This was cute! Not much plot; a bunch of vignettes as Alpi travels searching for her parents. Nice illustrations.
Trigger warning: near the end of the This was cute! Not much plot; a bunch of vignettes as Alpi travels searching for her parents. Nice illustrations.
Trigger warning: near the end of the book, there is a flashback to one image of a side character's father hanging himself in the distance, and then reference to his suicide later on....more
-Two aromantic and asexual main characters -Dual 1st person POV's -Young adult audience/takes place during their second semester of college -Lots of soci-Two aromantic and asexual main characters -Dual 1st person POV's -Young adult audience/takes place during their second semester of college -Lots of social media/texting format excerpts
I liked this! The premise is that Jo and Sophie are both first-year aro/ace college students who run anonymous advice social media accounts and become sort of rivals online, and then in real life they unknowingly meet and become really close friends.
Jo and Sophie are both likable characters, and I appreciated the ensemble of other queer characters from different backgrounds. There are lots of discussions about being aro/ace, having immigrant parents, societal expectations, and attending a historically women's college.
I do think that this book is longer than I felt was necessary; there's a lot of dialogue and randomly detailed description that could have been cut. And I think the tone of the narrative is very online and sometimes lacks a little nuance. But, overall, I love that this was a story about two people falling in love as friends and it's just great and heartwarming to read about!
In terms of content, I really appreciate that this was sort of light! The heaviest the subject matter ever got was fear of being eternally alone and some rude a-phobic comments online. There's some swearing, and allusions to hankypanky, but this book is overall very PG and upbeat!...more
I couldn't put this down, so I ultimately read this entire book in one day.
All the Fighting Parts is a young adult contemporary novel written in free I couldn't put this down, so I ultimately read this entire book in one day.
All the Fighting Parts is a young adult contemporary novel written in free verse about 16-year-old Amina. After her mother died many years ago, her relationship with her father has been distant. They don't talk much, but they sure as heck go to church every Sunday.
Amina's inherited all the fighting parts of her mother, including her voice, but when her voice gets her in trouble for talking back, she's made to help out more at the church, including with Pastor Johnson. Despite how everyone in the community loves Pastor Johnson, Amina tragically discovers that he is more of a predator than anyone realizes.
In the aftermath of Pastor Johnson sexually assaulting Amina, so much changes. She's left to reconcile with so many emotions, and starts to wonder if what he did has robbed her of her fighting parts.
Wow, this was really powerful and emotional. It was hard to read because this is such a horrific topic, but it was also extremely gripping because of the writing and the main character's spirit. It was compelling how human and flawed yet sensitive and raw Amina was, and the evolution of her character (and her relationship with her friends and father) felt very gratifying. This chronicles the months leading up to the assault and the months following it, including the trial.
Content warnings: sexual assault (actual details of the assault are never fully described, just Amina's feelings during it and how it has impacted her), death of a mother (prior to the events of the book), consensual sex among teenagers
Representation: most characters are Black and Amina's best friend Talia is sapphic...more
Charisma’s Turn is a young adult graphic novel about a girl whose sometimes explosive behavior gets redirected into more meaningful actions when a guiCharisma’s Turn is a young adult graphic novel about a girl whose sometimes explosive behavior gets redirected into more meaningful actions when a guidance counselor helps her build different habits and tap into her passions. She ends up joining a social justice group at school and learns about environmental racism. This graphic novel is concise and is an important story. Some may not like the art style, but the only real critique I have about the visuals is that occasionally the speech bubbles are not intuitive and awkwardly placed, which at times confused the dialogue order....more
What I did like about this was the queer and disability representation. The main character is panromantic ace with cerebral palsy, and there are severWhat I did like about this was the queer and disability representation. The main character is panromantic ace with cerebral palsy, and there are several other queer and disabled characters throughout the book. I also appreciated how short this was, as many YA books are just too long, and I valued that the author included content warnings at the beginning. I liked that Joy knows she is ace going into the book, so that's already established as part of her identity.
However, unfortunately there were many aspects of this I just didn't like as much. The writing is mostly okay, but I felt it was very surface-level. Characters just do things, and there is little emotional build-up. Some pretty dramatic things occur in this book, and it feels like they just... occur.
Some characters are very villainous and it threw me out of the story. For example, (view spoiler)[ Nathaniel's parents are really extreme. When he tells them that he wants to study gynecology and obstetrics, they respond with immense disappointment and refuse to pay for his college. Are doctor families really like this? And when they find out he is pansexual, they immediately kick him out of the house. Also, he and none of his siblings have ever had birthday parties. While I know there are some pretty ridiculous people out there with drastically prejudiced stances, this all just felt out of left field? His parents are largely absent from the story and when they do come into the picture, they're so cold and unfeeling. But, I know it is sadly common for queer kids to be unhoused because of prejudiced parents so this is almost more believable to me than the tuition thing. Nathaniel also has a gay older brother who lives nearby, and he proposed to his fiancé publicly at a bar, and I just feel like if he had been keeping it a secret from his parents for all these years, he might have been a little more discreet about it? But good for him, and I love to see him happy.
And Luca. I really did not understand Luca. At the beginning, he acts like a really sweet friend. And then, out of nowhere, he starts to reveal an outlandishly evil side. It didn't feel genuine to me that he would be best friends with Joy for a decade and not reveal any red flags during that time, but the second she decides to go to college out of state and has a crush on the Caldwell Cupid, he transforms into a menace, hacking into peoples' emails, outing them, and ruining lives. (hide spoiler)]
Joy also felt very passive and not very well characterized for me. Nathaniel definitely has more backstory and development. I hated that (view spoiler)[ both Nathaniel and Luca kissed Joy without even asking, as though they could just assert themselves physically upon her. The only different was that Nathaniel kissed her on the cheek and she liked it, and Luca gave her a sloppy kiss on the mouth and she hated it. Both of them should have asked her first. I didn't like that they both crossed that physical line without her consent. It wasn't until the end when Nathaniel finally asked her. (hide spoiler)]
Also, Valentina and Yasmine come around, but in the beginning they're a bit insufferable to me. In one conversation, Joy literally announces she has something to say, and then they guess what it is and talk over her, never returning to what Joy had mentioned, which was annoying to me. In the end though, they are better to her, which I liked, but my goodness it's like as soon as they started dating in the beginning they were all over each other.
I did really like Nathaniel's older siblings, though.
So, overall, I wanted to love this but was disappointed. I read through it pretty quickly, but it felt surface-level to me and the romance was cute but not enough. :C...more
Overall, this is a pretty solid young adult novel!
Ace rep: biromantic asexual-spectrum main character
The sole reason I read this book is for its asexuOverall, this is a pretty solid young adult novel!
Ace rep: biromantic asexual-spectrum main character
The sole reason I read this book is for its asexual representation, so I’ll discuss this first. I appreciated that Felicity was established in her identity, so rather than a coming-of-age exploration of her identity, this dealt with considering how her asexuality would impact a romantic relationship with an allosexual partner. The narrator also offers an explanation of asexuality for readers who are unfamiliar, but I am concerned that the notion of “attraction does not equal action” was absent. At one point, Felicity meditates, “Was I asexual? No, I didn’t think so, because sometimes when I read those romance novels, I did like the sex scenes” (p. 59). Later in that paragraph, she settles on “ace-spectrum,” but I think it’s important to note that being asexual just means an absence of experiencing sexual attraction—-which means someone can not be sexually attracted to others but still like and want sex. Despite this one sentence, I feel that the rest of the novel was an excellent portrayal of an ace experience (just one of the infinite varieties of ace experiences). Overall, I value that Felicity is firm in her identity, and while she does question if she would be a fulfilling partner for Nancy, it’s less of a commentary on her own shortcomings and more so a logistical thought experiment.
This is good, it's fine. Indeed, it is small and brief.
This provides most of the information one would want to know about asexuality. I think it couldThis is good, it's fine. Indeed, it is small and brief.
This provides most of the information one would want to know about asexuality. I think it could have benefitted from defining some of the more granular terms and elaborating more on the split attraction models and what comprises them, but overall it's a good introduction.
The narrators are corny... but respectful. (It begins with them talking and then turning to the "reader" and going, "Oh! Didn't see you there! We were just talking about asexuality!"...) The illustrations being black and white are fine as well, but I also would have liked at least some shades of purple to give it more of a pop. It's suitable for a young adult audience....more
This book has me GIDDY. Celine and Brad!!! Talia Hibbert's writing is so much fun to read. It's oozing with creativity and energy, and her characters This book has me GIDDY. Celine and Brad!!! Talia Hibbert's writing is so much fun to read. It's oozing with creativity and energy, and her characters are so human and so lovable. And somehow, I cried while reading this? "I shouldn't feel like this. No one should be able to make me feel like this." Everything building up to that line and then reading it and I--oop. The tears just slipped out.
Amazing, amazing, amazing. Please live to a very old age and continue spinning pure joy through your powers with the English language, dear Talia. In exchange, I will give you my money and my unyielding adoration....more
Oseman's illustration style is perfectly imperfect and very fitting for the vibe of this hight school romance between Charlie and Nick. The paneling iOseman's illustration style is perfectly imperfect and very fitting for the vibe of this hight school romance between Charlie and Nick. The paneling is quite creative and intelligent, which contributes to the this comic's great pacing. The characters' relationship is sweet yet believable. I would have liked it to go more in depth with each character, and I also was annoyed with the cliff hanger ending.
I recommend reading the comics before watching the TV show, because the film version includes more characters with unique arcs, and the comic fixates only on Charlie and Nick. Having watched the show first, I couldn't help but envision the actors as I was reading the comic and noticing how scene-for-scene some of the show's shots were completely pulled from the comic....more
This book flew by like it was 50 pages instead of 300 because I couldn't put it down. Monique is the preacher's daughter, so her parents pressure her This book flew by like it was 50 pages instead of 300 because I couldn't put it down. Monique is the preacher's daughter, so her parents pressure her to be pious and well-behaved, but secretly, Monique hates church. She and her boyfriend of two years have tried having sex 28 times, but every time they go to do it, Monique's body shuts down and refuses to continue. Frustrated and feeling like Monique isn't trying hard enough for him, he breaks up with her until she can "figure this out on her own."
Endeavoring to win him back, Monique teams up with the unlikely duo of seemingly-good-girl Sasha (whom Monique's mother adores) and seemingly-bad-boy Reggie (whom Monique's mother despises) to help Monique learn more about her body and the disorder they discover she has. Through their genuine friendship, Monique realizes how wrapped up she's been in her ex-boyfriend and how even as she's working to heal her condition, maybe she should do this for herself and not for his sake.
Okay, so what I loved about this book: Mo, Reggie, and Sasha make an awesome trio. They got into all sorts of teenage shenanigans, like traipsing around Targets and Walmarts and causing ruckus, all the things as adults we roll our eyes at but as a teenager feels like the epitome of ~living~ and being ~independent~ and having "adventures." (Clearly this resonates with my own experience; small-town things, am I right?) Anyway, I also liked Reggie far more than I expected and found myself laughing OUT loud several times.
While Mo's attitude in the first half certainly got on my nerves because she clearly deserved better (all her talk of "I'm doing this for Dom," "I need to fix myself for him"), thankfully she had a wonderful and organic arc of coming into her own, asserting her autonomy, and confronting her parents. There were just so many different layers to this story, too, that I haven't even mentioned here. But they all came together beautifully and believably and wow, I really enjoyed this book.
My one baby-sized critique is that there's one scene where Mo's parents send her, Sasha, and Reggie to pick up a few grocery items at the store... And they end up doing a bunch of other things, but never mention actually buying those grocery items... And when she gets back home, her parents never say, "Oh, you didn't get flour, etc.?" IDK, maybe that happened off-page but just seems like something she would have been called out on.
But yeah. This is such an important book about how educating adolescents on their bodies is soooo necessary!!! Ignoring biology and just hoping they'll figure it out when they're married or whatever is doing more harm than good. Pre-teens and teens especially need to know how their bodies work so they can be informed and make better decisions....more
This is very Mean Girls meets Jennifer's Body, which sounds cool. But there was a lot in this that felt like it missed the mark for me. First, while IThis is very Mean Girls meets Jennifer's Body, which sounds cool. But there was a lot in this that felt like it missed the mark for me. First, while I have to say I love the art style, there were some panel sequences that were confusing or disjointed, or where I noticed inconsistencies. For example, Becca is supposed to be "bigger" than the other popular girls, but they all look the same size to me. Or when all the characters are getting ready to "go out" and are dressed up, but then the next scene they're at the party wearing different clothes, is that the same night?
It's a fine, typical story of the perils of sacrificing your uniqueness to fit into a popular group, but I don't know that it succeeds that much. I was confused by the messaging. There's a lot of unhealthy attitudes towards eating and body weight in this, which don't really ever get addressed. Marley, who's supposed to be the nice and bubbly popular girl, says some lowkey problematic things which never get called out. Amanda, who is the only Black girl in the group, is constantly asking her "friends" to call her Amanda, not Mandy, which they always ignore, in addition to many other things she voices which are dismissed. I actually really empathized with Amanda because even though she's technically the "bitchy" friend, I'd be bitchy too if these girls treated me like they did to her. AND Amanda's way more willing to stick up for what's right than any of the others. She kind of gets a satisfying ending, but not that much. Also, I don't understand how what happens at the climax of the story is really supposed to solve their problems--wouldn't it create... more problems? More suspicion? IDK. Then there's a sapphic relationship thrown in at the end.
All in all... It was a page-turner for me and it was fun and spooky to look at/read, but the plot was kind of weak and the visual sequences were not always clear....more
This was a fun and fantastical adventure. Most of the story takes place in the spirit realm and I enjoyed this setting a lot. The writing was pleasantThis was a fun and fantastical adventure. Most of the story takes place in the spirit realm and I enjoyed this setting a lot. The writing was pleasant and just an all around lovely book....more
Very well captures the burning intensity of your first love amidst teenagehood. Evoked memories of my own adolescent emotions and experiences. Love thVery well captures the burning intensity of your first love amidst teenagehood. Evoked memories of my own adolescent emotions and experiences. Love that it is written in verse. Excellent!...more
This is a book about a high schooler named Ophelia questioning her identity. She feels pressure to adhere to the version of her that her loved ones peThis is a book about a high schooler named Ophelia questioning her identity. She feels pressure to adhere to the version of her that her loved ones perceive her to be: boy-crazy, rose-obsessed Ophelia. She struggles against the walls this pre-established identity constructs around her, especially during this monumental period of change as she and her friends near prom and graduation. Ophelia is full of emotions; she is imperfect, she acts out, she snaps at her friends. But she is also very sincere and very human. The author wonderfully executes a loving yet honest portrayal of adolescence and this turbulent time in our lives. I loved the representation, the characterizations, and the writing. So good!...more
Wow! An incredibly framed memoir! Robin shares her experience of abruptly moving with her mother from Seoul to Alabama as a fourteen-year-old. ThroughWow! An incredibly framed memoir! Robin shares her experience of abruptly moving with her mother from Seoul to Alabama as a fourteen-year-old. Throughout the narrative, Robin weaves in memories and flashbacks from her youth of formative moments, and with time and reflection, she gains a better understanding of a situation she was too young to fully grasp. I really loved the artist's illustration style and the way she mingled the portrayal of past events with her retrospective voice-over commentary. My heart went out to her as she struggled to navigate a foreign country with little knowledge of the language, but it was gratifying to see how she eventually overcame these obstacles, as well as the evolution of her relationship with her mom throughout childhood, adolescence, and briefly, adulthood....more
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