Category: Young Adult

‘Imogen, Obviously’ – Becky Albertalli

Due for release in May 2023, thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this in advance of publication.

There’s no doubt that this is a very personal story. Albertalli offers some insight into her own situation before the book opens, but the whole book examines issues around identity and the process of working out your sexual orientation.

Our main character is Imogen, someone who has always thought of herself as an ally. Her sister is gay, her best friend is gay and they’ve always been so certain of their identity. Imogen has always thought of herself as straight – and her friend Gretchen is quick to affirm this – so is somewhat taken aback when she goes to visit her best friend Lili at college and finds herself falling for another girl.

From start to finish this felt rather earnest. There’s no doubt that Imogen is prone to overthinking and while those around her are generally supportive, it’s also easy to see how sometimes those around us can also be part of the problem. I found Gretchen infuriating, and spent the majority of the time feeling hopeful that Imogen would get the space to work things out for herself.

‘Lost in the Moment and Found’ (Wayward Children #8) – Seanan McGuire

This time round the story focuses on Antoinette, known as Antsy because she’s always moving. When we first meet her she is only five and suffers the tragic loss of her father while they are shopping. From that moment on, her life is changed.
When Antsy’s mum finds a new boyfriend, Tyler, she has a visceral reaction to him. She can’t explain why, but feels there is something very wrong with him. To begin with he claims to want to fit in with her mother’s life, but we quickly see his true colours.

The first part of the book illustrates why Antsy was right to trust her instincts. Tyler’s manipulation of the situation and the gaslighting was triggering…all too believable, and every instinct had me wanting Antsy to find a way out before it was too late. On the evening that he visits her alone in her room at night, Antsy makes the decision to leave.

A petite eight year old walking along the streets at night should be cause for concern. Antsy is alone…until she finds a door saying ‘Be Sure’. In her head, she is sure. She cannot go home, so takes the option available to her.

Inside this door is a talking magpie and a room of lost things. Antsy feels comfortable here, and is tempted by the wonderful worlds and experiences offered to her. Unfortunately, they come at a price and Antsy eventually learns the true cost to these travels.

Eventually, Antsy finds her way back and I liked the fact that she got some closure before making the decision to return to the world she felt indebted to.

I began reading this series a while ago, and really must catch up with the others. Every journey offers something different.

‘Last Night at the Telegraph Club’ – Malinda Lo

Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a story of forbidden love, set at a time fraught with danger for numerous reasons. It tells the story of Lily, a young Chinese American, and her growing understanding of what it will take for her to be happy.

Set in 1950’s America, the attention to detail seems thorough. Against a backdrop of fear at the threat of Communism, acknowledging a difference such as being homosexual would seem subversive. Set against this rigid and conventional background we watch Lily gradually realise she has feelings for girls, find a safe space and love interest but then be placed in a situation that forces her to consider her duty to her family.

As a love story, this had appeal. However, Kath was a vague character who only really seemed to be there as a catalyst for Lily to figure out her feelings. The side characters we meet at The Telegraph Club were intriguing, but also only there to offer hope for Lily and to highlight the bigotry surrounding her. The pacing of the book was frustrating, with things taking a long time to get established and then feeling glossed over at the end. However, I’m sure this will still win its fans.

‘Promise boys’ – Nick Brooks

A pacy mystery, focusing on the murder of Principal Moore and the prejudices at play as his murder is investigated.

Promise School was founded as a place to support those boys who have difficulty fitting in elsewhere. The book opens with its focus on the school and the strict environment created to control its students. Our main focus is three boys – Trey, JB and Ramon – who are all in detention on the evening Moore is shot. In the frame for his murder, they have to overcome their own prejudices to work together and find out what really happened.

The story is split into clear moments building up to the crime and afterwards. We see the different viewpoints of the boys, and it soon becomes clear that someone is trying to set them up.

The identity of the one responsible was not quite the surprise you might have thought. Unfortunately it says a lot about the kind of environment created for these boys and the way society often exploits our inner fears for others’ gain.


Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.

‘Come Home Safe’ – Brian G. Buckmire

The background to this book is fascinating, and it’s both informative and engaging. I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this, but deeply frustrated that it still seems so necessary.

No matter what happens, as a parent you want your child to come home safe. This is even more important (it seems) for parents of children of colour in the US who may be victims of profiling, or who may be subjected to unnecessary force simply because of someone else’s prejudices.

The story focuses on siblings Reed and Olivia. Their father is a lawyer who has had numerous conversations with them about how to interact with officers of the law in order to ensure they are treated appropriately. These kids know their rights and are well-versed in how to manage themselves. But when they are dealing with this in reality – when they are stopped on a subway because Reed fits the profile of some kids the police were looking for – fear takes over and they don’t remember every lesson. 

From the moment they are stopped my heart sank. At fourteen and twelve they should not have to be remembering not to resist when the police are forcing them to the ground before handcuffing them. They should not have to be recording every moment of the interaction so that if they need the evidence later it is indisputable. They should not have to be victims of assault simply because someone assumes something because of their skin colour. 

Sadly, this remains relevant. It is written in a way that has emotional impact while also educating readers. A book that really should be read.

‘Friday I’m in Love’ – Camryn Garrett

Mahalia is used to trying to do things herself. Being the only child of a single mother, she’s accustomed to having to watch the pennies and to plan ahead. After her best friend’s Sweet Sixteen party Mahalia is determined to have her own party, to celebrate her coming out.
We follow Mahalia as she struggles through work and school, trying to save enough to have her party. Things conspire against her, but she tries her hardest to continue to plan. Though this is the main focal point of the plot, the real focus was on how Mahalia grows as she tries to develop her understanding of herself.
When Mahalia develops a crush on a girl she spots at a party the story shifts into focusing on her developing awareness of herself and her feelings. The girl, Siobhan, is an Irish student who also happens to be dating Danny, the one boy Mahalia seems immune to (with some reason we learn).
Over the course of the story the friendship develops. This puts Mahalia’s existing friendship under a little strain, but you just know that these characters have each others’ backs…whatever it might look like.
I felt, on occasion, that some of the characters were presented rather superficially but I liked the positivity surrounding her relationship with Siobhan.

 

‘The Davenports’ – Krystal Marquis

The Davenports is a historical romance, exploring the demands placed on our key characters by their families and wider society. It examines attitudes to race and developing social agitation while offering a somewhat light-hearted look at relationships.

Our key focus is the Davenport family. Wealthy, and black, the Davenport children – Olivia, John and Helen – are accustomed to living a relatively charmed life. Their race is not often an issue as their wealth protects them from some of the more common experiences many faced at this time. However, as the family try to secure a match for Olivia and maintain their business fortune, eyes are opened and the children start to develop their own understanding of the world around them.

From start to finish this was both entertaining and informative. As you might expect, the characters often behaved foolishly but there was a sense of them growing as characters. I found the ending a little frustrating, but it reads as if there might be more to come.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.

 

‘Going Dark’ – Melissa de la Cruz

Going Dark begins with Josh Reuter returning from his trip to Rome without his girlfriend, influencer Amelia Ashley. This might seem innocuous…but they argued before Josh left Rome and nobody has heard from Amelia since.
When Josh’s missing suitcase is returned, the police discover Amelia’s blood on a T-shirt inside. Suddenly Josh has gone from concerned boyfriend to suspect in a missing person’s case. He seems stunned by this twist in events, but there’s niggles of doubt from those around him.

Just as we have the shock news of Amelia’s blood revealed, we then shift viewpoints and start to learn a little more about Amelia. She is not who we thought…and sometimes going dark may be done for a very specific reason.

It was at this point that things become a little less predictable. While the story itself hinted at a darker and much more interesting focus – the way the media report on missing person’s cases and how easy it is for money to buy you anonymity – this shift in events made a tenser read than that which I originally thought we were in for.

The premise for this story really was absorbing, and it might have been nice to have some elements examined in greater depth. However, this was a tense and neatly plotted read, if a little predictable.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.

 

‘Pumpkinheads’ – Rainbow Rowell

I’m very aware that as someone who doesn’t read graphic novels, I may be missing something here. Certainly, reviews of this are glowing…so perhaps I’m just not quite the right reader for this book right now.

The story focuses on Deja and Josiah, friends who spend every Halloween working in the same pumpkin patch. For the last three years Josiah has had a crush on the girl who works in the fudge shop, but he’s never spoken to her. On their last night, Deja gets it into her head that she will help Josiah to get his girl.

We follow them round the pumpkin patch as they try to find the mystery girl. What becomes clear very early on is that these two are great together…so I wonder why it takes so long for there to be any acknowledgment of their evident mutual attraction.

I liked the colour scheme for this and the pictures had a certain cuteness to them, but the whole thing just felt a little twee. The characters could have made things a whole lot easier for themselves by actually having a conversation. On the whole, this won’t be enough to convince me that graphic novels are the way to go.

 

‘Here’s to Us’ – Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

I feel awful as I loved book one so much, and this just felt like overkill.

Ben and Arthur are not together, they each have new boyfriends (of sorts) and they are moving on with things…and then events conspire to have both of them back in New York for the summer. They meet up to show how much they’ve moved on – and it’s painfully clear that they haven’t at all.

The majority of the book sets them up on a number of double dates or meet-ups with new partners and friends, but each occasion offers a reminder of their past in some way. Nobody calls them out on it, but it’s pretty obvious that each is holding something back because they haven’t quite got over their past.

For most of the book it felt like I was reading a collection of scenes rather than a cohesive narrative. Things shift into predictable territory near the end, and I’m afraid that I found myself thankful that it would all draw to a close soon. Much as I wanted to love this, I couldn’t help but feel this book stemmed from a desire to do-over decisions made in the past, which were made for a reason. Sometimes it’s best not to look back!