Hello! I’m here to catch up and review some ARCs I didn’t quite get around to reading before their release date. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
So, ARCs and sites like NetGalley are primarily used to generate buzz for upcoming titles by releasing copies early into the hands of reviewers. But we’re all human, and sometimes things come up or we put the book down and then release day comes along and we just haven’t finished the book. It happens to all of us. The end of last year, and parts of this year, have proven to be rough patches for me, and when that happens I don’t want my mood or distracted mindset to affect the books I read in any way, so I’ve set aside three titles to come back to, possibly in formats other than a digital ARC, so I could give them a real and honest chance and express my true thoughts. And even though these have been out for a while now, I still wanted to share my thoughts about them here.
You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao (released November 9th, 2021)
–You’ve Reached Sam is a debut YA contemporary with a little speculative twist, following seventeen-year-old Julie. As high school is coming to an end, she thinks she has her future planned – moving out of her small town with her boyfriend, Sam, attending college in the city taking writing courses, and spending the summer in Japan among the cherry blossom trees. But then Sam dies, and Julie has a hard time coping with her new reality. Heartbroken, Julie deletes all of Sam’s messages, throws out everything that reminds her of him, and avoids his funeral, but a message Sam left in her yearbook causes old memories to come flooding back. Desperate to hear his voice one last time, Julie calls Sam’s number, expecting his recorded voicemail, and miraculously he answers. Suddenly, Julie has the chance to say goodbye, but with this restored connection, no matter how temporary, it starts to become even harder to let go.
-I was able to get this on NetGalley when it was a Read Now option, and I did truly try to read it before its release. I had probably started it at least three times, but I never felt I was in the right headspace and didn’t want my thoughts to be negatively affected. So I took my time, put myself on the waitlist for the audiobook from my library, and picked it up when it was finally my turn to listen. I can definitely see why this book got a lot of hype around its release, it was a great book that explored grief in a very specific way, and how someone might react to getting a second chance to talk to their loved one after they’ve passed away. Julie holds a lot of guilt at the beginning of the book – Sam dies when driving, on his way to pick her up at a bus stop, and there are times when she replays the events of that day wondering if things would have been different if she hadn’t ignored his calls. She blocks everyone out and gets rid of all Sam’s things because she thinks it’ll make things easier. When Julie witnesses the suffering Sam’s family endures after his death, she finds herself wondering if sharing this chance to talk to Sam one last time is worth of risk of possibly severing the connection for good. I’m a bit torn because on one hand, I really would have enjoyed further development for the side characters, like Sam’s family and Julie’s friends at school, but on the other hand by focusing on Julie it really highlights just how dependent Julie becomes on her calls with Sam, and how instead of helping her heal they seem to further isolate her. I sometimes thought the pacing was a bit off and felt the ending was rushed, but overall I enjoyed my time with this debut and would recommend picking it up if you’re interested.
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich (released December 7th, 2021)
-Zach Knight, Ruben Montez, Angel Phan, and Jon Braxton make up the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest rising musical acts in America. Their image suggests they’re heartbreakers onstage and on screen and best friends behind the scenes. But even a carefully crafted image can begin to fall when management wants to take control of every aspect of your life. Angel is starting to turn to other means of control, Jon is feeling less like his father (head of management)’s son and more like a marketing tool, Zach is becoming more certain each and every day that while he’s a part of Saturday he’ll never be able to come out as gay, and Ruben is struggling to figure out his feelings when a drunken kiss with his best friend and bandmate Zach sparks something new. A whirlwind trip through Europe allows the boys to become the stars they’ve always dreamed of, but tensions rising over jealousy, secrecy, and unresolved emotions may lead Saturday into deep waters where they’re no longer able to navigate on their own. Will the band (and Zach and Ruben’s relationship) survive the tour and what comes next?
-I have struggled to just sit down and finish this book ever since an ARC copy dropped onto my NetGalley queue. Around release there was some undeserved criticism surrounding the book and its similarities to a real-life band, which the authors have repeatedly stated they have not based the book on, so I wanted to wait until I was in a good space to read, rate, and review the book as to not give it an unfair review to add on. I ended up listening to the audiobook while diamond painting and I’m so glad I finally got through it and gave the whole book a chance. It’s told in dual POV (Zach and Ruben’s thoughts in first person) and while I would’ve maybe liked a dual narration to help highlight the change in perspective, I found that each character was distinct enough in their own way that I didn’t have trouble keeping track. I appreciated how this book does not shy away from the negativity of the music industry, and how young people who become extremely famous extremely fast can sometimes be placed under management that will not always have their best interests as individuals at heart, only their interests as performers or money-makers. And how easy it is for them to turn a blind eye to substance abuse or other issues until they become impossible to ignore. I loved Zach and Ruben and how they brought out each other’s strengths. I found it especially impactful when they are telling management about their relationship and while Ruben is buying the excuse of “not going public until they’re ready,” Zach knows that as long as they are making albums and selling out shows they’ll always be forced into the closet. I wish we could’ve gotten more insight into Jon’s thoughts – as the producer’s son it had to be incredibly tough knowing that his career as a whole will always be more important to his dad than him as a person. Overall, the balance between sweet and serious moments made me want to keep listening, so I would highly recommend picking up If This Gets Out if you’ve been interested.
All the Right Reasons by Bethany Mangle (February 25th, 2022)
–All the Right Reasons is a debut YA contemporary following Cara and her mother, Julia. When a video diary of them bad mouthing Cara’s father (that was supposed to be private) goes viral, the pair are invited to be the stars of a new reality dating show for single parent families. When Julia starts to grow attached to a man Cara can’t stand, and Cara herself starts to develop feelings for another contestant’s kid, she knows she’ll have a hard time agreeing with her mother on which pairs to keep around and which ones will be eliminated from the show.
-I think the strongest aspect of this book was Cara’s relationship with her mother. After a nasty divorce, they’ve had to depend on each other to work against everyone who tried to bring them down. They don’t have much money, and they’re forced to interact with Julia’s ex-husband because the judge ruled partial split custody and they own a gym together. Still, Cara wants her mother to be happy and not overworked, and Julia tries to be the best parent to her daughter. They clash and fight and say things they don’t mean in the heat of the moment, and it was just great to see that on page. I also loved the representation of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a hereditary disorder affecting the body’s connective tissues. Connor, one of the suitor’s sons, has EDS, and there are good conversations and moments in which he doesn’t want to feel “coddled” because he is disabled. Personally I wish there was more moments with Connor and Sam (one of the assistants on the show) but I understand there needed to be drama with other contestants (it is reality T.V. after all). Overall I enjoyed my time reading this – it wasn’t my favorite but it was cute and fast-paced when the action finally took off, and I think it’s a great choice for any teen to pick up.
In conclusion, there will probably be books I request or receive in the future that I won’t be able to read before release date. I know I can’t always be perfect, but I can strive for honesty and do my best to make sure I don’t get this far behind on ARCs in the future. **Even though these are late, all thoughts and opinions are still my own and I would like to thank the publishers, Wednesday Books (You’ve Reached Sam and If This Gets Out) and Margaret K. McElderry Books (All the Right Reasons) for the early copies.**
Where to find these books:
You’ve Reached Sam: Bookshop Amazon Goodreads Dustin Thao’s site
If This Gets Out: Bookshop Amazon Goodreads Sophie Gonzales’ site Cale Dietrich’s twitter
All the Right Reasons: Bookshop Amazon Goodreads Bethany Mangle’s site
Thoughts About Things 