Kate Mester
Probably wouldn't have picked this up if Megs hadn't recommended it, but I'm so happy I did. Great snow day read, I genuinely laughed and cried. Not without a few minor problems, but I'm overlooking them all because this was such an enjoyable read.
So incredibly brutal, with the slightest of hopes at the end. It's rare that I feel so gutsick in a YA book (In Darkness was the last I remember), but Perez's characters are so vivid and real and believable that when the horrifically true acts of history that the plot was churning towards finally happen, it's so hard to take. I was literally yelling “NO!” by the end of the audio book. Certainly worthy of its Printz Honor & Americas Award - A valuable book for older teens/adults, but one that would also need some matching to the reader.
Would be interesting if this won Caldecott, as it plays with convention in both material and perspective.
Another beautifully written Saenz novel, but it still didn't move me as much as Last Night I Sang to the Monster. Also, my hardback version from JLG had at least 5 errors that the copy editor didn't catch, which I found really frustrating. None of his books have yet found an audience among my kids, but I'd like Saenz to catch on with my high schoolers.
2nd Reading (9/2018) Appreciated Lin Manuel-Miranda performing the audio. Stand by my original review, though I will say that happily my HS kids now LOVE this book! It's been a fave on the BOB list.
Enjoyable. The kids really loved the movie and I show the trailer in booktalks, and I have to say, this is one of the few times where I think I may actually prefer the movie over the book. The book's interesting, but the movie excises a few of the more slow-moving and secondary plot lines, making it funnier and snappier.
A really personal way to learn about Bui's family throughout the Vietnam War and what it took for them to immigrate to the US and the trauma involved in her family history that she's now reckoning with as she has her own child. Definitely a good YA read to pair with learning about the 60s/70s and the Vietnam War. The art and color palette is effective as is her use of movement through panels. Teen readers might need to get talked/walked through the opening Chapter, “Labor” but the rest will appeal, hold interest, and give personal insight and context to history.
A funny quick read with a little bit of fashion/life advice. Tan has an innate self-confidence and story that many will find representation in (as a gay Southeast Asian Muslim who has lived in two countries and and created/owned his own businesses) and I think teens would be interested, especially as he talks about the less glamorous side of celebrity.
Adoooooorable. This was so well written with great character development and nuance. Loved the graphics, colors, formatting, basically just all of it. Wish I liked webcomics enough to follow because now I want to know more of the story! Sold it to kids today, feel like this is going to have new fans quickly.
Fluffy and fun, but not particularly well written, often with repetitive and didactic dialogue (though with a good message - self-positivity, but I don't need EVERY inner monologue/dialogue to be a speech). Characters were diverse in so many great ways (bisexual, on the autism spectrum, etc.) and it was the first book I've read that took place entirely at a con. Wilde got a book out of a winning fanfic entry on Wattpad, so it reads like good fanfic, but there's certainly a place and a teen audience for this.
I'm curious to see how the format plays out in text, but as an audiobook, the framing podcast narrative was awesome! The only downside was that tertiary characters were absolutely awful. It was like they blew their production budget on the style and leads and then let anyone off the street come in to record the rest. It was bad enough to take you out of the narrative, but the storyline was so strong and the overall conceit so well done that it's a solid 4. I'm recommending Sadie to students who loved Allegedly and other twisty mysteries with traumatic components.
Only made it through Part 1 of the audio book. The narrator sounded like he was bored and everything sounded like lists instead of narrative. Might try the actual book, because I want to be interested in the story
Particularly delightful as an audio book. Narrator gives such unique voices to Turnage's already snappy and humorous dialogue. I'm always ready for more Mo LaBeau!
Would not have finished if it wasn't on the BOB list. The trying was so hard here: too precious, secondary characters were bad cliches, the main characters acted like assholes with no real redemption arc other than apologies years later, and the worst offender, “gay” is used as a personality trait. Have heard her first book is better, but I'm disinclined to try it after this.
Her writing was rather amazing at the sentence level, and I really appreciated and respected the craft and art of what she created and how she constructed the different voices, but I didn't really like it in the general sense. The only part I enjoyed reading was the narrative with the Ada and Ewan, because it was the most traditional story, not fractured or fragmented. However, I won't forget this book and will welcome chances to discuss it and keep thinking about it. After this, I'm definitely interested in reading her upcoming YA book.
Don't really Care about the Civil War aspect (personally not into comics enough to be excited about comic character crossover) but still love Kamala's story line. Great addition of family back story flashbacks. such relevant and necessary themes for teen readers.
Adore this series - funny, diverse, inclusive in a normalized way, and science-positive! The villain in this volume is gentrification - uses the accessible format to go in deep on YA world issues.
Fun and jokey with a great message. Superheroes aren't typically my jam, but really enjoy this series with vast teen appeal.
Didn't think at first that I would necessarily enjoy this collection of short stories but the writing was wonderful and the way the characters were interwoven was brilliant and lovely. Also, some of his lines were truly hilarious. Very well done. The audio was good, but the accent work was not the best I've heard.
Loved the poems linking to individual musicians in the photograph and also from the watching childrens's POVs. Graphically beautiful, and the choice to have the reveal of the actual photo as a double-paged pullout was inspired. The bios at the end along with all the supplementary material make it a great learning opportunity for older elementary or even middle school.
Took me forever to read because I had to take breaks from it. Feel the sheer density and intensity might turn away the intended audience, but that'd be a shame because it's so informative and interesting and well researched. The pictures truly add to the story. I've listened to some Shostakovich but now I'm intently listening with a new ear to the pieces Anderson talks about. Would be a great group read for a HS orchestra.
I don't respond well to this kind of whimsy, but I see the appeal, and think young readers would enjoy.
4.5 Like the cranky elder this makes me sound like, I'm not always into super-hyped books, but this one really lived up to its reputation. Owens had me by the second paragraph with “decomposition is cellular work.” Oh okay, this is what we're in for?! It's clear she's a scientist because the lovingly-written details of nature are worth the read alone. But she's also a great story teller, and I appreciated how the shifts in time continued to narrow and flesh out Kya's history and her family's story. I thought the ending was perhaps a bit Nicholas Sparks-ish (I'm purely basing this on common knowledge of his work and the one time I watched the Notebook, so what do I really know here) and I was befuddled by the trips to Asheville, when it's much more likely that they'd be taking trips to Wilmington to get supplies - that one aspect seemed like a writer who didn't really know the area. Other than those totally minor quibbles, a really enjoyable read.
Both audiobook narrators did a great job portraying their characters. I was interested by the notes at the end to learn the Grimke sisters were real, and felt rather let down by my own historical knowledge. I'd never read a SMK before, but I see the appeal.
Excellent sociological analysis of life at/below the poverty line in Milwaukee. Glad that Desmond spent time explaining how he did his ethnographic research and his conclusions, as I had lots of questions. Definitely recommended reading for all. By spending time with these people, you viscerally feel the effects of grinding poverty, hopelessness and helplessness, and desperation.