Renata Sancken

I think this book is going to CRUSH it for current teens–it's so the pandemic experience. (I often personally really struggle with magical realism/magical realism-adjacent stories because it's hard for me to understand like...what's really supposed to be happening? But with AS King I always get it, I'm always plugged into the emotional core of the book.) This is the weirdness of this moment.

I know in Australia, this was published before [b:Wildlife 22907574 Wildlife Fiona Wood https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407833520s/22907574.jpg 18984490], where as in the USA it was the opposite. It was kind of weird reading them in this order because I spent the whole time like FRED YOU GONNA DIE. (although he doesn't in this book? I guess he just does between books?. Anyway, Wildlife was hands down one of my favorite books of last year, and this one... probably will not make my list this year? I really enjoyed it but for me it didn't quite have the depth or emotional force of Wildlife? BUT it does stand on its own as a perfectly charming coming of age novel, and I loved seeing Dan facing his problems and owning up to his faults. And of course, I loved seeing more of Lou!I think both these books are great for teens (and adults) looking for funny, realistic, contemporary fiction full of ~feelings~. Could you put it on a John Green readalike list? Sure you could. (I know, I know, we librarians are all sick of things being compared to John Green, but that doesn't stop patrons from asking me for John Green readalikes on the daily.)

I'm sure this is going to garner comparisons to [b:Fangirl 16068905 Fangirl Rainbow Rowell https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355886270s/16068905.jpg 21861351], the current landmark YA novel about fandom. But this book gave me a lot of what Fangirl was lacking–the importance of fannish FRIENDSHIPS and how intense they can be. I really loved it for that. I'm still chewing on the ending–I think it functions as a kind of critique of the hurt/comfort tropes that are so beloved by fandom. While also... kind of... being that?I saw some criticisms of this for the two girls not ending up together romantically, but I think I'm glad that they didn't? I totally feel that intense online friendship doesn't necessarily have to equal a romantic relationship, and I think this book just really strongly values the friendship.Anyway, overall, I really enjoyed this for its strong fandom friendships. I thought the mixed media inclusion of fanfic and message boards worked, and I think this will have NA crossover the way Fangirl does.

I got this on audiobook for a roadtrip and it was good for that purpose–entertaining, engaging, but easy enough to dip in and out of without getting lost. It's a cute queer romcom and I think teens, especially those who are into cosplay/streaming/conventions/etc will dig it. Also it's fun that it's set in the Boston area.

That said for me as an adult I was like squinting a liil bit at some of the very sweaty machinations required to get this plot in motion, like the SPECIFICITY of Raffy's mom's whole deal was......a lot? and I still don't really understand Inaya and Luca's motivatations for cosplaying together and then splitting...it seemed like very plot-dependent heel turns and then redemption arcs but she was like "I'm ambitious...I want to win so I'll sabotage you...but I only want to win against the BEST so I'll help you..." like ok girl so why'd you sabotage them then....also very sus that this HUGE international cosplay convention has 3 kids from the same high school in the final 4 but ok

Anyway those are minor grumps really.

The audiobook was fine, not an annoying narrator but also not one where I'm like “wow the audiobook was amazing, you should definitely prioritize listening over reading.”

I guess I read 2 YA books in a row that I'm afraid ~glamorize homelessness.~ Or is it empowering homelessness? Maybe I need to check my home-having privilege :(

Anyway I read this book because John Green recommended it. I thought it was pretty funny and engaging, and a super fast read. It's kind of sparsely-written but Going gives enough details to let you piece together pretty good characterizations of Troy (the titular fat kid) and Curt (the mostly-homeless kid who stops Troy from jumping in front of a train).

Also it is cool that it doesn't end with the Fat Kid losing weight and becoming popular! (spoiler?)

First of all, the audiobook was an Oydssey honor, and I think I'm probably awarding an extra star here for that. The audio version is really great, with lots of cool accents and voices and stuff. I'd definitely recommend this on audio if you have access to it.

The story itself is... kiiiind of bonkers? It was great for a long drive because I was never bored. There were a lot of twists I didn't see coming (and some I did see coming).

Also I was a little annoyed by the modern-day protagonist's decision that since her family is cursed that the mothers always die after giving birth to their first child, she's not going to ever date because it will automatically end in babies and DEATH. (She briefly mentions that birth control isn't 100%, but like... really?? It's in the 2010s and we're still on dating = babies? I get that it's important to the narrative, but I was pretty annoyed by it.

Content warning for rape! Not recommended for younger teens. Or anyone who doesn't want to read about rape. If you want to read about mermaids AND ghosts AND curses AND witches AND murder, this is a book for you. If you are wondering how many things are all stuck into one book... well, me too, but it mostly worked.

I know I've been railing against comics crossovers lately, but I was pretty into this one because it was just SO bonkers. Like, all of X-Treme X-Men was pretty bonkers, but then cross it over with some OTHER dimension-hopping X-Men and it was just so confusing that I stopped trying to understand it at all and just went along with it. RIP X-TREME X-MEN :(

Ohh, what a perfect book! I LOVED all of these characters so much. And this audiobook was really well done. I really liked having a different voice actor for each character.

My only quibble with this book, as one who went to the junior high state scholastic bowl championship, is that so many of their quiz bowl questions would just never hold up in an actual tournament because they were so open-ended. But those kinds of questions made for a better story, so I forgive it.

ughhh I can't explain why these books are so compelling and yet so frustrating?!

I try to have a sympathetic eye toward insecure, waffling teen characters because I do remember that phase of my life but also GOD DAMN IT AMERICA SINGER, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER



also the audiobook narrator has kind of an annoying, breathy aspect to her voice but that's probably how America Singer talks, to be fair

the worldbuilding continues to make no sense but I continue to be very addicted to the story?!?

yess I was stoked to get an ARC of this! I love Julie Murphy's funny, warmhearted, fat-positive books. I love that this opens with Waylon's love of a clear analogue of RuPaul's Drag Race and a clear call-out of RuPaul's ongoing fatphobia (among other issues). That show is popular with a lot of teens (LGBTQ+ and otherwise) who I think will love reading about it and relate to Waylon's feelings about it. I also love that it shows teen ambivalence toward college and acknowledges that that doesn't need to be the path for everyone. It just rang true to a lot of Big Feelings that high school seniors particularly face, but plus also cute prom romance and elder drag queens mentoring queer youth.

Just an overall delightful spot of joy in my reading week!

This was so perfectly funny and awkward and awesome! Riley's such a cool, but awkward teen in a way that felt very realistic, and I loved her friendships with Reid and Lucy and how those played out. I'm gonna give it to teens asking for [b:An Abundance of Katherines 49750 An Abundance of Katherines John Green https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360206426s/49750.jpg 48658] readalikes. And just teens looking for awesome contemporary books.

This was great! I'm not too familiar with Miles Morales comics (I don't read a lot of Spider-books period), but this is a perfect starting point for readers who are interested in the character but not sure how to detangle all of Marvel's series. Very fun and #relatable, but since it's Jason Reynolds, there's also some super powerful stuff in there about institutional racism.

I think. this would have been a great book for me personally to have read at age 13, and also for a lot of current teen girls struggling with internalized misogyny/Not Like Other Girls syndrome. For me as an adult reader it came across a bit didactic in pursuit of that goal.

Still, it's a noble goal, and I also liked it sex positivity and pursuit of intersectionality. It bit off a lot of stuff and some of the family stuff in particular was maybe more than could be properly chewed? But maybe it's enough just to hint at some parental drama without digging into it.

I'm hard-pressed to think of a fictional character whose backstory I want LESS than Malcolm Merlyn's, but here we are.

Even if I DID want more of Merlyn's backstory, this barely ties back into Arrow continuity? And it's cliche and culturally appropriative?

But also, to be clear, I DO NOT want more of Merlyn's backstory.

http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-79-dark-archer/

Hmm. I liked it, but didn't get as caught up in it as I did with [b:White Cat 6087756 White Cat (Curse Workers, #1) Holly Black https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1358274572l/6087756.SY75.jpg 6264661]. But if you read White Cat, you'll OBVI want to read this. Oh, Cassel <3–re-listened to in 2021 and don't know why I only gave it 3 stars before??? this may be an effect of the podcast fully altering my standards but I was INTO IT, also I fully forgot the ending of this one ahhhhhh

I was so excited about this audiobook that I both officially requested that my library buy it and also I actually paid money for it when the library's order didn't arrive in time for my recent travels. Worth it! Jesse Eisenberg is the perfect voice of Cassel. PERFECT I SAY.

I felt like too long had passed since I listened to Red Glove and there were some things Cassel alluded to where I was like wait, what? But I basically pieced everything together in my brain and the book definitely did not disappoint. Very savvy and surprising contemporary fantasy. Hurrah!

—

Still enjoyed this on re-read, maybe more because I'd listened to the previous 2 more recently than when I read it the first time. It's definitely not a perfectly tidy ending but I liked that. Cassel's been in some STICKY SITUATIONS, they can't all get resolved, but I like that there's at leasta sense of potential happiness for him and Lila if not a fully happy ending.

to be clear: This is issue #1 of all the new Archie comics, not anything specific to Riverdale the show. BUT I think it's a great idea to collect all the first issues like this, kind of a lil comic sampler. I really did like most of these comics more than I expected! (I know, I know, the new Archie comics have some really good writers/artists attached to them, but in the back of my head I was still like....yeah but it's Archie though? SORRY) I'm definitely going to follow up with the Josie & the Pussycats comic and Jughead. I think this is a good intro for a new-to-Archie (or at least new-to-New-Archie) reader BUT it could be misleading for someone wanting something more like [b:The Flash Season Zero 25241730 The Flash Season Zero Andrew Kreisberg https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481053563s/25241730.jpg 44961196] but for Riverdale.