Listen with me

 

Tangleroot by Kalela Williams

Consider the set-up here - a girl forced to spend the summer at an old plantation with her high-achieving mother who is searching for details about family history. We're going to expect secrets uncovered about the slave-owning history of the town and probably some modern racism along with a confrontation between the girl and her mother. And all of that is present. There's nothing supernatural here, no ghosts haunting the place (though the early chapters certainly would have allowed for it). Ultimately, it's not even about confronting racism, exactly. Instead Williams has used a town's racist past as a method of exploring identity. Noni picks apart the history of the families that lived at Tangleroot, certainly, but she also ends up examining herself. She's asking what motivates her and the kind of person she wants to be. This is less of a thriller, though it has some big reveals and dramatic moments, and more of a piece that asks us to question behavior and attitudes. Not only is this one worth reading, it's probably worthy of a second or third pass to truly explore the ideas at play.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Lonely Places by Kate Anderson - Chase's family has been living on the road for years, roaming the country in a converted school bus. They've settled for the year in a lookout tower in the middle of Pando. It should be a chance for Chase to work and earn some money, for her sister Guthrie to heal from a trauma. But strange things happen in Pando and Chase fears loosing her sister forever.

What did you recently finish reading?

Every Story Ever Told by Ami Polonsky - After a mass shooting at a street festival, Stevie feels like she's falling apart. With her best friend and her newly acquired therapy dog, she tracks down bits of her mother's history and starts putting herself together again.

What do you think you'll read next?

Let it Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy

Book review - Giddy Barber Explodes in 11

 

Title: Giddy Barber Explodes in 11

Author: Dina Havranek

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Wild Swans by Jessica Spotswood

                      Life Unaware by Cole Gibsen

Rating:

relatable

Summary (provided by publisher): Giddy Barber knows with certainty she’s going to become a mechanical engineer. What she doesn't know is the last time she smiled.

With her parents overworked and unavailable, it falls to Giddy to make sure her siblings stay on track. But she’s exhausted. When you’re the person everyone else turns to, what do you do when you hit a wall?

Giddy finds an answer online—if you can’t handle how things are going, shake them up. Is it sound advice? Unclear. But is Giddy willing to try anything? Absolutely. Putting eleven days on the clock, she’ll change her routine. But soon it becomes clear that some problems are bigger than what an online column can fix—her family is fracturing, her anxiety is mounting, and all she knows is this: Something. Has. To. Give.

My opinion: We're hearing increasing reports of teens who are stretched to the limit and struggling with stress and depression. So Giddy's situation is timely. We see a character who is not only tightly wound and over scheduled, she's desperately unhappy and has no idea what would make her happy. The advice she follows sets me a bit on edge. Not only does she pick it up from what sounds like a pretty questionable source, her method of following it is deeply flawed. So her decisions can be pretty cringe-inducing. And the tension builds steadily throughout the book. The titular explosion feels increasingly inevitable. The resolution is ultimately satisfying and addresses some of her poor decision-making. Certainly, I wouldn't recommend that any reader follow Giddy's method of fixing their life but it's a solid illustration of how desperately wrong and over-burdened teen's life can turn.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - The Judgement of Yoyo Gold

 

Title: The Judgement of Yoyo Gold

Author: Isaac Blum

Genre: realistic fiction

Similar books: Beyond the Mapped Stars by Rosalyn Eves

                     The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

Rating:

solidly contemplative

Summary (provided by publisher): Yoyo Gold has always played the role of the perfect Jewish daughter. She keeps kosher, looks after her siblings, and volunteers at the local food bank. She respects the decisions of her rabbi father and encourages her friends to observe the rules of their Orthodox faith. But when she sees her best friend cast out of the community over a seemingly innocent transgression, Yoyo’s eyes are opened to the truth of her neighbors’ hypocrisies for the first time. And what she sees leaves her shocked and unmoored.

As Yoyo’s frustration builds, so does the pressure to speak out, even if she can only do so anonymously on TikTok, an app that’s always been forbidden to her. But when one of her videos goes viral—and her decisions wind up impacting not only her own life but also her relationship with the boy she’s falling for—Yoyo’s world is thrown into chaos. She is forced to choose which path to take, for her community, for her family, and most importantly, for herself.

My opinion: There are plenty of books out there that feature characters in restrictive religious communities starting to look at the larger world for the first time. Mostly these books show the hypocrisy and stifling restriction of the religion. That's not quite what is happening here. Yoyo doesn't question her religion. Her belief in Hashem does not waver. Instead, she's questioning rules, restrictions. She's asking if all of these things are genuinely what is for her good. Or at least, that's how her journey starts. Without getting into spoilers, what I'll say is that I thought I had the direction of this plot figured out several times only to have the narrative shift in a small but significant way each time. The result is truly and introspective plot as Yoyo makes mistakes and keeps secrets, finding her way forward for herself. With a full cast of complex characters, this is an excellent read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Graphic novel spotlight - Heebie Jeebies

 

Heebie Jeebies by Matthew Erman

Looking for a ghost story that's more funny and exciting than scary? This might be the book for you. Combining a search for a lost treasure with social conflicts, Heebie Jeebies gives us s story of outsider kids looking for stability and understanding. It's not afraid to make jokes even as it digs into their characters and motivations. With a strong visual design and a solid plot, this is an entertaining read suitable for middle grade readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Non-fiction book review - Dinosaurs Can Be Small

 

Dinosaurs Can Be Small by Darrin Lunde

Hooray for new dinosaur books! The appeal of this one is strong, starting with the cover. The cartoony, almost friendly, dinosaurs on that cover make you want to pick this book up. The text is fascinating as well. First Lunde presents us with a large dinosaur, typically one familiar to us, and gives a couple of facts about its size and advantages. Then we learn about a small dinosaur that shares some of its features, like horns or being carnivorous, and how being small presents its own advantages. While the text is simple it is compelling and will likely lead to repeat readings.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?

Giddy Barber Explodes in 11 by Dina Havranek - Giddy's life is carefully controlled, centered on taking care of her siblings and getting perfect grades to secure her future. She barely has time to sleep or figure out why she is so desperately unhappy. A random blog post has her looking for a reset and trying new things for the first time. In just 11 days she'll either fix things or completely blow up.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Judgement of Yoyo Gold by Isaac Blum - The daughter of an Orthodox rabbi, Yoyo has always known who she is and what is expected of her. But when her best friend breaks the rules and is sent away, Yoyo finds herself questioning her community and the interpretation of her faith.

What do you think you'll read next?

HappyHead by Josh Silver