Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

 

4*

I’ve now met the Newmans, and I’m richer for it. Set in 1964 (with flashbacks to earlier years), it tells the story of a “real” family who have played themselves on television for over 10 years (the earliest scripted reality TV). In addition to learning more about father Del, mother Dinah, and sons Guy and Shep, it also focuses on a changing society, especially as it concerns women’s rights. When Del is in an accident and put in an induced coma, Dinah is forced to deal with the fallout. Their “out-of-touch” show is nearing the end of its long run, but Del (writer, producer, director, and star) isn’t awake to write the finale. So, despite pressure from the studio execs and their agent, Dinah, along with young LA Times journalist Juliet (who is facing chauvinism and misogyny in her workplace), decides to take on the task herself. In the weeks leading up to the live finale, Dinah struggles with keeping Del’s condition a secret, realizes that she has subjugated who she is in deference to Del and the other men in her life, and begins to open her eyes to the fledgling fight for women’s rights at a very volatile time in U.S. history.

Although the Newman family is loosely based on the real Nelson TV family, Niven gives us a solid look into the impact being in the public eye has on not just Dinah  and Del but also their sons who had to grow up in front of the cameras. Guy is the “good” son who follows the rules and remains clean-cut and scandal-free (although he has a huge secret he’s keeping) and Shep is the “bad boy” musician who constantly pushes the boundaries and rebels against the constraints put on him by his parents’ choices.

This is very much a slow burn narrative, but Niven gives her readers plenty of juicy tidbits to keep the book flowing. Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will love this story which has some similar themes as Daisy Jones and the Six. Recommended.

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

Devil in Disguise (The Ravenels #7) by Lisa Kleypas

5*


Kleypas and these families will always earn a 5* from me. She has a way with historical romance unsurpassed by any other writer I’ve read and always has a plot that involves a mystery where main characters are put at risk. Both the romance and the mystery are well-drawn and not at all gratuitous. Her characters are well-developed, her history accurate, and the relationships are full of intense, eternal love, sizzling chemistry, and lots of laughter. One of the things I love the most about the Ravenel series is that it features the children of the couples from the Wallflower series. If you’ve read those books, you get why the presence of Sebastian and Evie and Lilliana and Marcus is so emotionally satisfying. Her heroines are feminists who never let men dictate their lives, and they’ve produced equally strong daughters like Merritt and Phoebe.

Almost all historical romances aren’t just about the eventual happily-ever-after, but the journey to get there. In this case, it’s one that begins in the offices of a shipping firm owned by Lady Merritt Sterling, Marcus & Lillian’s eldest child, who took over the firm after the untimely death of her husband of only 1.5 years. It’s been three years, so she’s no longer grief-stricken but she’s also vowed to never marry again. Then Kier MacRae, an incredibly handsome Scot who owns a whiskey distillery and bears an uncanny resemblance to our favorite reformed rake, Sebastian, formerly Lord St. Vincent and now Duke of Challon. The attraction is instantaneous, and mysterious circumstances throw them together as they try to determine why Kier is being targeted.

I also appreciate how Kleypas seamlessly blends the aristocrats of the haute ton with the rise of the industrial revolution. On the surface, her pairings are ones that might have caused scandal, but by the time this story takes place (1880s), cash-strapped aristocrats either must marry for money or earn their fortunes through trade and industry. Generally, her characters buck tradition, marrying for love rather than money or social standing, and investing in the new inventions that power progress.


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

The Last Word by Samantha Hastings

3*

This YA version of a Victorian romance features a progressive young woman, Lucinda, who refuses to be constrained by society’s limitations on women (in both her work and personal life). She has to also fight against the classism that prevents her from being accepted by the aristocracy because her parents were lowborn, even if her father did rise from street sweeper to wealthy financier. David, the son of her father’s business partner, took his father’s place after his death. As he and Lucinda become reacquainted after she leaves finishing school, their mutual respect and affection grow, and he gives her the opportunity to be part of the company without her father’s knowledge (since he holds traditional views of young women). The strengths and weaknesses in this book balance each other out, leaving us with a just so-so read. Given the interests of today’s teens, I think this would struggle to find an audience.

Pros: feminism; Lucinda’s friendship with the American Persephone Merritt; the equal partnership (both personal and professional) with David; Lucinda’s refusal to be metaphorically caged by society and the literal burns inflicted on her by the crinoline case, a fashion she later discards in favor of bloomers. “You think I should wear bloomers?” “I thought you no longer wished to be caged.” “I don’t.” “Then stop caring what other people think. That’s the greatest cage of all,” Persephone said.”

Cons: surface treatment of classism that seems almost disingenuous; Persephone’s ignorance of the peerage (which would have been drilled into her before arriving in London); comment about David regretting risking his life to rescue the papers from the fire when it was that action that saved Lucinda and her father (“he felt bitter regret that he had nearly risked his life for a few signatures that had not even been at his countinghouse to begin with”); repetitive mention of Mrs. Patton’s narcolepsy; misuse of me, myself, and I at least twice (may be corrected in final publication); historical inaccuracy about a dinner party (there is a strict order of entry based on rank and choosing your dinner companion wasn’t done).

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

The Downstairs Girls by Stacey Lee

4.5*

Jo never knew her parents, but her adopted father Old Gin raised her from infancy in a subterranean room used by the Underground Railroad (since Chinese weren’t allowed to own or rent property). She uses the lessons Old Gin taught (academics, strength, patience, etc.) to find her place in a society that, at best, shuns her and, at worst, threatens her. Despite this, she perseveres and stands up for herself, first by going back to work for a spoiled, nasty society debutante, then by writing an anonymous column for a progressive paper. As she works to uncover the mysteries of a letter and clothing left behind by someone named Shang as well as why Old Gin involves himself with a notorious criminal named Billy Riggs, she discovers the truth about her parents and information about her employer and others that she uses to her advantage.

This stunning historical YA novel touches on a number of social issues including feminism (suffragettes), racism, and the plight of Chinese in late 19th-century Atlanta at the start of Jim Crow. These are all witnessed and narrated by Jo, a strong, intelligent, charming, and quick-witted Asian teen who is trying to navigate her way in a society that is determined to keep her down in a time period not often featured in teen fiction. There is also the beginnings of an interracial relationship which was illegal at the time.

The one concern is that her outspoken manner and the way she challenges people in power (whether rich or dangerous) would probably not have gone unchallenged at the time, and would have put her and those who cared about her in danger. It’s also questionable whether there would have been so many people willing to risk their livelihoods or reputations to protect and defend her. Despite this, it’s still an extraordinary piece of historical fiction. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan and Genevieve Darling

3*

What Makes Girls Sick and Tired? is, simply put, an illustrated list of offenses against women and girls. The most stunning aspect is the sheer magnitude of the crisis of worldwide misogyny. As De Pesloüan states on the first page, Girls are sick and tired because sexism affects everyone, every day, in ways that are both obvious and subtle, and both simple and complex and every girl, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender, personality, physical attributes and more, shares similar experiences. The author and illustrator acknowledge that they are privileged white women, so it may not be a complete list of experiences, but the book serves as a call to action in support of feminism and women’s rights. It’s difficult to tell from the galley how the book will appear in print, but on-screen it is a page-by-page list of offenses with accompanying monochromatic illustrations which are somewhat amateurish and inconsistent in style. Regardless, the book achieves the stated purpose. Counselors might find this valuable, but it would be an optional library purchase.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Second Story Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed 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.