It’s the summer between high school and college, and Ellen joins a Quidditch team. A story about relationships: those bonding friends and family, how they change and get stressed as we get older. I literally cried reading this. ( )

1.5 Stars rounded up to 2 because Quidditch y'all.

CW: homophobia (well challenged), misogyny

Well I am sorry to say this was not an enjoyable experience for me.

It was written in first person which, for the record, I have enjoyed before. However, the writing was so simple that this is what it felt like:

I thought about what I wanted to eat. I went to the fridge and opened the door. I looked through the shelves trying to find something I wanted to eat. I sighed when I saw none of it was vegan friendly. I closed the fridge door. I opened up the pantry door....

That was not a direct quote but gives you an idea of the style of writing. Also, nothing much happens. There is just a lot of thinking about what everyone else is thinking. Here is another example of what I mean but again this is not a direct quote:

I wonder if I should be kissing him. I don't even like him. I wonder if he likes me. I hope he likes me. What will people think of me kissing a guy I don't even like? Will my Quidditch team be mad?

I thought the author did an excellent job of portraying how big changes, like going to college, can make once solid friendships feel loose and fragile. Ellen and her friends were each trying to make sense of what their connection to each other would look like when they were in different colleges.

So the only positives for me were the Quidditch competitions, the excellent rep, and the portrayal of friendships.






( )

My latest teen read is This is How We Fly by Anna Meriano. Young adult reads have changed a great deal over the years. While marketed as teen reads, there is much to be learned for all ages from this genre. That's definitely the case with This is How We Fly.

This is the last summer before Ellen heads off to college. She and her two besties aren't headed to the same places, so she is looking forward to spending the summer with them. But, the best laid plans....

Instead, one friend wants to cut the ties now and Ellen herself is grounded - for the entire summer. Thanks to her stepmother Connie, Ellen will be doing a list of chores every day. And her dad backs Connie up. (A little bit of Cinderella there...)

I loved Ellen and her passion for her own beliefs, whether it's feminism, veganism or climate control, she is determined to make the world a better place. Connie and Dad really irked me. Connie is well, mean, and her dialogue had me fuming. We get to know bestie Melissa much more than Xiumiao, but both are well drawn with their own issues instead of just being a foil for Ellen.

When Melissa joins a Quidditch team (yup, you read that right - the Harry Potter game), Ellen gets reluctant permission to join as well. The team, the players and the game are a big focus of the plot. I thought it was a unique premise and a great vehicle to introduce so many topics, themes and situations. Friendship, gender identity, romantic relationships, sex, belonging, blended families, coming of age and acceptance can all be found in these pages. There are so many personalities introduced though the team and tournaments. I thought they were really well done and inclusive.

I've of course read all the Potter books and had a pretty good mental image of a Quidditch match. But I had no idea of how this would be played in our reality. Meriano provides great descriptions. And the title of the book is from that question...." If it's Quidditch....how do you fly?"

I thought the writing was great and I enjoyed This is How We Fly very much. I did think the 'resolution' at the end of the book was a bit quick, but it's the right ending. ( )