Eddie has the perfect plan in order to avoid his least favorite chore all summer: laundry. Laundry is the worst. In order to do it the least amount of times, he has decided to wear every single piece of clothing he owns. Even if it doesn't fit with the weather. Doing that means he'll only have to do laundry once over the summer.

However, on the day of the very anticipated Beach Bash, Eddie's mom finds his pile of laundry in his room. Now, he's stuck doing laundry instead of celebrating with his friends. Unfortunately, in the middle of his first load, the power goes out. So, he sets out in the neighborhood to figure out what's going on. But it seems that all the adults have disappeared. And Eddie and his friends might be the only ones left.

Thanks to Scholastic for sending me an advanced copy of this to review! Right off the bat, Reynolds sets the humorous tone for the rest of the book. Eddie is such a snarky narrator, and his descriptions of laundry are hilarious. As are his views on a lot of things!

Middle grade readers will definitely relate to Eddie's trials as a kid just trying to have fun for the summer. After all, who really wants summer to be taken up by chores? What will really draw readers in is Eddie's descriptions of laundry, of his life, of his neighborhood. Reynolds really nails the voice, right from the beginning.

However, the plot itself does take a bit to get going. About the first half of the book is Eddie filling in readers with his family drama, which might make some middle grade readers lose interest. However, it is a first book in a series, so there's plenty to hook readers into wanting to continue with Eddie's story.

All in all, this is a funny, down to Earth middle grade novel I think readers will thoroughly enjoy.

Benjamin Waterfalls comes from a broken home, and the quickest fix he’s found for his life is to fill that emptiness with stuff he steals and then sells. But he’s been caught one too many times, and when he appears before a tough judge, his mother proposes sending him to “boot camp” at the Ojibwe reservation where they used to live.

Soon he is on his way to Grand Portage, MN, to live with his father – the man Benny hasn’t seen in years. Not only is “boot camp” not what he expects, but his rehabilitation seems to be in the hands of the tribal leader’s daughter, who wears a mask. Why? Finding the answer to this and so many other questions prove tougher than any military-style boot camp.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! I've been on a bit of a middle grade kick lately, and this definitely fit the bill. This is my first James Bird book, but I'm definitely interested in reading more! He has a middle grade voice that's easy to read and fills caps in middle grade literature.

For the most part, this book was reflective. Looking at choices we make in life and how that takes us different places. There's a touch of magical realism in this that further emphasizes Benjamin's journey and works for the context of the story. And the setting! Bird pulled on a lot of Ojibwe traditions, making the story feel authentic.

There's some great character development in this as well. Readers will relate to Benny's journey, one where he realizes changes he needs to make in his life. While his struggles aren't easy, they are struggles that middle grade readers will be able to relate to on some level. However, it does feel a bit like the resolution was a little rushed. I think the ending could have been drawn out a little more.

All in all, if you're looking for a diverse, coming of age, middle grade story, this will definitely fit the bill!
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Definitely a relfective middle grade novel, looking at choices and how that relates to the path we take in life. Stay tuned for a full review to come!

Excited for her senior marching band season, Harper's just hoping her dad's presidential campaign won't interfere too much. However, Harper's world is completely changed when she's approached by Margot about her profile on Tinder. A profile that Harper never set up. Now, Margot is determined to get to know the real Haper.

But there are obstacles in their way, mainly Harper's homophobic mother, the dean of their school. As Harper discovers more about herself and her sexuality, she has to figure out if she has the freedom to be herself.

Listened to the audiobook for this one, and there are so many great things this book has going for it. The main one is at the heart of the novel: Harper and Margot's relationship. I loved the way it evolved throughout the book, and Margot was kind and considerate about Harper's asexuality. They truly cared for one another, and the way their relationship unfolded worked on so many levels.

The marching band aspect of the book worked really well, too. Quinlan captured the feel of it, and through marching band, Harper is kind of able to figure out what she might want after high school. The whole atmosphere did wonders for the story itself.

There were some elements I wish would have been a bit more fleshed out, though. Mainly, Harper's dad's campaign and the political nature of him running for office. That aspect of the story felt a bit rushed, to be honest. Additionally, the plotline with Harper's original friend group, while authentic for teenage friendships I thought it could have been a bit more fleshed out, too. 

Basically, I think everything surrounding Harper and Margot (and Harper's brother) was the best part of the book, and I'd definitely recommend reading it just for that!

More art! I enjoyed that this volume was heavily about composition, things that maybe you don't always think about when you look at art. Yatora's entire thought process about composition and how it realtes to his art is relatable, and you can see how it might change thim throughout the story.

There's also a discussion in here about famous artists and the fact that, even if you consider yourself an artist, that doesn't mean that you have to like art that's considered "good." What's considered good is subjective, anyway. It's a great discussion, especially as it relates to aspiring artists.

Virgil never wanted to move to Merritt. Away from his boyfriend, friends, and everything he knows, after his parents divorce. And now, Virgil has been attacked by a monster. Of course, no one in Merritt believes that's what actually happened. It must have been some kind of animal. Not a monster. Monsters don't exist in Merritt, or anywhere.

However, Virgil knows the truth. It was a monster who attacked him. A monster that's still out there. And in order for him to have peace of mind, he has to find it. But it just adds to Virgil's status as the new kid, an outsider. If he doesn't find the monster soon, he might just become one himself.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! Shaun David Hutchinson is a favorite YA author of mine, and I think he's getting back to what everyone likes hime for! That kind of weird, surreal, is this really happening kind of fiction. The kind of book you can't always put into a genre.

What this book has going for it is it's strong analogy throughout. While it is a bit on the nose at times, using Virgil's monster attack as a symbol of sexual assault works really well. Specifically, interweaving Virigil's memories from the attack throughout, in bold print. These mimic intrusive thoughts, and flashbacks one might have if they have PTSD. The overall structure of the story, the attack, and the way people around him react is just spot on for the main comparison in the story. There also isn't a lot of YA that focuses on the sexual assault issue for boys, or in a queer context, and that definitely needs discussion, too.

Like in other Hutchinson books, there is also positive discussion about mental health. Including a positive representation of therapy. I always appreciate the way that Hutchinson approaches these topics, and it's important for teens to see this kind of representation in books. In a way, the werewolf/monster comparison works for this, too. It just works well on so many levels, especially for this story.

My only complaint is at times, the plot itself is slightly repetitive and maybe the book didn't have to be quite this long. However, this doesn't completely take away from the strong writing and characters.

All in all, I'm glad Hutchinson has gone back in this kind of direction. If the We Are the Ants era is a favorite of yours, you'll most likely love this, too!

Let me just say, this made me want to paint! It's been awhile since I painted anything, honestly. I really enjoyed the way that this book explained certain art techniques and really featured painting and art and artists. It's about Yatora realizing what art is and realizing how art can communicate feelings and emotions. And how it makes you pay closer attention to things around you.

Thing manga was different than other manga that I've read, but I still thoroughly enjoyed myself. I'm interested in seeing how Yatora's art journey grows and changes throughout this series. And just maybe, I'll do some painting when I get home tonight.

Do I love the characters in this? Absolutely yes. Klune just excels at writing these little found families that you have no choice but to fall in love with. Sam is such an endearing main character, one who has all this power but doesn't particularly know what to do with it. I love him as the narrator of the series because he has a voice that's entertaining and a love for Ryan that's adorable.

It's not a full five stars because it still kind of felt like a second book, to me. For the most part, I enjoyed the plot in the first book more than this one because this one felt a bit like filler. Which is typical of second books, I suppose. I do think the journey will prove to be important for later books, and I loved meeting the new dragon. Can't wait to meet more in the coming books!

All in all, I would 100% read this for the characters, no matter the plot. Is this book for everybody? Not in the slightest. But I do think Klune's biggest fans will still find enjoyment in this one.

Well this was adorable and lovely and such a joy to read. Even though I wasn't really all that invloved in theater when I was in school, I was in the pit orchestra and I felt the theater vibes this comic gave off. Plus, if you love the found family trope, this has it written all over it!

The world building worked well, especially with the world that the backstagers ultimately inhabit. The backstagers are also wonderfully diverse. Overall, it gives off Lumberjanes vibes, but set in a theater instead of at a summer camp. Will definitely be reading the next ones when I can get my hands on them!

I listened to the audiobook for this, and I think the narrator did an excellent job of bringing this story to life with his narration. It worked really well for the story, and helped a bit in adding suspense. It worked especially well for Jay's voice.

The story itself is timely and important, and akin to something like Jason Reynolds or Angie Thomas. However, there were times where the pacing of the story felt off to me, and things felt a little too wrapped up nicely at the end. The book itself doesn't shy away from difficult topics, though, and this might be a great novel to use for a class discussion. There's plenty to talk about in this book!

All in all, this is a timely read that will leave you thinking at the end of it. 

This is a cute, light-hearted, queer YA romance and I loved it! It doesn't quite beat out The Sky Blues for me, but it was still such a fun book. More to come in a full review tomorrow!