Smash It!*The review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of Smash It! This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion.
Olivia "Liv" James has been a fly on the wall for most social events in her high school career. She begins to tire of sitting on the sidelines, so she decides to follow Shandra Rhymes' "Year of Yes" motto. This leads her to decide to participate in a school musical as well as give dating a try. Her two best friends, Dre and Eli, are outgoing musicians who also add to Liv's love drama. As much as this book is supposed to empower the "Liv's" of the world, it does have some downfalls. When I was reading this book, I did abandon it for a while because I felt that Liv was a difficult character to love. I wanted to support her and her cause, because we have all been like Liv and wanted to make a change in our lives, but at times she seemed childish and self-destructive. I did continue reading the book though, because there were so many characters in Liv's life that she had issues with, and I wanted to see how it ended. Some of the things that I found encouraging in this novel were the topics of embracing change, living your authentic life. being honest with those you love and trust, and seeking out help from others when you need it. There is a great range of characters and personalities that added to Liv's life, so those bright spots helped brighten up some of the plot. Unfortunately, another topic that has come up in a lot of other discussions is the borderline racist comments included in the book. As I was reading, there were times that I felt uncomfortable because I felt the comments were unnecessary. Even though this book is set in a high school, I felt the book already had enough bullying issues without having to create more as a side note. Smash It! was released on September 2020, and you can purchase your copy below: Amazon Audible Barnes and Noble Better World Books Powell's
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Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate The Magic of Reading and Writing YA*The review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA. This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion.
I first heard about the Foreshadow project earlier this year during a virtual book conference and I was so excited to hear that this book was to release this year. Other than hearing it was a collection of stories, I didn't really know what to expect in terms of genres or themes, so it was pleasantly surprising to see that so many different genres were showcased in this collection. I would finish reading one story and felt that there was no way the next one could compare, but before long the next story consumed me and I was caught up in the cycle all over again. The following is a list of the stories that were in the collection and a brief description of each. In this collection you can find something for every YA reader to enjoy: Flight (Fantasy)- A mother/daughter story about identity and society vs. self. Risk (Fantasy)- A story about friendship, transformation, and lobsters. Sweetmeats (Fantasy)- A story of friendship and fairtyales turn Grimm as two girls go missing and are found. Glow (Romance)- Two friends set off an an adventure to destroy the world. Escape (Romance/Legend)- A family who owns a mysterious pochette find that danger lurks closer than they suspect. Pan Dulce (Realistic Fiction)- A high schooler crosses the boarder to party, but finds that it may be harder to get home. SUPER HAPPY THIS ONE TAKES PLACE IN MY HOMETOWN OF EL PASO!! Solace (Romance/ Realistic Fiction)- A young woman tries to find herself among her magical garden amidst turmoil and tragedy. Princess (Science Fiction)- A young girl must choose to change her life in order to survive death. Fools (Romance/ Fantasy)- A witch is given a young baby that was born to a bunch of lovesick fools. The "heartless" girl becomes a gate-keeper who guards a magical world. Monsters (Realistic Fiction/ Fantasy)- A girl moves to the states with her aunt and cousin, but sees some supernatural things along the way. Break (Romance)- Fate tries to bring two characters together a few games of spin-the-bottle. Resilient (Realistic Fiction)- Two cousins make their way to the United States to work in a turkey factory after Hurricane Maria destroys their hometown. Belly (Realistic Fiction)- Two families squabble over land that a magical and tumultuous river cuts through, and one of the members is more connected to the river than even she knows. If you would like to pick up a copy of Foreshadow go to the following websites: Amazon Barnes and Noble The Wonder Boy of Whiste Stop*The review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop. This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion.
I was in my teens when I picked up a copy of Fried Green Tomatoes at Whistle Stop Cafe and I have to say that it is by far one of my favorite books ever read. Now 33 years later we have a sequel I never knew I needed. The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop revolves around Buddy, the now adult son of Ruth, and his family as they continue to live their lives post Whistle Stop. The beginning tends to move very quickly because it covers years of birthdays, marriages, and deaths of many of the Whistle Stop crew. We see Bud get married and have a child, and the story progresses when we see his daughter, Ruth, grow older and start to feel unneeded and broken. As she begins to come to terms with where her life has lead her, we are re-introduced to some of the themes of the previous book. As Ruthie is going through her turmoil, Bud is growing older and wishing he could see and be part of Whistle Stop again; unfortunately, Whistle Stop has become a ghost town since a lot of the older residents moved away. After reading this, I felt the way similarly to when Harper Lee wrote the sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird- there is more hope in the world and that we can still have pieces of what we had before. Reading this book was a very beautiful reminder of what the first book had to offer. Now that I am older and have a different perspective of life, and I see the themes and messages can apply to my life. This was a beautiful reminder that life continues after people die, and that we can choose what life we want to live. We have the power to become what we want. To get your copy of The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop click below in the following links: Amazon Audible Barnes and Noble Better World Books Powell's |