Review Round Up
Time for another review round up! Reviews of some of my first reads of June.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds: I listened to this book on audio and need a physical copy. It’s written in verse and has some fantastic lines that are like a punch in the gut. Jason Reynolds truly is a gift. He narrates the audiobook as well and his voice is 100% worth it. It’s currently available on Scribd!
It’s told in 60 seconds, a single elevator ride. Will’s brother was just murdered and he’s going to avenge him. He gets on at the 7th floor, and at each floor the elevator stops and someone he once knew gets on. But each person who joins him is from his past and shouldn’t still be here. But they give him another piece of the story of what could happen if he gets off that elevator. Truly, one of the most brilliant pieces. I highly recommend it and honestly recommend any and all Jason Reynolds.
Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev—A modern retelling of Persuasion by Jane Austen within an Indian family in America! It’s the follow up to Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors. Ashna Raje is a chef and has been feeling down on her luck with Curried Dreams, the restaurant she took over from her father. Rico Silva is a FIFA winning soccer star whose career was cut short due to an untimely injury. They were in love in school but a tumultuous break up left them out of contact for years. Now, they’re on a reality show together and fans love their chemistry.
I love a retelling, even if I have never read the original source material. This one was so so so much fun. It’s great for fans of Food Network and The Great British Baking Show. I have HUGE crush on Rico now. It was a great romance, fun with lots of banter but also tackled some harder issues. I love that Romance has been doing this! I wish it had a little more steam but if you like minimal steamy moments, this is a great option! Thank you William Morrow Books for my free copy!
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine—If you’ve been around here for a while, you’ll know that this is my favorite book of al time and the book that made me a reader. Last weekend was supposed to be our wedding, and while there are bigger problems right now, I definitely had some sad days last week. I reread this one and it still holds up as one of my favorite stories. I love Ella’s fire. I think I’m the woman I am today because she taught me to believe in my own voice. I still have an epic crush on Char and think my love of princes stems from his gallantry and feminism. This is the first time I’ve reread it as an adult and I was afraid it wouldn’t hold up, but the language still felt so sophisticated for middle grade.
I promise you, if I ever achieve my goal of having a Read & Wright production company, the first thing I’ll acquire is the rights to Ella Enchanted and make a film the RIGHT (*wright) way. The Anne Hathaway version is fun, but totally different fro the book. The book is sweeping and romantic and I still love it. Clearly.
When the Stars Lead to You by Ronni Davis—Okay, wow. I totally did not see this book coming. It handled so many really important topics for young people (and all people) in it’s nearly 400 pages. I was really impressed. It is the story of a biracial girl named Devon who wants to study the stars—literally. She wants to be an astrophysicist! She attends a predominantly white school and has to constantly deal with microaggressions from classmates. She falls in love with a white boy, Ashton, from a powerful family, and it’s that all consuming big first love kind of love. But his family doesn’t think Devon is suitable. It turns out Ashton has a lot more going on than just a racist and controlling family. As he and Devon fall love, she learns sometimes love isn’t enough when it comes to Depression.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It’s YA so it’s very easy to read. I flew through it in just about a day and was, like I mentioned, impressed with the subject matter it handled. It was refreshing to see a young person struggling with Depression in love. I think it’s important to note that even when you “have it all”, mental health doesn’t discriminate. It’s romantic, steamy for a YA novel, and showcases a young girl interested in science who goes on a journey of self discovery. I don’t know, I just really loved how it showcased First Love and that it can be everything, but it doesn’t have to be forever. It is wonderfully sex positive and open. I really think young people will benefit from reading this one.
TW/CW: mention of suicide, suicide attempt, depression, microaggressions, racism
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon—Okay, talk about a fun romance that has represents women in STEM! It also is by a Black woman and stars a Black woman. We are here for it. The audio is fire (thank you libro.fm! ) but it’s also a joy to read. It was such a fun concept: 3 women catch their boyfriend cheating on them with each other. They go viral after confronting him at a restaurant and band together to being The Boyfriend Project, aka investing in themselves instead of dating. Until Daniel Brooks enters the picture at Samirah’s office. Samirah was finally putting herself first, but Daniel is too delicious to resist. Or is he too good to be true?
The characters are some of my new favorites! The friendship between the woman was so wonderful to see. You know I’m all about strong female friendships and women supporting women. Farrah Rochon shared that there will be more books with these characters coming as well!
I laughed out loud while read and listening. I never thought I’d enjoy listening to Romance on audio but the acting by Jie Ne Flemming knocks it OUT OF THE PARK. I’m obsessed. She also does the When the Stars Lead to You audiobook if you’re interested! Thank you Hachette Audio and Libro.fm from my free copy!
Tis the season for summer reading! These have been a great way to kick off the season. Would you be interested in seeing a summer reading guide?