Ronni Davis
This book is an absolute joy. Broody is a wonderful main character, laugh out loud funny. But the book isn't just a tongue-in-cheek look at YA tropes. It also touches on some major issues, but in a very sensitive way. In addition, there are such neat sections, such as fun quizzes.
I also like how Broody breaks down parts of books, story structure, and fandom into fun, bite-sized pieces.
I have the ARC, so I didn't get to see all the lovely artwork yet (I've pre-ordered my copy of the finished book, though), but I think readers will find this delightful. I know I did.
First of all, I LOVE books that have busy, busy pictures. Thinkk Richard Scarry's books. But this one is even more wonderful because it tells the story using only illustrations.
A man moves into a neighborhood that is full of dark, depressed people. He makes a difference by handing out flowers and spreading color, love, and life one person at a time.
This book made me a little bit teary-eyed. I love that something can do that without using words.
Ballet. Diverse cast. Writing that moved like dancers. Drama filled, issue filled, but satisfying in the end. One of my faves of 2016!
Samara is my HERO. Best protagonist I have ever had the privilege of reading. I wish there were more of these books.
I enjoyed reading this book and getting a look into the mind of a girl with OCD. I liked her journey and felt sympathetic to her. I had a harder time with Thayer, as he seemed to distant, and I never really got attached to him. But I loved the main character, who is the most important anyway. A solid debut!
I promised Jennifer that I would review this months ago, and I am finally following through. Sorry for taking so long, Jennifer!
I'm going to be the first to say that I am not the world's best reviewer. I used to have a “book review blog” years ago, way before they became popular, and I didn't keep up with it because I realized it's not my strength. (Get me blogging about Disney World, on the other hand....) Still, I am going to give it my best shot.
At first glance, it may seem that The Aristobrats is another one of those “bitch-lit” stories like Gossip Girl or The Clique. (And don't get me wrong, I LIKE the few Gossip Girl books I've read a lot.) I was pleasantly surprised it wasn't. The characters are warm and fun to read about. They're not perfect, but that's OK.
I loved Parker's interactions with her mom. I was laughing out loud at a lot of it. They were hilarious. But my favorite story was Ikea's. YAY person of color!! And YAY person of color who struggled with things that I did when I was younger as far as fitting in, trying to be like the other girls. Her story was dear to me. I don't want to give away spoilers, but she is so strong. I was pumping my fist and yelling ‘you go girl' at many points!
I loved that this book wasn't overly positive or negative. It just was. And that was refreshing. :)
This book is full of WIN.
The 14-year-old narrator has a way of grabbing your heart from his first words. I found myself (as someone else said), laughing out loud when my heart was breaking. This kid had so many reasons to give in to the despair that ravaged his Spokane Indian reservation, but instead he keeps fighting with the help of some friends, his smarts, and his cartoons.
This is a story of hope, and I recommend it for EVERYONE.
I usually hate books about liars. It's such an easy conflict to solve, and it drives me crazy when the main character digs herself deeper and deeper into her problem with more lies when just telling the truth would make things so much better. In theory anyway.
This book didn't bother me as much. Devon's story was funny and the tension was just right, and honestly, I probably would have done the same thing in her shoes. A fun read!
In the kidlit world, the accepted black narratives tend to focus on a few things: slavery, gang violence, or sports. But beyond that, the main point in all of them is black pain, which can come across as entertainment for some. Just look at how black kids getting shot and posted online are shared over and over.
Angie's book has gang violence, it has sports. There is black pain. The pain of seeing friends die in front of you, by the hands of white and black people. The pain of losing friends. The pain of wondering why my life doesn't matter. And why people destroy their neighborhoods when they're angry. WHY they're angry.
Hard choices, like letting go of people who don't serve you. And people who sacrifice in the name of love.
But what makes this book unique? There is also black JOY. So much black joy. Family, love, togetherness. In YA, disappearing parent syndrome is a thing. But Starr's parents are present–all up in her business even–and they are amazing. So much love in her family. So much love from her white boyfriend who doesn't understand everything... but he's trying.
I could hear the cadence of the voices. I got the inside jokes. It felt like home reading this book.
EVERYONE needs to read this book. It gives a glimpse into the complex emotions of being a black teen–heck, a black person–in a country, a world, that is often hostile towards us. Nothing in this book is simple. Just like nothing in our lives is simple. Layers of joy, pain, love, sweat, tears, laughter. Empowering, engaging, and very, very important.
This book is quiet, yet powerful.
I love that I was able to just be with Jade.
It's so nice to read a story about a black girl that's not high stakes, drama driven, full of black pain. Instead, we are given glimpses into Jade's world, her life, her mind. And those glimpses help us journey along with Jade as she grows strong and becomes brave enough to use her voice.
I wish I'd had this when I was a teen.
I'm glad I have it now.
It'll stay with me for a long time.
This book will bring out all the feels. It will break your heart and put it together, break it and mend it again and again. A deep lesson in love and finding oneself, even if that means things need to fall apart to come back together.
Rachel broke my heart over and over with this book and it's beautiful.
I'm usually very lenient when it comes to reviewing books, but this one really did nothing for me. I'd been excited about it too; the plot seemed intriguing. And it possibly might have been so if the book had centered around Nikki. She's the only character who seemed real to me. Laine was annoying and snotty, and her friends were caricatures. I didn't care for the style of writing either, but that's a personal preference, and hey, these folks are published and I'm not, so maybe they know something I don't.
Just not my cup of tea, though. :(
I didn't think she deserved either of them and hated that she got David at the end. He deserved better. But that's what I kind of liked. That the story didn't end in a “smart” way. It ended in a real way. I still think they'll make each other miserable in the long run, though.
Jaime Reed has a way with description. Seriously, if anyone needs a lesson in showing vs. telling, pick up one of her books and get schooled.
Phrases like this:
Words flew from my as if they were being chased while my knee knocked Morse code underneath my desk.
I mean what? Jaime fills her books with rich descriptions like this.
But moving on from that. Let's talk about Liam and Ellia and how realistic they are. They are deeply flawed, three dimensional characters with personality and flair. Even the parents, the therapists. Every character, even the secondary ones, were fully fleshed.
Lots of laugh out loud moments, and ones that will make you cry, too.
I loved this book so much!
Desi is relatable, funny, ADORABLE and my favorite protagonist of 2017 so far!
The book will cause so much second hand embarrassment but it's worth it, and now I want to check out all the k-dramas!!
