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betweentheshelves 's review for:

Thirty Talks Weird Love by Alessandra Narváez Varela
4.0
dark emotional inspiring slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is a powerful novel in verse that tackles things like body image issues, female friendships, and the constant drive to be the best at something. Written as a series of poems and letters, in a mix of Spanish and English, it's easy to get hooked into the story. It's a quick read, but that doesn't take away from the overall messages of the book.

Like with most verse novels, I would actually recommend the audiobook because once again, it is read by the author herself. Honestly, I think all verse novels should be read by the author because poetry is so much more effective if read by the person who wrote it. I highly recommend reading/listening to the author's note at the end because she explains her inspiration for the book and how it relates to her own life. There are little gems in there, too!

While I don't necessarily think the cover does this book any favors, it's a book that you definitely won't forget after reading it. There are ample opportunities for discussion and I would recommend it for teens who love poetry and hard hitting topics.

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