Should books like this exist? God, no. Kids shouldn't have to know things like this exist in the world. But that's a simple answer BRINGBORROWBYPASS
Should books like this exist? God, no. Kids shouldn't have to know things like this exist in the world. But that's a simple answer for a world we don't live in.
Having experienced sexual abuse from an authority figure over the span of many years as a child, I wonder what it would have been like if I knew that it wasn't just me - if I knew that it happened to other people too, that it was not my fault (nor was it the fault of any child that it happened to), if I knew that his threats about what would happen if I were to tell someone were baseless, if I knew that adults would believe me. What could it be like if adults that thought they had power over children in this way knew that these things were discussed in school, that the child would know what was happening wasn't right, that the child would tell someone?
Look, man. I don't know. It's not an easy answer for something that's not an easy situation. I truly don't think this is a book I would readily recommend to a middle grade student, and I don't know how I would feel if I had a son or daughter and they brought this book home from the school library. That's tough stuff that I wouldn't want in their world - but also, what would it have been like for me if I had found this book on the shelves in my middle school library?
All of this being said, it's a well written and powerful book - nothing less than I would expect from the author of my favorite series of all time, The War That Saved My Life (if you haven't read it and you thought this book was good - please do yourself a favor and pick that one up).
Della and Suki were well written characters with believable reactions, and I thought all of the side characters were also done well. There's not much more than I can say, honestly. It's a damn good book about a topic that shouldn't exist to be written about, but here we are.
Find resources at RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest Nat'l Network): Chat online at: online.rainn.org Call someone who can help: 800.656.4673
RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, help is available.
Content Warnings: Sexual Abuse of minors, Predatory behavior from a caregiver, Suicide attempt, Foster Care, Meth / Drug Addictions, Incarcerated Parent / Parental Abandonment...more
Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, & St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in nThank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, & St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
Well, Fable. You did it. You and your motley crew have officially made it into my top 5 books of the year. (aka I LOVED THIS BOOK)
This felt like a mashup of Six of Crows (Bardugo) meets Waterworld (the film) meets Pirates of the Caribbean (film) meets Illuminae (Kristoff/Kaufman) meets Scarlet (Gaughen). So basically Adrienne Young took all my favorite things and put them together with her own delicious spin on them. Yeah. I'm obsessed.
If there are qualms to be had about this story, characters, dialogue, or any other bit of it - I honestly don't know what they are and I don't care. I was completely immersed from the first line of the first page and this story didn't let go until the very end (which is actually kind of a lie because THAT CLIFFHANGER, THOUGH).
The world building took me a little bit of time to fully wrap my head around, but I honestly didn't mind because I found the characterization so strong - not to mention the atmospheric feel of the story. I know it sounds silly and maybe overblown to say I could feel the salt spray on my face but y'all. I did. Okay? I just did.
This is one of those unicorn books that I have already found myself recommending to anyone and everyone - my literary fiction loving friend LOVED this book just as much as me (we ordered t-shirts - it's real). I would probably describe it as a fantasy adventure thrilling romance with a strong found family feel...and I would definitely suggest you add this one to your TBR ASAP!
(Sequel comes out in March, and it's frickin fabulous as well, just in case you were interested.)...more
Thank you to Edelweiss, Algonquin Young Readers, & Workman for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no wThank you to Edelweiss, Algonquin Young Readers, & Workman for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
I picked this book up for two reasons: the soccer and the Argentinian setting.
I really enjoyed this book for multiple reasons: the descriptions of the soccer (the PASSION, the FIRE, I LOVE!), the Argentinian setting, Camila (although at times she bugged me, can't put my finger on it), the author's #ownvoices rep of her country/experiences growing up a a woman in Argentina, and the nods to the feminist movement in the country.
I wasn't super jazzed on the romance, but I think 15 years ago it would have been everything to me (totally dated a guy that went to Spain after high school to play soccer for a bit, nbd).
Overall, I would recommend this one to YA and Adult readers alike - although probably for different reasons.
Content Warnings: (view spoiler)[Emotional & Physical Abuse from a parent, Murdered/Abducted Young Girls, Poverty, Misogyny, Teen Pregnancy (hide spoiler)]...more
Thank you to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux , & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book before itThank you to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux , & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
Traitor is a interesting mix of thriller & historical fiction, both dual POV and somewhat dual timeline (flashbacks for one of the timelines), covering a little discussed period of history in Lwów, Poland - which would become Lviv, part of the USSR and then Ukraine following many skirmishes and much bloodshed.
The characterization is absolutely stand-out in this novel and, for me, what anchored the entire plot. The plot itself is fairly dense, expecting a level of knowledge that many people (myself included) might not necessarily have. (There is a very useful historical note and pronunciation guide in the back that would be handy to reference as you read.)
This one is definitely very grim and it stays with you for long after finishing, but I'm glad I read it.
Content Warnings: (view spoiler)[From Author: Graphic wartime violence, including on-page depictions of suicide (Chapter 20) and torture (Chapters 21-23); anti-Polonism, anti-Ukrainianism, and anti-Semitism, including ethnic slurs; brief references to child abuse; alcohol and drug use; strong language.
There is no explicit sexual content but there are some very brief references to rape (not depicted on-page). (hide spoiler)]...more
Thank you to NetGalley & Wattpad for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opiThank you to NetGalley & Wattpad for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
I have always firmly believed some of the most powerful books in existence are those that are written to shape and inform and mold young minds, and to that end I am always on the lookout for more middle grade or young reader books that I can recommend to both younger and adult readers - and, y'all? I definitely found another one. This popped up on NetGalley a couple of days before it was published as a "Read Now" (I seriously have no clue how I didn't see it before because there's no way this cover wouldn't have stopped me in my tracks!) and I hit download faster than you can ride your bike down to the creek. Weird analogy. Moving on. Simply put, this book was excellent. There is not nearly enough quality historical fiction in middle grade and I was blown away by Daven McQueen's debut (although my understanding is that she has more works on Wattpad!). The characters were so beautifully drawn, and the simple ease of childhood summers was written so well - I could feel my own honeysuckle scented lightning bug summers around me with every page I read. The plot moved at a nice pace, introducing events and people easily and seamlessly. The story itself was wonderful and heartbreaking all at once - and it is so necessary for books like this to be in bookstores and libraries and classrooms. There's honestly so much more to say about this book, but also, I think the biggest thing to say is just that it's a fabulous coming of age story set in 1950s Alabama, is very timely, and that it should definitely be on your TBR....more
Honestly, I can't imagine there's anything to say about this book that hasn't been said before, but I'll at least add my sentiments to those of the muHonestly, I can't imagine there's anything to say about this book that hasn't been said before, but I'll at least add my sentiments to those of the much more eloquent reviews of this amazing book.
I do want to start by saying I listened to this via audio, and while I own a copy of the book I don't know that it would have hit me as hard had I read the physical copy (for sure still a 5 star read, but the audio WRECKED me). Jason Reynolds narrates his book and it just goes to show you how incredible a book narrated by the author can be - they know every single nuance, every single period, every single intonation that needs to happen to fully convey their narrative and by God does Reynolds NAIL THIS.
The plot itself was interesting, compelling, inventive, and written so damn well. I started this audio expecting to listen to a couple minutes before starting a project and ended up completely ignoring everything and everyone in my life to listen to it all in one sitting. I cannot recommend this book enough. It's that simple. And while I know the story is amazing no matter how you take it in, I would be remiss if I didn't specifically recommend the audio version - it's unreal. It's powerful. It's so dang good....more
I have really been enjoying this trend in publishing where we are getting more stories of what was happening in Europe immediately following WWII, andI have really been enjoying this trend in publishing where we are getting more stories of what was happening in Europe immediately following WWII, and for that reason I was very excited when I came across My Long List of Impossible Things, a story about a German teenager that must come to terms with the truths of what her countrymen did during the war, all while trying to survive the Soviets.
I'm a little torn on a lot of aspects of this book - I thought the writing was mostly good, and I mostly enjoyed the plot, and I sometimes liked the characters ... but never enough of any one of these things to turn it from an okay book to a great one (in my eyes). The main character, Katja, seemed to act way younger than her 16 years - and while I know that teenagers have been very similar in lots of ways for hundreds of years, I would have expected a 16yo in post WWII Germany to have a little bit more awareness of herself and those around her. This made the reach for believability somewhat of a strain at times.
The author's note at the end (as well as her research notes) helped me look at the book a bit differently immediately upon finishing, and definitely helped improve my views on the overall story - so I would make sure to check that out if you pick this one up!
Thank you to NetGalley, Annick Press, & Ingram Publisher Services for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own....more
This is a title where the topic of intended audience is so important - as an adult reader, I found myself unable to really get into the story, but I tThis is a title where the topic of intended audience is so important - as an adult reader, I found myself unable to really get into the story, but I think as a younger reader I would have loved this.
It gives a lot for a reader to research and discover, and the journey that Alice and her new Parisian friend take to find out more about her grandmother was really interesting. In a perfect world, I would have loved to have way more of the past storyline, because I think that's where this book really stood out.
My biggest frustrations were how little of present day Grandma we were given - I understand that her not being around was basically what created the story and drove the plot - but there is so much that doesn't make sense about her actions after the war and prior to her death. I was also frustrated with how the mental health aspects of the book were handled - those portions seemed as if they were written with a much, much younger audience in mind.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperTeen, & HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own....more
Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter, & HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in noThank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter, & HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
Okay, so, hi. This book is all the absolute best parts of books about music, and I'm totally here for it. I love the way that Hahn describes music and songs and melodies and drumbeats and records and punk and pop and everything in between.
It's interesting because in my life I have a lot of tedious monotonous type tasks, and I try to go to the gym at least 3-5x a week - which, in theory, would mean there's a lot of prime time for audio books. However, I just can't do it. Driving? I want loud music. At the gym? Need loud music. Cleaning the apartment? Music. Folding laundry? Music. Unpacking shipments of textbooks? For sure music. Honestly, I feel off kilter if I'm not listening to music throughout the day.
And this book just NAILS that feeling. It takes all the best parts of two of my favorite things - books and music - and puts them together in one perfect little package.
I loved the relationships between absolutely all of the characters, and more often than I could count I had such a stupid grin on my face. (The banter and the silliness and the sweetness was just too good!) The book explored a lot of things without feeling disjointed: parents, siblings, first love, coming of age. (There was also a really great plot point re: the invasion of someone's privacy in a way that I've seen a lot of people struggle to understand IS invasion of privacy, and I thought that was really well done.)
I read Hahn's previous book, You'd Be Mine, last year - and while I didn't LOVE it, I enjoyed it. I don't know if it was the switch to more of a punk/indie feel over country music or what, but I loved this one in a way that just didn't happen with YBM. (Which is not to say that I don't enjoy country music ... it's just not punk, haha.)
If you're want a YA romance that hits all the sweet spots and you love music, this is definitely one for you!...more
Before I get started with this review (which was gifted to me from the author), I've got to tell you two things: 1) I have adored EVERYTHING that ShaBefore I get started with this review (which was gifted to me from the author), I've got to tell you two things: 1) I have adored EVERYTHING that Sharon Cameron has ever written, and I adore her as a person even more so. 2) I have read a LOT of WWII Historical Fiction, and a LOT of WWII memoirs from Holocaust survivors. Like, a lot of them. Okay, with that out of the way, I need you to know that this book is incredible. Based on the real life heroics of Stefania Podgorska, a Polish Catholic girl that kept both her sister and 13 Jewish people alive during the Nazi occupation of Poland, this story was so hard to read but so, so, damn good. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Not only did Stefania agree to hide 13 Jewish people at the age of 16 in Nazi occupied Poland, but she did so knowing that she would also have to keep her young sister safe - and then she faced an even more impossible decision when she found out that Nazi nurses were requisitioning part of her cottage. She and her sister refused to leave the cottage, and lived 7 perilous months with two German nurses (and their frequent male visitors) in the bedroom beside them, and 13 terrified Jewish people in the attic above them. I loved that so much of this book was based on Stefania's unpublished memoir (written shortly after the war), because I feel like it gave the book and Stefania's character so much more depth. It wasn't easy, and there were times that she wondered what on earth she was doing, while also knowing there was nothing else on earth she could possibly do. You FELT this, FELT the terror and the frustration and the bone deep weariness. This book was so much the richer for that. The research that Sharon did is evident on almost every page, and I love knowing that the book and it's author have the blessing of not only Stefania's son, but some of the people that Stefania kept hidden for the remaining months of the war. This one should be on everyone's TBR. It's brilliant, & it's important, & I loved it....more
I loved Stephanie Morrill's book The Lost Girl of Astor Street and looked forward to this book for ages - to be fair, I felt it was nothing like TLGOAI loved Stephanie Morrill's book The Lost Girl of Astor Street and looked forward to this book for ages - to be fair, I felt it was nothing like TLGOAS but I'm very glad I read it. It seemed very well researched, and I appreciated the historical look into one of the Japanese internment camps of World War II....more
I received this book for free from the publisher via Netgalley for review consideration. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the contenI received this book for free from the publisher via Netgalley for review consideration. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review. I want to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
I am loathe to do this, because the premise sounded so interesting. I loved the idea of getting to know more about a relatively undocumented portion of an extremely documented time - Polish airmen who participated in the war efforts from both French and English soil after the German Reich overtook Poland. What I ended up getting was a lot less than I would have liked - the characters all felt wooden to me; their motivations at best murky and at worst beyond my scope of care.
The story is told in multiple POVs: Peggy, the 16yr old female protoganist that finds the wounded Polish airman; Henryk, the aforementioned Polish airman; and Ernest, Peggy’s 12yr old brother who is obsessed with his doing his civic duty during the war. At times, this writing style helped the story; I’ve always loved multiple POVs and the better understanding of each character it affords the reader. However, in this particular instance, it only made me all the more aware of the underdevelopment of each character.
If you are in the search of compelling Young Adult WWII historical fiction, I would heartily recommend Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, The War That Saved My Life by Kimberley Brubraker Bradley, or Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys – all three affected me profoundly as a reader. ...more
Definitely a story that seems to favor characterization over plot, but it works because the characters were so well drawn up and interesting4.5 Stars!
Definitely a story that seems to favor characterization over plot, but it works because the characters were so well drawn up and interesting! The complexity and nuances of the relationships were very compelling, and once I let myself really get sucked in I was a total goner!
Very excited to see where this one goes with the next book!...more
I told this to a friend when I was halfway through this book, and I can't think of a better way to explain it: "It feels classic and sophisticated andI told this to a friend when I was halfway through this book, and I can't think of a better way to explain it: "It feels classic and sophisticated and beautiful and sort of like coming home."
This book, to me, is what perfect fantasies are made of. It's not about the magic or the creatures or the world-building, it's about using fantastical things to explore human lives and the motivations and morals and ethics within.
Simply put, I have been absolutely ensorceled by this beautiful book. ...more
Lindsey (Bring My Books)
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