Boy21 – Matthew Quick

Boy21 by Matthew Quick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
Published: 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Sports, Romance, Death, Friendship, Crime

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REVIEW:

Never in a million years would I have seen that coming. Ever. I knew my reading of this book would be different, because while there are other YA Fiction authors who explore the themes Matthew Quick does, such as family death, loneliness or even crime, he explores them in such a unique way that I can’t help but be captivated… and befuddled.

Dragon Hoops – Gene Luen Yang

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
Published: March 17th, 2020
Publisher: First Second
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Basketball, High School, Social Issues, Family, Coming of Age

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REVIEW:

Gene Luen Yang does something so different with this graphic novel… and it works. It absolutely, amazingly works.

At first I thought this would be a memoir, but it’s not quite that. Then I thought it would shift its focus on one particular person (not the author) and follow them until the end, but it’s not that either.

Here to Stay – Sara Farizan

Here to Stay by Sara Farizan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Thomas Allen & Son
Published: September 18th, 2018
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Sports, Racism, LGBTQIA+, Romance, High School

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REVIEW:

99 percent of people who read this book on Goodreads enjoyed it. Isn’t that crazy and awesome? I shouldn’t be surprised, because this was a wonderfully-written and deeply-moving story, but the only other book I’m aware of that has the same percentage of enjoyment is Michelle Obama’s memoir.