Bloom

Panetta, Kevin. Bloom. First Second, 2019.

Ari has just finished high school and is excited to move to the big city with his band and pursue his love of music, but his family is insisting that he stay home and help run the bakery in the hopes that they will not have to close it down. Ari finds Hector to replace him at the bakery. Hector is in culinary school and loves to bake, and Ari finds himself drawn to Hector. But what about the band and Ari's musical pursuits?

This is a lovely graphic novel love story that is perfect for teens still searching for their place in the world. Ari isn't sure what he wants to do with himself, but he is definitely sure he doesn't want to bake. Maybe. Probably. The blue palette used for the panels is appropriate for the wistful tone of most of the story and helps to keep the focus on the characters and their relationship. Ari's love for Hector is beautiful, especially considering that it happens organically in the tale and that this isn't a coming out story, but rather a love story where the two main characters are male. Recommended.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Toxic

Kang, Lydia. Toxic. Entangled Teen, 2018.

Hana has been hidden on a bioship her entire life. She is not allowed to leave her room, which her mother arranged to have hidden even from the ship's map. No one really knows she's there. But her ship is dying, and when a crew comes aboard to observe the slow death of the ship, Hana decides she wants to live.

This is a good book for fans of Across the Universe or other epic science fiction stories that focus more on the characters and their relationships than on the exploration or science aspects. It would also be easy to recommend this book to teens who enjoy John Green's stories, because these may have a different setting, but the plot is still quite similar.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Five Feet Apart

Lippincott, Rachael. Five Feet Apart. Simon Schuster BYR, 2018.

Stella is in the hospital hoping for a lung transplant that will extend her lifespan, which has been shortened by her cystic fibrosis. She is creating an app for people with chronic conditions, to help them manage their medications and other treatments. Will, on the other hand, is fed up with treatments, hospitals, and the way his mom brings him from location to location to try every new experimental treatment in the hope that someone will cure him. As they both have CF, they are never supposed to be closer than six feet apart. Stella's organization clashes with Will's rule-breaking until they discover they are perfect for each other.

If you enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars or other books about teens with life-threatening illnesses, this is the perfect book for you. Stella's and Will's personality clashes are hilariously entertaining as the reader gets to watch each of them frustrate and be frustrated by the other one. The storyline is a pretty typical one for this type of story: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love but can't be together, boy and girl make unwise choices because LOVE, etc. etc.

This book wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I can definitely see it being popular with teens in the library, especially as the movie is slated to come out at the same time as the book. Recommended.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: some language
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Everything, Everything; The Fault in Our Stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

The Confectioner's Guild

Luana, Claire. The Confectioner's Guild. Live Edge Publishing, 2018.

Wren is an orphan who has been working in a bakery since the baker discovered her using a leftover piping bag to decorate a snowbank. She prefers her job over a life in the streets, until one day when a guild member whisks her away from her bakery and informs her that her bakery skills are actually imbuing her treats with magic and that she must be trained. Immediately after learning this, the head of her guild dies and Wren is accused of his murder. Now she has one month to find the actual murderer and clear her name.

This description made this book sound like it was right up my alley. I love fantasy stories and mysteries, and having recently read Changeling, thought this would be a great read-alike. Unfortunately, I was sadly disappointed. This book reads like a story for children or tweens, but multiple uses of the word "ass," as well as sexual encounters, make this a book for teens. Further, the main character spends most of her time ogling one of her fellow bakers, so there are long descriptions of his hair, his abs, what he looks like without a shirt, how sad she is when he puts a shirt on, etc. etc. And he's not the only character she pines after. All of this is to say that this book is best categorized as a teen romance novel, which is perfectly fine, but it is not a tween book nor a fantasy nor really a mystery at all, and readers looking for those things will be disappointed. I would recommend this book to fans of romance novels but not to those who prefer fantasy or mystery without a romantic subplot.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: multiple uses of the word "ass," underage alcohol consumption (although as this is a fantasy, I don't know that it's illegal per se), off-page sex
Overall Rating: 2/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

What If It's Us

Albertalli, Becky. What If It's Us. Harper Teen, 2018.

Arthur is in New York for one summer only, assisting his mother at her law firm. Ben is a New York native, but he is reeling from a recent breakup. When the two of them bump into each other at the post office, it creates a perfect storm of teen angst and desire. They like each other; they think they love each other, but can they make this relationship work?

This story is equal parts adorable and frustrating. I love the friend groups that Arthur and Ben each have and how they work through their various relationship struggles. I was bothered both by the self-centeredness of each of the boys (although that aspect was entirely normal considering these are teen characters) and found it a bit difficult to navigate whose story I was reading. This was an e-ARC, however, so it's possible the publisher will change the typeface for each narrator or do something similar.

This book will resonate with teens who enjoy contemporary stories, especially those involving romance and drama, as there is plenty of both in this story.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: underage drinking, some language
Overall Rating: 4/5

Read-Alikes: They Both Die at the End; Leah on the Offbeat; Let's Talk About Love

Love Came Calling

Popovich, C.A. Love Came Calling. Bold Strokes Books, 2018

Josie has inherited her dad's rustic Michigan resort, has renovated it, and has turned it into a lesbian retreat center. She has almost paid off the debt on the resort and is hoping that business will start booming. But a strange man starts showing up at her door and demanding that she sell him the land that is "rightfully his."

Kelly is stressed out at her job at a nursing home, so when her boss sends her to northern Michigan to help start a new nursing home, she is glad for the break. However, she does insist that she can still take her planned vacation with her group of friends, who end up at Josie's resort.

Kelly is looking for her happily-ever-after. Josie is not ready for commitment. Can the two of them still make a relationship work?

This is a fairly standard lesbian romance story, and I did enjoy it. I didn't think the added tension of the subplot with Abe, the guy who wanted to take over the resort, was necessary. I can't speak to the accuracy of the Ojibwe elements, either, but they are fairly prominently featured as the cover suggests. This would make a great summer read or a light read during a vacation.

Recommended for: adults
Red Flags: N/A this is an adult book. Abe does once use a slur in reference to Josie's lesbian resort, and a character is shot.
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purpose of review.

Like No Other

LaMarche, Una. Like No Other. Razorbill, 2014.

Devorah is a good girl, obeying all the rules her Hasidic community has placed before her, no matter how strict those rules may seem. Jaxon is a stereotypical nerd whose parents are insisting he work hard and get into college, providing him with opportunities they never had. The two meet in a broken-down elevator during a hurricane. Devorah is not supposed to be alone with a boy, not supposed to talk to one, and she's definitely not supposed to fall in love. But Devorah is finding herself questioning her upbringing, while Jaxon tries to find ways to show Devorah he cares for her while still honoring the rules she chooses to live by.

I liked the inclusion of both a West Indian character and a Hasidic character in this book, and the insights into the Hasidic community were definitely interesting and different. I was actually surprised at the ending, though; and those who like their romantic stories to end with a "happily ever after" may be surprised at what "happily" means in this particular story. All in all, this is a good diverse book that should be included in any YA collection.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: language - fairly minor b/c of Devorah's upbringing, but she still manages to think swear words, even if she doesn't speak them; some violence b/t members of Devorah's community and Jaxon; some consensual groping but no sex and nothing graphic
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Hush, The World Outside, Keep Sweet

Gadget Girl

Kamata, Suzanne. Gadget Girl: The Art of Being Invisible. GemmaMedia, 2013.

Aiko is fourteen and she's never met her father. She has cerebral palsy, and she channels her energies into drawing a comic called Gadget Girl, where the main character has all kinds of special abilities and is always saving the man in distress. Aiko's artist mother is invited to exhibit her art in Paris, and Aiko gets to accompany her. Aiko has heard of the healing waters of Lourdes and wonders if they would help her become more like Gadget Girl.

This was a fairly standard coming-of-age and falling-in-love teen girl's story, with the obvious twists of Aiko's disability and also her secret identity as a comic artist. I was glad for the emphasis on comics as well as the fact that Aiko's disability didn't really get in her way, for the most part. She was a teen girl who wanted to know her father and was tired of being her mother's muse, none of which had much to do with her abilities or lack thereof.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: mild language
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Anna and the French Kiss, The Adventures of Superhero Girl, Say What You Will

Say What You Will

McGovern, Cammie. Say What You Will. Harper Teen, 2014.

Amy has cerebral palsy, so she uses a walker to walk and has a device that allows her to talk as well. Matthew is struggling with OCD, and he and Amy meet when he is hired to be one of her student assistants during her senior year of high school. They fall for each other and spend the rest of the book deciding whether or not they can be together.

This is a romance novel, so it doesn't have a big, amazing plot to follow, but there definitely was plenty of character development. The author does an amazing job at allowing the reader to see the struggles of a disability as well as the struggles of mental illness. Because of all of this, I was glad I read this book.

But.

I wish Amy hadn't been so controlling/bossy toward Matthew. She kept pushing him and pushing him to work on his OCD, so the tone of the book seemed almost to say, "It's okay to struggle with cerebral palsy, but if you have a mental illness, you'd better work hard at getting better." I wanted Amy to be more compassionate toward Matthew, especially since she herself struggles with things other people take for granted, like being able to walk unassisted. Nonetheless, this was a good book, one that I'm glad to have read, and I will definitely be adding it to my library's collection.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: underage drinking, language
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: All the Bright Places, The Fault in Our Stars

My Best Friend, Maybe

Carter, Caela. My Best Friend, Maybe. Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2014.

Colette and Sadie used to be best friends, but right before high school Sadie quit hanging out with Colette. Colette busied herself with being the Perfect Daughter - getting good grades, dating a nice boy from her church, pleasing her parents. Out of the blue, Sadie asks Colette to join her family for a trip to Greece. Colette decides to go, but spends much of the trip confused. Why does Sadie want to be with her all of a sudden after abandoning her so long ago?

Finally, a YA novel with a religious family that's portrayed realistically. Colette is constantly prodded by her mother not to be prideful, not to be selfish, etc. Her mom sends Colette numerous passive-aggressive emails while she's in Greece, each containing a Bible verse the significance of which is initially lost on Colette. Colette and her boyfriend both "fake perfect" in front of each other to please each other and each finds out that the other is just a perfectly flawed human being. The characters were believable and real, right down to Colette's mom's conversation with Sadie. Colette and Sadie do get their Disney-esque ending, but that doesn't make the story less satisfying. Even though I am not personally a fan of chick lit, I did enjoy this particular story.

Recommended for: fans of romance/chick lit
Red Flags: underage drinking, discussion of underage sex, Collete's mom tells Sadie that Sadie is going to hell because Sadie is a lesbian
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Everything Changes, Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel, No One Needs to Know

Sway

Spears, Kat. Sway. St. Martin's Griffin, 2014.

Jesse Alderman can get you anything you want: a date to the prom, a term paper guaranteed to wow your teachers, protection from bullies, drugs, you name it. But whatever he gets you always comes with a price. Jesse spends his days making transactions and business deals with football players, nerds, and even the school's principal. But what happens when one of his customers asks to be set up with a girl that Jesse likes?

My synopsis made it sound like this story had a plot, which it actually didn't. It isn't until the end of the book that Jesse even realizes that he likes the girl, so most of the book is spent watching Jesse conduct various business transactions. He wasn't a very likable character, since pretty much everything he did came from ulterior motives, and there wasn't much to keep the story going at all. It was kind of like watching a reality TV show where there isn't a problem to be solved or anything but rather is a "day in the life" kind of scene. I kept reading because I wanted the story to get interesting, but I was greatly disappointed.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: drinking, drug use, mention of girls getting "roofied," violence, foul language, homophobic and ableist slurs
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Notes from the Midnight Driver, The Universe Versus Alex Woods

The Before Now and After Then

Monn, Peter. The Before Now and After Then. Pen Name Publishing. 2014.

Donny is reeling after the death of his identical twin, Sam. Same was the golden boy: athletic, intelligent, popular. Now Donny isn't sure where he fits or who he really is. His coming out to his parents and their subsequent divorce have not helped things, either. His new start at a brand-new school is a chance to reinvent himself, and with the help of his new best friend Cher and an adorable boy named Rusty, Donny might actually have a chance to do just that.

This book is absolutely a Fault in Our Stars for the LGBT community. There's a love interest, a kid who thinks he's a grenade, a terminally ill person, even the Indianapolis setting is similar. I was glad that Donny had the support that he did in his life and sad for all the tough stuff he's had to deal with. I laughed, I cried, I almost threw my Kindle at the wall at times. And yes, I did Google the Starbucks secret menu afterwards, even though I haven't stopped in to try a new drink yet. Recommended.

Recommended for: teens, fans of TFOIS,
Red Flags: language; Donny and his boyfriend have sex, and while the scene(s) are not explicit, it's pretty obvious what's going on
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Tristant and Elijah

Lavoie, Jennifer. Tristant and Elijah. Bold Strokes Books. 2014. $11.95. 207p. SC 978162390751.

Tristant is an out and proud teen with a very supportive family. He has a crush on Elijah, whom Tristant thinks is straight but is actually deeply closeted. Together, Tristant and Elijah discover a letter written by Tristant’s great uncle, who was a gay man living in the early 1900s when it was much more dangerous to be LGBT. As Tristant and Elijah work together to unravel the mystery of Tristant’s uncle, their relationship with each other begins to bloom as well.

This novel is an interesting combination of a character-driven romantic story and a plot-driven historical mystery. The reader learns as much about the Tristant’s uncle as they do about the two main characters. Tristant and Elijah’s relationship develops throughout the story, but an absence of explicit details makes this story an ideal match for young adults and even tween readers who are ready for more mature books without graphic content. The historic information makes this book an easy pair for David Levithan’s Two Boys Kissing. A conversational writing style and character-driven story makes this novel an easy recommend for fans of romance literature, especially boys who may want a romantic story without a female main character. While the lack of friction or difficulties in Tristant and Elijah’s lives may not ring true for most LGBT teens, the presence of a character who is confident in his orientation will be a source of encouragement. Recommended for public and school libraries.

Olive Oil and White Bread

Beers, Georgia. Olive Oil and White Bread. Bywater Books. 2014. $14.95. 240p. SC 9781612940496.

Most romance stories begin with characters who meet, then fall in love, and the story ends with the characters living happily ever after. For Angie and Jillian, however, their happily-ever-after begins this novel, and the novel follows them throughout many years of their lives as they change jobs, fight, make up, move to new places, and face the mundane challenges of life. Angie’s Italian-American family is happy to embrace her and her partner, but Jillian’s family would prefer to keep her closeted. The differences in their backgrounds and family values become obvious as they live each day together throughout their lives.

Fans of romance novels will enjoy this unique twist on a typical love story. Rather than watching the characters fall in love, readers get to watch the characters stay in love through all the typical ups and downs of life. The focus in this novel is on the characters themselves, so there is not much plot to be found. Readers who enjoy an obvious problem –resolution pattern to a novel will find themselves frustrated, but those who appreciate a character sketch will enjoy getting to know Angie and Jillian and their individual quirks, struggles, and triumphs. The novel’s slow, measured pace and focus on characters will make it a hit with readers who enjoy cozy stories they can pick up as they have time to read. Recommended for public library romance collections and LGBT special collections for its unique twist on the typical romance story.

No Boundaries

Ford, Donna. No Boundaries. Bold Strokes Books. 2014. $16.95. 256p. SC 978-1-62639-060-7.

Gwen has just moved to rural Tennessee to start her life over again. She and her dog need a fresh start away from the mistakes of her past. Andi lives in the same small town, where she, too, is hiding from a difficult past. The locals are used to Andi’s reclusive ways, and naturally become curious when she and Gwen start spending time together. Gwen and Andi are attracted to each other from the start, but Andi keeps pushing Gwen away, and when her secret past comes back to haunt her, she has to decide whether to tell Gwen the truth about her past or to spare her the pain and break up with her.

This is a romance novel with a fairly standard plot: person #1 and person #2 are perfect for each other, but at least one of them is hiding a secret, and when it finally comes out, they both have to decide what to do about it. There isn’t a lot of action to this story; it’s the relationship between Andi and Gwen that carries the story along. The characters are very real and well-defined, and a willing suspension of disbelief allows the reader to agree that two lesbians could both flee to the same rural town in Tennessee. This book would make an excellent addition to a public library’s romance novel collection, and is recommended as a beach or poolside read for fans of Karin Kallmaker’s writing.

Everything Leads to You

LaCour, Nina. Everything Leads to You. Dutton Juvenile, 2014.

Emi works on set designs in Hollywood, and on a hunt to find just the right pieces for a particular set, she finds a letter from a famous actor. This mystery begs to be solved, so she spends time tracking down people and making connections while still working on her set design. And she tries not to start dating the same girl again who has broken her heart over and over.

This wasn't a bad book, but it's weird to read about the uber-privileged. Not many teens get to work on actual movie sets, and most of them go to school instead of driving around to actors' estate sales to purchase set pieces. That facet lead an air of unreality to this particular story, although the actual plot - a girl who tries to not date the same girl who's already broken her heart - was a good one. This would be a good book for fans of chick lit.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

No One Needs to Know

Grace, Amanda. No One Needs to Know. Flux, 2014.

Olivia and her brother Liam are twins, best friends, and more entitled than they can really understand. Olivia is in the popular crowd at her all-girls school. Zoey can only attend the school because of a scholarship, and she has to work at a fast food place at night just to help her mom make ends meet. She is the opposite of popular. When Liam starts dating Zoey and then Zoey and Olivia fall in love, things are bound to get interesting.

I liked this book much better than I thought I would. When I started reading it, I thought, "Typical chick lit. Not impressed." But it got better, and the sub plots helped to give the story more depth than expected. I would easily put this one on the shelves of my middle school library, should I ever get my hands on a print copy.

Recommended for: teens, fans of chick lit,
Red Flags: some alcohol use
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley for the purposes of review.

Strobe Edge

Sakisaka, Io. Strobe Edge. VIZ Media, 2013.

Ninako is in love with Ren, but he's already dating someone. And another boy likes Ninako, but she's only interested in Ren and continually turns down Boy #2. This is the entire plot for at least the first six of these books. Ninako is obsessed with Ren, who thinks she's nice and all but is already dating and isn't looking for someone new.

This book irritated the fire out of me. The first volume was bad enough with this, "I love Ren!! He's so cute! I want to date him! But he's not interested. But he's so cute!" line repeated ad nauseum. But when I discovered that this. same. storyline continues in all six of the books, I about died. I had to allow myself breaks between volumes so I could clean out my head with something enjoyable, something that contained a plot.

The only interesting things in these books were the scattered side panels the author threw in with information about herself - her chinchillas, how she learned to drive, the fact that mints make her sneeze, etc.

The art in these books is okay. Not awesome. The main character very often looks drugged and spacey (see the cover of Vol. 4 for proof), and the rest of the art is average for a manga, but didn't stand out to me at all. I just cannot understand why these books won a YMA from ALA this year, unless they decided they had to include a manga in the graphic novel awards.

All of that being said, my students who love manga will eat this up. I'm glad they will, because these books are certainly not staying in my house.

Recommended for: tweens and teens, probably mostly girls due to subject matter
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 2/5 stars

Fangirl

Rowell, Rainbow. Fangirl. St. Martin's Griffin, 2013.

Cath and Wren are heading off to college. Wren wants to be independent and live her own life, but Cath is not quite ready to let go and is surprised when she has a roommate who is not her twin. An avid Simon Snow fan, Cath writes fanfiction that is widely popular. As the final Simon Snow book's release looms, Cath has to balance her college classes, relationships, and her life within the fandom.

This book was a lot of fun to read. Rowell has a very approachable style of writing, and even though I am not a fan of romance books, I truly enjoyed the journey through this book and was disappointed when it was finished. An added bones are the excerpts from Simon Snow stories and fanfic that preface each chapter. I would quite easily and willingly add this book to my library's collection, as I could see it being very popular among my fans of romances.

Recommended for: young adults
Red Flags: alcohol use and abuse
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

The Infinite Moment of Us

Myracle, Lauren. The Infinite Moment of Us. Amulet Books, 2013.

Wren's parents are living their dreams through her.  She has early acceptance to a pre-med program and is on track to fulfill their wildest dreams as she becomes a doctor.  But she wants to go to Guatemala for a year and help people, building houses and educating people, etc. Once she finally gets up the courage to tell them, her parents can't understand why she'd want to do that.

Charlie is a foster kid.  His younger foster "brother" is in a wheelchair and gets bullied at school.  Charlie isn't in Wren's league, but he loves her from afar.  Then Wren and Charlie fall in love, and the rest of the book follows their romance as they decide what they'll do with the rest of their lives.

I'm not exactly the best person to review a romance, since I don't like romance novels.  They're just not my thing.  But I can drag myself through a romance if there's enough other things going on.  And this book had a lot of potential - the protagonist with no backbone who realizes what she wants to do, the bullying and foster kid issues, etc. But none of that was really touched on.  The whole story was Wren and Charlie in love, Wren being mad because Charlie was taking care of his foster brother (did I mention the kid's in a WHEELCHAIR???), Wren and Charlie in love again, Wren and Charlie having sex for the first time, Wren and Charlie in love... you get the picture.

I agree with other reviewers who say that this is a great, healthy example of teen sex.  Charlie gets tested, Wren goes on the pill, they actually talk about it and wait until they're both ready and they do it safely.  I like that. And I'm sure this book would be popular with the kids at my school who love romantic stories, but I wanted more depth and more discussion of all the issues that just seemed to disappear because they're too busy making goo-goo eyes at each other.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: Charlie's foster brother gets burned with a lighter, Charlie mentions his birth mom's abuse of him, Charlie and Wren have sex - at least two fairly graphic scenes
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars