Wednesday, January 23, 2019

In a Nutshell Reviews: YA Edition


In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

The Truth About Leaving
Natalie Blitt
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Lucy Green thought she had her senior year in the bag. Cute boyfriend? Check. College plan? Check.

But when her boyfriend dumps her the week before school starts and she literally stumbles into Dov, the new Israeli transfer student, on her first day of school, Lucy’s carefully mapped-out future crumbles.

Determined to have a good senior year, and too busy trying to hold her family together while her mom is across the country working, Lucy ignores the attraction she feels to Dov. But soon, Lucy and Dov’s connection is undeniable. Lucy begins to realize that sometimes, you have to open yourself up to chance. Even if the wrong person at the wrong time is a boy whose bravery you admire and who helps you find your way back to yourself.
Should Lucy take a chance on love so soon after her betrayal? And why bother investing her time and herself in a relationship with an expiration date? Lucy dealt with these and other questions of the heart during her senior year, which was a year filled with lots of change, joy, disappointment, and growing up.
  • Pro: I adored both Dov and Lucy, which was a good thing, because this was very much a character driven story. 
  • Pro: Blitt did such a good job conveying the characters' emotions. This was especially true of Dov. His sadness and conviction came across so clear. I was really captivated by his desire to serve his country, and Dov reminded me of an Israeli exchange student from my high school, who spoke the same way about her service commitment. I also thought Lucy's unease about her future was well illustrated, and I really appreciated all the different choices Blitt had her explore, because I think those alternatives are often overlooked. 
  • Pro: Lucy suffered some big changes in her life all at once, but it was great that she had people like her grandmother, her best friend, and her teacher to support her. While Lucy grappled with her loyalty to her family, it was those three who reminded her, that she had rights and needs too. 
  • Pro: I couldn't even with Lucy's mother, but I thought her father was great. There were these rather honest discussions between them, which were really healthy and productive, and I really liked seeing that side of a parent-child relationship. 
  • Pro: I LOVED all the poetry and ballet that was incorporated into the story. Both were such wonderful outlets for the characters and gave them a chance to share their passion with us. 
  • Pro: I thought the ending was brilliant and meaningful. It wasn't super neat and tidy, if you think about it, but it was a great way to illustrate the tremendous growth Lucy experienced over the course of the book. 
Overall: An emotional and heartwarming tale of friends, family, love, growth, and learning to make tough choices.


The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
Ben Philippe
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Norris Kaplan is clever, cynical, and quite possibly too smart for his own good. A black French Canadian, he knows from watching American sitcoms that those three things don’t bode well when you are moving to Austin, Texas. Plunked into a new high school and sweating a ridiculous amount from the oppressive Texas heat, Norris finds himself cataloging everyone he meets: the Cheerleaders, the Jocks, the Loners, and even the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Making a ton of friends has never been a priority for him, and this way he can at least amuse himself until it’s time to go back to Canada, where he belongs.

Yet, against all odds, those labels soon become actual people to Norris. Be it loner Liam, who makes it his mission to befriend Norris, or Madison the beta cheerleader, who is so nice that it has to be a trap. Not to mention Aarti the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, who might, in fact, be a real love interest in the making. He even starts playing actual hockey with these Texans.

But the night of the prom, Norris screws everything up royally. As he tries to pick up the pieces, he realizes it might be time to stop hiding behind his snarky opinions and start living his life—along with the people who have found their way into his heart.
What happens when you take a hockey loving, black, French-Canadian boy and transplant him in Texas? You get a hilarious tale filled with some teen angst, hijinks, and even some personal growth.
  • Pro: This book was hilarious! I love snark and sarcasm, and Norris spoke both fluently. I laughed so much and so often, and that is always a welcomed perk. 
  • Pro: The characters Philippe created to be part of Norris' circle was interesting and a lot more complex than Norris expected them to be. I really enjoyed getting to know them beyond their labels. 
  • Pro: And speaking of labels, Norris committed the ultimate crime by immediately placing every person he met in a "group", but what I enjoyed, was seeing him realize that each person was an individual, who went beyond the label, and it was an important turning point, when he started seeing them as more than a single term. 
  • Pro: The relationship between Norris and his mom was kind of special. They acted as team, yet his mother never played the role of friend, and always kept the appropriate parent-child balance in place.
  • Con: Not going to lie, the ending was frustrating! Yes, it was realistic, but I would have liked a jump ahead, or maybe we will get a Field Guide Volume 2, because I really would like to see how the rest of high school went for Norris. 
  • Pro: I have been seeing a lot of people call Norris unlikable, but I liked him. He was a little bit jaded, angsty, and thought he knew it all, but I empathized with his situation. I did get to see glimpses of the Norris, who hid under all the cynicism, and he did experience growth by the end of the book, both positive things. I thought he was very real too. I worked in a high school for 12 years, and I definitely met a few Norrises over the course of my career. 
  • Pro: I adored the new friendships Norris made. Both Maddie and Liam stood out. They were delightful for very different reasons, but mostly because they offered something real to Norris and didn't allow him to get away with anything. A real friend keeps you in check. 
Overall: A humorous look at high school through the lens of a newcomer featuring great banter, friendship, and hockey.

** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

How do you like your coming of age tales
humorous or emotional?
Let us know in the comments!

33 comments:

  1. I really should make sure that I have The Field Guide on my TBR. I am seeing so many amazing reviews for it. I love books that have some teen angst and the Canadian aspect intrigues me. ;)

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    1. Norris is so funny. I was totally on board with Phillipe's humor

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  2. I'm glad you loved Natalie's book. It was such a sweet story of growing up. You should check out her debut book too if you haven't. It's different from this one, but just as enjoyable.

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    1. It's a quieter book, but so lovely. I actually have her debut, and was going to do a One Old, One New, but I had too many Jan/Feb review books. I will have to work it in though.

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  3. The Field Guide sounds hilarious. I like books that mess with popular tropes. I might have to check that one out. Great reviews!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. I do find that humorous books either are a hit or a miss with readers, but this brand of humor matched mine - snarky, sarcastic, and smart. I really liked it.

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  4. Looks like you had fun with both of these. It's been a while since I dipped my toes in this genre. Thanks for sharing these.

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    1. It's been a while since I dipped my toe OUT of this genre. The stories were told in very different ways, but both were coming of age tales, that I really enjoyed.

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  5. Both of these sound like books I'm going to love reading. Thanks for posting today!

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    1. One was super emotional the other utterly hilarious, but both had some really meaningful and important moments for these characters, and I enjoyed going along for the ride.

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  6. I love books that have me laughing out loud while reading them.
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. The laughter supplied from Field Guide was so necessary when I read it too. Totally appreciated fate bringing that book into my hands at that moment.

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  7. These both sound so incredibly good. WHY are there so many good books in the world?! I want to read them ALL!!! (Adds these to her TBR.)

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. That's a question I always ask myself as I reflect on my endless TBR

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  8. I like the sound of the second once because it is funny has a good parental relationship and you don’t see too many black, French-Canadian hockey players.

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    1. You don't see that a lot, and it's really authentic since the author is a black French-Candian (not sure about the hockey).

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  9. The Truth About Leaving sounds like a great read. I haven't been reading much YA lately but that one looks like a nice one!!! Lovely reviews <3

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    1. I requested the book based on Rachel Lynn Solomon talking about it, so I knew I was in for something emotional, but this one had a way happier ending than any of Solomon's books.

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  10. The Field Guide sounds so good! Plus I just love that title too.

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    1. The title drew me to it, and the the field guide he keeps in the book is just as hilarious as everything that comes out of Norris' mouth/head.

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  11. Norris sounds like a really great character! I love snark, too.

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    1. I loved him straight away. Did he make mistakes? Yes, yes he did, but he learned and grew and his world view was better for it.

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  12. I'm usually quite on it with knowing YA books but I hadn't heard of these two at all. I am glad you liked the Truth about Leaving. Yay for there being such a great father figure. I am also all for a lot of poetry and ballet being included as those are two things that interest me and I love. The Field Guide one sounds so funny and sarcastic and I love books that can make me either smile or laugh like that :D

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    1. The Truth About Leaving got on my radar, because Rachel Lynn Solomon talked about it on Twitter, I think, and I saw Field Guide on EW, read the blurb, and knew I had to read it. Truth had lots of poetry and dance, which were passions of the main characters, and it was great the way Blitt used them in the story.

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  13. The Truth About Leaving seems like such a good book and it sounds like it's not all wrapped up nicely but seems genuine with the characters, their emotions and the reality of senior year. It The Field Guide To The North American Teenager that has really caught my eye. Norris sounds exactly the type of character I'd want to read about and from the summary alone I know I'll like him. I can always appreciated an MC who is sarcastic and cynical who gets surprised when their judginess is wrong and backfires. I need that book in my life.

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    1. Truth has a WONDERFUL ending, but I would say it's not super tidy with respect to clearly defined futures, but I liked it. I really, really liked the ending. Field Guide was hilarious and had a lot of meaningful moments. I really appreciated the author's approach and point of view and what he was trying to do in this book.

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  14. These both sound wonderful, but I think The Truth about Leaving might have won be over a little bit more bc of Lucy's dad nad their relationship.

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    1. Lucy's home life was thrown into disarray, but her dad ended up being this understanding voice of reason. He surprised me, and I was glad for it.

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  15. The Field Guide seems really one of a kind Sam! And a very good one. I can see the humor in this one. Too bad for the ending but maybe you'll get your number two? Sophie @bewareofthereader

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    1. Field Guide was lots of fun and the author offered a lot of insight between the snark too.

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  16. I think this is why I love YA books. They remind me of my youth and they are fun and light and fun to read most times. I will have to check out The Field Guide. Just because it's that type of book that I know I will enjoy. Have a great week!

    Mary

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    1. I really appreciate the angle YA takes on particular issues, which would be be the same issues facing adults. Field Guide was really funny, and I enjoyed it immensely.

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  17. The Field Guide sounded so so good. I was hoping it would live up to the snark and sass I thought it could be, and your review made me SO pumped. Great reviews, Sam! :)

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