Lauren, Isla, Jade, and Archer meet the first day of summer camp, and friendship magic is made in Firefly Cabin. If only they could immortalize their summer memories by winning the contest to be the face of the camp’s website. But it won’t be easy; not with rival cabins, distracting crushes, and of course, the girl’s own secrets getting in the way. Can friendship—and the Fireflies—triumph over all?
My Review
THE GIRLS OF FIREFLY CABIN is one of the cutest books I’ve read in a long time. I loved all the summer camp stuff– references to campfires, silly songs, and shared jokes that are so iconic of the experience of summer camp. But it’s more than simply a cute book.
Each girl comes to camp with a secret and a deeply held belief that the other girls simply can’t or won’t accept her if they find out the truth. For Lauren, the secret is her life at a group home, where going to a fancy camp is impossible. In fact, she’s only attending because she won a scholarship through a contest.
Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her, Lauren decides to make the weeks at camp the best she’s ever had. She decides the girls will be her best friends for life. As soon as they’re together in the cabin, she plunges through the awkwardness of first meetings and leads the girls into a deep, lasting friendship.
Of course, the inevitable happens: at some point, secrets all come out. Winning the contest to be the face of camp gets jeopardized. And the girls have to decide how strong their newfound friendships are. Strong enough to stand the test of the secrets they keep?
One of my favorite characters was the chef who becomes Lauren’s friend and confidante. I LOVED her, and I really didn’t see where that part of the story was headed until it happened. Which was even better.
In terms of its plot, the story might be a little too neat and tidy, but that fits the summer camp feel and new friendship vibe in THE GIRLS OF FIREFLY CABIN. Fans of CATERPILLAR SUMMER by Gillian McDunn or ELSIE MAE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY by Nancy Cavanaugh will enjoy the outdoor scenes and important relationships in THE GIRLS OF FIREFLY CABIN.
Recommended for Ages8 up.
Representation Jade’s best friend is Latina.
Profanity/Crude Language Content None.
Romance/Sexual Content Brief kissing between a boy and girl.
Spiritual Content The girls help Jade process her grief over losing her best friend. They hold ceremonies honoring her, and Jade feels that she senses Kiara’s presence all around her in nature.
Violent Content Some references to bullying. Archer and her sister have a difficult relationship. Archer’s sister plays cruel tricks on her, at one point ruining her artwork. Archer and her friends play pranks on her sister and their friends, too. They do things like putting a fake snake in her shoes.
Drug Content None.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but help support my blog.
Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.
Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.
My Review
Okay, wow. I liked this book so much. I wondered a little bit at the beginning if it would be a lot like THE HATE U GIVE, which I also liked and which had some similar elements. (Kid from a lower income neighborhood going to a private school who has experiences with police brutality, racism and gang violence, even an interracial relationship and how difficult that is for a family member.) And all those elements definitely play a role in this story, but it still felt like a completely different book in the way the story was told.
I loved that Jus writes letters to Dr. King. What a cool way to connect the Civil Rights movement to a present-day story and situation. I also felt like the story captured some of the complexity of a community facing issues like this. While this is Justyce’s story, we also see so many of the other characters respond to what’s happening in striking ways—sometimes because they’re so emotional and other times because they simply aren’t.
I think THE HATE U GIVE is an incredibly powerful story, and I don’t want to take anything away from it or from the amazing author, Angie Thomas, by saying this, but actually, I liked DEAR MARTIN better, if I had to rank them. Amazing story. This one will stay with me for a long time.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 15 up.
Cultural Elements
Justyce and his best friend Manny are black and go to a mostly white school. Justyce’s close friend and debate partner is Jewish. Jus writes letters to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently. It was sporadic enough that I’d sometimes forget it was in the story. Often used in anger. Some racial epithets also used infrequently.
Romance/Sexual Content Jus makes vague mention of experiences with his past girlfriend. His best friend reminds him about an incident in which he caught a girlfriend cheating on him (he references Jus finding her in a compromising position).
Spiritual Content During a funeral, Jus thinks about his friend’s beliefs and how they contrast what the preacher is saying about living on in Heaven. His friend didn’t believe in God.
Violent Content Brief descriptions of violence and racial epithets. A couple scenes show or reference one kid punching another. Usually those moments are choppy and out of focus. Another scene shows a man shooting two kids. News stories and conversations reference other shootings.
Drug Content
Jus drinks alcohol twice.
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About The Opposite of Here
Natalie’s parents are taking her and her three best friends on a cruise for her seventeenth birthday. A sail-a-bration, they call it. But it’s only been a few short months since Natalie’s boyfriend died in a tragic accident, and she wants to be anywhere but here.
Then she meets a guy on the first night and sparks fly. After a moonlit conversation on a secluded deck of the ship, Natalie pops down to her cabin to get her swimsuit so they can go for a dip. But when she returns, he’s gone. Something he said makes her think he might have . . . jumped? No, he couldn’t have.
But why do her friends think she’s crazy for wanting to make sure he’s okay? Also, why do they seem to be hiding something from her? And how can she find him when she doesn’t even know his name? Most importantly, why is the captain on the intercom announcing the urgent need for a headcount?
With her signature thrilling storytelling, the author of The Leaving and The Possible explores our vulnerability to the power of suggestion-and the lies we tell others and ourselves-in a twisting, Hitchcock-inspired mystery with high stakes and dark secrets.
My Review
I had no idea when I requested this book for review that it would be so timely! My family has decided to view some Hitchcock movies for our weekly family movie nights this summer, so I was super excited when I realized this story incorporates some of that famous Hitchcock suspense/sense of weird. The way things would happen and be… off… really reminded me of a Hitchcock movie.
While Natalie’s grief over her boyfriend’s death feels very real, the story doesn’t idolize him. Natalie discovers some uncomfortable truths about herself, her boyfriend and the relationship, which the story forces her to confront through the mystery surrounding the new boy she meets.
Twists and turns abound in The Opposite of Here. Every time I thought I had things figured out, the story turned on its head. Even things which seem trivial or unrelated often played an important role—which only added to that dense, old-movie vibe I love!
My only complaint is in the attitude of the girls, who all seem to approach the cruise as a great place to have these one-night or one-week romantic encounters because that’s what a good time looks like. This is not a story about celebrating the importance of girl friends or even moving on from grief to a new love. The total confidence and prowess of the girls didn’t resonate with me.
On the whole, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to older suspense lovers as a nice beach or poolside read this summer. See below for more content information.
Recommended for Ages 13 up.
Cultural Elements
Major characters are white.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Infrequent use of strong profanity.
Romance/Sexual Content Kissing between boy and girl. Natalie’s friends tell her the cruise is a great place to forget about life on the mainland (including relationships) and get physically involved with someone new, just for the duration of the trip. One scene described Natalie kissing a boy and it’s clear they have sex, but it happens between scenes, so there’s no description.
Spiritual Content At times Natalie imagines her boyfriend who has died watching her in the clouds, commenting on her choices.
Violent Content Natalie worries that someone fell overboard. A brief description of a girl who drowned in a pool and other suspicious deaths. A boy falls off a balcony to land on a lower floor.
Drug Content
The girls take advantage of the fact that one of them is over 18 and can order alcohol. They drink beers together.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo.
Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year’s only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin’s brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael’s every move.
But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?
From the author of The Walled City comes a fast-paced and innovative novel that will leave you breathless.
My Review
Wow! This book was an incredible look at what the world might have been like had Hitler and Hirohito succeeded in conquering the Eastern Hemisphere. It had a lot of emotional depth while still being full of action. One of the things I appreciate most about this book is that while it didn’t gloss over the horrors of the Holocaust, it didn’t overwhelm the reader with graphic details either. Instead, Wolf by Wolf focused more on how those horrible events affected Yael personally–physically, emotionally, and mentally.
The narrative switches every chapter or so between the present and Yael’s past. While some readers might find this transition distracting, I felt like it was pretty seamless as a whole. I enjoyed learning more about Yael’s backstory and motivation as the story progressed, and this style managed to keep me informed while avoiding any info-dumps.
I loved how sensitive Yael was as a character as well. It’s something you don’t see very often in YA these days, where characters are all too willing to kill and murder “for the greater good.” Instead, Yael felt each death deeply. Even after going through such atrocities, and witnessing the despicable acts committed by the Third Reich, she was not numb to violence. I really appreciated her character in that respect.
My one criticism is that I would have liked to see more of what was going on in the Western Hemisphere (specifically the Americas) during this time. They were only mentioned in passing. Being an American myself, I am very curious to see how the author would have pictured American culture in such a time period. Perhaps in the sequel we will learn more.
I’m rating Wolf by Wolf 5 out of 5 stars. It is such a well-rounded novel, and I highly recommend reading it. Fans of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer who are looking for a revolution story with more of a historical bent will love this book, as will fans of WWII fiction wondering what the world would be like had Fascism won the day.
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Cultural Elements The main characters are from Germania, and some of the secondary characters are from Japan. One main character is of Jewish descent. Some of the side characters are from other cultures (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Soviet Russian, etc). Those of Aryan race (pale skin, blue eyes, blond hair) are given special status under the Third Reich. Non-Aryans are often considered less than human.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Frequent cursing in German.
Romance/Sexual Content Two kisses, not described in depth. One rumor of an attack, possibly sexual in nature. One older character hints at desire for another, much younger character. Mention of the Lebensborn–the Third Reich’s human breeding program.
Spiritual Content One character prays in Yiddish to God. Memories of observing the Passover. Mentions of Norse mythology. God’s name is used for emphasis in phrases (“God knows,” “act of God,” “For God’s sake,” etc).
Violent Content Many of the racers fight dirty, and attempt to attack, drug, injure/incapacitate other racers. Death plays a big part in this story–an assassination (fairly graphic), deaths in concentration camps, and another racer’s death all affect Yael. Disturbing medical procedures are also performed, and their aftereffects are not pleasant.
Drug Content Characters attempt to drug each other (not lethally.) Some characters smoke, though this is presented in a negative light.
About It Looks Like This
A new state, a new city, a new high school. Mike’s father has already found a new evangelical church for the family to attend, even if Mike and his plainspoken little sister, Toby, don’t want to go. Dad wants Mike to ditch art for sports, to toughen up, but there’s something uneasy behind his demands.
Then Mike meets Sean, the new kid, and “hey” becomes games of basketball, partnering on a French project, hanging out after school. A night at the beach. The fierce colors of sunrise. But Mike’s father is always watching. And so is Victor from school, cell phone in hand.
My Review
I devoured this book in a single sitting. The inside front flap warned me that it would be a heartbreaking read (which meant that before I started, I flipped to the back and read the last chapter, because I’m a total pansy for this stuff, and I need some warning if an author is going to make me fall head over heels for someone and then suddenly/tragically kill them off.) Spoiler: it’s a heartbreaking read. More spoiler: but it’s also got a huge amount of justice in its conclusion.
Emotionally, I feel like to call this one a roller coaster doesn’t even cover it. Someone once described my review content notes as “potential triggers” for readers, a sentiment that I really like, and reading this book made me realize I have a lot of my own triggers that don’t always make it into the list below (and don’t always need to).
I felt a connection with the kind of community where Mike lived in Virginia. It reminded me of my own small southern town, and even though my experience growing up in church felt very different than what Mike experienced, it made me revisit those days and think about the friends I had who struggled to make the same kind of spiritual connection and felt like outsiders in the midst of those services and events. I don’t think I was really sympathetic or aware of what they were experiencing, to be honest, and I hate that, but I feel like it’s important to realize it now, so I can behave differently.
Mike’s dad puts a lot of pressure on him to act in certain ways—it’s clear he’s very concerned about his son’s interests and masculinity, and Mike tries like crazy to please his dad. When his dad finds out that Mike’s been in a relationship with another boy, he sends Mike to InnerPeace, a Christian camp for teens who’ve had gay urges or experiences.
So, conversion therapy.
We see, from Mike’s point-of-view, what this is like and how much more pressure it is, how ineffective it is in terms of changing his feelings, how damaging it could be if he stayed there. Mike’s friend’s mom harshly criticizes his parents for sending Mike there and for their feelings of shame about their son.
On the one hand, the story doesn’t shy away from strong statements and some preachiness. On the other hand, it’s Mike’s internal experience which makes those moments powerful and meaningful. I also really liked the emphasis on Mike’s artistic ability and the way he used art to convey what was meaningful to him, things he struggled to put into words.
I talked about the story having a lot of justice in its conclusion. It’s not a perfect ending. Remember: heartbreak. But in other ways, things go very right. Mike’s mom, who spends much of the story being a bit of a doormat, becomes Mike’s advocate and strongly supports him. He gets good counsel from a therapist, which motivates him to challenge the people who’d been crushing him. A bully who’d been picking on Mike apologizes and seems deeply genuine.
I wish It Looks Like This didn’t have the graphic sexual content and the depiction of kids drinking alcohol that it does. I know, kids do it, even as young as Mike is (he’s fourteen for most of the story). But I find content like that narrows the audience a bit and makes it harder to recommend the story, especially to younger readers. The emotional journey is incredibly compelling, and the characters realistic and moving.
Be warned– the story doesn’t use a lot of quotation marks for dialogue. It’s a style thing, but it seemed to bother some of the other reviewers I’ve seen who posted about this book. I didn’t find it bothersome, but I know some people do.
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Cultural Elements
Sean’s mom is black and his dad is white. Mike’s other friends are white. He describes Victor as naturally tanned. Mike and Sean are both gay.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.
Romance/Sexual Content Mike is keenly aware of his proximity to Sean, and doesn’t at first recognize his feelings for attraction. In one scene, Mike draws Sean, and becomes embarrassed when Sean makes a joke about how he should have posed nude. The boys swim naked in the ocean. In a couple of scenes, they kiss and touch each other. In one scene, one of Mike’s friends confesses that he looks at porn, though he believes it’s a sin and doesn’t want to do it. Later, he shows Mike a couple pages of a magazine he’s hiding in his room, showing a man and woman having sex.
Spiritual Content Mike’s family attends church regularly. His parents seem pretty committed and like it’s a meaningful experience, though it’s hard to say whether Mike’s dad is more concerned about himself and his family having a good appearance in the church community. Mike and his sister hate going.
When Mike’s parents realize he’s gay, they send him to a Christian camp to deal with his feelings. It’s clear the goal of the camp is for Mike to come home straight. There are a couple of preachy moments where others at camp recite information or reasons against homosexual behavior. For Mike, the experience feels much less about any sort of spirituality and more about pleasing those in authority around him, the same issue he faces at home.
Violent Content Mike and his friends play Halo together. There are some descriptions of players killing other players. A boy at school repeatedly slams his shoulder into Mike as he walks past. A man punches a teenager and drags him away. One of Mike’s friends tells Mike he punched the boy who was bullying him.
Drug Content
Sean offers Mike beer, and they drink together at his house. Later they drink some wine together. See spoilers below for other information.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
SPOILER
A local boy is killed in a drunk driving accident after he drinks eight beers and gets behind the wheel of his car.
About Letters to the Lost
Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother’s death, she leaves letters at her grave. It’s the only way Juliet can cope.
Declan Murphy isn’t the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he’s trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can’t resist writing back. Soon, he’s opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they’re not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.
My Review Letters to the Lost totally blew me away. I loved it. It was all the things I loved about You’ve Got Mail but with all of these deep emotions, unresolved grief, family issues, and loneliness. I felt immediately hooked by the idea of this blind exchange between two people who both feel completely isolated from everyone around them which gives them a sense of connection. I loved the way the relationship plays out as they meet each other in real life (without knowing it’s the person they’ve been writing to.) Also, I absolutely adored Rev. He may have been my favorite. It’s hard to say because I loved so much about the story, but if I had a book boyfriend list, Rev would probably be at the top.
At its surface, I’d say this is a romance. It’s about a girl and a boy who meet through letters and fall in love, but they have to figure out who that other person is and face the idea that it may be someone they’ve judged harshly or even don’t like in real life. Beneath that, though, Letters to the Lost deals with some pretty intense grief. Juliet’s mom died in a hit and run car accident. Declan’s dad is responsible for his sister’s death. Both Juliet and Declan have difficult relationships with their parents. Declan’s mom remarried a guy who Declan can’t stand. Juliet’s dad has been distant since her mom’s death.
I loved the way the story began to unravel the truth about Juliet and Declan’s pasts. Some things took me by surprise—in a good way. Each of them have a steadfast friend who sticks with them through their grief, and I loved those friendships, too, and the way Juliet and Declan began to realize how their grief affected others through those relationships. It all felt very organic.
If you’re looking for a romance packed with emotion, you want to read this one. It’s heavy, yes, but has so much hope and love in it. This is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year.
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Cultural Elements
Major characters are white. Juliet competes with and later befriends an Asian boy in her photography class. Black parents adopt Declan’s best friend Rev.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used with moderate frequency. One instance of stronger profanity.
Romance/Sexual Content Brief kissing. At one point one girl jokes with her friend about whether or not her boyfriend has sent a picture of his “manhood” to her.
Someone finds nude pictures of a man and woman together.
Spiritual Content Rev is a Christian and sometimes shares Bible verses with Declan. It’s clear his faith means a great deal to him.
Violent Content References to physical abuse in one character’s past. One character talks about a fear he has that he will become violent and be unable to stop.
Drug Content
A girl accuses a boy of trying to spike the punch at a school dance. (He’s not.)
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
