The Girl You Know (YA fiction)

     I am always looking for chillers set in elite private schools where the ivy covers a whole lot of rot, bastions of privilege where wealth and status can enable students to literally get away with murder. Elle Gonzalez Rose's The Girl You Know really delivers.

     Narrator Luna and Solina are twins whose lives have gone in very different directions. They had to endure their father's death, their mother's descent into substance abuse, and a  long stretch in the foster care system. While Solina is a student at the elite Kingswood Academy Luna waitresses long hours to cover the expenses Solina's scholarship doesn't.

     As winter break of her senior year draws to a close Selina tells Luna that she doesn't want to go back to school. Luna is less than sympathetic. She doesn't want all the sacrifices she's made to be for nothing. Selina storms out. The next day she's dead.

     Luna believes that Solina was killed by someone from her school. She goes undercover as her twin to discover the murderer's identity. It's not going to be easy. A high school dropout, she has to try to replicate Solina's stellar grades. Her fellow students are hard to deal with. Her beloved sister seems to have been keeping dark secrets. 

     And the killer, unaware that Solina is actually dead, could strike at any moment.

On a purrrsonal note, today was absolutely purrrfect. I went on campus for First Friday Bagels and had my favorite sweet cinnamon. I put my name in for a prize drawing. I did  rockpainting. I painted two for me and one for Catherine. When I gave her her rock she told me I'd won the prize I coveted. I went to a brunch. All day people were telling me how psyched they are for the Drag Show and my performances. Catherine gave me a ride home with stops at Black Bear Exchange, the library,  and my first yard sale of the year. I found a cute sweatshirt. Catherine paid for it. My wallet was in my 🎒 in her 🚗. Soon Bailey will drop by with lots of cans and bottles I can cash in for Tobago's savings. Life is good. I promise a picture tomorrow. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who contributed to my magical day ✨️ 😀 😊 ❤️ 💛 💖. 

Jules Hathaway 

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The Legacies

     I hope you've been enjoying my cosplay pix. But I realized 😳 I'd better get back to posting reviews because I've been reading so many seriously great books you deserve to know about. 

     I've heard that in the days when radio was the medium du jour a character named the Shadow revealed the evil that lurked in the hearts of men. In The Legacies Jessica Goodman reveals the scheming and duplicity that can lie in the hearts and minds of elite private school students and the powerful and privileged adults in their lives. If you're anything like me you'll be hooked on the first page.

     The Legacy Club is housed in an outwardly plain building, one most New Yorkers could pass without a second glance. It houses an incredibly posh interior, one that precious few could get into or even guess the existence of. Each year thirty-six high school seniors from elite private schools are admitted through a week of rituals. Once they possess their golden keys they're members for life, guaranteed entry into elite colleges and other privileged spaces and the loyalty of other members who will do whatever it takes to maintain the status quo. 

     Goodman's narrators are Excelsior Prep students: Bernie, the daughter of a high ranking member whose entry was guaranteed while she was still in diapers; Isobel, the talented artist with the substance abuse problem, and Tori, the one of the one of these things does not belong scholarship student who works at her father's restaurant. Their alternating voices lead readers through the intrigues, shifting alliances, and betrayals of the crucial week, the grand finale of which will go decidedly off script...

     ...because the script has never included murder.

     I'm really excited because when I checked out the author bio I learned that there is one other Goodman book I haven't read. You'd better believe it's at the top of my Minerva send away list. 

On a purrrsonal note, advertising the drag show is going really well. I'm stirring up a lot of excitement. I just wish I could cover more territory. It's a big campus. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who are planning to participate. 

Jules Hathaway 

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This is the outfit people seem to like best. I'll wear it in the show when I do Only The Good Die Young. So far I've been to a pancake brunch 😋 and done the rounds pitching the show. I'm going to paint a pot and plant a flower but give it to someone else because Tobago would think salad bar. I can't wait to see the look on my prof's face when I arrive at Capstone. 

Fam, This is my fabulous 2nd day cosplay costume. I wanted to be sure you saw the cats on my socks and shoes. I'm having so much fun promoting the drag show. 

My Monday Cosplay

The dress is from a yard sale. I'm having fun advertising the drag show. 

Pride Week is underway. Today was the flag raising. 

Children of a Troubled Time

     Fam, those of you who have stuck with this blog that long may recall that back in '19 we explored Margaret A. Hagerman's White Kids: Growing Up with Privilege in a Racially Divided America. I learned so much from it. So when I first learned of her Children of a Troubled Time: Growing Up with Racism in Trump's America I kept trying to borrow a copy by Minerva and MaineCAT to no avail. Finally I bought a copy because I believe you need to know about it. 

     Never let it be said I neglect you. 

     Hagerman calls bullshit where she sees it. She shreds the myth of childhood (or at least white childhood) as a time when kids are naive about grown up stuff (like politics) and need to be kept this way for as long as possible to keep them from experiencing negative emotions. Her interview subjects (10-13 year old kids growing up in Mississippi and Massachusetts) were very aware of current events and expressed quite strong opinions about them.

     Some of the white kids were quite troubled by Trump's 2016 win and the number of people who voted for him. They "had no idea the country was so racist". But they saw Trump as a disturbing aberration, a bad apple. Things would go back to normal when a good president was elected. 

     Some of the white kids were thrilled that Trump won and shared in his mission to make America great again. They felt that he was the only one willing to protect them against the bad people (such as Blacks, immigrants, and Muslims) who they perceived as out to hurt them, to take what was rightfully theirs. They made openly racist jokes, chanted "Build the wall. Build the wall." on the playground, and looked forward to enforcing Trumpian mandates as adults.

     For children of color the predominant feelings were fear and anxiety on two levels. Trump's win emboldened racists. The children experienced violence at the hands of their classmates and saw family members encounter violence in their communities. And they understood how Trump's policies have devastating consequences. Just try to imagine living with the daily fear of returning from school to an empty house because ICE has taken your parents. 

     Hagerman shows how encountering Trumpian influences in a time when the worst manifestations of white supremecy have gone mainstream can have devastating long term consequences for the children and our country if we don't do plenty to intervene. All of us that is. Because no less than the future of our nation is at stake. Fortunately she gives some well thought out ideas on what we can do.

     I recommend Children of a Troubled Time to everyone who gives a damn about raising kids who can resist racist thinking and actions, work to dismantle rather than reinforce racist systems, and participate meaningfully in a multicultural democracy. Remember it takes a village. 

On a purrrsonal note, at UMaine we're coming up on Pride Week. I'm looking forward to all the events. Of course the grand finale will be the drag show in which I'll be performing two numbers. All week I'll be rocking flamboyance, cos playing as my drag persona, Gotta Believe We're Magic, to publicize. Yes, I promise pictures. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who will participate this week.

Jules Hathaway 

     

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When You Look Like Us

     Jay and his big sister Nic have been through a lot in their young lives. Their father is dead. Their mother is in prison. It's the two of them against the world. 

     They live with their grandmother, Mimi, a decidedly stabilizing influence. She's a devoutly religious church member and hard worker who will do what it takes to help them achieve a bright future and make sure they don't  jeopardize it. When Nic goes from honor student to frequently truant underachiever things get tense in the house.

     When Nic doesn't come home Jay covers for her, sure she's crashing at her  boyfriend's place. As the days go by he searches for her until he decides to do what he considers the unthinkable...

     ...only to find that the police aren't any help. The first person he talks to at the station accuses him of filling a false report and the officer who interviews him makes it clear that finding another missing Black girl won't be a high priority for him...

     ...Leaving Jay to get into increasingly perilous situations as he searches desperately for Nic. 

     When You Look Like Us is a real cliff hanger of a chiller. It's a vivid social justice narrative. It's a tale of family and community...

     ...oh, yeah, and a quite unlikely romance.

     Once you engage yourself in the book you'll have a hard time putting it down. 

On a purrrsonal note, Friday I had another amazing day. I got to the point in drag rehearsing where I've nailed one song and am making progress on the other. On campus I went to an excellent lunch and learn On Indigenous people with food from Harvest Moon. I visited Amber. I went to International Student Association coffee hour featuring Iranian food. It was so good. Then I went to Family Night featuring the original Shrek. Finally Catherine and I participated in karaoke. Everyone was so engaged and enthusiastic. I got to do Only The Good Die Young and I Hope You Dance. Living my best life.

A great big shout out goes out to all who made this day possible.

Jules Hathaway 

     

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