tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79294582010328043412024-03-28T20:29:53.563-07:00LitBit Speaksa blog about books and bookish opinionsRob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.comBlogger382125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-32954068301467669382018-12-03T06:00:00.000-08:002018-12-03T06:00:01.256-08:00The Music of What Happens - Bill Konigsberg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Max: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever.<br /><br />Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the Chandler Mall. Never been kissed and searching for Mr. Right, who probably won't like him anyway. And a secret: A spiraling out of control mother, and the knowledge that he's the only one who can keep the family from falling apart.<br /><br />Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they're willing to risk -- to get the thing they want the most.</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a phenomenal book, in my humble opinion. There aren't too many books dealing with male sexual abuse, particularly in YA. Sex and sexuality are messy parts of young adulthood, but what this book does really well is discuss consent and the ways in which physical cues can be misinterpreted, but that our bodies can also betray us (someone can be be saying No but they're body may be physically responding very differently.) This is not, by any means, the only issue at play within the narrative, but it is handled very well and it just stands out for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Furthermore, the novel delves into racial microaggressions (particularly how humor and joking often get used as excuses for racism) and fetishizing young gay men in mainstream culture (particularly the Gay Best Friend trope!) I really enjoyed the confusing and tender relationship that builds between Max and Jordan throughout the book, especially as they also try to navigate their new food truck business. The way that Konigsberg handles Jordan's mom's gambling addiction is also realistic but terribly heartbreaking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And one last thing that I want to ensure I touch on, it is the expectations around masculinity and what it means to be a man in various cultural contexts and family situations. Max is a jock and is expected to show little emotion and be incredibly sexual (his friends joke constantly about him getting laid). And Jordan's mother expects him to be "the man" of the house and the breadwinner, even though he is still a teenager. There are certain stereotypes placed on queer individuals in YA, quite often without us even thinking about them consciously, so seeing Konigsberg address this so directly through his characters is refreshing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is really just so much to appreciate about the subjects that Konigsberg addresses, as well as they way that he approaches them with such nuance. Check in out in January 2019!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Highly Recommended</b></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-39077716273508779672018-06-05T12:48:00.001-07:002018-06-05T12:49:22.873-07:00Leah on the Offbeat - Becky Albertalli<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">I know, I know! I'm sorry! It's been a while. I'm still reading away, but have been putting out a lot of reviews in professional venues as opposed to my blog, so please forgive me. I'm coming back with a strong one, though, so hopefully that will help with the forgiveness! I present to you, </span><i>Leah on the Offbeat</i><span style="font-style: normal;">!</span></i></span></div>
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<i>When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.</i></div>
<br />So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Leah is a beautiful, curvy, bisexual, and outspoken young woman and her story is both necessary and timely. Albertalli, who many of you know from <i>Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda</i>, has only gotten better as a writer, and her commitment to bringing relevant subjects to light is inspiring. Her novel is populated by a racially and sexually diverse cast of characters, and the inclusion of dialogue about microaggressions and casual racism is all-too-necessary in light of the current state of affairs in the United States and around the globe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now, I really highly recommend this book, but don't assume that means the novel is upbeat all the time or that Leah is a role model for the ages! She can be downright horrible to her mother, and she often confuses her friends by the fact that she runs away from conflict instead of addressing issues. All of this leads to frustration, confusion, and a lot of unnecessary tension within the narrative, but this is what makes the book so real and engaging. Leah is real! Her relationships are real. She isn't quite an anti-hero, but she's not the perfect protagonist some might expect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Garrett was my one concern in the book. Leah strings him along, and it's not unrealistic. In fact, it is terribly realistic! But I think there are elements (no spoilers) of their relationship that left me cold by the end. A small quibble amidst a very complex narrative.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Check it out when you get a chance! It's a fabulous addition to the slowly growing canon of bi YA lit!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Highly Recommended</b></span></div>
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Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-61685651520717771592018-05-10T21:20:00.000-07:002018-05-10T21:20:56.185-07:00Social Intercourse - Greg Howard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Beck: The Golden Girls-loving, out-and-proud choir nerd growing up in the “ass-crack of the Bible belt.”<br /><br />Jax: The Golden Boy, star quarterback with a slick veneer facing uncomfortable truths about himself and his past.<br /><br />When Beck’s emotionally fragile dad starts dating the recently single (and supposedly lesbian) mom of former bully, Jaxon Parker, Beck is not having it. Jax isn’t happy about the situation either, holding out hope that his moms will reunite and restore the only stable home he’s ever known. Putting aside past differences, the boys plot to derail the budding romance between their parents at their conservative hometown’s first-ever Rainbow Prom. Hearts will be broken, new romance will bloom, but nothing will go down the way Beck and Jax have planned.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This irreverent novel overflows with teenage hormones and drag-queen-worthy sass, all the while exploring topics of homophobia and religious discrimination, sexual fluidity, and toxic masculinity. Told through alternating viewpoints, Howard's text gives readers a refreshing take on the sometimes cliche story of enemies becoming lovers, but with a gay hookup app.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I really enjoyed the book overall, the dialogue was snappy and the chemistry of the two main characters felt real (complete with all the angsty ups and downs.) Jax and Beck are both simultaneously empathetic and annoying as all get-out! Like so many of the guys in Andrew Smith's work, Jax and Beck are run almost entirely on hormones, their erections seemingly guiding them from event to event. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Perhaps my biggest issue with the novel overall was the--to me, at least--entirely excessive amount of misogyny and sexism from the main characters. Beck repeatedly refers to the woman his dad is dating as "Big Titties" or via other references to her breasts, reducing her to an object rather than a human being. I understand his distress in this situation, but the repetition of it throughout the novel is unfortunate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In addition, while the relationship between the boys is rather sweet, even when it is a complete mess, their attempts to manipulate the relationships their parents are engaging in borders on entirely inappropriate (at one point Beck allows the woman his father is dating to believe that his father hits him.) They are both forgiven much to easily, in my mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These two issues aside, the primary narrative is enjoyable, and the campiness of the dialogue and internal monologues is pretty darn funny. Howard's text is not all surface-level, though; much of the content is actually quite deep, particularly where religious discrimination and homophobia are concerned, along with the hypocrisy of some religious leaders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Recommended</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>(NOTE: This review is from an Advance Reading Copy - Out June 2018)</i></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-55356440555549955952018-04-24T08:55:00.000-07:002018-04-24T08:55:07.119-07:00Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An incredible lineup of authors explore the lives and deaths of the wives of Henry VIII. A complex and in-depth examination of complicated people, each of whom has very different reasons for wanting to be queen (<i>or not</i>) and the sometimes bizarre behind-the-scenes reasons for their downfalls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Henry VIII - <i>M.T. Anderson</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Katharine of Aragon - <i>Candace Fleming</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anne Boleyn - <i>Stephanie Hemphill</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jane Seymour - <i>Lisa Ann Sandell</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anna of Cleves - <i>Jennifer Donnelly</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Catherine Howard - <i>Linda Sue Park</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kateryn Parr - <i>Deborah Hopkinsons</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Queen Elizabeth I - <i>M.T. Anderson</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This thorough collection of detailed accounts is a history-lover's dream. Each queen's voice is distinctive, exploring each woman's ascent to the precarious position of Henry's wife. Henry's obsession with a male heir fuels much of his unhappiness with each woman, but others are also working in the background for their own purposes, throwing out false accusations of infidelity, incestuous relations, and other troubling allegations. I learned a <i>lot</i> from this collection that I didn't previously know, and a number of overly simplified tidbits of knowledge were fleshed out through each account.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The book is supplemented with a timeline of events during the Tudor reign, as well as a "Who's Who" list of biographies. There is also a detailed bibliography of sources used by the authors to put together their respective chapters. The book's introduction also ensures that readers know about the rigorous research that went into the creation of the collection:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My fellow writers and I have spent days, weeks, and months with their ghosts. We've pored over books and essays. We've dug through papers and proclamations, read writs and acts, diaries and depositions. We've stared at their portraits, trying to decipher their souls from their expressions. We've stood in the rooms they stood in. At in. Loved, argued, danced, and died in...</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I most definitely recommend this book for fans of European history as well as historical fiction in general.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>(NOTE: This review is from an Advance Reading Copy - Out May 1, 2018)</i></span> </span>Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-29501720165036342332018-04-14T12:45:00.003-07:002018-04-14T12:45:41.805-07:00Tradition - Brendan Kiely<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Jules Devereux just wants to keep her head down, avoid distractions, and get into the right college, so she can leave Fullbrook and its old-boy social codes behind. She wants freedom, but ex-boyfriends and ex-best friends are determined to keep her in place.<br /><br />Jamie Baxter feels like an imposter at Fullbrook, but the hockey scholarship that got him in has given him a chance to escape his past and fulfill the dreams of his parents and coaches, whose mantra rings in his ears: Don’t disappoint us.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>As Jules and Jamie’s lives intertwine, and the pressures to play by the rules and remain silent about the school’s secrets intensify, they see Fullbrook for what it really is. That tradition, a word Fullbrook hides behind, can be ugly, even violent. Ultimately, Jules and Jamie are faced with the difficult question: can they stand together against classmates—and an institution—who believe they can do no wrong?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>No</b>. No is a word with a lot of power. At least, it's supposed to be. We live in a world of double standards, though, in which girls are taught that <b>No</b> should protect them from certain things, should stop people in their tracks, but guys seem to get the impression that <b>No</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>is not a demand, but rather a suggestion. <i>Tradition</i> is a book that pulls no punches as Kiely delves into the disturbing traditions of a private school where boys are boys and girls are supposed to keep their mouths shut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jamie and Jules are both characters that readers will have no trouble empathizing with. They are wounded and fragile on their own, but together and with the help of good friends, they are able to find the strength to challenge the institution and the society that has trained young men that they cannot be challenged and that their lives are worth more. Both frustrating and hopeful, this novel puts a spotlight on society's double standards around sex and consent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Highly Recommended</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>(Note: This review is from an Advance Reading Copy - Out May 2018)</i></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-89126088905463775072018-03-09T19:52:00.000-08:002018-03-09T19:52:33.758-08:00We'll Fly Away - Bryan Bliss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Luke feels like he’s been looking after Toby his entire life. He patches Toby up when Toby’s father, a drunk and a petty criminal, beats on him, he gives him a place to stay, and he diffuses the situation at school when wise-cracking Toby inevitably gets into fights. Someday, Luke and Toby will leave this small town, riding the tails of Luke’s wrestling scholarship, and never look back.<br /><br />But during their senior year, they begin to drift apart. Luke is dealing with his unreliable mother and her new boyfriend. And Toby unwittingly begins to get drawn into his father’s world, and falls for an older woman. All their long-held dreams seem to be unraveling.</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This book is a lot of things. It is difficult to read, but it is worth reading for some many reasons. Bliss's narrative is like a well-intentioned punch in the gut (if that makes any sense... it does to me...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>We'll Fly Away</i> is about love and family, hopefulness and hopelessness, friendship and sex, crime and consequences. Above all, though, this book is a plea to remember that a person is more than their worst action. Luke is in jail, on death row, and while readers don't know why until the last pages of the novel, his letters to Toby explore his own attempts to come to terms with the terrible choice that landed him in prison.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the present-day portion of the narrative, readers witness the slow deterioration of Toby and Luke's friendship, as well as their respective relationships with new people in their lives (girls, coaches, new step-parents, etc.) Toby's relationship with his father is toxic and full of abuse, but there are things that help him get through the days, even as Luke's feelings of protectiveness create feelings of hostility between the two. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is so much to savour, feel, and consider within the pages of this book. Thank you to Bryan Bliss for his words and for the power of this narrative and the voices of the two narrators.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Recommended</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>(NOTE: This review is from an Advance Reading Copy - Out May 2018)</i></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-29992508829838279362018-02-15T15:11:00.001-08:002018-02-15T15:11:52.510-08:00The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein - Kiersten White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend. Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable. But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.</i></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As I finish the last sentence and the loose pages of the bound manuscript start falling out on my desk, I can't help but double check that there isn't a massive thunder storm happening outside. Kiersten White's book is dark (yes, ironic, considering her last name) and the atmosphere is oppressive, often consisting of storms, rain, and muted colors (or at least, the last part is how </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> saw it.) The manor on Lake Como could be constantly shrouded in fog with an eerily oppressive cloud cover most of the year. This isn't what Lake Como is actually like, according to the internet, but in my mind, White's writing is so deliciously atmospheric as to evoke such intense imagery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Elizabeth Lavenza wants to escape her angry and abusive caregiver, and soon finds herself in the care of the Frankensteins, brought home by them in the hope of finding a lifelong friend for their son Victor. Even though Victor is a very difficult individual for most people to get to know, Elizabeth not only befriends him, but begins to fall for him as well. As they grow up together, they end up bringing Justine into the fold after rescuing her from her abusive mother, and later Henry, whose parents and the Frankensteins become friends. But when Lady Frankenstein passes away and Henry and Victor go missing, Elizabeth can't help but go in search of her best friend. But finding him could lead to a future much more dangerous and terrifying than she could ever imagine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">White's writing is reminiscent of Shelley herself, her character- and world-building detailed and nuanced. Elizabeth and Justine have a complicated relationship (not as complicated as Elizabeth and Victor, or even Elizabeth and Judge Frankenstein, mind you) but one that is dealt with delicately and respectfully, honoring the source material but reimagining so many of the dynamics, including the monster himself. I found myself deeply immersed in the action, the backstories, and the central mystery, while also feeling as though I was standing inside the constructed world of the novel. You simply must read this book, especially since it's the 200th Anniversary of <i>Frankenstein</i> in 2018!!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Highly Recommended</span></b><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(NOTE: This review is from a bound manuscript - Out Fall 2018)</span></i></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-51494262379562875222018-02-07T14:15:00.002-08:002018-02-07T14:15:19.619-08:00Morris Finalists and Prediction!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each year I try to read as many of the Morris Finalists as I can and make a prediction about the winner. So here we go!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This lineup is incredible, not only because of the impressive range of topics being explored, but also because of the fact that the authors themselves are so diverse and each comes from such a unique background. I've read four of these and, unlike some other years, I am having a heck of a time making any predictions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know it would be easiest to say <i>THUG</i> will win, simply because of the impressive amount of accolades and the sheer number of weeks on the NYT Bestseller list. But as with so many awards that include much-hyped books, the accolades can sometimes (even subconsciously) act as a deterrent in awards processes. But I love the book and would love to see it get further rewarded.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the same time, I would love to see <i>Saints and Misfits</i> get some love since it's part of the first year of publications coming out of Salaam Reads, and the book itself is phenomenally well written. The lack of Muslim-identified authors being recognized on any awards lists is also dismal and I would love to see more love thrown Ali's way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Dear Martin</i> is also a powerful book, even though it is similar in some ways to <i>THUG</i>. The writing is very different, as is the overall vibe of the narrative. It is much more swift in pacing and in length, but the impact is still very much there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And while I know there has been a lot of love shown for <i>Starfish</i>, and I still really liked it, I wasn't as pulled into the story. It was, however, brutally honest and very well written with strongly built characters. I can't say for sure if this will be a front-runner with the others, but I would not personally put it right at the top.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have not read <i>Devils Within </i>and so cannot really evaluate it within my prediction. So, what do I think is going to win? Even with the possible curse of previous fame and the fact that it has been out long enough for people to find more issues with, I predict that <b><i>The Hate U Give</i> </b>will be the winner of this year's Morris Award.</span><br />
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<br />Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-76885221123181561072018-01-14T20:32:00.000-08:002018-01-14T20:32:10.368-08:00Clayton Byrd Goes Underground - Rita Williams-Garcia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Clayton feels most alive when he’s with his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd, and the band of Bluesmen—he can’t wait to join them, just as soon as he has a blues song of his own. But then the unthinkable happens. Cool Papa Byrd dies, and Clayton’s mother forbids Clayton from playing the blues. And Clayton knows that’s no way to live.<br /><br />Armed with his grandfather’s brown porkpie hat and his harmonica, he runs away from home in search of the Bluesmen, hoping he can join them on the road. But on the journey that takes him through the New York City subways and to Washington Square Park, Clayton learns some things that surprise him.</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This book is brief, but with a lot of emotional depth and the expected moments of tender-hearted, childhood honesty that Williams-Garcia is known for bringing to the page. Clayton and his grandfather, Cool Papa, get along very well, and Clayton feels more connected to him than his mom or dad. His mother is not a fan of their relationship though, having had her own complicated relationship with Cool Papa. The disconnect between Clayton and his mother is at the core of the story, and it's truly heartbreaking. While Williams-Garcia doesn't go into great depth explicitly through the text, what is happening between the lines is subtly constructed and indicative of the pain and tension that encompasses the whole family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While some readers may see the ending as somewhat abrupt, I think it serves the story well and allows readers to imagine the resolution that will hopefully come together as Clayton, his mother, and his father all work to put their family back together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Recommended</b></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-760146957212989712017-12-29T22:59:00.000-08:002017-12-29T22:59:46.034-08:00The Sidekicks - Will Kostakis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryan, Harley and Miles are very different people--the swimmer, the rebel and the nerd. All they've ever had in common is Isaac, their shared best friend.<br /><br />When Isaac dies unexpectedly, the three boys must come to terms with their grief and the impact Isaac had on each of their lives. In his absence, Ryan, Harley and Miles discover things about one another they never saw before, and realize there may be more tying them together than just Isaac.</span></i><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a novel about loss and about finding human connection in the wake of tragedy. <i>The Sidekicks</i> is a novel told through three points of view: Ryan, Harley, and Miles. All three boys had Isaac in common, but as they move through the loss of their friend, they realize they might actually have more in common than they previously thought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ryan's narrative was probably my favourite of the three, mostly because I could relate to him the most, particularly in the sexuality department. I liked that Ryan wasn't entirely a fan of Isaac, but also tried to see the goodness in him despite everything. Harley is a trouble-maker. While the writing was still strong in this narrative, I wasn't as able to connect with his personality or his decision-making. Miles was a particularly intriguing perspective considering his nerdiness and his difficulties with social interactions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the first thing I've read from Kostakis, and I will very likely pick up more from him soon! I found his style to be accessible and emotionally poignant and I think that while the novel as a whole will benefit readers who can connect with all three protagonists, I think even if one only connects with one or two, the book works very well in any case.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Recommended</b></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-79163875700297590962017-12-18T14:26:00.000-08:002017-12-18T14:26:16.868-08:00A reduction in posts...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear Internet People:<br />
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I enjoy reading to a great degree, as many of you know. I love reviewing books as well, and sharing my excitement with people all over the world! So why do I have to start reducing my posts?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKkrvdHwKfI73rIp59I0HEbB-233Bb-GIonES0cv8TPFauSDLqneZ0sckU-MQ8ErE0IjHSnh40jUwUmXjOwGmL2IcP4AYjBwd04idbq7el8a_6mzGod4Yz78wpCgm5jO8L4ie_Zim_U0r/s1600/book-piles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="750" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKkrvdHwKfI73rIp59I0HEbB-233Bb-GIonES0cv8TPFauSDLqneZ0sckU-MQ8ErE0IjHSnh40jUwUmXjOwGmL2IcP4AYjBwd04idbq7el8a_6mzGod4Yz78wpCgm5jO8L4ie_Zim_U0r/s320/book-piles.jpg" width="320" /></a>Well, first of all, I'm sure many of you have seen the controversies around blogging while serving on book award committees. Currently I'm on a committee that doesn't have such a strict policy, so I will still be doing reviews, but I am on the ballot to possibly serve on the 2020 Newbery committee, so at that point, I will have to keep things to a minimum here.<br />
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Secondly, what with an increased teaching load, and with my activities reviewing books for Canadian Review of Materials and Booklist Online, I will need to reduce my reviews in number and length a bit more often.<br />
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Thirdly, I am starting my own novel writing adventure, so I'm going to be trying to curate my reading a bit more in order to keep my own imagination on track.<br />
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BUT DON'T TAKE ME WRONG! </blockquote>
I will definitely still be out there reading and promoting what I can, and sometimes writing longer reviews for books that I adore! So please check back in for updates when you can!<br />
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Happy Reading,<br />
<br />
Rob<br />
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<br />Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-86609052761115321852017-12-18T13:17:00.000-08:002018-01-10T20:49:01.661-08:00White Rabbit - Caleb Roehrig<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Rufus Holt is having the worst night of his life. It begins with the reappearance of his ex-boyfriend, Sebastian—the guy who stomped his heart out like a spent cigarette. Just as Rufus is getting ready to move on, Sebastian turns up out of the blue, saying they need to "talk." Things couldn’t get much worse, right?<br /><br />But then Rufus gets a call from his sister April, begging for help. And then he and Sebastian find her, drenched in blood and holding a knife, beside the dead body of her boyfriend, Fox Whitney.<br /><br />April swears she didn’t kill Fox—but Rufus knows her too well to believe she’s telling him the whole truth. April has something he needs, though, and her price is his help. Now, with no one to trust but the boy he wants to hate yet can’t stop loving, Rufus has one night to prove his sister’s innocence…or die trying.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">This review has been temporarily removed in anticipation of an official review being released through Booklist. Once that review has become public, this review will be restored as it was originally. Thank you for your patience!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Rob Bittner</span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-44532424658534144622017-12-06T23:04:00.001-08:002017-12-06T23:04:27.806-08:00The Poet X - Elizabeth Acevedo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.<br /><br />But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.<br /><br />So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.<br /><br />Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the rapidly growing world of novels in verse, <i>The Poet X</i> is a welcome addition. Acevedo's writing is fast-paced and beautifully complex. Xiomara's voice is forceful and heart-wrenching, overflowing with emotion and vivid imagery. Though religion is under scrutiny throughout the novel, Xiomara's narrative is a thoughtful critique rather than an outright dismissal of religious impact, particularly where the relationship between X and her mami are concerned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Secondary characters are not wasted here either. X's brother, mother, father, and friends, are all necessary to the story. X's brother is integral to the plot, his own relationship drama and the complicated dynamics within the whole family truly rounding out the whole narrative and emotional arc. <i>The Poet X</i> is a novel that you won't want to miss, whether you're a fan of poetry, or a fan of strong writing, or you simply want a fantastic narrative. Check it out!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Highly Recommended</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>(NOTE: This review is from an Advance Reader's Copy - Out March 2018)</i></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-73736543344426150452017-11-29T15:58:00.000-08:002018-02-15T15:07:22.490-08:00Black Chuck - Regan McDonell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Psycho. Sick. Dangerous… Réal Dufresne’s reputation precedes himself. But except for the nightmares, all Ré remembers is beating the living crap out of Shaun the night of his death. Now Shaun’s girlfriend, sixteen-year-old Evie Hawley, I pregnant and the father of her baby is dead. Their grief and guilt draw Evie and Réal together. But the closer they get, the faster things seem to fall apart. And falling in love might just be the card that knocks the whole house down.</i></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">McDonell’s novel is not one that was immediately on my radar, but Andrew Smith asked me if I had come across it, and what my thoughts were. So I am grateful to both Andrew and Orca Books for bringing this beautiful and painful novel to my attention.<br /> <br /> McDonell’s background in creative writing and poetry is evident in this excellent debut novel. The pain and angst of each main character is palpable, and the struggles they each face within their individual relationships as well as their shared community as large are real and complex. At first, I had no idea what to think. Would this book be about a supernatural creature? A boy who might be possessed? A town that has a Windigo infestation? It turns out that there's a lot more going on than that, but in the psychological sense more than anything. But much like the work of Stephanie Kuehn, McDonell's narrative will leave readers guessing and wondering what's real and what's not.<br /><br />The heart of the story, though, is the relationship between Réal and Evie, made more complicated since her boyfriend recently died, and Ré is convinced that he had something to do with it, including possibly eating his deceased best friend. These two characters are brought to life on the page, especially Ré, who is a character I don't think I've really experienced before: he is part French and part Ojibwe*, he speaks three languages, and he holds a lot of secrets inside. He's a character who I felt bad for, cheered for, wanted to slap at times, and who I needed to see find some hope in life.<br /><br />A strange, brutal, heartbreaking, and strangely uplifting novel about lies, love, friendship, courage, and the struggle to overcome guilt.<br /><b><br />Recommended</b><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><i><br />(NOTE: This review is from and Advance Reading Copy - Out April 2018)</i></span><br /><br />*There is an author's note at the end of the novel that goes into detail about the history of the Windigo legends, and the research and consultations she did to bring her Indigenous characters to life: "While writing this book, I reached out to many Indigenous people for their help in writing Réal in a sensitive and respectful way, and to them I am so grateful. It is a very tricky thing to write outside of your own culture--I only hope tat I've done it with the care and respect that it deserves."</span>Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-63006346200430163852017-11-16T20:32:00.000-08:002017-11-16T20:32:03.786-08:00The Serpent's Secret - Sayantani DasGupta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>MEET KIRANMALA: INTERDIMENSIONAL DEMONSLAYER<br /><br />(But she doesn’t know it yet.)<br /><br />On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey… until her parents mysteriously vanish later that day and a rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. Turns out there might be some truth to her parents’ fantastical stories—like how Kiranmala is a real Indian princess—and a wealth of secrets about her origin they've kept hidden.<br /><br />To complicate matters, two crushworthy Indian princes ring her doorbell, insisting they’re here to rescue her. Suddenly, Kiran is swept into another dimension full of magic, winged horses, moving maps, and annoying, talking birds. There she must solve riddles and slay demons all while avoiding the Serpent King of the underworld (who may or may not want to kill her) and the rakkhosh queen (who definitely does) in order to find her parents and basically save New Jersey, her entire world, and everything beyond it…</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had this book on my desk for a little while already, and it kept calling to me, but things got in the way. Today, I had two flights of free time and I devoured this novel!! Holy crap, it's so much fun! I can't wait for the next words to come from the imagination of Sayantani DasGupta.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From a punny little bird, to a land of strange and miraculous occurrences, to a royal family with enough drama to rival <i>Downton Abbey, </i>DasGupta's narrative weaves a magical adventure for young readers, featuring one of the most kick-butt young women to grace a book cover in recent years. Kiran thinks everything is going normally for her, until her parents disappear and she is whisked away by two young princes who don't seem to fit in at all in New Jersey (and not just because of the flying horses they ride!) When she is forced to confront a history she knows almost nothing about and a murderous Snake King who may be her biological father, Kiran begins to understand just how much she has to learn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In typical tween style, Kiran and the two princes banter humorously, fight at the slightest injustice, and hold grudges about as long as an ice cream cone lasts in the desert. The world that DasGupta builds is confusing, but not in a bad way; some of the lands literally change places on a whim and sometimes even show up where you least expect them. Kiran encounters a world where people might be demons, and demons might contain entire universes, and sometimes help can come from seemingly horrifying places.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a real gem of a story, and one that you won't soon forget! Get this one on your pre-order forms ASAP!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Highly Recommended</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>(NOTE: This review is from an Advance Reading Copy - Out February 2018)</i></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-46040840272491196402017-11-05T21:45:00.001-08:002017-11-05T21:45:34.453-08:00[GUEST POST] Release - Patrick Ness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://assets.teenvogue.com/photos/59a6f66d95621c31b8373847/master/pass/Release%20HC.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="530" height="320" src="https://assets.teenvogue.com/photos/59a6f66d95621c31b8373847/master/pass/Release%20HC.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">More GUEST POST goodness from the amazing Keith Reynolds!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>
Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume's Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It's a big day. Things go wrong. It's intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches...<br /> <br /> Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It's a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won't come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course.</i><br /><br />Adam is not having a good day. What I liked most about all of it though was the steady pace of it kept me enthralled. Despite Adam’s emotional highs (cute friendships and a soupçon of sex) and lows (basically everything else), my interest didn’t wane. I kept wanting to see what horrible bit of news will finally break Adam. <br /><br />I got the sense that it was all building to one big explosion of emotion a wonderful, cathartic event like a kiss in an thunderstorm, a dramatic declaration of love in front of the whole school, or a winning performance at regionals that magically fixes everything. Only it never happened, the denouement was understated, and believable. <br /><br />Interestingly, that’s only half the story, as Adam’s narrative is broken up by a fantastical journey of a murdered woman’s spirit. Accompanied by a faun as her guide, the spirit drifts through the world to significant places in her past life confronting people who failed her. It was a strange choice. Unlike other books that I’ve read recently with cataclysmic, world ending subplots (<i><a href="https://unquestionably-palatable.blogspot.ca/2015/12/we-are-ants-shaun-david-hutchinson.html"><span style="color: blue;">We are the Ants</span></a>, <a href="https://unquestionably-palatable.blogspot.ca/2017/01/at-edge-of-universe-shaun-david.html"><span style="color: blue;">At the Edge of the Universe</span></a></i>), this one was far more abstract. It, in some ways, suggested that the world would end if the spirit didn’t complete her journey, but it was so removed from the main plot that I never considered it part of the stakes. I didn’t care.<br /><br />I often asked myself if it was filler, or if it would link back to Adam’s story. Was this really bad day a preamble to a murder mystery? No. Was the spirit going to reveal something fundamental about Adam’s character? Not really. It was a little distracting, but overall wasn’t significant enough to ruin my overall impression of the book.<br /><br />Full of small events that punctuated Adam’s horrible day, <i>Release</i> was just that, a release. It was satisfying and complete even with the magical interludes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Keith Reynolds is a social media consultant and writer based out of Vancouver. Follow him on twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/slothra">twitter.com/slothra</a> or check out his personal website: <a href="http://keithreynolds.ca/">http://keithreynolds.ca/</a></i></span>Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-43761104775957657162017-10-31T12:59:00.000-07:002017-11-01T09:11:49.876-07:00[GUEST POST] I Hate Everyone But You - Allison Raskin and Gaby Dunn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ldoUZNH0ot4LoG8HexI6v70bsRjJ0uY129-0-gboUBwtO7AGieZ5_JZrUBIPn45BMbaIkm9wjLuR0XI3VuwCMXRoGExV432aCRLMjCd_vGY_4d5YjqtFIvzkWoMRdqHjkzpFD99FPXKP/s1600/I+Hate+Everyone+But+You_Jacket+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ldoUZNH0ot4LoG8HexI6v70bsRjJ0uY129-0-gboUBwtO7AGieZ5_JZrUBIPn45BMbaIkm9wjLuR0XI3VuwCMXRoGExV432aCRLMjCd_vGY_4d5YjqtFIvzkWoMRdqHjkzpFD99FPXKP/s320/I+Hate+Everyone+But+You_Jacket+Cover.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Today I have the pleasure of providing you all with a guest post from a good friend, Keith Reynolds. We have some similar ideas about books, and other times our ideas are pretty polarized. In any case, I respect his opinion, and I hope you all enjoy reading his review of this novel!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>[Note: These views are those of the guest reviewer and are not necessarily my own]</i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
If you’ve ever had a piece of candy and later found out it was good for you? No because something like that doesn’t exist? Well you’re right, but if it existed, <i>I Hate Everyone But You</i>, would be the book equivalent. This is a strained metaphor to be sure, but just go with it.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">----------------------------------------<br /><i>Dear Best Friend, </i><br /><i> I can already tell that I will hate everyone but you.</i><br /><i> Sincerely, </i><br /><i> Ava Helmer (that brunette who won’t leave you alone)</i></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /> We're still in the same room, you weirdo. <br /> Stop crying. <br /> G </i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>So begins a series of texts and emails sent between two best friends, Ava and Gen, as they head off to their first semesters of college on opposite sides of the country. From first loves to weird roommates, heartbreak, self-discovery, coming out and mental health, the two best friends will document every moment to each other. But as each changes and grows into her new life, will their friendship be able to survive the distance?</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">----------------------------------------</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As is my way, I didn’t like the format at first. It seemed like too much like a tiresome conversation I would have with friends when bored in my early university days. More than once, I was projecting my disdain for badly written and contrived early University tropes onto the books more than I was allowing myself to enjoy the prose. However, it didn’t take long at all for me to get over this self-loathing reproach because the voices of the two protagonists shone through. <br /><br />I could tell even without the telltale email or contact name who was speaking. I could hear the distinct characters through even the briefest exchanges. I don’t know if the authors each wrote one of the points-of-view but if they didn’t they are a extremely talented duo. <br /><br />Each of them were compelling stories wound together by an old friendship. Ava, alone for the first time in years without her bestie Gen, is struggling with her social anxiety. She doesn’t know how to navigate this new environment. Perhaps its just society’s predilection to ignore mental illness, but the effort to show her struggle really paid off in this book. It was consistent and enhanced, rather than detracted from, the plot. I empathized with Ava as she made up a pretext for spending time with a boy she met through a sorority event that she didn’t want to go to which ended up biting her in the ass to hilarious effect. <br /><br />Meanwhile in Boston, Gen is on a sexual walkabout. She hooks up with a number of people whose interconnected sexual and personal relationships weave a complicated tapestry. It doesn’t always read as a healthy experience because of the lens that Ava puts on it, but the complications from sex and drug use are tempered by Gen’s cooler head. She explains to her anxious friend that she can have sex with other people without needing to label her relationships or sexuality. It’s a satisfying journey that brings Ava, and readers, along. It offers some small teachable moments about people’s anxiety around sex, gender, and orientation without being heavy-handed. <br /><br />It was all very charming and the beats of the story told in this format worked quite well. The moments where one POV was unavailable/drunk/asleep and the other was panicking were perfectly placed to ramp up the tension. Meanwhile the longer narrative or reconciliatory emails balanced the prose. I Hate Everyone But You is a delight to read full of genuine friendly teasing that you can also probably find in texts to friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Keith Reynolds is a social media consultant and writer based out of Vancouver. Follow him on twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/slothra">twitter.com/slothra</a> or check out his personal website: <a href="http://keithreynolds.ca/">http://keithreynolds.ca/</a></i></span><br />
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Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-5194947226698455632017-10-18T11:09:00.000-07:002017-10-18T11:09:09.685-07:00Picturebook Roundup!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Apologies for the disappearance over the last little bit. I've been in the midst of a number of deadlines and have fallen behind on my reviewing. In any case, I'm back now, at least for today, with some really great picture books!<br /><i><br /></i></span><div>
<a href="https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9781101919071" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="348" height="200" src="https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9781101919071" width="154" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Oliver has always dreamed about where he will fit. Will he be in the mane of a unicorn? The tentacle of a pirate squid? The helmet of an astronaut? When he finally goes in search of his perfect place, he finds that trying to fit in is a lot harder than he thought. But like any puzzle, a little trial and error leads to a solution, and Oliver figures out exactly where he belongs.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498863422l/33609116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498863422l/33609116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498863422l/33609116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498863422l/33609116.jpg" width="155" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This book is adorable, heartfelt, gorgeously colorful, and speaks to the real-life anxieties around feeling inadequate or being unable to fit in. Oliver is a delightful little fellow, trying to find a place and a purpose.</span><br />
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Frank loves being a spider, especially the part that involves having eight glorious legs. But one morning Frank wakes up missing a leg. One of his friends exclaims, "I barely recognize him!" Another friend asks, "Are you still a spider, Frank?" Is he still a spider? Frank doesn't know. And so a quest ensues as Frank searches for his leg and the answer to his identity.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Frank is a cute little spider who children can not only identify with when it comes to feeling left out or "different," but more specifically, he can also be a comfort to youngsters who may have been born without a limb or similar.</span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1483556250l/33376257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1483556250l/33376257.jpg" width="155" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat's poignant tale follows Humpty Dumpty, an avid bird watcher whose favorite place to be is high up on the city wall―that is, until after his famous fall. Now terrified of heights, Humpty can longer do many of the things he loves most. Will he summon the courage to face his fear?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An absolutely brilliant look at fear and courage, and overcoming challenges in life. Santat's book acknowledges that life can be difficult, and that sometimes it takes time to get back on one's feet. A remarkable book for all ages!</span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-41947534197382291572017-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:002017-10-10T06:00:30.548-07:00One of the Boys - Daniel Magariel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81ZrgypaQnL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81ZrgypaQnL.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The three of them—a twelve-year-old boy, his older brother, their father—have won</i> the war<i>: the father’s term for his bitter divorce and custody battle. They leave their Kansas home and drive through the night to Albuquerque, eager to begin again, united by the thrilling possibility of carving out a new life together. The boys go to school, join basketball teams, make friends. Meanwhile their father works from home, smoking cheap cigars to hide another smell. But soon the little missteps—the dead-eyed absentmindedness, the late night noises, the comings and goings of increasingly odd characters—become sinister, and the boys find themselves watching their father change, grow erratic, then violent.</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a tough book to read. I need to make that clear straight away. This is where I put a trigger warning and note: child abuse, drug use, psychological trauma, death threats. If these are issues that will trigger you, then it is a good idea to let this one past.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">THAT BEING SAID, the book is incredibly well written, smart, and truly gets to the heart of the emotional trauma that can and often does occur in cases of parental drug abuse and divorce between psychologically troubled adults. The young boys (they are given no names in the narrative, and why would they? Their parents have both abandoned them, in most senses) are the focus of the book, trying to come to terms with how they manipulated social services to "escape" from their mother, only to realize that their father is far less stable and on-their-side than they originally thought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Things escalate exponentially throughout the course of the book. The boys are put into greater and greater danger at home as their father sinks further and further into himself (he drinks more, does more drugs, and becomes uncontrollably violent). The older boy is forced to start stealing food from his work and the younger boy is eventually imprisoned at home and forced to carry out his father's drug deals, only to end up beaten and traumatized when his father becomes forgetful about how much money he has spent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is no happy ending. This is not a book with a "moral" or a "lesson" at the conclusion. This is real life here on these pages. And young people go through some shit! Would I say this is a YA novel? Perhaps, for the more mature teen reader. This is what I would more call an adult novel with YA appeal. This is an example of "just because it's got teens as the focus doesn't mean it's a YA book" (see the controversy around <i>When Everything Feels Like the Movies</i>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Conclusion: This is an incredible book. I definitely <b>Recommend</b> this book to adults and discerning teens. Would I give this to a teen going through a lot of shit in their own life? Probably not, but that doesn't diminish it's strong writing and it's well-paced narrative.</span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-92167283906787863602017-10-06T14:50:00.000-07:002017-10-06T14:57:08.826-07:00Pretty - Justin Sayre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/42/ce/38/42ce38b0d9c686bf5c9ea6f83e0d8bc7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/42/ce/38/42ce38b0d9c686bf5c9ea6f83e0d8bc7.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Set three months after </i>Husky'<i>s conclusion and narrated by Sophie, Davis's best friend, Sayre details the private and public life of someone saddled with the adjective of pretty. Confident, stylish, and easygoing at school, Sophie is struggling in her home life. Stepping in to help as her mother's addiction spirals out of control, Sophie's aunt teaches the biracial Sophie new lessons about her heritage. While helping to heal the wounds inflicted by alcoholism, Sophie's renewed sense of self challenges her perception of place in the affluent, "liberal" neighborhood of Park Slope where she lives. Set against the backgrounds of Brooklyn and Harlem, Sayre challenges readers to confront superficial assumptions about race and beauty and breathes new life into the canon of middle-grade realistic fiction.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This book is pretty. I mean, the cover is beautiful, and the writing is solid, and the topics explored are timely and necessary. But the things that happen to Sophie are not nearly as pretty. She is constantly in a cycle of love/hate with Janet, her mother (at least for the first part of the novel), and her friend Allegra is a really terrible friend, even though Sophie tries to justify their friendship from time to time (thankfully she starts to realize the toxicity of their relationship over time.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What I loved about this book was the way that Sayre explored alcoholism without entirely focusing on the alcoholism. What he does instead is explore the fallout, at least after introducing things more explicitly in the opening chapters. After Sophie's aunt moves in and her life starts to change dramatically, readers are given the opportunity to see Sophie come to the realization that life before, with her often-drunk mother and her father overseas, was not as bearable as she tried to make it out to be. In moments later on when she starts to stand up for herself in various situations, I wanted to cheer!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There's a lot of interesting food for thought, too, in terms of class/race and the joy that comes from the realization that one has finally found a community and a sense of belonging. Just wait for Sophie's trip to church, or her first trip to a hairdresser with actual black women cutting black women's hair (it is a glorious moment of the book!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The plot isn't long or convoluted and the book will be a hit with older middle-grade and early YA readers (and anyone else interested in Sophie's story, of course.) In fact, a colleague noted that it's one of his 5th grader's favourite books! High praise, indeed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Recommended</b></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-47570163826331714762017-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:002017-10-03T06:00:09.723-07:00There's Someone Inside Your House - Stephanie Perkins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493650246l/34749523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493650246l/34749523.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>It's been almost a year since Makani Young came to live with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska, and she's still adjusting to her new life. And still haunter by her past in Hawaii. Then, one by one, the students of her small town high school begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, Makani will be forced to confront her own dark secrets.</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've become a pretty big fan of thrillers and horror movies these last few years, at least where movies are concerned, so I when saw that this was a slasher for teens, I figured I'd give it a shot, and I wasn't disappointed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Though the book itself is focused perhaps a bit more on a central romance than I would have liked, the killings and the swift pacing of the novel will keep young readers hooked. The revelation of the killer happened a bit earlier than I would have preferred, but the slow revelation of motivations and the ensuing police chase are engrossing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All in all, this is a swift, captivating tale with a mixture of thrills, blood, and creepy-ass crime scenes. <i>There's Someone Inside Your House</i> might not keep you up at night if you're a horror aficionado, but it's still bloody good fun (yay word play!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Recommended</b></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-22873601945710577542017-09-28T06:00:00.000-07:002017-09-28T06:00:21.419-07:00Night of Cake & Puppets - Laini Taylor & Jim DiBartolo (Illus.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499075058l/34733250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499075058l/34733250.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to meet him, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. <br /><br />It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before finally leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy’s not going to know what hit him.</i></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This book is super cute, full of delightful romance and inventive magic. DiBartolo's illustrations beautifully complement the narrative. I will note that it's a companion novella to go along with Laini Taylor's <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> series, so on its own, the book does lack a little bit of depth. However, when read in addition to the other novels, the story works remarkably well and is deliciously magical. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you're a fan of the series and Taylor's imaginative and well-paced prose, you'll want to check this book out ASAP!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Recommended</b></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-68982324782970500542017-09-25T06:00:00.000-07:002017-09-25T06:00:02.460-07:00Dear Martin - Nic Stone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485189957l/24974996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485189957l/24974996.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Justyce McAllister is top of his class, captain of the debate team, and set for the Ivy League next year—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. He is eventually released without charges (or an apology), but the incident has Justyce spooked. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood, he can’t seem to escape the scorn of his former peers or the attitude of his prep school classmates. The only exception: Sarah Jane, Justyce’s gorgeous—and white—debate partner he wishes he didn’t have a thing for.<br /><br />Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up. Much to the fury of the white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. And Justyce and Manny get caught in the crosshairs. In that media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack. The truth of what happened that night—some would kill to know. Justyce is dying to forget.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you've read <i>The Hate U Give</i> or <i>All American Boys</i>, then you'll definitely want to get your hands on this book. What I love about all three is that they are all different, even if they all hinge on a similar focal point (i.e. police brutality). While <i>AAB </i>offers first person perspectives from a young white man and a young black man, and <i>THUG</i> gives us the perspective of a young black woman, <i>Dear Martin</i> offers some really necessary perspectives on what it's like to be black and have issues of class intersect. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jus and his friend Manny are both black, but Manny comes from an upper class background and hangs out with a group of privileged young white men, at least until Justyce points out the problems inherent in that friendship after a number of racist comments. The breaking point comes when the group goes out for Halloween and one of the boys dresses up in a KKK outfit and is confronted by gang members at a party. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Through a series of terrible events and wrong-place, wrong-time situations, Jus is forced to confront a lot of assumptions and pre-conceived notions before finding himself looking down the barrel of a gun, and later being interrogated on the witness stand. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is a sense of urgency and injustice throughout the book that will keep readers hoping for Jus to come out on top and also wondering which way the justice system will force him. There is a lot going on for such a short book, but Stone pulls it off with great skill. I would not have pegged this for a debut novel had I not been told ahead of time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Highly Recommended</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>(NOTE: This review is from and Advance Reader's Copy - Out Oct. 17, 2017)</i></span></div>
Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-19064550945574406492017-09-21T06:00:00.000-07:002017-09-21T06:00:14.552-07:00Bull, A Novel - David Elliott<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.hypable.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/bull-david-elliott-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://www.hypable.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/bull-david-elliott-small.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Minos thought he could</span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pull a fast one</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On me,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Poseidon!</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God of the Sea!</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I’m the last one</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On whom you</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should try such a thing.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The nerve of that guy.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The balls. The audacity.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I AM THE OCEAN!</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got capacity!</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Depths! Darkness! Delphic power!</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So his sweet little plan</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Went big-time sour</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And his wife had a son</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Born with horns and a muzzle</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who ended up</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In an underground puzzle.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is it with you mortals?</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You just can’t seem to learn:</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you play with fire, babies,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’re gonna get burned.</span></i></div>
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I love my Greek mythology, and I love a good novel in verse, and I really appreciate it when an author plays with narrative and perspective! In the case of <i>BULL</i>, David Elliott manages to turn the story of the Minotaur onto its head by giving readers the opportunity to understand what went down, through the eyes of deliciously twisted Poseidon. Elliott employs humour, sexual references, double entendre, and many other delightful turns of phrase in this fast-paced retelling of a disturbing and tragic tale. Poseidon's narrative reads like a drag-queen's banter on stage, with his poetic voice alternating between rhyme and free-verse, and other forms throughout the book. Each character is given his or her own poetic style as well, and the reasons are explained by Elliott himself in the back of the book. It's a wonderfully inventive little book!</div>
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<b>Recommended</b></div>
</span>Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7929458201032804341.post-66037709038817383682017-09-18T06:00:00.000-07:002017-09-18T06:00:08.665-07:00Vanilla - Billy Merrell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487498389l/34338278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487498389l/34338278.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Vanilla</i><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> is the story of two boys breaking up, and the reasons that bring their relationship to a head. Told in verse, Merrell's narrative explores asexuality and gender fluidity in the lives of teens against the backdrop of a world obsessed with sex. Being brought up in a society that sees sex as the ultimate expression of love in a relationship, asexuality is currently misunderstood by many and is ultimately the reason that Vanilla and Hunter feel unable to continue dating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The writing and language are powerful, and the range of poetic forms ensures that <i>Vanilla</i> never feels monotonous even as it defies any type of simplistic chronological storytelling. Merrell's background as a poet is evident and I feel that the style elevates an already complex and messy story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Vanilla and Hunter's relationship is the core of the story, and the failing of it due to differences in expectations around sex. But there is more to it than that. A third character eventually emerges as an important part of the narrative. Angel, the leader of The Gang, begins to explore their own conceptualization of gender and eventually reveals that they are gender fluid, bringing nuanced examinations of gender expression into a novel that already complicates normative ideas of sex and sexuality.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hunter is a jerk, I won't lie, and his treatment of Vanilla is not ideal. How he reacts to Van's revelation is pretty terrible and has led to some accusations of aphobia and reification of rape culture, but after multiple reads, I feel that these topics are suitably addressed in the course of the novel and are ultimately acknowledged as dangerous and hurtful.* </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I feel that the friendship that grows between Angel and Vanilla in the latter part of the text is where Merrell's narrative challenges aphobia rather than perpetuating it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Like any literature that explores complicated, messy, and possibly triggering topics, this book won't be for everyone, but I think Merrell has managed to write a book that will start necessary and important conversations and hopefully a better understanding of how relationships can exist and be defined outside of sexual acts and arousal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Recommended</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(NOTE: This review is from an Advance Reader's Copy - Out Oct. 2017)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">*</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">While this can definitely be read as problematic, I think that it is important to distinguish between a character being aphobic and the author be aphobic. As I was reading, I saw the narrative not as perpetuating problematic notions around asexuality and gender fluidity, but rather as an attempt to show the messiness and complicated nature of existing as either of these identities in a world that values conformity and expects sex as a component of relationships.</span></span><br />
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Rob Bittnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16620557469358222306noreply@blogger.com0