Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts) - L.C. Rosen

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"My first time getting it in the butt was kind of weird. I think it's going to be weird for everyone's first time, though.

Meet Jack Rothman. He's seventeen and loves partying, makeup and boys - sometimes all at the same time. His sex life makes him the hot topic for the high school gossip machine. But who cares? Like Jack always says, 'it could be worse'.

He doesn't actually expect that to come true.

But after Jack starts writing an online sex advice column, the mysterious love letters he's been getting take a turn for the creepy. Jack's secret admirer knows everything: where he's hanging out, who he's sleeping with, who his mum is dating. They claim they love Jack, but not his unashamedly queer lifestyle. They need him to curb his sexuality, or they'll force him.

As the pressure mounts, Jack must unmask his stalker before their obsession becomes genuinely dangerous..."

There is a dearth of sex-positive books out there for young people, especially with LGBTQ* representation, so I give this book a resounding "yes, please!" I am endlessly glad that Rosen showed his first ninety-nine pages to friends and that those friends talked them into continuing to write Jack's story, because the world needs more books like this and more characters like Jack and his friends.

"I know lots of kids want to be famous, and yeah, I like attention, but I'd much prefer it for things I do--like dress amazing and say witty things--than who I do."

Jack is infamous around his high school. Rumors fly after every party--the book starts with a trio of girls discussing his alleged "fourgy" in a hot tub over the weekend, for instance. Most of these rumors aren't true, but that hasn't stopped people from believing everything they hear before, and it certainly won't in Jack's case. Fortunately, Jack's best friend started a website after being kicked off the school newspaper, and she comes up with the perfect way to harness Jack's reputation as a sexpert...a write-in advice column for students.

When Jenna first pitches him the idea, Jack is hesitant. He commits to writing one column, but doesn't plan to let her plan go any further than that. Much to his surprise, though, his fellow students respond well to the column, and he finds himself enjoying writing for the website. The only downside  to his new "sexlebrity" status is that mysterious pink notes have begun appearing in his locker, and they've quickly gone from intriguing to straight-up creepy.

"It could be worse." He tells his friends after finally admitting to them how disturbing the notes have become. Jenna won't let him dismiss things that easily, though. "That might be true, but that doesn't mean it's not bad. That doesn't mean you don't try to stop it from being bad."

As tension escalated and Jack and his friends went through plan after failed plan to unmask his stalker and get them to leave him home, I found it harder and harder to put this book down. I loved Jack from the first page, and it tore at my heart to see him doubt himself, toning his fashion down and retreating inward as he struggled with what to do and how to keep his friends and family safe. This would have been a solid 5-star read for me if it had been twenty pages longer. My one big gripe with the book is the rushed ending. I was reading an electronic version, and I couldn't believe it when I got to the end...at first I thought maybe my download hadn't completed properly and I was missing the last chapter or something. Everything was just a little too abrupt and anticlimactic, which was a let down after being so riveted through the entire book. That aside, though, incredible. More like this, please!

Little and Lion - Brandy Colbert

My rating: ⭐⭐

From the cover:

"When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse."

There was a lot to look forward to going into this book...diverse books, characters of different races and backgrounds, LGBT (particularly B!) representation, frank discussion of mental illness...but not a lot that I ended up loving, sadly. The synopsis wrote checks that the actual content couldn't cash. As a disclaimer, I do think that the meh-ness of this book for me was partially due to the fact that I listened to the audiobook and was not in love with the reader. However, I also felt that the pacing of the book was slow and that way too much time was spent hashing and rehashing the same small issues, rather than developing the story. The beginning was intriguing, but then it went nowhere. Readers (or listeners, in this case) shouldn't have to slog through 90% of a book before something actually happens, and even when things finally DID come to a head, the drama of it all fell flat for me. I give this an A+ for concept but a C- for execution.

The Day Tajon Got Shot - Beacon House

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Meet Tajon.

Tajon is sixteen and black.
He's tall and skinny, and he wears his hair in dreads.
Tajon works hard and tries his best to be good.
He does OK in school. He has plans.
He's determined.

Tajon is the kind of son who cares about his family.
He's the kind of brother who stands up for his sister.
He's the kind of kid who dreams big dreams to get himself and
those he loves up and out of the hood.

Tajon is the one who gets shot.

Meet the authors.
Ten black teen girls in Washington, DC started writing this book during the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. They began with one central question: What really happens in a community when a black youth is the victim of violence by police? Each writer takes on the perspective of a central character - the victim, the police officer, the witness, the parent, the friend - and examines how it feels to be a human being on all sides of this event. Their stories thoughtfully explore issues of race, violence, loyalty, and justice in a community torn apart but seeking connection."

This book is important, and not just because of the topic. Books like The Hate U Give, All American Boys, How It Went Down, etc. are all valuable, and if you have the time and inclination I recommend reading all of them. Before you do, though, I suggest you get your hands on a copy of this book--legit, ask me, I will lend you mine.

Why should this be number one on your to read list? First things first, because it was written by a group of teenage girls. If that knowledge doesn't hit you like a punch in the gut with every word you read, then you just might be missing a heart. Think about what they must be going through to be able to produce something like this. These girls worked together to examine all sides of the epidemic of police violence toward black people in a thoughtful, emotional, and powerful way, and I was blown away with every page. As if that's not enough, they brought each character to life, and I caught myself holding my breath multiple times as I read. Finally, the artwork incorporated into the story added even more depth. This book is a work of art. And page 151, man...I don't think I've ever reacted so strongly to a book before. 

Final reason to read this? Jason freaking Reynolds tweeted that people needed to read it. Jason Reynolds, guys. If you don't want to take my word for it, take his. I promise you, he's right.

Solo - Kwame Alexander

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"When the heart gets lost, let the music find you.

Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, he’d give anything not to be the son of Rutherford Morrison, a washed-up rock star and drug addict with delusions of a comeback. Or to no longer be part of a family known most for lost potential, failure, and tragedy. The one true light is his girlfriend, Chapel, but her parents have forbidden their relationship, assuming—like many—that Blade will become just like his father.

In reality, the only thing Blade has in common with Rutherford is the music that lives inside them. But not even the songs that flow through Blade’s soul are enough when he’s faced with two unimaginable realities: the threat of losing Chapel forever, and the revelation of a long-held family secret, one that leaves him questioning everything he thought was true. All that remains is a letter and a ticket to Ghana—both of which could bring Blade the freedom and love he’s been searching for, or leave him feeling even more adrift."

Incredibly short review alert! 

I loved the incorporation of his songs into the audiobook, that was a fantastic addition. I also enjoyed the message that it's about the journey, not about the destination. I docked a star because the transitions were a little jarring at times and parts of the story progressed in fast forward--I would have liked more detail. That aside, though, this was a fantastic book. Enjoy the journey.

Dear Martin - Nic Stone

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack."

I'm getting very behind in writing reviews, so disclaimer: they're gonna be short and sweet until I get caught up.

I read this the weekend that Childish Gambino's "This is America" music video came out, so I got to the most intense part of this book and watched the music video within an hour or so of each other. Fuuuuuuuuck. Can't get either one out of my head. After things went down during Justyce and Manny's car ride, I felt viscerally angry when stories on the news came out trying to paint Justyce as a thug and when the defense attorney in the police officer's trial brought up things unrelated to the shooting, trying to make it sound like Manny deserved what he got. Excellent job, Nic Stone, on writing a book that makes the reader feel so fired up. Justyce's emotions really came through, and the injustice going on throughout the book made me furious. The only downside I found listening to the audiobook, and the reason I only gave it four stars, is that format of the book didn't always lend itself to being read aloud. There were points where the story felt stilted or abrupt, and I wonder if that was because of the format. Definitely planning to read the physical book and see if it flows a little better...which in all honesty is not a downside. It was an excellent book, and I'm looking forward to reading it again and hopefully bumping this review up to a five-star.

American Street - Ibi Zoboi

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.

On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.

But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.

Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice,  will she pay the price for the American dream?"

Fabiola came to the United States with her mother from Haiti, planning to move to Detroit and live with her aunt and cousins. When they arrive in the United States, however, Fabiola's mother is detained by immigration, and Fabiola is forced to continue on to Detroit alone. Once there, she pushes tirelessly to find a way to free her mother, even as she adjusts to life in the United States, making friends and even getting a boyfriend. Sadly, however comfortable she may start to feel, Detroit is different from Haiti in ways she couldn't expect, and there are things about her new life she couldn't possibly understand. When Fabiola gets in over her head in her quest to get her mother to Detroit, will she be able to find her footing and make things right? Or will her new life be forever altered?

I've been putting off writing this review for a long time because while there were things I really enjoyed about the book, it also had some pretty big flaws, and I wasn't sure what to say about it. The one big issue I struggled with was that it tried to do a lot and consequently lacked character and plot development and seemed to lose the thread of different storylines partway through, then pick back up later in ways that didn't quite connect to me. Possibly the biggest example of this, for me anyway, was Fab's relationship with her boyfriend...there just wasn't enough buildup to the relationship for any of the interactions between the two of them to hold any impact, and a lot of the tension in their relationship made no sense to me and seemed over-the-top as a result. I wish some of the branches in the plot had been pared down, because despite doing way too much, it was a good read, and the world needs more titles like this one. Ultimately, while this wasn't my favorite book, I did enjoy it, and I recommend picking it up if you're looking for something new to read. If you're an audiobook fan, the narrator did a fantastic job--it's definitely worth a listen.

Freshmen - Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Getting in is just the beginning. 

Phoebe can't wait to get to college. On her own, discovering new things, no curfew . . . she'll be free. And she'll be totally different: cooler, prettier, smarter . . . the perfect potential girlfriend. Convenient: the only person from her high school also going to York is her longtime crush, Luke. 

Luke didn't set out to redefine himself, but as soon as he arrives on campus, he finds himself dumping his long-term long-distance girlfriend. And the changes don't stop there. In fact, being on a soccer team is the only thing that stays the same. 

Just when things start looking up (and Phoebe and Luke start hooking up), drama looms on the horizon. Rumors swirl about the Wall of Shame, a secret text chain run by Luke's soccer team, filled with compromising photos of girls. As the women on campus determine to expose the team and shut down the account, Luke and Phoebe find themselves grappling with confusing feelings and wondering how they'll ever make it through freshman year."

This book had its highs and lows, but I read it in less than a day so overall, I'd say it's a win. A book about college for young adults? Awesome. We need more post-high school books. And while I didn't drink or party in college because I was a Mormon nerd, so much of this book still managed to hit me in the college feels. It's such a weird time, going from basically having everything structured and controlled for you to.....I make my own choices? What? How? When did this happen? Which, hello, circles back to we need more post-high school books! Finally, I loved the character development and the relationships that developed between everyone. And the humor--I laughed out loud more than once, which I'm sure my husband really enjoyed listening to.  My only real complaint is that the story felt choppy at times. It wasn't terrible by any means, but some of the major moments ended up a little jarring because there wasn't much build up or development toward them. Smoothing out the flow of the story would have made it  five-star read, for sure.