesn’t always do right by his friends, but the way things play out shows he’s beginning to turn a corner and pursue healthier ways to relate to people. And healthier ways to think about himself.

Conclusion

All in all, I liked this book. As I put together the links for this review, I realized that OPENLY STRAIGHT has a sequel! And it’s Ben’s point-of-view! So, I will absolutely be reading that book which is called HONESTLY BEN.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Rafe is gay and Jewish. One minor character is Black. Rafe’s best friend, Claire Olivia is Latina. Other minor characters are gay or possibly bisexual.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. References to sex. References to sexual touching.

Spiritual Content
Brief references to Rafe being Jewish.

Violent Content – Content warning for homophobia.
At a PFLAG dance, Rafe sees some boys who repeatedly use a homophobic slur. He witnesses another closeted gay boy being harassed and mocked.

Drug Content
Rafe and his friends drink alcohol. Rafe mentions having been high on pot once.

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

Review: The Loophole by Naz Kutub

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The Loophole
Naz Kutub
Bloomsbury YA
Published June 21, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Loophole

Your wish is granted! This YA debut is equal parts broken-hearted love story, epic myth retelling, and a world-journey romp to find home.

Sy is a timid seventeen-year-old queer Indian-Muslim boy who placed all his bets at happiness on his boyfriend Farouk…who then left him to try and “fix the world.” Sy was too chicken to take the plunge and travel with him and is now stuck in a dead-end coffee shop job. All Sy can do is wish for another chance…. Although he never expects his wish to be granted.

When a mysterious girl slams into (and slides down, streaks of make-up in her wake) the front entrance of the coffee shop, Sy helps her up and on her way. But then the girl offers him three wishes in exchange for his help, and after proving she can grant at least one wish with a funds transfer of a million dollars into Sy’s pitifully struggling bank account, a whole new world of possibility opens up. Is she magic? Or just rich? And when his father kicks him out after he is outed, does Sy have the courage to make his way from L. A., across the Atlantic Ocean, to lands he’d never even dreamed he could ever visit? Led by his potentially otherworldly new friend, can he track down his missing Farouk for one last, desperate chance at rebuilding his life and re-finding love?

My Review

For some reason I thought this book was going to be a romcom type of story? The cover copy makes it sound like this light, fun romp around the world for love, and it is those things. But it’s also got some heavy stuff in it that I wasn’t expecting. The scene where Sy’s dad beats him with a belt. Reggie’s clear and heartbreaking alcohol addiction.

I really liked Sy. He’s messy and flailing and desperately trying to figure his life out. The one thing he knows for certain is that he loves Farouk. That love is his guiding star, and I loved that element of the story. I loved that he learns so much on his journey and finds confidence in his independence.

There are two notes the story didn’t hit that I wished it did. So, Farouk left on this glorious world-traveling trip. Sy stayed behind because he was afraid. The cover copy tells us that much. But then we learn that Sy is seventeen. And has an abusive dad. And eventually we learn the circumstances surrounding Farouk’s request for Sy to come with him, but that’s spoiler-y, so I won’t clarify that. It didn’t help how I felt.

I think I wish that Sy had paused to examine what was happening there and ask whether it was actually reasonable for Farouk to expect him to come with him. Or whether it was reasonable to lay the blame for their breakup on Sy for not going. Or whether it was more complicated than him simply being afraid.

Another thing that I wish the story addressed is Reggie’s alcohol addiction. Sy seems to think he can manage her addiction by distracting her with his friendship. I wish that there had at least been some mention of her getting professional help or recognizing that rescuing someone from addiction is not a burden that a friend can carry.

All that makes it sound like I expected every issue to be fully examined and processed by Sy before the end of the story, which I know isn’t reasonable. I guess I tend to struggle with that in the books that I read. It’s pretty realistic for some things to be left unexplored by the hero. It also leaves a lot of space for readers to examine things and draw their own conclusions.

Anyway, I still loved a lot of things about THE LOOPHOLE, especially the way Sy grows and builds his friendship with Reggie. I loved the scenes in Istanbul especially. Fans of THE MUSIC OF WHAT HAPPENS by Bill Konigsberg or ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Sáenz should check this one out.

Content Notes for The Loophole

Content warning for homophobia, Islamophobia and abuse.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Sy is Indian American, Muslim, and gay. Farouk is Pakistani American and gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. In one scene, they go skinny dipping together. Sy’s dad has a second family in India.

Spiritual Content
Sy visits a mosque and prays. His family believes being gay is a sin.

Violent Content
Sy’s dad beats him with a belt because Sy is gay. Sy reveals this isn’t the first time his father has done this. Sy learns of a terrorist attack in London. At an airport, officers detain Sy and threaten him with a strip search. Sy and Reggie hit an officer while trying to get through a police barricade.

Drug Content
Reggie drinks alcohol almost constantly. Sy drinks alcohol a couple of times.

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 LOOPHOLE in exchange for my honest review.