In a Nutshell Reviews: YA Edition

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

With the Fire on High
Elizabeth Acevedo
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award longlist title The Poet X comes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright.

Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.

There were a lot of people, who thought keeping her baby at 14 was a mistake, and saw teen motherhood as an end to all her future plans. I'm glad Emoni wasn't listening to them.

• Pro: The star and driving force of this story was Emoni. She was strong, driven, loyal, and loving. I admired how she jumped into her role as mother with both feet. She had to sacrifice often, but never resented it or felt sorry for herself. And, though Emoni had some tough breaks in her life, she always managed to focus on the positive parts. It was all in the attitude, and I adored her so much. 
• Pro: Raising a child at any age is a challenge, and obviously, a little more difficult for a teen mom. Acevedo painted a rather honest picture of that life, but she also made sure to show us the joy that Emoni experienced as a mother. 
• Pro: They say it takes a village, and Emoni was lucky enough to be surrounded by some incredible women. Her 'Buela and her best friend, Angelica, were pillars of support for Emoni. They not only helped her with her daughter, but they gave her a lot of emotional support and encouraged her to chase her dreams. 
• Pro: So. Much. Cooking! I loved that Emoni was a budding chef, and was enthralled by all the cooking references and sequences. 
• Pro: Watching Emoni chase down her culinary dreams was so inspiring and feel-good. I am smiling ear-to-ear with a tear falling down my cheek, because it is just such an incredible feeling seeing someone reach for what they want and make it happen. It was made even better by seeing someone like Emoni, an underdog, beat the odds and achieve so much. 
• Pro: Emoni was forced to grow quite a bit, when she became a mother, but her entry into the culinary arts course allowed her to grow in other ways. It was incredible seeing her flourish under all that pressure, but she came out on top, and I was so proud of everything she accomplished. 

Overall: A moving and inspiring story of chasing your dreams, which left me in a puddle of happy tears.

There's Something About Sweetie
Sandhya Menon
Series: Dimple and Rishi, #2
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After he’s dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.

The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?

Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.

Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.

Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?

Sweetie embarked on project "Sassy Sweetie" in an attempt to challenge people's preconceptions of what fat girls can and cannot do, while Ashish went along with the plan in an attempt to mend his broken heart and reclaim his mojo. What they found was an honest connection and a person, who saw the best in them.

• Pro: I have to commend Menon on how she wrote Ashish, because I was NOT a big fan of his when I met him in the previous book. However, she really let the "true" Ashish shine in this story, and he won my heart. He was vulnerable, kind, sweet, swoony, and he grew tremendously during this story. 
• Pro: Sweetie was fab-u-lous! She was a dutiful daughter, straight A student, star athlete, amazing singer, and loyal friend. She was, in a word, effervescent, and I loved getting to know her. 
• Pro: I liked that Menon chose to make Sweetie a fat character, and challenged many of the misconceptions people have about those who are overweight. Pairing these two went against the norm, and highlighted the idea of looking beyond appearance and seeing the "whole" person. 
• Pro: Both Ash and Sweetie had amazing friends, who were there to support them on their journey, and also enhanced the story adding to my enjoyment. 
• Pro: Yeah! for present and loving YA parents. I couldn't get enough of Mrs. Patel, and how both she and Mr. Patel so openly cared for Ashish. Though Sweetie's mother might not have gone about it in the right way, she did love and care for her daughter, and she grew, along with Sweetie and Ashish, over the course of the story. 
• Pro: The romance was sweet and adorable, and I loved the dates the Patels arranged for Ashish and Sweetie. Not only did we get to see them interact with each other, but we got a good glimpse into their culture as well. 

Overall: Another wonderful YA romance from Menon, which left me with a smile on my face and a song in my heart.

We Are the Perfect Girl
Ariel Kaplan
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

She’s the beauty, I’m the bold one–together, we are the perfect girl…

Aphra Brown is bold and outgoing. Her best friend, Bethany, is achingly beautiful. Individually, they could both do a little better in the self-esteem department, but together? Together, they have what it takes to win over Greg D’Agostino, a proverbial “ten,” who happens to be fluent in six languages–seven if you count the language of smoldering gazes . . .

What begins as an honest mistake turns into an elaborate deception, wherein Bethany goes on dates with Greg while Aphra coaches her on what to say, and texts him in the guise of Bethany, trying and failing, all the while, to tamp down her own hopeless crush. It’s only a matter of time before things come crashing down. The question is: What will happen when Greg finds out? And can Aphra and Bethany’s friendship survive the fallout?

From the author of We Regret to Inform You comes a witty, warm-hearted exploration of love in all its forms, and a cris-de-coeur for self-acceptance when the pressure to be perfect is overwhelming.

Aphra had experienced many kinds of love. She had been showered with lots of "storge" (familial love) from her family, and was lucky enough to share scads of "philia" (brotherly love) with her best friend, Bethany, but Aphra was longing to experience that elusive "eros" - romantic love. She wanted a boy to look at her and really see her, but all they seemed to notice was her not-so-attractive nose. Therefore, she was left watching as her best friend embarked on a relationship with Aphra's years long crush, and Aphra may have had a hand in making it happen.

• Pro: Kaplan writes books I enjoy reading, and this one was a clear hit for me. The characters, the story, the banter, the feels -- it was all there. Not only was the story entertaining, it was thoughtful and thought provoking. 
• Pro: Aphra, how I adored thee! I loved her bravado and her can do attitude so much. She was so witty and funny, and often left me in stitches. But, Aphra was also a young woman trying to not let the beauty standard get her down, and there were times it did. Those times, when she showed her vulnerability were heartbreaking, and I may have gotten a little emotional and wanted to hug her. 
• Pro: Though they experienced a few bumps during the course of this story, Aphra and Bethany enjoyed a beautiful friendship, and in the end, philia conquered all. 
• Pro: I thought Kaplan did an incredible job with this retelling. It was very true to the original, but also fresh and new. I liked that she focused more on the friendship, and how it evolved as Aphra and Bethany worked through this covert-love-triangle situation. 
• Pro: The exploration of the beauty standard and how it affected Aphra was accomplished quite well. I especially liked, that much of that happened with the guidance of Aphra's therapist, who was yet another fantastic character. 
• Pro: There was something really beautiful about the ending, and the choices Kaplan made. When I was telling my co-blogger about it, she agreed, it was a nice choice. There was this one loose end, I would have liked tied up, but it only left me a tiny bit wanting, and didn't diminish the value of the ending. 

Overall:  A wonderful, and often humorous tale of one young woman's journey to realizing her self worth isn't tied to her physical beauty. 

** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

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