All tagged young adult

Chlorine – Jade Song

Expectation: A horror story of a high school swimmer turning into a bloodthirsty mermaid in an act of rage. 

Reality: Aimless and boring, a few body gore sections weren’t enough to keep me interested before throwing in the towel.

Punching the Air – Ibi Zoboi

Expectation: An exploration of criminal justice inequities framed around the true story of one of the “Central Park jogger” teens.

Reality: While the verses are beautiful, the story and characterizations fell victim to typical YA tropes versus breaking new ground.

Like a Love Story – Abdi Nazemian

Expectation: A sweet but slight coming of age tale set amidst the backdrop of the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City in the late-1980s.

Reality: While there’s a lot of melodrama and the plot is stale, it’s a great introduction to this era in queer history, and the importance of having a gay Iranian lead character cannot be understated.