Something Kindred by Ciera Burch

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Magical realism within a small town mystery!

17yo Jericka travels with her mother to her hometown of Coldwater, Maryland to see her dying grandmother. Jericka’s grandmother left her children when they were young and her mom hasn’t seen her since; she’s still extremely hurt and angry but willing to help her own mother deal with her situation. Coldwater has a history, and a not-always-believed legend of Echoes; ghosts that project their grief onto the living that make women want to leave the town. These ghosts are from the schoolhouse for freed slaves being burned many years ago due to prejudice. While Jericka deals with her family, boyfriend, new friends and the mysterious town, she learns a lot about herself and what she wants in her future.

Likes/dislikes: I expected the book to be more spooky. Jericka wants others to be open, honest and straightforward but she isn’t that way with others. I enjoyed getting to know Jericka’s family. The mysterious echoes add an interesting element to the story.
Mature content: PG-13 for mention of sex, no details and underage drinking
Language: PG-13 for 32 swears and no f-words.
Violence: PG for mention of domestic abuse.
Ethnicity: Jericka and her family are Black and the community of Coldwater is mixed with Black and white people.

Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill

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Sibling loyalty!

17yo Amir is accused of murder and his 16yo brother Marcel is determined to prove Amir’s innocence. One of their classmates was murdered in her home and Amir has been placed under house arrest under suspicious circumstances. Living in New Orleans, Amir and Marcel both attend a private school because their family wants the best for them. Being Black, they’re a minority in their mostly white, rich high school. When the girl is murdered, the white community immediately blames Amir but when horrible secrets are revealed, the tables turn.

Likes/dislikes: The bad grammar representing the local community in the book is annoying but necessary to setting the story. I like the strong loyalty between the brothers, Marcel and Amir. The mystery was enjoyable to read.
Mature Content: PG-13 for drugs, underage drinking, talk of hooking up.
Language: R for 154 swears and 64 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death and violence.
Ethnicity: White and Black community.

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler

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Honest, heartbreaking realistic fiction!

17yo Kate and Ben have been friends since elementary school and now she wants more than that. They began dating and everything is going well until accusations of assault start happening to Ben’s teammates. Many people want to hide the evidence and pretend nothing happened but Kate can’t get the wrongdoing out of her head. Secrets come out after a video was shared. The aftermath will drastically change lives and the community of Coral Sands, Iowa.

Likes/dislikes: I’m frustrated with the situation the community is dealing with. I’m also frustrated with some of the main character’s actions. The author represents entitlement and community politics well.
Mature content: R for sexual assault
Language: R for 79 swears and 5 f-words.
Violence: R for rape.
Ethnicity: predominantly white, an African American deputy mentioned.

Diary of a Confused Feminist by Kate Weston

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Teenagehood dealt with humor and love.

15yo Kat wants to become a feminist but constantly struggles with the frustrations of teenage life. She deals with these struggles with the help of her three best friends and her loving and understanding parents. Kat wants to embrace maturity and she does her best despite bullies and boy problems. Humor helps her with her frustrations. Her parents help her with the anxiety she tries to hide.

Likes/dislikes: This book is humorous. Encompasses dramatic nature of teenage hood and the stress of life that feels overwhelming at that age. Contains good messages and awareness of mental health.
Language: R for 110 swears and 14 f-words.
Mature content: PG for implied sex on page, self-pleasuring.
Violence: PG for bullying.
Ethnicity: Black and white

That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

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Clever mystery!
A 17yo young woman wakes up in a ditch and has no idea how she got there. A police officer drives by, sees her, helps her and takes her to the police station where he questions her and realizes that she has lost her memory. She has a flashback of standing by a cluster of postal mailboxes and big hands grabbing her but she remembers nothing else. Soon after, a man arrives asking the police officer for help in finding his missing daughter. Alternately, a community is searching for a missing teenage girl that disappeared while walking home. Could this be the same girl?

Likes/dislikes: The mystery kept me glued to the pages. The characters are an interesting and diverse set of personalities. The mystery unravels cleverly.
Mature content: G
Violence: PG-13 for bloody hitting and bloody death.
Language: R for 156 swears and 83 f-words.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

Tell Me My Name by Amy Reed

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A confusing story about privilege and the effects it has on people’s lives.

18yo Fern is bored with her life until she meets famous Ivy and then her world is turned upside down. Ivy and her rich acquaintances have no interest in right and wrong but only doing what they want, no matter who gets hurt in the process.
Drugs, alcohol, partying, affairs and crazy behavior are what their days are made of. This topsy turvy story shows shallowness, entitlement and lack of shame. It bends reality and makes the reader question everything.

Likes/dislikes: The story is confusing and has some disjointed and choppy writing. The dystopian setting that’s not too far ahead of our time makes it more believable. The characters struggle with themselves and their insecurities, which is relatable, but I didn’t care for them at all, except for Ivy after she explained her past. I was expecting more from this book and ended up disappointed.
Language: R for 58 swears and 22 f-words.
Mature content: PG-13 for implied sex, drug use, drug abuse, underage drinking and petting.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: mixed.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

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Extremely interesting read based on a victim in Seattle and the victims in Tallahassee, Florida of a serial killer during the 1970’s. I applaud the author for getting into the headspace of the survivors and the era.

Deep, food for thought, and justice for the bright young women who died at the hands of a serial killer.

Insight into the tragic events, the ridiculousness of the Defendant’s lawyer tactics, and life’s consequences, struggles and inspirations.

The Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie

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Everyone has disappeared!

18yo July finds herself alone in her hometown of Lithia. She’s a member of the track team and has a good relationship with her boyfriend Sam. When she finds herself without any other people around, she’s grateful for her cat Yolo that seems to be the only other being left. As the story alternates between once and the present now, July shares her conversations with her therapist and her experiences with her friends and family. July also sees clues and hints of someone else besides her and Yolo still present in Lithia and as she searches for that person, she gains insight into herself and her situation.

Likes/dislikes: The mysterious concept of the book is interesting. Mental health and loneliness are approached and explored in an unusual but relatable way. I feel for July and her struggles.
Language: PG for 6 swears and no f-words.
Mature Content: PG for kissing.
Violence: PG for bullying and peer pressure.
Ethnicity: Alex is Indian, falls to white.

Swimming in a Sea of Stars by Julie Wright

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Realistic YA fiction at its best!
Addison tried to end her life and now she’s heading back to high school. This is giving her anxiety about how she’ll be received at school and how she’s going to make it through the day. When she arrives at school, she sees another student dealing with family problems. This helps Addison see outside herself and realizes she is in a position to help someone else. Hopefully the rest of her day will help Addison heal and regain hope.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the writing because of the emotional intelligence, wisdom and humor. The author connected the characters’ lives smoothly. The story and characters are inspiring.
Mature content: PG for mention of suicide.
Language: G for 0 swears and 0 f-words.
Violence: PG for mention of abuse.
Ethnicity: mixed.

Invisible Son by Kim Johnson

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Accused of a crime he didn’t commit!

17yo Andre returns to his home in Portland, Oregon feeling angry, confused and disgruntled after serving two months in a juvenile detention center for something he didn’t do. He also has to adjust to pandemic life because everything seems to have changed. Andre was framed for robberies when someone placed a backpack of stolen items in his locker and that’s the evidence that sent him away. He has an idea of who did it and he wants to know the truth. When his friend Eric goes missing, the danger builds and secrets are revealed as Andre tries to find his friend and get justice.

Likes/dislikes: The chapter titles are fun since they’re named after songs. The history of our country’s turmoil during the pandemic is represented well. I enjoyed the book and read it straight through. The story reminds me a bit of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, because of the harsh reality brought to life, but with less swearing.
Language: R for 45 swears and 4 f-words.
Mature Content: PG-13 for underage smoking and the mention of underage drinking.
Violence: PG-13 for mention of attempted murder suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Ethnicity: Ethnicity is predominantly white with the Black main characters of Andre, Sierra and Eric. Luis is Mexican American.