For a book about statistics, this wasn’t boring. It’s engaging. While I definitely agree we’re constantly inundated with bad news (it’s attention-grabbing and networks need advertisers’ money) about the world, the attitude taken in this book is so nonchalant. Like, yeah, very few kids are dying in droves these days. Let’s pat ourselves on the back! There are reasons like colonization, corrupt governments, low innovation, etc why some countries are in the state they are in, but the book mostly skirts past that (it acknowledges this more toward the end). Rosling notes things are improving. He gives an analogy about a premature baby in an incubator, which I thought was fitting. Yes, the baby is premature, but if their health is improving, that’s a good turn in the right direction. 

The main takeaway of the book is an increase in education, sex education, and income helps lower population. When people (read: women) have more money and education, they tend to have fewer children, so they can better care for them. With more income, countries can bounce back quicker after natural disasters, and their citizens have better quality of lives by each generation. I also like the idea about dividing different countries by income levels too. 

Sometimes, it’s easy to forget how far we have come from the days of high child mortality and other unfortunate events. Maybe this is a reminder that the world isn’t completely hopeless. 

Read this for Introduction to Business Statistics.  

I’ve gotten a soft spot for books in verse recently. Chlorine Sky is vulnerable. I think this is definitely relatable for a lot of teens. There’s no teaching moments or hold-your-hand passages. The obvious undercurrent of colorism and sexism doesn’t have to be explained, it’s just there. Mahogany has insecurities and her best friend no longer acts like one. Lay Li is what Mahogany visually wants to be and what she thinks boys her age/society will accept better. The narrative reads well, and it’s filled with AAVE done right. 

 First, what a lovely cover! Writers often make their MC love books or writing and usually it falls flat, but Tessa was fine. It’s fun seeing how her romanticized daydreams turn into story ideas. Tessa’s a hopeful romantic with a mind filled with fluffy thoughts (and she’s an overthinker too). 

Her mind is also filled with worries as she lives with anxiety and imposter syndrome. Tessa feels sometimes, her life and what’s important to her has to take a back seat because of her brother, Miles. I enjoyed Tessa and Miles relationship and the overall family dynamics a lot. I thought the author did a great job showing Tessa’s feelings of frustration but love as well. 

Sometimes, Tessa’s narrative feels like “teaching” moments, but I’m sure that’s so a wider audience can understand. It’s just feels obvious if you already know. Poppy felt a little one note.

I mean granted Tessa is trying to move in on Nico and Poppy gotta bad attitude, but it’s up to Nico and Poppy to define their situationship. She’s just nasty though this does get acknowledged at the end.

Overall, cute and light-hearted and familial love plays as big a part as teen-swoony love. I liked the long-distance best friends too. The ending is fitting. 

I didn't dislike reading this, but some things just fell flat for me. I think I didn't get invested in the characters.

there's a huge plot twist when we find out Zahn and Sera are of the opposite social classes, but it didn't really hit me.

Still, I'll most likely read the sequel. 

I’m not a cat person, but the shenanigans the cats get into is really fun and cute. I think this was intended but Ms. Lang looks Halle Berry-ish. Anyway, I enjoyed the cheeky allusions to Batman and Cat woman. Kids are sure to enjoy this, but I think adults will too.

 <blockquote> I didn’t think the world owed me anything. I simply believed I would conquer the world I was born into, in my own way” (pg 266).</blockquote> 

The vignettes of Mariah’s life are so easy to read despite the darker moments of her life. You truly never know what someone’s going though. There’s a saying I always heard in church, “you see the glory, but you don’t know my story!” Mariah’s family was really trifling, and we see the journey it took to extricate herself from the toxicity in her life. 

Now, there’s a real fixation on skin-color from light to dark, blackness, who’s the color of a waffle, and growing up biracial/mixed race, but, hey, a lot of society and the US is colorstruck. With Mariah’s mixed-race experiences, I think the exploration of race was warranted here. There’s only a brief mention about Nick Cannon (he’s the father of her children, so I get it; keep it classy) or the messiness with Stella. Another memoir maybe? 

Still, I enjoyed reading this. Loved the BTS on Maraih’s biggest hits. 

 I liked it for the most part. The artwork is serviceable. I thought the teen drama/angst was handled very well. Not sure how Tiffany took (almost) being choked out relatively normally though. Tiffany is emotional and irrational. Her boyfriend wants her to be a secret lover, her parents are divorced, and everything just seems 100 times worse. Oh yeah, she also has to live in the basement when a new tenant arrives. *wink wink* 

Very cute. A bit of a cautionary tale (for kids) about letting a crush consume you too much.

super unrealistic that Flo won. With this being like middle school(?), I know so many kids who would’ve voted for an ice cream machine.

 Listen, the artwork is marvelous, but the characters just aren’t here. I like Valia the most from this story, but her tone’s too biting. I like snarky characters, but it needs to feel warranted. Milo’s so trusting that he’s a bit of a dumb-dumb, but he’s a kid so you know. I feel like every line of dialogue is an argument. 

I think this is more plot-driven than character-driven, so that’s fine. I’m going to attribute a lot of the problems from the translation from French to English. Maybe that’s why I didn’t care for the characters or their dialogue? 

There’s a good plot twist toward the end! Worth reading if you like fantasy and gorgeous artwork. 

I read the first issue, and it held my interest enough that I got the full volume. I dig the art style and the black male magicians. The artwork is gorgeous, stylistic, and colorful. I could do without the N-word, but I enjoy the dialogue. The narrative boxes are a teensy-bit small, so I wish those were bigger. I like the quintessential underdog story, and this is no different though it can be confusing, at times.

The rivalry/connection/brotherhood between Spencer and Aaron, Overseer, the doggone daddy, and the corruption and secrecy of the Aegis is anchoring me to this story. I want more of Monique too.