Contemporary – Page 26 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: With the Fire on High

Title: With the Fire on High
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Indigo Preview 2019
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.
Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain—and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life—and all the rules everyone expects her to play by—once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

Review:

Emoni Santiago is a senior in high school, with a two-year-old daughter to care for. Her grandmother, who raised her, is also helping look after her daughter. Emoni has had to make tough decisions in her life, but she knows she’s meant to be in the kitchen. When she learns that her school will be offering a culinary arts class, Emoni doesn’t think she has time for it, despite dreaming of working in a kitchen one day. Emoni also doesn’t think she can afford the trip to Spain that will be included in the course. Throughout her final year of high school, Emoni must decide if she follows her dreams or follows the rules she’s set out for herself.

Emoni had to face unique challenges throughout this story. She had been raised by her grandmother, since her mom died when Emoni was born and her dad lived in Puerto Rico for most of the year. She also had a baby following her freshman year of high school. Since people would often look down on her because she was a very young mother, Emoni had a thick skin and didn’t let many people into her inner circle.

All of the reviews I’ve read for this book mention the food. This is definitely a book that will make you hungry. All of the food described sounded so delicious, from sweets to savory dishes. Do not go into this story with an empty stomach because it will make you hungry!

With the Fire on High was a beautiful modern novel!

Thank you Indigo for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Witches of Brooklyn (Witches of Brooklyn #1)

Title: Witches of Brooklyn (Witches of Brooklyn #1)
Author: Sophie Escabasse
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Contemporary
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

There’s a new witch in town! Life in Brooklyn takes a strange turn when Effie discovers MAGIC runs in the family.

A middle-grade graphic novel adventure filled with magical hjinks for fans of Phoebe and Her Unicorn and Making Friends.
Effie lost her mom.
Lost her home.
And now she has to live with two strange aunts who she’s never met before.
Life in Brooklyn takes a strange twist for Effie as she learns more about her family and herself. With new friends who will do whatever they can to be there for her, a cursed pop-star, and her new magically-inclined family — Effie’s life is about to get interesting.

Review:

When Effie’s mother dies, she’s sent to live with her mom’s half sisters. None of them are happy with the situation, but they will have to learn to live with it. However, when Effie’s favourite pop star shows up at the house in desperate need of a cure for a curse, Effie learns that her aunts are witches. Then, Effie’s own magic begins to shine through. Her life takes an exciting and unexpected turn.

This story reminded me of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Effie was sent to live with her two aunts, just like Sabrina. Effie also didn’t know about her aunts’ magic or the powers she would develop, like Sabrina. Sabrina the Teenage Witch is one of my favourite characters so I loved this similarity.

Witches of Brooklyn was a fun middle grade graphic novel! I’m excited to read the next one.

Other books in the series:

Witches of Brooklyn: What the Hex?!

Have you read Witches of Brooklyn? What did you think of it?

Review: All Pets Allowed (Blackberry Farm #2)

Title: All Pets Allowed (Blackberry Farm #2)
Author: Adele Griffin, LeUyen Pham (illustrator)
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 31, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

More than anything else—even more than the best birthday party ever—Becket Branch wants a dog for her tenth birthday. But her twin brother, Nicholas, has secretly been wishing for a cat. Lucky for Becket and Nicholas, their animal-loving parents have an animal-loving surprise for them: they’re going to the local shelter and adopting both a cat and a dog. It should be the biggest BEAUTIFUL ALERT ever, but Becket’s dream dog, Dibs, turns out to be a super-shy scaredy-pooch who is going to need a lot of training. Meanwhile, Nicholas’s cat, Given, is more outgoing and attention-seeking than the just-for-him pet he was expecting.
Laugh along as Becket fishes mice out of Nicholas’s slippers, puts bullies in their place, and tries, and tries again, to train Dibs—all while learning new life lessons and keeping up with her other farm chores.
With black-and-white drawings throughout by award-winning illustrator LeUyen Pham (Real Friends), this second volume of the Blackberry Farm series offers a gentle message about embracing new friends who may not match preconceived expectations.

Review:

Becket and her twin brother Nicholas are turning ten on their October 10th birthday. Becket wants them to make a joint birthday wish for a dog. However, Nicholas secretly wants a cat. When they’re taken to the animal shelter, their parents surprise them with both getting the pet they want. Becket’s dog is quiet and shy, like Nicholas, while his cat is outgoing like Becket. The twins discover that having pets isn’t as easy as they thought.

This was a fun story about getting a pet. Usually, children’s books show the part leading up to getting the pet, but not necessarily the challenges after the pet is brought home. Becket’s and Nicholas’s pets had personalities that were actually more like their twin. Becket’s dog would go off to have quiet time, just like Nicholas did, and Nicholas’s cat liked to be the life of the party like Becket. They had to adjust to these new lifestyles.

Becket and Nicholas also had to get used to new chores that went along with their pets. Becket had to train her dog, and get him fed in the morning so he would settle down. Nicholas had the shock of finding a dead mouse in his room, a gift from his cat. These are some challenges that come along with a new pet.

All Pets Allowed is a fun middle grade story!

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Other books in the series:

The Becket List

Have you read The Becket List? What did you think of it?

Review: BWITCH (BWITCH #1)

Title: B*WITCH (B*WITCH #1)
Author: Paige McKenzie and Nancy Ohlin
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, LGBT
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A lone witch has powers. A coven has a multitude more.
New girl and secret witchl Iris just wants to get through her first day of school without a panic attack. The last thing she expects is to be taken in by a coven of three witches-soft-spoken Greta, thoughtful and musical Ridley, and fiery and spirited Binx. They may be the first witches Iris has met IRL, but their coven is not alone in their small northwestern town.
The Triad is the other coven at their school. When the Triad’s not using spells to punish their exes or break up happy couples for fun, they practice dark magic. The two covens have a rivalry stretching all the way back to junior high.
When tragedy strikes and one of their own is murdered, the rival covens must band together to find out who is responsible before it’s too late. Someone’s anti-witch ideology has turned deadly . . . and one of them is next.
With an inclusive cast of teen witches who leap off the page with style, attitude, and charm, B*Witch is a singable read perfect for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Mean Girls alike.

Review:

When Iris moves to a small town in Washington, she doesn’t expect to meet other witches. Greta, Ridley, and Binx have a coven. They have a rivalry with another coven at their school. All of them must keep their witchy powers a secret, because witches are currently banned in the country. An anti-witch group, Antima, have been gaining popularity, especially since the new President has been encouraging them. When one of their own is killed, the teenage witches must join together to find out who is targeting their covens.

The witchy politics in this book were quite relevant to today. The witches felt threatened by the anti-witch group, Antima, who would display their status with a patch in their shirts. This was reminiscent of how certain world leaders have made it acceptable to spread hate against people of different genders, races, or religions. I think teens who are interested in current events will like this aspect of the story.

This was a diverse story with different gender identities and races among the main characters. One character was transgender, though I didn’t realize that at first. This character used their preferred gender identity at school and went by the gender and name assigned at birth while at home. It can be a touchy subject to have a trans character referred to as their deadname, which is probably why I haven’t seen this happen often in books. However this portrayed how sometimes a new identity isn’t as acceptable at home as it is with friends at school. This character could use magic to change their appearance, so this was an easier adjustment to make daily than it would be in the real world.

B*WITCH is a great witchy story! I can’t wait to read the next one!

Other books in the series:

Witch Rising

Have you read B*WITCH? What did you think of it?

Review: The Backups: A Summer of Stardom

Title: The Backups: A Summer of Stardom
Author: Alex de Campi, Lara Kane, Dee Cunniffe, Ted Brandt
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Contemporary
Publisher: Imprint
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: April 13, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Step into the spotlight with The Backups, a graphic novel from writer Alex de Campi and artist Lara Kane about crushes, confidence, and catchy choruses!
Spending an entire summer on tour as a backup singer for pop star Nika Nitro? What?! That’s the DREAM, right? Especially for Jenni, Lauren, and Maggie, three misfit performing arts students with hopes of making it in the music world.
But being twenty feet from fame isn’t easy. Between crushes, constant rehearsals, Nika’s sky-high expectations, and their own insecurities, this dream is starting to feel more like a nightmare. And that’s before they accidentally start a beef with a rival band threatening to reveal a secret that could end Nika’s career.
Can this trio of new friends come together to save the tour, or will the Backups be kept out of the spotlight forever?

Review:

Jenni, Lauren, and Maggie are three music school students who are chosen to be backup singers for the pop star Nika Nitro. They’re going on a tour across the country for the summer. The three girls are constantly being criticized, from their appearance to their taste in music. Then, they have a fight with another band, who threaten to ruin the tour. To top it all off, Nika has a huge secret that she must keep from her fans. Her backup singers are the only ones who can save this tour.

This graphic novel touched on some important issues with performers, such as body image and peer pressure. Jenni was instructed to go on a diet to lose weight. Another singer said he was told to have plastic surgery as a teenager. Nika was pressured into performing, even though it was dangerous for her health. These are real issues that performers may face, which can destroy their own bodies if they make dangerous decisions.

Though it had some serious moments, this was a fun story. Jenni, Lauren, and Maggie got to live the dream of being back up singers to a pop star for the summer. I’d love to see a sequel to this story. It would be really fun to see where the story goes next!

The Backups is a great graphic novel!

Review: Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer (Shirley and Jamila #1)

Title: Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer (Shirley and Jamila #1)
Author: Gillian Goerz
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Mystery, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Dial Books
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 14, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This middle-grade graphic novel for fans of Roller Girl and Smile introduces Jamila and Shirley, two unlikely friends who save each other’s summers while solving their neighborhood’s biggest mysteries.
Jamila Waheed is staring down a lonely summer in a new neighborhood–until she meets Shirley Bones. Sure, Shirley’s a little strange, but both girls need a new plan for the summer, and they might as well become friends.
Then this kid Oliver shows up begging for Shirley’s help. His pet gecko has disappeared, and he’s sure it was stolen! That’s when Jamila discovers Shirley’s secret: She’s the neighborhood’s best kid detective, and she’s on the case. When Jamila discovers she’s got some detective skills of her own, a crime-solving partnership is born.
The mystery of the missing gecko turns Shirley and Jamila’s summer upside down. And when their partnership hits a rough patch, they have to work together to solve the greatest mystery of all: What it means to be a friend.

Review:

Jamila was going to be sent to science camp for the summer, until she met Shirley. Shirley’s mom wanted her to go to dance camp, but the girls realized they could enjoy their summer more if they convinced their moms to let them spend time together. While Jamila plays basketball, Shirley meets with various kids in the neighbourhood at the basketball court. One day, a boy tells Shirley that someone stole his backpack while he was at the pool. Shirley is a secret detective, solving local crimes. Jamila joins in on solving the mystery, forming a classic detective duo with Shirley.

Shirley and Jamila were like a modern Sherlock and Watson. Shirley was able to figure out where a person worked just by looking at them walk down the street, in a similar way to Sherlock Holmes. Jamila was the main narrator, like Watson, and was able to assist Shirley in her investigation. I liked this subtle nod to the classic detective.

This story was set in Toronto, though it wasn’t mentioned very much. There was the Toronto skyline on the cover and Jamila came from the Thorncliffe neighbourhood. There were a few small details on the pages, such as the Raptors posters on Jamila’s bedroom walls and the CBC sign on a lawn. These were cute little details that showed the Toronto setting.

Shirley and Jamila Save the Summer is a fun graphic novel mystery!

Blog Tour Review: This Is Why We Lie

Title: This Is Why We Lie
Author: Gabriella Lepore
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 21, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Everyone in Gardiners Bay has a secret.

When Jenna Dallas and Adam Cole find Colleen O’Dell’s body floating off the shore of their coastal town, the community of Gardiners Bay is shaken. But even more shocking is the fact that her drowning was no accident.
Once Jenna’s best friend becomes a key suspect, Jenna starts to look for answers on her own. As she uncovers scandals inside Preston Prep School leading back to Rookwood reform school, she knows she needs Adam on her side.
As a student at Rookwood, Adam is used to getting judgmental looks, but now his friends are being investigated by the police. Adam will do whatever he can to keep them safe, even if that means trusting Jenna.
As lies unravel, the truth starts to blur. Only one thing is certain: somebody must take the fall.

Review:

One morning, while Jenna was standing at the harbour taking photos, she found Adam pulling a body from the water. Her friend, Colleen, had drowned but it wasn’t an accident. Jenna’s best friend is the main suspect, but she is certain that her friend didn’t do it. Adam and his friends also had a connection to Colleen. She had threatened him and his friends the night before her body was found. Adam and Jenna bond over this tragedy. Everyone has a motive and everyone is keeping secrets, but the clock is ticking down until they find the murderer.

This was such a fast paced thriller. It had short chapters that flew by quickly. It was really hard to put this book down because there were so many twists.

It’s been a while since a thriller truly surprised me. I couldn’t figure out how this story was going to end and I was really surprised. I liked that there wasn’t any wasted space. Every chapter and scene was important to the plot and it wrapped up quickly at the end.

This is Why Why Lie is an exciting, fast paced thriller!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

About the author:

Gabriella Lepore is a YA author from South Wales in the United Kingdom. She lives in the countryside with her husband James and daughter Sophia. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found exploring the coastline. She enjoys cups of tea, bookstore coffee shops, stormy beaches, and autumn days.

Have you read This Is Why We Lie? What did you think of it?

Review: Idol Gossip

Title: Idol Gossip
Author: Alexandra Leigh Young
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Walker Books US
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 14, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

An inside look at the K-pop phenomenon, in a wry, punchy young-adult debut that probes cultural differences, sisterhood, and the minefield of fame.
Every Friday after school, dressed in their new South Korean prep-school uniforms — sweater vests, knee-highs, pleated skirts, and blazers — seventeen-year old Alice Choy and her little sister, Olivia, head to Myeongdong, brave a dank, basement-level stairwell full of graffiti, and slip into a noreabang. Back in San Francisco, when she still had friends and earthly possessions, Alice took regular singing lessons. But since their diplomat mom moved them to Seoul, she pours herself into karaoke, vamping it up in their booth to Lady Gaga while loyal Olivia applauds and howls with laughter. Alice lives for Fridays, but when an older woman stops her on their way out one day, handing Alice a business card with a bow, singing turns serious. Could the chance encounter really be her ticket to elite status at Top10 Entertainment’s Star Academy? With a little sisterly support, backed by one of the world’s top talent agencies, can Alice lead her group on stage before a stadium of 50,000 chanting fans — and just maybe strike K-pop gold? Not if a certain influential blogger and the anti-fans get their way.
Delicious gossip squares off with genuine heart in a debut about standing out and fitting in, dreaming big and staying true — for avid K-pop fans and those just discovering the worldwide cultural phenomenon.

Review:

Alice Choy and her younger sister Olivia moved to South Korea with their parents after their mom got a job there. Alice always dreamed of being a singer when they lived in San Francisco, but she had to put that dream on hold when they moved. While she’s at a karaoke bar with her sister, someone from Top10 Entertainment, the company that manages the biggest K-Pop singers, hears Alice and invites her to audition. Despite not being able to dance, Alice’s strong singing voice gets her into the Star Academy, where she will be groomed to be in an upcoming K-Pop girl group. However, this isn’t an easy path, especially when an influential blogger is ready to take down any and all K-Pop stars with damaging gossip.

Being a pop star looks like a fun job from the seat of the fans. However, as this story shows, it isn’t easy to be a success. Alice had every aspect of her life controlled when she started at the Star Academy, including what and how much she ate. Her body was scrutinized and judged. Though the K-Pop singers could have so many fans and so much fame, they suffered a lot and lost their own identities on the journey to become a star.

I really enjoyed this story, but I want to know what comes next. It ended at a high point in the story, so I would love to see what happened after that point. Up until the final pages, I really didn’t know how the story would end. I wasn’t sure if Alice’s group was going to be a success or if they wouldn’t make it to the stage. I won’t spoil it, but I really hope there will be a sequel so I can find out what happens next!

Idol Gossip is a great K-Pop story!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Bennet Women

Title: The Bennet Women
Author: Eden Appiah-Kubi
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBT
Publisher: Montlake
Source: Thomas Allen and Son (book distributor)
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 1, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this delightfully modern spin on Pride and Prejudice, love is a goal, marriage is a distant option, and self-discovery is a sure thing.
Welcome to Bennet House, the only all-women’s dorm at prestigious Longbourn University, home to three close friends who are about to have an eventful year. EJ is an ambitious Black engineering student. Her best friend, Jamie, is a newly out trans woman studying French and theater. Tessa is a Filipina astronomy major with guy trouble. For them, Bennet House is more than a residence—it’s an oasis of feminism, femininity, and enlightenment. But as great as Longbourn is for academics, EJ knows it can be a wretched place to find love.
Yet the fall season is young and brimming with surprising possibilities. Jamie’s prospect is Lee Gregory, son of a Hollywood producer and a gentleman so charming he practically sparkles. That leaves EJ with Lee’s arrogant best friend, Will. For Jamie’s sake, EJ must put up with the disagreeable, distressingly handsome, not quite famous TV actor for as long as she can.
What of it? EJ has her eyes on a bigger prize, anyway: launching a spectacular engineering career in the “real world” she’s been hearing so much about. But what happens when all their lives become entwined in ways no one could have predicted—and EJ finds herself drawn to a man who’s not exactly a perfect fit for the future she has planned?

Review:

Bennet House is a women’s dorm at Longbourn University in New England. EJ is a resident advisor and an engineering student. Jamie is a trans woman, who is studying theater and French, and is best friends with EJ. Tessa is a Filipina astronomy major with a terrible boyfriend named Collin. At the start of the fall semester, EJ starts hearing whispers about a new student, Lee Gregory. He’s a charming guy who immediately falls for Jamie. EJ ends up hanging out with Jamie, Lee, and his best friend Will. Will is an actor who’s trying to hide out after a very public breakup. EJ has big plans for her post-graduate future, but she’s attracted to Will, someone who doesn’t seem to fit into her plans.

This is the most diverse story I’ve ever read. Each of the characters were either BIPOC or queer. Though there was this diverse representation, their diversity didn’t define the characters. They all went through relatable experiences throughout their university year. These diverse characters also fit in perfectly with the regency story of Pride and Prejudice.

I love retellings of Pride and Prejudice. I’ve read so many though, that it’s difficult to find a unique spin on the classic. This was a great, original take on the story. The Bennet women weren’t related, but they had a close bond from living together in their dorm. Though the characters didn’t face the same challenges as the ones in the original story (such as needing to find a rich husband to secure their future), they had more modern challenges (such as deciding on what post graduate programs to take). I loved this modernization of the story.

The Bennet Women is a great retelling of Pride and Prejudice!

Thank you Thomas Allen and Son for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Sugar Town Queens

Title: Sugar Town Queens
Author: Malla Nunn
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 3, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From LA Times Book Prize Award Winner and Edgar Award Nominee Malla Nunn comes a stunning portrait of a family divided and the bonds that knit our communities.
When Amandla wakes up on her fifteenth birthday she knows it’s going to be one of her mother’s difficult days. Her mother has had another vision. If Amandla wears a blue sheet her mother has loosely stitched as a dress and styles her normally braided hair in a halo around her head, Amandla’s father will come home. Amandla’s mother, Annalisa, always speaks of her father as if he was the prince of a fairytale, but in truth he’s been gone since before Amandla was born and even Annalisa’s memory of him is hazy. In fact many of Annalisa’s memories from before Amandla was born are hazy. It’s just one of the many reasons people in Sugar Town give Annalisa and Amandla strange looks–that and the fact her mother is white and Amandla is brown.
But when Amandla finds a mysterious address in the bottom of her mother’s handbag along with a large amount of cash, she decides it’s finally time to get answers about her mother’s life. But what she discovers will change the shape and size of her family forever.

Review:

Amandla is a fifteen-year-old girl in South Africa. Her mother has visions of the future that don’t often come true. She also has missing memories from her past, including the identity of Amandla’s father. Amandla and her mother stand out, not just because of her mother’s strange visions, but because her mother is white and she is half-Black. When Amandla finds a paper with an address in her mother’s purse, she decides to go there to learn more about her mother’s past. She discovers deeper family secrets than she could have predicted.

Race was an important issue in this book. There is a history of race tensions in South Africa which was depicted in this novel. Amandla had to deal with that first hand, since she had a different appearance from her mother.

There were class prejudices that went along with the race prejudice. The white people were considered “good” and upper class, while the Black people were “bad” or dangerous and lower class. However, one of Amandla’s white relatives was arguably one of the worst characters in the book and treated her mother horribly. Money, power, and skin colour don’t determine if a person is good or bad.

Sugar Town Queens is an eye opening young adult novel.

Thank you G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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