56. Paperboy

56. Paperboy. Vince Vawter. 2013. Random House. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, MG fiction, coming of age, MG historical, based on true story]

First sentence: I'm talking about the stabbing for a good reason. I can't talk. Without stuttering.

Premise/plot: Paperboy is set in Memphis, Tennessee, in July of 1959. The narrator is a young boy (11, I think?) who stutters. He doesn't want stuttering to define him. He doesn't think that's fair. He is good at many, many things, like baseball. He is GREAT at baseball. He is good at typing, at writing. He loves words. But his stutter keeps him from loving speaking words aloud. It keeps him nervous and awkward around new people or strangers, people he feels will judge him based on his stutter alone, who will assume that his inability to speak clearly means he's unable to THINK clearly too.

So. The month of July will prove challenging to him for he has agreed to take over his best friend's paper route. Oh, he's not worried about the delivering part. He knows he's got that handled. He's worried about Fridays, about the day when he'll have to go to the door and TALK to people and ask for the money owed. You might think, in some ways, that it would be the first week that would be the most difficult, and that, all other weeks would just be easy after that initial effort. That is only partly true. He does make a friend, a wonderful friend. And he does learn a few life lessons that help him grow up a bit and cope a bit. And, I suppose, you could say that his perspective expands a bit in that he sees that the world is full of people who have problems, who have issues; that every person is dealing with something, struggling with something.

My thoughts: Paperboy had me at hello. I loved, loved, loved, loved, REALLY LOVED this one. Yes, I'm going to gush about how wonderful and just-right this one is. I think I loved the narrator best. The book is in his own words, he's recounting these events. There is something in the narrator's life, a secret that he discovers one day, and it could potentially be big and disturbing--just as there are other events in the novel that could be BIG AND DISTURBING. But this one thing that he wrestles with on his own, quietly meditating on it perhaps, was handled so tenderly and lovingly that it just worked for me. It made a novel that I already LOVED, LOVED, LOVED that much more wow-worthy.

I also loved other characters in this novel. Characters that might have seemed minor, but, were anything but. Characters like Mam, Rat (Art), Mr. Spiro, and, to a certain extent his Dad.

I first read this one in November 2013. I reread it in August 2026.



© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

55. The Future of Us

55. The Future of Us. Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. 2011. 356 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, YA fiction, YA science fiction, coming of age]

First sentence: I can't break up with Graham today, even though I told my friends I'd do it the next time I saw him.

Premise/plot: Emma Nelson and Josh Templeton are about to step into the twilight zone. This YA coming of age novel (set in May 1996) is told with dual narrators--Emma and Josh. It starts with a disc--a cd rom to be more precise. Josh gives Emma the gift of AOL since his family doesn't believe in this newfangled internet. Emma downloads it, connects to it, and discovers Facebook, discovers HERSELF on Facebook, discovers her FRIENDS on Facebook. Suddenly, Emma and Josh have a way to glimpse their future selves through their future Facebook posts. Josh is content enough with what he sees. He doesn't seem to get invested in "fixing" the future. Whatever will be will be. Emma, on the other hand, becomes obsessed with micromanaging her future self. Even if her only glimpses of that future are through FB posts and what pictures she's uploaded and shared in the future. She is not once content with what she sees. The more she obsesses with the future, the more discontent she becomes in the now. Josh warns her NOT to play god, to not become so focused on the future, on fixing the future, on preventing "unhappy" outcomes, that she doesn't live now. She should be true to herself in the NOW. Not let her future or potential future self decide where she should go to college, which career she should choose, where she wants to live (or not live). Will Emma ever learn to let go and relax???? And will Josh learn how to navigate the complexities of friendship???

Josh's future self seems happy enough, content enough, settled down with kids with a woman, Sidney Mills, that is allegedly "out of his league." He is in one class with her now...and since finding out that allegedly they have a happily ever after he's been a little braver. He speaks up for her when her ex puts her down. He makes eye contact and smiles. She asks for his number. She seems to potentially be interested in him. Meanwhile, Josh knows KNOWS that he wants more than friendship with Emma. She is the one he wants to date. Maybe there's something there; maybe there is NOT. But he wants to see. But Emma is SO obsessed with her future husbands that she isn't really thinking of Josh like that. (And she doesn't ever have to think of Josh like that, for the record. Maybe she'll never ever ever return his feelings.)

My thoughts: I first read this one in December 2011. It is an interesting WHAT IF. I love, love, love the 1996 setting. I do. I love the social and technological references. Friends. Seinfeld. Macarena. Dave Matthews. Green Day. I could go on and on and on. I think the authors do a good job of the 90s setting. And since it's been a while since 2011--when the book released, when the future selves of Emma and Josh exist--it's a good reflection of that time as well.

I enjoyed the dual narration. Josh and Emma are SO different in many ways. Josh seems more mature and thoughtful perhaps. But Emma's home life hasn't been the most awesome. She is all the angst and all the drama. Josh is calmer, for the most part. He seems to stabilize the chaos that is Emma.

Josh does seem less self-centered and selfish. He notices in the future that his older brother, David, is gay and in a relationship--according to Facebook. He realizes just how much he doesn't know about his older brother and that makes him sad that his brother is hiding this--though perhaps David didn't realize it in 1996?

There were things I definitely liked about this one. There were definitely some things I didn't like as much. It was mature in some ways. It is not a clean read. It isn't graphic, mind you, but there's much discussion of sex.

I do think it would make a GREAT teen movie OR miniseries. 

Note: I've been reading reviews and I agree with most of what is written on the lower stars. EMMA IS SUPER SUPER SUPER SUPER annoying as a heroine. The 90s reference are surface-level for the most part. YET I think if the reader is engaged in the premise and loved 1996 and wants to feel nostalgic, I think that is certainly possible. I do think the dual narrators are a bit disjointed. Yet, that isn't a terribly bad thing in my opinion. TWO different writers. A male perspective. A female perspective. They are DIFFERENT people with different morals/values. They process the world completely differently. So it makes sense that flipping narration is a bit jumpy.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

28. To Kill a Mockingbird

28. To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee. 1960. 281 pages. [Source: Library][Audiobook, 5 stars, classic, coming of age]

First sentence: When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.

To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my favorite, favorite books. I love, love, love the movie. And I adore the book as well. It's a simple novel rich in truth. I love the narrative voice of Scout. I think Scout is one of the most memorable narrators ever.

One of the things that I think makes the book work so well is how it is able to be serious and dramatic AND comical. It captures the little every-day moments so well. Family relationships. Community relationships. Nosy neighbors or spooky ones. A good balance of summer-time freedom and the structure of school. It's definitely one of the best coming-of-age stories. At the same time, it is a very honest examination of racism and injustice.

To Kill A Mockingbird has a great, compelling story to tell. And Harper Lee knew how to tell a story. But it isn't the story alone that is unforgettable: it is the characters. Such characterization!!! Such depth!!! Who could not love Scout, Jem, and Atticus?! Who could not love Calpurnia, Dill,  Miss Maudie, and Boo Radley?!

I first reviewed it in October 2007. I also reviewed it in August 2010.

Favorite quotes:

Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing. (18)

"First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--"
"Sir?"
"--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." (30)

"If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doin' it?"
"For a number of reasons," said Atticus. "The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent the county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again."
"You mean if you didn't defend that man, Jem and me wouldn't have to mind you any more?"
"That's about right."
"Why?"
"Because I could never ask you to mind me again. Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least once in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one's mine, I guess. You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change...it's a good one even if does resist learning. (76)

Atticus said to Jem one day, "I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.
"Your father's right," she said. "Mockinbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. (90)

It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. (112)

In Maycomb County, it was easy to tell when someone bathed regularly, as opposed to yearly lavations: Mr. Ewell had a scalded look; as if an overnight soaking had deprived him of protective layers of dirt, his skin appeared to be sensitive to the elements. Mayella looked as if she tried to keep clean, and I was reminded of the row of red geraniums in the Ewell yard. (179)

"How could they do it, how could they?"
"I don't know, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it--seems that only children weep. Good night." (213)

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

20. All The Blues in the Sky

20. All the Blues in the Sky. Renee Watson. 2025. 208 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, Newbery, verse novel, grief, problem novel]

First sentence: I didn't know
best friends could die.

Premise/plot: After Sage's best friend, Angel, dies, Sage begins attending a grief counseling group with those her own age. She feels that some understand because the people they lost died suddenly, but she's angry that others in the group are included because the people they lost didn't die suddenly. Her logic is that losing someone through hospice isn't the same, couldn't ever be the same. Or losing a grandmother is one thing but losing a best friend another. She rolls her eyes when others share knowing that her pain is greater, better. That's her logic at any account. By the end of the novel--after Sage rages a bit--Sage will have an opportunity to rethink her logic when she learns that her great-aunt is dying.

My thoughts: All the Blues in the Sky was the Newbery this year. It is a verse novel. It was a quick read. It is an emotional read. It checks a lot of the boxes for award winners. It just does. But that doesn't always mean it's a great fit for kids. Not that there's anything objectionable or inappropriate. I just mean kid-appeal. The greater the number of tears shed the better the chances for adults to LOVE it and want to give it all the awards. I'm not sure kid logic works quite like that. THOUGH again if this one is read and loved by kids, that's great.

I personally didn't love Sage's logic. It felt slightly obnoxious. BUT it might be extremely authentic. I do wish that the book focused more on Sage's whole life--and not just her attendance of grief counseling. But again, it's never, never fair to review the book you want instead of the book that is.

Note: I'm not sure if this is a children's book or lower middle grade. But there is a boyfriend and kissing. Which I'm not sure many Newbery medals feature a romantic element.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

13. Eureka

13. Eureka. Victoria Chang. 2026. 272 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, YA Historical Fiction, MG Historical Fiction, verse novel]

First sentence: "Eat before you go out,"
says Ma Ma. "And be
back for Chinese school!"
Ma Ma says this to me
every single day.
I'm not allowed to go to a public school
in San Francisco
with the American kids.

Premise/plot: Eureka is historical fiction set in 1884/1885 California. When Mei Mei's parents feel their young daughter is in danger if she remains in San Francisco (in danger of being taken and sold), they send her--for her own good--to Eureka, California, little knowing that they are sending her to even greater danger. In just a few months, all the Chinese will be expelled--much violence--from Eureka. Mei Mei and her new friends will have to find their own way back to San Francisco in the hope of finding refuge.

My thoughts: I enjoy verse novels. I enjoy historical fiction. I definitely enjoyed this one. It was a quick read.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

107. Dream

107. Dream. Barbara O'Connor. 2025. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [MG Fiction, J Fiction, realistic fiction, 4 stars]

First sentence: The last place I wanted to be in the middle of July was the laundromat. 

Premise/plot: Idalee Lovett is the song-writing heroine in Barbara O'Connor's newest children's book, Dream. Idalee Lovett loves, loves, loves writing songs and playing on her guitar. Her mom is trying her best to be a country music superstar. But she has a hard time getting gigs even at bars and such. Idalee is not giving up on her mom's dream or her own. There's a song writing contest and Idalee is determined to win it. The winner will have his/her song played on the radio performed by a country singer.

While her mom is "on tour" with her band, Idalee is left behind at her family's boarding house. She makes new friends--some that live in town, some that are from out of town. Her best friend is "stuck" in town since his dad's car [truck, van, whatever] broke down. As big as her dreams are, she finds herself stuck and out of inspiration. 

My thoughts: This is a companion novel to Wish. I wish I'd reread Wish. I do. My advice to you is reread Wish first. Unless Wish is a novel that you've reread a few times already or perhaps read aloud to your class. Charlie and Howard are side characters in this one.

I liked this one. I did. I think if I'd reread Wish and been immersed in that world--that town--I would have appreciated Dream more. I think if I'd sat down and read it in one sitting I would have appreciated it more. I read it over two weeks. It was good. But I wanted it to be amazing and wonderful.

 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

81. Right Back At You

81. Right Back at You. Carolyn Mackler. 2025. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, mg speculative fiction, Jewish, mg fiction, coming of age]

First sentence: Dear Albert Einstein,
I'm only writing this letter because Barb told me I had to. She said I could write it to anybody or nobody. I chose to write to you. She said I didn't have to send it. That's a good thing because you've been dead for almost seventy years.

Premise/plot: Right Back At You is set in 1987 and 2023. Mason lives in New York in 2023. He's troubled by many things: his mom's drinking, his dad starting a new job in a new city without them, the bullies at school, the lack of friends, shame. He begins writing letters and putting them in his closet never expecting a reply. Talia lives in Pennsylvania in 1987. She's troubled by many things as well: not being allowed to play baseball, being bullied because she's Jewish, no one being outraged at the antisemitism, loss of friends due to growing apart, etc. Both are a bit shocked and surprised to be communicating with the other. She comes to terms with it a LOT faster than Mason.

Right Back At You is undoubtedly and without apology a problem novel. The 'problems' tackled are antisemitism and bullying, but also alcoholism and neglect.

My thoughts: The premise was intriguing. I think the two story lines balanced each other out. Perhaps as individual stories without the speculative fiction aspect would have been too heavy-handed.

I liked this one. Not sure I absolutely loved it. But I did find it a quick, compelling read.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

71. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

 

71. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. Jonathan Auxier. 2011. Abrams. 397 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, j fantasy, mg fantasy, coming of age, quest]

First sentence: Now, for those of you who know anything about blind children, you are aware that they make the very best thieves. As you can well imagine, blind children have incredible senses of smell, and they can tell what lies behind a locked door--be it fine cloth, gold, or peanut brittle--at fifty paces. Moreover their fingers are small enough to slip right through keyholes, and their eyes keen enough to detect the faintest clicks and clacks of every moving part inside even the most complicated lock. Of course, the age of great thievery has long since passed; today there are few child-thieves left, blind or otherwise. At one time, however, the world was simply thick with them. This is the story of the greatest thief who ever lived. His name, as you've probably guessed, is Peter Nimble.

Premise/plot: Who is Peter Nimble? Who are his parents? Where did he come from? What does Peter know about his past--if anything? What do readers know about his past? Yes, he's an orphan who raised himself on the streets. Yes, he's a thief by necessity and manipulation. (Peter "being taken care of" by Mr. Seamus.) But is he destined for more than that? What does his future hold for him?

My thoughts: Did I enjoy reading Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes? Yes. Definitely. Or rereading as the case may be. There are two more books in the series--one a reread for me, Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard--and one BRAND NEW, JUST RELEASED. I think--if memory serves--I enjoyed the Sophie Quire book MORE than this first book. That's not to say I didn't like it. I did. I just didn't love it.

I liked Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes because it is a fantasy, a grand old-fashioned fantasy. The concept of his "fantastic eyes" is just intriguing. Pairs of magical "eyes" that he can put in and take out that do unusual, fantastic things--though not without risk and danger! And the adventure he lands in and the people he meets...it's just a compelling story, one that's easy to recommend.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

57. The Tiger Rising

57. The Tiger Rising. Kate DiCamillo. 2001. 128 pages. [Source: Bought] [3 stars, j fiction, coming of age, j realistic fiction]

First sentence: That morning, after he discovered the tiger, Rob went and stood under the Kentucky Star Motel sign and waited for the school bus just like it was any other day. 

Premise/plot: Rob Horton isn't having an easy time of it. His mother has died. His dad is largely absent--at least emotionally. Rob knows he cannot cry or grieve or show his sadness in any way. He hates, hates, hates having had to move. He hates living in a motel. He hates going to school. He is literally being BULLIED--physically harmed--by classmates. He has no friends--friends his own age or supportive adults. The book opens with him 'finding' a caged tiger in the woods behind the motel. He shares his discovery with a classmate; Sistine who is battling her own emotions. She is ANGRY, ANGRY, ANGRY. And she also hates having had to move. She hates everything about her life. These two become somewhat friendly as the book unfolds though it's more shared concern over this literal caged-tiger. They seem more in the tolerating stage than an actual I genuinely want to be your friend stage. 

The big question is will they or won't they....release the literal caged tiger into the [Florida] woods. 

My thoughts: I did not care for this one. Bright side: it was short.

I have really loved so many of Kate DiCamillo's works. They can be complex. They can offer an emotional experience--an emotional journey. You can feel all the feels. You can touch upon all the many, many, many emotions of life. This one is the darkest and saddest perhaps because there is literally no hope present within the novel. I hated the ending so much. I guess the bright side to the ending is that it was over.

What would have made this one better? If ANY adult--anyone--had showed one ounce of interest in Rob and his life. OR the tiger was not a literal, physical tiger.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

56. Home of the Brave

56. Home of the Brave. Katherine Applegate. 2007. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [mg fiction, mg realistic fiction, mg verse novel, 4 stars]

First sentence: When the flying boat
returns to earth at last,
I open my eyes
and gaze out the window.
What is all the white? I whisper.
Where is all the world?

Premise/plot: Kek is newly arrived in America after spending time in a refugee camp. He's been separated from his family. Some he knows are gone forever, but, he holds out home that his mother is alive somewhere and that someday the two will be reunited. He is staying with his aunt and older cousin. He's coming of age in a strange-to-him country unsure of his future and mourning his past. He takes comfort where he can. One of his great comforts is working on a farm part time and befriending the cow, Gol.

My thoughts: Home of the Brave is a verse novel, a coming of age novel, a refugee story. It was a quick read, a mostly compelling read. The narrative captures his awe, his confusion, his frustration, his aching heart. In some ways it's a heavy read. I'm not sure how realistic the ending is. 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

55. Gus and Glory

55. Gus and Glory. Sarah Guillory. 2025. 240 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, mg fiction, mg realistic fiction, dogs, friendship]

First sentence: The summer I was twelve, my mom got lost.  

Premise/plot: Gus and Glory is a coming of age middle grade novel. Glory, our heroine, is staying with her grandparents for the summer. Her dad is a truck driver, I believe, and her mother is "lost" and has essentially abandoned her. Glory soon befriends a bloodhound, Gus, who becomes a dear, dear friend. And Gus helps Glory make other friends in the community. Soon Glory finds herself feeling like this temporary home is HOME. But what will she do after the summer is over? Who will she live with? Will her mom ever come back? Will she get to keep Gus forever? Or will he go back to the neighbor?

My thoughts: DOG ON THE COVER, but it isn't truly sad. Glory is in a tough place for sure. But in so many ways this is a FOUND FAMILY book where a character finds just the right people to help make life better. 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

47. The Trouble with Heroes

 

47. The Trouble with Heroes. Kate Messner. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, j fiction, coming of age, verse novel, mg fiction, poetry]

First sentence: If I were a better kid, this story would begin with my seventh-grade diploma. Instead it starts with this.

Premise/plot: Finn Connelly is in trouble. Over one summer he has the opportunity to set things right, mostly. He'll be making reparations for knocking over a gravestone in the cemetery. (An arrangement with the daughter of the woman's whose gravestone was knocked over, and I believe agreed upon by the court?). He'll be making up missed hours for PE. He'll be making up a poetry assignment--twenty poems on the subject of HEROES. Mission: climb all forty-six mountains in the Adirondack High Peaks. He'll have 'guides' for most of the climbs--men and women who have volunteered to help him out, men and women who love climbing mountains and/or have an interest in helping the kid out. (I could not tell if the coach was particularly interested in hiking so much as that he wanted to help Finn out.) 

Finn is going to hike and climb....write....and grieve. His firefighter father has recently died and his father had PTSD from serving on 9/11.

My thoughts: It made sense for this to be a verse novel. Not all verse novels pass this 'makes sense' test. He is being forced to 'write poetry' and he discovers that it isn't the worst thing in the world. That the process of writing--of writing poems--can be personally helpful. It is very much a coming of age novel. It was good to watch him grow/change throughout the story. This one does offer a few twists and turns on the way. Perhaps I should have seen one of them coming....but I didn't. 

This 'problem novel' is heavy at times but it also contains lighter moments. Finn loves baking for instance.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

35. The Enemy's Daughter

 

35. The Enemy's Daughter. Anne Blankman. 2025. 288 pages. [Source: Library] [MG Historical fiction, MG coming of age, MG fiction,  3 stars]

First sentence: Marta leaned back against the ship's railing as far as she could go without falling over the side.

Premise/plot: Marta and her father are Germans aboard the Lusitania--secretly. Though not spies, they know that using their own papers to travel would be problematic--to say the least. They had been in America visiting family and now with the war--World War I--they are having difficulty traveling back safely. The sinking of the ship coincides with their discovery. Soon, Marta finds herself in England on her own. Her father is imprisoned and/or detained. Somewhere. She has no way of knowing where he is or what steps to take to find out where. Essentially on her own in a foreign country with whom she has some biases. Germany and England are at war after all. Germany is right all the time, isn't it? So what's a girl to do to survive without her identity becoming known?

My thoughts: I wanted to love this one. I did. I wanted to feel swept up, up, and away. I wanted to feel it to be an incredibly compelling stories where I cared deeply about the characters. And there is a chance--since reading is subjective--that it may be exactly that for another reader. I felt strangely detached from the characters and the story. I don't know if it was all me or if the book perhaps is more tell than show. (As opposed to more show than tell). One thing I can still appreciate is that Marta's friendship comes through a shared love of books. With that I can relate 100%. Books can build bridges across cultures, etc. And a shared love of specific stories can help encourage friendship to bloom. 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

32. HappyHead

 

32. HappyHead. Josh Silver. 2023. 383 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, YA dystopia, YA fiction]

First sentence: "I think it's down there," Mum says.

Premise/plot: Is HappyHead 'like Hunger Games' but better'? Maybe. So essentially this is a [queer] dystopian thriller with a strong emphasis on mental health. That is, to rephrase it, what if the 'mental health treatment center' was at the [horrific] core of the dystopia. What if the people entrusted with caring for society's most vulnerable, most at risk, were evil monsters. Sebastian, the narrator, is a young gay teen who is struggling with balancing pleasing himself [being true to himself] and wanting to please others. This isn't only about sexual orientation or identity. This is about him being a people-pleaser even when it is making him deeply unhappy. I think it is an also universal struggle in that age-old question: do I really want to be the person my parents want me to be?

So Sebastian (Seb) is one of many [a hundred I think????] chosen to take part in a mental health retreat. 'At risk' and 'troubled' teens applied for experimental therapy treatment 'HappyHeads.' They'll be put into teams and face challenges--literal at time: physical challenges, mental and emotional as well. What wasn't quite advertised is that this is a competition. Each participant has a ranking. To what extent 'rankings' matter remains to be seen....for most of the novel. 

Readers meet the other participants....notably Eleanor and Finn. Finn is the 'bad boy' of his dreams. Eleanor is his 'partner' in pretense but also for tactical reasons. She's ranked HIGHLY and she seems to have an instinct for knowing what the powers that be want from the participants. Because Seb wants to please the powers that be, he finds it easier to go along with her. 

Obviously there are secrets and twists and turns....

My thoughts: I found this to be a compelling read. Not at all my normal 'cup of tea' if you will. But unlike Hunger Games, there is no love triangle. AND it is not really focused on being a love story. It is much more in the 'dystopia' and 'coming of age' and 'thriller' camp than being a romance.

Unlike Hunger Games, the characters ARE IN THE DARK. The mysteries are true mysteries. The suspense feels more authentic that way. Hunger Games is very this-is-the-way-things-are. There is something rigid and strict about Hunger Games. The Games may be twisted, however, there's order and structure and HISTORY. This leads to plenty of info-dump possibilities. HappyHead is different in that Seb truly has no idea what is going on and what may be coming. None of the characters do.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

25. Daughters of Shadong

 

25. Daughters of Shandong. Eve J. Chung. 2024. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [adult historical fiction, coming of age, refugees, adult fiction] [4 stars]

First sentence: When I recall my birthplace, Zhucheng, Shandong, I think first of our shiheyuan, the traditional courtyard home that I grew up in.

Premise/plot: Hai is the oldest daughter at a time when daughters were almost seen as a curse and definitely seen as less-than. Her father's family--whom they all live with--the Angs--definitely see their son's having THREE daughters (as of the opening of the novel) as tragic. So much so that they take their daughter-in-law to a fortune-teller (or cultural equivalent). Alas, the son won't come until she's thirty-six!!! Determined to prevent the curse of daughters continuing, the mother-in-law determines to keep her son and daughter-in-law apart--far, far, far, far apart. Oh, and also to treat her as dirt. Well, dirt might be a nice way of saying it. But in-law troubles is the least of the families worries once the Communists come into power in China. Half the family flees--just in time--but Hai, her mother, and her sisters are left behind to "guard" the family estate. What happens next is horrifying and disturbing...as the family tries to flee to Taiwan.  Will the family ever be reunited? Will their brokenness ever be healed? Can Hai forgive her mother and her sister?

My thoughts: This was such a compelling read. I read it over two or three days. If I had the stamina of my youth, then I would have finished it in one sitting.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

22. The Secret of Honeycake

 

22. The Secret of Honeycake. Kimberly Newton Fusco. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [j historical fiction, j fiction] [5 stars]

First sentence: One thing you don't know about me yet is I am very quiet.

My thoughts (preview): I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. Is it my favorite children's book of 2025 so far???? YES. 

Premise/plot: Bronte and Hurricane (our heroine) are orphans. Their mother has died of tuberculosis and it seems Bronte is following in her mother's footsteps. She has also become ill enough to need to be sent away to a resting hospital for treatment. Hurricane is miserably unhappy because she's being collected by a great aunt (Aunt Claire)--a total stranger, and her servant, Mr. Keats. Those are the bare-bone basics setting up this historical coming of age novel...

My thoughts: I absolutely loved this one. I did. I loved the writing--the narrative style. I loved the characters. Hurricane's inner voice was one I really enjoyed. I liked seeing her come of age and learn to speak up for herself. I loved the relationships. I loved how nothing was instant. It isn't like she moves to a strange house, with strange relatives, in a strange city and wakes up bright and cheerful and ready to go the next day. I like the 'slow thawing' in terms of relationship building. I liked the focus on friendship--with people and animals. I liked seeing how Aunt Claire has her own 'coming of age' journey. I ADORED Mr. Keats. He was easily my favorite part? Maybe. Mostly. I absolutely loved how this 'found family' came to be.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

18. Scattergood

Scattergood. H.M. Bouwman. 2025. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [mg fiction, mg historical, 3 stars]

First sentence: A barn is almost the best place in the world to think, if you live on a farm and have nowhere else to go. 

Premise/plot: Scattergood is historical fiction set in 1941 in Iowa. Peggy, our heroine, is coming of age at a rough time. Her cousin/best friend, Delia, has been diagnosed with leukemia and given less than six months to live. The ever-logical-and-scientific Peggy is determined to cure her friend of her disease and prove the doctors wrong. Meanwhile, Peggy is absolutely SMITTEN with a Jewish refugee, Gunther, and has started hanging around with the refugees at Scattergood--something to do with Quakers taking in refugees. Likewise, Joe, a long-time family friend is absolutely smitten with Peggy. Gunther, in due course, is smitten with another girl. In all three cases of smitten-ness, it is one-sided. The ages of all vary, but Peggy is definitely the youngest just a few months shy of thirteen when the novel opens. (The guys, I believe are around sixteen.) As the months go by, Peggy dwells on anything and everything that makes life unfair and unbearable.

My thoughts: I wanted to enjoy this one. It is set at a time period I usually almost always enjoy reading. It is a coming of age story, historical fiction--both good indicators. I just found nearly all the characters a little off-putting. Though perhaps they were meant to be?

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

14. First State of Being

   

14. First State of Being. Erin Entrada Kelly. 2024. 272 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, Newbery Medal, MG Speculative Fiction, MG Fiction, Time Travel]

First sentence: Peaches, Michael Rosario thought. That's what we need. His mother loved peaches. If the world came to a standstill at midnight on January 1, 2000, at least she would have two things she cherished: peaches and Michael.

Premise/plot: The year is 1999. Michael Rosario, the narrator, struggles with worry and anxiety. His biggest anxiety at the moment is the end of the world, aka Y2K. He is secretly hoarding food and supplies. Since he doesn't have money to pay--he's a kid, after all, just twelve--he's picked up the habit of shoplifting. His second biggest anxiety is that his mom will lose another job--just like before. Right now they are living paycheck to paycheck, he fears what would happen....if. There are so many 'ifs' of the future. He does have friends in the apartment complex, and, I believe he's friends with some--at least one--of the adults as well. But it is his new friend, Ridge, a friend who claims to be from the FUTURE and even has a book in hand that details historical events, who may just change his perspective and help him come into 'the first state of being' (aka living IN the moment, IN now).

 My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I am so glad I finally read it. It had been on my want to read list for months. It recently won the Newbery Medal. I thought the premise of a time traveler was interesting. It is more usual, more typical, to read books from the point of view of the time traveler, that is not the case here. Michael is tempted--incredibly tempted--by trying to find out anything, everything, something--about the future. Here is his opportunity to KNOW what the future holds...but would knowing change things for the better or the worse? And what if the theories of how damaging knowing could be if it leads to changes.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

11. Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All

  

11. Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All. Chanel Miller. 2024. 160 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, Newbery Honor, mg realistic, family, friendship, light mystery]

First sentence: Magnolia Wu was almost ten. She was eager to turn ten, because the number 9 looked like a sprout coming out of the ground, small and easily stomped. Ten was a strong, two-digit number that looked like a sword and a shield that belonged to someone who was about to conquer the world.

Premise/plot: Magnolia Wu, whose parents own a laundromat, finds a new friend in this coming of age mystery that has Magnolia and friend (Iris) trekking all over New York City reuniting lost socks with their owners. 

My thoughts: Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All is a Newbery Honor book. I may not have picked this one up--necessarily--if it hadn't been brought to my attention last week during the awards announcements. It is solidly good middle grade fiction. I enjoyed the themes of friendship and family--being/becoming proud of who you are and where you come from. I enjoyed Magnolia opening herself up and 'blossoming' as she adventures across the city. On her quest to reunite socks with their owners--which I find requires a bit of suspension of disbelief--it has her becoming more confident.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

9. Lost in the Empire City

  

9. Lost in the Empire City. Avi. 2024. [October 29] 304 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, j fiction, mg fiction, j historical, mg historical, immigration/emigration]

First sentence: The promise took a second to make but became the story of my young life. I made the promise in Italy in 1905. 

Premise/plot: COULD A BOOK BE MORE PERFECTLY PACED?!?!?! Seriously, Avi could teach a master class on how to make a book IMPOSSIBLE to put down.

The premise is simple enough, Santo, our hero, makes a promise to keep his family together always and forever. This promise becomes a challenge once the family immigrates to America. The family is separated at Ellis Island. Santo finds himself ALONE in a foreign country where he knows only the tiniest amount of English and he is essentially without resources. Every single day is focused on surviving--living long enough to keep that promise and reunite the family, somehow someway. This book chronicles that dangerous journey. 

My thoughts: I LOVED this one. I didn't know if I would or not. (Though Ms. Yingling's review led me to believe that I would.) I loved the pacing, the suspense, the characterization, the story itself. It was SO good.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews