Such a Fun Age

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Review:

Y’all, I try not to post reviews super far in advance of when a book is going to come out for publication. But I recently read an ARC of Such a Fun Age, and it was so good that I have to tell you about it now. Emira Tucker is a twenty-five year old babysitter for the Chamberlain family. When Alix Chamberlain call Emira late on a Saturday night to watch her toddler while she deals with a family situation, Emira picks up Briar and brings her to the grocery store for Briar’s favorite activity of perusing the nut aisle. A security guard sees African-American Emira with Caucasian Briar, and accuses Emira of kidnapping Briar. And so we enter the story, following the dual narratives of Emira and Alix as they navigate the complexities of race and class and privilege. This novel sucked me in from the first page, and I could not put it down. As a heads up, there is a solid amount of language and sexual content in this book – but it was also one of my favorite adult reads in a long time. Look for it in January 2020!

Favorite Passage:

“But she’d never say good-bye to Emira, which made it seem that Emira would never be completely free from her. For the rest of her life and for zero dollars an hour, Emira would always be Briar’s sitter.”
— Twenty-six
[This passage was quoted from an ARC; as such, it may change before final publication.]

What I Loved Most:

How can I choose just one thing? Reid wrote Briar’s dialogue in a way that was so on-point for the little ones I have in my life, which I feel like many adult writers struggle to do. But I also loved seeing Emira pour herself out for this little girl, filling in the gaps to make sure Briar knew she was valued and valuable. And I also loved seeing the accurate portrayal of the economic realities of so many people in my millennial generation – seeing Emira be in this job that she loves that just doesn’t pay enough/offer insurance/seem to be a viable long-term career option. So basically, I loved all of it.

Read this book if you like:

Examining the intersection of race and class, millennials, books that you binge in long sittings because you can’t put them down

Book Details:

  • Author: Kiley Reid
  • Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
  • Date of Publication: January 7, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: Adult
  • Check out Such a Fun Age on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!

Renegades

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Review:

Renegades is one of those books that has been on my TBR list for approximately forever. It got so much hype when it came out, and I’ve heard so much positivity around the book… but I just never seemed to get around to reading it. Then a few months ago, two of my dear friends told me they had read it and loved it (shoutout to Natalie and Adah!), and it seemed like time to pull the trigger. And I’m so glad I finally did!

Renegades takes place in a world of people who have superhuman abilities (prodigies), superheroes (the Renegades), and villains (the Anarchists). That seems like it should be cut and dry – but one of the protagonists, Nova, is an Anarchist bent on destroying the Renegades. And the other is Adrian, whose parents are currently on the ruling Renegade council. Honestly, I don’t want to say much more about the plot than that, because there are so many delicious twists and turns in this book that I don’t want to spoil anything. Just trust me, and trust the seeminly-millions of other people who have read and loved this book, and read it. Renegades didn’t hook me right away… but I finished reading it this morning, and am definitely heading to the library to pick up the second book right after I finish writing this review because UGH SO GOOD.

Favorite Passage:

“Nova shut her eyes and thought, if she were a villain worthy of the name, she would be with them right now. Celebrating, or mourning.
And if she were a hero, she would be hurting to help any Renegades who might be trapped and hurt beneath the rubble.
Instead, she listened to the sounds of a city in distress, and did nothing.”
— Chapter Twenty-Eight

What I Loved Most:

Adrian never knew his father, and when he was a child, his birth mother (one of the original Renegades) was pushed off of a building – presumably by a villain. Adrian was adopted by Captain Chromium and the Dread Warden (two more of the original renegades). And his adoption is treated matter-of-factly… and isn’t the focus of the story. So much of the fiction about adopted kids focuses on the actual adoption – we see them getting placed with their adoptive family, hear about the struggles of adjusting, and then end the story with the adoption ceremony and assume everything is wrapped up with a big, shiny, red bow. Renegades features a main character who low-key was adopted… and it doesn’t define every aspect of this story or of his life. I am HERE for stories about adopted kids just living their lives.

Read this book if you like:

Superheroes, redemption arcs, seeing the good in all people, plot twists, a slow release of information that leaves you craving more

Book Details:

  • Author: Marissa Meyer
  • Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
  • Date of Publication: November 7, 2017
  • Series: Renegades #1
  • Age Recommendation: 7th – 12th grade
  • Check out Renegades on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!

Screen Queens

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Review:

ValleyStart is a tech competition, aimed at helping high schoolers showcase their coding/design/creative skills. The goal for all contestants is to land an internship at one of the most prestigious companies in Silicon Valley. Lucy, Maddie, and Delia are paired up by the competition administrators to be a team – and when they arrive, they realize they are the only all-female team. Screen Queens is an incisive examination of what it means to be a teenage girl with hopes of making it in the male-dominated field of technology. It touches on sexism and female friendships and achieving the high goals one sets for oneself. I have nothing but positive things to say about this novel – go pick it up.

Favorite Passage:

“‘I had drinks with him.’
‘So?’
‘I smiled and laughed. I flirted.’
‘And?’
‘I led him on. I -‘
‘Did nothing to invite him to put his hands on you — and not remove them when you said to.'”
— Twenty

What I Loved Most:

This is one of those books where you’re super mad while reading it, but it’s the good kind of mad. It’s a great depiction of being a woman in a male-dominated field. Screen Queens doesn’t pull any punches in its exploration of abuse of power by men, particularly to more vulnerable, younger women. I’m here for any story about women in STEM fields, and I think Screen Queens does a great job of helping teenagers learn about this crucial social justice issue in a way that is age appropriate.

Read this book if you like:

Feminism, girls in STEM, subtle diversity

Book Details:

  • Author: Lori Goldstein
  • Publisher: Razorbill
  • Date of Publication: June 11, 2019
  • Age Recommendation: 10th – 12th grade
  • Check out Screen Queens on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!