Tell Me My Name by Amy Reed

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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.

The Quiet and the Loud by Helena Fox

Posted on by lynndellwatson

A cathartic, healing story!

Living in Sydney, Australia, George, 19yo and white, has learned to be quiet about things that she’s dealing or struggling with. She puts herself last and everyone else first. Eventually she feels like she’s suffocating from everyone else’s problems and thoughts because they’re consuming her and not giving her a chance to take care of herself. She finally confides in her loved ones after things become too difficult and too much for George. As George adjusts to her new perspective, she’ll need her friends and family more than ever.

Likes/dislikes: This is a healing, cathartic story. The author does a wonderful job of explaining the balance between taking care of others and ourselves, if given ourselves a voice, and learning about the perspectives of others. I enjoyed the personalities of George, Calliope, Mel and Gramps.
Language: R for 212 swears and 44 f-words.
Mature Content: PG for kissing, mention of alcoholic parent.
Violence: PG-13 for angry, yelling alcoholic parent which is emotional abuse.
Ethnicity: George is white and Calliope is black.

How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Original, thought-provoking story!
Thanks to Bookish First for the ARC of How It Feels To Float by Helena Fox and Dial Books. I received the book as a Bookish First winner!
Elizabeth, Biz, sees and hears her dad even though he’s been dead for many years. Biz lives in Australia with her single mother and younger twin siblings. She has a best friend named Grace that’s loyal to the point of vandalizing, on Biz’s behalf. They both receive warnings from the police even though Grace keeps saying that Biz was innocent. Grace’s family sends her away and Biz becomes more withdrawn. So, Biz starts therapy and a photography class. Her therapist advises Biz to stay in the moment and acknowledge her feelings and live. She meets new people and makes new friends as she spreads her wings. She also acknowledges the problems that have been buried deep inside. How It Feels to Float was a therapeutic read for me and I relished the professional advice given to Biz. I can see how this book might be triggering, especially if the reader is dealing with similar struggles. I really cannot sum this book’s effect in one word because it’s somewhat enigmatic.,thought-provoking, eye-opening and uniquely unusual! The revealing of the cause of Biz’s struggles was jittery and not explained as well as I expected it to be. I would have appreciated more explanation and feel that this would be more healing and helpful to those that have experienced the same traumas and for this reason, I rate this book 4 stars!