Hey bestie! Just popping in to tell you about five young adult books I’ve recently picked up and pretty much enjoyed! For more up to date thoughts on books and more, check out my Tiktok.
Clown In A Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare
I never really thought I would be into a horror book about clowns, but here we are. Clown In A Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare is the type of horror I’ll be more apt to pick up in the future. This book is the sequel to Clown In A Cornfield. It follows the main characters from that book who are now in college. Well, Rust and Cole are still living back in Kettle Springs, but Quinn is in college in the North East, I think Boston if I remember correctly. Anyways, there’s trolls online who disbelieve that the Kettle Springs massacre actually happened. Back in Kettle Springs, there’s a scary hayride that opened pretty much on the site of the massacre. Oh and there’s a new group of devotees to Frendo rising and taking over Kettle Springs one night.
Surprisingly, this book has some interesting parallels to real life. Scenes reminded me of those Trump rallies. There’s even some MAGA references too. FYI — those are the bad guys in this book. I was rooting for Quinn and the other survivors. We also see the impact of their PTSD. I’ll admit, I was glad when Clown in A Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives ended and certain characters were safe. What can I say, I was invested and I am still such a chicken. But yes, this was good and action packed and very unique.
The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna
The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna has sat on my shelves for the LONGEST time and wow what a mistake that was. It turns out, The Lost Girl is a really unique young adult story that is kind of a contemporary sci-fi. The book is set in what feels like contemporary times. It follows Eva who is an echo, this means that she was created with the express purpose of stepping in and replacing Amarra if she dies. Echoes are made on the Loom by the Weavers. When Amarra dies, Eva travels from England to Bangalore and attempts to integrate into her new life. But, there’s great danger from Hunters and from those who have figured out Eva is an echo of Amarra.
It’s wild I waited so long to read this book. However, I thought it was great. The Lost Girl really made me think about right and wrong, life and death, science ethics and more. I loved Eva’s growth as a character and how tough she was. I do wish this book had been published in 2023 instead of 2012 as I think maybe it would have seen more commercial success now. Maybe now that The Irregular Society Of Witches is getting popular, people might take a look at Mandanna’s back list and this excellent book will see a resurgence. It was phenomenal though.
Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole
I love a good book in verse. Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole is excellent. This is the type of book that lends itself to discussion and really makes you think. Told from the point of view of Alicia, this book follows Alicia as she receives mysterious notes in her locker and tries to cope with some terrible things that have happened to her. Part of her coping is by sleeping with strange boys and men. However, Alicia is bisexual. Anyways, she gets sent to in school suspension where she makes a new friend. She also ends up in this group of girls who discuss with a researcher the things they are concerned about and explore their place in patriarchal society. The notes, by the way, are from a mysterious person who has also been through the same thing as Alicia – preyed upon and groomed by a popular teacher. The notes inquire if Alicia will come forward too – kind of a MeToo sort of thing.
Really I feel like I am failing to adequately describe the excellence of Olivia A. Cole’s Dear Medusa. I found this book so engaging. Alicia has been dealt a tough hand. Her brother has terrible incel friends. Alicia’s parents divorced. She is bullied at school and known as the school slut. So, I really was rooting for her to come out on top. We also see that she’s just not dealing with everything in her life well. I liked that this book also touched on intersectionality and Alicia makes mistakes, yes, but she learns from them and does better. The verse is well done and makes sense in the context of the plot and story. I could not recommend this book highly enough. Get your hands on it if you want something that will make you think.
You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith
How did it take me so long to finally read a book by Eric Smith? You Can Go Your Own Way is SO charming. It makes me actually want to live in Philly even though that’s way out of my price range. The story follows Adam and Whitney – former best friends who fell apart. Adam’s family runs a pinball arcade that has seen better days. He spends his time in the workshop trying to finish the pinball machine his father had designed – an homage to Philadelphia. FYI, Adam’s father passed away. Meanwhile, Whitney’s dad owns a chain of eGaming cafes and he wants to buy out the pinball arcade. What happens when Adam and Whitney are snowed in at the pinball arcade? Will they ever get along again?
You Can Go Your Own Way is such a cozy, nostalgic young adult book. I mean, yes, it’s about how things can’t always stay the same and how life isn’t static and change happens even though it is fricken HARD. But it’s also about friendship and more than friendship and growing up. I loved this book. I liked that Whitney outgrew her awful friends who just use her. Adam is an actual gem. I liked the little easter eggs in this book. Highly recommend you pick up this book and as for me, I am about to dive through more of Smith’s backlist.
@aprilbooksandwine Reading wrap up – tried to get through talking about 6 books as fast as i can #aprilbooksandwine #booktokover30 #momsofbooktok
♬ Live Your Beautiful Life – Gray Griggs
That’s Debatable by Jen Doll
I learned so much about LD debates reading That’s Debatable by Jen Doll. Initially I picked this up because the BRIGHT yellow color of the cover caught my eye. I am a magpie in my heart of hearts. However, I ended up really vibing with the story and the characters and the romance. That’s Debatable follows two point of view characters, Millicent Chalmers and Taggert Strong. Millicent is a debate rock star and well on her way to winning all the debates she enters on the circuit. Taggert is a private school student who can only argue the side he personally agrees with. When the two are thrown into a closet together at a competition during what they think is a shooter event, it turns out they also really vibe. And so, Millie starts helping Tag learn how to be better at debate. Can the relationship last or really go anywhere? Given the two are from opposite teams, the opposite side of the tracks and Millie’s mom made her promise no boys because they are a distraction and she needs scholarships.
I absolutely liked my time with That’s Debatable. My school didn’t have debate team growing up so all the concepts in this book were new to me. I LOVED Millie though. And Tag and his lucky pumpkin tie — as a an autumn aficionado myself. This book was sweet and also feminist and interesting. I liked that it alternated point of view between Millie and Tag. Also, I know nothing about Alabama and so found that such an interesting setting. I’d recommend this if you are in the mood for contemporary young adult romance about teens who participate in extracurriculars.
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