Best Of 2023
Adela "Addie" Ramírez's mother has always refused to speak of her father, so Addie has grown up with her stepfather, Alex, as the only father figure in her life. Addie loves Alex, but she always feels like there's something missing from her life. As if she only knows half of herself.
When Alex asks Addie to let him adopt her, Addie realizes that she won't feel completely whole until she finds out who her biological father is. And she knows she won't get anywhere by asking her mom. So with the help of her best friend Cy, Addie tracks down first a picture of her father, and then his name and home. Her quest leads her to the Bravos of Esperanza, New Mexico: a famous family of retired luchadores.
On the Bravos' ranch, Addie meets her grandparents, Rosie and Pancho, both former wrestlers; her twin cousins Eva and Maggie, aspiring luchadoras; her uncle Mateo, whose wrestling skills are only rivaled by his talent at the sewing machine; and Manny, Addie's biological father. After traveling for years, Manny is back in Esperanza at the chance to re-enter the world of wrestling and bring back his old fame. Addie wants Manny to be her father, but she can't help but wonder if he wants the same thing. It turns out family, old and new, is a lot more complicated than Addie realized.
Celia C. Pérez is one of my favorite authors and Tumble is my favorite book of hers yet! Set in New Mexico, this story of long-lost family and secrets is as colorful and warm as a desert sunset. I loved all of Addie's family members, and the love between family members is what makes this book truly special, even though they make mistakes and aren't perfect. I also loved the setting; Celia's descriptions paint a beautiful desert landscape of tumbleweeds, bright skies, and picturesque mountains. Not only that, but learning about lucha libre culture was fascinating. Addie is a determined, independent protagonist, and all of the characters balance each other in a marvelous way.
Eden's Everdark by Karen Strong
Eden has never been to Safina Island, the place where her mother's family set up a life for themselves after slavery. But when Eden's mother dies, meeting her long-lost family is just what she thinks she needs.
On Safina Island, Eden finds a warm and welcoming extended family, a rich history, and a place that could, maybe, heal her grief. But when she encounters a mysterious sketchbook of her mother's in a closet, full of dark and morbid illustrations, Eden starts having strange dreams of an eerie nighttime world that mirrors Safina Island. And one day, Eden follows a black cat into the forest and falls into a cut in the daylight. She is in Everdark, a land where spirits wait to move on to the afterlife and the sun never rises.
Eden is soon taken in by the Witch of Everdark, who promises to make Eden her daughter for all of eternity. As Eden searches for a way to escape the witch's mansion, she finds that all is not right in this lonesome world. Rot crawls across the mansion walls, and the Witch rules the other spirits with her powerful magic. Will Eden be able to escape Everdark, and save the other spirits from the Witch's magic, before it's too late?
The inside of this haunting fantasy is just as lush and beautiful as its cover. The world building of Everdark is so creative; I felt like I could smell the salt of the sea and feel the Spanish moss against my fingertips as I wandered across Safina Island. Drawing in important parts of Black history, Strong creates a story with important lessons about grief, hope, and personal strength. Eden is a determined protagonist who never truly gives up hope, even when all seems lost; and the spirits who help her along the way create a tender and complex cast of characters.
Anne of Greenville by Mariko Tamaki
When Anne's family moves to Greenville, aka the most boring place on
earth, Anne is not impressed. She's a disco-loving, rollerskating, queer
Japanese American girl, and the small-minded folk of Greenville don't
take kindly to her at first. But soon Anne meets Berry, her new best
friend, who helps keep her head up when her other classmates attack her
with homophobic and racist comments. She also meets Gilly, a really cute
girl...who happens to be friends with the kids who bully Anne.
Through
a series of misadventures involving a school play, some very creative
fashion choices, and various lawn-related disasters, Anne begins to
realize that if Greenville doesn't have a place for her, she's going to
have to make room herself. After all, this is Anne Shirley; a few
close-minded jerks are not going to make her hide who she truly is. Not
only that, but Greenville may have the potential to surprise her after
all.
Anne of Green Gables is my absolute favorite classic, so as a mixed Japanese American, I was absolutely stunned to find a YA adaptation with half-Japanese Anne. And it did not disappoint! This novel is hilarious, but still doesn't shy away from hard topics such as racism and homophobia. There's just enough of the original novel to satisfy any Anne of Green Gables fan, but plenty of new twists to keep readers on their toes. And what ties it all together is Anne herself: she embodies the original Anne's spirit, but with an explosion of glitter and a disco soundtrack to accompany her as she roller-skates through Greenville. This book was absolutely stunning, and I highly recommend to anyone who loves the original novel but wishes it were more modern and diverse. Even if you haven't read the original, this book is just wonderful on its own.
Hani & Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
It all starts when Humaira "Hani" Khan comes out to her friends as bisexual. They claim that she can't possibly be, because she's never dated a girl before. In an effort to save face, Hani blurts out something she can't take back--that she's dating Ishita "Ishu" Dey, a studious and unfriendly girl who happens to be the only other South Asian girl in Hani's year at school.
Ishu agrees to fake-date Hani on the condition that Hani help unsociable Ishu become more popular in order to win Head Girl at the end of the year. But instead of helping Hani keep the peace with her friends, her fake relationship with Ishu ends up driving a wedge between them as Hani's friends grow jealous and spiteful. To complicate matters, Hani has started questioning her feelings for Ishu. In the end, she will have to decide between keeping her friends and making her and Ishu's fake relationship real.
This dual-perspective novel was probably the first YA romance I've ever voluntarily picked up. I really enjoy Adiba Jaigirdar's books--they're fast-paced, easy to read, and have dynamic characters. They kind of straddle the line between middle grade and YA, with older protagonists and more romance, but fast-paced plots and no steaminess. This book also taught me that I really enjoy a romance in dual perspectives--getting both girls' views really helped strengthen their relationship for the reader, and make both of their decisions seem understandable and realistic.
Other Ever Afters by Melanie Gillman
In this collection of queer fairy tales, anything is possible. A fish-woman crawls from the sea to become a lonely woman's wife. A princess sacrifice her power and riches for her true love. A giant frees her captive without a fight. A trickster god helps a desperate young woman escape a loveless marriage.
I was absolutely transfixed by this book from the moment I opened it. The art is sublime--smooth colored pencil in carefully calculated color schemes that bring out the richness of each tale. And beyond that, each story is so wonderfully confusing, enchanting, and strange. I've truly never encountered anything like this book. It's hard to put into words how each story feels when you reach the end--each end so incomplete, and yet leaving you with a sense of finality and otherworldliness.
All You Knead is Love by Tanya Guerrero
Alba's mom is sending her to Barcelona for the summer to spend time away while her mom figures things out with Alba’s abusive dad. Alba feels like she’s being thrown out, and doesn’t want to go stay with a Filipina-Spanish grandmother she barely knows in a country she doesn’t call home. But Barcelona offers more than Alba could have imagined. She meets new friends, including a supportive father figure who teaches her to make bread—something that Alba quickly falls in love with. But at the end of it all, Alba knows she’ll have to see her mom again, and figure out a way to fix their family. Could Barcelona just be the key to healing Alba’s broken heart?
This is the sweetest book you could read if you love stories about found family, learning to call a new place home, and of course baking. I fell in love with all the characters, who opened their hearts to Alba when she needed it most. Reading this book is like being wrapped in soft bread dough. It’s about healing, learning to love again, and finding a way to happiness. Highly recommend!
Candidly Cline by Kathryn Ormsbee
Cline Alden dreams of becoming a big-name country star, akin to Dolly Parton or Emmylou Harris. The only problem? Her mother is absolutely opposed to the idea, saying that Cline needs to focus on something more stable that will be sure to give her a comfortable life. So when Cline hears about a young musicians' songwriting workshop a few towns over, she knows she'll have to pave her own way to get there. After a lot of money-saving and sweet-talking, she finds herself the tuition and a ride to take her to her musical dreams.
But when she arrives at the workshop, she's intimidated by the older kids and their years of experience. Not only that, but she gets partnered up with Sylvie, a rock enthusiast who makes Cline's head full of love song lyrics.
As she begins to write her own music, Cline realizes how much she's been hiding from her family, and from herself. She has to figure out what it means to be Cline, in her truest version, so that she can sing it to the world.
This is one of my top reads of the year so far. Cline was an amazing protagonist, with her determination and passion for music and her openness and honesty with her feelings. The setting and general tone of the book were incredibly nostalgic and heartwarming, and the cast of characters felt like the perfect size to contrast with and lift up Cline.
TW: homophobia
Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park
Alejandra Kim feels stuck between two identities. As a Latinx Asian American, she finds that people make decisions about her based on her Spanish/Korean name before even hearing her speak. Her "woke" white classmates at her prestigious Quaker high school are nice enough, but they stay silent when a white teacher makes a joke about Ale's ethnicity. And it doesn't help that her cousins look down on her for not speaking Korean, while her Latinx neighbors think of her as "that Chinese girl."
And
Ale and her mother are still reeling from the day eight months ago when
Papi's body was found on the subway tracks. Ale's mother refuses to
accept what Ale believes is the harsh truth behind her father's death.
Things between Ale and her ma have been cold ever since.
Ale
knows that if she gets into her dream college in Maine, she'll be free
from people judging her name before her personality and ignoring the
blatant racism that is directed at her. Free from her mother's silence,
and the painful memories that pervade her apartment in Queens. But
senior year has a lot to throw at her before she gets to graduation: the
return of an old neighborhood friend, the white savior attitude of her
best friend at school, and the fact that her ma is absolutely opposed to
Ale going to college outside of New York. But not even imposter
syndrome is going to stop Ale from following her dreams.
In Imposter Syndrome,
Patricia Park does a fabulous job of acknowledging the pain,
complexities, and discrimination that are inherent to the lives of
multiethnic Americans, while keeping things funny and relatable.
Alejandra's perception of her race is tied into others' perception of
her, and their opinions about where she "belongs" in relation to other
Asians and Latinx people; however, Ale is acutely aware of herself and
her feelings, giving the readers a lot to think about as she questions
her identity. There are so many things to talk about in this book: the
way Ale and her ma deal with grief; the sometimes tense, uncomfortable
truth of family; the rise and fall of friendships; the feeling of
sticking out like a sore thumb no matter where you go. Not only does Imposter Syndrome
offer a window (or a mirror) into someone else's experiences, it is an
incredibly enjoyable, thought-provoking read with an unforgettable
protagonist.
TW: Mentions of a suicide that took place before the book started, racist language used against protagonist.
The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste Lim
Li Jing's family is struggling, and in a final effort to keep themselves afloat, Jing's aunt decides to sell her as as child bride to a far-away family. Against all her protests, Jing is forced to move far away and live with the Kohs. At the Kohs', Jing must play nursemaid to her new husband, three-year-old Ju'nan. The boy is sweet, but the Kohs treat Jing like a servant until they finally sell her into an even more dangerous situation. Jing must use all her wits, and maybe the help of some supernatural beings, to escape and return to her old life.
This beautiful historical fantasy novel is as gripping as it is emotional. Jing's journey from her hometown into the dangers of the wide world are not only a coming-of-age story, but a feminist look into girls' lives in medieval China. Definitely upper middle grade, with some darker themes, but they only add to the richness of the story. Historical fantasy is one of my favorite genres; I love learning about history through a magical lens, and this novel gave a marvelous insight into medieval Chinese mythologies and beliefs.
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
In the wilds of space, Mia finds herself at the threshold of her new job: joining a scrappy crew who works to restore ancient buildings among the stars. In the crew, Mia finds a new family--but she can't quite forget the girl she left behind at boarding school all those years ago. There are secrets in the deepest reaches of space, and if Mia is prepared to face them, she may be able to reunite herself with her lost love.
While On a Sunbeam is a gripping page-turner full of mysteries and secrets, it's also a gentle, slow-paced graphic novel with richly complex characters and breathtaking, creative world building (if you can even call it that, since it's set in outer space). I had turned the last page before I realized that this book takes place in a universe where not only is everyone queer, everyone is female or nonbinary. I've never read a book like this before, but I hope that more exist because even 533 intricately drawn pages weren't enough time to spend in this lovingly crafted universe. This was the best graphic novel I read this year, and if you enjoy sapphic love stories, mysteries, or space exploration, I hope you give it a try.
Root Magic by Eden Royce
1963 is a monumental year for Jezebel Turner and her family. Jez and her twin brother Jay's beloved grandmother passes away, leaving a legacy of root magic for her grandchildren to follow. As Jez and Jay navigate the intricacies of their family's ancestral magic, they must also face the aggression of local police, who are suspicious of the Turners' rootwork. Learning root magic may be the difference between safety and peril for the Turners.
I absolutely love slow-paced novels like Root Magic. This book is certainly not without conflict, but there's no world-shattering quest that the characters need to embark on. Eden Royce gives Jez and Jay plenty of space to grow up and play while they also become experts in Gullah rootwork. Root Magic introduced me to a cultural phenomenon that I was wholly unaware of before, but which is fascinating and deeply meaningful. I can't wait to read everything else that this author has written.
The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett
Grace is certain that no one will ever adopt her from the orphanage because of her magic, which causes those who look at her to remember their most shameful moment. So she turns to the one person who couldn't be afraid of her: the witch in the woods, who the children at the orphanage whisper about in the night. What Grace longs for above all else is a home, so when she discovers that the witch's cottage is cozy and welcoming, with just a hint of wicked magic in its corners, she couldn't ask for more.
But the witch is a different story. She takes Grace in on one condition: Grace must complete all 100 ½
spells in the witch's grimoire before spring, or the witch will take
Grace's magic. But if Grace succeeds, she can continue to live in the
cottage as the witch's apprentice.
With the help of her new friend Sareena, and some more unexpected allies from the village and surrounding forest, Grace begins the daunting task of learning every spell in the book. But when the witch and her home are threatened, there is suddenly more at stake than Grace's magic.
The author does a magnificent job adapting Anne of Green Gables into a magical setting. Grace is perfectly Anne-like in her fancifulness, long imaginative monologues, and love of the beautiful and magical. But she's different enough from Anne to make her seem like her own person, and not just a carbon copy. All of the other characters are similarly well-done; you can nearly always tell who they're inspired by, but they all have unique and distinct traits that make the read a little more unexpected. The Grace of Wild Things is thoroughly its own story, while holding onto the charm and whimsy that makes readers love Anne of Green Gables. And you don't need to have read Anne to enjoy this book. The cozy atmosphere and relaxed pacing make it the perfect read for anyone who wants to relax and enjoy a beautiful read.
Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
Hazel already has enough to worry about, starting at a new school in eighth grade. But when one of her moms announces that she's pregnant, Hazel couldn't feel worse about it. Hazel loves her family, and the idea of being a big sister--but her mom has already miscarried twice, and Hazel doesn't think that her family could handle a third time.
Luckily, Hazel has an escape in the wide world of animals. After spending time with the goats that her other mom raises for their milk, her favorite pastime is reading through nature encyclopedias. She's even working on her own. All she needs is to get through the school year, and her mother's pregnancy, without having any big feelings or standing out among her classmates. But when Hazel makes some unexpected friends at school, she starts to wonder whether her plan of hiding all year is actually worth it. With the help of her family and new friends, Hazel will get through this year--and maybe the other side will be even better.
Hazel's Theory of Evolution is beautifully well-rounded and wonderfully diverse, and the everyday-life plot makes you feel like Hazel is a close friend whose family you get to visit every once in a while. Hazel is a nerdy aroace girl with a big heart, and her family balances her out in the most beautiful way. Throughout the course of the book, Hazel realizes that she's not at all interested in the feelings that her teacher talks about in sex ed--and probably never will be. I loved how Hazel's friendships with Yoshi and Carina develop through the book. Overall, the relationships between characters is what really sets this book apart. Not only is it heartwarming to read, but those friend and family relationships emphasize that love outside of romance is just as important.
On a trip to San Francisco with her mom, Kiku suddenly finds herself thrown back in time. She's landed in the early 1940s, to the incarceration camp where her grandmother Ernestina, along with hundreds of other Japanese Americans, was held during World War II.
Faced with no choice but to survive the camp along with the rest of the internees, Kiku begins to learn what exactly it felt like to be torn from your home and thrown in prison simply because of your race. As she forms friendships and connections with the other internees, Kiku sees a pattern of courage and resistance in the camp community that inspires her to finally speak out when she returns home to the present day.
This magical realism/memoir/historical fiction graphic novel deserves a spot on shelves alongside George Takei's They Called Us Enemy. Hughes seamlessly weaves together past and present to create a moving narrative about historical wrongs and modern-day injustices such as the imprisonment of undocumented immigrants and Trump's Muslim ban. This book was especially personal to read as my grandparents, like Kiku's, were incarcerated during World War II. I may never fully comprehend the pain they went through--for my own sake I hope that I never experience it--but Hughes' book helped me empathize more deeply than ever before with my incarcerated ancestors and their community.
Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable and Ellen T. Crenshaw
Mads spends her time going to church, attending minor league baseball games with her dad, and hanging out with her wild best friend, Cat. But one day she overhears her dad--the parent she's always felt understood her the most--talking on the phone with another woman. Terrified that he's having an affair, Mads isn't sure who to trust anymore. Including herself: for months now, she's been struggling with an undeniable attraction to Cat. But in her early 2000s church community, being queer is not an option. Slowly, Mads branches out of her childhood community and meets other queer kids at an under-18 club, who slowly introduce her to the idea that there is more than one way of being.
This graphic novel took me on a wild ride. A major page-turner, each character is so realistic and layered that I just had to find out what was going to happen to them next. With levels of mystery, coming-of-age, and romance, Kiss Number 8 is a sure tear-jerker and a story that's going to stay with me for a long time. The brutal honesty and realism of it all was enhanced by the beautiful black-and-white ink illustrations by Ellen T. Crenshaw. Mads is a flawed, relatable protagonist, and I loved going on a journey with her as she figures out her sexuality and sense of self.
TW: Sex, homophobia, transphobia
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
Tiến treasures the moments he spends reading fairy tales with his mother. In those moments, he feels truly connected to her in a way that only stories can provide. But Tiến's real life is far from a fairy tale. He is searching for the words to tell his parents that he's gay. They speak Vietnamese fluently, but struggle with English, and that makes coming out even more confusing than it normally is. Could the answer lie in the stories that he and his mother share?
This sweet, heartfelt graphic novel has a deep respect for fairy tales and the ways that stories can help us communicate. Bouncing between Tiến's daily life and the fantastical tales that he reads with his mother, The Magic Fish is a beautiful book that tells us what all readers know: that stories create love and connection, and give people both escapes from reality and better ways to confront the real world.
Look on the Bright Side by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann
Junior year is starting for Abby, Brit, Christine, and Sasha at Hazelton High, and their friendship is stronger than ever.
Abby is fighting burnout after her successful activist stunt last year, when she was able to get free period products in her school's bathrooms. Not only that, but she's forced to confront confusing feelings for her best friend, Christine.
Brit is back at school after an endometriosis excision over the summer. Without the constant distraction of intense period pain, she's able to look for romance in the halls of Hazelton High. Brit is immediately drawn to a charming boy in her class, all while trying to ignore the grumpy kid who sits behind her (and continuously re-watching 2005's Pride and Prejudice).
Christine has liked Abby for ages, but can't find a way to tell her. She's afraid of ruining their friendship, which is the most important thing in the world to the two girls.
Sasha seems like she's on top of the world: she has a new boyfriend and is in advanced classes this year. But under the surface, she's struggling with her grades and feels overwhelmed.
Will their friendship be enough to keep these girls afloat this year?
As the sequel to one of my absolute favorite books, Go With the Flow, I had high hopes for this graphic novel--and it didn't disappoint. I'm a sucker for a good friendship story, and this duology is basically the definition of that. The love between the four protagonists is palpable, and the cute artwork enhances their relationships with one another. After reading and re-reading Go With the Flow and Look on the Bright Side, Abby, Brit, Christine, and Sasha feel like close friends who I've known for years. These books also hit that sweet spot between middle grade and YA. They have older protagonists, and more teen-focused themes, but are written and illustrated in a middle grade-friendly way.
We Still Belong by Christine Day
This sweet, heartfelt novel surpassed all my expectations. I was a little apprehensive going into it, because I usually don't enjoy shorter novels (this one is around 240 pages) and especially wasn't sure about the idea of the whole book taking place in one day. Often books like that feel rushed, and I don't have time to fully get to know the characters before it ends. But We Still Belong was so rich and balanced. I grew deeply attached to Wesley and her family during the course of the book. Christine Day also balances out the main plot with some flashback chapters, which add to the well-roundedness of the story. We Still Belong is such a feel-good story, and I enjoyed every moment I spent within its pages.
Clouds Over California by Karyn Parsons
Things are changing rapidly both in and outside Stevie's home in Santa Monica. Stevie, slow to make new friends, is starting at a new middle school. Her parents' arguments are becoming more frequent, and Stevie can barely handle the tension. And then the family receives big news--Stevie's older cousin Naomi is coming to live with them, in an attempt on Stevie's aunt's part to get Naomi away from a "bad crowd"--the Black Panthers.
Now Stevie is keeping secrets for Naomi and her mom, and doesn't know how to deal with her former-CIA-dad's inquisitiveness. Stevie is determined to keep her family together, but with seismic shifts in and outside the family, it may take a miracle to do so. Can Stevie learn to accept the changes that are coming her way?
Stevie is the perfect protagonist for this novel, set in the socially charged period of the 1970s. The author does a great job balancing the Black Panther and feminist movement plots with Stevie's personal life, so that Clouds Over California doesn't feel like an issue book but like an honest observation of life as a tween in 1970s Southern California.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Ever since Hazel was diagnosed with cancer, she's known she's going to die. Her days are spent rereading her favorite book and suffering through meetings of Cancer Kid Support Group with her friend Isaac. But when Augustus Waters shows up at support group one week, everything changes for Hazel and for him. Initially bonding over books, the two slowly fall in love while knowing that time is short for both of them.
This book grabbed my heart, squeezed it, stomped on it, and, in the end, left it completely broken but stronger than it was before. The Fault in Our Stars is one of those rare books that completely deserves the hype it got. John Green is an amazing writer, creating hilarious, wise, nerdy characters who seem so much older than teens and yet are such honest representations of teens at the same time. This book was both completely what I expected and nothing like I expected. It was fascinating, funny, tragic, and true--and a great way to finish the year.
That's all for my 2023 wrapup! I hope you all enjoyed following me on my reading journey this year as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. Changes are coming for The Book Bruja in 2024, which I will make an announcement about soon, but in the meantime I hope you all have an amazing new year.
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