Hello, fellow book lovers!


Photo credit: Emma K.

Howdy, YA'll!

I'm Emma, an avid reader and writer, as well as a journalism student at Columbia College of Chicago, and I love YA (young adult) books. I often frequent my local library and peruse the teen section for the best reads. One thing I've been noticing lately, though, is that many readers shy away from YA books for fear of encountering their most hated tropes: she doesn't like dystopias, he can't stand love triangles-- the list goes on and on.

So, I've developed a solution: book reviews that include all the important information you need to know about a book before you pick it up. That includes, but is not limited to, the level of magic, the danger of imminent death to a beloved character, the tear-jerking factor, and the cheesiness of the romance. I know how important these things are to readers, so I will do my best to provide quality ratings.

A book rating might look something like this:
(Note: this is entirely fictionalized and is not based on any specific book)
Dystopia: 10 degrees of futuristic.
Teenage angst levels: UGHHHH!
Deadly diseases: Not a sickly person to be found.
Use of Magic: Spells around every corner.
Danger of imminent death: An easy amble through the park.
Violence: A good smack across the face here and there, nothing tragic.
Sexual content: A little heat, but nothing steamy.
Number of romantic interests: A low count of one!
Protagonist's moral compass: North, north, north.
Sad factor: An hour's worth of tears.
Romance cheese: A nice and gooey brie.

Of course, I will also include a regular review of the book, including things I did and didn't like, plot summaries-- the whole shebang. I'll provide a rating out of five stars as well, based on all of the information provided in the review and what I believe constitutes a good/bad book.

I'm also hoping to interview YA authors, cover artists, and others in the field, to bring the opinions and insight of the best of the industry straight to you.

With all this in mind, what are some books you would like me to review? Do you have any suggestions for me to help better your YA reading experience?

Much love,
Emma

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review: Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia (2017)

Image
Photo credit: Emma K. Note: Mouseover abbreviations for more explanation. TL;DR review: I wasn't expecting to get into Eliza and Her Monsters , but I ended up crying for more than fifteen minutes. Teenage angst levels: A little angsty, but for good reason. Deadly diseases: Everyone's healthy enough. Use of Magic: The only magic is in our hearts. Danger of imminent death: Safe and sound. Violence: A little bully-fight, nothing serious. Sexual content: A couple sneaky kisses. Number of romantic interests: Only the one, really. Protagonist's moral compass: If it were any farther north, it would go flying from the compass. Sad factor: Prepare to be emotionally ruined. Romance cheese: Melty mozzarella. Dystopia: Modern-day ramblings. (For more on age-appropriate content, check out Common Sense Media .) Original image by Gamemasterz (Own work) [ CC BY-SA 4.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons . Added text by Emma K. Books don't make me cry ofte...
Read more

Celebrate Banned Books Week September 24-30!

Image
Photo credit:  San Jose Public Library  (under  this license ) This week is Banned Books Week , a week to celebrate the freedom to express and share ideas, even unorthodox or unpopular ideas like those present in the frequently-challenged young adult (YA) books of today. There are many reasons for a book to be banned from the shelves: content considered unsuited to the audience for whom the book is intended, sexual or graphic content, offensive language, or even characters within the LGBTQ+ community. The banning or challenging (attempting to ban) of books mostly stems from parents who don't believe the topic matter is suited for the age group. Perhaps the need to keep children from reading books with content that we believe to be inappropriate lives in all of us, but the truth is, we as Americans do not have the right to control limit another person's access to information under the First Amendment. While parents have the right and responsibility to decide wh...
Read more

The Ultimate Guide to Book Conventions

Image
So it's convention season, and you want to go to your favorite book convention (see also: book con). There's one problem: you have no idea how book conventions work. Say you've never been to one, or maybe you've never been to this particular book con, or at this particular location. You're absolutely lost-- but don't worry, I've got you covered! (No pun intended.) (Actually, wait, I take it back, pun intended.) Here are some helpful tips for before, during, and after the convention to help you on your journey through the wonderful world of book cons! Before you go: Look at a map of the convention center. By John Willy (editor and publisher of journal) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons No, I don't just mean that you should see where the convention center is, and how to get there-- though that is important too. I mean you should look at the layout of the convention center beforehand and get familiar with the layout . If possible, use a ...
Read more