Month: February 2022

Why we fly is a book about these two cheerleaders. One cheerleader named Elenor had a terrible accident and got a very bad concussion and was out for the rest of the season. Her best friend Chanel went to cheer camp over the summer while Elenor was stuck in PT all summer. When Eleanor was in PT her eye catches Franklin High’s record-breaking quarterback. While Chanel is gone the boy and Eleanor hang out every day. They drive to PT together and even flirt on and off. Chanel and Eleanor are best friends so when Eleanor gets named team captain Chanel kinda steps back and focuses on herself. Then we meet Cody, He is on the news for taking a knee at the game. Inspired by Cody and a lot of the other comments on the team, Eleanor decides to let the whole cheer team take a knee during the National Anthem at the game which gets them kicked off the field. The only person who gets suspended is the only person of color on the team which is Chanel. That gets a lot of hate and that affects her life after high school and Eleanor feels responsible and terrible for how everything went down. 

This book is such an inspiring book, it shows a side of Eleanor and a side of Chanel and I never got confused about whose world I was in. I really hope people read this book with a clear mind. The ending was surprising but overall it was an amazing book. Even if you have no clue what cheerleading is or have an idea about cheerleading but have never played, you can still read this book because there’s a bigger picture to it.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a debut novel following a young mixed race woman named Daunis living in an Ojibwe community, where she had set herself aside to care for her mother after her uncle died. The story begins when Daunis meets the new recruit for her brother’s hockey team, Jamie, and not long after witnesses a horrifying death that alters her entire life. The book follows the heavy theme of drug addiction and its impact on Native communities.

I will be quite honest and say that I struggle with mystery novels. So, my first and most glaringly obvious challenge with this book was that I simply don’t like the genre that it’s written in. But because it had been so highly recommended to me, and had won countless awards, including the 2022 Printz Award, I figured I would give it a try, and allow it the opportunity to broaden my horizons a bit. But, to my disappointment, it did not.

The topic it had been written about, meth addiction in Ojibwe communities, I thought was an important one to share, especially through YA literature, and clearly it was close to home for Boulley, who lives in an Ojibwe community in upper Michigan herself. It was filled with details about everyday Ojibwe life, and the culture that Daunis is a part of, as well as her insecurity with being mixed. Boulley wove these details in beautifully, in a way that wasn’t painfully chock full of information or felt like she was outright trying to teach me about her culture. It felt very easily realistic.

I did not enjoy the undercover police aspect very much, and it annoyed me because, to me, it seemed very far-fetched—not the investigation but how they planned to go about it, and I got frequently irritated at the decisions they were making, and Daunis’ part in it. That aspect of the book just overall felt somewhat off to me, which was disappointing considering its prevalence in the book

I was also not a fan of the pacing of the book, and I found myself confused with the timeline as well as the importance of scenes that Boulley had written that seemed fairly unnecessary to the plot. I just wanted there to be more, which I couldn’t get from Daunis’ perspective. When there is suspense and mystery in a book, I tend to prefer a faster pace in order to stay engaged, which this book didn’t really give me. I instead found myself itching for more every time I turned the page.

I started reading Firekeeper’s Daughter early in December and didn’t even get halfway through it until February. I thought it was because I had fallen into a reading slump, but as more time went on (and the more books I read aside from it) I realized that it just wasn’t keeping my attention like I wanted it to. Which made me feel guilty because of how much the book had been praised and loved by so many. I pushed myself to finish it, but the book is one that, in another instance, I would have given up on. Firekeeper’s Daughter is an objectively great novel, and for Boulley’s debut, it’s truly incredible and deserving of the awards it received, but I had difficulty appreciating it, though I wish I could.

“Irony: The year I decide that central New York isn’t a total dump after all, my dad finally admits that it was a mistake to move here.”

This is My Brain in Love by I. W. Gregorio is a good book to read if you are looking for something hopeful and inspiring. This book tells the story of Jocelyn Wu and her family as they struggle to run their family restaurant, A-Plus Chinese Garden. 

The Wu family moved to central New York for the restaurant, and in the beginning, there’s nothing there for Jocelyn. Then she meets Priya, who shares her love of film and becomes her best friend. Just when everything seems okay, Jocelyn’s father decides to move back out of central New York, and give up on the restaurant. This would mean leaving behind Jocelyn’s hopes and dreams of going to film school, and her ambition to keep A-Plus Chinese Garden running.

Jocelyn decides to hire another person to help out at the restaurant, and that’s when she meets Will. From the beginning, Jocelyn and Will have a connection, and as they work together it becomes more.

Jocelyn’s father tells them that they can only be together if they keep the A-Plus Chinese Garden running, so it falls on them to save the restaurant and their relationship. 

I thought this book was really well written, and as someone who loves to make films, I appreciated that element of the story. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially people who enjoy YA romance novels.

I recommend this book to people who like to read Realistic fiction. This book is based on real-life situations that happen to people. Being in a foster home can be scary and overwhelming, but Muir manages to make rules to help herself feel comfortable. It takes years and years but soon Muir felt comfortable to keep close friendships and feel like she’s truly home.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. It was such a good read and hard to put down. I personally tend to read books based on real-life situations because I like to be able to really connect. The only thing I could connect well is jumping house to house since my parents are split. It’s for sure easier to pack light because it’s less bags to move and unpack. This book I could picture Muirs emotions and feel them myself. I think this is an amazing read and more people should read this book.

“It sounded like a dream come true, but it conflicted with another, more important dream I had. Summer was almost five months away, and my list would be completed by then.”

Before reading List of Ten by Halli Gomez, I only had a vague understanding of Tourette syndrome. This book really opened my eyes and made me realize just how hard it can be to live with Tourette syndrome. 

Troy is a teenager with Tourette syndrome and OCD, and because of this has an obsession with the number ten. He makes a list of ten things, nine that he wants to complete before the tenth anniversary of being diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, and the tenth he plans to complete on the anniversary:

1. Get my first kiss

2. Meet someone else with Tourette Syndrome

3. Be pain-free

4. Find a babysitter for my baby brother

5. See the space shuttle

6. Talk about Tourette in public

7. Give away my Tim Howard autographed picture

8. Drive a car

9. Talk to Mom

10. Commit suicide

Troy is the kind of character that makes you feel like you know him personally and he isn’t just fictional. The kind that makes it hard to put the book down because you need to know that he will be okay in the end. I was rooting for Troy from the beginning of the book, hoping so badly that he could find a reason to stay. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions, some parts were heartwarming and others heartbreaking, and I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me cry.

I really think everyone should read this book and I would absolutely recommend this to anyone.

“…as in when I forget about the mirrors the windows the eyes looking at me judging me telling me what they think I should do – when I forget about the fear of pain of something coming soon to hurt me – I am in possession of my whole body…”

Every Body Looking is an autobiographical novel in verse. It was a finalist for the National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature in 2020 and was a Michael L. Printz Award Nominee in 2021. A contemporary fiction read, this novel explores a young woman’s struggle to discovering confidence, freedom, and the ability to accept her black Nigerian-American body as she ventures into her freshman year of college. This novel takes the reader on a journey to revealing Ada’s earliest childhood memories to her new life as a college student. Past abuse at the hands of a younger cousin, a mother with a growing addiction, and a persistent religious father down her throat all contribute to the stress Ada feels in her daily life. However, Ada soon has the ability to evaluate this stress and go on an adventure of self discovery during her time at college. The most important connection that Ada makes during her time at college leads her to a new best friend and a more in depth relation to her one hobby: dancing.

Every Body Looking is one of those books that is a quick read but still packs a powerful punch and makes you feel true emotion for the main character. Due to the trauma presented throughout the book I can’t say I “enjoyed” it, but it was a story that needed to be told and one that I do not regret reading. That being said, I did think Ada’s story was written beautifully and it was refreshing to finally read a novel about what self discovery looks like for a young woman who’s starting college. There aren’t many books out there that evaluate all the stressors that come with starting college and the fact that Ada gets to practically experience a new life made me want to say: “Yes, there you go! Go get ’em tiger!” From the very first chapter, there is this instant connection Ada that makes you sympathize with her situation and what she’s dealt with so far. As the reader, you get to go on this adventure with Ada and watch her grow and this fact was what made me appreciate this book so much.

I don’t read many novels in verse so at first the pacing was a bit odd for me. It felt very rushed due to the formatting of the book but I did get used to it rather quickly. Just having the book being in verse made it a lot easier for me to understand what exactly was happening and put an emphasis on the big events that Ada had experienced. I do not think there was one part of this book that I didn’t like. Sure, it was very sad to read what Ada went through growing up, but it was a story that the world needs to read and one that made me realize the importance of self-acceptance in the modern world. Iloh did such a fabulous job highlighting the most important details of all the characters in such a short amount of time that I felt like I understood all of the characters equally and their individual importance to Ada. Iloh’s choice of formatting, pacing, characters, and overall writing style all contributed to Ada’s story and made the reader build a deep connection to Ada’s life.

Personally, I think that anyone that has a heartbeat and a stable mind should read this book. I mean it. Especially in today’s society where acceptance and equality is becoming more and more popular, I think it’s super important for everyone to understand what hardships and struggles look like for a young woman growing up in America; a black Nigerian-American at that! Ada’s story deserves to be shared with the world and Iloh’s message deserves to be spread just the same. I definitely did not expect to like this book as much as I did and I am just so glad I chose to read it. Please, if you are reading this right now, read Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh. It will force you to have a connection to modern society that you maybe weren’t expecting and will surely pack an emotional punch.

“If you’re quiet in the woods long enough, you’ll hear something die. Then it’s quiet again.”

Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis is one of the most gripping books I have read in a while. I was hooked enough that I was sad when my study hall ended (which never happens), and I kept reading in advisory because I needed to know how it ended. 

Be Not Far From Me was nominated for a North Star YA Award but sadly did not win. I haven’t read the books that did win, so I can’t compare them, but I can say this book was most definitely worthy of the nomination.

This book tells the story of a teenage girl named Ashley, who gets lost in the woods after she runs away from a party. She finds herself in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but the clothes she is wearing, and with a badly damaged foot that has been crushed by a boulder. Fortunately, Ashley has many survival skills that she learned from her former camp instructor, Davey Beet, and she puts them to good use while fighting an infection and trying to find her way back to civilization.

Throughout the story, Ashley learns a lot about herself and connects with Davey Beet on a level she never thought she could. I found this book really inspiring, and I admire Ashely’s determination and strength. There were many times in the story when I thought about how if it was me, I would have given up, but Ashley found a way to pull through and do things most people couldn’t. 

There are a lot of graphic details in this book, and as someone who isn’t usually bothered by anything gory, I’ll admit it was worse than I thought it would be. So if you don’t do well with graphic descriptions of open wounds and animals dying (among other things) I would suggest skipping those pages or finding a different book. 

If you enjoy wilderness survival stories and thrillers, I recommend this book to you and I think you will find it hard to put down.

This book sucks a reader in with its desire to know if Jonah is going to be ok. While this book is full of lots of emotion, it has a different writing style from books I’ve read. This book was written in Poetry and takes place in Maddigan Maine. Normally Poetry books are not for me, but the style was a different form allowing open connections instead of just full of rhyme hard to pick up a story.

I recommend this book to everyone. This book is an award-winning I feel all should give a read. The book is full of emotions and teaches an important lesson, allowing an understatement not to touch a gun without the consent of an adult because you never know when it may be loaded. This book was an easy read with the poetry scheme allowing a fast pace to the book.

Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth is a memoir written in-verse. It has received many accolades and awards including the American Indian Youth Literature Award, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. It covers his time growing up on a reservation, and his eventual transition to life out in the city. The purpose of this memoir was to combat the Native slur: “Red on the outside, white on the inside” by exploring society from his point of view as he navigates both the “white man’s world” and the world he was born into.

I found myself completely taken with this book. As someone who is familiar with the Native way of life (my mother’s side of the family is Native American), I found this book to be both comforting and empowering. I was extremely happy to know that this book was part of the works being used as representatives of the Indigenous community. Not only was it particular to the author’s experience of living as an Onondaga among Tuscaroras, but it also provided so much insight to the experience of Indigenous peoples in the US. This quality makes it a great tool for educating and spreading understanding.

I think the biggest issue readers would have with this book is its “maturity level.” I personally had no trouble following along, but I could see where issues could possibly arise for younger readers. However, this thought does not mean that it shouldn’t be included in the YA genre, just that it might not be for everyone. YA is the genre that deals with so many social issues, and with such a large age range, this book is a great addition.

The style of this memoir was also something I greatly appreciated. There were a lot of photographs and self-made artwork intermingled with the chapters, which made the piece seem more like a scrapbook. The writing style was also rather casual, almost like the writer was jotting down his memories as they came to him. The combination of these two elements made the memoir seem a lot more authentic and strengthened the connection I felt to Gansworth’s story.

I truly loved Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth. It helped me to remember so many things that I had forgotten from my childhood and left me feeling more complete after I was done reading. Gansworth tells the story of being caught between two cultures by sharing his attempts at trying to fit in at his white school, and his inability to fully grasp as much of his heritage as he wishes he could. Despite its specificity to Native Americans, it is so much more than just being a story for Indigenous peoples. This is the type of book where there are so many different takeaways, so I would urge anyone and everyone to try it out.