Review of Ever Since, by Alena Bruzas

Contemporary, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Ever Since

by Alena Bruzas

Rocky Pond Books (Penguin Random House), 2023. 277 pages.
Review written July 13, 2023, from a book sent to me by the publisher.
Starred Review

This book isn’t exactly pleasant reading, but it is powerful, and it made me care deeply about characters I didn’t even like at first.

The book has a short Content Note at the front: “Please be advised that this book contains depictions of sexual assault, CSA, and suicidal ideation.” So that gives you an idea of what you’re in for.

But the book begins with five teenage girls, all good friends, who are happily looking forward to the summer. I like the first paragraph:

Once there were five princesses. No, I mean five witches. Actually, they were goddesses. Anyway, whatever they were, they were friends.

This opening foreshadows the senior project Virginia’s going to start thinking about this summer, looking into the story of Medea. Which echoes her own story.

The book begins with a road trip out to the coast. Virginia is our viewpoint character. Poppy and Thalia and Paz and Ro are the friends along with her, and there are plenty to meet them at the coast, including Thalia’s boyfriend Edison and Poppy’s boyfriend Rumi.

But something’s up with Virginia and Edison…. She thinks Thalia doesn’t know yet and maybe she can stop, but Edison calls her over away from the crowd….

And then the next day Poppy disappears. She doesn’t turn up for her job coaching soccer. She doesn’t answer calls or texts. Poppy’s house was the only place where Virginia felt safe at night. And then she starts getting close to Rumi. But she can’t betray Poppy, too. But it feels like Rumi actually sees her.

So by this time, I wasn’t crazy about Virginia. But as we see her go through the summer, we get strong hints that there’s something going on under the surface. And we begin to care deeply. And things build up and something with Rumi’s little sister triggers a whole lot of trauma – and I don’t want to say any more, because the author does a great job of weaving this story together so that the revelations aren’t exactly a surprise for what they are – but they’re definitely a surprise about who is involved. And it’s told in such a way that you come to better understand Virginia’s behavior all along – that since she was deprived of consent as a young child, she no longer really understands that she’s allowed to withhold consent. (And that’s a much more simplistic way of putting it than the book gives.)

Like I said, it’s not a pleasant book. But it has a wonderful, I-wish-it-weren’t-necessary message. And makes you care about this girl you might have condemned. So wow. Just read it already.

alenabruzas.com
PenguinTeen.com

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Review of This Book Won’t Burn, by Samira Ahmed

Audiobooks, Contemporary, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

This Book Won’t Burn

by Samira Ahmed
read by Kausar Mohammed

Hachette Audio, 2024. 10 hours, 23 minutes.
Review written July 29, 2025, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review

I loved this audiobook so much! I’d been meaning to read it pretty much since it came out, so when it accumulated enough NotifyMe tags in Libby to order for the library, I placed a hold – and I was completely charmed. (Yes, it’s gotten to where I am more likely to read audiobooks than print books. This is a drastic change.)

It’s the story of Noor Khan, a senior in high school. She’s just gotten an acceptance to the University of Chicago, close to home. The book begins on the day her life fell apart, when her father left their family – including her mother and younger sister. He left the house and never came back. Later, they found a note in his briefcase saying he couldn’t do this any more. Noor even references Vikki Stark’s work on Runaway Husbands, so I related to that part all too much, but Noor was somewhat resentful that the website focuses on the wives who get left suddenly – when it also includes the children.

A few months later, Noor is facing the last quarter of her senior year at a new school in small-town Illinois, where her mother moved them to give them all a new start. Noor’s not happy about that.

But she does make friends quickly. The one Desi guy in the school volunteered to give her a tour, and she quickly makes friends with his lesbian friend. And then a cute white boy makes overtures.

However, when Noor gets to the library, she sees the librarian pulling books off the shelves because of a new school board policy that one challenge from the public gets books removed until they can be “reviewed.” The next day, Noor wears an “I Read Banned Books” t-shirt, which gets her called into the principal’s office.

When some of the books being banned show up in Noor’s locker, she decides to read them aloud in the park across the street during lunch. But then the principal retaliates by taking the privilege of going off campus for lunch away from juniors and seniors, letting everyone know she’s to blame.

Meanwhile, Noor’s mother, who together with her father taught Noor that silence is defeat, is upset with Noor for making waves in their new town. And she’s confused about her feelings for the two guys in her life. As Noor stands up for the freedom to read, she gets more and more pushback and even violence.

As a librarian, I found this book completely realistic and completely timely. The situations were pulled directly from current headlines. Yay for standing up for free speech and our Constitutional rights! I also appreciated the call-out of many excellent books that are widely banned by groups such as Moms for Liberty. (The book called them “Liberty Moms,” but I know the real-life group.) It showed their hypocrisy in trying to “protect” kids from books by excluding books by diverse authors.

So the cause, of course is wonderful. But the story was wonderful, too. I related to Noor’s pain from being abandoned by her father, her difficulties in her relationship with her mom, and enjoyed reading about her setbacks and triumphs with her new friends. This one doesn’t even have an kisses, but there are a couple of sweet romances going on, and the conflict between Noor’s head and heart at times was portrayed in a completely relatable way. Listening to this book had me smiling all day.

samiraahmed.com

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Review of Catfish Rolling, by Clara Kumagai, read by Susan Momoko-Hingley

Audiobooks, Science Fiction, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Catfish Rolling

by Clara Kumagai
read by Susan Momoko-Hingley

Clipper Audiobooks, 2023. 9 hours, 17 minutes.
Review written October 19, 2023, from a library eaudiobook

Catfish Rolling is an intriguing speculative fiction debut novel set in Japan after a series of earthquakes that also were timequakes.

Sora and her parents were visiting family in Japan from Vancouver when the first timequake hit years ago. They lost her mother in one of the zones where time was faster or slower and stayed in Japan to try to find her. Sora’s father is a scientist and made his career out of studying the time anomalies, but now he often seems confused, and traveling into the time-disrupted zones can’t be good for him.

That doesn’t stop Sora from traveling there herself to keep looking for her mother. Can people survive there? Sometimes she sees shadows. After graduating from high school, she sticks around their village to watch over her father but also to keep searching herself. She’s better than anyone at feeling the difference in the rate of time flow in the zones, and starts a black market business of taking people into the zones.

Now, I got hung up on some of the details occasionally. Seasons are caused by the tilt of the earth’s axis. So how could there be a zone on the same planet where in one place it’s Spring while nearby it’s Winter? They’re all on the same planet.

But Clara Kumagai’s skill was such that most of the time I could suspend my disbelief as Sora and her father took a scientific approach to the zones, trying to learn how they worked. They approached it as a serious scientific phenomenon, so as a reader it was easy to go along with that.

This book was engaging and fascinating, looked at as a dangerous scientific phenomenon that was hard to understand. So it’s a speculative fiction book about dealing with the unknown, but all bound up in grief and risk. I am looking forward to seeing more from this author.

clarakumagai.com

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Review of Under the Same Stars, by Libba Bray

Audiobooks, Historical, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Under the Same Stars

by Libba Bray
read by January LaVoy, Jeremy Carlisle Parker, and Major Curda

Macmillan Young Listeners, 2025. 16 hours, 31 minutes.
Review written June 10, 2025, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review

Under the Same Stars is a skillfully crafted historical novel about resistors in three time periods – 1941 Germany resistance, 1980s divided Berlin punk bands, and the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement. As the three stories progress, we learn that the stories are intertwined and there are returning characters.

One of those returning characters shows up early – the Bridegroom’s Oak, a tree in the forest outside Kleinwald Germany known for its magical matchmaking powers. We’ve also got a fairy tale about the tree, with forest magic woven through the tales.

Dear friends Sophie and Hanna start out by sending their own letters through the tree – which makes a cover for later using the tree to pass along forged documents to rescue people from Nazi Germany.

In 1980s West Berlin, Jenny, the young daughter of a diplomat isn’t at all happy about spending her summer away from her friends in Dallas. But when taking pictures of the city, she meets some punks and starts playing with their all-girl band, behind her parents’ back. And then she starts falling in love with her band mate, which would also horrify her parents. This girl is originally from East Berlin, and Jenny learns that the band’s music is an act of resistance.

And then in 2020, Miles is in isolation while one of his mothers got stuck overseas and the other is working around the clock in a New York City hospital. When his friend Chloe – who hadn’t been speaking to him – gets in touch, he starts working on the mystery of her grandmother’s partial story about a magical tree. Thinking about resistance helps him break out of isolation when the Black Lives Matter protests start up.

As usual, my summary doesn’t convey how well these stories are interwoven and the strong message that resistance is a loving and hopeful act. It’s something you do not for yourself, but because you have hope of a better world. It also conveys the message that the need for resistance is unfortunately very common.

I wish that message weren’t as timely as it is.

Even without the powerful message, this is a set of three gripping stories of folks who put their lives on the line.

libbabray.com

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Review of Beauty Reborn, by Elizabeth Lowham

Fantasy, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Beauty Reborn

by Elizabeth Lowham

Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2023. 200 pages.
Review written June 27, 2023, from a library book.
Starred Review

This is a sweet retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It reminded me a little more of the Disney version than of the original fairy tale, since there’s a library in the castle and a Gaston-like villain and a scene with wolves in the forest. But I always love retellings of this story, and this was no exception.

In this version, the villain raped Beauty before she went to the castle. She feels like it was her own fault because she’d been in love with him. But when she said No, he got angry, and ended up taking what he wanted. Beauty took her father’s place at the castle, almost hoping the Beast would finish her.

But then… I like the way the relationship between Beauty and Beast develops, with him at first afraid to let her see him, and Beauty at first getting triggered by any touch. I love the way the others in the story, beginning with Beast, do not turn from her in disgust (as she expects) when they find out what happened to her.

I’m still a bigger fan of Robin McKinley’s two retellings, Beauty and Rose Daughter, but you simply can’t have too many retellings! I loved what this one brought to the story as to why the hero became a Beast – and I like the resolution at the end. This was a love story I could believe in and got completely behind.

This book has no sex scenes, despite Beauty having triggers because of the previous rape. This is refreshing – I’m starting to feel like sex scenes are obligatory in YA novels – and makes the book extra nice for younger teens or for older teens who don’t actually want sex scenes in everything they read. I hope I don’t sound judgmental! I mostly enjoy the sexy YA novels. But it was nice to read a solid YA romance set in medieval times that realistically had them waiting for the wedding (as they most likely would have done in medieval times). This is one that I could believe the two fell in love with each other and that they will indeed live happily ever after.

elizabethlowham.com

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Review of Always the Almost, by Edward Underhill

Contemporary, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Always the Almost

by Edward Underhill

Wednesday Books, 2023. 307 pages.
Review written July 21, 2023, from my own copy, sent by the publisher.
Starred Review

Always the Almost is a sweet teen romance about a gay trans boy during his senior year of high school. He came out as male last year, changing his name from Melissa to Miles, and his long-time boyfriend broke up with him soon after. If only Miles can show Shane that he’s still the same person inside, maybe he can win back his heart.

The title refers to Miles’ habit of coming second place in the big annual Tri-State Piano Competition. For years, he’s come in second place to Cameron Hart. This year, Miles’ teacher says he needs a new teacher to help him do his best in this his last chance to win. The new piano teacher, instead of working on technique, asks Miles questions about who he is and what his competition piece means to him – questions that Miles is only beginning to know how to answer.

But while Shane isn’t paying much attention to Miles, there’s a new kid at their high school who is. Eric immediately asks his pronouns and seems to see Miles for who he is. Maybe he can help get over Shane? Meanwhile, Miles’ long-time best friends, Rachel and Paige, have started dating each other, which is great when everyone is happy. But makes Miles miss being part of a couple.

The story is wrapped up in the piano competition, and I love the way Miles deepening his understanding of the Tchaikovsky piece also deepens his understanding of his own identity, and that’s explained on the page in a way we can understand it, even without hearing the music. (I’d love to hear this in an audiobook with classical music accompaniment!) Miles and his friends make some mistakes along the way, but they’re very human and understandable mistakes, and the reader feels for both sides. The relationship between Miles and Eric is portrayed with plenty of authenticity, and we feel for what it might be like for someone just beginning to show the world who they truly are also try to show one person more deeply who they truly are.

This sweet trans romance didn’t strike any wrong notes. Reading it left me with a smile.

edward-underhill.com
wednesdaybooks.com

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Review of The Deep Dark, by Molly Knox Ostertag

Award Winners, Graphic Novel, Paranormal, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

The Deep Dark

by Molly Knox Ostertag

Graphix (Scholastic), 2024. 478 pages.
Review written February 18, 2025, from a library book.
Starred Review
2025 Printz Honor Book

This graphic novel is the story of Magdalena, a teen graduating from high school and living in a desert town in California. Mags has secrets, and she doesn’t let anyone get close. Her main secret is behind the trapdoor to the basement, but she keeps it closed when anyone is around. She takes care of her Abuela, works at the fast food place, and sometimes hooks up with a girl who’s cheating on her boyfriend. That suits Mags fine, since this girl doesn’t ask questions or ask for a commitment.

And then Nessa comes back. Nessa lived in town when they were kids, and Mags was the first person she told that she was a girl. Now she’s fully transitioned, and beautiful – and she has some memories about the basement in Mags’ house that she wants to clear up.

So Mags is pulled to Nessa – but that goes against everything she’s ever been told to do or even feels like she deserves.

There are plenty of metaphors to this powerful paranormal story. Funny how it’s so easy to see that a character is deserving of love, isn’t it? You’ll feel honored to travel this journey of self-acceptance with Mags.

mollyostertag.com
scholastic.com

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Review of A Bright Heart, by Kate Chenli

Fantasy, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

A Bright Heart

by Kate Chenli

Union Square & Co., October 17, 2023. 331 pages.
Review written May 29, 2023, from an advance reader copy sent by the publisher.
Starred Review

As this book opens, Mingshin is being tortured and killed by her betrothed, Prince Ren, the man she funded and strategized with so he would become king. He tells her that he will marry her cousin, the one he always loved anyway, and no king would marry a commoner like her.

But as she lies dying, she begs heaven for a second chance – and something happens. She wakes up two years earlier, before she met Ren, soon after they moved to the capital city and the king announced that there would be a competition among his sons as to who would succeed him.

Now Mingshin knows that Prince Ren, as well as her uncle and cousin, cannot be trusted. Can she save her mother from her terrible death in the other timeline as well as their loyal servants and protectors? Can she keep the fortune they inherited from her father? And more importantly, can she keep the cruel Ren from winning the throne and stay alive?

But after being so horribly betrayed, when Prince Jieh shows an interest in Mingshin, she is afraid to trust him, either. After all, no royal would truly be interested in a commoner, would he? And when things start happening differently in this timeline, she’s not sure what course to take.

There’s magic involved in this story, and how it works is a bit murky at times, but we find out along with Mingshin, so that didn’t bother me too much. I like her cleverness and her determination to set things right.

Although this book comes to a resolution, there are many ongoing details, so I will look forward to the continuation of this story. A strong debut novel, with promise of more to come.

katechenli.com
unionsquareandco.com

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Review of Star Splitter, by Matthew J. Kirby

Science Fiction, Teen Fiction Review 0

Star Splitter

by Matthew J. Kirby
read by Jennifer Jill Araya and Cory Myler

Listening Library, 2023. 10 hours, 37 minutes.
Review written December 20, 2023, from a library eaudiobook.

I love the premise of this young adult science fiction story: In the future, humankind has figured out how to teleport to distant stars — by leaving our bodies behind. Specifically, they scan your “reference body” with a laser that destroys it at the same time. Then they send all your data — your consciousness and memories, along with all the specs of your physical body — and print you a new body in a distant location. This is a scary concept, and they have counselors and liaisons to help people adjust to the idea. Fortunately, the technology is wonderfully reliable and nothing ever goes wrong in transport. (There’s a set-up for you!)

As the book opens, one of the liaisons is thinking about a girl he prepared for teleportation named Jessica. She was the first person to ask if it hurts her reference body. She wasn’t happy that her parents had decided to send for her at their new assignment exploring a planet with a large volcano that had wiped out any previous life. They’d left Jessica behind six years ago, and now she’d rather be with her friends.

Next we see Jessica waking up on the alien planet, and something is very wrong. She’s in a body printer in a landing craft of the ship she was supposed to teleport to. The lander has crash-landed on the alien planet, and the first person she sees is — herself. For some unknown reason, the Jessica who teleported to the ship has printed another copy of herself with the data that got sent a few weeks before. (Something that’s definitely not supposed to ever happen.) Now they are the only two (one?) people on the planet.

So there’s a survival situation — they need to get to the habitat where their parents were supposed to be stationed and let the space agency know about the disaster and the people who died. Meanwhile, interspersed with the chapters on the planet, we get the story of what happened when the first version of Jessica teleported to the spaceship as planned.

I love the premise. And there’s some nice exploration about whether they will even get rescued or if the powers-that-be will simply print a new body for them back on earth. And how they feel about that. And which one of them? And if they use the earlier scan, what will happen to them?

The execution of the premise, for me, had some bumps in spots. Some of the things that went wrong and caused the disaster weren’t adequately explained, in my view. Some of the things they discovered on the alien planet were a little out there.

However, the way it was presented ratcheted up the suspense all the way, as you’re dying to know what actually happened and what choices they’ll make next.

The book reminded me of Neal Shusterman’s Scythe trilogy, because as with that series, death isn’t permanent, because they can fix you up with a new body and your old data. This would have taken place when the technology isn’t quite as developed, though, and people are still getting used to the idea that what makes you the person you are is not your reference body, but the data inside it.

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Review of Brownstone, by Samuel Teer & Mar Julia

Contemporary, Graphic Novel, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Brownstone

by Samuel Teer & Mar Julia

Versify (HarperCollins), 2024. 318 pages.
Review written February 18, 2025, from a library book.
Starred Review
2025 Printz Award Winner
2025 Cybils Award Winner, Young Adult Graphic Novels

Brownstone is a graphic novel about an almost-fifteen-year-old girl named Almudena sent to spend the summer in New York City with the Guatemalan father she’s never met while her dancer mother does a European tour.

Almudena’s not happy about it. Her father doesn’t speak much English, and she doesn’t speak much Spanish. So the neighbor lady comes over to translate. Almudena’s not sure how she feels about that. The address is a brownstone that looks beautiful on the outside – but on the inside, her father is in the midst of renovating it.

This is a story of Almudena getting to know the neighborhood and the neighbors and learning about her Guatemalan heritage. She also bumps against some prejudice when she befriends a lesbian who runs the local bodega, and learns about gentrification when some of those neighbors have to move because of rising rent.

It’s all lovingly told, and I enjoyed getting to know Almudena’s new family, too.

We end up with social commentary in readable, interesting graphic novel form.

marjulia.com

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