A Heart in a Body in the World

The Bookworm says... Definitely! A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti is wonderful and meaningful and heartbreaking and everything in between. Annabelle Agnelli, after a flashback inducing moment at a fast food restaurant, takes off running. She vows to run from Seattle to Washington D.C., and in doing so, she becomes a "reluctant activist". She runs from the tragedy left behind in Seattle, she runs from the memory of the boy she remembers only as "The Taker", she runs from the stares of her classmates in the hallways, she runs from the girl she was before. Above all else, Annabelle runs. Her Grandpa Ed follows her in his RV on her 2,700 mile journey across the country, where Annabelle sleeps after long days filled with running and endless thinking. As she runs for days through stretches of farmland, her memories haunt her and threaten to beat her, but she keeps running. With the help of her ever supportive brother Malcolm and two friends Zach and Olivia, Annabelle's run begins to attract attention from across the country; she is met at state lines by cheering crowds and greeted with free dinners other gifts in countless towns. People are listening and people want to believe in Annabelle, but she struggles to believe in herself. Still weighed down with guilt and shame about what happened in Seattle, Annabelle attempts to face her new reality and her new future, all while running forward.

From the first chapter, the reader understands that Annabelle once experienced a great tragedy that left her deeply traumatized. Then you discover that it was in the recent past. Then, Annabelle starts running. For me, one of the most amazing parts of this book is the way that you are taken on Annabelle's journey just by reading; as she crosses the United States on foot, discovering more and more about herself, the reader learns more and more about the tragedy that set her running in the first place. Integrated throughout the story are important passages that highlight the unique dangers of being a woman in today's society, and the novel as a whole does an excellent job examining the long lasting repercussions of these unique dangers, and all violence against women. Caletti's writing is impeccable, both in content and in style. The story is crafted to perfection, and I became truly engrossed in each and every character. I laughed, I cried, I shook my head, and I filled with rage. This book will make you feel, but it will also make you contemplate some very serious, very important issues. An incredible read, through and through.

"She survived something big, and when you survive something big, you are always, always aware that next time you might not."

DISCLAIMER: Review is based on an uncorrected proof. On-sale date is September 18th, 2018.

Meet Cute

The Bookworm says... Maybe. Meet Cute is a lovely collection of short stories written by Jennifer Armentrout, Dhonielle Clayton, Katie Cotugno, Jocelyn Davies, Huntley Fitzpatrick, Nina LaCour, Emery Lord, Katharine McGee, Kass Morgan, Julie Murphy, Meredith Russo, Sara Shepard, Nicola Yoon, and Ibi Zoboi. Each short story is exactly what you would expect, based on the title- a meet cute. A "meet cute", as defined by Urban Dictionary, is a scene in which a future romantic couple meets for the first time. Each of the stories contained in this anthology is charming and wistful and makes you believe that love at first sight might really be possible. Days later I remained thinking about Aviva's statistics project and Blythe's mission. At the end of each story, I found myself frustrated that I had reached the end, because even after a short number of pages I was already rooting for the romance. This anthology is a light, feel-good summer read that will fill your heart with joy as you turn the pages on the beach; a collection of work from such talented authors would be hard pressed to disappoint.

"Your own age- you guess- but somehow younger- carefree, dead sure that the world is theirs to enjoy, with every intention of doing that." (From "Say Everything" by Huntley Fitzpatrick)


Previously reviewed by Nicola Yoon- Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also A Star

Notorious RBG (Young Readers' Edition)

The Bookworm says... Yes! Notorious RBG (Young Readers' Edition) by Iron Carmon and Shana Knizhnik is the "Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" intended for a young audience. The biography goes in depth, from Ginsburg's childhood, to law school, to her experience as a lawyer, all the way to her current position on the Supreme Court of the United States. Not only do the authors outline RBG's life and accomplishments with superb detail, they also include explanations of relevant victories in the women's rights movement throughout Ruth's life. There are cartoons, photographs, timelines, and other graphics scattered throughout the text in order to provide a more comprehensive account of an impressive law career for young readers. Another bonus feature that makes this edition much more conducive to a younger reader is the "Legal Terms in Plain English" glossary included at the end of the book. It defines terms such as "brief", "precedent", "recuse", and other legal jargon that may be unfamiliar to some young adults.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of my personal heroes, is a trailblazer for women not only in law, but in all professional and nonprofessional fields. She is inspirational, fierce, and one of the most badass women in the world. What other eighty five year old does twenty five pushups a day? Especially while serving on the SCOTUS?

I am thankful that her story has been made accessible to younger readers, especially young women. It is important for young women and girls to see women in positions of authority in order to understand that they too can rise to a position of that level. When we see people like us succeeding, we allow ourselves to believe that we can succeed. I hope that some young girl reads this book and realizes that she really can be whatever she wants to be, even if it involves taking on a role no other woman has taken on. After all, we have to have a female president eventually, and someone will have to be first.

"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."

Between The World And Me

The Bookworm says... Yes. Between The World And Me  by Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of the most brilliant pieces of literature I have read in some time. Coates, in an open letter to his fifteen-year-old son Samori, examines the concept and history of race in America. In a thorough examination of events both during his lifetime and before, including the lives and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, his own time at Howard University, and the deaths of Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, and of other black men near and dear to his heart, Coates presents a detailed analysis of the systemic oppression and destruction of black bodies throughout American history. He constantly poses questions, some rhetorical, and some that he goes on to answer through research and experience. Coates admits multiple times that he does not know the answers to many of the questions he has to ask, nor the answers to those that his son may go on to ask; however, he still leaves his son with some of the most poignant advice one could give.

Coates writes this short, magnificent collection of essays full of powerful advice as an open letter to his son, but this advice will guide all young people and adults in their understanding of race and racism in America. Those who experience racism firsthand and those who merely observe can benefit from reading Between The World And Me- as Coates writes, "The Dreamers will have to learn to struggle themselves, to understand that the field for their Dream, the stage where they have painted themselves white, is the deathbed of us all". Perhaps this can be the first step. 

"And so there was, all about her, a knowledge of cosmic injustices, the same knowledge I'd glimpsed all those years ago watching my father reach for his belt, watching the suburban dispatches in my living room, watching the golden-haired boys with their toy trucks and football cards, and dimly perceiving the great barrier between the world and me". 

Bad Girls With Perfect Faces

The Bookworm says... Yes! Bad Girls With Perfect Faces by Lynn Weingarten is twisted and sick in all the right ways.When Xavier dumps his cheating girlfriend, Ivy, Sasha is relieved that her best friend has finally seen the light; however, a few short weeks later, Ivy and Xavier are back together. Sasha feels the need to protect Xavier, whether it be out of platonic or romantic concern, and creates a fake online persona to trick Ivy. As Sasha poses as the confident, mysterious Jake behind a screen and begins messaging Ivy, she hopes that Ivy will be distracted from Xavier and that he will somehow realize Ivy is unfaithful and untrustworthy. The more Sasha pretends to be Jake, and the more she talks to Ivy, the more she realizes she is digging herself into a hole she won't be able to escape from. 

Much like in her novel Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls, Lynn Weingarten creates a haunting plot line with twists and turns to keep even the most seasoned readers engaged. The most admirable quality of her writing is how genuine the stories are; all of her characters are real. Ivy is you, Sasha is me, Xavier is that boy who lives down the street... We can see ourselves in the characters, and as we watch them make wrong decision after wrong decision we wonder if we could ever do something like that. We wonder if we know ourselves as well as we think we do. When a book makes you question your moral standings, your character, your integrity, and your mental strength, you know the author is doing something right. How far would you go for someone you love? (If you think you know the answer to that question, read this book and then think again)

"When you are careening toward disaster, you never know it until it is way too late"

DISCLAIMER: Review is based on an advance uncorrected reader's proof. Tentative on-sale date is September 5th, 2017.

Previously reviewed by Lynn Weingarten: Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls

Words on Bathroom Walls

The Bookworm says... Yes! Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton follows a boy named Adam, who has schizophrenia. Adam begins a trial of a new drug that will ideally help him ignore his visions (such as Rebecca, Jason, and the Mob Boss, all of whom Adam sees and hears frequently), and it seems promising. Something else that seems promising is the prospect of a romantic relationship with Maya, a girl at his new school that he has become friendly with. His budding relationship with Maya makes Adam want to become someone he isn't- someone who doesn't struggle with seeing and hearing things that aren't really there. As his trial drug begins to fail, Adam does everything he can to make Maya believe that he is the "normal" guy she has grown to love.

Words on Bathroom Walls is composed completely in letters from Adam to his therapist, giving the whole narrative a much more personal tone. Against all odds, this book is hysterical, while also being touching and heartbreaking. Above all it is honest, both in terms of the experience of being a teenager and in terms of struggling for acceptance in the face of mental illness. From reading Words on Bathroom Walls, I am able to better understand my own struggles, and thereby the struggles of everyone around me (because, as Julia Walton reminds us, everyone struggles, whether they show it or not).

"If you can't trust your mind, trust your heart."

DISCLAIMER: Review is based on an uncorrected, advance proof. Tentative publication date is July 4th, 2017.

Reconstructing Amelia

The Bookworm says… Yes. A roller-coaster from beginning to end, Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight is a fantastic novel. Amelia Baron, sophomore at Grace Hall, is one of the top students and best athletes at the school and has a reputation as such. When her mother, Kate, a lawyer, receives a call at work saying Amelia has been suspended for cheating on an English paper, Kate is shocked; she’s even more surprised when she arrives at the school and her daughter is dead. She jumped off the roof- suicide. As a single mom dealing with the loss of her only child, weeks pass by and grieving still hasn’t gotten easier for Kate; neither has believing that her joyful, charismatic Amelia would commit suicide. When an anonymous text message encourages her suspicions, Kate devotes herself to finding out the truth about Amelia’s death, no matter what secrets of the past she digs up along the way.

Reconstructing Amelia is gripping, thrilling, hysterical, and heart-breaking, all at the same time. It’s the struggle of a woman to thrive in a professional environment dominated by men. It’s the toils of raising a child as a single mother. It’s the relationship between a teenage girl and her hardworking, often absent mother. It’s the pressure to fit in, to blend in, to be cool. It’s the desperate frenzy to learn the truth about those you love. Kimberly McCreight expertly develops characters that readers can connect to and sympathize with, making the ending especially unpredictable. I was kept guessing the whole time, reading along as love and jealousy took hearts hostage. I literally could not put it down and did in fact bring it with me to the gym to read while I was working out. For fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, or Shiny Broken Pieces, add this to your list.

“Sometimes I could barely feel my own heart beating beneath the weight of my hyperactive brain.”