This book touched upon many different areas of the lives of Black Americans. Khan-Cullors writes about mass incarceration, police brutality, the cycle of poverty, and LGBTQ+ discrimination - all topics she has personal experiences with. As someone who is currently pursuing a degree in Community Advocacy, I really appreciated the topical essays in this memoir. What the author is best known for though is being one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement - arguably the biggest social movement of the present day. I read the Young Adult edition, as it was the one available through my library, and it had discussion questions at the end of every essay. When They Call You A Terrorist would be a great book club pick if you are looking for a nonfiction title that relates to modern social problems.

I have a confession to make. Last year, in the early weeks of quarantine, my boyfriend and I binge-watched the Netflix series Waco. It focused on the Branch Davidians and their ultimate standoff with the FBI and ATF. Ever since then, I have been fascinated with cults. So, when I heard that Summers, the author of Sadie, was coming out with a new book that was based on a cult, I knew I had to get my hands on it. The Project focuses on a fictional cult leader who becomes a prominent person in the life of two sisters after a tragic accident. While The Project has a promising storyline, I didn't love this story the way I wanted to. The plot was slow at the start and I kind of figured out the ending, which is always annoying.

After being extremely underwhelmed by the first title in this series, I was hesitant to read the next book. However, I am glad I did! (I almost want to tell people to skip The Wedding Date - the first book - and just read this one. It totally works as a standalone title... but I am not sure that plan would work if you are looking to read the whole series.) After saving Nik from a surprise wedding proposal from her short-term boyfriend at a Dodgers game, Carlos strikes up a friendship with her. Slowly, the friendship between the two evolves into something more intimate. The Proposal is both adorable and steamy, a combination that is hard to find in romance novels, and I will definitely be reading the next book in hopes of learning more about their future together!

I have been putting off writing a review for this title because I know that whatever I write will not do this story justice. READ THIS BOOK. Don't read any summaries - go in as blind as you can (that is what I did) because the magic of Addie LaRue's journey will sweep you off your feet. Schwab, the author, expertly blends historical fiction and fantasy elements to create a storyline that you will not want to end. Seriously, this book is just under 500 pages long and I probably could have read 500 pages more if the author had written them. I could not put down this novel and only wish that I could experience reading it again for the first time. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of my all-time favorite books so do yourself a favor and pick up this title as soon as you can.

I loved the premise of this title from the moment I read the blurb on Goodreads. Camp is the story of Randy returning to Camp Outland, a summer camp just for queer teenagers. Previously, Randy has been able to be his authentic self and shine in the theater production each summer. However, he has recently rebranded himself to be more masculine in hopes to finally catch the attention of a fellow masculine, sporty camper. Rosen, the author, touches on important topics such as the importance of one's identity and gender presentation while still delivering a funny, attention-grabbing story. I found myself rooting for Randy to both get the guy and find his way back to being his authentic self throughout the entirety of the novel. I think Camp would be a wonderful addition to any YA collection that is in need of more LGBTQ+ representation - especially because Rosen is an own-voices author!

Little & Lion is the second book by Brandy Colbert that I have read this year. If there is one thing that you can count on when reading her novels, it is diverse character representation. The protagonist in this title, Suzette, is a black, Jewish, bisexual teenager who returns home to Los Angeles from her east coast boarding school. Her parents made the decision to send her away after her stepbrother, Lionel was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in hopes that she could have a "normal" school year while they supported him. However, when she returns home, she doesn't feel like she fits in anymore with her old friends or her family. Overall, I enjoyed reading this story. I did feel like the author tried to tackle too many topics in this short novel (race, mental illness, merging of families, sexuality, etc.) and it may have been more effective if she had focused on one or two issues instead. However, I am so glad to have finally read this backlist title which has been on my reading list for what seems like forever.

I did not enjoy this title. I Killed Zoe Spanos is told through a "then and now" storyline. I believe that the author used this structure to add suspense to the story, but it made the book confusing to understand. In addition to this, the ending of this book seemed so unrealistic. Unfortunately, I was not entertained by this YA mystery novel and would recommend leaving this one off of your reading list.

As a very popular title in the book world, I spontaneously borrowed The Ex Talk when it became available. My main issue with this story is that I was never sold on the relationship between the two main characters. When reading romance novels, I want to root for the two people to get their happily ever after, but in this book, I didn't really care one way or another. A less significant issue I had with The Ex Talk was the ceaseless reminder of the age difference between the love interests. The difference was of only five or six years and they are both adults in the story, so I found the constant discussion to be unnecessary. I don't think I would go out of my way to recommend this title to other readers. 

Gregorio, the author, tackles a difficult, but important topic in this YA contemporary novel. Both of the main characters, Jocelyn and Will, live with mental illness. However, their experiences with receiving help differ drastically. I really enjoyed reading this novel and could relate to it in a very specific way. I have both anxiety and depression (the two illnesses focused on in this book) and first experiences symptoms when I was in high school, like the characters. I don't think this book received the hype it deserved when it was first published last year and I recommend taking the time to give this title a try!