Kate Mester

They're such a captive performer that I always want to hear everything they wrote in their own voice and cadence, so I highly recommend their one-time-only performance of these pieces as well: https://youtu.be/VOOtavtqm-o

This was a vulnerable turn towards the supremely personal - the end of a rela and beginning of a new one - so it was a little less for me than their universally observed pieces but it was still all the things I expect from Tempest: clever and raw, earnest and deep with some aly humor.

3.5 If you're reading this as her fan, I recommend the audio because you're getting a full Broadway musical number that can't possibly translate in the book. Not every piece was vital but I enjoyed her company for a few hours.

This is Part 1 (of 4) of the manga adaptation. This might gain the book some new fans, but Cath is much hard to understand and empathize with here without her inner monologue and motivations.

4.5 Thankful to have Allie back in my life. I'm still catching up on all of her personal backstory of the last 7 years that she's been sharing on FB, but much of what she went through is touched on here. There were a few stories that didn't work as well, but some were peak perfection - insightful, a little sad, brutally honest, and hilarious. Favorites were: Bucket, Cat, Fish Video, and the end essay, the uplifting gut punch of Friend.

I don't love stream-of-consciousness narration, so this took a while to settle in for me, but I understand and appreciate why Hammonds Reed chose that structure. Ashley's self & family discoveries and growth arc are set against the backdrop of the ‘92 LA uprisings stemming from the police acquittals in the Rodent King case and Latasha Harlins' murder. I was just starting HS then and remember talking about what was happening in LA at home and at school, but it will likely be newer information for current teen readers. Choosing that setting with a main character who is snobby and spoiled is a clash that helps make her arc more earned and also leaves the ending realistic, without trying the story into an everything-perfectly-works-out bow. There were a few plot threads (what happened with Michael?!) but well done and very deserving of the Project Lit selection. Kiersey Clemons nailed the exact right tone for Ashley in the audiobook (she's grown since Slay, I can see her nareating more books). I'll definitely be booktalking this and look forward to conversations with kids about all the modern day parallels.

Even better than Vol 1. Nick's journey here is portrayed exquisitely, so thoughtful and sweet and supported and full of consent. His Mum's one sentence response was note perfect and what every queer person wants to hear, definitely made me tear up.

3.5 Helpful advice and foundational understanding of how to build and grow movements from Garza's long career in organizing. Very clear that people and organizing are the power of movements. There are some personal parts, but this book is mostly focused on how and why to build movements. The long explainer at the beginning on what built current conservative politics is helpful if you're new to these ideas. I also appreciated how she handled correctly calling out McKesson.

First time narrator Avi Roque, a Latinx/Trans/Non-Binary artist, does a great job differentiating the voices and emobdying the 2 main characters, Yadriel (Yads) and Julian (Jules). I went into this book expecting more of a supernatural thriller, but the supernatural element, though grounding and well-explained, is more of a device to propel the burgeoning romance of the leads. As their relationship gets stronger, so does the book. A great job by debut author Aiden Thomas (also queer, trans, & Latinx) bringing so much representation and their love and joy into this work. I know what kids I'll be handing this to immediately and I will be booktalking this for sure.

I cried, I laughed, I really appreciated the vulnerability and accessibility. I think there are many high school students that would appreciate this book.

Really well written and believable, with a few laugh-out-loud lines. As a Midwesterner, Johnson nailed the Indiana setting/atmosphere to the wall, it was so right. Liz felt like a real teenager, and all the secondary characters had nuance and depth. This book is light-hearted enough to sell to romance or prom fans, but has enough grit to also sell to fans of drama/realistic stories. Queer and intersectional in such a loving and supportive way, with an #ownvoices author who hits it out of the park for a first book. Snarkily - this is what Smash It wanted to be - definitely hand kids this instead!

Simple and relatively sweet, will definitely be an easy sell for teens, and as an added bonus, they'll learn some British slang too. I liked the chill simplicity of Oseman's black/grey/green color palette. I do wish that the romance didn't hinge on Nick rescuing Charlie from relationship violence, with that violence repeating over and over again.

3.5 Liked that the focus was on Drew here, but all the characters from the first book were featured. This one's a little less nuanced, and often felt too heavy-handed with the point, even for the intended middle grade audience. Appreciated the chapter art was MG graphics this time (except for Life of Pi), think readers will delight in that! Loved seeing a round table of famous Black authors, such a cool easter egg for readers, but how they were inserted didn't really make much sense to the story. So, enjoyable, will easily sell to upper elem & all middle, but didn't quiet reach the heights of New Kid.

A really compelling memoir in verse by Gansworth. I listened to most of it, because I like his voice and I appreciated hearing the poems written in or containing Tuscarora. It was interesting to hear some of his personal stories that clearly influenced If I Ever Get Out of Here. There's photographs that he references and his art in the print version, so I would recommend looking at them even if you choose to do the audiobook. A moving and thoughtful memoir, I know this one will stay with me. I'd love to see in a future BOB list!

This book seemed fun, and the cover is gorgeous and an EASY sell to teens, but unfortunately it was a mess. The overall teen speak was mostly believable, but nothing else was. The main plot was an unintentional fantasy, where everyone male character falls for the main character, Liv, despite her not having a discernable personality other than being obsessed with her attraction to her two best friends (the romantic love triangle trope) and having no confidence until those males (or other females that she was awful towards but only exist to bouy her up) tell her she's actually worthy. She's shown to be horrible to other people, says some really misogynistic things, and by the end of the book, is unrealistically forgiven by everyone, as none of her hurtful actions seem to have consequnces, and the people that she harmed are all - oh, don't worry about it, I'm still obsesed with you, we're good now! There are major plot threads/holes - like Dre's nonsensical arrest that's never talked about? And the sort of parental affair that is used to create false boy drama? But most problematically, characters make incredibly harmful and stereotypical jokes about Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and there are two really disgusting lines that I can't believe made it past editors - “Exotic Mulatto” and “I'd let him holy war up in me anytime” - both in reference to a character who is Israeli/Palestinian - and put into the mouth of the character the book goes out of the way to tell you is “blackity-black,” “THAT kind of black,” and “not ghetto but rachet.” Truly, truly bad. Will definiltey not be recommending this book.

The audio performance by Perdida Weeks matched the tone of Circe perfectly. Lush and complicated with excellent pacing. Very interested to hear what BOB kids think of this title on this year's list.

Pretty nuanced for a comic book that by structural nature has to be formulaic. Really appreciated the addendum explaining the creation of Superman and the original Superman vs KKK story, as always intermingled with Yang's own story. Would be a great starter for discussions with 5th grade and up.

Goldstone picked out enough personal stories from each chapter's time period to make the book interesting and each chapter narrative driven. The focus is the 13 - 15th amendemnts and the 19th century history of court cases and rulings by states and the nation to intentionally keep African Americans from voting. The timeline is 1787 to 1903, with an epilogue comparing what's happened to what's currently happening with voter supression and disenfranchisement. Includes an excellent glossary and primary source pictures. Not sure classes would be compelled by the whole book but pull out chapters/pieces would be really great additions to APUSH & AmHist I

Exactly the otherworldly fantasy escape I needed right now. I forgot how enjoyable Taylor's writing is, and though it was sometimes overwrought and in need of editing in her first series, it feels lush and precise here, and at 525 pages I didn't feel bored once. The audiobook, performed by Steve West, is ear-dessert, just so well done. I toggled between the book/audio and always heard what I was reading in his voice. Will definitely be adding Part 2 to the top of my to-read pile.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the eARC. 4.5, rounding up here. There is SO much to love here in this fully realized, well written, feminist #ownvoices novel about an Argentinian teen who dreams of becoming a professional fútbol player. Camilia, known as Furia on the field for her gifted and aggressive style of play, is hiding her participation on the team from her family, even though her own brother is a respected player moving up in the ranks. The reasons for her keeping this secret are nuanced, and Saied Méndez really excels at depicting Camila's complicated family life and Argentinian gender struggles as a whole, with a window (for me) into the Green Handkerchief movement. Beyond money and gendered familial/societal expectations and opportunities, a further complication on Camila's pathway to her dream is her burgeoning relationship with a childhood friend who is now famous and playing for Juventus F.C. Every choice Camila makes here feels authentic and earned, and the afterward that flashes into the future feels empowering. A truly impressive debut novel, I can't wait to recommend this book and I know that we'll all be looking out for more by Saied Méndez.

4.5 Great audio performed by Atta himself, I'll have to look at the book for the illustrations! Enjoyable novel-in-verse on finding yourself and your identity when you feel between/not enough in so many of your identities. UK setting will be a nice window for US teen readers. Loved the ending and freedom of the drag performance and how Atta took some time to give thoughtful explanations for what drag is and can be.

Great art and I love Mikki Kendall and the premise but this was tooooooo much for the format and though there was an index, there are no citations or research notes given. There's a light through-line story of girls from the future being taken on a tour of women's rights, but this is mostly used as an attempt to force disparite topics together that don't fall easily into the historical timeline. Also, at least one caption is on the totally wrong person. Definitely worth having in the library collection but a little less than I was hoping for.

I too felt like 12 gerbils in a skin suit in my 20s, and am definitely glad they're over! This is getting compared to an American version of Queenie (unfavorably to Luster, I think) but other than they're both about a Black woman in her 20s figuring out work and relationships they're not similar at all in tone, writing style, or really even content. The remove/cold observation of the style wasn't really for me. I finished the book to see it through, and liked some of the writing, but the audiobook was just ok.

As always, Bahni Turpin delivered a genius audio performance. I appreciated the meditative interiority of this novel and how Gyasi deliver yet another masterclass in novel structure and narrative layers. Some truly gorgeous writing at the sentence level as well, enough to stop the book repeatedly and listen a few times over to appreciate. Tragic and contemplative, with some humorous wry observations, and ruminations on science and religion and selfhood that will stick with me. Very different from Homegoing but just as impressive.

The story felt a little disjointed, but overall a good slice-of-life senior year YA book with deep themes. Ahmed drew from her own life in Batavia, IL (my central IL heart was REALLY here for this!) and how overwhelmingly and suffocatingly white the small Chicago suburbs are. I like that many readers will have a first-hand windows experience into being on the receiving end of Islamaphobia and have their empathy and understanding muscles worked. Some of the secondary characters feel a little stock, but the film references were legit.

Heartbreakingly beautiful when as she's engaging with her emotions and unearthing deeper understanding about her mother's death. Really hard to read when she's writing from the actual transcripts of what happened to her mother and the communication between her mother & Big Joe.