Tag Archives: we need diverse books

Book Review: Tiny Pretty Things

Tiny Pretty ThingsTiny Pretty Things
by Sona Charaipotra , Dhonielle Clayton
Published by: Harper Teen
Form: Paperback
Big Themes: Ballet, competition, power, privilege, heart condition, eating disorder

Summary from Goodreads: 
Soon to be a Netflix TV show!

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.

From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Belles, Dhonielle Clayton, and the author of Symptoms of a Heartbreak, Sona Charaipotra.

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette’s desire to escape the shadow of her ballet-star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever.

When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

My thoughts:
Fast-paced and full of drama, this was hard to put down. This book explores what three different girls will do to get what they want most. The competitive world of ballet is a perfect backdrop for diving into heavy topics like power and privilege.

You’ll hate Bette, the reigning queen of ballet privilege and entitlement. Gigi will steal your heart with her kindness, dreams, and vulnerability. June is a tight-wrapped mystery on the verge of self-destruction. These three alternating perspectives are balanced and well-developed.

I hope the Netflix series keeps certain elements of the setting, like the dusty basement room with broken mirrors and the closet-sized room papered with photos and ballet pictures.

The drama and backstabbing is intense. The characters don’t hold back in their fight to get to the top of the ballet world. There are some wonderful layers of mystery that must have been difficult to plot with three different points-of-view.

HR sealofapprovalOverall: Highly recommend! Each character was well-developed, the ballet world was vivid, and the plot kept me guessing with twists and turns. These books will make an excellent Netflix series! Hughes Reviews Seal of Approval!

Book Review: From Twinkle, With Love

TwinkleFrom Twinkle, With Love
by Sandhya Menon
Published by: Simon Pulse
Form: Audiobook
Big Themes: Filmmaking, movies, popularity, falling in love

Summary from Goodreads: 
An aspiring teen filmmaker finds her voice and falls in love in this delightful romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi.

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy-a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man N begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

My thoughts:
I loved this book so much! Sandhya Menon’s love stories remind me of Stephanie Perkins’ books because they feature characters with passionate hobbies or interests. I loved Twinkle’s passion for storytelling through film and I loved that the male lead was so supportive of her dreams.

The book is structured where Twinkle writes to female directors she admires, and these kind of homages to film and movie-making are sprinkled throughout the book. Producing a film is a major plot point, and it was a lot of fun to root for Twinkle as she strives to direct her first film.

The romance is sweet and fun while also dealing with the authentic teen dilemma of wanting to be popular and noticed. There are strained friendships and plenty of drama, but the characters are all likable and relatable. You understood their motivations.

I thoroughly enjoyed both When Dimple Met Rishi as well as From Twinkle, With Love, so I’m definitely a fan of Sandhya Menon. I’ll be checking out her next book for sure!

HR sealofapprovalOverall: Highly recommend! A fun, feminist teen romance! Hughes Reviews Seal of Approval!

Book Review: Long Way Down

Long Way DownLong Way Down
by Jason Reynolds
Published by: Atheneum
Form: Audiobook
Big Themes: Murder, Revenge, Family, Gangs, Rules, Ghosts

Summary from Goodreads: 
A cannon. A strap.
A piece. A biscuit.
A burner. A heater.
A chopper. A gat.
A hammer
A tool
for RULE

Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he?

As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually used his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator?

Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.

And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.

My thoughts: I listened to Long Way Down on audiobook, but now I want to go back and read the book as well! This is a quick listen and a quick read. The audiobook is about two hours (including an interview with Jason Reynolds at the end.) This is a book in verse (which is part of the reason I want to read it after listening to it.) Jason Reynolds also does the narration, and he reads with the intended rhythm and cadence of what he wrote. But I’d love to really dive into his language because he uses some really lovely metaphors and imagery in his verse, which I see more clearly when I can see the words instead of just the audio.

Earlier this year I discussed the idea of books as windows and mirrors. This book was a window book for me in that it gave me insight into a world that I’m not familiar with. This story shows the challenges and culture that urban youth, particularly young black men, deal with in today’s world. Reading Will’s story and knowing it was the reality for many urban teens gave me empathy for the violence they witness, the intense emotions they work through, and the tough choices they must make.

The concept of this story was BRILLIANT. Similar to Dicken’s Christmas Carol, the main character is visited by ghosts of his past as he travels in an elevator. Each floor, a new ghostly visitor appears to him. The atmosphere and tension from this concept is perfection. As a writer, it’s one of those ideas that is so awesome, you wish you’d come up with it.

HR sealofapprovalOverall: A quick, emotional, masterfully written novel in verse. Highly recommend! Hughes Reviews Seal of Approval!

Books as Windows and Mirrors

Windows MirrorsA friend of mine introduced me to the idea of books as windows and mirrors. She introduces the idea to her students at the beginning of the school year as a way of discussing book selection.

A book that serves as a mirror is one that we see ourself in. These kinds of books can help us get a better understanding of who we are, what we value, and how we navigate the world.

For me, a mirror book would be about a white girl who loves books and words. A recent read that was a mirror book for me was A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. While reading that book, I posted something about how the book was “speaking to my heart” because the main character resonated so powerfully with how I see the world.

A book that is window allows you to view a world outside your own. These books are the kind that let you step into another person’s shoes, however briefly, and see the world as they see it. These books promote empathy and understanding for people and situations outside our own experience.

For me, a recent window book was The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This book allowed me to see and understand the world from a black teen’s perspective. The book gave me empathy and understanding for all that a black teen might be dealing with, from code-switching, to police brutality, to interracial relationships, and more.

As you set reading goals for the new year, I encourage you to think of books as windows and mirrors. We need mirror books to become more self-aware and understand ourselves.

But we also need window books. Oh boy, do we need window books. We need to push ourselves to better understand other perspectives. With the understanding and empathy that window books provide, perhaps we can create a world with more love, more peace, and more kindness.

And if you want to watch a great video on the power of reading and empathy, check out this gem from the channel Just Write: