Category: California

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

11/10/2022

Living in a small California town, Pakistani-American teens Salahudin and Noor are best friends – until The Fight tears them apart.
As they each navigate through a series of difficult situations during their senior year, they need each other more than ever.
With a terminally ill mom and an alcoholic father, Salahudin struggles to run his family’s motel on his own and takes desperate measures to keep it going while Noor works at her angry uncle’s liquor store and secretly applies for college.
Both seem to be on collision course with disaster. Will they reconcile with each other before it's too late?

Grades 9-12

This quote from Noor kind of sums it up: “I think about the s$%t we've read in school. Those books all about one problem. A kid who's bullied. A kid who's beaten. A kid who's poor. And I think of us and how we've won the s$%t-luck lottery. We have all the problems.” Noor and Salahudin do have all the problems (and then some), which makes this a brutal read – but it’s also such an incredibly good book that you just keep rooting for them no matter how bleak and bad things get. Amazing!

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Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert

4/25/2019

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Suzette ("Little") and her step-brother Lionel ("Lion") have always had a close relationship, but this changes when Suzette is sent away to boarding school after Lionel is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Now home for summer, Suzette hopes to get past the awkwardness and rekindle their closeness, but this proves difficult when her brother starts to spiral out of control and asks Suzette to keep a dangerous secret.
To further complicate matters, Suzette and Lionel appear to be falling for the same girl -- and wait! -- Suzette also has feelings for her long-time friend, Emil (which is a little confusing for her).
Suzette wants to be a loyal sister and regain Lionel's trust, but she has to decide if doing what's best for him is worth the possibility of damaging their relationship forever.

Grades 9-12

I liked the diversity of characters in this story, the blended family, and the LA setting. I especially appreciated the way in which this books deals honestly and realistically with the topics of mental health, sexuality, and family.

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The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett

10/3/2016

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To win a scholarship for art school, Beatrix Adams needs to get permission to draw cadavers at the local medical school -- without her mom finding out.
Jack Vincent is a handsome, notorious graffiti artist harboring a whole lot of secrets.
When these two meet on a late-night San Francisco bus, sparks fly.

With winning characters, particularly the delicious love interest, Jack, a focus on art, and San Francisco in the background, this is my favorite YA romance read of 2016 (so far).

Grades 9-12

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The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

5/17/2016

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The Paloma and Corbeau families are traveling performers who have been rivals and enemies for years.
They believe that a Corbeau touching a Paloma, or vice versa, could lead to death – but that doesn’t stop Luc “Cluck” Corbeau from saving Lace Paloma’s life during an environmental disaster.
Lace’s growing attraction to Cluck has her questioning their families complicated history as well as her future.

The magical realism and the Romeo and Juliet romance are a winning combination. I also enjoyed how the book takes place in an imaginary central valley town but names other nearby real places (hello Hanford!).

Grades 8-12

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book reviews

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

Ms. Wheaton

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