Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O'Shaughnessy

 

Over the weekend, I finished reading Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O'Shaughnessy. This realistic fiction novel is about Mo Gallagher, an eleven-year-old girl who is put into foster care after her grandmother, Nan, passes away and her uncle, Bill, decides to return to the army. When she discovers a handmade cookbook with recipes from someone else's family, she decides to take it with her to read the stories behind the recipes and try making some of them as a hobby. After she is placed with pre-adoptive foster parents, June and Tate Townsend, and has to return the handmade cookbook, she meets one of the doormen, Joe Bianco, who inspires her to ask everyone she meets for their family recipes so that she can not only make them, but collect the stories behind them to share on a website. She even hopes that a long-lost relative will find her and give her a family recipe by seeing the website. When things begin to fall apart again, Mo wonders if she'll ever have family recipe of her own.

Although I'm not a foodie, this book was wonderful to read. I thought it was great that Mo took up cooking as a hobby even though Nan never cooked with her before she passed away. Although I liked June and Tate and thought they were good for Mo at first, I was so disappointed in them by the end of the book. I absolutely loved Joe and his wife, Carlota, though. They really stepped up as the story went on and played a major role in Mo's life. One of my favorite scenes was when Mo stayed with them for a weekend because June and Tate had to go to a wedding in Arizona and Joe invited his brothers over so they could all make lasagna. It was such a heart-warming scene. I also thought Mo's friends, Crystal Wang and Travis Ortiz, were really great especially when they helped Mo plan a pop-up restaurant for New Year's Eve. Even though it was looking rocky for a while, I adored the ending of Lasagna Means I Love You. It was perfect. Additionally, I enjoyed that the story was told through letters that Mo wrote to Nan in a notebook that Uncle Bill gave her from Nan and appreciated that the book showed the challenges of being in the foster care system. If you like food and stories about found family, you should definitely read this book.

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

 

Yesterday, I finished reading Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler. This sporty romance is about Amber McCloud, a cheerleader who dreams of being captain for her senior year, and Jack Walsh, the new quarterback for the Atherton Alligator football team who is actually a girl. After their previous quarterback, Robbie, died in a car accident, the football players are angry with Robbie being replaced by Jack and make life hell for her at her new school, even though she's a better QB than Robbie ever was. Meanwhile, Amber is trying to maintain a sense of unity on the cheerleading squad, which is challenging when her best friend, Cara, wants her to help them take Jack down. As Amber gets to know Jack, though, she begins to fall for her and has to make a decision between her heart and her dream.

I enjoyed this book from the very start. Not only did I love Amber and Jack because of their passion for their sports and each other, I also loved the setting of a high school in Florida because it showed how living in a conservative community causes conflict for queer teenagers. I really felt for both Amber and Jack because I wanted them to be able to be themselves and not have to hide their feelings for each other because their classmates would exclude them. I also really liked Amber's friend, Miguel, whom she was pretending to date so that their friends wouldn't become suspicious of their queerness, because he was the only player on the football team who wasn't being hostile towards Jack. I thought it was adorable when Amber and Jack went on a double date with Miguel and his boyfriend, Malcolm, to a bowling alley. It made me so mad that the football team put Robbie on a pedestal because he was a despicable human being, blackmailing Miguel when he was still alive. I also had a lot of issues with Cara because of her homophobia and internalized misogyny. At times, I wondered how Amber could still be friends with her, but the reveal of Cara's secret added some depth to her, making me understand her actions, even if I couldn't excuse them. The end of this book was absolutely spectacular because it brought me back to the excitement of football games I went to when I was in high school. Due to swearing and suggestive language, I'd recommend Home Field Advantage to teens who enjoy love stories, cheerleading, and/or football.

How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby

 

Over the weekend, I read How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby. This realistic fiction novel is about Pluto Timoney, an almost-13-year-old girl who loves astronomy and summer. After she is diagnosed with depression and anxiety a month before summer break, Pluto struggles to just get out of bed most days, which leads to conflict when her mom wants to look after her at their family's pizzeria. Then, when Pluto's dad proposes to her mom that she come live with him in the city so he can pay for her to get help there, Pluto decides to come up with a list of things that the old, "normal" Pluto would do so that she can stay with her mom. Although Pluto receives help from a new tutor, a new therapist, and a cute new friend, Fallon, who makes her own list of things to do over the summer, she still struggles to accomplish anything on her list, leading her to wonder if she'll ever be her old self again.

Although I did enjoy this book, it was an intense, challenging read, demonstrating the experience of having depression for a young person. I really liked how Pluto and her mom had bonded over a love of astronomy, so the conflict between them was devastating. It was hard to know what Pluto's mom could do to help make things better for Pluto because I could tell she was trying her best and was scared to leave Pluto on her own after she had locked herself in her bedroom at the beginning of the book. I also loved Pluto's new friendship with Fallon and how they agreed to help each other with their lists over the summer, even if the outcome was surprising. On the other hand, something else that made me sad was how Pluto found it hard to be around her best friend, Meredith, because Meredith knew what she was like before having depression. That's why I was glad that Pluto met Fallon, though. While How to Become a Planet is dark at times, the ending did give me hope for Pluto. Anyone who is going through tough stuff should read this book because it shows you're not alone.

His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler

 

Yesterday, I finished reading His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler. This story collection reimagines thirteen tales originally written by Edgar Allan Poe, including "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Tell-Tale Heart", and "The Raven".  Although Poe's works are over a hundred and fifty years, they have themes that are similar to those found in today's young adult literature. Thirteen popular YA authors put their own spin on Poe's works, telling stories that are mysterious, thrilling, and horrifying.

I read a collection of Poe's works when I was in eighth grade and this story collection by current YA authors based on some of his short stories and poems did not disappoint. I thought it was absolutely fantastic because I love creepy and mysterious stories. Some of my favorites were "She Rode a Horse of Fire" by Kendare Blake, "It's Carnival!" by Tiffany D. Jackson, "The Glittering Death" by Caleb Roehrig, "A Drop of Stolen Ink" by Emily Lloyd-Jones, "The Oval Filter" by Lamar Giles, "Red" by Hillary Monahan, "Lygia" by Dahlia Adler, and "The Fall of the Bank of Usher" by Fran Wilde. I really enjoyed how many of these stories incorporated diverse main characters whether they were girls, people of color, or LGBTQ+. All of the stories were unique whether they took place in the past, the present, or the future. Overall, His Hideous Heart is an amazing choice for teens who enjoys mystery, suspense, horror, or Edgar Allan Poe.