Sunday, September 24, 2023
Royal Blood by Aimee Carter - HIGH
A Warning About Swans by R. M. Romero - ADVISABLE
Saturday, September 23, 2023
The Secrets of Stone Creek by Briana McDonald - OPTIONAL
The Legacies by Jessica Goodman - OPTIONAL
Friday, September 22, 2023
The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins - OPTIONAL
Mae Makes a Way by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and Andrea Pippins - ADVISABLE
SIsters in Science by Linda Elovitz Marshall - ADVISABLE
Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Anna and Elena Balbusso. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2023. $19. 9780593377581
Moving the Millers' Minnie Moore Mine Mansion by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Julia Sarda - HIGH
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Accountable by Dashka Slater - HIGH
House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig - OPTIONAL
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
The Brilliant Calculator by Jan Lower and Susan Reagan - ADVISABLE
Blade Breaker (Realm Breaker #2) by Victoria Aveyard - HIGH
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Foxglove (Belladonna #2) by Adalyn Grace - HIGH
Stars of the Night by Caren Stelson and Selina Alko - ADVISABLE
Monday, September 18, 2023
A Pretty Implausible Premise by Karen Rivers - OPTIONAL
A Pretty Implausible Premise by Karen Rivers, 384 pages. Algonquin Young Readers (Algonquin Books), 2023. $19.
Language: R (126 swears, 39 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Hattie (17yo) and Presley (18yo) are living tragedies: separated parents, lost Olympic dreams, and dealing with grief over deaths close to them. Do two tragedies equal a happily ever after or a bigger disaster?
Rivers translated Hattie and Presley onto the page very well, which has its pros and cons. Readers have the opportunity to know and connect with the characters on a deep level, but the characters’ thoughts and emotions became discombobulating—which made sense for the characters but made for a difficult reading experience. Furthermore, Rivers is honest in the title, and I felt how implausible the story was being set up to be and lost interest. Until the end. The ending came together beautifully, and the more I think about it the more I like it.
Hattie is implied White, Presley is Scottish-Canadian, and Calliope is implied Black. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, partial nudity, innuendo, and mentions of genitalia, condoms, and sex. The violence rating is for mentions of suicide.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
Sunday, September 17, 2023
The Name Drop by Susan Lee - HIGH
The Name Drop by Susan Lee, 304 pages. Inkyard Press, 2023. $20.
Language: R (84 swears, 45 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Jessica (18yo) has learned the hard way that success takes money. Since she doesn’t have enough, Jessica’s plan is to make the right connections at her New York internship with the Korean company her father works for. Elijah (19yo) is expected to take over as CEO of the family business one day, but he doesn’t want anything to do with it. The only positive thing about this forced internship is that his dad agreed to let Elijah go to the New York office. Through a series of mixups, these struggling new adults have the opportunity to get everything they want out of the summer.
Feeling just like a Kdrama, Jessica and Elijah’s story hits all the right misunderstandings, humor, and budding romance moments. Their story is full of hope and encouragement—even with an unexpected ending. Books and movies too often tell us that happily ever after means getting the perfect ending. While the ending for Jessica and Elijah is anything but perfect, everything does work out. And happily ever after can still exist in that.
The majority of characters are Korean. The mature content is for innuendo.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Border Crossings by Sneed Collard III and Howard Gray - ADVISABLE
Great Carrier Reef by Jessica Stremer and Gordy Wright - ADVISABLE
Friday, September 15, 2023
Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem by Melissa Stewart and Rob Dunlavey - ESSENTIAL
Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Rob Dunlavey. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2023. $19. 9780593380604