Take me with you when you go, by David Levithan & Jennifer Niven

I have read plenty of books by both authors and was happy to learn they were co-writing one. They seem to have been friends for quite some time and it’s amazing when two (or more) authors craft a story together.
I feel the need to issue a trigger warning first: this story tackles abuse, so if this is something that might be sensitive for you, maybe pass this one.

This book is written as an email exchange between a brother and his older sister. Epistolary novels always had a special place in my heart and this one is no different. Modernized by the use of emails instead of pen & paper letters, this makes the story more believable, especially for a Young Adult audience…
The story of Bea and Ezra took me by surprise. Their family story is difficult, as their Mom has been dating an abusive man for a long time; however, contrary to most books dealing with this sensitive topic, the step-father is only violent towards the children. There is a twist I did not see coming. I won’t spoil it for you here but I was not expecting this turn of events that changes things for our protagonists. It was something I could relate to, which often creates a deeper bond between the characters and I. Tell me I’m not the only one feeling like this?

This is not an easy read, we (the readers) learn of the events as they are shared in the emails. This is how we both get their backstories and their current lives, away from each other for the first time.
I am often scared that the ending will just feel weird but this time, it seemed like the perfect way to finish the book. This is not a fairy tale, the characters go through a lot (both in the past and in the present, actually).
I loved some of the suportive ones as well, such as Ezra’s boyfriend, or even Franco.

If this is not a trigger, I highly suggest you pick up this book and give it a try. It was hard for me to put it down and even weeks after I finished it, my thoughts still go back to it now and then…

About the authors

David Levithan is known for his gay young male characters, showcasing their struggles and hopes in his stories. He published more than 20 books and has often co-written some.
Jennifer Niven writes about acceptance, about loss, about these difficult feelings and experiences that happen during the teenage years. She’s an advocate for mental health and is not shy to tackle this subject through her characters’ lives.
Both are award-winning celebrated authors in the Young Adult community. Some of their stories have been adaptated for tv or for movie theatres. Some of the most known adaptations include Nick & Norah’s infinite playlist, Naomy & Ely’s no-kiss list, Every Day, Lily & Dash for David Levithan. All the brigth places, from Jennifer Niven, is currently streaming on Netflix; she is also writing the script for Holding up the universe.

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Take Me with You When You Go Book Cover Take Me with You When You Go
David Levithan, Jennifer Niven
Young Adult Fiction
Knopf Books for Young Readers
2021
Hardcover
336

Ezra Ahern wakes up one day to find his older sister, Bea, gone. Ezra never expected to be left behind with their abusive stepfather and their neglectful mother. How is he supposed to navigate life without Bea? Bea Ahern already knew she needed to get as far away from home as possible. But a message in her inbox changes everything

The sky is everywhere, from Jandy Nelson

I first discovered Jandy Nelson through her book I’ll give you the sun. I fell in love with how she depicted her characters and all the feels it gave me.
So when I found out she had another published book, I could not pass reading it.

I noticed that sometimes, I read books that have a similar red thread, but not on purpose. Lately, I have been reading many books tackling the complex subject of grief.

My heart broke with this passage:

My sister will die over and over again for the rest of my life. Grief is forever. It doesn’t go away; it becomes a part of you, step for step, breath for breath. I will never stop grieving Bailey because I will never stop loving her. That’s just how it is. Grief and love are conjoined, you don’t get one without the other. All I can do is love her, and love the world, emulate her by living with daring and spirit and joy. 

I really resonated with how Jandy Nelson depicted grief. It’s not a feeling that diminishes with time. It comes and goes like waves you have no control over, nor any warning signs that exist to prevent drowning.
The love triangle was actually believable. I personally understand how Lennie can be torn between the boy who understands her grief (but who she should not get too closed to) and the boy who simply learns to know her and shares her deep passion for music. I am not a sucker for romance in general, but this story offered some really funny moments, as well as poetically hearbreaking ones.

There’s a movie adaptation

Jandy Nelson was the screenwriter for this adaptation, which is always a positive thing when a beloved book is becoming a movie or a tv show.
This is available on Apple tv, which is one of the streaming services I actually am not subscribed to. This means that unfortunately, I have not yet been able to watch the movie to give you my thoughts. However, the trailer looks rather promising!

About the author

Jandy Nelson is a self-proclaimed superstitious woman.
Jandy Nelson was a literary agent for many years. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and MFAs in Poetry and Children’s Writing from Brown University and Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is currently a full-time writer; she lives and writes in San Francisco, California.

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The Sky Is Everywhere Book Cover The Sky Is Everywhere
Jandy Nelson
Novel, Young Adult, Fiction
Puffin
2011-03
Paperback
275

Adrift after her sister Bailey's sudden death, Lennie finds herself torn between quiet, seductive Toby—Bailey's boyfriend who shares her grief—and Joe, the new boy in town who bursts with life and musical genius. Each offers Lennie something she desperately needs... though she knows if the two of them collide her whole world will explode.

Join Lennie on this heartbreaking and hilarious journey of profound sorrow and mad love, as she makes colossal mistakes and colossal discoveries, as she traipses through band rooms and forest bedrooms and ultimately right into your heart.

As much a celebration of love as a poignant portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often uproarious, and absolutely unforgettable.

Blackout, curated by Dhonielle Clayton

I love it when authors come together on a common project with a nice intention in mind.
Blackout was written in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. When I was a teen, I devoured books but never really found some that I could fully identify as the characters. Not that I did in this book, as I am not a teen anymore, but the Black representation is something important in my life. And these authors did it justice.
At first, I was a bit scared because of the romantic aspect of the stories. To be honest, romance can easily be too cute for my taste. However, I was pleasantly surprised: it was way beyond love between teens.

Blackout features six stories within one bigger storyline. All happening during one single night in New York City. It is not always clear how they fit with each other, but this actually made it good for me. Because nobody likes when things are too obvious in a book (or is it just me?). I appreciated the fact that each intertwined with the others. However, not all were as good.

  • I loved Angie Thomas’ “No Sleep ’til Brooklyn“. But I am biased as, so far, I am truly digging her style and her voice in general.
  • I liked “All the Great Love Stories… and Dust” from Dhonielle Clayton (who actually was the curator of this anthology). I never read anything by this author, so this was my introduction to her writing. I found this story very syrupy. The girl is in love with her long-time best friend and is trying to have the courage to tell him how she truly feels. The one thing I really was entertained by was their habits of betting with each other and how this tied the story in a way that was nice.
  • I need more from Nicola Yoon. Her Uber-ride story, “Seymour and Grace” was sweet but it sometimes fell into some clichés. However, the philosophical talks between the protagonists were a positive touch for me. It elevated the entire book (in my opinion) and did not make it as a young adult novella as the other stories. I am not sure it would happen like this in real life, without feeling a little creepy, but what do I know? 😉
  • In “Mask Off“, Nic Stone tackles what it’s like to be Black and also Gay. There is a stigma about being both in today’s age still and I truly enjoyed how the author wrote about it. There is a strong message in this story that I feel is important to think about. I was glad that some of it tackled claustrophobia as well, as this is something I struggle with.
  • The long walk” by Tiffany D. Jackson is like the red thread connecting all the different stories. It’s divided into several parts all throughout the anthology. I found it pretty nice to have a storyline coming in between the other ones, connecting them even more together.
  • The setting of “Made to fit” by Ashley Woodfolk in a senior home was refreshing. I liked the balance of the young main characters blended with the older residents. The family relationship was a nice touch. Of course, the instant-love part of it felt a bit too forced but it still worked out somehow.

More than just stories about young Black teens in love, this is an ode for the city of New York. I have not visited yet as I wrote this, but this book painted what feels like a true-to-life picture of it.

It’s being adapted for TV!

I just discovered that Blackout is becoming both a TV Show AND a movie, produced by the Obama’s production company. It is a deal with Netflix and from my understanding as I am writing this, some stories will be in the series while others will be in the movie. However, there is not much information about it yet.
There is plenty of potential in how these stories can be adapted for tv. So now, it’s just “wait and see” right now, I guess.

About the authors

“All six authors who contributed to Blackout during the pandemic have written for young people but felt passionate about this particular project because it removes the usual trauma attached to Black American love stories. The characters simply fall in love. […]
Blackout is not just a romance story, although there is plenty of that. It’s a love story to New York City, to being young and Black, to the darkness that hides us and can also set us free. As Clayton writes, “Some stories are better told in the dark.”” (Source: teenvogue.com)

I invite you to read this great interview of the authors from the Publisher Weekly website: “Blackout authors on centering black love

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Blackout Book Cover Blackout
Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon,
Young Adult Fiction
Quill Tree Books
22 June 2021
Hardcover
256

Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark. Beloved authors--Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon--celebrate the beauty of six couples and the unforgettable magic that can be found on a sweltering starry night in the city.

A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks... A first meeting. Long-time friends. Bitter exes. And maybe the beginning of something new. When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight.

Losing the light, by Andrea Dunlop

I don’t remember how I came across this book but I am very glad I did.
You may not know this about me but I spent my entire adolescence in Nantes, located in the west part of France. This is actually where most of my family actually still lives. This is very unusual to read a book set up where I know the places very well so it was a good surprise.
This is the story of Brooke, and there is a “now” and a “then“. Most of it is set in her past, as she is forced to recall the year she had to spend in France to study (yea, what a punishment, right?). Her University in the US sent Brooke in Nantes for an exchange program, where she became friend with a popular girl Sophie (whom she admired from afar). They entangle themselves in the rich and luxurious life of Alex and his cousin Véronique. Sophie is not who she seems, but aren’t they all more complex than what they seem?

I have to admit that the character Brooke often had me roll my eyes. She appeared to me as void of a personality of her own and kind of a sheep. Wanting to be loved so badly by Sophie and Alex. I understand though.
I loved how Andrea Dunlop incorporated part of the discussions in French, as it made it more believable in my eyes (and the French was perfect, by the way).
I don’t consider Nantes my home but it brought a feeling of “I wanna go back to my family and enjoy this city for a bit”, which was unexpected 🙂

About the author

Andrea Dunlop is the author of We Came Here to ForgetShe Regrets NothingLosing the Light, and Broken Bay.
She lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, where she works as a social media consultant.

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Losing the Light Book Cover Losing the Light
Andrea Dunlop
Fiction
Simon and Schuster
23 February 2016
336

When thirty-year-old Brooke Thompson unexpectedly runs into a man from her past, she’s plunged headlong into memories she’s long tried to forget about the year she spent in France following a disastrous affair with a professor.

As a newly arrived exchange student in the picturesque city of Nantes, young Brooke develops a deep and complicated friendship with Sophie, a fellow American and stunning blonde, whose golden girl façade hides a precarious emotional fragility. Sophie and Brooke soon become inseparable and find themselves intoxicated by their new surroundings—and each other.

But their lives are forever changed when they meet a sly, stylish French student, Veronique, and her impossibly sexy older cousin, Alex. The cousins draw Sophie and Brooke into an irresistible world of art, money, decadence, and ultimately, a disastrous love triangle that consumes them both. And of the two of them, only one will make it home. 

The Black Witch, from Laurie Forest

I was really excited about this book. I usually love anything that has a witch as the main character. And in this case: a witch without actual power? Count me in!
However… I was pissed at Elloren during more than 3/4 of the book (and this is a 600+ page book we are talking about!). I don’t have anything against a character that is the villain; on the contrary, it’s usually refreshing to read from their point of view. But in this case, she is not a villain per se. She is “just” VERY prejudiced. The xenophobia coming from the main character and others was maybe too realistic for me; striking a personal chord I was not prepared to deal with… I am usually comfortable with characters that are not like me, or that do not share my moral values. But this bothered me too much.
Everything else is good. I like the setting, the universe that was created. And it makes me sad to say out loud how much I could not stand the main character (loved her brothers, though).
I know The Black Witch is book 1 of a series but I don’t think I will read the sequels…

About the author

Laurie Forest lives deep in the backwoods of Vermont where she sits in front of a wood stove drinking strong tea and dreaming up tales full of dryads, dragons and wands.

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The Black Witch Book Cover The Black Witch
Laurie Forest
Harlequin Teen
7 August 2018
608

Evil looms on the horizon, and for Elloren Gardner, granddaughter of the last Black Witch, the pressure to live up to her magical heritage is building. Elloren's people, the Gardnerians, believe she will follow in her grandmother's footsteps. But Elloren is utterly devoid of power--in a society that prizes magical ability above all else. Granted the opportunity to study at the prestigious Verpax University, Elloren sets out to embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother's legacy. But the university may be the most treacherous place of all for the granddaughter of the Black Witch, and Elloren soon realizes that the world she knows is not what it seems. If she is to survive the coming danger, she'll have to free her mind from the assumptions she was raised with, and learn to trust the very people she's been taught to hate and fear. 

I wish you all the best, by Mason Deaver

This book…. was a beautiful read. I got really attached to Ben and their story. Even though I am not part of the LGBTQ+ community myself, I am by association and it is something I want to learn more about because I feel like everyone should feel safe being themselves.
I wish you all the best is the story of Ben, who lives with their parents after their sister left ten years ago. After finally gather the courage to come out to them as non-binary, they are faced with an unexpected reaction: they are kicked out of their home. Their estranged sister (and husband) take them in, and they start a new life at a new school. But trauma is still there, with a lot of other repressed emotions. Ben meets Nathan, who wants to become instant friends…
This book celebrates being different, family trying to do their best, acceptance. I love the passages with the therapist, too.
Cheers to book focusing on characters that are diverse. I really wish books like this one existed when I was a teenager…

About the author

Mason Deaver is a non-binary author and librarian in a small town in North Carolina where the word ‘y’all’ is used in abundance.
When they aren’t writing or working, they’re typically found in their kitchen baking something that’s bad for them, or out in their garden complaining about the toad that likes to dig holes around their hydrangeas.

https://www.masondeaverwrites.com/

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I Wish You All the Best Book Cover I Wish You All the Best
Mason Deaver
Juvenile Fiction
PUSH
14 May 2019
336

When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.

But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.

The bookish life of Nina Hill, by Abbi Waxman

I picked this book for the prompt “Book with a book on the cover“.
This year, I am trying to participate in the famous Popsugar Reading Challenge (if you have not heard about it, please visit their website)
Plus, any book with the main character battling anxiety while loving being surrounded by books more than by people tends to pick my interest *wink wink*

I related A LOT with the character of Nina. I just wish I had as much general knowledge as she does. My father is not dead but I did learn, when in my 20s, that instead of a sister and a brother, I actually had four brothers and a sister on his side (from 2 different women). I love them all but it was a shock, to be honest. I was raised as an only child: I was kind of unexpected. I suffer from anxiety, that can be crippling when it attacks. Coping with it is a struggle and admitting that this is something happening is very hard.
I really enjoyed reading this book 🙂

About the author

Abbi Waxman was born in England in 1970. Her mother began a highly successful career writing crime fiction. Abbi went into advertising, working as a copywriter and then a creative director at various advertising agencies in London and New York. Eventually, she quit advertising, had three kids and started writing books, TV shows and screenplays, largely in order to get a moment’s peace.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill Book Cover The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
Abbi Waxman
Fiction
Berkley Books
2019
352

"Nina Hill's life may not seem like much, but for a person battling anxiety, it's more than enough. She enjoys her job at a bookstore and her small circle of friends. Until a visit from a lawyer changes everything... The father that Nina never knew existed has died, leaving behind an enormous extended family. Nina now has innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, and cousins all living within a twenty-mile radius--some welcoming and some not so welcoming, but all demanding her attention. If that's not enough, Nina's talent for worrying is taking the thrill out of falling in love. Tom, a fellow trivia nerd--who's totally into her--is obviously too good to be true. Everything is moving too fast for Nina. Caught in a whirlwind of new people, emotions and experiences, she feels the need to protect herself. But maybe opening her world--and her heart--is a risk worth taking"--

God-shaped hole, by Tiffanie DeBartolo

I don’t think I would have picked up this book if it hadn’t been so strongly recommended by Tarryn Fisher and her readers on social media. The cover is stunning, but the title is a little… off-putting, to me. It totally makes sense once you are reading it, though.

The book begins with a flashback to when the main character, Beatrice (“Trixie”) is twelve and is told by a fortune teller that the love of her life will die and leave her alone. So we KNOW from the first chapter that something bad will happen. I think this is one of the big page-turning factor: how will this terrible thing come to be?
Something I loved about this story is also the family dynamics we are witnessing. Both on Trixie’s side and on Jacob’s side. My own father issues were reflecting on how I felt about theirs.
The characters were all flawed in their own ways but that made them more realistic, too.

I highly recommend God-shaped hole, but keep a box of tissues nearby…

About the author

Tiffanie DeBartolo (born November 27, 1970) is an American novelist, filmmaker, co-founder of the independent record label Bright Antenna, and co-founder of The ShineMaker Foundation. Tiffanie has written three novels: God-Shaped Hole, How To Kill a Rock Star, and the upcoming Sorrow, scheduled for release in October 2020. She wrote and directed the film Dream for an Insomniac, featuring Jennifer Aniston, released in 1996. She also penned the text to the graphic novel GRACE: The Jeff Buckley Story, which was released in April 2019.

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God-Shaped Hole Book Cover God-Shaped Hole
Tiffanie DeBartolo
Fiction
Sourcebooks, Inc.
16 May 2017
416

"God-Shaped Hole will change you as a reader, writer and human. It is rare books like this one that remind me why I fell in love with the written word." — Colleen Hoover

When I was twelve, a fortune teller told me that my one true love would die young and leave me all alone...

When Beatrice Jordan meets the unpredictable Jacob Grace, the two wild souls become instant allies. Together they discover an escape in each other's creativity and insecurities, while running from secrets they cannot seem to shake — or a fate that could throw them to the ground . . .

This 15th Anniversary reissue of Tiffanie DeBartolo's classic love story introduces a new audience of dreamers to a quintessentially real and raw vision of spirit, and inspires everyone to live — and love — as vividly as possible.

Confess, Colleen Hoover

It’s hard for me to currently pick a favourite book from Colleen Hoover. I was skeptical about Confess at first, maybe because of the title. I was afraid it would be a classical and cliché chic-lit book. But I should have known this is not Colleen’s style 😉

This is the story of Auburn, who experienced a tragedy when she was 16 years old. We meet her again five years later. Her heart is broken, but she’s doing her best day-to-day. And then she meets Owen while looking for a job. Owen has an art Studio where he sells his paintings once a month.
Their attraction is strong and undeniable but both are hiding secrets that could completely tear them apart.

This book was totally unexpected to me. I loved that we got to read both sides of the story, thanks to alternating chapters. We don’t know the full secrets until pretty far in the book, which I appreciated. The reader does not have to ALWAYS be omniscient 😉

The artwork

In the book, the artwork plays a big role. I was so pleased that some actual art was included in the book.
The artist is Danny O’Connor and the art is breathtaking.

“hands”
‘Auburn”
“Callahan Gentry”

You can buy prints of the book’s artwork on Colleen’s website: right here.

About the author

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of multiple novels and novellas. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

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Confess Book Cover Confess
Colleen Hoover
Fiction
Thorndike Press Large Print
9 September 2015
450

Auburn Reed is determined to rebuild her shattered life and she has no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to become deeply attracted to the studio’s enigmatic artist, Owen Gentry.
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?

The meaning of birds, by Jaye Robin Brown

Sometimes, I read books back-to-back that have a common theme without knowing it in advance. Does it happen to you as well? Most of the books I read come from the banQ in Montréal. I see a book I think I’d like and borrow it, or I put a reservation until it’s available. This is how I sometimes end up with books like this.
This is my second book by this author, the first one was Georgia Peaches & Other Forbidden Fruits. She is queer herself, so I know that she writes about subjects she actually understands. It’s important to me.

In The meaning of birds, Jessica is our main protagonist. She’s in high school and has been dealing with anger issues for years. They are probably the result of unexpressed grief from her father’s death. Then, enters Vivi. She is passionate about birds, about going to college and lifts Jessica up. Plus, she encourages her to take the doodles Jess’ therapist encouraged her to do to an other level.
The book is created with alternating chapters: Now and Then. This is how we get to understand Jessica’s story better. Because in the Now, she is spiralling out of control, lost in her newest grief. How to continue living when the love of your life just died, even though you’re still a teenager?
This was very beautifully written and I felt for the characters in general, not only Jess. It’s the kind of story that sticks with you, even when you’re done reading the book.

About the author

Jaye Robin Brown, or JRo to her friends, has been many things in her life– jeweller, mediator, high school art teacher–but is now living the full-time writer life. She lives with her wife, dogs, and horses in a sweet house in the NC woods where she hopes to live happily ever after.

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The Meaning of Birds Book Cover The Meaning of Birds
Jaye Robin Brown
Young Adult Fiction
HarperTeen
16 April 2019
368

“An evocative story of the thrills of first love and the anguish of first loss. This will break you and heal you.”—Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’ Not to be missed by fans of Nina LaCour and Becky Albertalli, this powerful novel—from the acclaimed author of Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit—paints a poignant portrait of love in the past, grief in the now, and the healing power of art. Before: Jess has always struggled with the fire inside her. But when she meets Vivi, everything changes. As they fall for each other, Vivi helps Jess deal with her anger and pain and encourages her to embrace her artistic talent. And suddenly Jess’s future is a blank canvas, filled with possibilities. After: When Vivi unexpectedly dies, Jess’s perfect world is erased. As she spirals out of control, Jess pushes away everyone around her and throws out her plans for art school. Because art is Vivi and Vivi is gone forever. Right when Jess feels at her lowest, she makes a surprising friend who just might be able to show her a new way to channel her rage, passion, and creativity. But will Jess ever be able to forge a new path for herself without Vivi? A beautiful exploration of first love and first loss, this novel effortlessly weaves together past and present to tell a profound story about how you can become whole again when it seems like you’ve lost the most important part of yourself.