Teenage Lexicon

Every Bright and Broken Thing by Brian McBride is one of those books that stays with you. I’ve read this book twice now, and both times, I was left staring at the last page in complete awe of what I’d just encountered. It’s the kind of book that grips you by the heartstrings the second you open it and doesn’t let you go until long after you’ve closed it.  Warning: Mild spoilers ahead! Perhaps my favorite thing about this book are the characters. Ezra and Liam are so dynamic and realistic that I felt for them consistently throughout the book. Whenever they hurt, I hurt in response. I found myself internally yelling at McBride a lot to give these poor boys a break. (Of course, I subsequently internally thanked him for giving me a story in which I could become so heavily engrossed.) Both characters were defined by how they dealt with their trauma, not by the sheer fact that they were broken, which is something I often find in books of this nature. The things that Ezra and ...

I’m a sucker for ragtag groups of outcasts, dynamic fantasy creatures, strong narrative voices, and eclectic origin stories. Prison of Outcasts, the first book of Kyra Johnson’s Mizlie Series, checks each of these boxes, and it does so marvelously. It had been so long since I’d read a fantasy book I’d enjoyed, let alone one that I couldn’t put down until well past midnight. Here is a book that intrigues, surprises, and has you laughing and crying simultaneously from the first word to the last.  Warning: Mild spoilers ahead! Nathan/Ning’s origin story is by far one of my favorite origin stories of all time. It’s memorable, humorous, and so out there that you can’t help but find it absolutely brilliant. What an incredible way to set up an incredible book. Ning is a deceivingly dynamic character. At first, he seems to be the only dull character in the vibrant cast. But he isn’t dull. He just doesn’t know who he is. A reader meets Ning right alongside Ning himself. I so ...

I haven’t been reading a lot of middle grade fiction lately, but Dawn Chandler reminded me of all I’ve been missing—innocent characters, whimsical settings, and a straightforward plot driven by an overarching moral of the story. Dawn Chandler beautifully checked each of these boxes and more. Warning: mild spoilers ahead! Eliza Noel, coming from a big family herself, wonderfully captures the blithe chaos of a large family with her natural, affable dialogue and leapfrogging focal points. The very first scene of the book was reminiscent of busy mornings—there’s a tangible energy among her words that allows the reader to be in the Jennings’ kitchen as they get ready for the day. These first few pages pulled me into the book. Noel has a knack for balancing a large cast of characters. Aided only by a list in the front of the book—a unique feature that reminded me of the old American Girl books, which, needless to say, I absolutely adored—she gives each character their own id...

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book with such pure and innocent magic, as one finds in Lydia Green of Mulberry Glen . As we grow older, we tend to forget that fairy tales exist, but Lydia Green of Mulberry Glen , reminiscent of the leather bound storybook tucked next to the fireplace at my grandma’s house, restores a part of your heart you didn’t realize needed restoration.  Warning - Spoilers ahead! I found myself lost in Lydia’s world on every page. Millie Florence strikes the perfect balance between flowering poetry and compelling prose—she allowed the inventive imagery to exist without compromising the pace of her plot, an equilibrium I rarely find in middle grade fiction. I knew the language Florence was capable of after reading Honey Butter , her first novel, but the growth Lydia Green showcases is astounding. She takes you by the hand and pulls you straight to the heart of her mystical world. And her world-building is stellar. Without ever explaining the P...

I haven’t read something as deeply raw and emotional as Set Me Free in a very long time. This was a story told by the only person who could really tell it. Warning: spoilers ahead! I’m always a sucker for books with interesting perspectives, and Laura Freeman—who spends the majority of the book dead—fulfilled this perfectly. Even if she weren’t unique in the fact that she narrates the absence of her life rather than the presence of it, her moxie, sensitivity, and tenacity would differentiate her from other YA characters anyway. Too often, in books with similar situations as Set Me Free, I see protagonists who are whiny, annoying, or just plain boring. Laura is absolutely none of these things. She’s deep. She shows emotion like a normal person. The relationships she has with people are messy and strong and wonderful all at once, like real relationships are.  Right now, in the time and place we are in, the story that Set Me Free tells is one that so desperately needs ...

Honey Butter is one of those rare books that is pure magic. I don’t think any words I write can accurately capture the essence of this story, but I can certainly try to find some. Warning: (mild) spoilers ahead! The premise of the book—a somewhat overlooked child finding solace in paint chips—is endearing. Jamie is such a beautiful, well-written character. Like any seven-year-old, she is naïve, slightly aloof, and has a wondrous imagination. She makes mistakes, but she has such a good heart. The reader knows Jamie within a few pages. It is impossible to meet Jamie and not smile at least once a chapter. Laren is also a wonderful, detailed character. She remains remarkably positive, regardless of the troubles she’s endured. Jamie is entranced by her, and the sister-like relationship that emerges goes beyond heartwarming.  The setting—and the language describing it—can only be described by “ebullient ”, as Laren would say. The summertime vibes are so strong—I wanted...

Love and the Sea and Everything in Between by Brian McBride is not for the faint of heart. It deals with very difficult subjects, but it does so wonderfully. WARNING: Spoilers ahead! And mentions of suicide, depression, and assault.  Let’s start with characters, whom I loved. Adam and Liz weren’t perfect. They made mistakes, and they hurt each other because they were hurting themselves. The reader really feels as if they know Adam and Liz. I do wish we could have had a bit more exploration of Jeremiah and Oliver, though. Though the letter that Jeremiah gives to Adam towards the end does give a lot more insight into his character, we may have been able to understand his and Adam’s fallout better and sooner in the story, which may have made his confrontation with Liz a bit more emotional. (Though that scene was very emotional; it was one of my favorite scenes.) The setting was also extremely vibrant. Although I’ll admit that I’ve never been to San Francisco, it’s o...

Why Not YA is all about bringing attention to an inarguably underrated genre. Because YA (young adult) fiction is geared towards somewhat younger readers, a stigma surrounds it: can what YA has to say really be of any value?  The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X. R. Pan dares you to change your mind and will infallibly succeed.  Warning: This book deals with some heavy topics like suicide and depression, and this review may mention those topics. Second warning: SPOILERS AHEAD! Leigh has just lost her mother to suicide. This book follows her as she travels across the world to meet her maternal grandparents, whom she has never met before. While in Taiwan, she pieces together her family’s history from fragments of memories she can’t quite remember. She doesn’t know anything except that her mother has turned into a bird. This book pushes the boundaries of metaphor, and it does so wonderfully. Leigh feels in colors; Pan illustrates these colors with vivi...

It’s difficult to write a book like The Flames that Corrupt Us. Stories that take place in intricate universes tend to lack in either world-building or character development. Isabel Jordan has woven a story that doesn’t lack either. Warning: spoilers ahead! From the very first encounter, you are pulled into the Valley. You take that plane with Insley and Andrew through the hole in the sky, and you are there . This level of world-building surpasses some from adult authors, yet Jordan has struck genius. I cannot fathom the depth of her imagination. She details what can best be described as augmented reality: she strikes a balance between magic, science, and reality with delicacy. Her world doesn’t rely on any one aspect—it’s extraordinarily balanced. But the focus on world-building doesn’t distract from characterization. Insley and Andrew are especially developed; their tenacity is astounding without defying normal fourteen-year-old tendencies. They embark on this jour...

SPOILER ALERT! I went into Dumplin’ expecting a strong narrative voice, tons of body positivity, and a quick-paced pageant revolution. That’s not really what I got. I do love the message it attempts to convey: One should not be expected to change themselves to be liked or accepted by other people. Willowdean (and Julie Murphy) excel at this for the first few chapters. I run into some issues when Will starts to veer away from this mindset when Bo Larson comes into her life. Yes, Will is a teenager, and yes, teenagers are often swayed by the objects of their affection. But Will’s personality (and inner monologue) are demolished by Bo, and he doesn’t really do anything to instigate it. He touches her back, and I understand how that can be uncomfortable and formative for some people, but from that point on, Will’s whole character seems to have shifted. She is extremely inconsistent with the girl we meet in the first chapter, and not because she’s developed; she’s regresse...

I’ve got some hobbies that are pretty unusual. I like watercolor painting, I work at a science museum, and—of course—I’ve written two novels and a bunch of short stories. It’s great to have a character who does interesting things. In fact, it really can set your character apart from others.  However, have you ever met a character who's a little too unique? That they’re so quirky and original and not like everyone else that they just seem like a person who could only exist in YA fiction? I’m sure a couple of characters come to mind. It’s totally cool if your character is into Russian folk art. But then maybe she shouldn’t be named Magnolia Wren Davidson, have violet hair and vibrant green eyes, and burst into Emerson quotes at inopportune moments. Having too many things that make your characters special can ruin the verisimilitude.  As much as we like to believe that all of us are eccentric, it's just not true. The vast majority of us are pretty normal. Tho...

SPOILER ALERT! I went into this book absolutely engrossed in the Simonverse. After finishing Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, I just kind of sat there, staring at the last page, kind of in awe. I had read books with characters just as developed and complicated as Albertalli’s Creekwood teens, but somehow, these characters seemed different. More real . They were people I knew, not people I’d seen on some movie or read in another YA book.  So I was just a tiny bit nervous to read Leah on the Offbeat because I didn’t want to jeopardize this wonder. But I read it anyway, and I’m so, so glad I did. Leah on the Offbeat is in the point of view of Leah Burke, one of Simon’s best friends from Simon. But in Simon , the reader never finds out that Leah is a closeted bisexual. Her identity becomes a point of contention in the spin-off.  But it isn’t the entire book. Leah is not defined by her sexuality. It’s a big part of her, and it’s a big part of the plot, but that’s...