Review: Arden Grey by Ray Stoeve

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Arden Grey by Ray Stoeve

Arden Grey
Ray Stoeve
Amulet Books
Published April 26, 2022

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About Arden Grey

Sixteen-year-old Arden Grey is struggling. Her mother has left their family, her father and her younger brother won’t talk about it, and a classmate, Tanner, keeps harassing her about her sexuality—which isn’t even public. (She knows she likes girls romantically, but she thinks she might be asexual.) At least she’s got her love of film photography and her best and only friend, Jamie, to help her cope.

Then Jamie, who is trans, starts dating Caroline, and suddenly he isn’t so reliable. Arden’s insecurity about their friendship grows. She starts to wonder if she’s jealous or if Jamie’s relationship with Caroline is somehow unhealthy—and it makes her reconsider how much of her relationship with her absent mom wasn’t okay, too.

My Review

This was kind of a last-minute pick for me, but ARDEN GREY seemed like a book that I didn’t want to miss. I’ve read a few other books with photographer narrators– TELL ME EVERYTHING by Sarah Enni and BREATHING UNDERWATER by Sarah Allen are the two I remember off the top of my head– and I’ve enjoyed all of them. And complex family relationships are another pretty sure-fire win for me in a book.

I guess all that to say that I had pretty high expectations when I went into Arden Grey, and the author absolutely delivered on them. Arden’s shyness and small social circle, her struggle to connect with others, definitely resonated with me. I felt like she was on a clear emotional journey, and I wanted to be there for every minute of it.

As she finds new friends and the confidence to share her photography with others, she’s also grieving a lot of changes in her family and personal life. Her relationship with Jamie really struck me. Knowing someone you love is in a bad situation, but won’t leave it is truly heartbreaking, and the pages of ARDEN GREY really capture both the grief over the loss of friendship, the fears and worries that something is deeply wrong, and the helplessness that comes from being a bystander that’s shut out for trying to speak the truth.

Arden also faces huge changes in her family. Her parents have separated, and her brother isn’t doing well. She can’t figure out how to reconnect with him or her dad. Then Arden’s brother opens up to her, breaking open a family secret and asking Arden to accept it. Arden reels. She struggles. She grieves even more. But she also learns. Listens. Tries new things. Tries to find ways to heal. She’s a hero. I love her.

Most of the abusive relationships or situations happen off-scene or are briefly recounted in memory. I think this helps keep the story from centering on an abuser. It also means we must trust Arden, her brother, and Jamie for their descriptions of what happened and how it made them feel. This resonated with me, too, because that’s very often the position friends or family members are in, where we’re trying to understand what happened and what it means.

On the whole, yeah, I loved this book for its deep, wrenching emotional journey through difficult relationships and facing abuse. The author shares some great resources in a note at the back of the book, which I will post here, too.

Power and Control Wheel

I’d never heard of this, but when Arden’s brother brings it up as something he learned about in health class, I searched online to see if it was a real thing– and it is! I wish I’d known about this a lot sooner than now, but I will definitely be sharing it with others. Basically, it’s a graphic that describes different behaviors and how they fit into a cycle of abuse.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

What is a Healthy Relationship? – from the Domestic Violence Hotline website

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Arden is asexual and a lesbian. Jamie is a trans boy. Vanessa, a minor character, is Latina. Marc, another minor character, is also asexual and Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. Reference to sex between Jamie and his girlfriend. Arden holds hands with someone.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content – Content warning for abuse and mentions of self-harm.
Arden hears her mother slap her brother.

Arden begins to recognize signs of abuse in her relationship with her (now absent) mom and in Jamie’s relationship with his girlfriend. Most of the abusive behavior happens off-scene and is either summarized or reported on later. One person uses self-harm and threats of self-harm to try to control another’s behavior.

Drug Content
Arden’s younger brother comes home late and drunk several times. Arden drinks a beer with her friends at a party.

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

Review: My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

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

My Contrary Mary (Mary #1)
Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
HarperTeen
Published June 22, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About My Contrary Mary

Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?⠀
⠀
Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she’s a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It’s a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.⠀
⠀
Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But after the king meets a suspicious end, things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis are forced to navigate a viper’s nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary’s secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.

My Review

For a book that’s nearly 500 pages, MY CONTRARY MARY was a really quick read. The writing is really easy, and the paragraphs are pretty short, which is awesome. That made it even easier for me to get lost in the story.

This is a silly, fun reimagining of the history of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary lives in France, where she’s waiting to marry Francis, who will one day be king of France. He loves her, but he’s uncertain whether she has feelings for him that extend beyond friendship. As Mary nears her wedding day, a new lady-in-waiting joins her: Ari, the daughter of Nostradamus, a girl who is searching for her own place in the French court.

All three of those characters have chapters from their points of view. I liked that the story rotated between the three of them. There were moments for each of them where we really needed only the perspective that character could bring.

I liked the tongue-in-cheek, break the fourth wall style the authors use to tell the story. There are lots of asides where the narrators speak directly to the reader in little jokes or funny comments. I thought that was clever, and I enjoyed it. I feel like that’s always a gamble with readers, though– some people really like it and others do not.

Conclusion

On the whole, I enjoyed this book for its silliness and the sweet romance as well as the opportunity to imagine a happily ever after for a historical figure who didn’t get one. (This isn’t a spoiler, since the authors explain this out at the beginning of the book.)

I have only read MY LADY JANE from the other series by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, but I enjoyed that book as well. It made me want to go back and finish that series. I think the second Mary book, MY IMAGINARY MARY, comes out in August.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white, either Scottish or French. Ari is in love with another girl.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity in English. Strong profanity in French. Used pretty infrequently.

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

Spiritual Content
Nostradamus and Ari have visions. Ari’s are all visions of scenes from famous movies. Nostradamus has some visions of the future.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to torture. Brief battle scene.

Drug Content
Francis’ father gets drunk in some scenes. Mary and Francis once played a game where they took a drink every time the king said a certain word. They were pretty tipsy themselves by the end of it.

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 MY CONTRARY MARY in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Pirate Queens by Leigh Lewis

Biography, Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , ,

Pirate Queens
Leigh Lewis
Illustrated by
National Geographic Kids
Published January 11, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Pirate Queens

This wow-worthy book proves that women have been making their mark in all aspects of history―even the high seas!

Meet Ching Shih, a Chinese pirate who presided over a fleet of 80,000 men (by contrast, Blackbeard had some 300). Get the scoop on Anne Bonny who famously ran away from an arranged marriage to don trousers and brandish a pistol in the Bahamas. And there are more!

Each pirate profile includes a dramatic original poem presented against a backdrop of gorgeous full-color art by award-winning illustrator Sara Gómez Woolley. Each profile is followed by fascinating information about the real life and times of these daring (and dangerous!) women.

Vetted by the world’s leading pirate experts and historians, this book is a cool and edgy gift. It’s also perfect for any curious kid who dreams of adventure and for parents who are eager to show their tweens and teens that history is more diverse, daring, and surprising than what is typically found in textbooks.

My Review

What a cool idea for a book! I had no idea there were female pirate captains, much less that there were so many or that one commanded 80,000 pirates. Wowza.

I like that the author included a note at the beginning of the book talking about why she wrote the book. Basically, her daughters were playing a game and she discovered that they were all thinking of pirates as only men. She wondered if there were female pirates, and from there, the book was born. I also like that she clarifies that this book isn’t to glorify the piracy or romanticize what is a violent life. It’s about bringing to light stories of powerful women who history may have otherwise forgotten.

The book is divided up into six biographies: Artemisia of Caria, Sela, Sayyida al Hurra, Grace O’Malley, Anne Bonny, and Ching Shih. Each biography features a poem telling the story of a critical moment in the pirate captain’s life followed by historical information. I learned a lot of things, and I’m really excited to have read this book.

I think PIRATE QUEENS would make a great addition to a library or classroom, and it’s a great nonfiction book for readers who love seafaring adventures.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Details the lives of six pirate queens. One is Chinese. One is Muslim and Moroccan.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to marriages.

Spiritual Content
Sayyida al Hurra was a Muslim who grew up in Spain when its rulers forced Muslims out of their homes. As a pirate, she specifically sought out Christian vessels as revenge for how she and her people were treated.

Violent Content
References to battles and stealing/looting. References to execution.

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 PIRATE QUEENS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Know Your Rights (And Claim Them) by Amnesty International, Angelina Jolie, with Geraldine Van Beuren

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

Know Your Rights (And Claim Them)
Amnesty International, Angeline Jolie, with Geraldine Van Beuren
Andersen Press
Published September 2, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Know Your Rights (And Claim Them)

Jointly written by Angelina Jolie and Amnesty International with Geraldine Van Bueren QC.

If you are aged under 18 you have your own set of human rights. Child rights are unique freedoms and protections designed for you. Governments should uphold them but all across the world they are violated. Know Your Rights (And Claim Them) gives you the knowledge and tools to claim your rights. It introduces them and explains why they matter in the real world. From gender and racial equality, to the rights to free expression, health, a clean climate and a sustainable environment, they are yours to claim.

Know Your Rights (And Claim Them) celebrates the difference young activists have made in every corner of the world, and shows you how to challenge injustice wherever you may find it. It presents expert advice on peaceful protest, raising awareness at school and in your community, starting your own campaign and getting those in power to listen, plus vital guidance on protecting your safety, digital security and mental health.

These are your rights. It is your right to know and claim them.

My Review

Probably the most important thing to note here that isn’t specified in the cover copy is that this book explains children’s rights as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). While the US has signed agreement to the convention, it has never been ratified, which means it’s not actually the law in the United States. Some of the rights outlined in the book are covered by other laws, and some protections vary based on the state in which you live.

Basically, all that is to say that the book explores the rights outlined in the UN CRC, not the rights guaranteed to a child under US law, which I didn’t realize until reading the book.

I thought it was interesting to look at what 196 nations have agreed are the legal rights all children should have. Most were pretty basic things, like the right to live in a safe place or the right to an education. Some rights protect marginalized groups, like the right to speak a native language and practice your religion (with parental guidance).

There wasn’t anything in the book that made me think, well, that’s why the convention wasn’t ratified in the US. I didn’t see anything that I found to be at odds with US values, so that was interesting.

The book has a long section about what to do if you feel that your rights are being infringed upon or if you experience injustice and want your political leaders to address it. I liked the way that section broke down what to do and how to evaluate what kinds of actions you could or should take.

Conclusion

I’ve read books aimed at this age group that were more engaging in their tone and through the inclusion of graphics and other interactive materials. I think this book gives a good overview of what rights children have under the UN CRC. It also offers a great step-by-step tool to help kids challenge groups that infringe on their rights.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The text includes brief biographies of child activists from across the world.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to groups persecuted for their faith.

Violent Content
References to countries which imprison people or execute them for protesting or speaking out against the government.

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 KNOW YOUR RIGHTS (AND CLAIM THEM) in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Gone Dark by Amanda Panitch

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Gone Dark
Amanda Panitch
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published April 12, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Gone Dark

When seventeen-year-old Zara escaped her father’s backwoods survivalist compound five years ago, she traded crossbows and skinning hides for electricity and video games…and tried to forget the tragedy that drove her away.

Until a malware attack on the United States electrical grids cuts off the entire country’s power.

In the wake of the disaster and the chaos that ensues, Zara is forced to call upon skills she thought she’d never use again—and her best bet to survive is to go back to the home she left behind. Drawing upon a resilience she didn’t know she had, Zara leads a growing group of friends on an epic journey across a crumbling country back to her father’s compound, where their only hope for salvation lies.

But with every step she takes, Zara wonders if she truly has what it takes to face her father and the secrets of her past, or if she’d be better off hiding in the dark.

DRY meets HATCHET in this thrilling tale of survival following a teen girl who must lead her friends across country to the safety of her estranged father’s survivalist compound after a mass power failure leaves the country in chaos.

My Review

One of the fascinating things about this book is Zara’s conflicted feelings about her dad. She and her mom escaped from his compound, and there’s obviously lots of trauma back there she’s not ready to unpack at the beginning of the book. Yet when the power grids go down, she decides his property is the safest place for her and her friends. I found that idea to be kind of hard to digest sometimes.

It made sense that she had conflicted feelings– he’s still her dad, and she was a child when she lived with him, so a lot of her memories about him are a little mixed up. Maybe what was hard to digest was the idea that Zara would be safe at her dad’s. So while she’s locked in on returning to him as a goal, I felt like that was definitely not going to go the way she hoped.

I don’t want to give anything away. I guess I can say that for the most part, I was satisfied about the way things went down. Not everything went the way I expected, which was okay. But it made sense, and felt like the story resolved for the most part.

I liked Zara’s character and her relationship with Gabe and the rest of her team. I loved the way each teammate brought something different to the group, and the way they learned to depend on one another. Another thing that I liked a lot was the mix of people they met along the way. Certainly there were people for whom the catastrophe brought out the worst in them. But there were a lot of people who were trying to be good people and trying to do good things in spite of a horrific situation.

All in all, I enjoyed GONE DARK. I loved that it’s from a girl’s perspective. It reminded me a little bit of ALONE by Megan E. Freeman.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Zara’s best friend and her brother are Latinx. One minor character is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Description of a kiss between two boys.

Spiritual Content
Zara and Gabe stay on an LDS compound for a while.

Violent Content
Several scenes include brief graphic violence showing someone murdering someone else. At one point, a man drugs several others, intending to have them killed later.

Drug Content
Zara and her friends find a bottle of vodka and drink it together.

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 GONE DARK in exchange for my honest review.

10 Great Books on the Environment and Climate Change for Young Readers

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10 Great Books on the Environment and Climate Change for Young Readers

It’s Earth Day on April 22, so to celebrate, I wanted to share some of my favorite books on the environment and climate change for young readers. These books cover topics from the water crisis in Flint, Michigan to the falling populations of giraffes or butterflies. Some explore the damage to the environment (and to us!) caused by pollution. Others tell stories about activists who’ve dedicated their time and energy to problem-solving and speaking out to protect the planet.

Trashing the Planet by Stuart K. Allen

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: What happens if trash isn’t properly handled? How are we going to fix environmental crises caused by trash? This book started my interest in environmental reading, and I still sometimes refer back to it for information. A fabulous read.

Ages: 10 up | Published August 1, 2017 | My Review

Giraffe Extinction by Tanya Anderson

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Great balance of interesting facts, history and context for why giraffes are threatened and what happens to their environment if they become extinct. I learned so much from this book.

Ages: 12 up | Published October 1, 2019 | My Review

Making Waves: Saving Our Oceans by Albert Bates

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Focuses on how pollution harms marine life and ecosystems. Beautiful illustrations. Great for middle school readers.

Ages: 10-14 | Published August 5, 2021 | My Review

When the World Runs Dry by Nancy F. Castaldo

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Explores LOTS of causes of water crises from environmental to border issues to contamination. Each chapter features case studies exploring real communities facing these problems. Really well done.

Ages: 10 up | Published January 18, 2022 | My Review

Poisoned Water by Candy J. Cooper with Mark Aronson

Review | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: An informative, heartbreaking look at what citizens in Michigan endured (and are still enduring) in their fight for clean water. A must-read book.

Ages: 14 up | Published May 19, 2020 | My Review

The Story of More by Hope Jahren

Review | Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Gives a great overview of how we got to where we are with climate change from changes in human population, farming and other industries, etc. Looks at how individual changes can impact communities.

Ages: 14 up | Published November 2, 2021 | My Review

Bugs in Danger by Mark Kurlansky

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Great starting point for understanding how important bees, butterflies and beetles are to our environment. Easy to read. Informative and engaging.

Ages: 10 up | Published November 12, 2019 | My Review

The Environment: Explore, Create and Investigate by Jonathon Litton

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: I really liked the broad reach of the information it offers and pairs with experiments and activities. Perfect for use with a science unit or to inspire summer crafts.

Ages: 6-12 | Published September 22, 2020 | My Review

The Magic and Mystery of Trees by Jen Green and Claire McElfatrick

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Packed with fascinating information and gorgeous diagrams explaining processes from growth to reproduction to communication and protection. I bought the ebook version of this book on sale and ended up ordering a hard copy as well.

Ages: 8 up | Published March 5, 2019 | My Review

Girl Warriors by Rachel Sarah

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: 25 profiles of young climate activists under 25 years old, how they got started making changes and how their work impacts communities across the globe. I found these stories incredibly inspiring and hopeful.

Ages: 8 up | Published April 6, 2021 | My Review

What are your favorite books on the environment or climate change?

What are some of your favorite books on the environment and climate change for young readers? Let me know if you’ve read any of these books or have other favorites I should check out! I’d love to expand my library and add more books for review. Happy Earth Day!