You're Welcome, Universe

The Bookworm says... Definitely. You're Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner is a debut novel that is sure to have an excellent reaction from YA readers everywhere. Julia is a sixteen year-old Indian American girl who attends the Kingston School for the Deaf. And yes, she is Deaf. When a sexist slur degrading her best friend appears on the wall behind the gym, Julia paints a graffiti mural over it. Her supposed best friend rats her out, and Julia is expelled from Kingston School. Forced to integrate into a mainstream public high school with the help of an interpreter, Julia is lonely and treated like an outcast. She takes to painting anywhere she can get away with-street signs, scoreboards, overpasses- desperate to make her mark through her art. After someone starts adding their own touch to her pieces, Julia retaliates. She unknowingly gets herself into a small-scale tagging war, and she's willing to risk everything to show her rival what she's made of- she won't  let some small town vandal take away the one thing she truly understands. 

There are so many reasons that I love this book as much as I do. First of all, it is a shining example of the diversity we need in YA: a Deaf Indian-American girl with two moms living in New York. What's not to love about that? When I initially heard the premise of the story, I was excited by the potential but also scared by how bad that could go very quickly. That being said, I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. I love the way Gardner explores Deaf culture- insightful and educational. I feel like I learned a lot about Deaf culture while reading this. Throughout the whole novel there is betrayal, romance, jealousy, disappointment, and fear, all of which (as a high school student) I struggle with weekly. My only negative comment is the derogatory use of the "r-word". That is something I can never get behind, no matter what. To quote the Goodreads page for the book, "A vibrant, edgy, fresh new YA voice for fans of More Happy Than Not and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, packed with interior graffiti." Also perfect for those that enjoyed I'll Give You the Sun. Fans of Adam Silvera, Becky Albertalli, and Jandy Nelson, come running! 

"How do I explain the rules of a game that has no rules?"

DISCLAIMER: Review is based on uncorrected advance proofs bound for review purposes. Tentative publication date is March 7, 2017. 

*****EDIT 8/18/16 5:54 PM: The "r-word" will not appear in the hardcover version of the book when it is published. Looks like I have nothing negative to say about You're Welcome, Universe :)

The Smell of Other People's Houses

The Bookworm says... Absolutely! The Smell of Other People's Houses is an outstanding debut novel for Alaska Native Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock. Ruth, Alyce, Dora, and Hank are all faced with very different situations that similarly challenge their wit, ability to survive, and overall strength and perseverance. Their lives intertwine as they all try to deal with what they were given. Who could have guessed that four teenagers, a secret, a passion for dance, a need to escape your roots, and a plot to run away from home could draw four people together and provide such unlikely success for each individual.

The Smell of Other People's Houses is new, fresh, different, and brilliant in more ways than I can count. Set in Alaska in the 1970's on the verge of entering statehood, the novel doesn't appear to be something modern young adults could relate to. That observation, however, is immediately disproved upon reading the first chapter. The writing style is incredible- Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock is a voice that has been sorely needed in the world of young adult literature. The manner in which she brought together all of the characters in her novel was beautiful, and I was left speechless upon turning the final page. With a beautiful cover, intriguing name, and an exquisite plot, everything about this book screams, "READ ME!

"We don't have to be blood to be family."