Review: Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally

Title: Four Days of You and Me
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release date: May 5th 2020
Pages: 352
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Purchased
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Every May 7, the students at Coffee County High School take a class trip. And every year, Lulu’s relationship with Alex Rouvelis gets a little more complicated. Freshman year, they went from sworn enemies to more than friends after a close encounter in an escape room. It’s been hard for Lulu to quit Alex ever since. Through breakups, make ups, and dating other people, each year’s class trip brings the pair back together and forces them to confront their undeniable connection. From the science museum to an amusement park, from New York City to London, Lulu learns one thing is for sure: love is the biggest trip of all.

I absolutely love Miranda Kenneally's Hundred Oaks novels; every single book in that companion series is fantastic, and I've gotten used to knowing exactly what to expect when opening a Kenneally novel. So I was excited to see what she would write next, but also a little apprehensive about how this novel wouldn't have some of the elements I've grown to love of the Hundred Oaks novels, like the setting, the sports, and the cameos of previous novels' characters. I'm not sure if it was just because my expectations were so high because of my love for this previous series, but unfortunately I did not enjoy this one as much as the Hundred Oaks series.

I liked the sound of the format of this novel in theory, but I didn't end up being the biggest fan of the execution. In theory, it sounds super cute to follow a couple on just four individual days over four years and to see them grow and change over those years. But the novel actually intersperses the chapters on those four days with chapters about the previous year, so we actually get to read about highlights from the couple's life throughout the whole four years, just with the main emphasis being on their school trips. This isn't necessarily an issue for the story, but it felt a little strange when this book is explicitly presented to just be about four days--I think I would have preferred if the previous year's events had just been included in flashbacks and things like that rather than getting their own chapters and quite this much attention, because it took away from the originality of just narrating these four days. Additionally, this is super nitpicky, but two of the school trips last more than one day, so even just the chapters about the school trips weren't only about four days. And also, more fundamentally, do any high schools really have their students go to both New York City and London for their school trips!?? 

The characters in this novel are alright. They are decent characters, but I didn't love them as much as I loved the Hundred Oaks couples. One of my favorite things about the Hundred Oaks series is reading about each main character's passion for their respective sport and learning so much about their sport and the life of someone who dedicates their childhood to something like that. Lulu is definitely also passionate--she is a very driven graphic novel writer, and she is a vegan who advocates for animal rights--but for some reason I didn't feel her passion as much as I did the Hundred Oaks characters'. Maybe this is just because I always loved learning so much about their respective sports that I usually knew nothing about, while Lulu's passions are ones I am already much more familiar with? But for some reason, I just felt like Lulu wasn't as fleshed-out and didn't have as much personality as Kenneally's previous characters. I did, however, really like the secondary characters, and it was great to see how Lulu's friendships and relationships shifted and solidified over the four years. 

Miranda Kenneally knows how to write some great romance, and the chemistry between her characters was always one of the best things about her Hundred Oaks books. But the chemistry in this one fell flat for me. Other characters in the novel make comments about how it is clear that Lulu and Alex are destined to be together, but I just couldn't see anything like that. I actually feel like we didn't get to know Alex well enough as his own person, and that we didn't get to see enough banter or flirting between Lulu and Alex to really feel their chemistry. Maybe this is just because of the format and because the novel spanned such a long time period (by YA standards) that there wasn't enough space for these every day-types of interactions, but I just felt like something was missing. Lulu and Alex were cute together, sure, but this novel didn't have me as emotionally invested in the protagonists' relationship and rooting for them to be together as much as the Hundred Oaks novels did.

I feel bad for how negative my review sounds since I love this author, and maybe I'm not being fair by comparing this book to the Hundred Oaks novels so much. If I hadn't come in with such high expectations and the hope that this would be similar to the Hundred Oaks novels, I think I would have enjoyed it more; this novel is definitely still a cute romance with a unique format. But because of my love for Kenneally's previous books, this one just wasn't up to par. But of course I'll still read whatever Kenneally writes next, and am hoping I'll connect more with her next book again.

Review: Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles

Title: Not So Pure and Simple
Author: Lamar Giles
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: January 21st 2020
Pages: 389
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Purchased
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Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she’s finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del’s right behind her. Though he quickly realizes he’s inadvertently signed himself up for a Purity Pledge. His best friend, Qwan, doesn’t believe anyone is worth this long of a long game. But Del’s not about to lose his dream girl. And that’s where fellow pledger Jameer comes in. He can put in the good word, but with other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move now. However, with all his plotting and scheming, Del never really stops to think: What does Kiera want? No matter, though—once he gets the girl, he’s sure all will sort itself out. Right? 

This book completely took me by surprise. I was expecting it to just be a funny story about a guy accidentally taking a purity pledge to get with a girl, and it does start out that way... but then it somehow turns into a really insightful story about toxic masculinity and male entitlement, in the best way possible! Not only is this book super entertaining; its message is a really important one, especially for boys and young men.

I don't think I've ever read a book by a male author about a male protagonist that explores toxic masculinity, male entitlement, and consent in such explicit terms, and I am SO happy Lamar Giles did just that. Del is a great character to use to teach especially male readers about consent and male entitlement to women's bodies because he's not a terrible guy that you would immediately judge or write off as someone who doesn't respect women. Del considers himself a nice guy, he has female friends and, I would think, could be a relatable character for teenage boys (although I of course can't speak of that with any authority). I honestly didn't even think he was super problematic in the beginning; he was a pretty average guy, which, I mean, isn't great, but wasn't anything that would've tipped me off to how this book would end up being all about his personal growth from an ostensibly nice guy to someone who actually thinks about consent and male entitlement to women's bodies. Since I wasn't expecting it, I was extra excited when the book started addressing consent and toxic masculinity so explicitly. 

The lessons Del learns are SO important and something I haven't seen discussed in YA very much. I loved reading about the frank conversations his mother, sister, and female friends have with him. I've seen some other reviewers complain about how much of Del's realization about how men's creepy, predatory behavior affects women depends on him learning about his sister's experiences, and of course the idea that men would only learn to care about women because they have a mother/daughter/sister is problematic. But I actually really enjoyed seeing Del's family discuss these topics so openly, and I was especially impressed with the way Del's mom calls out his dad for his own participation in toxic masculinity and for enabling Del's entitlement to women's bodies; this conversation within their family, in my opinion, was really important for helping us understand how toxic masculinity is perpetuated by father-son relationships and can be passed down through generations. I also loved how Shianne explicitly calls Del out for the whole "I'm a nice guy, therefore I deserve a reward/am entitled to women"; all of the women in this book are fantastic characters.

The discussion of sex education is really well done as well, and this book clearly shows the consequences of abstinence-only sex ed. I was especially impressed with the discussion of teen pregnancy and how the lack of sex education intersects with society stigmatizing sexually active girls and teen moms but fails to hold boys accountable. 

And finally, the racial politics of this novel are great; most of the characters in this book are Black, and their Blackness and experiences of racism definitely inform their conversations and ideas, without this becoming a problem novel about racism. I only wish that the connections between race and gender had been explored a little more; for example, Cressie has a YouTube channel where she talks about feminist issues, but we never see her talk about her experiences as a Black woman specifically, and Shianne, a Black teen mom, never speaks about the specific racialized sexism Black women, especially Black teenage moms, experience. 

The only element of this book I wasn't the biggest fan of was the discussion of religion. I'm not sure what the alternative would be, since bashing religion would probably alienate a lot of readers, but I didn't like how the pastor in this book basically gets a free pass for the problematic ideas around sex and purity he perpetuates and his borderline abusive behavior because he's simply "from another time." I do think the discussion of religion was important and necessary for the storyline, and I understand why this book went with the "few bad apples" route rather than holding organized religion more broadly accountable for its role in perpetuating gendered violence, but I do wish the pastor's actions had been condemned more explicitly. 

I can see how some people might critique this book for being too didactic, and I could see how, for some female readers who already understand these dynamics, this might not be the most entertaining. But I personally still really enjoyed this book; it's a really quick and easy read, the writing style is unique and fun, and it's difficult to put down, so I do recommend it for anyone. I personally was incredibly happy when I finished this book just because I think it's so important and I was so glad to see a YA novel address these topics in this way. However, I do think that this book is geared towards teenage boys and would especially recommend it for male readers; honestly, I think this should be mandatory reading for teenage boys everywhere, especially anyone who self-identifies as a "nice guy." 

Review: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Title: They Both Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvera
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: September 5th 2017
Pages: 373
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Purchased
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On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today.

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

I've been meaning to read Adam Silvera's books, and I absolutely love the title (and concept of this one)--I really hate happy endings (I know, what is wrong with me, but I will take a realistic ending that makes me bawl over a happy ending any day), so I was really excited for this one--this novel promises to break your heart, and it really does not disappoint.

While the emotions and the message were what I was expecting, the worldbuilding ended up being very different from what I'd anticipated. I was expecting this to be speculative fiction set in the future, but this book is actually set in an alternate present (in 2016 or 2017, I forget). At first, I was taken aback by that choice--I thought it was confusing and unrealistic that everything in this society is the same as in ours except that the Death-Cast exists. Especially one conversation between Rufus and Mateo, where they talk about what all will be outdated soon, which is entirely accurate for our present day, felt strange to me--how has this society made no other technological strides, but has managed to develop some kind of technology that can infallibly predict when you will die? Especially because the Death-Cast has existed for almost ten years in this alternate universe, and because society has developed lots of new businesses, such as the Last Friend App and lots of activities designed for Deckers (people living out their last days), it just seemed strange to me that everything else would be exactly the same in this world. After a while, though, I got used to this idea, and I appreciate that this alternate present, more so than a dystopian future setting, allowed Silvera to represent the lives of Latino youth in present-day New York City, in a way that really shaped the story.

Regardless of when exactly the Death-Cast were to happen, though, I wish there had been some more discussion of how exactly these predictions work. I understand that the novel focuses almost exclusively on Mateo and Rufus and is more about how Death-Cast impacts individual lives than about how it works, and it makes sense that we wouldn't know much since the characters themselves don't know how this technology works. But I couldn't help but question the practicalities of this technology. For example, I kept wondering how much receiving that Death-Cast call might impact what you do that day and therefore whether or not you die. The characters continuously mention that Death-Cast is infallible, and that there is absolutely no way to escape death once you receive the call. At the same time, though, there is a scene where one of the characters learns about world history BDC (Before Death-Cast) in school, and is asked to imagine how events such as 9/11 may have played out differently if Death-Cast had already existed, but how that would look like is never explained. If so many people who work in the same place were to receive the call, wouldn't many of them not have gone to work that day? But then, since Death-Cast is infallible, would they just have died some other way instead? While of course Death-Cast can allow you to live your last day to the fullest and can give you a chance to say goodbye, I didn't quite understand how it would impact historical events in any way. Additionally, I found the concept that you always get the call between midnight and 3am kind of strange. I understand the practicalities of this, of course--the Death-Cast employees receive a list of people to call at midnight, and then begin to make their way through the list until they finish at 3am. But, what about the people who die at, say, 1am? They might never be notified, which didn't seem to fit with the way the characters talk about not receiving the call as a surefire way to know you won't die today. While these are just details, I do wish that there had been some more exploration of how choice and fate relate in this universe, and how your choices might impact whether and how you die on a certain day.

Nonetheless, this novel is not so much about constructing a logical alternate universe, and more so about the characters and a message that applies in our universe as well. And all of that, I absolutely loved. I loved the writing and the pacing of the whole novel--the suspense was really well-done, and I was consistently paranoid about how either character could die at any moment. (This novel might not be ideal for anyone who already struggles with death-related anxiety--this same paranoia about Rufus and Mateo dying at any moment reappeared in my dreams for the next couple of nights after finishing this novel.) Even asides from the looming death of the two central characters, this is an emotional read; both Rufus and Mateo's families have tragic stories,  and the flashbacks to their circumstances and their contemporary goodbyes made me tear up throughout the novel. 

I also really loved how, in addition to switching back and forth between Mateo's and Rufus's PoVs, the reader got intermittent chapters from secondary characters or even complete strangers, who later turned out to be vaguely related to the central storylines. Those chapters really demonstrated how all of our stories connect and how seemingly small choices can really make an impact, and worked really well for the novel's message about making the most of our lives while we can.

***This next paragraph is vaguely spoiler-y, although you wouldn't be surprised by this "twist" if you've read Silvera before.***
I still haven't decided what to make of the love story or whether or not I'm sold on it. I was expecting the romance element because I know Silvera usually writes M/M love stories, but if I had come into this novel without those expectations, I think Rufus's and Mateo's first kiss (or Rufus's first suggestions that this might happen) would have taken my by surprise and it would have felt a little random in the context of the rest of the story. Part of me really likes the idea of not a love story, but something that could have been a love story if the two had had the opportunity to know each other for longer. So the elements that framed their relationship in that way, I liked, but some other parts I felt were a little overdone and a little too insta-love-y. Although I guess even those parts aren't unrealistic, since both characters know they are going to die and this is their only/last chance at love. Another part of me, though, just doesn't see Rufus and Mateo together in that way; to me, Rufus seemed like more of a big brother to Mateo before the romantic element to their relationship was introduced. It might just be my own heteronormativity that didn't allow me to see these two as romantic partners for one another (I think most people would have expected romance from a YA novel with the same concept about a boy and a girl), but I just didn't see them as compatible. I also think it could have been really cool for this novel to center a friendship between two queer boys (Rufus identifies as bisexual, and I've seen lots of other people label Mateo as gay, but I don't remember Mateo ever actually identifying as anything?). Despite all of this, I don't really mind the romantic storyline because it feels realistic, under the circumstances.

While I did have a lot of questions, I really loved this book. If you're looking for a thought-provoking  tearjerker with a unique concept, you should definitely check out They Both Die at the End. I will definitely be reading Silvera's other novels!