“Sanctuary Somewhere”: a review of Brenna Dimmig’s poetry cycle on immigration
American / Book Reviews / poetry / The Latest / YA

“Sanctuary Somewhere”: a review of Brenna Dimmig’s poetry cycle on immigration


Brenna Dimmig’s poetry collection Sanctuary Somewhere is centred on undocumented immigration experiences in the U.S. Her two main characters, Osmel and Leslie experience the U.S. differently based on their immigration statuses. Despite being siblings, Leslie is legal because she is born in the U.S. but her brother, Osmel, and her mother are undocumented. The fear … Continue reading

“Pride & Prejudice & Passports”: a review of Corrie Garrett’s immigrant retelling of Jane Austen’s classic
American / The Latest / YA

“Pride & Prejudice & Passports”: a review of Corrie Garrett’s immigrant retelling of Jane Austen’s classic


I’ve read some modern re-tellings of classics that have just fallen flat. Sometimes classics are named classics because they are indeed just that: stories that transcend time. They shape our culture and understanding of the past. They also help us shape our future and in particular the way authors and readers write and engage with … Continue reading

“On The Come Up” Review: a close look at racial tensions and gang violence in Angie Thomas’ new novel
African / American / Book Reviews / The Latest / YA

“On The Come Up” Review: a close look at racial tensions and gang violence in Angie Thomas’ new novel


On The Come Up is Angie Thomas’ second novel. Her first, The Hate U Give, was a runaway success and was also adapted for film. Thomas’ first novel was amazing and the outstanding reviews and its reception from around the globe are a testament to her writing abilities. With that kind of first-time success, producing … Continue reading

Goodreads Winners Are In: Who were my favourites for 2018?
American / Book Reviews / British / comedy / crime / fantasy / nonfiction / Opinion Pieces / poetry / The Latest / YA

Goodreads Winners Are In: Who were my favourites for 2018?


The wait is over! Goodreads has announced its winners for 2018, which also marks the ten-year anniversary of the book awards. Readers get the chance to vote for their favourite books based on different popular categories like fiction, sci-fi, and Romance. It is basically the Oscars for books. This year, Goodreads recorded over five million … Continue reading

“Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes?”: a review of Holly Bourne’s novel
Book Reviews / British / The Latest / YA

“Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes?”: a review of Holly Bourne’s novel


Writing about mental health and getting it right is tough. Writers need to understand and articulate what mentally ill people are feeling and it cannot read like a cliche. Readers, whether they have mental health issues or not, are going to see through platitudes, flat characterisations, and overly dramatic writing. And just like mental health … Continue reading

Asian Invisibility In Western Literature: a review of Ann Y. K. Choi’s “Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety”
Book Reviews / Canadian / Opinion Pieces / reading / The Latest / YA

Asian Invisibility In Western Literature: a review of Ann Y. K. Choi’s “Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety”


I am going to cut to the chase on this review. Like the title suggests, there is a problem with the way that Asian literature is represented, or to be more precise its lack of representation, in the Western world. Many scholars and teachers have suggested to me over the years that Asian literature cannot … Continue reading

Review: “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas
African / American / Book Reviews / The Latest / YA

Review: “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas


“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” This is the most important book for American literature in 2017. In fact, I would go further in saying that this novel deserves the same respect, appreciation, and academic and general popularity as those by Toni Morrison, … Continue reading