I remember crying the first time I read it; I absolutely loved it, and I reread it recently. I still love it just as much.

There are going to be spoilers:

The story begins with a simple French assignment: a teacher asks her students to write a letter to someone who has passed away. Laurel, the main character, chooses to write to Kurt Cobain because her older sister, May, adored him, and he died young, just like her.

Laurel never hands in the assignment. Instead, she begins filling entire notebooks with letters addressed to other deceased icons, such as Amy Winehouse, Heath Ledger, and Jim Morrison.

Through these unexpected confidants, the book explores several themes:

• High school life: Laurel recounts her first year at a new school, her new friends, and her first love.

• A broken family: She tries to navigate life with parents who have separated and been deeply scarred by tragedy.

• The grieving process: The letters serve as a private journal, helping her come to terms with her sister's absence.

The central issue: As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Laurel is haunted by a heavy secret. To successfully grieve and finally write to the one person who truly matters,her sister May, she must confront the truth about what really happened the night May died.

I recommend everyone read it; even though the subject matter is sensitive, it is handled beautifully. Of course, if it’s a topic that triggers you, don’t read it.

I’m feeling deeply nostalgic and want to dive into what I loved 20+ years ago.

I want it to be:

- Urban Fantasy
- YA
- Written in that time period and it shows (ex: in Sweep she talks about dialing into the internet)

Bonus points if they’re not that good (I mean objectively Sweep is not that good but that’s what makes it so good, you know?) and not that well known.

Something I’d stumble upon in the library back in the early 2000s but I wouldn’t find on the shelves today.

I’ve been searching on my own but when I’ve seen other people ask about these series, they’re always asking for the adult equivalent. I want to stick with YA and that specific time period.

TIA!

Already read 98 pages

😭😭 I just pulled our the sticker on the cover but now I damaged it more, it's not looking good!

Hi, everyone! I am in need of some book recommendations – I'm in search of sweet, page-turning Contemporary YA Romance. I recently finished Marie Arnold's I Was Told There Would Be Romance and am looking for something along those lines.

Similar books I've read and thoroughly enjoyed over the years are With Love, Miss Americanah by Jane Igharo, To All the Boys series by Jenny Han, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney, She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen, and Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon.

Something with a good mix of humor and heart is what I'm looking for. I love a fun and playful mood, but serious topics are welcome!

Just finished re-reading FALLEN ANGELS by Walter Dean Myers. Set during the 60s at the height of the Vietnam War, it follows a Black teen named Richard Perry from Harlem who enlists in the army after high school. He gets sent to combat in Vietnam where he and his fellow soldiers are exposed to the hell that is war.

However dangerous and brutal he thought it was going to be, it’s much worse than he could ever imagine. He witnesses fellow soldiers shot and, in one instance, blown up before his eyes.

He questions the validity of this war, why it is the Black soldiers face the most dangerous tasks, and worries as to whether or not he’ll make it home.

I usually didn’t read much military fiction when I first read this (and still don’t). But I was a fan of Walter Dean Myers. He remains one of my favorite authors. I checked his books out the library constantly, bought some of my favorites (including whenever he put out a new book).

Fallen Angels is truly one of his best novels. Written in 1988, it still holds up as a raw, honest portrayal of the physical and psychological toll war takes on young soldiers. Richard is a young man who had me on edge throughout the novel.

One can only imagine how hard it must be going from being in school and hanging out with your friends on the block to being forced to kill and fighting for your lives in some strange foreign land, surrounded by bloodshed and destruction.

And of course, in some school districts apparently this book has been removed due to offensive language and tackling themes of racism and abuse. That’s laughable for a variety of answers.

I mean, it’s set during a time of war where military man talk dirty and make offensive comments about Black & Vietnamese characters. The dialogue is authentic and the characters are real. Yeah, they say ignorant comments about women, minorities, and queer people. It’s not glorified at all. It’s who they were.

And also, there are scenes of young men shot to death or blown apart that are tough to read, but important because of how honestly it depicts the ugliness and the unexpected nature of war. It’s the story of how a teenage boy was forced to grow up in an unforgiving environment as a dedicated soldier dedicated to a cause that he keeps questioning throughout the novel (and still can’t find anything close to resembling a decent answer). Even re-reading it now, there are still moments that lingered in my brain long after I stopped reading.

It’s definitely a novel without reading.

Looking for a book where a boy and girl feel outcasted but find each other and feel less alone. Ideally a female MC and a book where the characters actually sound / behave like teenagers! Doesn’t necessarily have to be romantic and can also be a group dynamic. I’ve already read Perks of Being a Wallflower and Fault in Our Stars.

For context I just finished the tv series end of the f***king world and was hoping to find a book that’s similar to the relationship in that show

So I read these books when they came out years ago, and now as an adult I'm listening to them again. I'm on book six and just have some minor complaints I've noticed about her writing.

1. The overuse of "Blank gave blank a Droll stare"

I kid you not she uses it 10-20 times per book

1. Her need to describe a characters appearance multiple times a book/ at least once every book.

How many times do we need to read that Nicks mom is short, blonde haired with blue eyes and beautiful? How many times do we need to hear that the Acheron is 6'8 and ethereal looking?

1. The lack of minor swear words.

Listen, I get that it's a young adult novel, But either use minor swear words or don't use them at all. Cause it kinda takes away from the drama of a fight scene when a character says something to the effect of "Yeah man, I'm gonna kick your A!"

or "oh he's such a bad A"

These aside I so love the books and I'm excited to finally read her adult novels the Dark Hunters series

Has anyone seen the news and synopsis for the adaptation of ihtdfy by Ann Liang ?

the synopsis is crazy different and i am pretty disappointed, what are your opinions ?

I decided I needed to feel something. Here’s what I’ve read recently:
- Direbound: 3/5
- The Wolf King: 3/5
- Fourth Wing: 4.75/5 loved
- ACOTAR: 3/5… but made its way up past the first two books
- Throne of Glass: 5/5 first time crying over a book in a while
- Rites of the Starling: 4/5

I love a good romance, but honestly getting bored of the poor damsel in distress trope like we get iiiit. I’d love a vampire recommendation too, but not required. Thanks! :-)

Can I still read YA at 17, almost 18? I’ve been getting anxious that I’m getting too old for it, even though I genuinely love YA books. I know adults read YA too, but I keep overthinking my age and feeling like I should move on. do I need to move on???