Review of Just Another Epic Love Poem

I bolded the spoilers below.

What I liked:

• The characters are generally realistic and compelling. I was immediately invested in Bea and Mitra’s story.
• The poems sprinkled throughout the book are lovely, but also feel like they could be written by high school girls.
• The food. Don’t read this on an empty stomach. It’s full of enthusiastic descriptions of Iranian food like tadig, zoolbia, and chai tea.

What I didn’t like:

• Every character makes rushed decisions. It’s unrealistic and frustrating. Characters take a few minutes or seconds to decide to forgive someone, trust someone, or drive across the state with someone. 

For instance, Mitra misses an important event because of a family emergency. She arrives late at the party afterwards and sees Bea with her ex (Bea’s ex). Bea ignores her because she missed the event. So Mitra goes home and destroys something important to both of them. Her girlfriend is devastated but quickly forgives her. None of this would have happened if any of the characters had not been so quick to judge, and no one reflects on that at all. It’s just, oh, you burnt something I cared about but I don’t care why, let’s just kiss and be friends.

This mostly comes at the end of the novel and wouldn’t have annoyed me so much if the characters hadn’t been realistic and sympathetic up to that point.

THS 11th grader

Pink Floyd in Comics is a visually striking and creatively told tribute that captures the band’s legacy through diverse artistic interpretations. – THS 9th grader

In my opinion, Wild Dreamers is an amazing book. It’s about a Cuban American girl named Ana, she and her mother have been living out of their car after her father’s name popped up on the FBI’s most wanted list. They were hiding her from her father after he was wanted for domestic terrorism. But, wild dreamers is a story of two teens, both of which are facing significant challenges in their lives. Leonardo and his family escape Cuba on a raft but he struggles with panic attacks ever since his father drowned on their journey. When Ana and Leondardo meet it’s like a Kindle being lit, but meeting again feels uncertain. When they join new schools -the same school- they bond on their mission to save animals, including Pumas. Overall, Wild Dreamers is a sad story with sparks of hope. The writing is lyrical and magical, benefiting this novel in verse.  – 9th grade THS student

The Way I Am Now is a heartbreaking, realistic, and passionate story of two people with lost souls and their journey as they find themselves and each other. It’s an emotional rollercoaster and a breathtaking sequel to The Way I Used To Be. It depicts Eden’s and Josh’s journeys of trauma, pain, loss, relationships, love, freedom, and what it means to heal. It picks up with the impending trial, where Eden must face the wrongs done to her in the past. The best part of the book is that we now also get to hear the story from Josh’s perspective, who happens to be my favorite character, and Eden’s perspective. This rollercoaster of a story is a book I 100% recommend adding to your reading list. It’s a great addition to any shelf. – Madison Hom, THS 10th grader

By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter is queer historical fiction set in Shakespearian, Elizabethan England starring Will, a down on his luck actor. He’s hiding his identity on stage, playing the traditionally male played female roles, and off stage, keeping his sexually hidden from his father. This bounces between campy, enemies to lovers romance and murder mystery, and doesn’t really seem to nail either vibe as a result. The length also tempered my enjoyment a bit; I feel like it should have been tightened at least fifty pages to keep pace with the energy of the premise. But, I was rooting for Will and intrigued by the setting and commentary, especially as an English teacher / recovering theater nerd. This read is definitely for fans of Shakespeare, theater, murder mystery, and LGBTQ+ storylines.

By Emma-Kate Schaake @hiketothelibrary

I am always down for a travel novel, especially for young adults as the premise opens up readers to the world! This is the companion novel to The Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, centered around Flora, Orion’s sister, as she deals with the grief from losing her mother. Flora’s indecisiveness is at times frustrating (as is the love triangle, which seemed unnecessary) but it is also understandable given how she is navigating through grief by avoidance. Her floundering as she attempts to forge her new future is relatable and realistic. While I enjoyed both this book and the first, I also didn’t feel superbly impacted by them, which is what I look for in a YA novel, even a sweet one and they both felt a little forgettable. But, overall, I would recommend these to student readers dealing with loss, interested in photography, curious about culture in Miami, or figuring out life after high school.

Emma-Kate Schaake @hiketothelibrary