Be Dazzled--"Amazing and whole, the fragments of many moments joined together to create something entirely alive and real. Something incredible, out of nothing."

Title: Be Dazzled

Author: Ryan La Sala


LGBTQ+ Representation: two main characters are gay and lesbian and other LGBTQ+ identities are also represented


Content Warning: cruel parent


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Raffy is an extremely talented cosplayer who designs and builds intricate costumes. He hopes to win a top prize in the year's biggest cosplay competition, which could lead to sponsorships that would allow him to attend art school. However, he finds out that his ex-boyfriend, Luca, is working with another of their friends and has also entered the cosplay contest. But what goes wrong with their relationship? And can Raffy and Luca work together again?

First of all: I must apologize to the world because I have not posted a review on Reverie, La Sala's amazing debut book. I attended the book club meeting where we discussed the terrifying drag queen villainess and messed-up our OWN reveries would be, but then I never wrote a review! I must fix that as soon as possible because Ryan La Sala is my favorite author to follow on Twitter. Seriously, follow him--you won't be sorry. 

Now--prepare to Be Dazzled!

Maybe He Just Likes You and Dear Sweet Pea--"Sometimes seeing something from a distance is all it takes to figure out what you should have seen all along"OR: The one where I reminisce about beloved and problematic content in some favorite childhood books

Titles: Maybe He Just Likes You and Dear Sweet Pea

Authors: Barbara Dee and Julie Murphy


LGBTQ+ Representation: In both books, the main character has a good friend who is implied to be gay. In Dear Sweet Pea, the main character's father comes out of the closet after divorce, and a female teacher is married to another woman.


Content Warning: Sexual harassment, bullying, and gas lighting in Maybe He Just Likes You.


What they're about (in 75 words each or fewer): 

Maybe He Just Likes You--The updated "Bully plot" from my childhood favorite 1980's books. Mila isn't sure how it started, but she knows that she is very uncomfortable with how the boys keep touching her without her consent. Are they flirting? Why won't they stop? Mila gains some self-confidence through her karate classes, but will she ever get an adult to take her concerns about the boys' behavior seriously? 

Dear Sweet Pea--The updated "Advice column plot" from my childhood favorite 1980's books. Patricia "Sweet Pea's" parents are divorcing, and her dad only moved one house away. In between the two houses lives Miss Flora Mae, the newspaper advice columnist. When Flora goes on a trip, she asks Sweet Pea to forward her mail to her, but then, Sweet Pea recognizes the handwriting on an advice letter, and thinks, hey, I could write a reply! Hijinks ensue.

Why I'm writing about these books: Ladies and gentlemen: these are the updated Bully and Advice Column plots found in so many of my childhood faves and after-school specials! Neither are *technically* LGBTQ+-enough for me to immediately want to write about them. Even combining them both in one post--that would be cheating and still not *quite* enough LGBTQ+ content.

So why am I reviewing them? Because in spite of the nostalgia-factor of the plots, neither of these books would have been the same if they had been written thirty years ago.

Man Up--"It was like the secret was slowly eating at me but I didn’t even know it"

Title: Man Up (to be released April 22!)

Author: Kim Oclon


LGBTQ+ Representation: Both point-of-view characters are gay


Content Warning: Homophobic bullying


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  David never thought his sexuality would get in the way of playing on the high school varsity baseball team and earning a college scholarship. But when his coach suspects David is gay and confronts him, and the team bully begins targeting David and his boyfriend, Tyler, and David's best friend reacts by becoming angry at David, David experiences homophobia in sports and school like he never has before. Will he be able to man up?


What I think (some spoilers ahead. Not everything spoilered, though): My jaw about hit the floor when, towards the very beginning of the story, David's coach brings him into the office, alone, and asks him if he's "a homosexual" and tells him parents have been calling who "don't want their play ball with a queer" (pg. 22).

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens--"The only thing about bliss is that it's sometimes accompanied by ignorance"

Title: Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens

Author: Tanya Boteju


LGBTQ+ Representation: Lesbians, gay, drag queens, trans, gender non-binary, queer, questioning.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Seventeen-year-old Nima, is bored with small-town life in Bridgeton; plus, she's dealing with her mother abruptly leaving the family and a crush on her straight best friend. When Nima enters the mysterious "artsy" tent at the local festival, she befriends a drag queen and becomes a part of the drag scene in the neighboring town. Will Nima find love, overcome her awkwardness, keep her friends, and come to terms with her mother's decisions?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer):  Based on the cover, I expected a light-hearted, maybe silly, romp through drag culture, but this was definitely not the case with this book. However, even though it is not at all what I thought it would be, it's worth reading.

If you enjoyed the suspense of Deposing Nathan, you should read All Eyes on Us OR "If you don't do what I say, blood will spill"

Title: All Eyes on Us

Author: Kit Frick


LGBTQ+ Representation: Two lesbian characters


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Amanda enjoys dating Carter, while keeping her mother's alcoholism and her family's debt a secret. Amanda pretends not to know that Carter is also dating Rosalie--who is using Carter so her parents won't find out about her girlfriend and send her back to conversion therapy. One day, Amanda and Rosalie both get threatening text messages. Can they figure out who is sending the messages before the sender gets violent?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): If I had started reading this book in the bathtub, I would have frozen because I would not have been able to get out until I was finished! As it was, I stayed up entirely too late reading it because it was impossible for me to put it down.

So I got to meet Bill Konigsberg!

So I got to meet Bill Konigsberg at the Greensboro Bound 2019 Literary Festival a couple of days ago. I was so excited to hear him talk about The Music of What Happens and answer some audience questions. 

He was taller in person, but everyone seems taller in person for me:

Why thank you, I also think we're adorable.

If you are scratching your head and saying "Who's that?" then for shame. Read the following reviews and then come back to this post:

• The Music of What Happens
• The Porcupine of Truth, Part 1 and Part 2
• Out of the Pocket
• Honestly, Ben
• Openly Straight

One of those posts in which I don't @ the authors--Inspired by Marie Kondo

Exhausted from working retail at Christmas + mental illnesses (mine and other family members') = writer's block. Also, my ridiculously large to-be-read-and-reviewed list is stressing me out instead of making me happy.

Several of my friends have been all, "You should get rid of the books in your list that are not giving you joy!" and I'm like, "Please don't make me watch Tidying Up. I hate cleaning!"

So even though I told my friends I'm never watching the show, I am basing this post on KonMari Method and removing/not finishing/or not indepthly-reviewing any books that do not give me joy. Do you think I should give any of them a second (or third, or fourth, or more) chance?

(Don't tell my friends I'm surrendering to Marie Kondo. They'll get cocky. 😉)

With or Without You--"I always have a story. The only thing worse than needing one is when I don't."

Title: With or Without You

Author: Brian Farrey



What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Tired of being bullied for their sexual orientation, Evan and Davis go to a meeting of the Chasers, a group that promises to teach them "how to be gay" and stand up to bullies. Davis is immediately swept away in the promises of the Chasers, while Evan remains skeptical but determined to protect Davis. Meanwhile, Evan also deals with his apathetic family, his secret boyfriend, and honing his artistic talent through glass-painting.


What I think: Poor Evan has the lowest self-esteem of any main character I've read in a long time. But is it any wonder: Evan and Davis are physically and verbally bullied at school so often, they don't even both letting anyone know; bullying is so much a part of their daily routine. They manage to scrape through their senior year of high school together, remembering that this time the next year, they will be in college in Chicago.

Better Nate than Ever--"There's cupcake places, like, everywhere, and boys can dance next to each other"

Title: Better Nate than Ever

Author: Tim Federle


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Thirteen-year-old Nate Foster, tired of the misery of Lankburg, PA, comes up with a plan: he is going to take the bus to New York City, audition for E.T.: the Musical, and become the Broadway star he knows he's meant to be.  With the help of his best friend (the fabulous Libby Jones), Nate borrows his mom's ATM card, loads his backpack with doughnuts and an ancient Nokia cell phone, and bravely forays to NYC.


What I think: I LOVE NATE, and I think I can speak for every mother, teacher, and theatre director when I say that.  Nate is adorable and naive, but incredibly brave!  I know I don't have that kind of bravery now, let alone when I was in eighth grade.  Way to go, Nate!

If I Was Your Girl--"Pro-tip: read the author's notes FIRST"

Title: If I Was Your Girl

Author: Meredith Russo

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Amanda moves in with her estranged father to attend a new school for her senior year of high school, and everything seems to be going well for her so far.  She meets a new group of girlfriends and even begins dating Grant. But Amanda has a secret: she is a transgender female and knows that if anyone finds out the truth about her past, her newfound happiness could be over.


What I think: Sometimes I am a brat and flip ahead in the pages of the book to see what's going to happen later in the story.  I sometimes spoil major plot points or even the whole ending for myself when I do this, so I nearly always regret it (but I can't stop doing it because, well, I have no idea).  But anyway, with this book, I actually did not regret flipping through towards the end.

Tattoo Atlas--"Nice is different than good" OR "All of us have some crazy in us, don't we?"

Title: Tattoo Atlas

Author:  Tim Floreen


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Last year, Franklin brought a gun to school and killed Rem's friend, Pete. Now Franklin is the subject of an experiment (run by Rem's mother) to see out if sociopaths can be "cured" by implanting a device that activates the "empathy" parts of their brains. The procedure seems to work on Franklin, and he and Rem almost become (more than) friends, but when another classmate is killed, Rem wonders if Franklin is fooling everyone.


What I think: Tattoo Atlas is a frustrating, suspenseful, horrifying, and thought-provoking book that I could not put down, even when one of my kids asked me why I was "looking at the book with such a scared face."  I tried to take breaks and go back to reading the other books I am in the middle of, but I couldn't. I had to know what was going to happen to Rem, Franklin, and their other classmates, but at the same time was scared to find out what was going to happen.

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.

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.

Kissing Kate--"Short with memorable characters"

Title: Kissing Kate

Author: Lauren Myracle

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  Kate and Lissa have been best friends for years, but ever since a drunk Kate kissed Lissa at a party, Kate has been completely ignoring Lissa.  Lissa is sad and confused and is struggling with the feelings she has for Kate.  Her estrangement from Kate causes Lissa to make some new friends (the eccentric Ariel and the sarcastic Finn) and reevaluate her life.

What I think (in 250 words or fewer):  I feel kind of lazy admitting this, but I am in the middle of reading yet another science fiction book that is causing me to pose philosophical questions about life to myself.  Kissing Kate was short, easy-to-read, and a nice break from the other books I'm currently reading.

Willful Machines--"What a piece of work is man" OR "Submitted for Your Approval"

Title: Willful Machines

Author: Tim Floreen


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Lee's mother was killed by Charlotte, a super realistic human-like robot called a 2B who uploaded her consciousness to the Internet and is now terrorizing the American people. Lee's politician father then started the conservative Human Values party, was elected president of the USA, and vowed to destroy all 2Bs.  Meanwhile, Lee is a closeted teenager who has a crush on his new classmate, Nico, but is Nico too good to be true?


What I think (in a bunch of words because rules are meant to be broken): 

"How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty!":  Shakespearean plays are quoted several times in this book, and I was going to write this post using "What a piece of work is man" from Hamlet (which is set to music in Hair).  I really like Hamlet and Shakespeare in general, but my goodness I love The Twilight Zone  and there are just SO MANY episodes about realistic human robots and I could not help but think of several of them when reading Willful Machines.  So instead of impressing all y'all with my English teacher knowledge of Shakespeare and Hamlet, I am instead listening to the soundtrack of Hair and recalling all of the TZ robot episodes to compare to this book.

Let's talk Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters books--9 reviews in one!

Let's talk Cassandra Clare books!  I plan to review three (maybe more!) of them separately, but I am squishing reviews for nine of the books in this one post.  Lots and lots of spoilers as well as my very biased opinions appear in the following reviews. 👼

Review #1: Original Mortal Instruments trilogy-- City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass

Author: Cassandra Clare


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer):  Teenage Clary discovers that she is actually a Shadowhunter, a group of warriors descended from the angels who have special powers to carve runes on their skin and defeat demons. When Clary's mother disappears, Clary becomes part of the Shadowhunter world, learns about other magical creatures that actually exist, solves the mystery of her parentage, falls in love with Jace, and fights many battles against scary creatures--including her own human father.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I was late to the Mortal Instruments party.

Little and Lion--"A good choice for a literature circle or book club"

Title: Little and Lion

Author:  Brandy Colbert


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Suzette returns to her LA home after spending the school year in a boarding school.  While she was there, she had a romantic relationship with her roommate and is now confused about her sexuality.  While home, Suzette develops a crush on her female coworker, Rafaela, and begins dating her childhood friend, Emil. Lionel, Suzette's bipolar stepbrother, begins dating Rafaela and stops taking his medication.  Suzette is very worried about Lionel, which affects her other relationships.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I just finished reading and am still trying to process all the issues and discussion-able topics in Little and Lion.  If I were still teaching high school, this would be a great choice for a small group discussion literature circle.