Katrina

It was interesting, although not my favorite work by either of them. I feel like I remember working through similar situations at that age, and I appreciated the messy realism of that.

A broad but clear overview of the history of labor in the US. I appreciated the tone and the short, engaging chapters. There's a lot here for a teen (or any working person) to consider.

I loved the ending so much that I wish I had enjoyed the journey a bit more. Tegen and Zelda are great characters, realistically frustrating and also adorable. Overall I found it a bit depressing and sometimes repetitive. That being said, this was an engaging and well-written story that's a little more high concept. I think a lot of teens would really enjoy it.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

It was cute, but I wouldn't pick up a sequel. The protagonist kind of irked me, but I loved the talking plants.

This book had a great blend of contemporary high school realism, social and emotional themes, and suspense. I think Jordyn is a very relatable character. Who doesn't make mistakes in high school and then wish they could be better? Highly recommend.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

While the description didn't totally grab me, I loved Patron Saints so I went in with an open mind and ended up really enjoying it. I love how this story followed one family line through different parts of history. I've seen this done with women in fiction, but I don't think I've ever read one that followed the men. Especially not when it dove into the father-son relationship and definitions of masculinity through time. Great narration. Would recommend.

Alok is living in the future and I want to be there too. A thoughtful and well-written introduction to the gender binary, and why we should break free.

I do love Arthurian spins, so I was interested in the premise. It was a bit of a rambling read, although I did like the ending. The art, while interesting, is not to my taste at all and probably impacted my enjoyment.

This was so sweet. I really loved all the characters and the journey. Would definitely recommend.

Thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for the alc!

Classic Lucy Foley with a great audio cast to back up these strange/grieving/messed up characters. I enjoyed the ride and the karma.

A comprehensive overview of LA at the time with a personal touch. Sometimes it jumped around a bit too much for my taste, but I do think the included background of some of the people and families makes the whole story more readable.

Really lovely verse, interesting take on a myth that ties in to another story. Would recommend.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

If you can accept from the beginning that all characters are privileged, able-bodied, beautiful people who are down for just about anything, then this is an enjoyable read. I liked how the narration was split in half between the two mcs. I enjoyed all the tidbits about food and wine. Fun, contemporary queer romance.

A realistic look at a girl struggling with alcohol abuse in the midst of a secret society pledging and personal struggles. I really appreciated how multi-faceted Blake was. She has some identity issues, lacks a Black female role model, and is in a toxic relationship. Drinking seems to fix all these problems for her, until she realizes the drinking is only a temporary fix that often results in making her even more miserable. I feel like this book could help a lot of teens, and I hope it's widely read. It shows all the glamour and fun of a party while also showing how peer pressure and alcohol abuse can turn that party (and potentially the rest of your life) into a real mess.

An emotional overview of book banning efforts and the teens who are being directly affected by them. I think it comes off a bit “nail on the head” for people who are familiar with the ongoing fight against censorship, but I also think teens will find it inspiring and enlightening.

Thanks to the publisher and Liibro.fm for the alc!

I was really invested in this mystery featuring four Blackfeet teens. It drew attention to the MMIW movement in a realistic way while also maintaining a compelling (not sensationalist) narrative. I found it really interesting that the four mc's were not all exactly close. This was no “mystery gang” situation, which made the plot much more suspenseful. They were all very different teens with distinct motivations and suspicions. The narration was fantastic. I would definitely recommend, and it's a great comp for “Firekeeper's Daughter”.

A stunning collection. I will have to go back for this again sometime. Author's notes mention that several of the poems were in response to prompts from Louise Gluck (one of my all-time favorite poets) so it's unsurprising that I loved this collection so much!

I hate rating memoirs. I really enjoyed this story and appreciate the author for putting it out into the world! I hope the readers who need it will find this gentle and affirming graphic novel. The art wasn't my favorite, but I did love the message. Worth a read.

This was a really fascinating lens to discuss the Chinese diaspora. I learned a lot about different Chinese populations all across the globe! 3 stars only because I was expecting it to be more about food and I found the writing jumped around a bit too much for me. Still, worth a read and I'm glad I read it.

Thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for the alc!

I enjoyed this listen, I just wanted a little more. A little more thrill, a little more romance, a little more character development. A little more something. I was interested in the story, although I did feel it got a little repetitive at times.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

I really enjoyed this story (narrated by the impeccable January Lavoy). I thought it would be too on the nose/close to home for me as a librarian who has been basically living this plot, but I still found it interesting. I liked how certain books found certain people. The chapters felt almost like short stories that wove into a larger plot. I wish people who didn't already agree with the theme and resolution of the book would also pick it up, but that's a bit of a pipe dream. Overall, a very enjoyable listen.

One thing annoyed me. Was I absolutely done with Lula and wanted her poison gone? Yes. Did I think shaming her with the books she liked to read was the way to go about it? Um, no. I did appreciate that it positioned her as the worst kind of hypocrite and called her out for it, but I just couldn't really appreciate the way that scene went down.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

I thought I'd try a contemporary romance for once, even though it's not my favorite. This was sweet and angsty (maybe a little too angsty for me). But I did enjoy it overall. I can't say the narrators sold me. They sounded too...proper? I might have enjoyed it more either reading it myself or with different narrators, but I do think readers of contemporary romance will find it delightful.

Another fun installment of the series.

Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the alc!

I will happily recommend this to older teens looking for a magical story with some bite. The audio production was very engaging and I was definitely rooting for Malik. That being said I thought it got a bit repetitive, and I was a little disappointed about how the mystery unfolded. It's still nice to see a fierce Black boy get to do awesome stuff at a magical HBCU!

So excited to give this to the middle schoolers this summer! Action, intrigue, and humor reminiscent of Douglas Adams makes this such a fun read.