Review: The Other F-Word - Natasha Friend

The Other F-Word 
Natasha Friend
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Coming of Age
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2017

I feel like I repeat this a lot, but my initial interest in this book was due to the cover and the snappy title. What can I say, I like shiny, pretty things. Then I read the blurb, and thought the concept could yield an interesting read. Lucky for me, the story was not only interesting, but quite amusing as well.

I was conceived in a petri dish.
My father is out there.
I have a half brother.

I was sort of emotionally drained from my last read, and that probably made me more receptive to this book, because it made me laugh, and laugh, and laugh. This is a character driven story told from the POVs of Milo, the boy allergic to the world, and Hollis, the girl who is mad at the world. Milo enlists Hollis on his quest to find their sperm-donor dad, and she reluctantly agrees.

“But this is my quest, okay? I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. And I want you to come with me.”
“On your quest.”
“On my quest.”
“You want me to leave the Shire and go face the freaking dragon with you?”

I greatly enjoyed the interactions between Milo and Hollis. Both were extremely bright and total book worms. Their banter was fun and witty. But I would say Hollis was the more compelling MC. At the onset of the story, Hollis came off as a very angry girl, but as the story played on, we learned that there are multiple reasons for this anger. A major source of her anger is due to losing her other mother to cancer when she was seven years old. She is harboring some serious guilt from her last day with Pam, and it was quite heartbreaking when it is revealed. There are other peripheral issues such as her long undiscussed anger with her ex-friend and the "numbing" activities that she is partaking in. It was Hollis' story that gave the book more emotional depth, and I really loved being there with her while she embarked on this healing journey.

I thought many of the secondary characters were fabulous. The four sperm-siblings were a force to be reckoned with when they started group chats/emails. Each sibling was given a distinct personality, but also had a little piece of each other in them.

JJ Rabinowitz, honorary sperm sibling. 

Then there was JJ. At first, I didn't quite understand JJ's role, but as I read on, I grew to love the big goof ball.  He added yet another perspective on this self-identity issue, as he did not know either of his biological parents. But, he was also a wonderful, supportive friend. He was there for Milo and encouraged him, but also served as the voice of reason when necessary (believe it or not). I thought his friendship with Hollis was adorable, and was glad that he was able to help her work through some of her issues.

I appreciated the way Friend incorporated the issues same sex families faced prior to the marriage equality act. It really broke my heart when both Hollis and Leigh related their stories. And, she contrast that with what Milo's moms had, as they were able to legally marry.

“A good and generous guy gave us some seeds so we could grow you!” The story sounded a lot like Jack and the Beanstalk: mysterious man, magic seeds. A fairy tale. 

Overall: a sweet and funny adventure of sperm-donor siblings trying to find their "dad" where they actually end up finding themselves and each other.

**I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book

Do you have any siblings?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: Beautiful Broken Girls - Kim Savage

Beautiful Broken Girls 
Kim Savage
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary,
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Reading Challenges: N/A

The quarry had absorbed the girls, delivering them to a place where they would remain untouched by hands, and unbroken by hearts. 

This book began with the discovery of the Cillo sisters' bodies tangled together at the bottom of the quarry lake, and Ben in a state of denial about their death. Before the sisters excommunicated themselves from society, Ben had had a relationship with Mira Cillo, and now she was reaching out to him from beyond the grave with a series of letters. There were seven letters hidden in locations associated with the seven places Ben touched Mira - Palm, Hair, Chest, Cheek, Lips, Throat, Heart. With the discovery of each letter, Ben came closer to uncovering what drove the sisters to their fate, but he also began to unravel as he worked through his grief of losing Mira (twice) and came to terms with his own painful past.

Was death a germ you could catch

This is my first Kim Savage book, and I found her writing quite beautiful. She perfectly captured the somber tone. This town was plagued by pain and loss. It was clearly conveyed with the backstory provided, as well as through each character's own story. It seemed like everyone in this town was in need of healing. And, YES! I will admit, when I started reading it, Virgin Suicides slipped right into my head. It had a similar aura with the strange, mysterious, tragic, beautiful sisters and their secret lives. It wasn't a bad thing. It was a different tempo for me, but I thought Savage pulled it off quite well. I was invested in this story, which I found more character driven than plot driven. I found myself reading on and on, because I wanted to know what led this girls to end their lives and I wanted to know if Ben was able to find any closure.

Here's what we learned: when you touch things, they can break. 

The story alternates between Ben's present as he is collecting the letters and trying to make sense of this tragedy, and the Cillo sisters' past, as we learn about the events that lead up to their deaths. I thought this construct was quite suited to the story. I enjoyed flipping back and forth with the story slowly unfolding. Savage led me on several different paths, but at one point, I was able to deduce what really happened before it was unveiled. I will admit, I like to work the puzzle pieces in the story, and was not disappointed in figuring it out prematurely. (In fact, I patted myself on the back)

Mira loved him for the damage inflicted on him, the kind of damage that her touch might heal

If you pressed me for one word to describe this story, I would say heartbreaking. As I previously mentioned, everyone seemed so broken, and the calamities just appeared to be piling up as we moved through this book. Then there was the entire concept of touch explored by Savage. There were physical touches (good and bad), there were mental touches, and then there was this spiritual touch. I found it compelling that the idea kept popping up, and enjoyed her examination of the concept.

"You broke us!" it shrieked. "Every single one of you broke us!"

Overall: A heartbreaking and emotional journey in discovering the truth about oneself and those they cared for.

**I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book

Do you enjoy books with broken characters?

Let us know in the comments!