Lucy, Uncensored by Mel and Teghan Hammond

4* (minor spoilers)

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At surface level, this is a coming-of-age novel about best friends and self-proclaimed “drama nerds” who have written a queer retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, their senior showcase that will serve as an audition for the university drama program they both hope to get into nearby. Dig deeper and it's an important book that pulls back the curtain to show what transgender and non-binary youth have to endure while trying to live as their authentic selves, battling transphobia, homophobia and gender dysphoria.

Lucy and Callie have planned out their path to success which includes getting into the Hughes drama program at Central University where they’ll be roommates. However, when they make a visit, Lucy runs into classmates who taunt her with transphobic slurs, leaving her uncomfortable with the idea of going to college so close to home. To add to her mounting distress, in a ripped from the headlines scenario, the local school board has banned them from putting on their play, forcing them to either rewrite a “sanitized version” or to give up their chance to attend Hughes. So, Lucy decides to see what other options are out there and finds an all-women’s college 6 hours away. Now all she has to do is visit the campus with Callie and hope it’s everything she’s been led to believe it might be, including meeting face-to-face with a handsome guy she connects with online who she’s been pumping for information about the school.

As Lucy starts to have conversations with queer students who have various gender identities and sexual preferences, readers are given the opportunity to witness the challenges these vulnerable, yet proud young adults face from family, classmates, supposed friends, and strangers. For some readers, this will be a valuable lesson; for those who are navigating their own journey, it will hopefully provide validation, comfort and hope when they see themselves in the characters. This is a worthy addition to any teen collection. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Knopf BYR through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.




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Jupiter Rising by Gary D. Schmidt

 

5*

I decided to re-read Orbiting Jupiter before reading this sequel, and it was just as heart-wrenching as I remembered. I recommend any reader do the same for context, but this can technically be read as a standalone since some of the background story of Jupiter’s parents is revealed. However, getting a greater sense of why Jack so desperately wants to keep Jupiter (his foster sister and Joseph’s daughter) close makes this story that much more poignant. Schmidt never shies away from highlighting how poorly children can be treated by parents who should love and protect them and how the government agencies that are supposed to safeguard abused children so often fail in their duty because of unscrupulous lawyers and the misguided idea that all efforts should be expended to keep them with their blood relatives.

In this story, Jack’s adopted parents fostered Jupiter’s father who was just 14 when she was born. Eventually, they began fostering her as well and are in the process of adopting her when her maternal grandparents, who ignored her for the first three years of her life, decide to fight for custody. At the same time Jack has to worry about losing her, he’s also paired by his coach with one of Joseph’s former bullies, Jay Perkins. As they spend every weekday afternoon running the roads of their small Maine town, they start to grudgingly build a friendship and Jack finally learns why Jay was so angry at Joseph. I couldn’t help but hope that Jack wouldn’t suffer the loss of anyone else he loves. Schmidt writes achingly beautiful coming-of-age stories that highlight just how strong young people can be when faced with some of the worst of humanity. Be sure to have tissue ready! Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Clarion Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

5*

Youngest sister Eve Brown, in this final book of the Brown sisters trilogy, is a failure...at school, at jobs, at friendships, and at romantic relationships. When her wildly successful, loving, and supportive parents threaten to cut her off until she can prove that she can support herself for a year and grow up, her hurt and anger propel her to drive aimlessly until she stumbles upon a quaint B&B in the Lake District. When she spontaneously requests an impromptu interview for a chef position, rude, glacial owner Jacob’s disdain and dismissal have her fleeing...until he comes to his senses, follows her to her car, and gets promptly run over. With his concussion and broken wrist, he has no choice but to put her in charge while he recovers. What ensues is a funny, awkward, enemies-to-lovers romance that proves that “normal” is a social construct which sets up those on the autism spectrum to fail. As Jacob thought, “the world would be a much better place if they stopped congratulating themselves on being normal and started to accept that there were countless different normals, and Jacob’s kind was just as fine as everyone else’s.” 

 

Jacob’s childhood experience has conditioned him to believe that anyone he cares for will ultimately leave, and Eve is unable to believe that what she sees as failures are, in fact, fragments of a broken dream. As Jacob said, in one of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever read, “It sounds like your dream broke, and you’ve been picking up shattered pieces and blaming yourself when your hands bleed.” I love how they just get each other and, in so doing, instill confidence and comfort.

 

It’s astonishing to realize that author Hibbert is only in her mid 20s, yet has the  maturity and insight to write novels with such depth and understanding of the human psyche. Although all 3 sisters are quirky, it isn’t until this final book of the trilogy that she matches one with a man who is unashamedly autistic and just “gets” Eve’s idiosyncrasies. It’s sad that neither of their parents recognize that their differences make them exceptional in a good way, instead seeing their behavior as something to be rejected, at worst, or managed, at best. As an autistic person herself, she gives her readers a clear view of the challenges and triumphs of those on the spectrum and treats her well-drawn main characters with dignity and respect. 

 

It’s also a profound pleasure to read about women who embrace their large bodies and who all find men who love all of their curves, rolls, and “brown velvet skin.” Like in Book 1, Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Hibbert blasts holes in fat phobia with positive, glowing comments from her male protagonists and body positivity embraced by her heroines. For these reasons and more, I highly recommend this sweet, cute romance in which neuro-divergent behavior is normalized and where Eve and Jacob find a home in each other. 

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

 

One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan

4*

Grace is a soon-to-be empty-nester, sad to see her daughter go off to college, but excited about spending more time with her husband David, beginning with a trip to Paris to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Unfortunately, he has other plans: to divorce Grace and move on with a woman half his age. So, she decides to make the trip herself. Once there, she meets Audrey, an 18-year-old Londoner who has been struggling with dyslexia and parenting her alcoholic mother for years. Knowing she needs to escape, she takes a job at a bookstore in Paris with the offer of a free apartment. When the two women each end up living above the bookstore and Grace begins to give Audrey French lessons, a fast friendship develops. Despite their differences in age, education, wealth and circumstances, they are both on a journey of self-discovery and, along the way come to share respect, trust and love (which Audrey has never been given unconditionally).

Although Sarah Morgan is a stellar romance writer, the friendship between these two is the driving force with the romantic relationships (yes, there are a few) taking a backseat. There are some sweet, sexy (but not too steamy) love scenes and the Paris that the tourists rarely take time to see. There’s also a charming subplot about a man who visits the store every day methodically looking for something in every book. When that mystery is revealed, most readers will shed a tear or two. Although Grace’s decisions will probably disappoint many readers, this delightful book is still the next best thing to spending a summer in Paris.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from HQN through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Again, but Better by Christine Riccio

4*

What if you had the chance to reinvent yourself by taking a semester in London, pursuing your passion rather than continuing to follow the career path your parents chose for you, forcing yourself to socialize, and even trying to get your first kiss? What if the boy you’re falling for turns out to have a girlfriend at home and things between you become painfully awkward? What if you spent the first twenty years of your life living to please others and it still blew up in your face? If you’re regretting your decisions and are given another chance, would you take the do-over in the hopes of getting it right the second time?

These are the questions that timid, insecure Shane Primaveri is faced with in this frustrating, but ultimately redeeming story. The first half of the book drags because Riccio uses running commentary, via first-person narrative and Shane’s blog, journal, emails and postcards, to chronicle her thoughts and recount everything the characters said and did on a daily basis. Shane was so full of self-doubt that it made much of it uncomfortable to read. However, when the story fast-forwarded six years and Riccio added a magical element, the pace picked up and much of the detail in the first half made sense.

The well-described supporting characters are varied (including different races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations), and fill critical roles without their own subplots being superfluous. Beware: descriptions of their travels also inspire wanderlust!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Wednesday Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

When Summer Ends by Jessica Pennington

4*

Aiden, his school’s star baseball pitcher until life throws him a curveball in the form of vision loss, abruptly quits the team without explanation. Over the summer, he works at River Depot, his family’s outdoor adventure business and devotes his time and energy to finding an art form that inspires him. Olivia, who lives with the aunt who has raised her after her mother left to “find herself”, is dumped by her lifelong friend-turned-boyfriend Zander, loses a great job writing for a local newspaper when they are forced to sell the business, and finds out that she’ll be moving to Arizona at the end of the summer for her aunt’s new job. Desperate to salvage what she can of the summer, she begins work at River Depot and vows to focus on her writing.

Although Zander and Aiden’s were teammates, he and Olivia have to dispel misconceptions and acknowledge the break-up before they can begin to build a romantic attachment. As trust builds, Aiden reveals his vision loss and Olivia her family issues. However, she doesn’t tell him about her impending move. When the truth comes out, will Aiden’s sense of betrayal destroy their relationship?

There’s much to love in this character-driven coming-of-age romance. Aiden is the perfect boyfriend and their relationship is adorable. Pennington’s choice of Lake Michigan as the beautiful backdrop for their love story is brilliant and their visit to the Grand Rapids ArtPrize festival serves as the perfect inspirational vehicle for Aiden’s large-scale projects. The dual points of view give the reader a more complete picture of their relationship. She also introduces Aiden’s gay cousin Ellis while avoiding the stereotypical “gay best friend” trope.

However, there are some minor flaws that bear addressing. Problems that seem monumental are too easily resolved, such as Olivia’s renewed relationship with her mother and Aiden’s vision loss that is never fully-explained. When Olivia’s boyfriend Zander breaks up with her, she doesn’t seem very heartbroken. It also seems problematic to leave fate to a coin toss, which is cute only the first time.

Overall, it’s a perfect quick summer read with an charming romance and a refreshing lack of teen angst. Give this to fans of Sarah Dessen, Kasie West and Huntley Fitzpatrick


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Tor Teen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Beauty of the Moment by Tanaz Bhathena

Susan is the good girl: an innocent Indian Christian newly-transplanted from Saudi Arabia to Mississauga, Ontario, eager to please her parents by getting excellent grades, obeying the rules, and staying out of trouble and away from boys. Malcolm is the bad boy: a Canadian-Indian Parsi troublemaker, former alcohol and drug abuser, and angry teen since his mother’s death two years before. Despite her sheltered background and his apparent disregard for authority and responsibility, they’re drawn to each other. As Susan shares her dream of becoming an artist in defiance of her parents’ plans and her anger over their possible divorce and Malcolm (“The One Without a Future, according to every adult in his life”) reveals his father’s abuse, neglect, and adultery while his mom was wasting away from cancer, they start to have a positive influence on each other. Then that trust is broken. With time and determination, will they get a second chance?

Bhathena has written a riveting teen romance that goes beyond the standard meet cute, break-up, and  reconciliation formula. In choosing to tell the story from the points of view of both Susan and Malcolm, she’s given readers an intimate view of the damage that parental expectation, alienation, and selfishness have on children. All of the characters are well-developed and both Susan’s art and the various Indian religions are also key elements that drive this culturally-diverse story. Highly recommended and a first choice for libraries that serve teens.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson

Watch Us Rise is a feminist manifesto for today’s young adults. It’s the story of Jasmine and Chelsea, two high school juniors in New York City who are fed up with the micro-aggressions in their school and decide to combat them by establishing a Women’s Rights Club. Amsterdam Heights High School claims to espouse and model social justice and equity, but when reactions to their Write Like a Girl blog “incite discord,” the club is disbanded. Rather than accept the Principal’s decision, the young “womyn” take their peaceful protests to the neighborhood and the local newspaper. Will their persistence pay off? 

This story is a testament to the power of positive modeling. Both Jasmine and Chelsea’s parents are liberal and civic-minded and have taught and encouraged their daughters to use their art as activism. In fact, Jasmine’s father, who is dying of cancer, challenges Jasmine, Chelsea and their friends Isaac and Nadine (whom he calls artivists) to “Go out and find some inspiration. Create some art in response to what you see.” Their poems, writings, songs, and drawings, combined with the narrative alternating between Jasmine and Chelsea, create an intersectional kaleidoscope of their reactions to the racism, fat-shaming, misogyny, discrimination and sexism they face daily.

This book is groundbreaking and a much-needed portrayal of the struggles today’s young women continue to face. It sends a powerful message that words and actions can have positive impact and that change can begin with a single action. This is an essential purchase for any library serving teens and should be required reading as a springboard for open, honest dialogue.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bloomsbury through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.