This one popped up on the library’s recommendation software when whatever book it was I was trying to download was not instantly available. Although iThis one popped up on the library’s recommendation software when whatever book it was I was trying to download was not instantly available. Although it’s been more than a hot minute since I’ve read some teenie-bopper stuff, if you’re thinking to yourself . . . .
This isn’t a book that’s going to change the world, but if you have a young’un who enjoys reading this is a perfectly acceptable Young Adult selection. It has a little (strictly PG) romance, a little finding yourself, a little finding your people and it . . . .
I snatched this one up from the library pronto during prom season where people on the Socials are still more than happy to celebrate their childrens’ I snatched this one up from the library pronto during prom season where people on the Socials are still more than happy to celebrate their childrens’ antebellum proms. As the title states, this truly is not okay.
I realize I’m not the target demographic for this YA book, buuuuuuuut that being said, the problems with all of these books with a message is the people who actually neeeeed to read them will be those least likely to ever pick them up. The writing here is definitely for an audience who needs every microagression spelled out for them, which, unfortunately makes the lead Harriet a not-so-likeable character who takes being offended to an entirely different level. In addition, the other characters aren't fleshed out much at all and Harriet shows absolutely no empathy to the idea that anyone else could be dealing with real-life issues of their own. Eventually it is disclosed that Harriet suffers from anger management issues, but the therapy portions of the story leave much to be desired and it was pretty clear Harriet probably needed more than an every once in a while talk session to deal with her problems. As a mom I simply could not get on board with the decision of Harriet not attending her dream college because it only acknowledged its tainted history in 2014 rather than sooner. And the instalove which would result in moving away with a boy immediately after high school graduation after only dating for a few weeks being fully supported by her father made me realize I’m a Boomer who probably should stop reading books for teenagers.
Not to mention nearly all of the dialogue was super cringe like . . . .
I knew going in this was going to be young adult, but since I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom who still appreciates YA (especially the stabby kind) and loves a good Christie knockoff I was all over it. I mean, a group of “influencers” get sent to a deserted island for some reality T.V. show where they aren’t allowed their screens for two weeks and then bodies start piling up? Um, yes please.
Well, it turns out I am a regular mom – not a cool mom *womp wommmmmmp* I appreciated the vibe of . . .
But not only were all of these characters completely interchangeable with the same voice (other than one of them calling every one “Babe” which made me wish she was the first to be whacked), they also seemed to keep forgetting their fellow island dwellers were being offed and did weird super teenage shit like playing spin the bottle instead of freaking the eff out or trying to find a way back to civilization like they should have been doing. I also guessed the first big “surprise” reveal right off the bat, but the actual whodunit was pretty satisfying and I’m always down for a good pool cover. Two Stars means “it was alright” and that’s about as much as I can say about this one.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
Whether your vibe leans toward Heathers or Mean Girls or the Pink Ladies, know that The Honeys also rule the school . . . errr, I mean the Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy.
I was FEEEEEEEELING this one. I’m all down to clown when it comes to some culty ish and errrrybody knows you better not be killing off the honeybees! If you’re looking for some YA summertime fun that might give you the creeps, this one shouldn’t be left unread.
Any time I hear of a book about a bunch of kids planning some epic sort of vacay where a wrong turn is taken I (a) immediately want it and
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Any time I hear of a book about a bunch of kids planning some epic sort of vacay where a wrong turn is taken I (a) immediately want it and (b) immediately go to the most obvious place in my brain regarding what the story is going to be about . . . .
It only took about 20 pages to find out this group of road trippers probably weren't going to be dealing with inbred cannibals, however. So six kids are on a trip down to Gulf Shores to partaaaaaay for Spring Break when they find themselves not only broke down in the backwoods of North Carolina, but with a sniper taking aim. The request is simple – give up the secret and only one person will be hurt.
The biggest problem I had with this one is there was about 250 pages worth of story delivered in nearly 400. Talk about a slog. Once the action picked up at about the halfway point things got spicey, but oh my word there was so much hinting around regarding what was pretty flipping obvious right from the jump. And the writing? It’s what my pal GirlWithThePinkSkiMask would call closed captioned ass . . . .
I mean we are talking EVERY. SINGLE. DETAIL. regarding what was packed in suitcases or the contents of drawers or the parts of a walkie-talkie. #snore The good news is once these chillins started spilling their secrets, the orange was pretty juicy and I did not see all the twists and revelations that were to come. This wasn’t nearly as good as A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (at least the first one, you know your girl don’t make a habit of reading past #1 in a series), but if you like the stabby YA it might work for you.
Boy, the knuckledraggers didn’t even have to put any effort into finding this one. Sonora Reyes did all the work for them with this title!
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Boy, the knuckledraggers didn’t even have to put any effort into finding this one. Sonora Reyes did all the work for them with this title!
I read this last week for Banned Books Week and of course failed to review it on time because that is what I do. The story here is about Yami – a teen who, along with her brother, has transferred to a private Catholic school after being outed and ostracized by her former best friend and due to her brother’s inability to stay out of trouble. Her goals for the new year are simple . . . .
1. Find a new best friend. 2. Don’t be gay about it.
Throughout the course of the book you learn about why Yami’s brother was having issues, meet her parents – neither of which are approving of homosexuality and one who was deported, and experience first love. Also included are some helpful doses of facts . . . .
If I’m “living a lie,” then so is every straight person who’s never “come out” to every single person in their life about their sexuality. I shouldn’t have to talk about it if I don’t want to.
Aside from being “too gay” – there’s zero reason why this book would ever be an issue to the crazies. It’s a typical young adult type of story that would easily translate over to Netflix like the trillions of other teenage romance books that have been converted to film in the past. A little meatier dealing with the homophobia aspect, but all in all a feel good type of coming of age story. I’ve stepped back from my YA reading in the past few years and find my complaints to be those of a grown-up that might not even bother the targeted audience. I was interested in knowing more about the mother and father’s relationship – how he got deported – how they managed to maintain a family while being so far removed – etc., but this was Yami’s story and not the parents so that’s my issue and not the book’s. I have plenty of other complaints regarding the mother, but I prefer to leave my reviews spoiler free so I’ll just leave it with she need a good shaking for more than one reason. The characters could have used a lot more dimension, the story was nothing super new and I’m fairly certain real life situations like these wouldn’t get tied up with a big bright bow at the end, but again I’m not a kid so what does my old Boomer ass know?
Now a longlister for The National Book Award. ...more
Well, aside from the references to “old tyme rock and roll” and “classic rock” which featured songs by Nirvana, Fall Out Boy, Thirty Seconds to Mars, etc. . . . .
If you like Young Adult romances – the trope where someone pretends to be something they're not and ends up discovering how to be comfortable in their own skin – that everyone has a story behind their choices (sometimes even the school bully) – ride or die pals – and the magic of first love, this one might be for you . . . .
Yay that it is being adapted into a Netflix show. Yay for Alice Oseman for a Kickstarter campaign to put this baby on paper so I could check it out from my library. Yay for everyone else who loved it virally and virtually that propelled it into the megahit it has become. I’m a sucker for high school first love types of stories and Nick and Charlie were simply a delight.
Back before the dilemma and the entire world shut down forever, whenever the kids would have a function at school my weak bladder always required at lBack before the dilemma and the entire world shut down forever, whenever the kids would have a function at school my weak bladder always required at least one trip to the potty. And that’s where I discovered the “in-STALL-ment” which turns out wasn’t just a genius marketing idea for bookpushing, but also provided a seriously SOLID recommendation that I finally got around to reading this week . . . .
The story here is about a high schooler named Grace who, after an accidental pregnancy which results in her putting her daughter up for adoption, decides she might be ready to find her own birth mother and listen to what she has to say about the circumstances surrounding Grace’s adoption. What she didn’t expect was to discover she has a brother and sister who both live nearby. The sister was adopted at birth as well and quickly followed by a “miracle baby” biologically belonging to her parents. The brother has been bounced from one foster family to another his entire life.
Simply put, this was just a great story. The characters seemed so real, their problems were real, the emotions were real. I would easily recommend this one to both youngsters and oldsters....more
“You’re saying if you can’t have me, no one else can?”
“Let’s not find out, okay?”
I had a ball with Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties so when “You’re saying if you can’t have me, no one else can?”
“Let’s not find out, okay?”
I had a ball with Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties so when I saw Obsession marketed as a “You for Young Adults” I was all over it. I mean, if you don’t love Joe you just don’t know what you’re missing.
The girl of Logan’s dreams. Logan has been unlucky in love before, so he decides to get to know Delilah a little before making his move. And the way he’s going to go about it? Put a hidden camera in the tree outside of her house . . . .
She was going to freak the fuck out—nobody understands romance
Little does he know he’s going to catch Delilah doing a bad bad thing. But lucky for Logan, that little piece of videotaped evidence is just what he needs in order to make Delilah his forever. Or so he thinks . . . .
Yep, this was mommy’s idea of a good time. Four Stars....more
This book had been on my TBR for a minute and since I had already read the other recommendations in this genre I figured no time like the present. And let me tell you, the social horror stories are really becoming my jam. While there are no moments such as this . . . .
Making it a perfect choice for this challenge as it most definitely delivered “chills and thrills.”
The story here takes place at the exclusive and prestigious Niveus Private Academy where Devon and Chiamaka have both been elected as prefects for their Senior year. This is sure to help Devon with his scholarship application to Juliard and should solidify Chiamaka’s acceptance to Yale. That is, until some anonymous source only known as “Aces” starts texting the school Devon and Chiamaka’s most well-kept secrets in an obvious attempt to sabotage their future plans.
Aside from the not only stupid, but completely unnecessary “I Know What You Did Last Summer” incident contained herein and the fact that it could have easily dropped probably 100 pages, this was a great read. Gossip Girl meets Get Out is certainly a fitting tagline. ...more
Well, actually it was only like an inch or two, but it still shut down the city for three days so it might as well have been ten feet. My library hold for this one came up just in time and let me tell you I was ready to get my creepy carshare on.
However, in an attempt at full disclosure, as soon as those kids took a detour from the main thoroughfare in order to “save some time” my brain 100% went in a certain direction . . . .
So the big reveal ended up being way disappointing for me. Still, this wasn’t a completely horrible way to spend my afternoon all bundled up on the couch. I’m giving it a middle-of-the-road rating and rounding up for the occasional chills and thrills it provided. Great idea, great cover, a little lackluster on the delivery. ...more
Seriously, though, this is quickly becoming my favorite genre. Many thanks to Jordan Peele for
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Social horror. Where you been all my life????
Seriously, though, this is quickly becoming my favorite genre. Many thanks to Jordan Peele for being the catalyst behind this movement because without him paving the way books like Cherish Farrah probably still wouldn’t be getting published. So with that being said, lemme just double-down on the Peele gifs.
Cherish and Farrah are the only two black girls in their gated community. They are as close as sisters – to the point where when Farrah’s parents lose their house Cherish’s family says why doesn’t Farrah just move in with them??? Farrah’s own parents don’t seem so keen on the idea, especially when Farrah falls ill and they aren’t informed. But Farrah doesn’t want to leave the lifestyle she has become accustomed to behind and is willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure the Whitman family knows she is quite possibly a better choice than their own adopted daughter.
While I did have a pretty good idea of what was going on as soon as the book was given to Farrah, it didn’t make the pages turn any slower and I will happily admit that by the time this sucker was over I was looking like . . . .
All October I’ve been trying to find a real “slasher flick” type of read. I was hopeful that The Woods Are Alwa“All we have to do now is not die.”
All October I’ve been trying to find a real “slasher flick” type of read. I was hopeful that The Woods Are Always Watching would be the one to deliver, but sadly that wasn’t nearly as good as There’s Someone In Your House and so the search continued. When this selection popped up on the “Recommended to You” feature on my library’s app I decided to take a gamble. And it was EXACTLY what I was hoping it would be.
What more could you want? When it comes to me and books like this, I want them to play in my head like a movie while I’m reading. This did just that and would easily translate to the screen. The only thing else I could ask for? Well, like all good horror flicks – a sequel. And there’s room for one here ; ) ...more
It’s always hard for me to keep up with my read-to-reviewed ratio to begin with, but especially when I don’t have a whole lot to say. The only thing that really needs to be known about Jake Livingston is it was waaaaaaay darker than I expected it to be. I thought I had signed up for some YA “I see dead people” kind of good times so I really wasn’t expecting school shootings and racism and homophobia and child abuse and mental illness to take center stage. It was probably an attempt at a take on social horror, but with so many things thrown in the pot it sort of lost its way. YMMV with this one, but it felt like a bait and switch to me that fizzled out when it came to the actual “powerful ghost” narrative that it promised to deliver. ...more
The Woods Are Always Watching was my MUST READ for October. After being denied an ARC I made sure I was the first in line for a library copy. I even gThe Woods Are Always Watching was my MUST READ for October. After being denied an ARC I made sure I was the first in line for a library copy. I even got a hardback version rather than my usual Kindle preference so I would make sure I really sank in on the sofa the first rainy Saturday that came along in order to fully immerse myself in the experience.
After loving both the print and film versions of There’s Someone In Your House I was soooooooo prepared for a slashy good time. But these gals were dimwits and (sorry not sorry for spoiling things), you cannot (a) run away from danger on a broken leg or (b) pull your very-not-athletic self out of a giant hole you are trapped in once your hand has been blown off. You probably can’t not go into shock or properly tourniquet yourself one-handed or shoot a rifle accurately or out muscle a bad guy when you can’t even hike a couple of miles in eight hours or various other things when you’re an idiot either, but it all happens here.
I’m all for gore and losing most semblances of reality in my B-movie type of horror, but this was simply ridiculous (™Ron 2.0). There was no character development (and no high body count to make up for the fact that the characters were so meh), no plot to speak of, clichéd bad guys, no edge-of-your-seat tension. Nothing . . . .
After some stuff and things went down in her old town, Mari(gold) and her blended family of Mom, brother, Stepdad and stepsister are relocating to CedAfter some stuff and things went down in her old town, Mari(gold) and her blended family of Mom, brother, Stepdad and stepsister are relocating to Cedarville thanks to her mom winning an award from the Sterling Foundation that will pay all of the family's housing costs for three years. Aside from the fact that the area is most definitely considered wrong side of the tracks with vacant and dilapidated houses up and down the block aside from their fresh remodel, it seems like a pretty sweet gig. That is until doors start closing on their own and random figures start being seen and heard.
The blurb calls this Get Out meets The Haunting of Hill House which is not particularly accurate. Just because a horror story is written by a black person and includes black people in its cast of characters doesn't make it Get Out FFS. Jackson herself even offers up shoutouts throughout the book to the most obvious comparison . . . .
The driving force propelling this storyline as far as the house and town go is gentrification. This is a theme that has popped up in several books I’ve picked up recently. Living in a metropolitan area myself I can see why as it is a subject of much interest and such a double-edged sword. I mean who wouldn’t want run down neighborhoods revitalized and crime rates reduced? But on the other hand who would want to do so when a consequence is pricing out the law abiding citizens who have been the ones invested in making a change for the long haul? I’m not here to debate who is right - I’m just saying this plot point apparently works for me because the tension this topic creates is nearly palpable.
This author works for me as well. I love YA writers who push the envelope and bring adult topics of discussion into the mix. Jackson does not shy away from socioeconomic, mental health or drug addiction issues in this latest release. NOT attempting to pull any punches certainly makes for a story that flows more effortlessly. For example, I should have seen that ending coming because I’ve read that particular twist before and not all that long ago. That’s the sign of a good storyteller to me - you aren’t even trying to think past the point in the book where you currently are.
An easy 4 Stars. (I still hate face covers, though so that would get Zero ...more
♪♫♬ ♪♫♬ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ♪♫♬ ♪♫♬
Oh my poor husband. Good thing I’m a quick reader because t♪♫♬ ♪♫♬ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ♪♫♬ ♪♫♬
Oh my poor husband. Good thing I’m a quick reader because that poor sumbitch had to endure a whoooooooooooooooooooooooole lotta Hamilton singing the other day hahahahaha.
How did I not know this existed????? Be still my Lin Manuel Miranda loving heart. And by the author who wrote all the Blue Bloods books I gobbled up back in my teenage vampire book addiction days? #nomnom
Alex and Eliza is the fictional retelling of the romance of everyone’s favorite bastard, orphaned, son of a whore and a Scotsman and the middle Schuyler sister. Historical liberties have most definitely been taken, but this was exactly what I needed in my life and hadn’t even realized. To those of you who are like me and not really keen on books in a series – please note this works just fine and dandy as a standalone.
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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