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Picture this (Birds of a Feather #3)
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Life just keeps slapping Mary in the face. She had it rough growing up, and when it finally looks...
Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Our Own Private Universe in Books
Feb 18, 2021
A great book for gay teens finding their way
This is the fifteenth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!
Aki Simon is ready to start living her life. At fifteen, she believes she's bisexual, but she's only dated boys, and only her best friend, Lori, knows about her feelings. So when Aki and Lori go on a church trip to Mexico, Aki vows to stop sitting around and start living. This becomes possible when she meets Christa, another student on the trip. Christa, older and more worldly, clearly seems to like Aki as much as Aki likes her. But how does Aki--whose father is a pastor and along on this trip--experiment with Christa on this trip? How does she figure out if she likes, or even loves, Christa? And if she does, how does she tell her religious parents?
I've read several books by Robin Talley and really loved them all. This one was a little young for me, but I think it would be an excellent read for the teen age group. It covers a range of vital and big themes for teens: bisexuality, coming out, safe sex, parental expectations, religion and being gay, etc. There's a moment when Aki is trying to track down dental dams, and she's researching how to use them. I'm honestly not sure I've ever seen that in a book, and it's so important and honestly, really cool. I would have loved to find a book like this when I was a teen trying to figure out a lot of various things.
Unfortunately, a lot of the plot of UNIVERSE is based on the premise of one character lying to another, which I really do not care for. It gets off to a slow start. And there is a lot of teen drama, with Lori and other kids on the trip at the center. Maybe it wouldn't seem so melodramatic for teens, who live in that world, but it's a bit much and gets repetitive.
Still, I love how important this book is, covering coming out and featuring such a diverse cast of characters. It's serious yet romantic. I would certainly recommend it for teens grappling with their sexuality, those coming out, or those wanting to support their queer friends or kids. 3.5 stars. (Also, if you are older and queer (or even if you're not), read Robin Talley's PULP. It's amazing.)
Aki Simon is ready to start living her life. At fifteen, she believes she's bisexual, but she's only dated boys, and only her best friend, Lori, knows about her feelings. So when Aki and Lori go on a church trip to Mexico, Aki vows to stop sitting around and start living. This becomes possible when she meets Christa, another student on the trip. Christa, older and more worldly, clearly seems to like Aki as much as Aki likes her. But how does Aki--whose father is a pastor and along on this trip--experiment with Christa on this trip? How does she figure out if she likes, or even loves, Christa? And if she does, how does she tell her religious parents?
I've read several books by Robin Talley and really loved them all. This one was a little young for me, but I think it would be an excellent read for the teen age group. It covers a range of vital and big themes for teens: bisexuality, coming out, safe sex, parental expectations, religion and being gay, etc. There's a moment when Aki is trying to track down dental dams, and she's researching how to use them. I'm honestly not sure I've ever seen that in a book, and it's so important and honestly, really cool. I would have loved to find a book like this when I was a teen trying to figure out a lot of various things.
Unfortunately, a lot of the plot of UNIVERSE is based on the premise of one character lying to another, which I really do not care for. It gets off to a slow start. And there is a lot of teen drama, with Lori and other kids on the trip at the center. Maybe it wouldn't seem so melodramatic for teens, who live in that world, but it's a bit much and gets repetitive.
Still, I love how important this book is, covering coming out and featuring such a diverse cast of characters. It's serious yet romantic. I would certainly recommend it for teens grappling with their sexuality, those coming out, or those wanting to support their queer friends or kids. 3.5 stars. (Also, if you are older and queer (or even if you're not), read Robin Talley's PULP. It's amazing.)
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Skinny in Books
Feb 13, 2020
I think the first time I read this book was in early middle school. I think I bought it from the Scholastic Book Fair in our library, though I am unsure. All I know is that for the last almost 10 years, this book has followed me from house to house, from Colorado to North Carolina and finally, at almost 21 years old, I've opened it again and read it.
It's definitely a book written for younger readers, that's for sure. Probably about 6th graders, which is fitting for the time that I think I read it the first time. Ever's story is a coming of age one - a story about learning to be confident in yourself, that everyone is going through different things, that what you think everyone thinks of you isn't always the truth. Ever's story is about learning to accept yourself and love yourself for who you are, not what you look like, and allowing people to be close to you. It's about a million things - some I'm sure more relatable when at Ever's age and in her similar situation, but also some that are just themes of life and love.
I think, as far as the story goes, it's a good one. I know there's always a risk when writing about body image in any facet, but I think this is one that does it well. I think the characters are interesting and for the most part, robust. Some of the themes and dialogue are a bit on the nose but I think that's to be expected for a book meant for younger readers. Overall, I think this is a good book. One I'm sure I'll come back to eventually, but probably not for another 10 years.
It's definitely a book written for younger readers, that's for sure. Probably about 6th graders, which is fitting for the time that I think I read it the first time. Ever's story is a coming of age one - a story about learning to be confident in yourself, that everyone is going through different things, that what you think everyone thinks of you isn't always the truth. Ever's story is about learning to accept yourself and love yourself for who you are, not what you look like, and allowing people to be close to you. It's about a million things - some I'm sure more relatable when at Ever's age and in her similar situation, but also some that are just themes of life and love.
I think, as far as the story goes, it's a good one. I know there's always a risk when writing about body image in any facet, but I think this is one that does it well. I think the characters are interesting and for the most part, robust. Some of the themes and dialogue are a bit on the nose but I think that's to be expected for a book meant for younger readers. Overall, I think this is a good book. One I'm sure I'll come back to eventually, but probably not for another 10 years.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Heart Berries: A Memoir in Books
Mar 18, 2018
Chaotic coming-of-age manifesto from a First Nations female survivor
This memoir about pain and trauma written by an indigenous woman should not be typecasted and categorised as "Native Writing", although many themes do arise in this area.
As the author explains, this book is less about identity and more about coping with huge swathes of pain - from having a baby taken away right after birth, child sexual abuse to being institutionalised with bipolar disorder, Terese Mailhot is first and foremost a survivor. What she reveals in her writing, is that these issues take different shapes in every community, and for her, she attempts to consolidate her experiences and what she has learnt from her parents together.
In one instance, she talks about how she can't understand the notion of forgiveness preached by white therapists, because she has learnt that pain is a ritual to undertake. And in this way, we see where she appears similar to other survivors and where she diverges because of her belief structures. She also speaks about pain being inherent in the Native condition because of centuries of mistreatment by colonial powers - and so she refers to it differently than some.
Where I struggled with this, is her relationship with her 'boyfriend' Casey, which felt irritating because it took up far too much of the book - and I did just want to shake her and tell her to get a grip especially as she has young children, and it seemed almost juvenile. But overall, an important piece of literature in this growing sphere.
As the author explains, this book is less about identity and more about coping with huge swathes of pain - from having a baby taken away right after birth, child sexual abuse to being institutionalised with bipolar disorder, Terese Mailhot is first and foremost a survivor. What she reveals in her writing, is that these issues take different shapes in every community, and for her, she attempts to consolidate her experiences and what she has learnt from her parents together.
In one instance, she talks about how she can't understand the notion of forgiveness preached by white therapists, because she has learnt that pain is a ritual to undertake. And in this way, we see where she appears similar to other survivors and where she diverges because of her belief structures. She also speaks about pain being inherent in the Native condition because of centuries of mistreatment by colonial powers - and so she refers to it differently than some.
Where I struggled with this, is her relationship with her 'boyfriend' Casey, which felt irritating because it took up far too much of the book - and I did just want to shake her and tell her to get a grip especially as she has young children, and it seemed almost juvenile. But overall, an important piece of literature in this growing sphere.
Merissa (11646 KP) rated No Easy Catch (Cleat Chasers, #4) in Books
Jan 20, 2020
No Easy Catch is the fourth book in the Cleat Chasers series, and the second one in the series I have read. You don't need to have read any of the others to get into this story.
This is an enemy to lovers story, set in the world of college with a whole host of dodgy dealings going on. To begin with, Jeff doesn't trust Ambar at all, even thinking she has been involved with it all. He soon learns she is innocent of all charges apart from being related to one of the men involved. This was a lovely tale, with a slow-build romance threaded through the mystery. As the reader, I got to see Jeff's first moments of realisation that Ambar was more than he had previously thought.
Although this is classed as a sports romance and Jeff plays baseball, it didn't take over the story, and there wasn't much there where he was actually on the field. The world is well established, with individual characters adding highlights to the story, or moving forward where necessary. The pacing was smooth and punchy when needed. I did find some words or phrases were used slightly repetitively but that's probably just me.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book and have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who enjoys a coming-of-age romance with sport elements.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is an enemy to lovers story, set in the world of college with a whole host of dodgy dealings going on. To begin with, Jeff doesn't trust Ambar at all, even thinking she has been involved with it all. He soon learns she is innocent of all charges apart from being related to one of the men involved. This was a lovely tale, with a slow-build romance threaded through the mystery. As the reader, I got to see Jeff's first moments of realisation that Ambar was more than he had previously thought.
Although this is classed as a sports romance and Jeff plays baseball, it didn't take over the story, and there wasn't much there where he was actually on the field. The world is well established, with individual characters adding highlights to the story, or moving forward where necessary. The pacing was smooth and punchy when needed. I did find some words or phrases were used slightly repetitively but that's probably just me.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book and have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who enjoys a coming-of-age romance with sport elements.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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Confessions of a Record Producer: How to Survive the Scams and Shams of the Music Business
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For more than 15 years, Confessions of a Record Producer has exposed the inner workings of the music...
Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue
8.9
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SIMON VS. THE HOMOSAPIENS meets the 1700s in this hilarious and swashbuckling standalone teen...
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Booksmart (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
"Superbad" For A New Generation
Booksmart is a 2019 coming-of-age comedy directed by Olivia Wilde from a screenplay by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman. It was produced by Annapurna Pictures and Gloria Sanchez Productions and distributed by United Artists Releasing. The movie stars Jessica Williams, Will Forte, Lisa Kudrow, and Jason Sudeikis.
Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are high school seniors and best friends. Molly confronts some of her peers when she overhears them making fun of her in the bathroom and tells them how she got into a good school. They, however, reveal that despite partying, they too got into good colleges. Angered, Molly tells Amy that they should have enjoyed their time in high school more and convinces her to go to an end-of-year party. Determined to make up for lost time, they decide to cram four years of fun into one night.
This movie was hilariously funny and full of funny relatable characters. It reminded me a lot of Superbad, but a female version. The main characters had awesome chemistry and you wind up liking them right away and the situations they find themselves in border on the absurd. This film definitely delivers on the laughs but it also makes some solid points about friendship and acceptance. It's full of femininity being that both the main characters, the director, and writers were all women, but I'm sure anyone would think this film is humorous. Olivia Wilde did an amazing job in her directorial debut.
Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are high school seniors and best friends. Molly confronts some of her peers when she overhears them making fun of her in the bathroom and tells them how she got into a good school. They, however, reveal that despite partying, they too got into good colleges. Angered, Molly tells Amy that they should have enjoyed their time in high school more and convinces her to go to an end-of-year party. Determined to make up for lost time, they decide to cram four years of fun into one night.
This movie was hilariously funny and full of funny relatable characters. It reminded me a lot of Superbad, but a female version. The main characters had awesome chemistry and you wind up liking them right away and the situations they find themselves in border on the absurd. This film definitely delivers on the laughs but it also makes some solid points about friendship and acceptance. It's full of femininity being that both the main characters, the director, and writers were all women, but I'm sure anyone would think this film is humorous. Olivia Wilde did an amazing job in her directorial debut.
Heart Berries: A Memoir
7.7
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"Heart Berries by Terese Mailhot is an astounding memoir in essays. Here is a wound. Here is need,...