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Book club pick

Never read an Agatha Christie book before and I hear this is a good place to start.

This was overall a very enjoyable read that bogged down at the end. It made heavy use of YA tropes but had adults-only romance and those two components fit awkwardly together. The characters' dialogue was very modern, which took getting used to with the setting.

The first two-thirds were a real page-turner that I compulsively read until I slowed down at the end.

The equation here was (a worse version of Scholomance) + (a better version of Divergent) + (a few Game of Thrones elements) + (sex scenes).

I'll definitely read the next one, and I wonder if the school will continue to feature in the plot, or if it will go another direction.

Reading ahead of the author's appearance at the National Book Festival in August.

I feel like this could have used the verse form more. Verse is most useful to convey emotions, rather than events. The story had some twists and it was good that it was conveyed without breaking the flow too much. However, I've read and seen other works (e.g. Turtles All the Way Down and Inside Out 2) that give a better picture of what a panic attack feels like. It was unusual to see verse used in such a didactic book, as well.

There was a certain "fellow kids" factor where it was clear that the author was writing about a different generation and getting some things second hand.

I enjoyed how the story showed Sadie's family members coping with her anxiety. They all loved her, but had varying levels of maturity, understanding, and patience.

Book club pick

This was a very thorough history that showed deep research and enthusiasm for the subject.

I enjoyed seeing how decisions made at the start of the process shaped development for decades afterwards.

It was sometimes hard to keep track of names, I could have used a dramatis personae. Overall it could have done a better job tying everything together. The chapters felt episodic.

I read a book about DC history every summer, this year it's the DC Metro.

I thought this was a YA book going in, but I should have looked closer because it was more kid lit.

Overall a good explanation to kids of nonbinary identity, with pleasant and relatable characters in a brisk read.

The author had personal experience with skating and got pretty in the weeds on the terminology, which was fine, it added to the authenticity.

I think it was a bit underexplored why Ana didn't want to identify a boy. Those feelings were stated and alluded to, but not really shown.

Reading because I saw this recommended in the Planet Word museum.