Blog Tour: Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the LIKE OTHER GIRLS by Britta Lundin Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway! I love supporting books featuring women in sports, especially when they're breaking boundaries, so Like Other Girls is right up my alley!

Title: Like Other Girls
Author: Britta Lundin
Release: August 3, 2021
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 384

Review: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

"What if I played football?" I ask. As soon as it's out of my mouth, I feel stupid. Even suggesting it feels like I've overstepped some kind of invisible line we've all agreed not to discuss. We don't talk about how Mara is different from other girls. We don't talk about how Mara is gay but no one says so. But when I do stuff like this, I worry it gets harder for us all to ignore what's right in front of us. I direct my gaze to Quinn. "What do you think?"

"I think it's frickin' genius," he says.

After getting kicked off the basketball team for a fight that was absolutely totally not her fault (okay maybe a little her fault), Mara is dying to find a new sport to play to prove to her coach that she can be a team player. A lifelong football fan, Mara decides to hit the gridiron with her brother, Noah, and best friend, Quinn-and she turns out to be a natural. But joining the team sets off a chain of events in her small Oregon town-and within her family-that she never could have predicted.

Inspired by what they see as Mara's political statement, four other girls join the team. Now Mara's lumped in as one of the girls-one of the girls who can't throw, can't kick, and doesn't know a fullback from a linebacker. Complicating matters is the fact that Valentina, Mara's crush, is one of the new players, as is Carly, Mara's nemesis-the girl Mara fought with when she was kicked off the basketball team. What results is a coming-of-age story that is at once tear-jerking and funny, thought-provoking and real, as Mara's preconceived notions about gender, sports, sexuality, and friendship are turned upside down.

Britta Lundin's sophomore novel will give readers all the feels, and make them stand up and cheer.

You Can Find it At:

Goodreads

Amazon

Kindle

B&N

iBooks

Kobo

TBD

Bookshop.org

Events:

Tuesday, August 3
Like Other Girls 🎉 Launch Signing
Skylight Books
7-8:30pm
more details

Saturday, August 7
Like Other Girls 🎉Virtual Event
Britta Lundin in conversation with Carly Usdin (filmmaker, author The Avant Guards)
noon PT/3pm ET
register here to get the link

Review

First Impressions

I was super excited to read this book, and so I was ecstatic when I got an ARC through work. I read it a little slower than usual because I was in the middle of an archaeological field school, but I spent every extra minute I could reading! I love reading stories about young women who break the mold, and Mara definitely fits that bill!

Characters

It's clear at the beginning of the book that Mara has a lot of character growth to do. She doesn't like to rock the boat, and is likely to agree with some of the misogynistic stuff her guy friends say, even if they make her uncomfortable. She liked being seen as 'one of the guys' and not like those *other* girls, before eventually realizing that might not be a healthy way to go about friendships. Luckily, she meets Jupiter (a queer woman) who serves as a mentor. Jupiter is a great character, and I would definitely love to have a woman like her in my life!

Mara goes through a lot of tough situations, especially as her small town isn't very accepting, both of girls playing male-dominated sports and of queer people. Mara knows she's lesbian from the beginning, but worries about coming out. She's both not sure how her parents will react, her mother already struggles with letting Mara wear jeans and t-shirts instead of dresses, and she knows many neighbors won't react kindly. But as Mara gets to know the four other girls who join the football team, she shows amazing growth and realizes that her world is wider than she originally thought. Over the course of the book, she figures out that even in an unforgiving environment, you can build your own family around you.

World Building

Officially, I believe the book takes place in rural Oregon. That said, the book could easily be taking place basically anywhere rural and with prominent farming culture. I think Lundin does a great job of setting the scene. We really get the sense that there's a lot of wide open spaces, that people are close knit even if they're physically far apart, and that change comes hard. As someone who lives in suburbia, I really felt like I was transported to another place.

Final Thoughts

I highly recommend reading Like Other Girls! If you like sports-centric YA books, this is a must-read. Even if football isn't your thing, Mara is a compelling character. You can't help routing for her, even if she's making questionable decisions. Watching her grow and come into her own was a pleasure. The book has some great queer rep and I can't wait to read more from the author!

Author Bio:

Britta Lundin is a TV writer and author.

She’s written for shows such as Riverdale, Betty, and The Big Leap and is the author of the young adult novels Like Other Girls (out August 2021) and Ship It.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she lives with her wife, kid, and dog in Los Angeles.

You Can Find Her At:

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Tumblr

Goodreads

Amazon

Giveaway:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of LIKE OTHER GIRLS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One
8/1/2021 Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews - Review
8/2/2021 BookHounds YA - Excerpt
8/3/2021 Rajiv's Reviews - Review
8/4/2021 Kait Plus Books - Excerpt
8/5/2021 Lifestyle of Me - Review
8/6/2021 onemused - Review
8/7/2021 booksaremagictoo - Review

Week Two
8/8/2021 EveryonesLibrarian - Review
8/9/2021 @curlygrannylovestoread - Review
8/10/2021 BRITTREADSALATTEBOOKS - IG Post
8/11/2021 A Bookish Dream - Review
8/12/2021 Nonbinary Knight Reads - Review
8/13/2021 Unconventional Quirky Bibliophile - Review
8/14/2021 Fyrekatz Blog - Review

Week Three
8/15/2021 @coffeebooksandmascara - Review
8/16/2021 Midnightbooklover - IG Post
8/17/2021 A Gingerly Review  - Excerpt/IG post
8/18/2021 The Bookwyrm's Den - Review
8/19/2021 @drewsim12 - Review
8/20/2021 Adrianna.reads - Review
8/21/2021 Mallory Books - Review

Week Four
8/22/2021 GivernyReads - Review
8/23/2021 popthebutterfly - Review
8/24/2021 @pagesofyellow - Review
8/25/2021 My Fictional Oasis - Review
8/26/2021 Perusewithcoffee - Review
8/27/2021 The Phantom Paragrapher - Review
8/28/2021 Eli to the nth - Review

Week Five
8/29/2021 @fictitious.fox - Review
8/30/2021 Bibliosini - Review
8/31/2021 Two Points of Interest - Review

Alienated by Melissa Landers

Title: Alienated
Author: Melissa Landers
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release: February 4, 2014
Series: Alienated
Pages: 344
Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

You Can Find it At:

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

Powell's

Indiebound

Books-A-Million

Indigo

iBooks

Book Depository

First Impressions

I bought this as a binge buy when I was at Flyleaf Bookstore. I saw it on the shelf and knew that I must have it. And boy, did it not disappoint! I loved every minute of the books, and can't wait for my copy of Invaded to get here!

Characters

This was duel POV between the two main characters, Cara and Aelyx. I definitely like Cara. She is brave, smart, and will do anything for a friend. She's relatable to say the least. Plus, she's not afraid to speak her mind. She's more fearless than her classmates, which makes her the perfect main character. I wanted to strangle Aelyx every once in a while, but he makes up for it. Aelyx isn't exactly a willing participant in their alien exchange, and tries to sabotage peace treaties and negotiations. That said, I majorly ship Aelyx and Cara! They're super sweet together and could change the world if they so desired.

Writing

The writing was exactly my kind of writing. Fast paced and fun. The story was able to pick up immediately and just keep going. I was constantly waiting for the next thing to happen, and it always did. The plot also wasn't fully predictable. I saw some things coming, but not all of them.

World-Building

Let me tell you, this world is cool. In case you skipped the synopsis, aliens made contact wait Earth two years before the start of the novel. They're almost exactly identical to human, save for a few traits. They're also more developed then humans, as they've been around longer. The book takes place on Earth, meaning I don't get to see much of their culture, but from what I see, it seems interesting, but also a bit crazy. It's almost like they're one ginormous cult. I'm really exited to read book two, which takes place on the aliens home planet, and learn more about them!

Author Bio:

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives just outside Cincinnati and writes adult contemporary romance as Macy Beckett.

You Can Find Her At:
Website
Facebook
Twitter

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Never Fade
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release: October 15, 2013
Series: The Darkest Minds
Pages: 512
Review: Five Stars

I loved the first book in this series. It was awesome and different and just plain amazing. The novella In Time was a bit of a let down (and I reviewed it here). I bought Never Fade on a whim back in October, and until last week, I hadn't read it. I picked it up, and immediately fell in love all over again. If you doubt the amazingness of this series, don't. I had forgotten many key points and characters, but Never Fade reminded me of everything pretty early in the book. I was not lost for one single page. The novella didn't really, as far as I could tell, play into Never Fade, but I believe it will be instrumental in book three.

The main character is Ruby. She lives in a world where children are hated because they have special abilities. There are the Blues, who are telekinetic. The Yellows, who can mess with electricity. The Greens, who are extremely smart. The Oranges, who can, basically, control minds/erase memories/etc. And the Reds, who can make fireballs of sorts. It's believed that all the Reds and Oranges are dead, but Ruby's and Orange and there's an army of Reds run by the evil president himself. And his evil son. Ruby has been broken from childhood. Her parents forgot who she was and she lived in a concentration camp like place for ten years of her life. It pretty much sucked to be her. By the end of book one, Ruby had become a strong character, and by this point, she's proven it. Ruby is a fighter now. She has a gang of loyal friends, even if they are scattered all over the place. While she was at first reluctant to use her abilities, Ruby knows that, in time of danger, she can fry a person's brain if need be. It's a pretty cool ability, I have to say.

Plot wise, this moved extremely fast. There are about five hundred pages, and I read it easily in under five hours. Did you know that, once the titles are all put together, they will make a sentence? So far, we have: The darkest minds in time never fade... Anyone wonder what the last book will be called? I know I am! There's an abundance of action, and plenty of romance to go around. Plus, we meet a character's older sibling in this book and *swoon*. There were a few events where I figured out what was going on before the main character, but other than that, the author did a good job of making sure events were a surprise. The end of the book, a HUGE cliffhanger! After that end, I need book three, stat! A definite five stars!

Series Sunday: The Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter

Round Two!

Titles: I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, Only the Good Spy Young, Out of Sight Out of Time, United We Spy; Double-Crossed (Crossover Novella)
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Series: Gallagher Girls
Review: Five Stars

I can't believe I forgot to review this earlier! The Gallagher Girls series is one of the BEST in the world! Teenage Girls + Spies + Geniuses + Boys + Covert Operations + Explosions = Pure Awesomeness! The books are riddled with facts that might be useless to the average person, but are super interesting none the less. I'm serious when I say I've learned a ton from these books. The Gallagher Girls are amazing. Something to say now, from an outsiders point of view, I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You (LYKY) has almost nothing to do with the rest of the series. And overall, it doesn't. But there are about two lines in there that catapult the main character from regular spy prodigy, to not-so-regular spy prodigy. The devil is in the details, as they say.

The main character is Cammie, The Chameleon, Morgan. She's far from ordinary, yet she's what's known as a real pavement artist. Cam can blend in in just about any scenario. Her parents are spies and she's expected to go high places after she graduates from the Gallagher Academy, a school for spies. Cammie is relatable and much like any other teenage girl. She makes mistakes, which are later amended in any way she can. Secrets and lies are a way of life for Cammie. All information is on need-to-know basis only. That leaves her in the dark more than once and her need for information gets her into more than one sticky situation. The Gallagher Academy is riddled with secret passageways, which Cammie explores endlessly. Fun fact: Cammie can name 46 different lethal household items, speak 14 different languages, and can kill a grown man 7 different ways with her bare hands. Pretty cool, right? Bex is Cammie's best friend and roommate and has been using Barbie as a weapon since age 7. Though I hate how she acts in book five, overall she's a fun, kick-butt, spunky character. Liz is Cammie's other roommate/best friend. She's the brains of the operation, and that's saying something, considering that they all go to a school
for geniuses. Macey is the bear-at-the-door of sorts in the series. Cam, Bex, and Liz meet her at the beginning of LYKY and she is NOT welcome. She quickly becomes one of their closest friends and their best, and only, consultant in the boy department. Cammie meets Josh in LYKY. He's a normal boy who does not belong in her world. He's also the first boy Cammie ever dates. After that ends poorly, Cammie meets Zach in Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (CHHS). Zach seems to know everything about her, yet she knows nothing about him. Whenever she asks, he'll point to himself and say "Spy." Zach is the male protagonist of the story and I love his character, faults, lies, half-truths and all. Cammie's mother is the headmistress of the academy and Mr. Solomon is a new teacher in LYKY. Her mom is overprotective more often then not, but she does the absolute best she can. Mr. Solomon is really something. He's a top
notch spy with a hidden past. One that can cause serious trouble at the academy. We meet Cammie's aunt Abby in Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover (DJGC) and let me say this right now, she is probably one of my favorite characters in the book. She is sassy, spunky, and outright hilarious. Abby isn't afraid to lay her life on the line for her duty, which is tested in DJGC.

Funny story. United We Spy came out on the 17, which was actually a week earlier than I thought it was. When I realized that it was out, I raced to the book store at about eight o'clock at night and bought the book. I preceded to fly through it and was done by noon the next day. These books are easy reads that are full of fun facts. Action is fast paced and romance is just right. The younger YA reader would definitely enjoy these books. I got the first three as a gift back in 2010 (I think). I loved them even then at age 11. They're appropriate for all ages, which is something you don't find much of in YA. Whatever you think this story is, it's not. At the end of CHHS/the beginning of DJGC, everything changes. And when I say everything, I mean everything. Cammie's world goes from slightly tilted to completely upside-down and backwards. Get ready for a thrilling ride that grips you even after the pages end!

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

I liked Bad Girls Don't Die. It's well written, but a little young. It's like YA fiction for kids 10-12. I love the plot. The main character's little sister (Kasey) has been possessed by an evil ghost. Totally cool. The middle of the book is kinda weak though. It definitely could have been done better. There's a lot of people/places/etc. that isn't fully explained. Often, it will be explained as if it's an afterthought. Fine, but confusing

The main character is named Alexis. She's totally cool. Hates the stuck-up cheerleaders. By the end of the book, she becomes a walking contradiction of herself as she was at the beginning of the book. Suddenly, the mean cheerleaders get nice? Come on people. She isn't supremely self-confident either. Not like many heroins are though. I also feel like she's weak. She gives in too easily. Especially to her younger sister. There are various other characters who she (and I) have a love/hate relationship with, including Carter and Meghan.

I enjoyed reading Bad Girls Don't Die. It's a must read for younger readers (not too young though!). It was fairly easy. Besides the weak middle and pet-peeves I have with Alexis, it's really good. I give it a four star total.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Who are you and what did you do with Rick Riordan? I love every other one of your books, what happened? How was it that you wrote a boring book? The beginning was good and the end was good, but that's IT! The middle was plain dull. Maybe it's that it's just getting to many characters. Most of his books revolve around three characters or so. This one had seven. I was looking forward to a book that will entertain me, and I get a book I have to force myself to get through. I've read other books about that length in a day, why didn't this take me only a day or two? I have a very serious question. Seriously, it's the most important in the world. Who are you and what did you do with Rick Riordan.

The characters are decently developed. In his writing, you can tell he's a good writer... for elementary school students. I can feel him dumbing it down. Not the content, but the quality. It's not a good matchup. When you have stuff that borders on teen content and little kid writing, it tends to get sloppy. I couldn't get myself into this because of that. A friend of mine who's also reading it, agrees wholeheartedly. Going back a few sentences, I really don't like dumbing down. I know I'm not dumb and I want the writing to not treat me like I am. I have two quotes from a post Ally Carter made a few years ago that I think fits perfectly. "It has been my experience that you should have different expectations of teen readers than adult readers: you should expect your teen readers to be smarter." It very much fits, since Rick Riordan has written adult and child/teenish books. Another quote by Ally Carter "Teens are used to being challenged and tested and forced to think about things analytically, so do NOT write down to teens. Not if you want a career in YA literature." I think these both fit the whole, dumbing down theme.

I wish I could be kind, but in this case, I just have to go with blunt. The plot is weak. It sags in the middle. It has too much unneeded detail. I feel the need to use another Ally Carter quote. "... until you're not writing something with twelve words that could just as easily be said with seven." I love you Rick Riordan, and I'm sorry. But I give this book a two.