Great writing style, plenty of laugh out loud moments, and an entertaining narrator. The general style of writing reminds me of something I can't quite put my finger on, but I was 100% hooked from the beginning. The style made it really difficult to put the book down, honestly.

I don't think I can think of any other YA book that deals with the subject matter of this book. Yes, there has definitely been a rise of Jewish protagonists in YA in general, but I can't think of any others that go into this much detail about the Jewish community. Obviously, I am not a part of the Jewish community, so seek out own voices reviews for the accuracy! But I can tell you that I learned a lot reading this book.

Be warned that this does take quite a tragic turn toward the end. There's gun violence and pretty severe antisemitism throughout the book. Just take that into consideration when picking this one up!

This graphic novel retelling of Anne of Green Gables reimagines Anne as a foster kid. When Anne finally finds a new home where she can be herself, at first it seems like it might be too good to be true. After all, every other time her new family finds something wrong with her. What if it happens this time, too? What if Anne isn't good enough to find a new family?

While Anne is trying to adjust to her new home, she also has to sort through her feelings for her new best friend. Because they don't feel like just friendship feelings. They feel like they might be something more. The question is: will Diana feel the same way?

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) by Kathleen Gros! I'm loving branching out into middle grade graphic novels, because there are so many great ones coming out! It really is a great time to be a middle grade graphic novel reader.

This may be a retelling of Anne of Green Gables, but many of the themes and characters are updated to be relatable to middle schoolers today. Anne struggles a lot with accepting her appearance in the book, and I loved that she gained confidence throughout the story. And her foster family! At first they didn't want a teenager, but they came to love Anne. It was such a great storyline of acceptance all around.

Anne's budding feelings for Diana was probably one of my favorite aspects of the story. She's allowed to explore them without really experience any kind of negative consequences. More storylines like this in middle grade, please! So many middle schoolers struggle with similar feelings and seeing them in a book can be life-changing.

All in all, this is a great update to a classic and I can't wait for middle schoolers to read it!

This was fantastic! I loved the way that history was woven into this story. Bree's confidence grows throughout the book; she meets an amazing new friend group who also helps her. But of course, they're not without the typical turbulence of middle school friendships. It also felt so realistic and well written.

The art was also great! It felt reminiscent of New Kid by Jerry Craft, and middle graders who love that will definitely love this one as well!

If you want a sapphic historical adventure, you've definitely got it in this book! I mistakenly thought this was a pirate book from the cover, but it's 100% not. It's about two girls who maybe (probably) love each other, and who want to get justice for those that might not otherwise have a voice.

There's a bit of murder mystery here, in addition to vigilantism. Kikki and Ana's voices were distinct enough, not to mention they had great chemistry. I loved them. I would definitely read more books about their adventures. And the fact that they're based on real historical figures? Even better.

Before delving into this book, know that it deals with difficult topics like sexual assault, abuse, and abortion, so check trigger warnings before reading! Especially with current political discourse around abortions.

That aside, this is a powerful coming of age story that isn't afraid to tackle difficult topics head on. The romance at the center felt realistic and the characters were all well developed. Clarke nailed the voice also; it felt very authentically teen. For a debut, I was very impressed!

This was an interesting new world, definitely great for anyone who loves fairytale or royalty themed fantasy. It definitely gives off The Cruel Prince vibes, so that is a great readalike. The characters aren't necessarily the most likeable, but that's supposed to be the point. They both will do whatever it takes to further their status in society.

The central romance might have been the best thing about this book. There is a lot of court intrigue, but sometimes I had difficulty following it. This might have been becuase I listened to the audiobook, though. The narrator was great, but sometimes I don't pay quite as close attention, so maybe I missed something plotwise.

While I don't think this necessarily needed to be a series, I do understand where the author wants to go with the story. I am kind of interested in seeing what happens next, so I might pick up the next book when it comes out. We'll see!

 Thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for an advanced copy of Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken to review! There's a lyrical nature to this book, featuring strong characters doing their best to resist the rules being placed on them.

WWII historical fiction is a pretty saturated market in YA (and in children's fiction), but this book is different than a lot of the other books I've read. Yes, it has similar elements, resistence, the danger of the rise of the Nazis, the illegal nature of anything that's not German. But the focus on the jazz club is what makes it stand out from the others.

From the summary, I thought the book was just going to be focused on pre-war Germany, but we actually get to see during and after as well. Even though the story spans a lot of years, I didn't feel like anything got lost in the plot or the characters. Maybe it's because WWII is such a talked about part of history, at least in the US. We already know the context, so Tyndall was able to focus on the characters.

The romance moments were also well done. There was just enough longing from Charlie, and her complex feelings for Geli. The daugher of a Nazi officer. Charlie and Geli's relationship took up a lot of Charlie's thoughts, which means that maybe some of the other relationships take a back burner. The story would have been more rounded if the other relationships were more fleshed out.

All in all, if you enjoyed Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo last year, I'd highly recommend picking this one up! 

It's 1952, and Andy Mills is hired to investigate the death of Irene Lamontaine, the head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. At the surface, it seems like her death is an accident. But her wife thinks otherwise. After being fired from the San Francisco Police Department for being caught in a raid on a gay bar, Andy will take whatever cases he can get.

However, the little queer oasis the Lamontaine family has carverd out for themselves holds dark secrets. While they might be hidden from the rest of the society and able to be themselves, something more sininster might be going on. And it's up to Andy to figure out what.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forge Books for an advanced copy of Lavender House to review! I've read some of Lev AC Rosen's YA stuff, so I was interested in seeing how he moves to adult fiction. I am happy to say I wasn't disappointed!

This is being pitched as a queer, historical Knives Out, and I think that's the perfect description of this book. There's the murder mystery, things not quite like they seem on the surface. Before going in, know that there is a lot of homophobia depicted in this book, due to the time period its set in. The idea of a little queer oasis is fantastic, though. I'm sure this happened more than we think it did. 

The characters are also really well written. Andy is a complicated protagonist, trying to figure out where to go now that he's been kicked out of the police force. There's a pretty large cast of characters, but they don't blend together like you might think they would. It's definitely a great book to read as we're right in the middle of spooky season.

All in all, if you love mysteries like Knives Out, you will probably thoroguhly enjoy this book!

 It's Henry Hamlet's last semester of high school and he's not sure what he wants to do when he's finished. His only talent seems to be his ability to make pretty much every situation awkward. Especially when compared to his best friend, Len, who is perfect in almost every way. They might be opposites, but their friendship has always been something that's worked.

Everything seems straightforward until Henry falls in love at a party. One kiss, and his life is changed forever. Len has always been there, but Henry never realized his feelings until that kiss. And that maybe Len has similar feelings, too. Now, Henry has to figure out if risking his friendship is worth falling in love for. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for an advanced copy of Henry Hamlet's Heart to review! One of the comp titles for this book is Red, White, & Royal Blue, and while I don't necessarily agree with that comparison, it did make me want to pick up this book.

Guys, the pining. If teenage pining is your jam, you'll love this book. The moment Henry and Len kiss, a light just clicks in Henry. Honestly, the chemistry between the two of them is really what makes this book. You can feel the yearning, the emotions surrounding first love. They want to be together, but they're not sure they'll be accepted. Wilde nails all of those emotions, bringing you on an emotional ride throughout the entire book.

However, just because there is an MLM romance doesn't mean it reads like Red, White, & Royal Blue. I actually think a better comp title for this would have been Heartstopper. For me, it read more like that story. Best friends, falling in love. One of them still trying to figure out their identity. It fits those vibes and that storyline to a tee.

The only thing that I think would have made this an absolutely stellar book was a better sense of the time. It's mentioned once that it's supposed to be like 2008 or something, but it's a blink and you'll miss it reference. It's also set in Australia, though, so maybe I just missed some of the references. The time period is important though, as Len and Hamlet are afraid of coming out. While this is still true for couples today, some of the homophobia and other things made a bit more sense.

All in all, if you love a good classic friends to lovers queer romance, you'll probably love this book! 

This book has really been on my radar since it first came out, but I haven't actually picked it up to read until now. For a banned book club! I appreciate that this is giving a voice to trans teens, and I think the stories included in it are valuable. I also appreciated that the author worked to present a variety of gender identities under the trans umbrella, so that a variety of teens could see themselves in the story.

I noticed that a lot of reviews mentioned that there is a fairly narrow scope for this book, which is true. All of the teens were based in a similar area, and some of the narratives stil enforce gender stereotypes (boys like sports, girls like pretty things, etc.). I think this partially stems from when this book was published. In 2022, LGBTQ+ issues are in the news more than ever (especially as it pertains to the transgender population), and I think people are just more aware of it than before. This book was originally published in 2014, and these issues were being talked about then, but not quite with the awarness that they are now. And I think this is reflected in the stories included in here, 100%.

I honestly wish we could get an updated version of this book, because I think the stories would be sort of similar, but also different. Transgender teens still struggle with a lot of the issues presented in this book, but we might have different vocabulary to talk about it. 

This book is a good start and a good foundation, there's just a lot of potential for expansion. Maybe it will happen in the future!