YA

Hungry Ghost / Victoria Ying

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Hungry Ghost
By: Victoria Ying
Genre: Graphic Novel
Number of Pages: 208
Published: April 25, 2023
Publisher: First Second
Dates Read: May 10, 2023
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: Disorder eating (bulimia), fatphobia, body-shaming, depictions of vomiting, purging, loss of parent, grief, verbally abusive parent

Hungry Ghost follows Valerie Chu while she deals with disordered eating in her senior year of high school when tragedy strikes her family.

I’m in love with the color palette of this entire novel – which, along with muted pastels and adorable, expressive lines makes the story all the more heartbreaking when it’s about a young woman struggling with her relationship with food and with her mother.

It was also interesting to me to be able to see the dynamics of a culture where there’s always good food, and also over-emphasize women being thin.

This is a painful read. The author did an amazing job at both showing and describing the struggles that Val is going through with her illness. People will feel seen after reading this. And those who aren’t dealing with the same struggles, will hopefully be able to have a deeper understanding after finishing this book.

I’ll be recommending this book for sure, but it will come with the Trigger Warnings attached. Take care of yourself.

Where You See Yourself / Claire Forrest

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Where You See Yourself
By: Claire Forrest
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Number of Pages: 320
Published: May 2, 2023
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Dates Read: April 30, 2023 - May 1, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

By the time Effie Galanos starts her senior year of high school, she’s been looking at colleges for what feels like forever; there’s a spreadsheet and everything. But she’s had to, because finding a college that’s not only the perfect fit, but also accessible enough for Effie to get around on her own in her wheelchair has created a lot more boxes to check off on her selection.

Effie hasn’t told anyone yet, but she already has her heart set on a school in New York City with a major in Mass Media & Society that would set her up on her dream dream. She’s never been to NYC, but she can picture herself on campus via the pictures she sees in the brochures. When she finds out her longtime crush, Wilder, is not only applying but getting accepted early admissions, she feels like it’s the best place.

But, everything isn’t always as simple as it seems, and the universe seems to have other plans. As Effie navigates through her senior year with college visits, senior class traditions, internal and external ableism, and a lot of firsts (and lasts), she learns that she needs to be open to the change being presented in front of her and that by doing so, dreams she never even knew were there could flourish.

The representation in this book is amazing and beautiful and I just loved it so much. Effie, who is a wheelchair user, is learning throughout this novel how to advocate for herself and which battles she wants to fight and what others she may have to either come back to, or leave alone. In the later part of the book, she sees other wheelchair users in relationships and she mentions how she’s always wondered how she would have ever do x,y, and z, but that the others that she sees are doing it and it gives her hope and reminds her to kind of reevaluate how she thinks of her capabilities.

The friendships in this story are so cute and adorable – even the romance between Effie and Wilder. It’s nothing super crazy, and not the main focus of the novel, but still cute nonetheless.

I will be highly encouraging quite a lot of people I know to read this book. It has great representation and deals with the scariness of being a senior in high school and trying to find out what and where you’ll be going the next year. I think a lot of people will feel seen while reading this book.

*Thank you Scholastic Press and Edelweiss+ for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Chasing Pacquiao / Rod Pulido

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Chasing Pacquiao
By: Rod Pulido
Number of Pages: 272
Published: May 2, 2023
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Dates Read: April 29, 2023 - April 30, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

Trigger Warnings: violence, assault, homophobic language

When Bobby is unwillingly outed at his notoriously violent high school, he no longer has the luxury of being invisible. After a vicious encounter with a group of boys from his school, Bobby must find a new way to survive (and fight back). Inspired by Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, Bobby takes up boxing and challenges his attacker. But when Pacquiao publicly declares his stance against the Queer community, Bobby must figure out what and how he’s going to find the strength to continue.

Be aware there is a lot of homophobia and violence in this novel. It’s not dark or gory or anything like that, but it’s a book about boxing – so there’s fighting, you know?

It took me a bit to get a feel for Bobby. Male YA main characters and I tend to not get along very well to begin with so I wasn’t his biggest fan at the beginning, but he definitely grew on me. 

I had also wanted to read this book because of boxing. I box myself so I’m always interested in how writers write about boxing and if the descriptions make sense or not. I feel like Rod Pulido did a wonderful job at describing the different strikes and foot movement needed to box. It’s not all just arm movements and that’s sometimes forgotten when writing about this sport.

Overall, I enjoyed this contemporary, queer, YA novel about a new boxer learning the sport alongside finding out what he stands for. I can see this having a little bit of everything for everybody, but again, it is a book with bullying violence, so keep that in mind.

*Thank you Viking Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss+ for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Secret Rules of Being a Rockstar / Jessamyn Violet

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Secret Rules of Being a Rockstar
By: Jessamyn Violet
Genre: YA
Number of Pages: 288
Published: April 18, 2023
Publisher: Three Rooms Press
Dates Read: April 20, 2023 - April 28, 2023
Format: ARC / Paperback

Trigger Warnings: fat shaming, drug use, alcoholism, anxiety, talk of suicide, abortions

18-year-old Kyla Bell dreams of getting out of her dusty basement and playing the keys professionally, but she hardly gets any support from her parents. One night, her dreams are answered after the rocker Ruby Sky, frontwoman of her favorite band, Glitter Tears, hears Kyla perform and asks her to join the band for their upcoming tour.

In order to be ready for tour, Kyla must drop out of high school in the last few weeks of her senior year and immediately move out to LA to live with a producer who has agreed to put her through “rock star boot camp”.With her feelings towards Ruby emerging and the lifestyle of a rockstar, Kyla has a lot to learn as she stumbles through the 90s music scene of Lose Angelos.

This book definitely doesn’t sugar coat anything about the hard truths of rockstar life in the 90’s – there’s drugs, alcohol, fat shaming, abortions, and the stress of being in the public eye. I’m a ‘92 baby and grew up reading about all the craziness that happened back then, so it was interesting to see it from a band member’s point of view.

I had a little bit of a hard time with this one because of the exploitation of Kyla – which, the hard truths of rockstar life in the 90’s, I get that, but I wanted someone to look out for her better <spoiler> it didn’t seem like it was going to get any better by the end of the story and now I’m sitting here worrying about Kyla… </spoiler>.

Overall, I see a lot of people enjoying this book and behind the scenes of the rockstar life. It wasn’t 100% for me, and that’s okay. The story is interesting and kept my attention throughout it, but I kind of wish there was more to it.

*Thank you Three Rooms Press and LibraryThing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Throwback / Maruene Goo

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Throwback
By: Maurene Goo
Genre: YA
Number of Pages: 368
Published: April 11, 2023
Publisher: Zando Young Readers
Dates Read: April 4, 2023 - April 12, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook / Library Book / Hardcover

Samantha Kang has never gotten along with her mother, Priscilla, they’re just too different. After a huge fight between them, Sam gets left in a parking lot and has to use a rideshare app to get to school. She gets there, but instead of her time, it’s now 1995… and Priscilla is a 17-year-old senior.

Now, Gen Z Sam has to fit into an analog world. The fashion she gets, but everything else is baffling; what’s with the casual racism and misogyny? And what is “microfiche?” Also – why does Sam feel like she would actually be friends with Priscilla??

Will Sam be able to figure out what she needs to fix in order to get back to her own time? And what about these feelings she’s getting for a boy in 1995?

So, I have a soft spot for time traveling; it’s not something I gravitate towards per say, but if the book catches my eye and I see it has time traveling in it, then I’ll most certainly read it. Add to the fact this one was set in the 90’s and I was most definitely going to read it.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Sam and her mother and the exploration we get to have with it in this novel. As someone who is pretty close with her own mom, I think it would be so fun to go back in time and be friends with her in high school (though she would have been in the early 80’s).

Though this is a YA book, I can see both teenagers and adults enjoying it – especially the adults that grew up in the 90’s, but the culture shock from Sam can be enjoyed by both. Those who have a complicated relationship with their mothers could also enjoy this.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this time traveling, throwback to the 90’s novel and can’t wait to put it in the hands of a few friends of mine.

*Thank you Zando Young Readers and Edelweiss+ for a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Saints of the Household / Ari Tison

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Saints of the Household
By: Ari Tison
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Number of Pages: 320
Published: March 28, 2023
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Dates Read: March 21, 2023 - March 22, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

Trigger Warnings: Domestic abuse, bullying, mental health; depression, alcoholism, death, mention of suicide

Before the incident in the woods, Max and Jay were pretty much connected at the hip, they had to be in order to protect themselves and their mother from their physically abusive father. Afterwards, their act of violence threatens the brothers’ dreams of their future. As the details of the event unfold throughout the book, Max and Jay take different courses as they think about their actions, their own shifting relationships, and just how alike to their father they may be. Told in alternating points of view using vignettes and poems, Saint of the Household tells of two Bribri brothers as they deal with brotherhood, abuse, recovery, and trying to do the right thing in their last few months of high school.

This isn’t an easy book – there’s no fuzzy feelings or giant smiles. These poor boys went through a lot in this story and it’s their journey of how they came out on the other side. Now, I will say the boys’ Grandfather does come in at one point and helps the boys reconnect with the Bribri culture and some of those lessons were tender and much needed for the boys.

I thoroughly enjoyed the vignettes of chapters that we got. It made the story read faster, but it also didn’t need any kind of filler in between and what was on the page was only the important stuff. Jay’s viewpoint is told in prose and is short and to the point. Max’s are in verse and sometimes into calligrams, which match perfectly with his escapism he uses in his art.

Overall, this is an incredible debut from Ari Tison and I can’t wait to see what they will write in the future. I can’t wait to share this book with others once it’s released and the amount of book lists I will be putting it on are endless.

*Thank you Farrer, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for a digital advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

The Quiet and the Loud / Helena Fox

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The Quiet and the Loud
By: Helena Fox
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Number of Pages: 383
Publisher: Dial Books
Dates Read: March 13, 2023 - March 17, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

Trigger Warnings: Domestic violence, emotional abuse, addiction; alcoholism, anxiety, depression, gaslighting, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, and catastrophic fire

George’s life is loud. Her best friend, Tess is about to become a teen mom at 18, her friend Laz is in despair about the world and the climate crisis, her gramps would misplace his own head if not for her, and her moms fill the house with constant chatter. Then, to top it all off, her estranged dad says he needs to talk and won’t stop trying until that happens. This novel explore the contours of friendship, family, forgiveness, trauma, love, and the hopeless verses hopefulness of the world.

How It Feels to Float carved a place in my heart when I read it back in 2019, and Biz, the main character from that story, has lived there ever since. Of course, as soon as I heard Helena Fox had a new book coming out, I tried to get my hands on it as soon as I possibly could. George has her own place in my heart too – she’s a people pleaser through and through and I can relate to her so much.

As like her first book, Fox dives in unapologetically into the exploration of trauma and mental health. I never felt like anything was sugar coated or unrealistic, things happened and the results of those events would lead to what happens and what is talked about in this book. As someone who has battled with mental health most of my life, a lot of the ways George would handle (or not handle) situations are ones I have found myself in as well.

I appreciate how open dialogue these characters were about mental health and getting and receiving help. George tried it when she was younger after stuff with her Dad, and it didn’t work out then, but she’s willing to give it another shot. All the characters acknowledge the fact that yes, talking with one another and those you care about can help, but sometimes it’s so much better if you talk with someone outside the group. Therapy is a scary thing, especially when you first begin and Fox does a wonderful job at showing all of that.

I adored George and Calliope’s relationship, the way it bloomed and was heartfelt. They were so cute together and I was rooting for them the entire novel.

I also appreciated the way George and Tess’s relationship was handled. George was always doing everything for Tess and she kind of steamrolled her… a lot, especially when it came to her deciding to get pregnant <spoiler> which, I did not like at all</spoiler> and that George was just automatically going to be her partner through it

*Thank you Dial Books and Edelweiss+ for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Lucha of the Night Forest / Tehlor Kay Mejia

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Lucha of the Night Forest
By: Tehlor Kay Mejia
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Number of Pages: 368
Published: March 21, 2023
Publisher: Make Me a World / Random House
Dates Read: March 6, 2023 - March 11, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

Trigger Warnings: Drug use, addiction, withdrawal, assault, violence

Lis is all Lucha has left, which means she will do anything to protect her – even if that means making a deal with El Sediento and his dark forces.

This did honestly take me a moment to get into it, and that’s due to me being distracted while reading and trying to draw out the world Tehlor Mejia had built in this novel. The place where the sisters are from is literally a mud pit, nothing grows there, but it still has so many layers to it. Then they went into the forest and the plants and animals there were also on another level. And, there is mushroom magic!

Lucha dealt with a lot in this book and she didn’t always choose the best or easiest path. She would do what it took to get where or what she wanted, and that sometimes included killing those she thought deserved it. It made me like Lucha a bit more, because she wasn’t perfect and her life was most definitely far from it, but through her flaws (and making a pact with someone she really shouldn’t have) she fought and grew to make it better.

The romance of this book I felt like wasn’t the biggest deal, which I kind of liked. I’m not much for YA where the focus is the romance, which is why I think I like Mejia’s writing because though it is there, it’s not the only thing on the mind of the main character.

I would recommend this book for those who like intricate world building with a badass female lead who will stop at nothing to save and protect those who she loves.

*Thank you Make Me a World / Random House and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Family Fortuna / Lindsay Eager

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The cover of “The Family Fortuna” by Lindsay Eagar. There is a woman on the cover whose family is obscured by black raven like feathers. Below her shoulders, the art fades to show 4 people standing the spotlight of a circus ring.
The Family Fortuna
By: Lindsay Eagar
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Published: March 7, 2023
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Dates Read: February 11, 2023 - February 18, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

Trigger Warnings: Verbal abuse

The Family Fortuna is a story set in 1889 that follows a carnival circus run by the Fortuna family. It mostly follows Avita, a monstrous looking bird woman who is the daughter of the ringmaster of The Family Fortuna. It also goes into the POV of her family members: her brother, Lorenzo, her sister, Luna, and her mother and father. They’ve all lived and worked at the circus together, but their world changes when Avita meets an artist who isn’t afraid of her and gets commissioned to make new portraits of all the acts.

I enjoyed this historical fiction young adult debut novel set in a carnival/circus. It really gave a good dive into the behind the scenes of a circus in the 1880’s.

Some of the word choices threw me off, though I did chalk it up to the time period as well as the word choices of the characters, who do live in a circus. Though the word “fart(s)” always throws me off way more than it probably should, and the characters use it quite frequently to describe the worth of others. Sometimes the way that Avita would talk about her sister, Luna, was a little weird too – like talking about her breasts and her figure.

What I will say is the word choices that Avita uses to describe herself, thanks to being who she was and especially the way her dad would talk about her, was what really described to me how she looked. Because it slightly changed the further into the book you would go, because the confidence level of Avita changed. She was still a bird woman, but it felt less like the horror movie monster towards the end of the book.

The pacing of this was a little slow and towards the end I did end up skimming a lot of it. I feel like it could have been cut down a bit and the story still would have been fantastic.

Overall, this was a good historical read that shows the inner runnings of the circus back in the day. I can see those who like a little horror mixed with family drama enjoying this book.

*Thanks Publishers Weekly and Candlewick Press for a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Promise Boys / Nick Brooks

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Nick Brooks' YA novel, Promise Boys sits on top a black bookbag
Promise Boys
By: Nick Brooks
Genre: YA, Mystery
Published: January 31, 2023
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Dates Read: February 11, 2023
Format: Hardcover

Trigger Warnings: Murder, blood

After their school principal is shot and killed at Promise Prep School for Boys, J.B, Ramón, and Trey are labeled as the prime suspects. All three of them had had some kind of disagreement with their principal before he was killed and they all may have had the opportunity to have access to the murder weapon. With all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down who really did it before one of them is falsely accused.

This book is told through multiple POVs, with each chapter giving you who the main focus is. A few of them are people you only hear from once, but they do give you important pieces of information. Because of the changing of the POVs, it does make the story go by quickly.

I usually have a hard time with teen male voices and them coming across as whiny to me. But this one, had not one, not two, but three separate teen male voices and I was intrigued by everyone. They were all authentic to me and each one captured my attention and got me turning pages. Which tells you something, because I did end up reading this book in one day.

There were a lot of twists and turns and I was still questioning whether or not each boy was truly innocent until we got towards the end and all was revealed. Nick Brooks did an amazing job at showing just how differently black and brown boys are treated when it comes down to being guilty or not. One of the boys gets in trouble a lot because his cousin is the leader of a gang around the neighborhood and a lot of people just assume he’s a part of them. Another boy jokes around a lot, and in a school where they’re not allowed to even smile in the hallways, he’s constantly getting in trouble.

Overall, this book is perfect for those who like thriller mysteries and who are fans of Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Holly Jackson. I can see this book getting more and more popular with the more people who read it. I can also see this making it to the big screen as well. Brooks wrote a wonderful, enhancing novel.

*Thank you Bookish First and Henry Holt and Co. for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review