Slayer by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book! I am a huge Buffy fan and I love everything Kiersten White has written, so this book had high standards to meet from me. JOB ACCOMPLISHED!
This story is set after Buffy has messed everything up and made magic disappear from the world. Watchers have mostly been killed off, and Buffy is not well-liked. Athena (Nina) and her twin sister, Artemis, are from a long line of Watchers. They lost their father because of Buffy. Nina has always taken care of people and Artemis has always been the protector. If you know the Buffy world, you know things are not always as they seem. After being attacked by a Hellhound, Nina realizes things may not be like she thought. Nina and her friends realize they have to save the world. White does an excellent job immersing her story in the Buffy universe. Hopefully, Joss Wheaton reads this and decides to make it a movie!


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Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kiko, who is half Japanese, is getting ready to graduate. She is waiting to hear about acceptance into her dream school, an art school in New York. Kiko's has anxiety and doesn't like looking different. She has never been told that she was beautiful by her narcissistic mother, who always brags about what a blond haired, blue eyed beauty that she was in high school. Her mother doesn't think of anyone but herself. This has greatly affected Kiko and her two brothers.

Her mom tells her that Max, her uncle, is moving back in with them. This greatly upsets Kiko because even though her mother didn't believe her, she was sexually abused by Max. Kiko's only friend who moved away when they were 11, comes back to town. He gives her the opportunity to start a journey to help discover herself and her worth.

This book gave me all the feels! I loved it!


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The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's not often that a simple graphic novel touches you to the point where you want to buy multiple copies and pass them out to everyone you know! This beautiful book is about a Prince who likes to wear dresses and the Dressmaker who makes him feel beautiful. All I can say is that the King is my hero. Read this book!


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And She Was

And She Was by Jessica Verdi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a great read! It was thought provoking and engaging.

Dara is an 18 year old tennis player who is ready to start doing tournaments. She asks her mom for her birth certificate, but she says she can't find it. Dara does her own searching and finds a lock box under her mom's bed with the birth certificate, some pictures, and some bottles of pills. When she confronts her mom, Dara cannot believe what her mom is telling her.

Dara's mom, Mellie, used to be her dad. Dara's birth mom died when Dara was 6 months old. Dara is shocked, not that her mom was transgender, but that she lied to her for 17 years. Dara and her best friend Sam journey to find her birth mother's (Celeleste) parents. On their trip Dara has to work through her thoughts and feelings. Through a series of emails, Mellie tells Dara her story from the beginning. She shares her struggles, tribulations and her love for Dara and Celeste. Dara meets her grandparents, and at first, thinks she has found everything she needs, but soon realizes that Mellie did what she felt was best for Dara.

This book does an amazing job answering questions about being transgender or having a transgender parent for readers who have never experienced it. Verdi does a amazing job of discussing Marcus' struggle with being who he felt he was on the inside but not on the outside, and realizing how important it was to transition to Mellie. She also shows different reactions and levels of acceptance and bias. This book should be in every library!


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DNF- without the Guilt!

So, at TLA, I meet an author. The author was very personable, relatable, and very excited about their debut novel. So excited, that I could not wait to read it. I was not impressed with the cover, but once I talked to the author, it made sense. I finally got a copy of the book, and put all my other TBR books on hold. I WAS SO EXCITED! Then I started reading...I tried. I really tried! The book was not great. The writing was not good. The characters were one dimensional. It was breaking my heart. I talked to a friend of mine, whom I knew was also excited to read this book, and we commiserated over how bad the book was.  She made me realize that it is ok to stop reading a book. Most of my reading is done so that I can put great books in my students hands, and I realized that this book is not one that I would give them. Not when there are so many other books out there that fit the same niche or genre, but are written better.
I thought back to when I was teaching sixth grade, and worked hard to build a reading culture in my classroom. Self-choice is such an important part of becoming a lifelong reader, and I always taught my kids that if they read some of a book and realized it was not for them, it was ok to switch books. So know, it is ok to abandon a book, it is what good readers do.

Bang by Barry Lyga


Sebastian has lived (if you call it living) with the guilt of having accidently killing his baby sister when he was 4. He is just biding his time until it is the right time to rectify his past by killing himself. Then he meets Aneesa, his new neighbor, who has to deal with racism due to the fact that she is Muslim. They bond over the youtube show they create about making pizza. Sebastian realizes that he has to forgive himself, and that life should be lived. Plan on crying a little bit!


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Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. It is more than just a memoir. It has some history, life advice and advice about getting along with family. There is interspersed FAQ, which are real questions kids would have especially in this day and age. Things like, "I'm undocumented, what do I do now."


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Kat and Meg Conquer the World by Anna Priemaza
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an amazing book about friendship!

Kat is attending a new school. She has a lot of anxiety issues, and is not very social. Meg has ADHD and has a hard time keeping friends. They end up working together on a year long science project. They find out they both love watching Lumber Legs, a YouTuber who records himself playing Kate's favorite video game.

I loved this book! The girls friendship is the type of friendship we all want. They have their little tiffs, but they are there for each other when they really need each other!

I think readers who enjoy young adult realistic fiction will really like this book.


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The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is 1987 and Billy and his best friends Clark and Alf can only think about one thing-- getting their hands (and eyes) on the Vanna White edition of Playboy. Although Billy loves creating programs on his Commador 64, the magazine is more important. They hatch a scheme to trick Old Man Zelinsky into selling it to them, but it falls apart when his teen daughter Mary starts talking to Billy about an upcoming programming contest.
Billy's priorities shift to working with Mary, who is a programming genius to build a game to win the contest. Clark and Alf come up with plans to make money off the Vanna White magazine. Billy realizes he likes Mary and doesn't want to be part of their plans. Then she seems like she doesn't feel the same way and Billy takes part in a plan that has disasterous consequences. Billy feels horrible. Then, a secret that Mary has hidden comes out and Billy wants Mary to forgive him.

I really liked this book! I love any book that is based in the 80's because it feels like I am coming home, but I also loved how my feelings for all the characters changed throughout the story. The 80's feel is very reminisicent of Eleanor and Park. I really think I read enough young adult books to figure out twists, but the surprise twist in this book through me for a loop. I never saw it coming!

If you are looking for a nerdy 80's book, I think you will like this book as much as I did!


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Otherworld by Jason Segel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars
Otherworld is about an immersive virtual reality game. I knew this when I started the book, so I was pleasantly surprised that there was a little more to this book.
Simon is troublemaker, who really is just misunderstood. His best friend, Kat, is no longer talking to him, and the only way he feels he can talk to her is in Otherworld. He uses his moms credit card and purchases the expensive equipment needed for he and Kat to meet in Otherworld. He of course gets in trouble.
Kat is injured in an accident and is "locked in" her body. Suprisingly, she is chosen for a special study using new, improved equipment for Otherworld. Mysteriously, Simon is given new equipment to be able to go into Otherworld and try and save Kat.
Simon soon realizes that Otherworld is more than a game. Things that happen inside the game are beginning to have consequences in the real world. Simon and some new friends, have to figure out how to shut down Otherworld before it is too late.

I enjoy a fast paced virtual reality based book. The story was a tad predictable. After doing a little research, it saddens me that people say the story line was copied from Tad Williams Otherland. Similiar story lines, but based for a new generation of readers.

Readers who enjoyed Warcross or Eye of Minds will enjoy this book.


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