Book Review: Educated

You Might Like This Book If You…

  • Are drawn to memoirs of challenging childhoods like The Glass Castle and Three Little Words
  • Have struggled with finding your identity because of the strict expectations/codes you were raised with
  • Are a teacher, counselor, or any other profession/inclination in which you value education and psychology
  • Like introspective writing about coming of age
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The Poem That Every Angsty Kid (And Future Parent) Needs to Read

Mrs. Taylor’s AP Literature class wasn’t boring. In fact, she was always sure to entertain by drawing out some oblique Freudian innuendo from a text, then wiggling her eyebrows at us to add to the scandalous situation. And yet, I found myself mindlessly flipping through the pages of my textbook in class.

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Book Review: Children of Blood and Bone

You Might Like This Book If You…

  • Enjoy fantasy
  • Enjoy YA fiction that explores current events & identity
  • Are curious about a fantasy with a non-Western mythological foundation
  • Love Avatar: The Last Airbender

The Story

The kingdom of Orisha is composed of two races of people: Maji, people with white hair who have the potential to access a wide range of magical powers, and Kosidans, people without magic. Years ago, the king of Orisha ordered the killing of all Maji, leaving only their children, who had not yet matured into their powers. He then went on to break their connection with the source of their powers so that the young could never hold magic.

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Book Review: The Astonishing Color of After

You Might Like This Book If You…

  • Like magical realism.
  • Have struggled with depression or suicidal thoughts.
  • Enjoy coming-of-age books with characters straddling two cultures.
  • Are an artist or a fan of art.
The vivid descriptions of art got me into a painting mood 🙂

The Story (NO SPOILERS!)

“My mother is a bird. This isn’t like some William Faulkner stream-of-consciousness metaphorical crap. My mother. Is literally. A bird.”

I fell for those opening lines. I’m not a huge fan of “edgy” teen voices in my YA books; despite these opening lines, know that Pan’s style is more lyrical than the “hardcore, eyelined badass” voice that is so popular these days.

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