Tag: Own Voices

Grown

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Then… Enchanted Jones is a high school student who dreams of being a singer. When super-famous R&B artist Korey Fields takes notice of her at an audition, she can’t believe her luck. Korey gives her his number, but tells her to keep it on the down low.

Now… Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands, and Korey is dead.

Grown is a riveting thriller that touches on power dynamics, racial identity, and our culture’s determination not to believe girls and women.

What I loved most:

Tiffany D. Jackson is an astounding writer. I love her books, and I tend to burn through them quickly – she writes the kind of stories that are next to impossible to put down. She depicts the cycle of abuse in such an engaging way, juxtaposing Korey’s violence in one minute with his sweetness in another. Honestly though, one of my favorite parts of this book was the inclusion of the text chain between a group of people that Enchanted hangs out with. Their reactions line up so well with how our culture tends to respond to accusations of sexual assault.

Things to be aware of:

With all of the aforementioned love for this book that I already stated… Grown is being marketed as a YA book, and I would not recommend it for (most) high school students. There’s extremely mature content in this book – sexual and physical violence are intrinsic to the story. The protagonist is still in high school when the narrative starts, and these are absolutely issues that are real for many high school students. However, I would exercise caution before handing this to a kid in high school.

Read this book if you like:

Mysteries, the entertainment industry, the #MeToo movement, calling out abuses of power

Book details:

  • Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
  • Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
  • Date of Publication: September 15, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: College Students to Adults
  • Look up Grown on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!

Punching the Air

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Amal is an artist, a poet, a sensitive soul trapped by his circumstances. He was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, and now he’s been sentenced to prison. In gorgeous verse, Punching the Air explores the harsh realities of mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the intersection of race and justice. Yusef Salaam, one of the coauthors, is a member of the Exonerated Five (formally known as the Central Park Five); he and Ibi Zoboi draws on his memories of being a falsely convicted teen to paint a beautiful, heart-rending picture of hope amidst tragedy.

What I loved most:

This book focuses on Amal’s time in prison. There are some flash backs to his life in school, and the night of the incident that landed him in prison, but it’s specifically a book about a teen being incarcerated. I recently heard the authors give the opening keynote at SLJTeen Live, and they mentioned that they are working with their publishers to get copies of this book into the hands of incarcerated teens. I love when authors and publishers are willing to do what’s right – in this case, that they are ensuring that the book will be accessible to the very population who will see themselves reflected in its content.

Another cool thing: the pages of this book are art. Not only is this story written in verse (an art in and of itself), but there are graphic elements on many of the pages. I read the story in an Advanced Readers’ Copy (thanks, Balzer + Bray!), so I’m sure the design will be a little different in the final book. However, the gorgeous layout added so much to the story.

Things to be aware of:

There is a decent amount of swearing in this book, as well as violent content.

Read this book if you like:

Novels in verse, criminal justice reform, artistic expression, books inspired by a true story

Book details:

  • Author: Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
  • Publisher: Balzer + Bray
  • Date of Publication: September 1, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: High school students
  • Look up Punching the Air on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!

K-Pop Confidential

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Candace has always kept her appreciation for K-Pop music on the down low. It seems like way too much for the Korean-American girl to also be into K-Pop. But when she finds out that one of the biggest labels in K-Pop is holding open auditions for the next big girl group in her home state of New Jersey, she takes the jump and decides to audition. She never actually thought she’d make the cut… but then she’s chosen to head to the label’s headquarter’s in Seoul for a training program. Will she be able to rise above the strained social dynamics between her potential group mates, the prohibition on dating, and the intensity of the K-Pop stans to become the next big K-Pop star? 

What I loved most:

This is literally a book that I opened with the intention of reading the first chapter or two before moving on to productive activities in my life… and before I knew it, I was halfway through. I just could not put it down! Books about singers/actors/famous people in the entertainment industry are my non-guilty pleasure (#sorrynotsorry), and I loved following Candace’s journey from standard American high school student to trainee in this super hard core program. I’m also here for any books about identity formation, and watching Candace reconcile who the label wants her to be with who she is on the inside is such a beautiful journey. Other bonus: this is an #OwnVoices book, which I’m always pumped about.

Things to be aware of:

Candace (and the rest of the trainees) are placed on a crazy-strict diet by the label. There’s a lot of problematic body expectations that are placed on all of the trainees, which I do think are an accurate depiction of the way that the entertainment industry treats people. It could be triggering/hard to read for people who have struggled with an eating disorder. 

Read this book if you like:

Books that suck you in right away, K-pop (obvi), the entertainment industry, following your dreams, I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee, summer reads

Book details:

  • Author: Stephan Lee
  • Publisher: Point
  • Date of Publication: September 15, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: High school students and young adults
  • Look up K-Pop Confidential on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!