heykellyjensen's reviews
2579 reviews

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy

The audiobook of this is fantastic in terms of performance–when Kennedy is emotional, you hear and feel it–though note the production and editing are not seamless. That said, the book itself is an excellent pop culture meets memoir about growing up in the 90s and 00s and where and how the cultural zeitgeist of those eras impacted millennials as adults. There is a particularly excellent chapter in here about infertility and the lies perpetrated by abstinence only sex education. 

Rez Ball by Byron Graves

This is a much-needed book in the YA world. It's got excellent representation and it features a younger YA character. I enjoyed it quite a bit and know that there are so many readers for it. That said, while the actual sports writing was fantastic–I was right there in the games!–a lot of the writing left something to be desired and required quite a bit of suspending disbelief. I'm not sure Tre was particularly well-developed (and I had a hard time buying how he was so quickly able to become a stand-in captain with the ability to persuade his entire time to make a behavioral change) but more, I did not think his parents or teammates were developed. The budding romance didn't work, either, though Khiana was herself a character I wanted to spend more time with. 

For the teen readers of this book, these quibbles won't matter because it is such an engaging story. 

Rising from the Ashes: How the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising Bridged Two Communities by Paula Yoo

A compelling and necessary YA nonfiction book about the 1992 LA Uprising, looking especially at the tensions between Korean and Black residents leading up to and following the Rodney King trial. 

Death in the Dark Woods by Annelise Ryan

Again, a fun adventure cozy. Again, the most Boomer-like early-30s main character. What 30-year-old calls her adult coworker "Kiddo?" 

The circus history element was a fun surprise. 

Swipe Up For More!: Inside the Unfiltered Lives of Influencers by Stephanie McNeal

There are more interesting and engaging books on influencers and influencer culture out there. You can skip this one. There were times when McNeal's insights were pretty surprising to hear–for example, no one talked about body image or representation when she was in college in the late 00s/early 10s online when that was such a huge topic in the world of blogs at the time!–and they seemed to overlook bigger context to the story. It's not particularly critical, though it was certainly nice to hear about the experiences of a Black influencer. 

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

Michael is 12, and he lives in a big apartment complex in Delaware. It's summer, and he's anxious about back-to-school and anxious about what's to come when the calendar flips from 1999 to 2000. But those anxieties pale in comparison to what happens when he and his babysitter and neighbor Gibby encounter a boy who claims to have traveled back in time. This time traveler, Ridge, broke the rules in his own time line by testing out the travel machinery, but he selected 1999 because he wanted to visit something he'd only ever heard about in history: a mall.

This is a big hearted novel about anxiety, particularly about way-off future events. Michael is a complex character, with deep love for his mother, a budding crush on a friend (which is a very minimal part of the story), and who has developed so many powerful relationships in his complex. He's also a huge fan of stray cats. The time travel element here is savvy, and there are many times this book is laugh-out-loud funny, particularly for adults who get some of the nods to 1999's pop culture. 

The rendering of anxiety here is so good, and I loved Mr. Mosely as a counter to Michael. Mosely reminds Michael that even if you don't do your best, you can try again the next day. It's something Michael AND Ridge learn together and separately. 

There IS death in this book. Mr. Mosely dies in his sleep, and it deeply impacts Michael. The grieving process is well-done and realistic.

Some of the pieces of the story that readers will appreciate include the lower-middle class socioeconomic status, the apartment complex setting, Michael's mother being a single working mom, the passion all of these kids have for science and big questions about what happens in the future. 

Erin Entrada Kelly continues to be one of my must-reads. I'm not a huge middle grade book reader because it's hard to keep up with everything, but I always make time for her work. I'm never disappointed. 

Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee

This is an excellently plotted historical mystery set in Chinatown, Los Angeles, in the 1930s. Following sisters Gemma and May, who discover the dead body of friend and Hollywood actress Lulu Wong, they work to unearth the truth of who–and what–killed her. This is a character-driven, multiple point of view story, with a very satisfying conclusion to the mystery. 

The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell

THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING is about the cognitive biases we all have. In an era of our brains being so evolved that we ascribe danger to nonthreatening things, how do we make sense of some of our irrationality? She digs into the science and offers examples from everyday experiences, as well as her own.

My Murder by Katie Williams

Lou's been murdered and now, regenerated, she's going to find out the truth behind her being part of a serial killer's body count. This is a brilliant premise with a solid execution. The writing is immersive and well-paced, and Lou is a complicated and complex, flawed main character.

This is a spot on story of postpartum depression and the lengths that fear can drive new parents to–I kind of suspected the outcome early on, and I suspect anyone who has experienced this mental illness will, but that's kind of the point, too.

Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl by Allison Horrocks, Mary Mahoney

Whether you're an American Girl fan or love thoughtful histories and social critiques of nostalgia, this will be up your alley.