Puddin'
The follow-up to Julie Murphy's Dumplin', which I highly recommend, this book picks up where it left off, getting you back into the world of all of the same characters, but from the perspective of two supporting characters from Dumplin'. This time we have Millie, the nerdy, crafty, spunky girl who has gone to fat camp every summer but now is fresh off her empowering stint in a beauty pageant with her friend Willow, and she's determined to finally tell her parents that this summer it's over - and she wants to fulfill her dream of going to a pre-college journalism camp instead. Meanwhile, Callie, the popular, pretty, dance team star is on a bit of a downward spiral from her position at the top of the high school pyramid, and these circumstances bring her together with Millie, and the surprising discovery that they might just have more in common than they'd expect. At first I didn't like it as much as Dumplin' because I loved Willowdean as the star, plus mean-girl Callie is a little grating at first. But as I read along, I completely fell in love with Millie (her crafty self was SO me in high school and it just made me smile) and how she really came into her own, and the relationship that develops with Callie is heartwarming too. All in all, great writing, spunky but still searching characters who are really well developed, and some cheesy high school fun. Read both of these! 4/5 stars
Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit
I hadn't heard of this book or author before encountering a cheap Kindle deal, but now I'm here to inform you that if you enjoy the teen romance featuring a great female lead such as those by Julie Murphy, Rainbow Rowell, Julie Buxbaum, et al. - you should check this one out too! Joanna is out and proud about it, but when she moves from Atlanta to a small, conservative Georgia town with her radio evangelist dad and his new wife, she promises to lay low and keep her sexual orientation a secret as she finishes out high school there, so as not to ruffle any feathers. But then, her new friendship with Mary Carlson seems like it could be more... So does she stay true to who she is, and pursue her love, or does she keep her promise to her dad? As with the other authors in this category, I liked that we get some swoony romance (just the right amount of sappy cheesiness I like in my YA) but also high schoolers really dealing with self identity and navigating it. Also I really loved that the step-mom relationship in this story is a really sweet one, not some stereotypical conflict-ridden one. Not one that will stick with me forever, but really enjoyable to read, so: 3.5/5 stars
Emergency Contact
Penny Lee is heading off to college in Austin and can't wait to leave her non-life (few friends, so so grades, a boyfriend who doesn't even really know her) behind, to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. But getting to college doesn't automatically pull her out of her little socially awkward shell - that takes her much more outgoing roommate Jude, and even more so, Jude's former step-relation Sam, who is feeling stuck in life - running a small coffee shop, trying to manage community college classes and an ex girlfriend who sends him into depressive tailspins. Their first meeting is totally awkward, but when Penny helps Sam recover from a panic attack (with one of her ever-present, endearingly dorky "survival packs" carried in the depths of her purse), they make a pact to be each other's "emergency contact" in their cell phone contact lists - which starts them off on a text-only relationship that eventually wants to bloom into more... It's super sweet and funny and great and speaks to the power of loneliness and making personal connections in today's digital age. And again, perfect amount of cheesy, swoony teen romance and snappy dialogue that makes you not want to put the book down. I love everything by Rainbow Rowell, so any comparison to her will sell me on a book, as did her blurb on the cover of this one: "Smart and funny, with characters so real and vulnerable, you want to send them care packages." Also great for fans of books like To All the Boys I've Loved Before. 4/5 stars
Hello, Universe
I'd call this more of a middle grade book than teen-geared YA - not a category I am very up on, but I saw this recent Newberry winner and thought it looked like a good one. Told from four different perspectives of kids in a neighborhood - shy and sweet Virgil, who is trying to find his voice in a family that values the outgoing; Valencia, who is deaf and is so smart and strong in making her way through the world despite what the world sees as a handicap; Kaori, who is this delightful self-proclaimed pre-teen psychic; and Chet, the neighborhood bully. These kids don't know each other yet, but when Chet pulls a mean prank out in the woods, they come together and form new friendships, and learn about bravery and being different. Because it's for a younger audience, the characters are younger and the plot a bit more tame/simple than your standard YA, but they certainly still deal with real struggles and emotions - and they still are a delightful cast of eclectic misfits that you will enjoy getting to know. 3.5/5 stars
The Infinite Pieces of Us
Having enjoyed Rebekah Crane's The Upside of Falling Down, when I saw another by her as an Amazon First Reads freebie, I snapped it up, and I was in for some more reading pleasure. Esther Ainsworth's family has been exiled to the small town of Truth and Consequences, New Mexico, as her step-father's solution to cover up Esther's secret. She and her sister are confined to a quiet life of homeschooling and trying to fit the church-y mold their parents want them to, until she meets a new group of friends who decidedly don't fit the mold. They do accept Esther for who she is though, and help her to face - and right - the secret of her past. Such a great, endearingly colorful cast of characters (literally - one of them is named Color), and a great story about acceptance and self-acceptance, of course with some good YA romance mixed in. I quibbled a bit with the maybe under-developed character of the sister, but overall a this one was again a delightful experience while I was reading it, even if it's not a book that will stick with me forever. And again, this is for you if you enjoy authors like Julie Murphy and Rainbow Rowell. (Also, was interesting to read after having recently enjoyed another YA, Far from the Tree, which also deals with teen pregnancy/adoption - I recommend that one too, even more memorable.) 3.5/5 stars
Can't get enough of YA, like me? Check out the last time I went on a YA spree - there are lots more ideas where these came from!
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