
One last summer read
Visiting my bestie this week!!!
#haikuaday #haikuhive #morelikehaikuwheneverifeellikeit
@dabbe @CBee @lil1inblue @Reggie @vivastory @bellabella @julieclair @BooksandCoffee4Me @AnnCrystal @ImperfectCJ @Itchyfeetreader @TheBookHippie @JenlovesJT47 @Jari-chan @Susanita @kelli7990 @The_Book_Ninja @Mimi28 @DebinHawaii @Kristy_K
This was a powerful YA fantasy!
First off, I loved that the story was inspired by the authors‘ grandparents and their romance during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Drawing on real life experiences gave the story a ton of emotional depth.
I also enjoyed the dual POVs. The story is told in alternating points of view of the two leads, Seung and Eunji.
Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/08/07/review-the-last-tiger/
Quick road trip to Minnesota today to spend the weekend in the woods. 💚💚💚
#natureheals #haikuhive #haikuaday
McBride resonates with many students through its relatable characters. It addresses mental health challenges & the prejudice faced by Black youth in a way that is honest but still appropriate. The story doesn‘t shy away from these difficult topics, yet it presents them in a way that‘s accessible to YA readers. By exploring these issues, young readers are empowered to engage with real-world problems & find the confidence to speak up for change.
#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1. Flowers
2. Family BBQ this afternoon
3. Watched Hamilton on Hulu (wow!!)
4. Three days off before I go back to work!
5. Tiny glimmers of hope for kindness and rational thought plus empathy
Took me this long to find 5 things 🎆🧨😐
Seeing formations like this always makes me think about my high school English teacher who had us write a poem in the shape of a thing relating to the theme (shape poems). Even if this isn‘t necessarily a shape I think the scattered-ness of it brings about a theme of scattered thoughts. Shapes are all about bringing an experience of reading the poem, or in this case the novel and I think McBride executed this in a cool way when you notice
This description and personification of sorrow was super interesting to me. I had not thought about people being so engulfed with sorrow and pain that they felt like it was holding them in a grip so tight they couldn‘t move. It seems like McBride personifies sorrow throughout this novel to show the hold it has on this person, on page 172-3 “sorrow chuckles…taps its fingers…smiles.” It was neat to me to read this and acknowledge what others feel
Round of applause for McBride tackling these issues that most people (and authors) just breeze over. She was able to bring awareness using their inner thoughts. That said I am not a fan of this style of book, I don‘t like the novel in verse writing or fantasy reads. Absolutely nothing against McBride taking on these topics and themes is super important I will absolutely keep this on my bookshelf to recommend to students it‘s just not my cup of tea