Literate Girl in an Illiterate World

Dumplin'  By: Julie Murphy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 100% Teen Book  371 pages Blurb: Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . .  until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo,  hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she  is  surprised when he seems to like her back.   Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twi...

Everything, Everything  By: Nicola Yoon ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 100% out of 100 Teen Book  Blurb: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world.   I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.  But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster. What I Thought: ☀ I liked the tone of the story. I liked how this story was told.  I liked the narrative and the general concept of the story. ☀ I liked the ...

Interview with Author of Dream Things True, Marie Marquardt.  Veronica:  What keeps you motivated to write? Marie: I am motivated by the stories I’m telling. I want very much for people to have the chance to get to know the people I write about, because I think that they – and their stories – are incredibly important. It’s been an honor to be friends with so many of the real-life people that are the inspiration for my fictional characters. I want to do right by them. Veronica: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Marie: Probably somewhere around the fourth or fifth set of revisions for Dream Things True. I decided that if I’m willing to work this hard to get a book out into the world, that must mean I want to be a writer! Veronica: What is your editing process like? Marie: I am so fortunate to have wonderful editors on my side. I have a fabulous critique partner, Mayra Cuevas, an extraordinary agent, Erin Harris, and the best editor ever, L...

Breakaway  By: Kat Spears ★ ★ ★ 70% out of 100 Teen Book  Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for a review with my honest opinion. This, however, does not change my views on the book in any way, shape, or form.  Blurb: When Jason Marshall's younger sister passes away, he knows he can count on his three best friends and soccer teammates―Mario, Jordie, and Chick―to be there for him. With a grief-crippled mother and a father who's not in the picture, he needs them more than ever. But when Mario starts hanging out with a rough group of friends and Jordie finally lands the girl of his dreams, Jason is left to fend for himself while maintaining a strained relationship with troubled and quiet Chick. Then Jason meets Raine, a girl he thinks is out of his league but who sees him for everything he wants to be, and he finds himself pulled between building a healthy and stable relationship with a girl he might be falling in lov...

AKA YET ANOTHER CUTESY BOOK How To Be Brave By: E. Katherine Kottaras  ★ ★ ★ ★ 85% out of 100 269 pages Disclaimer: I received a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion review. This, however does not change my opinion in any way, shape, or form. Blurb: Georgia has always lived life on the sidelines: uncomfortable with her weight, awkward, never been kissed, terrified of failing.  Then her mom dies and her world is turned upside down. But instead of getting lost in her pain, she decides to enjoy life while she still can by truly living for the first time. She makes a list of ways to be brave-all the things she's always wanted to do but has been too afraid to try:  learn to draw, try out for cheerleading, cut class, ask him out, kiss him, see what happens from there. But she's about to discover that life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But in the process, yo...