 All Alone With You
By A. Coombs Senior Eloise (Lou ) suffers from depression and anxiety. Friendless, she spends her free time perfecting her GPA and playing video games, a perpetual scowl on her face. It isn't until she is told she needs volunteer hours to make her college applications stand out that she steps out of her comfort zone and through the doors of LifeCare, a facility that pairs volunteers with lonely elderly clients. Enter sunshine-filled Austin (another volunteer) and former rock star Marianne (client) and soon days are flying by and Eloise finds herself not entirely hating the experience (smiling even), not to mention falling for Austin. This is a sweet romance about a girl finding social acceptance and the patient boy who stands by her without criticism, both brought together through their roles as volunteers. Aging rocker, Marianne, adds humor and some frank conversations into the mix and the banter between Eloise and Austin is delightful—the perfect balance of snark, wit, humor, and sweetness. Ideally, I would have loved a slightly deeper dive into Austin's back story and past, especially what happened with his father, but I did enjoy seeing the musician side of him thrive. A highly enjoyable read, would definitely recommend. Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC.
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 DEBATING DARCY
By S. Dasgupta This was a fun Pride and Prejudice retelling set in the interesting world of school speech and debate tournaments. The large cast of characters added a fun dynamic to the overall story and played off well against the sassy heroine, Leela. Firoze Darcy was brilliantly written as Leela's antagonist turned more and had a deep and layered past that was expertly woven into the story. A humorous read filled with witty banter and literary references.  EXCUSE ME WHILE I UGLY CRY
By J. Goffney This is an emotional YA read about a list-obsessed teen who's private journal falls into the wrong hands leading to blackmail via social media. She teams up with the last person to see the journal, cute and practical Carter, in an attempt to try and get it back before her reputation is completely ruined. Along the way, she learns a lot about herself, her family, her friend group, and the type of person she wants to become. Not to mention, the type of boy she wants by her side. Topics explored include race, identity, authenticity, friendship, bravery, and living honestly. Highly recommend.  THE LIBRARY OF LOST THINGS
By L. Taylor Namey From the author of A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow comes another story about family and love. Darcy is a caring, book-loving heroine who's daily struggles to keep her mother's pathological hoarding a secret from the world could cost her the college life she dreams of, not to mention her growing connection with a boy from school—Asher, who's battling issues of his own. Supported by a caring and full of life best friend, Darcy takes on extra work to meet the financial expenses of the household while juggling school, her challenging mother, and moments with Asher. This is one for readers who like their heart strings tugged and slow, slow, slow burn romance.  THE EDGE OF SUMMER
By Erica George This was such an enjoyable YA read. The main character, Cor, visits Cape Cod for an internship with a marine conservation center the summer after senior year. She arrives weighed down with baggage following the ocean drowning of her best friend, a life event she has yet to make peace with. There she meets local boy Mannix who has his own struggles. Together, they support and help each other face the obstacles in their paths. Along with a cast of diverse characters and plenty of whale love, this sweet story is a perfect beach (or anytime of year) read about first loss, first love, and learning to trust and believe in oneself.  WHAT TO SAY NEXT
By J. Buxbaum Read this one with a full box of tissues, talk about a powerful tear jerker. This is a dual POV story. Kit is a popular girl struggling to make sense of life in the aftermath of her father's death (motor vehicle accident). David is a neuroatypical loner with a high IQ. They come together when Kit chooses to sit near David one day and an unlikely friendship develops. She appreciates his blunt honesty and he appreciates her respect and attention. David is eager to help when Kit requests assistance with figuring out the details of her father's accident, but the results are far from what he expected and possibly too much for their new friendship to weather.  NO PLACE LIKE HERE
By C. June For those who enjoy summer camp stories, this is a good one! Ashlyn returns home from boarding school to discover that her father is being sent to jail for tax evasion and her mother is checking herself into a rehab facility for depression. She is sent to a forested sleep-away camp to join her cousin as a camp counsellor. There she questions her toxic relationship with her father, strengthens ties with her cousin and extended family, finds love, and proves her worth when the camp struggles under new leadership.  THE HATMAKERS
By Tamzin Merchant Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Get ready for a roller coaster of a read with this one, a middle grade novel where fantasy and historical fiction meet. Cordelia is a Hatmaker, part of a magical family that Makes important hats. In this case, a peace hat has been ordered for the English royal family to smooth planned peace talk negotiations with France. Other rival Making families are involved too- Bootmakers, Cloakmakers, Glovemakers, and Watchmakers. And if that isn’t enough tension, Cordelia’s father is lost at sea, someone is trying to foil the peace talks, and she’s trying to maintain a secret friendship with one of the Bootmaker children. The magic elements of the Making process and items used in it are a stand out feature of this wonderfully imaginative story. Additionally, the characters are lively and memorable. Upper middle grade readers will enjoy the fast pace and high action, though less experienced readers may prefer listening to the story rather than reading it themselves given the frequent use of complex sentences, sophisticated word choices, and many plot twists. A fun read, best paired with a scoop of fresh starlight! Content warning: death, violence @kidlitexchange #bookstagram #kidlitexchange #kidlit  FOLLOW YOUR ARROW
By Jessica Verdi Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own. This young-adult novel by Jessica Verdi is a fun, fast-paced read brimming with important conversations surrounding the power of social media (positive and negative), sexuality and identity, and the challenges of being a teen growing up in today’s complex world. Cece is a likable, anxious main character with good intentions. She is a bisexual social media influencer who begins losing followers after parting ways with her social influencer gay-identifying girlfriend and beginning a relationship with a heterosexual boy who is social media clueless. The plot is relatively straight-forward, allowing the reader to focus on the profound impact Cece’s online world has on her off-line world and vice versa and how her experiences in these two different spheres have shaped her character and ultimately move her in a direction of growth and change. Emails and tweets Cece sends and receives are a fun stylistic addition. This is a great book to help frame discussions around social media as well as LGBTQ+ issues. Grab a donut and enjoy! @kidlitexchange #bookstagram #kidlitexchange #kidlit @scholasticinc  HOW TO BE A GIRL IN THE WORLD
By C. Carter Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own. HOW TO BE A GIRL IN THE WORLD is an important middle-grade novel about standing up for oneself and speaking the truth, no matter how awkward doing so may be. It will hopefully become an invaluable resource for parents and educators in opening up discussions over body positivity, touch boundaries and consent, and handling inappropriate sexual behavior. Topics that, historically, have not received the attention they deserve. Lydia isn't sure why some of her school friends like it when boys call them names and try to see up their skirts or why she doesn't. Is there something wrong with her? And is her mom's boyfriend just overly friendly or inappropriate when he gives her long hugs or touches her knee? Too scared to articulate these concerns, Lydia turns to layers of clothing to hide her body and searches for answers and protection in a book of magic spells. Carter does a wonderful job of letting the reader inside Lydia's head and showcasing just how difficult speaking up can be, especially when trusted adults are dismissive of one's concerns. This book is a must-read for tween girls and is sure to have a positive impact on the lives of many. @kidlitexchange #bookstagram #kidlitexchange #kidlit @caelacarter @harpercollinsch |
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