Wide Awake--"Both dated and eerily prophetic"

Title: Wide Awake

Author: David Levithan


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  In the near future, the first gay and Jewish United States president is elected. The green states have prevailed, with their Jesus Revolution, All Equal Movement, and Great Community.  However, the governor of Kansas is claiming voter fraud and demands a recount of his state.  High school boyfriends Jimmy and Duncan, along the rest of their political group and thousands of others, head to Kansas to protest the governor and support the president-elect.


What I think: While reading Wide Awake, I could only think how difficult it was going to be to write about the book without comparing it to today's political climate.  Goodness knows I do enough complaining about politics, and those of you who know me in real life are either nodding or rolling your eyes (probably both 😉).

Sooooo . . . . I am going to list some of the major events in the book, and you can see how they compare to today's political climate yourself.

Lizard Radio--"Life is about ambiguity" OR "The Lizard People were just a red herring!"

Title: Lizard Radio

Author: Pat Schmatz


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Kivali is sent to CropCamp, a place where the SayFree government sends teenagers go to become productive adult members of society.  Gender-neutral Kivali (nicknamed Lizard) feels different from the other campers, but she knows she must either try to fit in or accept her place as an outcast, which would send her to Blight, a government-sanctioned area for criminals and other non-conforming citizens.  Lizard also wonders: was she sent here from another planet?

What I think (in 250 words or fewer): At the beginning of Lizard Radio, I thought of Scott Westfeld's Uglies because slang was used immediately by the main characters and readers had to figure it out as they read, such as mealio (cafeteria), cleezies (chores), and jazzing (messing around).  Another similarity to the Uglies dystopia was when teenagers came of age, they would be controlled by the government: Uglies with plastic (and brain) surgery and CropCampers with the kickshaw.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children--"I know this is a radical idea, but people should get to be who they want to be"

Title: Beautiful Music for Ugly Children

Author: Kirstin Cronn-Mills

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Gabe, a senior in high school, knows he is really a boy even though was born with a girl's body.  When he begins hosting a radio show on the public radio station, he attracts a following, even a couple of girls who are interested in him.  But when some school bullies find out that Gabe is "Liz" in their high school, they threaten and become violent towards Gabe, his friends, and his family.


What I think:  I really liked all of the music references in this story, and disagree with a colleague of mine who claims that Gabe knowing all this music is unrealistic.  When I was in high school, I didn't listen to any music that was made after the 1980s, and I'm sure there are still high school students who like to listen to "vintage" music.  I even collected vinyl albums for a time.

Out of the Pocket--"All of you sports people: KEEP WORKING to eradicate homophobia in sports"

Title: Out of the Pocket

Author: Bill Konigsberg


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  Bobby is the star quarterback of his high school, waiting to hear from schools offering scholarships, dreaming of being a pro football player one day.  However, Bobby has a secret:  he's gay, and he's terrified about how his teammates, friends, and family would treat him if they found out.  And then, while Bobby's dealing with his dad's illness and practicing for upcoming football games, a reporter reveals Bobby's secret to the world.


What I think:  Y'all, I discovered something incredibly disturbing while reading this book:

Bill Konigsberg is . . . a SPORTS GUY.

A sports guy!  I can't believe it. Konigsberg looks like a normal person!  How could he have been hiding this secret?  What will people think if they find out I was reading a book written by a SPORTS PERSON?  Will people think I'm into sports, too?  Or what if someone thinks Konigsberg recruited me or tricked me into liking sports when I really don't?  Oh noes, I MUST do all I can to reassure people that I'm not one of those "sports" people!   😨

Okay, I'm done.  😉

The Art of Starving--"More authors need to write books like this: young adults should discuss addiction, sexuality, and bullying openly, without fear of judgment"

Title: The Art of Starving

Author: Sam J. Miller

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Matt a lonely, gay, high school student, finds that when he starves himself, his senses are heightened; and he can develop his superhuman powers (such as mind reading and control). Matt must befriend and then destroy Tariq because Tariq hurt Matt's older sister, Maya, causing her to run away.  Matt's mother, a closet alcoholic, is stressed because she is afraid she will lose her job at the slaughterhouse.

What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Matt, the (very unreliable!) narrator, is written so well, readers (or at least I) want to trust and believe him. I found myself wondering if your senses do heighten if you're hungry (they don't).

The fact, however, that I felt compelled to research it just shows you how believable Matt's voice is.

Freakboy--"Everyone feels like a freak until they make up their mind they're not"

Title: Freakboy

Author: Kristin Elizabeth Clark

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Brendan is a typical high school boy, but lately he's noticed he is not just attracted to his girlfriend, Vanessa; sometimes, he wants to be a girl like her.  Is he a freak?  Vanessa is confused because Brendan is moody lately.  Why doesn't he trust her enough to tell her his secrets?  Angel is a trans female volunteer at the LGBTQ teen center who really wants to help Brendan.  Will she get through to him?

What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I really enjoyed this book!  I don't know why I hesitate to read books written in verse instead of prose--my subconscious must believe that verse equals "difficult-to-understand-epic-poem-that-I-must-analyze-as-English-teacher," but that has not been my experience with modern books written in verse.  It's quite the opposite, in fact: books written in verse are often easier to understand, contain more vivid characters, and are faster reads than traditional prose.

Books I couldn't quite finish--"I tried so hard and got so far"

Do you ever try to read books that you know should be good, they have won awards or are recommended by everyone, but you just can't finish them for whatever reason?  I am usually good about finishing books that I have checked out to review for this blog, even if the books don't capture my attention right away (and I don't cheat; I only review books that I have read from start to finish).

Today I am going to write about three books that I just couldn't read enough of to properly review.  Should I give any of them a second chance?  Let me know.

Unbecoming--"The maiden, the mother, and the crone"

Title: Unbecoming

Author: Jenny Downham

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  Katie is a seventeen-year-old struggling to accept her sexuality. Caroline is an uptight, divorced single mother doing her best with her two children.  Mary suffers from Alzheimer's and reappears after not having talked to her daughter Caroline in years.  While caring for Mary, Katie learns to accept herself, and Caroline comes to terms with her difficult childhood. And Mary struggles to remember the mysterious "blue blanks" of her past, memories bittersweet for her to recall.

What I think:  I read an article from The Guardian talking about how this book "presents the archetypal trio of maiden, mother, and crone in a very modern setting" and I liked that description so much I decided to write the review in the voices of the maiden, mother, and crone as they are in Unbecoming.

Alex as Well--"More about untreated mental illness than intersex or trans"

Title: Alex as Well

Author: Alyssa Brugman

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Alex, who was raised as a boy, always knew that she was really a girl.  Even as she lives as a girl, the "boy Alex" still lives inside her--it's like she is two people at once.  Alex struggles to live authentically as she deals with her mentally unstable mother and non-confrontational father. When she enrolls in a new school and contacts a solicitor to help her change her birth certificate, Alex discovers something startling.

What I think (in 400 words or fewer):  This book was . . . unsettling.  Alex identifies as a girl and the "boy" Alex talks to her in her head, like another personality.  Every time Alex does something particularly masculine, or rude and vulgar, she blames "boy Alex."  Alex refers to her male part as her "noodle" and mentions that it is smaller than average.

The Other F-Word--"Leaving the shire to face the dragon"

Title: The Other F-Word

Author: Natasha Friend

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Hollis and her mother, Leigh, are grieving the loss of Pam, Leigh's wife and Hollis's parent. Milo suffers from food allergies and wants to know his medical history. Hollis has never met her sperm-donor father, but when Milo, who has the same sperm donor, contacts Hollis, she agrees to help him connect with their biological father.  Together they meet two additional half-siblings, come to terms with their parentage, and learn to appreciate their families.

What I think (in 250 words or fewer): The concept for this story fascinated me so much that I did some Internet research.  The Donor Progeny Project described in this book does not exist--but a Donor Sibling Registry does, so a story like The Other F-Word is theoretically possible.

Perfect Ten--"Love can make you stupid. And crazy."

Title: Perfect Ten

Author: L. Philips

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Sam has been on a romantic dry-spell for a couple of years, ever since he broke up with the only eligible gay boy (and his best friend), Landon.  Sam is convinced to perform a Wiccan spell with his friend, Meg, to find the perfect boyfriend.  Could it be Gus, the French exchange student; Travis, the sexy musician; Jamie, the talented artist; or loyal Landon, who wants another chance?  Will Sam ever find his true love?

What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Perfect Ten is a fun summer beach read.  The slight angst is of the teenage romantic type, and everything turns out fabulous, in the fairy-tale style of Harlequin romance novels.

Shine--"You can cast off the darkness and shine again, can't you?"

Title: Shine

Author: Lauren Myracle

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  Cat's childhood friend, an openly-gay teenager in the small North Carolina town of Black Creek, was severely beaten and left for dead.  While Patrick lies in a coma, Cat questions everyone in her small town to figure out who did this to Patrick, and also confronts a boy who sexually assaulted her three years previously, as well as systematic poverty, drug addiction, homophobia, racism, and desperation in Black Creek.

What I think (in 250 words or fewer):  The mystery is very easy to figure out, even though I had a sad feeling in my stomach because I did not want for this character to be guilty--I really liked and felt bad for him! I stubbornly held on to the belief that it was another character, the openly "bad guy," but then, surprisingly, he feels remorseful for his actions (and has a solid alibi).

The Bane Chronicles--"These records were obtained, with some difficulty, from a cell phone which appeared to have been broken and burned with intense magical fire"

Title:  The Bane Chronicles

Authors: Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson


Since this is a collection of short stories, I will have to change the format of the review.  Also, you can download each short story individually as audible books or download them from overdrive through your library.

The premise of this collection of short stories is that Magnus writes them during his break-up with Alec between City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire and then gives them to Alec to read so that Alec will know some of the events of Magnus's past.

Star-Crossed--"Be patient, for the world is broad and wide"

Title: Star-Crossed

Author: Barbara Dee


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  The 8th grade play is Romeo and Juliet.  Mattie is really excited to be in the play with her friends Lucy, Tessa, and the new girl, Gemma, who Mattie starts to develop feelings for, even though Mattie recently had a crush on Elijah.  Can someone like both boys and girls? Mattie wonders. When Liam quits the play, Mattie finds herself playing the part of Romeo, and her crush on Gemma becomes not-so-secret among her friends.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer):  I'm loving all of these middle-grades books with LGBTQ characters!  When I was in 8th grade, book characters were mostly white and all straight, and lived in Sweet Valley, Stoneybrook, or Fear Street.