She's Too Pretty To Burn by Wendy Heard Release Date: March 30th, 2021 Goodreads Link Author's Website Why I love this book: This book was such a roller coaster of a read. At the jump I thouht it was going to be a pretty straight forward story, we knew there'd be a mystery, but I didn't anticipate how many twists and turns there would be. I'm not going to get too deep into the story, because I definitely don't want to spoil anything. At the center of the book are Mick and Veronica, who meet at a party and become immediately infatuated with eachother. Throughout the book I went back and forth on whether they were the best thing to happen to eachother or the absolute worst. They are both a complete disaster, but you want them to figure themselves out and, for me, I went back and forth on whether or not I wanted them to figure it out together as a team or if I wanted them to go their seperate ways. Mix into that the fact that both have a wild streak and a penchant for doing things that are dangerous at best and straight illegal at worst and you have a story that is absolutely bonkers in the best way possible. I finished the book still not 100% sure if these characters were good guys who sometimes did bad things, or if they were bad guys who did bad things but for the right reasons. I love books that are ambiguous, that make the reader really think about not just who the characters are, but who the reader is. She's Too Pretty To Burn hit that note perfectly.
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Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales Release Date: March 9, 2021 Goodreads Link Author Website Why I LOVE this book: I have two big reasons for loving this one. First lets talk about Darcy and Brougham. Darcy is running what amounts to an illegal Dear Abby out of an abandoned locker, doling out advice (for money) to her classmates. She's definitely breaking some rules, but no one knows it's her, so for now all is good. Until Brougham discovers her emptying the locker and he essentially blackmails her into helping him get back with his ex-girlfriend. Right from the jump you can tell that these two are evenly paired- neither has the upper hand, even though both feel like the other might be playing them. They are the perfect love/hate, hate/hate, love/love couple. They are somehow both infuriating and adorable and I'm not really sure how Gonzales managed that feat, but I'm 100% here for it. Through all the ups and down fo their working/personal relationship I was back and forth on what I wanted for them, which is perfect, because they don't really know either and that struggle came across so clearly on the page. It all worked for me. My second big reason is that Gonzales includes a hugely important issue, and does it in a way that feels natural and doesn't ever come across as feeding the reader a line. Darcy is bisexual. She is out and a member of the school's GSA. So what does it mean that she's started to have feelings for Brougham? Most people, at least logically, understand that bisexual people can be attracted to either men or women, but the reality is that if you are bisexual and in a straight-passing relationship there is a feeling that you maybe are not bisexual enough. Or that you are letting someone or something bigger then you down. That if your bisexuality isn't readily apparent for people to see, that you are not doing enough. Darcy is allowed to feel all these feelings, is allowed to struggle with her identity and her feelings, and even allowed to express her feelings and her doubts... and then she finds comfort. Through Darcy, readers who have been in the same place will find comfort. Regardless of how you identify, or who you are in a relationship with, you are valid and worthy. Getting the chance to see that all laid out on the page is something that I don't think we see enough. On a more personal note- I'm nearly 40 and I read, a lot, and it's something I found comfort in because it's something I didn't see as a teen or young adult, and as someone who has a huband I can say that I often felt like I had to identify as an ally instead of a member of the LGBTQ community because the outward appearance told one story, when the reality was something else. This book is such a good one to grab... for yourself, for your kid, for your students... just get a copy in hands! If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich Release Date: December 7th, 2021 (I Read an Advanced Copy on NetGalley) Goodreads Link Sophie Gonzales Website Cale Dietrich Author Page Why I love this book: When I saw this book was out for review my whole day screeched to a halt. Literally. This has been on my radar for months as my most anticipated book of the year, and December is a long wait, so when I discovered I could have it my hands right now.... well, other projects and books went by the wayside. For some background, I am a self-professed Boy Band junkie, albeit an elder statesman. I've loved boy bands since I was in elementary school back in the 80's (NKOTB forever), so when I saw the synopsis for If This Gets Out, I was all in. And a little terrified, because what if they got it wrong? What if instead of falling into a world of boy bands I found a story I didn't like. Luckily (for me), Gonzales and Dietrich did something with this book that was so unexpected to me, and so very wonderful. I anticipated that when I read this book I would l connect the characters directly to specific real life boy banders. In fact Twitter and TikTok have been saying this book could be about Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson and their perceived relationship, and while I definitely saw shades of boy banders past (going all the back to my first boy band love Jonathan Knight), these characters are 100% their own people. You can probably read more into them if you were so inclined, but for me Ruben, Zach, Angel and Jon stand on their own. I immediately was invested in who they were and what they were going through, thoughts of boy bands past went out the window. While this book is, at its heart, about two boys falling in love and figuring themselves out, where this book surprised me is how deep it went into how messed up the system is. As a boy band fan I can recall how poorly artists have been treated for decades. We usually hear about it later, after bands have broken apart, far after the actual damage is done. We hear about how they were pushed too hard, how it takes a toll on their health. We learn about dangerous coping mechanisms, and we see artists entering rehab for "exhaustion" to try and pull their lives back together. We get coming out stories years after the bandmates have gone their separate ways, stories about how they've always been this person, but had to hide it, contractually obligated to be someone they aren't, even if the lie is killing them inside. This isn't new. We know that they way management treats artists, especially young ones, we know it's unacceptable (and so do they), and yet it continues to happen, and If This Gets Out doesn't shy away from any of it. We see Ruben and Zach struggle to hold onto themselves and each other when their management does everything in their power to tamp it down and keep it hidden. We see Angel struggle with addiction, while the management company turns a blind eye. I deeply appreciate that Gonzales and Dietrich balance the romance and friendships with the harsh reality of what finding fame young can be like. (edited to add) Speaking of romance and friendships... One thing that was overshadowed in my mind, but which I came to really think about and love, was that Gonzales and Deitrich allowed this characters to be messy and chaotic. Teens are notoriously chaotic, and when you are in the spotlight 24/7 all of that is under a microscope, because you are suddenly not allowed to just be. Emotions are kept in check, you have to present the image that management wants you to present, you aren't allowed to feel and work through the tough things. As an audience we see a tiny sliver of a person and anything that lets that facade slip is analyzed and torn apart. Here we get to see all the characters, Ruben, Zach, Angel and Jon especially, really go through it. As a group they lean on each other, but they are also a whole disaster. Which is how it should be, because life can be a disaster. They are working through things at their own pace, in their own way, and they make absolutely horrible decisions, but that's real life, and that's what we, as readers both want and need. The authors nail this aspect and it's the thing that stuck with me the most several days after I finished reading. I also super appreciate that this book gives us hope for the boy band that we want- diverse, struggling with life (because life is hard sometimes), and free to be who they are openly. Boy band fans are often written off as silly girls, but we are one of the most loyal fan bases you can find, and we're here for the long haul. We don't dip out that easily, as evidenced by the packed arenas for NKOTB, a band that I saw for the first time with my best friend in 1989, and have seen 7 times since (with that same friend) as an adult. I have road tripped to see Backstreet Boys and N'Sync and pulled all nighters outside arena's after concerts hoping for an autograph. For a bit I even tried to avoid loving One Direction (surely I was too old for boy bands), but they sucked me in and given the chance I will 100% go to each of their individual concerts (and a reunion if they pull a NKOTB on us). If This Gets Out nails the relationship between the band and the fans. It's sometimes chaotic and messy, but at the end of the day we want them to be happy and free, and we will support them as a band, as solo artists, and as people and I'm really glad that the authors showed that aspect of fandoms. I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait to add the physical copy to my shelf when it comes out in December. |
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