Can you believe how fast June went? With another month comes another wrap-up! I had a great reading month in June, despite picking up the worst book of my year so far. I also picked up some great ones though. Without further ado, here’s every book I read last month!
1. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
One sentence summary: Aspiring chef Emoni struggles with normal senior year things--applying to college, fundraising for a study abroad trip, boys--while parenting a two year old.
Genre: YA Contemporary
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I absolutely adored this book. I picked it up because I loved The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, and this one is also narrated by her. With the Fire on High is not written in poetry the way that her debut is, but it still has a lyrical beauty to its prose. Acevedo is a master at weaving plot, character, and worldbuilding to create a fantastic and riveting story from page 1.
One thing I love about this book is the main character, Emoni, and how realistic her story was without being mundane. She’s an afro-latina girl living in Philly (yee!) and raising her daughter with the help of her grandmother. As someone who also lives and works in Philly, her story felt so real, and not just because of the Eagles references. It was a story that we often don’t get to hear in YA books. Emoni is a teen mother, but it's not the tale of becoming one; this is the story of what happens after, of raising a daughter as a young woman who is trying to figure out her own life. I thought it was a really empowering story for young adults, and I highly recommend for anyone who wants a great summer read full of beautiful writing and fascinating, lovable characters.
2. Supergirl: Being Super by Mariko Tamaki and Joelle Jones
One sentence summary: The origin story of Supergirl, an alien sent to earth coming to terms with the powers she's hidden her whole life.
Genre: YA Superhero Graphic Novel
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I picked up this graphic novel at BookCon since I love the CW show, Supergirl. This book shows the teen version of Kara, as she learns more about where she came from and how she can use her powers for good. I liked this story a lot, as it felt really modern without going over the top depicting today's teens. The visuals were also stunning. My only beef with the story is how short it was, even though it had the potential to continue on in really interesting ways. There were some things that weren’t fully wrapped up that left me with hope that more will come...but I doubt it will. Anyway, if you want a teenage Supergirl origin story, I recommend this one!
3. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
One sentence summary: A girl with a touch that can kill is freed from prison, only to be trapped by a ruthless military leader who wants to use her powers for warfare.
Genre: YA SciFi Dystopian
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book gave me a lot of feels but it’s not what I would call...good. It’s one of those trashy YA novels that I just live for. The writing is incredibly angsty, the characters fall into so many romance tropes, and the world is interesting enough but not extremely unique. Still, I absolutely loved this book. It was so fun, and I loved the audiobook narrator who brought a lot to the story. This is definitely more romance-heavy and character-driven, so if you’re looking for a great trashy romance with some X-men vibes, I recommend this one!
4. Parting Shadows by Kate Sheeran Swed
One sentence summary: A broken-hearted AI trains an orphan girl to be an assassin in order to exact revenge on the man who hurt her.
Genre: SciFi
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I honestly wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did. I was immediately drawn in by the characters and beautiful writing, and the twists of the plot kept me going. I couldn’t put this book down! Luckily, it’s on the shorter side, so I was able to breeze through it in a sitting but whew was it a ride! I have a more in-depth review up on GoodReads here. Check it out for more thoughts. But to summarize: YOU NEED THIS BOOK.
5. Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerrera, and Jose Marzan Jr.
One sentence summary: After an unknown plague wipes out every man on earth, only one man and his monkey survives.
Genre: SciFi graphic novel
Rating: ⭐⭐
Hooo this book. I picked this one up at BookCon after hearing awesome things about it. It has generally the same premise as Woman World, which I read earlier this year and gave five stars. However, this book is different because...well, let’s just say it’s pretty clearly written by a white guy in the early 2000s. It was interesting enough as a story, and it kept me reading through to the end. I honestly can’t say I’m not interested enough to pick up the sequel or the TV show. But I do have some beef with the way the female survivors in this world were written. I know the premise itself is unrealistic, but I think it just veers a little too far into unrealistic in a way that makes it seem misogynist. I mean, if all men died, why do we need a man-hating cult hell-bent on murdering the last man alive? It added drama, sure, but I’m left wondering where the more interesting women are. The only likeable female characters are all in love with the main character, an extremely average and mildly chauvinist white boy. I just don’t get it.
I also want to say there’s trigger warning for transphobia and abelism, but not because there’s any good discussions about these things in a world without men. Because the characters use ableist and transphobic language as jokes. Just saying.
I don’t recommend this one. If you like the premise, I suggest you go with Woman World instead.
6. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
One sentence summary: Juliette learns more about the cost and power of her abilities. Sequel to Shatter Me.
Genre: YA SciFi Dystopian
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the sequel to Shatter Me, we get a lot more about the world while meeting new players in this story. I liked this book for those elements, but there were a few plot twists that just felt over the top. I enjoyed my experience for sure, but I also really hated some of the choices the author made. After finishing this book I genuinely didn’t know whether to give it two stars or four stars...a really strange dilemma to have. I didn’t want to give it three, because it didn’t leave me with a bland feeling like many others I rate three stars. I definitely had a LOT of emotions reading this. But this is the book where I start to see why people are so divided on this series. Some of the developments were just Corny with a capital C. But sometimes I like corny.
7. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
One sentence summary: After her friend becomes the victim of police brutality, Starr grapples with becoming an advocate for race issues in her community.
Genre: YA Contemporary
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everyone hypes up this book (I had to wait over 24 WEEKS for my hold to come up from the library) so I was a little nervous that it wouldn’t live up. However, I quickly fell in love with this story and Thomas’ writing. This book made me cry, laugh, and everything in between. It tackles even more than police brutality, including gentrification, mixed relationships, gang life, economic gaps, and other relevant race issues. It seamlessly weaves these things into Starr Carter’s life, without feeling like Thomas is bashing us over the head with these things. It felt so real, like the issues I see people in my own city deal with every single day. I honestly think this book could be required reading in most schools, if it isn’t already. I highly recommend this to all teens, and any adults who want to learn more about the Black Lives Matter movement.
8. Mera: Tidebreaker by Danielle Paige and Stephen Byrne
One sentence summary: In order to win recognition from her father, the king, Mera sets out to murder a foreign prince--who you know as Aquaman.
Genre: YA Superhero graphic novel
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The last book I picked up this month was another comic I grabbed at BookCon. I chose this one because I am a fan of Danielle Paige, and I loved the art in this novel. It was a beautiful book, and the story has a lot of my favorite tropes, including enemies-to-lovers. It’s a look at Mera, the princess who later becomes Aquaman’s love interest. I liked this look at a teen version of a woman who often gets her story put on the backburner in favor of the classic male hero. My only drawback with this book is how rushed it feels at times, since the format means they have to tell a full story in a shorter space. The characters and certain plot points don’t really feel as developed as they could be, but I still really enjoyed this reading experience and story overall. I recommend this to YA lovers who want to get more into superhero graphic novels!
June was a great month despite how quick it flew by, and I’m pretty pleased with my reads. If you’ve read any of these books, please feel free to comment and discuss with me! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Peace out, Grace K.