This Place Kills Me: Graphic Novel

 

Rating: 3 stars for mystery with a twist and a gray and pink illustration style that mirrors my favorite 80's Izod shirt

My Thoughts:

Tamaki takes on deep explorations of power plays, bullying, and identity in this multi genre whodunit. When transfer student Abby, the last to talk to Elizabeth Woodward, is told that her death was by suicide, she just cannot accept that. She goes digging into secrets that could destroy everything. 

With exceptional illustrations by Giroux, this book will capture readers.

 Be warned, however, as there is grooming and sexual abuse, as well as the very real misconception of victim blaming/shaming that could be triggering for some teens. Because of the 80s vibe of the artwork, I felt like the setting was in the 80s, so it was a different time. Perhaps from the viewpoint of a Gen Z or Gen Alpha, the grooming and the outrage FOR Elizabeth is not enough.  As a ladder to this book, perhaps students might read read Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, published in 1999. This was written pre Google, so paired with This Place Kills Me, perhaps perception will change, or at least readers will feel more empowered to control their own identity. 

From the Publisher:

At Wilberton Academy, few students are more revered than the members of the elite Wilberton Theatrical Society—a.k.a. the WTS—and no one represents that exclusive club better than Elizabeth Woodward. Breathtakingly beautiful, beloved by all, and a talented thespian, it’s no surprise she’s starring as Juliet in the WTS’s performance of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. But when she’s found dead the morning after opening night, the whole school is thrown into chaos.

Transfer student Abby Kita was one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive, and when local authorities deem the it-girl’s death a suicide, Abby’s not convinced. She’s sure there’s more to Wilburton and the WTS than meets the eye. As she gets tangled in prep school intrigues, Abby quickly realizes that Elizabeth was keeping secrets. Was one of those secrets worth killing for?

Told in comics, letters, diary entries, and news articles, This Place Kills Me is a page-turning whodunnit from award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki and acclaimed illustrator Nicole Goux that will have readers on the edge of their seats and begging for an encore.

Publication Information:

Author: Mariko Tamaki

Illustrator: Nicole Goux

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (August 19, 2025)

Print length: 272 pages

Reading age: 14-18 years

Cuba in My Pocket

 

Publication Date: September 21, 2021

From the Publisher:

By the author of 2021 Pura Belpré Honor Book The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, a sweeping, emotional middle grade historical novel about a twelve-year-old boy who leaves his family in Cuba to immigrate to the U.S. by himself, based on the author's family history.

“I don’t remember. Tell me everything, Pepito. Tell me about Cuba.”
When the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 solidifies Castro’s power in Cuba, twelve-year-old Cumba’s family makes the difficult decision to send him to Florida alone. Faced with the prospect of living in another country by himself, Cumba tries to remember the sound of his father’s clarinet, the smell of his mother’s lavender perfume.
Life in the United States presents a whole new set of challenges. Lost in a sea of English speakers, Cumba has to navigate a new city, a new school, and new freedom all on his own. With each day, Cumba feels more confident in his new surroundings, but he continues to wonder: Will his family ever be whole again? Or will they remain just out of reach, ninety miles across the sea?

My Thoughts:

This post will not be published until August, 2021, but know that I finished the book in the early morning hours of the last day of February as the rain and wind swirl in my valley, on another island two oceans away from both Cuba and Florida. As someone born and raised on an island that was once its own kingdom and nation before the overthrow by the "Yankees," I have had a long fascination with Cuba as a tale of parallel realities. In 1959, as a way to further colonize Hawaii under the thumb of the Big Five Sugar Plantations, and as a way to firmly secure America's military might in the Pacific, without any other viable alternative, the citizens of the US Territory of Hawaii became the 50th and last state of what we now know as the United States of America. A few years later, the Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba (covertly supported by American dollars) was a major failure of American foreign policy and it severed the relationship between US and Cuba until 2015. 

This historical fiction starts in 1961 when 12-year old Cumba, the son of a lawyer father and a dentist mother is sent to America alone in order to save him from being forced to join Fidel's Young Rebels. Although this is based on the author's father's story of being sent to the US alone to live with strangers, this is also about the story of thousands of Cuban children who fled the oppression of Cuba to forge new lives in a foreign country.  Perhaps the saddest sentiment in the book is Cumba's hope for an open Cuba where he can return to his grandparents and he can be back home in his beloved village. Knowing that Castro held on to power for 50 years until his retirement, as the reader, I know this boy will never see his grandparents again. It is too much knowledge to have over this young narrator. 

So how accurate is this particular story? Cuevas honors his father's story and memorializes this memory for future generations.  Although Cuevas' father was older when he first came (15), I like that he made Cumba younger because it places him in middle school where both magic and trauma can take place in the same space. The power of allies in America for these children is very poignant. I cannot help but think about the immigrant children over these past four years who have been separated from their families under American immigration policy. I wonder if these grown up Cuban immigrants and interned Japanese Americans have been able to be allies for these children. I also remember other historical times when families, out of desperation and hope have sent their children away to save them. One that comes to mind immediately is Lois Lowrey's  Number the Stars.  Their stories live on in our conscience through YA authors who continue to share these tales of hope and triumph. 

Just for Clicks

 

My thoughts:

I got this book free on Amazon as part of the 10 free books program and I must say it wasn't bad, however, it wasn't innovative or unpredictable either. Therefore, read worthy = YES. Buy worthy = maybe not. I would borrow it, read it, enjoy, then return it. If your public library does not have a copy, then I would recommend that your public library buy it so that you can borrow it. 

This book will be enjoyed by tween and teen girls. McDowell taps into the fascination of this influencer/branding trend where a few people are able to make lots of money (Kardashian) and create a career doing this and many, many try but do not succeed. This family is doing very well for themselves, but McDowell also shows how it is a full time job and with positives, there are also many negatives. 

From the publisher:

Mommy blogs are great . . . unless the blog happens to belong to your mom.Twin sisters Claire & Poppy are accidental social media stars thanks to Mom going viral when they were babies. Now, as teens, they're expected to contribute by building their own brand. Attending a NY fashion week and receiving fan mail is a blast. Fending off internet trolls and would-be kidnappers? Not so much. Poppy embraces it. Claire hates it. Will anybody accept her as "just Claire"? And what should Claire do about Mom's old journals? The handwritten entries definitely don't sound like Mom's perfect blog persona. Worse, one of them divulges a secret that leaves Claire wondering what else in her life might be nothing but a sham . . .

Red at the Bone

 

From the Publisher:

Moving forward and backward in time, Jacqueline Woodson's taut and powerful new novel uncovers the role that history and community have played in the experiences, decisions, and relationships of these families, and in the life of the new child.

As the book opens in 2001, it is the evening of sixteen-year-old Melody's coming of age ceremony in her grandparents' Brooklyn brownstone. Watched lovingly by her relatives and friends, making her entrance to the music of Prince, she wears a special custom-made dress. But the event is not without poignancy. Sixteen years earlier, that very dress was measured and sewn for a different wearer: Melody's mother, for her own ceremony-- a celebration that ultimately never took place.

Unfurling the history of Melody's parents and grandparents to show how they all arrived at this moment, Woodson considers not just their ambitions and successes but also the costs, the tolls they've paid for striving to overcome expectations and escape the pull of history. As it explores sexual desire and identity, ambition, gentrification, education, class and status, and the life-altering facts of parenthood, Red at the Bone most strikingly looks at the ways in which young people must so often make long-lasting decisions about their lives--even before they have begun to figure out who they are and what they want to be.

My Thoughts:

I was attending a NAISA (Native American and Indigenous Studies Association) conference last month and one of the speakers, talking about the difference between Indigenous researchers and western researchers said:

as Indigenous researchers, we have a different way of writing research. Our writing is full of poetry and metaphor that mirrors the way we make meaning of the world.

I think Woodson also sees the world in poetry and metaphor. Her prose writing shows this rhythm. She is one of the authors that you go to readings for. It will change the way you read any of her novels.

This book, a tight, poetic 200 pages wet, covers time and relationships, disappointment and legacy in a way that is more similar to dancing while dreaming. These are busy dreams and when I put the book down after a long time underwater, I find myself having to sit on the beach and put the shells together again in some kind of lei.

Woodson is a powerfully gifted storyteller in short prose that packs a punch.  

William Shakespeare Much Ado About Mean Girls

Publication date: April 23, 2019

Description:

Power struggles. Bitter rivalries. Jealousy. Betrayals. Star-crossed lovers. When you consider all these plot points, it’s pretty surprising William Shakespeare didn’t write Mean Girls. But now fans can treat themselves to the epic drama—and heroic hilarity—of the classic teen comedy rendered with the wit, flair, and iambic pentameter of the Bard. Our heroine Cady disguises herself to infiltrate the conniving Plastics, falls for off-limits Aaron, struggles with her allegiance to newfound friends Damian and Janis, and stirs up age-old vendettas among the factions of her high school. Best-selling author Ian Doescher brings his signature Shakespearean wordsmithing to this cult classic beloved by generations of teen girls and other fans. Now, on the 15th anniversary of its release, Mean Girls is a recognized cultural phenomenon, and it’s more than ready for an Elizabethan makeover.

My thoughts:

The 2004 movie Mean Girls is a classic hyperbole about the subgroups in a suburban high school. The story is about the innocent, sheltered Cady, fresh from her home schooling experience in Africa coming across the politics of this very vicious social experience that is called American high school where the haves and have nots exist best when everyone understands the role they play and no one tries to move amongst social groups. 

I think Shakespeare would love this modern take on his comedy and use of bawdy jokes built into this Shakespeare style rendering of Mean Girls. Although I think the original Much Ado About Nothing  still hold up after centuries as a classic comedy, perhaps this will bring more students to Shakespeare on their own. After all, who doesn't want to see the bullies taken down?

An advanced digital copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass book 3)

My thoughts:

This is a middle book, not meaning it is a middle of the road, meh, book. More that the story arc is leading to the climax without getting there yet. It does enough to add in enough characters, Game of Thrones style so that you know the war is coming. In fact, the heroine, part fae  queen/assassin Aelin/Celeana has so much in common with Daenerys Targaryen that I'm not mad. These are strong appealing characters that are so powerful and so flawed that I want to cheer for them and hurt with them and destroy with them. I put my phone on airplane mode and took a mental health day to finish this and put myself on the waiting list at my local library for the next installment. Devour worthy.

Description:

Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth…a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

In this USA Today bestselling third book in the New York Times bestselling series, Sarah J. Maas again delivers the epic fantasy, heart-stopping pace, and heady romance that have won her readers the world over. Look for a teaser for the fourth book in the series, Queen of Shadows, out in this same season!

How to Find Books

Reading books is a luxury for most people, even those who love to read. That's why Buzz Books is a great way to find the next book or books on your TBR (to be read) list.  The excerpts are just long enough to let readers get sucked in and just short enough to know that this may not your personal cup of tea, and all without investing anything beyond a few minutes a day.


Some of the books I am excited about:
Romanov by Nadine Brandes, author of Fawkes

The history books say I died.
They don’t know the half of it.
Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he’s hunted Romanov before.
Nastya’s only chances of saving herself and her family are either to release the spell and deal with the consequences, or to enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s only dabbled in magic, but it doesn’t frighten her half as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .
That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.

Update: I was not allowed to view this book so no review upcoming.

William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Mean Girls by Ian Doescher

Power struggles. Bitter rivalries. Jealousy. Betrayals. Star-crossed lovers. When you consider all these plot points, it’s pretty surprising William Shakespeare didn’t write Mean Girls. But now fans can treat themselves to the epic drama—and heroic hilarity—of the classic teen comedy rendered with the wit, flair, and iambic pentameter of the Bard. Our heroine Cady disguises herself to infiltrate the conniving Plastics, falls for off-limits Aaron, struggles with her allegiance to newfound friends Damian and Janis, and stirs up age-old vendettas among the factions of her high school. Best-selling author Ian Doescher brings his signature Shakespearean wordsmithing to this cult classic beloved by generations of teen girls and other fans. Now, on the 15th anniversary of its release, Mean Girls is a recognized cultural phenomenon, and it’s more than ready for an Elizabethan makeover.

Review here

Descendent of the Crane by Joan He

Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she's thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father's killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who's also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception. 

Dear Martin

This has been on my TBR list for winter break and I just finished it now because sometimes, work, school observations, commissioner duties, and watching grandkids gets in my way of reading, but I am glad I finally carved out time to read this, it is fabulous and wrenching, hopeful and sorrowful - - the whole package.

Description:

Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.

Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.

My Thoughts:

Teri Lesesne wrote a book called Reading Ladders  that basically talks about a way to start with what students are interested in and "rung by rung" connect students from their preference to more complex reading. I would like to say the Dear Martin is a rung to lead to The Hate U Give, however, I don't think it is a rung, I think it is a parallel scaffold to talk about social injustice, racism, finding a voice and literature as a catalyst for social activism.

Dear Martin, with the male protagonist is more in tune with the struggling male reader that I try to reach. I know that some classrooms are already using THUG as a class novel, but one of the reasons why I do not believe in the class novel is that for struggling readers, it just teaches them how to "not read" and still get the work done. For readers that devour the book, the pace of doing one book, chapter by chapter over a month just kills the aesthetic enjoyment of the book. Martin should sit next to a book like THUG as an alternative reading, an excerpted mentor text, and a way to talk about similar issues through different voices. 

Incubation (The Incubation Trilogy Book 1)

Description:

Bio-chemistry whiz Everly Jax wants one thing: to know who her parents are. Raised with other repo kids in InKubator 9, she has pinned her hopes on Reunion Day, the annual event where sixteen-year-olds can meet or reunite with their parents. When her Reunion Day goes horribly awry, she and her pregnant friend Halla escape the Kube, accompanied by their friend Wyck who has his own reasons for leaving.

In a world where rebuilding the population is critical to national survival, the Pragmatist government licenses all human reproduction, and decides who can--and must--have babies. The trio face feral dog packs, swamp threats, locust swarms, bounty hunters looking for "breeders," and more dangers as they race to Amerada's capital to find Halla's soldier boyfriend before the Prags can repo her baby and force the girls into surrogacy service.

An unexpected encounter with Bulrush, an Underground Railroad for women fleeing to Outposts with their unlicensed babies, puts them in greater peril than ever. Everly must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to learn her biological identity--and deal with the unanticipated consequences of her decisions.

My Thoughts:

This was a free book on Kindle, but this sci fi thriller that takes on very political issues about women's rights, food sovereignty, and ecological collapse is a fast paced action book that can easily become another YA book to movie choice. The book starts with locusts and ends with locusts, similar to some of my favorite authors who have also used this technique: S.E. Hinton  The Outsiders, Sandra Cisneros House on Mango Street. 

Yes, this book is free, but it is still a worthy weekend read and I definitely want to read the next book. 

Crown of Midnight

Description:

She is the greatest assassin her world has ever known.

But does she have the heart of a killer?

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. But Calaena is far from loyal to the crown. Keeping up the charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her skills in an entirely new way. And it certainly isn't the only point of confusion for the young girl. Because though she's made her choice between Dorian and Chaol, the ways of the heart are never simple...

My Thoughts:

Sometimes you go to a restaurant in your neighborhood and you keep ordering the same thing, not because you do not eat anything else, but just because it is a sure thing. There is comfort in going to a familiar place and ordering what you know will be good. It is not a surprise except if for some reason, the chef had an off day or something and your familiar tastes a little different.

This second book in the Throne of Glass series is my regular order - girl power, warrior, fantasy, action, betrayal, blood, death. . . I know what I like. This is what I like. So far, Ms. Maas, as the chef, does not disappoint. Therefore, I will be back (as soon as I work my way down the waiting list), and I will have another, thank you so much. 

Long Way Down

My Thoughts:

This novel in verse is about 15-year-old Will who decides that he must follow the rules and avenge the shooting death of his brother. As he rides down the elevator of his housing complex to L (for loser), he encounters A Christmas Carol like menagerie of ghosts who enter and stay as the elevator stops on each floor.

This is a must share for reluctant readers. The poetry style and the ample white space as well as the generational story of each ghost and his/her connection to Will is a perfect "not boring" way to keep middle level readers engaged. 

I also really love this cover, the way the inside panel of the elevator on the cover shows a fuzzy distorted view of Will is both simple and very metaphoric. As long as teachers don't harp on it and try to analyze the cover to death, I think it can speak for itself. I just really like how haunting it is.

Finally, I appreciate authors like Mr. Reynolds who come at writing as a reluctant reader. I just read an article in The Guardian about Reynolds and how amazing it is that he is a writer considering that he was 17 before he read a book from start to finish. YA needs more writers who are aliterate or reluctant readers writing for their younger selves. Like Reynolds says, to reach readers, do not write boring books. Amen and thank you for this not boring book. 

Update: (08/18/21)

Simon and Schuster Publishing shares their teacher discussion guide

Excerpt:

Long Way Down DON’T NOBODY
believe nothing

these days

which is why I haven’t

told nobody the story

I’m about to tell you.

And truth is,

you probably ain’t

gon’ believe it either

gon’ think I’m lying

or I’m losing it,

but I’m telling you,

this story is true.

It happened to me.

Really.

It did.

It so did.

Young Elites

Marie Lu is the author of Warcross, the Ready Player One/Hunger Games  series being written now. While I was waiting on the library list I decided to try one of her earlier series.

Description:

 am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.
Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.
 
It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt

My Thoughts:

I liked the story, was rooting for the flawed Adelina until in Game of Thrones fashion, the author, Lu, killed off the only character I actually liked and the only one that could possibly be her saving grace. 

At the end of book 1, as a flawed character she has not progressed and I am left without a moral center. I don't feel for her and I feel like she is a major boo hoo whiner who now has more power than she can keep in check. 

Will I read the next book? Probably because there is no waiting list at the library. That might not be a good thing, but "hope springs eternal."

The Way He Loved Me

Description:

"I love you." Three little words that when repeated over and over are likely to become believable. For Amy Andrews, 'I love you' comes at a price of never-ending forgiveness and hidden bruises.

Amy refuses to listen to family and friends, not wanting to see the only love she has ever known for the monster he really is. Jason is dangerous and volatile, leaving nothing but destruction in his path. Will Amy see the imminent danger before it's too late?

Or will she give every part of herself until there's nothing left? WARNING This book contains mature content and descriptive scenes that may be offensive or difficult to read

My Thoughts:

This book is not helpful at all. As a victim of psychological violence and stalking by an intimate partner, I could not finish reading beyond chapter six. Make no mistake. I am a survivor. I learned how to both recognize my damage and change what I look for in partners. I have been married in a loving relationship now for a very long time. What I am saying is there is a way out. There is a way to survive and thrive. This book is not helpful to get to the end of the tunnel. 

Here are some statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline:

More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

Nearly half of all women and men in the United States have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime (48.4% and 48.8%, respectively).[vii]

Although the statistics seem grim, what I also know is that we survive and thrive. if 1 in 2 of us have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner, we come out of these relationships changed and strong otherwise the domestic violence statistics would be much higher. Some of us come out without the violence and outside drama that this book suggests as a "way out." That is the kind of book that YA males and females need. They need to see how you can rely on others to help you heal. They need to see how there are safe places and adult advocates who can help. They need to see what a strong friend who can help looks like. That is the kind of book we need. Not this.

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the Publisher for an honest review

From Twinkle, With Love

My Thoughts:

Sandhya Menon, author of When Rishi Met Dimple, just secures her spot in the YA romance writers union (I don't know if there is such a thing, but I'm sure there is). With her predominantly Asian cast of characters, she normalizes culture and diversity in a way that does not make it into a political statement but more of a mirror of what American society could look like.

Like the Bollywood movies that she loves, Menon creates a YA world that reveals the sweet, charming aspects of young love without the cheap marketability of the erotic. The selling point for Menon's stories, again, like the Bollywood movies she loves, is the happy ending. This is not a spoiler alert, just the charm of the genre. If that is not what you are looking for, it is good to know at the beginning. 

From the Publisher:

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

The Hate U Give

My Thoughts: 

This has been on the must read list all year and for good reason. Although it starts off  like an imitation of the television show Lincoln Heights, this story is a crucial literary piece to capture the frustration, mourning and rage that we see on television as "blips" and 10 second news stories of police shootings and the Black Lives Matter reaction. 

I wish I were back in my 8th grade classroom. I would definitely work with my social studies partner to create a paired unit. 

From the Publisher:

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

A Few:

I look at the stars again. Daddy says he named me Starr because I was his light in the darkness. I need some light in my own darkness right about now.

Smoke in the Sun

This is the sequel to Flame in the Mist, a story set in feudal Japan. 

While the first book was like Mulan, this last one takes the protagonist, Mariko, into the silken inner workings of the emperor's court. As the betrothed to the bastard brother of the new emperor, Mariko must rely on her deceit and analytical mind to save the ones she loves. 

Devour worthy. This is a fast read if you have a couple hours of uninterrupted read time.

The Game Canʻt Love You Back

My thoughts:

This is the classic hate to love to hate to love story. Teen girls will eat it up. What makes it different and refreshing is that Eve is a tomboy, star athlete on the boys baseball team and she does not have to change who she is to get the boy. We finally get a character, Eve, who is a good daughter, a good sister and a good best friend. She is not angsty or awkward. She is smart, competitive, driven and innocent. 

Cozzo follows the romance formula, but I like the way these females are written. 

Firstlife (Everlife #1)

Description:

Tenley "Ten" Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl...who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she'll live—after she dies. 
There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death. 
In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms who will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she's drawn to isn't where the boy she's falling for lives? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision...

My thoughts:

I didn't make the connection until just now, but this story reminds me of being visited by Mormon missionaries every day. Like the "elders," young, handsome in their white shirts and ties, determined to share news of the second life or eternal life, that is what the characters Archer and Killian remind me of. The difference is that Archer is a missionary or laborer from Troika and Killian is a laborer from Myriad, two different and warring second life worlds who both are trying to actively recruit Ten. 

The premise is very different even if the arc of the story is typical. Girl meets boys. Boys fight over girl and sacrifice themselves for girl. Girl, although wishy washy has other-wordly potential and strength. In other words, for a girl, she is hard to kill. Lots of side characters are killed for said girl. In the end, the reader is left on the edge of the cliff without a bridge.

The Sun is Also a Star

Description:

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true? 

My thoughts:

This book grabbed me from the prologue and stirred up the science nerdy girl that has been dormant in me for so long.  Yoon starts with Carl Sagan talking about making apple pie from scratch, not just with raw ingredients. No. It's Carl Sagan. He is talking about an apple pie from nothing at all. Big Bang, black holes, suns, oceans, life coming up from the muck. 

To make a thing as simple as an apple pie, you have to create the whole wide world.

That last line in the prologue is the essence of this book right there. If this were an essay, it would be the thesis. Worlds must collide. Dark matter, tides, extinction-level events. This is about two teenagers and romance and alternative worlds. It is about science and physics and the problem with immigration and race and ethnicity in America. This is about one day in New York. It is about broken dreams and loneliness. It is about time. 

And finally, as a former chemistry major who borrowed a chemistry book from my future husband and switched to English literature once we were together, this book is all about chemistry. 

The Rose and the Dagger

Book 2 of The Wrath and the Dawn

Book 1: Like 1001 Nights. . . Girl hates monster, wants to murder monster, but the mystery and pain of this boy/man/monster puts her on edge. 

Girl loves a boy/man/monster who loves her and will defy curses for her, opens his heart to her. But fathers in these books. Ugh. They screw everything up with their misguided hunger for power. Girl is taken from boy who she loves and whisked away by the boy who has always loved her. 

Book 2: Like Aladdin (sort of). . .Girl must harness the power within her. Save herself, save her man, save her sister, save herself, save her man, save her sister, save herself. . .Get the gist? Always towards the boy/man/monster who loves a girl that is so much more than he deserves.