Tag Archives: backlist

Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Jesse Andrews
Amulet Books
Published March 1, 2012

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

The New York Times bestselling novel that inspired the hit film!

This is the funniest book you’ll ever read about death.

It is a universally acknowledged truth that high school sucks. But on the first day of his senior year, Greg Gaines thinks he’s figured it out. The answer to the basic existential How is it possible to exist in a place that sucks so bad? His strategy: remain at the periphery at all times. Keep an insanely low profile. Make mediocre films with the one person who is even sort of his friend, Earl.

This plan works for exactly eight hours. Then Greg’s mom forces him to become friends with a girl who has cancer. This brings about the destruction of Greg’s entire life.

Fiercely funny, honest, heart-breaking—this is an unforgettable novel from a bright talent, now also a film that critics are calling “a touchstone for its generation” and “an instant classic.”

My Review

The opening chapters of the book were a little hard for me to read. The main character’s harsh judgments of other students, which lean heavily on stereotypes, are kind of off-putting.

As he tells the story, his unspoken grief is palpable, which drew me into the book. It helped me see some of the hurtful comments as a defense or distraction from the hurt this kid was feeling.

At some level, it’s clear to me reading the book that the author uses at least some of those statements on purpose to help readers understand the immaturity and inexperience of the main character. He’s not a great guy; even he will tell you this. (Especially if you try to say something nice about him.) He didn’t even begin either of his friendships for benevolent reasons.

But he cares how people feel and wants desperately to connect with them. He’s the epitome of an awkward teenage boy. Reading this book instantly transported me back to some of the experiences I had with boys in high school.

The story doesn’t romanticize cancer. It doesn’t even romanticize being a teenager. It scrapes away any tendency toward glorifying a teenager’s experience and looks at a simple, reluctant friendship between awkward kids who aren’t amazing at anything.

In fact, the book doesn’t even center the story of the girl with cancer. She’s not even named in the title. While I wish that the story made more space for Rachel’s experience, the narrative does wrestle with that loss. Greg realizes at one point that he barely knows anything about Rachel and that so much of his time has been spent thinking about himself and his own feelings rather than centering hers.

The story does fall prey to using a girl’s death as a vehicle through which the main character learns. It’s true. I wonder how the story would have been different if the author reversed the roles of Earl and Rachel so that Greg and Rachel made movies together and then befriended Earl after a cancer diagnosis. We’ll never know, as that’s a completely different story.

Misogyny in Young Adult Literature

One of the things I find really hard to read is literature in which boys objectify and dehumanize girls. I grew up in a purity culture world that normalized that kind of behavior, effectively considering girls temptresses and objects of lust. So, reading about boys talking that way can get under my skin really fast.

I don’t want us to treat it as an acceptable part of the teen experience. Girls don’t deserve that.

One of the powerful moments in the story comes from a moment in which Earl, Greg’s best friend, confronts him about the way he treats Rachel and the other people around him. He tells Greg to stop obsessing over people who don’t care about him and start thinking about the people who do. It’s a hard-hitting scene that, in at least some way, addresses Greg’s behavior and challenges him to be a better person. I really appreciated that scene and love that this push forward came from another guy his age.

One of the Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2023

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl was one of the top ten most challenged books of 2023. Among the reasons I saw cited for the challenges and book bans were that it contains profanity and some misogynistic commentary. Some have described it as “pornographic,” which is, frankly, hilarious since there is no nudity or sexual contact throughout the book. There is, admittedly, one very cringy scene in which the characters make jokes about oral sex. I can’t see how that meets the definition of pornography.

There is a lot of profanity in the book. It’s true. There’s a lot of profanity in a lot of young adult literature in general. While I have some personal feelings about this, I don’t think that a few parents get to decide what everyone else’s kids should be allowed to read. I think the author makes a great point in an article for Deadline that kids who haven’t found books that resonate with them may find that a book in which the characters talk the way they talk might help them connect to literature.

Conclusion

If you made it this far, you can tell I’ve got a lot of thoughts and feelings about this book. I liked it more than I expected, despite its flaws. It presents a powerful story of friendship and how human connection, no matter how mundane, makes a difference in our lives.

It’s weird that this book is among the top ten most challenged books of 2023. I can’t imagine that anyone who regularly reads young adult literature would consider the content of this book vastly different from that of many other books on the shelves for teenagers.

Content Notes for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Greg and Rachel are Jewish. Earl is Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Lots of profanity. Some crude language.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to sex. Some explicit statements about sex. No sexual contact on scene.

Spiritual Content
Greg references attending Hebrew School with Rachel.

Violent Content
Greg and Earl repeatedly watch a violent movie, but the book doesn’t describe it in any detail. Greg makes some objectifying/misogynistic comments about girls. They’re usually brief. Greg makes some comments using racist stereotypes about other kids at his school. He and another boy make a racist comment about the contents of ethnic food.

Drug Content
Earl smokes cigarettes and is rumored to have used hard drugs before the story began. Greg and Earl accidentally get high when they eat some food they don’t realize has marijuana in it.

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

Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Panic
Lauren Oliver
HarperCollins
Published March 4, 2014

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Panic

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

My Review

This is still my favorite book by Lauren Oliver. Her writing always strikes me, her stories and characters are always compelling, but there’s something about this particular one that just really sticks with me. I’m not sure if it’s the small town setting, the high, high stakes, the flawed, underdog characters, or the complicated romance.

The small town setting makes for an intimate backdrop. Everyone kind of knows everyone. It feels like there’s nowhere to hide. It feels like ALL THE RAGE or SADIE by Courtney Summers.

The game brings high stakes right away. I found myself getting sidetracked trying to figure out how these struggling kids could afford the $180 entry fee to play the game, but ultimately, that’s a small detail I found I could let go.

The ending doesn’t neatly wrap up all the character’s stories. In fact, a couple are left in awkward situations but seem to be fine. I loved so much of the rest of the story that this didn’t really bug me much either. As the game went on, I felt like I couldn’t look away and needed to know that the characters would find a way through.

Over all, I think fans of suspenseful stories set in small towns like those by Courtney Summers will really like this one. It’s more like Oliver’s VANISHING GIRLS than DELIRIUM.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Main characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme word choice, moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
A few crude references to sex, but no scenes depicting anything beyond kissing.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Several times kids get beat up in connection with the game Panic.

Drug Content
References to smoking weed. Teens drink beer at a party. One teen girl sips whiskey before completing her Panic test. A girl walks in on her mother and other adults after they’ve been using cocaine.

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Summer 2024 Backlist Check-In and Life Update

Summer 2024 Backlist Check-In and Life Update

This summer absolutely flew past me. My family didn’t have huge plans, but we had a lot of little things to do that kept us close to home and pretty busy. We managed to get most of those things done and still visit the beach a few times and see friends, so I feel like overall it was a successful season.

I also managed to read a pretty long list of backlist books. I listened to seven of these as audiobooks. Five of these titles are graphic novels and another two are heavily illustrated, which are also pretty quick to read. All of that combined to help me get more reading time in than I anticipated. During the months of June, July, and August, I read more than 80 books, and of those, 24 were backlist titles. I’m really happy with that progress.

A few of these titles had been on my reading list for a long time, so I’m super excited that I finally managed to read them. Most notably, those titles are Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. I also really enjoyed my reread of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Keep scrolling for details about all the backlist titles I read this summer.

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Summer 2024 Backlist Check-In and Life Update

Dragon Slippers (Dragon Slippers #1) by Jessica Day George

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl and a dragon become close friends and help one another through danger and treachery. This is my favorite book in the trilogy.

Published February 1, 2011 (Orig. 2007) | My Review


Dragon Flight (Dragon Slippers #2) by Jessica Day George

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The Dragon Slippers series continues with a new adventure in another country. I enjoyed the story and the chance to revisit the characters.

Published April 29, 2008 | My Review to Come


Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson and Ekua Holmes

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The collage illustrations in this book are incredible alongside the thoughtful poetry that celebrates home, girlhood, and growing into your power. Loved it.

Published February 13, 2024 | My Review to Come


Desert Queen by Jyoti R. Gopal and Svabhu Kohli

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Absolutely breathtaking illustrations accompany the rhythmic, emotive poetry that tells the story of the Desert Queen of Rajasthan.

Published January 1, 2024 | My Review to Come


Rise of the Shadowfire (City of Dragons #2) by Jaimal Yogis and Vivian Truong

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: It picks up soon after the first book ends and takes Grace and her friends on a wild race through the Paris catacombs. Grace and her dragon’s relationship is one of the sweet highlights of this quick-to-read graphic novel.

Published October 17, 2023 | My Review to Come


Legends and Lattes (Legends and Lattes #1) by Travis Baldree

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: This was a really fun book to read. The cozy elements really worked, but I never felt like the story dragged or wasn’t interesting. The characters are fabulous. Definitely glad I read this!

Published February 22, 2022


On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Total impulse read, but a good one. It’s only about 100 pages and goes through twenty things you can do when you’re worried about a fascist government.

Published June 4, 2024 | My Review to Come


Dragon Spear (Dragon Slippers #3) by Jessica Day George

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The series finale. I struggled with this one. A character darkens her face to spy on members of a native tribe of enslaved people.

Published May 12, 2009 | My Review to Come


American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Really rich storytelling in this graphic novel in which three storylines merge into one. This has some (purposely) uncomfortable moments that confront readers with the impact of racism, especially racist “jokes.” A powerful book.

Published September 6, 2006 | My Review to Come


Night and Dana by Anya Davidson

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A graphic novel set in a small Florida town about a girl who loves special effects make-up and becomes involved in a local environmental protest.

Published September 12, 2023 | My Review to Come


Baby Drag Queen by C. A. Tanaka

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: This one is a little over 100 pages with a larger font, so it’s a very quick read about a transgender boy who enters a drag contest hoping to win money to help his mom.

Published April 11, 2023 | My Review to Come


Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehesi Coates

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: This one has been on my reading list for a while. I listened to the audiobook version read by the author. It’s so powerful. His explanation of how his understanding of history evolved when he was in college is incredibly poignant. He frames his experience in terms of bodily autonomy for himself and the people around him. I’m not sure I’ve read anything else that more clearly communicated the experience of being Black in America. It’s a must-read, for sure.

Published June 4, 2024 | My Review to Come


Garden of the Cursed (Garden of the Cursed #1) by Katy Rose Pool

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: I’ve heard a lot about this author, so when I got the chance to read this book, I jumped in with both feet. It was easy to get lost in this world of magic and mayhem along with a friends to enemies to lovers forbidden romance.

Published June 20, 2023 | My Review to Come


Flamer by Mike Curato

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The story of a boy at Boy Scout camp coming to grips with his identity. Heartfelt and raw. I read this as part of a project to read the top ten most challenged books of 2023.

Published September 1, 2020 | Review to Come


Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human
Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A conversational, graphic novel-style book exploring topics related to sex, dating, identity, and relationships. The format makes the information very accessible, and the authors do a great job presenting basic information about a variety of topics. This is also among the top ten most challenged books of 2023.

Published March 9, 2021 | Review to Come


The Winnie-the-Pooh Collection by A. A. Milne and Ernest Shepard

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: I read Milne’s classic stories about Winnie-the-Pooh for the first time this year. They’re sweet and insightful tales about friendship and exploration.

Published August 6, 2024 | My Review


Skyriders (Skyriders #1) by Polly Holyoke

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Wings of Fire meets Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is a great descriptor. I felt like I was reading a book from an earlier decade in all the best ways.

Published March 7, 2023 | My Review


Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: This was a reread for me, and it only made me realize how much I love this story. The insights into family bonds and celebration of imagination are fabulous. I’m so glad I got to revisit this one.

Published August 28, 2014 (Orig. 1908) | My Review to Come


A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: The story follows three orphans who need to find a guardian at the time that children were evacuated from London because of the bombing during WWII. This story was everything I wanted it to be. I have to read more by Kate Albus.

Published February 2, 2021 | My Review to Come


How to Write a Soundtrack to Your Life by Fiona Hardy

Kane Miller Website | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A shy, young composer must figure out who stole the music from her original song. This is an anthem for all shy, musically gifted kids. I loved this one.

Published August 25, 2020 | My Review


The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: One of the most challenged books of 2023. Tells the story of Pecola, an eleven-year-old Black girl who prays for her eyes to turn blue so she will be beautiful. A powerful read.

Published June 24, 2007 (Orig. 1970) | My Review to Come

What did you read over the summer?

Did you do any reading over the summer? If so, what were your favorite books? Leave a comment and let me know, or let me know if you’ve read anything from my list.

Review: How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days
Fiona Hardy
Kane Miller Publishing
Published September 1, 2019

Kane Miller Website | Bookshop | Goodreads

About How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days

‘How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days’ is the story of what happens when 11-year-old Hayley Whelan tries to bring her horror-movie vision to the big-screen over the summer holidays.

Friendships will be tested, the fake blood will flow, and the snacks budget will be well and truly blown in this wonderful, heart-warming reel of contemporary Aussie MG.

My Review

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days is a companion novel to How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life. I read the other book first, though this one takes place first. They’re only loosely connected, so I think you could read them in any order.

Truthfully, I think the other novel is more compelling. I found Murphy (the main character in How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life) immediately resonated with me. I enjoyed Hayley as the main character of this book, but I guess I didn’t find her as moving. By the end of the book, I felt like I understood her and loved her, but it was a connection that developed more slowly for me.

One of the things I do love about this book is that it focuses on Hayley’s grief over the loss of her grandmother. The movie was a project that they talked about working on and planned out together, so finishing it is part of Hayley’s grief process.

Her grandmother sounds like quite a character, too. She had quirks and bad habits, but she supported Hayley’s interest in filmmaking and celebrated her ideas and successes. I like that Hayley’s memories of her include hard moments or moments when her grandmother was rude or abrasive. That made her character seem well-rounded, even though she never appeared on scene.

I also enjoyed the scenes that explained Hayley’s filmmaking process, from her film schedule to her finding locations and props to her editing process. There was enough detail to keep me oriented to what was happening, but not so much that it overwhelmed me or slowed down the story.

On the whole, I enjoyed the book and the fact that it followed a young filmmaker and a group of kids making a movie about a carnivorous, terrifying rosebush. It’s a fun story for middle-grade readers who enjoy making their own movies or summer adventures.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
A few characters are indigenous. One is Latine.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to characters dating one another. In one scene, a couple is spotted holding hands.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to bullying. A boy hurts his back and his ankle. A five-year-old is hospitalized with abdominal pain.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
Little, Brown, Books for Young Readers
Published March 10, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

A remix of the National Book Award-winning STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING for ages 12 and up.

A timely, crucial, and empowering exploration of racism–and antiracism–in America.

This is NOT a history book.
This is a book about the here and now.
A book to help us better understand why we are where we are.
A book about race.

The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This is a remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING, winner of a National Book Award. It reveals the history of racist ideas in America and inspires hope for an antiracist future.

STAMPED takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.

Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative, Jason Reynolds shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas–and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.

My Review

First, the summary description of the book as “gripping, fast-paced and energizing” is totally accurate. I listened to this book as an audiobook twice in a row. There’s so much information packed into such a short span of pages. It is a lot to take in, so I’m sure this won’t even be the last time I read it. I have a hard copy that I’d like to go back to and highlight certain passages in as well.

So, the summary also says this isn’t a history book. Yet, it talks a LOT about history. It looks at history from the perspective of racism and relationships between black and white people in America. It looks at the beginning ideas about our differences and how those ideas evolved (or didn’t) as history played out.

One of the things I like a lot about the book is that it gives a survey overview of a lot of moments but zooms in on some critical places and familiar people as well. There’s quite a bit of discussion about Thomas Jefferson and the things he believed and where the contradictions are. I found that really helpful to clarify and explain some of the things I already knew about him. It definitely filled in some blanks for me.

I think in school, because we’re looking closely at certain parts of history, I sometimes had a “can’t see the forest for the trees” experience. In this book, Reynolds shows us the forest. We kind of get to see the whole of how the relationship between black and white people developed and changed, the rise of different ideas, and why they were harmful or helpful. I liked that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen dots connected in this way. It actually made me feel like I wish we had more books like this– conversational and easy to understand– about other topics. Give me this, but with the history of the United States from an indigenous perspective. Or from the perspective of women’s rights. LGBTQIA+ rights.

I’m sure some of those books already exist, which is awesome because now I’m hungry for them.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The book references and briefly summarizes the lives of many people, predominantly white men and women and black men and women.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to rape and claims of rape. For example, the book references a movie called Birth of a Nation in which an actor in blackface plays a man who rapes a white woman. No graphic descriptions.

Spiritual Content
Some discussion of the Puritans and early Christian colonists and their views about indigenous people and African people. Some discussion of a church leader and prolific writer who wrote a book that spread fears about witchcraft.

Violent Content
No graphic descriptions of violence, but mentions of enslavement and enslaved people being punished by being whipped. Mentions of people being lynched. Mentions of war.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life by Fiona Hardy

How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life
Fiona Hardy
Kane Miller Publishing
Published August 25, 2020

Kane Miller Website | Bookshop | Goodreads

About How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life

Murphy Parker is going to be a songwriter. If she can summon up the nerve to play in front of anyone other than her dad, that is. When an unplanned keyboard performance at school goes well, Murphy wonders if maybe her dreams have a chance after all. Until her entire grade accuses her of plagiarism.

Someone out there is playing Murphy’s songs. But why? How did they hear her play? Desperate to clear her name and reclaim her music, Murphy makes an unlikely alliance with two of her classmates. Turns out, friendship might be even more complicated than tracking down a song thief…

From the up-and-coming talent behind HOW TO MAKE A MOVIE IN 12 DAYS comes a funny and moving mystery about family, friendship and finding your voice.

My Review

Oh, wow. I really identified with Murphy as the quiet kid in school. The way people treated her, where they assumed things about her and filled in the blanks about her life, really resonated with me. I totally understood how difficult it was for her to speak up, even when she had something to say. I remember having those experiences and being so frustrated with them.

Murphy has a family life that’s not often represented in children’s books. She has a close relationship with her dad, and he’s doing the best that he can and visits her a lot. She lives with her aunt, uncle, and cousins, though. This gives her a lot of stability and support. I liked her family members and the dynamics between them.

While the plot of the story centers around Murphy’s music and finding out who stole her songs, the true superstar in the story is in the relationships. In the beginning, Murphy considers two girls her best and only friends. As the story unfolds, the way she sees those relationships and others changes. She learns what it means to be a friend in addition to what it means to have one. The narrative balances the relationship and mystery elements really well while also giving readers a glimpse into life with a parent diagnosed with depression.

This is the first novel by Fiona Hardy that I’ve read, but I’m looking forward to reading her other book, How to Write a Movie in 12 Days, which follows one of the minor characters in this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Murphy’s dad has depression. Her mom is absent. She lives with her aunt, uncle, and cousins.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Other kids taunt Murphy and say mean things to her. She describes being bullied by a girl in the past. References to someone hospitalized for depression.

Drug Content
None.

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

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

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