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Karla Dee (6 KP) rated Twice As Perfect in Books

Oct 14, 2022  
TA
Twice As Perfect
Louisa Onome | 2022
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
From high school debate team to a super star character I feel like this story has it all. Adanna Nkwachi is living up to her parents dreams by choosing one of their approved professions. She is top tier debater on her way to going to law school, but things begin to change as she learns more about why her brother left and living his dreams as a poet.

All while this is going on her cousin Genny is getting married to Afrobeats superstar Skeleboy. This story has a lot going on and def has range from hs debate to wedding preparations. TBH I was sucked in by the wedding aspect of it all since I just finished the book Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu. I love the excitement of love birds and the drama that goes into making the wedding happen. There is always some tea and I am here for it. The cherry on top was the groom is a famous singer which was something different that gives off JLOs Let's get married vibez <3 <3 <3
  
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Merissa (12911 KP) rated Not Okay Cupid in Books

Dec 17, 2018 (Updated May 17, 2023)  
Not Okay Cupid
Not Okay Cupid
Heidi R. Kling | 2016 | Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
An old tale of cheating boyfriends and betraying best friends gets a revamp in this YA, humour-filled story, starring Felix and Hazel. Written from the perspectives of both of them, you are with Hazel as she learns about her boyfriend, Jay, and her best friend, Kimmy, now becoming a couple even though Jay forgot to mention it to her. School is tough and to find out in the school cafeteria is a hard one. Felix isn't prepared to let Hazel deal with it by herself, so he puts a plan in motion.

Well-written, humorous and with plenty of opportunities for reflection and passion, this story is light and thoroughly enjoyable. Movie references from the '80s abound, including one from The Princess Bride! I would have no hesitation in recommending this.

* 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!
Jan 11, 2016
  
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Karla Dee (6 KP) rated Her Good Side in Books

May 27, 2023  
Her Good Side
Her Good Side
Rebekah Weatherspoon | 2023
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Love this cover and I am so happy to have won a copy from bookish first to review. I used to play basketball in middle school and I enjoy any YA books that take me back to the time of playing sports in High school. I also love a good rom com and this book has that too but of course I am going to bring up that they are a diverse couple and she is plus size. I love a book that has representation and this one is so cute down to her jordan's on the cover and his van's.

Friends turned into more than friends story and it is a coming of age tale for both of the characters. Bethany and Jacob are bad at dating and decide to pretend date and usually this kind of story ends up getting dramatic messy and full of teen angst that is hard for me to get through but this book was totally not that vibe. They are both strong characters that don't succumb to peer pressure which is awesome <3<3<3
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated This Is Where It Ends in Books

Feb 13, 2018  
This Is Where It Ends
This Is Where It Ends
Marieke Nijkamp | 2016 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
6
7.7 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
On a chilly day, the principal of Opportunity High School is giving a speech to her students, kicking off the new semester. The majority of the school is gathered in the auditorium, listening to her speak. As she finishes, they prepare to head to their next class, but the doors are stuck. Then, suddenly, someone begins to shoot.

The book is told from the viewpoint of a handful of kids (four) from Opportunity High and basically unfolds in less than a hour -- the time it takes for a horrific tragedy to fall upon their school and community. We hear from Sylvia and her twin brother Tomas. We also get the perspective of Autumn, Sylvia's best friend, who is struggling with the death of her mother and her abusive father, all the while watching her brother, Tyler, an Opportunity High dropout, drift away from her. Finally, we see things from Claire's perspective; a member of the track team - Claire is outside practicing when the tragedy begins, but worried about her brother Matt, who is inside.

I read this book in a few hours - its short time span makes it terrifying and you want to speed through to find out what happens to these kids. It's an all too horrifying and realistic account of what can happen with school shootings (and beware, some of the descriptions can be very graphic). The interwoven stories of the kids do a good job of telling the story and portraying the strong bond of family and friendship that can exist -- especially at the hyper-sensitive stage of high school, where everything truly does seem like life or death sometimes.

There's an added LGBT angle to this story, which is a nice twist, as it's very natural to the book. The kids' tales, overall, seem true to their voices, but some of the writing is stilted and tough to read (not from the subject matter, but the way it's written). The author overuses the play on words with "opportunity" far too much - it would have been better to just let the story play itself out. We get the parallels - no need to spell them out (over and over and over) for us.

Still, this is a powerful book - it's heartbreakingly lovely, really, and will leave you hoping and praying that no more children *ever* have to go through this experience. It's a worthy read, even if it leaves you hurting, but I would make sure you talk about it in detail with your teens. It's a tough subject matter that needs to be discussed.

(I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)