May Review

May was all about YALLWest, a book festival in LA where I got to meet a bunch of incredible authors and received several free books, including a couple Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) that turned out to be very enjoyable! If you're a fan of Adam Silvera, check out my arm in his last YALLWest post. I'm famous guys!

I cannot say enough amazing things about the festival and the people I met there, and if you ever get the chance to go, please do. But, for now, take a look at what I read this month:

The Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

I have to start off this review by saying I met Tomi Adeyemi at YALLwest and she's both incredibly nice and astoundingly pretty. Now I can do the review.

The Children of Blood and Bone contains a lot of powerful imagery and ideas about race, the history of racism, and the power structures built into society, expressed in a way that's timeless and revealing in both a fantasy and reality setting. It was a fascinating look at magic and history--the tribes within the story were entrenched in history not usually explored within Western literature (@ racism, you know why) with a very fleshed out world and rich history.

This novel didn't shy away from violence, loss, and difficult decisions. The writing for particular scenes in this book, even for characters and their history, came from a place of anger, a place of fear and hopelessness, but also from a place of pride and power, of recognizing that change can come from within, can be a catalyst for outside change.

The magic in this book tied into the idea of self acceptance: Zelie's history and family were so heavily linked with magic, similar to the Prince Zuko of the book, Inan, but with a history of fear and violence and the idea of father and duty vs love and self. This is a very scattered review, mostly because all of my ideas for talking about themes quickly turned into the start of a several page textual analysis. So instead of making a long post to make sense of you (mostly because I don't have time for that), you guys are getting my weird half notes that only kind of make sense. Read the book, you'll get it.

Adeyemi knows how to write sibling dynamics and family relations; The Children of Blood and Bone painted the picture of two very different fathers, of power (Saran) vs powerless (Baba) and the corrupting nature of fear and the treatment of children.

I will admit it was Very Straight, and while there was intrigue and danger to the romance, I got tired of all the Heterosexual Drama. Additionally, the pace sometimes felt a little off, speeding up A Lot and dragging in other places. It's a long book with a lot going on, to the point where sometimes it felt like too much. The slower pacing helped with that, but there were scenes that felt almost extraneous. The plot had a lot of action and activity, enough to fill a trilogy by itself, but all that built character growth and added tension as time counted down.

However, the characters and the writing had a great lense on trauma and the way it changes people in different ways--Amari vs Zelie vs Tzain, It analyzed their different ways of overcoming fear and the different aspects of bravery, the way those two things, fear and bravery, coexist.

Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills

Like all Emma Mills books, Foolish Hearts felt like something special to me.

There's an oblivious charm to each of mill's protagonists, and Claudia was no exception

The argument could be made that a lot of Mill's stuff is repetitive across novels, but I disagree. While there are similarities between all the main characters--deep insecurity, a fear of loneliness, a almost accidental courtship with both new friends and love interests, the story lines and desires are all different. Mills has crafted relatable characters that, while similar in some ways, are each striving for a place, a person to become, something that is unique to each of them.

The love interest in foolish hearts is more ridiculous than any of Mill's other leading boys. I almost expected him to become a quirky friend instead of crush potential, but he surprised me. He became something more by being exactly himself. And he was charming and silly and unafraid and confident and it was exactly what serious, heart-felt Claudia needed.

Mills succeeded once again in creating characters that are larger than life

Witty banter and hilarious dialogue, I laughed out loud at several points, which no doubt worried my coworkers and the guy sitting at the table in the yogurt shop (at different times, of course).

Mills has a grasp on human emotions that extend from an unexpected starting point, an unwitting leading lady trying her best to decide if something is worth it or not worth it. And in the end, I think Claudia did determine that some things, the important things, really are worth it.

Claudia was less disconnected than she portrayed herself, feeling more and wanting better for people than she gave herself credit. She was at odds with Iris' selfish nature when it came to most things, her only two acts of true selfishness blunders made under rash thinking and misunderstanding how important she was to other people

The analysis of shakespeare wasn't surprising, given Mill's previous take on jane austen, but was still a fun added bonus. The concepts for costumes and cast interactions were a fascinating character study, both when it came to learning about claudia and her learning about other people

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert

I should start by saying this book was an advanced reader's copy (ARC) I received at YALLWest, and it'll be released in August, so you guys can buy it then! I got the chance to meet Brandy Colbert as well and she is delightful.

Now, this book had that fascinating family dynamic that I've come to expect from Colbert books, with complicated relationships and loving someone so much it's fearful. There were also a lot of complex ideas about judgment and how the world views people, including how our parents view us. There was a dynamic with Birdie and her parents, then the single parent homes like Laz's and Booker's, and how they interacted with their parents. There was the (spoiler alert) later arrest where only Laz and Booker were put in handcuffs, but not Greg because his skin color. There was some complexity with sexuality in the tension between Mimi and her mom and Carlene, as well as an overall picture of severely strict parents. But that ties back into the idea that you can love someone so much it can be fearful, and for as much as Birdie's situation was frustrating, I could also see the love there.

That being said, the book was very predictable. I saw the big twist coming from very early on, but it was still interesting to watch the story unfold. There was a bit of distance, though, and maybe that was on my end, but it did feel like the story was lacking something, I just don't know what. I also, again, got a little tired of the Straight People Drama, but that can come with the territory of YA sometimes.

This books was heavily immersed in location, pulling the reader into Chicago, to the hair salon where Birdie's mom works and the L train she rides. It was also a good look into a story of addiction and disease and what recovery really means. Colbert obviously put a lot of effort into making Carlene's struggle realistic, balancing optimism and reality to create something hopeful and real.

Overall, it wasn't my absolute favorite thing to read, but I enjoyed it, so check it out when it's released in a few months!

I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver

This book is important, made even more so by the fact that the person telling the story can do so from a highly realistic and diverse viewpoint.

Ben DeBacker is non-binary, and when they finally find the courage to come out to their parents, they're kicked out. With nowhere else to turn, Ben calls their estranged older sister, Hannah, who they haven't seen in ten years. Hannah and her husband Thomas take in Ben, who is now determined to stay in the closet at their new school, despite making several new and open minded friends, like the adorable and charming Nathan Allan.

I tend to be pretty impressed by friends in books like this, with diverse characters and fun, realistic dialogue, and Deaver did a fantastic job of creating people I genuinely wanted to know. Cool but dealing with their own flaws, important in the recipe for relatable and realistic background characters. And, just the icing on the cake, it was a slow build (love those!) super sweet growing story.

This book also had super accurate depictions of anxiety and anxiety attacks. Which is super common both in LGBT reality and fiction, so that inclusion of mental illness and therapy is almost as important as the telling of the actual story.

There was a lot of circularity, with the book starting with a negative coming out and ending with a positive emergence into a true identity and new life happy new life (with a positive coming out to friends and a community of acceptance). Which was very powerful and uplifting to read. LGBT+ stories almost need happy endings right now, after so long dealing with sad stories about death and abandonment. We've earned these happy endings, fam, so let's include them!

This book tells a story that needs to be told, by a non-binary author, about important diversity and teaching people about what it means to be real with yourself and others. It's about seeking identity and understanding in a world that tears you down, all the while still finding the courage to remain yourself.

An Advance Readers Copy, I Wish You All The Best comes out later this year, and I highly recommend picking it up when it does.

Jackpot by Nic Stone

If you had access to more money than you knew what to do with, what would you do with it?

This book gives the reader a look into that answer from the perspectives of someone who very much needs the money and someone who already has more than he needs.

Rico Danger is on the verge of homelessness, working full time on top of high school to helping her single mother take care of her younger brother. But when the gas station where she works sells a lottery ticket worth a truly Wild amount of money, she has the potential to change that, if she can just find whoever has the ticket. Enlisting the help of wealthy, charming Zan Macklin, Rico finds herself on a whirlwind adventure, built entirely on the hopes of finding a little luck (and maybe some friends and herself along the way).

This book is a look into the mentality that, while money might not buy happiness, it certainly wouldn't hurt, especially when so many people around the world live below the poverty line. It's a commentary on pride and choices, on want and need and how, sometimes, those things have to go to war in order for us to find happiness. It's about acknowledging privilege and overcoming insecurities. It's about helping when you can, and learning how to ask for help when you can't.

Nic Stone has a great grasp on characters and perspective, creating someone stubborn and hardened by the world, who really only ever wanted not to have to worry about money. Rico is a great older sister, but she also makes mistakes. She's flawed and trying her best, opinionated and funny, and knows exactly who she is. The problem is she's so set in who she is, that she can't see her own potential. Not until Alexander "Zan" Macklin comes along and makes them both realize they aren't quite as trapped by their circumstances as they believe.

Heartbreaking in it's sincere look at how money is used and abused in society, Jackpot is as hilarious as it is difficult, because even the mature teenagers are just trying to get by, just trying to do their best. Even the mature teenagers have to be kids.

Also, I met Nic Stone at YALLWest too, and by God is she beautiful. And also super nice. Jackpot is another ARC I received, and it's being released in October of this year, so go buy it when it does!

From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

I got this book for free at YALLWest, but I didn't meet the author, so I feel a little less bad about disliking it.

It was overly dramatic about trivial things. The main character, Twinkle, was apparently intelligent enough to be an incredible director, but was incapable of processing situations and people. Which was incredibly selfish and a little bit stupid on her part.

Right from the get go, Twinkle describes herself as this loser/unpopular person, but from her interactions with other characters, it was very clear that no one else thought of her that way. In fact, a lot of people thought pretty highly of her. What kind of "loser" has two boys obviously into her from the very start of the story?

I did feel some sympathy for Twinkle over the issues with her best friend, Maddie, and the popular girl, Hannah, but for so much of the book Twinkle was wallowing in her own insecurities rather than trying to do anything about it. Then again, she turned into kind of a terrible person when she eventually took action, so maybe it was better that way. I did appreciate Twinkle processing her issues, but after a bit it felt like overkill. I was just very frustrated with Twinkle and her decision making process. And all the ridiculous Straight Drama™.

I did appreciate the cultural inclusion and people of color main characters, but everything else that was not so enjoyable about it kind of overshadowed that accomplishment.

The ending felt a little too "everything is fixed and perfect and magical," which is saying something, because I am the queen of happy endings. I don't know a lot about high school film/talent shows, but it felt kind of unrealistic. Also, a lot of characters took the blame from Twinkle when she did eventually apologize, so it was all twisted weird and too idealistic.

Dadi was the best character, hands down. I want a whole book with just her. The other characters were a little flat, but that could have also come from the format of the book. It's written as a journal, so it really keeps the unreliable narrator question at the forefront of the reader's mind.

I was not a fan. But. Make your own decisions.

Overall, this was a great month for reading, but I'm very much looking forward to next month. Because June is PRIDE month, which means I'm only reading books about LGBTQIA characters, and I've already got a decent line up! Exciting! So, until then...

Keep writing, friends!

Sam

Literary Recommendation: Once And For All by Sarah Dessen

Media Recommendation: The Bright Sessions Podcast, written and directed by Lauren Shippen

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